St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-14
A HEROIC EXAMPLE.
A Sermon Preached to the Young
People of Park Congrega-
tiOnal Church,
Sunday Evening, October 18th, by the
Rev. John H. Morley,
Pastor.

difference in religion and customs, in spite
OF repeated changes in the rising dynasty,
gained great power, continued in public life
Tor the greater part of seventy years, i'm
pressed himself upon his adopted country,
assisted in rehabilitating his native land
made himself a great name. In all this
he maintained the morals, the loves,
the religion, which he learned in his child
hoods home. These were enshrined in his
heart and made him gentle and contented
In adversely, made him courageous, simple
true in the greatest success. He saw kings
born, reign, die. He witnessed great revo-
lutions in his adopted land. He counseled
and admonished kings. He was the EN- bod
iment of the church during that three score
and ten years when Babylon was permitted
the privilege of Unfolding, protecting and
disciplining the kingdom of God, as that
Kingdom took on new shape and was in
formed with new ideas. This mans name
is recorded in Daniel, LIST chapter and 21st
verse:
'Daniel continued even unto the first year of
King Cyrus
Tonight shall speak to you of the exam
pie of Daniel in Babylon.
Daniel was an example of temperance.
When Daniel, then perhaps q lad of fifteen
years, was put with others to a course of
study, he was to be fed from the kings ia
Die. The king appointed them a daily al
lowance of the kings meat and wine. Dan
lei purposed in his heart not to defle him
self with the kings meat and wine. His
reasons were two. The Jewish ceremonial
law made some meats technically unclean
Daniels respect for the Jewish ritual made
him refuse the kings meat. Then, too, the
kings fare was luxurious and unhealthy.
Daniel and his companions took a simple
diet, and when compared with the
rest were in better physical condition
Temperance is not confined to the use of
wine and liquor. 1t relates to everything.
1t is refusal to indulge any appetite so as
to injure ones self. Daniel abstained from
meat apparently and from wine. This ac-
ton shows one characteristic of the man.
He who could be strictly temperate in food
and drink was temperate in everything. He
had self control This virtue appeared at an
early age in Daniel. With many, youth is
season when free reign is given to appe-
ute. Later, when the passions are sluggish
ness, they are curbed. When the fire of
youth has cooled temperance is less of vir-
tue. Temperance is the curbing of passion,
not the absence Of appetite. From the first
Daniel was model of self control.
His length Of days harmonizes with his tenn
perance. The right control of passion IA
vors longevity. This is one meaning of the
promise of long life to the righteous. Right
eousness, the fear of God tend to life. Dan
iePs life would not have been so long if his
passions had not been controlled. Any VIC
lent passion Injuries the health. A fit of anger
might seem to be an exception. Anger is not
bodily vice like excess in drinking; still
undue anger enfeebles the body; so
does all passion. Even temper, controlled ap-
petite are favorable to longevity. Dan
ieIs long life, therefore harmonizes with the
first, recorded incident in his history, and
leads us to suppose that he was temperate in
all things.
Temperance in food and drinks is a great
virtue and virtue essential to the best phys
ical and mental activity. But then, COM
monty, excess in one appetite is excess in
all. The same reasons which lead one to eat
and drink temperately, lead one to control
ali passion. From the bondage to one pas
sion we infer bondage to the many. From
temperance in one appetite we infer that ad-
mirable virtue, which lies at the basis of the
best character, which is the source of power
which is the stepping stone to religion
Se!t-control.
Again, Daniel gave an example of moral
fearlessness. He exhibited courage when he
was captive boy. 1t might bring him
into discredit to object to the kings fare.
NebuchadneZZar, like most oriental mon
archs, was despodc and summary. When
| Daniels companions refused to worship the
idol he cast them into the furnace. He might
| punish Daniel, at least leave him in
obscurity upon the slightest whim, Daniel
did what he felt to be right and left the con-
| sequences to God Here is a moral cour-
age which he continually exhibited. When
made the first president in the kingdom
under Darius, his enemies had law passed
that for thirty days no one should make any
| petition except Of the king. The law once
passed, according to the custom of the
| Modes and Persians, could not be changed
| The law itself is so foolish, so evidently on
the part of the king the result of vanity, that
we may overlook the reality of Daniels trial.
| OF course, it makes no difference whether
one loses life by trivial or important law.
| The courage to dsobey is the same When
Daniel knew that the law was signed, he
went to his chamber and prayed three times
day as was his custom. He knew that his
enemies were watching. Still he prayed with
the windows open toward Jerusalem. The
windows were not open ostentatiously. 1t
was his usual custom. Very probably he
did not pray so publicly as to attract atten-
ton unless his enemies were watching. 1t
was his custom to pray toward Jerusalem,
! the place where was the visible dwelling
! place of Jehovah. The windows of the
upper room where he prayed were left
open as before. He prayed as he had
always prayed before. He had that fearless
ness which has animated thousands to dis
obey law and suffer the penalty when law
passes its just limits and interferes with our
private duties to God.
Consider the temptations to comply with
the law. In the luxurious and dssipated
court many jew perhaps forgot to pray and
esteemed com liance with the law as no
| hardship. One might have urged that for
thirty days it was no harm TO cease praying.
Men forget now TO pray for a longer time
than than. One might have argued that he
had no right 10 peril his life for so
small thing, for so contemplate law. At
least, some would have prayed in secret.
They would not have given their enemies the
very evidence they were seeking. Daniel
was the first president of the kingdom. He
had power after a season of obscurity
Power is sweet, life is dear. Who willingly
loses thema What struggle Daniel expert
enced in his own heart. Outwardly all is
calm and peaceful. ''Now, when Daniel
knew that the writing was signed he went
into his house, and his windows being
opened in his chamber towards Jerusalem,
he kneeled upon his knees three times day
and prayed and gave thanks before his God,
as he did aforetime.r
Some might suppose that Daniels appear
suce in interpreting Nebuchadnez-
zar's dream indicated fear. When
Nebuchadnezzar told Daniel the dream
which fOreshadowed the kings overthrow
Daniel was troubled. He was silent for an
/ hour, until the king encouraged him to speak.
! suppose that Daniel did not fear the king.