The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-11-17
TALMAGE SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE ABLe o.
VINE.

Subject An Exile From Howe - Peril.
That Heset the Young Man Seeking
Fortune - Dangers and Tcmptation.
That Surround Him.
Copyright leoal
WASHINGTON. d. C.-Dr. Tanaec
staid in London to occupy the famous
Wesley pulpit in the City Road chapel
where he preached several times before,
always receiving hearty welcome Thence
he went to Ireland. preaching in Bella t
and Dublin. The discourse he has sent
this week describes the behavior of a
young man away from home and suggests
practical lessons for people of every age
and class. The text is Daniel l. ). And
the king appointed them daily provision
OF the kings meat and Of the wine which
he drank. so nonrshng them three years.
that at the end thereof they might stand
before the king
My text opens the door Of a college in
Babvlon and introduces YOU to a young
| student seventeen years Of age Daniel bv
name. BE not surprised if in the college
you ind many hliarties. Put a hundred
young men together and they are sure to
| have good time There is no harm in
that. God does not write ont the trees.
| and the grass. and the blossoms. in duh
prose. The old robin does not sit mopine
IN the nest because of the chirpings and
| the lively adventures of the fcdeelincs
| that have just begun to fly. Do not come
into an orchard looking for winter apples
on May morning
But Daniel of our text is far from being
gay. What oppressive thoughts must
have come over him as he remembered
that he was captive in a strange land.
The music that came into his study win
dow was not the song of Zion. but the
SOuud n nj hut ALL =,
the worshn of the heather god More
over. he bad no hope Of ever getting back
home aga~ and meeting those who had
missed him long and missed him bitterly,
wondering if he were still alive and find.
ing many a luxury tasteless because they
did not know but Daniel might be lacking
bread
when You and I were in school or col
lege and the vacation approached. we
were full of bright anticipation and we
could not study the last night The lexi-
con and the philosophical apparatus were
Transparent. so we could see right through
them into the meadows and the orchards
Not so with poor Daniel. He did not
know that he should ever escape from cap
tlvity, Or escaping. he did not know bmt
when he got home the loved ones would
be dead and he would go. wandering and
weeping. among the sepulchers of his ia
thers. Besides that the king tried to
make him forget his home and forget his
country and for that purpose actually
changed his name The king wanted him
to be prodigy in personal appearance.
from his own table to Daniel, but Daniel |
refuses all this and puts himself upon the |
humblest diet, the poorest of all herbs, |
called pulse. and plain water. His attend
ants cry out against this and tell him he
will perish under such diet No he
says; YOU try us for ten days, and if at
the end of that time we are not full
checked and robust as any it will be sur
prisin2.' Ten DAYS pass along and the
students come up for examination and all
declare that none are so ruddt and robust
as Dani3l and his fellow captives. The
days OF industrious pupilage and the years
pass by, and the day of graduation has
come. and Daniel gets his diploma signed
by the king and reading as follows: In
all matters of wisdom and understanding
that the king inquired of them he found
them ten times better than all the ma
glclans and astrologers that were in all his
realm" And so Daniel took the first
honor, and here the story ends for Daniel,
the student, hereafter will be Daniel, the
prime minister
The next thought suggested to me by
this subject Is that young men may be
carried into captivity by their enemies
|
one in which Daniel was transported. 1t
is the captivity of evil habit Men do not
go into that Willingly. Slylv and imper-
ceptibly are the chains forged upon them,
and one day. they wake up to find them
selves away down in Babylon Cyrus after
ward consented that some of his captves
should return. and 80. 900 of them accepted
The opportunity. But tell me what evil
labit ever consented to let man go Ten
plaques made Pharaoh consent to the de-
oarture of Gods people. but tell me what
Pharaoh Of evil habit ever cheerfuly con-
'ented to let any of its victims go. Men
ak of evil habits as though they were
light and trivial. but they are scorpion ;
Whips that tear the flesh they are spikes
more bloody than the path of a Brahman;
hey are the sepulchers in which millions
re burned alive. The young are in more f
,erll because they are unsuspecting. The c
IONS are asleep in their soul and their | I
'ower is not suspected The time when ,
ships company makes mutiny is when 6
he watchman is off his guard. When a
pider meets fly, it does not say, ''Go
own with me to the place where murder f
Insects" No; it says, Come and take t
right morning walk with me on this sus- d
ension bridge of glittering gossamer.' t
)h, there is a difference between the Y
parllle of serpents eye and the crush of a
is slimv folds! There is difference be j
ween the bears paw towing with a kid p
nd the cracking of the bones in the ter t
ible hug. Pixies peak looks beautiful in n
he distance. but ask the starved travellers a
y the roadside what they think of Pixies a
eak. Are there those around whom s,is t
icious companions are gathering? Do \
heir Jests and their entertainments make r
ne hours go blithely by when you are Il
18th them Have you taken a sip from "
heir cup of sill or gone with them in one e.
ath of unrighteousness? Turn back a
From Babylon they came, and to Baby al
N they would carry you. If so many d.
'ague stricken men would like to enter al
our comranlonship before any one Is al W
wed to pass into the intimacy OF your m
cart put on them severest quarantine. te
My subject also mpresses me with the b'
ct that early impressions are almost in 1t
faceabie Daniel had Il religious bring in
G up. From the good meaning of his VI
me | know he had pious parentage. But 70
soon as he comes into the possession OF IN
e king his name is changed, all his sur. fiji
undings are changed. and now. you say, tn
i'll begin the decentralization of his char is
ter Before his name was Daniel. which is
cans God my Judge row his name is
be Be,teshaZZar. which means the co
eas,lrer of the god BEL Now you ex- sp
ct to see him overthrown amid all these Of
anged circumstances. Oh. no. DAME! an
srted right, and he keeps Oh right When | tn
find what Daniel is in Jerusalem | am |