Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-06-09
CalmaSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase. d. d.

|
vorce, and when the integrity Of the
home is .assailed from withou. and
within. the advice Of the preacher who
takes love for his theme may help to dis
pei the clouds that now overhang many
II household. The text is Ephesians
v. 25. Husbands. love your wives"
Two startling facts about Paul's per
sonality have always wildly impressed
| me. The one is the estimate of his
| physical personality formed by his en-
cmcs in the Corinthian church who
had sat under his ministry and there
fore knew him well. Paul himself
tells us that they said. Ills bodily
| presence Is weak and his speech con
temptible." Chrysostom, according to
Albert Barnes. declared that "Paul's
stature was low, his back crooked and
his head bald" According to Nice
phorus. Paul was little man with
curvature of the spine and pale
with n head like Julius Caesar, noted
| for its scarcity Of hair. Whether these
descriptions are true, we know not;
but it is little likely that the CORN
thians would have spoken of him rs
they did, and that writer's so near his
own time as Chrysostom and Nicepho-
rus would have so described him, If
possessed an imposing personality. And
yet, all through the Pauline writings.
figures of speech bristlc with the
symbols Of the athletes arena. The
runner, the fighter, the gladiator. the
struggle with the beasts of Ephesus,
all have their inspirations and gospel
teachings.
The second fact. which stands side
by side with the first, about the per
sonolity Of Paul is this. Paul was a
bachelor 1t has been commended that
he was n member OF the Sanhedrin
and. if so. must have been married
but the expression in Acts XVI, 10, on
which the theory of his nbership
is based. is vague and may have
amounted TO no more than the tcsti-
mony of n witness On the other hand.
! his argument in | Corinthians tx, 3.
clearly implies that both he and Bar
nabas We're unmarried. This condi.
ton however. by no means indicates
that he was deficient in the affection
ate side of his nature His letters
show that he laviSllcd on his children
in the faith the love that other men
give TO their offspring and that he was
an exceedingly affcctionate, warm
hearted man. He taught parents TINT
they should love their children and
children that they should care for their
parents. wives that they should honor
their husbands and husbands that they
should love their wives II IS in refer
cnce to this last commandment that |
would speak today.
Marital Affection.
There is Il special reason at this time
for showing the need Of husband
being truly devoted and loving to his
wife because there seems TO be pop
uar theory abroad that the old fash
Toned idea of family home is gone
and gone forever But. instead of be
lieving that the old fashioned idea of
love should he done away with. | be-
lieve that. like the garden beds which
used to be planted in our ancestors
front yards, they should be cutvat-
ed more and more Marital affection
may be old fashioned, but | believe it
Is one Of the noblest. finest. most beau
tiful things in life. What could he
more tender, more pathetic. than the
words uttered 10y the great DR.. Thomas
Do Witt when, struggling with I'M
trollahle grief. he stood by the open
grave in which he had just laid the
mortal remains OF his beloved wife
He said: Farewell, my beloved and
honored and faithful wife. The tie
that united us is severed. Thou nrt
with Jesus in glory. and he is with
me by his grace. shall soon be with
you, Farewell" Tie Holy Book de
Flares. Whose tinde,h wife tlndeth a
good thing 1t is no part of my pur-
pose To tell young men how they
should proceed in trying TO win the
affections Of the girls they desire TO
marry. My design rather is TO urge
married men To show their wives the
same Difference. the same love and de-
Notioa, that characterized them before
the twain stood Mt the marriage altar,
hearing and saying the solemn words
which made them one flcSh.
Why is the true wife's valuc above
the price of rubics. MS King Solomon
declared? She is her husbands bust
ness partner; her husbands equal in
brain as well IS in heart power She
fights with him. in n financial way.
lie great battle Of life; therefore, like
her husband, she has Il right to expect
the same rewards for her lAbors the I
he has for his II has been the habit
IT some cynics 10 represent a wife as
mere parasite, a hanger ON. a cling
Ing vine. a harnaclc or human leech
sucking out thu life's blood Of her mas
ruino partner. Polygnotus. the great
Grccian artist, painted her 426 r. C.
ms a four legged beast in The Rope of
Genus" devouring all the labors Of her
husband, while he works on and on,
Ecavin; out his life work in a rope
~ straw. But that is not my idea of
the true wife. The true wife is con
sumner ms man is consumer but she Is
also Il financial producer ms man is a
producer. Like man, she produces far
more than she consumes. AS the book
Of Proverbs pictures; "She il like the
merchant ships. she bringeth her food
from a:ar, ahe consldcreth field and
buyeth 1t; with the fruit Of her hands
she planteth a vineyard. SHE maketl