Tensas gazette., 1908-02-28
THE PULPIT
A SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON ~
REV. DR.. II. P. LYMAN-WHEAros
Subject: Christ's Views ON Mars.

Ridgefield, N. jim ST. y.
Church here Sunday the recto, y.
Rev. DIR. H. P. Lyman-Wbs..ne ne
preached on "Christ's Views on Mss
riage and Social Sui. ects." The ts-t
was from Mark 1925:
For when they shall rise from n.
dead, they neither marry, nor s
given in marriage" Among o,sse
things he said:
There Is one distinct doctr,,-
which the manner of Christ's minissss
has laid firmly down, that there IL
the descent Of persons into ain =.
depth so low that they may not ~
rescued from 1t, and that there SCARF
ly ever is case in which the ina.
OF God In man is too much blottsS
and marred to be made bright again
Yet look how this, our Lords w,v
or dealing with sinners was misundar'
stood. His compassion of them was
spoken of as indicating a light esii.
mate OF the nature of sin. They mur.
INJURED at Him because He had eon.
to be guest with a man who was Sin
ner and said, This man receivsfh
sinners and eateth with them.s W.
may indeed safely say that not one ~
these who sat at table with Hin
would leave 1t without feeling that
they ought to lead better life. Ana
with quiet resolve to do so. Tbev
who had a bitter spirit against Hin
which would not see anything but eyIl
in all He did, called Him a gluttonous
man and a wine-bibber; yet they said
of John the Baptist, who came
neither eating nor drinking" that be
had a devil. II these people had
looked into their own hearts they
would have found that 1t was neither
the eating, drinking nor fasting that
brought forth their hard words ana
names, but an accusing conscience
stirred from its sleep. John the Ban
lists shrill cry, Repent" was truly
in season, yet his manner of life could
not be taken as a pattern by those
who had already formed social ties
and habits. However much a man
might be willing and wish to live
in the retirement of the wilderness
upon wild food, he would hear the
voice of wife and children crying be-
hind him IL form which would
plainly tell him he must be religious
and show his religion In another way.
So here the example OF our Lords
sociability stepped in to teach that
His true religion was not against fam
lily relationships and duties, but that
1t might be an element in them giving
them warmth and adding to their
joys. 1t was, no doubt, to give an i'm
preston Of this kind that at the be-
ginning of His public ministry He was
present at q marriage ceremony. He
regarded human nature in all its de-
partments and showed His spiritual
truth was applicable to all and q
goodly heaven in the affections both
of the mind and heart. No religion
could widely prevail which did net
recognize the social nature and In
stincts of man. Why should they not
be recognized, since God had given
them, and though 1t is in their irregu-
larities and extravaganza that we
see chiefly traces Of the great original
fall of man, the office OF religion Is
not to crush the life out Of the root
but to put new life into it. The great
est of all the sins proceed ig out Of
social life had, by the Jewish law.
placed upon it the penalty of death;
yet it is evident our Lord thought
there might be better mode OF deal
ing with 1t. To His perfectly pure
mind the sin of adultery must have
appeared horrible. yet He sought to
protect the woman who was taken In
1t from stoning, placing at the same
time stigma upon her offense, go
and sin no mcre."
We may see from our Lords words
on the subject of divorce how sacred
and lasting He held the ties of mar
riage to be. 1t was said, He thought.
there should never have been need
of such a proceeding as divorce, ard
1t was the hardness of mems hearts
that forced upon men the promulga-
tion of the law. 1t was entirely out
of line of the providence OF God, who,
In the beginning, made them male
and female, and Joined them together,
never to be put asunder. Even the
existence of such a power as divorce
takes away from the dignity OF mar
riage, and so our Lord placed mark
upon her or him who availed herself
or himself of 1t, Whose marrieth her
that Is put away committeth adul-
terry" When marriage was what Il
ought to be, and what 1t was intended
tc be by the Creator, a union and
perfect harmony of the highest affec-
tions of our nature, II was the most
sacred of all institutions upon earth.
In little children, the fruits OF such
high and honorable affections, there
was the likeness of the kingdom OF
God. "Suffer little children to come
unto Me, for of such is the kingdom
of Heaven" And that happy home
of brotherly and sisterly love at
Bethany was a picture OF delight,
which It soothed Him to look at, and
which, afterward, when 1t appeared
under cloud, grieyed Him to the
quick.
All these expressions of our Lords
sympathy with the social feelings OF
human nature should be distincty
kept In view when we examine other
words OF His which seem on the sur
face to be in opposition to them. For
example, such sayings as tEis' HE
| that hath forsaken wife or children
for Ny names sake shall receive an
hundred-fold and shall inherit ever
lasting life." For the kingdom OF
Heavens sake, He said, some have
never formed these ties of wife ana
children, and they shall receive In tne
rich harvest of Heavenly peace ana
Joy In their conscience an ample com,
pensation. Truly we know our Loro
would have said to one who lad 81.
ready formed the domestic ties OF
wife and children, Show your iove 70
Ne by being good husband ana
father Blend your social and rens-
ious feelings together. so that the one
will elevate the other. IT was .ne
exaggeration of social ties and duties
| bevond their proper limit Vnfcn