II. TIIE 8UDBTANOE ot TIIE VISION, It wns the vision of a celestial beinrr in the form nnd raimont of a man. To what extent this augu.~t person, as he app~are<l to I?a.nicl, appeared in hie native essence, or accommodated himself to hum"n eyes, no hvrng mnu can say. Whother the unfa.llen angels have any definite form apprc- honsiblo to human eyes, is e. question more curious the.n important. But cerLain it is that in mnny vital respects mon resemble angels. They have understanding of God' 8 works. '!'hoy can apprecie.te truth. Both angels and regenerate men love rightc 0 us- nese and he.to wickedness. Both are gifted with bencvoler:ce. Doth have cr,nsciencc nlfoction, choice, will. Here are ample grounds for intrrcourse and frien<lsl,i~ joint occupation of heaven. In this resplendent viHion we may see what ransome,l man shall be. Precious stones, fire, electric flame, burnished brass,-tl,ese are tlrn emblems of our transfigured nature. Earthly dulness and deformity shall give place to the refinements of celestial splendour. What we call, in our ignorance, super- natural, is but Nature in her higher forms and essences. Whether communication of thought among the e.ngels is by means of outward signs-something akin to words- we cannot tell. On this occuHion there was not only the form of a glorious man, there was also the language of a man and the sympathy of a man. To accommodate themselves to the necessities of men is a delight to angelic natures as it is to God. Ill. THE STRANGE EFFEOTS OF THIS VISION UPON HEN, One might have supposed that this visit of a heavenly stranger would be to Daniel, if not to his attendants, an occasion of unmixed delight. It was, without doubt, a special mark of God's favour. When we wish to show a distinguishing mark of respect to a friend we send Olli' messages, not by a menial servant, but by a person of distinction. And that God should have sent a special despatch to Daniel-not a mere voice, not a human messenger, not an ordinary angel-but Gabriel himself, this ought to have been welcomed as e. high mark of Divine kindness. To be assured that Gt,d has other orders of servants beside ourselves, this is a pleasure. To be assured that these nobler and more loyal natures regard us, not as dangerous rivals of their privileges, but as fellow-heirs of their home, this ought to be rich delight. On what ground, then, does this pious man shrink from contact with this glorious servant of Jehovah? We can conceive of no other ground than this, viz. the sense of personal sin. Notwithstand- ing Daniel's penitence for sin, and his faith in God's mercy, there yet remained the conscionsness of great unworthiness. Hence a messenger from God may be an instrument to visit just recompense. Still, we must note that the effect on Daniel was very different from the effect on his companions. At the sound of the angel's overpowering voice the attendants on this e.ged statesman fled. Regardful chiefly of their own safety, they fled to hide themselves. Like the travelling companions of St. Paul, they heard a voice but saw no person. There is such a thing, even in our present life, as a refinement of the bodily senses-a development and quickening of the seneitive capacity-to discern immaterial things. On the eve of the Saviour's crucifixion the Father's voice pierced the blue welkin. Bystanders, with dull and stolid souls, said that it thundered. Others, having a finer perception of thing~, caught an articulate sound, and averred that an angel spake. Yet One at least detected the very words, and recognized them as the response of the eternal Gou. Daniel's senses wtre overpowered by the splendour of this distinguished visitor. Streugth failed him. He was prostrate with awe, yet his mind was awake and active, so that he heard the words which this glorious spirit spake. IV. 'l'HE PROOFS THAT THIS VISION HAD AN OBJEOTIVE REALITY. The votaries of science make n demand for facts. Theologians respond to the demand, and supply them with facts in abundance-facts which cannot be gainsaid. Here was the fact that Daniel's companions heard a voice so novel and so startling that they ra,1 to hide themselves-a type tMs of what guilty men do in every age of the world. Here was the fact of which Daniel's eye was witness, the fact to which Daniel's ear testified, the fact to which Daniel's sense of touch responded. Here is an accumu- lation of evidence-one faculty corroborated the testimony of another faculty. Hero were/acts attested hy the organs of his body, and confirmed by all the powers of his mind. Here were/acts which entered into the inmost experiences of the man-clear answers to prayer, which satisfied his wish, and expanded his knowledge, and iuvigorated his b"pe. Here were facts prodicted which, in due time, were veri6.ed in THE BOOK OF DANIEL. [OH, X, 1-21,
!·be nctn.al history of the nations. If anything in history or in science is credible, this 1s ?ertam-tbat Daniel's vision was no subjective illusion, no hallucination of the bra1D, but an objective reality. He obtained positive information, which has served ever since for the instruction of mankind. Ho received from his distinguished visitor strength-a positive communiclltion of blessing. Here are solid facts, which refuse to evaporate before the breath of honest inq uiry.-D.