CHEAP REPOSITORY. 
 Sunday Reading. 
 
 D A n 'i E L 
 
 IN THE 
 
 DEN of LIONS. 
 
 Sold by J. MARSHALL, 
 (PRINTER to the CHEAP REPOSITORY for 
 Religious and Moral T rafts) No. 17, Oueen-Street, 
 Cheapfide, and No, 4, Aldermary Church-Yard, 
 and R. WHITE, Piccadilly, LONDON, 
 By S. Ii A Z A R D, 
 PRINTER tothe CHEAP. REPOSITORY ,«t BATH: 
 and by all Booksellers, Newirnen, and Hawkers, ire 
 Town and Countrv.— G reat Allowance will be 
 made to Shopkeepers and Hawkers, 
 PRICE ONE PENNY. 
 Or 4s, 6d. per 100. — 2s. 3d. for 50. —25 for is, 6d> 
 
 \ Entered at Stationers Hail.] 
 
On the ljl of June was publifhed, 
 
 The Shepherd of Salifbufy Plain. Part II. — The 
 Beggarly Boy, a Parable, — and Wild Robert, 
 a Ballad. 
 
 On the ijl of July, 
 
 The good Mother's Legacy — Daniel in the Lions 9 
 Den, — and the Newcastle Collier, a Ballad? 
 
 On the ijl of Augujl, 
 
 Hints on the prefent Scarcity. — The Happy Wa. 
 terman. — The Plow-boy's Dream. a Ballad, 
 — ,and the Riot, a Ballad. 
 
 On the ijt of September , 
 
 Noah's Flood. — The Second Part of Tom White j 
 or the Way to Plenty, — and Dame Andrews, 
 a Ballad. 
 
 On the xfi of Otlober^ 
 The Harveft Home — The Two Farmers, Part L 
 « — and the Hone.ft Miller, a Ballad. 
 
 On the tft of November + 
 
 The Parable of the Vineyard. — The Two Farmers, 
 Part II.— and the African Woman's Lamenta- 
 tion, a Ballad. 
 
 On the if of December. $ 
 The Troubles of Life. — Sorrowful Sam,- — an$ 
 The Merry Chriftmas and Happy New Year, 
 a Ballad. 
 
 jfnd other Pieces on a fimilar Plan, on the ift of 
 
 every Month. 
 
DANIEL 
 
 I N THE 
 
 DEN of LIONS 
 
 THE Babylonian empire was one of 
 the molt extenfive and powerful in 
 the antient world. Nebuchadnezzar, one 
 of its Kings, having conquered Judea s 
 had carried away Daniel along with many 
 other captives to Babylon; and he after- 
 wards raifed him on account of his great 
 wifdom to the higheft poft in the govern- 
 ment. In this ftation Daniel continued 
 during the long term of fixty-five years, 
 till at length Babylon was taken, andBel- 
 fhazzar, who was at that time its King, 
 was flain by Darius, King of the Medes 
 and Perfians. An account of this may be 
 feen in the fifth chapter of Daniel, in, 
 which is contained the remarkable de- 
 
 A 2 fcriptioit 
 
( 4 ) 
 
 fcription of- the hand-writing upon the 
 wall. * 
 
 Darius having thus become King over 
 an immenfe territory, began to take pro- 
 per meafures to fecure his government. 
 He divided .the kingdom therefore into 
 one hundred and twenty parts, over each 
 of which he appointed a govevnor; and 
 over thefe he placed three prefidents 5 
 who were to fuperintend the whole affairs 
 .of the kingdom. 
 
 At the head of thefe prefidents we find 
 the name of Daniel. This is remarkable, 
 whether we confider the nation to which 
 he belonged, the religion which he pro- 
 feffed, or the employment he formerly 
 held. His nation was that of the Jews, 
 which was then in the greateft difreputc, 
 his religion, though it was the true one, 
 was accounted the grofleft fuperftition, 
 and his employment, as has been already 
 Hated, had been thai of prime minifter to 
 the Monarch whom Darius had fought 
 againft and at length dethroned. Nay, it 
 was probably owing to the counfels of 
 Daniel, that Babylon had been able to re- 
 fift 3 as it did a for near twenty years, his 
 
 victorious 
 
( 5 <) 
 
 viftorio'us arms. What a tcftimony was 
 it to the great worth of Daniel, that his 
 Conqueror could find no perfon more 
 proper with whom to entruft the chief 
 concerns of his empire. 
 
