Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1928-11-01
The Importance of
Home
BY DIR. WILL o. GORDON,
(Pastor Cove Greek Baptist
Church)

here can DE no true public lie
where the home life is corrupt, any
more than there can be a solid struc-
ture where the foundation has
crumbled away.
The home is so important that it
is not strange that God has so much
to say about it in His word. He gives
us glimpses of many homes-the
homes Of Abram, Jacob, Job, David,
Eli and Moses. To the influence OF
a pious and Cody mother Moses
owed more than he did to the finish
ed education and training he receiv-
ed in kings palace under the
shadow Of the pyramids Of Egypt.
''The home is the tent we pitch to
rest in, our bayonets stacked, our
war caps hung up, our heads resting
on the knapsack until the morning
bugle sounds, warning US to strike
and prepare for marching and for
action.
What a pleasant place the home is
TO talk over life's victories and sur
prises and attacks. Life is a stormy
sea. With shivered mast and torn
sail and hulk aleak we put into the
harbor of home. Into this dry dock
we come for repair. Blessed har-
bor! The candle in the widow is
to the laboring man the lighthouse
guiding him into port. Children
come out to meet their father as in
the Narrow pilots take the hand OF
the ships. The doorsill is the wharf
where heavy life is unleaden. In
the home we may talk of what we
have done without being charged
with self-adulatioon. We may lounge
without being thought ungraceful.
We may express affection without
being thought silly. Forlorn earth
pilgrim! No home! Then die. That is
better. The grave is brighter and
warmer than this world without a
tent from marching, without a har-
Dor from the sun, without home in
this scene of greed and grudge and
loss and gain. May God pity the
poor, miserable wretch that has no
home.
The home should be safe-guarded
in every manner possible. Many
dangers threaten thu home. What
are some of them? One is careless
marriages. Marriage is at the foun-
dation of the home. Home is di-
vine institution, marriage is also Or
dained of God. He not simply per-
nitted it: He commanded it. It is a
type Of that religion which exists
between Christ and His church. It
is holy and beautiful. Careless and
hasty marriages are responsible for
much of the misery and degradation
that is in the world. The church
and the state are under obligation to
throw every possible safeguard
around the marriage relationship.
Divorce is a fruitful source Of mis-
cry. Anything that makes it easy
to separate man and wife is dam
ger to the family. If the foundations
be destroyed, what can the righte-
Gus do?
What are some of the elements of
successful and happy home life?
Kindness, tenderness, affection,
obedience, forbearance, gentleness,
good temper and love. Cultivate
these. Maternal and parental piety
make home which cannot but ex-
ert powerful and permanent influ-
ence. The father and mother are
the builders of the true home. What
they are the home will be- Paternal
instruction is necessity in true
home life. No instruction is like
that of a father and mother. We
must come back to this method of
matchmaking our children. l plead
for the family. Let this institution
be well understood. Let us guard
from all enemies. l plead for re-
ligion in the home, family instruc-
ton and family worship. Let US
make our homes what God would
have them be, and in so doing we
will prepare ourselves for our eter-
nal home.