Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4
Then they spake to him in Syriac. Here, as was said before, beginneth the Syriac or Chaldee language used in this Book, being continued to the end of chap. 7. this being the occasion here, that Daniel leaving the Hebrew speaks in Syriac, and hereby it appears that these tongues were one, sometime called Syrick, sometime Chaldean, because the Chaldeans spake it, as well as the Syrians, and of both these places Abraham, of whom the Hebrews came, is said to have been of Ur of the Chaldees, and touching Syria it is said, that he sent his servant to take a wife thence for his son Isaac of his Fathers house, and so the Hebrew, the Syriac▪ and Chaldee tongues differed not much from one another.
And the decree went forth, that the wise men should be slain, vulg. and the wise men were slain, whereupon some think, that some of them were cut off, and this is favored by the original, and is not improbable, because they were worthy by the Law of God to die, and in this whole matter the providence of God moderated for the taking away of such a wicked generation, although in Nebuchadnezzar, that did command this, it was extreme tyranny, and unreasonable. And they sought Daniel and his fellows to put them to death also. Having begun to execute the Kings Decree upon some, because Daniel, Ananias, Azarias, and Misaell were counted of that number, they were sought also to be slain. Yet Lyra and some others think, that none of them were slain, but that in saying, the Kings Decree went out and they were slain, it is meant only that they were hereby adjudged to be slain, because it is said, verse. 24. Slay not the wise men, implying that it was not yet done, but it cannot hence be inferred, that none of them had suffered death already, but that some were not yet executed, whereof he and his fellows were counted a part. For it cannot be conceived, that Daniel would have pleaded so to avert that danger from the Magicians, but chiefly herein respecting his own and his fellows preservation, which could not have been, unless there had been a total stay of the Decree, till he had been before the King. If it shall seem strange that Daniel and his fellows, who were at their first standing before the King so highly esteemed of, should now be adjudged pell-mell together with the Magi to destruction? it is to be thought that the King had by this time forgotten them, so many years being past, as was said before, since his so greatly magnifying of them for their super-excellent knowledge and understanding.
This secret hath not been revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more then any living, but for their sakes, that shall make known the interpretation to the King. the vulgar, that the interpretation might be made manifest to the King. But this cometh short of the words here used, and obscureth the sense, for it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for the sake, these words of them being understood, and the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth they shall make known, implying, that by the prayers of the faithful of the Jews he attained to the revelation of these things and God had revaeled them to him, that the king might be moved to exercise more clemency towards them being miserable captives in his land, by whose means he attained to the knowledge of that which he so greatly desired. Thus holy Daniel shown; that by this great gift of knowledge, that God had given him, he sought not his own, but the glory of God, by insinuating hereby the knowledge of his omniscience into the heart of the King, that he might esteem of and honor him, as the only true God, abhorring from henceforth from the service of any other god, and the [Note.] good and alleviating of his Churches misery, which two we ought to make our ends of all the grace of illumination and sanctification, that we receive at all times, and not the setting up of ourselves in estimation above others, as too many out of their vain-glory are ready to do. Touching the scope of his dream Daniel tells him 1. in general, that God had hereby shown things to come to pass in the latter days, and lest it should be understood of things to be done near the end of the world, and not of things already accomplished, he varieth the phrase and calleth them things to be done hereafter. verse. 45. Then in particular by the image which he saw, the head whereof was of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, the legs of iron, the feel part iron, and part clay, he shown him four great Monarchies of the world, whereof one then was, that is, the Babylonian; 2. the Persian kingdom, that should next be somewhat inferior to the Babylonian; 3. the Grecian ruling far and wide; 4. the same kingdom divided, and so although strong as iron, yet afterwards partly strong and partly weak, as consisting partly of iron, and partly of clay, and this was the kingdom of Alexander the Great divided betwixt the Ptolemies of Egypt, and the Scleucidans of Syria, for Ptolemy the son of Lagus took to him the kingdom of Egypt, Seleucus the son of Nicanor, the kingdom of Syria and Babylon. For the first of these kingdoms; I shall need to say no more. For the second of the Persian, it was set forth by the breast and arms of silver, because consisting of Medes and Persians, as two arms, and as inferior to the first, as silver is to gold, not because the amplitude of the Persian Monarchy was not as great as that of the Babylonians, for it was greater by the accession of the Medes and Persians unto it. But the majesty of it was not so great, because it was never free from wars. For the third of Alexander, it is likened to brass, which is baser then silver, because that although Alexander enlarged his Kingdom more then any Monarch before him, yet he was less durable, and so not comparable to gold or silver. For the fourth it is not agreed, that hereby the Grecian kingdom divided betwixt Ptolemy and Seleucus was set forth, but some hold, that the Roman Kingdom was by the iron legs represented, which stood as it were upon two legs, the East and the West, and before that upon two Consuls, and sometime upon two Tribunes of the people. And this Kingdom is set forth by iron breaking all things in pieces, because the strength of the Romans was incomparable, neither was any Nation ever able to stand against them, whilst they were rising to their height. But the seat consisted of clay as well as of iron, and so it was partly strong and partly weak by reason of the divers Kingdoms, which were in subjection to the Romans, and chief Masters of that Empire, Caesar, Pompey, Anthony, and Lepidus, of whom one was stronger, and another was weaker. And these by mingling the seed of men sometimes thought to strengthen themselves, as Pompey by marrying Julia the daughter of Julius Caesar, and Anthony Octavia the sister of Octavius Caesar, but no strengthening of the kingdom followed hereupon, but wars were fiercely made by these ambitious men, one fighting against another and destroying him. Thus Jerome and Lyra, and many others, but Polanus will have the divided Grecian kingdom under Seleucus and Ptolemy meant, and to prove this he bringeth many arguments, which he thinketh unanswerable, but chiefly from chap. 7. 8. following in this Prophesy, wherewith if that which is here said, be compared, it cannot but be granted, that all things do so agree, as if spoken of one and the same thing; Answ. That of chap. 7. rather may be understood of the Roman Monarchy: and therefore it cannot be from thence concluded against it. For chap. 8. indeed, which plainly speaketh of the Monarchy of Alexander divided into four, there a new thing is revealed, which it is not necessary to grant, that it was done before, although in part somewhat like unto it be prophesied of ch. 7. For his other arguments they are all coincident in one, viz. the King was desirous to know things touching his own Kingdom, how it should afterwards be disposed of, and not of any other Kingdom so far remote as that of the Romans, which was 12000 miles off, and Daniel saith, that God had accordingly made that known unto him: therefore it must needs follow, that what is here revealed concerned only that Kingdom being represented as one body consisting of head, breast, belly and legs, and not any other, which stood in no relation hereunto. Answ. This argument indeed hath some probability in it, when I look at the words following, in the days of these Kingdoms God will set up a Kingdom, &c. I cannot see, how it can possibly be ever maintained, that the Grecian Kingdom divided can be the fourth kingdom here meant. For it sufficeth not to say, it is meant, in the end of these Kingdoms, when as the words are plain, in the days of those Kings, whereas Christ, whose Kingdom is next spoken of, came not into the world, til after the Egyptian and Assyrian subdued to the Roman, and that the Roman Monarchy was come to the full strength Moreover for the fourth Kingdom here spoken of it stood not upon two legs, but upon four, as is expressly said, chap. 8. and it was no more one Kingdom standing upon two legs, when it was by the Seleucedans and Ptolemies brought to two, but two distinct Kingdoms. As from the argument brought from the Kings solicitude about his own Kingdom only, touching which satisfaction is here given, it is of no force, both because much of the prophesy tendeth to his resolution herein, and the fourth being understood of the Roman kingdom, another thing altogether, divers therefrom is not hereby set forth, for his kingdom came under this fourth kingdom also as well as other parts. And if when it is said, the Lord hath shown thee things to come hereafter, it be taken so restrainedly, that none, but the kingdoms succeeding his in the parts, where he reigned, were meant, it will follow, that by the everlasting kingdom here lastly spoken of none other must be meant, but some fifth kingdom there set up also, to say nothing of the Persian, and Grecian kingdom; and how either of them was divers from his, and not raised merely out of the Babylonish. To leave this therefore, as of which enough hath been already spoken; I will reflect again a little upon the Monarchy represented by the belly of brass, as of which I have not yet said enough. It was by brass set forth, because brass is a sounding metal; so the fame of Alexander for his speedy subduing of Countries and Nations sounded all over the world, in so much as that at the very hearing of him they were terrified: and their arms then were brazen, not only Trumpets, but Helmets, and Targets and Darts, as Homer showeth, for there was yet little or no iron in use, and it is said, that Comb a Virgin in Euboea first invented brass vessels and arms, but this I can hardly subscribe to, because that near the time of the creation, Tubal Cain instructed Artificers in brass and iron, and how to make instruments thereof. But it is probable as was said before, that brazen arms were most used in ancient times, and not iron, till the time of the Romans because of Goliath it is said, that his arms were of brass. And besides the reason yielded before of the Persian kingdom represented by silver, another may be given also, viz. that Cyrus abounded with silver, according to the prophesy of Isaiah, saying, I have given thee the hid treasures of the earth, and Pliny saith of him, that having overcome Asia, he carried from thence 50000 talents of silver, and how greatly Ahasuerus a Persian king abounded in silver, may be seen by the story of his sumptous feast, Esther. 1. And Atheneus saith of Xerxes, that he had lying at the foot of his bed 18 millions of silver, and at his head 30 millions of gold; and Strabo saith when Alexander overcame Darius he found in his treasury 150 millions. As for the Babylonian kingdom represented by a golden head, it was not because Nebuchadnezzar had more gold then the Persian, but because he was notorious for carrying away the vessels of gold from the Temple at Jerusalem, and for images of gold, which the Babylonians set up, especially, that great golden image, which he would have all men to worship; for which he is said to have had a cup of gold in his hand, wherewith he made all Nations drunken, as spiritual Babylon, Reveal. 14. And Belshazzar drank at his feast in vessels of gold. Some yield another reason, because although the world was wicked in Nebuchadnezzar's time, yet it was worse in the Persians, who were more infamous for delicious living, and the Grectans worse then they for cruelty, and so were the Romans for their great tyranny. Hence therefore came that saying: omnis aetas avis pejor, every age worse then that, which went before it, and the four ages commonly sung of by the Poets, the golden, the silver, the brazen, and the iron.
