Milford chronicle., 1893-08-25
AT THE TABERNACLE.
DR.. TALMAGE DELIVERS A TRIBUTE
TO WoMANLY INFLUENCE.
The Great woman of the Text Was only
a Type Of the Christian Mother Of To-
day-The Virtues of Hospitality.

Ahe Great woman" OF the Text Was Onl
Type Of the Christian Mother of To
day-The Virtues Of Hospitality.
BROOKLYN, Aug. 2O.-Rev. DR.. Talmag
chose for lis subject today one Of special in
terest to the gentler sex, the announced
topic being "A Great Woman" and tn,
text II Kings iv, s: "And it fell on a day
that Elisha passed to Shunem, where wa.
a great woman"
The hotel of our time had no counterpart
IN any entertainment of olden time. The
vast majority of travellers must then be en-.
tertained at private abode. Here comes
Elisha, servant Of the Lord, on a divine
mission, and he must find shelter. A
balcony overlooking the valley of Esdraelon
Is offered him, in private house, and it is
especially furnished for his occupancy-a
chair to sit ON, table from which to eat, a
candlestick by which to read and bed on
which TO slumber, the whole establishment
belonging to a great and good woman.
Her husband, it seems, was a rodlv man.
but he was entirely overshadowed by his
wife's excellencies, just as now you some
times find in a household the wife the cen
ter 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 busi-
ness. You see hundreds Of men who are
successful only because there is a reason at
home why they are successful
THE wIFELY INFLUENCE.
If man marry a good, honest soul, he
makes his fortune. If he marry fool, the
Lord help himl The wife may be the silent
partner in the firm, there may be only mas
culine voices down on exchange, but there
oftentime comes from the home circle a DO
tential and elevating influence.
This woman of my text was the superior
of her husband. He, as far as 1 can under
stand, was what we often see in our day,
man of large fortune and only a modicum
of brain, intensely quiet, sitting a long
while in the same place without moving
hand or foOt-if you say yes" responding
''yes"-if you say mo, - responding mo-
inane, eyes half shut, mouth wide open.
his position in society only be-
cause he has large patrimony. But his
wife, my text says, was great womon.
Her name has not come down to us. She |
belonged to that collection Of people who 1
need no name to distinguish them. What
would title Of duchess or princess or queen !
what would escutcheon or cleaning dia- /
lem be to this woman of my text, who by
Ter intelligence and her behavior challenges
he admiration of all ages2 Long after the
brilliant women Of the court of Louis XIV
lave been forgotten, and the brilliant woin-
n of the court Of Spain have been forgot
en-, and the brilliant women who sat on
mighty thrones have been forgotten, some
will put on his spectacles, and
olding the book the other side the light
cad to his grandchildren the story of this
reat woman Of Shunem who was so kind
nd courteous aud Christian to the good
rophet Elisha. Yes, she was a great
'oman.
In the first place, she was great in her
ospitalities. Uncivilized and barbarous
ations honor this virtue Jupiter had the
lrname Of the hospitable, and he was
lid especially to avenge the wrongs of
rangers. Homer extolled it in his verse.
he Arabs are punctilious upon this sub
ct, and among some of their tribes it is
1t until the ninth day of tarrying that the
'cupant has a right to ask his guest, !
Who and whence art thou?" If this vir-
ie is so honored even among barbarians,
Nv ought it to be honored among those
us who believe in the Bible, which COM
ands us to use hospitality one toward E
lOtheF without prudginp? !