Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-08-21
AT THE TABERNACLE.
DR.. TALMAee DELIVERS A TRIBUTE
TO WomANLY INFLUENCE.


IL
chose for his subject today one Of special in.
terest to the gentler sex. the announced
topic being "a Great womnn," and the
text II Kings iv, S; 'And It fell on day
that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was
a great woman"
Tho hotel Of our time had no counterpart:
| IN any entertainment OF olden time. The
vast majority OF travellers must then be en-.
tertnined at private abode Here comes
| Elisha, a servant Of the Lord. on divine
mission, and lie must find shelter. a
balcony overlooking the valley OF Esdnelon
IS offered him, in private house, and it Is
especially furnished for his occupancy--a
chair 10 sit on, "a table from which TO eat. a
oandlestick by which TO read and bed on
which 10 slumbcr, the whole establishment
belonging 20 a preat and good woman.
Her husband, II seems, WINS cody man,
but he WIS entirely oyershGdowed by his
wife's excclleDcies, just as now you some
times find In u household the wife the cen
ter OF dignity and influence and power, not
BY any arrogance or presumption, but by
superior intellect md force Of moral nature
welding domestic affairs and at the same
time supervising all financial and business
affairs. Tho wife's hand on the shuttle, ON
the banking house, on the worldly bust
ness. You sec hundreds VI men who are
successful only because there Is u reason at
home why they are successful.
THE wIFELY INFLUENCE.
II a man marry u good, honest soul he
makes his fortune. If be 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 comics from the home circle po-
tential aud eleyating influence
This woman Of my text was the superior
OF her husband. lie, as far as eau under.
stand, was what we often see In our day, q
man Of large fortune and only modieum
OF brain, Intensely quiet, sitting long
while in the same place without moving
hand or foot-if you say ives, responding
''yes"-lf you say mo, responding mo-
inHne, eyes half shut, mouth wide opcn,
maintaining his position in society only he
cause he hasa large patrimony. But his
wife, my text says, was a great women.
Her name has not come down TO US. 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 csCutchcon or cleaning dia-
dem be to this woman Of my text, who by
her intelligence and her behavior challenges
the admiration Of all agcs2 Long after the
brilliant women Of the court OF Louis XIV
have been forgotten, and the brilliant wom-
en- Of the court Of Spain have been forgot
ten, md the brilliant women who sat on
mighty thrones have been forgotten, some
grandfather will pat on his spectacles, and
holding the book the other side the Hight
read to his grandchildren the story Of this
grent woman OF Shuncm who was so kind
4 flrfaVt.v, a.
prophet Elishn. Yes, she was a great
woman.
In the first place, she was great in her
inequalities. Unciyiliaed and barbarous
natious honor this virtue. Jupiter had the
surname Of the hospitable, and he was
said especially TO avenge the wrongs OF
strangurs Homer extolled it In his verse.
The Arabs arc puuctiious upon this sub.
lect, and among some Of their tribes It ia
not NATL the ninth day OF tarying that tho
occupant has n right to ask his guest,
who and whence art thouP If this yir-
tue is 30 honorcd even among barblrinns,
how ought IL to be honored among those
Of VS. who believe In the Bible, which com.
mands US to use hospitality one toward
another without grudgingl
ReLtdious TRANfrs.
OF course do not mean under this cover
to give any idea that approve OF that
yagrant class who go around from place TO
place, ranging their whole lie time perhaps
under the auspices Of some benevolent or
philanthropic society, quarterng them
selves on Christian families, with n great
pile Of trunks In the hall and carpet bnr
portentous OF tarrying. Thcp Is many a
country parsonage that looks out week by
week upon tho omiuous arrival of wagon
with crenlsing wheel aud lnuk horse and
dilapidstod driver, come underline auspices
Of some charitable institution 20 spend a
few weeks and canvass the ncighborhuod.
Lat no such religious trRmps take ndyan.
tage Of this beautiful virtue OF Christian
hospitality.
Not 70 much tho sumptuouness OF your
diet and the rcgality of your abode will i'm
press the friend or the stranger That steps
across yourthreshold as the warmth Of your
greeting, the informality ofyour reception,
the reltcrRtion by grasp aud by lool, and
by Thousand attentions, insignificant at
tentious, Of your carncstuess VI welcome.
Thcrr viii be high appreciation OF your
welcome, although you have nothing hut
the brnzeu caudlcsticls and the plain chair
TO oflcr Elisha when he comes TO Shunem.
Most BEAUTIFUL ia this grace Of hospitality
when shown in the house OF God. / am
thankful that am pastorof a church where
strangers are always welcome, and there Is
not state Of the Union In which have
not heard the Rilablity OF the ushcrs OF our
church compi.montol. But have entered
churches where there was no hospitality.
y stranger would stand IN the vestihuie for
awhile and then make pilgrimage up the
long nlale, No door opened 70 him until,
flushed ana excited and embarrassed, no
started back again and coming TO some
hnlf iilled pow with apologctio air entered
II, while the occupants glared on him with
q look which scented TO say, well, n |
must, | must Away with such accursed
indeeency from the house OF Cod Let ey.
cry church that would maintain large
Christian influence In community culture
sabbath by sabbath this beautiful grace OF
Christian hospitality.
CHRISTIAN hospitality.
a good man travelling Ia the far west IN
the wilderness was ovcrtaken by night and
storm, and he put in at cabin. lie saw
firearms along the beams OF tho cabin. and
he felt alarmed. He did not know but that
he had fallen intoA den Of thieves He sat
there greatly porturbed. After awhile the
man OF the house came homo with q gun ON
his shoulder and set Il down In a corner
The stranger was still morc alarmed. AT
er awhile the man OF the house whispered
with his wife. and the stranger thouaht
his destruction was being planned
Then the man Of the house came forward