Thoughts on the prophecies of Daniel

Front matter

Cfess Book

COPYRIGKr DEPOSIT

THOUGHTS

CHAPTER I. Daniel in Captivity

PAGE

Characteristics of the Sacred Writings — Five Historical Facts — Prophecy of Jerusalem's Captivity — The Holy City Three Times Overthrown — God's Testimony against Sin — Condition and Treatment of Daniel and his Companions — Character of King Nebuchadnezzar — Signification of Pagan Names — Daniel's Integrity — The Result of his Experiment — Daniel Lives till the Time of Cyrus.

CHAPTER II. The GrREAT Image

A Difficulty Explained — Daniel Enters upon his Work — Who were the Magicians — Trouble between the King and the Wise Men — The Ingenuity of the Magicians — The King's Sentence against Them — Remarkable Providence of God — The Help Sought by Daniel — A Good Example — Daniel's Magnanimity — A Natural Character — The Magicians Exposed — What the World Owes to the People of God — Appropriateness of the Symbol — A Sublime Chapter of Human History — Beginning of the Babylonian Kingdom — What is Meant by a Universal Kingdom — Description of Babylon — The Heavenly City — Babylon's Fall — Stratagem of Cyrus — Belshazzar's Impious Feast — Prophecy Fulfilled — Babylon Reduced to Heaps — The Second Kingdom, Medo-Persia — ■ Persian Kings, and Time of their Reign — Persia's Last King — Alexander the Great — His Contemptible Character — The Fourth Kingdom — The Testimony of Gibbon — Influences which Undermined Rome — A False Theory Examined — What the Toes Signify — • Rome Divided — Names of the Ten Divisions — Subsequent History — God's Kingdom Still Future — Its Nature, Location, and Extent.

8 COATED" TS.

CHAPTER III. The Fiery Ordeal ........ 78

Nebuchadnezzar's Image rs. God's — Devotion of Idolaters — The Jews Accused — The King's Forbearance — The Fiery Furnace — Its Effect on the Chaldeans — The Course of the Three Worthies—The Wonderful Deliverance — Its Effect on the King's Mind — Integrity Honored.

CHAPTER IV. Nebuchadnezzar's Decree ...... 85

The Oldest Decree on Record — Humiliation Confessed — A Good Example — Nebuchadnezzar's Condition — God's Dealing with the King — The Magicians Humbled — A Remarkable Illustration — Mercy in Judgment — An Important Key to Prophetic Interpretation — Angels Interested in Human Affairs — The King's Acknowledgment — Daniel's Hesitation — His Delicate Answer to the King — Judgments Conditional — The Lesson Unheeded — The Blow Falls — The King's Restoration — The End Gained — Nebuchadnezzar's Death — Summary of his Experience.

CHAPTER V. Belshazzar's Feast ........ 94

Closing Scene of Babylon's History — Celebration of tlio Conquest of Judea — The Sacred Vessels Desecrated — God Interferes with the Revelry — The Phantom Hand — Change of Scene — Daniel Called — The Lesson to the King — The Writing Interpreted — The Fulfilment Follows — Edwin Arnold's Prize Poem.

CHAPTER VI. Daniel in the Lions' Den . . . . . lOG

Date of the Persian Kingdom — Cyrus Sole Ruler — Paul's Ri'ference to Daniel's Experience — Extent of the Persian Kingdom — A Fiendish Plot — Righteousness Daniel's only Fault — False Witness of the Conspirators — Daniel Undisturbed — The Decree Secured — The Victim Ensnared — The King's Dilemma — Daniel Cast into the Lions' Den — His Wonderful Preservation — Fate of Daniel's Accusers — Daniel Doubly Vindicated — The King's Decree.

CONTENTS. 9

CHAPTER YII.

