The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-09

Tho International Sunday School Les
son for September 10 is Daniel and
His Companions" Daniel 1920.
(BY WILLIAM T. ELLIs)
- REAT times make great souls
I as Nebuchadnezzar might have
been a conventional kinglet
ia had he come to his throne at
esA@aa a less critical period. In an
other age, Daniel and his
friends would probably have lived and
died in Judean obscurity.
Judah was disintegrating- The first
exile to Babylon had carried off,
among the captives, Daniel and his
three companions, all choice young
and the last first. Babylon is today a
raging over the whole earth; but she
was nearer to her fall than her proud
king and mobiles dreamed
This group of four prisoners doubt
less appeared to any observer to be
only an inconsiderable fragment Of the
consequences of minor Babylonian
campaign. In truth, they meant more
to the world, in some aspects, than did
Nebuchadnezzar himself. There is a
sense in which Daniel is bigger than
Babylon. There are millions of per-
sons who have only hazy notions OF
when and where Babylon X1isted, to
whom Daniel is a real personality, with
a living influence on their own char
acters. This is one more of the re-
versals of history; one of the para
doxes which illustrate the Scripture
teaching that the first shall be last,
and the last first Babylon is today a
heap of red mud, save where pains
taking German excavatorS have dug
out the ruins of Nebuchadnezzar's pal
ace. Daniel is still one of the charac-
performing leaders of history.
We wonder what Daniel thought Of
Babylon, and what Babylon thought
of Daniel. The former is more i'm
portant New York gives scant heed
to the immigrants who weekly thrOng
within her gates, and she would dis
dain the opinion of every one of them.
Nevertheless, it is not at all unlikely
that among these alien throngs is
some prophet-author who is yet to
arise and give the truest judgment of
America. and of its metropolis at the
nations gateway. The man who was
kind to Daniel and his friends lives in
the immortal record by that fact,
while the names of all his mightier as
SOciateS are forgotten. It is good pol
icy, as we'll as hospitality, to pay
Christian heed to the stranger who has
come to a strange land.
Captives for Royal Court.
The worth of the conquered is the
glory of the cOnqueror. The pick of
the exiles which Nebuchadnezzar
brought from his various cOnqUests
were set apart to adorn his court. The
Valor, beauty, wit and wisdom of his
and tribute to the king. There were
reasons of pride as well as of prudence
for gathering in personal attendance
upon himself those who would appear
to be the leaders of the exiles whom
he had brought from Babylon.
These favored ones were sure of an
easy life. True, they were still cap
tives, but they were -garlanded
captives on soft couches. What this
meant to the deterioration of their
so enervating as that of a palace, no
thought was taken. Who cared if this
favoritism resulted in the moral col
lapse of the four young Hebrews and
their associates?
An UnseIfish SeIfishness.
The grim fact is that nobody is par
ticularly interested in the highest well
fare of a person except himself 1t
may be an unusual lesson to draw
from the story of Daniel but it is a
true one; that there is sense in
which everybody should Look out for
Number One" That proverb is COM
monty quoted as of ignoble import. 1t
may have an exalted meaning, how
ever Ones noblest self must be con-
served and cultivated by ones own ef-
forts. Family and associates are not
always friends to the best development
of ones life. The most altruistic peo
pie will drain ones powers ruthleSsly,
in order to serve the cause in which
they themselves are most interested.
Every efficient person has to fight
a ceaseless battle to keep his powers
for their highest use. He alone can
care for his own health and for his
own mental and spiritual growth. II
he has not the decision of character
to say mo- to even good tasks, he
will be crushed beneath the extra bur-
dens which are not his proper work. 1t
takes the spine of a Daniel to be able
to be different" and to preserve ones
individuality for its divine ends.
The Parable of the Bandar-Log.
Consider the promising authors who
have been made shipwrecks by social
attentions. As the Bandar-log, or
monkey folk of the tree top. carried
away Mowgli captive, so many another
leader of the jungle has been kidnap-
ped to be the plaything of chattering
society. The peril which confronted
Daniel and his friends was that they
should become the wits and pampered
favorites of Nebuchadnezzar' court, !
but at the price of their religious faith. |
their national identity and their moral
character
1t is a sound philosophy of life to