[1.] Wisdom; [2.] Love to his people ; [3.] Uprightness and righteousness in the discharge of that high place, where- unto he was advanced.
454 THE LABOURING SAINt's
[1.] For the first, the Holy Ghost beareth ample testi- mony thereunto, Dan i. 17. 20. ' As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all leari.ing and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers, that were in all his realm.' In all matters of wisdom and understanding none in the whole Babylonian emjjire, full of wise men and artists, were to be compared unto Daniel and his compa- nions; and Ezekiel, chap, xxviii. 3. rebuking the pride and arrogancy of Tyrus with a bitter scorn, he says, ' Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel,' or thou thinkest thyself so, in- timating that none in wisdom was to be compared unto him. [2.] Love to his people. On this account was his most diligent inquiry into the time of their deliverance, and his earnest contending with God upon the discovery of the season when it was to be accomplished, chap. ix. 1 — 4. Hence he is reckoned amongst them who in their generation stood in the gap, in the behalf of others, Noah, Daniel, and Job. Hence God calls the people of the Jews, 'his people/ chap. ix. 24. ' Seventy weeks are determined on thy people ;' the people of thy affections and desires, the people of whom thou art, and who are so dear unto thee.
[3.] For his righteousness in discharging of his trust and office, you have the joint testimony of God and man : his high place and preferment you have, chap. vi. 2. He was the first of the three presidents who were set over the hundred and twenty other princes of the provinces ; and the Holy Ghost tells you, that in the discharge of this high trust and great employment he was faithful to the utmost, ver. 4. * Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find none occasion nor fault: forasmuch as he was faithful, nei- ther was there any error or fault found in him.' Which also his enemies confessed, ver. 3. ' Then said these men. We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.'
These qualifications, I say, amongst others, were most eminent in this person, who here received his dismission from his employment.
DISMISSION TO REST. 455
(2.) There is his employment itself, from which he is dismissed, and herein I shall observe these two things:
[1.] The nature of the employment itself.
[2.] Some considerable circumstances of it.
[1.] For the first, it consisted in receiving from God, and holding out to others, clear and express visions concerning God's wonderful providential alterations in kingdoms, and nations, which were to be accomplished, from the days wherein he lived, to the end of the world. All the prophets together had not so many clear discoveries, as this one Daniel concernino; these things.
[2.] For the latter, this is observable, that all his visions still close with some eminent exaltation of the kingdom of Christ ; that is the centre where all the lines of his visions do meet, as is to be seen in the close almost of every chapter, and this was the great intendment of the Spirit in all those glorious revelations unto Daniel, to manifest the subservi- ency of all civil revolutions unto the interest of the kingdom of the Lord Christ.
This then is the person concerning whom these words were used, and this was his employment.
2. There is his dismission itself; ' Go thou thy ways.' Now this may be considered two ways.
(1.) Singly, relating to his employment only.
(2.) In reference to his life also.
(1.) In the first s-ense, the Lord dischargeth Daniel from his farther attendance on him in this way of receiving visions and revelations, concerning things that were shortly to come to pass, although haply his portion might yet be continued in the land of the living : as if the Lord should say, Thou art an inquiring man, thou art still seeking for farther acquaint- ance with my mind in these things, but content thyself, thou shalt receive no more visions; I will now employ Haggai, Zechariah, and others ; thou shalt receive no more : but I cannot close with this sense, for,
[1.] This is not the manner of God to lay aside those whom he hath found faithful in his service ; men indeed do so, but God changeth not : whom he hath begun to honour with any employment, he continueth them in it, whilst they are faithful to him.
[2.] Daniel was now above a hundred years old, as may
456 THE LABOURING SAINt's
be easily demonstrated by comparing the time of his cap- tivity, which was in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, chap. i. 1. with the time of his writing this prophecy, which is expressly said to be in the reign of Cyrus, the king of Persia; chap. x. 1. and therefore probably his end was very nigh ; and after this you hear of him no more ; who had he lived many days, it had been his sin not to have gone up to Jerusalem, the decree of Cyrus giving liberty for a return being passed.