affectionate vows, in heroic piety. He would see them to their position, between the idol and the fiery furnace. He might then retire, to present them before his God and theirs; from which employment he was, ere long, to be called, to meet them again with the most delightful congratulations that ever sprung from the sublimest emotions.

The next part of the history is given by Nebuchadnezzar himself (ch. iv.), in a long proclamation to the people of his dominions. He describes a mysterious dream (that of the great Tree), which had filled him with apprehension. He honestly relates that he had (very strange as such a proceeding was) once more sent for the vain pretenders to hidden wisdom, whose tribe had escaped destruction through the favour of God towards Daniel and his friends (as often the wicked, in this world, are spared on account of the righteous). And once more Daniel was proved to be the only oracle of the Divine Intelligence. The interpretation was followed, a year afterwards, by the accomplishment.

Nebuchadnezzar, on recovering his reason, certainly made an excellent use of it, in this very noble proclamation; in which he explicitly records his own self-idolizing pride, and the ignominious condition to which he was justly abased, on account of it, by a Divine judgment. And he closes with the most elevated sentiments in honour of the Divine majesty and justice, with an unaffected dignity and energy of expression. A striking contrast to all the hypocritical cant and pompous formality. Nothing like it, or comparable to it, was ever sent forth by any monarch.

We are left to conclude that, soon after this, he retired from his palace to his tomb. Daniel would lament his death; for with the great capacity for good, there did at last seem combined the right disposition toward it. No potentate ever had such a mourner. His grandson Belshazzar followed him in the empire; and was destined to

perish in its fall. His life, (except its very last scene,) appeared not worth recording; for one chief reason, because the great friend and minister of his predecessor had little to do with the course of it. The closing spectacle may speak for the whole character of his reign;feasting and revelry-libertine profligacy-vain pompinsolent contempt of anything connected with the name of the true God—and an utter estrangement from the best and wisest of his subjects.

We can easily imagine what was likely to be the condition, as to morals and everything else, of an empire under such a head. And what an exemplification it was of what was spoken by the voice in Nebuchadnezzar's vision, that the Most High sometimes "setteth over the kingdom the basest of men!"

"They

The luxurious banqueting was timed very chacteristically of the chief reveller and his court; for, at that time the empire was formidably invaded, and the city was actually besieged by Cyrus, after he had, as history mentions, utterly defeated Belshazzar in battle. drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone," (v. 4.) But festivity and idolatry were not enough, in this most perilous juncture of the kingdom, without some special insult to the God of Israel; and the vessels of his temple at Jerusalem were ordered to be brought for these bacchanalian libations. It looks like judicial infatuation when, in circumstances of peculiar danger impending, a direct insult is offered to the Divine Majesty.

But now imagine this jovial assemblage, of the royalty and nobility of Babylon. They had met, expecting nothing but luxury and conviviality there. But something else, something besides, was to come! But would they not be sufficiently fortified against whatever that might be? No;

it proved otherwise; for four words written by a shadowy hand on the wall, put all their mirth and spirit to flight. The words of the Almighty can be made to throw out, when he wills, an overpowering energy. This company

could revel in exuberant gaiety, with the legions of a victorious besieging army around their city; but the four words! that was an irresistible assault on the elation of their hilarity! that threw as it were "the shadow of death" over their joyous and brilliant assembly!

An instant summons was issued to the astrologers and soothsayers, and once more their intervention was in vain. We see in what profound obscurity Daniel must have been, in this reign; for the king did not recollect any such person. The queen, his mother probably, came to inform him of such a man, and of the important capacity in which he had stood in relation to the former monarch. When, at her advice, Daniel was introduced, the king actually asked him, "Art thou that Daniel whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?" He had had his counsellors, and ministers, and favourites, and priests, and poets, and seers; but his inquiries and notice had never fallen on such a man as Daniel!

For an interpretation of the portentous words, splendid rewards and appointments were offered, which a few hours hence were not to be his to give, and for which the prophet expressed the utmost indifference. The prophet made to him, first, a solemn representation of his careless and wicked life, and of his final act of profaneness against the God whom he ought to have known Almighty; and then interpreted. There was no space for repentance; for “that night was the king of the Chaldeans slain," and the city taken. The manner of its being taken by Cyrus the Mede, who was to be king of Persia, is familiar to those who have read illustrations of the Sacred History.

Daniel might now indulge his solemn meditations over the memories and the tombs of departed monarchs, whom he had beheld in all the plenitude of imperial splendour and pride. They were now but dust and a name; left among the memorials of an empire also departed. But, his great Master still lived! unchangeable in glory and goodness; and he remained unchangeably devoted to him, all the same, whatever became of mortal potentates and empires. He wanted no patron; the smiles, or frowns of monarchs were indifferent to him. He was in favour with the Highest Power,-insomuch that he was addressed by an angelic messenger with the unequalled appellation, “O man greatly beloved!" To a man who had heard that, think how any title of worldly dignity, of mortal favour, would have sounded! We can conceive of him, more even than of many other of the prophets, that the general habitual state of his mind, was of an elevation, in thought and devotion, peculiarly adapted to receive the special illapses of inspiration, that (if we might express it so) heavenly visits had not to descend so entirely to the earth to reach him. These communications from on high he probably enjoyed often. Several of his prophetic visions, foreshowing a distant futurity, are related in his book, occupying indeed the larger part of it; especially some sublime representations of the Messiah and his kingdom. These carry us away from the immediate view of the man; but there remains to be noticed one part of his personal history, perhaps the most illustrious of all.

Darius, the Mede, by the appointment of Cyrus, succeeded Belshazzar in the kingdom, now become but an appendage to the Persian empire. In some way or other, the foreigner placed on the throne had become apprised of the value of the illustrious captive, and placed him at once in the very highest station. It was verily worth that the

country should be conquered-that any country should-if the consequence might be that the most eminent wisdom, virtue, piety on earth, should be set over it. The prophet cared nothing about the legitimacy of the reigning chiefs,they were all alike to him. Indeed, the best proof of the monarch's right was his being disposed to choose the most tried and illustrious virtue and wisdom in his dominions, to be raised to the supreme authority in their affairs. It was a bright day for Babylon when Daniel was thus appointed. He, this one great statesman, was not ambitious, for he would flatter no monarch to obtain his favours; and he would not keep them at the expense of one slightest violation of his fidelity to the King of Heaven. Indeed, we may be assured that his very acceptance of such honours and cares was simply and solely in obedience to the Highest Authority.

It was certain enough that his fidelity, his conscience, would not remain long exempt from an effectual trial. So must every good man expect, who is to have much to do. with the world. It was resolved to ruin him, as the phrase is-a phrase at which he would have smiled. But it was not to be avowed that this was to be on account of his superlative virtue; and, unfortunately, his conspiring enemies could find no other crime. Then they must make a new kind of crime; and one really would have liked to know whether they thought he would not dare to commit it. But, indeed, it does seem likely that they expected he would so dare, as they could venture to put all on this hazard. What a testimoney to his principles! They were quite right in judging that the proper way of beginning, was to flatter the monarch's pride and self-importance. And they must well have known their man, to have ventured, even on the strength of all the eastern extravagance of adulation to royalty, to make such a proposal,-a decree that, for an