The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-05-13
AT THE TABERNACLE.
DIR. TALMAGE MORE .lZES ON THE
LESSON or DANIELS EXPERIENCE.

Firmness to DO the Right Com mands the
Respect Even OF the Worst Men-The
Lord Can Shut the Mouths of Social,
Political and Commercial Lions.
BROOKLYN, May 8-Dr Talmage took
for his subject today 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 listeners in the Tabernacle
congregations. His text was Daniel vi
Q, Daniel was first"
Where in romance can you find any,
thing equal to what Daniel was in real
ity? A young man, far away from home,
introduced into the most magnificent
and most dissolute palace of all the
earth. The king, wishing to make this
young man prodigy in personal ap-
pearance, orders his attendants to see
that he has plenty of meat and wine,
and Daniel refuses these delicacies and
insists on vegetable diet, refusing
everything but pulse and water, waving
back all the rich viands with a deter
mined mo, thank YOU" He sur
passes 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 it is
the sun.
Daniel becomes so much of a favorite
with King Darius that our young hero
is promoted to be prime minister or sec
rotary 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 to say you see it as much among
clergymen as among other classes of men.
1t is passion bitter as hell and it is i'm
mediately 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
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 af-
fairs 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
THE 7TATICE on DFNT AcOcTrEc
These demagogues asked Darius to
make an unalterable decree that any
man who within thirty days shall ask
petition of any one except the king shall |
be put to death. Darius. not mistrust-
ing any foul play, makes such decree. |
The demagogues have accomplished |
their purpose, for they knew that Dan
lei would not stop sending up petitions |
TO his God; and Daniel, instead of being
affrighted by the Decree went three
times day to his housetop for prayer
He is caught in the act. He is CON
demned to be devoured by the lions.
Such 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. hear the growl of the mon
sters and their paving of the dust, and
as their mouth is placed to the ground
the solid earth quakes with their bel
low. 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 defenseless man. Their ap-
petite 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. They cover his feet with their
long names. They are struck with the
lockjaw. That night Daniels sleep is
calm and undisturbed, with his head I
pillowed on the warm neck of the tanned s
lions.
But King Darius was not so happy. ,
He loved Daniel and he hated the strata I
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 1
man a coward He watches eagerly for
the dawn, which seems SO long in tarrv- i
ing. AT the first streak of light he t
starts out to find the fate of Daniel /
The palace gate opens and jars heavily s
behind him while yet the city is asleep
He comes to the den. He looks through l
the crevices, but sees nothing. He dare S
not speak. Expecting the worst, his a
heart stops e
Gathering strength he puts his mouth /
to the riffs in the rock and cries, "Oh, t
Daniel, is thy God whom thou servest C
able to deliver thee from b
the lions| An answer comes rolling up t
out of the deep darkness: ''Oh, king, Ii
live forever. My God hath sent his a
angel and hath shut the lions mouths, g
that they have not hurt me-" The
young man is brought out and the dem k
agogues who made the plot are thrown o
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 D
ierce monsters shook the rocks with &