AND the second, sapphire.—Faithfulness. The sapphire of the ancients is the modern lapiz lazuli, or azure stone, a mineral substance valued for decorative purposes in consequence of the fine blue color which it usually presents. It has the appearance of being spotted with gold dust. “The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.” (Job. 28:6.) The brilliant spots in the deep blue matrix invite comparison with the stars in the firmament. The crystals form into units having twelve equal sides. The blue is the color of faithfulness; the gold shows the faithfulness towards God; the star‐like appearance shows the faithfulness towards all the Heavenly beings—angels, archangels, and the Great Company; the crystalline formation shows the faithfulness towards the symbolical and actual twelve tribes of Israel which, in the last analysis, include all who shall become heirs of salvation. Those who gain the prize of the High Calling can be trusted.—1 Cor. 4:2; Luke 16:10‐12. AND the third, a chalcedony.—Obedience; Submission. A green quartz, found in the copper mines of Chalcedon. It crystallizes in the twelve‐sided and twenty‐four‐sided forms of cubic crystalline formation. In the twelve sided crystals each side is a surface of five equal sides and angles. The Church’s obedience is perfect towards God as indicated in the faces of the crystals, five being a symbol of Divinity. It is operative towards the brethren as in the twelve‐faced crystals, and towards both phases of the Kingdom, as in the twenty‐four‐sided crystals. The fourth, an emerald.—Deathlessness. One of the most beautiful of gems, of a bright green color, without any mixture, crystallizing in long, hexagonal (six‐sided) crystals. The stone loses color when strongly heated. From those originally imperfect (as shown in the six‐sided crystals) God is creating a race of deathless ones. Nevertheless, though begotten to the Divine nature, should they cling to the dross of their fleshly natures too determinedly, so great fires may be applied to burn away the dross as will destroy the value of the gem. This gem, too, represents the Church’s power to bestow life upon the dead world. The crystals may be broken or split crosswise. The everlasting life for the world, which may be made continuous, is nevertheless susceptible of being broken off at any time for disobedience. 21:20. The fifth, sardonyx.—Humility; Purity; Martyrdom. An ornamental stone much used for seals and cameos. It was considered by ancient oriental authorities that a fine oriental sardonyx should have at least three strata, a black base, a white intermediate center, and a superficial layer of red; these colors typifying the three cardinal virtues—humility, black; chastity, white; modesty or martyrdom, red. The sixth, sardius.—Loyalty to Christ. A reddish stone much used by the ancients as a gem stone; it has been in all ages the commonest of the stones used by the gem engraver.—Rev. 4:3.