The Four Beasts . . . . . . . .118

Chronological Connection — Rule of Scripture Interpretation — ■ Signification of the Symbols — The Kingdoms Identical witlj those of Daniel 2 — Why the Vision is Repeated — Change in Babylonish History — Deterioration of Earthly Governments — The Symbol of the Bear Explained — Grecia the Third Kingdom — Rapidity of its Conquests — Testimony of Rollin — Signification of the Four Heads of the Leojjard Beast — The Nondescript — Signification of the Ten Horns — A Little Horn among the Ten — The Judgment Scene — A Temporal Millennium Impossible — Character of the Little Horn — Gradual Development of the Romish Church — Opposition of the Arians — The Three Horns Plucked Up — Millions of Martyrs — A Feeble Defense — Paganism Outdone — Meaning of Time, Times, and a Half — Date of Papal Supremacy — Date of Papal Overthrow — Rome a Republic — The Power of the Papacy Waning in Its Stronghold — A Later Judgment — The Ecumenical Council — Victor Emmanuel's United Italy — End of the Pope's Temporal Power — Its Coming Destruction.

CHAPTER YIll.

The Ram, He-Goat, and Little Horn . . . .145

Change from Chaldaic to Hebrew — Date of Belshazzar's Reign — Date of this Vision — Where was Shushan ? — A Prophecy of Isaiah Fulfilled — The Angel Explains the Symbols — How the Goat Represents the Grecians — Alexander the Great — Battle at .the River Granicus — Battle at the Passes of Issus — The Great Battle of Arbela — Subversion of the Persian Kingdom, b. c. 331 — Alexander's Famous Reply to Darius — The World Will not Permit Two Suns nor Two Sovereigns — Increase of Power — Alexander's Disgraceful Death — Division of the Kingdom — The Roman Horn — How it Came out of One of the Horns of the Goat — Antiochus Epiphanes not this Horn — Rome the Power Symbolized by the Little Horn — What is the " Daily" — Two Desolating Powers Brought to View — When Oppression of the Saints Will End — The 2300 Days not here Explained — The Sanctuary Explained — What the Cleansing of the Sanctuar^^ Is— The King of Fierce Countenance — By What Means the Romans Prospered — The Explanation not Finished — The Reason Why.

10 CONI^ENTS.

CHAPTER IX.

The Seventy Weeks . 183

The Short Time between the Visions — Daniel's Understanding of Jeremiah's Prophecy — Daniel's Wonderful Prayer — Gabriel again Appears — Vision of Chapter 8 Explained — Connection between Chapters Eight and Nine Established — The Time Explained — The Seventy Weeks — The Meaning of ' ' Cut Off " — Testimony of Dr. Hales — Date of the Seventy Weeks — The Decree of Cyrus — The Decree of Darius — The Decree of Artaxerxes — The Year 457 before Christ — Date of Christ's Baptism — Date of Christ's Crucifixion — Invention of the Christian Era — Intermediate Dates — Harmony Established — The Genuine Reading — Ptolemy's Canon — The End of the 2300 Days.

CHAPTER X.

Daniel's Last Vision 213

Time of Daniel's Various Visions — How Cj-^rus Became Sole Monarch — Daniel's Purpose in Seeking God — Scriptural Fasting — Another Appearance of the Angel Gabriel — The Effect upon Daniel — Daniel's Age at this Time — The Answer to Prayer Sometimes not Immediately Apparent — Who Michael Is — Daniel's Solicitude for his People — The Relation of Christ and Gabriel to the King of Persia and the Prophet Daniel.

CHAPTER XL

A Literal Prophecy 222

Succession of Kings in Persia — The Rich King — The Largest Army ever Assembled in the World — Meaning of the Phrase ♦'Stand Up " — Alexander in Eclipse — His Kingdom Divided among his Four Leading Generals — Location of the King of the North and the King of the South — Macedon and Thrace Annexed to Syria — The Syrian Kingdom Stronger than the Kingdom of Egypt — Divorce and Marriage of Antiochus Theos — Laodice's Revenge — Berenice and her Attendants Murdered — Ptolemj' Euergetes Avenges the Death of his Sister — Syria Plundered — 2500 Idols Carried to Egypt — Antiochus Magnus Avenges the Cause of his Father — Defeated by the Egyptians — Ptolemy Overcome by his Vices — Another Syrian Campaign against Egypt — New Complications — Rome Introduced — Syria and Macedonia Forced to Retire — Rome Assumes the Guardianship of the Egyptian King — The Egyptians Defeated — Antiochus Falls before the Romans — Syria Made a Roman Province — Ju-

