The Detroit times., 1916-09-15
Thursday Nights Sermon


BILLY Sundays sermon Thursday
night In the Tabernacle was his fam
Gus address on The Home. He
said
81 am Indebted 10 my friends for
q part OF my sermon tonight. | read
everything can get hold OF. and
my friends are constantly sending
me clippings, and don't know
whom 10 credit for them.
If there is anything in my scr.
man that you can use do II. You
can take anything that would give
the devil a run for his money
Genesis xiii. 10 For know him
that he will command his children
and his household after him
There was no higher compliment
that God could pay Abraham for
he will command his children and
his household after him God is
satisfied that was good index TO
the character Of Abraham.
II would like 10 throw myself 10.
night upon your prayerful sympathy
that I may arrest tho attention OF
this audience and grip the hearts
10 go with me 10 the most sacred
spot on this globe.
"The spot around which clusters
more sweet associations and pre-
cious memories than any other
place in all the world the home
THE longer live and the more
] visit up and down this land and
see the joys and sorrows, the sue.
oesses and failures, OF men and
women. the more thoroly be.
come impressed with the fact that
the greatest Institution OF the Amer
lean people today is the home. and
every home should be the center
OF all that Is elevating. inspiring
and uplifting and every homo
should be dead 10 anything that dis.
grsces and pollutes
Il think the proper or improper
settlement OF the home question.
whether Il IL A house OF Joy or scr
row, veal or woe IL more with the
man or women than any other prob
lem.
You can build your palaces, yoy
can amass your fortunes. you car
spread Persian rugs on your floors
you can sit beneath the fash Of
the candelabra you can push "a
button and have a retiuue Of ser
wants doing marathon 10 SEQ
which viii be houored by waiting
on you: you can Toll upon silk'u
cushions. you can roll down tho
street In the most magnificent and
faultless equipages. but say TO you,
nothing can make happy the father
and mother OF a Goddess, drunken
loafer OF boy, or frivolous. CO
quettish. hirty, good -for-nothing,
empty headed sort 81 girl that
Sads tho street with every Tom,
Dick and Harry. and makes you
hand your head in shame and dis.
grace that you ever gave her birth.
Defects In Home Cause Downfalls.
mot only peace and happiness
center about the home, hut all that
Is moral and religious as well.
"T believe the downfall OF most
men and women can be traced 10
some defect In the home.
Every hlackleg gambler, every
drunkard rolling and staggering and
vomiting and spluttering and spew-
ing. every woman OF the red.light
was once pure as the morning dow.
No drunkard ever intended 10 be
q drunkard.
The man who says I can drink
or let Il alone'-I notice they never
let II alone--the man who tells me
he can drink or let Il alone, lies.
The drunkard begins with the mod
crate drlnker. One OF the curses
~ the world today In the moderate
drinker, not the immoderate drink
err.
You could ask 10 men for a de
hnitlon OF homo, and they will give
you 10 different definitions.
THE one will say n IL tho love
OF hearth: the next, plenty to eat
mn the table, plenty to wear work
and comfort: intelligence and de
votion: a greeting with kiss when
you come in: regretable good
by when YOU leave.
To another want looks out from
home. suualor. vice. hunger and an
empty tray; tomb where the air
is rent with curses no Bible. no
Sabbath day. children who are rob.
bers and thieves. obscene songs
their lullaby: every face picture
OF want: the vestibule TO the pit,
the door mat OF hell. a chain forC.
ing links 10 bind them down 10 per
dition
Listen to me. Nearly one-half
OF the inmates OF the reformatory,
committed there for crimes, com
NIT tho crimes for which they are
sent there while In state OF vol.
uniary or involuntary vegrancy.
The genesis OF yagrancy Is n big
question 10 answer In one sermon,
but | am going 10 say something
about that later.
"Onctcnth ~ them have lost their
parents. one-half have lost either
father or mother. and So per cent.
are from homes where the parents
have been divorced.
Broken homes and broken lives
seem 10 20 hand in hand. they are in
separately connected.
MANY times sons and daughter
arc brought up I'm idleness, uurc-
strained in The expenditure a. their
money. rapidly acquiring ex'raTa.
giant habits. hey nsure IN escapadcs
that scandalizc society, indulge n