Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-01-02
CalnnaSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, d. d.


sermon the preacher enthrones the
Christian mother as the queen Of home,
the true hclpmeet and the bright ex-
emplar of purity and bencvolence. The
text is Psalm xviii, II Or. W. "The
Lord glveth the word--the women that
publish the tidings are n great host"
We are apt to associate the idea of
publishing gospel tidings exclusively
with the pulpit. That Is the plac,
from which the tidings are usually
and chiefly published. But It is not
the only place. There are other ways
Of publishing the tldings than by
preaching, and one Of these is indicat-
ed by the psalmist in my text. Who
can ever estimate how much & III wo-
men have done in that way? The
world will never know how much the
publication Of the gospel tidlngs by
the mothers and wives Of men has
had to do with the usefulness OF their
sons and husbands.
pity that man who, having been In
daily companionship for years with
| mother, a sister, a wife and n daugh-
ter, has not grace enough in his heart
to app eciate the nobility of woman.
When I stood by the deathbed Of that
great apostle Of temperance. Francis
Murphy. his youngest child said to me:
| "The other day 7 was alone with my
father. lie took my hand and said.
| Daughter ever since ! was privileged
to associate with your mother l have
never lost my faith in the purity Of
womanhood. WhNn Thomas De
witt, the great New York pastor. was
on his deathbed he continually talked
to the girls about the noble. sweet and
gentle wife who had preceded him into
the land Of everlasting roses" and
he bnde them never to forget her and
always to pattern their lives after her
life. During the last walk DR.. Joseph
Parker took on earth he turned to his
companion and with faraway look,
as though he was trying to pierce the
clouds and see to the foot of the great
white throne where his beloved wife
was then singing the song of the re-
deemed IN heaven. he said. Ever
since she left me | have always tried
to do as she wished, and feel that
she has directed my steps" SO with
most of us. When we think Of what
we owe to woman we are surrounded
at once by great number Of women.
both living and dead whose gentle
self sacrificing lives have nodded us
and purified us and made us what we
are.
Some time ago there came into my
possession suggestive epitaph. which
was chiseled upon, a New England
tombstone. Let me read 1t to you
Some one who knew her we'll had thus
sketched the life work Of n good wom-
an as God had given 1t to her to do,
step by step: "A Sarah to her hus-
band, a Eunice to her children. a Lois
to her grandchildren, Lydia to Gods
ministers. Martha to her guests, a
Dorcas to the poor and an Anna to her
God" Was not that beautiful testi-
mony to duty we'll done? Did not
that epitaph In n Scriptural combina.
ton round out woman's perfect life?
Most Of us have been surrounded by
our Sarahs and our Eunices and our
Losses and our Lydias and our Mar
thns and our Decreases. HIVE they
not been to us true evangelism, leading
US along the paths of truth and purity
and by the power Of the holy spirit
purifying and ennobling our spiritual
lives? Can you not thank God for
your Christian wives and mothers and
grandmothcrs. your Lydias. Marthas,
Decreases and Annas? Have not the
women whom you have seen publish.
ing Gods tidings been n great host?
Giving Thanks For Good Wives.
First, let us thank God for the Sa-
| rahs-thc Christian wives who are now
by our sides How many men have
reason to thank God for the women
who. as young girls. gave them their
hands and hearts in marriage when
! they too were young and had nothing
and who with them have fought the
: battle of life? We ought to thank God
for the wives who In more senses than
one have merged their lives in our
lives and yet are never so happy as
when the world praises us for the
work which they to a great extent en-
. abled us to achieve ] once knew q
man who declared in the presence of q
, party Of friends that his wife had
, nothing to do with his success. He
boastfully said, Il have made my sue
cess entirely Independent of my wife,
But do not believe there Is one mar
among us all who can honestly make
, q statement like that
We know, deep down in our hearts
that what we achieve in life is due tC
n great extent to the wives who have
! labored faithfully by our side. Happy
Is the poor man who has good wife
She may be the foundation Of his sue
cess. The good wife does not become
heavy drag upon her husband by ac
cuinulating Il lot OF unnecessary debts
II were to ask for the testimony OF
some Of you today you would say: III
those days Of straitness and struggl,
our wives stepped to our side and said
;. We will be breadwnners with you.
They went to the kitchen and ben
$ over the stove as cooks. They mad
! the children's dresses. They mad
their own gowns last so long that
seemed as though the clothes fsthe
and mother gave would never wea