The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-05-23
The sunday School.
Dasr 81 81

Tie tine q tais lesson Is Al.oai IS
3 G AID the eighteenth year a Net
aeaasaezzar The place was Baby
Toe. as4 Tie plaza q Dara b. Tie wAl
e The city There waa 10 kiag i
Js3ah, ADD NebachAdntz1ar vas kia,
q BatyioB
Daaiel AID Ezekiel we're prophets ii
Babylon, aad Jeremiah 10 Jerusalem.
AebgehadnezEar bad now forgotter
about The 0ed q heascn, sad bic dream
q the empires which Daniel interpreted
. u him.
The image set up Being mau o.
great ambition and Of great undcrlak.
iags. be bad subdued nations an liz
empire vas universal and az bis gods
bad thas shown tia, they were strqqg-
e than any other gods, be would com.
plment them by the erection OF great
image Of some one which be especially
rcverenced And that the worship Of
his fasorile god might be as extensive
a. The obedience which the nations
gave 70 him. from all parts Of bis great
dominion the official orders were sum.
moned 70 its dedication. Being nearly
hundred feet ia height. vnd not more
THAI ten feet 10 width, it's otherwise
absurd proportions show that il was
set upon a pedestal Of some consider.
able elevation aud being but plated,
the amount Of gold required was not
incredible The gold used in that
structure was largely gathered from
the temples OF conquered nations,
which in the belief of the times were
The temples of conquered gods. 1t
Was seen from immense distances and
at sunrise, the hour OF prayer IN the
ORIENT as the first rays glowed upon
its head, the vast multitudes engaged
in its worship.
Both strangers and citizens, men OF
every nation, language and religion,
and captives alike, at that
time IN Babylon, were required to join
u tho prostration before the idol. But
The the three Judean captiyes " ~
refused 10 do 80 and refusal to wor.
ship the god Of the king was regarded
as an act OF disloyalty and opposition
10 the country, as both irreligion and
high treason, which is the reason the
punishment was made 30 severe.
Foreigners in the service Of the coun-
Try would therefore be very closely
watched; and when the three captiyes
iisobeyed the royal edict their doom
was Immediately pronounced and exc
'uted without delay.
The three in the fire: [2l-23. ! /
These men are mentioned in v. %, and
10Th their Jewish aud foreign names
IRE given in CHI. 6, =, Their original
names are all associate with Jehovah,
tut the Chaldee names are connected
With idol gods. Daniel not being
mentioned, we are led to suppose he
vas not in the city at that time, or that
is position raised above persecution.
he coats Of those men were outer
nantles, or long robes, with girdle.
heir hosen were long, wide. and loose
rowsers, such as are now worn in the
last; or garment Of fine linen reach.
~ to the knees. Their hats, margin,
ar6ans, were probably not hats, in the
resent meaning ofthe word, but rath.
a cloak or outer clothing, garment i
'ound about the person. All these be- ,
'ngod to the Babylonian courtier dress !
that day but their exact form is not
nown with certainty. The furnace
'as probly 10 pit, but with an open
lg above where materials for smelling
'ere put in, and one below where the
lelted iron, etc. were taken out. Into /
lat, bound with all their usual cloth
u on. the young men were cast.
lbe furnace was exceeding hot
,yen times heated. meaning many
mes. Any approach was therefore
angerous, IRON the beloning flames u
ut no delay, and no arrangements for
'ieiy were allowed by the king. The
re slew those men who cast the youth
TO y, the flame rushing out as soon ri
the opening was made; bat it slew
nly their enemies. y
The three fell down bound aud
lcir bonds were such as were not b
armed Of for the Babylonians bound R
'eir captiyes and prisoners with chains ;,
Ter. Il 1 Iii; III. Sueh heroic men 3
e king had never found before in all r.
; realm His decree was perempto. e e
y resisted, his anger was kindled to "a
) height, bis furnace was intensely i
saied 40 as to make it sure that even +
eir God could not deliver them ". q
y aud the result was that the mir. NJ
e was signaiized, tbe fame Of il D
idely spread, aud lis mora impression + +,
.epened. q
- ID
Unframed and comforted [24. IS
zen, soon after the meu were thrown =
/, when the king had looked into the %
mace. and seen whnI he dnacrihes hi