The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-04-20
HOME RELIGION.
DE-. Talmage Discoursss on Time
ly Subject.
How to Bring Up ChiIdreB-Their Educa-
tion-Do as You Would Have
Them Do-Be n Shining
Example.

Rev. T De Witt Talmage chose
e'Home Religion" for his subject in a
recent sermon preached at Brooklyn,
his text being taken from Luke vii. 80:
Return to thine own house. aud show
how great things God hath done unto
thee" Dr. Talmage said:
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 a dark
deep cavern on the Gadarene hills
there is something swiftly and terribly
advancing. Is it an apparition? is 1t
a man? Is it a wild beast? 1t is a
maniac who has broken away from his
keepers, perhaps a few rags on his per-
son, and fragments of stout shackles
which he has wrenched off in terrific
paroxysm With wild yell, and bleed
ing wounds of his own laceration, he
flies down the hill
Back to the boats, We fishermen, and
put out to sea, and escape assasslna-
ton. But Christ stands His ground; SO
do the disciples: and as this flying fury,
with gnashing teeth and uplifted fists,
dashes at Christ, Christ says Hands
off Down at My feet. thou poor suf-
ferer," and the demoniac drops harm
less, exhausted, worshipfuL Away,
We devils commanded Christ, and the
9, 900 fiends which had been tormenting
the poor man are transferred to the
2, 600 swine which go to sea with their
accused cargo.
The restored demoniac sits down at
Christ's 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: put on 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 Son of God, am en-
titled hereafter to 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 out
side world we NAV seem to have re-
iigion when we have it not; but the
home tests whether our religion is gen
ho,
home?
Well one would say a house with
great wide halls, and antlered deer
heads. and parlors with sculpture and
bric-a-b rac. and dining hall with easy
chair and plenty of light and engrav-
ings of game on the wall, and sleeping
apartments commodious and adorned
No. In such place as that, gigantic
wretchedness has sometimes 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 a ball, and
then sent to the weaver who brought
them to shape under his slow shuttle.
Not a luxury in all the house. But you
cannot think of it this morning without
fearful and grateful emotion. You and
j have found out that it is not rich
tapestry. OF gorgeous architecture, or
rare art that makes happy home.
The six wise men of Greece gave pre-
scrirtions for a happy home. Scion
says a happy home is place where a
mans estate was gotten without in
Justice, kept without disquietude, and
spent without repentance. Chic says
that a happy home is a place where a
man rules as a monarch a kingdom.
Bias says that a happy home
is place where a man does vol
unfairly what by law he is CON-
PEELED to do abroad But you and
L, under a grander light. give a
better prescription; happy home is a
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
sleeping apartments and your drawing
room and your entire house a blessing
that will make you rich while you live
and be an inheritance to yon~ children
after YOU have done the ,St days
work for their support and IN lde for
them the last prayer. 1t is the Illus
trious 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.
If Martha had had more religion she
won d not have rushed with such bad
temper to scold Mary in the presence
of Christ. 1t is no small thing to keep
order, aad secure cleanliness, and mend
breakages, and achieve economy, and
control all the affairs of the household
advantageously. Expenses will run
up, store bills will come in twice as
large as you think they ought to be
furniture will wear out. carpets will
unravel and the martyrs of the fire are
very few in comparison with the mar
tyrs of housekeeping. Yet there are
hundreds of people in this church this
morning who in their homes are man.
aging all these affairs with a com.
posure, an adroitness, an ingenuity
and faithfulness which they never
could have reached but for the grace
of our practical Christianity. The ex-
asperations which wear out others
have been to you spiritual develop
ment and specification Employments
which seemed to relate only to an hour
have on them all the grandeurs OF
eternal history.