Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-05-09
DANIEL AND DARIUS.
eR. TALMAeE's PRACTICAL Dis
COURSE TO YOUNG MEN.


Lessoss to Be Drawn from the Conduct
of Man Who Dared DIsobey n King.
The Value Of Character and Goodness.
BROOKLYN, May s.--Dr. Talmage took
for bis subject today the character of Dan
Tel and drew from it lessons of sound prac-
tical value for the young men, of whom so
large a number are always to be seen
among the most eager and attentive listen
ers in the Tabernacle congregations. His
text was Daniel vi, 2, daniel was first.n
Where In romance can you find anything
equal to what Daniel was in reality? A
young man, far away from home, intro
duced into the most magnificent and most
dissolute palace Of all the earth. The king,
wishing to make this young man a prod
ICY In personal appearance, orders his at
PENDANTS to sec that he has plenty of meat
and wine, and Daniel refuses these delica-
cies and insists on vegetable diet, refus-
ing everything but pulse and water, wav-
ing back all the rich yiands with deter
mined mo; | thank YOU" He sufpasses
all the princes in brilliancy. AS this sun
rises higher and higher in the armament,
1t puts out all the stars, and If there is
anything the stars hate it Is the sun.
Daniel becomes SO much Of favorite
with King Darius that our young hero =
promoted to be prime minister or secretary
OF state-the Frelinghuysen or the Bis
marck OF the ancients. But no man ever
attained such high position without excit-
ing the envy OF others. The meanest and
wratbiest passion of the soul is jealousy.
You SEQ 1t among all professions and occu-
pations. i am sorry TO say you see it as
much among clergymen as among other
classes Of men. 1t is n passion bitter as
hell and 1t is Immediately recognized, and
yet, though it blackens the man who in
dulges in Is, men will kindle this fire
which consumes only themselves.
There were demagogues in Babylon, who,
highly appreciative of their own capacity,
doubted the policy of elevating such
young man as Daniel. They said: why,
we know more than he does. We could
manage the public affairs better than he
can manage them. The idea of putting
Dan in such II place as that" Old Baby
Ion was afraid Of young Babylon. They
began to plot his ruin. He was an illustri-
Gus target The taller the cedar the more
apt to be struck with the lightning.
These demngogues asked Darius to
make an unalterable decree that any man
ton of any one except the king, shall be
put TO death. Darius, not mistrusting any
foul play, makes such decree. The dem.
agogues have accomplished their purpose,
for they knew that Daniel would not stop
sending up petitions to his God, and Dan.
iel, instead of being affrighted by the de-
cree, went three times day to his house.
top for prayer. lie is caught in the net.
He Is condemned to be devoured by the
lions. Such II healthy young man will be
for the leonine monarchs the best banquet
they ever had. By the rough execution
ers of the law he is hurried away toward
the den.
IN THE LIONS 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 quakes with their below. The door
Is removed and Daniel showed into the den,
which was all agleam with fiery eyeballs
that seem to roll and snap in the caverns.
They approach the defenseless man. Their
appetite was sharp with hunger One
stroke Of their paw, one crunch of their
teeth and he would have been lifeless.
How strange welcome Daniel receives
from the monsters They fawn about him.
They cover his feet with their long name.
They are struck with the lockjaw. That
night Daniels sleep is calm and undis-
turbed, with his head pillowed ON the
warm neck of the tanned lions.
But King Darius was not so happy He
loved Daniel and he hated the stratagem
by which his favorite had been condemned.
He PAGES his floor all night He cannot
sleep. AT the least sound he starts and
his flesh creeps with horror. A bad con-
n IL. ~.
ard. He watches eagerly for the dawn,
which SEEMS so long in tarryng. 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 tho crevces but
sees nothing He dare not speak. Expect
ing 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 con
tinually able TO deliver thee from the
lionsP" An answer comes rolling up out
of the darkness: "Oh, king, live forever
My God hath sent his angel and hath shut
the lions mouths, that they have not hurt
me-" Theyoung man Ia 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
y bones cracked, and their blood spurted
Through the riffs, while the fierce mon
sters 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.
THE oFFENsE OF SUCCESS
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 dema-
goguesP Why, he had got TO be prime
minister Of Babylon. That they could not
forgive Behold in this sketch touch Of
human naturel AS long as poverty pinches
you, and you run the gauntlet between
taxgatherer and landlord, and you have
hard work to educate your children, there
wiA be multitudes to say; Poor fellowl
Nc ought TO succeed, How sorry am for
himr'
But after awhile you begin to emerge
from the darkness That was capital
investment. You purchased at just the
right time Fortune became good natured
and smiled You builded your own house,
You not TO be one Of the first men on the
street. Now, as you pass, number of
those lato sympathizers stand on the cor
ner of tho street. They scowl at you from
under the rim Of their hats, You have
more money now than they have, and you
ought TO be scowled at from under the rim
of their hats.
Before you get fully past you hear a
word or two. stuck up" says one
I..Didn't get It honestly" says another.
'-Wili burst SOON" says third. Every