Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-09-14
THE OPEN WINDOWS.
a SERMON OF CHRISTIAN CHEERFUL
NESS AND ENCOURAGEMENT.

NESS AND ENCOURAGEMENT.
Rer. Dr. Tslmsge ON Daniels DevotIons
Before the window That Faced His Ma
tive Jerusalem The Hattie with sin
and Death The Victory.
NEW YORK. sept. s-In his sermon for
today Rev. DR. Talmage has chosen a
theme overlooking with Christian cheer
fnlness and ENCOURAGEMENT The subject
Is "Open Windows, ard the text selected
was Daniel vi. 10. Ills windows being
open In his chamber toward Jerusalem.
The scoun,,rclly princes Of Persia, urged
IN by political jealousy against Daniel,
have succt-slcd in getting law passed
that whatsoever prsys 10 tod shall be put
under the pgws and t,s.th 81 the lions who
are lashing themselves in rage and hunger
mp and down the Stone cage, or putting
their lower Jaws on the ground, believing
till the earth trcnihes. But the lconine
threat did rot hinder the dcvotions Of
Daniel The COrur dr Lion of the ages His
enemies might rs well have a law that the
sun should not draw water, or that the
south wind should not sweep across a gar
den Of magnpiiiS. or thai tod should be
abolished. They could not scare him with
the ncdhot furnaces. and they cannot now
scare him with the lions. As soon rs
Daniel hears of this enactment hc leaves
his Office 81 SECRETARY II state, with its up
holstcry VI crimson and gold, and comes
down the white marble steps and goes to
his own house. lie ols,'nS his window and
puts the shutters back and pulls the cur
tain aside 80 that lie can look toward the
q. Fl
Daniel nn Ills knees.
suppose tie lcop,c In the street gath
cred under and before his window and
said: Just 81, that man drfying the law.
He ought "a bc arrested And the con
stahulary ~ the city rush to tho police
headquarters and report that Daniel is on
his knees NJ the wide open window. You
ara my prisoner says the officer Of the
law, dropping heavy hand on the shout
der OF tho kncc,ing Daniel. A. the con
stables open the tlour Of the cavern TO
thrust In their prisoner they see the glar-
ing eyes II the monsters. but Daniel be-
comes the flrt lion tanner, and they lick
his hand and fawn M his feet. and that
night he sleeps with The shaggy mane of q
wild beast for his pillow. while the king
that night, si~.pless in the palace, has on
him the paw and teeth ~ u lion he cannot
tame-thc lion of - rctaorScful conscience
What picture IL would he for some art
ist Darius In the early dusk Of morning
not waiting for footmen or chariot, has
tcning 10 the den, all flushed and nervous
and in dishabille 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 deyoured, and
the lions are sleeping after their horrid
meal, the bones Of the poor man scattered
across the floor ~ the cavern" With
trembling voice Darius calls out, DAN
ielr' No answer for the prophet Is vet
IN profound slumbcr But lion, more
easily awakened. advances and with hot
breath blown through the creyicc seems
angrily to demand the cause Of this inter
ruptlon, 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 MS at Daniels win
dow, open toward Jerusalem. Why in
that direction opcns Jerusalem was his
native land and all the pomp Of his Baby
lonish successes could not make him forget
IL. He came there from Jerusalem at Is
years Of age and he never visited il. though
he lived TO lie 81 years. Yet, when he
wanted TO arouse the deepest emotions and
grandest aspirations Of his heart, he had
his window open toward his native Jeru-
salem. There are many Of you today who
understand that without any exposition
This Is getting to he nation Of foreign
ers. They have come into all occupations
and professions. They sit in all churches.
II may be 20 years agn since you got your
naturalization papers and you may be thor
the land Of your birth and your warmest
sympathics 90 out toward II. Your win
dows are open toward Jerusalem. Your
father and mother are buried there. II
may have been y very humble home in
which you were born. but your memory
often plays around 1t and you hope some
day to go and scc 1.-THE hill, the tree, the
brook, the house. the place so sacred the
door from which you started of with pa
rental blessing To make your own way in
the world, and God only knows how some
times you have longcd to- see tho familiar
places Of your childhood and how i'm aw-
full crises of life you would like TO have
caught glimpse of the old. wrinkled face
that bent over You rs you lay on the gen.
tie lap ~ or 80 or 90 years ago. You may
have ON this side Of the sea risen in for
tune, and. like Daniel, have become great
and may hayo come into prospcritics which
You never could have reached II you had
staid there. and you may have many win
dows 10 your house-hay windows aud
skyliaht windows and windows of consery-
atory and windows ON all sides-but you
have at least one window open toward
Jerusalem.
By the Open window.
When the foreign steamer comes TO the
wharf, you see the long line 81 sailors,
with shouldcrcd mailbags, coming down
the planks, carrying as many letters as
you might suppose 10 he enough for a
years correspondence. and this repeated
again and again during the week. Multi
tudes OF them nrc letters from home and
at all tho postoiliccs uf the land people
will go 10 the window aud anxiously ask
for them, hundreds of thousands 81 per
sons finding that window Of foreign mails
the open window toward Jerusalem Mes
sages that say: when arr you coming
home To ssc Us: Brother has gone into
tho army. Sister Is dead Father and
mother arc getting very feeble we are
having great struggle to get On here.
Would you ndyise uS To come To you, or
Will you como 10 usg All join In love and
hope 10 m,r-t you. II not i'm this world
then In better Gosiby =
Yes, yes. is all these cities and amid
the Towering western prairics aud on the
slopes Of tho Pacific and amid the Sierrs1s
and ON the banks Of the lagoon and on the
ranches Of Texas there Is an amounted
multitude WIN. This hour. stand and 81 and
knecl with their windows open toward
Jerusalem. some Of these people played
ON the heather II the Scottish hills some
of them We're driven out by Irish famine.
Some Of them, In early life, drilled in the
German army. some uf them were accus-
toned nj Lyons ar Marscilles or Paris TO
sec on the Il reset Victor Hugo and Gam
beta Some chased the chamois among
the Alpine p.ecipiceS. some pluckcd the
ripe clusters from Italian vineyard Some
lifted their faces under the midnight sun
Of Norway. Ii l. no dishonor to our land
that they remember the pincc Of their ma
tiyity Miscrranis would they be- II, whilc
they have some of their windows open 70
take In tho free air Of America and tho
sunlight Of mn atmosphere which no king
ly despot has ever brcnthrd they forgot
sometimes to open tie window toward
Jerusalem.
M wonder that the son of the SWISS
when far away from hume, hearing tho
national air Of his country sung. the NAL
ady VI inconsistencies comes an him 80 pow
erfully rs to cauSe his death. You have
the example Of heroic Daniel ~ my text
Tor keeping early memories fresh Forget
not the old folks Ut home. Write often,
and .