The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1885-03-14
MARRIAGE.


D Millers sermon on Marriage"
preached at the Baptist Church, Sunday
hight, March l, 1885: r,,.,-, ,.,,,,,'.,7
Tgxr-Genesis 2:ls. "And Jehovah God
said II is not good that the man should be
10 him. Revision OF DR.. Thos. J. Conantl ;
That must have been wonderfully
interesting spectacle when the land ami
mails and flying fowls passed in review
before Adam that he might give them
names. The names no doubt were ap-
pyied according to their popularity of
structure and habits. The object OF the
review was not SO much to see what
Adam would name the animals as to
show him that there was not one among
them suited for his associate or compan-
jon. "But for the man there was not
found helper, suited to him." His
loneliness was now for the first time re
allied. Bysome divine influence produ-
cing sleepy.like unconsciousness Adam
was relieved Of his loneliness, and when
he awoke there stood before him one
Ike himself, and with quickness akin TO
instinct he exclaimed This now is bone
OF nv bone and flesh of my flesh. This
shall be called woman" Then follows
briefly the institution of marriage in
these words: 'Theretore shall a man
leave his father and his mother and shall
cIeave unto his wife, and they shall be
one fesh.'
i. The divine origin and civil import
Of marriage. The unity of the man and
wife is implied in the fact that the wo-
man was taken from man as we'll as in
the scripture expression of lone hesh.'
The perfect ideal of humanity is not at
tanned in single specimen, but in the
union of one man with one woman ac-
cording to divine regulations. No such
notion as separation entered into the
ollgin of marriage, but came with its
brood OF evils when sin entered the
world. And the bond is still indissolu'
bic but for the gravest reasons. It's
clearly made out also that monogamy
YVES the original law of marriage. In tho
apcstacy OF the race woman was the
greater sufferer, for where revelation has
NOT counteracted the evils of the fall she
is mans slave instead of his equal 90
cially. II the Sabbath is a relic of rell>
gious life in Eden, marriage remains to
us Of its civil life. And there is no fac
tor which could operate in elevating the
nations education and politics more
powerfully than marriage, should the
divine idea be carried out.
IL. Marriage is a source OF happiness
or an occasion Of misery as the divine
regulations are observed or neglected.
"Whoso fndeth wife findeth good
thing and obtaineth favour OF the Lord"
Men need wives more than women need
husbands. Let q man "leave his father
and his mother and cleave unto his wife,"
is remarkable language, and shows that
a "womau may live innocently unmar.
ried but man may not" 1t is not said
of the woman but the man. 1t is he
that must break up all other relations tor
his wife. Marriage is founded on mans
social nature. 1t is noteworthy how God
provides for mans felt wants and makes
important relations depend upon his
very nature. This desire for companion
ship is best expressed by the word LOVE
on the part of husband, ana by the word
REVERENCE on the part of the wife.
"Husbands LOVE your wives and be not
bitter against them" Nevertheless let
every one of you in particular so LOVE
his wife even as himself, and the wife
see that she REvEREECE her husband y
The wife surrenders her individuality
and gratis her name immortal upon
the husband. She becomes bone OF his
bone, heart of his heart and soul OF his
soul. So he must love her as himself.
Of course he is not to be uxorious, but
must by thousand little kindness q
show her his love. He must not be BIT
TER against her-not return home and
vent mis- anger upon her because things
have gone wrong in his business. The
word "bitter" carries with it the idea of
provoking" He must avoid exhibitions
of selfshness, treating her as a mere cons
venience. for nothing perhaps will sooner
make her miserable. He must not love
her less after marriage than before, since
the bond is indissoluble. But the wife
must make herself lovable if she would
be loved. She should make herself as
attractive as possible without neglecting
other duties. She should adorn her per-
son and cultivate her mind and heart
with the view of making herself the
pride and joy of her husband.
The wife must "see that she reverence
her husband" The burden of novels
g generally is that the woman must marry
the man she LOVES, and none perhaps
teaches that she must marry the man she
can REVERENCE. IF mothers would teach
their daughters not to marry n man they
can not reverence, and 10 burn all their
books burdened with silly love stories,
and to obey the divine regulations, they
would save many OF them from making
shipwreck OF their life. The traits OF
character the wife most admires III her
husband are involved in the word "man~
liness." He is to be brave, strong, truth
full and pure. y., .
iii. Let us examine some OF the mo.
tives that lead to marriage. The great
responsibility before marriage rests upon
the man. lie is to make the advances.
All that is expected Of the woman is to
accept or reject. 1t is too late after mar>
riage to find fault with your wife. 1t
was your duty to know her disposition,
her attachments and her peculiar traits
of character beforehand. After marriage
IL ia too lato and IL she ia not COnQenial