Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-01-24

cQalQ WIFI one INK, duA eh"~
golden ring of Gods everlasting loye:
90 ste,, farther, and tell you that Wnen
Christ receives soul into His love, he puts
on him the ring Of festivity. You know tnal
It has been the custom in all ages 10 pestoM
rings on very happy occasions: Inere rs
nothing more appropriate Tor DirtnuaY Si..
than ring. You delight to bestow sucn :.
gift upon your children at such time.
means 10y, hiIarity, festivity. We1,; wnen
this old man of the text wanted to tell now
glad he was that his boy had got PACK, ne
expressed it in this way. Actually, peIoIe
he ordered sandals to be put on ms oaLe
Ieet; before he ordered the fatteu call ~ VIC
killed to appease the boys hunger, ne COIL
handed. 6Put ring on his hand"
Oh. it is merry time when Christ ana the
soul are united! Joy of forgiyness! what
a splendid thing II is to feel thar an Is rign'
between my God and myself. What glorl-
GUS thing Ii is to have God just take up all
the sins Of my life and put them In one bum
die. and then fling them into the depths OF
the sea- never I'd rise again; never 70 pc
talked of again. Pollution all gone. DARK
ness all illdmined;, God reconclied: Inc
prodigal home. "Put ring on DIS hano.
Every day find happy Christian people.
l find some of them with no second coat,
some of them in huts AMI tenement houses,
vet they are as happya as happy can be. They
sing Crock OF Ages. as no OTHER people In
the world sing ii. They never wore any
ieNelrH in their life but ono gold ring. and
that was the fling of Gods undying affec-
ton. Oh, how happy religion makes us!
Did It make you gloomy and sad? Did you
60 with your head cast DOWN do not
think you got religion. my brother, That Is
not the effect Of religion, True religion is
joy: nHer ways are ways OF pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
Why, religion lightens all our burdens;
1t smootns all our way. 1t interprets all
our sorrows. 1t changes the Jar OF eartnly
discord for the peal of festa bells. In front
Of the flaming furnace of trial 1t sets the
forge on which scepters are hammered out.
Would you not like this hour to come up
from the swine feeding and try this religion
All the Joys Of heaven would come out and
meet you. and God would cry from the
throne, "Put ring on his hand
You are not happy. Isee it. There is no
peace, and sometimes you laugh when you
feel a great deal more like crying. The
world is cheat. 1t first wears you down
with its follies; then il kicks you out into
darkness. It comes back from the massacre
of a million souls to attempt the destruction
of YOUR soul to-day. No peace out OF God,
but here is the fountain that can Stake the
thirst. Here is the har0or where you. can
drop safe anchorage.
Would you not like ask you-not per
functoriIy; bat as one brother might talk to
arother-Rould you not like to have pill
low of rest to put your mead on? And would
YOU not like, when you retire at night, to
teel tnat all Is well, whether you wake up to-
morrow morning at 6 o'clock or sleep the
sleep that knows no waking? Would you
not like to exchange this awful uncertainty
ABOUT the future for glorious assurance OF
heaven? Accept of the Lord Jesus to-day
and all is we'll II on 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 celestial streets. You would be amid the
! great thropg that forever worship and are
forever happy. If this night some sudden
disease should come upon you, it would not
frichten you. If you knew you were going
YOU could give calm farewell to your beau
| tiful home on earth and know that you are
going right into the companionship Of those
who have already got beyond the toiling and
the weeping.
You feel on Saturday night different from
the way YOU feel any other night CT the
week. You come nome from the bank. OF
the store, or the Office, and you say, "Well
now my weeks work is done, and tomorrow
is Sunday" 1t is pleasant Thought
There ara refreshment and reconstruction In
the very IDEA. Oh, how pleasant it will bt
if. when we get through the day OF our me
and we go and lie down in our bed OF dust
we can realize, "Wel, now the work is al
done. and tomorrow is Sunday-an ever
lasting Sunday"
Oh. when. thou city Of my Go1-
Shall thy courts ascend,
Where Congregations ne'er break u5
And Sabbaths have no enc?
There are people in this house to-day whC
are very near the eternal world. Ii you ar
Christians. bid you DE OF good cheer. Bea
with YOU our concentrations to the br1Sh
city. Aged men, VINO VIII soon be gone
take with you our love for our kindred II
the better lan1, ana when you see them, tel
them thai we ara soon coming. Only lev
more sermons to preach and hear. Only
few more heartaches. Only few more tolls
Only a few more tears. And then-what IL
enhancing spectacle will open before us!
Beautiful heaven, where all is light;
1 Beautiful angels, clothed in white;
Beautiful strains that never tire.
Beautiful harps through all the choir;
There shall join the chorus sweet,
WOrSh1pln8 az Inc SdVlOur leot'
know there ard some people WHO 81
they are Christians who seem to get alonl
without any help from others, and VINO cul
ture solitary piety. They do not want an
ordinances. do not belong to that class.
cannot get along without them. There ar
somany things in this world that take my al
tention from God and Christ and heaven tina
I want all the helps Of all the symbols an
of all the Christian associations, and war
around about mo a so id phalanx OF me
who love God and keep His commandment:
Are there any here who would like to ente
childlike faith apply for admission into IN
visible church. and you will be received. n
questions asked about your past history
present surroundings. Only one test-d
you love Jesus'
Baptism does not amount to anything, sa
a great many people, but the Lord Jesus d.
clared. HE that beiieveth and is baptize
shall be saved" putting baptism and fat
side by side. And an apostle declares, 'R
pent and be baptized every one of you.
do not sickle for any particular mode
, baptism. but / put great emphasis on II
/ fact that YOU ought TO be baptized, yet 1
more emphasis than the Lord Jesus Chris
the Great Head of the church, puts upoG
Some of you have been thinking
this subject year after year. You ha'
! found out that this world is poor pc
ton. You want TO be Christians. 70
: have come almost into the kingdom
: God. but there you stop, forgetful of Il
t fact that to be almost saved is not to
> saved at ALL Oh. my brother, after havir
, come 80 near to the door of mercy. II yC
: turn back you will never come at all. All
r all YOU have heard of the goodness OF 90
t if you turn away and die, 1t VIII mol Dc
=. cause you did not have good oner'