 Dante!, as the fcripture obferves, "waj 
 preferred above the prefidents and princes 
 becaufe an excellent Jpirit was in him." 
 The excellence of his wifdcm appears 
 from his being efteemed when he was 
 but two-and-twenty years old above all 
 the wife men of the Eaft. His wifdoni 
 even became proverbial ; and therefore 
 while he was ft ill a young man, the pro- 
 phet Ezekiel (in the 28th chapter, and 3d 
 verfej reproves the vanity and prefump- 
 tion of the King of Tyre, who faid in his 
 heart y that he was even wfer than Da- 
 niel. Such was alfo the excellence of his 
 piety ) that we find him honoured with 
 the higheft atteftations to his worth from 
 the mouth of God himfdf. He is ranked, 
 even though ftill living, with Noah and 
 Job, thofe men of the higheft eminence, 
 and it is declared of Jerufalem, in order to 
 indicate the greatnefs of her guilt, that 
 God would not fpare her even though 
 Noah, Job) and Daniel were in her* 
 
 A 3 Surely 
 
(' 6 ) 
 
 Surely no other perfon in the whole c#m~ 
 pafs of life ever had fuch honourable 
 atteftatjons to the excellence of the fpirit 
 which was in htm. 
 
 Then the Prejidents and Princes fought 
 to find occajion againfl Daniel concerning 
 the kingdom^ but they could find none oc- 
 cajion nor favjt) forafmuch as he was 
 faithful; neither wat there any error or 
 fault found in him. Then [aid thefe men^ 
 We Jhall not find any occajion againfl this 
 Daniel, except we find it againfl him con- 
 cerning the law oj his God. 
 
 No virtue is fo great, no ftation is fo 
 high, as to be free from envy. And 
 we know little of human nature if we fup- 
 pofe that the many illuftrious captains 
 and princes who had fhared with Darius 
 in all the difficulties and dangers of his 
 coriquefts, would bear without jealoufy 
 and indignation to fee preferred before 
 them, a ftranger, a captive, a Jew, and 
 an enemy. This Daniel was appointed alfo 
 to infpeft their conduct, and to him they 
 were to account, that the King might have 
 no damage! Would thefe high fpirited 
 commanders and princes bear this ? No 
 wonder that they fought occafion againft 
 
f 7 ) 
 
 him. But here is a frefh teftimony to the 
 worth of this illuftrious man; that even 
 they, when their anger and envy confpired 
 to render their fearch keen and minute 
 could find no fault in him.- What! when 
 he had been prime miniffer of the largeft 
 empire in the world for fixty-five years, 
 and his conduft was fcrutinized with a 
 jealous eye, could no in ft an ce of treach- 
 ery or difhonefty be found in him ? Amidft 
 fo many men as muft have been difap- 
 poinied in their expectations under his 
 adminiftration, fo many delinquents as 
 mult have been detefted by his vigilance, 
 and puniftied by his juftice, w r as there 
 none who could ftep forward with the 
 welcome difcovery of fome flaw in the 
 CondtiB of this great man? No. He was 
 faithful^ neither was- there any error or 
 fault found in him. Yet there was one 
 part, it feems, of his charafter which gave 
 them hopes of finding occafion againft 
 him. His attachment to his religion had 
 been long obfcrved, and it was juftly con- 
 cluded, that if he could be brought into 
 fuch circumftances that his duty to the 
 ftate and to religion fhould clafh with 
 each other, then his adherence to reli- 
 gion muft be conftrued into a crime 
 
 A 4 againft 
 
• ( 8 ) 
 
 aaainft the ftate. and brin^r on his con- 
 demnation. 
 
