The times., 1897-05-24
Discourse on the Beuntiful Coed
ness Of Religion at Home.
EXPLOITATION TO PARENTS
Where the Gospel of God Exerts It's
Influence There Is u Mark OF
Happiness in the Famiiy-Christfs
Religion Necessary in the Dis
cip.ine OF Children.

This IS the Tune Of year when The graves
of Northern and Southern soldiers are
decorated We will give next Sabbath
morning and -vening to the cultivation of
Christian patriotism, and In sermons and
songs commemorate those VINO fell i'll
Army and Navy during the civil war"
The sermon following was upon the sub
Ject, Home Religion, the text being
from Luke S:39: Return TO thine own
house, and show how great things God
hath done unto thee
After d fierce and shipwrecking night y
said the preacher, Christ and his disciples
are cIiIAbing UP the slaIy shelving Of the
beach. How pleasant il is to stand on
solid ground after having been tossed on
the hili0wsi While the disciples are con-
graduating 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
anparition? Is it man? Is it Wild
beast? II is a maniac who has broken
away from his keepers, perhaps few rags
on his person, and fragments of stout
shackles which he has wrenched Off i'll
terrific parox ysm. With wild yell, and
bleeding wounds of his own Iaceration. he
flies down the bill.
Back to the boats, ye fishermen, and
put ont TO sea, and escape assassination
But Christ stands his ground SO do the
disciples; and as this flyiEg fury. with
gnasbing teeth and uplift ted fists. Gasbes
at Christ. Christ says, Hands otf! Town
at Ny feet. thou poor sufferer and the
deusoniac drops harmless. exhausted. wor-
A ifg' .tasf 4
Christ, and the two thousand fiends which
had been torInenung the poor man are
transferred TO the two thousand swine
which go TO sea with their accursed cargo.
The restored dennniaG sits down at
Christ's feet and wants to stay there.
Christ says to him practically, D0rot stop;
you have a mission to execute, " as h off tue
filth and tie wounds in the sea. smooth
your disheveled locks; put on decent ap-
parei and dgo straight % your tiasolated home,
and tell your wife and children that you
will no more alright theTa, and no more do
them harm; that you are restored to reason,
and that L, the onInlpotent Son OF Col.
am entitled hereafter to the worship OF
your entire household
'.Yes. the house, the home, is the first
place where our religious gratitude oug ht
to be demonstrated. In the outside world
we may seem TO have religion W ben we
have il not; but the home tests whether
our religion is genuine or a sham.
1.-The six wise men of Greece gave
prescriptions for a happy home. Solon
says a happy home is place where a
mans estate was gotten without in1us-
tce, kept without disqGietude, and spent
without repentance Chilo says that a
happy home is the place where a man
rules as a monarch a kingdom. BIAS
says that a happy home is a place where
a man does voluntarily what by law he
is compelled to do abro1d. But yoH and
L, under a grauder light, give better
prescription: A happy home is q place
where tile kindness Of the Gospel OF the
Son of God has full swing.
You need the ligion OF Christ IN the
discfpIineof your children The rod, which
In other homes may be the first means
used, in yours VIII be the last There
VIII be no harsh epithets You knave, you
villain, you scoundreI; IN thrash the life
out of you. You are the worst child I
ever knew" All that kind Of chastisement
makes thieves, pickpOckets. murderers and
the outlaws Of society That parent who
deserves the penitentiary. And yet this
work OF discipline must be attended to
Gods grace can direct US. Alas for those
who come to the work with fierce passion
and reckIessness OF consequences Between
severity and laxativeHeSs there is no
choice--both ruinous and both destructive
But there is a IIeaTthfgI medium, which the
grace OF tind VIII sho W TO us
1--WE need the reIigiou OF Christ To help
US In setting a good example. Your chill
drcn are apt TO think that what you do
is right. They have no ideal OF truth or
righteousness but yourself. Things which
you do. knowing at the time to be wrong,
they take TO be right.
However worldly and sinful people are,
they want their children good How are
you going TO have them good? Buy them a
few good books? Teach them a few excel
lent eatechisns? Bring then. to church,
That is all very wen, but of little final re-
suit unless you do it with the grace of God
in your heart
''AIe there not SOME here who were
brought up in Christian homes, and yet are
not religious? Yes, the old folks are pray
ing for you still Would God could waken
those sacred memories.
again I remark, we want religion
in all our home perplexities and sorrows.
There are 10000 questions that come up
in the best regulated household that must
be settled. Perhaps the father has one
favorite in the family, and there are many
questions that need delicate treatment.
Tyranny and arbitrary decision have no
place in a household If parents love
,Od har will he ri Of Golf
flee, and a spirit of forgiveness, and
kindness which Will throw It's charm over
the entire household
''Bat misfortune comes to the Christian
household If religion has full sway in
that home, they stoop gracefully They
say, This is right The father says,
Perhaps money was getting TO be my
Idol Perhaps God Is geing to make me
a better Christian bypattiHs me through the
furnace of tribuEatton.
But there are families where religion
has been a great comfort And to other
homes trouble viii come. say it not
that you may be foTebotling, not that yea
may 90 the unwiSe thing of taking tresEt'e
by the foreiock, bGt that you may be
ready We must go one by one. There
will be partiHgs In all Our households
We must say farewell We must die
And yet there are triumphant strafns
that drown these tremulous accents, there
are anthems tha whelm the dfrge. Eeaven
Is full of the shout of delivered captives :
my mind runs back to one of the best
of early homes. Prayer, Hike roof over
it. Peace, like an atmosphere in it, Par
ents, personiffcations OF faith In trial and
comfort in darkness. The two pillars