ſvounded, or as [one that fltmbred, and as one that adored the | Ground. . | 76, 3”; | 71h hs ' ,10 © And behold, *i/an. hand touched me, which # ſet me upon my knees, and «pox the palms of my hands g. "ft. S122 00 ;
£ What a poor Worm, is Man to cruſh, or to raiſe by the mighty | Hand of God-! - Thus dealt the Angel Gabriel with him. before, chap. 8: 16, I7. 74.3 SE tx Þ Ms |
11, And he ſaid-unto me, O Danniel, * + a Man
greatly beloved þ, underſtand the words thar 1 ſpeak un- to thee, and + ſtand upright -' for unto thee am I now ent, And when he had ſpoken this word 'unto me, I
ood trembling &, . , + j | ">ic}
b Thus the. Lord moulds and models us 2s Clay in his Hands to re- eive his Impreſhons, We are not fit for any great thing till we are baſed, and yet when we are vileft in our own Eyes, 'we are moſt | retious in God's Eyes. - - Underſtand tbe words thar } ſpeak to thee, and Jard upright. . Thus 344} when he was;ftruck down, and firuck blind, /hen he received his, Call and Committon to be an Apoſtle, and to | now the Myftery. of. Chrift ; ſee. #ab. 3. 16. # The Lord doth not tore at once.his Servants from. their Frailties, that they, by gradual omforts, may-/prize, every. drop.of Mercy, being not quickened at nce when they : are, mortified, but. may .be admoniſhed by the Re-
have retained no ſtrength r.
as before: he that had humbled him,now helped and encouraged him. q Which cannot be till the Lord couch our Lips Pſal. 51. 15. Jſa. 6, 5, 6, 7. Fer, 1.9. 7 Tho the Angel appeared to. him, and ſpake to
him as a Man, yet could not Daniel bear his Preſence without ſome
dread. |
with this my Lord s ? for as for me, ſtraightway there re- mained no ſtrength in-me, neither is there breath left in
tains of Fears and Frailtie;, to. keep, their Hearts humble, ;_ | 12 Then ſaid heunto me; Fear not, Daniel: for from he firſt day & that thou didft ſer thine heart to under- and, ant to chaſten thy ſc1f before thy God, thy. words
cre heard, and I am come for thy words. -. t'1- The Lord is quick in hearing the fervent Prayer of an humble ul, tho' he doth” not preſently let them know it. - God heard the | day, tho he ſent not his Angel to tell Daniel of it till three Weeks &. 2, A Soul that would obtam greatthings from God by Prayer, uſt be ſolemn and fervent in ſeeking God. 3. The fervent and con- ant Prayers. of the Sain 5s, make God to ſcn4 from Heaven and ſave. us in Peter's Cale, As 12.5 6 7, to ver. 15, and here in Dante's, 13 But the Prince of the [Kingdom of Perſia withſtood i one and twenty days / : bur lo, Michael || one of the lief Princes came to help me. 2, and I remained there
th the Kings of Perſia. /: ,{ -/ FS, 3 This place hath ſome Difficulty, therefore variouſly expounded, me expound it of Earthly Princes,ſome of Angels, and among them e will have good Angels meant, who they ſay have the Patronage the Kingdoms-and Provinces of the Earth ; but who can imagine at good Angels ſhould quarrel one with the other ? Therefore ſay hers, they are bad Angels that oppoſe the People of God, and their cliverance, ſeeking rather their Ruine, as Michaet and the Devil Ove, Rev, 12. 7. now ſometimes God permits Saran todo much Way. But I judge þy the Prince :of Perez is meant Cambyſes who i an Enemy tothe Fews, and hindred the building of the Temple. dw he contd not property reiift the Angel, but figuratively he did, gels Power is not unlimited, but bounded by © ommiſfion and In- tions from" God. Therefore God ſuffered the wicked Counſels of byſes to take place a while s but Damel by his Prayers,and the An- by his Power: oyercame him at hft : And this very thing laid a undation of the Perfian Monarchy's Ruine, ver. 20. and-doudbtleſs it King was ſtirced-up to his evil Machinations againſt the People vo, by the, Prince of the Powers. of Darknels, that ruleth in the ldren of Diſobedience , Epheſ. 2. 2. m This we take to be Chriſt, His Name itgnifies, Who is like Ged, 2. Heis th firſt in Dignity *c all th? Angels, Heb. 144, 5,6, 7, Kc, called Archangel, and the Murcnes Pr Ince, ver. 21, 3+ The chick Champion of his Church, 118 Gabriel, not as his Fellow, but as his General. Thus we ſee [Are God takes of his Church's Safety againſt their. potent Ene- 527 Joubling their Succours, ( when he could do.is it he pleaſed "OT MENS ) thereby to contillt, his own Glory in the Work by MMUNEZ the Counſels, and breaking- the - Powers of the mightielt "C3, ter he had given them Rope todo their wort, [4 Now | am come to-make thee' underſtand what ſhall 4 thy people in-the Jatter days # : far yer the viiion IF ma; Uays. |
11.1 o
tC,
*Sg ,
me, | "rh, | FT s The Condition orithe Church under the Goſpel is a better DiC penlation than the. Law-and the Prophets, when God ſpake often by Angels, but now by his Son, and that not in - Angelical Shape and Splendor, but. as a mean Man, in a meek and humble Garb, and moſt famuliar,. 1/2. 61, 1, 24.3», Foh; 13 6. As 3. 22+ |
; 18, Then there. came again and touched me oze like the
appearance of a Man, and he ſtrengthened me t, z: Daniel needed a ſecond Touch and another word of Encourage-
ment before he could hear, and bear the Angel's Werds as to the Vi-
$20 and Prophecy ;z and-now being fortified by degrees, he hath got OUrage. (037024 4
F x
peace be unto thee, be ſtrong, yea, be ſtrong x. And
Þ An Angel in the ſhape of a Man, and no other but Jeſus Chriſt,
- 17 For how can || the ſervant of this my Lord talk | Or, thic
ervant my lord.
' 19 And faid, * O Man greatly beloved, fear not u, * Ver. 12,
when he had ſpoken unto me, I was ſtrengthened, and
ſaid, Let my Lord ſpeak ; for thou hbaft ſtrengthened ne; -; "4 | 4 The Lord is gracious and compaſſionate towards his Saints under
their Infirmities, £/al. 103. 13, 14+ x And this tender Carriage to- wards him, was a token for good to him and his People, that the
Lord would be propi:ious to them.
20 Then ſaid he, Knoweſt thou wherefore I come unto thee y? and now will I return to fight with the Prince of Perfiaz - and when I am gone forth, lo, the Prince of
Grecia ſhall come. Y i.e, By what I have ſaid already, and what T have further to tell
thee upon thy Prayers which God hath accepted, and hath given me-