Sharp County record., 1888-02-16
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Third Discourse Of the Series to
the Women ~ America.
The nBrokau Promises Of Marriage =
The Two Sides OF the Conjugal ke-
lation CouSidered-DyOrcr a Last
Resort for Marital Woe

series 10 the " LL-A14 - -
T. Dewitt TaImage took the Broken Prom
isss Of Marriage" his text being:
7 have opened ny mouth unto the Lord,
and I can not 90 bacs.-Judges H, 35.
He said: general Jephthah, the COM
maudsr-In-chiet Of the lsraelitish forces,
IS buckIiug on the sword for the eItermi.
nation Of the pestiterous AmmOnItes, and
looking up to the sky be promises that II
God will give him the victory he will put
10 death and sacrifice as a burned Offering
the first thing that comes out from the
door OF his homestead when he goes back.
The hurrahing Of triumph soon runs along
the line Of the companies, regiments and
divisions Of Jephtha's army. 4 worse
beaten enemy than those AmmonIIes
never strewsi any plain with their car
cases. General Jephthah, fresh from his
victory, is now on his way home. As he
came over the hills and through the val
Ieys the whole march homeward for his
men is a cheer, but for him a great anL-
ietv, for he remembers his VOW to slay
and burn the first thing that comes forth
from his house 10 greet him after his VIC
tory.
PERHAPS il NAV be the old watchdog
that shall first come out, and who could
get heart to beat out the life of faithful
creature like that as he comes fawning
and barking and friskinZ and putting up
his raw against his master in merry well
come after long absence? No; IL wai not
that which came forth TO meet Jephthah.
Perhaps it may be young dove let out
from its cage in the Generals home,
which, gaining its liberty, may seem TO
rejoice in the public gIadne5s and hutter
on the shoulder Of the familiar head OF
the household. But who could have the
heart to slay such a winged innocent?
No; it was not that which came forth to
meet Jephthah. Or it may be some good
neighbor that will rush out to meet him,
after having first been in to tell the fami-
" Of the near approach of the General.
But who could slay q neighbOr who had
come on the scene to rejoice over the re-
united household? No; it was not that
which came forth to meet Jephthah.
As he advances upon his home the door
opens and out of it comes one whose ap-
pearance under other circumstances
would have been an indescribable joy,
but under the pledge Of a sacrifice be-
comes horror which blanche5 his cheek
and paralyzss his form and almost hurls
hum fat to the earth. His child, his only
child, his daughter, comes skipping out to
greet him, her step keeping time to
ttmbrel which she shakes and smites. Did
ever conqueror's cheer end in such a
bitter groan? No wonder Dore, in two of
his masterpieces, presents the scene. And
Handel made it the last and climacteric
work Of his life to put the pathetic and
overpowering circumstance in an oratorio,
.e7en months toillng amid its majestic
harmonies until his eyesight gave out,
and, as though the sad scene Of Jeph-
thah's daughters sacrifice were too much
for mortal vision, the grand old musician
was led blind into the orchestra for the
first rendering Of Jephthah. All the glo.
res Of Eictori Gus war are blotted out
from Jephthah's memory, and his
banner is folded in grief, and
his sword goes hack into the scab.
bard with dolorous c.aug, and the
HluLueu uE Jul bdkCs LLE pAaNC " LLAC ~ IL
balls, and the ''tremolo" the place of the
trumpet, and he cries out: ALAS, my
daughter, thou hast brought me very low,
and thou art one of them that trouble me
for have opened nv mouth to the Lord,
and I can not 90 back" During two
months amid tie mountains, without
shelter, the maidens who would have been
at the wedding ranged with Jephthah's
daughter up and down, bewaiIing her
coming sacrifice.
Commentators and theologians are in
dispute as to whether that girl was slain
or not, and as TO whether, If she were
slain, 1t was right or wrong in Jephthah
to be the executioner, discussion into
which I shall not be diverted from the
o7ermastering consideration that we had
better look out what we promise, better
be cautious what engagement we make,
better that in regard to all matters of be-
rothaI and plighted VOW we feel the re-
sponsibility least we have either to sacri-
fee the truth or sacrifice an immortal
being, and we be led to cry out with the
paro1ysm Of a Jephthah: Il have opened
my mouth unto the Lord, and 1 can not
90 back"
II a man or woman make a promise in
the business world, is there any obliga-
tion 10 fulfill it? II a man sign a not e
for five hundred dollars, ought he to pay
it? II a contract be signed involving the
building of house or the furnishing Of q
bill of goods, ought they stand by that
contract? "Oh, yes" always answered.
Then l ask the further question: Is the
heart, the happiness, the welfare, the
temporal and eternal destiny of a man or
woman worth as much as the house,
worth five hundred dollars worth any
thing' The realm Of proaigacy is filled
with men and women as a result Of the
wrong answer to that question. The most
aggravating, stupendous and GOd-defy-
ing lie is a lie in the shape Of broken
espousal.
But suppose a man changes his mind,
ought he not back out? Not once in ten
thousand times. What if l chang ged my
mind about promissory note and de-
clined to pay it, and suddenly put my
property in such shape that you could not
collect your note? How would you like
that? That, you say, would be a fraud.
So is the other fraud and punish it God
will, certainly as you live and just as GER
tainly if you do not live. l have known
men betrothed glowing and good woman
hood resigning their engagement and the
victim went down in hasty consumption,
while suddenly the recreant man would
90 UP the aisle of the church in brilliant
bridal party, and the two promised Il