The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-02-01
DIR, TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE Blythe NOTED
DIVINE.

DIVINE.
Subject: "The Value OF Good WIves"-
Qualities Which Crown Noble Woman
hood-Wonders Christianity Has Done
For the Weaker Sex.
TEXT: elisha passed to shunem, where
was great woman."-II Kings w., 8.
The hotel OF our time had no counterpart
IN any entertainment Of olden time. The
vast majority Of travellers must then be en-
RETAINED at private abode. o.. Here comes
Elisha, servant of the Lord, on q divine
mission, and he must find shelter. A bal
.ony overlooking the valley Of Esdraelon
Is offered him in private house, and It Is
especially furnished for his occupancy-a
chair to sit on, q table from which to eat, q
,andlestick by which to read and bed on
which to slumber, the whole establishment
belonging to great and good woman. Her
husband, 1t seems, was godly man, but
he was entirely overshadowed by his wife's
eIcellences; just as now you sometimes
and in household the wife the centre OF
dignity and influence and power, not by
any arrogance or presumption, but by su-
perior intellect and force Of moral nature,
welding domestic affairs and at the same
time supervising all financial and business
affairs-the wife's hand on the shuttle or
the banking house or the worldly business.
You see hundreds Of men who are sue
eessful only because there is q reason at
home why they are so successful. II man
marry good, honest soul, he makes his
fortune. 1.-The marry fool, the.L help
him. The wife may be the silent partner
in the firm, there may be only masculine
voices down on Exchange, but there often
times comes from the home circle poten-
tial aud elevating influence. This woman
of my text was the superior Of her husband.
He, as far as can understand, was what
We often see in our day, man OF Iurge for
tune and only modicum of brain, intense
ly quiet, sitting a long while in the same
place without moving hand or foot, II you
say eyes," responding "Yes;" II you say
NO." responding "No'-inane, eyes half
position in society only because he has a
large patrimony. But his wife, my text
gays, was great woman. Her name has
not come down to US. She belonged to
that collection OF people who need no name
to distinguish them. What would title Of
duchess or princess or queen-what would
escutcheon or cleaning diadem be TO this
woman of my text, who by her intellig ence
and her behavior challenges the admira-
tion Of all ages? Long after the brilliant
women of the court OF Louis XIV have been
forgotten and the brilliant women Of the
court OF Spain have been forgotten and
the brilliant women who sat on the throne
OF Russia have been forgotten some grand
father will put on his spectacles, and hold
ing the book the other side the light read
to his grandchildren the story OF this great
woman OF Shunem who was so kind and
courteous and Christian to the good
prophet Elisha. Yes, she was great
woman.
In the first place, she was great in her
hospitalities. Uncivilized and barbarous
nations have this virtue. Jupiter had the
surname Of the Hospitable, and he WAS
said especially to avenge the wrongs Of
strangers. Homer extolled 1t in his verse.
The Arabs are punctilious on this subject,
and among some Of their tribes 1t is not un-
til the ninth day Of tarrying TINT the oceu-
pant has right TO ask his guest, "Who
and whence art thou2" II this virtue Is so
honored among barbarians, how ought 1t
lieye in the Bible, which commands US to
use hospitality one toward another with
out grudgingl
Ut course do not mean under this cover
to give any idea that approve o. that
vagrant class who go around from place
to place, ranging their whole lifetime, per-
haps under the auspices OF some benevo-
lent or philanthropic society, quartering
themselves on Christian families with u
great pile OF trunks in the hall and carpet
bag portentous OF tarrying. There is many
a country parsonage that looks out week
by week upon the ominous arrival Of
wagon with creaking wheel and lank horse
and dilapidRted driver, come under the
auspices Of some charitable institution to
spend few weeks and canvass the neigh
h~- n af t,t.h inf0 tro ma
take advantage OF this beautiful virtue Of
Christian hospitality. Not so much the
sum ptuousness OF your diet and the
regality Of your abode will impress the
friend or the stranger that steps across
your threshold as the warmth OF your
greeting; the informality Of your recep-
ton, the reiteration by grasp, and by
look, and by II thousand attentions, in
significant attentions, OF your earnest
ness Of welcome. There will be high
appreciation of your welcome. though
you have nothing but the brazen can
dlestick and the plain chair to offer
Elisha when he comes to Shunem. Most
beautiful is this grace Of hospitality
when shown in the house OF God. I am
thankful that have always been pastor
come. But I have entered churches
where there was no hospitality. A
stranger would stand in the &estibule
for while and then make pilgrimage up
the long isle. No door opened to him until,
flushed and excited and embarrassed, he
started back again and, coming to some
half filled pew, with apologetic air entered
1t, while the occupant glared on him with
look which seemed to say. well, IL must,
I must" Away with such accursed inde-
cency from the house OF God. Let every
church that would maintain large Christian
influence in community culture Sabbath by
Sabbath this beautiful grace OF Christian
hospitality.
A good man travelling In the far West, In
the wilderness, was overtaken by night
and storm, and he put In at cabin. He
saw firearms along the beams OF the cabin,
and he felt alarmed. He did not know but
that he had fallen into u den of thieves.
He sat there greatly perturbed. After
while the man Of the house came home
with gun on bis shoulder and tit down
in a corner. The stranger was still more
alarmed. After awhile the man Of the
house whispered with his wife, and the
stranger thought his destruction was be-
ing planned. Then the man OF the house
came forward and said to the stranger:
"Stranger, We are rough and rude peo-
pie out here, and We work lard for
q living. We make our living BY
hunting, and when we-.come to the
nightfall we are tired and We are apt to 20
to bed early and before retiring We are al-
ways In the habit OF reading a chapter
from the word Of God and making prayer.
II you don't like such things, II you will
just step outside the door until we get
through I'll be greatly obliged to you"
OF course the stranger tarried in the room,
and the old hunter took hold Of the horns
Of the altar and brought down the blessing
OF God upon his household and upon the
stranger within their gates. Rude but
glorious Christian hospitality!
This woman Of the text was only type
Of thousands of men and women who come
down from mansion and from cot to do