Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-04-30
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMACE. DID,.
Pastor OF Jefferson Park Presby.
terrain Church, Chicago


the preacher shows by argument and
illustration the folly and danger of
writing letters when the mind Is in
fluenced by anger or otherwise SO ex-
cited and disturbed as to obscure the
rational judgment The text is Daniel
vi, 8, Now, o king, establish the de.
cree, and sign the writing, that it be
not changed"
King Darius was about to be caught
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. I'VE 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 a
public letter and sign it, SO that the
decree cannot be 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 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,
1--WE 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-
pcctcd. 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
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 We're 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 a 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 believe you ought to do.
do not wish to answer you without con-
sideration. | wish to think this mat
ter over very carefully" A prominent
lawyer of the west once told me that
when he was preparing case for court
he spent one half his time thinking of
the arguments which his opponent
might present and then n 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 il he had
only stopped to think? Surprising 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, II
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 rclec-
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
mcnt. 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 it 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 have
ever known you to write Everything
penned in that letter is absolutely true.
But ! would not send it today. l do
not believe in sending anything impor-
tant like that quickly. Take that let
ter home and lock it up in your safe
and let your brain cool. Then at the
end of Il week take it out and read 1t
again. Then, if you think best l will
sign 1t and send it out over my own
name" In less than one week the
Overheated volcano of Edwin M. 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 it 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 1t aside for awhile
until you have had an opportunity for
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