The training, diet, and promotion of Daniel.

3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes;

4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego.

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. 10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink for why should he see

your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. 16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink ; and gave them pulse.

17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that

the king enquired of them, he that were in all his realm. found them ten times better than 21 And Daniel continued even all the magicians and astrologers unto the first year of king Cyrus. LECTURE 1364.

That our best way to be happy is to be holy.

It was the policy of the king of Babylon to turn to account the good abilities of the most promising of his captives. It was the providence of God which brought it to pass, that through this policy Daniel and his three countrymen rose into such high favour with the king. This is not the first instance of this kind that we have met with in the history of God's people. Joseph in like manner, when sold into Egypt, first gained the confidence of his master, next that of the keeper of the prison, and at length reached unto the place of highest trust and authority in all the realm. Let not then the captive murmur at his bondage. God may have in store for him so much the greater honour and felicity. Let him exert himself in breaking the bands of sin. Let him set his heart upon the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free. And whether he be promoted to honour in this world, or not, he may be assured of obtaining in the life which is to come a crown of immortal glory.

Daniel probably knew that some of the king's meat was of a kind forbidden in the Law. Or perhaps he had reason to suppose that both the meat and wine were first offered and consecrated to idol gods, and then served to the king's household. Considerations of this kind must have been the ground of his requesting, that he and his brethren might be fed with pulse and water instead. And it was undoubtedly owing to God's blessing vouchsafed to this holy resolution, that the diet thus adopted produced the opposite effect on their health and appearance, to that which might have been naturally expected. Such miracles are not now to be looked for by us. And yet such principles are now to be practised. Such duties are now to be done. We must watch that in nothing we defile ourselves with sin. We must refuse to partake of such viands as would endanger the soul's health, however fairly they may promise for the vigour of the body. Friends who love us tenderly may press us to share festivities, which we know to be intemperate, or find to be distracting to our thoughts, or wasteful to our time. But let us learn from Daniel the duty of resisting all such temptation. And adapting his language to our own case, Prove us, let us say, and see whether we be not altogether happier, in proportion as we lead a life more holy and self denying, less conformable to the world, less agreeable to the flesh, but more thoroughly devoted unto God. Prove us, yea, and prove also your own selves. Try, and you will assuredly find, that as nothing ministers more to health than happiness, so nothing tends so much to make us happy, as to live at peace with God, through Christ, with a stedfast purpose of heart not to be defiled with sin.

The dream of Nebuchadnezzar is revealed to Daniel.

1 And in the second year of till the time be changed: therethe reign of Nebuchadnez- fore tell me the dream, and I zar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed shall know that ye can shew me dreams, wherewith his spirit the interpretation thereof. was troubled, and his sleep 10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.

Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter. LECTURE 1365.

21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings:

Of praying to God and giving Him thanks.

The arbitrary decree of the king served to shew the vanity of the pretended skill of his magicians. If they had any art by which to interpret his dream, they might have been able by the same art to find out what he had dreamt about. But this they confessed was a thing past all ability of man. For here there was no room for subterfuge. The king could not but know whether they told him his dream aright; however easily he might have been beguiled by a pretended interpretation of it. This appears to have been the principle on which he issued his merciless ordinance. The same ungovernable passion, and most unjustifiable exercise of sovereign authority, served to bring to light the reality of a divine inspiration, not in the magi of Babylon, but in the prophet of the house of Judah. That which the idolaters confessed to be the prerogative of "the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh," was imparted to a human being, in reply to fervent and faithful and united prayer. "A rare thing," and most marvellous, indeed it was, for one to say what another had been dreaming of, for the Jewish captive to tell unto the Babylonish king this secret of his sleeping thoughts. But nothing is too hard for the Lord. Nothing is too high for prayer to reach unto, if borne upon the wings of faith. Let us ask, up to the full extent of all that God has promised to give us. And when He gives, let us not forget to render humble thanks. Let us pray, and beseech our brethren to pray with us, for saving knowledge of the truth. Let us thank God in their behalf, and in our own, for having revealed the deep and secret things, that belong to our everlasting peace. Glory be to his holy name, for all his wisdom and all his might! For all the order of his providence, for all the gifts of his grace, for all that we now know, and believe, and hope, and for all that we shall hereafter see face to face, and enjoy to all eternity, glory be to his holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Daniel telleth unto the king his dream. 24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.

25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. 26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?

27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; 28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;

to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. 30 But as for me, 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.

31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. 32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

35 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 threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. LECTURE 1366.

29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come

God's goodness both in saving and revealing.

That the dream of the king of Babylon was miraculous is past doubt. And yet in working this miracle it appears that God was pleased to follow, in a certain degree, the usual course of nature. For our dreams usually partake of the nature of our waking thoughts. And Nebuchadnezzar, it seems, had been thinking, as he lay down to rest, "what should come to pass hereafter." very likely subject of reflexion, for one who found himself exalted to such a pitch of worldly greatness; to say within himself, How long will my kingdom last? to picture up to himself its continu

A