The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1892-05-20
SERMON TO YOUNG MEN.
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage Cites the
Story of Daniel
Religion. self-DenIaI and Grit the Essen
tiAls I'm the Equipment of Young
Man In Fighting the Bat
tie of Life.

The following discourse by Rev. T..
Dewitt Talmage, addressed particu-
larly to young men, was delivered IN
the BROOKLYN tabernacle from the text:
Daniel was flrst.-DanieI vi. q
Where in romance can you find any
thing equal to what Daniel was in
reality? A young man, far away from
home, introduced into the most mag
niicent and most dissolute palace of all
the earth. The king, wishing to make
this young man a prodigy in personal
appearance, orders his attendants to
see that he has plenty Of meat and
wine, and Daniel refuses these delica-
cles and insists on a vegetable diet, re-
fusing everything but pulse and water,
waving back all the rich viands with a
determined: ''No, I thank you" He
surpasses all the princes In brilliancy.
As this sun rises higher and higher in
the armament, il puts out all the stars,
and if their 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 OF
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 Immediately recognized, and yet,
though it blackens the man who in
dulges in it, men will kindle this fire
which consumes only themselves. There
were demagogues in Babylon, who,
highly appreciative of their own ca
pacity, 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 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.
He was an illustrious target. The tall
er the cedar the more apt to be struck
with the lightning.
These demagogues asked Darius TO
make an unalterable decree that any
man who, within thirty days, shall ask
petition Of anyone except the king
shall be put to death. Darius, not mis-
trusting any foul play, makes such a
decree. The demagogues have accom-
plished their purpose, for they knew
that Daniel would not stop sending up
petitions to his God, and Daniel, in
stead of being affrighted by the decree,
went three times a day to his house-top
for prayer He is caught in Thea act. He is
condemned 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 execu-
TONERS of the law he is hurried away
toward the den. hear the growl of
the monsters, and their paving of the
dust, and as their mouth is placed to
the ground, the solid earthquakes 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 7defenseless man.
Their appetite was sharp with hunger.
One stroke of their paw, one crunch of
their teeth and he would have been
ifeless. How strange a welcome DAN
iel receives from the monsters. They
fawn about him. They cover his feet
with their long name. They are struck
with the loclz-jaw. That night DAN
iel's sleep is calm and undisturbed, 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 can
not 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 yet the city is asleep. He comes
to the den. He looks through the
crevices but sees nothing. He dare not
speak Expecting the worst, his heart
stops. Gathering strength he puts his
mouth to the riffs in the rock and cries:
ooh, 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:
ooh, king, live forever. My God hath
sent His angel and hath shut the lions
months, 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
rent, and their bones cracked, 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 de-
tends His people, the way of the wicked
shall perish.
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 demagogues? Why, he
had got to be prime minister of Baby
Ion. Q That they could not forgive. Be-
hold in this sketch a touch of human
nature. AS long as poverty pinches you
and you run the gauntlet between tax
gather 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 1 am for him" But, after awhile,
you begin to emerge from the darkness.
That was a capital investment You
purchased at just the right time. For
tune 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