Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-04-27
TALMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMACE. DID,.
Pastor OF Jefferson Park Presley
terrain Church, Chicago

WI lfNAtIN hhtu AAAAN 40 ~
Ihuenced by anger or otherwise so ex-
cited and disturbed as TO obscure the
IA tional judgment. The text Is Daniel
vi. s. Now, o king. establish the de-
cree. and 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 a way In which they thought
they could destroy him. AHA" they
chuckIed. I'VE will make the king sign
this young upstart's death warrant
He will not know that he Is doing 1t
We shall play upon our royal masters
vanity and ask him to send forth q
public letter and sign II. 30 that the
decree cannot be changed"
This public letter, or proclamation,
was a singular document. II 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 a 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.
lie would thus become an offender
against the 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,
I'VE shall destroy that prime minister.
We could not do II by the sword, but
we shall do II by the kings impulsive
pen" Their plot operated as they ex-
pccted, 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 a 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 NtIt NAlANtht hsNs oAeNA ~ $1,000
self is dead.
Never write an important letter until
you have had plenty of time to think
IL over. Foolish would be that lawyer
who would quickly give 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 tel
YOU what believe you ought to do.
do not wish to answer you without con
sideration. | wish to think this mat
ter over very carefully" a prominen
lawyer Of the west once told me tina
when he was preparing case for cour
he spent one half his time thinking o
the arguments which his opponen
might present and then a great part o
the other half planning how to refut
them. And yet the strange fact is tina
men and women often. in the moment
Of greatest mental excitement. will s.
down and dash off a letter upon tn
most important of subjects; withou
giving the brain time to cool or the ba
last of judgment to settle down in til
right equilibrium they will hastily con
NIT words to paper which will decid
their whole earthly and perhaps the
heavenly destiny.
IL He Had stopped to Think.
Do you suppose King Darius woul
have sent forth that decree, or publ
letter. which condemned his premie
Daniel. to the lions den If he ha
only stopped to think? Surprising IL
king after he had written that publ
decree had placed il under his pillo
and slept upon ii. what would hay
been the result? Would he not nat
rally have scented a fatal conspiraC
in that request? And. my brother,
you had only waited one or two da.
before you sent that important lett
which did you so much harm wou
you have sent II? Would you not ha'
destroyed it? After proper retie'
ton would you not have done exact
the same as Edwin NJ. Stanton did u
der similar provocation? One day son
thing went wrong in the war depal
ment. Edwin NJ. Stanton, with l
mind burning at white heat INN
diately sat down and wrote me
vehement Remuneration. AS soon as
had written IL he took the letter ov
90 the White House and read ii TO {
president. Mr.. Lincoln listened quiet
until the reader was through. Then
gently said: stanton. that Is fine j
ter. That Is the strongest letter ha
ever known you to write. Everythi
penned In that letter Is absolutely tn
But l would not send II today. !
not believe in sending anything imp
tant like that quickly. Take that
ter home and lock II up in your 81
and let your brain cool. Then at
end OF n week take il out and read
again. Then. II you think best. | "
sign II and send it out over my o.
name" In less than one week
overheated volcano OF Edwin NJ. ST;
a ~