The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-02-03
POWER OF HOME LIFE
STRESSED BY PASTOR
STRONG SERMON DELIVERED
BY REV. Mr.. THOMPSON WHO
PLEAS FOR FAMILY ALTAR.

The following is a synopsis of the
timely sermon by Rev. T. H. Thomp-
son which profoundly inspired the
large congregation at the Methodist
church Sunday mornig.
The Altar in The Home
Genesis 1S: 1919.
With the thing which God deter
mined that he would not hide from
his servant Abraham, namely the de-
struction of Sodom and Gomorrah,
am not now concerned. My atten-
ton is rather drawn to the declara-
ito that Abraham shall become
great and mighty nation, and more
especially to the fact upon which
the Lord predicates his prophecy of
the future greatness of Abraham's
posterity; ''For I know him, that he
will command his children and his
household after him, and they shall
keep the way of the Lord, to. do
Justice and judgment. In other
words, the patriarch will become
great nation because the founda-
ton of national greatess he will lay
in the home. ;,
The priciple which the Lord
here laws down is of universal applica-
ton. The home is the unit OF So
ciety. AS the home is so will the
nation be- Let me see the home lie
of a people today and / can fore
cast the nations strength or weakess
for tomorrow. Patriotism, rever-
ence, obedience to law, good citizen
ship. are learned in the home; there,
also. are sown the seed of lrrever-
ence, disobedience, rebellion and an
archy. Disregard of parent authority
leads naturally to the disregard OF all
authority. Loyalty to the state is but
the full-blown flower of which loyalty
in the home is the bud. The foun-
dation of any civilization is laid In
the cradle. In building the home,
therefore, we are building the ma
ton.
If these things be true, how i'm
portant it is that God shall be exalted
in our homes and that our, children
reared in a religious atmosphere. In
ancient times the head of the house
hold was priest to the family, lead
ing their devotions, instructing them
and making their sacrifices and
burnt offerings. One of the first
things that Noah did when he came
from the ark was to build an altar
unto the Lord. Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob also had the altar in the home.
The unfeigned faith of Timothy dwelt
first in a sanity mother and grand
mother. Burns paints for us a beau
tiful picture of Scotch home life IN
his "Cotter's Saturday Night" The
head of the family reads Gods word
and offers fervent prayer for heav-
ems benediction, and Burns declares
"From scenes like these old Scotia's
grandeur springs
That makes her loved at home,
revered abroad"
Among our most sacred memories
are those which cluster about our
childhood homes, What a pity that
the family altar has gone from our
homes and the religious instruction of
our children, If not neglected alto
gether. is left to teachers in our Sun
dav schools. Three things account
for the loss of the altar in the home
Conditions under which we live, the
multiplicity of demands upon US and
the loss of faith and religious con-
viction on the part of parents. Our
business men today have no time for
the functions of the priesthood in the
home; they are too hurried by day
and too fatigued at night. Nor have
our women time; soclety's demands
are insistant and there are thous-
and and one things to be done. 1t does
not come within the province OF TINS