mysterious words on the palace wall. Belshazzar in alarm called for his wise men, but they could not read the words. Daniel being sent for declared that these messages were contained in the words :

MENE, God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it. TEKEL, thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

PERES, thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

That very night Babylon was taken, Belshazzar was slain, and his kingdom transferred to Darius the Mede.

NOTES.-Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego-These were names given to these three youths after they arrived at Babylon. Amongst the Jews their names were Hananiah, Misael, and Azariah. Daniel's name was changed to Bel-te-shaz-zar. They lived on the coarsest fare-They refused the king's choicest food, and lived upon pulse (coarse grain, as pease and beans) and water. Nebuchadnezzar-Nebuchadnezzar had a dream which Daniel said meant that a day was near when he would be driven from his throne and from the society of men, and would have his dwelling with the beasts of the field, until he knew that the Lord God indeed ruled among the children of men. But he did not heed this warning; he still lived on in sin. About a year after, as he was walking in his splendid palace, he suddenly became insane. The mind of a man left him, and he had the feelings of a beast. Throwing away his clothes, he mingled with the beasts of the field, and remained exposed to the weather by day and night, till his hair was grown as eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. At length, however, his reason returned to him, and with it the glory of his kingdom. Believing in the power of God, he began again the work he had left off, and died after a reign of 43 years.

QUESTIONS.

What became of Daniel when he was twenty years old? Why was he sent to Babylon? Who were his companions? How were they treated by Nebuchadnezzar? Give particulars respecting their food. Shew that God was with them. What led to their being brought under the notice of the king? How did he reward them? Give some account of Belshazzar's feast. In what sense was it an impious feast? Shew that Daniel's explanation of the handwriting was correct. Give an account of the fall of Nebuchadnezzar.

CHAPTER LXXVI.

THE CAPTIVITY.-SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO. NEBUCHADNEZZAR, the King of Babylon, highly pleased with his success in war, made a golden image, the height of which was sixty cubits and the breadth six. Having set this up in the plain of Dura, he commanded that, at a certain signal, the people of all nations and languages should fall down and worship it, and those who refused should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

In this act of idolatry Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would not join, though they were commanded by the king himself. Although nearly all bowed down to the monarch's image, yet the three companions remained true to the God of gods, and declared that He would deliver them both from the fiery furnace and also from the hand of the king.

The king was filled with anger, and ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than it was wont to be heated, and the strongest captains in his army to bind the three men and cast them into the flames.

Now came the test of their faith. With all their garments on, they were cast into the furnace, and so great was the heat that the men who put them in were burnt by it.

The king was present to watch the awful sight; and, though the three men at first fell down bound in the midst of the flames, yet when he looked, expecting to see them destroyed, he beheld them free from their bonds, walking unhurt in the midst of the fire, and a fourth person with them in form like "the Son of God."

"Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came forth of the midst of the fire.

"And the princes, governors, and captains, and the

king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

"Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent His angel and delivered His servants that trusted in Him, and hath changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God.

"Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other god that can deliver after this sort.

"Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon."

NOTE.-At a certain signal, &c.-The sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music was to be the signal for the people to fall down and worship the golden image.

QUESTIONS.

Why did Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden image? When were the people to worship it? If they refused to worship it what was to be their punishment? What is a furnace? Who were bold enough to remain true to Jehovah? Who were these three men? How did their behaviour affect the king? Give a short account of their being thrown into the furnace. Why did they escape unhurt? Whom did the king see with them in the furnace? How was Nebuchadnezzar now affected? What great lessons do we learn from this history?

SOME MURMUR.

SOME murmur when their sky is clear
And wholly bright to view,

If one small speck of dark appear
In their great heaven of blue.

And some with thankful love are filled
If but one streak of light,
One ray of God's good mercy gild
The darkness of the night.

In palaces are hearts that ask,
In discontent and pride,
Why life is such a dreary task,
And all good things denied?

And hearts in poorest huts admire
How love has, in their aid,
(Love that not ever seems to tire)
Such rich provision made.

CHAPTER LXXVII.

AFTER THE CAPTIVITY.-DANIEL (continued).

PSAL. lv. 17.-Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud; and he shall hear my voice.

IN the time of Darius the Mede a council of one hundred and twenty princes was set over the realm, of whom Daniel was the chief.

Though old in years, Daniel still remained faithful to his God, and the jealous princes finding no fault in him, induced Darius to pass a decree ordaining that no one should offer a prayer to any God or man for thirty days except to the monarch himself, under the heavy penalty of being cast into a den of lions.

Will Daniel agree to this? Will he cease to pray to the God of his youth? We shall see.

"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."

On this being made known to the king, he was forced to do with Daniel according to the decree; but he was very sorry for it.

"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.

"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.

"Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of music brought before him and his sleep went from him.

"Then the king arose very early in the morning, and I went in haste unto the den of lions.

"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?

“Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever!

"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.

"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.

"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."

"So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian."

NOTES-And he sealed it with his own signet-Frequently a ring