The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-02-08
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S sun
DAY SERMON.
Subject: Broken Promises of Mar
riaSe"


Lord, and cannot 90 back. Judges XII, 35
General Jephthah. the commandments
of the Israelitish forces, IL bucklng on the
sword for the determination OF the pestifer
GUS Amnonites, and looking up to the sky
he promises that if God will give him the
victory he will put to death and sacrifice as
q burnt 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 all the companies,
regiments and divisions of Jcphthah's army.
A worse beaten enemy than those Ammonltcs
never strewed any plain with their carcaSses.
General Jephthah, fresh from the victory, Is
now on his way home As he comes over the
bill and through the valleys the whole march
homeward for his men is cheer. but Tor
him greater anxiety, for he remembers his
VOW to slay and burn the first thing that
comes forth from his house to greet him after
Perhaps it shall be the old watch dog that
shall first come out, and who could get hearC
to beat out the life of a faithful creature like
that as he comes fawning and barking and
friSking and putting up his paw against ms
master in merry welcome after long absencet
No: it was not that which came forth to meet
Jephthah. Perhaps it might 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 f1utter on
the shoulder Of the familiar head OF the
household. But who could have the
heart to slay such a winged inno-
cent? No; it was not that which came forth
to meet Jephthah. Or it may be some
good neighbor that will rush cut to greet him
after having first been in to tell the family of
the near approach of the General. But who
could slay a neighbor who had come on the
scene to rejoice over the reunited households
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 appear
Ance under other circumstances would have
been an indescribable joy, but under tho
pledge Of sacrifice becomes horror which
blanches his cheek and paralyzrs his form
and almost hurls him flat to the earth. His
child, his only child, his daughter, comes skip
ping out to greet him, her step keeping time
to timbrel which she shakes and smtcs.
Did ever conqueror'S cheer end In such
bitter groanl No wonder Dore in two OF
his masterpieces presents the scene. And Han
del made it the last and cimacteric work OF
his life to put this pathetic and overpowe.ing
circumstance in an oratorio, seven months
toiling amid its majestic harmonies until hls
eyesight gave out; and, as though the sad
scene of Jephthahs daughters sacrifice were
too much for mortal vision, the grand old
musician was led blind into the orchestra for
the first rendering Of "Jephthah.n All the
glories Of victorious war ase biottcd out from
Jephthah's memory, and his banner is fol,led
IN grief, and his sword goes hack into the
Scabbard with dolorouS clang, and the NUT
fed drum takes the place OF the GYM
balls, 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 l cannot 90 back" During
two months amid the mountains without
shelter, the maidens who would have been at
her wedding ranged with Jephthah's daugh-
ter up and down, bewalling her coming sac
riice
Commentators and theologians are in dis
pute as to whether that girl was slain or not,
and as to whether If she were slain it was
toner, question into which l shall not be
diverted from the overmastering considera-
ton that we rad better look out what we
promise, better be cautions what engagement
we make, better that in regard to all mat
ters of betrothal and plighted VOW we feel
the responsibility, lest we have either to sac.
fiflce the truth or sacrifice an immortal
paroxysm of a Jephthah: II have opened
my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot 80
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
vfctimsot broken promises Of marriage. The
women in those wards and in those mortuary
receptacles are in the majority, because
woman lives more in her affections than does
man, and laceration Of them in her case is
more apt to be dementia and a fatality. In
some regions Of this and the promise Of mar
riage Is considered to have no solemnity or
binding force. 1t was only made in fun.
They may change their mind. The engage
ment may stand until some one more attrac-
tive in person or opulent in estate appears on
the scene: then the rings are returned and
the amatory letters 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, once having
solemnly pledged to each other heart and
hand, the forfeiture and abandonment Of
that pledge makes the transgressor in the
sight of Sod 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 brim-
stone.
business world, is there any obligation to
LASsS
dred dollars, ought he to pay it: If con-
tract be signed involving the building Of
house or the furnishing of bill of goods,
ought they stand by that contracta ooh,
yes" all will answer. Then / ask the
further questions: Is the heart, the happi-
ness. the welfare, the temporal and eternal
destiny Of man or woman worth as much
as the house, worth five hundred dollars,
worth anything! The realm Of profigacy
Is filed with men and women as a result Of
the wrong answer to that question. The
most aggravating, stupendous and God de-
tying lie Is Lie in the shape of broken
espousal
But suppose man changes his mind,
ought he not back out. Perhaps here and
there may. be case. but not once IN ten
thousand times. What if change my mind
about q promissory note and decline to pay
1t, and suddenly put my property in such
shape that you could not collect your notel
How would you like thatl That, you say,
weuld be fraud So is the other a frand,
and punish it God will, certainly as you live
and just as certainly if you do not live. |
have known men betrothed to loving and
good womanhood resigning their engagement
and the victim went down in hasty conSump.
tion, while suddenly the recreant man would
90 up the aisle Of q chnrch in q brilliant bridal
party, and the two promised II will' with q
solemnity that seemed insurance OF lifetime
happiness. But tho simple fact was, that
was the first act Of Shakespearean drama Ell
titled. "Taming the Shyew." He found out
when too late that he had not married into
the family of the "Graces' but into the fam
ily Of the "Furies" To the day Of his death
the murder Of his first betrothal followed
him.
The Bible extols one who ''sweareth to his
own hurt and changeth not" That is, when
you make promise keep it ut all hazatda
There may be cases where deception has been
used at the time of engagement, and eStraor-
binary circumstances where the promise IS
not binding, but in nine hundred and ninety