The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-06

 house and gathers sweetness from every flower, and labors and unites into so- cieties and republics, and sends out col- onfes, and feeds the world with delicacies, and obeys the king, and exercises many virtues. and promotes the interest of man. kind, and is that state of good to which God hath designed the present constitu- ton of the world.' That is, the right of marriage does all this. Therefore, as marriage Is so important in Gods sight and mans 1t is very essential oh, young people. that you ask Jesus Christ to your weddings when you arc about to be mar riedl Yet the strange fact remains that the last being in the universe some of us would ever think of inviting to our we'd dlnas is Jesus Christ.
 We treat Christ a great deal as some of Us have treated our best earthly friends when giving reception or party. We take the calling list of our wives and grown daughters and sons, and we bunch them together with the names of our per- sonal friends, both business and social Then when tho night of the entertainment comes around we say to ourselves, Why is not MT So-and-So here?" Then we go to our wife and say: My dear MT. So- and-so Is not here. Did you invite him7' She looks at the list of guests and ans- wers: "No, Husband. We forgot to put that name down." "Too bad, too bad!' you say. Yes, 1t is too bad. But. though it is too bad, this fact remains incontro- vertible. You did not neglect to invite that very wealthy man to your daughters wedding. Why? Because you expected him to give her a present. You did not forget to Invite that prominent statesman and social queen. Why? Because you expected them to give that wedding prom hence in the newspapers. But you did neglect to invite that old-time friend who has been true to you for many, many years, Thus we often neglect to Invite to our weddings Christ. who is our best of all friends.
 Too Late to Ask Advice.
 Not only do the young people often neg leet to ask Christ to the wedding, but they very often neglect to talk to him and consult with him before they engage themselves for life They treat Christ in reference to the coming engagement a great deal as did young lady many years ago her New England pastor. She came to Dr. Pelpin and said: Pastor, l want to talk to you. l am in doubt whether should marry MT. So-and-so. l want your advice" With that the kindly old minister looked at her and said Well, my girl when is the wedding to take placer Next week Tuesday," "Oh, mo-" she answered Not next Tuesday, but next Thursday" So some people come to Christ to talk about their coming marital plans when they have made up their minds to marry whether God wants them to marry no. These young girls will talk about their wedding plans with other girls. They will talk about them to people who are almost strangers But they will not talk about them to Christ who Is more interested in that coming wedding than any other being in the uni- verse, not excepting the bridegroom him. self.
 PolI Ao tial state, will you not ask Christ to your wedding? Will you not talk to him before the engagement ring is slipped over the slender finger of the left hand? Will you not by Christs help avoid the awful lifetime mistakes of wrong marital entanglements? Death itself Is prefer able to a wedding ceremony where Christ Is not present to make the hearts and spirits one as the law binds together the physical twain as one. Some time ago the quick ring of my telephone called me to the Emergency hospital. Come quick ly' came the call. "A man is dying and wants to see you.' There I found young man, by the name of Robert Duff, who had been caught in the live wires of an electric plant. He was burned so badly that his lower limbs were already dead His mind was as clear as yours or mine. He was talking to his fancee, a sweet girl who sat weeping by his side. With In few hours his body was a corpse in her arms. Oh, that was sad But 1t was not nearly so sad as if that young man had lived and they had been married in body, but not in spirit. Better the dead body of the loved one in your arms than the cold corpse of dead love, holding together a man and a woman by law and not in spirit. Christ's presence at Cana of Galilee Is a divine suggestion teaching that over every marriage altar should be dtxrtr,a hana fara I1r about whom you are to marry and then invite Christ to your wedding, and you will make no marital mistakes.
 A Lesson From the Miracle.
 Another lesson of the miracle Is that nothing Is too small or too insignificant to do if by that act you are going to make your fellow men happier. This changing of water Into wine was not done to heal the sick or to raise the oead, or to cast out the devils which 10 the number of a legion were torturing the poor maniac amid the Gadarene tomps. It was done simply and purely to relieve the embarrassment of a host and hostess whose supply of wine for the marriage feast had run out. It was done to alle- viate one of those little domestic troubles with which most of us have been con versant in the days of our own homes.
 Cannot you see those guests gathering in the east in your own house? Your wife had made preparations for ten or twelve guests for dinner There were just enough oysters. enough salads. enough squabs, enough figures or Ice cream, for the invited guests, no more and no less Suddenly, when you were about to be seated, the bell rang, and In came three or four friends from distant city. You had to ask them to dine. There was no way out of it. Then your wife took you and the children aside and said; ''I don't know how we will get through. We have not enough food for those extra guests Now, you and the children have got to take turns in going without. You must refuse in turn the different courses. When the plates are passed you must say, I don't want any. |. thank you Of course all went well except with your youngest boy The salad looked so good that when, 1t was being passed he said, q want some, mamma Then her face flushed. She was embarrassed Every one in the room was embarrassed. Do you not recognize a mighty Christian lesson fin the fact that Christ performed his first miracle" in order 10 relieve little domestic furry of the home?
 If I put myself in Jesus place I think I can ina zine the scene which took place which led to his going to this wedding. Cana is only a few miles away from Nazareth, where Jesus was then living. There Is a tradition that this Cana bride groom's name was Cleophas, who was about to marry Mary's sister. The mother of Christ is talking to Jesus. Are you going to your aunts weddng?" she asks. ''Oh. mo-" is the reply. T do not want to go Weddings have not very much inter- est for me. But. mother, you go. l know you will have good time and will send my aunt my love and benediction through