And in the days of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom; that shall never be destroyed, and it shall not be left to another people, but it shall break in pieces, and destroy all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. verse 45. For so much as thou sawnst, that the stone was cut out of the Mountain without hands, &c. Here after the fourth before spoken of, a fifth kingdom is prophesied of which is the kingdom of Christ, as all both Jews and Christians agree, only the Jews from hence gather that Christ is not yet come, because that when he cometh, all earthly Monarchyes shall be overthrown, whereas the Roman still standeth, although much shaken by the Goaths and Vandals long ago, and impaired both by the Turks in the East and other kingdoms falling from it in the West, but at the time, when we say, he came, viz. Augustus Caesar being Emperor, the Roman Monarchy stood most strongly, and long after till the time of Constantine the Great, which was 300 years after, and from thence forth, till the Turks winning of Constantinople. But this is easily answered, it is not meant, that Christ at his coming should put down all imperial power, and Dominion himself reigning over all Nations after the manner of other worldly Emperors, but spiritually all should be subdued unto him, he being by them acknowledged their King and Messiah, and therefore doing homage unto him by bowing the knee, which was done, when Constantine after a long time of persecution in his Predecessors days, submitted himself and his crown unto him, idolatry being abandoned, for thus truly the stone brake all in pieces, the golden kingdom, that was, and the silver and brazen, and the iron then in being reduced to the likeness of dust and blown away by the wind, so that no place thereof was more to be found, as was said before. Because there was no part of any of these Empires, that continued still idolatrous, but all were Christian, so that he, who should have looked for an idolatrous Monarchy now, could nowhere have found it. Only Mahomet, since the conversion of all Nations to the Faith, by the help of Sergius an apostate Monk about an. 600. since Christ's Nativity, began to poison a great part of the World with his Mohammedan superstition, and growing great by many of his deceived followers he attained to a kingdom, and since enlarged it so greatly, that it is a Monarchy comparable to one of the old Monarchies before spoken of. And it is aptly said of these Monarchies when Christ came with his power by his Word and Spirit, that they were made like the chaff blown away by the wind, because the chaff of superstition, of which the Prophet Isaiah saith, what is the chaff to the wheat, was now blown away, the kingdoms of the earth, as floors being purged, as John the Baptist said, he will thoroughly purge his floor and the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. For the time when this should be, it is said, in the days of those Kings, which was fulfilled accordingly, in that he came into the world, as was before said, when Augustus Caesar the mightyest of them and the most flourishing reigned. For his being compared to a stone, that is often done elsewhere by other Prophets also, David, Psal. 118. and Isaiah 28. 16. where see the reason for his being cut out of the mountains without hands, this foreshowed his coming of the Virgin Mary, not being begotten by any man, but by the over-shadowing of the Holy Ghost. And he is said to be a stone, but groweth to a Mountain filling the whole earth, to foreshow his small beginnings, from which he increased so greatly. For Christ was so little at the first, that he was to most men contemptible, and he became a King not by force of arms, for which it is also said, that he was hewed out without hands, whereas the kings before spoken of had their Monarchies hewed out for them by strong hands, and dint of the sword therein, yet he increased more then any one of them reigning all over the earth, not only over the bodies but the souls of men; And herein his kingdom excelleth all others, that it is everlasting, as Esa. 9. 6.
Polanus hereupon makes a question, whether this stone growing to such a greatness, setteth forth Christ or his Church, for some he saith, restrain it to him, and some understand it of his Church, which is his kingdom, but he saith, that it is to be understood of both, as being inseparable, he the head, his faithful people the body, he the Corner stone of the foundation, they likewise some foundation stones, some other living stones built hereupon, and this is the best, he is the stone first cut out of the mountains without hands, when he was born and lived privately 30 years, in all which time, although he were a king yet he had no kingdom, of which it is here spoken, in the days of those Kings God shall set up a kingdom. But beginning to declare himself, then his kingdom began by the accession of followers to him, and after his resurrection increased so much, as that it filled all places, when in all places there were believers, & they increased so greatly in number, as is shown Act. 2. Act. 3. and 4. and in 60 years all over the earth, as is in Ecclesiastical history declared. Thus all kingdoms were broken in pieces at Christ's first coming, but at his second coming they shall all quite vanish, and there be no more kings, nor kingdoms upon earth anymore, the whole earth it self with the works thereof being burnt up, and the whole fabric of this visible world dissolved forever, the kingdom of Christ only standing, and being most glorious forever and ever. From all which, note 1. that kingdoms of heathens are disposed of by the Divine providence, and it is not according to the will of man, that one [Note.] gets the Monarchy of the World at one time, and another at another. 2. Every age is worse then other, as long as men are swayed by the corruption of nature, and so is every age of each man, the youth worse than the childhood, the virile estate worse then the youth, and old age worst of all, but contrariwise in those that are by grace sanctified. 3. Great is the glory of worldly men, but it endureth only for a short time, and then they are torn in pieces, and horribly destroyed, when as proceeding by degrees in wickedness their sins be come to the full, as the Amorites. 4. The kingdom of Christ little at the first, increaseth wonderfully, as the grain of Mustard seed, and shall finally bring under and annihilate all other kingdoms, that we may by faith expecting cleave fast to the truth, and so in God's due time we shall see all such, as oppose it, whether Popish or Mohammedan confounded, as the gold, silver, brass, iron and clay. But this kingdom in one the only glorious kingdom all over the world, so to continue forever, to the beautifying of all the true members thereof.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and worshipped Daniel, &c. Of Daniel denying to have this honor done unto him nothing is said, but it is implied, verse. 47. that he refused this honor, and bad him worship God, from whom this rare knowledge came, setting him forth unto him, as the only true God knowing and foreknowing, and ruling over all things, because it is said, the King answered Daniel and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and Lord of lords, being as much in effect, as if it had been said, Daniel refusing that honor, and instructing the King better touching God, whose wisdom it was and not his to reveal secrets, the king answered, as is here said. For Peter did so towards Cornelius worshipping him, and Paul and Barnabas towards the Barbarians worshipping them, therefore it is not to be doubted, but that Daniel being lead by the same holy spirit did likewise. And his former speeches, that he had no more wisdom, then any other man to reveal such secrets, but that there was a God in heaven, that had revealed it, imply no less. Lastly, if he should not have refused it, he should have sinned foully, as Herod, yea much more, and so have provoked God against him for accepting Divine honors offered unto him, and how far he was from sinning in the least matters appears before, by his care of not being polluted by the Kings meat and drink. Wherefore let no man of what rare gifts soever in the exercising thereof [Note.] seek himself, but God's glory, according to that, Let your light so sbine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. And let no man by that which was done here to Daniel, or commanded to be done out of blindness justify the adoration of saints departed; but considering from time to time, what kind of men they were, that offered this to any of God's dearest servants, namely blind and superstitious, for this reason abhor from doing the like for fear of becoming like them, when they think to express greatest devotion; being condemned for blind superstition. For Nebuchadnezzar's promoting of Daniel, ver 48. and his fellows at his request, 49. it was an example of gratitude set to all Kings and great persons towards such, as they [Note.] find to be in greatest grace with God, preferring them to places of most trust and concernment about them, and any wicked or vicious persons. And hereby we are taught to improve the favor, that we have at any time with secular Princes, to the helping up of holy men likewise for the weal public, because when the righteous are exalted the people rejoice, as for whom it is the better, but the worse if the wicked rule.
CHAP. III.
IN this chap. Nebuchadnezzar setteth up an image of gold 60 cubits high, and fix cubits broad, commanding all men to worship it, which image saith Lyra was his own, he being by pride so far lifted up; that he would be worshipped as a God, setting up this his image to this end and purpose, as Gaius Caligula a Roman Emperor did afterwards. Here is a strange alteration of a man, that upon so good ground a little before acknowledged one only true God, now to fall to this foul sin of exalting himself as a God, but such is the fickleness and [Note.] inconstancy of carnal men, one while being most godly, and soon after returning with the dog to their own vomit, that their godliness is nothing worth, but like the morning dew, and as Herod's reverencing of John, and soon after beheading him: that we may resolve upon constancy in that which is good, thus being fenced against all temptations to fall away herefrom to evil, and consequently into condemnation. This Nebuchadnezzar did out of his exceeding great pride for the amplitude of his Dominion, but it is probable that he had setters on, viz. his Princes and Lord's, who envied the Jews for the great favor and authority in which they were, but by this means they thought to work their destruction, as the following part of this history giveth us just occasion to conceive, and the great penalty threatened to those, that would not fall down and worship this image. For there were none of the Nations under the Kings Dominion to be suspected for their standing out against this Decree, but the Jews only, and their accusing of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and seeking to have them destroyed by the fiery furnace as was propounded evinceth the same, whereunto we may also add, that the King called his Princes and Nobles together to see the miracle wrought for those three, and his Decree making after this, that none should speak evil of their God. For what else did this imply, but that they had before spoken spitefully both against their God and them, to stay them from doing which hereafter he would have them see this miracle.
