The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-05-27

Gods Last, Best Gift to
Man" Briefly Set Forth
Beautiful Tribute Paid to
Her in Sermon Prea ched by
Rev. J. A. Mcclure in the
Presbyterian Church, Sun
day, May 9th.
| Following is a sermon preached by
Rev. }. A. Mcclure, the pastor, at the
Presbyterian church Sunday morn
ing, May 5th The subiect-W Woman
woman idealized - the virtuous
woman, whose price is far above ru-
bies-and it's manner of treatment 40
pleased us that permission WAS asked
To print the sermon which Mr.. Nc
Clure reluctantly consented to. We
have pleasure in giving it herewith
for the benefit of those who did not
hear it:
"WhO can find a virtuOus woman? I?
for her price is far above rubies. " =
Prov. BIO
The book of Proverbs is the most
practical portion of the Scripture,
concerned almost entirely with the
common, practical questionsof every
day life. The Education of Children,
The Sin of Intemperance, The Good
and Evil Uses of Money, The Sin of
Pride, Anger and Idlenpss, The
Tongue, (MyD The Treatment of the
Poor, etc, etc.
But of all the subjects touched
none is more important or more
fully treated than that of woman
The author introduces the study in
the 2nd chapter in a solem warning
against ''the strange woman," de-
scribing her ns one who has forsaken
/, the guide of her youth aud forgotten
the covanant of her God, whose lips
drop as an honey-cOmb and whose
seductive words are smoother than
oil. He compares her to a deep ditch,
narrow pit, her house inclining
unto death, her path leading unto de-
structiOn, her steps taking hold on
hell; whose end is bitter as wormwood
and sharp as ii twO-edged sword.
Further on, he pays his respects
to the fretful, peevish, contentious
woman, who destroys the peace OF
households by faults Of temper, and
truly remarks that it is better to live
in a corner, on the house top, III a
| desert land exposed to the down pour
of the autumn rain, than to be sub
jected to the unceasing assaults OF
her tongue. He has very correctly
observed that any attempt to re-
strain her is as vain as to try to
grasp the wind, or to seize and hold
an object smeared with oil.
He points out the incongruity OF
. great beauty without it's rightful
, complement, purity of heart and
nobility of soul. ''As jewel of gold
in a swine's snout, SO is a fair woman
who is without discression. dfyou
can imagine anything more incon-
gruous than a SOW unwashed from
her wallow, with nose bedecked with
n brilliant jewel, you have it in a
beautiful woman of fallen nature, OF
faded virtue and ignoble mind.
Passing from these severe strict
ures on woman fallen and imperfect,
which after all are so many wit
nesses to her value and Importance
he completes the subject and closes
the book with a portrait of the per-
feet, the ideal, the virtuOus woman
| Forgetting for the moment what
| has been said about her as vixen OF
/ shrew, giddy or goddess, imperfect OF
1 corrupted, let us study her as sketch
| ed by the pen of inspirations; of what
I God intended her to be.
You may be wondering why have
1 chosen this subject and be saying tC
1 yourselves, 1--WE have in this congre
cation this morning men unsaved
i hearts that are sorrowing. souls that
I are tempted, would it not be better tC
4 preach the Gospel?' My justification
Is not the same ds one OF whom
read. Announcing that he had chOser
4 Robert Burns" as the subject of hi
sermon, he introduced his remark,
by saying that doubtless some o
4 them were wondering why he had no
4 chosen a subject from the Bible, re
plying that he might have chOsel
4 Abraham but they all knew abou
| Abraham; he mi ght speak of the devil
II
I quainted with him already, but tha
} Robert Burns had once said that b
- wished the devil would repent an
be saved. A man of such sentiment
was worthy OF a. sermon.
In this case | have the author
ity of the Book. 1t is a part of tn
whole counsel, and one of the mos
important with which we hav
4 to do, for ''in the shadow of ever
great mans life, hidden from til
careless observer, stands that grea
mans mother. And in every he
epoch of the world she may be foun
giving to her son the inspiration {
his life and mission" What the womr
of country are the men arr. Pur
sympathetic, helpful and religious
the men are strong and noble an
earnest and godly. Vain and fal'
or fallen, she blasts his hopes, Lowell
his ideals, weakens his arm and d
struys his soul. 1t has often bee
pointed out that so long as Il
women of Rome were pure and stror
and earnest, the men were true an
brave and loyal; but becoming vai
and frivolous the men became COY
ards and Rome fell. have no doul
that the reason the South produce
N some of the brayest soldiers of Il
century was that they came from Il
homes of some of the purest won,
of the world. Moreover what q