Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-01-09

| feet a enforcement after Christ and tho
soul are united Other kings have turned
ont their companions when they got weary
OF them and sent them adrift from tho
| palace gate. Ahasucrus banished Vashti,
| Napoleon forsook Josephine, but Christ IN
the husband that is true forever. Having
loved you once, he loves you TO the end
| Did they not try to divorce Margaret, tho
Scotch girl, from Jesusg They said, You
| must give up your religion" She said,
II can't give up my religion" And 80
they took her down tn tho beach Of tho
500, and they drove in stake Mt low wa.
ter mark, and they fastened her to IT, OK
pccting that as tho tide came up her faith
would fail. Tho lido began to rise and
! came mp higher and higher. and to tho
/ girdlc and 10 tho lip, and in the last mo-
mont. just as the wave was washing her
soul into glory, she shouted the praises OF
Jesus.
| Oh, no, you cannot separate u soul from
Christ. It Is an everlasting marriage.
| Baltic and storm md darkness cannot do
1t. Is H. too much cxultation for n man,
who Is but dust and ashes like myself, to
cry out this moment, II am persuaded
that neither height nor depth nor princi
| palities 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 DO tn
God that whom Christ and tho soul are
| married they arc bound by "A chain. n
, golden chnin, IL j might say so.--a chain
with one link. and that one link the gold
en- ring of Gods everlasting love.
A Ring of Festivity.
l 20 n step further and toll you that
when Christ receives n soul into his lovo
no puts on him tho ring of festivity. You
know Tint it has been the custom in all
nges to bestow rings on very happy occa.
sions. There is nothing moro appropriate
for birthday gift than ring. You de-
light TO bestow such gift upon your chill
dren AT such u time. 1t means joy, hilnr-
ity, fcstivity. 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 hc ordered
sandals to be put TN his bare feet, before
he ordered the fattcd calf to he killed to
appcaso tho boys hunger, ho commanded,
! "Put u ring OH his hand.
Oh, IL is u morry time when Christ and
the soul arc unitedl Joy Of forgivcncssi
What IA splendid thing it Is to feel that all
is right between my God and myself.
What glorious thing it is to have God just
take up all the sins Of my life and put
them in ono bundle, and then fling them
into the depths 81 the sea, never TO rise
again, never to bc talked of again. Pollu-
ton oil gone; darkness all illumincd; GCd
reconciled; the prodigal homo! PUT a
ring on his hand!'
Every day / find happy Christian poo
pie. / find somo OF Them with no second
cont, some Of them in huts and tenement
houses, not one earthly comfort afforded
them, and yet they are rs happy as happy
can be. They sing Rock of Ages" rs no
other people in tho world sing it. They
never wore any jew Try in their lifo but
ono gold ring, and that was the ring Of
Gods undying affection. oh, how happy
religion makes us! Did it make you
gloomy and sad' Did you go with your
head cast downs l do not think you got
religion, my brother. That h not the
effect Of religion. True religion is joy.
Her ways are ways Of pleasantncss, and
all her pnths arc peace"
Why, religion lightens all our burdens;
st smooths all our way; it interprets all
our sorrows; it changes the jar OF earthly
discord for the peal Of festal bells. In
front of tho flaming furnace Of trial it sets
the forge on which scepters are hammered
out. Would you not like this hour to
como up from the swine feeding and try
this religion. All the joys OF heaven
would como out and moot you, and God
would Cry from tho throne, PUT a ring
on his hand"
Uncertainty For Assurance.
You AFRO not happy. I SIZE it, There is
no peace, and sometimes you laugh when
you feel II great deal more like crying.
The world is u cheat. 1t first wears you
down with its follies; then it kicks you
out into darkness. IL comes back from
the massacre of 900, 600 souls to attempt
tho destruction of your soul today. No
peace out of God, but here is tho fountain
that can slake the thirst. Hero is tho har-
Dor where you can drop safe anchorage.
Would you not like, / ask you--not per-
functorily, but ms ono brother might talk
to another-wOuld you not like to have q
pillow of resi- to put your head on? And
would you not like, when you retro at
night to feel that all is well, whether you
wake up tomorrow morning at Il O'Clock
Or sleep the sleep that knows no waking?
Would you not like TO exchange this awful
uncertainty about tho future for glo-
rous assurance of heaven Accept Of the
Lord Jesus today and nj! is vol. II OH
your way home some peril should cross the
street and dash your life out, it would not
hurt you. You would rise up Immediately.
You would stand in the celestia! streets.
You would he amid the great thropg that
forever worship and are forever happy. If
this night some sudden disease should
como upon you, it would not brighten you.
If you knew you were going, you could
give II calm farewell! 10 your beautiful
home on'earth and know that you are 60
ihg right into tho cUmpanionship of those
who have already got beyond tho toiling
and t.ie weeping.
You feol on Saturday night different
from the way you feel any other night OF
the week. You como home from the hank,
or tho store or tho Office and you say,
We'll, now my weeks work is done and
tomorrow is Sunday 1t is a pleasant
thought. Thore are refreshmcnt and recon-
ktruction in the very idce. Oh, how pleas
ant II will bo If, when We got through the
day of our life, and wo go and lie down in
,Gr bed of dust, We can realize, "Well,
aow the work Is all done, and tomorrow
Is Sunday--an everlasting Sunday"
Oh, when, thou city of my Cod
Shall thy courts ascend,
Where congregations ne'cr break up
And Sabbaths have no end?
VINO arei very near the eternal world. II
you arc Christians, l bid you be of good
cheer. Bear with you our congratulations
TO the bright city. Aged men, who will
soon DO gone, take with you our love for