If it be demanded, how it came to pass, that Daniel was not now brought in question as well also as his three fellows? It is answered, either because he sat in the Kings gate, and so as being above all his Princes and Nobles, and as the Kings right hand, the Proclamation touched not him anymore then the King himself, he most probably sitting with the King, as a spectatour of that which was done; or by reason of his employments not to be spared to go from the Kings gate and judging matters that came before him. And this I take take to be the most probable, because if he had been there with the king, he would not certainly have held his peace, but have spoken against this gross idolatry, and for his fellows in danger for not consorming thereunto. For the time when these things were done, some think it was long after his dream interpreted, but most probably it was the same year, the envy of other Princes of Babylon being so great at the preferment of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that they would not rest, but immediately seek to pull them down by some device or other from the high places in which they were set, but with Daniel they meddled not, as thinking him for the great grace, in which he was with the King, to be above their reach. And if the dream were An. 37. of his reign, as was before said, it must needs be granted, that this idolatry was set up the same year, because that An. 38. his punishment for this his intolerable pride followed in driving him from amongst men to live in the fields with the beasts in the open air, and under no roof where men inhabited, as he was well worthy to be dealt withal, who being a man of most eminent place, ruling over men and beasts, could not be herewith content, but he would be a god, therefore he was thus made more base then any other man. And that this must needs be done an. 37. and so that punishment infflicted, an. 38. of his reign appeareth, because he was held in that brutish condition 7 years, and then restored again, and these being added to 38. amount to 45. soon after which he died. That this image was his own and not of any of the false gods, which he worshipped, is plain, because he did not worship it himself. 2. Because v. 12. it is distinguished from his gods in the accusation brought against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 3. Because it was long ago prophesied of, that he should take thus upon him as a God. And it may be, that he took an hint from his dream of an image, whereof he heard that he was the golden head, thus to represent himself to the people to be adored. So the wicked turn the Word of God made [Note.] known unto them into an occasion of sin, especially Magistrates hearing themselves called God's they swell in pride, as if they were God's indeed, and elevated above the condition of mortal men, expecting to be honored accordingly, which proveth ofttimes to be their overthrow, as is intimated, where they are called gods, it being added immediately, ye shall die like men, for which the Lord gave a special charge to him, that should be set up for King, not to be lifted up in his heart above his brethren.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the valiantest champions of God being cast into the fiery furnace, that was so extreme hot, were by and by seen walking in the said furnace, a fourth man being amongst them like the son of God. Whence Lyra noteth this to have been the second Vision Prophetical touching Christ, of which he maketh five in all the Histories from ch. 2. to chap. 6. 1. The vision of the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, of which chap. 2. 2. Of one like the Son of God in the fiery furnace, in this place setting forth the sufferings and burnings of his faithful servants that should be in the time of persecution, their invincible courage in suffering, and his presence with them, changing the nature of the fire, that it seemed no tormenting fire to them, but comforting and refreshing. 3. chap. 4. One bidding cut down the tree represented to Nebuchadnezzar in another dream, who is called a watchman: for hereby Christ's cutting down of the devils kingdom was set forth. 4. chap. 5. The handwriting seen by Belshazzar upon the wall, and then he being by and by cut off, representing the hand-writing against us, which Christ took and nailed to his Cross; thus spoiling Principalities and powers. 5. ch. 6. Daniel's admirable deliverance out of the Lions den, figuring out Christ's rising up out of the grave to life again. For this in present it was certainly a proeludium of his future incarnation, and after that of his presence always with his to the worlds end, especially in their sufferings, as he shown himself to Stephen, now ready to be stoned. Thus it is understood by Tertullian, who saith, Christ appeared to the king of Babylon in the fiery furnace the fourth with his Martyrs as the son of God. And Epiph. bringeth this place for proof of the Son of God by the Old Testament. August. likewise rhetorically speaking to Nebuchadnezzar who said, that he saw one like the Son of God, whence came this to thee (O thou Alienigena) who told thee, that this was the Son of God, what Law, what Prophet? he is not yet born into the world, and the similitude of him, that was to be born, is known to thee. Whence came this? who told thee this, but the divine fire enlightening thee within, that whilst thou holdest these 3 as thine enemies in the fire, thou mightest give testimony to the Son of God? But Polanus following the vulg. tran. which hath it, v. 23. after these words, they fell down bound in the fiery furnace, and they walked loose in the midst of the fire without any hurt, for the Angel of the Lord descended together with them in the same moment, who shook the flames of the fire forth out of the Furnace, and preserved the servants of God safe without any trouble, being cooled as it were with a dew coming upon them in a pleasing manner. But the vulgar Latin followed by Jerome hath besides these words, a large prayer made by Azarias in the name of them all in the furnace, and after this deliverance a thanksgiving made by them all together, neither of which are in the Chaldee, and so Jerome confesseth, but he had them out of the Greek translation of Theodotion. From hence Polanus gathereth that the fourth man appearing was an Angel, and not a representation of Christ, who should afterwards be made man of a woman. And he argueth from the speaker, who was an heathen, and therefore knew not any distinction of persons in the God head, but spake here of an Angel, as the Son of God, for he saith, that even the heathen knew, that there were Angels, and the King saith not neither that he saw one, who was the Son of God, but like him, whereupon he concludeth; that it was not he that appeared, but an Angel in an assumed body, as also Nebuchadnezzar himself calleth him, verse. 28. wherefore he concludeth against though • e Fathers that from hence bring a testimony; that Christ is the true natural Son of God. But • or so much as all agree, that the Son of God hath sometime appeared in a human shape, as divers times he did to Ezekiel, and to Abraham; Ezek. 1. sitting upon the throne on the top of the living creatures and wheels, and Ezek. 40. in a linen garment with a measuring line in his hand, and Ezek 9 and to Abraham, Gen. 13 44. & 15. and here a glorious man is seen working this great miracle upon the fire, that it could not burn, I see no reason, why we should not subscribe to the ancient tenet, that it was God the Son in an human shape, who now appeared. For the reasons alleged to prove the contrary: first, he is by the same king called an Angel, in like manner in other places the Son of God is called the Angel of the Covenant, for the King being an heathen whose words are not therefore to be regarded, most probably, as Augustine hath it, the spirit of God prompted him to say thus and therefore he and not king Nebuchadnezzar is to be looked at herein, for so Balaam an heathen wizard spake of Christ by the name of a Star, that should rise out of Jacob. Lastly, for his saying, One like the Son of God; this argueth not, that in this vision there was not a representation of the Son of God to come afterwards in the flesh, but rather that this great mystery was here shown before for the greater comfort of the faithful, that they might courageously bear all their sufferings having the Prince and head both of Angels and men present with them herein to mitigate their pangs and carry them through them with joy, this being more, then to have the protection of a mere Angel, concerning whose power also, whether he can change the nature of fire, that it shall not burn, it may well be doubted, seeing this argueth omnipotency, which is in God alone, and not communicable to any creature. Wherefore no weak argument, and worthy to be derided may be raised herefrom that Jesus is the Son of God, but one strong and solid thus. He whom Nebuchadnezzar saw in the fiery furnace was the Son of God in an human shape: but he was typically Jesus, Ergo, &c. The major is proved, because he did that, which none but God could do, viz. qualified the most ardent fire, which burnt up some coming but near it, and had no fiery heat at the same instant to singe so much as the hair of the head of other some. For the minor it is also proved, because God appearing in a glorious human shape at any time was not God the Father or Holy Ghost, but God the Son, since no man hath seen God at any time, but the Son hath revealed him both when in him appearing in an human shape under the Law, and when under the Gospel showing himself in the man Jesus born of the Virgin Mary, and hypostatically united unto him.
For the communication had betwixt the King and his Lord's about this miracle, God ordered it so by his providence, that they might be made witnesses hereof for the greater confirmation of the truth hereof, and that they might hereby be converted to God, or left the more without excuse. As for Nebuchadnezzar himself, he was again so taken with it, that he blesseth God, and decreeth against all men that shall vilipend him, although his sicklenesse and inconstancy in good was the same, that it was before chap. 2. and the beginning of this third manifesteth. For had there been any true cordial resolution tending to such piety, as he made show of herein, he should not for his pride have been so punished after this, as he was, chap. 4. Note hence the certainty [Note.] of the miracles which God wrought of old, there being so many made witnesses thereof, that we may not be unbelieving, but believing, as if we had seen them ourselves, and believing our Lord Jesus the Son of God to be present, although invisibly, with all his faithful servants in their sufferings, to mitigate them so, that they shall be able with comfort to bear them, whatsoever they be, as he was now in the furnace visibly, as the words, Like the Son of God, imply, because we commonly say of 〈…〉 an extraordinary for parts and glory, if he be the King, but never by us seen before, that he is like the King. 2. Miracles work upon the most wicked for the present, making them to speak as godlily as the sincerest Christian can do, but in such as are not rooted in grace, it is but as a flash, soon vanishing again, that no man may bear himself upon this, that he is for the present well affected, but get grace into his heart, and to this end crave it with all earnestness and perseverance.
CHAP. IV.
IN this chapter is set forth another Vision or Dream of Nebuchadnezzar, and the interpretation thereof made by Daniel, whereupon he maketh another declaration full of piety towards God, as if he had now been converted indeed, verse. 1, 2, 3. Here all things are so plain in the dream, the interpretation of Daniel being added, that I shall not need to expound anything herein, only verse. 13. it is said, Behold! a Watcher and Holy one came down from heaven, he cried aloud and said, Hew down the tree and cut off his branches, &c. This watcher was an Angel of God, so called, because the Angels are always vigilant and ready at every command to go about the execution of God's will, as we also ought to be, and specially the Ministers of God, as it is said to Ezekiel chap. 3. And he saith, Cut down the tree, to show that Nebuchadnezzar set forth hereby, should be put down from his kingly dignity, and live like a beast a long time, and this was the plucking off of his branches, which are ornaments to a tree, and therefore fitly representing a kings royal accommodations making him to show glorious. Now when the Angel cometh to expound this verse 16. he saith, Let the heart of a man be taken from him, and a beasts heart be given unto him, in which words he maketh the vision so far forth plain, as that it might from hence be known, that a man was meant by this tree, and a man not to be metamorphozed into an ox, as Josephus saith, Nebuchadnezzar was, but retaining still the shape of a man, and changed only in his understanding, by which means he was so transported from himself, that he was no more as a man for any reason, but as a brute beast in all his doings, in so much as that his courtyers not able to endure a beast any longer, drove him out of the house into the fields amongst other beasts, with whom he fed, and amongst whom he lay in the open air seven years, and the food, upon which he fed, is said to be grass which he ate like an ox. Touching this strange change in this king, Dorotheus and Epiphanius say, that internally he was not changed in his reasonable soul, but was herewith endued still, and that his change was in his body, his former part being like an oxes, his posterior like a lion, having the head and horns of an ox, but the main • nd tail of a lion; contrariwise the text saith, that his heart was changed, but for any change in his body, it speaketh nothing, whereby is not meant, that his reasonable soul was taken from him, for that is the form of a man, and therefore being taken away, a man ceaseth altogether from being a man, and the soul of a beast being put into him he is really a beast In saying therefore, that the heart of a man was taken from him, and the heart of a beast put into him, nothing else is meant, but that this fantasy and appetite were changed to, that upon a strong imagination that he was a beast, he had affections carrying him in all things to do accordingly. A like story to this hath Ibn. Ezra of a melancholic man in Sa • d • nia, who forsaking the company of men, went amongst De • r, and lived, and eat grass with them a long time. And for this exposition is Thomas Aquinas, who saith that there were no shape in his bodily shape, but only he seemed to himself to be a beast. And Franciscus Valesius saith, that it was a melancholic disease, which God laid upon the King: and Hieron M • rcurialis, that by means of this disease some have become mad, doing as it they were the very creatures, which they imagined themselves to be, some who thought themselves dogs, barking, some cocks crowing, some wolves, going out amongst the graves to feed upon dead bod • es. One, saith Le •• nius, i 〈…〉 ining himself to be dead would eat no meat seven days together, so •• at he was almost dead, to whom being in this desperate condition, the Physician prescribed this remedy that a few men clad all in white should come into the chamber where he lay, and eat meat in his sight, which he seeing them asked what they were, they answered, dead men, but said he, do dead men eat? they saying, yes, that they did when they could get it, he hearing this started up from his bed, and fell to eating with them, and so was recovered. Mic • a • l Medina conjectureth, that as by witchcraft some are transformed in show, a mist being cast before the spectators eyes, so that they seem to be what they are • o • , so it was done by the Almighty power of God to Nebuchadnezzar; but this is only a conjecture & improbable, because no such thing is here said but only touching his heart, wherein all the change in appearance was, and it is not good to ascribe such deceitful doings to God, as jugglers use by the help of the devil to beguile men's eyes. Of this strange judgment laid upon Nehuchadnezzar, none of the ancient writers of the heathens speak, but Alpheus briefly saith, that Nebuchadnezzar being wrapped with madness presently vanished out of the company of men, when he had first foretold the overthrow of the Chaldee Monarchy, as he is cited by Euselius.
