The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-03-15

During his late revival meeting in
Charlotte Rev. r. G. Pearson, the
evangelist, preached sermon on the
duties Of paternity, from the text:
"And his father, Zacharias, was filled
with the Holy Ghost" Luke, 1:67.
The Charlotte Observer quotes the
evangelist as follows:
'.His father, that is the father of
John the Baptist. He was a father
right and pre-eminently spiritual
man. He was the right kind of hus
band and the right kind of father.
Marriage is a sacred institution and
out of it grows the family and what
the family life of any nation is the
! life of the nation is.
The family is the result of mar
riage, and the fate of the civil and re-
| ligious liberty is what the home is.
Say what you will, this is true. The
history of every nation is just what
the history of the family life of that
nation is. Look at Rome, when the
| home life declined the empire declined
AS family life rises or falls so the civil
and religious liberty of any nation
rises or falls Marriage is sacred,
and is from God as an institution. In
| Genesis, 2:2O-24, we read of the origin
of this sacred institution. And now
/ want to say some plain things about
| divorces. There is but one Bible
ground upon which woman is justi-
fed in getting divorce from her
husband. There are other grounds
upon which a separation is ustiiiable,
but there is 4 difference between di-
vorce and separation. Now if a man
beats his wife think she is justified
in leaving him, in being separated
from him, but separation does not
mean divorce. Separation is one thing
and divorce another And let me say
right here that would have my right
arm severed from my body before |
would perform the marriage ceremony
between a ''grass widower,' so-called,
and any woman, or between a grass
widow" and any man. 1t is dark
cloud hanging over our country to-
day, that of divorces, and it is a blot
upon our nation that men can secure
CiNoiuos upon such mere prctcxts IS
they can in the District of Columbia.
The old idea of the home is passing
away. In this day there is a great
desire among people to leave the
country and come to town, and this
means the tenement house and the
boarding house for families. And |
feel sorry for the child reared in this
way.
Il. The first duty of father is to
be the head of the family q Cor. 11:3)
Here we read Of headship. So in Eph.
5:22. SO you see from scripture that
the duty of the husband or the father
is to be the head of the family. And
now, father, will you take in the idea
of what a holy, sacred thing that OF
fatherhood is? Think of it, that your
relation is a symbol of what the rela-
ton of Christ to the Church is. 1t
was so originally and is to some ex-
tent yet that the father is the priest
Of his family. 1t was so in the time
of Jacob and is what the birthright
conferred.
"And how can father be anything Q
but converted man? My heart aches
when think that some fathers dare
to be drunken, to gamble, to be pro-
fame and indulge in other vice.
/ "And what do you think of a bust.
ness man who neglects his home fol
his businessa Make less money and
be true to your family.
Love your wife. Love her like
Christ loves the Church. Don't treat
her like slave. Don't treat her as il
hn r
> have your meals cooked, your clothes
washed, your bed made up and your
buttons sewed on. The father is te
be the head. Not the dead head, mol
the figure head but the intelligent,
wise, godly head.
up further in the country, and es-
pecially when you get in the North
YOU hear the idea advanced that there
is between the father and mother 6
united head Of the family. There i:
no such tomfoolery in the Bible. \
two-headed thing is monstrositv
Think what a curious thing a two
headed calf is. Anything with two
heads is failure and this applies tc
the home as we'll as to anything else
This idea of the united head of the
family is something like the new wo
man idea which is born of the devi
and began with Mother Eve in Eden
She got up family fuss there which
will not be settled this side of the
judgment of the white throne.
The second duty of the father i.
to provide for his family. Il Tim. l:S)
This does not mean simply materia
things. but he is to provide for the
intellectual and spiritual welfare o
his family as well as the temporal, anc
| have no patience with the father
who thinks he has done his full dut,
when he has done no more than put
some -four and butter in the pantry
1t is the duty of the father to provide
good books and hel ps to the spiritua
life of his family as we'll as to suppl,
food for the physical body.
II hear some woman say: Blu
Mr.. Pearson. my husband is such :
! dead head Well, sister, am sorry
for you, but you made your bed anC
YOU must lie on it. but don't find faui
with Gods law which runs from Edel
to His throne on account of it. TO
what did you marry such man for
"U. Provide honestly for you
t family. not on the plan of the buckle
4 shop. nor by dealing in futures. n o
/ by gambling in any form, but by hon
l. est means. Have a plain common
4 sense talk with your wife and tell he
! just how much you can afford t
: spend on your family, and tell he
, that You are not able to keep her il
D the style which demands high tea
}. and low teas and other demands 0
society, and if she has not sens