The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-09
THE LIONS L0CK-JAWED.
TALMAGE TAKES a LESSON FROM
THE STORY OF DANIEL:

] |
The Rise in Life and Importance OF the
Hero of the story-The Incident In
the Den of the Boasts hings the
| Story Teaches.
| BROOKLYN, N. V. May S.-Dr. Talmage
took FOR his subject to-day the character OF
Daniel and drew from it lessons Of sound
| practical 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, 3: ''Daniel was first"
Where in romance can you find anything
to equal what Daniel was in reality2 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 prodigy
| in personal appearance, orders his attends
| ants to see that he has plenty of meat and
wine, and Daniel refuses these delicacies
and insists on vegetable diet, refuses
| everything but pulse and water, waving
back all the rich viands with determined
| mo; thank you" He surpasses all the
princes in briliancy. As the sun rises
| higher and higher in the armament, it puts
| out all the stars, and IL there is anything
| the stars hate 1t Is the sun. Daniel becomes
80 much of a favorite with King Darius
~
| prime minister or secretary of state-the
| Frelinghuysen or the Bismarck Of the an
| cients But no man ever attained such
| high position without exciting the envy of
| others. The meanest and wrRthiest passion
| OF the soul Is Jealousy. You see it among
| all professions and occupations. / am sorry
| to say you see 1t as much among clergymen
| as among other classes OF men. 1t is a pas
| sion bitter as hell and it is Immediately
| recognized, and yet, though it blaokens the
mau who indulges in 1t, men will kindle
| this fire which consumes only themselves.
There were demagogues in Babylon, who,
| highly appreoative 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 man-
| age the public affairs better than he can
manage them. The idea Of putting Dan in
such 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 demagogues asked Darius TO make
AN unRlterable 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 makse such decree. The demagogues
have accomplished their purpose, for they
knew that Daniel would not stop sending ub
petitions TO his God, and Daniel, instead OF
being affrighted by the decree, went three
times a day TO his house-top for prayer. He
is caught IN the act. He is condemned to be
| devoured by the lions. Such a healthy
| young man will be for the leonine monarchs
the best banquet they ever had. BY the
rough executioners OF the law he is hurried
away toward tho den. hear the growl of
| the monsters aud their paving of the dust,
and as their mouth is pleced 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 ap-
proach the dsfenseless man. Their appe-
tite was sharp with hunger One stroke Of
their paw, one crunch of their teeth and he
would have been lifeless. How strange a
welcome Daniel receives from the monsters
They fawn about him. Thsy cover his feet
with their long name. They are struck
with the lock-jaw. That night Daniels
sleep is calm and undisturbsd, with his head
plllowed on the warm neck OF the tanned
hons. But King Darius' was not 80 happy.
He loved Daniel and he hated the STRATA
gem by which his favorIte had been con-
demned. He 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 vet the
city Is asleep. He comes Co the den He
looks through the crevices, but sees moth
lug. He dare not speak. Expecting the
worst, his heart stops. Gathering strength
he puts his mouth to the riffs in the rock
ana cries: 80, Daniel is thy God whom
thou servest continually able TO deliver
thee from the hons| An answer comes
rolling up out Of the deep darkness: 30,
king live forever. My God hath sent his
angel aud hath shut the lions mouths, that
they have not hurt me-" The young mau
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 I.
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 otfense 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-
gogues2 Why, he had got to be prime min
lister Of Babylon. That they could not for
give. Behold in this sketch touch of hui
man nature. AS long as poverty pinches
you and you run the gauntlet between tar
gatherer and landlord, and you have hard
work TO educate your children, there will
be multitudes of men to say: "Poor fellow.
He ought to succeed How sorry am for
him" But, after awhile, you begin to
emerge from the darkness. That was cap.
itai Investment. You purchased at just the
right time. Fortune became good-natured
and smiled. You builded your own house.
You got to be one of the first men on the
street. Now, as you pass, a number of those
late sympathiZers stand on the corner Of the
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 word
or two; 'Stuck up" says one. "Didn's
get 1t honestly" says another. "Will burst
| soon,n says third. Every stone Ia 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 culprit9 You ought
to be cast to the lions. You have dared to
achieve success. Depend upon it that il in
any one respect you rise far above your fell
lows-if you are more truthful, more wise.
more eloquent, more inhuential-the
shadow Of your success will chill somebody.
The road of honor and virtue is within