DANIEL.*

MRS. M. Whilst their native country was thus falling into ruin, the Jewish captives, (B. C. 607) Daniel, Hannaniah, Mishael and Azariah, were advancing to eminence in Babylon. Selected at first from the principal families of Judah, for the beauty of their persons, and educated for the personal service of the monarch, their progress in the languages and sciences of the Chaldees together with the virtue and piety of their characters, had obtained the respect of the officer who had them in charge-when the court was thrown into great agitation by a dream of Nebuchadnezzar's.

Something of momentous aspect was impressed on his imagination while he slept-his repose was disturbed, but every trace of the vision had escaped! In vain he endeavoured to recal the portentous idea; and in vain he demanded of his magicians, his astrologers, and his sorcerers, at the peril of their lives, both the dream, and its interpretation.

* To preserve the chronological order of the history, we must here abandon the plan which has hitherto been pursued, of taking the books as they are arranged in our bibles. It is obvious that even the chapters are, in a few instances, not disposed chronologically: for example, the 7th and 8th chapters of Daniel should precede the 5th and 6th.

Neither learning nor fraud brought relief to their perilous condition—and they ventured to remonstrate against the arbitrary requisition-professing humbly their readiness to interpret, if the dream itself were related to them. But it was gone-nor could the honours, promised as the reward of their skill, induce them to venture on the dangerous project of invention, where the possible recollection of their master might detect the artifice and involve them in destruction. The mighty despot of Asia---accustomed to speak but to be obeyed, became furious by disappointment, and immediately issued an order to put all the wise men of Babylon to death! The high reputation of Daniel and his companions brought them within the scope of this merciless decree, nor did their virtues afford them a plea of indemnity. But Providence, their director and shield, inspired Daniel with a pious hope of saving both the injured magicians and themselves. Time, therefore, to consider the king's demand was requested of Arioch, the captain of the guard who came to arrest them---and the request was granted. Their united prayers for divine illumination were answered, and Daniel was brought into the royal presence to dissipate the harassing anxiety of Nebuchadnezzar. "Art thou able," demanded the imperious king, "to make known both the dream and the interpretation ?" "No human penetration, O king," replied the modest youth, "could discover thy dream; but there is a God in Heaven, the revealer of secrets, who has previously revealed it unto me---though not for any merit of my own, but for the benefit of others.

Prefaced by the revelation of a fact distinctly remembered by the monarch, that before he slept his mind had been ruminating on his conquests, and their bearing on the

affairs of other kingdoms-his attention was obtained, whilst the orator proceeded, with heavenly wisdom, to portray in vivid lines the faded vision. A splendid image, as in his dream, seemed to stand before the perturbed king. Formed of four different metals, each decreasing in value from the head of gold to the feet of iron-it was explained by Daniel to represent the kingdom of Babylon, transcendent in grandeur, or perhaps first in point of time, and three others,* inferior, which should successively arise in the latter days." And whilst in his dream he gazed on the terrible image, "a stone," continued the prophet, was sent out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet which were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away that no place was found for them, and the stone became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth."

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The mystical mountain which Daniel interpreted to be an heavenly kingdom, which should "last for ever," concerned the haughty monarch but little, whilst the head of gold represented himself, pre-eminent in splendour—“ a king of kings, to whom the God of heaven had given power, and strength, and glory." He was awed, indeed, in the midst of his exultation, and acknowledging the omniscience of the God of Daniel, prostrated himself before His messenger, and commanded his servants to bring incense and offer it to Him. Nor did he stop at these empty honours, but made him great presents and elevated him to be

* The Medo-Persian, or the Medes and Persians---the Macedonians---and the Romans.

governor of the whole province of Babylon! His friends too, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, at the request of Daniel, were advanced to posts of honour in the provinces. - CATHERINE. How did the proud Babylonians endure the advancement of their captives, whom they would very naturally hold in contempt ?

MRS. M. They saw it with indignation and envy, no doubt, for we find them laying hold of an opportunity afforded by the impious vain glory of the monarch soon after, to ruin his new favourites.

An immense image of gold being set up by Nebuchadnezzar, in the plain of Dura, and consecrated as an object of religious worship, with great ceremony, in the presence of all the nobles of Babylon, the royal proclamation commanded his subjects of all languages and nations, to fall down and reverence the golden image, whensoever they should hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, on the penalty of being cast into the burning furnace. The unhappy Jews, who were ever prone to idolatry in the days of their prosperity, and had ever returned to their own omnipotent Jehovah in adversity, now completely cured of their passion for the gods of the nations, were soon represented by their enemies, as contemners of the royal proclamation; particularly Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, as the most obnoxious amongst the captives, because they partook of the honours and emoluments of the state. Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest potentate of the east, would not endure opposition to his will-yet with a shew of justice to the accused, he commanded them to be brought into his presence, and enquired of themselves if they had refused to worship the image he had set up-reminding

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them of the penalty, and defying the power of that God, to whom they might look for deliverance.

With the constancy of determined virtue, they answered the king that they would bow down to no idol whatsoever, but if they must suffer for their religion, the God whom they served was able to deliver them, and in him they would put their trust. This bold declaration provoked an immediate order to bind these three men hand and foot, and cast them into the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual. The furious anger of the affronted king admitted of neither palliation nor delay; but what was his astonishment and that of the princes and nobles who surrounded him, when they beheld the victims of their rage walking unhurt amidst the fiery furnace, and with them a figure of celestial brightness! Subdued for a moment, by a sentiment of mingled awe and terror, the mighty monarch advanced to the mouth of the furnace, exclaiming, ye servants of the most high God, come forth and come hither"-"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Mechach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants that trusted in him." To this candid admission he added an edict-" That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

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FANNY. It would seem scarcely worth while to ask whether Nebuchadnezzar was not now converted to the worship of one God.

MRS. M. Not yet: for a proud heart and an erroneous education are strong enough to erect a barrier even against