It  was  a  grand  theatre  on  which  Daniel  then  stood.
On  the  one  side  was  the  world-wide  monarchy,  irresis-


222  Belshazzar.
tible,  conquering,  as  the  heathen  thought,  the  God  of
the  vanquished.  On  the  other,  a  handful  of  the  wor
shippers  of  the  One  Only  God,  captives,  scattered,  with
no  visible  centre  of  unity,  without  organisation  or
power  to  resist,  save  their  indomitable  faith,  inwardly
upheld  by  God,  outwardly  strengthened  by  the  very
calamities  which  almost  ended  their  national  existence,
for  they  were  the  fulfilment  of  His  word  in  whom  they
believed.  Thrice,  during  the  seventy  years,  human
power  put  itself  forth  against  the  faith ;  twice  in  edicts,
which  would,  if  obeyed,  have  extinguished  the  true
faith  on  earth ;  once  in  direct  insult  to  God.  Faith,  as
we  know,  '  quenched  the  violence  of  fire,  stopped  the
mouths  of  lions.'  In  all  three  cases  the  assault  was
signally  rolled  back ;  the  faith  was  triumphant  in  the
face  of  all  the  representatives  of  the  power  and  intelli
gence  of  the  empire ;  in  all,  the  truth  of  the  one  God
was  proclaimed  by  those  who  had  assailed  it.  Unbelief,
while  it  remains  such,  must  deny  all  the  miracles  and
all  superhuman  prophecy.  But,  if  honest,  it  dare  not
designate  as  '  objectless '  miracles  which  decided  the
cause  of  truth  on  such  battle-fields.
Nor  was  Daniel's  position  any  slight  mitigation  of
the  captivity,  or  any  slight  protection  of  his  people.
