Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-09-02
SUNDAY SCHOOL
~
BY BIN NEW.SOr1E
I.esson september Q. Daniel 1.

Lesson September 3, Daniel /.
1t was wise policy of Nebuchad-
neZzar that from each of his tributary
nations he selected the best young
blood and brought them to Babylon
to bio trained for privileged service TO
the king They were educated ana
trained for that service in the most
approved fashion Of that day. rms
not only served to improve the at
mosphere of his court, but strength
ened the loyalty OF subject people
to the crown. 1t made each OF the
small subject nations have an indi-
yidual interest in what went on at
Babylon, for were not few or their
best young men part OF the royal
household. Daniel and his compan-
ions had been chosen from Jerusa-
lem for this purpose. 1t is well, then,
when considering the eXceptlonai
career of this young Jew, to remem-
ber that he was we'll brought up. And
that is a very important feature ior
any young man to take Into the be-
ginning of a career in strange city
and unfamiliar circumstances and
temptations. We are all very anx-
ious to remove from the path OF our
young people as many as possible or
the temptations Of which life is full.
We wish to make 1t easier for them
to remain pure and good. But all
our work in this line is of small inn
portance beside the one great essen
tial that they should be forearmed
against all temptation before they
have to meet 1t. The home training
of the bov and girl is the main thing
and counts for more in their after
life than all the safeguards society
or the law can throw around them.
We have fought hard, and are still
fighting. to overcome the twin evils
of drink and sexual debauchery. than
which there are no greater enemies
to a young mans welfare; but all
our removal of temptation is of little
avail unless the young man goes forth
into the world armed with moral
stamina instilled by faithful teach
ing and example on the part Of his
parents Otherwise. We remove one
stumbling block from their path only
to find them seeking other methods
of debauchery; but II they have the
fear of God before their eyes to begin
with they seek the ways of righteous
ness and are not easily turned away.
So II was with Daniel. He had right
at the beginning to meet test of his
4, fidelity to early instruction, and the
test found him faithful and conscien-
tious Let this be n lesson to us that,
whatever our zeal for abolition Of
the drink habit and Of the lure Of
the red lights, far more safety for
the young man is found in the earnest
convictions implanted in his tender
mind by conscientious teachers before
he is called upon to face the test
which must surely come.
But Daniel did not figure as one OF
those loud professors of virtue. He
did not make big noise about his
scrupies. He recognized that there
was no reason why the officers of the
kings household should know or care
what he thot about meat and drink.
Yet he stood his ground and won his
point. He made no compromises with
what he believed to be wrong. but
quietly went about winning the good
will of his superiors and thru their
| indulgence established record for
himself and his friends. The most
advancement for human progress Is
not always made by sledge- hammer
blows. Common sense and politeness
win more friends for the right than
bombastic denunciation or pugnacious
| resistance. The lesson we get from
Daniel Is, first, that It pays to stick
to our convictions without compro-
mise. and second. that we can more
often have our way by kindness and
diplomacy than by open warfare. We
know that Daniel was steadfast, for
when the time came that he must
openly defy the mandate of the king,
he was as immovable as iron.
The question OF the wine and the
meats was not in itself moral ques-
tion, neither are we to understand
this lesson as n preachment In favor
Of vegetarianism. 1t was a question