fe . In the Plains of Pwa,where great Multitudes might eaſily be gathered, and behold it lifted up on high, conſpicuous toall : They beheld ir with Admiration, ready to adore it, in obedience to the King's Will and Pleaſure ; for whatſoever pleaſed him, pleaſed them, walking willingly after the Commandment, as Jeroboam by his Calves made Iſrael to fin : Heatheniſh and profane Men are unſtable as Water, and blown any way by every wind of Dotrine, ſuitable to their Princes,and to their own Lults. If the King had commanded Idols ro be broken and burat, and the Worſhip of the true God to be ſet up, this People would not have been fo torward in their Conformity, becauſe Men are
- generally more inclined to falſe Worſhip than true,
4 Then an herald r cried - aloud , To you f it is
* commanded, O people, nations and languages 5,
r It is likely there were many Heralds at the Head of that great Concourſe, elie they could not all hear. s Proclamation was made therefore in ſeveral Languages, to ſome of ſeveral Nations allembled
D ANTIE L;
[man that ſhall hear the found of the Cornet”, flute, harp; ſfack-but , pfaltery and dulcimer, and all kinds of muſick, ſhall fall downi and worſhip the golden image: | |
1: And whoſo falleth not down and worſhippeth . me he ſhould be caſt into the mid(t of a burning firy Urnace.
12 There are certain Jews whom thou baſt ſet over the affairs of the province of Babylon , Sha- drac, Meſhach and Abed-nego : theſe men, O king,
up &.
2 Now the Devil's Cloven-foot appears ; now ye have the bottom of the Plot: one of theſe two is clear, theſe Chld:ans finding the F-ws made Courtiers, and preferred to Places of Truſt and Honour, they either put the King upon this Work, or elſe made uſe of it both to ſatisfy their Ambition, and wreak their Malice againit thoſe three Worthies; as they dealt with Danie!,chap. 6. 4, 5. they accuſed the Jews, which word {ignities to c 11uminate, and allo to eat vp and devour, which 15 the deſign of Envy and Malice ; ſee how they go to work : 1. They ſtrike while the Iron is hot, they take the King in his Huff. 2, They read a Law Eſtabliſhed. 3 Then they ſay the Jews do nor obſerve the King's Laws, a People already obnoxious. 4. Yea, ſeveral of them deſpiſe the King's Laws and Authority. 5. They abuſe the King's great Favour and Indulgence to them. 6. They ſhould give good Example, being in Places of Truſt and Dignity. 7. Yet behold, they declare their Contumacy and Rebellion in not confotming to the King's Laws : This ſet the King all in a flame of Rage and Fury, and commana:d to bring theſe three Men before him,
13 «| Then Nebuchadnezzar in 4's rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meſhach and Abed- nego a: then they brought cheſe men before the king.
a Why not Daniel too, becauſe he was chief of all in Honour ? 4». Becauſe the King had a greater Favour for him; and he was popular, and beloved for his great Wiſdom and unblameable Carriage: they
would not meddle with him now, left by his Knowledge, and Intereſt in the King, he might chanceto ſpoil their Plor.
1+ Nebuchadnezzar -ſpake and faid unto them, 1s 3t
*..
Chap. III,
T bave not regarded thee, they ſerve not thy gods, + Chald. nor worſhip the golden image which thou hait fer #2ve /e +:
reward 101 ?3e7,
CI Pr 209.4 ow. - 6g Pn.
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i mn _
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there, and tothe Repreſentatives of al]. l true, O Shadrach, Meſhach, and Abed.nego ? do not yell Or, F
5 That at what time ye hear the found of the cornet, [terve my gods, nor worſhip the golden image which l have?2%%, mi XOU, 21,
F flute , harp, ſack-but, pfaltery, || + dulcimer, and |ſet up b 2
all kinds of muliek 5, ye fall down and worſhip the golden image that up 4,
: 3. e. Wind and ſtringed Inſtruments of various Sorts and Faſhions; for we have here Cyrian and Greek Ones, as appears by the words though in Cha'dec Letters ; for this mighty Monarch was Lord over them all. « Mark, all that is required of them is only a Geſture of Worſhip, without Oral Profeſſion : The Pomp and Equipage, the fo-
| kkmn Sound of the Muſick,and the ſ{tri& Command, were enough to in- | ducethem to ſtoop and fall down to it : This is one of Satan's great
Engines, to draw the World from God's pure Worſhip, and the Sim- plicity that is in Chriſt,dazling Mens Eyes,and bewithching them with a gawdy whoriſh Dreſs of idolatrous Service, as ye ſee in this Exam-
ple, and Rev. 17.4, 5. all which ariſerh meerly from hence, becauſe Mcn do not,or willnot ſee,tharGod's Worſhip is wholly Spiritual, and moſt beautiful and glorious as ſuch, 2 Cor. 3.6. to the end. By this it excels all Pagan, Jewiſh and Antichriſtian Worlhip ; all which is hu- mane, bedily, uncommanded of God, therefore diſpleaſing and pro- voking, unprofitable, enſnaring and deſtruQtive : Now idolatrous Ge- ſtures are ſinful, becauſe forbidden of God, Exod. 20. 5. becauſe this fatisfies and hardens Idolaters in their way ; alſo becauſe by this Snare and critical Mark their Proſelytes are known and diſtinguiſhed ; as here, they ſtood up, whenothers fell down ; Thus Antichriſt and New Babyle hath her Mark in the Forehead, and Handsof her Followers, Rev. 13. 15,16, 17. Primitive Chriſtians would not offer a Grain of Frankincenſe to a Pagan Ido), for fear or favour; nor true Proteſtants kneel to the Hoſt, which the Popiſh Prieſt holds up ro enſnare them.
6 And whoſo falleth not down and worſhippeth, ſhall the ſame hour be caſt into the midſt of a burning fiery lurnace x.
* This wasa Puniſhment uſual among the Chaldeans, to ſcorch, roſt and burn Offenders with Fire, Jer. 29. 22. ſee 2 Macead. 7. Z- And this the King of Moab imitated, 2 Kings 3.27. Amis 2. 1, This ſhews the helliſh Malice and Cruelty of wicked Men, eſpecially againſt thoſe that croſs their Pride and Superſtition, which was viſible in the Tor- tures Clriſt;ans were putto in the ten Perſecutions, and in the Fires
6 Now when theſe Men were brought before the King, though in :
Nebuchadnezzar the king hath ſet |Rage, yer hedorh not preſently throw them into the Fire, but makes