f A due Conſideration of God's infinite Greatneſs makes the Cres ture appear as nothing in compariſon of God. Creatures are nothing to help, nothing to hurt , nothing abſolutely , nothing in duration, nothing ſolid and ſubſtantial, nothing without dependance, and influ- ence, and ſupport from God. God is 7 am, and there is none ele; /* rily every Man in his beſt Eſtate # altogether Vanity. Sclah. Pal. 39-5: yea, leſs than Vanity, and nothing, Pfal. 62. 9g. Iſa. 40. 17. g Pſal. 115. 3. God only is Arbitrary. +þ Being the Lord of Hoſts, and tht only abſolute , and univerſal Monarch of the World. 7 He 1517t- ſiſtable and uncontroulable, Jobg. 12. 1ſaiah 45. 9. Romans 11: 35 342 35, 36- |
35 At the fame time my reaſon returned unto & me, and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour al + brightneſs returned unto me/; and my counſellours?s and my lords fought unto me 2, and I was eſtabliſhed my kingdom 7, and excellent majeſty was added unto me 0.
k What isa Magiſtrate, yea, or a Manwithout Reaſon ? ABruts, as 2 Ship withour a Pilot , as an Army without a Commander, *3 Flock or Herd without a Shepherd. 7 Inſtead of the Shape of 2 ſavage Beaſt, I got the Majefty of a King in. my "Countznanct m They who before deſpiſed and reje&ed me, now were glad to Cie? to me, and to know their place and diſtance. » In my wonted Pow!
Words, and h: did reform ſomewhat, as Ahab was ſpared a good while
and Place, owned and obeyed withour Competitors by all ; wits Queſtion or Complaint, ſee chap, 5. 18, 19, o He was the molt ou
E#pleaſed
; Piece 9
Band Cor
Fannve: @ZBut thi:
Mecoed, frank w proved f 2 B ned to Father ble wl rinces
u This akea n emple,! od and onour ntouch? rofanen
managed |
od: Th Ir hereof bat ſhook Ntigued: Daztzay fla ©e it with bich affo! onviQtion Ttor to hj fr Jollic
| 6 The Is thou INS Wer her 4.
c His che IT hadqui
"mn. dS
ap. Y. | A guſt and Magnificent Pr led che Lady of Kingdoms, Now I Nebu the king of heaven P way's judgment 9, an abaſe 7. ; Thus can the Lord make the ſtonteft Hearts to ſtoop and do him M7 Shoot This Doxology proceeds from his Heart. 9q God 1s Truth eſſentially : He 1s che Rule and Srandard of Truth, his Words are Truth, his Ways are Truth; and they areJudgment : Heis wiſe, and hath dealt juſtly with me for my Pride, and in very faithfulneſs hath affliged me, and in very tenderneſs hath reſtored me : I do and ever ſhall adore him for ir. » As he hath declared upon me 1n ſtupendous Changes, which I proclaim to all the World to his Glory. He had a juſt Controverſie with me, and I have no ground to quarrel with him, but togive him Glory by this Confeſſion.
CHAP. V.
Belſhazzar's wicked feaſt : profaneth the weſſels of the temple, 1 ——=4, s troubled'at a hand-writing, which the magicians couldnt read, 5 — 9. Daniel by the commendation of the queen, us ſent for : refuſeth the king”; giftt : reproveth his pride and idolatry, 10 -24- then readeth and in- typreth the hand-writing, which portendeth his ruine, 25—29, Darius the Median in the ſ.If-ſame night taketh his kingdom, 30,31.
Ifa. 47. 7, 8.
d thoſe that walk in pride he Is able to
uy Elſhazzar / the king * made a great feaſt z to a thou. ſand of his lords, and drank wine before the
| thouſand. { His Name is from Riches and Power. They were wont when they
were promored to take new Names, which alſo were ſignificant, as thisis., Belſhazzar, Bel hath or gives Power and Riches. This they artribured to the honour of their [do], which belongs only to the God of Heaven. There is much conteſt among the Learned who this Bec/. | ſhatſar was ; Jet us mind the Scripture, and not truſt zo Heathen Hi- forians. In the ſecond werſe here he is called the Son of Nebuchaanezzar his Father, ſo verſe the 11:þ twice, and ver, 13, 18, 22, If he were his Son, then was he called alſo Merodach, or Evil-merodach. Yet he might © be called his Son tho' his Grandſon : under theſe three was the Capti- Wvity, Fer 27. 7. Nebnchadnezz ar, Evil-merodach, and B:lſbazzar. t Atter B#the manner of the Eaſt, who ſhewed their Magnificence this way, and pleaſed theEpicurean Palats of his Nobles herein, it being no ſmall Fpicce of Policy with ſome Princes to oblige their Grandees by Ba/; Sand Compotations. This I believe: Yet I conceive alſo, this Feaſt was anniverſary for the Honour of their Idol Bel, as Herodotus reſtifieth. Bur this is prodigious, that he ſhould carouſe when th: Ciry was be. * ieged, and ready to be taken by Dnrius the Med? for ſaith the Texr, he prank wine before the thouſand, Theſe Bacchanalian Feaſts have often proved fatal and tragical, Eftþ. 1. : 2 Belſhazzar , whiles he taſted the wine , comman-
J:d to bring the golden and filver veſſels «, which his Father. Nebuchadnezzar had + taken out of the tem. le which was in Jeruſalem, that the king and his
|
ince On Earth, therefore his Kingdom was cal-
chadnezzar praiſe and extol and honout , all whoſe works are truth, and his
I E L.. Chap. Y, of the Earth, that he who hath the Heartof 4 Lion ſhall utterly melc away. Thus can the Lord ſpoil the mad Mirth of drunken Atheiſts
in a moment. When they are in their Cups, O how valiant are they as the Kings of Syria, 1 King 20. 16, 19, &c.
7 The king cried - aloud to bring in the aſtrologers, + Cha19. the Chaldeans, and the foothſayers e: and the king ſpake. w:thmight- and faid to the wiſe men of Babylon, Whoſoever ſhall rea
this. writing, and ſhew me the interpretation thereof,
ſhall be clothed with || ſcarlet, and have a chain of gold 11 Or, pr: about his neck, and thall be the third ruler in the king: ple. dom. |
e To read the Hand-wriring, with promiſe of Scarl:t Clothins, Gold Chains and Hwmours, This is the old Trade, and the laſt Retuge this poor Heathen Prince had, which yer failed him: For how can the De. vil help when God is againſt him? 1 Sam. 28. 16, &c. Moreover, he had his Father's Experience, chap. 2. 27. chap. 4. 7, Twice he tricd them, and they could do nothing, and yet he will go to the Devil's Oracle. Men naturally leave God, and go to Refuges of Lies, and: God pives them up to ſtrong Deluſions to believe their Lies. |
8 Then came in all the kings wiſe men, but they could not read the writing f, nor make known to the king the
interpretation thereof.