The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1906-12-28
SERMONETTE.

Aside from the question OF 4
religious principles which is in :
volved in this incident in the !
life Of the young man Daniel
there are others of moral char .
acter which emphasize Impor- !
tant lessons for young manhood !
of to-day. First of all there is 4
the lesson of loyalty to God in
whatever place and whatever (
circumstance one finds himself.
When at Rome to do as the 4
Romans do may be the most =,
polite and the most popular and
pleasant, but il brings no such
reward as comes to the brave
soul who when away from home I
and amidst conditions Of moral
chaos, stands firm for clean lIV- (
ing and pure thinking.
Then we find here the lesson 4
of self-control; the mastery OF
the animal appetites and de-
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.
; Seif-controt is marked by
? three elements. First that of
; discernment, the recognition Of
good from bad, wholesome from
!, the unwhoIesome. Where there
is lack of moral sense, failure
! to draw sharp line between
7 those things which lift up and
! those which lower and degrade,
there can be little of sef-con-
! troll, for the life exists only for
the Whims and desires of the
! moment, much as with a child,
Z that knows no higher law than
! those of the physical senses.
Z The first step then to self-con-
\ troll is discernment of the right.
= The next element of self-con-
= troll is that of decision; deter.
Z mination to follow the right
= course. Multitudes of young
! men know right from wrong
= who never reach the second
: stage of seIf-controI, who never
7 decide for the right. They know
they ought to, and they are al.
Z ways going to, but they lack
that positiveness Of character
which brings them to the place
! of willing to do the right. There
z is no doubt that there were
\ many Jewish youths other than
Z Daniel and his three friends at
\ the kings palace who knew the
y right course for Jew to take,
! but they lacked that decision of
= character which would have
\ placed them unwaveringly on
= the side of Righteousness.
\ And the third element of self.
z control is consummation. The
= life is transformed by the will
= within. Decision becomes crys-
7 taized into deeds, and the high
= ideal becomes the reality. To
= will and to do become one.
: Many a good intentioned life,
: many an inward purpose to do
! right never attains because the
= outward conduct has net been
conformed thereto.
= One other lesson we wish to
Z draw for the young man of to-
day. 1t is that of influence; the
power of one life over that OF
another. We may we'll ques.
ton whether Hananiah, Mish'
ael and Azariah would ever have
: taken the stand they did had
not Daniel bravely stood forth
Z and declared his purpose. "Nc
man liveth to himself alone" II
is simply impossible for one &c
7 90 through life without exertine
an influence either for good OF
III. And your decision upon ar
important line of conduct may
lead others to right choice
What is your influence?