For the leaving of the stump of his roots in the earth, verse. 15. hereby was meant, that he should not be driven from his kingdom, but that he should return to it again, as the stubble of a tree, after it is cut down, having life still in it shooteth out again, even with a band of iron and brass in the tender grass of the field, that is, leave it as it were, thus bound by God's irrevocable decree, till the time here spoken of be fulfilled, the allegory of a tree cut down being herein followed, which springeth not again, but by the dew falling upon it, and although ordinarily a tree cut down shooteth out again the next spring, yet if bands be upon it, through which it cannot pierce, it shooteth not out, till they be taken off, so could not this King, but then he did.
This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones. vulgar, the sentence is the decree of the watchmen, and this is the speech of the Saints and the petition. The first agreeth best with the original, it being meant, that it was the decree appointed by God to be published by his watchmen the Angels, whereupon they demand, why it is so, and have answer in the next words, that the living might know, that the most High ruleth in the Kingdoms of men, and giveth them to whom he pleaseth. Junius to these words, the word by the demand of the holy ones, addeth usque dum adducatur ut agnoscant, till he be brought to that, that they acknowledge, that is, Nebuchadnezzar to that low ebb, that all men living hearing of it, and after this, of his restitution again to his kingdom, acknowledge the kingdoms of the world to be at the Lord's disposing, and that he giveth this great Monarchy, to whom he will, and setteth the most abject of men therein, that is, this most proud man after his so great abasement, to be King and Ruler thereof again, thus also Lyra according to the letter. But he saith further, that some will not have this to be literally understood, but mystically of the devil, who for his pride was the most abased of all others, yet shall hereafter be restored to his pristin glory of an angel of light again. And they argue against the literal understanding of this of Nebuchadnezzar. 1. Because he retaining his human nature still, could not go and live upon grass as a beast so long a time. 2. Because being taken with such a disease, as was a kind of madness, they would doubtless rather have shut him up, then driven him out into the fields, as is used to be done to mad men. 3. Because the wild and savage beasts would, when he had come amongst them, have devoured him. 4. So large an Empire would not have been so long without a King, and if another King had been once set up, it is not probable, that he would have given way to him to return to his Throne again. But to believe, that the devil shall be restored again to his first glorious condition of an angel of light, is most contrary to the holy Scriptures, wherein it is said, that hell fire is prepared for the devil and his angels, and that it is everlasting, and the angels, who kept not their first standing he hath reserved in everlasting chains of darkness. For the objection made. 1. No reason can be drawn from the common condition of a man, to this man, having this judgment laid upon him by the Almighty, who can sustain the life of man without means as long as he pleaseth, as he did Moses 40 days, and Elijah, and the children of Israel 40 years in the barren wilderness, and experience hath taught in some, whose bodies have been distempered, that they have used coals and other things, wherein there is no nourishment, for most delectable food, and there is an history of a woman, that are & lived upon spiders, and some upon locusts; therefore if God would have Nebuchadnezzar fed with grass, what is he that dares say it was not possible, and likewise upon his hands and feet to go about as the beasts? 2. It is not to be doubted, but that when this judgment befell him, Daniel certified the Nobles hereof, persuading them rather to help put in execution what God had decreed, then to hinder it. 3. The same God that appointed his restitution after this fastened the stump of this tree in the mean season, so as that it was not in the power of any creature to pull it up, for which it is said to be bound with bands of brass and iron, and it is observed in the ordinary course of nature, that a mad dog will not bite a fool or a mad man, to say nothing of the acquaintance, which he gat with the beasts by conversing amongst them, so that they took him going upon all four, and feeding as they did, to be a beast as they were, although in shape differing from them, as a monster amongst them. 4. It is said, that Evilmerodach the son of Nebuchadnezzar reigned a while in his stead in this time of his exile, but playing the tyrant was by his subjects shut up in prison, where Jehoiakim the captive King of Judah was, with whom he by this means gat so good acquaintance, that immediately after Nebuchadnezzar's death, he coming to the Throne lifted up his head, and dealt so favourably with him, as is said, 2 King. 25. & so the kingdom was at Nebuchadnezzar returning to his understanding again void and fit for him to resume; and if it were not so, Daniel with the assistance of the Lord's governed it for the time in certain expectation of his return at the time by God prefixed.
Break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility, vulg. it may be God will forgive thy delights; that is, if thou dost thus, happily thy sins wherein thou hast taken such pleasure may be pardoned, and this judgment escaped: but herein the sense is more respected then the signification of the words, and if it be lengthening tranquility, the sense will be good thus, being spared from this expulsion and disturbance thou mayest haply live still quietly in thy kingdom. The vulg. for break off thy sins by righteousness, hath also, redeem thy sins by alms-deeds, and so hath the Sep • uagint translation but erroneously, for neither doth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signify redeem, nor 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 alms, but break off and righteousness, yet upon this erroneous translation, some infer the merit of alms-deeds, as if for them men were worthy of pardon, so Cornelius a Lapide saith, sins are by alms redeemed, because the fault being therefore forgiven, temporal punishments are ex condigno, remitted also. Again, they merit, if not the remission of everlasting, yet of temporal, and lastly because they dispose a sinner to grace, and to the pardon of sin, as prayer deserving and obtaining of it. Wherefore he stiffly maintaineth the vulgar translation, saying, that although 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth not to redeem, but to break off, yet to show that this breaking off is by redeeming, a Redeemer is in Chaldee called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and for the word righteousness, to give alms is a great part of righteousness, and therefore it may well be rendered by alms. But against him and all that make such Papistical constructions I oppose Polanus, who excellently showeth that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 hath only two significations, 1. to break off; 2. to pluck a man's self out of danger, but not to redeem, which indeed cannot be said to be done in respect of sins, but of persons, seeing sins are not capable of punishments, but persons sinning. Methurgeman Eliae writing upon this word, saith, it signifieth to break off, and for proof hereof allegeth Exod. 32. 2. Break off your golden rings, but for redeeming he can bring no place, where in Hebr. or Chaldee it is so used. And against redeeming, as by a Prince given, which might satisfy in respect of any punishments due for sin, maketh the redemption by Christ's blood, and not by gold and silver, if we had millions thereof to give amongst the poor. The meaning therefore is nothing else, but whereas thou hast been an oppressor, do [Note.] henceforth righteously & make restitution to those whom thou hast wronged, and over and above this, be charitable and give abundantly of thy goods to the poor. From whence, although no redemption from sin by alms-deeds can be proved, yet it may well be proved that no man is a true Convert, or shall find favor at God's hands, who turneth not from unjust and deceitful dealing to righteous in all things, and from hard heartedness to charitablenesse. For in both these Zacchaeus was a most exact pattern, & Cornelius to add the more force to his prayers, was much in almesgiving, and the Apostle having spoken of the sacrifice of praising God, addeth to distribute and to give forget not, for with such sacrifice God is well pleased, whereby is intimated that prayer and praise is then a well pleasing sacrifice to God, when accompanied with alms-deeds. For the last words here, if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility, because Daniel speaks doubtfully, the Papists following the Vulgar, gather from hence, that no man can be certain of his sins being pardoned, or consequently of his salvation. But as hath been before said, the words are not rightly rendered, it may be God will forgive, but, if haply there may be a prolonging of thy peace or rest, the temporal judgment threatened against thee being prevented. And according to this Jerome noteth, that an whole year passed, before that it was executed, and Nebuchadnezzar sinned again by his proud vaunting of himself of his great Babylon. Whence saith he it is probable, that he did for a time, as Daniel had counseled him, and so was spared, and had his quiet resting in his palace lengthened out twelve months after this. But if the vulgar translation were true, yet it followeth not from this his conditional speaking, that he doing so as was prescribed could have none assurance, because such words are often used by way of persuading to believe the thing spoken of, as 2 Tim. 2. 26. Instructing with meekness the contrary minded, if God at any time will give them repentance, which is as much as if he had said, thou doing thus may upon good ground believe that a good event will follow. And for any man or Nation turning from sin, when judgments are threatened there is a certain ground of confidence, Ier. 18. 6. Ezek. 26. From Daniel's example, [Note.] not only expounding to Nebuchadnezzar his Dream, but also exhorting him to repentance, note that every Minister of God ought to do likewise, and not to sooth up men in their sins, so daubing with untempered mortar, or having expounded the word to leave it without application.
At the end of these days my understanding returned unto me, and I lifted up mine eyes to heaven, thus I have translated it, not as the words lie, for his lifting up of his eyes is placed first, and then the returning of his understanding to him: but so it is hysteron proteron, the last put first, for his understanding must first needs return unto him, and then, and not before he lifted up his eyes and blessed God, since the heart of a beast cannot do this, and hereby it is plain, that the judgment laid upon him was in his mind, and not in the transmutation of his body any otherwise, then as this bestial mind made him to go and do like a brute beast. From this relation of Nebuchadnezzar, we learn, that man, [Note.] who is as a tree flourishing by prosperity, is so fascinated hereby, that forgetting God he equalizeth himself in his imagination unto him, then as pride goeth before a fall, God who is very vigilant to look to the swelling heart of such a man cutteth him down by sickness, or taking his worldly estate away from him, thus making him base and vile, and thus haply he liveth and goeth on either like a stupid beast a long time, not considering, wherefore God's hand is so heavy upon him, or murmuring against God, but in fine, if he belongeth to God, he considereth his former high thoughts and wickednesses, and repenteth, and is either lifted up again, as Nebuchadnezzar, and Job in this world, or in the world to come, although after this he be kept always low here. And then what doth he? bless and praise God to the uttermost of his power, seeking also to make others by his speaking of his praises and wonderful gests done for him, to acknowledge him to be the only true God, and therefore to fall to the magnifying of him also, and to living in all holy obedience to his will, to his glory.
And thus as Lyra saith, it is not to be doubted but Nebuchadnezzar after this proceeded to do to his dying day & so was saved. Whereas that which is spoken of him, Esa. 14. 12. may seem to make against it. He answereth, no more is there said, but what came to pass here touching his cutting down to the ground, and the debasing of him in this world for his pride, he being so left, as a wretched man, suffering still in his body after death. This Isaiah saw should come unto him for his intolerable pride, but his final conversion was hidden from him and not revealed, til now in Daniel's time. But forsomuch as after this testimony given of his serious penitency, nothing is more spoken [Note.] of him, but this his history is concluded, it is to be held, that whatsoever his life had formerly been, was forgiven, and in the end he was received to mercy, that no penitent sinner, who now turneth to do the works of God, may despair of mercy, how foul soever his life hath formerly been. But touching any grace or mercy to sinners delaying their repentance neither doth this or▪ any other history speak one word of comfort, and therefore they build their hopes upon shadows, that being such hope to come to the like comfortable end, especially such as have glorified God and been well affected, but are fallen away: for although he did again and again, yet there is now a bar put against Apostates, so that there is no hope for them to do the like, because it is impossible for the enlightened that fall away, to be renewed by repentance; although an heathen being affected with miracles, and hereupon confessing the true God once, yea twice, falling after this away again, were renewed, for it is no more given to such to repent, although it were given to this man.
CHAP. V.
