not approve of it. He loved Daniel with a very tender love; he was not displeased with him for having made known his desires, but he feared the effect of inferior food on Daniel and on his three friends. He feared that at the end of the appointed time they would look worse than the rest of the children that were fed from the king's table. He feared, also, for himself; for if Nebuchadnezzar were to hear that he had not given the daily portion to the captives, he might be so angry as to cause Ashpenaz to be put to death. So when Daniel saw there was no hope from Ashpenaz, he tried another plan. The prince of the eunuchs had appointed a steward over the royal youths: his name was Melzar. Daniel went to him with his request. He asked that to Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego and himself, pulse might be given for food, and water for drink, but only for ten days. At the end of that time he asked Melzar to examine them, and compare their appearance with that of those who had their daily portion from the king's table; and then he added, "As thou seest, deal with thy servants." The suggestion was so sensible and reasonable, that Melzar at once agreed to it. You know the result: at the end of ten days these four Hebrew youths looked fairer and fatter than all the other children who ate the portion of the king's provision; so for the rest of the three years pulse was their food and water was their drink. And not only did they improve in their bodily appearance, but their knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom was surprising. And no wonder; for Daniel tells us it was God who gave it to them; and on Daniel himself a special gift was bestowed, for he "had understanding in all visions and dreams."

At last the three years came to an end, and the prince of the eunuchs brought all the royal youths to Nebuchadnezzar. He examined them, he conversed with them all; but none were found equal to Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. So they were brought into the presence-chamber; and when any matters of difficulty, requiring wisdom and understanding, were laid before the king, the counsel of these Hebrews was found better than that of all the magicians and astrologers of Babylon.

(Read Daniel i. 8, to the end.)

3. NEBUCHADNEZZAR's dream.

One night King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream: when he awoke he felt that the dream had been a strange one-that it must have a meaning. What that meaning was he did not know? and what troubled him still further was, that the dream itself had gone from him, that he had no recollection of it. In this difficulty Nebuchadnezzar bethought himself of the wise men of Babylon. He commanded the magicians, astrologers, and soothsayers to be brought to show the king his dreams. You will be surprised to hear that Daniel and his companions were not called. Why was this? Were they not wiser than all the wise men of Babylon? Yes; but they belonged to another nation, and perhaps Nebuchadnezzar felt unwilling to confide his secrets to them. So the rest of the wise men of Babylon were brought before the king. He at once confessed his perplexity: his spirit was troubled to know the dream. The Chaldeans, who spoke in the Syriac language, gave

the usual salutation, “O king, live for ever!" Then they asked to be told the dream, and boldly and presumptuously they promised to show the interpretation.

You have often heard how tyrannical and cruel Eastern kings were, so you will not be surprised at Nebuchadnezzar's answer: "The thing is gone from me: if ye cannot make known the dream and its interpretation, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses made a dunghill." If, however, the magicians could recall the dream to the king's mind, and also give the interpretation, their rewards should be great. Again these terrified magicians entreated that the dream might be told them; but this only enrages the monarch, and he exclaims: "I know of certainty that ye would gain the time; tell me the dream." Nebuchadnezzar also accuses them of having purposed lying and deceitful words to speak to him. Once more the magicians reply. They tell the king his demand was such as no ruler had ever made before, and that only the gods could recall the dream. If only they knew the dream, they assured him they could tell its meaning. But the tyrant would listen to no reason: he only grew more furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon should be slain. The decree was no sooner issued than it was executed, and through the length and breadth of Babylon the wise men were destroyed.

(Read Daniel ii. 1-12.)

4. THE PRAYERFUL NIGHT.

You have heard that the wise men of Babylon were slain. Did Daniel and his three companions, the

wisest of them all, perish also? No; they had a shield over them invisible to mortal eyes, which covered them in the hour of danger-the Lord was their defence. So when Arioch, the captain of the guard, sought for them to be slain, Daniel fearlessly addressed him thus: "Why is the decree so hasty from the king?" When Arioch explained the matter to him, Daniel desired that he might be led into the king's presence. There he requested that Nebuchadnezzar would give him time, and that he would make known the interpretation of the dream. Daniel had given a wonderful promise to the king; could he fulfil it? Yes, by the help of God. He felt “more things are wrought by prayer than this world knows of;" and as he went to his house he knew that prayer would win this thing from God. In his extremity Daniel sent to his three friends, and begged that they would join him in entreating "mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret." They prayed, too, that God would spare their lives. Not long had these servants of God to wait for the answer to their petition. That very night was the secret revealed to Daniel in a vision. How joyous, then, was the song of praise that welled up from the hearts to the lips of these praying men: "Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are His: and He changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him. I thank Thee, and praise Thee, O Thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known

unto me now what we desired of Thee: for Thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter."

(Read Daniel ii. 13-23.)

5. DANIEL RECALLS THE DREAM TO THE KING.

Daniel felt there was no time to be lost. The wise men of Babylon had been slain, the sword would soon overtake those of the provinces; so he went at once to the captain of the guard. The prophet's first thought was not for himself, but for the lives of his fellow-men. "Destroy not," he says to Arioch, "the wise men of Babylon." Next he desires to be brought before King Nebuchadnezzar, for he can show him the interpretation of the dream. Arioch had a different spirit from that of Daniel: he did not lose sight of his own interests, as he went in haste to the king, saying, "I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation.” Not a word did the king say to Arioch, but, turning at once to Daniel, he asks these two questions: "Art thou able to make known the dream to me? Canst thou tell the interpretation?" Listen to the modest and reverent reply of Daniel: "The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, show unto the king; but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the King Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart."