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True Love at Home
369
comfort, is appreciated and returned. Seek her opinion and approval
in whatever you engage in. Respect her judgment. Do not feel that
you know all that is worth knowing.
A house with love in it, where love is expressed in words and
looks and deeds, is a place where angels love to manifest their
presence, and hallow the scene by rays of light from glory. There
the humble household duties have a charm in them. None of life’s
duties will be unpleasant to your wife under such circumstances.
She will perform them with cheerfulness of spirit and will be like
a sunbeam to all around her, and she will be making melody in her
heart to the Lord. At present she feels that she has not your heart’s
affections. You have given her occasion to feel thus. You perform
the necessary duties devolving upon you as head of the family, but
there is a lack. There is a serious lack of love’s precious influence
which leads to kindly attentions. Love should be seen in the looks
and manners, and heard in the tones of the voice.
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Your wife does not venture to open her heart to you; for as soon
as she utters a sentiment differing from you, you repel it. You talk
so strong that she has no courage to say another word. You are
not one in heart. You take a position above her and maintain a
bearing as though her judgment and opinion were of no account.
You consider your spiritual attainments far in advance of hers. My
brother, you do not know yourself. God looks at the heart, not at the
words or profession. The externals do not weigh with God as with
men. A humble heart and a contrite spirit God values. Our Saviour
is acquainted with the life conflicts of every soul. He judgeth not
according to appearances, but righteously.
Your spirit is strong. When you take a position you do not
weigh the matter well and consider what must be the effect of your
maintaining your views and in an independent manner weaving them
into your prayers and conversation, when you know that your wife
does not hold the same views that you do. Instead of respecting the
feelings of your wife, and kindly avoiding, as a gentleman would,
those subjects upon which you know you differ, you have been
forward to dwell upon objectionable points, and have manifested a
persistency in expressing your views regardless of any around you.
You have felt that others had no right to see matters differently from
yourself. These fruits do not grow upon the Christian tree.