West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-02-02
BROKEN VOWS.
DIR. TALMAGL'S SUNDAY SERMON.
Married Men Called 10 Account for
not Keeping Their Word OF Prom
Use nj the Altar.

General Jephthah. the commander-in-chief
OF the lsraelitiSh forces, Is buckling on the
sword for the determination of the pestifer-
GUS Ammonites, and looking. up to the sky
ne promises that il God will give him the
victory he viii put to death and sacrifice az
burnt 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 all the companies.
regiments and divisions of Jephthah's army.
worse beaten enemy than those Ammonites
never strewed any plain with their carcasses
General Jephthah, fresh from the victory Is
now ON his way home. AS he comes over the
NIL and through the valleys the whole march
homeward for his men is cheer, but for
nm greater anxiety, for he remembers his
VOW to STAY and burn the first thing that
comes forth from his house to greet him after
his victory.
Perhaps it shall be the old watch dog that
snail first come out, and who could get heart
TO beat out the life of n faithful creature like
tnat as he comes fawning and barking and
irsking and putting up his paw against his
master in merry welcome after long abscncei
NO; It was not that which came forth to meet
Jephthah. Perhaps it might be young
dove let out from its cage in the Generals
nome which, gaining its liberty, may sem to
rejoice IN the public gladness and fiut,or on
the shoulder of the familiar head of the
household. But who could have the
hcart to STAY such winged limo
cent? No; 1t was not that which came forth
70 meet Jephthah. Or it may be some
good neighbor that will rush out TO greet him
AFTER having first been jim TO tell the family of
the near approach of the General But who
could slay neighbor who had come on the
scene to rejoice over the reunited households
NO; it was not that which came forth to
meet Jephthah.
opens, and out of it comes one whose appear.
ance under other circumstances would have
been an Undesirable joy, but under the
pledge OF a sacrifice becomes horror which
Tlf lasac .I..a IL.
and almost hulls him fiat to the earth His
chill, his only child his daughter. comes skip
ping out to greet him, her step keeping time
20 timbrel which she shakes and smites
Dld ever conqueror's cheer end in such n
bitter groan. No wonder bore in two of
his masterpieces presents the scene. And Han
del made it the last and climacteric work of
ms life to put this pathetic and oyerpowering
circumstance in an oratorio, seven months
toiling amid its majestic harmones until his
eycsight gave out; and, as though the sad
scene of Jephthah's daughters sacrifice were
Goo much for mortal vision, the grand old
musician was led blind into the orchestra for
the first rendering of "Jephthah.n All the
giories OF victorious war are blotted out from
Jephthahs memory, and his banner is folded
In grief, and his sword goes hack into the
scaooard with dolorous clang, and the NUT
He'd drum takes the place of the Gym
balls, and the "tremolo the place
or the trumpet, and he cries out: "Alasl
my daughter, thou hast brought me
very low, and thou art one of them that
trouble me; for / have opened my mouth to
the Lord, and / cannot go back During
Two months amid the mountains without
shelter, the maidens who would have been at
her wedding ranged with Jephthahs daugh-
ter up and down, bewalling her coming sac
rifice.
Commentators and theologians are i'm dis
pute as to whether that girl was slain or not
and as TO whether IL she were slain it was
right or wrong in Jephthah to be the execu-
toner, question into which shall not be
diverted from the overmastering considc1.a-
ton that we Fad better look out what we
promise, better be cautions what engagement
we make, better that in regard To all mat.
tiers of betrothal and plighted vow we feel
tne responsibility, lest we have either to sac
rifice the truth or sacrifice an immortal
being, and we be led to cry out with the
paroxysm of Jephthah: IT have opened
my mouth unto the Lord and cannot 90
back o.
There is one ward in almost all the insane
asylums and large region in almost every
cemetery that You need to visit They ara
occupied by the men and women who are the
victims OF broken promises of marriage The
women in those wards and in those mortuary
receptacles are in the majority because
woman lives more in her affections than does
man, and hceration of them in her case is
more apt to be dementia and fatality in
some regions Of this land the promise of mar.
rage Is considered to have no solemuity or
mplndlng force. IL was only made in fun.
Ihey may change their mind. The engage
ment may stand until some ono more attrac-
i've IN person or opulent in estate appears on
the scene; then the rings are returned and
the aInatory letters and all relationship
ceases. And so there are ten thousand Jeph-
thah's daughters sacrificed as burnt offerings
Inc whole subject needs to be taken out OF
the realm of comedy into tragedy. and men
ana women need To understand that while
there are exceptions to the rule, once having
solemnly pledged to each other heart and
hand, the forfeiture and abandonment of
that pledge makes the transgressor i'm the
sight OF Sod perjurer, and so the day of
Judgment VIII reveal ii. The one has lied 20
the other; and all liars shall have their place
In the lake that burneth with fire AMI brim
stone.
III man or woman make promise i'm the
business world, is there any obligation TO
fulfill III III a man sign a note for five hmm.
dred dollars, ought he TO pay III III a con
tract be signed involving the building of a
house or the furnishing Of bill OF goods
ought they stand by that eontractl sob
yes, all will answer. Then / ask the
further questions: Is the heart, the happi.
ness. the welfare, the temporal and eternal
destiny OF man or woman worth rs much
as the house, worth five hundred dollars,
worth anythingi The realm Of prOaigacv
Is filed with men and women as a result Of
the wrong answer 60 that question The
most aggrayatiug, stupendous and God de.
Tying lie Is lie in the shape Of broken
espousal.
But suppose a man changes his mini
ought be not back ostl Perhaps here ami
there may be case. but not once i'm ton
thousand times. What IL / change my mind
about a promissOry note and decline 10 paw
II, and suddenly put my property in such
shape that you could not collect your motel
How would you like thati That. you saw.
weuld be fraud SO Is the other a frand'
and punish it God will, certainly as you live
ana Just a. certainly IL YOU do not live /
nave known men bctrothed TO loving and
good womanhoo1 rcsigning their engagement
and the victim went down I'M hasty Consume
ton, while suddenly tho recreant man womb
60 up the aisle Of a chnrch in brilliant bridal
party, and the two promised 81 wilIr with n
solemnity that seemed Insurance. OF a lifetime
happiness. But the simple fact was. that
was the first act Of a Shakespearean drama en-
titled, Tanning the Shrewn He found out
when too late that be bod not married int
the family Of the 'Graces' but into the Fam
Iiy OF the 'Buries To the day Of his death
The murder Of his first betroihal followed
him.
The Bible extols ono who "swe,refb 20 hi.
own hurt and changcth not That Is. when
you make promiso keep 10 at all hazards
There may De cases where decertiOn has boof,
used at the time Of engagement aud extrsor.
binary circumstance whore the rroruiss {,
not binding, but in nine hundred and niuet,
nine cases out Of n thousand engagement is
as binding as marriage. Robert Burns with
al ms faults well knew the force Of MARTA
engagement In obedience % some Rustic
idea he, Standing on ono side Of tho brooL
AYR and Mrrw fgrunF.rIf a., ftt1 Sst..