The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-19
How the Soul Ii Decorated BY the
Father Who Forgives Sinners.
When Man Becomes q Christian
He Doesn't Go Down, But Up.
We All Have Royal Blood in Our
Veins and Heirs Of Crowns.
When Christ Takes Soul Into His Love
He Puts Upon 1t Marriage Ring
II VIII Betroth Thee Unto
Me Forever"


I. DWeitt Talmage, DID,, Of the Brooklyn
IN. W tabernacle, preached here this
evening TO crowded congregation. lie
took for his subject "The Decoration Of the
Soul" and his text was Luke XIV. 22: "Put
q ring on his hand" He said:
will not fehearse the familiar story OF
the fast young man OF the parable. You
\ know what q splendid home he left. You
know what hard time he had. And you
remember how after that season OF vaga-
bondage and prodigality he resolved to 20
and weep out his sorrows on the bosom Of
parental forgiveness. Well, there is great
excitement one day in trout OF the door Of
the old farmhouse. The servants come
rushing up and say: "What is the matter?
What is the matter?" But before they
quite arrive the old man cries out: "Put
ring on his hand.' What seeming abb
surdity! What can such a wrctched men,
dicant as this fellow that Is tramping on
toward the house want with ring? Oh,
he is the prodigal son. No more tending
Of the swine-trough. No more longing for
the pods Of the carob tree. No more blis-
tered feet. OFF with the rags On with
the robe. Out with the ring! Even 80
does God receive every one OF us when We
come back. There are gold rings, and
/, pearl rings, and carnelian rings, and dia-
mond rings; but the richest ring that ever
flashed ON the vision Is that which our
Father puts upon forgiven soul.
/ know that the impression is abroad
among some people that religion bcmeans
and belittles a man; that IL takes all the
sparkle out Of his soul; that he has TO ex-
change a registering independence for an
ecclesiastical straight jacket. Not NO.
When man becomes n Christian, he
does not 60 down, he starts upward. Re-
ligion multiplies one by 10000. Nay, the
multiplier is In ininity. II is not a blot
out--it is q polishing, Il is an arborescence,
II IL an efflorescencc, IL Is an irradiation.
When n man comes into the kingdom OF
God he is not sent into menial service,
but the Lord God Almighty from the pal
aces OF heaven calls upon the messenger
angels that wait upon the throne TO fly
and put ring ON his hand" In Christ
are the largest liberty, and brightest Joy,
and highest honor, and richest adorn-
ment. ''Put ring on his handn
| remark, In the first place, that when
Christ receives a soul into his love hc puts
upon him the ring Of adoption. In my
church In Brooklyn there came the
representative Of n benevolent society in
New York. He brought with him eight
or ten children OF the street that he had
picked up, and he was, trying 10 find for
them Christian homes; and as the little
ones stood ON the pulpit and sung our
hearts melted within US. At the close Of
the services great hearted, wealthy man
afaI IL fl al Il. AL
bright-eyed girl, and I'll adopt her as one
Of my own children;' and he took her by
the hand, lifted her into his carriage,
and went away.
The next day, while we were In the
church gathering up garments for the
poor OF New York, this little child came
back with bundle under her arm, and
she said: There's my old dress; per-
haps some OF the poor children would like
10 have II" while she herself was In
bright and beautiful array, and those who
more immediately examined her said that
she had ring on her hand. II was q
ring Of adoption.
There are q great many persons who
pride themselves on their ancestry, and
they glory over the royal blood that pours
through their arteries In their line there
was lord, or duke, or prime minister,
or King. But when the Lord, our
Father, puts upon ms the ring OF his adop-
ton, we become the children Of the Ruler
Of all nations. "Bchold what manner Of
love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that va should be called the sons OF God. T"
II matts not how poor our garments may
be In this world, or how scant our bread,
or how mean the hut We live In, II we
= have the ring Of Chnsts adoption upon
our hand We are assured OF eternal de.
lenses.
Adopt Why, then, we are brotheIsan
sisters 10 all the good Of earth and heaven.
We have the family name, the family
dress, the family keys, the family ward.
robe. Tho Father looks after us, robes us,
defends ms, blesses ms. We have royal
blood in our veins, and there are crowns
in our line. II we are his children, then
princes and princcsses. IL Is only qucs-
lion OF time when We get our coronet.
Adopted Then we have the family
secrets. "The secret OF the lord Is with
them that fear him." Adopted Then
we have the family inheritance, and in tho
day when our Father shall divide tho
riches Of heaven we shall take our share
OF tho mansions and palaces and temples.
IIenceforth let US boast no more OF an
earthly ancestry. The insignia Of eternal
glory Is our coat OF arms. This ring OF
adoption puts upon US all honor and all
privilege. Now we can take the words oi
Charles Wesley that prince OF hymn
makers, and sing
"Come, LET ~ Join our friends above,
who have obtained The prlrc,
And on the eagle wlnm love
To Joy celestial rise.
''Ict all the saints terrestrial sing
With those 10 glory gone,
For all the servants of our King.
In heaven aud earth are one.'
Ihave been told that when any 'oi the
members OF any Of the great secret socic-
ties Of this country are In distant city
and are IN any kind Of trouble, and are vel
/, upon by enemies, they have only TO give .
certain signal and the members oi that or
\eanization will flock around for defense
And when any man belongs TO this pca'
Ehristian brotherhood, II he gets In tron
blc, In trial, In persecution, In temptation
he has only 10 show this ring OF Christi
y adoption, and all the armed cohorts
heaven viii come 10 his rescue.
Still further, when Christ takes sou
l..la Ii I...... la fa a muTIIuul