The Penn's Grove record., 1892-05-13
REV.. DR.. 9A|HiGf'S &FRHON.
The EItt ~. sur's SCH:t"y
sermon.


Where in romance can you find anything
equal to what Daniel was in ~Tealityi a
Young 'man, far away from home, intro.
duced into the most magnificent and most
disSnlute palace OF all the earth. The king,
wishing tn make this young man a prodigy
IN personal appearance, orders his attend
ants to see that he has plenty of meat ami
wine. and Daniel refuses these delicacies and
insists on a vegetable diet, refusing every
thing bus pulse and water, waving back all
the rich vianis with II determined 'No; 1
thank vou." He surpasses all the princes in
hriliiancy. As this sun ris 3 higher and
h. her in the firmanent. it puts out all the
Stars, and if there is anything the stars hate
it is tn" sun.
Daniel becomes so much OF a favorite
with King Darius that our young hero is
promoted to be prime minister or secretary
%; >tat"-the Frelinghuysen or the Bis
mar OF the ancients. But no man ever
ATTAINED 50 high position without exciting
the envy of others. The meanest and
wrathiest passion of the soul is jealousy.
You SEE it among all professions and occu-
I%ations. | am sorry to say you see it as
mucI among clergymen as among other
classes of men. 1t is a passion bitter as hell
and it is Immediately recognized, and yet.
though it blackens the man who INDUCES in
it, men will kindle this fire which consumes
only themselves.
There were d~emagogues in Babylon, who.
highly appreciative of their own capacity,
doubted the policy of elevating such a young
man as Daniel. They said: ''Why, we
know more than he does. We could manage
the lubIic affairs better than he can manage
them. The idea of putting Dan in such a
place as that" Old Babylon was afraid of
young Babylon. They began to plot his
ruin. He was an illustrious target. The
taller the cedar the more apt to be struck
with the lightning.
MI al.l II
an nalterable decree that any man who
within thirty days shall ask a petition of
any one except the king, shall be put to
death. Darius, not mistrusting any foul
play. makes such a decree. The ~demagogues
have accomplished their purpose, for they
knew that Daniel would not stop sending up
petitions TO his GOD, and Daniel, instead of
teing atrrighted by the decree, went three
times Il day to his housetop for prayer. He
is caught in the act. He is condemned to
tie devoured by the lions. Such a healthy
young man will be for the leonine monarchs
the hest banquet they ever had. By the
rough executIoners OF the law he is hurried
away toward the den.
/ hear the growl of the monsters, AMI
their paving of the dust, and as their mouths
are placed to the ground the solid earth
quakes with their below. The door is re.
moved and Daniel showed into the den, which
was all agleam with fiery eyeballs that seem
to roll and snap in the caverns. They APP
prOach the deienseless man. Their appetite
was sharp with hunger. One stroke OF their
nav, one crunch of their teeth AMI lie would
have been ~lifeless. How strange a welcome
Daniel receives from the monsters. They
fa wn about him. They cover his feet with
their long name. They are struck with the
lockiaw. That night Daniers sleep is calm
and unIisturUei, with his head piliowed Oh
the warm neck of the tanned lions.
But King Darius was not so happy. He
loved DanisI and he hated the strafaEem by
which his favorite had been condemned.
He PAGES his door all night. Hs annot sleep.
AT the least sound he starts and his flesh
.creeI,S with horror. A bad conscience will
make tile bravest man a coward. He watches
eagerly for the dawn, which seems so long in
.tarrvIng. At the first streak of light he
starts out to find out the fate of Daniel. The
palace gate opens and jars heavily behind
him while yet the city is asleep. He comes
to the den. He looks through the crevlces
but sees nothing. Hedare not speak. Elk
pecting the worst, his heart stops.
