his promise from not only all their miseries and sorrows, but from
their disobedience, and look forward with joy to the day of
redemption. Here we perceive the "_righteousness of faith_," which far
exceeds the "_righteousness of the law_." They now delight to obey the
king because they are under the influence of love.

Here let the question be asked--are these three men to be let out of
prison at the appointed time because they believe the promise, or love
and obey the king? They are not. Their redemption depended on the
truth and faithfulness of the king's promise which he made to his son,
and that promise would have been fulfilled, even if it had not been
revealed to them till the day of their deliverance. They are not to be
set free as a reward for their _faith, love and obedience_. They have
great peace and joy in believing that promise. They are in the happy
enjoyment of a salvation by faith, and that is all the reward they
deserve, or have reason to expect. We here perceive that these three
men are made to establish the law of their king by faith in the good
news he sent them by his son, which is to them a gospel. We now see
the propriety of the apostle's language--"We conclude that a man is
justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Do we then make void
the law through faith? God forbid; yea we establish the law." We also
perceive that these three men are not to be liberated from prison
because they believe the promise, or love and obey the king. But on
the contrary it is the king's love and promise to them which sets them
free.

Let us now notice the other three prisoners. One says I do not believe
that we shall ever be released from prison. It is too good news to be
true. Well, shall his unbelief make the king's promise of none effect?
The king forbid; yea let the king be true, but that man a liar. But