The Newtown bee., 1892-12-23
FOR MARRrAGEABLE MEN AND MArpEss

HePort oi Sermon Dy Key U. U. Wright on Courtships, Patriarchal and Modern-Lessons from Scripture Story.
 An interested audience followed Rev O. o. Wright in his discourse at St Johns, Sunday night on ''Patriarchal and mod ern courtships," it being the second in his course of lecture on social topics. l n opening he said, ''It is just as much a matter of wisdom and of living faith to turn to the Holy Scriptures for instruc- tion concerning our social relations, as it is to seek for knowledge therein touch ing our moral or spiritual privileges and duties. The great principles of true re- ligion have to do with all the relations Of life and the Church solemnly exhorts l those who would come into the estate of holy matrimony, that they should do so reverently and in the fear of God. The story of the courtship of Isaac and Re l becca is very poetic and beautiful and has always been found full of spiritual suggestion to all deeply religious na- lures.
 But whatever else we may say of the | symbolic and spiritual suggestion. of these experiences, we may be very sure of this fact that in the word of God love and marriage is set forth as matter of Divine Providence, rather than as mat ter of worldly convenience and pleasure.
 IT Is NOT LOTTERY SCHEME, nor social amusement, nor a commer- cial transaction.
 Marriage is for life and as a matter of fact, it either makes or unmakes the most of people, for this world at least.
 The first consideration in the choice of true yoke-fellow, should be that of religion. The church ideal is the true one. Those who come to the altar with their wedding ring are supposed to have been baptised in infancy, brought uE in the nurture of the Lord, confirmed end living in communion with Christ. How different is this divine ideal from that of the nasty, ill-assorted, ungodly runaway matches, so shamefully common in this day.
 Young men and young women ought to look upon each other as immortal be- ings, bearing the immage of the Eternal and their courtship and marriage should be conducted as for the Kingdom o1 Heaven and world without end.
 Parents are the natural guardians ot their children in this important matter as in other things. There is scarcely greater folly in modern life than that O. the permiscuous mingling of young mel and maidens without any suitable regard for the consequences of premature lov, affairs, trifing engagements and misera , ble marriages.
 Children should be taught in the hom, and in the church and in the schools, tn, deep and sacred memory of love ant marriage in every phase-religious, so cial, civil and physiological-until i shall cease to be the universal subject o unseemly joke and satire.
 The preacher referred to the cases O Abraham and Eliezer, how they prayed over the matter of selecting wife, ane said: There is no doubt it would be good thing for all concerned, if al young men in these days would begil their bride-wooing with sincere and ear nest praying and it is very certain tha they must also need good, common sens to go along with their prayers. Eiiezer saw at once that Rebecca wa
 EVERY FAIR TO LOOK UPoN.''
 She was beautiful. So faI so good. Beauty in the Bibl i. is sign of goodness of it kind. Everything about woman ths goes to make her really beautiful an attractive, contributes to make her tgood wife and mother. But handsom is that handsome does expresses sti more; and Rebecca proved herself to 1 a real womanly woman, true gentl woman, lady in our popular phase.
 It has been remarked that Eliezer bride-wooipg speech is the first speec recorded in the Bible, and that it is i beginning for the whole circle of Bib1ic; speeches.
 ''In the third place." said Mr Wrigh Q "a proposal of marriage should pre-su] pose home and some visible means support for a wife and children. N, D. that young people should wait to mal or to inherit fortune, which is not wis
 but that there should be what is bette q reasonable prospect of a comfortab support. The woman who insists C
 waiting for fortune deserves to be le
 to take it out in waiting, and the ma - who would marry without any means making q home, ought to be left to wa
 with the woman who wants to marry u 7 fortune.
 The common idea is that we must fir
 of all ssfall in love" and then have pr
 baton of engagements and then find Q of of if we can whether it is best to wed Il, not.
 .s,
 sE We shrink from the other cxtrer H. d. which is common in France. of the ci'