The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-04-25
DEATH OF DR.. TAlMAGE
Makes Appropriate Rsprinting
HIS FAMOUS SERMON
Considered by Many the Mas
terpiece OF the Great
Pulpit Orator
ION the Choice Of a Wife" "
Marriage Not For AIl-M attitudes Who
Never Will Marry. Who Are Not Fit
TO Msrry-Some Eminent Biunderers-
Avoid Neutrality-suspicious. Quail
ties-Beauty a Benediction.

discourse is one of a series OF sermons on
domestic life delivered several years ago
by the late Rev. DR.. T. De Witt Talmage,
and by many admirers IS considered his
pulpit masterpiece. In eommemorauon
of his death II Is now repubhshed. IL was
founded on the text, Judges XIV, 8: is
there never a woman among the daugh-
tiers of thy brethren, or among all my
people, that thou goest 10 take wife OF
the uncircumcised Phillstines"
Samson, the giant, - here asking con-
sent OF his father and mother 20 mar
rage with one whom they thought unit
for him. He was wise in asking their
counsel, but not wise IN rejecting II. Cap
tivated with her looks, the big son wanted
10 marry a daughter OF one OF the hostile
families, a decetful, hypocrltcal, whining
and saturnne creature, who efterward
made for him world Of trouble till she
quit him forever. In my text hls parents
forbade the banns. practically saying;
"When there are so many honest and
beautiful maidens Cf your own country,
are you so hard put TO Tor lifetime part
ner that you propose conJugahty with this
foreign hirt? Is there such a dearth OF
lilies in our Israelitsh gardens that you
must wear on your heart Philistine
thistle? Do you take a crabappe because
there are no pomegranatest j. there never
woman among the daughters OF thy
brethren, or among all my people. that
cised Philistines:"
Excuseless was he for such choice in a
land and amid a race celebrated for fe.
male loveliness and moral worth, land
and race Of which self-denying Abigail
and heroic Deborah, and dazzling Miriam.
and pious Esther. and glorious Ruth, and
Mary, who hugged 10 her heart the blessed
Lord, were only magnificent specimens.
The midnight folded in their hair, the
lakes of liquid beauty in their eye, the
gracefulness of spring morning IN their
posture and gait, We're only typical of the
greater brilliance and glory OF their soul.
Likewise eXcuseless Is any man in our
time who makes lifelong alliance with any
one who, because of her disposition, or
heredity, or habits, or intellectual vanity,
or moral classification, may be said 70 be
of the Philistines
The world never owned such opulence
OF womanly character or such splendor OF
womanly manners or mutitudinous in
stances of wifey, motherly, daughterly,
sisterly devotion, as II owns to-day. i
have not words to express my admiration
for good womanhood. Woman is not
only mans equal. but in affectional and re-
hgous nature, which Is the best part OF
us. she Is seventy-hve per cent. his SUI
perior. Yea, during the last twenty years.
through the increased opportunity opened
for female education, the women of the
country are better educated than the ma
jority of men: and if they continue to
advance mentally at the present ratio, be-
fore long the majority Of men will have
difficulty in finding in the opposite sex
enough ignorance 10 make appropriate
consort. If | am under a delusion as TO
the abundance of good womanhood abroad.
consequent upon my surroundings since
the hour | entered this life until now, |
hope the delusion will last until | embarl,
from this planet. So YOU will understand
/ IN ~
thing that seems severe, | am neither
cynical nor disgruntled.
There are in almost every farmhouse in
the country, in almost every home of the
great town, conscientious women, worship
full women, selfsacrhcing women, holy
women, innumerable Marvs, sitting at the
feet of Christ; innumerable mothers. help-
ing 10 feed Christ in the person of His
suffering disciples; thousand capped and
spectacled grandmothcrs Lois, bending
over Bibles whose precepts they have fol
lowed from early girlhood; and tens OF
thousands of young women that are dawn
ing upon US from school and seminary,
that are going to bless the world with
good and happy homes. that shall eclipse
all their predecessors a fact that will be
acknowledged by all men except those who
are struck through with moral decay from
toe to Uranium; and more ineXcusable
than the Samson OF the text is that man
who, amid all this unparalleled munif-
cence OF wonanhood. marries a fool. But
some of YOU are abroad suffering from
such disaster. and to halt Others of you
from going over the same precipice, / cry
out in the words of my text: "Is there
never a woman among the daughters OF
thy brethren. or among all my people, that
thou goest TO take wife of the uncir
cumcised Philistines"
That marriage Is the destination OF the
human race is a mistake that ] want 10
correct before | 90 further. There are
multltudes who never VIII marry, and still
greater multitudes who are not ft 10
marry. In Great Britain to-day there are
nine hundred and forty-eight thousand
more women than men. and that i un-
ierstand. Is about the ratio IN America
by mathematical and nexorabe law, you
see. millions Of women Will never marry
The supply for matrImony greater than
the demand, the first lesson OF which Is
that every woman ought 10 prepare 20
take care Of herself il need be. Then there
are thousands OF men who have no right
to marry, because thev have become 50
corrupt OF character that their offer OF
marriage is an insult 10 any good woman,
Society will have 20 be toned up and cor.
rected on this subject, so that il shall
realize that II a woman who has sacrificed
he- honor i untitled for marriage. so is
any man who has ever sacrificed his pur-
ity. What right have YOU. o masculine
beast whose life has been loose. 20 take
under your care the sDotlessness Of a vir.
gin reared in the sanctity Of a respectable
homey VIII buzzard dare to court
dovey
But the majority Of you will marry. and
have a night 20 marry and a. your re-
hgious teacher ] wish 20 say 70 these men
in the choice ~ a wife first OF al seek
divine direction About thirtv-tve years
ago. when Martin Farguhar Upper the
English poet. urged men 20 PRAYER before
they decided uD0n matrimonial association
people laughed And some OF them have
lived 70 laugh on the other side Of their
mouth.
The need Of divine direction argue
from the fact that so many men. and
some Of them strong and wise, have
wrecked their lives at this juncture. Wit
ness samson and this woman OF Tmnath
Witness Socrates. pecked Of the historical
NantIppci Witness Job. whose wife had
nothing 20 prescribe for his carbuncles
but allopathic doses of profanity Witness
Ananas, a liar. who might perhaps have
been cured bv a truthful spouse vet mar.
rying as great q lar az himseif-~apphira
Witness John Wesley. one q the best
men that ever lived. united q one of the
most outrageous and scandalous Of women
who sat in City Road Chapel making
mouths az him while be preached, Wit
ness the once connubial wretchedness ~
John Rusfin. the great art essayist. and
Frederick W Robertson. the zreat preach
er. Witness a thousand hells on earth
kindled BY unworthy wives. termagants
that scoid like a March northeaster fe.
male spendthrifts. that put their hus-
bands into fraudulent schemes % get
money enough % usset the lavshment Of
a