The Brookhaven leader., 1888-02-02
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Third Discourse of the Series to
the Women of America.
fhe "Broken Promises OF Mar1Iags'-
The Two Sides of the ConJugal lie.
Iation Considered-Divorce n Last
Resort for Marital Woes

For the subject Of his third sermon Of
his series to the women Of America Rev.
1. Dewitt Ealmage took the "Broksn Prom
ises OF Marriage" his text being;
I have opened my mouth unto the Lord.
and can not go back.-Judges II, @
BE said; General Jephthah, the com
mander -in-chief of the Israelitish forces,
is buckling on the sword for the extermi-
nation of the pestiferous Ammonites, and
looking up TO the sky he promises that II
God will give him the victory he will put
to death and sacrifice as q 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
beaten 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 cheer, but for him a great anx-
ietv, 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 NAV be the old h-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 frisking and putting up
his paw against his master in merry wei.
come after long absencsf 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 slav such a winged innocenti
No; ii was not that which came forth to
meet Jephthah. Or l. may be some good
neighbor that will rush out to meet him,
after having first been in to tell the fami-
iy of the near approach of the General
Bet who could slay 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 ii comes one whose APP
pearance under other circumstances
would have been an indescribahle 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, comes skipping out to
greet him, her step keeping time to a
timbrel which she shakes and smjtes. Did
ever a 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
uverpowerin- 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 Clio.
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
muffied drum takes the place of the GYM
balls, and the "tremolo" the place of the
trumpet, and he cries out: CALAIS, 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 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
slain, it was right or wrong in 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, bett or
be cautious what engagement we make,
better that in regard to al matters of be-
trothal and plighted vow we feel the re-
sponsbility least we have either to sacr-
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 1 can not
go 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
md women who are the victims of
broken promises of marriage. The
women in those wards and in those
mortuary receptacles are in the mai GRITTY,
because woman lives more in her affec.
tions than does man, and laceration OF
them il her case is more apt to be q
de9nentia 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 the amatory let
tiers and all relationship ceases. Ant
so there are ten thousand Jeph-
thah's daughters sacrificed as burnt
offerings. The whole subject need,
to be taken out of the realm
of comedy into tragedy, and mer
and women need to understand that
while there are exceptions to the rule
once having solemnly pledged to eacl
other, heart and hand, the for
FIXTURE and abandonment of tina
pledge makes the transgressor, in tn
of judgment will reveal it. The one ha
lied to the other; and all liars shall hav
their place in that lake that burneth will
hre and birthstone.
If man or woman make a promise il
the business world, is there any obliga
tion to fulfill it? If a man sign a not
for five hundred dollars, ought he to pa,
its If a contract be signed involving tn
building of house or the furnishing of
bill of goods, ought they stand by tina
contract? "Oh, yes" always answered
Then ask the further question: Is tn
heart, the happiness, the welfare, tn
temporal and eternal destiny of man o
oh hA