25 T And this zs the writing that was written, MENE
MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26 This #s the interpretation of the thing ; MENE r, God hath numbred thy kingdom, and finiſhed it.
r MENE, MENE, he hath numbred, or it is numbred, it is numbred. Theſe Words are doubled for the greater Confirmation, to note that the number of his Sins, andof his Days, borh of Life and Reign, are Full. Irtrelates ro the number of the 70 Years Captivity now com- pleated, or to the 70 Years for the Overthrow of the Babyloniſh Empire, or the Tranſlation ofit to the Medes and Perſian; forerold 1/a. 13. and 14. Fcr. 50. and inthe Dream, Dax. 2. 32.
27 TEKEL -, thouart weighed inthe balances, and art
found wanting 7.
s Thou art weighed ina hanging Balance, alluding to the weighing of Goods exaQ!y in Scales; and God is ſaid to weigh the Mountains in Scales. Ir ſhews his juſt proceeding. God is not haſty in puniſh- ing, but will give juſt Allowance in weighing; he will hold the Scales, he will do it fairly before all the World. + Thou doſt not hold Weight, but cometh ſhort vaſtly. There is no Weight nor Worth in thee : Thou haſt made light of God in his Honour, People, Veſlels ; and the Lord makes light of thee; thou art reprobate Silver, falſe Coin ; thou art of no value.
+ Chald. 28 PERES »s, thy kingdom is divided, and piven to the
Madai and F Medes and Perſians. Paras. u Separated, divided, broken. Paras ſignifies two things ; broken of, and Per/iox ; noting that, Firſt, this Kingdom was broken —
magnifieth God, and maketh @ decree that all worſhip the living Gl, 25—— 28,
= pleaſed Darius to ſet over the kingdom .an hundr 4 and twenty princes, which ſhould be over the whol kingdom ;
2 And over theſe, three preſidents (of whom Dani! was -|- firſt a) that the princes might give accounts un them, and the king ſhould have no damage.
# This was Belſhazzar's Promiſe to Daxiel, he ſhould be the thi Ruler in the Kingdom, chap. 5. 7, 16, 29. The firſt was General « the Army,the ſecond Preſident of the Palace, the thicd of the Ll and Provinces,
3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the pre dents and princes, becauſe an excellent ſpirit ws it him ; and the king thought to ſet him over che whel realm 6.
6 There werethree things that made Darius greatly favour Dail
r. Becauſe he propheſied the DeſtruQion of Beljhazzar and his Reigh for which cauſe the King of Babylon favoured Jeremiah the Prophtt
chap. 39. 11, &. 2, Becauſe he ſaw ſo noble a Spirit in him, Spirit of the Holy God. 5. Becauſe Darius himſelf was old and unfit ft Government, and therefore took Daniel with him into Media, 70/.4rit I0.12. whereby the Lord by advancing Daxiel, made careful Proviſot for his Church. This was an A& of great Wiſdom in Darius, to pri fer Men for their Partsand Merit, and to make them thar have of God in them to be their chief Favourites ; A thing rarely mind by the Princes ofthe World, who favour them uſually moſt, that moſt gratifie their Luſts.
4 T Then the preſidents and the princes ſought to fol occaſion againſt Daniel c concerning the kingdom 4, bt they could find none occaſion nor fault: foraſuch sf _ faithful , neither was there any error or faule fou 1N nIifmn. | c Madediligent enquiry, and ſet their Wits awork about it. #* can fland before Envy? This Diſeaſe always reigns in Princes Cour Every one would be uppermoſt, and chief Favourite, and quarts ! them that ſtand in their light; their Eye is evil, becauſe their Prin Eye is good. d Andfſo to have made him guilty of Treaſon, 0r othe high Miſdemeanours, Unfairhfulneſs, and Falfeneſs in the King'sBu neſs ; but all their Wit and Malice could find none, foraſmuch 4” was conſcientiouſly faithful. |
occal
5 Then faid theſe men'e, We ſhall not find any ſion againſt this Daniel, except we find zt againſt him 6% cerning the law of his God f =
e Theſe proud envious Courtiers. f Pliny ſaid of old, if 5 by Cuſtom of Courtiers to ſtudy how to make innocent Men fav? * d Scripture and Experience tells us, that the moſt Religious ** ef
counted moſt dangerous to the Government, and that Debauch*)" Loyalry, and that Flatterers ought to be the beſt Favourites, F/! 12,13, 14. Nehem.6.5,6, 7. Efther 3. 8. Dan. 3. 12. and this Tt are plain Proofs of it ; beſides. the Experience of every Ag* ©? as
Yong, or is 1 Io ( lened, Open 11 on his] thanks } Thi: ich do Purds Te Gentiles, he King and the 7 Weſt-end ced his N
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« MT 7. This was for the Honour of Daniei's 1negrity, and cor a Brand | 1.5 Then they came near, and ipake before the kin:
> MT cf lnfamy upon his malicious Enemies. : : | COncerning the Kings decree, haſt thou not ſigned
* If 6 Then theſe preſidents and princes || aſſembled to | decree, that every. man that ſhall ask a petition of any - Jnr oether to the King, and ſaid thus unto him, King Da- God or Man, within thirty days fave of the 43 +} rivs, live for ever. _ be LY king, ſhall be caſt inro the den of lions #? The king . | +—7 All the preſidents of the kingdom, the gover- | anſwered and ſaid, The . thing # true. according, 0
nours, and the princes, the counſe!ours and the cap- [the Jaw of the Medes and Perfians, which 'altereth -xins have conſulted together to eſtabliſh a royal ſta- | not 0. | = bs | = titcy and to make a firm | decree, that whoioev er ſhall a Lhey had enough now, they came wit]; open Mouth, they plead- d 72 35k a Petition of cither God or Man tor thirty days, lave | ec the breach o! thc King's Laws, they tell the King he had Gencd it, bk of thee, O king, he ſhall be caſt into the den of lions. ant! it. could not be diſanaulled, the King's Authority aad the Honour
þ - T M - 1 |L-,> "ha * EIID | . { W- i LL: ee. and fign the | 9 the Nation lay at ftake. 0 The King ownes ſuch a Law, and jv be & $8 Now, O kings eſtabliſh the decree, S was unalterable. ;
n ——_ "FF ES 4s. Sa ne -
«s ME citing ; that it be not changed, according to the = ”
+ _ of the Medes and Perſians, which + altereth | 73 Then anſwered they and aid before the King ,
— | £2 Daniel p which #s of the children of the captivity