The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-01-27
\ ATALMAGE's SERMON
Eminent Divine's Sunday
Discourse.
Subject: "The Value OF Good wiyesn-
Qualities Which Crown Noble Woman
hood-woi,I,efs Christianity Has Done
For the Weaker Sex.

hood-woIN,efs Christianity Has Done
For the Weaker Sex.
TEXT: elisha passed to Shuuem, where
was great woman."-lI Kings iv., 8.
The hotel of our time had no counterpart
in any entertainment of olden time. The
vast ma ority OF travellers must then be en-
tertained ut private abode. Here comes
Elisha, Il servant of the Lord, on a divine
mission, and he must find shelter. bal
cony overlooking the valley OF Esdraelon
is offered him in private house, and 1t is
especially furnished for his occupancy-a
chair TO SIT on, table from which to eat, II
capdlestick by which to read and u 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 Overshadowcd by his wife's
eNcellcnccs; just as now you sometimes
find in u household the wife the centre OF
dignity and influence and power, not by
any arrogance or presumption, but py SUI
perlor intellect and force OF moral nature
welding domestic affairs and ut the same
time supervising all financial and business
anairs-the wife's hand on tue shuttle or
the banking house or the worldly business
You SEQ hundreds OF men who are suc-
-Cessiui only because there is reason ut
home why they are so successful. II man
marry good, honest soul. he makes his
fortune. II he marry fool, the Lord help
him. The wife may be the silent partner
in the firm, there may be only masculine
times comes from the home circle poten-
tial aud eievating influence. This woman
OF my text was the superior OF her husband.
He, as far rs can understand was what
we often SEQ in our day, n man OF lurge for
tune and only II modicum OF brain, intense
~ qntet, sitting Il long while in the same
place without moving hand or foot, IL you
say Yes" responding "Yos;" II you say
No" responding "No"--inane, eyes half
shut, mouth wide open, maintaining his
position in society only because he has a
large patrimoDy. But his wife, my text
says, 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-whnt would
cscutcheon or cleaning diadem be 10 this
woman OF my text, who by her intcllig ence
and her behavior challenges the adnira-
tion OF all ages? Long after the brilliant
women OF tho 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 nave been forgotten some grand
father will put on his spectacles, anu 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
hospitaiities. Uncivillzed and barbarous
nations have this virtue. Jupiter had the
surname of the Hospitable, and he was
said especially to avcnge the wrongs OF
strangers. Homer eXtoled il in his verse
The Arabs are punctilious on this subject
and among some of their tribes it is not un-
til the ninth day OF tarryinS that the occu-
pant has right TO ask his guest, "Who
anu whence art thou?" III this virtue IL so
honored among barbarians, how ought it
to be honored among those OF us who be-
lieve in the Bible, which commands US to
use hospitality one toward another with
out grudSiny!
CUItso do moi near under this cover
to give any idea that / approve os that
vaSrnnt class who go around from place
to place, ranging their whcle lifetime, per-
haps under Tho auspices of some benevo-
lent or phiianthropic society, quarternS
themselves on Christian families with n
great pile OF trunks in tho hail and carpet
bag r"rtentous OF tarryipg. There IS many
country parsonage that looks oct week
by week upon the omiuous arrival OF
wagon with creaiing wheel and iaui: horse
ana iialidnted driver come unGer tho
auspices OF some charitable institution to
spend few weeks and cwavasS the neigh.
boraOod. Let no such religious trunips
take advantage OF this beautiful! virtue OF
Christian hospitality. Not SO much the
sumptuousness OF your diet and the
reSaiity Of your abode will impress the
friend or the stranger that steps across
your threshold as the warmth OF your
greeting; tho infornaiity OF your reeep-
ton, the reiteration by grasp. and BY
LOOK, and by thousand attentions, in
significant attentions, o; your earnest
ness OF welcome. There will be high
appreciation Of your welcome. though
you have nothing but the DraZen can
dlc>,icE 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. 1 am
thankful thar have always been pastor
OF churches where strangers are well
cone. Bat | have entered churches
where there was no hospitality.
stranger would stand In the vcstibule
for u while and then make Il pilgrimage up
the long isle. No door opened to Inn until
flushed and excited and embarrassed, he
started back again and, coming to some
half NEed pew, with apolosetc air entered
1t, while the occupant glared on him with u
look which seemed to say. We'll i'll must,
must" Away with such accursed inde-
cency from the house OF Cod. Let every
church that would maintain large Christiau
influence In community culture Sabbath by
sabbath this beautiful grace OF Christian
hospitality.
good man travelling In the far West, in
the wilderness, was overtaken by nigh,
and storm, and he put IN at cabin. Ho
saw firearms along the beams of tho cabin,
and be felt alarmed. Ho did not know but
that he had fallen into IL den Of shelves.
He sat there greatly perturbed. After II
while the man OF the house came home
with u gun on his shoulder and SGT 1t down
in Il 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 tho man OF tho house
came forward and said to the stranger:
stranger, we are rough and rude peo-
pie out here, and we work Eard for
~ living. We make our living by
hunting, and when we come to the
nighttall We arc tired and we are apt to so
TO bed early and before retiring we arc al
ways in the habit OF reading chapter
from the word OF God and making a prayer.
II you don't like such things, IL you will
il,st sten ontsida iha door until