Connecticut western news., 1896-01-09

aroina Of orange blossoms. you set that ring on the round finger of the plump hand, and that hour when at the close of the exhaustive watching, when you knew that the soul had fed, you took from the hand, which gave back no re- sponsive clasp, from that emaciated fin ger, the ring that she had worn so long and worn so we'll
 On some anniversary day you take up that ring, and you polish 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 a soul into his keeping he puts on it marriage ring l He endows you from that moment with all his wealth. You are one-Christ and the soul-one in sympathy, one in affection, one in hope.
 There is no power on earth or hell to effect a divorcement 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 eforsook Jose phine, but Christ is the husband that is true forever. Having loved you once, he loves you to the end. Did they not try to divorce Margaret, the Scotch girl, from Jesusf They said, "You must give mp your religion" She said, II can't give up my religion" And so they took her down to the beach of the sea, and they drove in a stake at low water mark, and they fastened her to it, ex- pecting that as the tide came up her faith would fail. The tide began to rise, and came up 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 Q soul from Christ It is an everlasting mar riage Battle and storm and darkness cannot do it. Is it too much exultation for a man, who is but dust and ashes like myself, to cry out this moment, "I am persuaded that neither height nor depth nor municipalities nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor any other creature, shall separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, my Lord?''. Glory be to God that when Christ and the soul are married they are bound by chain-a golden chain-if I might say so-a chain with one link, and that one link the golden ring of God s everlasting love.
 The Marriage. ..s
 Igoa step farther, and tell you that when Christ receives soul into his love, he puts on him the ring of festivi- ty. You know that it has been the cus- tom in all ages to bestow rings on very happy occasions. There is nothing more appropriate for birthday gift than a ring You delight to bestow such gift upon your children at such time. It means joy, hilarity, festivity. We'll, when this old man of the text wanted to tell how glad he was that his boy had got back, he expressed it in this way. Actually, before he ordered san- dals to be put on his bare feet; before he ordered the fatted calf to be killed to appease the boys hunger, he com- manded, "Put ring on his hand.'
 Oh, it is merry time when Christ and the soul are united Joy of forgive. nessl What splendid thing it is tc feel that all is right between my God and myself. What glorious thing it is to have God just take up all the sins oi my life and put them in one bundle, and then fling them into the depths oi the sea, never to rise again, never to be talked of again. Pollution all gone. Darkness all illumined. God reconciled. The prodigal home. "Put ring on his hand"
 Every day find happy Christian rco. ple I find some of them with no second coat, some of them in huts and tene. ment houses, not one earthly comfort afforded them. and yet they are as hap py as happy can be. They sing "Roch of Ages' as no other people in the world sing it. They never wore any jewelry ir their life but one gold ring, and that was the ring of God IS undying affection. Oh, how happy religion makes us! Die it make you gloomy and sad? Did you | go with yorr head cast down? I do not think you got religion, my brother. Tha is not the effect of religion. True reli zion is joy. "Her ways are ways ot pleasantness, and all her paths ar; peace. :" ...-.
 Why, religion lightens all our bur dens. It smooths all our way. It inter prets all our sorrows. It changes the jal of earthly jiscord for the peal of fiesta bells In front of the flaming furnac' of trial it sets the forge on which scep ters are hammered out Would you no swine feeding and try this religion? Al the joys of heaven would come out ant meet you, and God would cry from thu thruue, "Put ring on his hand"
 You are not happy. I see it. There i no peace, and sometimes you laugl when you feel great deal more lik' crying. The world is cheat. It frs wears you down with its follies, then i kicks you out Into darkness. It come back from the massacre of million souls to attempt the destruction of you soul today. No peace out of God, bu here is the fountain that can slake tn thirst. Here is the harbor where yo' can drop safe anchorage.
 From Tears to Joy.
 Would you not like, ask you-no perfunctorily, but as one brother migh talk to another-would you not like t have pillow of rest to put your hea' on? And would you not like, when yo retire at night. to feel that all is well whether you wake up tomorrow morn ing at 6 o'clock or sleep the sleep tha knows no wakingf Would you not hk to exchange this awful uncertaint about the future for glorious assuranc of heaven? Accept of the Lord Jesus to day and all is we'll. If on your wa homo some peril should cross the stree and dash your life out, it would DC