Omaha daily bee., 1885-03-02
SANCTUARY ECHOES.
Harlha'S Sermon Before the
WOman'S bis iOlary SlClGly,
Various Items of Religious News
Yesterdays Services Through.
ont the City

mans Missionary society.
Matt. Xxx, 2S: 40 woman, great is thy
faith"
Woman's position In this world hiss
never been accurately defined, nor her
influence properly estimated. Writers
are too p%rejudiciai to give a just opinion,
and history itself utters an uneven voice.
Even so deep and reasonable a thinker Is
Kant takes an unstable position oil this
subject. In his little book on 1.-THE
Sentiment of the Beautiful" he reserves
to man the noble virtues and leaves to
woman only the beautiful virtues, by
which he understands an agreeable,
spontaneous virtue, exerted without eff
fort. 'Speak not to woman" says he,
"of duty, of obligation. Expect not
from her sacrifices nor generous victories
over herrelf." Thus speaks Kant
and it is a remarkable instance
of a judgment at variance with
his usual acute moral sense. Examples
of q directly opposite sentiment might
easily be given. Truth is, there is moth.
ing upon which there is apt to be greater
differences of opinion. Woman will be
found everywhere In the world, as the
poet represents Agrlppins in the senate;
Behind a veil, invisible and present."
As by woman Satan entered Into the
the innocent race, 80 it has been thought,
may be'traced to woman the calamities
and crimes which desolate humanity
the fabits, the revenges, the trials, the
suicides, the duels, the murders, and the
wars. And as by o woman our Savior
came into the fallen race, go shall We
equally trace to woman the thoughts and
the works which elevate and brings peace
to hunanity-the tender devotions, the
generous, sacrifices, the holy aspirations,
the religious institutions and the public
charities. Is 1t not for this re ason that
art and poetry, In all ages, have
p%ersonifed the moral power
by women, and that the Holy Spirit him
self, In the Proverbs, has delineated in
der the traits of two women the two OPP
posite tendencies which divide the world2
Prov. VII, VIII, TX, IL, TX, 1918.
The explanation of this difference is
that Woman has been considered apart
from her Savicr. He always spoke of
her tend erly, and filed with his love she
not only ministered to him in life more
faithfully than all the apostles, but also
has filled the period since his death with
the most efficient services. l purpose
giving you an outline of this to day and
shall invite your attention to two main
themes-the vast improvement In wom-
ans condition through the means of the
gospel and the consequent gratitude that
ought to be felt and manifested.
l need not pause to day to describe the
position of women In Mohametan and
heather countries. You are all too ia
miliar with the pictures, There you may
see unchristian principles carried to their
logical results in the dwarf-minded, silly
hearted, poor, stArved-souled women.
What can tho children be when the
mothers ara such2 What can the present
social and future eternal outlook be when
these evils are unremediedl
Nor need 1 attempt to-day a gradual
dawning of the Christian morning upon
the darkened female mind.
A mighty change has come about
through the religion Of him who spoke
kindly to the women of Bethany and re-
membered his mother with affection nthe
cro.s of Calvary. 1t has been been vel
said that civilizations may be gagged al
to their treatment of women and chill
dren. And, truly, the civilization o
which the gospel is the center may, or
this principle, be marked at the highesl
point.
Nor can l pause to trace the heroic
gratitude with which woman has repaic
all that the gospel has done for her,
If it were not for woman our family
affairs would in a large measure be dark
and our machine knowledge of Christ
work very meagrs. And what words car
ittlngly describe the ea1nestness ant
faith with which the woman's missionary
societles all over our land have studiee
and prayed and sacrificed tosupport theil
toiling sisters whom they hav'
sent to the ends of the earth
Must not the voice of our risen Chris
be say ing In Infinite love out of heaven
so, woman, great is thy faith" Looked
at in this light how full of meaning be-
come the beautiful words of the poet:
o, what makes woman lovely? Virtue, faith
And gentleness in suffering; an endurance
Through scorn and trial; these call beaut.
forth,
Give it the stamp celestial, and admitit
To sisterhood with angels.
This brings US to the second division O.
my subject. l hope you will not imagin'
that L. consented to preach this specia
sermon simply to give me an opportanit.
of ~eulogizing the effect of the gospel upol
female character. | have In view a pur
pose intensely practical, and in fulfllini
it shall venture to addres , my directl
to two or three classes represented befor
me.
To the wives who are present on
theme has a very practical bearing, HOY
does 1t COM that you are 60 happ
in your homes? Why are you surround
ed by every thing that love car furnish
Your homes may be more or less supplie'
with the appointments which wealth ca
furnish; but you are all the objects OF re
q pect from your friends or Children, an
r Of affection from your husbands. 70
can read, that is something; you ca
S hold up your head as being bsttsr tina,
brutes or slaves, that Is more; nay, 20
can feel on a recognized equality wit
those whom you most respect and love
this is everything. Now, l would hav
: you think to-day that Christ has give
G you all this through his gospel, and lie
9 the thought lead you to Thanksgiving an
praise. Have you yer honestly though
Q of the degradation of the mothers of ou
Anglo Saxon race and turned in g~ratitud
3 to God, who has been pleased to rescu
t you from it2 And / wsuld also have 20
9 think of the millions of wives and motf
7 ers In heather lands, with hearts just lik
/ yours. who are still lock ed I'm the abackl.