The Grenada sentinel., 1906-12-29
SERMONETTE.

Z Aside from the question Of
! religious principles which is in
Z voIved in this incident In the
\ life of the young man Daniel
Z there are others of a moral char
acter which emphasize mpor-
Z tant lessons for young manhood
of to-day. First Of all there Is
Z the lesson of loyalty to God In
whatever place and whatever
Z circumstances one finds himself.
When at Rome to do as the
Z Romans do may be the most
7 polite and the most popular and
7 pleasant, but it brings no such
= reward as comes to the brave
I soul who when away from home
= and amidst conditions of moral
Z chaos, stands firm for clean Iiv-
7 ing and pure thinking.
Z Then we find here the lesson
7 of seIf-controI; the mastery of
the animal appetites and de-
7 sires. 1t is only through such
! conquest that the higher quail
ties of mind and heart can be
: developed. Plain living makes
for clean thinking. Where the
! stomach holds the scepter,
mind and heart are but vassals,
: never rising above the plane of
the mere sensual and temporal.
Self-control is marked by
{ three elements. First that of
discernment, the recognition of
good from bad, wholesome from
; the unWhoesome. Where there
is lack of moral sense, failure
; to draw sharp line between
those things which lift up and
, those which lower and degrade, :
there can be little of seIf-con-
> troll, for the life exists only for =
the Whims and desires of the
> moment, much as with a child, :
that knows no higher law than
> those of the physical senses. :
The first step then to seIf-con-
> troll is discernment of the right. :
The next element of seIf-con-
: troll is that of decision; deter :
; mnation to follow the right
, course. Multitudes of young (
: men know right from wrong
: who never reach the second (
stage of seIf-controI, who never :
decide for the right. They know (
they ought to, and they are al }
ways going to, but they lack (
that positiveness of character }
which brings them to the place I
of willing to do, the right. There }
is no doubt that there were I
many Jewish youths other than :,
Daniel and his three friends at 4
the kings palace who knew the :,
right course for a. Jew to take, !
but they lacked that decision of !
character which would have \
placed them unwaveringIy on !
the side of righteousness. !
And the third element of self \
control is consummation. The
life is transformed by the will !
within. Decision becomes crys-
talized into deeds, and the high !
ideal becomes the reality. To !
will and to do become one.
Many good intentioned life, !
many an inward purpose to do I
right never attains because the !
outward conduct has not been :
conformed thereto. I
One other lesson we wish to :;
draw for the young man of to- =
day. 1t is that of influence; the
power of one life over that of I
another. We may we'll ques-
tion whether Hananiah, Mish- Z
aeI and Azariah would ever have Z
taken the stand they did had 7
not Daniel braveIy stood forth !
and declared his purpose. "No J
man liveth to himself alone" II
is simply impossible for one to !
go through life without exerting (
an influence either for good or
i'll. And your decision upon an (
important line of conduct may !
lead others to right choice. Z