the other ministcrd of the crown. Ily intell!g~nce,. ex~rience, industry, ancl piety, ho moved ~t once to the front (ver. 3). Rehg1on kmg 1n every realm. Ficlc1ity in common thmgs (ver. 5). 2, In tM absenc11 of egotism. Shallow scepticism charaes Dnniol with egotism, partly on the ground of ver. 3. The tables may here well "be turned on the adversary. Considering the exalted power and position of Daniel, that we have bore too autobiography, the absence of self-allusion and self-praise is wornler- ful, nnd that throughout the book. Besides, this seeming self-praise was necessary to nccount for the action of enemies. Moreover, moral greatness does not quite preclude all allusion to self (Numb. xii. 3; 1 Cor. xv. 10; Nehemiah througb," 1 t). 3. In Daniel's continuance in the habit of saintly life. (Ver. 10.) Note: (1) The simplicity of action. "He kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prnyed." (2) The absence of oste11tation. No opening of the windows in order Uw.t all might see. 'l'o have eo done would not have been to exhibit religious courage, but fool- hardiness. Such conduct would have been bravado. Religious courage is a calm, wise, brave thing. Picture the palace-house of one eo great; the parlour on the roof; the lattices closed (as in hot climates) towards the east and south, but open (at least in the early hours, perhaps always) on the west, and intentionally "toward Jeru- salem.'' (3) The fearlessness of consequences. (4) The reason of the act. " Because [Chaldee] he had doue so aforetime." The persistence of the strong. •• What he wr.s as a dear little child, when his mother taught him, and prepared him with prnycrs and tears for the perils of Babylon-albeit she did not know he was to live the l:al'Cl life of an exile-that be is now, though bis hair be grey and his body bent with yearn." Ono holy, consistent life. 4. In the permanence of his patriotism. "'foward Jerusalem." 5. Jn the grandeur of his faith. After all these yer,rs and vicissitudes, the home of his soul was still in the Hebrew tradition-in the Hebrew history, literature, prophecies, liturgies, etc. II. WEAKNESS. AY illustrated in the character and conduct of the king. The moral weakness of tho man appears: 1. In the evasion of responsibility. There is evident an indisposition to attend to the affairs of government, which a.re left in the hands of officials. No surer mark of moral weakness than to leave what should be alike our duty and honour to others-possibly to the incompetent. 2. ..Accessibility to jl.atttry. Keil's view of the proposal of ver. 7 commends itself to us, that it referreu only to "the religious sphere of prayer." On this assumption the king would be regarded as the living manifestation of all the gods, of the conquered nations as well as of Persia. and Media; and the proposal was that all prayer to a.II divinities should for thirty days be stayed save to this divinity-the king. The inflated vanity which could accept so obsequious homage I 3. Pliability to the will of others. (Ver. 9.) He had not the courage to live his own life, to think his own thoughts, and act thelll out. 4. Indifference to S11,jfering. Weakness of soul means usually the weaknes, of every part-a feeble, emotional nature, at least on its nobler side, as well as weak- ness of intellect, conscience, will. Note "the den of lions" (vers. 7, 24). Deficiency of sympathy, leading on to frightful. cruelty, is oft the result of feeble moral imagina- tion. No child or man could torture insect or man who vividly realized the exquisite agony. 5. The 11iolence of passion. (Vers. 14, 18--20, 24.) Take the violence of his grief and indignation alike. 6. Mo-ral helplessness. What an humiliating picture bavo we in vers. 14, 151 (The speech of the conspirators is clearly prompted by wbr,t they had observed on the part of the king-an attempt to evade the law, vers. 19, 20.) III. The strength of Daniel, his magnanimity, is here set, not only against the W-ea.kness of the king, but also against the darker background of WICKEDNESS exhibited by those who conspired against the prophet. Moral weakness is not far off deep depravity; e.g. the depravity of Ahab-perhaps the weakest character in thCJ Old Testameut. Observe: 1. The vision given to these men. Of a saintliness liko that of Daniel--1llevated in its devotional life, ripe with the maturity of years, clearly manifesting itself in common sceues, excellent beyond all praise by their owu admission (ver. 5). A beam, a ray from the holiness of God. 2. The Divine aim in the vision. Beneficent and moral we may be sure. To awaken admiration; to brin" home the sense of defect ; to lead to penitence ; to arouse to efforts after like- ness: 3, Tile human /ma/ration of thl\t aim. What was inteulled for salvr,til,n 200 THE BOOK OF DANIEL, [en, VI, 1-28.
became the oemsion of moral ruin, the cause bemg the deep depravity_of these hearts, Note: (1) The audacity of their aim. Men usually come to perpetrate great crimes step by step. These aimed at the ultimate of evil from the first-the utter ruin and destruction of the prophet. (2) The recklessness of their counsel. If there be no law sufficient to crush, they will make one. (3) The pertinacity of their pursuit of their miserable object. Shown in their dealing with the king (ver. 15). (4) The meam1ess of their conduct. Over that parlour on the roof of Daniel's palace-home a watch must hnve been meanly set. (5) The mercilessness of their cruelly. (Vers. 16, 17.) 4. Theiudgment that befell. (Ver. 24.)-R.