Annotations upon the Holy Bible — Volume 2 — Section 408

+ Chald 19 4] Then was Nebuchadnezzar # full of fury : in him, and have changed the kings word, and yielded Fila. and the form of his vilage was changed +4 againſt|their bodies that they might not ſerve nor worſhip any Shadrach, Meſhach, and Abed-nego : therefore he|g0d, except their own God 3. ipake and commanded, that they : ſhould heat the| = Thus our ofthe Mouths of Blaſphemers and Contemners of God; furnace one feven times more than it was wont to be | can the Lord ordain Praiſe ; yer all this did not draw off this Kin heat 5. | from his Jdolatry, for he ſaith the God of Shadrach, &c. not his Gog: h Which appearedin his Face, and in his Words, taking this Anſwer yoann will not work Converſion, till God work upon the Heart, for the higheſt Affront and Provocation, which as the Caſe ſtood he hic TOE Ka. 2, a He bleſſed God for four things: 1, for ſendin could not bear : The Pride of his Heart made his Indignation boil over, he >. jy aq RE his Servants that truſted in him. 2 Thar they and therefore he made the Furnace ſeven times hucter. 5 Tyrants would Th the King's Commandment, 5. e. fruſtrated it, and made it burn the People of God in Hell ifthey could. .. Ph = _ = anger him T b _ Ming, 4 : i eir ies to the Fire, and to his Fury, by + Chald. 20 And he commanded the + moſt mighty men that Pallive Obedience, rather than not obey God aQvely, by worlkit;e) | aa of were in his army, to bind & Shadrach, Meſhach, and any falſe God; 4. But only the true, whom they choſe to be ther | ferongth. Abed-nego, aud to caſt them into the burning firy own God. Obſerve alſo here the Power of Faith - It quencheth ( furnace. the Violence of Fire, Heb. 1 7. 34. and the Preſence of God with his | k What, did hethinktheſe three Men would have reſiſted ? or that | People, even in the F re, andin firy Trials, 1ſs. 43.2. 1 Per. 1. 7. and t their God would defend them from his Power; or that if he #9;9 m_ Þ fans | b theKing and his mighty Men could have prevailed * None of all this 29 Therefore + T make a decree, that every peop! was in the caſe ; for God purpoſed to ſhew his Power, when the King . . g . P -OPIC, f y g did his worſt,and to Loch Bs Violence of the Fire, both of the bus! _ _ [2DBUage, which ſpe ak + oy thing amils _ a nace, and of the King's Fury atonce ; and in the thing wherein he | SUIT the God on ohadr ach, Mefhach, and Abed-nego op T dealt proudly, to be above him. ſhall be * + cut irr pieces, and their houſes ſhall be mag," Fo | Or,van 21 Then theſe men were bound in their {| coats,| 4 dunghi]; becauſe there is no other god that can deliver, to = rr. heir hofen, and their || hats, and their orher par-[after this ſort, *( - ant; ments 7, and were caſt into the midit of the burning tiry| #* Obſerve here, that though he doth not reſolve to worſhip the true} ( me. ps furnace _ nor —— others ro do it, yethe would not allow the God of ny Lunt _— : . tne Fews to beevil ſpoken of; this was all that he came ap to : Hewag ! Thisis obſervable and wonderful, that the Fire ſhould not catch reſolved to hold fff to the Religion eſtabliſhed ; his own Idols.” , their Garments, being the moſt obnoxious toir. the great golden Idol, which had been flared a. flighted by þ "BE a 4 j 1 : bl ele E t Chatd. 22 Theretore becauſe the kings ft commandment w— three Worthies, he would not take down and relinquiſh: Thi... Dre et CBI, and the furnace exceeding hot, the || flame off the ver Quarter the true God could ger among them, nor to be ſpo. ei '—** the fire flew thoſe men » that took up Shadrach, Meſhach, ken amiſs of under great Penalty ; though he confeſſed no God elf oY and Abed-nego. could deliver after that ſtrange ſort. Bel could not preſerve his Men wo » Which made them the more haſty and precipitate in their Exe. | out of the Furnace ; God preſerves his Servants in the Furnace : All fly « cution, and took leſs care for themſelves, againſt the Violence of the | Was one for thar, Be/ ſhould be his God fill. "% P blame, » A ſignal hand of God upon ſuch as execute wicked Com- 30 Then the king + promoted Shadrach, Meſhach, and il zen mands, who though mighty Men, had no Might to eſcape the Flame Abed.nego in the province of Babylon c. ; - £ - _ Mouth of the Furnace, when the other eſcaped in the midſt £ n They that honour God, chem vill God honour: To ſuffer, ain; A 4 F q utter Shame and Pains for God, is to honour God, John 21. I9. 1 Pt, 23 Andtheſe three men, Shadrach, Meſhach, owe f! 14 Ir is probable that the Chaldeons uſed to reproach the Coder _ bed-nego, fell down o bound into the midſt of the burning | the Jews, and more upon this account, becauſe for his Sake theſe his "_— po firy furnace. —_ _ Conformity to Babylonifh Idolatry ; and their common relj Fr « o * # E o All this is expreſt with Emphaſis, to make the Power of God | Q947el with the People of God wasupon the account oftheir Religion ; more glorious in or Preſervation; for that Flame that ſlew the Exe. | Tus here in this Inſtance, and thus in Dy niet's Caſe, Dan. 6. 4,5. thi Wha cutioners, might much more eaſily have ſuffocated the three Children | 999929n, Eſther 3.8. Allo for that very thing they make them diſloyal, le they Gil down and Breakers of the King's Laws : Now God would vindicate his Peo- $ < y : # | Ple herein, and made this greatKing to do it too, knowing it was x ( * wt 24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was aſtonied, and | Grief of Heart for theſe Men, Shadrach, &c. to hear the Name of Go Or, ge. roſe up in haſte p, and ipake and ſaid unto his [ counſel- abuſed by Idolaters add profane Wretches ; and doubtleſs they com- wand vm4r:. Jours, Did not we caſt three men bound into the midſt of PR wn _ _ — them Right by _ _ Decree, my : "= . . Ong as 1t Jailed ; ſeeing the King moreover thought fit to promote i the fire They anſwered and ſaid unto the king, True, O them to Honour, 3. e. he did reſtore them to their Places, as the word > Wh king 9. 2 O_ | ſignifies, and made an Addition to their former Digaities. not, but Þ This Fear, Perturbation and Amazement, as the word ſignifies, ding of ſurprized the King; being ſurprized with the Strangeneſs of it, be. CHAP. IV. done thei holding ſomething ſupernatural in it, together with the Diſappoint- They kne ment of his Deſign and cruel Commands. 94 The Lord extorted this Nebuchadnezz ar declareth to all men the wonders and kingdom of God, 1=1. -#s now Confeſſion from them, though Engies. relateth his dream, and Daniel's interpretation of it, 4 26. he comſil peaks in 25 He anſwered and faid i La, i ſee » four men | #he king Fo repentance, 27, The event confirmath Daniel interpretation; mo yy + Charg, looſe, walking in the midſt of the fire, and + they| for which the King projſeth Gid, 28—37, | ngenes :here is no have no hurt; and the form ofthe fourth is like the ſon of | ; ME pleateth, ls is God :. | I NEbuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations - o0 Zhem, r The Fire gave Light to ſee them, though it had no power of and languages that dwell in all the earth, Peac: Cauſe I