OCR Text |
Show Marriage. Marriage is not meant to provide a man with a housekeeper or a drudge nor a woman with a breadwinner- neither nei-ther is it intended for the mere gratification gratifi-cation of passion or of personal love nor even to form a home and bring up a. family. Views and purposes of this kind may be more or less justifiable. But, over all and ahm-o an , -.,. flan's end and aim in marriage ought to be personal sanctification, the doing of the will of God, the eternal salvation of both the parties, and the brin-Mn- Ufhi,ren in t,le fear anrt the love of God The marriage contractMiffers materially from every other human con: tract. True, every promise and agreement agree-ment made between Christians must be made in justice, in charitv. and with reverence for God's law. But mar-'iage is the most momentous of human contracts con-tracts it effects a man or a woman ail thtouph hfe, and in every hour of life ihi,f fZr Volant self-restraint which can be obtained only through a special grace. It demands a mutual Ioo and aftection. which must not depend de-pend upon mere feeling or attraction, but which must endure and be active even when Nature gives no help, vl en the fancies of youth have died out. and to hh fthe ther Side has rrhaPs sVown to be faulty or unamiable Marriage requires that most difficult of all attainments-the repression of ones native selfishness, and the constant con-stant cx-erclse of oonsideraten,is for others; for a married man or woman is not permitted to live for- mere phonal convenience or comfort, but is bound to study every day the well-being and the happiness of every member of the fam Hy. Moreover, the care and brlngi up of children is a ,ost wei-h v fponsibility. If children, by the fault of the r parents, grow up without faith u nanus mat lead to vice, and in a neglect that -aus bodilv- or spiritual rum. Almighty God holds thr.e parents answerable, and their judgment will be heavy. So tnat niartja henirt8" the spirt, and it is by their behavior in the marred state that married persons will secure salvation or incur damnation. damna-tion. Bishop Hadley. |