PROGRESS. Lastly, Daniel was a man of progress. He made progress, first, in the things of God, and secondly, in the things of this life. Let us consider the last, and least important, first. A brother in the Lord asked recently, “Why is it that some young men do not work so well after they profess to be saved as before?” We ventured to reply, “Because they are not properly saved.” There is a pious idea abroad that if a young man gets on in his profession or business, he is worldly minded, and self-seeking. Now, we say unhesitatingly, that he who sets himself to succeed and make his mark in this world, making all else subservient to that, may realize his desire, but the nearer he gets to the goal of his ambition the further he will be from God, the less like our adorable Lord, and the more unfit for being used by the Holy Spirit.
On the other hand, he who seeks to be here for God, will manifest it in the everyday commonplace details of life, in a way that will bring glory to God, and that God will, in His own time, duly honor. Daniel commenced at the foot of the ladder, and before long he stood on the top rung. “A dangerous position,” some one may remark. Yes; if we leave God out. As it was, Daniel was equally unaffected when the world showered upon him her honors, and when hell turned upon him its artillery.
He was as calm in the den of lions as in his official sanctum. He fully met all the requirements of his royal master, and he did it in such a way that his enemies could not find the tiniest blot on which they might fasten in order to dislodge him. All this was the result of his being a man of purpose, a man of prayer, a man of power, a man of God.
Finally, he made progress in the things of God.
God disclosed to him His secrets. “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him” (Psa. 25:1414The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant. (Psalm 25:14)). He was as ready to confide in the youthful Daniel as in the veteran Abraham. Daniel did not require to read the newspaper to be informed as to what was going on, or to learn what was about to happen. He was in immediate, intimate touch with Him “who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Eph. 1:1111In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Ephesians 1:11)). Then he received the splendid announcement direct from the Court of Heaven that he was a “Man greatly beloved.” He learned that he was “greatly beloved” by God, and that heaven was cognizant of the fact. We confess, the height of our ambition is, not to be conspicuous in this world, not to be able to sway multitudes by impassioned oratory, not to be great amongst the people of God; but it is, to receive this magnificent degree of M. G. B., to know that we are approved and beloved by God. Let us remark in closing, we have a glorious person for whom to live, our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. In devotedness to God and love to us, He “gave Himself,” and shall we hold anything back from Him?
We have also the power to be here for Christ; that is the power of the Holy Spirit; but we shall only realize that power, as He “not only dwells, but rules in us.” Some of us are in lodgings, and as lodgers we have no say in the management and control of the house in which we dwell. May we say it reverently, we fear the Holy Spirit has been having only the place of a lodger in many of our hearts. He indwells all who believe, but He desires to fill us (Eph. 5:1818And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; (Ephesians 5:18)), to rule in us, to dominate us, to control every detail of our lives, and to conform us morally now to that blessed one, to whom we shall be actually conformed when we see Him face to face. And now, what is to be the result of our meditation? We have penned these lines, not with the idea of lecturing young men for their shortcomings, but as the result of our own exercise before God, and as the expression of our own desire.
We would say to every dear reader, let us make an inventory of our lives; let us face boldly our liabilities and our assets; let us discover where the wastage is. Let us get God’s thoughts as to the priceless value of the present moment; let us enter at least in measure into His appreciation of His Beloved Son, for whom He desires us to live; let us get deep down in our souls the sense of the infinite power of the Holy Spirit, with which God is ready to endue us; let us consider the immense distinction of being permitted to represent our absent Lord in the scene of His rejection; let us remember that that honor and privilege can be ours only while we are in this world, and let us definitely consecrate ourselves body, soul and spirit to God, and seek by His grace, and in the power of His Holy Spirit to “live henceforth, not unto ourselves, but unto Him who died for us and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:1515And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:15)).