Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-05-13
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Sun.
day Sermon.
"Lessons From the Story of Daniel"

'tAis iNNft- NUS JUSts -Odtlibl VIZ,
Where in romance can you fini anything
equal to what Daniel was in reality? 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 a prodigy
in personal appearance, orders his attend
ants to see that he has plenty of meat AMI
wine, and Daniel refuses these delicacies and
insists on vegetable diet refusing every
thing but pulse and water. waving back all
the rich viands with a determined mo.
thank you" He SURPRISES all the princes in
briliancy. As this sun ris higher and
higher in the armament it puts out all the
stars, and II there Is anything the stars hate
IL is the sun.
Daniel becomes 50 much Of favorits
with King Darius that our young hero is
promoted to be prime minister or secretary
of state-the Frelinghuysen or the Bis
marcs of the ancients But no mau ever
attained so high position without exciting
the envy OF others The meanest AMI
wrathest passion of the soul Is Jealousy.
You see it among all professions and occu-
pations. | am sorry to say you see it as
mucl among clergyman as among other
classes Of men, IL is passion bitter as he'll
and it is Immediately recognized AMI yet.
though it blackens the man wno INDUCES in
ii, men will kin1le this fire which consumes
only themselves.
There were demagoyues in Babylon, who.
highly appreciative Of their own capacity
doubted the policy of elevating such a youny
man as Daniel They said: why, VIC
know more than he does. Wecould manage
the public affairs better than he can manage
them. The idea of putting Dan in such a
place as tba'" Old Babylon was afraid OF
young Babylon. They began 70 plot his
ruin. He was an illustrious target. The
taller the cedar the more apt to be STRUCK
with the lightning.
These demago2ues asked Darius to make
an unaterable decree that any man who
within thirty days shall ask a petition of
any one except the king, shall bo pat to
ieath. Darius, not mistrustiny any foul
play, makes such decree. The demagoZues
have accomplished their purpose. for they
lnew that Daniel would not stop sending up
petitions to bis God, and Daniel instead Of
Icing affrighted by the decree, went three
lines a day to his housetop for prayer. He
is caught in the act. He is condemned to
I've devoured by the lions. Such a healthy
Young man will be for the leonins monarcas
The best banquet they ever had. By the
ough executIoners of the law he is hurried
Lway toward the den.
hear the growl of the monsters an |
their paving Of the dust, and as their mouths
ire placed to the ground the solid earth
ruakes with their below. The door is re.
moved and Daniel showed into the den. which
was all ageam with fiery eyeballs that seem
10 roll aud snap in the caverns. They APP
1roach the defenSeless man. Their appetite
was sharp with hunger, One stroke Of their
aw, one crunch of their teeth an he would
ave been lifeless How strange a welcome
Daniel receives from the monsters. They
! avn about him. They cover his feet with
heir long mane. They ara struck with the
| ,ckjaw. That night Daniels s'eep is calm
aud undisturbel, with his head pilloweI on
he warm neck Of the tanned lions.
But King Darius was not so happy. He
| owed Daniel an he hated the stratagen by
which his favorite had been condemne1.
! lie PAGES his floor all night. H. cannot sleep.
! At the least sound he starts and his flesh
,reeps with horror. A bad conscience will
make the braveSt man a coward. He watches
llger.y for the dawn which seams so long in
! rrying. At the first streak of light he
taris out to find out the fate of Daniel. The
alace gate opens and jars heavily behind
i'm while yet the city is asleep He comes
! ID the den. He looks through the crevices
ut sees nothing. He dare not speak. Ex-
Getting the worst, his heart stops.
Gathering strength, he puts his mouth to
! he riffs in the rock and cries, "Oh, Daniel,
Is thy God whom thou servest continually
bic to deliver Thea from the lions| An
answer comes rolling MP out of the darkness;
Oh. king, live forever Ny God hath sent
| His anger and hath shut the lions mouths,
| hat they have not hurt me- The young
nan Is brought out and the demagogues
rho made the plos are thrown in. But they
hardly struck the bottom OF the den when
| her flesh is rent, and their bones cracked,
/ md their blood spurtel through the riks
/ While the fierce monsters shook the rocks
I nth their terrible roar, announcing 70 all
| lges the truth that waile Col defenis His
aeople. the way OF the wicked shall perish
Now. YOU see from this subject that in the
ives OF many the greatest ofense you can
/ commit is success. OF what crime had this
-oung man been guilty that he should come
lnder the bitter hatred of the dsmagoguesf
WHY. he hai gone to be prime minister OF
Babylon. That they could not forgive. Be
.old in this sketch touch OF human nature
As long as poverty pinches you, and you run
he gauntlet between taxgatherer aud land
ord. AMI you have hard work to educate
Tour children, there will be multitu les %
az: Poor fellow, he ought 10 succeed. How
,orry am for him"
But after awhile you begin to emerge from
ne udThIter. 1ndb NdN a fdBlNAi iHfNoN-
nent. You purchased at just the light time.
fortune became good natured and smiled.
You builded your own house You got to
te one of the first men on the street. Now
IS you pass a number OF those late SYM
athizers stand on the corner Of the street.
they scowl At you from under the rim OF
heir hats. You have more money now
han they have, and you ought to be scowled
It from under the rim of thsir hats.
Before you get fully past you hear word
)r two. Stuck up" says one. Didn't get
!. honestly, says another. Twill burst soon"
,sys third Every stone in your new
ouse was laid on their heart. Your horses
boots went over their nerves. Your carriage
lire cut their neck. What have you done,
outrageous culprit2 You ought to be cast to
he lions. You have dared to achieve sue
,ess. Depend upon it that il in any one re-
,pect you rise far above your felows-if you
re more truthful, more wise, more eloquent,
more inhuential-the shadow of your success
will chill somebody. The road Of honor and
virtue is within reach of the enemies guns.
Jealousy says, stay down or | will knock
you down" In midair a snowflake said TO
Inowbird, II don't like you why don't
YOU like ney said the snowbird. "Because,'
replied the snowflake, you are going unand
] am coming down"
Success is often a synonym for scorn. The
first thing a man wants is religion. The
second is grit. If you do not want to face
wild beasts you must never get to be prime
minister IL you are now, as young man,
rising in any one respect, bless God for your
advancement, but wish to say before 1quit
this thought, look out for the lions. Young
merchants, young lawyers, young physi-
clans. young ministers have much sympathy,
and kind advice is given them at first, but
as you become your own masters and begin
TO succeed in your different occupations and
professions, how is II then young mer-
chants young lawyers, young physicians,
Young ministerse How is it then,
Again behold in our subject an exhibition
of true decision of character. Before
Daniel were condemnation and death, IL he
continued faithful to his religion. Yet, just
as before, three times a day he prayed with
his face toward Jerusalem. There is
nothing more fatal for the religious or
worldly advancement than a spirit of inde'
cision. How often youth is almost gone
before the individual has determined upon
his profession.
There are those VINO for thirty or forty
years have accomplished nothing anywhere
because they have not felt themselves set
tied. They have thought OF the law, OF
medicine, Of merchandise, OF mechanism.
They have some idea OF going west. Per-
haps they will go east. Perhaps they won't.
They may 20 north or south. Perhaps ths5
will invest their money in railroads or in
real estate. Perhaps they won't. They are
like vessel starting from New York har-
Dor. which should one day decide on going
m IivornQoi and fha nart on Nav 0rlaana