DANIEL

In the fifth chapter of the book of Daniel we read the remarkable account of the feast of Belshazzar, king of Babylon. The story is familiar to all Bible students and though told in few words presents a vivid picture of the depravity of the king and his favorites. We read that as the feast proceeds Belshazzar grows more and more reckless and, utterly oblivious of his impending doom, he finally sends for the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had brought from the temple at Jerusalem. Out of these vessels which the Jews had dedicated to the worship of God, Belshazzar and his guests drank their wine, at the same time giving praise to the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, and of wood. The story goes on to relate that "the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand" writing upon the wall "and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote."

Whether this story is literally true or not makes very little difference to its importance. Undoubtedly something happened in the midst of the feasting and reveling which struck terror to the heart of Belshazzar, for we read, "Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another." As the custom was when anything of an unusual nature occurred, the rulers of the land, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers were immediately summoned and a reward was offered to the one who could read and interpret the writing, but not one was able to do so. That the event was unusual and startling is evident from the fact that the queen herself came into the hall and endeavored to comfort the king by reminding him of Daniel in the words, "There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods," and recalled to the memory of Belshazzar the wonderful power manifested by Daniel in the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. Whereupon Daniel was quickly brought before the king, who, after speaking in flattering terms of his excellent wisdom and understanding, asked him to read and interpret the strange phenomenon which had so greatly disturbed the feast, and promised as a reward for this same excellent wisdom and understanding that Daniel should be clothed with scarlet, have a chain of gold around his neck, and be made third ruler in the kingdom.

Here we see manifested the conceit of mortal mind, which would attempt to reward Principle, and believes it has the power to buy wisdom and understanding when necessary to its comfort and peace. This phase of error is one to which the Christian Scientist needs to be particularly alert. It is comparatively easy to detect and banish mortal mind suggestions when they come in the form of hate, persecution, jealousy, or anger, but it requires greater consecration and obedience to Principle when the same mortal mind comes with flattering speeches, cajolery, and promises of reward.

How is Daniel affected by this reference to his excellent wisdom and understanding, to his wonderful power in making known interpretations and dissolving doubts? Evidently he is neither disturbed by the excitement around him nor moved by the flattering speeches of the king; for his answer, clear and concise, is given with quiet dignity. "Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation." Daniel's understanding of Principle and his obedience to its law made him perfectly fearless, and utterly indifferent to the promises of the king, and it is this same indifference to either the threats or blandishments of mortal mind which is noticeable in his whole career. Knowing that God is the one and only power, the assumption of power by the suppositional opposite of the divine could not affect him and he knew that this counterfeit of the real could neither reward nor punish the man of God's creating. It is this same fearlessness and understanding which will enable the Christian Scientist to stand equally firm in the midst of flattery and homage, as in the midst of persecution and hate, and it is that one who goes calmly about his Father's business, indifferent alike to either praise or blame, rejoicing in knowing that his only responsibility is to reflect good in all he thinks and says and does, who will steer his course straight and will put to confusion every claim of evil that would stay his progress.

The answer of Daniel to Belshazzar is one every student of Christian Science would do well to ponder. Are we all equally wise to answer with the same firmness when mortal mind comes to us in the guise of a flattering admirer? To each one in greater or less degree, this so-called mortal mind will come with a multitude of suggestions. It will tell the student of Christian Science that he is most wonderful, and that he has excellent wisdom and understanding, but one who is alert knows that he is wonderful only as he expresses good, and that the only wisdom and understanding there is comes from God. To the extent he realizes that, as Mrs. Eddy says on page 465 of Science and Health, "Principle and its idea is one, and this one is God, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent Being, and His reflection is man and the universe," to that extent will he reflect both wisdom and understanding in all his dealings with men and will be able to answer even as did Daniel, "Thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation." It is as if Daniel had said, "What are your gifts and smooth speeches to me, O mortal? I am here at the demand of Principle, and because I honor God and His law I will read and interpret the writing for you, and so give you warning of that which is to come,—in other words, of the inevitable destruction of mortal mind and all it holds dear. What to me are your scarlet robe and chain of gold and high office? Do I not know that even now God is demanding an account of you? Principle is operating amidst this seeming confusion, and all the silly beliefs of mortal mind power and vanity must vanish, but God and His government will go on through all eternity."

Suppose that Daniel had faltered in his high resolve and strict adherence to the law of God, and been deceived by the seeming power and wealth of the king. Suppose he had come to the banquet hall flattered by his own importance and believing in his superiority over the wise men of Belshazzar's court. Would he have been able to read the writing on the wall and give the interpretation thereof? Would he have had the clearness of vision to foresee the doom of mortal mind beliefs of power and arrogance? It is obvious that he would not, because had he believed in the power of the king either to reward or punish he would have manifested the same dense materiality, and consequently the writing on the wall would have been to him an enigma striking terror to his heart as it did to the king and his courtiers, who, believing in gods many, were at the mercy of their own erroneous beliefs.

At the very beginning of his career in the court of Babylon Daniel laid a firm foundation for his future work. A prisoner in a strange land he had the moral strength to refuse the rich foods and wines which mortal mind would have thrust upon him. It would have been easy to have accepted these favors of Nebuchadnezzar the king, thus becoming a slave to appetite and luxury, but right then he proved that the very things his captors held so dear had no attraction for him, thus proving his independence and spiritual freedom even in the land where he was held a prisoner. One who has followed closely the various incidents of his career is not surprised to find him, in the reign of Darius, going without fear into the den of lions. The man who had walked with God through the reign of three kings, meeting all the shafts of envy and malice with spiritual understanding, knowing that divine Love was his constant protection, was able to meet this final test with equanimity. He never hesitated to speak that which he knew to be true. Alone he stood, always with his high ideal before him, from which neither threats nor promises could turn him aside.

The world is greatly in need of Daniels to-day,—men and women whose vision of Principle is so clear that they, too, are willing to stand alone with God for that which they know to be true, and who, in the words of Mary Baker Eddy (Poems, P.4),

Mary Baker Eddy above all others in this age, like Daniel, dared to stand alone with a true purpose, and she dared to make this purpose known. In Science and Health and her other writings, also her publications including The Christian Science Monitor, she has made this purpose known throughout the world. To-day we are reaping the benefits of her courage in establishing an international newspaper, which with its clean journalism and messages of truth is going out into all the world, healing and uplifting the nations. Mrs. Eddy faced the lions of mortal mind, such as hate, jealousy, anger, deceit, treachery, sensuality, and ignorance, in order to establish the Christian Science periodicals on a sure and firm foundation, and it is the great privilege of Christian Scientists to-day to help forward this precious work. May we all be Daniels, facing quietly and courageously every claim of evil and its threats of destruction, with the metaphysical understanding of God's omnipotence.