Milford chronicle., 1903-05-01
TALMAGE
SERMON
=
By Rev.
FRANK De WITT TALRfAGE. DID.
Pastor Of jefferson Park Presby-
terian Church, Chicago

the pitdtAtI SHOWS ug diSulucuL duh
illustration the folly and danger of
writing letters when the mind is in
fuenced by anger or otherwise so ex-
cited and disturbed as to obscure the
rational Judgment. The text is Daniel
vi. s, "Now. 0 king, establish the de-
cree. and sign the writing, that it 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
chuckled. I'VE will make the king sign
this young upstarts 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 a
public letter and sign it, so that the
decree cannot be changed"
This public letter. or proclamation,
was a singular document. 1t was dex-
terously devised to exalt the kings su-
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
ters 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 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 it 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 hasty impulse have
recolled on the writeri 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 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 l will tell /.
you what | believe you ought to do. l
do not wish to answer you without con- /
sideratiOn. l wish to think this mat /
ter over very carefully" \ prominent
lawyer Of the west once told me that .
when he was preparing Il case for court .
he spent one half his time thinking Of .
the arguments which his opponent .
might present and then a great part OF .
the other half planning how to refute I
them. And yet the strange fact is that .
men and women often. in the moments
Of greatest mental excitement. will sit
down and dash of 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
init 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 the
king after he had written that public
decree had placed it under his pillow
and slept upon it, what would have
been the result? Would he not natu-
rally have scented fatal conspiracy
in that request? And. my brother If
you had only waited one or two days
before you sent that important letter
which did you so much harm would
you have sent it? Would you not have
destroyed it? After proper reflec-
ton would you not have done exactly
the same as Edwin NJ Stanton did un-
i-s-t a.t4litul BIONutdAlUlis Out uitN SuAlG-
tling went wrong in the war depart
ment Edwin NJ. Stanton. with his
mind burning at white heat imme-
Giately snt down AMI wrote n most
vehement Genunration. As soon as he
had writttu 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 fine let
ter. That is the strongest letter | hnve
ever known yoir to write Everything
Dennel in that letter is absolutely true.
But lwOuld not send It today. l do
not believe in sending anything impor-
ant like that quickly. Take that let
-er home and lock it up in your safe
md let your brain cool. Then at the
md Of week take 1t out nhd read it
gam. Then II you think best. win
Iign it1and send it out over my own
lame.Yo In less than one week the
,verheated volcano Of Edwin NJ. Stan
on'ss brain had cooled, STATIONS com
.,.v. oar,aa m r,,ns buaI- 10 cnuv !