only the observances are laid aside, but the very intention of them is almost forgotten : and instead of complying with the design which is intimated in the names given to the days, we render them perfectly ridiculous, by substituting a trifling change in our food for the most solemn acts of devotion before God.
Hoping however that on this day we are disposed to humble ourselves before God, we shall,
I. Illustrate this confession of Daniel —
The manner in which he made his supplications is deserving of particular attention —
[He " set his face unto the Lord God:" he did not rush into the Divine presence without any previous meditation, but endeavoured to have his mind impressed with reverence and godly fear, that he might " not offer to his God the sacrifice of fools."
He " sought God by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes." By mortifying the body, he endea- voured to aid the labours of his soul. Both the one and the other had been defiled by sin ; and therefore he strove to make them partners in humiliation before God. Nor can we doubt but that the fervour of his prayers was greatly assisted by the bodily privations which God himself has so often prescribed for this very end.]
Nor must we overlook the remarkable representa- tion which he gave of the Divine cJmracter on this occasion —
[He mentions in very expressive terms both the majesty and the goodness of God ; the one for the abasing, the other for the encouraging, of his soul.
What words can more strongly paint the majesty of God? In various other passages, God is called " the great and terrible" Godc: and well may he be addressed in such terms; for " who knoweth the power of his anger?" Let us only call to mind the judgments he has executed on sinners; on the rebel angels ; on the antediluvian world ; on Sodom and Gomorrha ; on the Egyptian first-born ; on Pharaoh and his hosts; yea, on the Jews in Babylon, which was the point referred to in the text; and we shall confess that " God is very greatly to be feared."
c Neh. i. 5. and ix. 32. and Deut. vii. 21.
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Yet he was not unmindful of the Divine goodness. Notwith- standing God is angry with the wicked, he has " made a covenant" with his Son, wherein he engages to " shew mercy unto all who love him and keep his commandments." Now this covenant he has never violated ; this mercy he has never refused to one who by faith laid hold on that covenant, and shewed forth his faith by his works. And Daniel mentions this, in his address to God, as the ground on which he pre- sumed to approach him, and ventured to hope for acceptance with him.]
His confession before him is also worthy of notice, as being expressive of the deepest humility and contrition —
[So deeply did he bewail his own sins and the iniquities of his people, that he strove by the most diversified expressions to make known his hatred of them : " We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts, and from thy judgments ; neither have we hearkened to thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name."
Here he distinctly acknowledges to God their transgression of his commandments, and their contempt of his reproofs. These were indeed a just ground for his humiliation ; since to no other nation had such a revelation of God's will been given, or such messages of mercy sent. Happy was it for him, and happy for the nation, that the reason of their chastisements was thus discovered ; and that, by knowing wherein they had erred, they had learned wherein they were to amend their conduct !]
There is yet one thing more on which we must make our remarks, namely, his justification of God in all his dealings with them —