Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1888-02-02
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Third Discourse of the Series to
the Women of America.
The "BrOkcn Promises OF MARRIAGE
The Two Sides of the Conjugal Re-
latiOn COnsidered-Divorce y Last
Resort for Marital Woes.

For the subject Of his third sermon OF
his series to the women OF america. Rev
L. Dewitt Talmage took the "Rroken Prom
Uses OF Marriage" his text being:
have opened my mouth unto the Lord
and L can not go back.-Judges XII, q.
he said: "General Jephthab, tie com
maDder-in-chief of the Israelitish forces
is buckling on the sword for the eAtermi.
nation of the pcstifsrous Ammonites, and
looking up to the sky he promises that il
God will give him the victory he will put
to death and sacrifice as 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. A worse
teaten enemy than those Ammonites
never strewed 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.
levs the whole march homeward for his
men is a cheer, but for him a great anx.
iety, for he remembers his VOW To- slay
and burn the first thing that comes fort
from his house to greet him after his vic.
cory.
Perhaps il may be the old watch dog
tnat 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 frisking and putting up
his PAW against his master in merry vel.
come after long absencee No; il was 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 gladness and futter
on tho shoulder of the familiar head of
the household. But who could have the
heart TO slay such 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.
ly of the near approach of the General.
But who could STAY a 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 circumsta noes
would have been an indescribable Joy,
but under the pledge Of sacrifice be.
comes a horror which tlanches his cheek
and paralysis his form and almost hurIs
hum fiat to the earth. His child, his only
child, his daughter, comes skipping out to
greet him, her step keeping time to a
timbrel 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,
seven months toilIng 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.
ries of victori Gus war are blotted out
from Jephthah's memory, and his
banner is folded in grief, and
his sword goes back into the scab-
bard with dolorous clang, and the
muffled drum takes the place of the Gym.
balls, and the "tremoIo" 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 l have opened my mouth to the Lord,
and L can not go 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, bewailing 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
cto, = .ivlk - L
to be the executioner, discussion in 10
which L shall not be diverted from the
c -ermastering 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-
trothal and plghted VOW we feel the re-
sponsibility least we have either to sacri-
flee the truth or sacrifice an immortal
being, and we be led to cry out with the
paroxysm of Jephthah: Il have opened
my mouth unto the Lord, and can not
60 back"
There is one ward in almost all the in.
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 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 affec.
tions than does man, and lacerstion of
them in her case is more apt to be
dementia and fatality. In some regions
of this land tb, 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 i'm person or opulent in
estate appears on the scene; then the
rings are returned and the amatory let
ters and all relationship ceases. And
SO there are ten thousand Jeph.
thah's daughters sacrificed as burnt
offerings. The whole subject needs
to be taken out of the realm
of comedy into traged,, and men
and women need to understand that,
while there are exceptions to the rule,
once having solemnly pledged to each
other, heart and hand, the for
FIXTURE and abandonment Of that
pledge makes the transgressor, 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 in that lake that burneth with
fire aud brimstone.
If a man or woman make a promise in
the business world, is there any obliga.
tion to fulfill it! If man sign a note
for five hundred dollars, ought he to pay
it? If a contract be signed involving the
building of house or the furnishing of a
bill of goods, ought they stand by that
contract: "Oh, 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 five hundred dollars, worth any
thing? The realm of profigacy is filed
with men and women as q result of the