Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-07-27
Calnage
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase. d. D.

Los Angeles, Cal, July 22.-That
diet influences character and that
man is largely what he eats is Illus
trated In this sermon, the preacher
taking for his text Daniel 1, II, prove
thy servants, beseech thee, ten days"
What is victory like?' said a lady
friend = to the Waterloo conqueror.
The greatest tragedy In the world.
madam, except defeat" was the an
swer. Well said. thou iron duke. None
could speak more authoritatively. The
world has supposed thy heart adaman-
tine. But even the stones themselves
might almost weep when they are
drencheds with human carnage. The
cheers OF triumph can never drown the
sobs OF anguish. The glittering re-
wards Of victory cannot blind our eyes
to the awful price az which that vic
tory was purchased Lord Roberts.
upon his return from the Boer war.
was hailed In England as a conquer
Ing chief. When he returned from
Africa to London the whole nation rose
to do him honor. But while the Brit
ish were acclaiming the mighty deeds
or Little Bobs," Lord Roberts was
wearing upon his uniform grief's SYM
Dol. the black Grape. Lord Roberts
only boy had been shot among the Az
rican hills. So is 1t always with war.
We praise the returning chieftains.
but we cannot forget the bloody fields
which
and the many grave trenches they saw
filled with the slain bodies OF their
valiant comrades
But IL the battlefields OF the nine
teenth century were the scenes of aw-
full tragedies, what must have been
the horrors or the battlefieids of the
fifteenth, the twelfth and the fifth cen
turtles and the battleieids of a thou
sand years ago. In olden times the
conQuerors rarely took prisoners or
liberated their captives upon parole,
as we do now. The general custom
was to slay their prisoners or, what
was still more common, to sell them in
to perpetual servitude This practice
was almost universal. Thus many OF
the nations, like the Phoenicians and
the Etrurians and the Cretes and the
Sicilians, made war for human cap
tives as well as for gold and silver.
These nations were known according
10 an old historians definition as "man
stealers." They wanted human slaves
as oarsmen to man their galleys and
laborers TO work in their fields and
men and women to be their domestic
servants as well as men for chario-
teers- What was true OF the great mar
itime states mentioned was also true
OF Egypt and Rome and 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 TO be 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 to Nebuchadnezzar's cap
ital after Jerusalem had been captured
and overthrown.
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
30 and look over those young Hebrews
whom / have brought back Select
three or four OF the finest physical and
mental specimens that are there. Then
for the next three years take them and
educate them and feed them from my
own table want to 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 Mishael and Azariah. were selected.
All, this was high honor for Daniel and
his companions. 1t not only meant lib
Grafton from human slavery, but In
time it also meant membership in the
kings council. But, alas, alas, Il seems
as though Daniel is foolishly going to
upset all hts political prospects. when
the food and the wine from the kings
table are placed before him, Daniel re-
fuses them because they are forbid
den diet-are unclean according to
Jewish law. "But." says the kings
chamberlain, you must eat this meat
and wine, for IL you do not the king
will not only punish me, but also will
probably siay you. And he will surely
know this refusal by your starved
looks" Then Daniel spake the words
OF my text: Prove thy servants, be-
seech 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 as thou seest deal
with thy servants" So the royal Off
Ger consented to them In this matter
and proved them ten days. You all
know the result OF this test. AT the
end Of ten days the countenances of
Daniel and his three friends were
''fairer'' and fatter In flesh than all the
children who did eat the portion Of
the kings meat. Such today is the
simple story from which we will draw
oar sermonic theme. And may our his
tory In life be like that of Daniel, who
refused to eat the kings meat.
Let US now look at our subject a 1T
tie closer. Notice that this kings
meat was to Daniel and his comrades
sensual temptation, 1t appealed 60
Daniels eye and nostril and palate.
It was the temptation OF the banquet
hall, which not only smeIled good ana
looked good, but it appealed to Daniel
the more enticingly because heretofore
he had never had his appetite surfeit-
ed by the delectable viands of a royal
kitchen.
Daniels Temptation.
The richest Of foods become nauseat-
ing and repellent IL one has too much
OF them. Frederick Seward tells the
atory that, many years ago, his father,
Eecratary William, N Saxvard 800 IT..