The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1893-09-07
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
TIE sBR0OfeLYN ~DTVfNE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.


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sr-la to.,l Of ,,,~ ,;,,e ts,l NJ, -o,,, terrsr RI
nc - =, -. ~, - 80 ~
- g. -. - 49,, r,++ ttor, Ia ,,
,,t.t,,ng a. r-i,,s4e a}o3a tIo-a oo,,es
17iisba a ee--s-,4 or tJ,e Tor4 an n di,-fna
r-i-ie p" 4 ,,l, - ga -l,eIto. ~
CO. C,.,l,,i-, tho 1-siIa,, reraelo ia a.
fe-e5 min in =, ,T.;1.afe bo,5sa md i ia ca
,,aoialI,. f,,risbs1 for HE ooc,,7,ere,- a choir
Foeit ~ tetia - ,..i,i,b ~ aat o. ca7,lIa-
sticl. ~, vgbicb r, rea5 ari had M, which n
eiur,I,sr- tbe r.boie es+a l,l{nhrnnnt beln70irr,
to a ,,rast ana cod woman
Her buabend Il eAorss vz-as . oodiv- man
but he was entirely ovorebadovyad hy, bs
yrife,s evealIsnaies inst as now won Some
times find in a household the wife the centre
Of dignity and Influence and mower not nv
anv errcgonca m. rlrae,Ir7r,t{on Inf IN,
superior intellect and force of moral nature
welding domestic affairs and at fine sarna
time eI,,ar,yjsir,,s eli 0naueiaI ana bl1sinass
affairs. the wlfe's hand on the shuttle. on the
banking house. on the worldly business
You see hundreds Of men who are successful
only because there fs a reason Mt home why
they are sncceesfuI
II a man marry GOOD honest soul ba
makes his fortune. II he marry a fool. the
Lord help him! The wife may be tho silent
mariner in the firm there mag ba only
masculine voices down on exchange. but
there oftentime comes from the home circle
q potential and elevating influence.
This woman of nv text was the superior of
her husband. He. as Jar az [ can UNDER
stand. was what we often see in our dav--a
man OF large fortune and only a nodfcnm of
brain intensely quiet. sitting n long wilhelm
the same place without moving hand or foot
If you saw ives" responding ives :" if
YOU saw sno. u RESPONDING sno''-inane. ewes
half shut. mouth wide open, maintaining his
position in society only because he has a
large patrimony. But his wife. nv text saws,
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 diadern
be to this woman of nv text. who. by her
intelligence and her behavior. challenges the
admiration OF all ages? Long after the bril-
liant women OF the court of Louis Ky 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 speetaeles 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 and
Christian to the good prophet Elisha. Yes,
she was Il great woman
In the first place, she was great in her
Inequalities Uncivilzed and barbarious
nations honor this virtue Jupiter had the
surname of the hospitable. and he was said
especially to aYenge the wrongs of strang-
ers. Homer exalted it in his verse.
The Arabs are punctiliOus 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?" II this virtue is so hon
ored even among barbarlaus how ought it to
be honored among those Of us who believe
in the Bible, which commands us to use hos
pitality ons toward another without grud--
ing?f
OF course I do not mean under this cover
to give any idea that [ approve OF that va
grant class who 90 around from place to
place ranging their whole lifetime perhaps
under the auspices OF some benevolent or
philanthropic society, duarterihg themselves
on Christian families. with a great pile OF
trunks in the hail and carpetbag portentous OF
tarrying. There is many a country parson-
age that looks out week by week upon the
ominous arrival of wagon with crealiiDe.
wheel and lank horse and dilapidated driver.
come under the auspices of some charitable
institution to spend a few weeks and canvass
the neighborhood. Let no such religious
tramps take advantage Of this beautiful viz
tue Of Christian hospitality.
Not so much the sumptuousnes of your
diet and tho regaiity OF your abode will i'm
press the friend or the stranger that steps
across your threshold as the warmth OF your
greeting, the infornaity of your reception,
the reiteration by grasp and by look and by
thousand attentions, Insignificant attentions,
Of your earnestness OF welcome. There will
be high appreciation of your welcome,
although you have nothing but the brazen
candlestick and the plain chairto offer Elisha
when he comes to Shunem.
Most beautiful is this grace Of hospitality
when shown in the house OF God / am
thankful that ! am pastor OF church where
strangers are always welcome. and there is
not a State in the Union in which [ have not
heard the alfability Of the ushers of our
church comphmented. But I have entered
churches were there was no hospitality
stranger would stand in the vestibule for
awhile and 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 apologetic air entered it,
while the occupants glared on him with a
look which seemed to say, "Well, if I must,
l must. Away with such accursed in
decency fromsthe house of Godl Let every
church that would maintain large Christian
influence in community culture Sabbath by
Sabbath this beautiful grace of Christian hos
pitality