The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-05-03
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON,
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE eY THE NOTED
DIVINE.

Subject: "Parental HeedlessRess" - The
Vow ofJephthah Typical OF Much That
10 Distressing In Modern Life-Chil.
dren Sacrificed to Worldly Ambition.
TEXT: "My father, II thou hast opened
thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me &C.
cording to that which hath proceeded out
OF thy mouth" h."-JudRes H., 36.
Jephtbah was freebooter. Early turned
out from home where he ought to have
boen cared for, he consorted with rough
men and went forth to earn his living as
best he could. In those times It was con-
sidered right for man to 20 out on inde-
pendent military expeditions. Jephthah
was good man according to the light OF
Ills dark age. but through wandering and
predatory life he became reckless and pre-
clpitate. The grace OF God changes q
mans heart, but never reverses his natural
temperament. The Israeites wanted the
Ammonites driven out Of their country, 80
they sent delegation to Jephthsh, 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-
sponse, marshals bis troops for battle.
Before going out to the war Jephthah
makes very solemn VOW that II the Lord
will give him the victory then, on his re.
turn home, whatsoever first comes out OF
his doorway he will offer In sacrifice as a
burnt offering. The battle opens. It was
no skirmishing on the edges OF dangers, no
unllmbering Of batteries two miles away,
but the hurling CT 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 pile Of bodies Of
the slain. In those old times opposing
forces would fight until their swords were
broken and then each one would throttle
bis man until they both fell. teeth to
teeth, grip to grip, death stare to death
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 Gllead. Let
the. .trumpeters call u p the survivors. Home
ward to your wives and children. Home
ward with your glitterlng treasures.
Homeward to have the applause OF an ad-
miring nation. Build triumphal arches.
Swing out flags all over Mizpah. Open all
your doors to receive the captured treas
ures. Through every hall spread the ban
quet. Pile Up the viands. FIJI high the
tankards. The nation Is redeemed, the In
vaders are routed and the national hoRor
Is vindlca.ed.
Huzza for Jephthah, the conquerorl
Jephthah, seated on prancing steed, sd-
vances amid the acclaiming multitudes,
but his eye Is not on the excited populace.
Remembering that he had made solemn
VOW that, returning from victorious battle,
whatsoever first came out OF the doorway
OF his home that should be sacrificed as a
burnt Offering, hs has his anxious look
upon the door. I wonder what spotless
lamb, what brace Of doves, will be thrown
upon the fires OF the burnt oferingl
oh, horrorsI Paleness Of death blanches
his cheek. Despair seizes bis heart. His
daughter, his only child, rushes out the
doorway to throw herself in her fathers
than there were wounds on his breast or
dents on his shield. All the trlumphal
splendor vanlshes. Holding back this child
from his heavlng breast and pushing the
locks back from the fair brow and looking
into the eyes Of inextinguishable affection,
with choked utterance he says: would to
God I lay stark on the bloody plainl My
daughter, my only child, joy OF my home,
life OF my life, thou art the sacrificed"
The whole matter was explained to her.
This was no whining, hollow hearted girl
glory OF sword and shield vanished In the
presence Of the valor OF that girl. There
may have been q tremor OF the lip, as a
rose leaf trembles In the sough OF the south
wind; there may have been tho starting OF
a tear like raindrop shaken from the
anther OF a water lily. But with o self
sacrifice that man may not reach and only
woman's heart can compass she surrenders
herself to fire and to death. She cries cut
In the words OF my text, "My father, II
thou hast opened. thy mouth unto the Lord,
do unto me whatsoever hath proceeded
from thy mouth"
She bows to the knife, and the blood,
which 30 often at the fathers voice had
fires OF the burnt Offering. No one con tell
know her name. The garlands that Mizpah
twisted for Jephthah the warrior have gone
Into the dust, but all ages are twisting this
girls chaplet. It is we'll that her name
came not to us, for no one can wear 1t.
They may take the name OF Deborah or
Abigail or Miriam, but no one in all the
ages shall have the title OF this daughter
Of sacrifice.
OF course this offering was not pleasing
10 the Lord, esq recially as provision was
made In the law for such contingency,
and Jophthah might have redeemed bis
daughter by the payment OF thirty shekels
OF silver. But before you hurl your
denunciatlons at Jephthah's cruelty re-
member 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 Jephthah's VOW. First, he
ought never to have made 1t. Next, having
made It, 1t we're better broken than kept.
But do not take on pretentious airs and
say, "I could not have done as Jephthah
did," II IN former days you had been
standing on the banks OF the Ganges and
you had beon born In India. you might
have thrown your children to the croco-
diles. It Is not because We are naturally
any better, but because we have more
Gospel light.
Now I make very practical use OF this
question when tell you that the sacrifice
Of Jephthah's daughter WAS type OF the
physical, mental and spiritual sacrifice OF
ten thousand children in this day. There
are parents all unwittingly bringing to
bear upon their children a class OF In
fuenccs which will rs certainly ruin them
as knife and torch destroyed Jephthah's
daughter. While I speak, the whole
shame, looks upon the stupendous sacrl-
ace.
In the first place, I remark that much OF
tie system OF edu cation IN our day Is
system OF sacrifice. When children spend
six or seven hours in school and then must
spend two or three hours In preparation
for school the next day, will you tell me
how much time they will have Tor sunshine
and fresh air and the obtaining OF that ex-
uberance which Is necessary for the duties
OF coming life2 No one can feel more
thankful than do for the advancement OF
common school education. The printing
OF books appropriate for schools, the mul-
tiplication Of philosophical apparatus, the
establishment of normal schools. which
provide for our children teachers OF largest
caliber, are themes on which every philan-
thropist ought to be congratulated. But