Newspaper Page Text
March 6, 1912] THE]
courtesy unexcelled; his decision without reservation
and his devotion unswerving. In his dislike
for profanity he belonged to the exceptional
class of men. In his dislike for show he was
preeminently Puritan. In his earnestness he
was a model. In endurance he was outranked
by none. In faith he was unshrinking. In
gentleness and kindness he was attractive. In
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uiuiu 11c ?v?s uuiiiuiu. iu an mings ne was "iree
from cant." lie loved theological discussion; he
loved art and history; strong, but gentle; true,
but loving. "A good man leaveth an inheritance
to his children's children."
A STRONG HOME.
(Extract from an address by Dr. T. H. McCallie,
of Chattanooga, Term., on the occasion of
the golden wedding celebration in honor of Dr.
and Mrs. McCallie.)
It is the atmosphere of the home life that
moulds the children and makes them strong and
useflul, or weak and trifling. I want to point
out here some elements that make married life
strong and useful.
MATTERS OP INFLUENCE.
it is Dest that there be equality in the married
pair. The parties should be of the same race, of
the same religion, of the same station in life. The
educated woman should uot marry the ignorant
poor. It is best they should have similar views of
life. St. Paul expressed the truth when he said,
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers,"
and again, to oelievcrs, "Mary only
in the Lord." Tue godly woman sacrifices almost
every element of strength for her future
Christ.au life by marrying a man that is an unbeliever
So a believing man that marries an unbelieving
woman for the beauty without any regard
for her piety, has handicapped himself in
the Christian race right at the very start and
sold his unborn children to unbelief.
Strength lor the married life and for bringing
up children that will be a crown of glory to both
parents, lies in part just here, that the parents
shall pull together, and not pull apart.
Another element ol strengtn is the attitude of
the parties toward each other. This means love
on me part of the husband. Love means sobriety.
llow a man can love the bottle better
than a dear, sweet woman surpasses my comprehension.
it is an instance of total depravity if
that doctrine was not in the Book. Intemperance
breaks up more families than all other causes
combined.
True love makes provision for the support of
the wife and children. It makes labor delightful,
and nothing does a true man more good than to
provide for his own household. It is his to make
a living, it is the duty of the wife not to run him
into debt. True love gives honor to the wife.
It stands by her in sickness and health. It takes
away fault-finding, scolding and crossness. True
love puts the wife and mother on a pedestal from
which nothing can pull her down but her own
perversity.
Love affects also the attitude of the wife. She
is a neat and diligent housewife. She is not a
slattern in dress, but keeps both herself and
house in order. She looks well to the interest of
the entire family. She is a keeper at home. She
is not a gadabout. She is not a gambler, running
from house to house to play bridge-whist, or any
other game that has the excitement about it of
getting something for nothing.
She honors her husband, and not for one moment
allows any other man to take her affections,
or in her presence to speak ill of her husband.
She has no confidants about family affairs but
him and keeps no secrets from him.
Just here let me say that when this awful sin
against married life enters the home, and some
well-dressed, well-edlucattd and refined vagabond
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE S<
estranges the wife from the husband, though he
may deserve to be shot down like a dog, that is
the devil's way to meet this terrible transgression.
Qod's way is dilferent and ten thousand
times better, and that is legal separation and remarriage
to a pure and good woman, leaving revenge
to him who said. 4 4 4 Venireance is mins. I
will repay,' saitli the Lord."
Another element of strength is unity of purpose
in raising their children. They agree on a
line of policy and stick to it. They rule with
love, but they rule. It is not a divided, but a
joint rule, requiring obedience. The children do
not rule the parents, but the parents rule the
children. They set themselves steadfastly to the
task of securing obedience. They do not allow
their children to grow up stubborn and refractory,
and then expect the school teacher to do
for them in governing their children what they
have failed to do themselves.
BIBLE IN TIIE HOME.
I believe the Bible has done more to make
strong homes than anything else. Leave out the
Bible and you leave out knowledge, and knowledge
is power. Leave out the Bible and you open
the doors to superstition, and it is sure to come
in with its corruption and weakness. Or else
uieie uumua ill lis opposite, infidelity. blighting
the whole life and sunilrriner the soul from God,
its Maker.
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EXAMPLE.
If we would have strong families, we must,
with the help of God, set the example. This example
must be set by both husband and wife.
There must be no strife in the house, no wrang
ling, quarreling, crimination and recrimination.
All euch weakness, yea, worse, it is rottenness. It
wrecks the home and sends out into the world
children that are unfitted for life's strenuous
work.
There must be perfect confidence in each other
and support the one of the other. It must not
be left to the mother alone. The father has a
man *8 part to do, and he must do it. It will tax
him to the uttermost to do the work in the home
that God, his Heavenly Father, lays upon him.
He cannot be a drinking man and raise a family
of children. Better that he had never been born
than undertake such a task. It is a rare thing
OBTH (317) S
when the children do not partake of the vices of
the parents, therefore, they owe them an upright
example. Children have a right to be well-born
and carefully raised. For this parents must answer
in that day when Jesus Christ judges the
world in righteousness.
The father cannot be a profane swearer and
expect his sons to be reverent toward Cod. He
cannot urge them to make money, to make it at
any cost, without making them thieves, lie can
not talk about rights and defending one's self
against assaults, at the same time neglecting to
emphasize their duties, without making them
murderers. That road leads straight to the gallows.
The parents cannot neglect the Sunday school,
the church of God, the day of rest and expect to
reap a serene old age, with their children about
them, honored and useful, bringing to the home
a very reverence of moral honor that makes the
old people glad and happy. Such neglect brings
a harvest, but it is a harvest of ruin and shame.
It pays, and it pays even in this life, for the
husband and wife to b united in setting a good
example before their cnildrcn, to bring them up
in the knowledge of the Bible and in the instructions
of the house of God.
For all this, above everything else, we need
God in the home. But how can we secure this
without asking him to be present?
-^Tf&I
lilillHS 1 H
torlal Church, Orange, Texas
The devil is lighting the homes of this coun
try with tremendous vigor. 11' he captures this
citadel, all goes.
Public schools will not save our children. Education
cannot do it. The Sunday school and the
church can do much, but not all.
It must be done in the homes by the combined,
untiring and prayer-offering lives of both husband
and wife, and no let-up till we see our
efforts crowned with God-given success. "Then
shall our sons be as plants grown up in their
youth, our daughters as cornerstones, polished
after the similtude of a palace."
- nappy is that people that is in such a case;
yea, happy is that people where God is the
Lord."
The most beautiful of all lives is the lifs of
Christian tervies.