The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-17
SAMSON'S UNHAPPY CHOICE.
The First of DR.. Talmage's Series of
Sermons on "The Marriage Ring
The Artificialities of Society Deceive the
Suitor and None Save God Can Safely
Guide His Choice Alright.
Rsrort Of Sermon on Sunday. Jan. 10.

Report of Sermon on Sunday. Jan. 10.
The Rev T. Dewitt Talmage preached this
morning in the Brooklyn Tabernacle, the first
Of his series of sermons on ''The Marriage Ring"
the subject being 'The Choice of a Wife," In
the series will be treated the following subjects,
of the greatestimportance to every person: 'The
Choice of Husband and Wife," 'Clandes-
tine Marriages and Escapades;" "Du-
ties of Husbands to Wives" "Du-
ties of Wives to Husbands" SIN Matters of
Religion. Should the Wife Go with the Husband
or the Husband Go with the Wife| ''The
Wrong Ways of Women" Costume and
Morals" Competent Housewifery;" Sensible
Young Womanhood;" women Who Will Pass
Life Singles" Influence of Sisters Over Broth
ers;" ''The Modern Novel and Woman" Board
ing-house and Hotel Life" Treatment of Man
servant and Maidservant" The hymn sung on
the occasion was
THE morning light is breaking
The darkness disappears"
An organ solo was rendered by Prof. Henry
Eyre Browne, who selected the first sonata in D
minor, by Ritter, for his musical theme After
expounding passage of Scripture. DR.. Talmage
took for his text Judges xiv, 3: rs there never
or among all my people. that thou goest to take
awife of the uncircumcised Philistines?" DR.
Talmage said:
Samson, the giant, is here asking consent of his
father and mother to marriage with one whom
they thought unfit for him. He was wise In
asking their counsel, but not wise IN rejecting
Il Captivated with her looks, the big son
wanted to marry daughter of one Of the hos
tile families, deceitful, hypocritical, whining
and ssturnine creature who afterward made for
him world of trouble till she quit him forever.
In my text his parents forbade the banns, prac-
tically saying ''When there are 80 many
honest and beautiful maidens Of your own
country, are you 80 hard put to for lifetime
partner that you propose conjugalitv with this
foreign firtl Is there such dearth of lilies In
our Israelitish gardens that you must wear on
your heart Philistine thistlel Do you take a
crabapple because there are no pomegranatesf
is there never a woman among the daughters
Of thy brethren or among all my people, that
thou coest to take u wife OF the uncircuncised
Philistinesp"
and amid a race celebrated for female lowell ness
and moral worth--a land and q race of which
self-denying Abigail, and heroic Deborah, and
dazzling Vashti and plous Esther, and glorious
Ruth. and Mary who Rugged to her heart the
blessed Lord. were only magnificent specimens
The midnight folded in their hair, the lakes of
LIQUID beauty in their eye, the gracefulness Of
spring morning in their posture and gait,
were only typical of the greater brilliance
and glory of their soul. Likewise excuseess is
any man in our time VINO makes lifelong alll-
ance with anyone who. because of her DISPOSE
ton, or heredty, or habits, or intellectual van
fly, or moral justification may be said to be of
the Philistines. Such opuence of womanly
character or such splendor of womanly manners,
Or multitudinous instances of wifely, motherly,
daughterly. sisterly devotion, as it owns to-day
i have not words to express my admira-
ton for good womanhood. Woman is not
bat sx, N<Fz I'D
religious nature, which is the best part of u.s. she
is rs per cent. his superior. Yea, during the last
twenty five years. through the increased oppor-
tunity opened for female education, the women
of the country are better educated than the ma
jority of men; and, If they continue to advance
in mentality at the present ratio before long the
majority of men will have difficulty in finding.
in the opposite sex, enough Ignorance to make
appropriate consort. If l am under
a delusion as to the abundance of good
my surroundings since the hour entered this
life until now, hope the delusion will last until
embark from this planet So you will under
stand. if / say in the course Of sermons some
thing that seems severe, am neither cynical
nor disgrunted.
There are in almost every farmhouse in the
country, in almost every home of the great
town. conscientious women, worshipful women
self-sacrifcine women. holy women, innumer-
able Marys, sitting at the feet of Christ; in
Vulnerable mothers, helping to feed Christ
In the person of His suffering dis
ciples; thousand capped and specta-
cled grandmothers Lois, bending over
Bibles whose precepts they have followed from
early girlhood; and tens Of thousands of young
women that are dawning upon US from school
and seminary that are going to bless the world
with good and happy homes, that shall eclipse all
their predecessors fact that will be acknowl-
edged by all men except those who are struck
through with moral decay from toe to era
MUM: and more inexcusable than the Sam
son of the text is that man who amid all
this unparalleled munifcence of womanhood
marries fool. But some of you are abroad
suffering from such disaster and to halt others
out in the words Of my text: us there never a
woman among the daughters of the brethren, or
among all my people, that thou goest to take a
wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?"
There are thousands of American pulpits
among them this pulpit guilty in the fact that
some of the subjects on which men and women
need practical advice they have heen silent or
teaching them only in forceless circumiocution.
About the choice of a lifetime companion, a
question in which so much of time and all of
eternity are involved, what almost universal
silence in the church. so that there are not ten
people in this house who have ever heard dis
course upon this theme; and the first one have
ever heard is the one | am preaching We
leave to the fiippant novel. or the spectacular
play. or the jingle of doggerel rhyme, that
which ought to burden the most tremendous
sermon minister ever breaches from the day
when he takes ordination to the day when
in Judgment he meets his God. And SO.
IN the course of these sermons am going to
hitch up my best team to the whiffietree, and
put the coulter of the pillow clear up to the beam,
and 60 straight on from fence to fence however
many nests of moles and serpents may be ripped
up by the furrow, and however many alarmed
people may cry Whoa
That marriage is the destination of the human
race is q mistake that want to correct before ]
go further, There multitudes who will never
marry. and still greater mnltitudes who are not
fit to marry. In Great Britain to-day there are
94S.0OO more women than men, and that, l I'M
derstand, is about the ratio in America. BY
mathematical and memorable law, you see. mill
ions of women will never marry. The supply
Tor matrlmony is greater than the demand, the
first lesson of which is that every woman
ought to prepare to take care of herself if
need be. Then there are thousands of men who
have no right to marry, because they ha We be