The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-03-20
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
His Last Sunday Evenings Dis
course.


ring on his hand" lie aid:
/ will not rehearse the familiar story OF the
fast young man of the parable. You KNOW
what a splendid home lac left. You know
what hard time he had, And you remember
how after that session Of vagabondagc and
prodigality he resolved TO 20 and weep ont his
sorrows on the bosom of parental forgiveness.
We'll. there is great exci;ment one day III front
of the door Of the old farm house. The ser
wants come rushing up and say: Whats the
matter? What is the natter But before
fhey quite arrive, the ola man cries out: Put
airing On his hand" What "A seeming absurd
ity? What can such wretched mendi-
cant as this fellow that is tramp
dng on toward the house want with ring ?
Oh he is the prodigal son. No more tending
pf the swine-trough. No more longing for
The pods OF the carob tree. No more blistered
feet. on with the rags! On with the robe !!
Out with the ringl Even So does God receive
avery one OF us when We come back. There
Are gold rings, and pearl rings land carelian
fings and diamond rings; but the richest ring
that ever flashed ON the vision is that which
bur Father puts upon a forgiven soul.
/ know that tho impression is abroad
among some people that religion bemeans
and beittes man; that it takes all
Vie 5caIl,le out OF His soUl; that he has to ex-
change o registering independence Tor
hn ecCl iastical strait aclcr Not so. When
q man becomes a Christian, he does not go
down he starts upward Religion multtpies
on hv ten thousand. Nay. the multipler is
in intinity. 1t is not hlottiiig Quit Is pol
tshtug II is an arbnrrSccncc, II is AN etliores-
cence, II Is an irradation. When a man
comes into the kingdom oi God he is not sent
into n mental service, but the Lord God Al
mighty from the palaces OF heaven calls upon
the messenger angels that wait upon the
throne TO II IS and "put a ring on ms hand IN
CHRIST are the largest liberty, and brightest
GOV. and highest honor, ana richest adorn-
nent. put a ring on hiH hand.
/ remark in the first place, that when Christ
yeceives u soul into His love He puts upon hlm
the ring of adoption. In my church in Phila-
deipnia there came thc represehtativ OF II be-
heVoient society IN New ork. lie Drought
Min l.m eight or ten children OF the street
lAt lao had picked NJ, and he was trying to
find for them Christian homes; and as the lit
lie ones stood OH the pulpit and sung our
haariA melted within us. At the close OF the
sersi, os at-hearted, wealthy man came
up and said I'm take this little bright-eycd
girl, ana iii adopt her as ono OF my own
Children ;" and he took her by the hand, lifted
nor into his carriage, and went away.
The neXl 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
ofd dress perhaps some of the poor children
would like to have it," while she herself was
in bright and beautiful array and those who
more Immediately examined her said that she
had ring on her hand. IL was ring OF
adoption
There are a 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 a lord, or a
duke or a prime minister, or king. But
when the Lord, our Father, puts upon us the
ting of His adoption, we become the children
Of the ruler of all nations. Behold what
manner Of love the Father hath bestowed upon
- II. H.. Had tl,a e
Ciod" II matters not how poor garments
may he in this world, or how scant our bread,
or how mean the hut we live in, If we have
THAT ring Of Chrsts adoption upon our hand
we are assured OF eternal deienses.
Adopt! Why, then, we are brothers and
Sisters TO all the good Of earth and heaven.
I'VE have the family name, the family dress,
the family keys, the family wardrobe. The
Father looks after us, robes us, defends us,
blessos us We have royal blood in our veins,
pnd there are crowns IN our line If we are
Ills children then princes aud Processes II
IL only a question of time when we get our cor
nnet Adopted Then we have the family
pecrets. The secret of the Lord is with them
that fear Him" Adopted! Then We have
the family Inheritance, and In the day when
our Father shah divide the riches of heaven
we shall take our share of the mansions and
palaces and temples, Henceforth let us boast
10 morc Of an earthly ancestry. The insignia
pf eternal glory Is our coat OF arms. This ring
bf adoption puts upon us all honor and all priv
Gege. Now we can take the words of Charles
Wesley, that prince of hymn makers, and sing
Come let us Join orr friends above
Who have obtained the prize,
And ON the eagle wings of love
To Joy celestriai rise.
"Ict all the saints terrestrial sing
With those 10 glory gone:
For all the servants of our king,
In heaven and earth are one.
| have been told that when any of the mem
bcts OF any of the great secret societies Of thi,
couniry are in n distant city and are IN amy
kind of trouble, and alc set upon by enemies
they have only to give n certain signal and the
members OF that organization will flock around
Tor defense And when any man belongs e
This great Christian brotherhood. il he gets III
troube, IN Trial, in persecution, III temptation
ho has only 10 show this ring of Christ adop
lion. aud all the armed cohorts of heaven will
Come to his rescue
Still further, when Christ takes soul into
lts love lie puts upon II a marriage ring
Now that Is not WhiM OF mine; And
will betIoth thee unto Me forever yea | vii
boiroth thee unto Me IN 'Shtcousuess, and II
Judgment, and in loving kindness aud il
hclUies." AT the wedding altar tho bride
groom puts ring upon the hand of the bride
signiiyng love and lathfulncsS. Trouble
may como upon the household, and the carpet
may 20, the pictures may 90, the piano mn,
20. everything else may go-the last thin,
that goes Is That marriage ring. for IL is con
sidervd sacred In the hHrini hour it is with
ind sometimes the boz is ui cned on an ami
NerSary day. and rs Nou look M that ring Vol
Bee under its arch . long procession Of preciou
memories. Within the golden circle Of tina
Iing there is room FOR thousand sweet rcCol
lecuons 10 revolve, and yen think OF tho grea
Uontra.t between the hour Whou NJ tn,
close OF the wedding March," under tn,
flashing lights and amid the aroma Of orange
blossoms. you set that ring ON the round finge
Of tGe plump hand, and that other hour when
al the close Of the exhaustive watching, When
sou knew that the soul had He'd, YOU took frou
the hand, which gave back no RESI- onsiyc clasp
f,om that emaciated finger, the ring that sh,
had worn So long and worn SO we'll
On some anniversary day YOU take up thai
ring. and You repoliSh II until all the old lustr,
comes back, and you can see in II the flash o.
eyes that long along ceased 10 weep, oh, II Il
not an unmeaniug thing when tell YOU thai
when Christ receives a soul into His keeping
lie puts ON itamarriage ring. lie endoNs yor
from that moment with all His wealth. You
aro one Christ and the soul one In sympathy
one In affection, one in hope.
There is no power IN earth or hell 20 effect a
d"orcement after Christ and the soul are
uiicd. Other kings have turned out their
companions when they got weary of them.
hnd cent them adrift from the palace gate