The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-02
AT VI. pAUL.s.


AT VT.
The sermon ON t1s Woman We Delight tn
Honor.
Rev. Mr.. Rollins took his sermon last
evening from Judges II, 81. The book Of
Judges Govsrsa very stormy period Of Israel
itsish history. National Affairs wsrs in q
very unsatisfactory condition, men were de-
v0urcd OF seIAshness and selfshnesg Ii the
parent Of cowardice. The selfish man Is a.
ways = weskling. The Ammonites, who
lived across the Jordan from the Israelites,
declared war against tho latter. Thu Israel
ties look about them for q leader, but none
can be found. In their emergency they
think Of ono whom'they had most shame
fully Notwithstanding him and COM
pelling him to live in exile-aii for q misfor-
tune for which he was in no manner re-
sponsible. Jephtha, for such was his name,
fed TO the confines OF Arabia, and soon drew
around him "A number of men and then
became a formidable enemy to the sur
rounding countries. They lived by plum.
dering weaker people. The morality of
that age did not consider il u crime to
seize the roperty OF pnbiic or private enc
mics. Jephtha Was still 3 good man. He
feared God, be loved his country; hence
never once did he think of retaliation. lie
had one only child, n daughter of rare ex-
celiencies of mind and heart, who was tho
idol OF her father, the light and Joy Of his
life. Thus lived the brave freebooter until.
like Cincinnatus. he WAS to the
salvation of his country. After his condi-
lions we're accepted by the depntation who
waited upon him, Jephtha goes forth mt the
head of those persons who a few years ago
had thrust him into exile. Bee Rome ban.
.rtas -. l-A .I-- ~. $1,000 k.-L
to sack the city they send a deputatiOn Of
women, lead by the venerable mother of
the exile. to implore his mercy. And it WAS
not until he cav the agony Of his aged
mother that he would consent to change
his purpose, and as he abandoned his pro-
iect he cried, "Mother, you have saved
Rome, bnt you have lost your son. and so
went forth into exile. THUS it was with
JeGhthM.
make n VOW to God. viz: II thou without
fail deliver the children Of Ammon into my
hands then it shall be that whatever cometh
forth of the doors of my house to meet me
when I return in peace from the children of
AmInon shall surely be the Lords,
will offer it up for q burnt Offering. AM
mon is discounted n subdued. Jephtha
is crowned victor and hastes from the bat
tie field to make known the glad tidings to
his daughtsr-wondering the while what
his vow might cost him. His daughter,
who had been eagerly watching his return,
seeing him in the distance rum to meet
MIN. A great grief comes into the life OF
this brave man as he thinks OF what his
vow involves.
1t is generally believed that Jephtha did
sacrifice his daughter, taking her life and
placing her body upon the sacrificial altar.
But from this view Mr.. Rollins
emphatically dissents for what appears to
him to bs good and sufficient
reasons. The text will bear a different rem
dition. Every tyro in Hebrew knows that
the word and in the last clause Of the
vow may be rendered or The gist of
Jephtha's VOW was this: Whatever comes
forth from my possessions first to meet me,
if it be a member Of my family, she shall
be- the Lords, to go into the tabernacle of
the Lord for ever-if it be a beast OF the
n burnt Offering. His beautiful daughter
was to 90 into the house of Jehovah and re-
main in perpetual celibacy. This was a
great calamity, especially when we u
that it was one Of the most distressing
thoughts to an Israelitisa maiden to be
shut out from the hope of becoming a
mother in Israel and possibly the mother Of
the Redeemer of the world.
Yet when her father makes known his
vow and what it implied she flnches not,
but tells Ter father to do as he had prom
ised the Lord. And after bewsiling her
VIrGlnlLy IOr Two mOutnb SIG goes llto Inc
tabernacle of Jehovah for the rest of her
life. This young woman concentrates in her
life some Of the noblest of the virtues and
as such she is a model for the young
OF all ages.
What q rebuke this noble grief is to many
of the young women of our age, who think
tina life is to eat and drink, to laugh and
play. and one without having lone one self
sacrificing act. Let the young women of
this city but give the time. and money and
vigor to the helping Of their fallen sisters,
that they give to balls and parties. and
what an elysium it would become in the next
decade, and until this is done the miIleni-
um will never come. For so long as woman
is devoted to fashion, weak and frivolous
man will be goddess, unchaste, unfeeling.
No work, young ladies. will bring such
blessings to humanity, such blessing in
consciousness, as devoted work for Jesus,
tho worlds redeemer.