Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-10-14
A Husband Won.

"Inht ODoy DOt t1e NOrO, tncy Also may Wltn-
out the word be won by the conversation Of the
wives. ."-lst Peter; Sd Chap, 1st Verse.
In this text you have difficulty stated and
solution for it; perhaps the best thing that
can be done. If you will notice particularly
the text you will see that it is addressed to
the wives; to those wives, whose husbands
were not united with them in religious mat
ters; who served God without the husbands
cooperation, and sympathy. There was
such class of women in the the days of
Peter; it may be that these men even then
regarded themselves as strong minded-and
this they considered the cause of division.
Things may not have grown any worse, for
there were then believing wives and unbeliev-
ing husbands, as is often the case now. Peter
writes as one addressing the present church.
where religion divides those whom the law
makes one. And why should not the wife be
noticed, those who are by their positions, in
the home and family, welding untold infiu-
ence. And why not that class of wives, who
have their trials for want not merely of SYM
pathy, but liberty to serve God according to
the dictates of their conscience. Mothers are
addressed, also fathers, parents and children;
but what relation is more intimate and sacred
than that which binds two together as hus-
band and wife. The wife is honorably men
toned, she is said to have the power to win
her husband, not by force but through the
purity of her life, ,and the conquering influence
of character as a christian woman. She is
not to win souls only in the world for Christ,
but win him who is joined to her by this
sacred tie, and knows her as no other one can
know. 1t is not the power of winning souls
only, but of winning husband. We may all
be interested in the duty of true christian
wife. The text may be of more general in
terest than it appeared to be at the first.
Some of you may contemplate matrimony,
and here is work you may do for the living
God before the marriage ceremony is per-
formed; win him not only for husband, but
as brother in Chris,. The men are inter
ested here, if these wives are faithful chris
tians, they ought to expect that they will
seek to draw them to him whom they love;
and especially ought they TO expect this, if
they are christians before marriage; fidelity
to the VOWS she has already made demands it.
If they seek not to win their husbands, they
are unfaithful to God, and Indifferent to the
! welfare of that one she has accepted as a
partner in life. This is work that the wife's
conviction prompts her to do. Her desire, her
prayer is that he may be saved; many true
christian woman has had her heart wounded
when acting under strong conviction, by the
rude and unfceling conduct of her husband
while in the discharge of what she regarded
as a most sacred duty. Every man who
forms an alliance with christian woman
and many do, ought to know that he takes q
minister into his home; one that holds a Ii.
cense from God, to convert him, or to use
the means which tend to that end; as chris.
tlan wife she is to preach the word, by her
christian conversation, although only one
composethe audience. Ofcourse men can find
wives who will not preach to them, and may
let them die unwarned in their sins, and
many will preach in other ways, than by 6
gentle loving convincing life. But worldly
men don't always choose these for their
wives. The text before us not only points out
the wife's duty toward her impenitent hus.
band; but also tells the man, what he may ex.
pect if his wife be true to her religious con-
victions; the husband expects it, and why moi
begin at Jerusalem; Christ came first to hi
own. have no doubt but these efforts otter
seem to be in vain, and perhaps they are. yet
who in all the world can so preach the gospel
to an impenitent husband as a wife, whose
heart is fixed. Even the sweet influence
that 60 forth from the cross fail to win many
who can tell the end; what the effect may be
yet whether he be won or not, there is conso
lation in the fact that your Office of love i
fulfilled. Difficulties are to be expected; tn
husband will often try to escape, he is busy
has no interest in these things, he is engaged
in reading the newspapers, and desires to b
let alone; but none of these things de
, stroy the power, for the power is that of at
, traction, that power which in the midst o
ceaseless motion, holds the stars in subsection
But think for moment, what is meant by
wife withholding that influence that tends t.
win for Christ her husband; it means t.
withdraw the strongest earthly instrumen
tality. 1t means to obey men rather thai
God. Love draws the wife toward the hus
band, to seek his spiritual welfare; dut.
, prompts her, his life is as her own; having
hope of life, she is not completely happy un
til he too be made partaker of her joy.
think, brethren, you fail often to weigh all tn
, motives that prompt the wife to minister a
an angel of God to your never dying soul; t.
minister with all her imperfection and fault
of human nature joined with true and earn
est heart, it is we'll brethren if you esteem
. their motives, not as selfish, not as esteem
ing themselves as better, but as born of
spirit that is both pure and peaceable. 1
may have been that at as early day as tn
writing of this epistle, wives separated from
their husbands that they might serve Christ
l or enjoy religious liberty; what were they t
do when they became christians, and thei
!. husbands did not; then there came to tn
wife the serious, and important question, a
it does now, ought to be q christian contra
ry to my husbands wishes? Is that step con
, sistent with the relations which sustain
The respect owe him there can be no doub
as to how this would be answered to-day
Gods right to the service of his creatures, cal
never be set aside by his ordinance whel
rightly understood marriage, which is an or
dinance Of God, could never have been in
tended as a means of absolving any one from