CONTENTS. 11

dea Conquered by Pompey — Caesar in Egypt — Exciting Scenes — Cleopatra's Stratagem — Ceesar Triumphant— Veni, Vidi, Vici — Caesar's Deatli — Augustus Csesar— Tlie Triumvirate — The Augustan Ag3 of Rome — Tlie Birth of our Lord — Tiberius, the Vile

— Date of Christ's Baptism — Rome's League with the Jews — C^sar and Antony — The Battle of Actium — Final Overthrow of Jerusalem — What is Meant by Chittim — The Vandal War — The "Daily" Taken Away — Justinian's Famous Decree — The Goths Driven from Rome — Long Triumph of the Papacy — The Atheistical King — The French Revolution of 1793 — The Bishop of Paris Declares himself an Atheist — France as a Nation Rebels against the Author of the Universe — The Marriage Covenant Annulled — God Declared a Phantom, Christ an Impostor — Blasphemy of a Priest of Illuminism — A Dissolute Female the Goddess of Reason — Titles of the Nobility Abolished — Their Estates Confiscated — The Land Divided for Gain — Termination of the Reign of Terror — Time of the End, 1798 — Triple War between Egpyt, France, and Turkey — Napoleon's Dream of Eastern Glory

— He Diverts the War from England to Egypt — His Ambition Embraces all Historical Lands of the East — Downfall of the Papacy — Embarkation from Toulon — Alexandria Taken — Battle of the Pyramids — The Combat Deepens — Turkey, the King of the North, Declares War against France — Napoleon's Campaign in the Holy Land — Beaten at Acre — • Retires to Egypt — Called back to France — Egypt in the Power of Turkey — Tidings out of the East and North — The Crimean War of 1853— Predicted by Dr. Clarke from this Prophecy in 1825 — The Sick Man of the East

— The Eastern Question ; What is It ? — Russia's Long-Cherished Dream — The Last Will and Testament of Peter the Great ■ — Startling Facts in Russian History — The Prophecy of Napoleon Bonaparte — Kossuth's Prediction — Russia's Defiant Attitude in 1870 — TheRusso-Turkish War of 1877 — The Berlin Congress — Turkey Bankrupt — The Whole Empire Mortgaged to the Czar — Wonderful Shrinkage of Turkish Territory — The Wonder of Statesmen — The Eastern Question in the Future,

CHAPTER XII.

Closing Scenes . . . 293

The Reign bi Christ — The Grand Signal of its Approach — What Events are Next in Order — The Time of Trouble — The Resurrection — The Key to the Future — Some to Life, Some to Shame

— Promised Rewards of the Coming Day — The Sealed Book Opened — Knowledge Wonderfully Increased — The Progress of a Thousand Years Made in Fifty — ^ The Wise Understand — Daniel Stands in his Lot-

The Great World-Kingdom Image, Dan. 2 : 34, 88 Map of The Four Kingdoms ....

The Three Hebrews in the Fiery Furnace .

Daniel in the Lions' Den ....

The Lion — Symbol op Babylon . . . .

The Bear — Symbol of Medo-Persia The Leopard — Sy^mbol of Grecia The Fourth Beast — Symbol of Rome The Little Horn — Symbol ok the Papacy The Ram — Symbol of Medo-Persia .

The He-Goat — Symbol, of Grecia The Little Horn of Daniel VIII Diagram of the 70 Weeks and 2300 Days Map Illustrating the Eastern Qukstion Increase of Knowledge, Plate 1 . . .

Increase of Knowledge, Plate II .

Page 41

. 115

118 . 146

148 . 151

191 . 289

306 . 307

(®|^^HAT the book of Daniel was written by the person whose ^Wf" name it bears, there is no reason to doubt. Ezekiel, who i was contemporary with Daniel, bears testimony, through the spirit of prophecy, to his piety and uprightness, ranking him in this respect with Noah and Job : " Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast; though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness." Eze. 14 : 19, 20. His wisdom also, even at that early day, had become proverbial, as appears from the same writer. To the prince of Tyrus he was directed of the Lord to say, "Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel ; there is no secret that they can hide from thee." Eze. 28:3. But above all, our Lord recognized him as a prophet of God, and bade his disciples understand the predictions given through him for the benefit of his church: "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand), then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains." . Matt. 24 : 15, 16.

