The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-11-24
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SABBATH DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
The Christian Home and What It Should
Be-A Powerful Test Of Character
Various Meanings OF Horne-Can Be
Made tho Brightest Place on Earth

Made the Brightest Place on Earth
TEXT: "Go home to thy friends and tell
them how great things the Lord hath done
for thee" Mark v, 10.
There are great many people longing
for some grand sphere in which to serve
God. They admire Luther at the Diet of
Worms, and only wish that they had some
such great opportunity in which to display
their Christian prowess. They admire
Paul making Felix tremble, and they only
wish that they had some such grand oc-
casion in which to preach righteousness.
temperance and judgment to come; al
they want Is only an opportunity to exhibit
their Christian heroism. Now the evange-
list comes to US, and he practically says:
"I will show you place where you can
glorious, in Christian character, and that
Is the domestic circle"
II one Is not faithful in an Insignificant
sphere he will not be faithful in resound-
ine sphere. II Peter will not help the
cripple at the gate Of the temple. he Will
never be able to preach three thousand
souls into the kingdom at the Pentecost.
II Paul will not take pains to instruct IN
the way of salvation the jailer OF the Phil
ippian dungeon, he will never make Feilx
tremble. He who is not faithful in skir-
mish would not be faithful in an Armaged-
don. The fact Is, we are all placed IN Just
the position in which we can most grandly
serve God; and we ought not to be chiefly
thoughtful about some sphere OF useful.
mes which we may after while gain, but
the all-absorbing question with you and
with me ought to be: Lord, what wilt
Thou have me now and here to do?" ,
There is one word in my text around
which the most of our thoughts will this
morning revolve. That word Is Home" "
Ask ten different men the meaning OF that
word, and they will give you ten different
definitions. To one 1t means love at the
hearth, 1t means plenty at the table, In
edustry at the workstand, intelligence at
| the books, devotion at the altar. To him
1t means a greeting at the door and smile
at the chair. Peace lowering like wings.
Joy clapping It's hands with laughter. Life
a tranquil lake. Pillowed on the ripples
sleep the shadows.
E Ask another man what home Is. and ne
will tell you 1t Ii want, looking out OF
cheerless fire-grate, kneading hunger in an
with curses. No Bible on the shelf. Chill.
dren robbers and murderers In embryo.
Every face picture Of ruin. Want in the
background. and sin staring from the front.
No Sabbath wave rolling over that door
sill. Vestibule Of the pit. Shadow OF In.
fernal walls. Furnace for forging everlast-
ing chains. Awful wordl 1t Is spelled with
curses, It. weeps with ruin, 1t chokes with
woe, It sweats with the death agony OF de-
spair.
everything bright. The word Home In
the other case means everything terrific.
shall speak to you this morning of home
as test OF character, home as refuge,
home as q political safeguard, home as a
school, and home as type OF heaven.
3s g And In the first place I remark, that
home Is powerful test of character. The
s disposition II: public may be in gay Co.'S
tune, while in private 1t is In dishabtlle.
As play actors may appear In one way on
, the stage, and may appear In another way
behind the scenes, so private character may
be very different from public character.
Private character Is often public character
ceive you into bis parlor as though he were
distillation of smiles, and yet his heart
may be a swamp OF nettles. There are
business men who all day long are mild,
and courteous, and genial, and good-na-
tured lin commercial life, damming back
their irritab.lity, and their petulance, aud
their discomfort; but at night-fall the dam
breaks, and scolding pours forth in floods
and freshets.
The reason men do not display their bad
temper In public Is because they do not
want to be Knocked down. There are men
who hide their pstulance and their irrita-
bility Just for the same reason that they do
not let their notes 60 to protest. 1t does
not pay. Or for the same reason that they
do not want man In their stock company
to sell his stock at less than the right price,
lest It depreoiate the value. As at some
times the wind rises, 50 after sunshiny
day there may be tempestuous night.
There are people who In public act the
philanthropist, who at home act the Nero
with respect to their slippers and their
gown. 81. =
Now, that man who is afiable in public
and who Is Irritable in private Is making q
fraudulent overissue Of stock, and he Is as
bad as bank that might have four or five
hundred thousand dollars OF bills in circu-
lation with no specie in the vault. Let US
tearn to show piety at home. II we have 1t
not there, we have it not anywhere. If we
have not genuine grace In the family circle,
all our outward and public plausibility
merely springs fror. fear Of the world or
from the slimy, putr,d pool OF our own sell
flshness. Il tell you the home is mighty
test Of character. What you are ut home
you are everywhere, whether you demon
strate It or not.
Again, I remark that home Is a refuge.
Life is the United States army on the ma
tional road to Mexico. q long march with
ever and anon skiTmish and a battle. At
eventide we pitch our tent and Istack the
arms, we hang up the war cap and lay our
head on the knapsack, we sleep until the
morning bugle calls US to marching and
action. How pleasant 1t Is to rehearse the
victories, and che surprises, and the at
tacks Of the day, seated by the still camp
fire of,the home circle!
Z There is the place where we may talk Of
what we have done without being charged
with self-sdulation. There is the place
where we may lounge without being thought
ungraceful. There is the place where we
may express affection without being
thought silly. There Is the place where we
may forget our ann0yances. and exaspera-
tions, and troubles. Forlorn earth pill
griml NO home? Then die. That is better.
The grave is brighter, and grander, and
moro glorious than this world with no
tent for marchings, with no harbor from
the storm, with no place Of rest from this
scene Of greed, and gouge, and loss, and
gain. God pity the man or the woman who
has no home.
Further, remark, that home is politi-
cal safeguard. The safety of the State
must be built on the safety Of the home.
Why cannot France come to placid re-
pubEc2 Ever and anon there Is threat Of
National capsize. France as nation has
not the right kind OF Christian home.
The Christian hearthstone Is the only cor
ner-stone for republic. The virtues cuI-
tured In the family circle are an absolute
necessity for the State. If there be not
enough moral principle to make the family
adhere, there will not be enough political
principle to make the State adhere. "No
home means the Goths and Vandals,
means the Nomads Of Asia, means the
Numideans Of Africa, changing from place
to place, according as the pasture happens
to change. Confounded be all those Babels
of iniquity which would overtower and de-
stroy the home. The same storm that up
sets the ship in which the family sails will