DANIEL.

DIED ABOUT THE YEAR OF THE WORLD 3470; AGED 90.

URE and undefiled religion is not confined to men of any one rank or situation in life. Some places, indeed, seem like an unfavorable soil for the growth of this noble plant; yet, notwithstanding difficulties, it has been known to flourish in all. The grace of GOD is sufficient to preserve us, let our circumstances be whatever they may; and without such assistance we are nowhere secure.

The holy Scriptures exhibit instances of the pow er of religion in persons of various descriptions, that every station of life may be furnished with suitable examples as well as precepts. A blessing is indeed pronounced upon evangelical poverty, (Matt. v. 3,) by our SAVIOUR, and an apostle has assured us that "not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called:" (1 Cor. i. 26:) but it would be unjust to infer hence that the rich and honorable are not within the compass of the plan of redemption, or even that they are less regarded by the GoD of love than those who are poor and in obscurity. By poverty of spirit our LORD means lowliness of heart, and a renunciation of all plea of righteousness in ourselves; and the apostle only says that God hath chosen feeble instruments for the propagation of the gospel, that its success might not appear to be the effect of human policy or power. Both in the Old and New Testaments we meet with many shining examples of piety and usefulness in the most elevated stations of life.

In seasons of darkness, corruption, and tribulation, the ALMIGHTY has raised instruments in high stations, by whom his afflicted church has been delivered from misery, and religion been made to flourish with new splendor.

This was strikingly the case in the long Babylonis captivity, which began in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, when Nebuchadnezzar took the city of Jerusalem, and returned into his own country with immense spoils and numerous prisoners, among whom were Jehoiakim himself and all his family.

The haughty conqueror, not content with plundering the temple of the LORD, and depositing the sacred vessels in the house of his idols, and of subjugating a nation to bondage and leading their monarch in chains, would likewise be served by some of the captive princes, and therefore commanded his principal eunuch to seek out certain children of the blood royal," in whom was no blemish," to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

It is not unreasonable to suppose that the design of Nebuchadnezzar in this was to pervert the principles of these youths, and to effect, if possible, the destruction of the very language, as well as the religion of the Jews, by their means. But the craftiness of men is overruled by the providence of GOD to the advancement of the cause it is intended to destroy. This was remarkably the case in the present instance; for though Daniel, and three others of the royal house of Judah, were taken into the palace of the king of Babylon, and ordered to be brought up after the manner of the country, yet their religious principles were too firmly fixed to be corrupted. In that dangerous situation, Daniel, upon whom, according to the eastern custom, was conferred the name

of Belteshazzar, gained the favor of the eunuch, and prevailed upon him to dispense with their refusal of the food which was sent them from the royal table, and to allow them only pulse and water in its room. Such an act of temperance and religious obedience in persons of their age and condition calls for our admiration, and affords a les son full of valuable instruction. In giving a preference to aliments so very simple over the rich and tempting viands that were set before them, they evinced not a superstitious, but a magnanimous spirit. By the express injunctions of their religion they were not only restricted from particular meats, but from all of whatever kind that had been profaned to an idolatrous purpose. The provisions which were ordered them by the king had, no doubt, been previously offered or consecrated to his idols, in conse quence of which they were justly regarded as an abomination by these pious Israelites. In their scrupulous adherence to the laws of JEHOVAH, what a beautiful example have we to be careful how we comply with the sinful customs of the world, though allured to do so by the most flattering offers of wealth and honor! In their abstinence and self-denial, rather than violate the commandment of GOD, we are taught to lay a restraint upon our appetites, and to "live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." Nor is their story without encouragement; for though their diet was the lowest and simplest possible, it was so far from injuring their health, or depressing their mental faculties, that it produced quite opposite effects. They appeared much better than those who did eat of the king's provisions, and so apt were they to learning, that when they were examined by the king "he found them ten times better skilled in all matters of wisdom and understanding than all the magicians and astrologers that were in his realm." As temperance is the grand preservative of health, so it is the most conducive to the improvement of the mind, by keeping its faculties clear and always ready for exercise.

The wisdom of Daniel was particularly conspicuous; for amidst the vast variety and extent of it, with which his mind was enriched, through God's blessing upon his integrity, "he had understanding in all visions and dreams." This was a degree of knowledge peculiarly calculated to render him acceptable in that superstitious country, which was overrun with magicians and astrologers. Every vagary of the imagination was regarded by the Chaldeans as portentous, and nothing was undertaken by them without an astral calculation, or an oracular direction.

