Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-07-29
REV. DR.. TALMAGE,
The Eminent Divine's Sunday
Discourse.
Subject: "a Christian AIother.n

TEXT: Moreover his mother made him a
little coat and brought it to him from year
TO year when she came up with her husband
10 oner the Yearly sacriflce."-I Samuel H.
19.
The stories of Deborah and Abigail are
very apt to discourHg. woman's soul, She
says within herself ''t is impossible that
ever achieve any such grandeur Of charac-
Ter, and don't mean to try" as though a
cnlid should refuse to play the eight notes
Decause he cannot execute "William Tell -
This Hannah Of tn text differs from the per-
sons 1 just named. She was an ordinary
woman, with ordinary intellectual capacity.
placed In ordinary circumstances, ami vet.
by extraordinary piety, sanding out before
all the ages to come the ideal Christian
mother. Hannah was the wife of Elkanab.
VINO was person very much like herself
unromantic and plain. never having fought
u Dattte or been the subject of a marvellous
escape. Neither OF them would have been
cal ed genius. just what you aud might
De that WAS Elkanah and Hannah The
brightest time in all the history of that fam
lily was the birth of Samuel. Although no
sNa star ran a:ong the heavens pointing down TO
MS birthplace. l think the angels OF God
stopped at the coming of so wonderful a
prophet. AS Samuel had heen given in an
swer to prayer, Elkanah and all his family
save Hannah started up to Shiloh to offer
sacrnces OF than sgiving. Th. cradle wheie
n
nahs grateful heart, but when the boy was
Old enough she took him to Shiloh and took
thrre huiiocks and an epsh of flour and a
Dottie OF wine and made Offering OF sacrifice
unto the Lord. and there, according to n
previous VOW, she left him. for there he was
10 stay all the days OF his life and minister
IN the sanctuary.
Years rolled on. and every wear Hannah
made with her own hand a garment for
samuel and took it over to him. The lad
would have got along well without that gar
ment. Tor l suppose he was well clad by the
ministry OF the temple, but Hannah could
not be contented unless she was all the time
doing something for her idolixed boy. .sMore-
over, his mother made him little coat and
Drought 1t to him from year to year. when
she came up with her husband to offer the
annual sacrifice"
Hannah stands before you. then. to-day.
In the first place, rs an Industrious mother,
There was no need that she work. Eikanah
her husband, was far from poor He be.
longed to n distinguished family, for the
Bible tells us that he was the son Of Jeroham.
the son OF Elibu, the son OF Tohu, the son of
Zuph. who were they2'' you say. do
not know, but they were distinguished peo-
pie, no doubt. or their names would not have
been mentioned. Hannah might have seated
herself in her family, and, with folded arms
and dishevelved hair, read novels. from
year TO year, IL there had been any to read;
and taking it over to Samuel, know she is
industrious from principle well as from
pleasure. God would not have a mother be.
come drudge or a slave; he would have her
employ all the helps possible in this day in
the rearing of her children. But Hannah
ought never to be ashamed to be found
making coat for Samuel Most mothers
need no counsel in this direction, The
wrinkles on their brow, the pallor on their
cheek. the thimble mark on their fiuger at
test that they are faithful in their motherly
duties. The bloom and the brightness and
tne vivacity OF girlhood have given
place to the grander dignity and useful.
ness and industry of motherhood. But there
Is heathenish idea getting abroad in
some OF the families of Americans; there are
mothers who Danish themselves from the
home circle. For three -fourths of their ma.
ternai dulles they prove themselves incom-
Petent. They are ignorant of what theis
children wear, and what their children eat,
and what their children read They inirust |
to irresponsible persons these young i'm.
mortaIs and allow them to be under infiu.
eDces which may cripple their bodies. OF
destroy their souls. From the awkward cut /
OF Samuefs coat You know his mother Han.
nah did not make it.
Out from under flaming chandeliers, and |
on from imported carpets, and down the
granite stairs there is coming a great crowd |
- III thiS uutTdiutu,
incompetent for all the practical duties OF
Of life, ready to be caught in the first whir
OF crime aud sensuality. indolent and un
faithful mothers will make indolent and un.
faithful children. You cannot expect neat
ness an1 order in any house wher. the
daughters see noihing but slatternliness
and upside downativeness in their parents
Let Hannah be idle, and most certainly
Samuel will grow up Idle. Who are the in
1ustrious men in all our occupations and
professions2 Who are they managing
he merchandise of the world, build
ng the walls, timing the roofs.
the carptts, making tho laws,
the nations, making the earth to
quake and heave and roar and rattle with
he tread OF gigantic enterprises2 Who are
heyT For the most part they descended
rom Industrious mothers who in the old
homestead used to spin their own yarn and
weave their own carpets and plait their own
ioormats and flag their own chairs and do
heir own work. The stalwart men and the
Influential women Of this day, ninety-nine
'ut OF 100 of them, came from such an illus
rious ancestry of hard Knuckles and home-
pun. And who are these people in society,
ight as frotb, blown every whittier of temp
alton and fashion-the peddlers OF filthy
tories. the dancing jacks OF political par
les, the scum of society, the tavern loung-
ng, store tnfesting, the men of low wink
nd filthy chuckle and brass brsastpin and
! .
anne from mothers Idle and disgusting. the
candal mongers of society, going from
ouse to house attending 10 everybody's
BUSINESS but their own. believing in witches
nd ghosts and horseshoes to keep the devil
TT OF the churn, and by a goddess life set ..
ing their children on the very verge of hell. ,
he mothers Of Samuel Johnson and OF Al
red the Great and of Isaac Newton and of !
(. Augustine and of Richard Cecil and OF
resident Edwards for the most part were ,
odustrious, hard working mothers.
Now, while l congratulate all Christian /,
lothers upon the wealth and the modern
cience which may afford them all kinds OF
clip. let me say that every mother ought to
Q observant Of her children's walk her chill
rens behavior, her children's food, her chill !,
rem g books, her chldren's companionship. !
[owever much help Hannah may have, l :
ne garment for Samuel. The Lord have -,
lercy on the man who is so unfortunate as
have had a lazy mother!
Again, Hannah stands before you to-day as !
n intelligent mother. From the way in
hich she talked in this chapter, and from i
'e way she managed this boy, you know she |,
as intelligent. There are no persons in a
who need to be 80 wise and we'll
formed as mothers. Oh, this work of cul.
lring children for this world and the nextl
his child is timid, and 1t must be reused up
nd pushed out into activities This child is
'rWdfu, anu ne must Do Qelu DacK and ,
Imed down into modesty and politeness.
ewards for one, punishments for another
hat which will make George will ruin
)hn. The rod is necessary in one case,
hile a frown of displeasure is more
ian enough in another. Whipping and
dark closet do not exhaust all the
'unds of domestic discipline There have
zen children who have grown up and gone
glory without ever having their ears
,xed. Oh. how much care and intelligence
,e necessary in the rearing Of childrenI But
this day, when there are so many books ,
4 this subject, no parent is excusable In be.
g ignorant Of the best mode of bringing uI
child. If parents knew more of dietetics
here would not be so many dyspeptie
and weak nerves, and inactive liv.
rs among children. If parents knew more
4 physiology, there would not be 30 many
urved spines and cramped chests, and in.
lamed throats, and diseased lungs as there
re among children. II parents knew more
Il art and were in sympathy with sii that is
,0QUftfuI fh0ra W0uld mt a rnapu Chfl.