The record-union., 1893-01-25
TRUE HAPPINESS.
The Marriage Relation Religious,
Not Civic Duty.
Interesting Discourse on the Subject
by Rev. j. B. Koehne-Picture
of Happy Home.

of a Happy Home.
Rev. ]. B. Koehne, pastor of the Con-
gregational Church, last Sunday ad-
dressed his congregation on the subject
of "The Marriage Relation" He took his
text from Genesis H., 1925, which refers
to the creation of Eve as a helpmeet for
Adam. In Africa, he said, among some
Of the native tribes, there is a peculiar
custom that belongs to marriage, and
quite significant one. In that part of
the world there is what is called a fire ant,
an ant whose bite is almost fatal, at least
1t IS fiery in its nature and causes the ut
most pain. 1t is the custom when a
young man purposes to get married, on
the day of his marriage to gather paper
bag full of these fire ants ard make him
thrust his hands inside the bag, and then
1t is tied up, and if he can stand the tor
ture smilingly, oodnaturedly, it is ex-
pected then that ne can stand the tortures
OF married life.
wish to preach tonight on the mar
rage question from Just one standpoint
the sacredness of marriage-and surely
tnere Is time and occasion for this to be
preached on in this country. If you will
read through the chapter from which the
text IS taken you will find that God had
already created the earth in all it's full
ness; the stars had been created, the sea,
Inc birds and beasts of the field, and
Mheu all was completed God created man.
10 me that seems significant. 1t would
seem like this: When a babe opens It's
eyes in this world and sees the varied
works OF nature, it understands nothing
about these things; all nature is simply
Series of facts tho ha hos Rg1f
when the babe has grown to the stature
OF youth, he begins to see that under
meath the vegetable world are forces that
produce these things-that they are not
accidents nor matters of chance; and the
mature mind is able to perceive that all
the things of earth and nature are but to
subserve mans interest," there Is moth
ing too beautiful, too majestic, too glori-
Gus Tor man. Such seems to be
GODS INTENT AND THOUGHT
In the matter, for after He had created
everything He created man. Man. the
last creative act Of God, is only the result
that reflects back His image and therein
resembles God. Now it seems from the
divine plan recorded in Genesis (and
surely it is divinel that God wanted to
adorn the earth. The grass can hardly be
made greener, the perfume of flowers
sweeter, the SUMS light brighter; they
are perfect. The one adjoining feature of
this earth is man himself. TO treat the
subject from a rather lofty staudDoint
mans nature is divine-he is king of this
earth. We see creatures degraded that
we call men and women, but man still
possesses the divine nature that God gave
him.
We sec nature is ruled by certain laws:
the same laws and forces exist in regard
to humanity. How shall God unfold and
develop man? He contains within him
self the elements of decay, just as the
earth does. In order that man NAV un-
fold and develop and bud into Gods
Image marriage was instituted, that man
may perpetuate himself. There is a mar
Nelous similarity between the laws that
govern silent nature and the laws that
control mans life. We see this great law
OF seli-perpetuatlon going on all around
us-the very trees seem to have sex.
Now then, the
WHOLE IDEA OF MARRIAGE
Is bound up in this one thought-it is
sacred or it is nothing. That is one of the
most beautiful scenes in the Bible, that
chapter in Eden, that bewilder1ng pic
ture, where, under the shade of those
trees, amid the perfume of flowers, amid
the songs of the birds-marvelous God
made man and woman, husband and
wife; and there, in the beauties of that
perfect place, perfect man and a perfect
woman entered upon the marriage rela-
sanctified by his blessing.
You that think marriage is simply
civil contract, l wish you would notice
this closely. The ministry of Christ be-
gins at the marriage relation. He stands
at wedding feast; the wine has given
out; the guests will leave and the bride
groom be disappointed and humiliated:
and Christ performed the miracle of
Transforming water into wine. When
man fell from his higher state, the marri-
age relation fell with him; the marriage
relation was abused, polygamy crept in,
and the marriage relation became a mat
ter of law, contract, a civil ceremony.
Now, here stands Christ performing
this remarkable miracle, beginning his
ministry with it, and in that act he saws
that the marriage relation, which is sane
titled, simply changes the material life of
nan-transforms him as the water was
transformed into wine.
THE MARRIAGE RELATION RECEIVED
DIVINE BLESSING,
And Christianity begins right there
Man and woman begin life together with
Christs presence, and the marriage rela-
tion is at once lifted up and becomes a
religious fact and a religious duty in
every sense of the word.
Now, / understand l am taking Cath
olic ground, but suppose it is, tell you
1t is the original ground, the Bible
ground. God stands there; Christ stands
there. st. Paul says in one of his talks
TO husbands and wives, Husbands.
love your wives as Christ loved the
church" Now, what is the meaning of
thatY DO you not see that Christ loved
the church so much that he died for it?
never perform a marriage ceremony
without feeling that We are entirely OFF
on that question; we do not make enough
of II. 1t seems very insignificant thing
Tor man and woman to call in a
preacher or justice to perform cere-
mOny which takes but few moments
But st. Paul and Christ take the divine
relation and throw it upon that divine
religion. and l do not therefore see how
they can ever be married aud not be re-
hglous. At the same time this fact re-
mains true, that the elements that make
religion, that aspire to
MAKE MARRIAGE A DIVINE THING
May be utilized by those who NAV NOT
believe the external fact of the religion.
Now, then, is marriage simply for the
perpetuation of the species? Why, no !!
The marriage relation is the instrument
by which man rises and is carried hack
to God. You see that it is not throuoh
the arts that man has risen. All the
sculpture and paintings in the world
have not made man. Sculpture and the
line arts contribute to mans finer nature.
but at the same time we know that they
are but the weaker forces in the develop
ment of his being-that it is something
higher than these. Is it law? No. Men
make laws and men break laws
Laws simply prevent man from going
too far in the wrong direction They
are the result of mans worst nature and
they are one of the limits that keep him
from being very much of an animal. Be-
cause our judicial observation-disclosures
the law says that man and woman are
married, shall we question il? No: but