HItherto the Divine spirit, that was in Daniel, being shown by his interpreting of two dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar: now a third instance is given of the same in his reading and expounding the strange hand-writing upon the wall to Belshazzar, in every of which there is somewhat typifying things done under the Gospel. 1. In the stone cut out of the mountain without hands. 2. In the watcher decreeing the cutting down of the proud King, represented by an huge high and broad tree, for by this was set forth John the Baptists threatening, that every tree that brings not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire, and our Lord's telling how the barren fig tree should be cut down, which was also fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, and for the renewing of the stump still to shoot up again afterwards, it was also true in the Jew, or shall be when converted, Rom. 11. 2 Cor. 3. 3. In this hand-writing setting forth Belshazzar's destruction, and loss of his kingdom, because he weighed too light, for by books wherein men's doings are written, all shall at the last by Christ be judged, and then they that are light like chaff, and not heavy and substantial like wheat, very husks without grain, shall be destroyed, and the kingdom of Heaven given to the solid faithful, who are within, as they show to be outwardly. Touching this Belshazzar the King, some think him to have been the son of Nebuchadnezzar, because he is in this chapter so called, and next after Nebuchadnezzar written of, and whereas it may seem to make against it, that Evilmerodach succeeded Nebuchadnezzar, it is held by them that Evilmerodach and Belshazzar were all one, which is also intimated, Jer. 50. 2. where it is said, in speaking of the destruction of Babylon, Bel is fallen, Merodach is broken in pieces, which may be taken for Evilmerodach; and whereas Jer. 27. it is said, all Nations shall serve Nebuchadnezzar, and his son, and his sons son, which was not fulfilled, if Belshazzar were his son, in whose time Babylon was destroyed they answer, that there were two Nebuchadnezzar's, touching the former of which Jeremy saith, that all Nations should serve him and his son, and sons son, and so they did, if Belshazzar were son of the second of these Nebuchadnezzar's. Others say, that Belshazzar was not the son, but the grand-child of Nebuchadnezzar, and called his son only as the grandchild of any man is commonly, and the grandfather the father. According to this Evilmerodach was Nebuchadnezzar's son, and Belshazzar his son. Lastly, others place next unto Nebuchadnezzar Evilmerodach, then Niglissar, after him Labosardach, then Belshazzar, so Josephus whom Jerome followeth, but unto them he reckoneth so many years, that it agreeth not with the years of the Jews captivity, to Evilmerodach 18 years, to Negl ••• ar 40, to Labesordach 9 months, to Belshazzar 17. which together make 75 besides the years of Nebuchadnezzar after Jerusalem destroyed 36. It is therefore rather to be held, that Belshazzar was the son of Evilmerodach, and that he is omitted by Daniel, as in whose time nothing remarkable fell out, but what was before related, 2 King. 25. and Daniel propounded to himself only to set forth things of greatest note. And thus the prophesy of Jeremiah was fulfilled of all Nations serving Nebuchadnezzar, and his son, and sons son, and we shall not be forced to flee to an uncertain conjecture of another Nebuchadnezzar coming between, of whom neither the Hebrews, nor Berosus the Chaldee Historiographer maketh any mention. And the time of the Jews captivity agreeth to this being 70 years, if we reckon to Nebuchadnezzar 36 years, to Evilmerodach 18, to Belshazzar 17 as Josephus, being together 71, in which year being the 17 of Belshazzar the Medes and Persians took Babylon, and as Lyra saith out of the Hebrew traditions, Belshazzar seeing the 70 years spoken of by Jeremiah come, and Babylon standing still, although besieged, and the Jews by the coming on of another Monarch not delivered, hereupon took occasion to sleight that prophesy, and as if all danger were past, to make that great feast to his Princes, that he did, and so when he was most secure, he was cut off. Bu • of the manner of Cyrus his proceeding and taking Babylon, and the description of that great city, see what I have written upon Ezra, pag. 5. 6.
When Belshazzar was in his cups with his Lord's his Wives, and his Concubines (who were a wonderful great company, for there were 1000 Lord's or Princes, it being by some conceived, that all his Princes were come unto him to Babylon to help to defend the City, an hand was seen writing upon the wall such a writing, as none of the wise men of his could read or interpret, which made his heart and limbs to tremble. Upon this the Queen hearing of it came in, about whom it may be questioned, what Queen she was, seeing his wives and concubines were already with him: but it is answered, most probably she was the wife of Nebuchadnezzar who lived still, or of Evilmerodach his father, who knew what Daniel had formerly done in the like difficult cases, wherefore she certifieth him of Daniel, and Daniel being sent for came, and read and interpreted the writing, which was Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin, which because when he cometh to interpret, he saith, Mene, God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it; Tekel, thou art weighed in the balance, and found wanting; Peres, thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians: the vulgar hath only these three words, Mene, Tekel, Perez; but the first word is doubled, and for Peres is Upharsin, which cometh of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and, and Peres, whence is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 divisions, and Mene properly signifieth numbered, Tekel weighed. Thus by prodigious signs God hath some other times also foreshowed the destruction of other wicked kings. Zonaras saith, that a Judge in Antioch saw in heaven a number of stars so placed together, that of them these words were made, hodie Julianus in Perside occiditur, this day is Julian slain in Persia, and it f • ll out accordingly. Upon a place in Adrianople was a verse seen written, that one of the Paleologues family should shortly die, and Machael Andronicus the Emperors son shortly after died.
CHAP. VI.
HEre, after God's twice magnifying of Daniel for his incomparable skill and insight into greatest secrets in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, and once in the days of Belshazzar, a further magnifying of him, as his dearly beloved servant, followeth in the days of Darius the King of the Medes by a rare miraculous deliverance from the Lions, into whose den he was cast, but their mouths were shut up so, as that they could not hurt him. All things are here easily to be understood, and therefore I shall speak but little hereupon. And first of his praying three times a day with his window open towards Jerusalem, as he had used to do. If the reason be demanded, it is answered, God had promised to his people in captivity, that if they should pray toward Solomon's Temple, he would hear and be merciful, and therefore he set his window open that way, and not to be seen of men, contrary to which it is prescribed, Matth. 6. Enter into thy closet, and pray in secret. For his praying three times besides the morning and evening, intimated Exod. 29. 39. where it is prescribed at noon day, this was commonly before eating, as Peter went up at this time of the day to the top of the house to pray, and David speaks of praying morning and evening and at noon-tide. And it is not to be doubted, but that Daniel did now the rather frequent God with his prayers in private, that he might not be counted one that tempted God by doing his devotion, where he might be seen, and so incur the penalty by the Kings Decree propounded, thus Lyra. But how was he in private, say others, when as the Princes by seeing his window open knew of it? and hereupon Polanus entereth into a dispute, whether Daniel did well in that he did not for a time pour out his devotions more secretly, where he might not have been seen. And he saith, some object against his thus doing, because he might secretly for that time in his mind have worshipped God without using any external gesture, and in so doing have kept a good conscience. 2. It not so, at the least by going in secret, where no mortal eyes might see him. 3. Because the Kings Decree is to be obeyed in things not contrary to our duty to God. But all this is easily answered, he could not at this time refrain • from proceeding externally in his devotion as he used to do, without being reputed a deserter of his piety towards his God, his forbearing to pray, as he had used to do being taken for a relinquishing of him for fear of the Kings Decree, wherein he knew that he only amongst all the Princes was a imed at, and of what ill consequence this might have been to enemies, who for this would have counted him timorous, and without all courage, and to friends, to whom his example might have been a stumbling block to make them to intermit their devotions also. And therefore it was necessary for him to do as he did, that his faith and courage, and constancy to his first principles might appear to all men, and that in the way of piety he feared not man, as his three fellows had done before in Nebuchadnezzar's days. As for obedience to men's ordinances, it is no further to be yielded, but as it stands with piety towards God, and doing so as that a good conscience may be kept in all things. When the King heard that Daniel was taken in the trap, which they had set for him, he was sore displeased with himself, and labored to deliver him to the going down of the Sun. The King, as it appeareth hereby, was merely circumvented, who when he made his Decree saw not into the drift thereof, but now he saw too late and sorrowed fruitlessly. But although he could not see into their drift, yet if he had not been void of all piety, he would never have agreed to make such a Decree, howsoever he had been importuned thereunto, because even heathens are devout in their kind, and know by the light of nature that the worship of the God whom they serve, is not to be intermitted so long at any time. His grief for Daniel therefore was not, because he was so godly, that for godliness sake he would thus hazard his life, but because he was so wise a man, and so he thought, that he should have more miss of him, then of all his Princes besides. But as great as his grief for Daniel was, and howsoever he labored by speaking for him, seeking some evasion in interpreting his Decree made, as Lyra conjectureth, or pleading the great usefulness of him for his rare parts to the whole State, he at length caused Daniel to be cast into the Lions den, as Herod afterwards did by John the Baptist, who had hypocritically pretended sorrow, when for his oath he thought himself obliged to do it, or was affected with sorrow in some other respect, haply of the hatred of the people, which he should thus incur, because they counted John a Prophet. Thus Kings sometimes for want of consideration in time entangle themselves in unevitable evils, for which they had need to be very circumspect, neither are we in this land insensible [Note.] of evil, that hath thus come to our state, which God for his mercy remove.
Thy God, whom thou servest continually will deliver thee. This the King speaks to comfort Daniel, and he might believe, that it should be so, because he had doubtless heard of the deliverance of his three fellows out of the fiery furnace. Then a stone being rolled to the door of the lions den, it was sealed with the Kings seal, saith Jerome, least the Princes, if they should find, that the Lions spared Daniel, should otherwise seek his destruction, pretending it to be done by the Lions, and it was also sealed with the Princes seals, lest the king should take him out again, or seek some means of his preservation, but in all God's providence wrought, that his Almighty power might more clearly appear [Note.] in his deliverance, and that there was no fraud herein, for the comfort and confirmation of others being in greatest danger by the malice of their enemies. For dangers by Lions, Aristotle, Pliny, and Pererius say, that if a cloth be cast upon the eyes of a Lion to cover them, he will not hurt a man. 2. If he be full. 3. If a man hath been unto him beneficial. 4. If a man lieth prostrate before him in the manner of a supplicant. But Daniel was not safe by any such means, but God sending his Angels to shut the Lions mouths, or as some think, taking hunger away from them in respect of Daniel, and causing in them a satiety, or causing such a fantasy in them, that they looked upon Daniel, not as a prey, but a friend unto.
