Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-01-21
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
SECOND OF THE "sERlEs TO Wo-
MEN" AT THE TABERNACLE.

MEN" AT THE TABERNACLE.
"NIarringo for Worldly Success Without
Rc-ur., to Moral Character" the Sub.
jcct-aEcn Who Pretend to DospIso 70
ligI.n Arc RAM Lypocrites.
BROOKLYN, jan. BIN the brooklyn
Tabernacle this morning, tho Rev. I. Dewitt
TalE:aCc, D. d., preached the sccond OF the
series of sermons to the women of Ancrica
with important hints to men. Tho subject
OF the sermon was: Marriage for Worldly
Success Without regard TO Moral Character,
and tho text was from l Samuel XIV, 2;
"A:tl there was man III Maon, whose pos
sessions were in Carmel; and the man was
very great, and ho had thrco tkolJand sheep
and Il thousand goats" Dr.. Tainlagc said:
lily text introduces us To Il drunken bloat
Of large property. cforc the day Of safety
deposits and government bonds and national
banks people had their investment i'll iloclls
and herds, and this MIN, Nabal, of the text,
had much Of his possessions in 1.-Two stock.
Hc came also of distinguished family aud
had glorious Caleb for an ancestor. But this
descendant was sneak, n churl, Il sot and u
fool One instance TO illustrate: 1t was a
wool raising country, and at the time OF
sliearing great feast was prepared for the
shearcrs and David and his warriors, who
had il other days saved from destruction
the thrcshns floor; of Nabal, sent to him
asking, il this tno of plenty, for Some bread
for their starving men. And Nabal cried
out: "lyho is David9" As though an Eng
lishman had said: "Who is Wcllington" or
u German should say: "Who is Won AloltkcT
or IN American should say: WHO is Wash
ington!" Nothing did Nabal give to the
starving men, and that night tho scoundrel
lay dead drunk 1T home, and tho Bibel gives
us a full length picture of him sprawling and
maudlin and helpless.
Now that was tho man whom Abigail, the
lovely and gracious and good woman, mar
ricdl--a tubcrose planted beside IL thistle, q
palm branch twincd into u wreath Of deadly
nightslla,lo Surely that was not ono of the
matches made in heaven. We throw up our
hands in horror Mt that wedding How did
sho over consent to link her dcstinies with
such a creature! Well size no doubt thought
that it would be an honor to bo associated
with all aristocratic family, and no one can
dcspso great name Beside this, wealth
would come, and with it chains of gold and
mansions lighted by swinging lamps of
aromatic oil, and resembling with tho cheer
of hanquctcrs seated at tables laden with
wines from tho richest vineyards and fruits
from ripcSt orchards, and nuts thrcshcd from
foreign woods, and meats smoking in platters
of gold, set on by slaves i'll bright uniform.
Before she plighted her troth with this dissi-
patcd man she sometimes said to herself:
GLOW can l endure him9 To DO associated
for life with such u debauche l cannot and
will mott" But then again she said to her
self: lit is timo l was married, and this is a
cold world to depend on, and perhaps l
might do worse and may be will make q
sober man out Of hin, and marriage is lot
terry anyhow" And when one day this rep
rn.entativc of great house presented him
sslf in parcnthcsis of sobricty and with an
assumed gcniality and gallantry of manner,
md with promises of fidelity and kindness
and scf-abncsation, June morning smiled
on q march squat, and the great soulcd
woman surrendered her happiness to the
keeping of this Infamous son of fortune,
whose possessions wcro i'll Carmel; and the
man was very great, and lie had three thou
....A,i .i.,,.r ---i 1t ------.i o.
Behold hero domestic tragedy repeated
every hour Of every day all over Christcn-
dom-marriasc for worldly success without
regard to character. So Mario Jeanne
Phlipon, the daughter OF the humble en-
eraycr of Paris, became tho famous Nine
Roland of history, the vivacious and bril-
liant girl united with the cold, formal, mon
otonons man, because ho came of an afllucnt
family of Alnions and had lordly blood in
his veins. Tho day when through political
revolution this patriotic woman was led to
the scaiTold around which lay piles of human
heads that had fallen from the az, and she
sai,l to all aged man whom she had comforted
rs they csccnded the scaiTod: $50 first that
You may not witness my death" and then
unlauntcd took her turn to dic-that day
was to her only the last act Of a tragedy Of
which her uncongenial marriage day was tho
first.
Good and genial character in q man, tho
very first requisite for Il womans happy mar
riagc. Mistake ME not as depreciativo of
worldly properties. There is Il religious
emit that would seem to represent poverty as
O. virtue, and wealth rs a crime. l can take
Won through thousand mansions where God
ia as mach worshipped as he ever was III q
cabin. The gospel inculcates the virtues which
tend toward wealth In the millennium VIC will
all dwc!lin palaces, and ride in chariots, and
sit at sumptuous banquots, and sleep under
rich cnbrolcries, and live 400 or 300 years,
for. if according to the Bible, in those times
a child shall die 100 years old, the average of
human life will be at least five centuries. Tho
whole tendency of sin is toward poverty, and
the whole tendency Of rights rusness is toward
wealth. Goodness is profitable for the life
that now is as we'll as for that which is to
come No inventory can DO made Of the
picture galleries consccrated to God, and of
soul Yture, and of libraries, and pillarcd mag
Diiccnce, and Of parks, and fountains and
gardens il the ownership of good men and
women. The two most lordly residences in
which was ever guest hid morning and
evening prayers, oil tho employees present,
and all day long there was III air of cheerful
piety in the conversation and behavior. Lord
Radstock carried tho gospel to the Russian
nobility. Lord Cavan and Lord Cairns spent
their vacation in evangclistic services. Lord
Conglcton became missionary to Bagdad.
And the Christ, who was born in an eastern
caravansary, has again and again lived in
palace.
1t is Va grand thing to have plenty of
money, and horses that don't compel you to
take tic dust Of every numbering and lazy
vehicle; and books of history that give you
n glimpse of oil tho past; and shelves OF
poetry to which you may so and ask Milton
or Tonnyson or Spencer or Tom Moore or
Robert Burns to step down and spend ON
evening with you; and other shelves to
which you may 60 while you feel disguised
with the shams of tho world, and ask Thacl-
cray to express your chasrin, or Charles
Dickens to expose the Pecksnii.ianism, or
Thomas Carlyle to thunder your indignation;
or tho other shelves where the old gospel
writer's stand ready to warn and cheer us
while they open doors into that city which is
~ brirht the MONDAY sun is abolished There