Subject: A SERMON FOR MY MOTHER, ON THE MOTHERHOOD OF WOMAN.

By G.W.S.Ware.

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Text: When Jesus therefore saw his mother (John 19:26).

Introduction: I am here to day, in Shiloh Baptist Church, Walker County, Georgia, May, 18, 1919, to deliver this sermon for my mother, Mrs. Harriet Ware, fifty years after her burial, near this church house for worship. The primary place of woman’s creation was in the side of man, and to day she is still at his side, as she has been through the ages; in fact, there is no other place on earth for her. Man, was created of dust, perhaps on an arid desert, but when woman was finished, she came forth full grown in the garden of the Lord, which was watered by four rivers, covered by trees, a delight to the eye, bearing fruit, the best of food; surrounding the tree of life, and that of the knowledge of good and evil.

Man, first saw rugged things, but the beauties of Paradise first charmed the sight of woman; and both show their first environments as they effect their natures to day. Woman’s nature reveals her place of creation, by her character of sympathy, helpfulness and beauty. Man’s nature, like his place of creation is vast, with rugged strength to overcome, but reveals less beauty of trees and rivers of kind sentiment; but when these two natures blend in harmony, as man and woman, as husband and wife, a home is made, where motherhood can flourish to bless the earth and rejoice heaven.

We notice 1st. A MODERN WOMAN, WHO BY CHOICE, FAILED AT MOTHERHOOD. She had exqisite beauty of face and form, and moved with ease and grace, with the elite of the world. Her steps were like the gleams of a riseing sun, and her motion like a ray of life; her eyes were as moon beams playing in a dew drop on a blooming rose, and her voice like melody on the nerves of men. But she used not her charms for motherhood in marraige, but debased them with promiscuous men, and when they struck bottom, they cursed each-other, like two demons which they had become. Then, she decided to marry, not for love and motherhood, but for place and money. In her pursuit for a man to marry, she finds one with more money than sense, and who knoweth not that her mouth is a deep pit; and the abhorded of the Lord shall fall therein (Prov. 22:14). So without connubial love on her part they wed. She draines her husband’s finance to the limit of her power, to drink sinful pleasures to their dregs. A pet hobby, fills the place where sin had killed her love for offsprings. She is ardent for platonic love and friendship, but gives the dregs of her worthless love to her husband; and finally she ends the farce of their marriage in a divorce court, suing her husband for alimony, where her charms turn to worms.

2nd. – God, warns every MOTHER NOT TO BE WICKED, and every MAN AGAINST SUCH WOMEN (2 Chron. 22;2-10;23:1-15).

Athaliah was her name, and she was of royal ancestry, back to her great grandparents, Ahab and Jezabel, a wicked couple who disgraced their marriage, and was a foul blot on their parenthood. The sins of her father destroyed him while a young man; and she counseled her son to do wickedly, which caused his death in his twenty third year; then she slew all her step children, but one she could not find, so she could be queen herself. After six years of wicked rule, her sins overtook her, and caused her to be slain outside of the city, too destitute of virtue to die in Jerusalem. Died without character, love or pity; died of her own sins as she weltered in her own blood; a warning to all mothers who live in sin, and advise their children to do wrong.

3rd. – GOD’S DESCRIPTION OF WOMEN, WORTHY OF MOTHERHOOD.

Now, let us turn from these repulsive, though instructive examples of wicked motherhood, and hear Jehovah-God describe a character, if found in a woman will make her an ideal wife and fit for motherhood. Look, oh heaven and hear oh earth, as God brings out her qualities, and if the countless millions of coming generations could choose their mothers: Hear them pray, Give us such mothers. No human being can have a greater honor, except Christ dying for them, than to have a good mother.

King Limuel’s mother (Prov. 31 chap.), was used of the Lord, to make a picture, for all men to examine and take as their guide to find a wife who will mother their children. If any human being will be thus guided in marriage, divorce would never break it. No man can select his wife, like God can for him, for he can see and knows her heart. "A prudent wife is from Jehovah (Prov. 19:14)," and the man that finds her, findeth a good thing (Prov. 18:22). God, desires these kind of couples to marry, for companionship, and to raise children (Ps. 127:3-5). The thirty first chapter of Proverbs, is God’s directory, for man to find a wife like her.

The husband of such a wife is commanded not to give his strength to women, or his ways to distruction, but to plead the cause of the defenseless, and protect orphan children; then his wisdom will be known in public, and the law of his wife will be wisdom and kindness. Blest state of the marriage relation, ordained of God to make homes on earth, the fundamental for stable government, and a type of Jesus Christ with his church on earth.

4th.: GOD’S DEFENSE OF MOTHERHOOD.

