Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-02-10
,r1pHTHAH'S DAUGHTER.
r,,mage's Third Sermon to the
Women of America.

~, of His Observation-Disclosures Is an Act
'''' Solemn That to Break 1t Is an Ever
,,.tng Wrong.
or1yS. Jan. 22.-The Rev. 7. De
p. T,lnape, d. D., preached this morn
wiz, ,he third of his series of Sermons TO
lnS wv Women of America, with Important
the J.. 70 Men," His subject was Broken
1ll n,oses of Marriage, and his text from
Il9 1ltos Vi, 30: II have opened my mouth
u guu9 the Lord, and cannot go back" He
said: ,,.,,o,, tho commando, cb;of
~. un Israelitish forces. is bucklng on
OF wy word for the determination of :he
the .:farous Ammonites, and looking up to
ness Nv he promises that if God will give
the ri ,be victory he will put to death and
MN nr;s ; rs burnt Offering the first thing
s sac. nomes out from the door of his home-
ti h."d when he goes back. The hurrahing
Slew ~ .rumph soon runs along the line OF all
o. o., 'rcompanies, regiments, and divisions
III. u 1enhthah's army. A worse beaten
u Dnomy than those Ammonites never strewed
s snv nlain with their carcasses. Gen.
I 1aannbtbah, fresh from his victory, is now
or his way home. AS he comes over the
Oh, Oh -, and through the valleys the whole
march homeward for his men is cheer.
t hn,' for him great anxiety, for he remem-
p Sar his VOW to Stay and burn the first
. usr, that comes forth from his house to
l orsef him after his victory.
Perhaps it shall be the old watch dog
hot shall first come out, and who could
oat heart to beat out the life of faithful
ess,,nre like that as he comes fawning
and barking and frisking and putting up
h hn' naws against hi, master in merry well
come D,1 after long absence? No; it was not
tbat which came forth to meet Jephthah.
Perhaps it might be young dove let out
from its cage in the Generals home which,
Ginning its liberty, may seem to rejoice in
tbe public gladness and tlutter on the
shoulder of the familiar head of the
household. But who could have the heart
was not that which came forth to meet
Jephthah. Or it may be some good neigh
bor that will rush out to greet him after
having first been in to tell the family of
the near approach of the General. But
who could slay neighbor who had come
m the scene to rejoice over the reunited
household? No; it was not that which
came forth to meet Jephthah.
As he advances upon his home the door
onens and ont of it comes one whose APP
pearance under other circumstances would
have been an indescribable joy, but under
the pledge of sacrifice becomes horror
which b!anches his cheek and paralyzes
his form and almost hurls him flat to the
daughter comes skipping out to greet him,
her Step keeping time to a timbrel which
she shakes and smites. Did ever con-
oueror's cheer end in such bitter groan?
No wonder Dore, in two Nof his master-
pieces, presents the scene. And Handel
made it the last and climactric work of his
life to put this pathetic and overpowering
circumstance in an oratorio, seven mon his
toiling amid its majestic harmonies until
his eyesght gave out; and, as though the
sad scene of Jephthahs daughters sacri-
fee were too much for mortal vision, the
grand old musician was led blind into the
orchestra for the first rendering of
aJephthah." All the glories OF victorious
war are blotted out from Jephthahs MEM
ory, and his banner is folded in grief, and
his sword goes back into the scabbard with
dolorous clang, and the mutfled drum
takes the place of the symbals, 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
my mouth to the Lord, and 1 cannot go
back" During two months amid the
mountains without shelter, the maidens
who would have been at her wedding
ranged with Jephthah's daughter up and
down, bewailing her coming sacrifice.
Commentators and theologians are in
dispute Us to whether that girl was slain or
not, and as to whether if she were slain it
was right or wrong in Jephthah to be the
ezecutioner, discussion into which shall
not be diverted from the overmastoring
consideration that we had better look out
what we promise, better be cautious what
engagement we make, better that in regard
f to all matters of betrethal and plighted
vow we feel the responsibility, lest we have
+ either to sacrifice the truth or sacrifice
an immortal being, and We be led to cry
out with the paroxysm of q Jephthah: II
have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and
cannot go back"
There is one ward in almost all the in
sane asylums and large region in almost
every cemetery that you need to visit.
They are occupied by the men and women
who are the victims of broken promises of
marriage. The women in those wards,
ana IN those mortuary receptacles are in
her affections than does man, and lacera-
tlon OF them in her case is more apt to be
demenia and q fatality. In some re-
gions OF this land the promise of marriage
IS considered to have no solemnity or
binding force. 1t was only made in fur.
hey may change their mind. The Ell :
sasement may stand until some one more
attractive il person or opulent in estate
appears on the scene; then the rings are
returned and the amatory letters and all
relationship ceases. And so there are ten
thousand Jephthah's daughters sacrificed
as burnt offerings. The whole subject
needs to be taken out of the realm of COM
eay into tragedy, and men and women
need TO understand that, while there are
exceptions to the rule, once having SOL
e,mnly pledged to each other heart and
hahd, the forfeiture and abandonment of
mat pledge makes the transgressor in the
SIGHT of God periurer, and SO the day of
Judgment will reveal it. The one has lied
70 the other; and all liars shall have their
pace IN the lake that burneth with fire
and birthstone.
:, LA man or woman make promise in
.Ne business world, is there any obliga-
.ion to fulfill it? If a man sign note for
S:o0o, ought he to payit? If Il contract be
signed involving the building Of a house Or
u ,!e furnishing of bill of goods, ought
u1,ey stand by that contract ooh, yes, "
always answered. Then ask the further
questions: Is the heart, the happiness.
d tle welfare, the temporal and eternal
uestiny of man or woman worth as
. =. as the house, worth $500, worth any,
Jung! The realm of profiigacy is filled