Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-03-24
DR.. TALMAGE IN TIE WEST
AN ELOQUENT SERMON ON THE
pEcoRATIoN OF THE SOUL"

DECORATION OF THE SOUL"
The Parable of the ProdiGnl Son.
IS, matters Not How Poor We Arc If
but Wear on Our HIND tho Ring
.christ's Adoption.
FoaT ScorT, Knn., March 1S.-The T
T!.De Witt Talmago, D. D., of the Brook
Tabernacle, preached here this evening
crowded congregation. He took for his
jcct stThe Decoration Of the Soul" and
toSts1as Luke XIV, %: "Put ring on
hand" He said:
Twill not rchearse the familiar story
the fast young man Of the parable.
= know what splendid homo he left.
know what a hard time he had. And
resl,ralnember how after that season of VI
bondage dc -! nrodigality he resolved te
and weep ont his sorIs--:-oyys on tho bosol
palssss forgiveness VOL, c. there is e
excSSRsSient one day in front Of th6>ut., doc
the aid farm house. The servants como rush
inrhirp and say: "IFhat's the matterl What
is tie natter?', But before they quite arrive
thc &C nan cries out: "Puta ring on bib
hand.nSs What n seeming absurdity! What
co,, ssicIl he'd nendi ant as this fellow
tliSAte5s lsrnping natoward tho hons sgytIS:
more tending Of TIE SWINE truug nIs-Innre
longing for the pods of the carob tree No
more blistered feet or with the rags On
with,tho robel Out with the ring Even SO
doesGoll receive every one OF US when we
come buck There arc gold rings, and pearl
rings, ind carnelian rings, and diamond
rings; bit the richest ring that ever flashed
on the vision is that which our father puts
upon forgiven soul.
l know the impression Is abroad among
some people that religion bemeans and belit-
ties nl,h that it takes all the sparkle out
of his sdul; that he has to exchange a roy
stcring independence for an ecclesiastical
stynit jncket. Not so. When man becomes
a Christian, he does not go down, he starts
upw lrd. Religion multiplies one by ten
thousand. Nay, the multiplier is in infnity.
1t i not blotting Quit is q polishing, it is
nnhrborescence, it is an eflloresccnce, it is an
irr.diation When q man comes into the
kinlbm of God no is not sent into mental
sertice, but tho Lord God Almighty from the
paEces of heaven calls upon the messenger
nnIcls that wait upon the throne to fly and
"ut a ring on his hand" IN Christ are the
largest liberty, the brightest joy, and highest
bcaor. and richest adornment. " Put ring
onhis hand"
remark, in the first place, that when
Clist receives soul into his love ho puts
Jpn him the ring of adoption. In my
cIlrch in Philadelphia there came the repre-
sotativo of benevolent society in New
/ " T. aio IN
cfldren of the street, that he had picked up,
oil he was trying to find for them Christian
hcnes; aud as tho little ones stood Oh tho pull
pj and sung our hearts melted within us.
4 the close of the services q great hearted,
.ealthy man came up and said: "I'll take
lis little bright Dyed girl, and I'll adopt her
one of my own children and no took her
~ the hand, lifted her into his carriage and
yont away.
The next day, while we were In the church
altering up garments for tho poor Of New
York, this little child camo back with bum
10 under her arm, and she said: "There's
,y old dress; perhaps some of the poor chill
cen would like to have it, while she herself
ms in bright and beautiful array, and those
Tho moro Immediately examined her said
to had ring on hcr hand. 1t was ring Of
ioption.
Therc are q great many persons who pride
fls---.srea on their, oE,cnstrv- nnd thnv alorr-
j3ver the royal blood that pours through their
arteries. In their line their was lord, or
duke, or prime minister, or king. But
whom the Lord, our father, puts upon US the
ring of adoption, we become the children of
the ruler of all nations. "Behold what man.
ner of lovo the Father hath bestowed upon
us, that we should be called the SONS of God"
1t matters not how poor our garments may
be in this world, OF how scant our bread, or
how mean the hut we live in, If we havo the
ring of Christ's adoption upon our hand we
arc assured OF otornal defcnses.
Adopt Why, then, we arc brothers md
sisters to all tho good of earth and heaven
We have tho family namo, theN amily dress,
tho family keys, the family wardrobe. The
father looks after lis, robes us, defends us,
blesscs lis. We have royal blood in our viens,
and there are crowns in our line. If we are
his children, then princes and princesses. 1t
is only question of time when we get our
coronct Adopted Then we have the fami-
IL secrets. 1.-THE secret Of tho Lord is with
them that fear him." Adopted! Then we
have the family Inheritance, and in the day
when our father shall divide the riches Of
heaven, wo shall take our share of tho NAM
cions and palaces and temples. Henceforth
lot 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 wc can
take tho words of Charles Wesley, that prince
of hymii-n1akers and sing:
Come, let us join our friends above,
Who have obtained tho prize,
And on the eagle wings Of love
To Joy celestial risc
Let oil the saints terrestrial sing
With those To glory gone;
Far all the servants Of our King,
In heaven and earth. are one.
I have been told that when any Of the
members of any of the great secret societies
of this country are in a.distant city and are
in any kind of trouble, and ore set upon By
enemies, they have only to give certain sig
nal and tho members Of that organization
will flock around for defense. And when
any man belongs to this great Christian
brotherhood, if he gets i'll trouble, in trial, in
persecution, in temptation, he has only to
show this ring of Christ's adoption, and oil
the armed cohorts of heaven will come to his
rescue.
Still further, when Christ takes a soul into
his love he puts upon it q marriage ring.
Now that is not whim of mine: And
will bethroth thee unto me forever; yea,
will betroth thee unto me in Righteousness,
and in Judgment, and in loving kindness,
and in mercies.n At the wedding altar the
bridegroom puts ring upon the hind of the
bride, signifying love and faithfulncss.
Trouble may come upon the household, and
the carpets may SO, tho pictures may go, the
piano may go, everything else may go-the
last thing that goes is the marriage ring, for
it is considered sacred In the burial hour it
is withdrawn from the hand and kept in
on Sl-et md sn,netirr,es tho hoy is n1,ened ON