Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-13
TRUTHS OF THE GOSPEL.
Services ssnsavs sise sermsus anA sing
sns-Uspreee1szse Csnsrssausns.

Services esadavs fins sernssss an1 Ming
iss-Usprsee1szsse Csnsrssasssns.
II one had proposed several weeks
ago to have preaching at 9 A. M. Sun
day morning, in the face Of. the fact that
this is the hour at which all the Sunday
schools in town are in session, and
jealous Christians who rise so early are
generally in these schools, even the
ministers Of the city would have pro-
nounced such service imprscticable.
But Mr. Moody does things which
others would not attempt, and accord
ingly at 3 o'clock Sunday large congre-
gationhad assembled at Armory Hall.
Rev. DR.. w. Adams, Of Augusta,
Ca, made the opening prayer, DR.. w.
r. Hatcher the second, and Mr. Clarke,
Of the Young Mems Christian Associa-
tion, the last.
THE SERMON.
Mr.. Moody announced as his theme
"The Life and Character Of Daniel"
He said that the character Of Daniel
shines through the ages with ever in
creasing lustre, and that the more we
study it the more we will see in it to
admire and initiate.
He spoke Of the great temptation
which Daniel had soon after he was car
ried TO Babylon as illustrative Of the
young man from home in the city. The
| King had him and his three friends
placed in the school where they could
be taught all of the science and letters
Of the times, and ordered that they be
fed from his own table. To the amaze
ment Of the officers, Daniel refused
the Kings meat and wine. Modern
policy and compromise would have
advised Daniel to do as they did
in Babylon, and TO eat the
Kings meat and drink his wine.
But Daniel had purposed in his heart to
refuse this, and he stood firm, despite
the danger of refusing. Yet God helped
him, and he will always help those who
dare to do the right and trust in Him.
Daniel prospered and grew sleek on his
slim diet.
He vividly brought out the story Of
the Kings dream and Daniels interpre-
tation Of it, and the fact that the young
man gave God the glory, for he meant
that the King should know that there is
a God in Israel. n
He very eloquently portrayed the.
fulflment of Daniels prophecy, and
showed how Cyrus, Alexander, and
Rome, in turn, had conquered this re-
gion and been in turn oyerthrown, and
of how that stone "cut out of the
mountain ~ has continued to grow and
is still growing, until we begin to catch
the coming dawn of that glorious day
when {" He shall come whose right it is
to reign" when the kingdoms Of this
world shall become the kingdoms Of
our Lord and of his Christ.
He brought out the promotion of
Daniel and his three friends, and vividly
pictured the scene on the plains of Dura
when Daniels three friends The was
probably absent on some mission for the
Kingl refused to bow down to the image,
and joyfully went into the fiery furnace
where the God whom they served stood
by them and helped them, so that the
fire only burned off their bands and
left them unscathed, and the King re-
yerscd the decree and issued another
against whosover should refuse to
serve the God of Shadrack, Meshac,
and Abednego. He brought out very
beautifully the docrine Of Gods word
that those who trust in Christ will re-
alize His presence and His power even
in the fiery furnace.
He next described the second dream
of the King and Daniels Interpretation
of it, and the result. He insisted that
after his restoration to reason Nebu-
chadnezzar became real child of God,
true servant Of Daniels God--that
the record seems to prove this. After
the death of Nebuchadnezzar Daniel
seems to have gone into obscurity, un-
til he was brought out by the hand
writing on the wall at Belshazzar's
feast, and gave the King the fearful in
depreciation which was so soon realized
in the capture of the city by Cyrus. Mr..
Moody's picture Of this was very vivid
and striking. Cyrus made Daniel the
chief ruler, and everything went
smoothly until the office-holders Of that
day Q20 princes) decided that they
could not swindle the government
as long as that old Hebrew was there,
and they conspired to destroy Daniel.
They could not put their hands in the
treasury; they could not get fat con-
tracts for their friends or enrich them
selves so long as this stern, honest, in
corruptible man was at the head Of af-
fairs; and so they determined to get
rid of him, and held secret council
for the purpose. He said that they
paid Daniel the highest possible COM
pliment when they unanimously de-
cided that the only charge they could
bring against him was that he was
an uncompromising servant Of the God
of Israel. They could not charge that
he had in any way neglected the duties
of his oflice--that he had put his son
or his nephew in Office and allowed
them to steal-that he had gathered
around him circle of his pets who
were swindling the government, or that
in any particular he had failed to dis
charge the duties of his Office on the
highest principles of justice, righteous
ness, and truth. The record is that,
after full consultation, they concluded :
We shall not find any occasion against
this Daniel, except we find it against
him concerning the law Of his God"
They decided, therefore, that if they
could &c. the King to make a decree
that whoever should within thirty days
make petition to any god or man save
to Darius the king, he should be cast
into the lions den that they would be
sure to ensnare Daniel then. So with
the adroit skill Of courtiers they secured
the decree, and had the seal of the King
affixed.
He drew very vivid picture Of some
Of the friends Of Daniel going to try
and save him from his peril. They |
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