Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1881-08-13
TABERN ACLE SERMONS.
DISCOURSE BY REV. I'D. TALMAGE,
OK SABBATH, AUGUST 7rH.
THE FUTURE LIFE.

Lord dost Thou not care That my sister
hath left me 10 serve alone Bill her, there
tore, that she help me. Luke X, 30.
You ask Why more sermons are preach
ed to men than to women. reply, il
is becarse women are better than men
! | do not say this in compliment, or ia
spirit OF soft gallantry-lor when women
are bad they are dreadful-but as a
statistical fact which cauuo. be contro-
verted They have lever temptations
to outt reakiug sin are naturally more
reverential aud loving it is easier for
them to become Christians they are
in the majority in the church on earth,
aud | suppose il you shoI.d count the
women and children Of heaven You
would have counted three-fOurths OF its
population. 1t is because men are in
more need # being preached to that |
have given them the majority of SER
mons. But see yonder beautiful
village homestead. The man of the
house is dead, aud bis widow is taken
charge OF the premises IS. Come, let me
introduce you This is the widow
Martha OF Bethany. Yes, will intro
duce you also to the pet OF the house
told. This is Mary, the younger sister,
with book under her arm, and her face
having no appearance OF anxiety or per-
turbauon. Company has come. Christ
stands outside the door, aud OF course
there is a good ;ieal Of excitement inside
/ a -
hastily put aside, aud the hair is brush
ed back, and the dresses are adjusted
as we'll as in so short time Mary and
Martha eau attend to lhcs. Matters
They did not keep Christ standing at
the door until they we're newly apparel
ed or until they had clabora,eiy arrang-
I'd their tresses, then coming out with
their effected surprise, as though they
had rot hesrl the two or three previous
knockings, saying, Why, is that
you 2" No. they We're ladies', and were
always prescptable. although they may
not have always had Oh their best; il
we DID, our best would not he worth
having on. They throw open the door
aud greet Christ. They say Good
motuIug, master come in and be seat
CO." Christ did lot cone alone lie
had group OF friends wilh HIM, aud
such an Influx of city visitors would
throw any country home inio perturba-
ZION. | suppose also the walk lIom the
city had been u good appetizer. The
kitchen department that day was a very
important department. aud suppose
ihlt Martha had 40 sooner greeted the
guests than she fed to that room. Mary
had 10 pnxieiy about household affairs.
! She had full confidence that Martha
could get up the best dinnor in Bethany
| She seems to say " Now lot US have
division OF labor. Martha, you cook and
II sit down aud be good " So you
have often seen great diilereaee be
tween two sisters. There is Martha,
hard working, paus-taken, good man
ager. ever inventive OF some new pastry,
or discovering something 10 the aft OF
cooking aud housekeeping. There is
| Mary also, fond OF conversation, litera
~. 20 engaged in deep questions OF eth
les she has 10 lime 10 attend to tho ques-
lions of Household w.lf.re. l. is room.
May is in the parlor With Christ
Martha is In the kitchen. II would have
been better il they had divided the work,
aud then they could have divided the
opportunity of listening TO Jesus but
Mary nonopoizes Christ, while Martha
sweiers at the fire. /, was a very i'm
portsnt thing Hat they should have
good dinner lhat day. Christ was hun
CRY. and he did not often have a luxur-
lous entertainment Alas me. If the
duty had devolved upon Mary, what
repast that would baYe been. Bu, some
thing vert wrong in the kitchen Per-
hsps the fire would not burn, or the
bread would not bake, or Martha scalded
her hand, or something was burned
black that ought only to have been made
brown and Martha lost her patience.
and, forgetting the prophecies OF the oc-
casioa, with besweated brow. and per.
haps with pitcher in one haud aud songs
in he other, she rushed out of the
kitchen into the presence OF Christ. say
ing, I" Lord. dost thou not care that my
sister hath left me to serve alone -
Christ scolded not a word. II It were
scolding | should rather have His scold-
ing than anybody else's blessing There
vas nothing acetb. He knew Martha
had almost worked herself to death to
get Him something to eat, aud SO lie
throws a word Of tenderness iuto His iu
louaton us He seems 10 Say: " My
dear woman. do not worry 4; let the din
uer go. Sit down on this ottoman be-
side Mary. your younger sister. Martha,
Martha, thou art careful mud troubled
about many ,hings. But Que thing is
needful."
AS Martha throws open that kitchen
door | look in aud see great many house
hold perplexites and anxieies. First.
there is the trial OF misrepresentation
That is what made Martha so mad with
Mary. The younger sister had no esti-
mate of her older sisters fatigues. As
now, men bother with the auxieties Of
the store and Office and shop, or, coming
from the Stock Exchange, they say
when they get home Oh, you ought
to be over IN Wall street in those days :;
you ought to be in our factory little
". lie Won Ou0ht 90 manaoa sigbt ar.