the idea had been that Gabriel was c11.llcrl matters, that these things itro notc,l which to hmry back to hie post because of the form the succeeding section. At the snme thrcCLtened approach of the Prince of Grcci:t, tirno, tho form the representation of the then it might be defended; only even then heavenly books, which note beforehand either the fnct of the necessity for speedy "·hnt was to happen, assumes hero is return to the Persian court would ha,o simpler thnn that in Enoch or the Book hc,'n emphasized, or the fnct that ho i.s of Jubilees. .A11d there is 11m1e that holclt!h ckl:\ying to mCLke known the contents of the with me in these things, but Michael your writing of truth. It is, perhaps, better prince.. As we have nbovo snid, this rendl'.red by "nevertheless," as it is in clause is closely connected with vcr. 20. 2 Chron. xix. 3. We can see the force of In these t11it1gB. This is rendered in tho this particle by turning to ver. 7, "I Daniel Re\'iscd Version "against these," in nlonc 811 w the vision, for the men that were accordance with the majority of recent with me saw not the ,·ision, but (equivalent comnrnntators, Ewald, Hitzig, Fuller, to 'nevertheless ') a great qual.ing fell upon Zockler, Bevan, Stuart, Kraniohfeld, Keil, them." This elnuse, we sec, then, has all Klicfoth, Behrmann, eto., and, among older the appearance of being intruded violently commentators, Jephet-ibn-Ali; but none of into the text; it interrupts the progress of the older versions have it. The LXX. thought, and does not suit the context. renders, ~ ...~P .,-olrrow; Theodotion, Tr<pl .,-o~- There is no indica.tion that he, Gabriel, will .,.,.,v; the Peshitta has the preposition; the have to haeten back to the court of Persia Vulgate renders, in his omnibus. With ·1•,ith such rapidity ns would necessitate the these Calvin agrees, though Luther renders, introduction of ~:;i~ (abal), "nevertheless." tDider jeTUJ. Certainly, the most common But even so, why revert in the next clause meaning of ~~ in such e. connection is to the contents of vcr. 20, without the "against." So, notwithstanding the weight slightest indica.tion that the line of thonght of the versions, we feel constrained to in the pest clause was dropped as soon translate, "against these persons," and not ns taken up? The lnst clause of this verse "in regard to these things." In the first rends much better in connection with ver. place, "in" is a fo.r le&s frequent meaning 20 than with ver. 21a. Behrmann trans- of the preposition, and next, ;J?,!! (aylaylt), poses the clauses in this verse, so as to get " these," most naturally refers to the o\·er this difficult~-, a.nd Professor M. Stuart persons last na.med. Although "the Prince puts the first clause in brackets. " The of Grecia" wa.s to be the instrument of tbe scripture of truth" is a phrase that might overthrow of the power of Persia, it was to have been suggested by Pa. cx.xxi.x. 16, "In become oppressive afterwards, as had been thy book were all my members written." revealed to Daniel in the vision of the rnm It is in line with a great number of phra.ses and the he-goat. Gabriel, the angel of in apocalyptic literature; thus Enoch xeiii. prophecy, the special guardian of God's 1, " Ancl after that Enoch began to rei:ount great ideal kingdom of heaven, was assisted from the books ; " the Book of J nb1lees, in his guardianship only by Michael, .the i. 24; iv. 31; v. 15, ~tc., "the tablets of angelic Prince of Israel The fact that the heavens." The idea. was that all the along the line of the development of Israel ernnt.s that were to happen in the world's as a nation rau, so far at lea.at, the Divina his:ory were recorded beforehand in the plan concerning the kingdom of heo.ven, books or tablets of the hea'l'en~. It is from made it natural that Michael should favour failin" 1o notice this that the late Professor that which furthered the interests of the Fullt; wo.s led to say "the scripture of ra.e.e that was more specially under his truth" is the title for the e~uing section. care. As we have already said, we cannot Against this view is the prepo11ition "in;" even guess at the nature of these angelio it iB in the scriptnxe of truth, among other conflicts.
HOMILETICS. Vere. 2, 3.-Fasting. The exercise ~f_fasting s~ms to gro~ out of na.ture.l ~piritual iustincts, as it is found in nearly a.I.} religions, e.nd 1s not forbidden bu~.!ecogmz~d e.nd regulated in the teachin~ of C~t _and his apostles_ (Luke v. 35 ; ~cts xm. 2, 3 ;_ uv. 23). It is however an exercu,e which IB surrounded with erroneous ideas, and which needs to k cltare:d 'or them before it can be admitted as healthy and profitable. Let us DOlice- l. So1rn ADUBEB OF THE EXERCISE OF FASTING, 1. Oetffltaeiousfaating. Buch WSS the vulgar fasting of the Pharisees. Ostentation in regard to an expression of deep spiritual feelings tends to destroy those very feelings. The study of "eft'ect" e.nd cu. x. 1-21.] 'l'IIE IlOOK 01'' DANIEL.