Though we have a more minute account of his early life than is recorded of that of any other prophet, yet his birth and lineage are left in complete obscurity, except that he was of the

22 INTRODUCTION.

royal line, probably of the house of David, which had at this time become very numerous. He first appears as one of the noble captives of Judah, in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, at the commencement of the seventy years' captivity, b. c. 606. Jeremiah and Habakkuk were yet uttering their prophecies. Ezekiel commenced soon after, and a little later, Obadiah; but both these finished their work years before the close of the long and brilliant career of Daniel. Three prophets only succeeded him, Haggai and Zechariah, who exercised the prophetic office for a brief period contemporaneously, B. c. 520-518, and Malachi, the last of the Old-Testament prophets, who flourished a little season about b. c. 397.

During the seventy years' captivity of the Jews, b. c. 606- 536, predicted by Jeremiah (Jer. 25 : 11), Daniel resided at the court of Babylon, most of the time prime minister of that brilliant monarchy. His life affords a most impressive lesson of the importance and advantage of maintaining from earliest youth strict integrity toward God, and furnishes a notable instance of a man's maintaining eminent piety, and faithfully discharging all the duties that pertain to the service of God, while at the same time engaging in the most stirring activities, and bearing the weightiest cares and responsibilities that can devolve upon men in this earthly life.

What a rebuke is his course to many at the present day, who, having not a hundredth part of the cares to absorb their time and engross their attention that he had, yet plead as an excuse for their almost utter neglect of Christian duties, that they have no time for them. What will the God of Daniel say to such, when he comes to reward his servants impartially, according to their improvement or neglect of the opportunities offered them ?

But it is not alone nor chiefly his connection with the Chaldean monarchy, the glory of kingdoms, that perpetuates the memory of Daniel, and covers his name with honor. From the hight of its glory he saw that kingdom decline, and pass into other hands. Its period of greatest prosperity was embraced within the limits of the lifetune of one man. So brief

INTRODUCTION. 23

was its supremacy, so transient its glory. But Daniel was intrusted with more enduring honors. While beloved and honored by the princes and potentates of Babylon, he enjoyed an infinitely higher exaltation, in being beloved and honored by God and his holy angels, and admitted to a knowledge of the counsels of the Most High.

His prophecy is, in many respects, the most remarkable of any in the sacred record. It is the most comprehensive. It was the first prophecy giving a consecutive history of the world from that time to the end. It located the most of its predictions within well-defined prophetic periods, though reaching many centuries into the future. It gave the first definite chronological prophecy of the coming of the Messiah. It marked the time of this event so definitely that the Jews forbid any attempt to interpret its numbers, since that prophecy shows them to be without excuse in rejecting Christ; and so accurately had its minute and literal predictions been fulfilled down to the time of Porphyry, a. d. 250, that he declared (the only loophole he could devise for his hard-pressed skepticism) that the predictions were not written in the age of Babylon, but after the events themselves had transpired. This shift, however, is not now available; for every succeeding century has borne additional evidence to the truthfulness of the prophecy, and we are just now, in our own day, approaching the climax of its fulfilment.

The personal history of Daniel reaches to a date a few years subsequent to the subversion of the Babylonian kingdom by the Medes and Persians. He is supposed to have died at Shushan, or Susa, in Persia, about the year b. c. 530, aged nearly ninety-four years; his age being the probable reason why he returned not to Judea with other Hebrew captives, under the proclamation of Cyrus (Ezra 1 : 1), b. c. 536, which marked the close of the seventy years' captivity, b

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Verse 1. In the third .year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon Unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god ; and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god.

