Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-01-11
DON'T Let the baby on this

/ time. She did not mean TO do H."
But. though Grandmother Lois grows
gentler all the time. yet her influence
over her grandchildren increases ev-
cry year, for while she sits In her big
armchair she IL praying for the wei
fare of the children. Have you not
had such n praying grandmother? Can
you not see her sweet face now and
her moving lips? Can you not feel her
spiritual influence about you. even
though she has been dead for many
years. Can you not cry out as did
the psalmist OF old, "The Lord giveth
the word. but the Christian grand
mothers that publish the tidings are n
great host:"
Friends Of the Pastor.
But there Is another proper name In
the epitaph upon the old New England
tombstone you must not pass over.
| This Christian wife and mother was
Eunice to her children. Lois TO her
grandchildren. but she was Lydia to
Gods ministers. Who was Lydia?
You may find all about her In the six
teenth chapter OF Acts When Paul
and Silas went to Philippi this woman.
who was disciple OF Jesus Christ, met
them. Lydia took them Ia her home.
cared for them and looked after and
respected them because they were
Gods ambassadors. And so our Chris.
tian mothers and grandmothers not
only looked after us. but were always
the friends Of our pastors. They used
to say to us, MY child. you cannot
respect Gods house unless YOU respect
his messengers" Don't you remember
how. during all the church troubles Of
your childhood and young manhood.
your Christian mothers were always
the friends OF Gods ministers? Don't
you remember how, when the visiting
ministers used to come to your native
village. they were always entertained
at your mothers home? Don't you
remember how reprovingly your moth
er spoke ut the dinner table when
your older brother one Sunday made
fun Of the morning sermon? And
though you are an old man today. yet,
through the example of her early faith.
fuIness TO her village pastor, you have
always been stanch friend OF your
pastors.
In this day, when ministers are too
often estimated from the commercial
standpoint. II is a blessed sight TO find
our I.ydias. The church of the Lord
| t,.s.t
when she looks upon Gods ambassa-
doris simply from a mcrcenary stand
point, as when man buys a house or
piece OF land Thank God for the
Philippian woman who extended the
hospitality Of her home TO tired Paul.
Thank God today for the multitude Of
women who are so true 20 their
churches and their pastors all over the
land. Are not the Lydias who are
spreading Gods tidngs, Il great hostf
The Duties Of Martha.
But there is still another name upon
that New England tombstone. "A
Martha 10 her guests" We all know
who Martha was. We can all see her
bustling about the kitchen. We see
her hot. flushed face and her anxious
look. We hear her mutter. ooh, what
shall | DO with SO many guests coming
to dinner and nothing yet preparedf'
Because Christ rebuked her for lack
ing zone thing" we are apt TO forget
how DESTROYS she was 10 put all her
friends at ease and make her home
haven OF rest for Jesus and his friends.
And yet as Martha bustles around
does she not remind you OF your Chris
tian mother working In the old home?
Can you not see her striving 10 put the
friends OF your father and the friends
OF her children M their ease and TO
make the home haven OF rest for all
the associates OF her dear ones?
And then your mother was Dorcas
10 the poor All. yes. you did not real
lie how much she was doing for the
poor and the helpless until after she
died. When you turn TO the ninth
chapter of Acts and read how, after
Dorcas death. the women gathered in
the outer room and began TO show the
garments she had made and to tell
uDOut tne lHullN eFIduuS vi mercy Sue
had gone on 1t seems as though Luke
were writing about the obsequics OF
your own mother Your mother was
Il plain woman and lived in small
sphere. as some people might suppose,
but no house would have been large
enough to hold that throng And the
beautiful part of that gathering was
that not only the rich came. but the
poor as we'll Those who attended your
mothers funeral were all mourners.
They did not come perfunctorily; they
came because they wanted to come.
Can you not see those mourners now?
Can you not see that old man hobbling
along on his cane whom she had saw
ed from going TO the poorh0use? And
there was the aged woman whom your
mother persuaded 10 take her daugh-
ter back home after that scandal. and
her daughter is there by her side. And
there was the weeDing washerwOmau