Daniel being kept safe from the fury of the Lions till the morning, and then called to by Darius, answereth, God sent his angel and shut the mouths of the Lions, because innocence was found in me, as he was not hurtful to any, especially not to his conscience by doing anything against it, so God provided that the Lions were not able to hurt him: suitable to which Augustine hath a notable saying, subject thyself to him, that is above thee, and all things under thee shall be subject unto thee, but because man through sin left him, under whom he ought to have been, he was subjected to them, above whom he ought to be. Ver. 20. The King then commanded, and Daniel's accusers, and their wives and children were cast into the Lions den, &c. a just punishment and kindly for their sin, and Josephus saith further, to illustrate the history, that these Princes pleaded before the King, saying that the Lions were full, and therefore would not touch Daniel, which he hearing said, that the Lions should now be fed, and then they cast into see, whether they could likewise escape, but this being done they were suddenly destroyed. For their wives and children cast in also, it is most probable, that they were accessory to that wicked conspiracy against Daniel, putting their husbands and fathers on in the foresaid design, as being moved with pride and disdain at the high advancement of Daniel above them who was a captive. Then Darius wrote to all Nations of the earth, magnifying the God of Daniel, and acknowledging that his kingdom should never have an end, speaking herein the same words with Daniel. 2. Touching Christ and his Kingdom, which he had doubtless learned of Daniel. To conclude, the representation of Christ in this vision, as was said before in part, is in Daniel's coming alive again out of the Lions den into which he was put, as into a sepulcher, after which his accusers being put in were cruelly destroyed, and then the Lord's kingdom extolled and all men prohibited to speak ill of God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So Christ being laid into the sepulcher, and there a watch of Lion-like soldiers set to keep it, and if he should rise again, to kill him, notwithstanding had his angels ready at hand to terrify the soldiers away, and then he arose again, and came forth, being safe from all harm, and had all power given him, in heaven and in earth for evermore: and thus it appears, in everything done here, that Daniel prefigured Christ, as in his name the judge of God, for so it was before shown, that Daniel signifieth, and Christ, we believe shall come to judge the quick and the dead; and 2. as Daniel came out of the Lions den, so he out of the sepulcher. 3. As Daniel came from amongst the Lions safe and sound, so he from amongst the soldiers. 4. As Daniel being come forth from amongst the Lions, his accusers were cast in and destroyed, so Christ being come out of the sepulcher, death being not able to hurt him, the Jews his accusers were cast in, as it were, when by the Romans taken and slain. 5. As upon this great miracle God was acknowledged, and published to all parts of the earth, so upon the miraculous rising again of Christ, false gods went down upon the publishing hereof in all places, and the true God and his Son Jesus Christ were acknowledged all over the earth, neither was any contrary power able to stop the course of the Gospel, but the sound thereof setting this forth went into all the ends thereof.
CHAP. VII.
IN this chapter and hence forward, as Lyra observeth, are five visions more. 1. Of four monstrous beasts, and of the coming of the Judge, and of the whole proceeding of the last tribulation. 2. Setting forth the fight of the Persians and Grecians by a Ram and a Goat, and herein the principal conflict of the same tribulation. chap. 8. 3. Of an Angel foretelling the 70 weeks to the death of the Messiah, in whom should be an end of the tribulation, chap. 9. 4. Of a man declaring the end of tribulation, and the days of the lasting thereof, chap. 10. 5. Of the fight of Christ, and his final victory and triumph under the type of the king of the South and of the North, chap. 11. thus Lyra. But Polanus saith, that in these visions the sufferings of the people of God, under the four Monarchies of the world are set forth, and specially in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, when the worship and service of God was quite overturned, the end whereof yet for the comfort of the faithful is set forth by certain days, by a mighty deliverance, and after that by the coming of the Messiah, who yet by the greatest part of the Jews should be rejected and slain, and for this their city should be destroyed, their Temple overthrown, and the Levitical Service there abolished, and never be restored again, yet in that time of common destruction the Elect should be by the power of the Messiah preserved, and finally that at Christ's second coming all the dead shall rise some to everlasting life, some to everlasting condemnation. But to leave these generals and to come to the visions in order.
First Daniel saith, that he saw in his vision by night, and four winds strove upon the sea, and four great beasts came up from the Sea, by these four winds, saith Lyra, understand four Angels set over the four Monarchies of the World, who are said to strive, when each one standeth for the Monarchy, over which he is set, yet ready, when God's makes his will known to either of them to acquiesce and rest therein. As for their striving, 1. it is not to be understood, that they did thus all together at one time, but successively, the Angel of the Babylonian Monarchy against him of the Persian, striving to uphold it against Darius and Cyrus, but giving way to the destruction thereof, when God had made known his will in this regard, and likewise he over the Persian against the Grecian, and he that was over the Grecian against the Roman. For these beasts the first was like a Lion having Eagles wings, and his wings were plucked, and he was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon his feet like a man, and a man's heart was given unto him. This was the king of Babylon, because as a Lion amongst all the beasts of the Forest is as King, so was he of all other men far and wide; and therefore under this name of Lion he is also set forth, Esa. 5. 29. Jer. 4. 13. and under the name of an Eagle, Jer. 48. Ezek. 17. And he had two wings of an Eagle, the one of riches, for which he was also set forth before by a golden head, and the other of military prowess, for herein both for might and skill he excelled all other, in so much, as that some say, he was stronger then Hercules. And wings of an Eagle are ascribed unto him for his pride, in regard of these two, by which he was lifted up above all other men, as the Eagle above all fowls of the air by the strength of his wings, as was touched before, chap. 3. But his wings were plucked when after his strouting of himself in his pride, he was in mind made like a Beast, for then he was for a long time not only as an Eagle with his feathers plucked, not able to soar above others anymore, and by this means kept lower and beneath them all, even the meanest man, but also whereas the Eagle his feathers being plucked, hath still the mind of an Eagle, he contrariwise was herein inferior to other men also, he had not the understanding of the simplest man in him. And he was lifted up and made to stand upon his feet as a man, which is not to be understood, as being done by means of his wings, for they are said before this, to have been plucked, but by the mercy of God shown again towards him in restoring him so debased. For then he was lifted up and stood erect as a man, and went not upon all four, making feet of his hands, as he did before, but his face that so long had been towards the ground as the face of a beast, was now lifted up again to look towards heaven, & as God there, by whose favor the case was thus altered with him, as man herein is differenced from a beast, according to the saying, when other animals look downward to the earth, he hath given a sublime face to man, and bidden him look upward. And a man's heart was given unto him: which is just according to the saying before upon the vision of the great and admirable tree in vision represented to Nebuchadnezzar, chap. 4. 32. where after his driving from amongst men, and the heart of a man taken from him, he saith, his understanding returned to him, and he looked up towards heaven. Lyra hath also another interpretation of his being plucked his feathers, when all his power and riches were taken away by the Persians, at what time he stood, as a man, that is, as a poor ordinary man of the meanest sort, and had the heart of a man given him, that is, whereas before he thought himself as good as God, now he knew by experience, that he was no God but a miserable man. But it is improper to say of one slain, that he was lifted up and stood upon his feet as a man, or that he had the heart of a man given him, when his hearts blood was shed & he perished, yea this were absurd, and therefore I rest in the former. But Polanus who is for this, seeketh to make it probable, by saying, that he was made to stand upon his feet, as a man when his pride was abated by the Persian, he being before as a Lion, and that he had the heart of a man given him because he was then as another ordinary man, & the people of that kingdom made tributary. For these beasts coming out of the Sea, here by the Sea is set forth the world for the fluctuating condition hereof, now flowing, now ebbing, now boisterous through winds, now calm; their rising then out of the Sea is up in the world successively one after another, as God in his providence, who foreshowed this, appointed. For the 4 winds striving upon the great Sea Polarus noteth, that for so much as the angels are set forth hereby, who under God govern in all the four parts of the world. 1. That Angels are as winds for their celerity, in executing the will of God, Psal. 18. 11. 114. 4. 2. That whatsoever is done in any part of the world is not done by chance or fortune, but by God's providence using the Ministry of Angels therein. 3. That the Church of God is not to expect peace and quiet in this world, but great troubles as in tempestuous weather by the many alterations and changes herein. 4. That the Church of God being delivered from one trouble, or storm, is not to expect thenceforth to be free from more, but to be tumbled and tossed with many adversaries, till she cometh at the haven of everlasting peace, for after the striving of the winds, four beasts arise time after time, to renew troubles after troubles to the worlds end. Now for the four kingdoms here represented by beasts, this is done to show [Note.] the savageness and cruelty of these Heathen Kings, especially toward the Church, for the acquainting of whom especially their arising was under these [Note.] forms set forth, that when they should suffer by means of them they might be armed with patience, as knowing that no cruelty could be exercised against them, but by his providence.
And behold another beast like unto a bear, and it raised itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth, and they said unto it. Arise, devour much flesh. Here the Kingdom of Persia is represented by a Bear, because a Bear is baser then a Lion, by subtlety getteth his prey and is more cruel. 1. He is baser, as not having so specious a form as a Lion, so the Persian was poor and inhabited a barren country, and therefore lived more basely, and upon courser food then the Babylonian, whose country was more fruitful, for so Xenophon saith, the Persians through their want fed basely, and lived laboriously for the asperity of their country. 2. As the Bear, so the Persian by subtlety wrought the overthrow of Babylon, for Zopyrus knowing by an old Prophesy, that Babylon should then fall, was content to cut and mangle his body and face, that so he might fain himself to be full of wrath against the Pyrsians for thus misusing him, then he fled to the Chaldees complaining of their cruelty, and by his subtlety prevailed so far, that he was made a chief Captain in the City to defend it against the Persians, by which means the Persians gat such advantage by his letting them in, that they suddenly subdued all And the prophesy that he went upon, was, that when a mule should foale, Babylon should be taken, for he had a mule, that foaled when he lay at the siege, and upon this he took courage to him to do so as hath been said. For the cruelty and greediness of the Bear to devour much, which is also intimated in the last words here, devour much flesh, herein the Persian was also like unto the Bear, for of their cruelty, and the Medes in devouring men by destroying them, it is spoken, Esa. 13. 17, 18. They despise silver and gold, with their bows they shall pierce even children, and not pity the fruit of the Womb, their eye shall not spare little children. The Vulgar Latin, for these words raised up it self, hath these, it stood in part, which Lyra expoundeth of the Medes and Persians standing for the Jews to deliver them out of captivity. Polanus renders it, he erected a domination, and this most agreeable to the Heb. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the first of which words signifieth Dominion, the next, if it be taken for a contract of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 only, as if he had said erected, or raised up a Dominion of many countries into one. For so Cyrus did, of the Medes, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and other Nations of the lesser Asia, for so Xenophon saith, Cyrus taking with him a small company of men united the Medes voluntarily unto him, and subdued the Syrians, Assyrians, Arabians, Cappadocians, the Phrygians, Lydians, Carians, Phoenicians and Babylonians. He also enjoyed the Bactrians and the Indies of the Silicians, the Sacrians and Paphlagonians, and the Mariandines, and very many Nations more, the names whereof are not easily to be counted; in a a word, he struck such a terror into all Nations by his name, that to gratify him, they desired to be ruled according to his pleasure; thus Xenophon Kimtri following another copy in which 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 hath a prick in the left horn, first rendered it side, and so N. Tr. On one side, but enough hath been said upon this to show the right rendering and sense: that of the vulgar Latin having no verisimilitude, because the scope of the Vision is, not to show to whom the Perstan stood in any part, but the greatness of his Dominion, and how many Kingdoms he united into one. But Lyra who followeth the vulgar, contrary to that which hath been said, will have the Persian represented by a Bear; because he was not so sierce, but milder towards the Jews then Nebuchadnezzar; forsomuch as by him they were delivered. But because there is nothing more wood then a Bear, which spareth none, as a Lion sometime doth, it is to be held, whatsoever favor Cyrus thus represented shown to the Jews, it was not the scope of this Vision in any part to set it forth, but only his rising greatness, and manifold devouring, as it were of men and countries by bringing them under. For the next words; whereas Lyra according to the vulgar Latin hath it; three orders were in his mouth; in the next words Theodot. three sides, Theodor. three wings, Vatablus tres boli, of so uncertain signification is the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , coming of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to lick, follow we the N. Tr. and then by three ribs in his mouth, either three kingdoms are set forth, the Persian, Median, and Babylonian; now all in the power of Cyrus, or three parts of the world, East, West, and South, as some say, or rather East, South and North; as others, the East subdued by Cyrus, the South by Cambyses, wherein stood Egypt and Libya, the North by Darius Hystaspes, where the Scythians were. This Bear is bidden eat much flesh, to show that the destructions made by him in the world were by God's appointment, and not at his own will, and for this end it is also said of the next, that Dominion was given to it.
