The Monitor-register., 1896-01-10

Festivity.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 5.-In his sermon
today Rev. DIR. Talmage took for his
subject the return of the prodigal son.
The text chosen was Luke XIV, %, "Put
a ring on his hand"
I will not rehearse the familiar story
of the fast young man of the parable.
You know what a splendid home he
left. You know what a hard time he
had. And you remember how after that
season of vagabondage and prodigality
he resolved to go and weep out his sor-
rows on the bosom of parental forgive
ness. Well, there is great excitement
bne day in front of the door of the old
farmhouse. The servants come rushing
up and say: whats the matter? What
is the natter" But before they quite
arrive the old man cries out, "Put a
ring on his hand" What a seeming alb
SnrGityt What can such a wretched
mendicant as this fellow that is tramp
ing on toward the house want with a
ring? Oh, he is the prodigal son. No
more tending of the swine trough! No
more longing for the pods of the carob
freei No more blistered feet! Off with
The rags! On with the robe! Out with
the ring! Even so does God receive
every one of us when we come back.
There are gold rings, and pearl rings,
and emerald rings, and diamond rings,
but the richest ring that ever flashed ON
the vision is that which our Father puts
upon a forgiven soul.
"Put a Ring on His Hand"
know that the impression is abroad
among some people that religion be-
means and belittles a man that it takes
all the sparkle ont of his soul; that be
Las to exchange a FOSTERING independ-
cnce Tor an ecclesiastical straitjacket.
Not SO. When a man becomes a Chris
ian, he o e not go down. He starts
upward. Religion multiplies one by ten
Thousand. Nay, the multiplier is in in
Unity. 1t is not a plotting out. 1t is a
polishing it is an arborescence it is al
effiorescence it is an irradiation. When
a man comes into the kingdom of God,
he is not sent into a mental service, but
the Lord God Almighty from the pal
vans uIOH IN AlGsSSuSCl
angels that wait upon the throne to fly
and put a ring Oh his hand" In
Christ are the largest liberty, and
brightest JOY, and highest honor, and
richest %adornment. "Put IL ring on his
hand"
remark, i'll the first place, that when
Christ receives a soul into his love he
puts upon him the ring of adoption.
While i'll MY church in Philadelphia
there came the representative of the
\ Howard mission of New York. He
brought with him eight Or ten children
I OF the street that he had picked up, and
ne was trying to find for them Christian
) MONIES, and as the little ones stood ON
t@e III 1T and sang our hearts melted
Within Us. AT the close of the services
d great hearted wealthy man came up
and said, "Ill take this little bright
eyed girl, and I'll adopt her as one of
my W children" And be took her. by
The hand, lifted her into his carriage
and went away.
The next day, while we were in the
church gathering up garments for the
Door OF New York, this little child came
eack with "a bundle under her arm, and
she said: There's my old dress. Per-
maps some CT the poor children would
axe to nave It," while she herself was
IN bright and beautiful array, and those
who more Immediately examined her
said she had a ring OIL her hand. 1t was
airing Of adoption.
There are a great many persons who
Pride themselves on their ancestry, and
They glory over the royal blood that
p~odfgrnyQngh their arteries. In their
line there was a lord, or a duke, or a
prime minister, or a king. But when
the Led, our Father, puts upon us the
ring . his adoption we become the
childre of the Ruler of all nations.
"Behol what of-love the Fa-
tier hth bestowed upon US, that we
sbouldbe called the sons of God" 1t
matter not how poor our garments may
TO in this world, OR how scant our
bread, Or how mean the hut we live in,
If we nave that ring of Christ's adop-
tion ulon our hand, we are assured of
eterna defenses.
Allotted! Why, then, we are brothers
and siters to all the good of earth and
heaven. We have the family name, the
family dress, the family keys, the fam
ily w&drobe. The Father looks after
Us, roles us. defends us, blesses us. We
have rOval blood in our veins, and there
are Crowns in our line. If we are his
children, then princes and princesses. 1t
is only a question of time when we get
cur coonet. Adopted! Then we have
the family secrets. 1.-THE secret of the
Lord is with them that fear him."
Adopted! Then we have the family in
berltance, and i'll the day when our Fa-
fher shall divide the riches of heaven
We shall take our share of the mansions
and palaces and temples. Henceforth
let us boast no more of an earthly ances-
try. The insignia of eternal glory is u
coat of arms. This ring of adoption puts
upon us all honor and all privilege.
Now We can take the words of Charles
Wesley, that prince of hymnmakers, and
sing:
Come, let us join our friends above
Vino have obtained the prize,
And OF, the eagle wings of love
To Icy celestial rise.
Let all the saints terrestrial sing
With those to glory gone,
For all the servants of our King
In heaven and earth are one.
| have been told hat when any of the
members Ut any of the great secret So
cieties OF this country are in a distant
city and are i'll any kind of trouble, and
are set upon by enemies, they have only
TO give a certain signal and the mem
bers of that organization will flock
around for defense. And when any man
belongs to this great Christian brother
hood, if he gets in trouble, in trial, in
persecution, in temptation, he has only
10 show this ring of Christ S adoption,
and all the armed cohorts of heaven
will come to his rescue.
The Betrothal.
Still further, when Christ takes a soul
nto his love he puts upon it a marriage
ing. Now, that is not a whim of mine
aosea ii. 19), 81 will betroth thee TN
tome forever, yea, l will betroth thee
alto me in righteousness, and in judg-
mot. and in loving kindness, and in
mecies." At the wedding altar the
bridegroom puts a ring upon the hand
OF he bride, signifying love and fash
,ulaess. Trouble may come upon the
household, and the carpets may go, the
pictures maygo, the piano may go, ey-
er'thing else may go-the last thing
mt goes is that marriage ring, for 1t is
considered sacred. In the burial hour 1t
Withdrawn from the hand and kept
N a casket. and sometimes the box is