 How does the chara&er of Daniel rife 
 it i II higher and higher the more we con- 
 template it ! His enemies (and if Daniel 
 had enemies, let no one flatter himfelf 
 with the hope that greatnefs and piety 
 will fecure him from them) — his enemies 
 could find nothing upon which to found 
 their fchemes for his deftru&ion but his 
 piety. Upon his piety they were to de- 
 pend for the fuccefs of their plots. What 
 an honour put upon his regard to reli- 
 gion ! 
 
 We may obfervehere, that no fituation 
 in life, no multiplicity of bufinefs, no 
 vexatious cares, no elevation of rank, can 
 excufe a man from attention to the duties 
 of religion. For we fee Daniel, living in 
 the midft of a mod difTolute and luxurious 
 court, bearing himfelf the chief burden 
 of government, and yet retaining his piety 
 as facredly as if he had been dwelling in 
 a defart. Nay, it was his regard to his 
 duty to God which enabled him to dif- 
 charge fo faithfully his duty to the ftate : 
 Had he not been fo truly religious, there 
 
 would 
 
T*9 ) 
 
 would doubtlefs have beeft found feme 
 blame or occafion againft him. No time 
 is loft by prayer. No advantage is gain- 
 ed by negle&ing to feek the help and 
 bleffing of God. Could we fee the influ- 
 ence which a ft rift regard to religion 
 would have upon every part of our con- 
 duct, we fhould find, as in the cafe of Da- 
 niel, that it would be our beft preferva- 
 tive againft folly as well as againft fin, 
 and would enable us to go through the 
 mod complicated bufinefs with honour 
 and integrity. 
 
 Then thefe prefidents and princes affem- 
 bled together to the King and [aid thus 
 unto him. King Darius live for ever ! 
 All the prefidents of the kingdom, the go- 
 vernors and the princes, the counfellors 
 and the captains, have confulted together 
 to efablijli a royal flatute and to make a 
 jirm decree, that whofo ever fix all ajk a pe- 
 tition of any God or man for thirty days 9 
 fave of thee, King ! he /hall be cafl into 
 the den of lions. Now, King! ejlablifli 
 the decree, and fign the writing, that it be 
 not changed, according to the" law of the 
 Medes and Perfians which altereth not. 
 
 A 5 Wherefore 
 
( »o ) 
 
 Wherefore King Darius Jigned the 'wri- 
 ting and the decree. 
 
 Happy are we who live under a go- 
 vernment fo much more juft, and in times 
 fo much more enlightened, that the pro- 
 pofal of fuch an abfurd and impious law 
 appears almoft incredible. We muft re- 
 colleft that it was propofed in an Eaftern 
 country, where flattery was carried to a 
 height which nothing could induce us to 
 credit but the concurrent teftimony of all 
 hiftorians. The law which I have juft 
 mentioned was, with refpe£t to the King, 
 one of the moft artful pieces of flattery. 
 It feemed to intend nothing but the confir- 
 mation of his power and the advancement 
 of his glory. His power was fo great, 
 extending over one hundred and twenty 
 provinces, his wealth fo unbounded, in- 
 creafed as it was by the treafures of Baby- 
 Ion, his bounty fo large, that there could 
 be no occafion, it feems, to afk favours of 
 any man but of him. To forbid favours 
 to be requefted of any other, was to in- 
 vite all to come to him. And with re- 
 fpeft to the petition forbidden to be 
 made to any Gods, it may well appear 
 ftrange indeed to us, but if we confider 
 
 -the 
 
- f 11 ) 
 
 the variety of Gods worfmpped in Baby- 
 lon, moft of whom were idols of wood and 
 ftone, and the adoration which was ac- 
 cuftomed there to be paid to their Kings, 
 we fhall have lefs reafon to wonder that 
 the impiety of the propofal did not (hock 
 a Monarch, flufhed with extenfive con- 
 queft. The King therefore gratified by 
 this diftinguifhed honour which all the 
 prefidents, the governors, the princes, the 
 counfellors, and the captains had confult 
 ; ed to pay him, readily figned the writing 
 and the decree. 
 
