The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-23
BROKEN ENGAGEMENTS.
REV. TALMAGE ON THE GRAVITY
OF PROMISES OF MARRIAGE.

Wards in Insane Asylums and Large
Plots in Cemeteries for the Victims
of Broken Troths-Once a Promise is
Made it Should be Kept at all Haz-
yards.
BROOKLYN, Jan. 22.-The Rev. T. De-
Witt Talmage, D. D., preached this morn
ing the third of his series Of Sermons to
the Women of America, with Important
Hints to Men, His subject was: Broken
! Promises of Marriage and his text from
Judges XII, 35: Il have opened my mouth
unto the Lord, and l cannot go back" He
said:
General Jephthah, the Commander
chief of the Israelitieth 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 a burnt offering the first thing
that comes out from the door of his home
stead when he goes back The hurrahing of
| triumph soon runs along the line of all the
companies, regiments and divisions of Jeph-
thah's army. A worse beaten army 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 home
ward for his men is cheer, but for him
| great anxiety, for he remembers his vow to
slay and burn the first thing that comes
forth from his house to greet him after his
victory.
| Perhaps it may be the old watch dog that
shall first come out, and who could get heart
to beat out the life of a faithful creature
| Ike that as he comes fawning and barking
and frisking and putting up his paw against
his master i'll merry welcome after long alb
sence No; it was not that which came
forth to meet Jephthah. Perhaps it may
be a 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 slay 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 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
on the scene 10 rejoice over the reunited
household No; it was no5 that which
came forth to meet Jephtbah.
AS he adVancss upon his home the door
"opens and out of it comes one whose appear
been an indescribable joy, but under the
pledge of a sacrifice becomes horror which
| blanches his cheek and paralyzes his form
and almost hurts him 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
i'll such bitter groan! No wonder Dore III
two of his masterpieces, presents the scene.
And Handel made it the last and climac-
teric work of his life to put this pathetic
and overpowering circumstance i'll an ora
toriO, seven months toiling amid its
majestic harmOnies until his eyesight gave
out, and, as though the sad scene
of Jephthah'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
into the scabbard with dolOrous clang, and
the mutfled drum takes the place of the
cymbals, 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 | cannot go back During two months
amid the mountains without shelter the
maidens who would have been at her wed
and down. bewailing her coming sacrifice.
Commentators and theoligians are in dis
pute as to whether. that girl was slain or
not, and as to whether if she were slain it
was right or wrong i'll Jephthah to be the
executioner, discussion into which shall
not be diverted from the overmastering
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 betrothal 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 Jephthah: II have
opened my mouth unto the Lord, and lean
not go back"
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 i'll those wards and i'll those
mortuary receptacles are in the majority
because woman lv$ more in her affection
| than does man, and laceratlon of them III
her case is more apt to be dementia
and a fatality. In some regions of this
land the promise of marriage is considered
to have no solemnity or binding force 1t
was only made in fun. They may change
their mind. The engagement may stand
until some one more attractive in person
| OF Opulellu III eSJhOc dptediS VII JlS SICilCs
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 Of
feriugs The whole subject NEEDS to be
taken out the realm of comedy into tragedy,
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 forfeiture and aban-
donment of that pledge makes the trans
gressor in the sight of God a 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 the lake that burneth
with fire and birthstone
If a man or woman make promise in the
business world, is there any obligation to
fulfill it, If man sign a note for five hun
dred dollars, ought he to pay its II con-
tract be signed involving the building Of a
house or the furnishing Of bill of goods.
ought they stand by that contract! "Oh,
yes,n always answered. Then l ask the
further question. Is the heart, the happi-
ness. the welfare, the temporal and eternal
destiny of a man or woman worth as much
as the house, worth five hundred dollars,
worth anythingl The realm of prohigacy
Is filled with men and women as a result of
the wrong answer to that question. The
most aggravating, stupendous and God
defying lie is lie in tue shape Of broken
espousal.