and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets. Yet now all these things seem to have been forgotten; and we behold this prince, almost without an intelligible motive, trampling upon the feelings and consciences of his people, and impiously insulting the Majesty of heaven. For the explanation of this conduct it is not necessary to suppose that his heart was naturally worse than that of any of his subjects. Like others, he was shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin† and the circumstance of his high birth, although he was the son of an usurper, and the probable nature of his education, and the extent of his power and riches, were but too well calculated to give force to his evil propensities, and to exhibit them in all their formidable malignity. Of salutary discipline in early life he had probably no experience; and as he advanced to maturity, few persons would be disposed to rebuke or to restrain him. Suppose a prince, under such circumstances, to arrive at the years of manhood, and to be further corrupted by the spirit of ambition, by the possession of arbitrary power, and by great prosperity in his wars, it should occasion no surprise if he prove as intolerant, as inconsist+ Ps. li. 5.

* Dan. ii. 47.

ent, and as cruel, as the monarch of Babylon. It is not often that men have the opportunity to exhibit these dispositions in so remarkable a manner, as did this ruler of many nations; but a similar spirit of violence and intolerance is often to be discovered even in private life. Do we not frequently see persons impelled, by a disposition which can brook no controul, to acts which their better reason disapproves, and which they know that the word of God condemns? Reflections of this sort, while they tend to show us the importance of watching over our own minds, and of guarding carefully against a fierce and overbearing temper, should make us thankful at the same time, for being placed in this respect out of the way of every great temptation, and for the measure of wholesome discipline and correction to which, however reluctantly, we have been taught to submit and if to any of us, as parents and guardians, have been consigned the task of forming the minds of others, and training them to become members of society, such meditations will urge us to inculcate, without delay, the great practical lesson, Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them :* to show to our young charge the excellence of

* Matt. vii. 12.

the mind which was in Christ Jesus, in its meekness, humility, and love; and to teach them to look for their example to Him, who made use of power only as the means of benevolence; and who, instead of calling fire from heaven, even upon those who treated Him despitefully, still preached to them the kingdom of heaven, still prayed for his enemies, and even gave up his life that they might live for ever.

It has been supposed by some writers that Nebuchadnezzar erected this statue in commemoration of his victories over Judea, and with the purpose of obtaining divine honours for himself. Whether this be a correct supposition or not, it appeared to certain of the idolatrous Chaldeans, instigated probably in part by a spirit of hatred against the Jews in general, and in part by envy at the rank and emoluments which had been conferred upon a few individuals of that nation, to be a favourable opportunity to work the ruin of these favourites, and to bring discredit and disgrace upon all their captive countrymen. Accordingly, they brought forward the charge against the three officers who had been set over the province of Babylon, that they paid no regard to the mandate of the king, neither serving his gods nor worshipping the golden image; and

they endeavoured yet further to exasperate him, by reminding him of the decree which he had made and the punishment annexed to it, of the signal favour with which he had previously treated these delinquents, and of the marked personal disrespect shown to himself, by this irreverence to the image which he had set up. Their success corresponded with the artifice of the accusation. The king appears to have been absolutely furious. What! was he, the greatest sovereign probably in the world, and with so many nations prostrate at his feet, to be thus daringly opposed by a few Jewish captives, whose land he had laid waste, and whose king he had cast bound into a dungeon? That this insult too should proceed from men whom he had distinguished above all the rest of the people, and had raised to great honours, and had placed at the head even of the province of Babylon, objects of envy and admiration to the native nobles and princes of the land: that he should be treated likewise with this indignity to his face, and in the presence of all the governors, and captains, and rulers of his kingdoms, all this must to him have appeared an enormity unparalleled. Thus it was no longer a simple question, whether these men should

fall down and worship an idol; by the invidious malignity of the Chaldeans the matter had assumed a different shape; it had now the air of a personal affront; the authority of the sovereign was treated with contempt: he had commanded, and the men had disobeyed; and for this cause, if for no other, he was determined that they should feel the full weight of his vengeance.

Under such circumstances these three young men were brought before him; and seldom has innocence been summoned before a more appalling tribunal, or a more iniquitous and exasperated judge. The king demanded, whether the report which had reached him was true? He proceeded to threaten them with death-with immediate death in the fiery furnace, if they persisted in their contumacy; and proudly demanded, in the confidence of despotic authority, Who is that God, that shall deliver you out of my hands?* Their answer is recorded in the text. They said to the king, We are not careful to answer thee in this matter: If it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and He will deliver us out of thy hands, O king! But

* Verse 15.