The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-01-09
DR.. IAlMAGES SUNDAY SERMON.
A RING FROM CHRIST
which Every Returning Prodigal Sinner
Freely Receives.

I will not rehearse the familiar story of
the fast young man OF the parable. You
know what 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 go
and weep out his sorrows on the bosom of
parental forgiveness. Well. there is great OK
citement one day In front of the door OF the
old farmhouse. The servants come rushing
UP and say; whats the matter2 What Is
the matter2" But before they quite arrive the
old man cries out. "put ring on his hand
What n seeming absurdityl What can such
wretched mendicant as this fellow that Is
sramping on toward the house want with
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
bllstered feet! on with the ragsl On with
the robel Out with the ring! Even so does
God receive every one OF us when we como
back. There are gold rings. and pearl rings.
and emerald rings and diamond rings. but
the richest ring that ever flashed on the Wis
ion IS that which our Father puts upon a
forgiven soul.
know that tho impression IL nbrt "a
among some people that religion bemeans
and belittlcs q man; that 1t takes all the
sparkle out OF his soul; that he has to cN-
change FOSTERING independence for an &C.
clesiastical straitiacket. Not so. When n
man becomes q Christian, he does not 20
down. He starts upward. Religion multi
plies one by ten thousand. Nay, the multi
plier is in iuilnity. Ii Is not blotting out.
II is a polishing; II Is an arborcscencc. IL H.
an c6iorescence. it is an irradiation. When
man comes into tho kingdom OF God. he Is
not sent into a mcnial service. but the Lord
God Almighty from the palaces Of heaven
calls upon the messenger angels that wait
upon the throne 10 ny and "put ring on his
hand In Christ are the largest liberty. and
brightest JOY, and highest honor. and richest
ad0rnment. put a ring on his huud.'
remark. in the first place that when
Christ receives n 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 ~ the little ones stood on the
pulpit and sang our hearts melted within us
AT the close of the services n great hearted
wealthy man came up and said, "I'll take this
little bright eyed girl ana III adopt her us
ono of my own children" And he 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 n
bundle under her arm, and she said: There 5
my old dress. Perhaps some OF the poor
children would like to have II" while shc
herself was in bright and beautiful array,
and those who more Immediately examined
her said she had ring on her hand. IL was
ring OF adoption.
There are a 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.
orr duke. or prime minister. or king.
But when the Lord, our Father. puts upon
us the ring of His adoption we become the
children Of the Ruler OF all Nations "Be-
hold what manner Of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us. that we should be called
he sons OF God" II matters not how poor
t.r garments may be in this world or how
G'nt our bread, or how mean thre vt WI
"e in, IL we ha- ..iuat ring OF Oh
upon ouifrlni, we are assurrlsts,ad
defense" re-
-; t~op.eu. Why .uyD, We are Di DINERS am
hS tiers to all the good OF earth and heaven
w have the family nam. the family dress
w. T Q family keys, the family wardrobe. Tn,
III, ther LOOKS after US, robes us. defends us
v" sses us. We have royal blood in ON
We ins, and there are crowns in our line. |
W are His children. then princes and prin
Nesses. 1t Is only question of time whel
we get our coronet. Adopted! Then W,
nave the family secrets. "The secret OF th,
Lord Is with them that fear Him." Adopted
Then we have the family Inheritance and IN
the day when our Father shall divide tn,
riches OF heaven we shall take our share Of
the mansions and palaces and temples
Henceiorth let us boast no more ofan earthly
ancestry. The insignia of eternal glory /,
our coat OF arms. This ring OF adoptior
puts upon us all honor and all privilege
Now we can take the words of Charles IVES.
ley. that prince OF hymnmakers, aud sing:
Come, let us join our friends atova
Who have obtained the prize
And on the eagle wings Of love
To Joy 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 that when any OF the
msmbers OF any of the great secret societies
ol this country are in distant city and are
IN any kind OF trouble. and are set upon by
enemies, they have only to give "a certain
signal and the members OF that organization
Will hock 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
snow this ring of Christ's adoption. and ali
the armed cohorts OF heaven will come TO
his rescue.
Still further, when Christ takes a soul into
MS love He puts upon it q marriage ring.
NOW, that Is not whim OF mine (Hosea H..
is), II VIII betroth thee unto Ne forever;
yea, Will betroth thee unto Me 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, sgnifving love aud faith
iulness. Trouble may come upon the house
noiu' ana the carpets may go, the pictures
may so, the piano may 20, everything else
may go-the last thing that goes is that
marriage ring. for IL is considered sacred.
In the burial hour it is Withdrawn from the
hand and kept in casket, and sometimes
.ne poS is opened on an anniversary day,
md as you look at that ring you see under
IT'S arch a long procession OF precious mem
ories. Within the golden circle OF that ring
there is room for thousand sweet recollec-
hons 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 bios
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 Ned, you took
from the hand which uaya hack M raono,-