Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-01-09
A ring ON HIS HAND.
NV. Or. TALMAGE ON rHe RETURN
OF THE PRo0IGAL.
New Lights on = Familiar Story-Ths
Richest Ring Ever Flashed on the Vision
IL That which Our Father Puts on =
Forgiven Soul.


Richest Ring Ever Flashed on the Vision
IL That which Our Father Puts on =
Forgiven Soul.
wAsHISGToS, Jan. 5.--In his sermon to-.
day Rev. DR.. Talmagc took Tor his subject
the return Of the prodigal son. Tho text
chosen was Luke Ky, %, Put ring on
his hand"
will not rehearse the familiar story OF
the fast young man Of tho parable. You
know what % splendid homo he left. You
know what n hard time no had. And yot,
remember how after that season Of vagu-
bondage and prodigality no resolved to go
and weep out his sorrows on tho bosom Of
parental forgiveness. Well, there is great
exoiteinent ono day in front Of the door Of
the old farmhouse. The servants como
rushing up and say Whats the mattcrs
What is tho NATTER" But before they
quite arrive tho old man cries out, "Put a
ring ON his hand" What seeming alb
surdlty! What can such wretchcd men
dicaps as this fellow that is tramping on
toward Che house want with a ring? Oh,
he il the prodigal son. No more tending
OF the swine trough No more longing for
the pods Of the csrob trecl No moro bis
tered fseti OF with the rags! On with
the robe Out with the ring! 1ivon So
dues GOO receive every one Of us when we
come bsAk. There are gold rings, and
pearl rings, and emerald rings, and dia-
mond rings, but the richest ring that ever
flashed Oh the vision il that which our Fa-
tbsr puts ulon u forgiven soul.
I know that the impression is abroad
among some psople that religion bomeans
and belitt!ss = alan; that il takes all the
sparkle out OF rs soul; that he has to OK
change = roistestng Independence for an
ecclesiastical straitiacket. Not SO. When
man becomes a Christian, he does not
10 down; he starts upward. Religion
multipies / by 10000. Nay, the multi
plior Is in inhnity. ls is not n blotting
out; it is a polishing, it r. an arborescence,
II is an efdorescence, II is an irradiation.
When q man comes into the kingdom Of
God, he Is not sent into mental service,
but the Lord God Almighty from tho pal
aces of heaven calls upon the messenger
angels thav wait upon the throne to fly
and "put ring on his hand" In Christ
are the largest liberty, and brightest joy,
and highest honor, and richest adornmcnt.
"put ring on his hand.
A Ring OF Adoption.
remark, in the first place, that when
Christ receives q soul into his lovo no puts
upon him the ring OF adoption. While in
my church in Philadelphia there camo tho
representative of the Howard mission of
Now York. He brought with him eight
or ten children OF tho street that he had
picked up, and he was trying to find FOR
them Christian homes and rs the littlo
ones stood on the pulpit and sang our
hearts melted within us. Al the close of
the services great hearted wealthy man
came up and said, "I'll take this littlc
bright eyed girl, and I'll adopt her ms one
Of my own children" And he took her by
the hand, lifted her into his carriage and
went away.
The next day, while we wero 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: "Theres my old dress. Perhaps
some Of tho poor children would Ike to
have It," while she herself was in bright
and beautiful array, and those who more
Immediately examined her said she had n
ring on her hand. II was ring OF ado,,-
ton.
There arc great many persons who
pride themselves on their ancestry, and
they glory over tho royal blood that pours
through their arteries. In their limo there
was lord, or duke or n prime minister,
or n king. But when the Lord, our
Father, puts upon us the ring of his atop-
ton we become tho children Of tho Ruler
Of all nations. behold what manner of
love the Father hath bestowed upon us
that we should lie 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 1.-Two in, IL
wo have that ring Of Christ's adoption
upon our hand, we are assured of eternal
dcfenseS.
Adoptedl Why, then, we are brothers
and sisters TO all tho good Of earth and
heaven. We have the family nalno, the
family Dress the family keys, the family
wardrobe. The Father looks after us,
robes us. defends US, blcssos us We have
royal blood In our veins, and there arc
crowns in our line If wo arc his children,
then princes and princesses. 1t is only
question Of timo when wo get our cor0nec.
Adopted Then we have the family Sc
crets. "Tho secret of the Lord Is with
them that feac him. Adopted Then
We have tho family inheritance, and i'm
tho day when our Father shall divide the
riches Of heaven VIC shall take our share
of the mansions and palaces ana temples.
Hcnceforth let US boast no more uf 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 we can take tho words of
Charles Wesley, that prince OF hymnmak-
srs, and sing;
Come, let rs Join our friends above
Vino have obtained the prize,
And on the eagle wings of love
10 Joy celestial rise.
- Let all tlie saints terrestrial sing
n With those to glory gone,
For all the servants Of our King
IN heaven and earth are one.
/ have been told that when any Of the
members Of any Of the great secret socin-
ties OF this country arc in distana city
nnd are in any kind Of trouble and are sec
upon by enemies they have only to give
certain signal, and the members of thas
organization will fook around for defense.
And when any man belongs 20 this great
Christian brotherhood, IL he gets in tro,l-
bic, in trial, in persecution, in temptation,
hc has only TO show this ring OF Christs
adoption, and NIL tho armed cohorts OF
hesron will come to his rescue
A Marriage Ring.
Still further, when Christ takes q soul
into his love, lie puts upon il marriage
ring. Now, that IL not whim OF mine
Hosea II, 10, III will bstroth thee unto
Inc forever---yea, will betroth thee unto
me In Righteousness, and in Judgment,
and In loving kindness, and in mercies.''
AT the wedding altar the bridegroom puts