Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-08-25
TABERNACLE PULPIT.
TALMAGE breaches OF THE
GENTLER SEX.
"a Great Woman" the Subject of sun
days SermOn-"And IL Fell ON n Day
That Elisha Passed to Shunem, Where
Was a Great Woman"

onuutlll, WntTe WIS Il BTtuL NOHltE
The hotel of our time had no
counterpart in any entertainment of
oldcn time. The vast majority of
travellers must then be entertained at
private abodes. Here comes Elisha, a
servant OF the Lord, on a divine mis-
sion, and he must find shelter. bal
cony overlooking the valley of Es-
draelon is offered him, in private
house, and it is especially furnished
for his occupaucy-a chair to sit on,
table from which to eat, candlestick
by which to read, and bed on which
to slumber, the whole establishment
belonging 10 great and good woman.
Her husband, it seems, was cody
man, but he was entirely over
Swallowed by his wife's cexellencies;
Just as now you sometimes find in a
household the wife the center of Dig
nifty and influence and power, not by
any arrogance or presumption, but oy
superior intellect and force of moral
nature welding domestic affairs, and
at the same time supervising all fnan-
cial and business affairs. The wife's
hand on the shuttle, on the banking
house, on the worldly business. You
see hundreds of men who are success
full only because there is a reason at
home why they are successful.
If a man marry good, honest soul,
he makes his fortune. If he marry a
fool. the Lord help him! The wife may
be the silent partner in the firm, there
may be only masculine voices down on
exchange, but there oftentimes comes
from the home circle u potential and
elevating influence.
This woman of my text was the SUI
perIor of her husband. He, as far as
/ can understand, was what we often
see in our day, man of large fortune
and only a modicum of brain, intensely
quiet, sitting long while in the same
place without moving hand or foot
II you say yes" responding yes
if You say no" responding no
inane, eyes half shut, mouth wide
open, maintaining his position in So
CITY only because he has large pat
rimony. But his wife my text says,
was great woman.
Her name has not come down TO us.
She belonged to that collection of peo-
pie who need no name to distinguish
them. What would title of duchess,
or princess, or queen-what would es-
cutcheon or cleaning diadem be to
this woman of my text, who by her in
telligence and her behavior challenges
the admiration of al ages? Long
after the brilliant women of the court
of Louis XIV. have been forg gotten, and
the brilliant women of the court of
Spain have been forgotten, and the
brilliant women who sat on mighty
thrones have been forgotten, some
grandfather will put on his spectacles,
and holding the book the other side
the light, read to his grandchildren
the story of this great woman of Shu-
mem who was so kind and courteous
and Christian to the good prophet
Elisha. Yes, she was great woman.
In the first place, she was great in
her hospitalitles. Uncivilized and
barbarous nations honor this virtue.
Jupiter had the surname of the hos
pitable, and he was said especially 10
avenge the wrongs of strangers.
Homer eXtulled it in his verse. The
Arabs are punctilious upon this sub
ject, and among some of their tribes it
is not until the ninth day of tarrying
that the occupant has right to ask
his guest: who, and whence art
thou If this virtue is so honored
even among barbarians, how ought it
to be honored among those of us who
believe in the bible, which commands
us to use hospitality one toward
another without grudging?
OF course, do not mean under this
cover TO give any idea that | approve
of that vJgrant class who go around
from place to place ranging their
whole lifetime, perhaps, under the
auspices of some benevolent or philan-
thropic society, quartering themselves
on Christian families with great
pile of trunks in the hall and carpet
bag portentous of tarrying. There is
many a country parsonage that looks
out week by week upon the ominous
arrival of wagon with creaking wheel
and lank horse and dilapidated driver,
come under the auspices of some char
itable institution 10 spend few weeks
and canvass the neighborhood. Let
no such religious tramps take advan-
tage of this beautiful virtue of Chris.
tian hospitality.
Not SO much the sumptuousness OF
your diet and the regality
of your abode will impress
| the friend or the stranger
that steps across your threshold, as
the warmth of your greeting the in
| formalty of your reception, the re.
iteration by grasp and by look and by
a thousand attentions, significant at
! tentions. of your earnestness of well
come. There will be high apprecia-
! ton of your welcome, although you
have nothing but the brazen candle.
stick and the plain chair to offer
! Elisha when he comes to Shunem.
Most beautiful is this grace of hospi-
tally when shown in the house OF
God. l am thankful that am pastor
of "A church where strangers are always
welcome. and there is not a state OF
the Union in which | have not heard
the affability of the ushers of ouI
church mplimented. But / have
entered churches where there was nc
hospitality. A stranger would stand
in the vestibule for while and then
make pilgrimage up the long aisle
! No door opened to him until flushed
and excited and EN- barrassed he started
back again and coming to some half
| filed pew with apologize air entered
1t, while the occupants giared on him
with look that seemed TO say
"Well, IL must l must" Away with
! such aecursed indecency from the
house OF God. Let every church that
would maintain large Christian infiu-
ence in community, culture Sab
bath by Sabbath this beau
tifui grace of Christian hospitality.
! A good man travelling in the far
west, in the wilderne ss, was overtaken