Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-04-20
HUSBAND AND WIFE.
The SPIRIT IN WHICH MAI RlM0RY
SHOULD Be APPROACHED.
courtship's wiIes-Mutual Deception that
Ends Inevitably in Misery-equal
Rights for Either Sex.

Every seat in the Church Of the Mes
siah was occupied last night, and many
people went away unable to obtain
places. Marriage was the subject OF
the evening discourse, and in introduce
ing il the Rev. Robert Collyer took for
his text Hebrews, xiii. 4-"Marriage is
honorable" The lecture was announc-
ed as being intended for young men
and young women, and that might have
been one of the reasons why so many
came to hear the preacher speak on so
interesting subject. After snnounc-
ing the text, Mr.. Collyer said: The
most sacred relation OF human life is
that OF wife and husband. Wife and
husband stand for more than father and
mother or parents and children. because
their blended life is the fountain from
which all these relations spring; and
changing the mere man and woman into
these sacred names makes that a glory
which is otherwise shame. According
to the Bible, it is q relation as old as our
human history, counting that history
As you know the Bible does count II,
from the time when man ceased to be a
mere wild yanderer and began to plant
things and dress himself, and came to
the knowledge of good ard evil and be
gan to be aware OF the presence OF God
in his life. And nothing outside OF the |
Bible, that / know OF, contradicts this |
testimony. Other ancient books cast |
the matter into other forms, as they
themselves are the product OF other
races. But the whole story amounts to
this, when il is told-that in the begin
ming the Divine power made the man
and woman and set them on the throne
of the world and gave them the grace to
become husband and wife and to find In
each other the counterpart and compile
ton of their own being and the true
condition through which we people the
world forever with new life. So, while |
the creation, over which man was given
dominion, followed its special instinct,
sought its lair or made its nest, brought |
forth their young, aud before another
spring knew them no more for their |
own than il they were on another con- |
tiuent. This husband and wife made |
themselves, reared a family and were |
stesdfast to them, not for q few months,
but for lifetime; sent them out to do |
as they had done, but still counted them
as their children, born OF their body and |
intimately one with the old homestead. |
And so it is that this human race has |
never evened. itself touching its of
spring with the beasts that perish, ex-
cept when il has become lower and
worse than the beasts that perish. In
the grossest sayagery marriage as rule |
is as rude and brutal as possible. AS
we rise in the scale of life it takes a
nobler and better form and on the sum-
nit of lie il is a sacrament. the tTuest
sacrament know OF, and the surest, ii
we take it unworthilv, to living damna-
ton.
tbs ESTIMATE OF MARRIAGE.
A true marriage is always religious
act in itself, because religion means the
bin4ing of one to another in pure and
true union. So the Scriptures never
command this relation, so far as l can
remember; they only recognizs and
guard and bless il. The man and wo.
man in true wedding become husband
and wife because their Creator made
them for each other. just as he made
Adam for Eve and Eve for Adam in the
garden. l say the true match is the
rule, and in the vast majority OF in
stances those who come to be husband
and wife were made to be husband and
wife. Yes, and very often in the face
of our sins and follies, and not at all
by our discerning, the great sacred gift
| is given which makes a heaven Tor us
| when We would make perdition for our
| selves To believe, as some do, that
disappointment and misery come OF
most marriages is very much like be-
lieying that in this world the devil has
domiAiOn over most souls. Thomas
and Mary sit in their home and wonder
how John and Susan manage to get
along on so small stock OF esteem, aud
Thomas and Mary shake their heads
over John and Susan. But you find
that somehow there is better with the
worse, as there is worse with the better.
Very tender and true they are ap. to be
when sickness takes the children very
sore. They weep together over the Int.
tie graves. We see only the surface, We
note only the dissonance. lt is like the
chimes OF Trinity which fall so sweetly
about the life below, that those to whom
thew are but the accompaniments OF lie
do not heed them and are but dimly
aware they are pulsing through the busy
marts. But let them strike harsh dis
cord and thousand faces will be turn
ed 10 Trinity spire in wonder. They
hear that, and that is the truth about
our life. Still 20 on to say that what
you are saving to yourselves Just now
is quite true; there IL great deal OF
trouble in this land OF ours, rising di-
rectly out of this relation of husband
and wife, and trouble that cannot be
brought within the lines that have
tried 10 draw, but breaks out and flames
up in quite an internal way before the
world, so that we have TO ask sometimes
what We are coming TO and whether
there is not threat in the air oil dls'
ruption OF this sacred social order-lb-
erty running to license, love driven
| from her throne by lust and this new
world of ours threatened with ruin
| through the vileness which destroyed
| theold. 1t is natural also to try and
| find where the reason lies for these APP
palling evils, which do not merely
threaten US, but are on Us, ana whether
they may not be met.
FITNESS FOR EACH OTHER
1t is not possible for man and wo-
| man when they marry to make sure
| they are to be true husband and wife at
the risk OF the usual pains and penal.
ties; that ought not to be deemed un-
reasonable. Is il not possible to make
this beautiful law OF our life-the true
and safe law-ihst Tor the man there is
a woman, and for the woman a man,
who will be true counterparts, and that
! they shall know this in some true way,
or else they shall not marry; because
without such fitness of each for the
other the license and the ministers
blessing will be q mere farce, il il be net
a very rradgedy? l cannot but believe
there is such a safeguard; true light
about this. rs there is about justice and
honor and honesty, and that we can
hardly 90 wrong, il We ourselves are