Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-09-05
CRIME OF SUCCESS"
DIR, TALMAGES SERMON IN WACO,
= ySrEXAs. =
He Discourses Eloquentiy on Sue
cess and the Power OF Decision
of Characters.

Va OhAhoShCAs
Rev. DIR. Talmage was at Waco, Texas,
on Sunday, where he preached from a text
shown In Daniel 6. 16. The preacher said;
Darius was king OF Babylon, and the
young man Daniel was so much a favorlte
with him that he made him prime minister,
or secretary OF state. But no man could
gain such a high position without exciting
the envy and jealousy OF the people. There
were demagogues In Babylon who were so
appreciative OF their own abilities that
they were affronted at the elevation OF this
young man. Old Babylon was afraid OF
young Babylon. The tale. the cedar tho
more apt IL Is to DO riven of the lightning
These demagogues asked the king to
make n decree that anybody that made a
petition TO anyone except the king within
thirty days should be put 10 death, King
Darius, not suspecting any foul play,
makes that decree. The demagogues have
accomplished AL they want, because they
know that no one can keep Daniel from
sending petitions before God for thirty days.
&c. far from being afraid, Daniel goes on
with his applications three times a day,
and is found on his hOusetop making
prayer. lie is caught In the act. He is
condemned To be dcvoured by the lions.
Trough cNccutioners OF the law seize him
and hasten him tn the cavern. i hear the
growl Of the wild beasts, and l see them
mouths to the ground the solid earth
quakes with their believing. / see their
eyes roll, and almost hear the fiery eye
balls snap in the darkness. These monsters
approach Daniel. They have an appetite
keen with hunger. With one stroke OF
their paw or one snatch OF their teeth, they
may leave him dead at the bottom of the
cavern. But what "A strange welcome Dam
iel receives from these hungry monsters.
They fawn around him, they lick his hand,
they bury his feet In their long name. That
night he has calm sleep with his head pill
lowed on the warm necks OF the tanned
lions.
But not so well does Darius the king
sleep. He loves Daniel and hates this
stratcgem by which he has been condemned.
All night long the king walks the floor. lie
cannot sleep At the least sound he starts
and his flesh creeps with horror. He is iInpa-
tient for the davning OF the morning. At
the first streak ~ daylight Darius hastens
forth TO sec the fate Of Daniel The heavy
palace doors open and clang shut long be-
fore the people Of the city waken. Darius
goes 10 the den Of lions he looks in. All is
silent. His heart stops. lie feels that the
very worst has happened; but gathering all
his strength he shouts through the riffs of
the rock. 30 Daniel. is the God whom thou
servest continually able TO deliver thee?"
There comes rolling up from the deep
darkness a voice which says: 30 king! live
forever. My God has sent His angel to shut
the lions mouths that they have not hurt
mo-"
Then Daniel is brought out from the den.
The demagogues are hurled into It, and no
sooner have they struck the bottom
of the den, than their flesh was rent.
and their bones cracked and the blood
spurted through the riffs of the rock, and
as the lions make the rocks tremble with
their roar, they announce to all ages that
whites God will defend His people, the way
of the ungodly shall perish.
Learn first from this subject that the
greatest crime that you can COM
NIT in the eyes OF many is the crime
of success What had Daniel done that he
should be flung TO the lionsf lie got to be
prime minister. They could not forgive him
for that. and behold in that touch OF un-
sanctiicd human nature as seen In all ages
OF the world. So long as you are pinched IN
poverty, so long as you are running the
gauntlet between landlord and tax-gather-
or, so long as you fndit hard work TO educate
your children, there are people who will say
"Poor man, am sorry for him he ought to
succeed poor mani
But after whit the tide turns in your
favor That was a profitable investment
that you made. You bought at just the right
time. Fortune becomes good humorcd and
smiles upon you. Now you are being IN
some department successful, your success
chl,s Sc:..a ore. These men Sho used TO
sympathige with you stand along the street
and they scowl at you from under the rims
of their hats. You have more money and
more influence than they have, and you
ought 70 be scowled at from under the rme
OF their hats. You catch a word or two as
you passed by them. "Stuck up" says one
"Got it dishonesty" says another. "Wrl
burst soon." says third. Every stone in
your new house Is laid on their hearts.
Ycur horses hoofs went over their nerves.
Every item OF your success has boon to
them an item OF discontinue and despair.
Just as soon as in any respect you rise
above your fellows. IL you are more virtu-
Gus, II you are more wise, IL you are more
influential. you cast shadow on the pros
pect OF others. The road To honor and sue
cess is within reach of the enemy's guns.
Jealousy says: Stay down, or I'll knock
you down" II do not like YOU" said the
snowflake TO the snowbird. why don't
you like me2" said the snOwbird, "Oh!"
said the snowflake, 'you are going up and
l am coming down" Young merchants,
young lawyers, young doctors, young me-
chanics, young artists, young farmers, at
certain times there were those to SYM
pathiZe with you, but now that You are be-
coming master of your particular occupa-
ton or profession, how Is IL now, young
lawyers, young doctors. young artists,
young farmers-how is IL nowI The great
est crime that you can commit Is the crime
of success.
Again: My subject impresses me with the
value of decision Of character In any
department. Daniel knew that IL he con-
tinucd his adherence 60 the religion OF the
Lord he would be hurled to the lions. but
having set his compass well he sailed right
on.
For the lack Of that element OF decision
of character, so eminent In Daniel, many
men arc ruined for this world. and ruined
for the world TO come. great many at
forty years of nge are not settled In any
respect, because they have not been able To
make up their mind. Perhaps they will go
west. Perhaps they will go east. Perhaps
they will not. Perhaps they will go north.
Perhaps they may go south, Perhaps they
will not. Perhaps they may make that M
vestment In real cs ate or In railroads.
Perhaps they will not. They are like
steamer that should go cut OF New York
harbor. starting for Glasgow, and the next
day should change for Havre de Grace, and
the next for Charleston. and the next for
Boston, and the next for Liverpool. These
men on the sea Of life everlast,agjy lacking
ship and making no Roadway. Or they are
Ike u man who starts 10 build a house In
the Corlnthian style and changes IL Ia
DOrlc. and then completes IL In tho Ionic,
and Is cursed by all styles of architecture.
Young man start right and keep on.
Have decision OF character. Character IL
like the goldHnch OF Tonquin. It Is magma