act, if either the king, or the governors sent by him, command us to do something which is _contrary to the laws of God_? Are we then to offer no resistance to them? Here the saints of old are an example for us. How did the three Jewish youths act, when they were commanded to worship the golden image, which the wicked Nebuchadnezzar had caused to be set up in the plains of Dura? Did they offer any resistance "to the king as supreme?" Did they endeavour to raise (as it is more than probable they could easily have done, from their rank and influence in the province of Babylon) a rebellion against him? No: they would not obey, indeed, the impious command of the king, because it was contrary to the commands of God; but they willingly submitted to the punishment which the king ordered to be inflicted on them. Here they offered no resistance. Remember the noble answer they made to the king, when they knew that the fiery furnace was awaiting them; "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, neither will we worship the image which thou hast set up."[4] Similar to this, also, was the conduct of Daniel under the wicked edict of Darius, which forbad him to make prayer and supplication to his God. Daniel did not rebel against the king's authority, though he would not obey him in opposition to God. He preferred the lion's den, either to rebellion against his sovereign, or to disobedience to his God.[5] And so too the early Christians acted under the persecuting edicts of the Roman Emperors. They never resisted the authority of their governors, though they refused to obey them in every thing contrary to the commands of God. While they were firm in their adherence to the truth, they were submissive to the power of the magistrate. They "obeyed God, rather than man;"[6] but they willingly submitted to the punishment to which such obedience exposed them. They preferred oppression to resistance, persecution and martyrdom to sedition and rebellion. And such, brethren, should be the conduct of the Christian in every age and country. Even suppose it possible, (which, thank God, under our just and mild government, we have no reason to apprehend, but even suppose it possible,) that we should have a wicked king, and unjust governors, who were to impose upon us, commands contrary to the laws of our God, still we must, with the Jewish youths, and with Daniel, and with "the noble army of martyrs," rather suffer, than resist. There appears to be no limitation to the command; "Submit yourselves to _every_ ordinance of man."