 Doubtlefs the matter was known to Da- 
 niel before the royal fignalure was ob- 
 tained; and the malicious purpofe which 
 it was intended to anfwer could not be 
 concealed from him. Some alfo of thofe 
 princes and governors there probably 
 might be who were too juft not to with- 
 ftand fuch an iniquitous propofal, and fome 
 too much obliged to Baniel to confent Lo 
 it : but they might be afraid of appear- 
 ing, while they were defending an in- 
 jured man, to oppofe the honour of the 
 King, and the generality would but too 
 readily to agree to it, fuppofing that Daniel 
 was a falling man unable to Hand againft 
 
 fuch 
 
( " ) 
 
 fuch powerful enemies. Thus no effec- 
 tual oppofition was given to the propo- 
 fal, and the deftruftion of Daniel feemed 
 tt) be fixed and inevitable. 
 
 It pleafes God to try in an extraordi- 
 nary way the faith of his moft. faithful 
 fervants.* Let no man therefore repine at 
 his trials however fevere ; they may be 
 the means of calling forth and purifying 
 his grace; and the more fevere the trial, 
 the more confpicuous the grace of God 
 which fupports under it. Daniel w r as now 
 placed in a moft critical fituation. He 
 knew 7 of his danger, and was fenfible that \ 
 the eyes of the whole kingdom would be 
 upon him. Let us imagine w T e hear him 
 reafoning with himfelf upon the occafion. 
 
 . On one fide, he might argue " Not only 
 the natural love of life, but even the re- 
 gard I owe to the welfare of this great 
 empire, and ft ill more to the interefts of 
 my captive countrymen and of the church 
 of God, require me to ufe all prudent 
 means to preferve myfelf from the fnares 
 of my enemies. Here is a law made with 
 the wicked defign of deftroying an inno- 
 cent man. Shall I fuffer that wickednefs 
 
 to 
 
f 13 ) 
 
 to fucceed when I can eafily prevent it? 
 I may retire for thirty days into the coun- 
 try : or I may at lead conceal for that 
 time the open profeffion of my leligion. 
 In this I fhall commit no pofitive evil : I 
 fhall not even be guilty of the omiffion 
 of a duty, for I may in fecret worfhip God 
 as devoutly as ever, and he looks at the 
 heart, and knows my integrity. I fhall 
 only prudently conceal what I am not 
 abfolutely required to proclaim, and that 
 too in juft reverence of a law which my 
 Sovereign has been pleafed to enaft." 
 
 On the other hand, we may Aippofe 
 him to reply to himfelf, " And what, 
 fhall fuch a man as I fhrink from duty ? 
 Muft I begin to be afraid, and to cling to 
 life at the age of eighty-feven ? Shall it 
 be faid that Daniel loved the dregs oflife, 
 and the remnant of his power too well to 
 be willing to facrifice it for the fake of 
 his religion and his God ? Shall my ex- 
 ample be brought to juftify the timid, or 
 the lukewarm, or the temporizer? Is it 
 not the higheft honour to fuffer for God ? 
 Does not fuch an edift as this call upon 
 every one to (land forward with boldnefs, 
 and to declare his adherence to God ? 
 
 What 
 
f 14 ) 
 
 What is it to ferve God in profperity ? It 
 is when we incur reproach, or are expo- 
 fed to the lofs of life that we have the 
 opportuni ty of proving that our profeffion 
 of regard to God is fincere. It is enough. 
 Gladly, O ray God ! I offer up to thee, the 
 giver of my' life, the fhort remainder of 
 it. Receive thy fervant, and give grace 
 to all thy people in this large city, to ma- 
 nifeft an inviolable attachment to thy 
 "worfhip," 
 
 Now when Daniel knew that the wri- 
 ting was figned, he went into his houfe 9 
 and his windows -being open in his cham- 
 ber towards Jerufalem, he kneeled upon 
 his knees three times a day, and prayed, 
 and gave thanks before his God, as he did 
 .aforetime. 
 
 It was the cuftom of every religious 
 jew, to offer up particular worfhip to 
 God at the hour of the morning and eve- 
 ning facrifice ; the window was then 
 opened towards Jerufalem, and the face 
 <iire£ted that way, in order to manifcft 
 communion with the Saints then worfhip- 
 ping in the Temple, and to be partakers 
 £){ the benefit of the facrific.es and prayers 
 

 
 C m ) 
 
 then offered up, .according to the pro- 
 mife made by God to Solomon at the de- 
 1 dication of the Temple. Daniel there - 
 fore when he retired at thofe hours, and 
 opened his window towards Jerufalem, 
 made no oftentatious difplay of his religi- 
 on, but only fulfilled one of its pofitive 
 precepts and complied with the ceremo- 
 nies it required. 
 
