Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-05-01
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor OF Jefferson Park Preshy-
terrain Church, Chicag0

the preacher shows by argument and
Illustration the folly and danger of
writing letters when the mind is IN
huenced by anger or otherwise so ex-
cited and disturbed as 10 obscure the
rational judgment The text is Daniel
vi, s. Now. o king. establish the de-
cree. aud sign the writing. that II be
not changed"
King Darius was about TO be caught
in a trap. The jealous state officers,
who had long been plotting against the
young prime minister. had at last
found way in which they thought
they could destroy him. "Aha!' they
chuckled. 1--WE will make the king sign
this young upstart's death warrant.
He will not know that he is doing it.
We shall play upon our royal masters
vanity and ask him to send forth
public letter and sign it. so that the
decree cannot hc changed"
This public letter, or proclamation.
was singular document. 1t was dex-
terously devised to exalt the kings SUI
premacy and was well calculated TO
please an oriental despot by making
him appear to his subjects as the ex-
elusive source OF all good. 1t prohib-
tied every subject making any request
OF God or man, save to the king only
for period of thirty days. These plot
tiers knew that Daniel was in the habit
OF praying to God every day, and they
were sure that he would continue to do
so In spite of the kings proclamation
He would tEus beSome an offender
against he law and would incur the
penalty, which was to be cast into the
den OF. the lions. "Now," they would
say when the king signed the paper.
1--WE shall destroy that prime minister
We could not 90 ii by the sword. but
we shall do it by the kings impulsive
pen" Their plot operated as they ex-
pected, and Daniel was thrown into
the den of lions. We know how the
king lamented signing the letter, but
how powerless he was TO recall his sig
nature.
How many people have had similar
cause for regret! How often words
written under n hasty impulse have
recoiled on the writer! Spoken words
may be forgotten. but written words
do not change. They may be used TO
condemn the writer long years after
they were written; aye. after he him.
self is dead.
Never write an important letter until
you have had plenty OF time TO think
it over. Foolish would be that lawyer
who would quickly give n decision
upon any important matter. After
hearing all the statements of his client
the wise lawyer says: "Wait until to-
morrow, or next week. and / will tell
you what L believe you ought TO do. 1
do not wish to answer you without con-
sideration. 1, wish TO think this mat
ter over very carefully" y prominent
lawyer OF the west once told me that
when he was preparing n case for court
he spent one half his time thinking Of
the arguments which his. opponent
might present and then great part OF
the other half planning how TO refute
them. And yet the strange fact is that
men and women often. in the moments
OF greatest mental excitement, will sit
down and dash Off n letter upon the
most important OF subjects; without
giving the brain time to cool or the bal
last of judgment to settle down in the
right equilibrium they will hastily COM
nit words TO paper which will decide
their whole earthly and perhaps their
heavenly destiny.
II He Had stopped TO Think.
Do you suppose King Darius would
have sent forth that decree, or public
letter, which condemned his premier,
Daniel, TO the lions den II he had
only stopped TO think? Supposing tho
king after he had written that public
decree had placed IL under his pillow
nd eli
been the result? Would he not natu-
rally have scented n fatal conspiracy
In that request? And. my brother, IL
you had only waited one or two days
before you sent that important letter
which did you so much harm would
you have sent 1t? Would you not have
destroyed it? After proper renec-
ton would you not have done exactly
the same as Edwin NJ. Stanton did un-
der similar provocation? One day some
thing went wrong in the war depart
ment. Edwin NJ. Stanton, with his
mind burning at white heat, imme-
diately sat down and wrote a most
vehement denunciation. AS soon as he |
had written il he took the letter over
TO the White House and read it TO the !
president Mr.. Lincoln listened quietly /
until the reader was through. Then he |
gently said: stanton, that is n fine let |
ter That is the strongest letter have |
ever known you TO write Everything
penned in that letter is absolutely true. |
But would not send it today. do |
not believe in sending anything impor-
tant like that quickly. FAKE that let
ter home and lock it up in your safe
and let your brain cool. Then at the
end or week take IL out and read II |
again. Then. If you think best, will
sign 1t and send ii out over my own
name" In less than one week the
overheated volcano of Edwin NJ. STAN
tons brain had cooled. Stanton's COM
mon sense came back. He saw the
sending OF that letter would be an
egregious error. He took il out from
the safe only long enough to throw 1t
into the fire. / commend the example
TO you. my friend. When you write an
important letter, lay it aside for awhile
until you have had an opportunity for
mature consideration.
Never write an important letter
which you would not be willing for the
whole world to see. Many statements
that arc perfectly proper and rightly
understood by those who know us will
NOT be rightly construed if placed be-
lore the eyes of the world at large.
Ihere are many thoughts that 1 might
write to friend or a brother which
would be entirely misinterpreted If
read by an enemy or stranger. 1t
is very important that one should new
er write letter which would be capa-
Die of misconstruction if that letter
should ever fall into the hands of a
bitter foe
An Admirai's Mistake.
Pertinent illustration: Some veors
ago an admiral OF the United States [
navy was being bitterly assailed by {
MS enemies. who took from the private
war files certain letter. In that let.
ter he had discussed the principles I
which, in his ODiniOn sho1ld cavern