enter into the kingdom of heaven." Your " conscience must be sprinkled with the atoning blood of Jesus," or your sins will infallibly plunge you into everlasting perdition. Seize then the fleeting hour. Adore your God that you have not been taken away, as thousands of your fellow-creatures have been, with all your sins upon you: and " to-day, while it is called to-day, harden not your heart ; " lest like them you perish in impenitence and unbelief.]
Dan. vi, 5. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the latv of his God.
AMONGST the numberless things which Solomon denounces as " vanity and vexation of spirit," is this, that "for every right work a man is envied of his neighbour*." No consideration, either of the intrinsic excellency of virtue, or of the benefits resulting from it to the world, will abate the malignant workings of an envious mind. For many years had Daniel, as a minister of state, conferred great blessings on the Babylonish empire b. And now, after the conquest of Babylon, Darius, the Medo-Persian monarch, from a conviction of his pre-eminent attainments, had placed him next to himself in power and authority in his empire also. And such had been the wisdom and integrity of Daniel in the discharge of his high duties, that the persons most capable of discovering any fault in his administration, and most intent on making- such a discovery, if any could be found, were in- capable of alleging any one thing to his disadvantage. But were they grateful to him for his services ? No : they were envious of his talents, his virtues, and his honours, and laboured with all their might to destroy him. " Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom : but they could find none occasion nor fault ; foras- much as he was faithful, neither was there any error
a Eccl. iv. 4. b Dan. ii. 48, 49.