The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-10-06

not have told these 'tumultuous
princes that il they interfered with
Daniel they should be flung into the
lions den. This would probably have
altered their opinion as to pressing
the royal infallibility Of irreversibIe
DEGREES. ''-Farrar.
Is. Every effort Of the king was
met by the statement that the inter
dict was unalterable. "a strong man
would have crashed through the cob
webs, but this god was a weak man."
" Daniel in the Lions Den.-Vs.
1918 16. They brought Daniel, and
cast him into the den Of lions" This
was according to Oriental custom on
the evening Of the same day. The
story Of the den of lions is strictly In
keeping with Babylonian usages. Can
on Tristram says. Lions, which
though all but extinct in India, and
absolutely SO in other parts Of Asia
are still common in Babylon and Per
sia, were kept in the parks Of great
princes as part of their estate" The
den was probably an open pit, sur
rounded with a high wall. connected
with cave or covered enclosure
Thy God he will deliver
thee" The king knew so much Of
what God had done for Daniel in the
past, that he encouraged himself and
Daniel by the hope Of deliyerance. He
felt sure that God would not forsake
So faithful servant.
II. stone laid upon the
mouth OF the dem" The mouth was
the door through which the animals
we're put into the den "a great stone
is still an ordinary way OF securing
doorway In the East. as we know II
was for closing tombs." "Sealed II
with his own signet" IF the access
to the lions den was arranged like
that Of sepulcher, bar would be
fixed across the front Of the stone,
fastened to either side OF the doorway
/ by thongs, the knottlng OF which was
sealed with wax stamped with sig.
net. Tristram. "And with the sig
net of his lords" So that neither
party could tamper with 1t.
is. The king spent a miserable
night, fasting either as an appeal to
his god. or because he was too sad to
eat Neither were instruments Of
musick,r or. as in margin, dancing
girls" He refused his accustomed
pleasures, as too discordant with his
sorre Y.
WI The Signal Deliverance.-Vs.
1928. 10. THE king arose very early.
Literally. in the dawn, in the first
glimmer Of light.
20. "Cried with lamentabla
voice" Full Of grief and anxiety.
Servant OF the living God" The God
who Is the source Of life. a personal,
living being. Whom thou servest
continually" In all places and cir
cumstances He was no intermittent
Christian. Only such a servant Of
God has any right to expect Gods de-
liverance and help in time Of need.
22. Daniel answered from the den,
MY God hath sent his angel" AS
one like the Son Of God was in the
iery furnace with the three whom
Nebuchadnezzar had cast into the
flames. SO Daniel had company In
the den Of lions" NO music nor glad
ness in the palace. but celestial JOY
in the intercourse between Daniel and
the angel in the den. Taylor.
Daniel does not say whether the
angel was visible or not The winds
and the lightning are Gods angels ac-
cording to the psalmist But 1t is
probable that he was visible to Dan
lei as a manifest token Of the favor
and protection OF God"
%. "And no manner OF hurt was
found upon him. because he believed
chad trusted In his God" God new
er fails those who trust in him.
Note that there are two ways Of de.
liverance.
/. There is sometimes immediate
relief from persecution and death, as
in the case OF Daniel, and the three
men in the fiery furnace, and Peter in
prison in Jerusalem, and Paul and 81.
las In Philipp..
2. On the other hand, equally good
men we're not delivered in that way
a long list Of prophets, many Of the
apostles. John the Baptist, James, Ste
phen and Christ himself One Of the
strangest things. as we look over the
past centuries. and trace the history
Of Gods people, is the vision OF SO
many prosecuted ones, so many Of the
prophets and saints suffering as mar.
tyrs. The sky is full Of these shining
stars.
Were not these delivered too, and
gioriously, because their death
wrought more for the cause they
loved than a longer life could have
done? The fires that burned Ridley
and Latimer lighted all England, as
they foresaw, and did more for re-
hgious freedom and truth in the world
than a hundred years Of life could
have done We, with our narrow Wis
ion, cannot tell what is the best an
swer to our prayers. whether long life,
or an early heavenly crown: whether
victory or defeat that brings larger
victory; whether bodily relief, or spir-
/ final giffa. whether the hitter cun ra-