The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-06-10


CoIpEs TExr.--So manner o. hurt was found
upon him, because be believed 10 his Cod
CrSTnxL TnuTn.-cod delivers His faithful
ones IN time ~ trouble.
IINr.-nctvcen b. &. IS and so. " N two
years az Darius rtign-
rLAcE.-Babylon. Just conquered ~ Cyrus
KrScs Darius the Nede was king Of Baby
Ion. under Cyrus. He II probably the same as
Cyaxares. the father-in.law q Cyrus. lie was
s!xty-fwo years old and roigncd two years
THE JEWS had been IN exile about seventy
years. and the promised return was near Dan.
iol's cxai,ption ana his great faithfuincss were
preparation for the return
DASiEL was more than eighty years old. and
had been IN Babylon sixty-cisht years. Part Of
this time he was % the head Of the government.
but for some time he seems 20 have been In
lesson he had been again placed In high ONCE
through his Interpretation Of Belshazzar's
dream
HELPS OVEN HARD PLAcEs-Thc story Of
the plot should be read IN the earlier part OF the
chapter The occasion of Il was partly envy
that foreigner, an old man OF an exile race.
should be exalted over the young natives. and
partly because Daniels strict honesty stood IN
the way Of their schemes for unjust wealth
The Plot fgaina Dcnisf The reasons for thi
plot were. doubtless. a. frst and chiefly that
lie stood In the way Of their dishonest gains
such OrlcCr1 IN those times almost Always f1l1c
| their position means OF wealth. They soon
| found that Daniel would neither wink NJ
I their mi1dccds nor share In their dishonesties
\ Il, Daniel was a foreigner and jew, Of slave
4 race. exalted over them ana holding the place
1 they or their friends wanted % Daniels char
| acter was q perpetual rcproof They were
| tired o. scciny his good deeds and hearing his
! praise: as tho Athenian voted for the eondcm-
nation OF Ar.stidcs the Just. simply because he
I was weary 81 hearing him called the just ~
! Envy because Daniel was preferred before them
/ on account Of his wisdom and honesty, and
| higher hcrors siill were planned for him CD.
The Dfcree.-If seems strange that any mon
! arch should sign such an absurd decree. But
~. according 10 Pusay lssyturcs. PIP as. si6D
| the Persiars looked upon their king as repre-
sentative Of God. as indwclt by Him. and as
| such gave him divine honors ca The decree
| appealed 10 tho kings vanity and sclfcoaceit
! ard he doubtless imagined no great harm could
come from IA. and that he would not enforce IL
| II was kind Of joke, piece Of fun 49, There
may have been political reasons Being Mede
he would concilatc The Pcrsians by conforming
TO their religious ideas. and divine honors
would confirm his rule.
10. THE den OF Ions" a cave. or large place
dug in the rock. open above for giving food, and
with 4 door for entrance az the side. ~ "Scalcd
Il with his own signet:" q custom originating
in the fact that few could rad Both parties
sealed the stone SO that neither could Interfere
- .God hath sent His angel" whether visible
or not isnot said 70 Those men which had
accused Daniel" not the whole 10, but the
leading accuscrs Many OF the others were
doubtless scattered over the kingdom and
would not be there. % II make decree" By
this means the natives were prepared 70 respect
the Jews and help them 10 return home Th'
Jews themselves would be strengthened Il
faith The decree reads as II Daniel hinscl
wrote II for the king.
LESSON NOTES.
Daniel got into his trouble not b.
wrong doing, but by right doing
This was hard. But Daniel is not thu
only man in all the world who has got
ten into difficulty in this way. Lon;
before him Joseph was east into prisol
because he would not sin great sin
Then after that Elijah had to fee iron
before Jczebel because he would no
bow down to her hidcous idols. The
we saw last week how the young friend
| Of Daniel Jared because they would no
forsake the law Of the Lord their God
In New Testament times such instance
abound. Paul and Peter and jaime
all suffered. simply because they chos
u do the right. They might have In
an easy time Of IL. had they gone in III
face Of that which their conscience tol
them and conformed to the sins Of III
world around them.
In the case in our lesson to-day. "
are told that God intcrfcrcd 70 dclivs
Ills servants from the mouth Of III
lions. Does God always thus Interfere
No. Not even in Bible tiracs did II
do this Elijah was delivered from n
wrath Of Jczcbcl. but many other Of II
/ Lords prophets were slain by the cdq
! Of the sword. Isaiah was sawn asul
= der. Paul was behcadcd. as was also job
the Baptist. Peter was crucificd. an
! James bchcadcd. while the believe
I John was exilcd. II you want TO kno
J. how IL often Jared with holy men
! old. read the 18th chapter Of Hebrew
: and You will see. They had trials I
I cruel hooking and scourging. yea. NOR
: over. Of bonds and Imprisonment. ths
: were stoned. they were sawn asundc
: were tempted. were slain with Il
: sword; they wandered about in shec
q skins and goassxins. being dcstitut
= afflicted. tormcntcd." The same trea
\ mcnt Is mcted out still 70 those who u
a TO follow the Lord Jesus In some par
}. OF the world In Africa we still ha
j the blood of the martyrs shed; and
. Madagascar they suffer many thin
4 from their enemies.
= What then? Why. we should ha
q the same spirit that animated :
e men Of oldcn time and the martyrs
\. modern days, and be rather willing 70
q than TO do the wrong. Daniel went IN
Is thatdcn not knowing ether God won
or would not deliver him. II he b
i been sure that the lions would dcvo
b him as soon as he reached the bottom
A the den. he would have gone there
n the same. To be willing 70 die for I
i right Is ono Of the very grandest thin
= thatam cando. See. men are willing
IL die for their country. nnd shall we
~ willing 10 die for onr country and
b. fuse 10 die for our God?
g. You viii never have 70 cncountc
n lion. much less den full Of them,
n the sake u duty. But the Bible e
IS. ms that our great adversary. the de-
H. goes about as roaring lion. SEEK
&c whom he may dcvour. And truly
., temptations that he places in our
ty are far more dangerous than all