HYMN.

My country, O my country! dear is thy name

to me!

Fair land of peace and plenty, and glorious

liberty!

On regions more luxuriant the sun perchance may shine;

But his bright beams illumine no shores more blest than thine.

My country, O my country! dear to my very heart

But whence proceeds thy glory? Why stand'st thou as thou art?

It is not wealth, nor victory, nor conquest, nor

renown;

The Bible freely read is the gem in England's

crown.

My country, O my country! yes, dear thou art

to me;

Fair island of the ocean: bright beacon in the sea !

Oh, may the light thou bearest for other countries

shine,

And let them too be favoured with blessings such as thine!

My country, O my country! oft as I kneel to

pray,

I seek God's blessing on thee-his favour day by day.

May he who England's strength and glory long hath been,

Still keep, and bless, and favour, my country and my queen!

QUESTIONS.

What do you know of the last part of Nebuchadnezzar's life?

Who was the last king of Babylon? By whom was Babylon taken, and in what way?

Can you repeat any prophecies in which these things were foretold?

How was Belshazzar engaged on the night in which his city was taken ? What warning had he received? In what state is Babylon now? Has this been foretold in prophecy? Repeat that prophecy.

What lessons may we learn from the fall of Babylon?

What blessings should we ask from God for our country?

Repeat a text which tells us how a country may be truly happy.

DANIEL IN BABYLON.

BUT you must not suppose, dear children, from what I said in our last lesson, that Babylon all at once became a ruin and a desolation. No; for many years it remained as it was; only it belonged to other nations, and had a king of its own no more. After the conquest by Cyrus, his uncle Darius, king of the Medes, took possession of it; and at his death it became part of the kingdom of

Cyrus himself. I shall have something to say to you about both these kings-Darius and Cyrus.

Daniel still remained in Babylon and he was as great a favourite with Darius as he had been with Nebuchadnezzar. He became a very great man in the kingdom, and had much to do in the affairs of the state and the government; and he was so faithful in all he did, that "the king thought to set him over the whole realm."

But Daniel had something to suffer, notwithstanding all these honours; for the other great men in the kingdom envied and hated. him, and wished to bring him into disgrace with Darius. So they tried very hard to find something of which they might accuse him;