Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-04-20

audience which assembled in the
Brooklyn tabernacle this forenoon,
were many strangers. Rev. DIR. Tai
mage chose for the subject of his SER
mon, Home Religion" taking his
text from Luke viii 80: Return to
thine own house, and show how great
things God hath done unto thee"
After a fierce and shipwrecking
night Christ and his disciples are
climbing up the slaty shelving of the
beach How pleasant it is to stand on
solid ground after having been tossed
so long on the billowsl While the dis
ciples are congratulating each other
on their marine escape, out from
dark, deep cavern on the Gadarene
hills there is something swiftly and
terribly advancing. Is it an appari-
ton? Is it man? Is it a wild beast?
1t is maniac who has broken away
from his keepers, perhaps few rags
on his person, and fragments of stout
shackles which he has wrenched off in
terrific paroxysm With wild yell and
bleeding wounds of his own lacera-
tion, he flies down the hill
Back to the boats, ye fishermen, and
put out to sea, and escape assassina-
ton But Christ stands his ground; SO
do the disciples; and as this flying
fury, with gnashing teeth and uplifted
Gsts, dashes at Christ, Christ says,
Islands off! Down at my feet, thou
poor sufferer" and the demoniac drops
harmless, exhausted, worshipfuL
Away, We devils" commanded Christ,
and the 1000 fiends which had been
tormenting. the poor man are trans
ferred to the 1000 swine which go to
sea with their accursed cargo
The restored demoniac sits down at
Christs feet and wants to stay there.
Christ says to him practically, "Do not
stop; you have a mission TO execute;
wash off the filth and the wounds in
the sea; smooth your disheveled locks;
puton decent apparel and go straight
to your desolated home, and tell your
wife and children that you will no
more alright them, and no more do
them harm; that you are restored to
reason, and that /, the Omnipotent
the worship of your entire household
Return to thine own house, and show
how great things God hath done unto
thee"
Yes, the house, the home is the first
place where our religious gratitude
ought to be demonstrated. In the
outside world we may seem to have
religion when we have it not; but the
home tests whether our religion is
genuine or a sham. What makes a
happy home?
Well, one would say n house with
great wide halls, and antlered deer
heads, and parlors with sculpture and
bric-a-brac and dining hall with easy
chair and plenty of light and engrav-
ings of game on the wall, and sleep
ing apartments commodiouS and
adorned. No. In such p.ace as
that, gigantic wretchedness has some
times dwelt, while some of you look
back to your fathers house, where
they read their Bible by the light of a
tallow candle. There were no carpets
on the floor save those made from the
rags which your mother cut night by
night, you helping wind them into n
ball, and then sent to the weaver who
brought them to shape under his slow
shuttle. Not n luxury in all the
house. But you can not think of it
this morning without fearful and
grateful emotion. You and 1 have
found out that it Is not rich tapestry,
or gorgeous architecture, or rare art
that makes happy home.
The six wise men of Greece gave pre-
scriptions for a happy home. Scion
says happy home is place where a
justice, kept without disquietude, and
spent without repentance. Chic says
that n happy home is the place where
man rules as monarch of kingdom.
Bias says that happy home is place
where a man does voluntarily what by
law he is compelled to do abroad. But
you and l, under a grander light, give
a better prescription: happy home is
place where the kindness Of the
Gospel of the Son of God has full
swing.
While l speak this morning there is
knocking at your front door, If he be
not already admitted, one whose locks
are wet with the dews of the night,
who would take your children into his
arms, and would throw upon your
nursery, and your sleeping apartments,
and your drawing-room, and your en-
tire house blessing, that will make
you rich while you live, and be an in
heritance to your children after you
have done the last days work for their
support, and made for them the last
prayer. 1t is the illustrious one who
said to the man of my text, Return
to thine own house, and show how
great things God hath done unto
thee" Now, in the first place, we
want religion in our domestic duties
Every housekeeper needs great grace
II Martha had had mere religion she
would not have rushed with such bad
temper to scold Mary in the presence
of Christ 1t is no small thing to keep
order, and secure cleanliness, and
mend breakages, and achieve economy,
and control ali Che affair OF the house
h1lI ii ILL