 Methinks I fee this venerable man 
 when the appointed hour of prayer ap- 
 proaches, rifing up from the feat on 
 which he fat, in the mid Pi of 'the prefi- 
 dents, and princes, and counfellors and 
 captains, who were fitting round him, 
 and obferving him with anxious looks, 
 i Methinks I fee him walking through the 
 midft of them with an air of -die-nity and 
 ferenity which nothing but innocence and 
 faith in God could infpire : while his ene- 
 mies retire on each fide, abafhed by his 
 awful prefence. 
 
 He is gone. They well know where and 
 for what purpofe. They follow him to his 
 clofet, and there behold him kneeling up- 
 on his knees, with his hands and eyes up- 
 lifted to God. Not even is the ufual pof- 
 
 tare 
 
ture varied, though the varying it poffi- 
 bly might have faved his life. 
 
 Behold the holy man upon his knees ! 
 What fervency would there be in his flip- 
 plications ! How would the thought of 
 his fituation, the trial he had to encoun- 
 ter, his inftant appearance before God in 
 j udgment, the nearnefs and the awfulnefs of 
 eternity affeQ; his mind! With what ardor 
 would he implore grace to fupport him ! 
 With what earneftnefs would he profefs 
 the obligation he owed to give up his 
 life/ whenever his Creator called for it. 
 With what importunity would he inter- 
 cede for his friends and the Jewifh 
 church, that they might continue faithful 
 to God in this feafon of trial, and for the 
 king and empire that the wicked acis of 
 ungodly men might not draw down the 
 vengeance of heaven. 
 
 But he gave thanks alfo. Was this a 
 feafon, for thankfulnefs ? Yes. Not only 
 would the remembrance of the goodnefs 
 and mercy of God, which had followed 
 him near ninety years, rufh upon his 
 mind, and infpire him with effufions of 
 gratitude neither to be reftrained nor 
 
 fully 
 
( *7 ) 
 
 fully expreffed, but he would find the 
 greateft reafoh to be thankful to God for 
 the prefent occafion; thankful that he 
 was counted worthy to fufFer as a martyr 
 for the caufe of God; thankful that he 
 had been fo kept by divine grace, that no 
 occafion could be found againft him but 
 in the mutter of his God; thankful for 
 the boldnefs which then animated him, and 
 the fupport he was ? k that moment reeeiv-- 
 ing from his God. 
 
 In the midft of the devout afpirations 
 of this excellent man, while his foul was 
 converfing with the Father of Spirits, be- 
 hold his enemies break in upon him. 
 
 Then thefe men affernbled, and found 
 Daniel praying, and making futpltcation 
 before hs God. c Ihen they came ■ near and 
 /pake before the king, concerning the king's 
 decree. Haft thou not figned a decree, that 
 every man that JJoall afk a petition of any 
 God or man within thirty days, fave of 
 thee> king, fhall be caft into the Den of 
 Lions? The king anfwered and faid, The 
 thing is true,) according to the law of the 
 Medes and Perfians, which alter eth not. 
 | Then anfwered they } and faid before the 
 
 king, 
 
( *£; )\ 
 
 ling) That Daniel, which is of the children 
 of the captivity of Judah^ regardeth noi 
 thee, king, nor the decree that thou hajl 
 Jignedi but maketli his petition three times 
 a day. Then the king, when he heard theft 
 words, was fore difpltafed with him ft If, 
 and fet his heart an Daniel to itlipe r him, 
 and he laboured till the going deu < 'he 
 fun to deliver htm. Then theft mem c ta- 
 bled unto the king? .and faid im\Q the 
 king, Know, king? that the law of the 
 Medes and Perfians is, That no decree 
 norftatute which the king eflabiifhcih, may 
 be changed. 
 
