The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1914-12-27

show. 1t was an intimacy that rang
ed from the home details Of dinner
service to fearful, yet sublime, con-
fidences beneath the dark shadow o.
death. Not many friends are fit for
such q range. Jesus is. His counsel
Is always wise. His sympathy Is al
ways sure. He can always help. He
knows Just when to help. There is
no friend like this friend. He has
for the family circle the words Of
eternal life.
This subject Is Of greatest socolog-
ical Importance. The fannily-ts the
first, the fundamental social institu-
ton. They who deny this are fools
OF devils or both. The arch enemy
from the beginning has made the do
mestic circle the scene OF his most
deadly malice against God and His
children. Within the same circle,
Jesus as Savior, friend, works out the
life that is life indeed. The history
Of family life without Him in the Old
Testament Is full Of sad and dark
passages. The fall itself was the fall
| of family ruined by the false friend
under guise OF a friend. Then fol-
lows the record of the murder Of
Abel by his own brother Cain. Noah
was drunken father cursed by and
cursing a lewd son. Abraham, Sar-
ah, Hagar and Ishmael had sore
trouble. The history OF the family
OF righteous Lot Is too dark to speak
of. What shall We say Of the wick
edly foolish partially Of Isaac and
Of Rebekah for Esau and for Jacob
respectively? Then, there is the
deadly feud between Esau and Jacob.
The view we get Of Labar,'s home life
is not reassuring. Father Laban is
crafty with his son-in-law. The som
in-law gives back better or in other
words worse than he got. The daugh-
tiers of Laban do not fall short by
comparison in the way Of craftiness
among themselves and with their
father. The family of Jacob contin-
ues the sad story. The history of
Jacobs partial love for Joseph is only
a fitting prelude to the cruel dissen-
sions which follow between Joseph
and his brethren. Did the patriarchs
know no better? They knew better.
Note how Abraham exhorted his
nephew Lot; LET there be no strife
I pray thee between me and thee,
and between my herdsmen and thy
herdsmen; for we be brethren"
Alas that in the aggregate exper-
fence Of the race "to know is by nc
means the equivalent Of ''to do
Moses, Aaron and Miriam form q re-
markable family group. But life did
not run smoothly even with them. In
the wilderness, marches and encamp-
ments, when one would think they
would be too busy to quarrel, a green
monster Of jealousy or black devil
OF spite crept into the hearts of Mir
lam and Aaron, and on account Of
Moses foreign wife caused great bit
te1ness and much wrath. Jehovah
judged the otfense grave enough to
require a special judgment and Mir
lam became a leper white as snow
with leprosy In the days of the
judges, the same weary tale Of fam
lily sin and infelicity wears on. AM
bilious Abimelech Stays his rival
brethren. Eli and Samuel had most
unworthy sons. Brother Eliab taunt-
ed and browheat brother David at a
most unsee1nly time and rate. Coming
into the household of King David we
have only to write the names OF Ann
mon, lamar, Absalom-to suggest
uncleanness, murder, treason sore and
treachery, sore heart break. Here we
rest, and ask in view ofthe typical
facts cited, and in view OF many other
facts well known, whether the family
as the, fundamental social institution
does not need the active and intim-
ate Transforming and perpetual friend
ship Of Jesus Christ? How shall our
homes win the love Of Jesus? To
win It Is not needful. We have 1t
now. The problem is to use 1t as we
can and ought. His presence now II
known by the possession OF His mind.
He lives with family now by dwelling
in the hearts Of the members OF the
home. He is manifested in the visible
world by the lives OF those in whom
liHe lives. Faith in Him secures His
indwelling The unheiieyer is ineyi-
tnbly the foe Of the peace and purity
! OF home. Come to our hearts and thus
to our hearth stones, Elder Brother,
Friend Supreme!
The largest fashlight in the world
is that recently established, on the