The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1874-12-17

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admit that it is mystery why
any man marries any woman; and il
is always mystery to the neighbors
what that man could see in that
fright, or that woman in that fool to
marry. ILaughter.l But what ]
want to show you is that where great
men have been happy with their
wives, they have married women
with whom they could have had q
noble friendship if they had not mar
rled them. 1t is too late to warn
some of yon, know, but l may be
in time to save some of you Laugh
ter Whether clergymen ought to
marry or not | do not know; but we
will take four clerical weddings, two
good and two bad. One shall be the
wedding of weddings, that shook the
world more than any other of modern
times, that of Martin Luther, the
monk, to Catherine Deborah, the
nun. Then the world shook, the
Catholics we're Mortified, and the
Pope laughed, and thought Luther
had certainly finished himself this
time, while the timid Protestants
shook their heads and said: "Oh,
Doctor, You shouldn't have gone so
far"
You know in the old country, when
anything unfortunate happens to the
good people, it is called can aflliction
which is to he overruled for their
spiritual good;" but when it happens
to the heterodox it is "a judgement"
Laughter beg you TO keep up
the distinction, because it is so full
of Christian charity. Luther's mar
riage was followed by judgement,
but the judgement was like damp
rocket, it would not go off; for in
stead Of judgement il was followed
by one of the most gracious pictures
of domestic life which ever the world
has witnessed. l do not say that
Mrs. Luther had great understand
ing, but she had understanding
enough 10 understand that her hus-
bands understanding was greater
than hers, and that is q very great
thing for woman to understand
Great laughter.l That mans heart
was as big as his head, and his head
was as big as his heart. The things
that interested him interested his
wife.
He had left the Old Church, and
so had she. His studies she tried to
understand so far as the little chill
dren would let her, and SO their life
was one of almost unbroken happi-
ness. Now, there was Joseph Hook
er, to turn to the Anglican Church.
He was one of the most injudicious
of Hookers in regard to marriage.
We will look inside his parsonage
Three scholars went 10 his house to
talk with him, and | wish / had been
there to listen; and while they we're
deep in discussion the door opened,
and shrIl voice called, "sichard,
come here and rock the cradle" And
Richard arose, and walked out, and
rocked the cradle. Again he return
ed, resumed the conversation, and
again that voice Of his wife came and
the talk was interrupted. Noticing
the look Of pity on his friends faces,
he turned to Cranmer and said: "My.
dear George, the saints in this world
have to endure more than the usual
amount of suffering, so that we who
are not saints must not repine at
what the Divine Providence has CIV
en- us to bear" That was very
pretty speech, only when you have
been more than usually making fool
of yourself, you had not better say
ID. v. that day. 1t is true, no doubt,
but you had better leave it out.
TLaughter.l You remember, per-
haps, about Socrates wife, a terrible
woman.
Socrates went out to dinner one
day, and young man, with customa-
ry forwardness, asked him why he
married Xantippe. Says he: "l'il
tell you. II you want to learn horse
breaking you will not take a tender
mouthed horse, but one with a hard
mouth. | want to manage men, and
thought if l could manage Kan
tippe, could certainly Management
Now, take Richard Baxter. All of
you here, being good, religious peo-
pie, have read the Saints Everlasting
Rest, or have it on your shelves,
which is the next best thing. Laugh
teri lie labored at Kidderminster,
aud in the course Of his preaching a
young woman heard him. Some wo-
men have great tendaacy to fall in
love with their pastor. Great
laughter and applause So Y was
with this young woman, and Baxter
was very mach astonished when he
found it out. Like wise man, he
did not refuse the gool which the
gods provided for him, and 50 it was
settled by and by that they should
marry. But before they married
they drew up protocol, in which
they agreed that she would not re-
ouire from him one hour that ought
to be given to his ministerial duties,
and he required Of her that she
would not bother him with her mon
ev or money matters, or her law mat
ters growing out of her money mat
tiers.
And then for seventeen years, as
he says, ssshe was the meetest help
man could have" That woman
watched over him. Sometimes he
was neglectful of courtesies and she
KEEP. him in order. She sweetened
his temper when it was little sour
ed, and when the English Church
which had offered him a mitre sent
him to Jail, he stood out one of the
sublimest nonconformists of England,
the men who have widened our lib
erty and helped you to yours, and
that woman helped him in his prison,
and then, alas. she died and left him
in latter lonliness worse than the
first. They were friends. Now take
the last four of these clerical marrl-
ages, that of the famous man John
Wesley. John Wesley had will
enough to make president or
king, and could govern men well;
but whenever he had anything to do
with women he broke down. They