IV. SucOEBSFUL WI0KEDNEBB BERVEB TO FORTIFY THE COURAGE AND FAITH OP' Tlll!I RIOHTEOUB, '£he tyrannic violence of Antiochus drove good men nearer to God. it led them to examine the foundations of their hope; it brought them to the fount of Divine strength; it disposed them to inflame each other's zeal. Though the pious in Jerusalem were II little band, they resisted with heroic fortitude tbe profane invader; and if they were not nt once successful, their devotion to the Jewish cause soon developed sufficient martial skill to defeat and drive out the foe. Out of evil camo good. Had it not been for the violence and sacrilege of Antiochus, the ,Jews would have borne the yoke of the Syrian monarchs. But now a Jewish bero-Jnuas Maccabmus-is brought to the front, who resolves on the bold enterprise of Jewish independence. If vice can be bold and fearless, much more ought virtue to be. v. ATHEISM AND SUPERSTITION GO HAND-IN-HAND. It is instructive to observe how the mind of this usurping king vacillates on the matter of religion. He who -sought to dethrone the true God from his seat in Jerusalem, and to overturn his altars, sought also to enthrone the mythical idol Jupiter, and to erect an altar for this imaginary deity. Man must worship somewhat. His religious faculty cries out for some exercise, If the true God be rejected, some counterfeit god must be invented. Well did the leaders of the French Revolution affirm," If there be no God, we must make one.'' But, in truth, Antiochus believed in nothing save himself. The world existed for him. Armies existed for him. Men's lives, or family happiness, or national weal, or religion's temples, were counted as nothin~, if seemingly opposed to his advautage. He was simply a monster of egotistic selfishness. He might have said truly, "Syria? it is I I The world? 'tis only for me!" If it seems to serve a passing caprice, a temple is erected for some Roman deity. If money is wanted for war, he will strip every temple of its treasures. 'J'he only deity his son! worshipped was force-vulgar power. VI. ,VICKEDNESS AND TYRANNY HAVE AT LENGTH TO YIELD TO A DIVINE RULE. Even good men are sometimes impatient to see the progress and the success of villainy. In their anguish they often cry out, "How long? 0 Lord, how long?" But God does not move, in his administration of the world, with premature haste. "The time is appointed" when iniquity shall cease to be successful, and when complete retribution shall overtake the unrighteous man. A royal tyrant may as well knock his head against a granite wall-and better-than to work against God, or to fling hirnself on the bosses of the Almighty's shield, In the midst -;Jf apparent success, such a man feels ofttimes that fate (as he calls it) is against him. Strangely are his ends defeated, as were Napoleon's by a snowstorm. The mightiest warrior is working, with his blustering noise, within a very tiny circle; and all imperial and martial events are embraced within the supreme purpose and administration of God. Let appearances be as they may, "God has prepared his throne in the heavens;" " His kingdom ruleth over all." At last, reward and retribution shall be distributed by royal and impartial hands. Every one shall "receive the due reward of his deeds." God's end may be far off, humanly speaking, yet it shall "surely come." Though it tarry, childlike faith will wait for it.-D.
EXPOSITION. the archangel, who etandeth over (e1rl) the CHAPTER XII. children of thy people; that day shall be e. day of affliction, such as was not from the Vers. 1-18.-TilE LAST THINGS. day when they were [presumably the Ver. 1.-And at that time shall Michael Jews as a nation] till that day, nntl in that stand up, the great prince which standeth for day overy people shall be exalted whose the children of thy people : and there shall n11Inc is found written in the book," reading be a time of trouble, suoh as nevor was since ~::, OJI instead of-,::, ']OJI, Theodotion'srender- there was a nation even to that aame time ; ing is, "In that time shall stand up l\Iichael, and at that time thy people shall be delivered, the great prince that standeth for the every uuo ~hat shall be found written in children of thy people, and it shall be a the book, The rendering of the Septuagint time of affliction such as there has not been i/1, "And unto thnt place shn)l co1De Michael since there was a nation upon the earth till 88! THE BOOK OF DANIEL. [on, XII, 1-18,