Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-04-27
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: 'sHome Religion"

TEXT: "Retura TO thine oocn house and
shear hon great things God hath done unto
thee. Luke viii, SO.
After a fierce and shipwrecking night
Christ and His disciples are climbing up the
slaty shelving of the beach. How pleasant
II Is to stand on solid ground after having
been tossed SO long on the pillows While
the disciples are congratulating each other
on their marine escape out from dark,
deep cavern on the Gedarene hills there Is
something swiftly and terribly advancing.
Is it an apparatioD? It Is a maniac who has
broken away from his keepers, perhaps
few rags on his person and fragments of
stout shaekles which he has wrenched off in
terrific paroxysm. With wild yell and
bleeding wounds of his own laceration he
flies down hill.
Back to the boats We fishermen and put
out to sea and escape assassination But
Christ stands His ground 80 do the disciples,
and as this flying fury. with crashing teeth
and uplffted fists, dashes at Christ, Christ
says: Glands 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 transferred to the 1000 swine, which
go to sea with their accused cargo.
The restored demoniac sits down at Chrlst'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 di-
sheveled locks. Put on decent apparel Snd
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 I,
the omnipoteIt Son of God, am entitled here
after TO the worship of your entire house
hold. Return to thine own house and shew
how great things God hath done unto thee"
Yes the hnnGa the h0na ia "a frc< yolo
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 sham. What makes a happy
home?
Well, one would say q house with great
wide halls. and antlered deer heads, and
parlors with sculpture, and bric-e-brac. AMI
dining hall with easy chair, and plenty OF
light and engravings of game on the wall
and sleeping apartments commodious and
adorned. No. In such place as that gil
gantic 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 car.
pets on the floor save those made 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 luxury
in all the house. But you cannot think of If
InIS morning without fearful ana grateful
emotion. You and have found out that It
is not rich tapestry, or gorgeous architecture.
or rare art that makes a happy home.
The six wise men of Greece gave prescrip-
tons for happy home. Scion says hap
Ply home is place where mans estate was
gotten without injustice, kept without dis
quietude and spent without repentance
Chic says that a happy home is the place
where man rules as a monarch a kingdom.
Bias says that happy homeis place where
man does voluntary what by law he is COM
pelled to do abroad. But you and under
grander light give a better prescription-a
happy home IS the place where the kindness
of the gospel of the Son of God has full
swing.
While speak this morning there Is knock
ing 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 entire
house blessing that will make you rich
while you live and be an inheritance 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 shew 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 more religion, she would
not have rushed with such bad temper to
scold Mary in the presence of Christ. It is
no small thing to keep order and 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 largo
as you think they ought to be- furniture will
wear out, carpets will unravel, and the mar
tyrs of the fire are very few in comparison
with the martyrs of housekeeping
Yet there are hundreds of people in this
church this morning who in their homes are
managing all these affairs with a composure,
an adrO1tness, an ingenuity and faithful
ness which they never could have reached
but for the grace of our practical Christian
ity. The eXasperations which wear out
others have been to you spiritual develop
ment and sanctifcation. Employments
which seemed to relate only to an hour have
on them all the grandeurs of eternal history.
You need the religion of Christ in the dis
cipline of your children. The rod which in
other homes may be the first means used in
yours VIII be the last. There will be no
nard ep1thets-''yOu knave you william Won
scoundrel, I'll thrash the life out of Won
you are the worst child I ever knew" All
that kind of chastisentnt makes thieves
pLckpockets, murderers and the outlaws OF
society. That parent who in anger strikes
his child across the head deserves the peni-
Tertiary. And yet this work of discinline
H.
rect US. Alas, for those who come to the
work with fierce passion and recklesness of
consequences Between severity and laxs
tlVeness there is no choice. Both ruinous
and both destructive. But there is a health
full medium which the grace of Goodwill show
to US.
1hen we need the religion OF Christ to
help US In setting a good example Cowpe1
said of the oak "Time was when settled on
thy leaf fly could shake thee to the root.
m a hnr hDsa oIrrlN.,
other words your children ire very impressi-
BILE just now They are alert they are gath
erlng Impressions you have no idea Of
Have you not been surprised sometimes
months or years after some conversation
which you supposed was too profound or in
tricate for them to understand-some cues
ton of the child demonstrated the fact thar
he knew all about it?
Your children are apt to think that what
you do Is right. They have no idea of truth
OF righteousness but yourself. Things which
you do knowing at the time to be wrong
they take TO be right. They reason this way
Rather always does right. Father did this.
therefore this is right" That is good logic.
but bad premises. No one ever gets over
having had bad example set him. Your
conduct more than your teaching makes
impression. Your laugh, your frown,
your dress, your walk. your greet
InSs, your gOOdbys, your cOnings
your goings, your habits at the table
the tones of your voice. are making an i'm
preston which will last million years after
you are dead. and the SUI will be extin-
gushed, and the mountains will crumble,
and the world will die. an eternity will roll
on IN perpetual cycles, but there will be no
diminutIon OF the force of your conduct
upon the young ewes that saw it or the Young
ears that heard it.
Now would not have by this the idea
given to you that you must be in cold reserve
IN the presence OF your children. You are
not emperor. You are companion with them
AS far as you can, YOU must walk with Them
skate With them, fly kite with them, play ball
with them. show them you are interested in
all that interests them. Spensippus. the
nephew and successor of Plato in the
academy, had pictures of joy and gladness
hung all around the SchOnlrnnm Yon must