As His visible presence was not needed at Capernaum, in order that His power might be effective to heal the ailment of the nobleman's son, so His visible presence is not required, either to help His Church or the individual members that compose it, provided that, in a spirit of humility, of earnestness, and of faith, His aid be desired. Where two or three are gathered together in His name, there is He in the midst of them; nay, when from one loving humble heart the prayer of faith goes forth to Him, He is spiritually present in answer to such a petition, as the all-wise Physician, "to heal the broken-hearted."

VII. THAT WHEN OUR PRAYERS SEEM TO BE MOST DISCOURAGED, OR MOST DISREGARDED BY GOD, MAY BE THE TIME WHEN HE IS ABOUT TO GRANT OUR REQUESTS.

A discouraging answer, "Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe," is given to the nobleman's petition. The request that Christ should come down to Capernaum is refused; yet, at the very time of these discouragements and these refusals, the great object of his journey and of his prayer was about to be actually granted to him. At the very time that he was there pleading with Christ, the fever had begun to leave his son; and as, in obedience to the injunction of our Lord, "Go thy way, thy son liveth," he journeyed downward to his seaside house at Capernaum, his servants, meeting him, announced to him the complete fulfilment of the glad announcement that Christ had previously made to him, "Thy son liveth." The humblest follower, therefore, of God need not be disheartened because he receives apparently only discouraging answers to his prayers, or because apparently his petitions are disregarded. If it be really for his

spiritual good that he shall obtain the objects for which he petitions, he may be assured that they will be given to him, although the time, or the place, or the manner in which the petition is granted may be different from his preconceived conception. Let him only be constant and earnest in his prayer. Let him only pursue the path of duty in public and in private life that God has assigned to him, going down as the Master bids him to his own house, and striving to walk himself, and to train his family to walk, in the fear and admonition of the Lord; and, at such an hour as he thinks not, he shall suddenly discover that his home has been visited by his Saviour, that his petition has been granted, and that at the seventh hour the sevenfold spirit has been present with him, to comfort and to bless.

No. XXIII.

22nd Sunday after Trinity. The Envious Presidents.

"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.-Dan, vi. 4.

INTRODUCTORY.

ON the death of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Evilmerodach, his son, ascended the throne, and after a reign of two years was slain by his brother-in-law, Neriglissar. Neriglissar, after a reign of four years, was succeeded by his son, Laborosoarchod, on whose death, which event occurred seven months after the date of his accession,-Belshazzar, the son of Evil

merodach, succeeded, and reigned seventeen years. As Neriglissar and Laborosoarchod were usurpers, their names need not be ranked amongst the kings of Babylon, and so in the Scripture narrative no account is taken of them. On the night in which Cyrus the Persian entered Babylon as a conqueror,-having turned from their course by the aid of an artificial channel the waters of the Euphrates, which surrounded and protected the city,-Belshazzar, having been slain by two of his own lords, Gadatas and Gobrias, the kingdom of Babylon was given by Cyrus to his uncle, Darius the Median, a personage supposed to be the same as the ruler known in history as Cyaxares, the son of Astyages. Mandane, the sister of Cyaxares, was the mother of Cyrus, and therefore Cyaxares, or Darius, was the maternal uncle of Cyrus. Darius appointed one hundred and twenty princes over the one hundred and twenty provinces of the Medo-Persian empire. These provinces, by the later victories of Cambyses and Darius Hystaspes, were increased to the number of one hundred and twenty-seven. Over these satraps were placed three presidents, of whom the Jewish captive prince, Daniel, was made the chief. Darius proposed to exalt Daniel,-whose career we find to have extended throughout the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar, Evilmerodach, Neriglissar, Laborosoarchod, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus,—to a presidency over the whole realm; to make him, in fact, grand vizier. At this promotion of a stranger the presidents and princes were filled with envy, and tried to find some fault in Daniel's administration. As they could not do so, they determined that it was only through his religion that they could successfully attack Daniel. Accordingly they approached Darius with a request

that for thirty days he should make himself as it were a god, and should direct that petitions and prayers should not be offered to any other god or man. Darius wickedly and foolishly granted their request, seduced doubtless by vanity. Daniel, however, would not at any human behest neglect his religious duties; and so, "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." Then he is accused by the presidents and princes before Darius of violating the king's decree ; and, notwithstanding the efforts of the king to protect him, it is determined that he shall be thrown into a den of lions. All night Darius spent in sleepless distraction of mind, mourning over the sad effects of his foolish vanity, which had apparently led to the destruction of an innocent man; and in the morning he arose early and hastened to the den of lions, where, to his delighted surprise, Daniel is found alive. He is extricated from his perilous position; and his persecutors, and, with sad cruelty, their wives and children, are thrown into the den, and are rapidly devoured by the lions. Darius then makes a decree more sensible and more reverent than his former one, "That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for He is the living God, and steadfast for ever, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be even unto the end. 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."

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED.

I. THAT MARKED OUTWARD PECULIARITIES OF WORSHIP AFFORD A READY SUBJECT OF ATTACK.

The habit that Daniel had, according to the custom of the Jews, of "praying three times a day with his window open and his face turned towards Jerusalem," furnished his enemies with a ready means of drawing up an accusation against him. Elaborate ceremonials oftentimes vex the minds of plain and practical men, and stir up all kinds of strife and controversy.

Uncouth or singular gestures on the part of a preacher excite mirthful instead of solemn thoughts in his hearers. An ostentatious display of the outward forms of worship that are peculiar to any special sect or party, arouses the active opposition and the bitter anger of all those persons whose religious practices are of a different character. We should pray therefore in secret, and our Father which seeth in secret shall reward us openly. We should not let our left hand know what our right hand doeth; and we should not assign an undue importance or an undue prominence to outward ceremonials.

II. THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE ASHAMED FREQUENTLY AND OPENLY TO MAKE A CONFESSION OF OUR FAITH.

Three times a day Daniel,-in the face of all men, and despite the penalties that he was liable to incur by such an act, poured forth the petitions of his soul to God. The days of religious persecution are past, it is hoped never to return: but the days when a religious profession excites ridicule and scorn are by no means vanished. Men are no longer, on account of their religious convictions, flung to the wild beasts, or burned at the stake, or tortured at the rack; but they

N