The Penn's Grove record., 1896-01-10
NUMBER %.
soul INTO glory, sns shouted the praises or

dust and ashes like myself, to cry out this
moment. 81 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
ILord2' Glory be to God that when Christ
and the soul are married they are bound by
a chain-a golden chsin-if l might say so-
a chain with one link, and that one link the
golden ring OF Gods everlasting love.
1 go a step farther, and tell you that when
Christ receives a soul into His love. He puts
on him the ring of festivity. You know that
1t has been the custom in all ages to bestow
rings on very happy occasions. There Is
nothing more appropriate for a birthday gift
than a ring. You delight to bestow such q
gift upon your children at such a time. It
means Joy, hi!arity, festivity, Well, when
this old man Of the text wanted to tell bow
glad ne was that his boy had got back, he
expressed it in this way. Actually. before
he ordered sandals to be put on his bare
feet; before he ordered the fatted calf to be
killed to appease the boys hunger. he COM
handed. "Put a ring on his hand"
oh, it is a merry time when Christ and the
soul are united! Joy Of forgivnessl What
a splendid thing It is to feel that all is right
between my GOD and myself. What a glor-
Gus thing it ia TO have God just take up all
the sins of my life and put them in one bun
die, and then fling them into the depths of
the sea, never to rise again, never to be
talked of again. Pollution all gone. Dark
ness all illumined. God reconciled. The
p~rodigal home. put a ring on his hand"
Every day I find happy Christian people.
| find some of them with no second coat,
some of them in huts and tenement houses,
not one earthly comfort afforded them, and
yet they are as happyas happy can be. They
sing "Rock of Ages as no other people In
the world sing it. They never wore any
iewelry in their life but one gold ring, and
that was the ring Of Gods undying afrec-
ton. Oh, how happy religion makes usi
Did 1t make you gloomy m sad2 Did you
go with your head cast down? / do not
think you got religion, my brother. That Is
not the effect of religion. True religion is q
Joy ''Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are pence"
Why, religion lightens all our burdens
1t smooths all our way. 1t interprets all
our sorrows. 1t changes the jar Of earthly
discord for the peal of festaL bells. In front
OF the flaming furnace of trial it 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 ~religion2
All the joys of heaven would come out and
meet you, and God would cry from the
hrone. ''Put a 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 a cheat. 1t first wears you down
with its %follies, then II kicks you out into
darkness. 1t 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 slake the
thirst. Here is the harbor where you CAP
1rop safe anchorage.
Would you not like, / ask you-not per
tunctorily, but as one brother might ia TX to
another-would you not like to nave a pill
low of rest to put your head on? And would
\ you not like, when you retire at night, to
feel that 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 a glorious assurance of
heaven2 Accept of the Lord Jesus to-day
and all is we'll. II on your way home soma
peril should cross the street and dash your
life out, 1t would not hurt you. You would
rise up Immediately. You would stand in
the celestial streets. You would be amid the
great throng that forever worship and are
forever happy. II this night some sudden
disease should come Upon you, it would not
brighten you. If you knew you were going
you could give a 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
he weeping,
You feel on Saturday night different from
he way you feel any other night OF the
week. You com home from the bank, or
the store, or the office, and you say, "Well,
now my weeks work is done, and tomorrow
lis Sunday" 1t Is a pleasant thought.
There are refreshment and reconstruction in
the very idea. oh, how pleasant 1t will be
lif, when we get through the day of our life,
and we go and lie down In our bed of dust,
we can realize, "Well, now the work Is all
done, and tomorrow is ~sunday-aa ever
lasting Sunday"
oh, when, thou city Of my God,
Shall I thy courts ascend,
Where congregations ne'er break up
And Sabbaths have no end2
There are people In this house to-day who
are very near the eternal world. II you are
christians, / bid you be OF good cheer. Bear
with you our congratulations to the bright
lefty. Aged men, who will soon be gone,
take with you our love for our kindred in
the better lani, and when you see them, tell
them that we are soon coming. Only a few
more sermons to preach and hear. Only q
few more heartaches. Only a few more tolls.
Only a few more tears. And then-vhat an
enhancing spectacle will open before usl
Beautiful heaven, where all is light;
Beautiful angels, clothed in white;
Beautiful strains that never fire,
Beautiful harps through all the choir,
There shall l join the chorus sweet,
Worshiping at the Saviour's .eet.
\ L hhOW ~ bOAlo PspPkO WIZ 5hy
hey are Christians who seem to get along
without any help from others, and who cul-
.ure solitary piety. They do not want any
ordinances. 1 do not belong to that class. I
,annot get along without them. There are
20 many things in this world that teke my at
| ;ention from God and Christ and heaven that
I want all the helps of all the symbols and
Of all the Christian associations, n I want
around about me a sold phalanx of men
who love God and keep His commandments.
Are .he.e any here who would like to enter
into that association Then by q simple,
childlike faith apply for admission into the
visible church. and you will be received. No
questions asked about your past history or
present surroundings. Only one test--dc
| you love Jesus?
Baptism does not amount to ANYTHING, say
l great many people, but the Lord Jesus de-
/, clared, he that belieyeth aud is baptized
shall be saved" putting baptism and faith
| side by side. And IN apostle declares, ''Re.
\ pent and be baptized every one of you"
do not sickle for any particular mode OF
baptism. but l put great emphasis on the
fact that you ought to be baptized, yet no
more emphasis than the Lord Jesus Christ,
he Great Head OF the church. puts upon 1t.
some of you have been thinking on
his subject year after year. You have
found out That this world is q poor por-
ton. You want TO be Christians. You
have come almost into the kingdom OF
God, but there you stop, forgetful OF the
fact that to be almost saved Is not TO be
saved ut all. Oh. my brother, after having
come SO nearto the door of mercy. II you
| turn back you will never come at all. After
all you have heard otthe goodness of God
| II YOU turn away and die, 1t will not BIZ be
,ause you did not have a good offer
May God Almighty this aour move upon
| your soul and brinE YOU OacS from the huski
| OF the wilderness to the fathers house, and
set you at the pangcet, and ''iIt a ring on