Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-05-20

/
DRY Verses. I7-i0 Golden Text. Dan.
r. Commentary by the Rev u. NJ
Stearns
QUARTERLY TEMPERANCE LESSON.
"But Daniel purposed in his heart that
he would not defile himstl If with the por.
ton of the kings meat. nor with the wine
which he drank This portion of the first
verse of our lesson is the Golden Text for
the day, we therefore give Il little extra
space to it. We see Daniel. one of a com
pany OF young Jews, carried captive in the
third year of Jehoiakim, in the palace of
the king of Babylon, In training to stand
in due time before the king as one of his
wise men. While being taught the wis
dom of the Chaldeans they are to be nour
ished with food and wine from the kings
table Daniel determines that he and his
companions will not defile themselves with
food which has been offered to idols, for
they are true worshipers of the only living
and true God, and understand that what
ever is not offered to Him is offered to
devils U.ev xvii Z Deut xxi IL Cor
X. 2O) All true believers are commanded
to do all things, even their eating and
drinking to the glory of God q Cor. x, BIZ
and this one command covers the whole
temperance question for the Christian
Now God had brought Daniel into
favor and tender love with the prince of
the eunuchs When any one determines
to glority God and serve Him only the
way will he prepared. When mans
ways please the ord he maketh even his
enemies to he at peace with him prov
XVI y See the story of Joseph, Gen.
xxxix, u Acts vii 9. 10. and remember
that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro
throughout the whole earth to show Him
self strong on behalf of all who trust in
Him I'll Chron xvi 81
10 And the prince of the eunuchs said
unto Daniel, | fear my lord the king"
Daniel feared no man, neither did he fear
death but he did fear to offend his God
| The fear Of man bringeth n snare but
whose putteth his trust in the Lord shall
be safe PROV xxx, 25) How often the
fear OF man or the desire to please man
leads people INTO sin the only remedy il to
know the living God and live only to please
Him
II. l2 Prove thy servants, beseech
thee, ten days. and let them give us pulse
to eat and water to drink" a simple
vegetable fare which they could be sure
had not come from the kings table, nor
been dedicated to devils On such food
Daniel felt he could ask the blessing of
HI God and expect it Let Christians test
all their eating and drinking. all their
home entertainment and church enter
tainments, by the honest question from the
heart, Can conscientiously ask the bless
ing Of God upon thiss And it will tend to
make all these more simple and for the
glory of God Daniels conduct made him
! seem very peculiar in the eyes of some
hers but he remembered that Israel was
to he peculiar treasure unto God above
ali people tEx. xix, 81 And he sought
above all things to please God
.3 Then let our coulntenances be looked
upon before thee and ~ thou seest, deal
with thy servants" The child of God may
he sure that the blessing of God shall be
made manifest. so that others shall he com
/ PEELED TO behold it. Assurely as the work of
| the devil is manifest in those who are given
to strong drink, so surely shall the work of
God he manifest in those who honor Him
even in their eating and drinking The
testimony of Jesus is IF any man serve
me- him will my Father honor" John xii
26)
"A. so he consented to them in this
matter and proved them ten days" The
church Al Smyrna was to be tried ten days
/ tRev ii 10y signifying perfect trial The
ten plaques upon Egypt, the parallels of
the ten pounds and the ten virgins seem to
indicate responsibility, and judgment in
proportion to responsibility. AS the mum
her seven Indicates perfection in reference
to God it may he that the numbers four,
ten twelve refer to perfect dealing with
man in various ways
J u IL And AT the end of ten days their
countenances appeared fairer and fatter in
} flesh than all the children" The blessing
of God will he manifest even in our bodies
] L.
ance of those whose bodies were once given
to strong drink and sin in the service OF
the devil. but who have been rescued by
the grace of God and made servants of
Christ Being made free from sin and
become servants to God. they now bear
! fruit unto holiness and are ashamed of
the former things, the end of which was
death (Rom vi, 81, 22). AS to the mani
festation of Christ in such as are possessed
by Him, see how they glorified God in
Panl Gal /. Is. pa and how they took
knowledge of the apostles that they had
been with Jesus tActs iv, 49,
II AS for these four children, God gave
them knowledge and skill in all learning
and wisdom, and Daniel had understand
ing in all visions and dreams" No doubt
they studied. but He that is perfect in
knowledge was with them (Job xxxvi y
]
things not to he found in any books of the
Chaldeans. God is no respecter of persons,
He still gveth wisdom to all who sincerely
ask Him tJaS i, - There is no capital
that can compare with IA heart and head
right with God. a pure heart and clear
head sanctified and enlightened by the
! Holy Spirit through the merits of the Lord
Jesus Christ is the greatest of blessings
But this no one can have who is given to
much wine (Eph, V, is, Cor vi, l0)
IS. 10. Now AT the end of the days, the
prince of the eunuchs brought them in
before Nebuchadnezzar, and among them
all was found none like Daniel, Han
aniah. Mishael and Azariah, therefore
stood they before the king" The food and
wine from the kings table, and all the wis
dom of Babylon, could not do for the others
what the God of Daniel could and did do
for those who relied upon Him and yielded
their bodies to Him. Happy are those who
10 al a, La,