The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-03-20

a chain with one LINK and that one linh the
golden ring of Gods everlasting love.
! 20 "A step further and tell you that whcn
! Christ receives a soul into Ills love He puts on
/ him the ring Of iestiHity. gu know that 1t
( has been the custom in all ages TO Destow tinSS
/ OH very happy occasions. There rs nothing
more appropriate for birthday gift than
ring. You delight to bestoW such a gift upon
/ your children at such time. 1t means JOY.
hilarity, festivity. Well, when this Old nan
/ Of the text wanted 10 tell how glad he was nat
his boy had got back, he expressed 1t IN TINS
/ way. Actually, before he ordered sandals 70
/ be put on his Lare feet; before lac ordered the
/ fatted cal. to lie killed to appease tho boy S
| hunger, Inc commanded: "Put a ring on his
/ hand.
Oh, it is a merry time when Christ and the
soul are united Joy of forgiveness. what
splendid thing it is 10 feel that all is right be
tween hie and God. What glorious thing t
is to have God just take up all the sins Of my
/ life and put them in one bundle, and then
, fling them into tie depths OF the sea, never to
rise again, never to be talked Of again. Pollu-
ton all gone. Darkness all illunincd. God
reconciled. The prodigai home Put 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
Rock Of Ages" as no other people in the
world sing it. They never wore any iewelry
the ring Of Gods undying affection. oh how
/ happy religion makes us, Did il make you
gloomy and sad? bid you go with your head
cast down? ! do not think you got religion,
my brother. That is not the effect OF religion
True leligion is joy. H r ways arc ways OF
plcasantnrss, and all her paths are peace"
Why religion lghtens all our burdens. 1t
smooths all our ways. IT inIerprets ali our sor-
rows 1t changes the jar Of earthly discord for
tho peal of fe tal bells IN front OF the liam
ing furnace OF trial IL sets the forge on which
sceptres are hammered out. Would you not
like today to come mp from the swinc-fceding
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. / see it. There is no
peace, and sometimes you laugh when You
feel great deal more like crying. Tho world
is a cheat. 1t first wears you down with us
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 Stake the thirst. Here is the
harbor where you can drop safe anchorage.
Would you not like, | ask you--not perfume
torily but as one brother might talk to an
other-would you not like to have a pillow Of
rest to put your head on? And would you
not like, when you retire at night TO feel that
all is we'll, whether you wake up tomorrow
morning at six o'clock, or sleep the sleep that
knows no waking? Would you not like to ex
change this awful uncertainty about the future
for u glorious assurance OF heaven? Accept Of
the Lord Jesus today and all is well. II on
your way home some peril should cross the
street and dash you life out, 1t would not hurt
you. You would rise up Immediately. You
would stand jim the celestial streets. You
would he amid the great throng that forever
worship and are forever happy. If this day
some sudden disease should come upon you, it
would not brighten you. If you knew you
! were going you could give calm farewell to
| your Lcautifur home on earth and know that
| you are going right into the companonship OF
those who have already got beyond the toiiing
| and the weeping.
You feel on Saturday night different from
tho way you feel any other night of the week.
You come homo from the bank or tho store, or
the shop, and You say well, now my week s
! work is DONE and tomorrow is Sunday" Ii
is pleasant Thought. There is refreshment
and reconstruction in the very idea. Oh, how
pleasant it viii be, it, when we get through
the day of our life and we go and lie down il
our bed Of dust, we can realize: well, nov
the work is all DONE and tomorrow is Sunday
.an everlasting Sunday"
ooh, when, thou city of my God
Shall thy courts oscend2
Where congregations ne r break up,
| And Sabbaths have no end2
There are people in this house today who are
| very near the eternal world If you are Chris.
! tians. | bid Won be Of good cheer. Bear with
/
! Aged men, who will soon be gone. take with
YOU our love for our kindred In the better land
aud when YOU see them, tell them that we are
soon coming. Only few more sermons tC
preach and hear. Only q few more heart
aches. Only n few more tolls, Only a few
more tears And then, what an enhancing
spectacle will open before usl
"neuutltul heayep, where all is light,
Beautiful angels clothed In white,
| Belutiful strains that never tire,
rtt bup trh all no giteip
! There shall Join the chorus sweet,
| Worshlpptng at the savIours feet
approach You now with general inv ita
ton. not picking out here and there man
or here and there woman, or here and there
a child but giving you an unlimited invita-
ton, saying; Come. for all things are now
ready" We invite you to the warm heart o
Christ, and the incosure of the Christian
church. know great many think that The
church does not amount 10 much, that it is oh
Soete; that il did its work and Is gone now
SO far as all usefulness IS concerned. II is tn,
happest place have ever been i'll, except my
own home.
know there are some people who say the,
are Christians who seem to get along withou
any help from others, and who culture soita
~ piety They do not want any ordinances
| do not belong to that class, | can not sc
along without them. There are SO man,
things in this world that take my attention
from God and Christ, and heaven, that wan
Christian associations; and | want aroun,
about me solid phalanx Of men who low
God and keep His commandments. Ar
there any here who would like to enter int
that association? Then by simple. chilk
like faith apply for admission into The yisbl
church. and YOU will be received. No ques
tons asked about your past history or pr, sen
surroundings Only one teSt--do You low
Jesus?
Baptism does moi amount TO anything, say
great many people but the Lord Jesus dc
clared lie that belie>eth and is baptixe,
shall he saved putting baptism and faitl
side by side. And an apostle declared IRE
pent and be baptized. every one of you" d.
not sickle tor any particular mode of baptism
but put great emphasis on the fact that yoD
ought TO be baptized. Yet no moro omphasi
than the Lord Jesus Christ the great head O
the church. puts upon it,
The world is going to, after awhile lose
great many 81 its votareS. There are TO b,
ieviyalS Of religion that will shake the earth
We give you warning. There is n great hos
coming in 10 stand under the banner of th,
Lord Jesus Christ. VIII you be among them
/ VIII you be among the gathered sllea,es?
Some OF YOU have been thinking on THU
subject year after year. You have found on
that this world is o poor portion. You wan
10 be Christians. You have come almost int,
tho kipslnt,, of Cod hut tlar, 49,, -, -.