The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-02-03
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Third Discourse Of the Series 70
the Women Of America.


The ssBr0ken Promisas OF Marriage
The Two Sides OF the Conjugai Ks-
lstion Observation-Disclosures . Last
Resort for lIarit~l Woes.
For the subj set Of his third sermon OF
his series to the women Of America. Rev.
T. Dewitt Talmaze took the ''Isroken Prom
ises Of Marriage" his text being:
have opened my mouth unto the Lord.
and CON not 60 back.-Judges H, -
He said: General Jephthab, TIE com.
er.in-chief OF the lsraelitish forces,
Is buckling on the sword for the eA.ermi.
nation Of the pestiferous Ammonites, and
looking up to the sky be promises that il
God will give him the victory he will put
| to death and sacrifice rs q burned Offering
the first thing that comes out from the
| door Of his homestead when he goes back.
| The huIrahing Of triumph soon runs along
the line Of the companies, regiments and
divisions Of Jephtha's army. A worse
baaten 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
lows the whole march homeward for his
men is q cheer, but for him great anx-
iety, for he remembers his vow tS Stay
and burn tho first thing that comes forth
from his house to greet him after his vic
tory.
Perhaps it may be the old Watchdog
fiat shall first come out, and who could
get heart to beat out the life Of a faithful
creature like that rs he comes fawning
and barking and frisking and putting up
his paw against his master in merry well
como after long absence? No, 10 was not
that which came forth TO meet JephtEah.
Perhaps it may be q 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 The shoulder of the familiar head of
the household. But who could have the
heart to slav such a 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 slay 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 circumstances
would have been an indescribable Joy,
but under tbs pledge Of a sacrifice be-
comes a horror which hlanches his cheek
and raralyzss his form and almost hurls
HIM fat to the earth. His child, his only
child, his daughter, comes skipping ont to
greet him, her step keeping time to a
timbrel which she shakes and smtes. 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 toilng amid its majestic
harmonies until his eyesight gave out,
and, as though the sad scene Of Jeph.
thah's daughters sacrifice were too much
Cor 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 ia folded in grief, and
his sword Eoss back into the scab.
bard with dolorous clang, and the
mufded drum takes tho place Of the Gym.
balls, and the "tremol 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 I have opened my mouth to the Lord,
and 1 can not 60 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.
Common ators and theologians are In
dispute as to whether that girl was slain
or not and as to whether. il she were
slain, 1t was right or wrong in Jephtbah
to be tho executioner, discussion into
which shall not be diverted from the
commissioning 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 plighted VOW we feel the re-
spons:bility least We have either to sacri.
fec tho truth or sacrifice an immortal
being, and we bs led to cry out with the
paroxysm of Jephthah: Il have opened
my mouth unto tho Lord, and can not
go back"
There is ono 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 arc the victims Of
broken promises Of marriage. Tho
women In those wards and in those
mortuary receptacles are In the majority,
because woman lives more in her aifec-
tions than does man, and laceration of
them in her case Is more apt to be .
dementia and fatality. In some regions
of this land the promise of marriage Is
considered t., have no soiemnity or bind
ing force. It was only made In fun.
They may change their mind. The on.
xagement may stand until soma one
moro attractive In person or opu!ent In
estate appears on tho scene; then the
rings are returned and the amatcry let
tiers 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 TRAGEDY. and men
and women need to understand that,
while there are exceptions to the rule,
oncs having solemnly pledged to each
other, heart and hand, the for.
fixture and abandonmsnv Of that
pledge makes the transgressor, in the
sight of God. q 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 burnsth with
fire and birthstone.
II man or woman make q promise in
the business world, is there any ob!iga.
ton to fulfill it? II . man sign . note
for five hundred dollars, ought he to pay
it? II contract be signed involving tho
building Of house or the furnishing OF a
-; - n. hv~H Rat