in the duties of his station, neither was there any error found in him. The holy prophet kuew that he was not only to worship and serve God sincerely, but diligently to do his duty to his neighbour, that is, to all men with whom he was concerned, in that state of life to which it had pleased God to call him. He knew that it was idle to pretend to religion, if he were not faithful in the duties of his station. The examples of piety set before us in Scripture for our imitation are examples of men who always united their duty to God with their duty to man. They are remarkable for honesty and truth, for prudence, fidelity, and diligence, and that even in serving heathen masters.

E. Yes, mamma ; you know how faithfully Joseph served Potiphar and Pharaoh.

M. I was just going to remind you of Joseph, who became so great a favourite with Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and so bright an ornament to his kingdom ; it was thus too that Moses afterwards shone forth in the same country, and thus that Daniel became so much valued in Babylon.

From these holy men we should learn, and even you, my child, are not too young to learn so useful a lesson, that if we wish to please God, we must do our duty in that state of life in which he has placed us. Whether we are high or low, rich or poor, young or old, we have all some duties which God expects us to attend to, and we must try like Daniel to be diligent and faithful in them, that so we may receive that reward which the Lord has promised to those who serve him, and be an ornament to our Christian name, and make our religion admired by all who know us.

E. I am very glad, mamma, that the enemies of

Daniel could not find any thing to say against him to the king

M. Though they were disappointed, my love, in the hope of finding some fault in him, in regard to the affairs of the kingdom, they were not content, I am sorry to say, to let the matter drop. Those sad passions of envy and malice are not easily hushed to rest. Nothing but the grace of God can cure the heart of them, and of this grace, to us so rich a treasure, these unhappy men knew nothing. Therefore they said to one another, “ We shall not find any occasion to speak against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”

Happy Daniel ! his most bitter enemies could find no fault in him, excepting that he served God too well.

Well, these wicked men agreed together that they would persuade the king to make a law, that for thirty days no man should ask any petition of any God or man, excepting of the king himself, and that whoever broke this law, should be cast immediately into a den of lions.

King Darius listened to the words of these wicked men to make the law which they had asked of him, little thinking that they were but laying a trap for the faithful servant whom he loved so well. The law was written, and signed by the king, and made known throughout all his kingdom.

Now Daniel was in the habit of praying to God, as good men have always been, every day; and that not once, nor even twice, but regularly three times in the day, notwithstanding all the important business he must have had to attend to, as chief president of the

Darius had made : it was plainly against God's commandment, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God;" so the prophet determined at once to pay no attention to it, but to go on as he had done before, worshipping God three times a day, with his window, as was the custom of the Jews, open towards Jerusalem. He did not even try to pray to God more secretly than he had been used to do ; he did not lessen one of the three times, but “when he knew that the writing was signed, he went into the house, and his windows being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem, he knelt down upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."

What a noble instance was this of unshaken piety! He who knew his duty towards man so well, determined also to serve his God no less faithfully, and to persevere in the worship of his holy name, even to the danger of his life.

E. What did his enemies think, mamma, when they saw this?

M. It was just what they expected, and they were, no doubt, greatly rejoiced to find that their plan for Daniel's destruction had answered so well. Immediately they informed the king of what they had seen, saying, “That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.” Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself for having made such a law, for he loved Daniel Well, and he felt that in him he should lose the best man

in his kingdom ; and all day he tried to think how he could possibly save Daniel.

E. Why, mamma, could he not undo the law which he had made, if he liked?

M. No, my love; it was a particular law of the Medes and Persians, that when the king had once passed a decree, it could not be altered. Daniel's enemies took care to remind the king of this, for they knew how he valued Daniel, and saw how grieved he was at the idea of exposing him to such a cruel death. King Darius saw, however, that it was too late to save him, and, therefore, he was obliged to consent to his being thrown into the den of lions; his only comfort was in the hope that the God whom Daniel served so faithfully would find some means of saving him from death.

Then Daniel was brought forth, and cast, according to the law, into the lions' den. Every care, too, was taken that he should not escape ; for a stone was brought and laid at the entrance of the den, and the king sealed it with his own seal, and that of his lords, that so it might not be in any one's power to deliver Daniel. And now his death seemed certain. But with God nothing is impossible. He sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, that they should not hurt his servant, for innocency was found in him before God. Thus did Daniel, in the lions' den, sleep more sweetly than the king in his palace, on his silken couch. Indeed, the king was too unhappy to rest at all; he would not allow the instruments of music, which generally lulled him to sleep, to be brought into his chamber, and he thought so much of Daniel,