The Washington herald., 1922-05-08
SAYS WORD "OBEY"
.APPARENTLYNOTIN In
MARRIAGE PROMISE
Pastor Declares Some
Men, if Wise, Will Let
Wife Lead.
BY REV. C. ERNEST SMITH,
st. Thomas, Church.

'Silver and gold have I none, but
such as have give thee. Acts III s.
1t is evident that kind friends were
! in the habit, day by day. of bringing
the poor cripple. of whose cure we
are told. to the beautiful gate OF
the Temple that he might beg aims
for his living from those coming
to the Temple for worship. 1t was
true instinct which thus led them
to seek help there.
None give so generously in response
to appeals for charity as do MEM
bers of the church. Among ourselves.
it is asserted that 95 per cent of
all the money contributed for philan-
thropic objects is given by church
members!
Presently st. Peter and st. John
come along to worship, and the Grip
pie, not ignorant of the fact that
they are poor men, asks aid from
them.
Says Let Wife Lead.
OF these two men st. Peter was
manifestly leader. This was not
due to any official primacy. 1t was
due to primacy of character and to
capacity for leadership. Not every
President of the United States has
| been the country's real leader. Not
seldom a masterful Senator has
been that. So also 1t is at times
in the church. The titular head
IS sometimes but a humble follower
Just now there Is a discussion as to
l removing no he. 10
brides promise. What does it mat
ter? II Is but an archaic formula
and to all intents and purposes it
is out already. If the wife possesses
gifts of leadership, ability, energy.
Vlslon-which her husband lacks
she will lead and she ought to lead
and her husband, IL wise, will gladly
recognize the leadership of his
better half
How unfortunate that declaration
Of poverty. one is apt to say, What
handicap How could he and his
fellow disciples be expected to do
the work of overturning the citadels
of error and establishing the King
dom of God without money?
u But 1t so happens that gold may
! be not a help. but a very serious
even a fatal-hindrance. Many
man would have become a great
power in church or state had be been
poor mans son. Gold, under GER
tain circumstances. has a deaden-
ing. paralyzing effect. 1t 10 FIRE
quently removes the incentive to ex-
Fertion which largely determines char
acter. IL Gen. Grant had not been
poor boy. IL is no fantastic imagi-
nation which bids US believe there
would have been no unwilling Of a
monument to him and that the many
thousands assembled to do honor to
mis- memory would never have heard
of his name.
Wealth Hurts Church Oftimes.
And sometimes we fear the
church has needed the stimulus of
poverty, though for the matter OF
TACT 1t has rarely had experience
IT any other conditions. Yet now
and again the blighting influence
OF wealth has injured her.
The crippled beggar did not go
without his blessing. Three gifts il
seems TO me did these two apostles
bestow upon him.
They demonstrated that even for
him. a helpless beggar, there was
'he love and sympathy Of Christ
and next they gave him his manhood
TO use for Christ and His church IL
so he would and. lastly. they gave
him their friendship. With but
rare exceptions our physicians of
the body also sustain a SYMPATHETIC
interest in those they help and So
We are sure did these disciples Of
the Master.
IL was a great work done that
day in Jerusalem and money. all
powerful as we are apt to consider
IL, had no part or lot in It.