Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-04-20
RELIGION AT HOME.
AN ELOQUENT SERMON PREACHED
AT THE BROOKLYN TABERNACLE.

Gratitude should First 10 Demonstrated
In the Family Circie-The Right Twain
ing For Children.
BROOKLYN. April l5.-In the great
audience which assembled in the Brook
Ign Tabernacle this forenoon were many
strangers. Rev Dr. Talmage chose for
the subject Of his sermon Home Rei-
gion, taking his text from Luke viii,
30, Return to thine own house and
shew how great things God hath done
unto thee. "
After fierce and shipwreclIing 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
pillows! While the disciples are con-
graduating 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
apparition? Is it man? Is 1t wild
beast? It is a maniac who has broken
away from his keepers, perhaps few
rags on his person and fragments Of
stout shacses which he has wrenched
of in terrific paroxysm With Wild yell
and bleeding wounds Of his own LAGER
alton he flies down the hill
Back to the boats We fishermen, and
PIT out to sea and escape assassination
But Christ stands his ground; so do the
disciples, aud Is this flying fury, with
crashing teeth and uphfted fists, dashes
at Christ Christ says: Hands off! Down
atmy feet, thou poor sufferer. " And the
demoniac drops harmless, exhausted,
worshipful. Away We deyils!' com
manded Christ, and the 1900 fends
which had been tormenting the poor
man are transferred to the 1000 swine,
which 80 to sen with their accursed
cargo.
The restored demoniac sits down at
Christs feet and wants to stay there.
Christ SAYS to him practically: DO not
stoD. You have a mission to execute
Wash of tlc filth and the wounds III the
sea. Smooth your dishoveled locks. Put
on decent apparel and 90 straight to your
desolated homo and tell your wife and
children that You will no more alright
then and no more do them harm; that
Won are restored to reason, and that l,
the omnipotcnt Son Of God, am entitled
hereafter to the worship Of your entire
household. Return to thine own house
and shew how great things God hath
done unto thee.
y True Home luxury.
Yes, the house, the home is the first
place where our religious gratitude
ought to be don rstrated. In the out
sid world we may seem to have religion
WHOM we has it not, but the home tests
W. .hor our religion Is genuine or a
sham. What kakes happy home:
Wen. one would say house with
-p-acrvilo halls and anJlcred deer heads,
aaI putors with sculpture, and bric-a-
Irac. and dining hall with easy chair,
and plenty Of Light, and engravings Of
game on the wall, and sleeping apart
mcnts c0mm0dious and adorned NON In
such q place as that gigantic wretched'
moss l-s sometimes dWclt, while some
of Won look back to Your fathers house,
where they read their Bible by the light
orntAlov candle There were no carpak
onthc floor save thoscmadef from the rags
which your mother cut night by night,
you helping wind them into ball, and
then sent to the weaver, who brought
them to shape under his slow shuttle
Not q luxury in all the house But you
cannot think Of it this morning without
fearful and grateful emotion. You and
have found ont that it is not rich tap
est1y, or gorgeous architecture, or rare
art that makes q happy home.
The six wise men Of Greece gave pre-
scriptions for happy home. Scion says
happy home is place where a man 5
estate was gotten without injustice, kept
'''-',-,at disquietude and spent without
repentance SA;io saws that a happy
home IS the place When "a man rules
as amonarch kingdom. Bias says Not
a happy home is place where a man
does voluntarily what by law he is COM
PEELED to do abroad. But you and I'M
der grandcr light give a better pre-
scription-a> happy home is a place
where the kindness Of the gospel Of the
Son of God has full swing.
Religion III Domestic Duties.
While I speak this morning there s.
knocking at your front door, II he be
not already admitted one whose locks
are wet with the dcws Of the night, who
would take your children into his arms
and would throw upon your nursery, and
your neutrality-suspicious., and you're draw
ing room, and your entire house bless
ing that will make you rich while you
live and be an inheritance to your chill
dren after You have done the last days
work for their support and made for
them the last prayer. 1t is the illustri-
Gus one who said to the man Of my
text. Return 70 thine own house and
shcw how great things God hath done
unto thee. " Now, in the first place, we
want religion III our domestic duties.
Every housekeepcr needs great grace.
If Martha had had more 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 or
der and secure cleanliness and mend
brcakages and achieve economy and con-
troll an the affairs Of the household adj
vantageously. Expenses will run up,
store bills viii come in twice as large as
You think they ought to be, furniture
viii wear cat, carpets viii unrayel, and
the martyrs Of the FIRE are very few in
comparison with the martyrs Of house
keeping.
Yet there are hundreds Of people in
this church this morning who i'll their
homes are managing all these affairs
with q composure, an adroiness, an in
county and a faithfulness which they
never could have reached but for the
grace Of our practical Christianity. The
exaspcrations which wear out others
have been to you spiritual development
and specification. EmplOyments which
seemed to relate only to an hour have
on them all the grandeurs of eternal his
tory.
You reed the religion Of Christ in the
discipline of your children. The rod
which in other homes may be the first
means used in yours Will be the last.
r-Lo,. will no no harsh onithpts-'yOu