The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-09-25
REV. DIR. TAIMAGE.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: "Open Windows"

TEXT: "His windows being open in his
chamber toward Jerusalem. daniel vi, ~.
The scoundrelly princes Of Persia, urged
on by political jealousy against Daniel, have
succeeded in getting a law passed that who.
soever prays to God shall be put under the
paws and teeth of the lions who are lashing
themselves in rage and hunger up and down
the stone cage or putting their lower jaws
on the ground, believing till the earth
trembles. But the leonine threat did
not hinder the devotions of Daniel. the
might as we'll have a law that the sun should
not draw water, or that the south wind
should not sweep across a garden OF mag
nolios, or that God should be abolished.
They could not 8 s,are him with the red hot
furnaces, and they cannot now scare him
with the liens. As soon as Daniel hears OF
this enactment he leaves his office OF secre-
tary of state, with its upholstery OF crimson
and gold. and comes down the white marble
steps and goes to his own house. He opens
his window and puts the shutters back and
pulls the curtain aside so that he can look
toward the sacred city of Jerusalem and
then prays.
suppose the people in the street gathered
under and before his window and said.
'Just see that man defying the law. He
ought to be arrested" And the constabulary
Of the city rush to the police headquarters
and report that Daniel is on his knees at the
wide open window. "You are my prisoner" "
gays the officer OF the law, dropping a
heavy hand on the shoulder OF the kneeling
Daniel. As the constables open the door OF
the cavern to thrust in their prisoner they
see the glaring eyes of the monsters. But
Daniel becomes the first lion tanner, and
they lick his hand and fawn at his feet. and
that night he sleeps with the shaggy name
of wild beast for his pillow, while the king
that night, sleepless in the palace, has on
him the paw and teeth Of n lion he cannot
tame-the lion of remorseful conscience.
What picture it would be for some artist!
Darius in the early dusk OF morning not
waiting for footmen or chariot, fastening to
the den, all flushed and nervous and in dis
habille, and looking through the crevices Of
the cage to see what had become of his prime
minister. "What, no sound! he says.
"Daniel is surely devoured, and the lions are
sleeping after their horrid- meal. the bones
Of the poor man scattered across the floor Of
the cavern" With trembling voice Darius
calls out: ''Daniel?" No answer, for the
prophet is yet in profound slumber. But
Hon more easily awakened, advances, and
with hot breath blown through the crevice
seems angrily to demand the cause Of this
interruption, and then another wild beast
the prophet, waking up, comes forth to re-
port himself all unhurt and well.
But our text stands US at Daniels window.
opened toward Jerusalem. Why In that di-
rection open? Jerusalem was his native
land, and all the pomp of his Babylonish sue
cesses could not make him forget it. He
came there from Jerusalem at eighteen years
of age. and he never visited it. though he
lived to be eighty-fve years. Yet when he
wanted to arouse the deepest emotions AMI
grandest aspirations OF his heart he had his
window open toward his native Jerusalem.
There are many Of you to-day who under
stand that without any exposition. This is
getting to be Nation Of foreigners. They
have come into all occupations and profess
sions. They sit in all churches. 1t may
be twenty years ago since you
got your naturalization papers, and
you may be thoroughly Americanized. but
you can't forget the land of your birth, and
your warmest sympathies 60 out toward it.
Your windows are open toward Jerusalem.
Your father and mother are buried there.
It may have been very humble home in
which you were born, but your memory Of
ten plays around it, and you hope some day
to 90 and see 1.-THE hill, the tree. the brook.
the house. the place so sacred, the door from
which you started off with parental blessing
to make your own way in the world-and
God only knows how sometimes you have
longed to see the familiar places OF your
childhood, and how in awful crises OF life you
would like to have caught a glimpse ofthe old
wrinkled face that bent over you as you lay
on.the gentle lap twenty or forty or fifty
years ago. You may have on this side Of the
sea risen in fortune. and like Daniel have
become great and may have come into pros
perities which YOU never could have reached
II you had staid there, and you may have
many windows to your house-bay windows
and skyIight windows and windows OF con-
servatory and windows on all sides-but you
have at least one window open toward Jeru-
salem.
When the foreign steamer comes to the
wharf, you see the long line OF sailors. with
shouldered mailbags, coming down the
planks, carrying as many letters as you
might suppose to be enough for years
correspondence. and this repeated again and
again during the week. Multitudes Of them
are letters from home. and ut all the post
offices of the land people will 90 to the Win
dow and anxiously ask for them, hundreds
Of thousands of persons finding that win
dow of foreign mails the open window
toward Jerusalem. Messages that say:
"When are you coming home to see us!
Brother has gone into the army. Sister is
dead. Father and mother are getting very
feeble. We are having great struggle to
get on here. Would you advise us to come
to you, or will you come to US? All join in
love and hope to meet you, il not in this
world, then in a better. Goodby."
Yes, yes. In all these cities and amid the
Towering Western prairies and on the slopes
of the Pacific and amid the Sierras and on
the banks of the lagoon and on the ranches
OF Texas there Is an uncounted multitude
who this hour stand and sit and kneel with
ha;r vii ar6
Some OF these people played on the heather
of the Scottish hills; some Of them were
driven out by Irish famine; some of
them in early life drilled in the German
army; some of them were accustomed at
Lyons or Marseilles or Paris to sea on
the street Victor Hugo and Gambetta;
some chased the chamois among the Alpine
preciplces; some plucked the ripe clusters
from Italian vineyard; some lifted their
faces under the midnight sun Of Norway. 1t
Is no dlshonor to our land that they remem-
ber the place Of their nativity. Miscreants
would they be il, while they have some OF
their windows open to take in the free air
and the sunlight OF an atmosphere which no
kingly despot has ever breathed. they forgot
sometimes to open the window toward
Jerusalem.
No wonder that the son Of the Swiss, when
far away from home, hearing the National
air OF his country sung, the maiaIy OF nome
sickness comes on him so powerfully as to
cause his death. You have the example OF
heroic Daniel OF my text for keeping early
memories fresh Forget not the old folks at
home Wri,e often. and If you have sur
plus Of means and they are poor make prac.
tical contribution, and rejoice that America
Is bound to all the world by ties of sanguin'
ity as in no otter Nation. Who can doubt
but it is appointed for the evaugelization oi
other lands2 What stirring. melting, Cos
pelizing theory that all the doors Of other
Nations are open toward us, while our win
dows are open toward them!
But Daniel in the text kept this port hole
OF his domestic fortress unclosei because
Jerusalem was the capital of sacred intlu-