The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1893-08-24
"CHILDREN'S RIGHTS"
A Vacation Sermon Prepared by
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage.
Some of the Evils In the Modern Rearing
of Children--The Rising Generation
Sacrificed on the Altar OF
Worldliness.

The following discourse was, among
others, prepared by Rev. T. Dewitt
Talmage for delivery during his vaca-
ton tour in the west. The subject is
''Children's Rights" and the text:
Ny father, If thou hadst opened thy mouth
unto the Lord, do unto me according to that
which hath proceeded out of thy mouth
Judges XII, SO.
Jephthah was a freebooter. Early
turned out from home, where he
ought to have been cared for, he con-
sorted with rough men, and went forth
TO earn his living as best he could. In
those times it was considered rightfor
a man to go out on independent mill
tary expeditions. Jephthah was
good man according to the light OF his
dark age, but through a wandering
and predatory life he became reckless
and precipitate. The grace of God
changes mans heart, but never re-
verses his natural temperament.
The Israelites wanted the Ammon-
ties driven out of their country, so
they sent delegation to Jephthah,
asking him 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 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 vacate the
country, and, getting no favorable re-
spouse, marshals his troops for battle.
Before going out to the war, Jeph-
than 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 doorway he will
offer in sacrifice as a burnt-offering.
The battle opens. 1t was no skirmish-
ing on the edges of danger, no unlim-
bering of batteries two miles away,
but the hurting of men on the point 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,
denth-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. Twenty
cities lay captured at his feet. Sound
the victory all through the mountains
Of Gilead. Let the trumpeters call up
the survivors. Homeward to youl
wives and children. Homeward with
your glittering treasures. Homeward
TO have the applause of an admiring
nation. Build triumphal arches. Swing
out flags all over Mizpeh. Open al
your doors to receive the captured
treasures. Through every hall spread
the banquet. Pile up the viands. Fill
high the tankards. The nation is re
deemed, the invaders are routed, anC
the national honor is indicated.
Huzza for Jephthah the conqueror
Jephthah seated on prancing steed
but his eye is not on the excited popu
lace. Remembering that he had made
a solemn VOW that, returning from vic
torious battle, whatsoever first came
out of the doorway of his home, tina
should be sacrificed as burnt-offering
he has his anxious look upon the door
wonder what spotless lamb, wha
brace of doves will be thrown upon tn,
fires of the burnt offering. Oh hor
rors. Paleness of death blanches hi,
cheek. Despair seizes his heart. Hi
daughter, his only child, rushes out o
the doorway to throw herself in he
fathers arms and shower upon hin
more kisses than there were wounds OF
his breast or dents in his shield. Al
the triumphal splendor vanishes
Holding back this child from his heay
ing breast, and pushing the locks bacI
from the fair brow, and looking int
the eyes of inextinguishable affection
with choked utterance he says
would God l lay stark on the blood
plain. My daughter, my only child
Joy of my home, life of my life, tho
art the sacrifce!'
. The whole matter was explained t
her. This was no whining, hollow
hearted girl into whose eyes the fathe
looked. All the glory of sword an
shield vanished in the presence of tn
valor of that girl. There may hay
been tremor of the lip as a rose-les
trembles in the sough of the sout
winds; there may have been the star
ing of tear like rain-drop shoe
from the anther of a water-lily; b,
with a self-sacrifice that man may n,
reach, and only woman's heart ca
compass, she surrenders herself to FL
and to death. my father, if the
hast opened thy mouth unto the Lor
do unto me whatsoever hath proceede
from thy mouth"
She bows to the knife, and the bloc
which so often at the fathers voice hs
rushed to the crimson cheek. smokes
the fires of the burnt offering. No OF
can tell us her name. There is ]
need that we know her name. tt
garlands that Mizpeh has twisted f
Jephthah, the warrior, had gone in
the dust; but all ages are twisting tn
girls chaplet. 1t is well that her nan
came not to us, for no one can wear
They may take the name of Debora
or Abigail, or Miriam, but no one in {
80