The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-03-23

TtuBloH one Sliu: Il cant give up my
religion" And so they took her down to the
beach of the sea, and they drove in a stake
at low water mark, and they fastened her to
1t, expecting that as the tide came up her
faith would fail The tide began to rise, and
came up higher, and to the girdle, and to the
lip, and in the last moment, just as the wave
was washing her soul into glory, she shouted
the praises of Jesus.
Oh, no, you cannot separate a soul from
Christ 1t is an everlasting marriage. Bat
tie, and storm, and darkness cannot do 1t. Is
it too much exultation for man, who is but
dust and ashes like myself, to cry out today:
~ am persuaded that neither height, nor
depth, nor municipalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor any
other creature shall separate me from the
love of God which is in Christ Jesus, my
Lordr Glory be to God that when Christ
and the soul are married they are bound by
chain, golden chain-if might say so-a
chain with one link, and that one link the
golden ring of Gods everlasting love.
l go a step further, and tell you that when
Christ receives a soul into his love he puts on
him the ring of festivity. You know that it
hos boon Tho custom In all ages to bestow
rings on very happy occasions There Is
nothing more appropriate for q birthday gift
than ring. You delight to bestow such
gift upon your children at such time It
means joy, hilarity, festivity. Well, when
this old man of the text wanted to tell how
glad he Yves that his boy had got back, he
expressed 1t in this way. Actually, before he
ordered sandals to be put on his bare feet,
before he ordered TIE fatted calf to be killed
to appease the boys hunger, he commanded:
"Put ring on his hand"
Oh, it is a merry time when Christ and
the soul are united! Joy of forgiveness
What a splendid thing it is to feel that all is
right between me and God What glorious
thing it is to have God just take up all the
sins Of my life and put them in one bundle,
and then fling them into the depths of the
sea, never to rise again, never to be talked
of again. Pollution all gone. Darkness all
illumined. God reconciled. The prodigal
home. "Put a ring on his hand"
Every day find happy Christian people. /
find some of them with no second coat, some
of them in huts and tenement houses, not
one earthly comfort afforded them; and yet
they are as happy as happy can be. They
sing Crock Of Ages" as no other people in
the world sing it. They never wore any
jewelry in their life but one gold ring, and
that was the ring Of Gods undying affection.
Oh, how happy religion makes us! Did it
make you gloomy and sad! Did you go with
your head cast down? l do not think you
got religion, my brother. That is not the eff
feet of religion True religion is joy. "Her
ways are ways Of pleasantness, and all her
paths are peace"
Why, religion lightens all our burdens 1t
smooths all our way. 1t interprets all our
sorrows. 1t changes the jar of earthly dis
cord for the peal of festal bells. In front of
the flaming furnace of trial it sets the forge
on which sceptcrs are hammered out. Would
you not like to-day to come up from the
swine feeding and try this religion! All the
joys of heaven would come out and meet
you, and God would cry from the throne:
''Put ring on his hand"
You are not happy. l see it. There is no
peace, and sometimes you laugh when you
feel a great deal more like crying. The
world is cheat. 1t first wears you down
with its follies, then it kicks you out into
darkness. 1t comes back from the massacre
Of a million souls to attempt the destruction
of your soul today. No peace out of God,
but here is the fountain that can slake the
thirst Here is the harbor w ere you can
drop safe anchorage.
Would you not like, ask you-not per-
functorily, but as one brother might talk to
another-would you not like to have pillow
of rest to put your head ons And would you
not like, when you retire at night, to feel
that all is well, whether you wake up to-
morrow morning at 6 o'clock, or sleep tho
sleep that knows no waking. Would you
not like to exchange this awful uncertainty
about the future for a glorious assurance of
heaven? Accept of the Lord Jesus today,
and all is we'll If on your way home some
peril should cross the street and dash your
life out, it would not hurt you. You would
rise up Immediately. You would stand in
the celestial streets You would be amid tho
great throng that forever worship and arc
forever happy. If this day some sudden dis
ease should come upon you il would not
brighten you. II you knew you Were going
you could give a calm farewell to your beau
tiful home on earth, and know that you arc
going right into the companionship of those
who have already got beyond the toiling and
the weeping
You feel on Saturday night different from
the way you feel any other night of the
week. You come home from the bank, or
the store, or the shop, and You say: "Well,
now my weeks work is done, and tomorrow
is Sunday" II is a pleasant thought. There
is refreshment and reconstruction in the very
idea Oh, how pleasant it will be, if, when
we get through the day of our life, and we
go and lie down in our bed of dust, we can
realize: "Well, now the work is all done,
and tomorrow is Sunday-an everlasting
Sunday"
Oh, when, thou city of my God,
Shall thy courts ascend,
Where congregations ne'er break up,
And Sabbaths have no endf
There are people in this house today who
are very near the eternal world. If you are
Christians, I bid you be Of good cheer. Bear
with you our congratulations to the bright
city. Aged men, who will soon be gone,
take with you our love for our kindred in the
better land, and when you see them tell
them that we are soon coming. Only few
more sermons to preach and hear. Only
few more heartaches. Only few more tolls
Only a few more tears And then, what an
enhancing spectacle will be open before usl
Beautiful heaven, where all is light,
Beautiful angels clothed in white,
Beautiful strains that never tire,
Beautiful harps through all the choir;
There shall join the chorus sweet,
Worshiping at the Saviour's feet.
Iapproach you now with a general invita-
ton, not picking out here and there man,
nor here and there a woman, nor here and
there child; but giving you an unlimited
invitation, saying: "Come. for all things are
now ready" We invite you to the warm
heart of Christ, and the Enclosure of the
Christian church. / know a great many
think that the church does not amount to
much, that it is obsolete; that it did its work
and is gone now, so far as all usefulness Is
concerned. 1t is the happiest place have
ever been in, except my own home
know there are some people who say they
are Christians who seem to get along with
out any help from others, and who culture
solitary piety. They do not want any ordi-
nances. lido not belong to that class. Icannot
get along without them. There are so many
things in this world that take my attention
from God, and Christ. and heaven, that
want all the helps of all the symbols and Of
all the Christian associations: and I want
around about me a solid phalanx of men who
love God and keep his commandments Are
there any here who would like to enter into
that association Then by a simple, child
like faith, apply for admission into the visi
BILE church, and you will be received. No
questions asked about your past history or
present surroundings. Only one test-do you
love Jesusi
Baptism does not amount to anything, say
a great many people; but the Lord Jesus de-