The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-09-11
DANIELS ESCAPE.
DR.. Talmage Debates Upon
the Adventure in the
Lions Den.
Interesting Review ola High
~ Popular Biblical
Character.

lions" Daniel vi, 16.
RDarius was king of Babylon, and the
young man Daniel was so much a favorite
with him that he made him prime minister,
or secretary OF state But no man could
gain such high position without exciting
the envy and jealousy of the people. There
were demagogues in Babylon who were so
appreclatlve OF their own abilities that they
were at1ronted at the elevation of this young
man. Old Babylon was afraid of young
Babylon. The taller the cedar the more apt
IL Is to be riven OF the lightning.
These demagogues asked the king to make
decree that any body that made petition
to any one exec pit the king within SO DAYS
should be put to death. King Darius, not
suspecting any foul play, makes that decree
The demaGogues have accomplished all they
want, because they know that no one can
Keep Daniel from sending petitions before
God for so days.
= So far from being afraid, Daniel goes on
with his supp'ications three times day and
is found on his housetop making prayer.
lie is caught in the act. He is condemned to
be devoured by thelions. Rough excutioners
OF the law seize him and hasten him to the
cavern. hear the growl OF the wild beasts,
ana see them paving the dust, and as they
put their mouths to the ground the solid
earth quakes with their believing. ! see
their eyes roll, and | almost hear the fiercy
eyeballs snap in the darkness. These mon
steers approach Daniel They have an appe-
tlte 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 strange welcome
Daniel receives from these hungry
monsters. They fawn around him. they lick
his hand, they bury his teet in their long
name. That night he has calm sleep with
his head pillowed on the warm necks of the
tanned lions.
But not so we'll does Darius the King Sleep
He loves Daniel, and hates this stratagem
by which he has been condemned, All night
long the king walks the floor. He cannot
sleep. At the least sound he starts and his
flesh creeps with horror. He is impatient Tor
the dawning of the morning. At the first
streak of the daylight Darius hastens forth
to see the fate of Daniel. The heavy palace
doors open and clang shut long before the
people OF the city waken. Darius goes to the
den of lons he looks in. All is silent. His
heart stops. He feels that the very worst
has happened; but, gathering all his strength
he shouts through the rifts of the rock, 20
Daniel, is the God whom thou servest con-
tinually able to deliver thee?" There comes
rolling up rom the deep darkness a voice
says: 80 king! live forever. My God has
sent his angel to shut the lions m ouths that
they have not hurt me-"
Then Daniel is brought out from the den.
The demagogues are hurled into it, and no
den than their flesh was rent, and their bones
cracked and their blood spurted through the
rlts OF the rock, and as the lions make the
rocks tremble with their roar, they announce
to all ages that while God will defend his
people the way of the ungodly shall perish,
Learn first from this sui ject that the great
est crime that you can commit in the eyes of
many IS the crime of success. What had
Daniel done that he should be flung to the
honsf He got to be prime minister. They
could not forgive MIN for that, and behold
in that touch of unsanctied human ma
ture as seen in all ages of the world. So
long as you are pinchel in poverty, so long
as you are running the gauntlet between
landlord and tax gatherer, so long Us you
ma 1t hard work to educate your children,
there are people vino will say. 'Poor man, I
am sorry for him; he ought to succeed, poor
mani
But after awhile the tide turns in your ia
'vor. That was profitable investment you
made. You bought at just the right time
Fortune becomes good -humored and smiles
upon you. Now you are being in some de-
partment successful, your success chills some
one. Those men who used to sympathize
with you stand along the street, and they
fscowl atyou from under the rim of their hats
You have more money or more influence than
they have, and you ought to be scowIed at
from under the rim of their hats. You catch
a word or two as you passed by them
"Stuck up says one "Gotit dishonesty"
says another. "Will burst soon," says a
third. Every stone in your new house is laid
on their hearts. Your horses hoo went
over their nerves,
Every item of your success has been to
them an item OF discontinue and despair
just as soon as In any respect you rise above
your fellows, if you are more vrtuous, if YOU
are more wise, you ale more influential,
yon cast shadow on the prospect of Others
The road to honor and success is in reach OF
the enemy's guns. Jealousy says: "Stay
down. or I'll knock you down. Il do not
like you. said the snowflake to the SNOW bird
'Why don't you like me?" said the snow
bird. "Oh!'' said the snowflake, ''you are
gong up and l am coming down" Young
merchants, young lawyers, young doctors,
young mechanics, young artists, young
farmers, at certain times there were those to
sympathize with y GU, but now that you are
becoming master OF your particular occupa-
ton or profession, how is it now young law
yers, young doctors, young artists, young
farmers-how is it now? The grcutest crime
that you can commit is the crime of success.
Again: My subject impresses me Nth the
value o decision of character in any depart-
ment. Daniel knew that if he continued his
adherence tc the religion ofthe Lord he would
be buried 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
are ruined for this world and ruined for the
world to come great many at 40 years OF
age are not settled in any respect, because
they have not baen able to make I'D their
mind. Perhaps, they will go West. Per
haps they will go East Perhaps they will
go North. Perhaps they may go South.
Perhaps they will not, Perhaps they NAV
make that investment in real estate or in
railroads. Perhaps they will not. They are
like steamer that should go out of New
York harbor, starting for Glasgow, and he
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 OIL life everlastingly tacking
ship and making no Roadway. Or they are
like man who starts to build ahouse in the
Corinthian style and changes it to Doric,
then completes it in the Ionic and is cursed
by all styles Of architecture
Young man, start right and keep on. Have
decision of character Character il like the
goldfinch of Tonquin: it is magnificent while
standing firm, but loses all its beauty in
flight Have much decision of character
IN IN order that these young men may be
Christians! Their old associates make sar-
castle filings at them. They go on excursions
and they donotinvite them They prophesy
that ne will give out They wonder if he is
not getting wings. AS he passes they grim.
ace and wink, and chuckle and say: .There
goes saint"
o, young man! have decision of character,
You can afford in this matter of religion to
be laughed at What do vou co ra I,r +ho