The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1900-10-25

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WASHINGTON, D. c. 80 Dr.. Talmage
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 Belfa-t
and Dublin The discourse he has sent
this week describes the behavior of
young man away from home and suggests
practical lessons for people OF every age
and class. The text is Daniel i, 5, And
the king appointed them a daily provision
of the kings meat and of the wine which
he drank. so nourishing them three years.
that at the end thereof they might stand
before the king
Ny text oDens the door of college in
Babylon and introduces you to a young
student seventeen Years of age, Daniel by
name. Be not surprised if in the college
YOU find many hilarities. Put hundred
Young men together and they are sure to
have a good time. There is no harm in
that. God does not write out the trees.
and the grass. and the blossoms, in dull
prose. The old robin does not sit ,noping
in the nest because of the chirpings and
the lively adventures of the fedgelings
that have just begun to fly. Do not come
into an orchard looking for winter apples
on a 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 a captive in a strange land.
The music that came into his study win
dow was not the song of Zion. but the
sound Of flute. sackbut and dulcimer in
the worship of the heather god More
over, he had no hope of ever getting back
home agair and meeting those who had
missed him long and missed him bitterly,
wondering if he were still alive and find
ing many luxury tasteless because they
did not know but Daniel might be lacking
bread
When you and | 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 Door Daniel. He did not
know that he should ever escape from cap
tivity, or, escaping, he did not know but
when he got home the loved ones would
be dead and he would go. wandering and
weeping, among the sepulchers of his ia
Tiers. 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 a prodigy in personal appearance,
and so he ordered meat and wine sent
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 hum he
will perish under such a diet. NO he
says; you try US for ten days, and II at
the end of that time we are not full
checked and robust as any it will be sur
prisng.' Ten days pass along, and the
students come up for examination, and all
declare that none are so ruddy and robust
Il he fallOr- Tho
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
gcans 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.
There is a captivity more CALLING than the
one in which Daniel was transported. 1t
is the captivity of evil habit. Men do not
go into that Willingly. Slyly 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 captives
should return, and $4,000 of them accepted
the opportunity. But tell me what evil
habit ever consented to let a man go. Ten
plaques made Pharaoh consent to the de-
parture Of Gods people, but tell me what
Pharaoh Of evil habit ever cheerfully CON
scented to let any of its victims go. Men
talk 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 Brahman;
they are the sepulchers in which millions
are burned alive. The young are in more
peril because they are unsuspecting. The
lions are asleep in their soul, and their
power is not suspected. The time when
a ships company makes mutiny Is when
the Waterman is off his guard. When
spider meets a fly, it does not say, Go
down with me to the place where | murder
insects" No; it says, Come and take
bright morning walk with me on this sus.
pension bridge of glittering gossamer.
Oh, there is a difference between the
sparkle of serpent's eye and the crush OF
its shiny folds! There is a difference be.
tween the bears paw toying with a kid
and the cracking OF the bones in the ter
rible hug. Pixies peak looks beautiful in
the distance, but ask the starved travellers
by the roadside what they think of Pixies
peak Are there those around whom sus-
picious companions are gathering? Do
their jests and their entertainments make
the hours go blithely by when you are
with them? Have you taken sip from
their cup of sin or gone with them IN one
path of unrighteousness? Turn back.
From Babylon they came, and to Baby
lon they would carry you. If so many
plague stricken men would like TO enter
your companionship before any one is al
lowed to pass into the intimacy of your
heart put on them severest quarantine.
Ny subject also impresses me with the
fact that early impressions are almost in
effaceable Daniel had religious bring
ing up From the good meaning of his
name | know he had pious parentage But
as soon as he comes into the possession of
the king his name is changed, all his sur
roundings are changed, and now, you say,
will begin the Generalization of his char
acter. Before his name was Daniel, which
means God my judge" now his name is
to be Belteshazzar, which means 1.-THE
treasurer of the god Bel" Now you ex-
pect to see him overthrown amid all these
changed circumstances. Oh, no! Daniel
started right, and he keeps on right, When
find what Daniel is in Jerusalem | am
not surprised to find what he is in Baby
ion.
| wish l could write upon all parents
hearts the fact that early impressions are
well nigh ineffaceable. When l see 10