This Prophecy is written in Chaldee, to be a Monument and Dgcy. 'v ment to Beiſhazzar, of the Reverence his Father and Grandfather ſhey. ed towards God, who had done ſuch mighty Works for them, and. gainſt them, to humble their Pride, and make them know that the High God ruled, and they reigned at his Mercy. Howbeir Belſ1axy; made no ule of it, but lifted himlelt up in Profanenels and Vridetill the Wrath of God pluck'd him down. s Now Daniel begins to declyr the Vitions God ſhewed him at ſundry times, therefore he goes ha to the firft Year of Belſhazzar. 8 It is obſerved by the Curious, that the wordBelſbazzar is here changed by the Prophet, one Letter tranſpoſe which alters the Signification greatly, for his Name NSNU 71 ,, I. ſignifies Treaſures ſearched out 4nd poſſefſed ; but the word in the Tex; I5 this, uw Which fignifies Be/l is conjumed with the Fire if
Enemy, as was propheſied by Feremy Ch, 50, 2. and 51. 44. See Fr, 51. 25+ 58, The Fews uſed to change the names of Idols and 1d}, ters, and it turned to a Reproach to them, as Grorzus proves wellg of Moſes de Kotzi. u Thele Viſions of Danze} were ſent, and recor, ed by him in Writing for the Benefit of tae Church, to reQify ther Miſtake ; for they thought all things would ſuccecd proſpernoſly afer they returned out of their Captivity : yet they ſhould find z world of Troubles in many Generations following, ſeeing of th 4 great Monarchies, which he calls Beafts, there was but o& paſled, and that they ſhould findthree more yet to come, Thi; I niel dreamed, ſaw, wrote, and told the ſum of it. }
2 Daniel ſpake and ſaid, I ſaw in my viſion by nielt,! and behold, the four winds of the Heaven x ſtrove upu*
the great ſea. z,
x What is meant by Winds, becauſe Daniel doth not expound, Es poſitors think there is room left for every ones ConjeQure, where in that ſeems moſt likely, that by the four Winds of the great is ſignifted Commotions of contrary Nations and FaQions ftriving toge ther by Wars, and producing theſe four Beaſts ſucceſhvely. Thi this is often tignified by Winds is plain, as in Fer. 49. 36, and «11 where the Deftru&ion of Babylon, the firſt Monarchy, and of Eli, 7, e. the Perſiza Monarchy, is thus foretold. + The great Sea in Sip enre is the Mediterranean Sea, called now Levant, Archipelago, Strati &%c. It is {o called. 1. Comparartvely, for the Jews called Lakes Sex; 15 the S2a of Galilee, Gennezzzzreth, Cinneroth, the dead Sea, or Lit of Sodom; but the Mediterranean was Famma rabba, the great Sea 0! his Lengrch aud Breadth, above all the Lakes put together thou) it be ic ſelt but a Lake in Compariſon of the 4rlentick and Indian Oceats, 2. Great-Sea, bzcauſe the great Stage of Attion hath been on it, and at- joyned to it : and all the ,four great Monarchies have been Maſters (! of it. Je Alkgoricaly, for it is uſual in Scripture to compare Peoj!: to Waters, and Nations to Seas, Rev. 13. 1.and 17, 15. Call: from the the confuſed Noiſe of it, Rev. 19. 6. and from the Ut ſtableneſs of them, always running and rolling with every Win as it blows, indangering thoſe that ride upon the Backs of its ſve! ing Waves, EY
3 And four great beaſts came up from the Sea, diver! one from another. a
4 That is four great Monarchies, great in compariſon of particuir Kingdoms that were little to chem z Beaſt toc their Idolatry aad If: rannical Oppreihons and Depredations. | 4. The firſt was like a lion b, and had * eagles wings (; and | beheld till the wings thereof - were 'pluck'd 5; and || it was lifred up from the Earth, and made ſtand upon the feet as a man, and a mans heart was give1
anto It, |
h Oae the King of Beaſts, the other thz King of Birds; for wiiCl he 15 called the Golden-Head, as Dan, 2. 32. 38» This was the Chi dean or Afſyrian Empire, whoſe feat was firit at Bavyion , atter x Nineveh, and then at 545ylon again. c They were ſwitt, overunits many Countries, and brought their Monarchy to a prodigious Height Ina (ſhort time. Thus Fereiny prophetied, be jnould come 143 4s C 40K" his Chariots ſhall be as a Whirlwind, his Horſes are ſwifter ten EY ch. 4. 13. and in the 7th Verſe he is called a 11, 4 Whic) WP arlt in ſtopping the Career of their Victories, and att2r inciting ChB JT Of their Kingdom. The Nation was not deſtroyed, out cnc narchy. This was truly verified in Neouchadaeradr after be wa Pr Bealſc turned out amoayſt Beaſts, Dan, 4. 31, 32, 33, 34+ iſhed upon his Son Belſhazzar for not taking warning, Dane 5+ 55
5 And 'bzhold, anocher beat e, 4 ſecond like oo bear f, and || it raiſed up it ſelf 01 one fide 2, ant bad three ribs in the mourh of it þ between oe ©
l
\n
x
# j a 442) F RE A
Daniel from the + power of the lions. tr 28 So this Daniel proſpered in the reign of Darj,;
upoa his bed. then he vrote 4 the dream, and told the
rOOfs j
of a n ? Da
q4 Some
ſ ;Panes, i that riſ the Hor Therefc miſh 41; one Kin; muſt re
muſt be
F whom þh
8 ſome int
$
%
PZ his thro burning t By Thi deſtroyed becauſe of Kings Vice Moraecai, ment, J/z, Ot his Cou 3) 4» Mal, tormidable Kings who alſo God's
[.
- and they faid thus unto it, Ariſe, devour mich
fleſh. e Vie Creature,