The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1888-02-03
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Third Discourse of the Series to
the Women of America.
The "Brolten Promises of Exarrlage''-
The Two Sides of the ConJugal Re
1atiOn COnsidered-DivOrce = Last
Resort for Marital Woes.


For the subject Of. his third sermon Of
his series to the women Of America, Rev.
1. DeWitTalmage took the 'tBrol1en Prom
ises Of Marriage" his text being:
I have opened my mouth unto the Lord,
and can not 60 back.-Judges XII, IS.
He said: "General Jephthah, the com
mander-in-chief of the Israelitish forces,
is buckling the sword for the extermi-
nation 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 a burned Offering
the first thing that comes out from the
door of his homestead when he goes hack.
The hurrahfng of triumph soon runs along
the line Of the companies, regiments and
divisions of Jephtha's army. A worse
beaten enemy than those Ammonites
never strewed any plain with their car
casses. General Jephthah, fresh from his
victory, is now on his way home AS he
came over the hills and through the val
leYs the whole march homevvard for his
men is cheer, but for him great anx-
iety, for he remembers his VOW to slay
and burn the first thing that comes forth
from his house to greet him after his vic
tory.
Perhaps it may be the old Watchdog
that shall first come out, and who could
get heart to beat out the life of a faithful
creature like that as he comes fawnfng
and barking and frisking and putting up
his paw against his master in merry well
come after long Rbsence? No; it was not
that which came forth to meet Jephtbah,
Perhaps it may be a young dove let out
from its cage in the Generals home,
which, gaining it's liberty, may seem to
rejoice in the public gladness and Autter
on the shoulder of the familiar head of
~ H., H..
heart to siaY such a winged innocent?
No; it was not that which came forth to
meet Jophthah. Or it may be some good
neighbor that will rush out to meet him,
after having first been in to tell the fauli-
ly of the near approach of the General.
But who could slay n Ileighbor 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 app
pearance under other circumstances
would have been an indescribable Joy,
but under the pledge of a sacrifice be-
comes horror which blanches his cheek
and paralyzes his form and almost hurls
HIM fiat to the earth. His child, his only
child, his daughter, conncs Skipping out to
greet him, her step keeping time to a
timbrel which she shakes aud. smites. Did
ever conqderor's cheer end in such a
bitter groan? No wonder Dore, in two of
his mas sterpeces, presents the scene. And
Handel made it tho last and climacteric
1 work of his life to put the pathetic and
| overpowering circumstance in an oratorio,
| seven months toiIlng amid its majestic
| harmon les. 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-
| ries of vietori Gus war are blottsd out
| from Jephthah's memory, and his
/ banner is folded in grief, and
/ his sword goes back into the seabs
1 bard with dOlorous c.aug, and the
/ nufled drum takes the place of the Gym
4 balls, and thev "tremoo' the place of the
I trumpet, and be cries out: "Alas, my
! daughter, thou hast brought me very low,
and thou art one of them that trouble me !;
| for I have opened my mouth to the Lord,
and 1 can not go back.' During two
| months amid the mountains, without
/ shelter, the maidens who would have been
at the wedding ranged with Jephthah's
daughter up and down. bewailing her
coming sacrifice.
Commentators aud theologians are IN
dispute as to whether that girl was slain
| or not, and to whether, if she We're
/ slain, j t was right or wrong in Jeph thah
/ 20 Dc Gu0 eXeCuBlOne1t a ulSCusSlOn INTO
/ which I shall not be diverted from the
overmastering consideration that we had
| better look out what we promise, bett er
I be cautious whglb4 enlargement. we make,
| better that in regard to al matters of be=
| trothal and plghted VOW we feel the re-
| sponsibility least we have either to saeri-
! flee the truth or sacrifice an immortal
| being, and we be led TO cry out with the
| paroxysm of a Jephthah: Il have opened
| nv month uYfO tbn and can NOT
/ go back"
There is one ward ia almost all the i'm
sane asylums and a large region in al
! most every cemetery that you need to
visit. They are occupied by the men
and women who arc the victims of
broken promises of marriage. The
women in those wards and in those
mortuary receptacles are in the mai or ity,
because woman lives more in her affec-
tions than does man, and Iaceration of
them in her case is more apt to be Z
| dementia and fatality. In some regions
of this land the promise of marriage is
considered to have no solemnity or bind
ing force. 1t was only made in fun.
They may change their mind. The en-.
gagement may stand until some one
, more attractive in person or opulent in
estate appears on the scene; then the
rings are returned and tue amatorY let
4 ters and all relationship ceases. And
so there are ten The cusand Jeph-
thah's daughters sacrificed as burnt
. offerings The whole subject .lfeeda
to be taken out OF the realm
i Of comedy into tragedy, and rner
and women need to understand sthat
while there are exceptions to the rule
once having solemhfy pledged 70 eacl
ether, heart and hand, the for
feiture and abandonment Of ha
pledge makes the trans gressor, in tho
sight OF God, perjurer, aud so the day
| Of Judgment will reveal it. The one hat
lied to the other; and all liars shall hnv'
their place in that lake that burneth will
fire and birthstone.
If a man or women make a promise il
the business world, IS there any obliga
tion to fulfill it? II a man sign q nott
for five hundred dollars, ought he to paJ
itg If a contract DO signed involving th'
building of house or the furnishing of
bill Of goods, ought they stand by the
contFaet2 "0h, yes, +" always answered
Then 1 ask the further question: Is TIN
heart, the happiness. the welfare, tn
temporal aud eterual destiny OF a man o
woInaa worth as much as the house
worth five hundred dollars, worth nul
thing? The realm of prohigacy is fllet
, with men and women as resHlt Of tb
wrong answer to that question The mos
aggraxating, stupendous and God-defy
ing lie is lie ia the shape Of broker
eapousal
But suppose man changes his mind
ought he not back outf Not once in ter
thousand times. What IL / chan eed m-
mind about promissory note and de
clined 30 pay it, and suddenly pat ms
| property in such shape that you could no
collect your noteg How would Won lIk
. fEat2 That, you say, would be a fraud
So is the other n fraud, aud punish it GOl
viii, certainly as You live anil asst as Ger
taiaiy II you do not live. ! Save know
men betrothed toIoving and good woman
hood resiguing tAeir euSa semont, Rt',l ia
victim went down ID hasty consunp; 9u