The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-03-22
the wedding altar the bridegroom puts a

ring upon the hand of the bride, signify
ing love and faithfulness. Trouble may
come upon the household, and the carpets
may go, and the pictures may go,
the piano maj 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it is withdrawn from the hand and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 casket, and sometimes the box
is opened ON an anniversary day, and as
you look at this ring ycl. see under its
arch long procession of precious men,
ories. Within the golden circle of tha-
ring there is room for thousand sweet
recollections to revolve, and you think of
the great contrast between the hour
when, at the close of the "Wedding
March, !" under the flashing lights and
amid the aroma of orange blossoms, you
set that ring on the round finger of the
plump hand, and that other hour when
at the close of the exhaustive watching,
when you knew that the soul had fled,
you took from the hand, which gave
back no responsive clasp, from that
emaciated finger, the ring that she had
worn SO long and worn SO well.
On some anniversary day you take up
that ring, and you repolish it until all
the old luster comes back, and you can
see in it the flash Of eyes that long ago
ceased to weep. Oh, it is not an un-
meaning thing when I tell you that when
Christ receives soul into his keeping he
puts on it a marriage ring. He endows
you from that moment with all his
wealth. You sare one--Christ and the
soul-one in sympathy, one in affection,
one in hope.
There is no power in earth or hell to
effect enforcement after Christ and the
soul are united. Other kings have
turned out their companions when they
got weary of them, and sent them adrift
from the palace gate. Ahasuerus BAN
ished Vashti, Napoleon forsook Josephine,
but Christ is the husband that is true for
ever. Having loved you once, he loves
you to the end. Did they not try to di-
vorce Margaret, the Scotch girl, from
Jesus2 They said: ''You must give up
your religion" She said: 81 can't give
up my religion And so they took her
down to the beach Of the sea, and they
drove in stake at low water mark, and
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the tide came up her faith would fail.
higher and 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 mar
riage. Battle and storm and darkness
cannot do it. 1t is too much exultatior
for man, who is but dust and ashes
like myself, to cry out today: II an
persuaded that neither height, nor depth
nor principalities, nor powers. nor thing.
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 wher
Christ and the soul are married they are
bound by chain, golden chain--if
might say SO "a chain with one link, ant
that one link the golden ring of God's
everlasting love,
go step further, and tell you tha
when Christ receives a soul into his Low,
he puts on him the ring of festivity
You know that it has been the custom
in all ages to bestow rings on very happy
occasions. There is nothing1 more ap
propriate for birthday gift than ring
You delight to bestow such gift upol
your children at such time. It mean
joy, hilarity, festivity Well, when thi
old man of the text wanted to tell hov
glad he was that his boy had got back
he expressed it in this way. Actually
before he ordered sandals to be put OF
his bare feet; before he ordered tn
fatted calf to be killed to appease tn
boys hunger, he commanded: 'Put
ring on his hand"
Oh, it is a merry time when Chris
and the soul are united! Joy of forgive
nessi What splendid thing it il t
feel that all is right between me an
God. What glorious thing it is t
have God just take up all the sins of M
life and put them in one bundle, and the
fling them into the depths of the sea
never to rise again. never to be talked c
again. Pollution all gone. Darkness a
illuminated. God reconciled. The prod
gal home. 'fPut ring on his hand.'
Every day I find happy Christia
people. find some of them with n
second coat, some of them in huts an
tenement houses, not one earthly con,
fort afforded them; and yet they are q
happy as happy can be. They sin
Crock of Ages" as no other people in th
world sing it. They never wore an
jewelry in their life but one gold ring
and that was the ring of Gods undyin
, affection. Oh, how happy religion make
, us! Did it make you gloomy an
/ sad? Did you 60 with your head ca
! down2 do not think you got religion
; my brother. That is not the effect {
religion. True religion is joy. "He
! ways are ways OF pleasantness, and a
her paths are peace"
Why religion lightens all our burden
. 1t smooths all our way. 1t interprets a
$ our sorrows. 1t changes the jar I,
) earthly discord for the peal of fest
bells. In front of the flaming furnat
f of trial it sets the forge on which scepte
!, are hammered out. Would you not lii
o today to come up from the swine feedir
and try this religion? All the joys
heaven would come out and meet yo
and God would cry from the thron
"Put ring on his hand"
You are not happy. I see it. The
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when you feel great deal more like CT
ing. The world is cheat. 1t fiji
wears you down with its follies, then
kicks you out into darkness. 1t com
e back from the massacre of million sou
) to attempt the destruction of your so
It today. No peace out of God, but here
d the fountain that can slake the thirs
y Here is the harbor where you can DIR,
s safe anchorage.
II Would you not like, I ask you-n
o perfunctorily, but as one brother mig
e talk to another-would you not like
n have pillow of rest to put your he
g on2 And would you not like, when y,
q retire at night, to feel that all is we
=. whether you wake up tomorrow NOR
IL ing at o'clock, or sleep the sleep tn
,e knows no waking? Would you not Ii
>: to exchange this awful uncertainty abo
r the future for a glorious assurance
N heaven2 Accept of the Lord Jesus
IN day, and all is well. If on your W
It home some peril should cross the sire