Gathering strength, he puts his mouth to
the ritts in the rock and cries, "Oh, Daniel,
is thy God whom thou servest continually
able to deliver thee from the lions" An
answer comes rolling mp out of the darkness:
'Oh. king, live forever. My Tod hath sent
His angel and hath shut the lions mouths,
that they nave not hurt me-" The young
man is brought out and the demagogues
who made the plot are thrown in. But they
hardly struck the bottom of the den when
Their flesh is rent, and their bones cracked,
and their blood spurted through the riffs,
" hIle the fierce monsters shook the rocks
with their terrible roar. announcing to all
ages the truth that while God defends His
people, the way OF the wicked shall perish.
Now, you see from this subject that in the
eyes of many the greatest offense you can
commit is success. of what crime had this
young man been guilty THAI he should come
under the bitter hatred of the d~emagogueS?
Why, he bal gone to be prime minister OF
Babylon. That they could not forgive. Be
hold in this sketch a touch OF human natnrel
As long as poverty pinches you, and you run
the gauntlet between taXgatherer and land
lord, and YOU have hard work to educate
Your children, there will be multitules to
say "Poor fellow, he ought to succeed. How
sorry | am for himV'
But after awhile you begin to emerge from
the darkness. That was a capital invest
ment. You purchased at just theIight time.
Fortune became good natured and smiled.
You luilded your own house. You got to
be one of the first men on the street. Now
as YOU pass a number of those late sym
rat6izers stand on the corner of the street.
They scowl a. you from I'm Ter the rim of
their hats. You nave more money now
than they have, and you ought to lie scowlec
at from under the rim of their hats.
Before you get fully past you hear a word
or two. S'Stuck up" says one. 'Didn't get
il honestly, :" says another. "Wiil burst soon,
SAYS a third. Every stone in your new
house was laid on their heart. Your horses
hoofs went over their nerves. Your carriage
tire cut their neck. What have you done,
outrageous culprit: You ought to be cast to
the lions. You nave dared to achieve sue
c-ss. Depend upon it that it IN any one re-
spect You rise far above your you
are more truthful, more wise, more eloquent,
more iniuentiai-the shadow of your success
will chill somebody. The road Of honor and
virtue is within reach of the enemies guns.
Jealousy says, ''Stay down or | will knock
YOU down" In midair a snowflake said to a
snowbird, 81 don't like you" why don't
YOU IKE me?' said the snowbird. "~Because, -
replied the snowflake, 'you are going upiand
| am coming down"
Success is often a synonym for scorn. The
first thing a man wants is religion. The
! second is grit. If you do not want to face
wild beasts you must never get to be prime
minister. II Won are now, as a young man,
rising IN any one respect, l bless God for your
advancement, hut | wish to say before | quit
this thought, look out tor the lions Young
merchants, young lawyers, young physl-
ci1ns, young ministers have inuch sympathy,
and kind ADVICE is given them at hrst but
as Won become YOUR own masters and begin
10 succeed in your different occupations ami
professions, how is it then, young mer-
chants, young lawyers, young physicians.
y,uup ministers? How is il them
Again behold in our subject an exhibition
Of true decision . of character. Before
Dane, we're condemnation and death, If he
continued faithful to his religion. Yet, Just
as before, three times a day he prayed with
his face toward Jerusalem. There Is
nothing more fatal Tor the religious or
wor ly advancement than a spirit OF inie'
cision How often youth is almost gone
before the individual has determined upon
Lis profession
there are those who for thirty or forty
years have accomplished nothing anywher'
because they nave not felt themselves set
tleI. Ghey nave thought OF the law, o
medicine, OF merchandise. of mechanism
They have some idea of going west. Per-
haps they Will go east. Perhaps they won't
They may go north or south. Perhaps the
Will invest their money in railroat Is or IL
real estate. Perhaps they won't. They arr
like a vessel starting from New York har
Dor, which should one day decide on going
to Liverpool, and the next on New Orleans
and the next on Marseilles. How many mer
have for a long while been out on the greal
sea Of life and they do not know 70 what