only once in a lifetime, we should never forget its splendour, beauty, and magnificence. When we

look up to that sky, and consider that the furthest fixed star that you can see is only an outpost and sentinel of that vast host encamped upon the plains of infinitude

"For ever singing as they shine,

The hand that made us is divine"

when you recollect that all the stars that you can see, or that the telescope can bring within your horizon, are clusters revolving round some central sun (and modern astronomy has not merely guessed, but almost proved, that our sun, with all the planets-Saturn, Jupiter, the earth, the moon-form but one tiny group, among many other groups, revolving round a central sun, and that central sun, as is supposed, Alcyon, one of the Pleiades)-the impression is overwhelming. It has been supposed that Job refers to this great truth when he speaks of "the sweet influences of the Pleiades," as if inspiration, nearly 3000 years ago, had given a hint of a great truth that the latest disclosures of astronomy alone have been able to substantiate. The magnificence and grandeur of the sky is still more enhanced when I tell you that Herschel has very recently discovered stars, the light from which has been travelling nearly a million years, and has only lately reached the earth. I need not add, by way of explanation, that when we look upon the sun at twelve o'clock we do not see him actually as he is, but we see him as he was eight minutes before, for a ray of light takes eight minutes to travel from the sun to our earth. And when we look at a star of the twelfth magnitude, we see that

star as it was 4000 years ago, for that is the time that a ray of light takes to travel from a star of that magnitude. Hence a very beautiful idea has been suggested by a lady who has written a very pretty little book called "The Earth and the Stars," that it may be that the inhabitants of other orbs have senses vastly more acute than ours-which is not impossible nor improbable-and that the inhabitants of certain worlds may be seeing upon our earth, at this moment, Adam and Eve in Paradise; and that the inhabitants of other worlds may be gazing on the stupendous scene of Calvary; and thus that those grand scenes transacted upon this earth may be sending their rays, that is the vision of them, across the ocean, the infinite ocean, of space; and world after world and star after star not simply hearing but seeing, in succession, those stupendous deeds which involve glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, and good-will to millions of mankind.

THE ROYAL DREAM.

CHAPTER II.

In this chapter we have one of the most remarkable incidents recorded in the word of God. The LordLieutenant of Ireland, the Earl of Carlisle, has mentioned, in a most interesting little book he has written upon Dan. viii., that the portrait here of the kingdoms of this world is so graphic, so thoroughly illustrated by historic fact, that the inference is irresistible, that the Holy Spirit of God inspired the book of Daniel. All history is Providence fulfilling the predictions that are written in it. He states the very remarkable fact, as we shall see in the sequel of this book, that if Daniel be, as he argues most irresistibly it is, inspired-and if the book of Revelation be, as he believes most thoroughly it is, inspired, then, says that noblemannot supposed to have been a student of prophecy, nor to have had any special sympathy with those that study it -if these things be so, we are in this year 1859, on the verge of the most stupendous events, if not at the very close of this present Christian dispensation. Such are the words of one who for the first time has looked into this subject, brought a most accomplished mind and varied reading, great and reverent caution, thorough acquaintance with Scripture, to the investigation of what has perplexed many, but what seems to him to

evolve at least the very startling conclusions to which he has come.

In this chapter we discover Nebuchadnezzar coming upon the stage with all the tyranny and the intolerance of a barbaric king. It appears that he dreamed a dream, and his spirit was troubled by it; and he was so unreasonable for unreasonableness may be in palace as in cottage, in royal as in humble and plebeian personages-that he sent for the astrologers and sorcerers, and asked them, not to interpret the dream, which would have been very fair, but as it was obliterated in detail from his memory, and survived only in terrible impressions, he insists that they shall tell him what the dream was. I very much doubt if this royal personage told what was true when he alleged he had forgotten the dream. It may have been a cunning and ingenious scheme, though not very creditable to his truthfulness, to ascertain by their knowledge or ignorance here, whether they could interpret the dream or not; because, if he had told them the dream, they would have given him an interpretation, but they would have taken care to draw so largely upon the centuries that were to follow, that they would plausibly demonstrate to him that his dream would be realized hundreds of years after he had been gathered to his fathers. But in order to test their acquaintance with supernatural and divine things, he adopts the expedient of asking them to tell him what the dream was; arguing, not unnaturally, and not unreasonably, that men that had communication with divine things would be able, in virtue of that communication, to tell him what were the facts and phenomena, as well as the meaning of the dream which

he had dreamed. However, he treated them to threats rather savage and severe; for he told them, that if they could not tell him the dream, their houses should be made a dunghill, and that they themselves should be cut in pieces. They said, what seemed very natural, "Let the king tell his servants the dream :" if you will only tell us what you have dreamed, we will set our wits to work in order to interpret it; but if you do not tell us the dream, then it is a thing unreasonable—a thing that has never been before, that no astrologer nor magician has been called upon to deal with -what (and this always tells with politicians) there is no precedent for; the thing, they argued, is extravagant, and therefore we hope that your majesty will lower your demands, and tell us the facts of the dream, and we will give you the interpretation of it. But the king was too resolute to retract his determination, and therefore, as they failed in this matter, a decree went forth that the wise men should all be slain. Accidentally, the world would call it-only there are no accidents, though there may be incidents-“ Daniel answered and said to Arioch, the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king?" Why has he been so rash? might he not have made further inquiry? If quacks and empirics cannot explain it, may not Christians and prophets do so? If astrologers cannot discover the dream from the stars, may not a prophet of the Most High learn it from Him whose is wisdom, and understanding, and excellence, and glory? "Daniel," therefore, "went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation." Then Daniel consulted with his friends, and begged of them that they would