Qiyrg^ITH a directness characteristic of the sacred writers, '^KilW^ Daniel enters at once upon his subject. He com- ^S^^^ mences in the simple, historical style, his book, with the exception of a portion of chapter 2, being of a historical nature, till we reach the seventh chapter, when the prophetical portion, more properly so called, commences. Like one conscious of uttering only well-known truth, he proceeds at once to state a variety of particulars by which his accuracy could at once be tested. Thus, in the two verses quoted, he states five particulars purporting to be historical facts, such as no writer would be likely to introduce into a fictitious narrative : (1) That Jehoiakim was king of Judah; (2) That Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon; (3) That the latter came against the former;

(4) That this was in the third year of Jehoiakim' s reign; and

(5) That Jehoiakim was given into the hand of Kebuchadnezzar, who took a portion of the sacred vessels of the house of God, and carrying them to the land of Shinar, the country of Babyh:)n (Gen. 10 : 10), phiced them in the treasure-house of his heathen divinity. Subsequent portions of the narrative abound as fully in historical facts of a like nature.

Chapter 1, Verses 1, 2. 25

This overthrow of Jerusalem was predicted by Jeremiah, and immediately accomplished, b. c. 606. Jer. 25 : 8-11. Jeremiah places this captivity in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, Daniel in the third. This seeming discrepancy is explained by the fact that JSTebuchadnezzar set out on his expedition near the close of the third year of Jehoiakim, from which point Daniel reckons. But he did not accomplish the subjugation of Jerusalem till about the ninth month of the year following; and from this year Jeremiah reckons. (Frideaux, Yol. I, pp. 99, 100.) Jehoiakim, though bound for the purpose of being taken to Babylon, having humbled himself, was permitted to remain as ruler in Jerusalem, tributary to the king of Babylon.

This was the first time Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar. Twice subsequently, the city, having revolted, was captured by the same king, being more severely dealt with each succeeding time. Of these subsequent overthrows, the first was under Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim, b. c. 599, when all the sacred vessels were either taken or destroyed, and the best of the inhabitants, with the king, were led into captivity. The second was under Zedekiah, when the city endured the most formidable siege it ever sustained, except that by Titus, in a. d. 70. During the two years' continuance of this siege, the inhabitants of the city suffered all the horrors of extreme famine. At length, the garrison and king, attempting to escape from the city, were captured by the Chaldeans. The sons of the king were slain before his face. His eyes were put out, and he was taken to Babylon; and thus was fulfilled the prediction of Ezekiel, who declared that he should be carried to Babylon, and die there, but yet should not see the place. Eze. 12 : 13. The city and temple were at this time utterly destroyed, and the entire population of the city and country, with the exception of a few husbandmen, were carried captive to Babylon, b. c. 588.

Such was God's passing testimony against sin. JSTot that the Chaldeans were the favorites of Heaven, but God made use of them to punish the iniquities of his people. Had the Israelites been faithful to God, and kept his Sabbath, Jerusalem would have stood forever. Jer. 17 : 24-27. But they departed from him, and he abandoned them. They first profaned the sacred vessels by sin, in introducing heathen idols among them; and he then profaned them by judgments, in letting them go as trophies into heathen temples abroad.

During these days of trouble and distress upon Jerusalem, Daniel and his companions were nourished and instructed in the palace of the king of Babylon; and, though captives in a strange land, they were doubtless in some respects much more favorably situated than they could have been in then* native country.

Verse 3. And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes ; 4. Children in whom was no blemish, but well-favored, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom thej' might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. 5. And the king appointed them a dail}' provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank ; so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

We have in these verses the record of the probable fulfilment of the announcement of coming judgments made to King Hezekiah by the prophet Isaiah, more than a hundred years before. When this king had vaingloriously shown to the messengers of the king of Babylon all the treasures and holy things of his palace and kingdom, he was told that all these good things should be carried as trophies to the city of Babylon, and nothing should be left ; and that even his own children, his descendants, should be taken away, and be eunuchs in the palace of the king there. 2 Kings 20 : 14-18. It is probable that Daniel and his companions were treated as indicated in the prophecy ; at least we hear nothing of their posterity, which can be more easily accounted for on this hypothesis than on any other; though some think that the term eunuch had come to signify office rather than condition.

The word child/ren, as applied to these captives, is not to be confined to the sense to which it is limited at the present time.

CHAPTER I, VERSES 8-5. 2?

It included youth also. And we learn from the record that these children were already skilful in all wisdom, cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and had ability in them to stand in the king's palace. In other words, they had already acquired a good degree of education, and their physical and mental powers were so far developed that a skilful reader of human nature could form quite an accurate estimate of their capabilities. They are supposed to have been about eighteen or twenty years of age.

