The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-09-13
WINDOWS WIDE OPEN
REV. DIR. TALMAGE'S WORDS OF COM
FORT AND CHEER.


Not Standing, but Kneeling-The Battle
and the Victory.
NEW YORK, Sept. SIN his sermon
for today Rev. DR.. Talmage has chosen
theme OVERLOOKING with Christian
Icheerfulness and encouragement. The
subject is "Open Windows" and the
text selected was Daniel vi, 10, Ellis
windows being open in his chamber
toward Jerusalem.
The scoundrelly princes of Persia,
urged on by political jealousy against
Daniel, have succeeded in getting law
passed that whosoever 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
Coeur de Lion of the ages. His enemies
might as we'll have law that the sun
should not draw water, or that the south
wind should not sweep across garden
of magnolias, or that God should be
abolished. They could not scare him
with the redhot furnaces, and they can
not now scare him with the lions. AS
soon as Daniel hears of this e9actment
he leaves his Office of secretary 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.
A Picture For an Artist.
suppose the people in the street
gathered under and before his window
and said: "Just see that man defylng
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, -
saws the officer of the law, dropping a
heavy hand ON the shoulder of the kneel-
ing Daniel. As the constables open the
door of the cavern to thrust in their
prisoner they see the glazing 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 lion he can
not tame-the lion of remorseful con-
science.
What a 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 dishabille, and look
ing through the crevices Of the cage to
see what had become of his prime min
lister. "What, no soundp" he says.
'sDaniel is surely devoured, and the
lions are sleeping after their horrld
meal, the bones of the poor man scat
tered across the floor of the cavern. !"
With trembling voice Darius calls out,
"Daniel" No answer, for the prophet
is yet in profound slumber. But lion,
more easily awakened, advances, and
with hot breath blown through the crew
ice seems angrily to demand the cause
of this interruption, and then another
wild beast lifts his name from under
Daniels head, and the prophet, waking
up. comes forth to report himself all
unhurt and well.
But our text stands us at Daniels
window, open toward Jerusalem. Why
in that direction open? Jerusalem was
his native land, and all the pomp of his
Babylonish successes could not make
him forget it. He came there from
Jerusalem at IS years of age, and he
never visited it, though he lived to be
So years. Yet when he wanted to
arouse the deepest emotions and grand
est aspirations of his heart he had his
window open toward his native Jerusa-
lem. There are many of you today who
understand that without any exposition.
This is getting to be a nation of foreign
ers They have come into all occupa-
tons and professions They sit in all
churches. 1t may be 20 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 sympathles go
out toward it Your windows are open
toward Jerusalem. Your father and
mother are buried there. 1t may have
been a very humble home in which you
were born, but your memory often plays
around it, and you hope some day to &C
and see 1.-THE hill, the tree, the brook,
the house, the place so sacred, the doo1
from which you started off with parental
blessing to make your own way IN the
world-and God only knows how some.
times you have longed to see the famil
lar places of your childhood, and how
in awful crises of life you would like tc
have caught a glimpse of the old
wrinkled face that bent over you as yor
lay on the gentle lap 90 or 40 or 81
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 properties which yor
never could have reached if you hat
staid there, and you may have many
windows to your house-bay Windows
and skylight windows and windows o.
conservatory and windows on all sides
but you have at least one window opel
toward Jerusalem.