y Partly ſtrong and partly weak : The Rman Kingdom was divided, partly becauſe Tyranny followed Ariſtocracy, and the Government was mads up of both ; partly by reaſon of their Civil Wars; when two C: mpetitors ſtrove each for Dominion, the common People againſt the Sznate, Syla againſt Marins, Ceſar againſt Pompey 3 alſo, partly when conquered Provinces and Kingdoms caſt off the Roman Yoke, and ſet up Kings of their own, and ſo the Empire was divided into ten King- Coms or Toes. The Viſion attributes two Legs to the Image, and to the fourth Monarchy, becauſe the Romans had ſometimes Duum- wirs, two Cinſuls, two Emperors, one in the Eaſt, and the other in the
et.
42 And as the toes of the feet ere part of iron, and part of clay ; /o the kingdom ſhall be partly ſtrong, and partly || broken £5.
; This was plain in the Civil Wars of the Romans, the falling off of ſome Countries, «ſpecially in and towards the end of ir.
43 And whereas thou ſaweſt iron mixt with miry clay, they ſhall mingle themſelves with the ſeed of men 7 : but they {hall not cleave -| one to another, even as 1ron 15 not mixed with clay.
? 7, e. By Maritage; but they ſhall never ſodder well together, be- cavſe Ambition is ot ſtronger Force than Affinity and Conſanguinity
1n Rulers. 5 REAR And in - the days of theſe kings Inall the God of ett ſer up a kingdom, * which ſhall
never be deſtroyed s : and the - kingdom ſhall not be left to other people, but it Jſhall break in pieces, and conſume all theſe kingdoms, and it ſhall ſtand for cver.
+ i. e. While the Iron Kingdom ſtood, for Chriſt was born in the
Reign of Ang#ſt:zs Ceſar, Luke 2. 1. Shall the God of Heaven ſet up a King-
a'»m. Now ſee the Difference of Chriſt”: Kingdom from allother King-
doms in the World: 1. In the Rite of it, it was not by earthly Succeſ- ſion, or Arms, or Policy, 2. It is ſpiritual and heavenly in the Laws and Adminiftrationof it. 3. Jeſus Cariſt was not a meer Man, but
God-Man : He that is the King, isthe Son of God. 4. Ir is ftronger 5. It is not bound-
ed by any Limits as worldly Empires are, but truly univerſal. 6. Ir
{hail be for ever, and never deſtroyed and given to others, as the reſt
* Ia.28. 16.
j Or, which was wot 11 han.
+ Chald.
ajter this,
7 i.e. Thegreat God hath ſhewn all this, who is above all the Kingsof
gives a perfe(t Scheme and Propherical Hiſtory of things ro come, a. d]
© Sze Acts 10. 25. & i4 IT,T3. gS 38.6,
Were. 45 Foraſmuch as thou ſaweſt that * the ſtone was
Cut out of the mountain [| without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the braſs, the clay, the filver,
and the gold x; the great God hath made known to
the king what ſhall come to paſs | herealter y : and the dream & certain z, and the interpretation thereof
ſure a,
x 1. This notes the ſmall beginning of Chriſt's Kingdom viſibly. 2 The different Riſe of Chriſt from all other : His Conception by | the Holy Ghoſt, like as Melchiſedeck, withour Father and Mother, re. ſpeQively as to histwo Natures ; Iſa. 9. 6. who ſhall declare bu Genera. tion ? his Nawe ſhall be called Wonderful. 3. This Stone as a heavy Rock, tumbling down from the Mountain, brake the Image 1n pieces, which could not be faid any other did ſo, 4. Chriſt is a Stone that grinds to Pouder thoſe it falls on : He is the precious Foundation and chief Corner-ſtone of his Church for ever: 5. He is a Growing-ſtone even to a Mountain, and therefore will fill the Earth, 1 Cor. 15. 24.
the Earth, and only knows, and decrees, and effeQs furure things ; who only doth great and wondrous things. z 7.e. This Dream is no ordinary Dream, but an Oracleof God ; it is ſent from Heaven, and
out the ſpecial Providence of God, in changing Governors and Go- vernments, with particular regard to his Church under them, and above all, about the Kingdom of Chriſt, and the Growth of it; mau- gre all the Enterprizes of Pagan and Antichriſtian Rome. a Ir is not a conjeftural Guefs of the Magicians, and wiſe Men of Babylon, who uſe to prepare lying words, becauſe they have no Knowledge of the true God, and therefore are wholly unacquainted with his Secrets, which he revealeth to his Prophets by the Spirit of Prophecy, which he hath now ſignally imparted ro me, which I have faithfully made known | unto thee O King.
46 © Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and * worſhipped Daniel, and commanded that” they ſhould offer an oblation, and ſweet odours unto: him - -b This wasſtrange, that ſo great a Monarch ſhould thus worſhip his Vaſfal : thus was it ſometimes done to Men, as to Elias the Prophet, 2 Kings 1. 13. this was done in Conſternation and Admiration, becauſe
T E L. he ſaw ſo much of God in the Prophet, and in the Revelation of th Dream ; but why did Daniel ſuffer it to be done ro him? x. Thoy h he could not hinder the King in his Proftration, aad in his Ward Command, yet doubtleſs he ſhewed his Averſeneſs with much Zeal and Abhorrence, as the Apoſtles did inthe like Caſe, 4; 4. 13,1 15. becauſe it was high Sacrilege and Idolatry. 2. Ir is nor ſaid - offered Sacrifice to Danie!, but only the King commanded ir , whict doubtleſs Daniel refuſed, becauſe he was ſo careful in not defiling him. ſelf with the King's Dainries, chap. 1. 8. Alſo, in that he woulg not © mit the Worſhip of God,though with the hazard of his Life, chap. 6. "oe therefore the King being inſtrufted of Danie!, gives God aJlthe Glory in the next words. : 47 The king anſwered unto Daniel, and ſaid, Of , truth ix #, that your God is a God of gods c, and a Lorg of kings 4, and a revealer of ſecrets e, ſeeing thou couldett
reveal this ſecret f. | c A God of Gods, the greateſt and ſupream God of all the Wortg . above Baal, or Bel, and above all other Gods. -d The word is are o, maran, which in the Syriac ſignifies Lord, or high Lord, ſeeing he is the higheſt King of all the Earth : He makes, over-rules, and pulls down | whom he will, 1 7:9. 6. 15. Rev. 17. 14. and 19. 16. by this he g@. thers, that. God is a Revealer of Secrets, Ia. 48. 3,5, 6, 7,8. elf. pream God, becauſe he knowsand fore-knows, and declares all thinss future. f Therefore Daniel had it from God, who revealcd it to him which here the King confeſleth. ; . 48 Then the king made Daniel a great man P and gave him many great gilks 4, and made hin ruler over the whole province of Babylon 7, "ang chief of the governors over all the wiſe wen of B;.
bylon &.