Another like a Leopard, which had upon his back four wings of a Fowl, and four heads and dominion was given unto it. Hereby the third Monarchy of Alexander and the Grecians was represented. Touching the Leopard some think that it it all one with the Panther, as Aristotle, Pliny, Dioscor. Gaza, but Solinus, that the Panther and Leopard are two kinds. It is rather to be held, that it is one kind only differing in the sex, Pardus the Leopard being the he, and the Panthera the she. This beast was most aptly shown to set forth Alexander, because it is of divers colors intermingled all over the body, so Alexander had in him a mixture of virtues and vices. 2. It is most swift of foot and greedy of blood, so was Alexander, in so short a time subduing all the world, (i. e.) in 12. years. 3. It is delighted in wine very much; in so much as that by wine, set as a bait to take it, he cometh and maketh himself drunken therewith, and so taken; and to drinking of wine was never any man more addicted then Alexander, and he finally perished thereby. 4. It is proud and despiseth other beasts, as not comparable to itself, whereupon Plutarch telleth of a contention betwixt the Panther and the Fox, to which the Panther spake disdainfully for the base color, of which the Fox was: but the Fox replied, that beauty which thou hast in thy body I have in my mind, and that it is better to have wit and subtlety then a fair skin; so Alexander was very proud vaunting himself as the son not of a man, but of God, of Jupiter. And this Leopard hath four four wings and four heads; by the wings his celerity in running or flying over the world to subdue, being further noted, and by the four wings and heads the division of his Empire amongst four when he was dead, Seleucus, Ptolemy, Philip and Antigonus: the first being King of Syria, the second of Egypt, the third of Macedonia, the fourth of Asia minor.
A fourth beast terrible and strong and it had great iron teeth, &c. it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns, I considered the horns and there came up among them another little horn, and three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots before it. By this beast differing from all the rest, the Ancients generally understand the Roman Empire, which was so diversely ruled, sometime by Tribunes of the people, sometime by Consuls, by Dictatours, by the Triumviri, and by Emperors, and therefore it was unlike to any of the kingdoms before going, and is set forth as more terrible for the great iron teeth and horns, and the feet stamping all underfoot, by subjecting them to tribute in all countries and Nations. For which cause this Monarchy could not by▪ any beast be represented, but only be described, as a monster amongst beasts. So that the Rabbins, who hold it to have been a wild boar, of which the Psalmist speaketh, saying, the wild boar out of the wood hath devoured it, were more bold to vent their own phantasies then anything near the truth. But these that are for the Monarchy of Romans amongst the Ancients meant by this beast are all for the little horns setting forth Antichrist, and that not already come, but to come hereafter towards the end of the world, when the Roman Monarchy shall be in the hands of ten Kings. For then, say they, shall one base man of obscure beginning arise; as a little horn, but grow to that strength, that three Kings shall be soon overcome by him, the King of Egypt, of Libya and Ethiopia, which the other seven seeing shall soon submit themselves unto him, and he shall persecute unto the death all such as refuse to obey him. Thus Jerome who is commonly followed by others, but he also saith, that Porphyrius a great enemy to the Christian religion, and to this Book in particular, as hath been before said, holdeth that the Seleucidan kingdom is by this fourth beast set forth, which in cruelty towards the Jews exceeded all the kingdoms before mentioned, and that his ten horns were ten kings reigning therein, and the little horn Antiochus Epiphanes, who raged most, for a time, and times, and half a time, that is three years and an half, as after followeth. But this opinion, besides the infamy of the Author that broached it, is manifestly against all circumstances of the Vision. 1. Of the distinction made between this and the three former beasts, which as all agree, set forth the three Monarchies before spoken of, in setting forth the last, of which four wings and four faces are spoken of, to foreshow the division of that Monarchy after Alexanders death into four, of which the Seleucidan kingdom was one, and therefore in reason cannot be represented again in this beast, it being already done withal, so much as the Lord was pleased to make known in this place. Therefore the kingdom represented here must be another arising up after the third. Again, the judgment next following after this, whereby the Dominion of this horn is not only taken away, but also given to the Saints forever, verse. 26. 27. showeth, that the kingdom here spoken of being destroyed, the Saints should reign in all parts under the whole heaven forever, which cannot be applied to the time of Judas Machab. and the Jews who flourished indeed for a time, but neither had Dominion all over the world, but a little part thereof, when their Dominion was greatest, neither was it so long lasting. And therefore this must needs be understood of the Dominion of Christ by his Word and Spirit, subduing all Countries and Nations in the time of the Gospel, which was long after Antiochus Epiphanes, and by consequence this fourth kingdom must be the Roman, in the time whereof the Son of man spoken of, v. 31, 14. cometh to his Dominion, as was partly touched upon before chap. 2. as being represented by the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, and becoming a kingdom filling the whole earth, where also I have proved by the circumstance of time, in the days of these Kings, &c. that the fourth kingdom cannot be any other but the Roman▪ Yet both Junius and Polanus, and some others of ours follow Porphyrius herein. I yet for my part shall take leave to prefer Jerome before Porphyrius, holding that not the Seleucidan but the Roman Monarchy is by this fourth beast prefigured. For so likewise both Revel. 13. and chap. 17. it is shown as a beast having ten horns, and as here, verse. 24. so there the horns are said to be kings for their great strength to goar and to bear down others, and as here, verse. 25. his time is said to be a time and times and half a time, so there, or 42 months, or 1260 days, which are all one. And as here a little horn springeth up after the tenth; so there, after the beast with ten horns, another beast comes up, Revel. 13. 11. But although I herein agree with antiquity, both that the Roman Empire is set forth by this beast with ten horns of which I have also said enough upon Revel. 17. showing what ten kings these horns were, and that the little horn was Antichrist, who was to arise during the time of this Empire, yet whereas they say, that Antichrist is yet to come towards the end of the world, and that he shall when he cometh, reign but three years and an half: in this I cannot subscribe, but contrariwise hold, that Antichrist is come, and is not one man but a succession of men in the Roman State, ruling not by force at the first, but by flattery and false persuasions, for which it is said, that he had eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things: for he seeth according to the carnal reason of a man, whereby he conceiveth himself (because he is Saint Peters successor, who had the government of Christ's Church committed unto him) to be as high Priest, and Lord over all Churches and Churchmen speaking to this purpose most magnifically of himself, as Christ's vicar being over all powers not only spiritual, but temporal, it being in him to dispose of the kingdoms of the world as he pleaseth, putting down one and setting up another. And therefore this horn little at the first must needs be the Pope of Rome, to whom these things do most aptly agree. Whereof to speak more at large here I forbear, because I have proved this already upon Revel. 13. and 17. And verse. 25. here following makes it yet plainer, saying, He shall change times and Laws, and they shall be given into his hand for a time, and times, and half a time: because he hath changed times by setting up days of cessation from work to the honor of his imagined Saints, and dispenseth with God's Laws, and makes Decretals as Laws. And he is said to wear out the Saints, for so the Pope hath done both by persecution stirred up against such as oppose his proceedings▪ and by corrupting the world with false doctrine, so that the Churches everywhere under him are worn out from being a Communion of Saints to become Conventicles of blind superstitious persons. Lastly, he is said to be divers from the ten Kings mentioned before, therefore no secular king, but another kind of man; as the Pope is yet of no less but greater Dominion, and he subdueth three Kings, verse. 24. which I know not how better to understand then of three put down at several times by the Popes, viz. Chilperick▪ the French king, and Pipin and his son Charles set up. Frederick the Emperor, his son Rodulphus being set up, and king John of England, whom of a free king he made to him a tributary. For his speaking of great words against the most high, the speeches of the Pope before commemorated were such in intituling himself vice-deus, and doing, as if he had said By me Kings reign, for this is against the most high as being derogatory to God's sole supremacy over all. And for three kingdoms coming under him, it may be considered, whether they be not three of the mightyest in Europe, Spain, Germany and France; or whether this prefigured not his Triple Crown. For the time, and times, and half a time; that is, as Jerome resolveth it, a year, two years and half a year; for the second word is a dual number, in days 1260. which counting a day for a year, as hath been done upon Revel. make so many years, this showeth, that it cannot be understood of any one, but a succession of men, as was before said.
I beheld till the Thrones were cast down and the ancient of days did sit. Whose garment was white as snow and his hair as wool, and his throne was like a fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. The thrones here spoken of were the Thrones of the ten kings before going, whose authority and power hereby was shown to be ended, all kingdoms now coming to be the Lord's, who alone sitteth and reigneth after this forever: and that Christ is hereby meant, is shown, verse. 13. saying, One like the Son of man came with the clouds, and came to the ancient of days, and to him was given Dominion and glory, and a kingdom, never to have end. The vulgar, till the thrones were set, for these words, till the thrones were cast down; whereupon Lyra, there shall not only be one, but more thrones at the day of judgment, because it is said, ye shall sit upon twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel; but neither is the day of judgment here set forth, nor will the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying projicere, to cast down, bear that translation. Hereby then is meant the overthrowing of earthly kingdoms, as was said before. For the pure white garments and hair here spoken of, they served, as Polanus hath it, to set forth his purity and holiness, and unspotted justice: whereunto add also his glory, because when Christ shown himself in his glory, his garments are said to be white as snow, and in promising heavenly glory to some in Sardis the spirit saith, they shall walk with me in white.
