inquiry by Interrogatories, that he might ſee firlt if they were guilty, by hearing them ſpeak for themſelves, and telling them he expe&ted Obedience and Conformity to his Laws fromthem; and it was ia vain to look for any Indulgence from him, he would bate them nothing, th2y ſhould- be burned : What, do ye make a Jeſt of my Gods, and my Religion, and my Commands ? fo the word z/:d4z in the Syriac doth ſometimes lignify to ſcof or deride ; as if he had ſaid, Is ir true in- deed, that ye refuſe to worſhip. my Gods ? What, do ye doit in ear- neſt, or in jeſt ? It ſeems by your Carriage, if it be true what I hzar of you, that yeſlight my Gods, and make a mock of my Authority ; bur ye ſhall know there is no jeſting with theſe Edge-tols.
15 Now if ye be ready, that at what time ye hear the found of the cornet, flute, harp, ſackbut, plaltery , and dulcimer, and all kinds of muſick, ye tall down and worſhip the image which I have made , ell : but if ye worſhip not, ye ſhall be caſt the ſame hour into the midſt of a burning firy furnace ; _ my z# that God that ſhall deliver you out of my ands c
c Prodigious Pride and Blaſphemy ! for he doth not only inſult 0- ver all Godsin general, but particularly againſt the only true God, whom he lately confeſſed, chap. 2.47. to be a God of Gods, and a Lord of Kings; fo the King of 4ſyris, 2 Kings 18.30,33. Thus all the Tyrants of the Eaſt, Turk, Mogul, Cham, whoſe very Titles are Blaſ- phemy. It's a wonder why theſe M-n worſhip any God, ſeeing they ſerup themſelves above all. Reaſon of State makes them ſet up ſome- what to keep the People in awe ; they themſelves are exempt, and care for none. The root of Nebuchadnezzar's Arrogance Jay chiefly here, he had burnt the Temple of the Jews God, and made Slaves of his People, and hedidnotdeliver either, and therefore thought he could not, and ſb preſumes the ſame now ; but God will make him quickly of another mind.
16 Shadrach, Meſhach, and Ahed-nego anſwered and
Q Þ has
which Antichriſt hath kindled in all his Reign, againſt the Witneſſes of Jejus ; witneſs the Book of 4#s and Monuments ; Whom they cannot al- ure with their Gawdery, they fright with their Fires and Maſacres ;
faid to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, || * we are not care-1| Ord,
ful to anſwer thee in this matter 4. not;fo Gr, 4 Heb. We care not, we may nor, there is nonecd of any Anſwer in* Mat.19.
as ye ſee the EffeQts of both in the Verſe following.
7 Therefore at that time, when all ths people heard the found of the cornet , flute , harp , fack-but , pſal- try, and all kinds of muſick, all the people, the na- uons, and the languages , fell down and worſhipped n golden image | that Nebuchadnezzar the king had
up.
7 The ſame Methods hath New Babylon followed,in the long Slavery «their falſe Catholick Church ; for the whole World wondred after the Baſt, and none could make War with him, Rev. 13. 3, 4, 7, 8-
3 T Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came mar, and accuſed the Jews.
. 9 They ſpake and faid to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
" Thou, O king, haſt made a decree, that every '0l. 11
the King is reſolved to have his Will of us, and we are reſolved onthe contrary : For to obey. him in this horrid thing, will be Diſobedience againſt our God, to the higheſt.
17 Ifit be /o, our God whom we ſerve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will e deliver ws
out of thine hand, O king. | |
e They were indued with a ſtrong Faith in theic God, not only as ro his Power, which was omnipotent and unlimited, but alfo as to his Will, which readily inclined him to fuccour his Servants in their Di- ſtreſs, for his Name, according to his Promiſe, and the Saints Experi- ence in the like Caſes of Extremity. |
18 But if not f, be ic known unto thee, O king, that we will not ferve thy gods, nor worſhip the golden image
which chou haſt ſet up g- k
(Ee 2] f They
this Caſe, for it is in vain for us to deliberate and debate rhe Matter ; 19.
4
Chap. IIT.
to this Deliverance abſolutely, for God is free, and knows how to de- liver, and ſometimes to ſuffer his Saints to glorify him by ſuffering. g It was therefore all a cafe ro them which way of the two God would honour himſelf; they were reſolved to venture ſuffering rather than {inning, and leave the Cauſe to God.
28
the God of Shadrach, Meſha hath ſent his angel, and deliv
DANIETL,
f They add this, 6: ifns!, to ſhew they did not preſume to tie God ob World in its height, by workin
Then Nebuchadnezzar
g againſt and above Naty utmoſt ſphear of Activity is limited by God.
ſpake, ch, and
Chap. re, whoſe
and ſaid, Bleſfed z, Abed-nego Z, Who
ered his ſervants that truſted