SUNDAY READING.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4012, 31 May 1884, Page 6 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

SERMON BY THE REV. T. F. JONES Dau. 6 eh., 10 ver. —"Now when Dunie'

knew that tho writing was signed, he went into his house ; and his windows boing open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, ho knelt upon his knees three times a day and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."

This morning we are going to speak about this great Daniel, this captive prophet, who had a purpose and dared to make it known. Daniel must have been a very old man at this time ; he had lived to see four or five kings on the throne. Nebuchadnezzar, who was a man who made nations tremble, and who set up kings and brought them down, had gone the way of all flesh. Belshazztvr was slain by the sword of the Persian soldier, and now Darius was the King, and Daniel was still living and in full power. Things had prospered with the prophet, Things had smiled on him- He bad been connooted with a noble family, and Nebuchadnezzar knew that this young man had noble qualities; he saw lie was born to rule, and therefore he promoted him. to great honor, and ho held high posts in all the governments, and when Darius was king he was promoted to the highest honor that could be conferred on a subject. He never went away from the teachings his mother gave when he was yet a boy; he never forsook the Lord God, but remained loyal, and remained a contrast to those who cast their religion away when things prosper with them, and they become proud and overbearing. It was once said to the late Dr Punshon, " How can you stand bo much praise ? " The answer was, " Because God has given me plenty of balInst." Every man may have plenty of ballast, if ho will only constantly rely on God and cultivate a humble and childlike spirit. Daniel had prospered, ho had got a high position, and it was natural that a man in his position should excite envy and jealousy —he became the target for the darts of envious men. Tbero wcro some in the Babylonian Empire who were very jealous of this foreigner, who had got on so well in the kingdom. That was the penalty for his prosperity and success. Almost every man has to pay this penalty. Those distinguishing posts, those high places look very tempting fair, but the price demanded is sometimes a very high one. There are students who work hard, who burn the midnight oil, and who secure the prize, but very often it is at a terrible price—broken health and a shattered constitution. Students sometimes gain it at the expense of innocence and purity and rectitude, and when they are gained it is not all rest, it is not all peace, indeed they are tossed about on a sea of unrest. Look at political distinction, and think of our Ministry or tho leaders of the Ministry of the Home country, and do you think they pass such peaceful nights as most of you do ? I am not speaking against ambition or wealth, but a price is generally asked for these places which they are not worth. The Psalmist knew the true philosophy of life when he prayed, give me neither riches nor poverty. When we have attained to such a position wo are tossed about on a sea of iinrest; the applause of men is changeable—changeable as tho wind. They may cry hosannas to-day, and tomorrow away with him may rend the air. Remember the Duke of Wellington. No one was so popular, the nation's hero, tho people's darling, nothing too good for him at one time, but a few years afterwards tho windows of his homo were broken by a mob. Hut Daniel, though not at rest, trusted in Bod. Men may change but God never changes. Ge is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, our faithful and unchangeable friend. 0 you who have met with cruel disappointments, at whom the darts of envy have been shot, we invite you to trust in the Lord God. Ho will never leave you, never forsake you. Notice further tho plot that was laid for this Daniel. A clever conspiracy, a well thought of plan. Darius was a vain man, and he was asked that prayer should only be made to him for thirty days, and he consented, and those men were jubilant; they knew their man, that he would never consent to this, that he would pray to God, no matter how many decrees were signed. Daniel was in his place when the decree was signed, arid wefancy wo see him walking to his home with his head bowed, thinking all the way. What will he do ? Some would advise him to be prudent, some would tell him that he might not open his window, keep it shut, keep tho blinds drawn, ■ and pray to God in secret for thirty days. They would say that was boing wise in ono'a generation, but if it wore called by its right name it would bo cowardliness. Daniel did not liave any unmanliness, he was no diplomat, ho was no trimmer, no weak-kneed saint. He went homo and opened his window and prayed towards Jerusalem, the home of his boyhood, the city of his father. He prays for his brethren in the land of captivity, and he prays for himself ■ that ho might be faithful and true under tho existing circumstances, and ho rises from his knees a happy man, he rises from his knees able to do anything, he had a calm joy within him, he had a purpose, and he stood by that purpose and heeded God's command. These are the kind of men we want to-day, moro of his stamp, more of his type of religion, a manly type, a religion which is not built on mere emotion, but on sterling principle. A religion with plenty of backbone, a .religion of deep roots, that ' is what wo want to-day. You have noticed that the flowers in tho garden, after :v long spoil of dry weather, droop and die, but the treos in the distance," notwithstanding a long spell of dry weather, they still flourish as if there had been continual rain. Why is

Ib ? Because they have roots that go deeper down. There are some who have religion, like the flowers, on the surface, and when persecution comes they fade and die ; but, thank God, we have men and women in our midst to-day, who, like the trees in the bush, remain steadfast. It is not » religion of surface, but their roots go down to the soil of principle, and there they have provision which is not exhausted by the scorching sun. Oh that we had more of these ; but let me say they are not built up in a day these characters. They are built little by little. Characters are roado day by day. Daniel began when he was a mere boy, and when he came to Babylon he took a firm stand, and tlnu ho made the splendid character we saw in our text. I would remind you young peoplo, if we want to be the Daniels of the present day, we must be true in little things, we must be faithful in little things, and if we be that we will be faithful in much, we will be faithful in great things. We are forming our habits now, wo are laying the foundations, let us lay right foundations, and then we may build on them by and by, onr characters shall bo liko Daniel, and we shall be the men in the near future. But, further, there were other men who listened to these prayers. There were some men with the look of the villain, and they heard Daniel's voice, they heard him pray to God, and they had heard all they wanted, and away they went to King Dnrius. Daniel was in their power, they had seen the last of him. It was strange that God allowed their plaus to ripen. '1 hey went home, and their dreams were full of pleasure. This is sometimes God's way of doing things. He allowed the plans to ripen, and it was not until the victim was taken, not until the den was opened, and the stone rolled over, that the angel of rest came. One of the blackest things in the history of persecution is the fiendish joy which they had over their victims. He was thrown into the lion's den. The lions gave him a strange welcome. They did not tear him to pieces, but played about him. God had tamed these lions, God had interfered, God had given Daniel favor in their sight, and when the king came, he said, ' O Daniel, has thy God been able to deliver thee ?' Daniel said, 'My God has sent !iis angel, and lias delivered me from tho power of the lions.' God does interfere for his people. Wherever we are, in whatever age we live, He does interfere in our behalf. When the murderers were cast into tho lion's den they Avere torn to pieces. Do you remember how Our baviour said, ' As ye mete so shall it be measured to you,' Daniel's life stands before us as a noble example. If it speaks at all it says be decided, be constant, be steadfast, and we would exhort you this morning to decide for the God of Daniel, and then you will decide for truth, for nobility of character, and rectitude of life.