The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 166

were on trial before God. Say what men will about mutual concessions, forbenre.nce, peace,-tbis was a conspicuous occasion for the test of principle. If these younp: m~n played tbe coward now, they would be cowards for ever-the sport of every capricious wind of circnmste.nce. If the ship's cable '\\;ll not hold in a storm, of whe.t use is it? True principle of che.re.cter is of the nature of steel: you cannot permanently bend it. Leave it to its own e.ction, e.nd it flies be.ck to its proper line, m. IT WAS AN ALTERNATIVE OF DESTINY. Oompliance brought present life; resistance was to issue in violent death, Hence it is evident that this act of idolatry was no trid,11 or even ordinary act. The king himself raised it into e. public test. Yet this pompous king quite overshot the me.rk. Did he talk about the result e.nd issue of tbis supposed contumacy? He was as a man who reckons without his host, The isBues of events lie in another hand than his. Royal threats are often like the chaff which the wind driveth away. \Vbile this Babylonian king spake a mightier King than he revoked the human mandate and inverted the predicted dest~y. Nebu- chadnezzar Mid in substance to these godly youths, "Diel" God uttered with the same breath his fiat, "Live In "The Lord bringetb the counsel of the heathen to nought." Instead of disgrace, there came honour. Instead of death, immortality 1-D. Vere. 16-18.-The Ohurch's triumvirate. Nothing was further from these youths' thoughts than public notoriety, much less world-wide renown. They did but perform what seemed plain duty ; and they asked no more than to be allowed to serve their God in quiet obscurity. When temptation spake through royal lips, they calmly said "No;" because loyalty to the King of kings had a previous and paramount claim. I. LOYALTY TO Gon B.ESISTS TDE ENOBOACDl[ENTS OF B:lJMAN AUTDOBITY. "Ia this matter," they affirmed. it did not concern them to answer the king. They had no answer that would be palatable to imperious arrogance. In all other matters they were prepared to render honest obedience and dutiful service. But "in this matter," touch- ing the love and worship due to God. no other course was open the.n to obey God rather than man. Plainly had Jehova.h so.id." Thou sha!t not make any graven image, nor bow down to it; " and they had responded, "All the.t the Lord bath commanded us will we do." It was an abuse of human authority, an encroachment on the preroga- tives of Deity, to set up forms of belief or objects of worship. This is tyranny, offensive both to God and to men. Only a spirit of mean subaerviency will silently submit to such arrogance. Manly courage will follow the simple rule of Jesus Christ, "Render unto Cll!S&r the things that are Cmsar'a, and unto God the things that are God's." IL LOYALTY TO GoD IS OONFIDENT OF DIVINE SUCCESS, In true service of God we learn to know him, and increased knowledge leads to stronger faith. Obedience is the main portal to the temple of Divine truth. The closer we come to God, the clearer vision of his power and greatness we obtain, and the stronger grows our assurance that we have an interest in his friendship. We do not know who God is if we are not confident that he is well able to protect us in every emergency. But the faith of these men was stron"er yet. They believed that God was sustaining them in this decisive resolve, and wiuld, in some way, appear so as to vindicate their honest fidelity. How they should be delivered, they did not know; but they were well assured that ~n thousand modes of relief were open to God, and they could leave the plan of campaign '\\ith their Commander-in-chief. 111. LOYALTY TO Gon IS ENTIBELY AN UNSELFISH PBINOIPLE. Assured, though these Hebrews were, that deliverance would come; yet, even if it had been otherwise, they would not have altered their line of conduct. Whether heaven be the outcome of pious loyalty to truth, or whether it be not, renewed men can ac_t no other than they do. Let philosophers argue as plausibly as they please, they cannot persuade the conscience that moral obligation is a phase of self-interest. A good man does not pursue virtue for the sake of what he can get, however remote the expectation be. Nevertheless, the kindness of God has decreed that virtue, faith, holiness, shall bear BOC,ner or later the fruits of abundant joy. And so these champions of Divine truth boldly avowed to the king that, come what might--fire or freedom, grief or gladne~s- tbey would have no complicity with idols. They would buy the truth at any price; they would sell it at 11one. They could die, but they c4re not eit1,-:0, Cll, 111, 1-30.] THE BOOK OJ<' DANIEL. 120