 Alas, into what {hares are men betrayed 
 by their vanity and pride! The king was 
 reduced? by the operation of thefe prin- 
 ciph s, to facrifice one of his mo ft faithful 
 and beloved fubj efts, Firft, there was 
 the vanity which occasioned that foolifh 
 law of the Medes and Perfians, that what- 
 ever the king, had ordered was not to be 
 altered ; as if every thing he did were ne~ 
 eeflarily fo well and wifely done that there 
 could arife no occafion to change it. 
 Then there was the vanity of Darius, by 
 which he allowed the particular law now 
 fpoken of to be fo impioufly made, in order- 
 to gratify his own pride; thus did his pre- 
 
f 19 ) 
 
 fent weaknefs and inability to fave an in- 
 jured and excellent fervant.arife from that 
 very flattery which feemed to exalt his 
 power to the higheft pitch. How fhort 
 lighted is roan! How liable is he to fall 
 into the groffeft errors, when he flitters 
 himfelf to be influenced by his paflions. 
 Thus this high and mighty king, who had 
 exalted himfelf above all men and Gods, 
 cannot even fave the life of an innocent 
 fervant and faithful friend. 
 
 And now this great man, grown old in 
 dignity and virtue, as well as in years, is 
 led through the ftreets of Babylon ! What 
 crowds attend to behold this illuftrious 
 viftim of envy and malice ! Methinks I 
 hear on one fide the infulting fhouts and 
 cruel mockings of bafe and rude men, who 
 hail a rifing power, by offering infult to 
 that w'hich is fallen. " Where now is his 
 God! they cry, where now his boafted 
 wifdom?" — On the other hand I fee a vaft 
 multitude of aged men, fathers of the 
 Jew 7 ifh church, with filent farrow behold- 
 ing him, and lifting up their hearts to 
 heaven in his behalf. There are collected- 
 the young and the weaker fex, fixing their 
 eyes, for the laft time, upon the Hope 
 and the Protestor of their nation, and 
 
( -20 ) 
 
 loudly bewailing his unmerited fate, — 
 There too the crowd of thofe who have 
 been deeply indebted to his bounty wait 
 to bid farewel to their beiicfaftor, and 
 to offer him the laft tribute of grati- 
 tude in affectionate and fympathizing 
 looks. — There alfo the king waits to part 
 with the man who was now raifed higher 
 than ever in his elleem.< — What was their 
 conversation at this affefciing interview we 
 are not told: doubtlefs it was worthy the 
 piety and wvlHom of Daniel. What found 
 advice would he give his royal matter ! 
 What magnanimous confolation would 
 he offer to him ! What folemn leffons 
 of inftruction would he communicate, 
 exhorting him to fear and ferve the true 
 God ! What noble confidence would he 
 exprcis in the power of Jehovah to de- 
 liver him, if it To pleafed him ? What re- 
 iignation to his will if he chofe to accept 
 his death- — Even the heathen king was 
 inlpired alfo'with confidence. 
 
 Now the king fp&ke and faid unto Daniel, 
 Thy God, whom thou frveft continually, he 
 will deliver thee. And they brought Daniel 
 and cafi him into the Den of Lions, And 
 a Jlone was brought and laid upon the mouth 
 of the Den, and the king fealed it with 
 his own fignet, and with the fignet of his 
 
( ti* ) 
 
 lords, that the purpofe might not be changed 
 concerning Daniel. 
 
 Would we look for a fcene where hu- 
 man greatnefs is moft confpicuous, and 
 human glory is advanced to the higheft 
 pitch, feek not for it am id ft triumphant 
 arrqies t5 or in fplendid palaces. Behold 
 Daniel in the Den of Lions. See the fa- 
 vage beafts which juft now roared with 
 impatience to devour their prey, crouch 
 with reverence, and lie down at his feet. 
 —Behold this wonderful man, with the 
 wild beafts around him, kneeling down, 
 and with tears of gratitude and wonder, 
 again offering thanks to God ! What a 
 fcene! What were his feelings! I know 
 not whether there was the vifible appear- 
 ice of the an eel of God illuminating: 
 with glory the dark cavern, but I am 
 fure he had the prefence of God, and 
 enjoyed the higheft degree of communion 
 with n. How would his mind be oc- 
 cupied with thoughts too mighty for ut- 
 terance -. with what wonder would he con- 
 template the power of the Mod High, 
 and with what praife behold it reftraining 
 the rage of the Lions ! With what earneft- 
 nefs would he afrefti devote to the fervice 
 of God the life to mir^uloufly preferved! 
 
