Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-08-11
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S sun
DAY SERMON.
Subject: s'Children's Rights"

TEXT: "1fy father, if thou hast opened ny
mouth unto the Lord do TO me according to
that ,chich hath proceeded ont Of thy mouth"
Judges XII, IS.
Jephthah was a freebooter. Early turned
out from a 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 go out on independent
military expeditions. Jephthah was a good
man according to the light of his dark age,
but through n wandering and predatory life
he became reckless and precipftate. The
grace Of God changes r mans heart. but
never reverses his natural temperament.
The Israelites wanted the Amnonites
driven out of their country, 80 they sent a
delegation 70 Jephthah, asking him to be-
come commander-in-chief 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 messengers to the Ammonites to
tell them to yacate the country and getting
no favorable response marshals his troops
for battle.
Before going out to the war Jephthah
makes very solemn vow that if 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 a burnt Of
fering The battle opens. II was no Skin
mshng on the edges of danger. no unlim-
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 the 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 up the survivors. Home
ward to your wives and children. Home
ward with your glittering treasures. Home
ward to have the applause of an admlring
Nation. Build triumphal 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 indicated
Huzza for Jephthah, the cOnqueror! Jeph-
thah, seated on a prancing steed, advances
amid acclaiming muLtitudes, but his eye is
not on the excited pOpulace. 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 a burnt Offering, he
has his anxious look upon the door. [ Won
der what spOtleSs lamb, what brace of doves,
will be thrown upon the fires of the burnt
Offering. Oh, horrors Paleness of death
blanches his cheek. Despair seizes his
heart. His daughter, his only child. rushes
out the doorway to throw herself in her
fathers arms and shower upon him moro
kisses than there were wounds on his breast
dents on his shield All the triumphal
spIendor vanishes. Holding back his child
from his heaving breast and pushing the
locks back from the fair brow and looking
into the eyes OF ineXtinguishable affection,
with chOGed utterance he says: would
God 1 lay stark on the bloody plain. My
daughter my Onl y child, joy of my home,
life of my life, thou art the sacrifcei''
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 vaIor Of that girl. There
may have been tremor of the lip as a rose
leaftrembes in the sough Of the south wind,
there may have been the starting of tear
like raindrOp shook from the anther of
water lily. but with self sacrifice that man
may not reach and only Woman's heart can
compass she Surrenders herself to fire and 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
so 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 garlanIs that Nizpeh twisted for
Jephthah. the warrior, had gone into the
dust but all ages are twisting the girls
chapiet. 1t 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 in all the ages can have
the title Of this daughter of sacrifice.
OF course this Offering was not pleasing to
the Lord but beforey you hurl your denuncia-
tiOnS at Jophthah'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 were stand
ing on the banks of the Gauges and you had
been born in India. you might have been
throwing your children to the crocodiles. 1t
Is not because we are naturally any better,
but because we have more gospel light.
Now, make very practical use Of this
question when tell you that the sacrifice of
Jephthah's daughter was IL type of the physi-
cal mental and spiritual sacrifice of 900
children in this day. There are parents all
unwittingly bringing to bear upon their chill
dren a class of influences which will as GER
tainly ruin them as knife and torch destroyed
Jephthahs daughter. While [ 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 a sys-
ten of sacrifice. When children spend six
Or seven hours q Qay IN scnooi. 1n1 T1en
must spend two or three hours In prepara-
ton for school the next dav 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