Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-09-20
TALMAGE'S SERMON
INTERESTING THEME BY THE
NEW YORK PREACHER.
Subject: "Open Windows"

succeeded in getting a law passed that who
sOever prays 20 God shall be put under the
paws aud 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 deyOtiOns Of Daniel, the
Cnur de Lion OF the ages. His enemies
might a. well have a law that the sun should
not draw water, or that the south wind
should not sweep across garden OF mag
nolios or that God should hc abolished.
They could not scare him with the red hot
furnaces. and they cannot now scare him
with the lions. A soon rs Daniel hears of
this enactment he leaves his Office OF score
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 80 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 defyinS 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"
says the officer of the law, dropping a
heavy hand GU the shoulder OF the knealing
Daniel. As the constaDles 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 Il wild beast for his pillow, while the king
that night. sleepesS in the palace, has on
him the paw and teeth Of 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 saws.
Daniel il surely devOured and the lions are
sleeping after their horrid meal. the bones
ofthe 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 S,umber, But a
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
lifts his name from under Daniels head, and
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 ofhis 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 oighty-iva years. Yet when he
wanted to arouse the deepest emotions and
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 Amercani2ed, but
you can't forget the land OF your birth, and
your warmest 5vmpathies 90 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 glimpse Ofthe old
I wrinklcd 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
| If you had staid there and you NAV have
many windows to your house bay window,
| AMI okylGht windows and windows Of con
servatory and windows on all sdes-but you
have at least one window open toward Jeru
| salem.
Whau thn ftrnitrp 4 thi