The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-05-09
LOVE AND MARRIAGE.
The Bible Doctrine Would Prevent many Ai.e
Wreck-The Love that Endures the only founu'
ton for Home Building.

doctrine of love and marriage plainly enough "ne
that it's teaching on this subject has been neg
Iected too much by the pulpit and the press. Lake
the Song of Songs for example. Nowhere has~tne
Authorized Version failed as it has done here &c
bring out the true sense and it has failed because
the translators were bound by vicious theory
of Interpretation. The story is simple enough
one. A young nader betrothed to one whom
her soul loved is seized and carried away to oolo
mons polygamous court The King hlmselt makes
love to her, in the only improper speech IN the
book according to the true translation, ana sue
refuses his advances. And she utters two truths
that cannot be burned deep enough into the con
sciousness of our own age, namely, that Love Is
a Flame of Jehovah, and that one should not SUI
up Love until it pleases. She remained true to
her shepherd lover amid the temptations ana iuxu-
ries of Solomon's court, even though polygamy
was the rule and concubinage the fashion among
the daughters of Jerusalem.
In saying that love is sovereign, we mean that
it is not to be trifed with when found, neither Is
it to be called at ones bidding for purposes OF
pleasure or convenience. The marriage de con-
venance is an abomination to the Lord. The wo'
man who sells herself in matrimony for gold or
position ease, if love goes not into the bargain
is just as much for sale the painted creature OF
the streets, though marriage may cover the I'M
propriety of such alliance. Hers is after all
but the bought smile or harlots. And 1T this
is inexcusable in a it seems even more
despcable in a man, thus to cheat himself OF the
very crown of life for the sake of selfish gratlca-
comes hollow mockery and the holy estate of
matrimony a hypocritical union in which neither
side keeps up the sham.
Young people, and we believe it is especially
true of the weaker sex are too apt to mistake the
false for the true in this matter of such infinite
moment to their lives. They need to be taught
teh whole truth The effort is sometimes made to
fall in love- and deceives herself that the simu-
lated passion is the real one There has been a
slight electric shock, and one believes that the
lightning itself has struck. And it is easy enough
to board a passing train and to be married by
some convenient squire some accommo dating
parson, and two lives wrecked for all time.
The worst comes when the real love announces it
self in its sovereign way after the wrong pair
have been mated. Let them not be divorced-that
but adds sin to folly without even reaching the
happiness that is desired. But let the very ire
vocableness of the transaction force young women
and young men to give to the love of yesterday
the test of time and thought lest it prove to be
but Imaginary after all. 'I charge YOU ye daugh-
tiers of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up love until
it please"
But when love does come, let it's sway be glad
ly acknowledged and let it be gratefully received
as the very gift of God, the very flame of Je-
hovah. It is worth waiting for the best years of
ones life. 1t is worth holding to at all hazards
and at all COSTS Let no obstacles prevent the
union of two souls that really love each other.
1t can hardly be contrived that any circumstance
In this free age of the world should keep the two
apart. Differences in rank or position are not
only to be bridged, but the very differences be-
come the compliments to make the complete
whole.
If people were taught to-day that love was such
sacred thing as the Bible teaches us it is. that
the happiness of life depends upon the right mat
ing OF those who really love each other, that the
violation of the marriage is really the dssolu-
ton of the marriage bond and should be punish
ed by the separation of the innocent from the
guilty, while conjugal faithfulness is the only
path of happiness in a welded state even though
the guilt of the offending party should be never
discovered, there would be fewer unhappy marri-
ages, fewer hasty marriages. fewer COUPLES drag