The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-03-24
FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE.
Words of encouragement for Un-
heralded Heroes.
Rev. DIR. Talmage Talks OF the Religion OF
the Ordinary People The Advan-
tages of Inconspicuousness
in Christian Work.

tages of Inconspicuousness
in Christian Work.
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage gives in the
| following discourse, words of encour-
agement to the ordinary men and wom-
en- of the world whose good deeds go
unheralded. The text is:
Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas Patro-
| bas, Hermes, Philolosus and Julia.-Romans
| xvi. IA Is.
Matthew Henry, Albert Barnes, Adam
| Clark, Thomas Scott, and all the COM
mentators pass by these verses without
any especial remark. The other 20
people mentioned in the chapter were
distinguished for something, and were
therefore discussed by the illustrious
expositors; but nothing is said about
Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patro-
bas, Hermes, Philologus and Julia.
Where were they born? No one
knows. When did they die? There is
no record of their decease. For what
were they distinguished? Absolutely
nothing. or the trait of character
would have been brought out by the
apostle. If they had been very intrep-
| id, or opulent, or hirsute, or musical
| of cadence, or Grass of style, or in any
| wise anomalous that feature would
have been caught by the apostolic
camera. But they were good people,
| because Paul sends to them his high
Christian regards. They were ordi-
nary people moving in ordinary sph&e,
attending to ordinary duty and meet
ing ordinary responsibilities.
What the world wants is a religion
for ordinary people. If there be in
the United States 7O,OOO,O00 people,
there are certainly not more than
| 100000 extraordinary; and there are
SO, 100000 ordinary, and we do well to
turn our backs for little while upon
the distinguished and conspicuous peo-
pie of the Bible and consider in our
text the seven ordinary. We spend too
much of our time twisting garlands
for remarkables, and building thrones
for magnates, and sculpturing warriors
and apotheosizing philanthropists.
diery need especial help.
The vast ma ajority of fpeople will never
lead an army, will never write a state
constitution, will never electrify SEN
ate, will never make an Important in
vention. will never introduce new
philosophy, will never decide the fate
of nation You do not expect to; you
do not want to. You will not be a
Moses to lead nation out of bondage.
You will not be a Joshua to prOlong
the daylight until you can shut five
kings in a cavern. You will not be a
St. John to unroll an Apocalypse. You
will not be Paul to preside over an
apostolic college. You will not be a
Mary to mother a Christ. You will
more probably be Asyncritus, or Phle-
gon, or Hermas, or Patrobas, or Her
mes, or Philologus, or Julia.
Many of you are women at the head
of households. Every morning you
plan for the day. The culinary depart
ment of the household is your domin-
ion. You decide all questions of diet.
All the sanitary regulations of your
house are under your supervision. To
regulate the food, and the apparel
aud the habits, and decide the thous-
| and questions of home life is tax upon
| brain and nerve and general health alb
solutely appalling, if there be no Di-
vine alienation.
It does not help you much to be told
| that Elizabeth Fry did wonderful
things amid the criminals at Newgate.
1t does not help you much to be told
that Mrs. Judson was very brave among
the Bornesian cannibals. 1t does not
help you very much to be told that
Florence Nightingale was very kind to
the wounded in the Crimea. 1t 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
annoyances and disappointments and
abrasions and exasperations of an or
dinary housekeeper from morn till
night, and from the first day of the
year until the last day of the year, and
at your call He is ready with help and
reinforcement.
They who provide the food of the
world decide the health of the world
You have only to 60 on some errand
amid the taverns and the hotels of the
United States and Great Britain to ap
preciate the fact that a vast multitude
! of the human race are slaughtered by
incompetent cookery. Though young
woman may have taken lessons in
music and may have taken lessons ir
painting, and lessons in astronomy
she is not we'll educated unless she ha.
taken lessons in dough! They who de
eide the apparel of the world and the
food of the world decide the endurance
| of the worl1.
An unthinking man may consider il
q matter Of little importance--thec care!
of the household and the economics O
domestic life-but tell you the eartf
is trewn with the martyrs of kitche1
and nursery. The health-shatteret
womanhood of America cries out for ;
God who can help ordinary women il
the ordinary duties of housekeeping
The wearing, grinding, unappreciatet
work goes on, but the same Christ wht
stood on the bank of Galilee in tn
early morning and kindled the fire ant
| bol bo ESh alroo1v c1ooroI arI hro;l