The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-12


Los Angeles, Cal, June 5.-In these
days of widespread separation and d.
vorce. and when the integrity of the
home Is assaulted from without and with
in, the advice of the preacher who takes
love for his theme may help to dispel
the clouds that now overhang many a
household The text is Ephesians 5:25,
Husbands. love your wives
Two startling facts about Paul's per-
sonality have always wildly impressed
me. The one is the estimate of his physi-
cal personality formed by his enemies In
the Corlnthian church who had sat under
his ministry and therefore knew him
we'll. Paul himself tells us that he said,
His bodily presence Is weak and his
speech is contemplate" Chrysostom, ae-
cording to Albert Barnes, declared that
"Pauls stature was low, his back crooked
and his head bald" According to Nice
phorus. Paul was a little man with cur
yature of the spine and pale counter
anee. long and wrinkled, and with head
like Julius Caesar, noted for its Scarcity
of hair. Whether these descriptions are
true, we know not built Is little hKey
that the Corinthians would have spoken
of him as they did, and that writer's 50
near his own time as Chrysostom anu
Neighbours would have SO described
him. If this intellectual and spiritual
giant had possessed an imposing person.
atty. And vet all through the Pauilhe
writings, figures of speech brlstle WITH
the symbols of the athletes arena. 1ne
runner, the fighter, the gladiator Tue
struggle with the beasts OF Ephesus,
all have their Inspirations ana gospei
teachings.
The second fact, which stands side by
side with the first, about the personaiies
of Paul is this; Paul WAS a bacnelof.
II has been contended that he was a
member of the sanhedrin and II So mus
have been married, but the expression IN
Acts XVI TO- on which the theory OF
his membership is based, is vague and
may have amounted to no more thar the
testimony of a witness. On the otner
hand, his argument in l Corinthians TX,
8. clearly implies that both he and Bar
nabas were unmarried. This condition,
however, by no means indicates that ne
was deficient in the affectionate side OF
his nature. His letters show that he laN-
ished on his children In the faith the
love that other men give to their on
spring and that he was an exceedingly
taught parents that they should love their
children and children that they should
care for their parents, wives that they
should honor their husbands and hus-
bands that they shold love their wives.
1t is in reference to this last command
ment that l would speak today.
Marital Affection.
There is a special reason at this time
4 # la4adn nd h0i
truly devoted and loving to his wife, be-
cause there seems to be a popular theory
abroad that the old fashioned idea of a
family home is gone and gone forever
But, instead of believing that the old
fashioned idea of love should be done
away with, L believe that, like the garden
beds that used to be planted in our an
cestors' front yards, they should be eul-
tivated more and more. Marital affection
may be old fashioned, but l believe 1t is
one of the noblest, finest most beautiful
things in life. What could be more ten
der, more pathetic, than the words ut
tered by the great DR.. Thomas De Witt
when, struggling with uncomfortable
grief, he stood by the open grave In
which he had just laid the mortal re-
mains of his beloved wife? He said:
Farewell my beloved and honored and
faithful wife. The tie that united us Is
severed. Thou art with Jesus in glory,
and he is with me by his grace. | shall
soon be with YOU Farewell" The Holy
Book declares, "Whoso findeth a wife
hndeth a good thing 1t is no part Of
my purpose to tell young men how they
should proceed in trying to win the az
feetions of the girls they desire to marry
NV design rather is to urge married men
to show their wives the same Difference,
,l11 ssafa-