Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-08-25
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Sun
day Sermon.
Subject; "a Great Woman"

ifIlalueu ht pflNhlb hDDuts ntft tOulto
Elisha, a servant OF the Lord, on divine
mission, and he must And shelter. A bal
cony overlooking the valley Esdraelon is Of
fered him in private house, and ii is esi
pecially furnished for his occupahcy--ae chair
tosit on, table from which 10 eat, a CANDLE
stick By which to read and bed on which to
SUMMERTIME whole establishment belonging
to great and good woman.
Her husband. It seems, was cody man
but he was entirely cyershadoved by his
wlfe's excellencies, Just as now you some
times find in a household the wife the centre
OF dignity and influence and power, not by
any arrogance or presumption, but by
superior intellect and force OF moral nature
welding domestic affairs and at the same
time supervising all financial and business
affairs. the wife's hand on the shuttle. on the
banking house, on the worldly business.
You sec hundreds OF men who are successful
only because there is a reason at homo why
they are successful.
II man marry a good, homes soul, he
makes his fortune II he marry 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 oftentime comes from the home circle
potential and eleYating influence.
This woman Of my text was the superior OF
her husband. He, as far as I can UNDER
stand, was what we often see in our day-a
man OF large fortune and only modicdm OF
brain, intensely quiet sitting a long while in
the same place without moving hand or foot
If you say yes responding 'yes ! IL
you say ''no, responding "no"-inane, eyes
half shut. mouth wide open, maintaining his
position In society only because he has 4
large pstrimony But HE wife; my text says;
was great woman.
Her name has not come down to va. She
belonged to that collection of people who
need no name to distinguish them. What
would title Of duchess or princess or queen
what would escutcheon or cleaning diadem
be to this woman Of my text. who. by her
intelligence and her behavior. challenges the
admiration OF all ages? Long after tho bril-
liant women Of the court OF Louis XIV have
been forgotten, 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 grandchil
dren the story OF this great woman Of Shu-
mem who was SO kind and courteous AMI
Christian to the good prophet Elisha. Yes
she was a great woman.
In the first place, she was great in her
Inequalities. Chcivilzed and barbarious
nations honor this virtue Jupiter had the
surname OF the hospitRble, and he was said
especially to avenge the wrongs OF strang-
ers. Homer exalted II in his verse
The Arabs are punctilious upon this subject
and among some OF theft tribes II Is not until
the ninth day Of tsrrying that the occupant
has right to ask his guest who and
whence art thou2' II this virtue is so hon
Dred even among barbarians how ought il to
be honored among those Of us who believe
in the Bible, which commands us to use hos
pitality one toward another without grudg-
ing?
or course 1 do not mean under this cover
TO give any idea that l approve OF that
grant class who 90 around from place 10
place ranging their whole lifetime perhaps
under the auspices % some benevolent or
philanthropic society, qdaftering themselves
on Christian families, with great pile Of
trunks in the hall and carpetbag poHehtous OF
tarrying, There IS many country parson-
age that looks out Week by week upon the
ominous arrival Of wagon with creaking
wheel and llnk horse and dilapidaltd driver,
come under the auspices OF some charitable
institution to spend few weeks and canvass
the neighborhooi Let no such religious
tramps take advantage OF this beautiful viz
tue OF Christian hospitality.
Not 50 much the sumptuousnes Of your
diet and the regality cf your abode will i'm
press the friend or the stranger that steps
greeting, the informality Of your reception,
/ The reiteration by grasp and by look and bya
thousand attentions insignificant attentions,
OF your earnestness Of welcome. There will
be high appreciation OF your welcome,
although you have nothing but the brazen
eandlestick and the plain chair to offer Elisha
Snen he comes TO Shunem.
Most beautiful is this grace OF hospitality
when shown in the house of God. l An
thankful that am pastor OF a church where
strangers are always welcome. and there is
not State in the Union in which have not
heard the affabiity OF the ushers Of our
church complimented. But l have entered
churches were there was no hospitality.
stranger would stand in the yestibule for
awhile and then make pilgrimage up the
long aisle. No door opened to him until,
flushed and excited and embarrassed, no
started back again, and coming to some halt.
filled pew with apologize air entered it.
while the occupants glared on him with a
look which seemed to say. WELL II must,
/ must. Away with such accursed in
decency from the house OF God Let every
church that would maintain large Christian
influence In community culture Sabbath by
Sabbath this beautiful grace OF Christian hos
pitality.
A good man travelling in the far west in
the wilderness, was overtaken by night and
storm, and he put in at a cabin. He saw fire.
arms along the beams OF the cabin and he
felt alarmed. He did not know but that hs
had fallen into den Of thieves. He sat
there greatly perturbed. After awhile the
man of the house came home with gun on
hts shoulder and set it down In a corner
The stranger was still more alarmed. After
awhile the man OF the house whispered with
his wife, and the stranger thought his de-
struction was being planned.
Then the man Of the house came forward
and said to the stranger: stranger. we ara
rough and rude people out here. and we
work hard for living. We make our living
by hunting. and when We come to the night
fall We nre tired, and wa are apt TO go to bel
early and before retiring We are always IN
the habit OF reading a chapter from the word
OF God and making a PRAYER. II you don't
Ike such things, If you will just step outside
the door until we get through I'll be greatly
Obliged 10 YOU" OF course the stranger tar
ried in the room. and the old hunter took
hold OF the horns OF the altar and brought
down the blessing OF Col upon his house
hold and upon the stranger within their
gates. Rude but glorious CHRISTIAN ho5pi-
tally
Again. this woman in my text was great III
her kindness toward Gods messenger. Elisha
may have been a stranger in that housnold,
but as she found out he had come on divine
mission he was cordially welcome. we navo
great many books in our day a0outthe
harlships OF ministers and tire trials OF
Christian ministers / wish somebody would
write book about the joys OF the Christian
minister about the sympathies Gil around
him, about the kindnesses, about the genlal
considerations of him.
Does sorrow come to our home ana Is these
a shadow on the cradle, there are hundreds
OF hands to help, and many who weary not
through the long night watching, and nun,
dreds Of prayers going up that God would
restore the sick. Is there burning, Drim-
ming cup OF calamity placed on the pastor
table. are there not many to help MIN 10
drink OF that cup and who will not be com
forted because he Is stricken? Oh, Tor some.
body to write book about the rewards OF
the Christian minister-about his surround-
ings Of Christian sympathy.
1nis woman OF the text was only type oil
thousands OF men and women who come
down from the mansion and from the cot TO
do kindness to the Lords servants. l sup
pose the men ofShunem had to pay the bills,
but II was the large hearted Christian sympa.
thies OF the women OF Shunem that looked
after the Lords messenger.
Again, this woman In the text was great In
her behavior under trouble.
Her only son had died on her lap. Avery
brf~hk lf-kt -..apf ont IN that hOuqnhOld. The /