Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-05-13
EVIL OF JEALOUSY,
DR.. TaLMAGE RETELLS THE
STORY OF DANIEL.
Whose Sudden Rise to Fame Created
Such Jealousy Among Demagogues
--|The Crime of Rising Above Your
Fellows an Excusablc On

the most eager and attentive listeners in the
Tabernacle congregations. His text was
Daniel 6:2, "Daniel was first"
Where in romance can you find any
thing equal to what Daniel was in
reality? A young man, far away from
home, introduced into the most magnif-
icent and most dissolute palace of all
the earth. The King, wishing to
make this young man prodigy in per-
sonal appearance; orders his attendants
to see that he had plenty of meat and
wine, and Daniel refuses these delica-
cies and insists on vegetable dict, re-
fusing everything but pulse and water,
waving back all the rich viands with a
determined, mo; l thank YOU" He
surpasses all the Princes in brilliancy.
AS this sun rises higher and higher in
the armament, it puts out all the
stars, and if there is anything the
stars hate il is the sun. Daniel becomes
so much of favorite with King Darius
that our young hero is promoted to he
prime minister or secrela airy of state-the
Frelinghuysen or the Bismarck of the
ancients. But no man ever attained
such 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
occupations. am sorry tosay you see
it as much among clsrgymen as among
other classes of men. 1t is 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 demagogues in Babylon, who,
highly appreciative of their own ca
pacity, doubted the policy of elevating
such young man as Daniel. They
said: "Why, we know more than he
does. We could manage the public af-
fairs 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 These dem
agogues asked Darius to make an I'M
alterable decree that any man who,
within thirty days, shall ask
petition of anyone except
the King, shall be put to
death. Darius, not mistrusting any foul
play, makes such decree. The dema-
gogues have accomplished their pur
pose, for they knew that Daniel would
not stop sending up petitions to his
God, and Daniel, instead of being af-
frighted by the decree, went three
times day to his house-top for prayer.
He is caught in the act. He is con-
demned to be devoured by the lions.
Such IA healthy young man will be for
the leonine monarchs the best banquet
they ever had. by the rough eXecu-
TONERS of the law he is hurried away
toward the den. / hear the growl of
the monsters, and their paving of the
dust, and as their mouth is placed to
the ground, the solid earth qualles
with their below. The door is re-
moved and Daniel showed into
the den, whic. was all agleam
with fiery eyeballs that seem TO roll
and snap in the caverns. They APP
proach the defenceless man. Their APP
petite was sharp with hunger One
stroke of their paw, one crunch of their
teeth and he would have been lifeless.
How strange q welcome Daniel re-
ceives from the monsters. They fawn
about him. They cover his feet with
their long name. They are struck with
the lock jaw That night Daniels
eIaaY, ic on In, opd ,,pI;e4rrbad With l. &c
head pillowed on the warm neck of the
tanned lions But King Darius was not
so happy. He loved Daniel and he
hated the stratagcm by which his
favorite had been condemned. lie
PAGES his floor all night He cannot
sleep At the least sound he starts
and his flesh creeps with horror. A bad
conscience will make the bravest man
a coward. He watches eagerly for the
dawn, which seems so long in tarrying.
At the first streak of light,
he starts out to find 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 crevices
puo oCNo hOthibE' iiO NaiC iOO cpCdh.
Expecting the worst, his heart stops.
Gathering strength he puts his mouth
to the riffs 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
up out of the deep darkness: ''Oh,
King, live forever. My God hath sent
his angel and hath shut the lions
mouths, that they have 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
rent, and their bones cracked, and the
blood spurted through the riffs, while
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,
that he should come under the bitter
hatred of the demagogues? Why, he