*the World to know they are his, and not theirs, and that their Te-| nure 1s but at the Will of the Lord folely, who can alter and alienate | rhe Property of allcheir Enjoiments, being the High Lord Paramount | above all?
26 And whereas they commanded to leave the: ſtump of the tree-roots; thy kingdom ſhall be fure unto thee 0, after that thou ſhalt have known that the heavens do rule .
o There ſhall be no other King choſen in thy room all the time thouliveſt, as a Stump ofa Tree, Job. 14. 7, $8, 9. Thou ſhalt recover all again, young Branches ſhall ſprout out of thee. p Yerſe 34, 35, fc. If Princes will not learn and know this, God will beat it into them. 'Thisisthe end of all God's Rods upon them, if they wou'd hear the Voice ofthem, and him that hath appointed them, 2 Chron. 33. 12, 13. P/al. 119. 67, 71. Micah 6.9, Though Nebuchaanezzar never proved a Convert, yet God made him acknowledge this Frath upon his Reſto- ration.
27 Wherefore, O king , let my counſe] be accep- table unto thee q, and {| break off » thy ſins by righ- teouſnels, and thine iniquities by ſhewing mercy to
the poor ; it it may be || a lengthening of thy tran-
g Theſe Words Daniel adds out of his good will to the King, if perhaps it might turn away this dreadful Stroke from him, and give
others, » The Word is well tranſlated break of, for ſoit properly fig- nifies, and not rm, as the Papiſts would wrefft it, toeſtabliſh their Works of Satisfa&tion and Merit, and is no more than this, Ceaſe to do evil, and learn to do well, change the Courſe, inſtead of oppreſ. fing the Poor ſhew them Mercy. 5 Daniel was not certain of pardon for him, nor did he altogether deſpair of it, as Peter dealt with $:- 71103 Magus, AF. 8.22. Jocl 2. 14. who knoweth if he will return and re- 2-17, Tozah 3.9. Zeph.2.1,2, 3. Though Daniel gave not this Coun- ielto elude or null the Decree of God which was immutable, yer it might turn to the King's Good many ways, if he followed this Coun- {cl. 1. Hereby this Judgment might be ſhorter in the time , and ea- fier in the rigour.2. That he might acknowledge God to be gracious to him in this Chaſtiſement. And 3. That he might become by his Reformation more capable of Pardon, and prepared for it.
28 & Allzrhis came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Art the end of twelve months : he walked || in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
; Here we ſee God did forbear the Execution of his Judgment de- crecd the ſpace of one whole Year, which may be upon Daniz/'s
it was over, and therefore ſpreads his Plumes and fſtrutted in his Pride | as high asever.
39 The kihg ſpake and faid, Is not this great « R,-
bylon that I have built x for the houſe of the Kingdom bles and Captains; the Fruits are his Riches and Revenues, the Shadow by the might of my power, and tor the honour majeſty y ?
of my
# Asto the greatneſs of this Place it might be well called Great, g,, moſt Hiſtorians and Geographers make it 45 Miles abour the Walls,fome 6o ; for the height of the Walls, they affirm tliem to be 100 Cubic, and for their thickneſs ſuch as fix Chariots might go a-breaſt upon ths top of them. See Bochart in his Phaleg. x Which Words of his are not true as to the firſt Foundation of Babylov : For that was done Nimrod or Bel., which is the ſame, Gen. 10, 10. bur if ye ſpeak touc),. ing the repairing and enlarging of it after Nizeveh was deſtroyed, £, Nebuchadnezzar might be ſaid to build it, ;.e, to make ito great ang glorious asat laſt. » The manner of proud Tyrants is to ingroſ; xj Honour to themſelves : moreover he attributes nothing to the (ignyj Goodneſs of God to him, but takes all to himſelf. Now God tha reſiſts che Proud, preſently falls upon him, and down he comes whil: he ſtood crowing and pruning his gay Feathers.
31 While the word was in the kings mouth , ther: fell a voice from heaven z, ſazing , O king Nebuchaq. nezzar , to thee it is ſpoken, The kingdom is departeg from thee a.
2 This made the Judgment more remarkable , and argued the Sin more provoking, and the Anger of God more juſt againſt him. $yg. den Judgments are moſt dreadfu], whereof we have many Inſtance, as in Herod, "Elimas, Anamas and Saphira, &c. this Voice was from God. a This Voice was aloud and clearly perceived by rhe King and chem about him, which the Dream intimated more obſcurely ; nt
the Kingdom, but the Adminiſtration of the Government was tranſ. ferred to others.
32 And * they ſhall drive thee from men 6, and thy';
dwelling ſha!l be with the beaſts of the field : they ſhall make thee to eat graſs as oxen, and ſeven time ſhall paſs over thee , until thou know that the moſt Hiph ruleth in the kingdom of men , and giveth it to whenh ever he will.
6 From the Society and Converſatian of Men.
33 The ſame hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nehu chadnezzar; and he was driven from men 6, and di eat graſs as oxen , and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles feathers , and
his nails like birds claws c.
c Being berefr of his Underſtanding , asa Man diſtraCted, he fl and betook himſelf to the Woods, or wasthruft and driven our, cither by popular Tumults, or Conſpiracy of-his Nobles, or by his Son Evil Merodaach. Some think when he raved, he was bound with Chains, and after turned ofF looſe into the Woods among Beaſts. « Which migit eaſily grow in ſeven Years to a prodigious length and deformity.
- 34 And at the end of the days, I Nebuchadnezar life up mine eyes unto heaven , and mine underſtanding r:- turned unto med, aud 1 bleſſed the moſt High , and] praiſed and honoured him that liveth for ever, whole dv
minion zs * an everlaſting dominion, and his kingdom 5'(
from generation to generation. | If
4 God ſhined upon his Soul, and gave him underſtanding to refle | upon his Condition, to conſider his ſad State and the Cauſes of it. ', e By Prayer and Praiſe adoring the Juſtice and Mercy of God to- wards him, giving God the Glory of his Soveraignty and Unchange- ableneſs, Chap, 4+ 35.
35 And * all the inhabitants of the earth ar: repu,,
'ted as nothing f : and he doth according to his will z..
in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth +: and none can ſtay his hand , or fay ugg bin, ' * What doſt thou ? 5