El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-31
In The CHURCHES.
BAPTIST CHURCH.

BAPTIST CHURCH.
The Mutual Duties Of Wives And
Husbands.
Raw. W. 0. Millican preached to q
full house in the First Baptist church
Sunday morning, having for his text
theme the words of Paul. "Wives, sub
NIT yourselves to your own husbands,
as unto the Lord. Husbands, love your
wives, even as Christ also loved the
church and gave himself TO" 1t"
Eph. V:22. 25. The speaker said in
part.
Christianity is as high as heaven.
deep as the gates of hell and broad as
the universe of I'd. 1t offers it's ad-
and seeks to bless every relation OF
life.
In our text we have this as q theme,
The law of mutual obligation between
husband and wife. Whether Adam
was dissatisfied with celibacy or not
we cannot say positively. 1t is but
reasonable to think however that he
plust have been, since most men
dislike it now-a-days. One thing we
do know, God was not satisfied with It,
God saw that it was not good for man to
be alone" so he changed the program
of life and made for man an helpmeet
And we have no intimation that
Adam objected, like Barkis he seemed
to be 'willin". Ever since Adams day
there have been many married people.
And though Paul Is sometimes 1rrever-
emily called "a rusty old bachelor:
and while some think that he did not
like for folks to get married. he never
theless did not hesitate to give, as Sam
antha Allen would say, "sOme mighty
good advice to the folks who are mar
ried.'
talk to the wife first, "Wives submit
your selves to your own husbands. J" 1t
always seemed to me he ought to have
commenced at the other end of the
row; but, guess he knew best. Fol.
lowing the divine plan it seems from
the very beginning God intended for
man to take the lead in this world. aud
that in some way or other woman
would find it to her advantage as we'll
consult him ain all the
important questions of her
life. So what Paul has to say here is
but repetition in substance of what
God said to Adams wife. He told her
that her husband should rule over her.
Now II trust that most of the wives OF
When God told her that her husband
should rule over her he was
angry with her because she had sim
ned and then, as is too often the case,
led her husband into Sin. But here
Paul was in the best kind OF humOr,
and then he gives, what seems to me
at least, q more pleasant reason for
what he has to say to the wives. Some
was his reason? Here it is, "For the
husband is head of the wife, What
does it mean? Let's see. If I take |
you into large business establishment
and introduce you to q gentleman and |
afterwards remark that he is the head |
of the establishment, no one would |
misunderstood my meaning. would |
they? But Paul gives US q sacred H.
lustration of this. He says 1.-THE hus- |
band is head of the wife just as Christ |
is head Of the church"
We know what this means. This |
precedence of the male over the female |
seems to be universal. We see it
among all animals. The male Ia in |
variably the head, and generally the |
in seasons OF danger and need. This
subsection of the woman to the man is
also shown in the wise provision of |
nature. The husband is better adapt
ed physically, and with few excep-
lions mentally, to the hardships, tolls
ana dangers cOntlngen6 TO the support
and protection of the family, than
would be the wife. While on the
other hand the mind and physique of
the wife are better adapted to the
peculiar and arduous trials of home |
responsibilities than arethe husbands. [
Looked at from every point of view,
this obligation on the part of the wife
to her husband is plainly revealed. |
And every wife should rejoice to yield
obedience to this demand of God and
nature.
But here is q thought that must not |
be overlooked. Mans law ends when
ever it comes in conflict with Gods.
We are represented as being married |
to him who is raised from the Dead"
1. e., Christ Jesus. This ia the spirit
ual, the eternal, and SO the higher re- /
lation; and ought to be entered into by
every young woman before she thinks
OF the marriage union with any man.
In the divine economy, God is first in
verything, and in every relation in
life. His wish is to be considered first,
and his will to be conformed to first. /
And the man or won an who allows hus-
band or wife Or houses or lands to como
In and interfere with their relation and
obligation to God and Christ is
not worthy of this relation. !.