affected zeal for the establishment and popularity of the MedoPersian throne, but were in truth only seeking the life of Daniel. Daniel vi, 1-9. With Darius, however, Daniel was ever a favourite; and no less so with his successor Cyrus. The prescribed period of the captivity had now nearly expired. The events of war had placed the dominion of the Eastern world in new hands, to whom the jealous, vindictive policy of Nebuchadnezzar and his successors toward the Western nations, was unknown. Human events seemed tending toward the fulfilment of prophecy; and the soul of the Hebrew revived, as the first day-streaks of hope broke upon the night of his captivity. Ezekiel had premonished the nation that though deliverance and restoration, with all their consequent blessings, were promised to the Hebrew people, "yet for all these things would God be inquired of, to do it for them." Ezek. xxxvi, 37. Jeremiah also had placed this duty clearly before the mind and conscience of the nation: "For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, In causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, And I will gather you from all the nations, And from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; And I will bring you again into the place Whence I caused you to be carried away captive." Jeremiah xxix, 10-14. In the "first year of Darius," Daniel, having carefully reviewed the prophecies concerning the restoration, (such as Jeremiah xiii, xxv, xxix, and 1,) "set his face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes," for his people. Daniel ix, 1-19. His solemn, earnest, and agonizing supplications and confessions, recorded in chapter ix of his prophecy, ought to be read with serious and devout attention. At the close of his supplications he received a new prophetic disclosure concerning the future destiny of his people. From about this time hopes of emancipation seem to have been entertained with more confidence, and to have awakened new life in the nation. They could now say, "Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: For the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come." Psalm cii, 13. At this point we shall insert those Psalms written during the captivity, which seem, by their tone and phraseology, to indicate an immediate expectation of return among the captives. Psalm cii is supposed by some to have been written by Daniel. Read Daniel ix, 1-19. PSALM CII. DURING THE CAPTIVITY, WHEN THE CAPTIVES BEGAN TO INDULGE AN EXPECTATION OF IMMEDIATE RELEASE. The Psalmist maketh grievous complaint, 1-11; he comforteth himself in the eternity of God, 12, and in the faithful mercy of God to Zion, 13–22, and in the unchangeableness of God, 23-28. ¶ A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. 1 Hear my prayer, O LORD! a And let my cry come unto thee. 2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble, 3 Incline thine ear unto me in the day when I call; b For my days are consumed 'like smoke, And my bones are burned as a hearth. a Exodus 2. 23. b James 4. 14. 1 Or, (as some read,) into smoke. 4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass, So that I forget to eat my bread. 5 By reason of the voice of my groaning My bones cleave to my 'skin. 6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert. 7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top. 8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; с d And they that are mad against me are sworn against me. 9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, And mingled my drink with weeping, 10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath; For thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. 11 My days are like a shadow that declineth, And I am withered like grass. 12 But thou, O LORD! shalt endure forever, And thy remembrance unto all generations. 13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; For the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. 14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, And favour the dust thereof. 15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, And all the kings of the earth thy glory. 16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, He shall appear in his glory. i 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, And not despise their prayer. 18 This shall be written for the generation to come, And the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. 19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanc tuary, From heaven did the LORD behold the earth; 20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To loose 'those that are appointed to death, 21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, And his praise in Jerusalem; 22 When the people are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. 23 He 'weakened my strength in the way, He shortened my days. 24 I said, O my God! take me not away in the midst of my days; Thy years are throughout all generations. 25 Of mold hast thou laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26 They shall perish, but Thou shalt 'endure; Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. 27 But Thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end. 28 The children of thy servants shall continue, And their seed shall be established before thee. Heb. the children of death. 4 Heb. afflicted. m See Gen. 1. 1. 6 Heb. stand. n See Job 14. 12. • Mal. 3. 6. Heb. 18. 8. James 1. 17. PSALM L. DURING THE CAPTIVITY, WHEN THE CAPTIVES BEGAN TO INDULGE AN EXPECTATION OF IMMEDIATE RELEASE. The majesty of God in his Church, 1-4; he commandeth to gather his saints, 5, 6; he reproveth his people for a merely ceremonial religion, destitute of spirituality, and defective in morality, 7-22; he delighteth in sincere worship and upright morality, 23. TA Psalm of Asaph. 1 The Mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, And called the earth From the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. 3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a A fire shall devour before him, And it shall be very tempestuous round about him. 4 He shall call to the heavens from above, And to the earth, that he may judge his people. c 5 Gather my saints together unto me, Those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. 6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: 7 For God is judge himself. Selah! Hear, O my people, and I will speak! O Israel, and I will testify against thee! 9 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices Or thy burnt-offerings, to have been continually before |