Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-08
ELIGIoS, IN THE HOME LIFE
Subj ct OF .Dr. Lamnr's Sermon mt the
First Baptist Church.

| Baptist CHURCH of this city on "Relgion in
the Home.n5 Below will be found syn
opsis: ~ 10
Text, First Timothy, " 4; "Let them
learn first to show piety at home"
Beecher says "God has represented us
chiefly in the bible, not by nature, not by
civil government, but by the relations of man
IN the family" And Talmage says: "A
church within church, republic within "a
republic, world within world is spelled
with four letters; h-o-m.e."
The family is the heart of the state, the
corner stone of society, the foundation of the
nation, the true church, and the best ex-
| FOUNDER of christianity. The church is the
family, with one Father, and one Elder
| brother.
AS we stand in front of the white house,
and look upon that homelikc mansion, we are
! impressed with the sacred reverence our
fore fathers had for the family. Gods idea
| of the family had deep root in the hearts of
| those old time people. The thought did not
| seem to occur to them that we should ever
have president who had not first
| been inaugurated as the head of family
Personally l would prefer that mother
should be president, rather than a bachelor.
Whoever presdes over this nation should
Know all the needs and wants of the family
| relation, and we can not do too much to exalt
| the idea of the family. The nation owes
| more to it than to any other institution, and
derives more public good from it, Tho fam
| lily relation fosters patriotism, virtue, educa-
| tion and all that helps to make nation great
In peace and in war. The family is the
| strongest defense and shield against the
wasting evils that tend to destroy national
life.
Thy influence of home begins with our
birth, and we never outgrow it, 1t exer-
cises power over US greater than any other
power on earth. If asked what throne ex
erts the greatest power over the people of
the earth to-day,I should say the mothers
rocking chair, and the teachings of the
nursery. The memories of homo and the
love OF home are associated with all that is
best and most substantial and endur-
IL the home is right al. the in
1iuences radiating from that home are pub
lie as well as q private beaefaction. But if
the home life of the people is wrong 1t drives
our citizens to wretcheduess, despair and
crime. Men are driven TO saloons Pilgrim
ages, vice and death, by the unhappiness of
home life. From unhappy homes the in
mates are driven to bad associations, and the
inmates of such u home generally 30 to per-
dition.
If you would haye happy homes, counsel
You first of ali to invite the Lord Jesus to
come and dwell inIyour home. If it is a
guest you invite to it. Whoever else may
come and go lethifn know that he is ever
welcome. That home in the hills of Bethany
was wonderfully blessed by his frequent Wis
its there, and it helped them to know that
he might come at any hour.
A great many young couple have been
married within the past few months-per-
haps some OF them may hear or read these
words-let me urge them even though only
one De a Christian, let that one read the
bible 10 the other, and ask the blessing of
God upon both. Do not wait to get TO house
keeping; but if you nave only one or two
rooms read your bible and seek the direction
and blessing of God. In ninety nine cases
wives will RESPECT each other re.
ligious feelings If there is evidence
of sincerity. Somd of you may have been
yoked toRetfer fbk years, and never yet m.
vlted the Lord to come into your home. do
not wonder that you get on so poorly. Those
who never invite Christ to the home are very
liable to have domestic arrangements and
difficulties that frequently end in divorce. It
can be safely said that III nine cases out of
ten where divorces have been granted within
year that they would not have taken place
if the couple had started right, had started
with Christ in their homes.
There is nothing like Christianity for
teaching the relations and duties thai wives
and husbands owe to each other and to the
children, and that the children owe 10 their
parents If the children are influenced by re-
liGon they will be kind, obedient aud duti-
full, not only while they remain in the home,
but in after years. There is no piety in the
Hedrb OF u son or uauSnter VINO can Dut Will
not provide for widowed mother or a de-
pendent father.
Even among beathens it is regarded as
meanness to forsake parent and leave them
for others to support IL is only Goddess
son o. daughter who will let parent go to
the poorhouse as long as they have hands TO
work and shelter to invite them to. "Over
the Hills to the Poorhouse,'' is the title of a
Rad Ballad foaSs by W Sn old oasss0S; woSsn who HE
had been turned off by her prosperous
sous. There is scarcely a community
in which there can not be found instances of
a lack of fillial love. 1t seems as il the bible,
too, gives us disgust with unfillial conduct,
presents the story Of Michah, who stole
eleven thousand shekels of silver from his
mother, ami the case of Absolom, who re-
belled against his father, and the wicked
sons OF Eli who dcspised his counsel. We
know with what judgments God overlook
all of them. BY contrast with these how
like dadems in golden settings is
the, the great ro.a0S love and grand con
of his father; and the conduct of Jesus, who,
IN his dying hour, provided for his widowed
mother. Again: Religion in the home will
soften its trials aud sustain us under them.
No home can always have sunshine and
prosperity. The storm, or blighting wind, is
travelling around the world towards every
home, and some time it will arrive there.
There will be troubles of u domestic kind.
There will be trouble with the servants and
trials of poverty, and your brow will often
feel the need of the calming, cooling touch
of divine compassion. There will be times
when the husband will need all the calmness
and love, and solace of loving wife to hold
him up and keep him from despairing What
is home in such trials without the religion of
Jesusi But if He be there He will comfort
you in all therelations of life. In communi-
ties out on the prairie, close by many homes,
they have what is called "storm pit" into
which the family may flee when they see
storm coming, SO ;fs to be safe If sthe home
is blown away. In every home there should
be refuge from the storms of life. Christ
is your only refuge, A christian man went
away from home leaving two beauti-
full boys. While he was absent,
diptheria seized Hlpon them and took
them both. He rdtupned home, not knowing
what had happened His Christian wife,
knowing now Terrible this blow would be,
met HIM at the door and said, "My husband,
once had two beautiful jewels loaned me.
While you were gonel the owner came for
them; ought to have given them backi"
"Of course, !" he said. "you should return
them when ne called for them" Then she
called him into THE room aud showed him the
dead boys AfterhveepinP beside their coffin
he said "NOw Ikndw what you mean BIZ
the jewels that weRen loaned you, and who it
WAS that has callaj fdr their raturn irha