The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-08-23

announced topic being. "a Great WO-
man." and the text ii Kings iv. s.: And
it fell on day that Elisha passed to
Shunem, where was a great woman"
The hotel Of our time had no counter
part in any entertainment of Olden time.
The vast majority of travellers must then
be entertained at private abode. Here
comes Elisha, a servant of the Lord, on
a divine mission, and he must find shell
ter. A balcony overlooking the valley of
Esdraelon is offered him. in private
house, and it is especially furnished for
his occupancy chair to sit on, table
from which to eat. a candlestick by
which to read and bed on which to
slumber, the whole establishment be-
longing to "A great and good woman.
Her husband. it seems, was a godly
man, but he was entirely overshadOwed
by his wife's excellencies. just as now
you sometimes find in a household the
wife the center of dignity and influence
and power, not by any arrogance or pre-
sumption. but by superior intellect and
force of moral stature welding domestic
affairs and at the same time supervising
all financial and business affairs. The
wifes hand on the shuttle on the bank
i2g house. on the worldly business You
see hundreds of men who are successful
only because there is a reason at home
why they are successful.
The Wife1y Influence.
If man marry a good. honest soul. he
makes his fortune. If 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 ex-
change, but there oftentime comes from
the home circle potential and elevating
influence
This woman of my text was the SUI
perior of her husband He. as far as 1
can understand was what we often see
in our day. a man of large fortune and
only 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 "nO''-inahe, eyes half shut,
mouth wide open. maintaining his posi-
ton in society only because he has a
large patrimony. But his wife, my text
says, was a great woman.
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 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 the brilliant
women of the court of Louis XIV have
been forgotten and the brilliant women
of the court of Spain have been forgot
ten, and the brilliant women who sat on
mighty thrones have been forgotten,
some grandfather will put on his spec
tacles. and holding the book the other
hi n a
the story of this great woman of Shunem
who was SO kind and courteous and
Christian to the good prOhet Elisha.
Yes, she was a great woman.
In the first place she was great In her
Inequalities. Uncivilized and barbarous
nations honor this virtue. Jupiter had
the surname of the hospitable, and he
was said especially to. avenge the wrongs
of strangers. Homer extOlled it in his
verse. The Arabs are punctihOus upon
this subject, 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?' I. 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?
Religious Tramps.
OF course 1 do not mean under this
cover to give any idea that 1 approve
of that vagrant class who go around
from place to place. ranging their
whole lifetime, perhaps. under the
auspices of some benevolent or
philanthroplc society. quartering them
selves on Christian families, with
a great pile of trunks in the
hall and carpet-bag portentious of larry
ing. There is many a country parson-
age that looks out week by week upon
the oninous arrival of wagon with
creaking wheel and lank horse and dilap-
idated driver, come under the auspices
of some charitable institution TO spend
a few weeks and canvass the neighbor-
hood. Let no such religious tramps
take advantage of this beautiful virtue
of Christian 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 informal
ity of your reception the reiteration by
grasp and by look and by a thousand
attentions, Insignificant attentions, OF
your earnestness of welcome. There
will be high appreciation of your wei
come, although you have nothing but
the brazen candlestick and the plain
chair to offer Elisha when he comes tc
Shunem.
Most beautiful is this grace of hospi.
tally when shown in the house of God
1 am thankful / am pastor of a church
where strangers are always welcome
and there is not a state in the union in
which / have not heard the affability OF
the ushers Of our church complimented
But have entered churches where there
was no hospitality. A stranger would
stand in the vestibule for awhile anC
then make pilgrimage up the long aisle
NO door opened to him until flushed
and excited and embarrassed, he started
back again and coming to some half
filled pew with apologize air entered
it, while the occupants glared on hin
with look which seemed to say. "Well
If must must" Away with such ac
cursed indecency from the house of God
Let every church that would maintain
large Christian influence in community
culture Sabbath by Sabbath this beautf
full grace Of Christian hospitality.
Christian Hospitality.
good man travelling in the far Yves
In the wilderness was overtaken b,
night and storm, and he put in at ;
cabin. He saw firearms along tn
beams Of the cabin and he felt alarmed
He did not know but that he had faller
into a den Of thieves. He sat Their
greatly perturbed. After awhile tn
man Of the house came home with :
gun on his shoulder and set it down IL
a corner. The stranger was still NOR