Connecticut western news., 1895-07-25
GOSPEL OF CONTENT.
REV. DR. TALMAGE. ON THE RELIGION
 FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE.

FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE.
 He Asks Attention to the Rank and File
 Rather Than to the Few-The Disad-
 vantages of Being Conspicuous s- The Blessing of Content.
 NEW YORK, July 21.-Rev Dr. Tal- mage, who is still absent on his annual midsummer tour, preaching and lectur- ing, has prepared for today a sermon on "Plain People, a topic which will ap- peal to a very large majority of readers anywhere. The text selected was Ro- mans xvi, IA, 15, Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, Philologus and Julia.
 Matthew Henry, Albert Barnes, Adam Clark, Thomas Scott and all the com mentators pass by these verses without any especial remark. The other 20 peo- pie mentioned ill the chapter were dis tinguished for something and were therefore discussed by the illustrious ex- positors, but nothing is said about Asyn- critus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, Philologus and Julia. Where were they born? No enc knows. Where did they die? There is no record of their decease. For what were they dis tinguished? Absolutely for nothing, or the trait of character would have been brought out by the apostle. If they had been very intrepid or opulent or hir- sute or musical of cadence or crass of style or in anywise anomalous, that feature would have been caught by the apostolic camera. But they were good people, because Paul sent to them his high Christian regards. They were or dinary people, moving i'll ordinary sphere, attending to ordinary duty and meeting ordinary responsibilities.
 What the world wants is a religion for ordinary people. If there be in the United States 65, 5,000,000 people, there are certainly not more than 1,000,000 extraordinary, and then there are 64,- 900, ,000 ordinary, and we do we'll to turn our backs for a little while upon the distinguished and conspicuous peo pie of the Bible and consider ill our text the seven ordinary. We spend too much of our time ill twisting garlands for re- markables and building thrones for mag mates and sculpturing warriors and apotheosizing philanthropists. The rank and file of the Lords soldiery need es- pecial help.
 The vast majority of people to whom this sermon comes will never lead an army, will never write state constitu- tion, will never electrify a senate, will never mako an important invention, will never introduce new philosophy, will never decide the fate of nation. You do not expect to; you do not want to. You vill not be Moses to lead a nation out of bondage. You will not be Joshua to prolong the daylight until you can shut five kings in cavern. You will not be St. John to unroll an apocalypse. You will not be Paul to preside over an apostolic college. You will not he Mary to mother Christ. You will more probably be Asyncritus or Phlegon or Hermas or Patrobas or Hermes or Philologus or Julia.
 Heads of Households.
 Many of yoA are women at the head of households. This morning you launch ed the family for Sabbath observance. Your brain decided the apparel, and your judgment was final on all ques- tions of personal attire. Every morning you plan for the day. The culinary de- partment of your household is in your dominion. You decide all questions of diet. All the sanitary regulations of your house are under your supervision. To regulate the food, and the apparel, and the habits and decide the thousand questions of home life is a tax upon your brain and nerve and general health absolutely appalling if there be no di- vine alleviation.
 It does not help you much to be told that Elizabeth Fry did wonderful things mid the criminals of Newgate. It does not help you much to be told that Mrs Judson was very brave among the Bor- nesian cannibals. It does not help you much to be told that Florence Nightin- gale was very kind to the wounded in the Crimea. It would be better for me to tell you that the divine friend of Mary and Martha is your friend, and that he sees all the annoy ances and dis appointments and abrasions and exas- perations of an ordinary housekeeper from morn till night, and from the first day of the year to the last day of the year and at your call he is ready with help and re-enforcement.
 They who provide the food of the world decide the health of the world. One of the greatest battles of this cen tury was lest because the commander that morning had fit of indigestion. You have only to go on some errand amid the taverns and the hotels of the United States and Great Britain to ap. preciate the fact that vast multitude of the hnman race are slaughtered by incompetent cookery. Though young woman may have taken lessons in music and may have taken lessons in paint ing and lessons in astronomy, she is not well educated unless she has taken les sons in dough. They who decide the ap parel of the world and the food of tht world decide the endurance of tht world
 An minimizing man may consider l a matter of little importance-the care of the household and the economies O domestic Efe-but I tell you the eartl is strewn with the martyrs of kitchel and nursery. The health shattered wom anhood of America cries out for Got who can help ordinary women in tn ordinary duties of housekeeping. Tn wearing, grinding, unappreciated worl goes on, but the same Christ who stoo' on the bank of Galilee in the earl
 morning and kindled the fire and hal the fish already cleaned and broilin
 when the sportsmen stepped ashore chilled and hungry, will help ever
 woman to prepare breakfast, whethe
 by her own hand or the hand of he
 hired help.
 The God who made indestructibl
 eulogy of Hannah, who made coa !Or Samuel, her son, and carried it to ihe temple every year, will help every woman in preparing the family ward