The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 285

responsibilities of Lho presont moment.. If o. man coul,I see all tlrnt there is in heaven, it w~ulcl only sorvo to inspiro him with ~ deeper co~viction of his obl_igations in every relation, If he could see o.11 that there 1s to come 1n the vast eternity before him it woul<l only inapiro him with a profounder sense of the consequences which may foll~w from the discharge of the present duty."-R. Vere. 1-12.-Tlie temporary triumph of vwlence. The good use of God's revelation leads to the impartation of further an<l clearer revelation. "To those who have, it shall bo given," 'l'ho former vision had well exercised Daniel's mind; now a more minuto vision is vouchsafed. In the improvement of character is piety's reward. I. Gon's aooD 0IFTB ABE DERPISED BY THE CARNAL AMBITION OF MEN. Lanrh, cities, palaces, extensive provinces, all fail to satisfy the man in whose breast vul;:;ar ambition dwells. The possessor of the great kingdom of Persia did not cond11ct himself as B man, but as B silly ram. He was supreme master of these things; but since he did not extract advantage or enjoyment from them, he could not be sai,l to possess them. His one thought was how to acquire more. Instead of cherishing a grateful disposition that God had given him so much, and afforded him such fine opportunities for useful service, his dominant passion was to dispossess others of their dominion. Nor did the fact affiict his soul, that 1n the career of violence, much innocent blood would be shed, men would be diverted from occupation.i of husbandry, and misery would be widely sown. The palace in which vain Ambition hatches her plots is no better than B pest-house. And the monarch who is prodigal with human blood is no other than a murderer. Like Satan, the destroyer, "he also goeth about seeking whom he may devour.'' II. MILI1'ABY CONQUESTS BOW DEEPLY THE SEEDS OF DEADLY BEVENGE. The arbiter of war settles nothing. The victor to-day is the vanquished to-morrow. '!'he memories of the conquered people hold, with a deathless tenacity, purposes of revenge; and if the conqueror himself does not live to see his military fortune reversed, his successors feel the blow with accumulated fury. The ram, with his two unequal horns, pushed westward, northward, and southward, and for a moment was accounfod great, Dut ere long the goat with one strong horn assailed him with uncontrollable rage, smote him to the ground, and trod him underfoot. The arm of muscalar strength soon decays. If B monarch has nothing better to depend upon than au arm of flesh, his glory will soon fade. It is surprising how that, generation after generation, monarchs still rely upon human battalions rather than on the living God. So ingrained in their imperial nature is ambitious pride, that they need to be bruised and pulverized in a mortar before the pride can be extracted. III. THE MILITARY POWEB OF A KINGDOM IS EASILY DROKEN. Very significantly is it said respecting this he-goat, that "when ho was strong, the great horn was broken." .Alexander, surnamed by flatterers "the Great," was to the kingdom of Macedon merely a horn-a weapon of offence. Can there be a more humiliating statement? If God has given to the inferior animals natural horns, they arc intended to serve o.s defensive weapons. If the animal has any native sagacity, it will reserve its horns for fitting occasions of danger; for if it should rush into needle.ss hostilities, its horns may be broken, and in the hour of peril the animal will become a helpless prey. How often does God snap the horn of human power in the hour of boastful triumph! Herod was drinking the sweet potion of profane flattery, when an angel smote him, anJ ho was en.ten up of worms. Nebuchadnezzar was feasting on the pride of his great success, when his reason forsook him, and he was degraded to a pie.co among the cattle. Alexander sat down to weep, because there seemed no further scope for his ambition; but God's shaft of disease pierced him, and len him B corpse. . IV. TRANSIENT SUCCESS MAKES MONARCHS INSOLENT AND PROFANE. If God takes away, he also gives. Where the one strong horn had been broken off, four other horns came up instead. The vito.1 energy which could produce this is the direct gift of God. Whoever is meant by this "little horn," he ought to have learnt, as the very first lesson of his life, that he had been raised up by God to replace one who had been removed by death. But instead of learning lessons of humility and pious tru"t from the patent scones of bumnn DlOrtality, men, for the most part, b~ome more  'l'HE BOOK OF DANIEL. [ea. vm. 1-27. - - - - - - - - - -- ------------------- ~rC'su.mptuous and profano. No outward events permanently im~rcee tho son!. N0thmg but the mysterious grece of God ran soften and purify mane heart. This " little horn" ventures to assail the very stare of heaven. As high ae tho stars aro above the eartb--as bright and as useful-so are God's saints compared with earthly and_ sensual 1:1en. Against these this proud ruler arrays his hostile forces-yea, ~garnst the Prince of heaven. He corrupts the priesthood, defiles God's sanctuary, rnterrupts the daily sacrifice. This is a sin of sins-a crime of blackest dye. Herdn we ~ee what is tl.Je natural effect of military conquest upon the victor himself. Lt hardens the feelings, stupefies the conscience, makes the man a demon and hurries him along to the brink of self-destruction. ' "\'. PRESE1''"T TRIUMPHS OVER THE RIGHTEOUS ARE DIVINELY rERMITTED, IN ORDER 'TO 6ECURE HIGHER GOOD. Although the leaders among the Jews wero vastly superior 10 the invadiniz hordes of Antiochus-superior in virtue and morality-nevertheless they were far from ,rerfec~. .A. strange intermingling of good and evil-of light end darkness-appeared ID their nature. So great was God's regard for hiR chosen people, that he made adversity to serve as morn.I medicine. Military disaster may serve a., moral triumph. The armies of proud monarchs God used as his instruments of chastisement. The wicked are his hand-his sword. The victorious army usually boasts that, by their own might, they ha"<'e conquered. They can see no other result or end than their own fame. But God sees other and remoter results. In this caso it was not simply because Syria's army was mightier than the Jewish force, that the former triumphed, and made the daily sacrifice to cease. The real cause was that transgression was found in Israel; and if God's remedy was severe, it was not moro severe than needful Israel was smitten before the Canaanites, because a spirit of mercenary selfishness was found in .A.chan. The cause of righteousness may be arrested, impeded, dishonoured, if some flagrant siu be found in its leaders, The kingdom of righteousness can only be advanced by righteous methods. It is true that God had promised to shield his people lsraei from their foes, but there was a condition, tacit or expressed, viz. that they sboulu honour his commands. An army is defeated ; the temple desecrated ; access to God interrupted; because transgression was found in lsraeL-D.