The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-02-26
WOMAN" .SUBJECT
OF STRUNG sermon
DR.. A. F. Watkins breaches EIoquentIy
and Pays Tribute to Woman
hood.

stronS sermon on the suDJect-Wo-
man.
He took as his scriptual basis
Proverbs 21st chapter, 10th to 31st
verses. The 31st verse was used as a
text: Give her of the fruit of her
hands; and let her own works praise
her in the gates" The scripture read
was characterized as a picture of I'M
stained womanhood, written by Jew
hundreds of years before the Christian
era. A search of all literature does
not reveal stronger portrayal of the
gem of gems; the character of a viz
tuous woman. Whatever her status
among men, she has ever in history
typed its standards of civilization
Whatever of strength or beauty or in
terest, it has found its type in woman
Poetry, sculpture, romance and calm
philosophy have had to do with her
character and work. Fiction has ideal
lied her and throughout all history
she has commanded much interest and
Importance.
Religion is one field in which she is
ever prominent. Men have readily
turned away from God and made to
themselves other gods, but the religi-
GUS impulse has ever remained domi-
nant with woman and as a class it is
TO her credit, that men have found in
motherhood the closest likeness to
God. The artists conception, the
Madonna has become familiar and
lends an interesting charm to men
around the world. This scripture is
not western picture. It was born of
the Orient, where the status of woman
has ever been regarded as inferior to
man. 1t is like lilly with its calixes
of gold as it rises out of a pool reek-
ing and stagnant.
1t Is not surprising thing when we
realize that the dominant feature of
Jewish life is religion. Woman has
ever been exalted by pure religion as
1t has placed her by the side of man.
While history has exalted woman to
the heavens, it has carried her down
to the darkest depths of iniquity. The
Bible historian has found that it is
better that man dwell in the house
top, rather than in a house with a
brawling woman.
When a man is ever deserving or
neglecting his home, it means that
either he is not right or that he has
wife who is not right. The habit of
fault finding and nagging practiced by
some women is the cause of many a
blighted life and disrupted home. A
woman of fair face and degraded char
acter Is like jewel in swine's snout.
Woman's chief attraction is beauty
Of character Woman is preeminent
in the affairs of men. AS is the char
acter of her women SO the character
of a people. If the women become
vain, shallow and frivolous this influ-
ence Is shown in the body polite If
its women are noble for love, strength
and beauty there is born in the hearts
of men ideals of love, strength and
duty
The woman in our picture was the
heart of her husband, he trusted her
all the days of her life. She was a
help-meet for him. She suited him.
The divine decree was that it is not
meet that man should be alone and
He created woman. All men can't get
married and all women won't, but
marriage is according to the divine or
der.
Woman finds her glory as man finds
his glory. The married vow is the
fruit of Gods own heart. While the
wedding day is the most important
day in the life Of a woman, the hap
piest moment that ever comes into her
life, Is when she looks for the first
time into the face of her little babe.
The God appointed service of moth
efhood is the acme of both Joy and
usefulness. No man can realize the
perfection of his being until married
and the same can be said of woman. !
The heart Of her husband trusted in
her." No room for suspicion, no room |
for question. She does him good all |
his life. When beauty has faded. she
Is to him ever beautiful as he sees her
through eyes Of love. The counsel of
q good wife is ever the best man can
secure. Her processes are best be-
cause intuitive. The good wife is in.
iustrious. She handles the distaff
md her candle goes not out by night.
lack of employment is the greatest
'urse that can come to woman. Even
hough she has hundred servants,
'ood woman will find abundant en-
)IOyment knowing that Satan sfiI, ,