In the treatment which these Hebrew captives received, we see an instance of the wise policy and the liberality of the rising king, Nebuchadnezzar.

1. Instead of choosing, like too many kings of later times, means for the gratification of low and base desires, he chose young men who should be educated in all matters pertaining to the kingdom, that he might have efficient help in administering its affairs.

2. He appointed them daily provision of his own meat and wine. Instead of the coarse fare which some would have thought good enough for captives, he offered them his own royal viands.

For the space of three years, they had all the advantages the kingdom afforded. Though captives, they were royal children, and they were treated as such by the humane king of the Chaldeans.

The question may be raised, why these persons were selected after suitable preparation, to take part in the affairs of the kingdom. Were there not enough native Babylonians to fill these positions of trust and honor ? It could have been for no other reason than that the Chaldean youth could not compete with those of Israel in the qualifications, both mental and physical, necessary to such a position.

Verse 6. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah : 7. Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names ; for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar ; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach ; and to Mishael, of Meshach ; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego.

2ft PROPHECY OF DANIEL.

This change of names was probably made on account of the signification of the words. Tiius, Daniel signified, in the Hebrew, God is my judge ; Hananiah, gift of the Lord ; Mishael, he that is a strong God ; and Azariah, help of the Lord. These names each having some reference to the true God, and signifying some connection with his worship, were changed to names the definition of which bore a like relation to the heathen divinities and worship of the Chaldeans. Thus Belteshazzar, the name given to Daniel, signified keeper of the hid treasures of Bel; Shadrach, inspiration of the sun (which the Chaldeans worshiped); Meshach, of the goddess Shaca (under which name Yenus was worshiped); and Abed-nego, servant of the shining fire (which they also worshiped).

Verse 8. Bat Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank ; therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9. Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. 10. And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink ; for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of j^our sort ? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. 11. Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12. Prove thy servants, 1 beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. 13. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat ; and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. 14. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. 15. And at tlie end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in tiesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. 16. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink ; and gave them pulse.

Nebuchadnezzar appears upon this record wonderfully free from bigotry. It seems that he took no means to compel his royal captives to change their religion. Provided they had some religion, he seemed to be satisfied, whether it w^as the religion he professed or not. And although their names had been changed to signify some connection with heathen worship, this may have been more to avoid the use of Jewish names by the

CHAPTER 1, VERSES 8-16. 29

Chaldeans than to indicate any change of sentiment or practice on the part of those to whom these names were given.

Daniel purposed not to defile himself with the king's meat nor with his wine. Daniel had other reasons for this course than simply the effect of such a diet upon his physical system, though he would derive great advantage m this respect from the fare he proposed to adopt. But it was frequently the case that the meat used by the kings and princes of heathen nations, who were often the high priests of their religion, was first offered in sacrifice to idols, and the wine they used, poured out as a libation before them ; and again, some of the meat of which they made use, was pronounced mi clean by the Jewish law; and on either of these grounds Daniel could not, consistently with his religion, partake of these articles; hence he requested, not from any morose or sullen temper, but from conscientious scruples, that he might not be obliged to defile himself; and he respectfully made his request known to the proper officer. The prince of the eunuchs feared to grant Daniel's request, since the king himself had appointed their meat. This shows the great personal interest the king took in these persons. He did not commit them to the hands of his servants, telling them to care for them in the- best manner, without himself entering into its details; but he himself appointed their meat and drink. And this was of a kind which it was honestly supposed would be best for them, inasmuch as the prince of the eunuchs thought that a departure from it would render them poorer in flesh and less ruddy of countenance than those who continued it; and thus he would be brought to account for neglect or ill-treatment of them, and so lose his head. Yet it was equally well understood that if they maintained good physical conditions, the king would take no exception to the means used, though it might be contrary to his own express direction. It appears that the king's sincere object was to secure in them, by whatever means it could be done, the very best mental and physical development that could be attained. How dift'erent this from the bigotry and tyranny which usually hold supreme control over the hearts of those who are clothed with absolute power.