Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-04-23
Talma8e
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De oUiff
Tain age. ID. d.


and social position. when multitudes
are absorbed in the struggle for world
ly successes. this sermon comes as
wholesome and timely warning that 1t
is possible 10 pay too high u price for
fortunes favors and that fame may
lie too dearly bought. The text is
Judges ri. 81. Alas. my daughter..'
An old trite saying declares. What
is worth getting is worth paying for"
but the payment demanded for what
we want is often more than mere sill
yer and gold. Ii may cost the pound
of flesh near the heart of an Antonio.
and il may mean silver or gold. GRIM
soned 10y having been dipped and
rustcd and dyed in human blood.
Yes. | will own that land. will
yet be master Of Daylesford manor
house" These were the words uttered
Icy young pauper. then being edu-
Gated III the charity school of the little
hamlet of Churchill. i'm OxfOrdshire.
England. That Daylesford manor house
had once been the property of Warren
Hastings great grandfather. Warren
Hastings. for that was the paupers
name. was then mothcrless lad. and
the son Of good for nothing. shiftless
father, who had fled 10 England to
find his grave ultimately In the faroff
West Indies. Aye. Warren Hastings as
man fulfilled the pledge he made as
hoy. hut he paid dearly for what
he WAS after. He paid for Daylesford
manor house with money purchased
by years of exile. years of toll. years
OF persecution. What was worth hav-
ing was worth paying for. hut the
price for the Hastings ancestral home
came very high.
Jephthah's Ambition.
Well. today we find General Jephthah
having n great ambition. He was not
only seeking noble and legitimate
goal. hut he was rashiy and recklessly
ready 10 pay any price 10 reach that
goal. .Jephthah had two objects i'm
reaching this goal OF his ambition. The
first was To wipe out the stigma on the
record of his birth. Like Alexandra
Dumas he could never mention the
name of his mother without bringing
n blush OF shame 10 his cheek. Second
~. Jephthah wanted TO drive out the in
vading Ammonitish hosts who were
threatening 10 destroy his people. So
the night before the great battle open
cd General Jephthah in his military
tent made a pledge something like this:
10 God. If tomorrow thou wilt only
give me success. II thou wilt allow me
TO atone for the awful record OF my
birth by being deliverer OF my people
from these invading herds of cut
throats. promise thee that whatsoever
cometh forth of the doors of my house
10 meet me when | return in peace
from the children of Ammon shall
surely he the Lords. and | will offer it
up for burnt Offering"
Hardly had the roar and din of battle
ceased when the messengers on swift
est of horses sped everywhere. They
rode as fast as Paul Revere galloped
toward Lexington and Concord 10
arouse the minutemen 10 rise and
resist the invasion of the British SOL
derS. as fast as Nathan Mayer Roths-
child rode To reach London the night
after Nellington's triumph at Water
loo. Everywhere the hard riding cou-
riers shouted the news To an exulting
people: The land is free. The land is
free. The land is free. .Iephthah has
won, Jephthah has won
a Foolish Pledge.
When the Roman generals came
back from their conIuests. they were
given a triumphant entry into the
capital of the seven hills" No more
enthusiastic ovation was ever awarded
TO the military chieftains of the Cae-
sars than that which now welcomed
the libcrator of the lsraelitish people.
The maidens came forth 10 dance be-
fore him. and 10 strew flowers I'm his
way. and 10 sing their sweetest songs.
rs the school children welcomed Lafa-
yette on his last journey through our
own land Such music and songs and
flowers as aftcrward welcomed King
Saul after the destruction of the Phil
istincs We're surging over General
Jephthah in great tidal waves of har-
monious sound or surrounding him
with huge floral rainbows. dyed i'm the
richest of colors. with this one cxcep-
tion-Gcneral Jephthah had no taunt-
Ing name Of Il shepherd boy Ia imbit-
ter him with jealousy. But as the
Israelitish lbcrator comes nearer TO
his houSe we see a great commotion.
Suddenly this mighty leader stops and
staggers like drunken man. for
there. coming out of his house Jeph-
thah sees his beautiful daughter. his
only child. stepping forth Ia greet him.
and 10y the terms of his VOW she must
be the sacrifice for his great conquest.
His pledge which .Iephihah made To
God WAS Il very foolish one God did
not want General Jcphtha! to slay his
daughter: neither does he want MS to
make the foolish sacrifices some Of us
are willing 10 make in order 10 win
temporal success in life. Therefore !
shall try i'm this sermon To catalogue
some of the foolish sacrifices some OF
us make upon the altar Of fortune
and 10 protest against them
The Parents Duty.
First. God would never have us. like
hah