clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain 30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of 31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. Tragic is the scene we now look upon. Its awfulness is heartbreaking. Safeguarded by immense fortifications and by walls said to have been. about three hundred feet high and eighty five feet broad, these walls surmounted by two hundred and fifty towers, Belshazzer believed the city of Babylon to be impregnable. In false security the king gave himself over to an orgy of unspeakable license. Cyrus wasted no efforts on the impregnable defenses. Diverting the stream of the Euphrates he entered the city over the dry river bed. What a climax lies in the words, "In that night was Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans slain." The words appearing on the wall, "Numbered, numbered, weighed, breakings" had been fulfilled. Belshazzar had misused his privileges and God was not slow to demand an accounting. Daniel Webster was present one day at a dinner party given at the Astor house by some New York friends, and in order to draw him out, one of the company put to him the following question: "Would you please tell us, Mr. Webster, what was the most important thought that ever occupied your mind?" Mr. Webster merely raised his head, and passing his hand slowly over his forehead, said, "Is there any one here who doesn't know me?" "No, sir!" was the reply; "we all know you, and are your friends.” "Then," said he, looking over the table, "the most important thought that ever occupied my mind was that of my individual responsibility to God." Upon which subject he then spoke for twenty minutes. All the privileges of heaven are ours. How are we using ehem? Do the gifts of God minister to our pride or are we using them for his glory? Let us learn from Belshazzar that God will weigh us, and when His plan has run its allotted course, we, like Belshazzar, must stand in the presence of the King. Shall we be weighed and found wanting? O, let us lay hold of Christ and having no righteousness of our own, let us in contrition of heart and humility of spirit, claim the righteousness of God which is in Christ through faith. CHAPTER SIX THEME "Consistent Holiness." 6:1-28 Divisional Words-Preference-Prejudice-Preservation. (a) PREFERENCE. 6:1-3. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a 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. Whatever may have been the fault of Darius, he had a remarkable faculty for wise government. Not only was he successful in war, but exceedingly skilful in counsel. Believing in democracy he appointed a prince for every province of his empire. Daniel, because of his excellent spirit, was given preference and set over these. Thus has it ever been. The rulers and great men of earth have always sought and given preference to men after God's own heart. They recognize in such, stability of character and loyalty of purpose. The more closely we walk with God, the more will the men of earth prefer to have us associated with them. Whenever an employer desires to be at peace concerning his affairs he chooses a Christian to handle them in preference to an unbeliever. 39 A young man was employed by a large commission firm in New York City to negotiate with a certain party for a lot of damaged beans. The beans were purchased, delivered, and spread out upon the upper floor of the building occupied by the firm. Men were employed to turn them over and over and to sprinkle them with a solution of soda so as to improve their appearance. Then a large lot of first quality beans was purchased and all were mixed together, being packed into barrels. These barrels were marked "Grade 1." Soon a buyer arrived and having looked at the beans said to the young man, "It is impossible to purchase beans anywhere in the market for the price at which you offer these. Tell me, are these beans of first quality?" The clerk found himself in a strange position, but he decided for the truth and said, "No sir, they are not. "Then," said the cusomer, "I do not want them" and he left. The clerk entered the office. The employer said to him, "Did you sell that man those beans?" He said, "No sir." "Why not?" "Well, sir, the man asked me if those beans were of the same quality through the entire barrel. I told him they were not. He then said, 'I do not want them,' and left." "Go to the cashier," said the employer "and get your wages, we do not need you any longer." The clerk received his pay and left the office, rejoicing that he had not lied. Three weeks after this the firm sent for him and offered him $300 more salary per year than they had ever before given him, for they had unbounded confidence in his integrity. (b) PREJUDICE. 6:4-13. 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. Daniel is a striking illustration of consistent holiness of life. His religious life was singular and marked. From his youth up he had practiced the habit of prayer. It is a strange phenomenon that virtue in one should be the occasion of vice in others. Eminent goodness either allures or repels men. Virtue may be the innocent occasion of wickedness; it is not its originating cause. The warmer the sun shines upon our gardens, the faster grow the weeds. Yet the sun is not to be blamed. The peerless purity of Jesus Christ exasperated men to commit the foulest offense that earth has ever witnessed. Prejudiced because of envy the princes sought to overthrow Daniel. Finding no blemish in his reputation, compelled to acknowledge his private and public virtues, they took advantage of Darius' love of ease. Having put upon their shoulders the responsibilities of the government the king unwittingly signs a decree without weighing its significance. A bad promise is better broken than kept. The law of the Medes and Persians was regarded with superstitious veneration. How foolish it was for the king to contract obligations when he had not carefully considered all the ramifications thereto. Prayer was to Daniel the first principle of his religion. It was his meat and drink. When the ridiculous decree of the king was promulgated, Daniel wisely resolved not to alter his course by a single point. What a strength there is in prayer to hold us steady in the hours of trial. Though men persecute us we shall find joy and assurance in lifting up our hearts habitually unto God. King Fredrick William III of Prussia, imprisoned Count M for the crime of treason of which he was not guilty. The Count's only companion was his Bible, a book he seldom read, for he was not a Christian. One night when he was unusually lonesome he began turning over the leaves and in the dim light of the dungeon lamp his eyes fell upon the 15th verse of the 50th Psalm "Call upon Me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify Me." "Well," he said, "that certainly applies in a double manner, I am in spiritual trouble in that I am a sinner-in temporal trouble in that I am a prisoner." Kneeling down he prayed to God for help. While he prayed the peace of God came into his heart. That same night, like King Ahasuerus of old, King Fredrick William III could not sleep. He prayed to God for one hour's rest and as he prayed he wondered of what evil he might be guilty. Instantaneously there flashed into his mind his imprisonment of Count MAt once the King ordered his release and gave him back an honored position in the realm. Do we not too frequently underestimate the value of the promises |