The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-04-22
A VOW OF JEPHTHAH
1t Is Cited as q Warning Against
Parental Heediessness.
DR.. TaimsEe Lodges q Prstsat
Against he Sacrifice Of the
Young ON the Altar Of
Worldly AnbIues.

Copyright. lSs) Washington, AprlIS
In his sermon to-day DR.. Talmage
lodges a protest against the parental
heedlessness and worldly ambition
which are threatening the sacrifice Of
many American children; text, Judges
1885; my father, IL thou has opened
thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me ae-
cording to that which hath proceeded
out Of thy mouth"
JephthAh was q freebooter. Eariy
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 1t was considered right for q man
20 go out on independent military ex.
petitions. Jephthsh was a good man
according to the light of his dark age,
but through . wandering and q preda.
tory life he became reckless and pfecipi-
tate. The grace Of God changes q mans
heart, but never his natural
temperament. The Israelites wanted
the Ammonites driven out Of their
country, 50 they sem q delegation 10
JePhthah, asking him 10 become com
man~deriD-chief Of all the forces. he
might have said, you drove ne 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 com
mand of the army, sends messengers to
the Ammonites to tell them TO yaeaie
the country, and, getting no favorable
response, msrshsls his troops for battle.
Before going out TO 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 doorway he will offer
in sacrifice as a burnt Offering. The
battle opens. II was no skirmishing
on the edges Of dangers, no unlimber.
ing 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 10 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 his man until they both
iell' teeth to teeth, grip 10 grip, death
stare 10 death stare, until the plain was
n 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 your wives
and children. Homeward with your
glittering treasures. Homeward 10 have
the applause Of an admiring nation.
Build triumphal arches. Swing out
flags all over Mizpah. Open all your
doors TO receive the captured treasures.
Through every hall spread the banquet.
Pile up the yiands. Fill high the tank
ards. The nation is redeemed, the in
vaders are routed and the national hon
or is INDICATED.
Huzza for Jephthah, the c~onquerori
Jephthah, seated on q prancing steed,
advances amid the acclsiming multi
tudes, but his eye IS not on the excited
populace. Remembering that he had
made a 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, he has his anxious look upon
the door. wonder what spotless lamb,
what brace Of doves, will be thrown
upon the fires Of the burnt Offeringl
oh, horrorsl Paleness OF death
blanches his cheek. Despair seizes his
heart. His daughter, his only child,
PUSHES out the doorway tothrow 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 trlumphal splendor van
ishes. Holding back this child from his
heaying breast and pushing the locks
back from the fair brow and looking
into the eyes Of inextinguishable az.
lection. with choked utterance he says:
Would TO God ! lay stark on the bloody
plalni My daughter. my only child,
Joy OF my home, life OF my life, thou are
the sacrificed"
The whole matter was explained TO
her. This was no whining hollow
hearted gil into whose exec the father