6 The Decree was God's, and the Demand was of the Holy Angels if God would ena& and ratify it: the Angels as Commiſſioners had the Diſpenſation of it put into their Hands, and they all conſent to ic as 2 juſt Judgment of God to be executed by them according to the Will and Pleaſure of God: and they deſire of God it may be done , alluding to the Cuſtoms of ſome Nations, and ſpeaking after the man- nerof Men, for the holy Angels are zealous for God's Honour, and pray him to affert his own Soveraignty againſt thc bold Encroachments of mortal Men, eſpecially rampantand favage Tyrants, to make then know themſelves. c This Nebuchadnezzar and his Flatterers conceited he was God in Earth, independant and unaccountable to any, and though he had Notions of a ſupream God , yer he confined his Go vernment to Heaven. Jupiter in Heaven, Ceſar in Earth rules all, ſaid the heathen Poer. Bur the great God will make all Men know he rules all in Earth too, and ſets up ar his Pleaſure whom he will, and plucks them down again : All Power is of God, Row. 13, 1- who doth often make uſeof his Power in this Caſe, thereby declaring he only is arbitrary andabſolute : for Inſtance, He gives this Dignity ſometimes to the baſ-ſt of Men, as he took it from Sau! and gaveit David a poor Shepherd's Boy, Pſal. 78. 70,71. and made him a Name among the great Men of the Earth, 1 Saw. 2, 7, 8. 1 Chron. 17. 7, 8-
18 This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have ſeen : now. thou, O Belteſhazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, ſoraſmuch as ail the wiſe me of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretati- on: but thou art able, for the ſpiric of the holy gods # in thee.
I9 4 Then Daniel ( whoſs name was Belteſhazzar was aſtonied for one hour , and his thoughts troubled him c: the king ſpake and faid, Belreſhazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof trouble thee #- Belteſhazzar anſwered and ſaid, My Lord, the dream te to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies g. |
e Becauſe he foreſaw ſuch tragical things coming upon the King, for whom he had ſuch reverence for the high Favours and Honours he had conferred on him, and he was afraid to declare them ; theſe things coming upon him while he was a&ed by a Spirit of Prophecy, doub. led his Conſternation, and troubled his Thoughts, Dar. 10. 16 17. f Speak out freely, let the event be what ic will. 5 Though this King werea Tyrant and an Enemy of God and his People, yet che Prophet is grieved for him,and prayed for him chat God would avert his Judg- mentsfrom him and lay chem rather upon his Enemies, Fer. 29. 7.
20 The tree that thou faweft , which grew, and was ſtrong, whoſe height reached unto the heaven, and the ſight thereof to all the earth ;
21 Whoſe leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof
much, and in it 2s meat for all ; under which the bealts of
and behold. a watcher «, and * an holy one came down * chap. g.
and wis/m 17128
17 This matter & by the decree of the watchers [| Or, pc:--
Chap. IV. DANIEL Cha
upon his Humiliation, 1 Kings 21. 27. and God would try TWry giving him ſpace of Repentance, as he did to them before the Flood
. c
"Fer.27.5
| Or, re- acem,
Prov. 16.
6. So Gr. quillity 5.
| Or, a7; h:aling
*Line e700. the King ſome hopes of mitigation at leaſt, as it was with Nincveh and
þ. Orc.z 207.
* dwelling ſhall be with the beaſts of the field, and they
of the tie!ld dwelt ; and upon whoſe branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation ?
. Gen. G . 3, and to Jezebel, Rev. 2.21, but it is moſt probable th 22 Ie « thou, O king +, that art grown and be-[\.. 1. 7 lire aftonied ar the firſt, when he heard God's Ough he
Decree -
come ſtrong : tor thy greatneſs is grown and reacheth gainſt him; yethe having this reſpite, he grew hardned, and thought
unto heaven 7, and thy dominion to the end of the: earth k,
h Thou art he that is meant by it. The King is the Tree, the Bran-! ches are his Princes, Children and Nephews ; the Leaves are bis No-
is the Protetion which his People had under him. See Achmeres of the Language of the Eaſt. Now in that he ſpeaks plainly and roundly the whole Truth, this Prophet is hereina Pattern toevery faithful Miniſter of Chriſt. Firſt to preach the Truth of God, and to apply it without reſp: of Perſons, and yet with that Wiſdom and Moderation, that - Men hay ſee they have a compaſſionate Care for their Souls. 7 Thou art High and Mighty in the Majeſty and Splendor which God hath gi- ven thee & Say ſometo the Caſpian Sea North, to the Euxine and Z&gem Weſt, ro the Mediterranean South, for 1t 15 not clear thar it 1eached further, and this alone was great. 39
2 And whereas the king ſaw a watcher, and an holy one coming down from heaven, and ſaying, Hew,
the tree down , and deſtroy it , yet leave the ſtump,
of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and braſs in the tender graſs of the field, and let;
|
it be wer wich the dew of heaven , and /er his portion.
be wich the beaſts of the field , till ſeven times paſs over him; : : | £50
24 This is the interpretation , O king /, and this «| the decree of the moſt High, which is come upon my lord
the king : |
1 This is the Decree of the moſt High which 15 come upon my | Lord the King. By ſaying theſe Words, my Lord the King, he endea- | vours to {weeten the bitterneſs of this Cup of God's Diſpleaſure as much as he can,
25 That they ſhall * drive thee from men, and thy
thall make” thee to eat graſs as oxen, and they ſhall wet thee with the dew of heaven m, and ſeven times ſhall paſs
over thee, till thou know that the moſt High ruleth in the, kingdom of men, and * giveth it to whomſoever he' will 2.
» Becauſe thou haſt lived a brutiſh Epicarean Life, and were lifted up above the common Race of Mankind in thy Heart , therefore thy Fate ſhall be nor to be caſt out to live among the baſeſt and meaneſt fort of Men, which were hard enough, nonot among Herdſmen, as if that were too good for him, but among the Beaſts,to herd with them. This was ſuch a thundering Pea], that it was wonderful the King could endure to hear without Wrath and Fury boiling in his Hearr, yet the Lord withheld him. = How hard is1t for lofty Princes to learn this
Leilen, that God is the Giver of all they have, and will call them to accounc ſeverely forall they do, and make the Kings and Kingdoms of