The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1892-05-26
REV. DR.. TALMAGE
THE BROOKLYN DIyINE's sun
DAY SERMON.
Subject Lessons From the Story of
Daniel


Where in romance can you find anything
equal 10 what Daniel was in reality A
Young man, far away from home intro
ducsd into the most magnificent and most
6issolute palace Of all the earth The king,
wishing to make this young man prodigy
in personal appearances, orders his attend
ants 70 see that lie las plenty Of meat and
wine, and Daniel refuses these delicacies and
insists on Z vegetable diet refusing every
thing but pulse and water, waving hack all
the rich viands with a determined No:
thank vou." He SURPRISES ali the princes in
brilliapcr As this sun risss higher and
higher in the armament. il puts out al the
stars, and if there Is anything the stars hate
il i the SUI.
Daniel becomes 50 much Of & favorite
with King Darius that our young hero is
prom otsd 10 be prime minister or secretary
Of state-the FreiinEhuyssn or the Bis
rusrck Of the ancients. But no man ever
attained 50 high position without exciting
the envy Of Others. The neanest and
vrathlest passion OF the soul !. jealousy
You see il among all professions and occu-
pations. l an sorry TO say you see it as
muca among clergymsn az among other
classes OF men. II is e passion bitter rs hell
and it IS Immediately rec0gnizsd and yet,
though il blackens the man who INDUCES in
il, men viii kiniie this fire which consumes
only themselves.
There were Gemagogues in Babylon, who,
highly apureciative OF their own capacity,
dou btei the policy OF elevsting such q Young
man as Daniel. They said. why, we
know more than be DOES. We could manage
the public affairs better than he can manage
them. The i1ea Of putting Dan in such
place as thai" Old Babylon was afraid Of
young Babylon. They began 70 plot MS
ruin. He was an illustrious target. The
taller the cedar the more apt 10 Be struck
with the lightning.
These dsmagogues asked Darius 70 make
an unalterable decree that any man who
within thirty DAYS shall ash, a petition If
any one except the king, shall be put TO
death. Darius not rlistrusting any foul
play. makes sacn decree. The Gemagog ues
have accomplished their purpose, for they
knew that Daniel would not stop sending up
petitions to his COG, and Daniel, instead of
being afrighted By the decree, went three
times day TO his housstop for prayer. He
is caught in the act. He is condemned TO
be deyoured by the lions. Such healthy
young man viii be for the leonine monarchs
the best banquet they ever mad. By the
rough execunoners OF the law be Is hurried
away toward the den.
I hear the srowl of the monsters, and
their paving Of the dust, and as their mouths
are placed to the ground the solid earth
ouskes with their bellow. 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 caYerns They ap-
preach the detenssless man. Their appetite
was sharp with hunger. One stroke Of their
paw, one crunch Of their teeth and he would
have been hfeless. How strange g welcome
Daniel receives from the monsters. They
fawn about him. They cover his feet VI n
their long maue. They ara struck with the
lockjaw That night DanlaIs sleep is calm
and undisturbej, 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 conscience viii
make the bravest man g coward. He watches
eagerly for the dawn, which seams 50 long in
tarrylng. 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 crevices
but sees nothing. He dare not speak. Ex-
pecting the worst, his heart stops.
Gathering strength, he puts his mouth to
the riffs in the rock and cries lob, Daniel
IS thy God whom thou servest continually
able TO deliver thee from the ionsF' An
answer comes rolling up out Of the darkness.
''Ob, king, live forever. Ny 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 is rent, and their bones cracked,
and their 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 offenss you can
commit Is success. OF what crime had this
young man been guilty that be should come
under the bitter hatred OF the dem agogues?
Why. he had gone 10 be prime minister OF
Babylon. That they could not forgive. Be-
hold in this sketch touch OF human nature
As long as poverty pinches you, and you run
the gauntlet between taIgarherer and land
lord, and you have hard work TO educate
your children, there will be muitituies 10
say; Poor fellow. he ought TO succeed. How
Sorry am for him"
But after awhile you begiu TO emerge from
the darkness. That was e capital invest.
meuu. You purchased at just theright time.
Fortune became good natured ana smiled.
You huilded your own house. You got 10
be one Of the first men on the street. Now
as you PATS a number Of those late sym
pathizsrs stand on the corner Of the street.
Act eNON- a. VI nun AL4AEA NLG Ill VI
their hats. You have more money now
than they have, and you ought TO he scowled
al from under the rim Of their hats.
Before you get fully past you hear a word
OF two, Stuck up, says one. Didn't get
it honestly, says another "Wil burst soon,
says a third. Every stone in your new
house was laid on their heart, Tour horses
hoofs went over their nerves Your carnage
tire cut their neck. What have you done,
outrageous culprits You ought 10 be cast TO
the lions. You have dared TO achieve sue
cess. Depend upon it that if in any one re-
spect you rise far above your fellows--if you
are more truthful, more wise, more eloquent
more inhuential-the shadow Of your success
viii chill somebody. The road of honor and
virtue is within reach Of the enemies guns
Jealousy says Stay down or l viii knock
you down" In midair a snowflake said TO a
snowbird, Il don't like you" Why don't
you ike me?' said the snovbird. Because, "
replied the snowflake, you are going upland
! am coming down"
Success is often synonym for scorn. The