Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-11-06
TALMAGE
SERMON
~ By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALEfAGE, DID,.
Pastor Of Jefferson Pask Presby-
terrain Church. Chicago

Chicago. Nov. 1.-The consolation and
encouragement that religion affords in
the scrrowful and distressing lot of
wtdowhcod are pointed out by the
preacher In this sermon on the text
Luke vii. IL, "And she was widow"
The rich widow! Who ever heard of
seoh title for sermon on this text?
Better call her 1.-The poor widow" "the
friefadless, &3dow," 1.-THE hopeless wild
ow." ''the dying widow''-anything but
the rich widow" This funeral process
sion winding Its way out OF the Syrian
city Is one Of the most pathetic spec
tacles OF the gospel history. How much
heartbrea& is contained In those three
phrases, "A dead man, the only son of
his mother, and she was a widowp In
Arizona Ia a mountain aptly named
starvation peak" There the Indians
many decades ago drove the Spaniards
ana hemmed them In and kept them
Until for1the want of food the little
band OF living men were changed into
band OF decomposing corpses. So this
text Is one of the starvation peaks"
among the gospel hills. 1t is the place
where Wife first lost her husband, her
breadwtnper. Then IL is the place
where, during the struggle OF widow
hood, the mother had raised her boy so
that he could be her support in her de-
clnihg years. And now q wife without
her husband and n mother with only a
cold body for her son is slowly wend-
ing her way TO the cemetery. She was
wife and a mother. only OF the grave
The rich widowf" Nonsense! Change
the uue. Call it "the poor widow OF
Starvation peak"
1874 A Fitting Title.
No. my brother, want to keep the
title / have chosen. 1 want to show
= now even woman SO desolate as the
one In the text may find consolation in
NE and In the performance of her
cuty and In the sympathy of humanity,
anu, more than all. in the resources of
divine power her life may become rich
for herself and for others. I have seen
too many adjectives hitched to this
heroic and conquering nominative.
believe thousands and tens of thou
sands OF mothers who have been bereft
OF the companion who once stood with
them at the marriage altar have at
tained true and abiding wealth. They
have been rich IN all that makes life
truly happy, great and good; rich in
their opportunities TO do n double serv-
Ice In life. To their children they hive
become father as well as mother: rich
IN their inspiring examples OF duties
we'll done; rich in the faith with
which their trials led them to test the
goodness and greatness of God: rich
IN the heights and depths and lengths
and breodths of their love, and, above
all, rich In eternal rs well as temporal
rewards. 1t Is in order TO gather few
'bluebells" from Off the graves OF the
dead husbands and fathers that !
preach this sermon. would ring
these floral trophies in great pecan OF
praise that the widows, the numberless
WIDOWS of the present day, who are
facing the battle OF life alone, might
renew their strength and go on win
nang victory after victory for them
selves. their little ones and for Christ.
Tae widow is rich in her opportuni-
DIES OF maternal usefulness: rich be-
cause all the physical. mental and spir-
atuaI resources OF her nature are de-
vcloped I'm the struggle which her lone
Illness Involves; rich because for her
children every word she speaks and
every thought she thinks and every
deed she performs shall bring forth
It's maximum OF results for good or
evil. For her offspring every mountain
which she has TO climb can become n
gold mine. and every thicket into which
- .
every shower OF tears can return as a
tossing, tumbling fountain. and every
land FOR her can become n harvest field
OF yellow grain or OF white checked.
sweet scented clover tops. Literally.
by taking away wife's husband. God
makes 1t possible for widow with
children to make more out Of her life.
In a maternal sense, than I'm any other
way. At once, by the mere fact OF
wioowhood, she becomes the father.
the mother, the breadwinncr, the guide
ana the all In all for her offspring.
Honorcd by God.
Now, every one should want to make
the most out of his life. Therefore.
o widow, ought you not feel honored
because God has singled you out as
one or his fayorite daughters for great
ana Vital work? We stand upon Little
Hound Top. on the battlefield of Get
tysburg. and look with pride at the
monument erected there to the memory
of'Aajor General Gouverneur Warren.
AT that critical point he saved the Fed
eral lines from being cut in twain by
the Confederate forces. With the keen
eye OF military engineer ne saw that
Little Round Top was the one spot
ABOUT which the mortal struggle Of Lee
and Meade must be finally decided.
Ana so. upon his own authority, lie in
trenched those heights and perhaps
then and there saved the unity of our |
republic. which now stretches from sen
To sea. Shall you not feel today. o
widow, that as General Warren was
CHOSEN to stand on Little Round Top |
and save the Federal government SO |
Loo mas placed you on the little round |
top of your husbands grave TO save
your homer few years ago the |
united States-north, east, south and |
west-united its many voices in prais-
ing the greatest of American jurists. |
John Marshall, who year after year as |
chief justice OF the supreme court rem /
dered the decisions which made 1t DOS
eible for the United States government
a Washington to be what 1t is today.
ShaH you. widow, not feel honored
IN the same way as we honor John
Marshall. since God has placed you In
q position where your children and
your children's children may be nodded
and started forth into Christian use
fulness by the conservation and faith
Iuiness OF your life? You who have
gone out to weep over your husbands
sravs, beg and plead with you not TO
consider your life a poverty stricken
one. In the glorious opportunities
which have come to you in reference to
your children you are rich! You are
magnihcently and gloriously rich. God
has made you sole guardian OF your
tittle ones.
Maternal Opportunities.