The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-02-24
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
The Fifth Discourse Of the 6eriee
On THE Marriage Ring"

The Husbaad's Daty to the Wife - Re.
sPonsibillty Of The Marriage State
Ants-Nuptial Love CompareA
VITA Psst.Nuptial Life.
Rev. 7. Dewitt Talmage delivered the
nth discourse Of tho series on "The Mar.
risse Ring" before . highly interested
congregatioa, and the husbands, present
and prospective, were given an outline %
to their duties. The text was:
And Isaac went out to mediate IL the neid
at the evenude: and be lifted up his eyes.
and saw. and, beheid, the camsls were com.
ing.-Gsnesis xiv. =
Following u the sermon in full:
A bridal pageant on the back Of drome.
diaries! The camel 10 called the ship Of the
desert. It, swinging motion In the dis.
tance is suggestive Of . vessel rising and
falling with the biliows. Though awk-
ward, how imposing these creatures %
they move along, whether In ancient or
modern times. sometimes carrying four
hundred or four thousand travellers from
Bagdad to Aleppo, or from Bassors to
Damascus. In my text comes caravan.
We notice the noiseless step Of the broad
foot, the velocity Of motion, the gay CO.
parison Of saddle and girth and awning,
shelterinG the riders from the sun; and the
hilarity Of the mounted passengers; and
we cry out: "Who are they" Well, Isaac
has been praying for wife, and IL Is time
he had one, for he is forty years Of age;
and his servant, directed by the Lord, has
made selection Of Rebekah; and with her
companions and hsr maidens she Is on her
way to her new home, carrying with her
the blessings Of al her friends. Isaac is In
the fields. meditating upon his proposed
passage from celibacy to monogamy. And
he sees a speck against the sky, then groups
of people, and after . while he finds
chat the grandest earthly blessing
chat ever comes to man il approaching
'with this gay caravan. The drivers cry
"Kneelw to the camsls, and they kneel.
and putting foot on the neck Of the stoop.
ding beast the bride dismounts and grsets
the man who was a. worthy Of her as she
was worthy of him. "And Isaac went out
10 mediate In the field at the evsntids;
and he lifted mp his eyes, and saw, and, be.
hold, the camels were coming"
In this hfth discourse ON the Marriage
Ring" having spoken of the choice of .
lifetime companion, take it for granted,
o man, that your marriage was divinely
arranged, and that the camels have ar
rived from the right direction. and at the
right time. bringing the one that was In.
tended for your consort, . Rebekah and
not q Jexebel. proceed to discourse as to
how you ought to treat your wife, and my
ambition 10 TO toll you more plain truth
than you ever heard In any thrse.quarters
of an hour In ali your life.
First Of On, I charge You realise your 70.
sponsibility In having taken her from the
custody add care and homestead In which
she was once sheltered. What courage
you must have had, and what confidence
in yourself, 70 say 10 her practically: ~
will be TO you more than your father and
mother, more than Ill the friends You ever
had or ever can have. Give up everything
and take me. I feel competent 10 see you
through life In safety. You are an
Immortal being, but an competent
to defend you and make you hap
py. However bright and comfort.
able . homo you have now, and
though 10 one Of the rooms 10 the arm
chair in which you rocked, and In the gar.
ret Is tho cradle In which you were hushed,
and the trundle-bsd In which you slept,
and in the sitting room are the father and
mother who have got wrinkle.faced and
stoop. shouldered and dim sys.sighted In
taking care Of you, yet you will do better
to come with mo-" I am amazed that any
Of US ever had the sublimity Of impotence
to ask such tranofer from home assured
to homo conjectured and unbuilt.
You would think me very daring. and
hazardous adventurer II should 60 down
70 one ot. the piers Of the North river, and
at time when there was . great lack Of
sea captains, and should, With no knowl.
edge Of navigation, propose to take .
steamsr across to Glasgow or Havre. and
say: "Aif aboard! Haul In the planks
and swing out" and passing out In the seq
plunge through darkness and storm. II
succeeded in getting charge Of one, that
would be the ship that would never be
heard of. But that is the boldness of every
man that proffers marriage. He says: II
viii navigate you through the storms, tho
cyclones, the fogs Of . lifetime. will run
clear of rocks and cebsrgs. have no OK.
perience and have no seaport, but al
aboard for the voyage of life.timsl
admit that there have been ten thousand
shipwrecks ON this very route, but don't
hesitate. Tut! Tut There nowl Don't
cry! Brides must not cry at the wedding
In response to this the woman, by her
action. practically says: 81 have but one
life to live and intrust it ell TO you. Ny
arm is weak. but will depend on the
strength Of yours. Idon't know much Of
the world, but I rely on your wisdom.
put my body, my mind, rAy soul, my time
my eternity. In your keeping. l make nc
reserve, though mine 10 name that sug.
gests all that was honorable in my father
and all that was good in my mother, and
all that Yves pleasant in my brothers and
sisters. start with you on my journey
: which shall not part except at the edge Of
your grave or mine. Ruth, the Moabitess
made no more thorough self-abnegation
than make, when take her tremendous
words, the pathos Of which many cen.
turies have not cooled: -
"Entreat me not to leave thee. or to 70.
turn from following after thee; for whittier
thou goest, Il will 60, and where thou
lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall b
my people;and thy God my God. Where
thou diest, will I die, and there will bt
buried. The Lord do 50 to me and more
also, IL ought but death part thee and me