He is the creator of it, hence he defends it. No other function of a human body has more enemies. All evil, personified or otherwise, is the enemy of the motherhood of woman. All good is for it, all evil is against it. It is rare to find a married couple not afraid of the capacity of her motherhood. They are afraid the defense of God around it, is not strong enough to keep health, ward off poverty and ignorance, and give the pleasures of life. Children, are a heritage and reward from God (Ps. 127:3), which few are eager to collect; hence, it is hard to think of any one thing on earth, which has more enemies, than the motherhood of woman; but God is its defense, and woe and defeat will come to all its enemies.

God, defends the mother, by warning her to be on her guard to prevent shame from being her portion: A child left to itsself, bringeth shame to its mother (Prov. 29:15). The law of a good mother is so paramount to the best interest of her child, That God comes to her defense: "Reject not the law of thy mother (Prov. 1:8). There is something so precious for children, from mothers, in their old age, that God points it out, and warns them: "Despise not thy mother when she is old" (Prov. 23:22). Gratitude, is a part of heaven, but its absence in hell is a part thereof. No sin can be committed on earth, that will cause gratitude in hell, to the Devil for it. He has no place in his nature for it, hence, he cannot give, or receive it. Not so with God, Whosoever will join in with God in his defense of motherhood, will have his gratitude, like rivers of pleasures for evermore.

5th.: WE WILL NEXT NOTICE, THAT ALL GOOD WOMEN ARE MOTHERS TO ALL MANKIND.

All men are enjoined to regard old women as mothers and young women as sisters. That virgins, are the fountain head, in purity, for mankind and cursed are those who befoul it. As live coals of fire shall leap into their bosoms, and the angels of the Lord will chase and drive them into the grave on earth, and into the pit of sin in eternity, unless they repent and live a chase life toward the motherhood of woman. Such is the fiat of the Creator of the motherhood of women, against all violators of its sacredness. Paul wrote, salute Rufus his mother and mine. Jesus, in the agony of his death said to John, "Behold thy mother. Having lost my mother fifty years ago, my orphan condition brought upon me the motherly care and sisterly affections of the women of this church. My mother’s memory and those kind deeds have come with me through all the years, and my voice and presence to day, are but echos of that far-a-way time.

6th. MOTHERHOOD, AND TO BE MOTHERS AND SISTERS TO ALL MEN, IS GOD’S FIELD OF LABOR FOR WOMEN. No man can enter it, it was made for women; and when she leaves it she is out of her element, and will become a miss fit in the world. Oh women of the earth, the field of polics is a barren desert compared with the garden of the Lord prepared for you to raise flowers of humanity to brighten eternity. If a woman should leave her garden for the rough fields of life prepared for men, she is in danger of growing into a monstrosity of the neuter gender, which unfit her for field or garden. Woman, has the signal honor from God, to mother a human being into existence.

7th.: THE BEGINNING OF MOTHERHOOD.

It began with a woman, created full grown for the purpose, companion of man as father, and they two are one flesh (Matt. 19:5). Hency, polygamy is a polution of motherhood. God made motherhood and marriage so sacred and strong, That nothing but death and fornication and adultery, can break it (Lev. 20:10), (Matt. 5:32). Behold the first and only woman who came direct from the hand of God. One in her class, beautiful and holy, guileless and guiltless, not believing there was any death, in her world of Paradise, which would bring her banishment, pain and sorrow, to blight the motherhood of women.

No one loves to see a woman fail in any good thing, on earth, much less God, in heaven; and mothering children in wedlock into this world, is the signal honor of God confered on woman to have. Stand aside ye angels, men and demons, and behold the glory of God in the motherhood of woman.

There is something so fundamental in woman, Satan selected her to be his conveyor to bring his nature into the world. What a contrast to God’s treatment of woman. The Devil appealed to her eye for vanity to disobey God, she is alone with Satan, God, Adam and the angels are absent. She lifts her hand to sin against God, and through her arm Satan entered her nature, and beauty and purity and fitness for motherhood left her. O Eve, Eve, first of all women, how will God treat you now? Will He banish you and create Adam a new companion, who will not drag him down? Will you ever again hear the sound of Jehovah God walking in the garden at the breeze of day? How can a Holy God deal with you a sinful woman? Are you redeemable? The Devil, who caused your fall are not. Tell me Woman, Must I come into the world in coming ages, and be lost with you in the fires of sin? Eve, is silent with the hush of shame, but finally whispers, THE GREAT GOD NEVER DOES HIS WORK TWICE, He will use my motherhood to come into the world, to save us.

The Devil, without help from man, through Eve, brought sin into the world; and God, without the help of man, came into the world, through the motherhood of Eve To destroy the works of the devil (1 Jo. 3:8), in those who believe God.

