Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-09-13
WINDOWS WIDE OPEN
REV. Or. TALMAeE's WORDS OF COM
FORT AND CHEER.

Aro Your Windows Open to Jerusalem7
Daniel the Lion Hearted of the Ages
Not Standing, but KneelIng-The Battle
and the Victory.
NEW YORK, Sept. SIN his sermon
for today Rev. Dr. Talmage has chosen
theme overflowing with Christian
cheerfulness and encouragement. The
subject is "Open Windows" and the
text selected was Daniel vi, 10, His
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
Cnur 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 enactment
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.
1 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 meel-
ing 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 ne
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 remorsefuI 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
ister. "What, no soundp he says.
Daniel 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
"Danielr No answer, for the prophet
is yet in profound slumber. But hon,
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
ND. comes forth to report himself all
unhurt and well.
But our text stands rs at Daniels
window, open toward Jerusalem Why
in that direction openf Jerusalem was
his native land, and all the pomp OF his
Babylonish successes could not make
T him forget it. He came there from
Jerusalem at l8 years of age, and he
never visited it, though he lived to be
s5 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 nation Of foreign
: ers. They have come into oil occupa-
tions and professions They sit IN all
churches. 1t may be 20 years ago since
yon 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. 1t may have
l been very humble home in which you
Z were born, but your memory often plays
around it, and you hope some day to g
and see 1.-THE hill, the tree, the brook
the house, the place so sacred, the dooi
from which you started off with parenta
blessing to make your own way in thu
u world-and God only knows how some
D times you have longed to see the tamiI
. lar places Of your childhood, and how
in awful crises Of life you would like Z
have caught a glimpse OF the old
e wrinkled face that bent over you as yoT
# lay ON the gentle lap 90 or 40 or OF
years ago. You may have on this sld'
of the sea risen in fortune, and hk'
I Daniel have become great and ma!
t have come into properties which yo'
- never could have reached if you ha'
staid there, and you may have man!
II windows to your house-bay window
n and skylight windows and windows o
e conservatory and windows on all sides
but you have at least one window opel
IL toward Jerusalem.
q Life's Struggle.
n When the foreign steamer comes e
the wharf, you SEQ the long line OF sail
. ors. with shouldered mailbags, cominI
J. down the planks, carrying as many let
n ters as you might suppose to be enougl
for years correspondence, and this re
peated again and again during the week
Multitudes Of them are letters iron
{ home, and at all the postofices OF tn
a land people will go to the window am
- anxiously ask for them, hundreds o
e thousands Of persons finding that win
e dow of foreign mails the open windo'
No toward jerusalem. Messages that say
"when are you coming homo to see Us
Brother has gone into the army. Slst'