THE KI NG ’ S BUSINESS the king of the land sent to them each day. Daniel knew the meat was offered to idols first, and that was wrong, for he worshipped the true God. He knew the wine was not good for him, hut would only do him harm. He had been brought up a temperance boy, and been taught to know that wine had alcohol in it, which was poison and would hurt" his brain just like it did the egg, and God had given him a bright mind and strong body, and he was not going to do anything that would harm his mind or body, and his three friends also took their stand with Daniel to keep their bodies strong. When Daniel told the man who was taking care of these boys for the king that he and his friends did not want to eat the king’s meat or drink his wine, the man said he was afraid it would displease the king, and that they might become weak and thin, and then Daniel asked the man to give them a trial for ten days, and give them vege tables to eat and water to drink. At the end of the ten days what do you think happened? The king had Dan iel and his friends and a number of other young men who had eaten the king’s meat and drunk his wine, stand before him, and Daniel and his friends looked better and fatter than all the others who had eaten the meat and drunk the wine. Their minds were clear so that they could answer all the hard questions the king asked them, so Daniel and his three friends were chosen to stand before the king in the palace. These four boys would not do what was wrong; they were careful of their minds, their bodies and their hearts. One day a school teacher asked one of the boys to bring her a live mouse. She took the paper that was rolled around one cigarette, soaked it in water and gave it to the mouse. Just the few drops of water killed the mouse very soon. Cigarette poison does not kill boys as soon as that, but it hurts
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them from the beginning. It makes them stupid so they cannot learn their lessons well. Let us say our memory verse and always remember to do what it tells us to do. How many of you boys and girls are going to be like Dan iel and his three friends, and keep your bodies pure and strong and never even touch what will hurt us, either in what we eat or drink, for God gave us these good bodies to grow tall and strong. It is wicked and dangerous to take poi son into these good bodies which God gave to us. Closing Prayer. Dear Lord, we thank Thee for our bodies and minds, and we ask Thee to help us to keep them pure and strong. - M THE HEATHEN QUESTION The question is often asked: “ If the heathens live up to the light they have, will they be saved?” The fact is there are no heathen living up to the light they have. Dan Crawford said of the Africans he knew through his years of intimate touch, with them: “ The Pa gans in the heart of Africa are sinning against a flood of light.” When Charles E. Scott was asked if he believed the heathen would be saved if he lived up to the light he had he replied that he had never met one in China who was living up to his light. And more than that, they know they are not living up to the light they have. It remains that all men -who are without Christ are in a hopeless condi tion, whether they reside in the United States or in the heart of Africa. ALMOST HOME As Rowland Taylor was walking to the stake, he looked across the fields at Hadleigh and joyfully exclaimed, “ Only two stiles more and I am at my Father’s House.” S E E P A G E 8 2 8
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