Now let us come near where motherhood is begin enacted. Doff your hats and with silent tread come to attention, while within an inner chamber a wife is grappling with death for two lives–the penalty of motherhood. The scream of the mother precedes the wail of the child, as they come up together out of the valley of death; or else, pass through the gate of silence, where there is no motherhood. My mother brought me up, your mothers brought you up, love and honor them, yea, what are we in this life for? After serving God up into old age my mother was buried without a song, no Scripture read, no prayer offered, or sermon preached–just buried out of sight. I was too young and grief stricken to do any thing myself, and all others failed her. But I am here to day, after fifty years, to sing her a song, read a Scripture, pray a prayer and preach this sermon for her and the motherhood of woman. I have come a long way, and the long time has made me an old man; but I am here to do my best to honor my mother, and the motherhood of women. Almighty God of our mothers, speed angels this way and back, to acquaint our mothers of this glad day to your honor in our rememberance of them.

8th.: We will next notice how the word MOTHER, IS USED TO ILLUSTRATE GOD’S CARE FOR HIS PEOPLE.

"As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted (Is. 66:13)." Like Hannah of old, my mother prayed God to give me a hard work for life, though I knew it not until after her death. She had seen her husband, my father, flourish at it for a season, then in the midst of his days, go down in defeat, which darkened her life, and brought poverty on her and their children. A work so hard in those days, she advised her daughter, not to marry a preacher; yet she prayed it down from heaven, upon her youngest son. O the amazing faith of a mother, in the possibilities of her son, to stand up, where her husband went down; and as my mother comforted me in childhood, so God has comforted me, during my 51 years, as one of his preachers. God, had freed me from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ; and he required me to go and tell others to repent, for the kingdom of heaven was at hand for them. In my apparent defeats in preaching Christ as he should be preached, I had no mother’s counsel to guide me, no mother’s lap to lay my tired head with its weary brain, no mother’s hand to pass over my brow, to soothe my high strung nerves; no mother’s voice to whisper: "You did better than you think, my son, no one preaches Christ as he should be preached, or to his own satisfaction." Have you been where Paul stood: "No one took my part, but all forsook me (2 Tim. 4:16)." Have your faith ever said: "When my father and mother forsake me, Then Jehovah will take me up (Ps. 27:10)." When I was a child, my father went West, to find us a home, but found his grave; when I was a boy, my mother found her grave, near this church, which left me in dangerous boyhood, with no experienced hand to guide me. With no permanent home, poor and ignorant, without father and mother, with nothing before me, but God and hope in his Word: Then the Lord took me up, the Sun began to rise, birds began to sing, flowers began to open, other mothers began to smile, other fathers began to say: "there is something in him," I attacked the world with honest labor, and got me lands, home, wife and children, as gifts from God, who has used time enough on me to make me ripe in years for coming eternity. All of this, and more, because I was anxious for God to take me up when I was young, and keep me up to this good hour.

8th.,: We will next notice: WHEN JESUS SAW HIS MOTHER.

We deem ourselves fortunate indeed, to have Jesus and the memory of his mother with us to day, on this sacred occasion, on the motherhood of woman. 1886 years have come and gone, since Jesus saw his mother through mortal eyes. Mortal eyes of God (Jo. 10:30), who honored his mother with their last look on earth. Now, those eyes are as a flame of fire (Rev. 1:14); in that world where the inhabitants from earth, are as angels of heaven (Mat. 22:30), where marriage and motherhood is superseded by eternal life.

With eyes near death Jesus looked on his mother, and spoke of her. In that faraway day, God in Jesus was dying to redeem man, looked on his living mother; 50 years ago, I, a living boy, looked on my dying mother, and saw the light of my life, going out. After Jesus looked on his mother, he died to save her, my mother, your mothers, and all people who would believe in his name. I live as yet, to preach the glad NEWS of this same Jesus, who looked on his mother, as he finished his redemptive work to save man from Satan.

In this sermon for my mother, and as a tribute to all good mothers, dead or alive, I am glad I can stand by the cross of Jesus, as he looked on his mother, as his life went out, to bring eternal life to those who would believe in his name to save them from sin. Even so come Lord Jesus, look on each one of us to day, that none of us perish in our sins against God, which took thy life, that we might live for God.

9th.,: We notice next, THE RELATIONSHIP GOD DESIRES TO ESTABLISH WITH US.

God so loved the world he sent his beloved Son (Jo. 3:16) to set up his Kingdom of Heaven in it. God desires the relationship of father and son, with every human being who will take his offer of eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ, Who says: "Whosoever shall do the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother (Mat. 12:50)." Blest relationship; to be as near and dear to God, in his kingdom on earth, like a brother, sister and mother; and so classified in the kingdom of God, and by the kingdom of Satan. This is one reason why the demons are so eager to cause any christian to commit any kind of sin.

10th.,: Lastly we notice: THE CHRISTIAN’S NATIVITY.

The christian’s first nativity was in sin (Ps. 51:5), but Christ came to give the right to be born again (Jo. 1:13), which gives him christian nativity. "The Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother." (Gal. 4:16) "Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God." "This one was born there. Yea of Zion it shall be said, This one and that one was born in her; and the Most High himself will establish her. Jehovah will count, when he writeth up the people, This one was born there."

Copyright © 2006 Brett W. Smith. All rights reserved.