This eminent talent of Daniel was soon brought into exercise, and procured for him the favor of the king of Babylon. That monarch had been greatly disquieted in his

sleep by a remarkable dream, which, however, he could not recollect when he awoke, though the horror occasioned by it still remained. In this state of mind he sent for his soothsayers, and preposterously required of them not only the interpretation, but the particulars of the dream itself. They were full as well qualified for the one as the other; but with this difference, that if the vision had been told them, they were too great adepts in their profession not to have hammered out a plausible and flattering exposition. But the ALMIGHTY was now determined to prove their folly and presumption, by making Nebuchadnezzar demand that which lay not in their power to perform. They readily confessed their inability to comply with the demand, and that none "could show it except the gods, whose dwelling was not with flesh." Dan. ii. 11.

The same thing ought to have been acknowledged by them with respect to the interpretation of dreams remembered and related, as of the relation of one which had escaped the memory. But these deceivers were compelled by necessity to confess the truth, and thereby destroyed the credit of their profession. Nebuchadnezzar, so far from being satisfied with their reply, in a fit of rage issued his mandate that all the wise men, that is, all the professors of the occult sciences, should instantly be put to death. In this massacre Daniel and his three friends were in equal danger of being slain with the rest; but on hearing of the edict, they had recourse to prayer that the secret might be discovered. The design of Providence in the whole affair was to bring Daniel into power by revealing to him the mysterious secret; but even the blessings which Heaven has purposed to bestow must be sought for by prayer. These pious Jews are driven to extremity, that they may fly to the throne of grace for direction and deliverance. Their prayers were answered. Daniel received a revelation of the dream, and the signification of it, which he declared with great boldness before the king, who made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and he "sat in the gate of the king." Dan. ii. 49.

It would be wrong to pass over the modesty and humility of Daniel when he stood in the king's presence, and when all eyes were intent upon him, and all were eager to hear the mighty secret from his lips. Though young and eloquent, and conscious of his being able to declare exactly the utmost wish of Nebuchadnezzar, which no man upon earth besides himself could do, he takes care to renounce at the very beginning all pretence to superior sagacity; "As for me," says he, "this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart."

All genuine wisdom is humble and unassuming. They who are lifted up with a conceit of their great depth of knowledge, and extent of acquirements, may in the estimation of men be prodigies of intellectual powers, but in the judgment of truth they are not wise men, because they are ignorant of that essential point, that "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding." Job xxviii. 28. The truly wise man knows that God is the fountain of wisdom, and therefore he will not arrogate to himself any merit for that which is only a gift and a talent bestowed on him, that it may be duly improved to the glory of the donor, and for the benefit of mankind.

The first care of Daniel, on being exalted to the government of Babylon, was to solicit the royal favor for his three friends, who were accordingly promoted to distinguished situations.

As a statesman, we know no more of Daniel than that he conducted himself with the greatest fidelity and openness. When consulted by the king his master upon another mysterious dream which troubled him, the prophet, though struck with grief and astonishment, freely declared its signification; and after predicting a severe judg ment which would fall upon him for his impiety, he had the courage to give Nebuchadnezzar this advice: "Break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; perhaps it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity." Such counsel following so mortifying a prophecy was not calculated to conciliate the good-will of a haughty tyrant, but Daniel was neither afraid to explain to Nebuchadnezzar the exact meaning of the dream, nor to declare to him the necessity of a thorough repentance. How the king of Babylon received the interpretation and advice of Daniel, is not told us; but as we find the prophet still in office under his successor Belshazzar, it is to be presumed that Nebuchadnezzar did not manifest his displeasure against him, though his mind was too elated to be guided by his advice. The prediction of Daniel was literally accomplished, for the king, being deprived of his reason, was driven from society, and became like a beast of the field. Daniel continued still in office after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, and displayed the same wisdom and uprightness in the service of Belshazzar as he had under his father.

This young monarch, in a season of festivity, surrounded by his parasites and concubines, sent for the holy vessels which his father had taken from the temple at Jerualem, and prostituted them to the purposes of lawless riot and impious contempt. But while the company were indulging themselves in licentious mirth, the finger of GOD wrote the sentence of Belshazzar's destruction on the wall opposite to where he sat. The instant his eye caught the awful vision, and beheld the unknown characters which were traced out, his levity vanished, and his whole frame shook through fear. In vain were the magicians applied to, for not one of them could read the mysterious writing, or account for the tremendous apparition. Horrible confusion ran through the palace, when the queen-mother recollected the eminent qualities of Daniel, and communicated the information to her son. Daniel was instantly brought into the royal presence, and promised the highest honors and rewards on condition of his interpreting the portentous characters. The answer of the prophet shows the exalted sentiments of his mind: "Let thy gifts," says he, "be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation." He proceeded to remind the king of the signal judgment which had fallen upon his father for his impiety and pride; but by which remarkable lesson Belshazzar had not profited as he ought to have done. Daniel, in the midst of the sinful and perhaps intoxicated assembly, charged the king with the heinousness of his offence in thus profaning the holy vessels of God's sanctuary, and committing a daring act of rebellion against Heaven. Thus boldly did he prepare his guilty and terrified auditory for the tremendous secret contained in the few words which were written upon the wall.