The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-02-10
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Third Discourse of the Series on
"The Marriage. Ring"
Caendestlne Marriages, Eiopements and
other Matrimonial Escapades Con.
sidered ny the Light Of Script.
ure and Common Sense,

ure and Common Sense.
Rev. Z. Dewitt ralmags delivered the
third of his series of discourses before a
large congregation at the Brooklyn Taber.
nAcle, the interest In the series having be.
come quite marked. In presenting the
Of his subject under the heading
Of "Clandestirs Marriages and Is.
Mr.. rainage took the following
text
Stolen waters are sweet. and bread taken
In secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not
shat the dead are there.-Proverbs TX, H.ls.
The preacher said:
The garden Of Eden was great orchard
Of fruit-bearing trees, bushels and bushels
Of round, ripe, glorious fruit, but the horti-
culturist and his wife having It In charge,
hsnkered for one special tree, simply be-
cause II was forbidden, starting bad
streak in human nature, 80 that children
because they arc forbidden TO do it. This
kink in the human race is not easily I'M
snarled. Tell company that they may
book into any twenty rooms of Q large house
except one, and their chief desire is to see
that one, though oil the others were pict.
me galleries and that garnet. If there
were in region OF mineral springs twenty
fountains, but the proprietor had fenced In
one well against the public, the one fenced
in would he the chief temptation to the
visitors, and they would rather taste Of
that than Of the other nineteen. Solomon
recognised this principle In the text, and
also the disaster that follows forbidden
conduct, when he said: "Stolen waters
are sweet, and dread eaten in secret is
pleasant. But he knoweth not that the
dead are there"
In this course of sermons on "The Mar
riage Ring" l, this morning. aim point
blank shot at "Cland estine Marriages and
Escapades." Yonder comes up through
the narrows OF New York harbor ship
having all the evidence Of tempestuous
passage: Saltwater mark reaching to the
top of the smoke stack. Mainmast, fore.
mast, mizEenmast twisted off. Bulwarks
knocked In. Lifeboats of the davits. Jib.
sheets and iee-bowiines missing. Captains
bridge demolished, Mainshaft broken. All
the pumps working 10 keep from sinking
before they can get TO wharfage. That ship
Is the Institution Of Christian marriage,
launched by the Lord grandly from the
bank Of the Euphrates, and floating out on
the seas for the admiration and happiness
Of all nations. Bat free-loveism struck II
from one side, and Mormonlsm struck It
from another side, aud hurricanes Of lib
ertinism have struck II from all sides, until
the old ship needs repairs In every plank,
and beam, and sail, and bolt, and clamp,
and transom, and stanchion.
In other words, the notions of modern
society must be reconstructed ON the sub
ject Of the marriage institution. And when
we have got II back somewhere near what
It was when God built II In Paradise, the
earth will be far on toward resump.
, zion Of Parsdisaical conditions. Do
you ask what b TIE need Of a
course Of sermons ON this subjeots The
man or woman Who asks this question IL
either ignorant or guilty. In New En-
gland, which has been considered by many
the most moral part Of the United States,
there are 1900 divorces per year. And in
Massachusetts,, the headquarters Of steady
habits, there Is one divorce to every four.
teen marriages. The State Of Maine, con.
sidered by many almost frigid in proprie-
ties. has in one year ats divorces. In Ver-
mont swapping wives is not q rare trans
action. In Connecticut there are women
who boast that they have four or five
times been divorced. Moreover, our boast.
ed Professionalism Is, ON this subject, more
lax than Roman Catholicism. Roman
Catholicism admits OF no divorce except
the reason that Christ admitted az q law
full reason. But Professionalism is admit.
ting anything and everything, and the
larger the proportion Of Professionals In any
part CT the country, the larger the ratio Of
divorce. Do you not then think that
PrOtestantism needs seine toning up ON
this subject"
We admit that ciandestinity and esca
pade are sometimes authorized and made
right by parental tyranny or domestic
serfdom: There have been exceptional
cases where. parents have had mono.
mania in regard to their sons and daugh
ters, demanding their celibacy or forbid.
ding relations every way right.
Through absurd family ambition parents
have sometimes demanded qualifications
and equipment Of fortune unreasonable,
% expect or simply impossible. Chill
dren are not expected to marry to please
their parents. bat 20 please themselves
Given good morals, means of q livelihood
appropriate age and quality Of social posi-
Zion, and no parent has a right to pro
hibit union that seems deliberate and {
matter Of the heart.
Rev. Philip Henry, eminent for piety
and good sense, used TO say to his chill
dren: "Piease God and please yourselves
and you shall mover displease me-"
During our civil var . marriage wa
about to he celebrated Ia Charleston, g. G.
between Leuteuant de Rochelle and Mis-
Anna, the daughter OF Ex-Governor Pick
ems. As the ceremony was about to b
solemnised, shell broke through the roo
and wounded nine Of the guests, and tn
bride fell dying. and, wrapped In he
white wedding robe. her betrothed kneel
ing at her side, Ia two hours she expired
Aud there has been many a. bright
union of hearts as that proposed, that til
bomb-sheii Of outrageous parental indig
nation has wounded aad scattered an,
slain.
II the hand offered In marriage
blotched Of intemperance. il the life Of tn
marital candidate has been debauched,
he has no visible means Of support, an
poverty and abandonment seem only
little way ahead; IL tie twain seem ca