vision. He saw a great image, the head was
of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass,
the legs of iron, and the feet of clay. He called Daniel to interpret
his dream to him, and Daniel said, "Thou, O King, art a King of kings,
for the God of Heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength,
and glory--thou art this head of gold." Then the prophet went on to
speak of other great nations, and how that all would be involved in a
common ruin, a little stone out of the mountain would roll down on the
feet of clay and break them, and then the great image, golden head, and
silver breast, and brazen body, and iron legs, would all go to
pieces--they rested on an infirm footing, fragile clay.

King Nebuchadnezzar, however, thought only of himself as the golden
head. Golden head must have golden breast, and a golden breast must
have a golden trunk, and golden trunk golden legs, and golden legs must
rest on feet of gold. That will stand, and that will represent me
better than this patchwork affair of which I dreamed. So he set him up
the golden image in the plain of Dura. That represented himself as he
regarded himself, the image seen in vision represented him as he was in
reality, as God saw him. What followed? God smote him and he went
mad. He was driven out as a wild beast into the fields, as a raving
madman, and thus he remained till his senses returned, and he
acknowledged with humility, that his prosperity did rest on a fragile
footing, and that God knew better what he was worth than did he himself.

Now apply this to yourselves. No doubt that each of you has his
excellence. One has got a head of gold, another a heart of gold. One
has the strength and endurance of iron, another has means, plenty of
silver, each has something of which he can boast; but take care not to
make golden images of yourselves and set them up, and expect every one
to bow down before them and take you at your own estimation. God will
humble you. The feet are of clay, and the proud statues will fall some
day. Therefore try to see yourselves as you really are, "Let him that
exalteth himself take heed lest he fall." "Be clothed with humility,"
is the exhortation of S. Peter, "for God resisteth the proud and giveth
grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand
of God, that He may exalt you in due time." And S. James says, "Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall l