The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-12-15
SUNDAY READING.
A SERMON
PREACHED IN ST. DAVIDS CHURCH
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1881. BY
THE REV. T. b. LEE, RECTOR.


THE REV. T. b. LEE, RECTOR.
'sThat our sons may grow up as the Young
plants; and that our daughters may be as the
polished corners of the temple. Psalm, IA OF
the Psalter, twelfth verse.
The vigorous activity of the sons is
here combined with the quiet beauty of
the daughters; the former are likened TO
robust plants shooting upward with
powerful energy the latter are likened
TO fair sculptured corner stones or deco
rated columns. remaining peacefully in
their own places, adjoining the domestic
temple with modesty and loneliness, or
as it has been rendered in a metrical Ver-
sion of the psalms
$50 may our sons, as saplings grow,
In youths gay hour OF bloom,
As piliar'd shaft our daughters show
In modei'd arch or dome
NY sermon of last Sunday has brought
forth the remark, ''that | seem to think
II we take care of our sons, our daugh-
tiers can take care of themselves"
Thank God it is true, that there are not
so many dangers for the daughters; yet
they being more finely moulded, are
more susceptible of harm, and harm to
them is more difficult OF repair. They
are the lilies in the garden of life, and,
alas, blotches on 4 lily show deadly black
on its wbiteness.
Womanhood has been most highly eX-
allied. because of the elevation OF
woman to be the mother of our Lord.
This sets all women upon such an emf
hence as we would fain preserve to
them and because nothing earthly has
been or can be so exalted, nothing on
earth can fall so low in cur esteem. God
grant that the world may always rightly
treasure womanhOod, and guard it sa-
credly.
1t is our great desire that the minds
of our young girls should be without
faint. We would like to have their
thoughts like the lily for whiteness.
Therefore we try to keep them as much
as possible from the very knowledge of
evil, for we know well that the very
thought of sin has detilement, and evil
communications have power to corrupt
the mind, and to faint the fountains of
being. We shrink from the very thought
of taking any other course, yet, beloved.
is the guard not too much relaxed IN the
present day; and, while we strive to keep
them from the knowledge of evil, do we
sufficiently protect their ignorance
Nay, is it not common; nay, usual, to
leave the young girl entirely TO her own
resources, and TO that instructive respect
and reverence which all true men feel for
what Is pure, and without defence! God
has endowed pure woman with In
stincts that cause her to shrink fIom the
approach of evil, even when she recog-
niZes it not. and Una many times walks
unframed with the lion, but that is not
enough. She should be either fully
armed or fully guarded. 1t is no longer
the usage of society that a gentleman
must wait to be invited by her parents or
guardians before he calls upon lady.
Few parents even give themselves the
trouble to become acquainted with thcir
daughters visitors; yet, if any evil come,
or any unhappy marriage is made, they
are angry, or mourn with a sense of in
jury, as If they suffered beng innocent
of blame. 1t is almost an unheard OF
thing in this country for parents to go
with their daughters to places of amuse-
ment, or to meet them there. Instead
thereof, young girls are accompanied in
many cases by men OF whose characters
their parents know absolutely nothing,
or know only that which Is evil.
They go to public halls, not only with
out suitable guardianship, but often, nay
generally. without there being father
or mother IN the whole company; they
stay until whatever hour of night they
choose; their parents often not even
knowing when they return. 1t Is taken
for granted, that all men are gentlemen,
in the best sense of the term, and, that
every young girl has the wisdom and cir
cumspectlOn OF mature age; yet youth is
the most perilous period of life then
the passions are the strOngest-while the
mind Is unmatured-the character I'M
formed-and self-contrOl has not had time
to,grow to the habit, which it may be-
come in later years.
Lille is long sometimes, as we count
length, but youth is short; let us but
guard and guide that in safe paths and
the rest is easy. Good habits formed, I'M
less we violently break them, will carry
us along almost without volition. Youth
is short, and the joy of heart peculiar to
youth, soon passes away. The knowledge
of human life, its disappointments, its
trials, and Its perils-comes with added
years and bears laden breast. In later
years we may attain TO the blessed hopes
that come of Faith and to the peace that
God gives to those who trust Him, but
never in our earthly lives to that bouy-
ancy of our youthful hearts with never a
weight of sadness to bear them down. L
know we al are generally too ready
with complaint in this fair world
of Gods. We come to many shGdOacs
pant Gas If we climbed them,
then patience and trust must be our en-
deavor, and cheerfulness becomes our
duty. Patience, trust, cheerfULReSS, chill
dren of light ali three. They give sup
port, smooth the paths for our feet, and
hold before us beacon of hope. But in
youth cheerfulness need not to be sought ;
1t comes rs twin sister; it is the gift Of
Him, who has not only made all things
beautiful-but all his creatures joyful, in
their season. This joy ofyoung creatures.
belongs to the immortal part of their
being. Do we not sometimes feel our
eyes ill with tears, and our hearts yearn
over children, Just because they are
so happy! L think ii is because we feel
here the touch of immortality, thatwhich
is the evidence of things not seen, the
earnest of things hoped for, that fullness
OF uncloudedjo joy to which Immortality may
attain? O,young daughters of the church,
though l would not have you cramp-
ed and bound in the narrow limits some
would impose L would not have your ma
tural Joy, Gods good gilt to you, frOwn-
ed down and classed with sin would
not have you rejoice, while singing birds
MARBLE in your spring time, and opening
flowers your lives adOrn. Yet take need
in your gladness that we sow good seed
in whose voice ye may rejoice when birds
and flowers are dead. And take good
heed that innocent mirth run not to care
less levity. Take heed that your joys
haze free wings to soar upward. Let
them not be weighted down with aught OF
earthly mire. Keep you light footsteps on
safe ground, away from the sunken
places of morass and quicksand. Seek that
which is good, be not enticed of evil. God
would keep from you nothing which Is
0oOd. That which He forbids is not only
evil in itself, but hurtful.
1t is sad to think how many are kept
out of the church, out of Gods ark OF
safety and blessing, because OF the false
ideas which are prevalent. Religion Is
looked upon as gloomy, sorr0wful thing
Something only fitted for the old and
broken hearted, Young people think II
they come into the church, they must bid
adieu to all pleasure. Nay thousand
times, nay
God's ways are ways of pIeasGatnesS moi
| sslf-torture; His paths are paths of peace
| not sslf-imp0sed mourning. The Holy
| Catholic church has been reviled and call
/ ed worldly because she has never boun6
| burdens upon her people, which Gods
word does not impose, she has not callet
that evil which the Bible calls not so
she does not require her people to tag
so severely the mint, anise and cummin
as to tempt them to forget the weightiel
matters OF the law, or think their over
tax of the lesser, may free them from the
| greater dues.
The children of the church may abuse
their liberty, they may go too far, an'
make too much of pleasure, that is thei
peculiar danger, but we say not that 1t II
more perilous than these dangers which
the bound and prisoned ones have to en-
4 counter.
| What is the religion that is from
above? What are its marks, that we ma.
know it? 1t is pure, peaceable, gentle
easy to be entreated, full Of goo
fruits, without malice or without hypoe
rsy. 1t is endowed with love, JOY. peace
long suffering, gentleness, goodness
/ tout