Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-07-28
Calnage
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee. D. d.

Hlet lfltltleIieeS character ana mat a
man Is largely what he eats IL illus
traied in this sermon. the preacher
taking for his text Daniel l. II. prove
thy servants. besecch thee, ten days"
What is victory like" said lady
friend 10 the Waterloo conqueror.
The greatest tragedy In the world.
madam. except a defeat" was the AN
swer. Well said. thou iron duke None
could speak more authoritatively. The
world has supposed thy heart ALBANIAN
tine. But even the stones themselves
might almost weep when they are
drenchcd with human carnage The
cheers of triumph can never drown the
SOILS of anguish. The glittering re-
wards of victory cannot blind our eyes
10 the awful price at which that vie.
tory was purchased. Lord Roberts,
upon his return from the BOer war,
was hailed In England as conquer
ing chief. When he returned from
Africa To London the whole nation rose
to do him honor. But while the Brit.
iSh were acclaining the mighty deeds
of Little Bobs' Lord Roberts was
wearing upon his uniform gricf's sym
boil. the black Grape. Lord Roberts
only boy had been shot among the AZ
rican hills. SO Is II always with war.
We praise the returning chcftains.
but we cannot forget the bloody fields
over which these heroes have waded
and the many grave trenches they saw
filled with the slain bodies Of their
valiant comrades.
But If the battleiields of the nine
teenth century We're the scenes Of aw
FIJI tragedies what must have been
the horrors of the battletields of the
fifteenth the twelfth and the fifth cen
turtles and the battletelds of thou
sand years ago. In oldcn times the
conquerorS rarely took prisoners or
liberated their captiveS upon parole,
rs we do now The general custom
was to slay their prisoners or, what
was still more common. To sell them in
10 perpetual scrvitude. This practice
was almost universal. Thus many of
the nations, like the Phocnicians and
the Etrurians and the Cretes and the
Sicilians made war for human cap
tives as well as for gold and silver.
These nations We're known according
TO an old historians definition as man
stealers" They wanted human slaves
as oarSmcn To- man their galleys and
laborers 10 work in their fields and
men and women to he their domestic
servants as well aS men for clario-
tecrs What was true of the great mar
thine states mentioned was also true
Of Egypt and Rome ana Greece and
Babylon. These mighty cities of olden
times all had their human auction
blocks. The greater the conquests OF
their returning warriors the greater
number OF slaves 10 he put up and sold
as common cattle in the market places.
Thus. having made this explanation.
we can understand why Daniel and
The finest youths Of the Hebrew nation
were carried 10 \ebuchndnezZar's cap
itaI after Jerusalem had been captured
and ovcrihrown.
The Kings Meat.
No sooner was the Babylonish king
back In his palace than he called one
of his chief officers. .Ashpenaz by name,
and said. "Ashpenaz. | wish you would
go aud look over those young Hebrews
whom | have brought back. Select
three or four of the finest physical and
l.nt Than
for the next three years take them and
educate them and feed them from my
own table want tn develop these
men for my own service. want TO re-
enforce the intelligence of my own
court with the best blood Of this Hebrew
nation" The result OF this command:
Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah
and AIishael and AZariah, We're selected.
All this was high honor for Daniel and
his companions. II not only meant lib
Grafton from human slavery. but In
time il also meant membership In the
kings council But, alas. alas. IL seems
az though Daniel IL foolishly going To
upset all his political prospects When
the food AMI the wine from the kings
table are placed before him. Daniel re-
fuses them because they are forbid
den diet are umclcan according to
Jewish law But" says the kings
chamberlain. you must eat this meat
and wine, for II you do not the king
will not only punish me. but also will
probably shay You. And he will surely
know this refusal by your starved
looks" Then Daniel spake the words
OF my text: Prove thy servants. be-
secch thee. ten days. and give us pulse
TO eat and water 10 drink. Then let
our countenances be looked upon be-
fore thee and the countenances Of the
children that eat Of the portion OF the
kings meat. and rs thou seest deal
with thy servants" So the royal Off
Ger consented To them Ia this matter
aud proved them ten days. You all
know the result of this test At the
end of ten days the countenances OF
Daniel aud his three friends We're
"fairer'' and fatter Ia flesh than all the
children who did eat the portion Of
the kings meat Such today IL the
simple story from which we will draw