The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-01-22
REV. DIR. TAIMAGE4
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: "Return of the Prodigal
Son."

Subject: "Return of the Prodigal
Son."
TEXT: ':Put a ring on his han Luke
xy., 22. ..-
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 vaga-
bondage and prodigality, he resolved to 60
and weep out his sorrows on the bosom OF
parental forgiveness. Well, there is great e1-
oitement one day in front Of the door OF the
old farmhouse. The servants come rushing
up and say: "What's the matter? What Is
the matter2" But before they quite arrive the
old man cries out, "Put O ring on his hand
What seeming sbsurdity! What can suuh
wretched mendicant az this fellow that Is
tramping on toward tho house want with a
ring2 Oh, he is the prodigal son. No more
tending of the swine trough! No more long
ing for the pods OF the carob tree! No more
blistered feet! OF with the rags! On with
the robe! Out with the ring! Even 30 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
therichest ring that ever flashed on the vis-
lon is that which our Father puts upon a
forgiven soul.
I know that the impression Is abroad
among some people that religion bemeaos
and belittles man; that 1t takes all the
sparkle out Of his soul; that he has to ex-
change roistering independence for an &C.
olesiastical straitjacket. Not 80. When q
man becomes Christian, he does not go
down. Hestarts upward. Religion multi
plies one by ten thousand. Nay, the multi
plier Is In infinity. It is not blotting out.
It is a polishing; 1t Is an arborescence; It Is
an ef1orescence: 1t is an irradiation. When
q man comes into tho kingdom of God, he is
not sent into menial service. but the Lord
God Almighty from the palaces Of heaven
calls upon the messenger angels that wait
upon the throne to fly and "put ring on his
hand" In Christ are the largest liberty, and
Brightest Joy, and highest honor, and richest
adornment. "Put ring on his hand"
I remark, in the first place, that when
Christ receives soul into His love he puts
upon him the ring OF adoption. While In my
church in Philadelphia there came the repre-
sentative OF the Howard Mission Of New
York. He brought with him eight or ten
children of the street that he had picked up,
andhe was tryingto find for them Christian
homes, and as the little ones stood on the
pulpit and sang our hearts melted within US.
At the close Of the services great hearted
wealthy man came up and said, "pll take this
little bright eyed girl ana I'll adopt her as
one of my own children" And ne 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 poor Of New
York, this little child came back with a
bundle under her arm, and she said: "There's
my old dress. Perhaps some Of the poor
children would like to have It," while she
herself was. In bright and. beautiful array,
and those who more Immediately examined
her said she had ring on her hand. 1t was
a ring Of adoption.
There are great many persons who pride
themselves on their ancestry. and they glory
over the royal blood that pours through
their arteries. In their line there was lord,
or duke. or a prime minister. or king.
But when the Lord, our Father. puts upon
US the ring OF His adoption we become the
children OF tho Ruler OF all Nations. "Be-
hold what manner Of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called
the sons of God" It matters not how poor
our garments may be In this world, or how
scant our bread, or how mean the hut we
live in, II we have that ring Of Christ's adop-
tion upon our hand, We are assured OF eter-
pal defenses. -
Adopted! Why, then, we are brothers and
sisters to all the good Of earth and heaven.
We have the family nams, the family dress,
the family keys, the family wardrobe. The
Father looks after rs, robes us. defends ls,
blesses US. We have royal blood. In our
we are His children, then princes and prin-
cesses. 1t Is only a question of time when
have ths family secrets. 'The secret OF the
Lord Is with them that fear Him" Adopted!
Then We have the family inheritance, and in
the day when our Father shall divide the
riches OF heaven we shall take our share Of
the mansions and palaces and temples.
Henceforth let US boast no more oian earthly
ancestry. The insignia Of eternal glory Is
our coat of arms. This ring OF adoption
puts upon us all honor and all privilege.
Now We can take the words OF Charles Wes-
ley, that prince Of hymnmakers, and sing:
Come, let US join our friends above
Who have obtained the prize,
And on the eagle wings Of love
g., To Joy celestial rise.
Let all the saints terrestria! sing
With those to glory gone.
For all the servants OF our King
In heaven and earth are one.
I have been told that when any OF the
nsmbers of any OF the great secret societies
Of this country are in distant city end are
In any kind of trouble, and are set upon by
enemies, they have only to give certain
signal and the members OF that organization
will flock around for defense. And when
any man belongs to this great Christian
brotherhood, II he gets In trouble, in trial.
In persecution, In temptation, he has only to
~ ~. 80 80 oaa all
the armed cohorts Of heaven will come to
his rescue.
Still further, when Christ takes soul into
His love he puts upon it marriage ring.
Now. that is not whtm Of mine (Hosea H.,
I9), "I will betroth thee unto Ma forever;
yea, I will betroth thee unto Ne in right
eousness, and In judgment, and in loving
kindness, and In mercies." At the wedding
altar the bridegroom puts ring upon the
hand OF the bride, signlfying love and faith
fulness. Trouble may come upon the house
hold. and the carpets. may SO. the pictures
may 60, the plano may 20, everything else
may go-.he last thing that goes, is that
marriage ring. for. ii Is considered sacred.
In the burial hour 1t Is Withdrawn from the
hand and kept In a casket, and sometimes
the box Is opened on I'm anniversary day,
and as you look at that ring you see under
Its arch long procession OF precious men,
ories. Within the golden circle of that ring
there Is room for thousand sweet recollec-
tions 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 blcs-
SONS, 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 fed, you took
from the hand. which gave back no respon-
sive clasp, from that emaciated finger. the
ring that she had worn 80 long and worn so
we'll
On some anniversary day you take up that
ring, and you polish 1t until all the old luster