dom, and majefty, and glory, and honor; and for the majefly that he gave him, all people, and nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he flew, and whom he would he kept alive.

10....But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was depofed from his kingly throne, and he was driven from the fons of men ; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild affes: they led him with grafs like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the moft high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomfoever he will.

11....And thou, his fon, O Belshazzar, haft not hurebled thy heart, though thou kneweft all this; but haft lifted up thy felf against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the veffels of his houfe before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou haft prailed the gods of filver and gold, of brafs, iron, wood and flone, which fee not, nor hear, nor know and the God in whofe hand thy breath is, and whofe are all thy ways, haft thou not glorified.

12....Then was the part of the hand fent from him; and this writing was written; MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished 11. TEKEL; thou art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting. PERES; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Perfians.

13....Then commanded Belfhazzar, and they clothed Daniel with fcarlet, 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. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans flain; and Darius the Median took the kingdom.

REMARKS.

The famous city of Babylon, during this impious feaft was taken by Cyrus; who having turned the course of the river Euphrates that ran through it, marched his army into the city, along the river's bed; and the king being flain immediately after the interpretation of the hand-writing, the Chaldean or Babylonifh empire was diffolved, and the Medo-Perfian empire commenced.

The prophet Jeremiah, in the fifty-first chapter, predifted, long before the event happened, that Babylon would be taken, while the inhabitants fhould be leafting, or engaged in a drunken caroufal; and he alfo foretold the circumftance of drying up the river, or turning it from its bed.

CHAPTER XXXI.

DANIEL CAST INTO A DEN OF LIONS.

1....

IT pleafed Darius to fet over the kingdom,

an hundred and twenty princes; and over thefe, three prefidents, of whom Daniel was the firft; that the princes might give an account unto them, that the king fhould have no damage. Then this Daniel was prefer red above the prefidents and princes, becaufe an excel. lent fpirit was in him; and the king thought to fet him over the whole realm.

2....Then the presidents and princes fought to find occafion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occafion,nor fault, forafmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in bim. Then faid thefe men, We fhall not find any occafion again this Daniel, except it be concerning the law of his God.

3.... Then the prefidents and princes affembled together to the king,and faid thus unto him, King Darius,live forever! All the presidents and officers of the kingdom have confulted together, to eftablish a royal flatute, and to make a firm decree, that whofoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, fave of thee, O king, he fhall be caft into the den of lions. Now, O king, eftablish the decree, and fign the writing Wherefore king Darius figned the writing and the decree.

4....Now.when Daniel faw that the writing was figned, he went into his houfe; and his windows being epen in the chamber towards Jerufalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a-day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men aflembled, and found Daniel praying and making fupplication before his God.

5....Then they came near and foake before the king concerning the king's decree; and faid before the king, That fame Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree which thou haft figned, but maketh his petition three times a-day. Then the king, when he heard these words, was fore difpleafed with himfell, and let his heart on Daniel, to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the fun to deliver him.

6....Then these men faid unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Perfians is, that no decree or ftatute which the king establifheth may be changed. Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and caft him into the den of lions and a ftone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den. Now the king faid unto Daniel, Thy God, whom thou ferveft continually, he will deliver thee.

7....Then the king went to his palace, and paffed the night fafting: neither were inftruments of mufic brought

And the

before him; and his fleep went from him. king arose very early in the morning, and went in hafle unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel and the king said, O Daniel, fervant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou ferveft continually, able to deliver: thee from the lions ?

8....Then faid Daniel unto the king, O king, live forever! My God hath fent his angel, and hath fhut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: foralmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

9....Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they fhould 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 believ ed in his God. And the king commanded, and they brought those men, who had accufed Daniel, and they call them into the den of lions: and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces as foon as they came to the bottom of the den.

10....Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you; 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 steadfast forever, and his kingdom that which fhall not be destroyed, and his dominion fhall be even unto the end. So this Daniel profpered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Perfian.

REMARKS.

Daniel, while a young man, was led away into captivity; where, in the midst of a corrupt and idolatrous people, he preferved his innocence, and was highly diflinguifhed both for his piety and wisdom.

An Angel, even Gabriel, who was fent to Daniel, faluted him in these words, O man, greatly beloved! Such was his excellent character, that he lived and died greatly beloved both of God and men.

Young people; let the wifdom, the integrity, and the piety of Daniel, be held up to your view as a pleafing pattern to imitate.