The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-08-16
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINE'S SUM-
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Children's Rights"


that nhich hath proceeded out Of thy mouth. ~
Judges Hi., 36.
! Jephthah was freebooter. Early turned
out from q home where no ought to have
been cared for, he consorted with rough men
and went forth to earn his living rs best he
could. In those times it was considered
right for man to so out on Independent
military expeditions. Jephthah was a good
man according to the light OF his dark age
but through q wandering and predatory life
he became reckless and precipitate. The
grace of God changes q mans heart. but
never reverses his natural temperament
, The Israelites wanted the Ammonites
driven out of their country. 80 they sent
delegation to Jephthah, asking him to be-
come com.nande--in-chiefo Of all the forces.
He might have said, ''You drove me out
when you had no use for me, and now you
are in trouble you want me back, but he did
not say that. He takes command OF the
army, sends messengersto the Ammonites to
tell them to vacate the country, and getting
no favorable response marshals his troops
for battle.
Before going out TO the war Jephthah
makes a very solemn vow. that II the Lord
will give him the victory then on his return
home whatsoever first comes out OF his door
way he will offer in sacrifice as burnt Of
fering. The battle opens 1t was no skir-
mishing on the edges OF danger. no unltm-
bering Of batteries two miles away. but the
hurting Of men on the points OF swords and
spears until the ground could no more drink
the blood and the horses reared to leap over
the piles Of bodies Of tho slain. In those
old times opposing forces would fight until
their swords were broken, and then each one
would throttle his man until they both fell,
teeth to teeth. grip to grip, death stare to
death stare, until the plain was one tumbled
mass of corpses from which the last trace Of
manhood had been dashed out
Jephthah wins the day. Twelve cities lay
captured at his feet. Sound the victory all
through the mountains OF Gilead. Let the
trumpeters call 20 the survivors. Home
ward to your wives and children. Home
ward with your glittel>0g treasures. Home
ward to have the Applause OF an admiring
Nation. Build triunphal arches. Swing out
flags all over Mizpeh. Open all your doors
to receive the captured treasures Through
every hall spread the banquet. Pile up the
viands. Fill high the tankards. The Nation
is redeemed. the invaders are routed, and the
National honor is vindicated.
Huzza for Jephthah. the conqueror Jeph-
thah, seated on prancing steed, advances
amid acclaiming muititudes, but his eye is
not on the excited popu!ace. Remembering
that he had made a solemn VOW that, return
ing from victorious battle, whatsoever first
came out of the doorway Of his home, that
should he sacrifice as burnt offering, he
has his. anxious look upon the door. 1 Won
der what spotless lamb, what brace ofdoves,
will be thrown upon the fires oethe burnt
offering. Oh, horrors Paleness OF death
,bianches his cheek. Despair SEXES MS
heart. His daughter, his only child. rushes
out the doorway to throw herself in her
fathers arms and shower upon him more
kisses than there were wounds on his breast
or dents on his shield. All the triumphal
splendor vanishes. Holding back his child
from his heavins breast and pushing the
locks back from the fair brow and looking
into the eyes Of inextinguisaable -Tection,
with choGed utterance he says: Would
God I lay stark on the bloody plain. My
daughter, my only child, Joy Of my home,
life of my life, thou art the sacrihce~
The whole matter was explained to her.
This was no whining, hollow hearted girl
into whose eyes the father looked. All the
glory Of sword and shield vanished in tho
presence of the valor o. that girl. There
may have been tremor Of the lip as rose
leaftrembles in the sough Of the south wind
there may have been the starting OF i tear
like 4 raindrop shook from the anther OF a
water lily, but with self sacrifice that man
may not reach and only woman's heart can
compass she surrenders herself to fire end to
death. She cries out in the words OF my
text, ':My father, if thou hast opened thy
mouth unto the Lord, do unto me whatso-
ever hath proceeded from thy mouth"
She bows to the knife, and the blood which
80 often at the fathers voice had rushed to
the crimson cheek smokes in the fires OF the
burnt offering. No one can tell Us her name.
There is no need that we know her name.
The garlands that MEpeh twisted for
Jephthah, the warrior, had gone into the
dust. but all ages are twisting the girls
ohaplet. It is we'll that her name came not
to US, for no one can wear it. They may
take the name Of Deborah or Abigail or
Miriam, hut no one ir all the ages can have
the title Of this daughter Of sacrifice.
OF course this offering was not pleasing to
the Lord ;but before you hur, your denuncia-
tions at Jephthah's cruelty, remember that
in olden times, when VOWS were made. men
thought they must execute them, perform
them. whether they were wicked or good.
There were two wrong things about Jeph-
thah's VOW. First, he ought never to have
made it. Next having made it, it were better
broken than kept. But do not take on pre-
tentious airs and say, II could not have done
as Jephthah did" If to-dayyou we're stand
ing on the banks OF the Gsnges and you had
been born in India. you might have been
throwing your children to the crocodiles. 1t
is not because we aru naturally any better,
Now, make very practical use OF this
question when tell you that the sacrifice OF
Jephthah's daughter was type OF the physi-
cal, mental and spiritual sacrifice OF 10000
children in this day. There are parents sll
unwittingly bringing to bear upon their chill
dren q class OF influences which will as GER
tainly ruin them KS knife and torch destroyed
Jephthah's daughter. While l speak, the
whole Nation without emotion and without
shame looks upon the stupendous sacrifice.
In the first place, I remark that much OF
the system OF education in our day is 4 sys-
tenn OF sacrifice. When children spend six
or seven hours day in school. and then
must spend two or thres hours in prepara-
ton for school the next day, will you tell me
how much time they will have for sunshine
and fresh air and the obtaining Of that exu-
berance which is necessary for the duties OF
coming life!
No one can feel more thankful than do
for the advancement OF common school edu-
cation. The printing OF books appropriate
for schools, the multiplication OF philosoph-
icsl apparatus. the establishment OF normal
schools, which provide for our children teach
ers of largest caliber, arc themes on which
every philanthropist ought to be congratulat-
ed. But this herding Of great multitudes OF
children in ill ventilated school-rooms and
poorly equipped halls OF instruction is max
Ing many of the places OF knowledge IN tnls
country huge holocsusts.
Politics il many of the cities gets into ed
ucational affairs, and while the two political
parties are scrabbiins for the honors Jeph-
thsh's daughter perishes. 1t is 80 much 80
thst there are many schools in the country to-
day which are preparing tens Of thousands
!of invalid men and women for the future. 80
that In many places by the the time the
.childs education is finished the child is fin
ished In many places, in many cities ofthe
country, there are large appropriations for
Layarvthino else and cheerful apDroDriatiOnS