Part 22 (2/2)
Then spoke the king:
”I make a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom, men tremble and fear before the G.o.d of Daniel: for he is the living G.o.d, and steadfast forever, and his kingdom is that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”
”O king, live forever!” cried the well pleased throng.
Daniel was taken into the royal chariot and seated by the side of the king, and the royal train moved forward, amid the triumphant shouts of the populace.
Thus fidelity to the G.o.d of Israel was abundantly rewarded.
CHAPTER XXVII.
IN TWO years after these occurrences Darius the Mede died; and about the same time died also Cambyses, the father of Cyrus, in Persia. Cyrus, therefore, returned to Babylon, and took upon himself the government of the empire.
The history of the lions' den, with all the intrigues that led to it, made Daniel thrice dear to the inhabitants of Babylon. His name commanded reverence wherever it was mentioned, He was looked upon as an angel of mercy, goodness, and wisdom, sent by the G.o.ds to bless the race.
Cyrus, for a long time, had desired the opportunity of a prolonged interview with Daniel, of whom he had heard so many wonderful things, both as a minister to the king of Babylon and also while administering the affairs of the kingdom under the reign of his Median uncle. The Persian was already well versed in current history. Of the G.o.d of Israel he had heard much of late, and he felt a strong inclination to hear more.
And of whom could he learn to better advantage than of the famous Hebrew prophet? The celebrated Persian, from his infancy, had been taught to wors.h.i.+p and adore the imaginary G.o.ds of his own country; but he had always felt doubtful in regard to the existence of these G.o.ds; and many of the popular theories of Persia, in regard to their various deities, were, to him, full of inconsistencies and contradictions.
Not many days after his arrival in Babylon, the royal chariot was seen to halt at the door of Daniel's residence; and, moreover, the king himself was seen to enter.
”Thou wilt pardon this sudden intrusion,” said Cyrus; ”I have long desired an interview with the president, and for this purpose I have entered his house; the king is happy to find that he is not absent.”
”My lord the king hath greatly honored his unworthy servant by entering under his roof,” said the old Hebrew. ”This condescension of the great Persian conqueror is a favor of such a magnitude that it shall never be forgotten.”
”Let not my aged friend Daniel speak thus,” said the king, in a friendly manner. ”Call it not condescension in Cyrus to seek the society of one who has justly earned the reputation of being the most profound statesman that ever moved among mortals. Let the king rather consider himself honored in being permitted to listen to thy words of wisdom and understanding.”
”Humility becometh well the potentates of earth. But yet, O king, thou beholdest not the real grandeur of thy mission. Thou knowest not that thou art the peculiarly anointed--not of the G.o.ds, but of the only G.o.d of heaven, the Almighty Jehovah, the G.o.d of Israel, to pour his wrath upon the nations, and to restore the children of Judah to their own land.”
”Thou hast touched a theme on which, above all others, at this time, the king would choose to dwell. Of the G.o.ds I have but an imperfect knowledge. Conscious am I that under the particular direction of some invisible power I have been led forward in all my movements, from my youth up. I was taught to wors.h.i.+p the G.o.ds in my juvenile days; but ever since I arrived at years of thought and judgment, my mind has been greatly perplexed by what seemeth to me to be glaring inconsistencies in our theory of religion.”
”Praised be the name of Jehovah, under whose direction thou comest at this time to seek knowledge! Happy is thy servant Daniel to know that he is indeed able to impart unto the king that which he inquireth after.
Jehovah is the only G.o.d, and the signs which he hath in all ages given of himself, O king, are abundant. We hear much of the exploits of the G.o.ds of the heathen; but of these performances there are no proofs, and they exist only in the imaginations of their wors.h.i.+pers. Not so with our G.o.d-- the G.o.d that made the world. The history of our nation, which history no one can gainsay, is an a.s.semblage of miracles. Examine the records of our historian Moses, who conversed with G.o.d face to face. Our G.o.d brought us out from under the dominion of Pharaoh with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. He gave evidence of his presence by the infliction of twelve terrible plagues on the king of Egypt and his people. He opened before the Hebrews a pa.s.sage through the sea, and brought them dry-shod to the opposite sh.o.r.e. For forty years were they fed with manna from heaven, while water was called forth from the flinty rock. And as the waves of the Red Sea were parted before them as they left Egypt, so, in like manner, were the waters of Jordan parted as they left the plains of Moab; and thus were they settled in the land of Canaan. Since that day, nine hundred and fifteen years have pa.s.sed away; and during all this period, Jehovah hath given unto his people abundant signs of his presence. Thus our G.o.d is not a being that dwells only in the imagination of men, but his wonderful acts, O king, are written on the pages of correct history.”
”If these things are so, surely the G.o.d of Israel is the only G.o.d. But, Daniel, thou knowest that it is much harder for Cyrus the Persian to believe these things than for thee, who art a native Hebrew, and a firm believer in the G.o.d thou wors.h.i.+pest. Have not the Persians their histories of their G.o.ds as well as ye?”
”They have, O king! But those histories are dark, indefinite, and without date, which is a conclusive evidence that they are fiction, and not history. If my lord the king hath aught to doubt in regard to the correctness of our ancient historians concerning our G.o.d, what thinketh he of those miraculous displays of Divine power witnessed by his servant and by thousands more, during the last threescore years and ten?”
”Proceed, Daniel; the king is well pleased to hear thee!”
”Be it known to thee, O king, that all the calamities that of late have befallen Babylon have come to pa.s.s in perfect accordance with the predictions of G.o.d's prophets, some of whom prophesied over two hundred years before these events transpired. When thou comparest these prophecies with the actual occurrences, there remaineth no longer a place for doubt. Even the draining of the Euphrates, O king, was spoken of by the prophet of Jehovah over one hundred and fifty years before the wonderful thing was conceived in thy mind.”
”Enough, O Daniel! Enough!” cried Cyrus. ”If thou art able to show me this thing, I ask no more!”
The Hebrew sage, with a peculiar smile of satisfaction on his countenance, rose from his seat, and took from a shelf what appeared to be a scroll of ancient ma.n.u.script.
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