The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-08-10
,CHILDREN'S RIGHTS.
OR. .TALMAGE ON A TOUR IN THE
WEST AND PREACHING AS HE GOES.

Daughter Contains Many Lessona nt
Warning to tho Rash aud SomsSusv.s-
BROOKLYN, July 30.-Rev. DR.. Tai
mage, who is now on his vacation tour
In the west has chosen for a topic Tor
this morning, "Childrcn's Rights" the
text being Judges xl, &c, "My father, If
thou hast opened thy mouth unto the
Lo q, do to me according to That which
hath proceeded out Of thy mouth"
Jephthah was n freebooter. Early
turned out from home where he ought
to have been cared for, he consorted
with rough men and went forth TO earn
his living as best he could. In those
times it was considered right for man
to 90 out on independent military ex-
petitions. Jephthah was 4 good man
according to the light OF his dark ace,
but through u wandering aud Il pcrdia-
tory life he became reckless and prt cip-
itate. The grace OF God changes Il
mans heart, but never lcvcrscs his
natural temperament.
The Isrcalitcs wan cd the A Ammunte.
driven out OF their country, 80 they sent
a delegation to Jcphthah, asking hm to
become commander in chief OF all the
forces. He might have said, "You
drove me out when you had no use for
me, and now y0u alc in trouble you
want me back" But he dld not say
that. lie takes command of the army
sends messengers TO The AmmOniLes to
tell them to vacate the country, and
getting no favorable response marshlIs
his troops for battle.
Before going out to the war .Jcph.
thah makes worry solemn VOW thai j.!
the Lord will give him the victory then
on MS return home whatsoever first
comes out OF his doorway he will oflcr
IN sacrifice as burnt offering. The
battle opens. IT was no skirmsliug
on the e''ges OF danger, no unlimhcring
OF batteries two miles away, but the
hurting OF men on the point of swords
and spears until the ground cOud no
more drink the blood, and the horses
reared to leap over the pile of bodies OF
the slain. In those old times Opposn.,
forces you'd fight until their swords
were broken, and then each ono would
throttle his man until both fell teeth lo
teeth, grip to grip, death stare to death
stare, until the PLAIN was one tumblcd
mass OF corpscs from which the las.
trace OF manhood had been dashed out.
Jephthah wins the day. Twenty ci
ties lay captured at his feet. Sound the
victory al! through the Mountains of (ii-
lead! Let the trumpcters call up thc
survivors! IlOmcward to vour wives
and children! Homeward with vG,.
gllttering treasures! IIomeward to have
the applause of an admrlng nation!
Build triumphal arches! Swim. ont
Tags all over MiZpeh! Open all your
doors TO receive the captured treasures!
Through every hall spread the banquet!
Pile up the viantls! Fill hiuh the tank
ards! The nation is redeemed, the in
vaders are routed, and the national
honor is vindicatcd!
Huzza for Jephthah, the conuuernr!
Jephthah, seated on pranclny atrcd,
advances amid ncclalming multilules,
but his eye is not on the excited popu-
lace. Remembering that he had made
solemn vow that, returning from vic.
torlous battle, whatsoever first came
out of the doorway OF his home, that
should be sacrificed as burnt offering,
he has his anxious look upon the door,
wonder what spOtlcss lamb, what
brace of doves will be thrown upon the
fires OF the burnt Offering. On, horrors!
Paleness of death blanchrs his cheek. |
Despair seizes his heart.
His daughter, his only child, rlshcs
out the doorway To throw herself in her
fathers arms and shower upon him
more kisses than there were wounds on
Nls breast or dents on his shield. All
ie triumphal splendor vunishcs. Hold
| .g back this child from his he lvnr
breast and pushing the locks back from
the talr brow and looking INTO the eyes
OF lneXtlnguishablc affection with |
choked utterancc, he says: "Woulh |
Goo lay stark on the bloody PLAN! |
My daughter. my only cmld, Joy OF my |
home, life of nv life, thou art the sarri- |
tice!,'
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 the presence of the
valor of that girl. There may have been
a tremor OF the lip as n rose leaf trcm-
bles in the sOugh OF the south wind.
There may have been the sLlrLin. OF a
tear like a raindrOp shook from the an
thcA VI WuLeI NY, DuI Win sell Satrl-
fice that man may not reach and only
Woman's heart can compass she surrcn.
ders herself TO fire and to death. She arise
Out IN the words of my text, my father,
II thou hast opened thy mouth unto the
Lord, DO unto me whatsoever hath pro.
ceedcd from thy mouth"
She bows to the knife, and the bl sod,
which 80 often at the fathers voice had
rushed to the srlmson check, smokes in
the fires of the burnt offering. No one
can tell us her name. There is no need
mat we know her name. The gariands
that MlzEeh twisted tor Jephthah the
warrior hat gone into the dust, but al!
ages are twisting this girls chaplet. 1t
ls well that her name came not to us, Tor
no one can wear it. They may take the
name OF Deborah Or Abigail or Miriam,
out no one in all the ages can have the
title OF this daughter OF sacrifice.
VI course this Offering was not pleas
ing TO the Lord, but before YOU hurl
your dennnciations at Jephthah's cruelty
remember that i'm Older timns whom