The writing on the wall is interpreted, and fulfilled.

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour :

19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.

20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him :

21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;

and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.

25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MËNE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.

27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.

31 And Darius the Median 23 But hast lifted up thyself took the kingdom, being about against the Lord of heaven; threescore and two years old.

LECTURE 1374.

Of our mortality, and preparation for death.

The interpreter has been brought before the mighty king of Babylon, and has had the offer of a munificent reward, provided he can read the writing on the wall, and make its meaning known. He declines the gifts, and yet undertakes the interpretation of

the writing. An example of disinterested faithfulness to all who minister in God's name, especially where their duty requires them to give counsel to the wealthy and the great. And the king too, for his part, makes good his word, and commands that the rewards promised should be given to the prophet, however strange and unwelcome to his ears the prophet's communication must have been. A pattern for the imitation of those who receive from faithful ministers godly admonition and reproof. So much the more ought these to pay them honour and regard, in proportion to the irksomeness of the duty which they have had the courage to discharge.

How eager is the anxiety of Belshazzar to hear the writing read and explained! But how calmly does Daniel first remind him of what had befallen his great predecessor on the throne, what a warning had been thereby given him against pride, and how little he had laid it to heart! All this he well knew, and yet humbled not himself. On the contrary, he had lifted himself up in pride and presumption, to do despite to that great God of heaven and earth, in whom he lived, and moved, and had his being. And from Him accordingly was sent the hand that wrote upon the wall, from Him proceeded the sentence that was written. A solemn preface and preparation this, for the interpretation of those appalling words! A searching appeal to the conscience of the king, a faithful reproof of his iniquities! "And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN." Let the mighty of the earth give ear to the interpretation thereof. Let all who love this present world, and would fain here set up their kingdom, whether high or low, rich or poor, mark the meaning of these words, and the event. "God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it." "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." "Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians." Such was Belshazzar's sentence. And the issue quickly follows: "In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain." Are not our days also numbered? And who can say how nigh the end may hand? Must not we also be weighed in God's balances? And who but must fear, lest he be found wanting? Might not we at any moment be summoned hence, and be forced to leave for others to divide all the goods we possess in this world? And who does not feel, that he would be all too loth to part with them, all too reluctant to exchange them for the better things prepared for us in heaven? Oh may God, by whose sentence we are mortal, wean our hearts from things transitory, and fix them on eternity! Oh may Christ our Judge, ere He weigh us with his balance, cast in his own merits into the scale, and so make us, worthless though we be, meet for immortal glory!

be at

Daniel prayeth notwithstanding the king's decree.

1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;

2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. 3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. 10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.

LECTURE 1375.

The irrevocable consequences of our transgressions. Daniel must have been now far advanced in years, when Darius set him at the head of his affairs, and when he gave this striking testimony of faith and piety, in the sight of the great heathen empire of the world. This high promotion of a foreigner led the natives of Babylon to envy him. Envy led them to try to compass his death. And highly to his praise is the conviction they expressed, that they could find no occasion against him, except in his fidelity to the law of his God. May this be ever the case with us! May we be ever unblameable in our lives, except so far as men find occasion to reproach us for obeying the commands of the Most High! The proposed writing was soon signed. And Daniel no doubt was well aware of its malicious intent. But no terror of lions, or of men more cruel than wild beasts, could daunt this aged servant of the Lord, or prevent him from offering prayer and praise to the great Author of his being. No press of business, however much might arise from his high office in the state, was permitted to encroach on his habitual devotions, or was now pleaded to himself in excuse for their omission, when they seemed likely to cost his life. Oh shame to those, who can readily put aside their prayers and praises, for ever so trifling a business, or ever so vain an entertainment! Oh shame to those, who when prayer and praise would neither endanger life nor credit, but rather tend to give them favour before men, find no time even so much as twice a day to kneel upon their knees and worship God! And now the king is reminded of the fatal decree, which he had signed in the vanity of his heart; and is informed that Daniel, his trusty minister, his beloved friend, has incurred its penalty, by praying to his God as usual notwithstanding. In vain does he now set his heart upon delivering the victim of his own thoughtlessness and selfishness. "The law of the Medes and Persians is, that no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed." So much the more ought he to have well weighed the consequences of this decree, before he signed it. Like unto his are many of our words and actions, irrevocable when once spoken or done, irrevocable as far as concerns their effect for good or evil on our brethren. Repentance may indeed blot out sin, may effectually plead with God to blot it out, through the all prevailing merits of our Saviour, as far as its evil consequences concern ourselves. But in how many cases do our sins entail guilt or suffering on each other, which no penitence of ours can abate! May this thought make us doubly watchful against the manifold temptations which beset us! And if we have found grace to repent of our own transgressions, may these reflexions suggest to us the duty of labouring incessantly, and praying earnestly, in behalf of those, whom we may have heretofore tempted to transgress!

PART VIII. O. T.

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Daniel is taken up safe out of the den of lions.

16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him. 19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.

20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?

21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.

22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

23 Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.

26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

27 He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. LECTURE 1376.

That we are saved by believing, and ought to propagate our faith. When Daniel had been cast into the den, and a stone had been laid on the den's mouth, and sealed with the signets of the king and of his lords, how confident must his wicked enemies have felt that his destruction now was sure! Every precaution had been taken to prevent the possibility of escape. And even Darius, who had expressed the cheerful hope, "Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee," was unable to partake of food, or recreation, or sleep, all night; so great was his