The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1896-01-10

<HoSea II, l9), II Will betroth thee I'M
to me forever, yea, l will betroth thee
unto me in righteousness, and in judg-
ment, and in loving kindness, and in
mercies. AT the wedding altar tho
bridegroom puts ring upon the hand
of the bride, signifying love and faith
fulness. Trouble may come upon the
household, and the carpets may go, the
pictures may go, the piano may go, ev-
erything else may go-the last thing
that goes is that marriage ring for it is
considered sacred, In the burial hour it
is withdrawn from the hand and kept
in a casket, and sometimes the box is
opened on an anniversary day, and as
You look at that ring you see under its
arch long procession of precious mem
cries, Within the golden circle of that
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 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 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 VI
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 age
ceased to weep. Oh, it is not an un
meaning thing when tell you that
when Christ receives a soul into his
keeping he puts on it marriage ring
He endows you from that moment with
all his wealth. You are one--Chgia.
and the soul-one in sympathy, one IL
affection, one i'll hope.
There is no power on earth or hell L
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 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 Jesus! 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 i'll a stake at low water
mark, and they fastened her to it, ex.
pecting that as the tide came up hel
faith would fail. The tide began to rise,
and came up higher and higher, and tc
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 sou
from Christ 1t is an everlasting mar
riage. Battle and storm and darkness
cannot do it. Is it too much exultatior
for a man, who is but dust and ashes
like myself, to cry out this moment, 81
am persuaded that neither height nol
depth nor principalities nor powers, nol
things present, nor things to come, MOI
any other creature, shall separate me
from the love of God, which is in Chris
Jesus, my Lordf" Glory be to God that
when Christ and the soul are married
they are bound by chain-a colder
chain-if l might say so-a chain will
one link, and that one link the golden
ring Of Gods everlasting love.
The Marriage.
go step farther, and tell you tina
when Christ receives a soul into hi
love, he puts on him the ring of festivi
ty. You know that it has been the Gus
tom in all ages to bestow rings on very
happy occasions. There is nothing more
appropriate for birthday gift than ;
ring. You delight to bestow such "a gift
upon your children at such time. |
means joy, hilarity, festivity. Well
when this old man of the text wanted
to tell how glad he was that his DO,
had got back, he expressed it in thi
way. Actually, before he ordered san
dals to be put on his bare feet; befor,
he ordered tho fatted calf to be killet
to appease the boys hunger, he com
manded, "Put ring on his hand"
Oh, it is merry time when Chris
and the soul are united Joy Of forgive
ness What splendid thing it is tt
feel that all is right between my Got
and myself. What glorious thing it i
to have God just take up all the sins o
my life and put them in one bundle
and then fling them into the depths o
the sea, never to rise again, never to b.
talked Of again. Pollution all gone
Darkness all illumined God reconciled
The prodigal home. "Put ring ON hi
hand.
Every day l find happy Christian PEG
pie. find some of them with no secont
coat, some of them in huts and tene
ment houses, not one earthly comfor
afforded them, and yet they are as hap
py as happy can be. They sing "Rocl
Of Ages" as no other people in the worlt
sing it, They never wore any jewelry il
their life but one gold ring, and tina
was the ring Of God undying affection
Oh, how happy religion makes us! Die
it make you gloomy and sad? Did yol
60 with your head cast down? l do no
think you got religion, my brother. Tha
is not the effect of religion. True reli
gion is joy. Her ways are ways O
pleasantness, and all her paths ar
peace.
Why, religion lightens all our bur
dens 1t smooths all our way. 1t inter
prets all our sorrows. 1t changes the ja
of earthly discord for the peal of fiesta
bells. In front of the flaming furnac,
Of trial it sets the forge on which scep
tiers are hammered out. Would you no
like this hour to come up from til,
swine feeding and try this religion? Al
the joys of heaven would come ont anC
meet you, and God would cry from thu
throne, "Put ring on his hand. :"
! You are not happy. I see it. There j
no peace, and sometimes you laugl
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