The Nicodemus cyclone. [volume] (Nicodemus, Graham County, Kan.) 1887-1888, 1888-01-27
SACRED PLEDGES.
DIR, TALMAGE ON BETRoTHAL VOWS.
The Promise Of Marriage as
Strong as the Formal Ties.

~ 6rOKen-No Excuse for Mistakes Except
in Grave Instanoes-The Promise to Wed
OF the Gravest Importance in All Christian
Circles-F1irts of Both Sexes Given a Scor-
ing-Divorce the Last Resort for Release
Patience Able to Work Wonders
Special TO the Kansas city Times
BROOKLYN, N. Y, Jan. 22-The Rev. T. De
Witt Talmage, D. D., preached this morning
the third of his series Of Sermons to the
Women of America, With Important Hints tC
Men" His subject was: Broken Promises
OF Marriage" and his text from Judges XII
%: Il have opened my mouth unto the Lord
and can not go back" He saids
General Jephthah, the commander-in-chiei
OF the Israelitlsh forces is buckling on the
sword for the determination of the pestiferous
Ammonites, and looking up to the sky he
promises that If God will give him the victory
he will put to death and sacrifice as 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 divis-
ions OF Jephthah's army A worse beaten
enemy than those Ammonites never strewed
any plain with their carcasses. General
Jephthah, fresh from his victory, is now on
his way home. AS he comes over the hills
and through the valleys the whole march
homeward for his men is cheer, but for him
great 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
JEPHTHAH's GREAT TRIAL.
Perhaps it may be the old watch dog 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
trlsking and putting up his paw against his
master In merry welcome after long absence?
No, it was not that which came forth to meet
Jephthah
'erhaps 1t may be young dove let out from
It's cage in the generals home which, gaining
its liberty, may seem to rejoice in the public
gladness and 1utter on the shoulder of the
familiar head of the household But who
could have the heart to Stay such winged
innocentt No, it was not that which came
forth to meet Jephthah. Or it may be some
good neighbOr 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 slav neghbOr who had come on the
scene to rejoice over the reunited household?
NO, 1t was not that which came forth to meet
Jephthah. As he advances upon his home the
door opens and out of 1t comes one whose an
pearance under other circumstances would
have been an indescribable joy, but under the
pledge OF sacrifice becomes a horror which
blanches his cheek and paralyZes his form
and almost hurls him fat to the earth. His
child, his only child his daughter, comes
skipping out to greet him, her step keeping
time to timbrel which she shakes and smites.
DID ever conquerOr's cheer end in such a
bitter groans
AN AWFUL SACRIFICE.
NO wonder Dore, in two of his masterpieces,
1E14 l,or
last and cllmacterc work of his life to put
this pathetic and overpOwering circumstance
In an oratorio, seven months toiling amid it's
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 glories of victorious war are blotted
out from Jephthah's memory, and his banner
is folded in grief, and his sword goes back in
to the scabbard with dolorous clang, and the
mutt1ed drum takes the place of the cymbals,
and the ''tremolo" the place of the trumphet,
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 l can not 90 back"
During two months amid the mountains with
out shelter the maidens who would have been
at her wedding ranged with Jephthah's
daughter up and down, bewailing her coming
sacrifice.
Commentators and theologiaus are in dis
pute as to whether that girl was slain or not
ana as to whether II she were slain, it was
right or wrong in Jepthah to be the execu-
TONER, discussion into which | shall not be
diverted from the Overmastering consdera-
ton that we had better look out what we
promise, better be cautious what engagement
we make, better that in regard to all matters
or betrothal and plighted VOW we feel the re-
sponsIblity, lest we have either to sacrifice the
truth or sacrifice an immortal being, and we
De led to cry out with the paroXism of Jep-
thai: II have opened my mouth unto the
Lord, and can not go back"
BROKEN MARRIAGE PROMISES.
There is one ward in almost all the insane
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 III those wards and in those mOrtuarv
receptacles are in the ma jority because woman
lives more in her affection than does man, and
larceratlon of them in her case is more apt to
be dementia and a fatality. In some re-
gions OF this land the promise Of marriage Is
considered to have no soemnity or binding
force. 1t was only made In fun. They may
change their mind. The engagement may
stand until some one more attractive in per-
son or Opulent in estate appears on the scene:
then rings are returned and the amatory let
tiers and all relationship ceases. Aud so
feed as burnt offerings The whole subject
needs to be taken out of the realm of comedy
into tragedy, and men and woman need to un-
derstand that, while there are exceptions TO
the rule, once having solemnlv pledged to
each other heart and hand, the forfeiture and
abandonment of that pledge makes the trans
gressor in the sight OF God perjurer, and so
the day of judgment will reveal it. The one
has lied to the other; and all liars shall have
their place on the lake that burneth with fire
and birthstone. If man or woman make a
promise in the business world is there any
obligation to fulfill it, If man sign note
for $500, ought he to pay itl If q contract be
signed involving the building of a house or the
furnishing of bill of goods, ought they stand
by that contracts 20. yes" ALWAYS answered.
Then / ask the further question: Is the heart,
the happiness, the welfare, the temporal and
eternal destiny of man or woman worth as
much as the house, worth $500, worth any
thingl
KEEPING PLEDGES SACRED.
The realm of prohigacy is filled with
men and women as result of
a wrong answer to that question
The most aggrayating stupendous and God
defying lie is a lie in the shape of broken es-
pousal. But suppose a mau changes his mind
ought he not back out! Not once in ten thou
sand times. What If | change my mind about
n promissOry note and decline to pay it. and
Il