The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-09
supernatural understanding Of super<
natural dreams.
Tho Heart Of this Lesson.

, supernatural understanding Of SUPER
natural dreams.
Tho Heart Of the Lesson.
| Brought face to face with the
question whether a boy In Babylon
should do as Babylon does, or whether
he should do right, Daniel made up
his mind. This Is the core Of the
matter rhe secret of half the sins
OF youth. or OF manhood for THAI
| matter lies here. We do not pur-
pose in our hearts, We do wrong, not
because we make up our minds to do
wrong. but because we do not make
up our minds at all. 1t Is a secret
worth millions to any youth; to do
wrong one needs only to let his nina
loose; to do right one must grip
his mind and force 1t to take a
stand on every matter of morals cons
Ing up for a decision. Find a man
who habitually gives way to tempta-
ton and you will have found q man
who does not purpose in his heart
But let us make no mistake. WS
are not saved by resolu tons 1t
, is not that he who firmly resolves
to do right Is able to go and do right
In his own strength. but that he who
resolves to do right Is able to ga
and do. right in the strength OF God.
for by that resolution he draws God
w ii4c STUN r.
We have done a great deal OF loose
thinking on this matter of resclu@
tons. One man lays great stress upon
the making Of good resolutions. an~
other questions whether they are
worth the trouble 1t takes to mako
them. Our resolutions cannot save
us, we are told Christ is the sole
Savior. True. but pray what can God
do with a man who never makes a
resolution--who never purposes In his
heart? OF resolutions of the bal
loon variety--huge, SNOWY, floating
gas-bags--we have enough and to
spare. but we need not be afraid that
we will make too many resolutions
OF the sort that are full Of resolution
Note carefully the steps by which
Daniel overcame. In the first place
/ he started at the beginning. He stop
ped before he began. He did not
indulge in the kings meat and wire
few days with the intention OF
stopping as soon as 1t could be done
without making a scene. In the sec-
ond place. he purposed In his heart.
He said: Sink or swim. live or ola.
survive or perish. ! VIII not touch
1T" Not many boys start cut that
way, Il expect to be- a temperance
man. OF course. but 81 To never TAX
Z
make any rash promises" Such a
boys purpose TO be temperance man
Is not Of the sihkor- swim variety.
In the third place, he went to work
TO carry his purpose into effect. He
did not merely adopt his resolution:
he performed Ii. He made arrange
ment to keep the temptation out e
his way. And last, but not least,
God helped him--as God helps every
young man who starts like Daniel,
with the purpose In his heart.
The conclusion of the whole mats
ter is plain, Dare TO be Daniel.
Daniel Didn't Have to-"
What Is it that you admire most
in Daniel2 / think you will answer:
His sublime independence. He was
a man--every inch a man. He was
true to his convictions and he did not
care what people said or thought.
lie WAS a slave tn God and right. and
( therefore, he was perfectly free
I gioriously free. He didn't have To.
lie didn't even have to obey the king
when 1t came TO a question of right
he only had To obey the King OF
kings lie did not have 10 bow down
To fashion; he did not have 10 obey
tho dictates OF society: he did e
have TO do this or that because avery
body else did 1t; he did not have 10
stop and inquire what people would
i think, he had nothing to do but ia
do right What a wonderfully SIM
Pile thing life becomes when ~we ara
set free from the chains with which
the world binds us and have noth-
ing to do but to do right