The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-05-11
IN THE LIONS DEN.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Draws a Lesson
From the Story of Daniel.
full With Which to Fight the Battles
of Life-The Way to Future Sue
cess Is Through Present
Self Denial.


tabernacle Rev. DR.. Talmage took for
his subject the character of Daniel and
drew from it lessons of sound practical
value for young men. His text was,
Daniel vi, 9: "Daniel was first" Fol-
lowing is the sermon
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 a. 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 a vegetable diet, refusing
everything but pulse and water, waving
back all the rich viands with a deter
mined, "No; thank you" He s"r-
passes all the princes in brilliancy. AS
this sun rises higher and higher in the
firsaament, it puts out all the stars, and
if there is anything the stars hate it is
the sun. Daniel becomes so much of q
favorite with King Darius that our
young hero is promoted to be prime
minister or secretary Of state-the FIRE.
linghuysen or the Bismarck Of the an
clients. 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 occupa-
tions. am sorry to say you see it as
much among clergymen as among other
classes of men. 1t is a passion bitter as
hell, and it is Immediately recognized,
and yet, though 1t blackens the man
who INDUCES in 1t, men will
lxindle this fire which con-
sumes only themselves. There were
demagogues in Babylon, who, highly
appreciative 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 manage the public affairs bet
ter 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. lie 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 unal-
terable decree that any man who with
in thirty days shall ask a petition of
any one except the king shall be put to
death. Darius, not mistrusting any foul
hn
gogues, having accomplished their pur-
pose, for they knew that Daniel would
not stop sending up petitions to his God,
and Daniel, instead of being affrighted
by the decree, went three times day
to his house-top for prayer. He is
caught in the act. He is condemned u
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 execu
TONERS Of the law he is hurried away
toward the den. | hear the growl o
the monsters, and their paving Of thu
dust, and as their mouth is placed TO tn,
ground the solid earth quakes with
their below. The door is removed an,
Daniel showed into the den, which
was all agleam with fiery eye
balls that seem TO roll and snal
in the caverns. They approach
the defenseless man. Their ap
petite was sharp with hunger. ol
stroke of their paw, one crunch of thc
teeth and he would have been lifelesS
How strange welcome Daniel receive
from the monsters. They fawn .b1a
him. They cover his feet with thei
long name. They are struck with Tn
lockjaw. That night Daniels sleep
calm and undisturbed, with his hea
pillowed on the warm neck of tn
tanned lions. But King Darius was no
so happy. He loved Daniel and h
hated the stratagcm by which his !;ivpI
ite had been condemned. lie pGcrs hi
floor all night. He cannJt sleep. A
the least sound he starts and his iies
creeps with horror A bad cons cnc
will make the bravest man coward
He watches eagerly for the dawn. whic
seems so long in tarrying. AZ tire frs
streak Of light, he starts out 10 End th
fate Of Daniel. The palace gate open
and Jars heavily behind him while yC
the city is asleep. lie comes to the der
He looks through the cr2vi,e' but see
nothing. He dare not speak. EXpectin
the worst, his heart steps. Gatherin
strength nc puts his IN Eith 20 the riff
In the rock and cries 20, Daniel,
thy Gcd whom thou s,'ves; continual
Gblc ~ deliver the fr,,n lhc lions?" A
answer comes rolling up ont OF the dee
darkness: 30, king, live forever. NJ
God hath sent His angel and hath shr
the lions mouths and they have nc
hart me" The young nLn is brougf
out and the demagogues who made u
plot are thrown in. But they hard
struck the bottom of the den when the
flesh rent, and their bones cracked, an
the blood spurted through the rift
while the fierce monsters shook u
rocks with their terrible roar, announ
ing TO all ages the truth that while &c
defends His people, the way of Il
wicked shall perish.
Now, you see from this subject in Il
eyes OF many the greatest offense yC
can commit is success. OF what erin
had this young man been guilty, tn
he should come under the bitter hatr'
of the demagogues? Why, he had g
TO be prime minister of Babylon. TIL
they could not forgive. Behold in tn
sketch touch of human nature.
long as poverty pinches you al
you run the gauntlet between tax gat
erer and landlord. and You have ha