( 22 ) 
 
 With what fervency would he again offer 
 up thank fgiving and prayer for himfelf, 
 and for the church of God! What a night 
 was this, ever to be remembered both by 
 Daniel and by all the fervants of God! 
 
 Let us turn now to fee what was pafling 
 in the city-. By the enemies of Daniel 
 the night was probably kept in feafting 
 and revelry; they fettled who fhouldnow 
 fill the vacant feats in government : they 
 congratulated each other on the fuccefs of 
 their fcheme, they planned meafures of fu- 
 ture profperity, they derided the foolHh 
 adherents of the fallen prefident for their 
 fuperftition — others kept the night in fall- 
 ing and prayer. It was a feafon of for- 
 row^to all the Jews, and to all who feared 
 God, or refpefted innocence and piety. 
 Above all 3 it was a night of forrow to the 
 king. 
 
 Then the king went to his palace, and 
 pa/Jed the night fa fling : neither were in- 
 firuments of mufic brought before him, and 
 his fleep went from him. Then the king 
 arofe very early in the morning, and went 
 in ha fie to the Den of Lions. And when 
 he came to the Den, he cried with a la- 
 mentable voice unto Daniel: and the king 
 /pake and /aid unto Daniel, Daniel, 
 
( 2 3 ) 
 
 fervant of the living God, is thy God f 
 whom thou fervefl continually, able to 
 deliver thee from the Lions? Then /aid 
 Daniel unto the king, O king live for ever. 
 My God hath fent his angel, and hath Jhut 
 the Lions' mouths y that they have not hurt 
 me : for a/much a$ before him innocency 
 was found in me ; and alfo before thee^ 
 king, have I done no hurt. Then was 
 the king exceedingly glad for him, and 
 commanded that they fhonld take Daniel 
 up out of the den. So Daniel was taken 
 tip out of the den, and no manner of hurt 
 was found upon htm, becaufe he believed in 
 his God. And the king commanded, and 
 they brought thofe men which had accufed 
 Daniel, and they cafl them into the Den of 
 Lions, them, their children, and their 
 wives ; and the Lions had the maflery of 
 /hem, arid broke all their bones in pieces or 
 ever they came at the bottom cf the den. 
 
 One obfervation only fhall be made 
 upon this ftory. The part of it *which 
 moft deferves our attention is not the mi- 
 racle which was wrought for Daniel, but 
 the faithfulnefs which he exhibited in the 
 Jiour of trial. The miracle indeed fhews 
 the notice God takes of the conduct of 
 
( ( *4 j 
 his fervants, and the approbation with 
 which he beholds their faithfulnefs ; but 
 it would have been the fame thing as to 
 the glory of God, and the real honour of 
 Daniel, had the lions been futfered to de- 
 vour him: for we are to judge of the real 
 honour of men, and the glory they bring 
 to God, not by any events which may 
 befal them, but by the difpofitions which 
 they exercife independant of the events. 
 We have no right to expeft a miracle to 
 be wrought in our favour, but we may 
 all be placed in circumftances in which 
 we (hall have an opportunity afforded us of 
 manifefting the fame kind of attachment 
 to God and * Religion which Daniel did. 
 Nay, there is no man living who is riofc- fre- 
 quently pVaced in fuch a fituation, that he 
 may (hew very plainly whether he is in- 
 fluenced by. a regard to God, and whe- 
 ther he will make any facrifice to his 
 God and. his Religion. —May this ftory 
 
 ach us, while we admire the excellence 
 of Daniel's charafter, to imitate him both 
 in that conftancy of prayer by which he 
 
 ained luch excellence, and in that re- 
 verence for God, which will incline us 
 in like manner to part with every thing 
 for his fake when we are called to it, 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 f££3 6> ^ ; ! ^^C5y\-'iX^ 
 
 *m ^ JL jdL & * 'JZl-*^ fj