Mexico weekly ledger., 1905-07-20
DIR. c. 9. WOODS breaches
TWO EXCELLENT SERMONS
Editor Of the St. Louis Christian Ad.
vocate Fills Pulpit at Methodist
Church Sunday.

a rich treat Sunday morning in the
way oil a plain, earnest, practical SER
mon, from DIR. Woods, who supplied
The place of their absent pastor. His
text was Micah, SIS, "What doth the
Lord require Of thee, but to do Justly.
and to love mercy, and to walk hum
oily with thy God" He regarded this
the most concrete, plain and true ex-
preston Of religious duty in all che
Bible. The tendency Of the age. he
SAID, was to theological speculation,
and biblical criticism to such an ex.
tent that the simplicity of the gospel
and of religion vas lost. Two errors
70 be avoided are mysticism and form.
atty; the n leading TO fanaticism
and the other to mere perfunctory
worship. He illustrated the three
points OF his text by reference to some
OF the everyday domestic duties OF
life, and the relation we sustain to
our fellowmen, In the matter Of Ius-
tice, mercy and humility.
He gave one very striking and rather
amusing example Of a guilty husband
who, coming under conviction for his
sins, and resolving upon q better life,
caused all his family to suspect bis in
sanity by the sudden change OF his de-
pertinent toward his wife, by insisting
on her lying In bed with her severe
headache, while he went to the kitch-
en-, prepared and brought her a cup of
teal
In the evening in the Union service
at the Park, DR.. Woods supplied the
place of Bro. Truck, who is watching
by the bedside Of his sick wife. 1t was
our first service at the Park, a beauti-
full evening and a fine congregation.
DR.. Woods would not mount the
high fourth of July platform, but upon
one extemporized for him on a level
with his congregation, he talked to us
most beautifully for three quarters of
an hour about the Importance of home
life.
His talk was suggested by the incl
dent recorded in Ii Samuel 6:lO.1l,
where the ark of the Lord rested in
the house of Obed-edom, the Giddite,
three months, and the Lord blessed
Obed-edom. The Doctor introduced
his subject by contrasting the home
life Of England, Germany and France,
showing that the home life had much
to do as q factor In moulding the
national life Of those nations. The
French have no word for ''home," and
the irregular and dissolute life of the
French people may, in a great meas
ure, be accounted for by the absence
OF the home ties in that country. We
Americans, the Doctor fears, instead
of initiating the example of England
and Germany In the matter Of domes-
tic life, are falling into French ideas
and ways, and the home ties are being
sadly loosened. He then gave a graphic
picture Of what the American home
life ought to be. In mere outline we
give his thought:
l.. Every married couple ought to
have a home of their own II possible.
He DEPRECATED the habit Of the hotel,
boarding and fiat life. 1t is impossible
to realize the blessings Of home under
such conditions
2. The Doctor has raised a family
of eight children and he seems to be
In accord with President Roosevelt In
regard to large families. He drew a
beautiful picture Of the baby in the
home, and expressed his profound
sympathy for the childless wife,
3. Every home ought to have a
home altar, where the word Of God is
read and family prayers regularly
offered. He gave some touching ex-
periences of moral w~reckage from the
neglect Of this duty.
4. Mutual confidence and love, be-
tween husband and wife, parents and
children, are essential to all happy
home life.
5. The spirit of genuine hospitality
should be cherished and practiced In
every family, and will bring the rich
est rewards. The doctor gave some
personal experiences, illustrating the
virtue of hospitality in a marked de-
degree. He complimented Mexico
very highly for her beautiful residen-
ces and cordial hospitality, and ex-
pressed the hope that our homes might
be Christian homes and made perenni-
ally happy by the internal adornment
of love and affectiOnate service, III.