The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-14
HAPPINESS IN OUR HOMES
Rev. ". F. Taylor Gives Few Valuable
Suggestions Upon Attaining II.
Dr. Cleveland Upon the Evils Of Office Seek
ing-Explaining the Triniiy-kcAll
Mission Sermon.

In his last evenings sermon Rev. w. f..
Taylor. of the First Baptist Church. chose
for bis subject THE Ideal Home" He
spoke as follows: Before concluding the
series Of sermons on Christian lessons for
home life l wish to talk TO you about the
ideal home. But here is q difficulty; have
no text Neither In the original Old or
New Testaments is the word home found,
nor IN Scripture Is there complete and
perfect example of home life. But the
word of God abounds with principles and
precepts which enter into the making OF
the home. And further, we have partial
examples of a perfect home life. Witness
the love of Jacob and Rachel, the homage
of Esther. the kingly respect and esteem OF
Ahasuerus, David's affection for his chill
dren. the submission of the child Jesus and
the love which prevailed IL the home OF
Bethany. Our homes to-day are result of
these examples. They are strictly ideal.
BY the term We rightly mean creation
formed by combining special exceilencies
as an ideal face Is formed by the artist by
combining beautiful features which he has
seen. Our homes are what they are be-
cause we have united these beautiful
features of life given in the Bible. Where
the Bible Is most loved we may l1ok for the
fullest development of home life. We have
an advantage, too, over oil other peoples.
The Frenchman can speak of being with
himself and the German of being in the
house. but he who uses tho English tongue
can say, L am going home
Though the idea of the home Ia best de-
veloped among rs, the home instinct has
existed from all time. No one can over
estimate its strength or it's value. All peo-
pie possess this. The home may be hut
or q palace, it awakens an unchanging
L. - Il. II h.
green woods and lanes will cry of homo
sickness. though the home may be but the
one room in tenement. That one room Is
home. This instinct IS power In ciyiilza-
ton. There are men without homes. The
homeless classes are the lawless classes. A
man who has home wants a government
to protect that home. The man who sings
Home, Sweet Home Will not join in the
ribald songs of the Anarchist
"The home instinct is also power In re-
liglon. Without parents or friends to love
we could not know what the love of God
Is. He who loves not his brother whom he
has seen, how can he love his God, whom
he hath not seen. The love for the I'M
seen is conditioned upon and is developed
by and through the love of those In our
homes. Were there no homes there would
be inc love. Children born In communal
houses, as once they were In that foul
society, the Oneida Community OF New
York. know nothing of the love which
creates love, and love leads on to God.
IF, then, this instinct is so strong 1t be-
comes a Christian duty to guide the in
stinct Alright. Make the home the center
of your social life. How few evenings You
spend at home. No wonder that business
man defined home as the place where he
kept his trunk. Neither the demands of
culture nor religion should come between
you and your duty TO your home. The
children have o right TO your presence and
81 CHI I'm 10Th aIan n "a
than that OF cheering by their company the
father and mother who love them. 1t is
not difficult task to make any child think
that it's home is the happiest place in the
world A hint or two may be helpful.
Encourage pleasant chats at the table.
/ sometimes think that Satan had some
thing to do with that saying-'Children
should be seen and not heard 1t Is useful
only TO the parent who Is te0 INDECENT to
guide the chats of the children. 1t is
there be freedom Of expression without
malice. Let the children talk aud they will
listen the more ettentiyely to you.
Read aloud the best book you have in the
presence of all the family. Surely L may
call TO my aid here the apostolic lnlunc-
ton, Give attention to reading Bring
the best and purest amusement into your
home. / do not venture here TO discuss
what are the purest amusements, but set
tie this fact that whatever is right and
home should be done in the home. and
whatever he may not do outside should
not be permitted to come into your house.
Better to strain the point and bring into
your home for the sake of keeping the
child there the amusement which the
child, in his determination. Is driven else
where to have.
Observe all festival days. The we'd
ding day. every birthday, should be care
fully remembered, and if, alas, God has
frnn eft
day of death go by without some special
sign that your love still clings to that one
whom God will give back again. No home
can be called ideal that lacks the chill
dren's hour Between the daylight and
the dark let the time be gwen to them.
That Is the time for the story and the
game; then the tender love OF the child and
the mother ever thrives.
The home too. can be made the founda-
ton of the religious life. No one reads the
confessions of Augustine or the life of Rob-
ert Hall without the conviction that their
testimony as TO the power OF mothers
and fathers faith Is the testimony which
all strongly religious must give. We may,
In our folly. doubt the teaching of others.
may reject much which we learn in the
schools. but the faith learned at u mothers
knee cannot be lost. The memory of the
blessed altar firesi Other lights have gone
ont, but the light which shone on the fam
lily altar, while father led In prayer. lin
gers evermore. Then how far short of the
ideal is that home which lacks family
altar, a home which fails to teach the word
of the Lordi Never be satisfied until the
whole family shall attend church together.
IL have not spoken of the cares of the
home. these exist. but love lightens labor.
There is no way TO avoid these cares
but by bearing them. Men have proposed
schemes. Cooperation and communism are
suggested as remedies for home cares. The
latter scheme i need not discuss. for you
admit the truth there Is no love in a COM
muristic family. And the conveniences of
cooperative Housekeeping are dearly pur-
chased if these weaken, as l fear they
must. the instinct and love of home. God,
the word teaches, setieth the solitary in
families. He desires to give rs earthly
homes that these may be prophecies and
symbols of the homes beyond. For there Is
q house not made with hands eternal in the
heavens. That Jesus has gone to prepare
for US. The right to that home He waits
now to bestow.'
Sermon on Politics.
Last night, at the Meridian street Metbo-
a;a< Churoh tho Paw nr iIavalapd