Here by the ancient of days Lyra understandeth Christ in his Divinity, and by the son of man brought unto him, verse, 13. Christ in his humanity, but Polanus by the first God the Father, and God the Son incarnate by the second. I rather prefer Lyra, because God the Father hath never taken unto him any similitude, but the Son as a praeludium of his incarnation, and Ezek. 1. where one sitting upon a Throne above the Cherubims appeared like the Son of man, it was undoubtedly God the Son; and here is a representation of a Judge, which Office is, by the Father deputed to the Son. There is somewhat said like unto this, Revel. 20. 12. where the proceedings at the day of judgment are set forth, and as there, so here the opening of the Books are spoken of, but hereby is nothing else meant, but that it should be justly proceeded against the kings before spoken of, as when a Judge now goeth according to plain evidence in condemning malefactors. His Throne like a fiery flame, and his wheels. All things about this Judge appeared fiery, because fire is most terrible, and the force thereof irresistible, and the torments of those that suffer by fire extreme; for which also it is said, Our God is a consuming fire, and verse. 10. a fiery stream issued from before him: which should make all the wicked to tremble and turn from their wickedness, and to seek [Note.] for mercy and reconciliation with God, that from fiery he may turn to them a refrigeration and cooling, as to Anonias, Azarias and Misael in the fiery furnace. By wheels also is this Judge set forth in his judgments, as Ezek. 1. for his celerity in executing them, so that when he cometh in judgment against any people, he in a short time overrunneth all places therewith. He is indeed long before he cometh to judge the wicked, because he would have them turn to him by repentance, but when he setteth forth, he cometh for the greater destruction of the obstinate most swiftly, that none may set upon repenting afterwards for this still hardening their hearts, but take time to turn now for fear of sudden destruction to come without any time of repentance granted. But it may here be demanded, if the last judgment be not set forth in this place, why doth the Judge appear sitting more now then any other time? Sol. Because the casting down of the Thrones here spoken of being so great and extensive, even over all the world which had been suffered to stand so long to the extreme afflicting and doing all manner of violence and wrong to God's people, was as it were a solemn keeping of Assizes all over the world, the Judges now coming on to his Throne, where he might not seem before to have been, because not so remarkably. For whilst [Note.] the wicked and blood thirsty go on age after age, and if one beast be put down, another ariseth no less obnoxious to the Church and people of God, how doth the Lord show himself to sit upon the Throne that judgeth righteously? But when he cometh with his judgments upon Thrones, and those the greatest in the world, over turning them, and not ceasing to proceed thus till he hath put down all Dominion and power adverse to him; yea spiritual powers ruling by idolatry and superstition, as he did in the time of the Gospel, then he showeth himself indeed to sit, as is here said. If it be thought that this representation of God in a likeness is a ground for us to make an image of him in like manner, it is a diabolical deceit to entangle men unawares in the foul sin of idolatry. For thus the devil hath bewitched heathen people, drawing them to make images of false gods, that in them the devil might be worshipped; as the Apostle teacheth, saying, an idol is nothing, but what the heathen offer, they offer to devils. And therefore such of the people of God, as represent God by an image, have not learned so to do from this or any other place of Scripture, but from the deceiver the devil. For against making of the image of God express charge is given, Deut. 4. 15. from the circumstance of time, when the Law was given for the regulating of all our actions: for then saith he, ye saw no likeness, therefore take heed, that ye corrupt not yourselves by making any image. And the scope of this place is not to teach anything contrary, but that the just proceeding of the Almighty, and his terribleness against the wicked being shown, although he may long suffer them; all men might learn to fear before him, & therefore not presume to represent him by an Image, which is so greatly derogatory to his infinite glory, wherewith he filleth the world, and therefore is not to be thought representable by any similitude as Isaiah reasoneth. For the infinite multitude of Angels here said to stand before him, and to minister unto him; hereby both his glory and power is more set forth, as of the greatest Potentate in the world, whose glory is a guard of thousands about him, daily attending upon him, & ready to be sent out at his will. But whereas such an one hath men, the Lord hath Angels, and a far greater company, then all the Potentates of the earth; and their Office is double, 1. Of some to minister unto him by praising him continually, as Isaiah 6. 2. Of others standing to receive instructions to go forth to execute his will in ministering to such as shall inherit eternal life, and striking the wicked in fighting God's battles with his servants, as in Joshua his time, and in killing his enemies; as the host of Sennaeherib, and the first born of Egypt. Oh the [Note.] safety then of the righteous, how should any harm come unto them, who have such to attend upon them, and to pitch their tents about them, and to bear them in their hands, and contrariwise the dangerous case of the wicked, against whom such warriors are sent out; which way shall they escape, or how shall they be able to stand against their force?
I beheld till the beasts were slain, &c. for the rest of the beasts their Dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and time. By the Beast here understand the Antichrist before spoken of, whose end shall be to be slain and cast into the fire of hell, as is shown in Revel. 17. For the rest of the beasts and the prolonging of their lives for a time and time, or time and season, it is spoken, saith Lyra, of persecutors both under the Old and New Testament, who should be truculent and savage always as beasts towards the people of God, doing them what hurt they can, even when they have no power, if not openly, yet secretly. And this we in England have found to be true by experience, even since the beast of Rome had his Dominion here taken from him: for his members have at sundry times still been found undermining this State by their plots and conspiracies, seeking the overthrow hereof. Thus those beasts before spoken of falling from their Dominion yet live in their seed, Antichristian and Heathenish men, of which last sort the Mohammedans and other Pagans and barbarous people are under the New Testament: and the Nations near about the Jews were under the Old, whose strength was often broken, but still they lived and bare in their minds the same hatred, putting them on to do the faithful what mischief they could. But the comfort is, that this should be but for a time, because that before the end of the world, there shall be none living who shall be either Antichristian or Heathenish anymore, but as far as pertains to outward profession, speaking all one language, whether they be Assyrians or Egyptians, or Barbarians of any other Nations, the wickedness that shall abound at Christ's second coming, being in the evil manners of men, and not in the diversity of their God's as formerly, and that wickedness in this sort shall be the wickedness against which the Lord shall come in flaming fire is apparent from that prediction of his, As in the days of Noah they ate, they drank, &c. and the flood came, so shall it be when the Son of man cometh.
Polanus who adhereth to that interpretation of the Seleucidan kingdom meant by the fourth beast, saith that nothing else is here to be understood, but that although the Dominion were taken away from the three former beasts, yet they lived as it were, till that by the Romans all of them together with the fourth were quite overthrown, and this time of their abiding still after their overthrow is expressed by these words, a set time and a time, as the original text signifieth. But how they can in this sense be said to live still, let the judicious Reader judge, since there was none other subduing of the three kingdoms by the Romans, then of one by another, so that if for the remaining of such people's still they be said to live, they lived no less after the Romans conquest, then before, and if it should be so taken, as he would have it, which be the two times of their living here spoken of?
But the Saints of the most High shall take the kingdom and possess it forever, even forever and ever. Calvin, Junius, and Polanus, They shall take the kingdom of the Saints, understanding this as an abridgement of that which everyone of these four beasts did against the people of God the Jews, each one in his time subdued and brought under the kingdom of Judea. And whereas the last words make against this, forever, yea forever and ever: Polanus saith, that hereby is meant for many ages, all the time that the Babylonians held it, viz. 70. years, all the time of the Persians 207. all the time of Alexander and his successors being 155 years. But both Septuagint and vulgar and Vatablus agree with the New Translation, and the original will well bear it, and reason teleth us, that it must needs be so rendered, because whatsoever is said of the last words to make them agree to that exposition, they can be taken no otherwise then as setting forth Eternity, as verse. 14. in speaking of Christ's kingdom he saith, that it shall be everlasting, using the same word that is used here 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which is here trebled for our greater assurance, that it is meant world without end; and it is no way probable, that the Angel of God would be so contradictory to himself, as to say forever and ever, but meaning certain ages, when as in the visions before it was shown, and plainly declared that the Dominion of all those should cease, the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 being never used speaking of such a continuance as the end thereof is foretold, but only in case that no such thing is spoken, but when 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is doubled, it is always so spoken to set forth everlasting, and without all end, and it is rather to be held that the Saints possession of a kingdom forever is here set forth, because so these words are consonant with those verse 14. where the head of all the Saints is said to have received an everlasting Dominion: Now the Saints are also said to take it together with him, who are his members and cannot always be separated from their head, but must come also to the kingdom by him prepared for them, as he foretold, Joh. 4. being then made one with him, not only by faith, as here, but in glory and Dominion. Lastly, it were very unadvised to put out so manifest a light of the Saints future most glorious estate in Heaven, set up in the Old Testament, the like unto which is scarce therein to be found again anywhere, for of this kingdom, I doubt not, but that this passage is to be understood. And in regard of this, it is that Christ biddeth his little flock not to fear, for it is your Fathers will, saith he, to give you a Kingdom, and hereby we learn also who they be that shall possess it, viz. none but Saints [Note.] of the most High, not Saints canonized by the Pope; or the wicked Christian, or he that vaunteth himself as a Saint for his pretending great Holiness, but he that is holy as God is holy in all holiness of conversation. For all such, and such alone, here is comfort enough against all worldly debasement and sufferings, as to the heir of a kingdom, who although he goeth through much hardship is sure after a short time to come to his Fathers kingdom, yea more, because every kingdom of this world is temporal, this is external.
I beheld and the same born made war with the Saints and prevailed against them' until the ancient of days came and judgment given to the Saints, and the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdoms. See the like unto this Revel. 13. 7. which proveth the same to be set forth here, that is there, viz. that the Saints here spoken of are Christians, and the little horn the same Antichrist, and as was before said, before that the kingdom of the Saints spoken of before was not taken by the former Beasts or Kings, but that the Saints took the kingdom, which endureth forever, against those that would have all this understood of things done of old, and not in the time of the Gospel. Yet Polanus being overcome by the evidence of truth, seeing the words can be translated no otherwise, but of setting forth the Saints taking of the kingdom, acknowledgeth this to be meant of the kingdom, which they enjoy in common with Christ, howsoever he applieth the words before going to Antiocbus and the Jews, against whom he made war and prevailed until the appointed time: And by this word of the appointed time he seeketh to evade that which is brought against his interpretation, by saying, that the four beasts held the kingdom of the Saints, till this appointed time, but then it was above ordered, that the Saints should come to the kingdom. How solid this is I refer to the judgment of others, to me it seemeth plain, that the Saints taking of the kingdom here spoken of followeth not so long a time after Antiochus Epiphanes, as the day of judgment, when the Saints come to that everlasting kingdom, but soon after the war, wherein the Beast overcame them, but now in fine the Beast being destroyed, they come to enter, as it were upon that kingdom, because into a more joyful and peaceable condition in this world, being shortly after to be possessed of it actually forever. And the setting of this forth here immediately after that suffering implieth, that no such long time of persecution, as followed under the Roman Monarchy, could come between, but that it was therein stirred up by another beast or the little horn here spoken of springing up, which was the Papacy.
The fourth beast &c. shall devour the whole earth; this again confirmeth, that not the Seleucidan kingdom, but the Roman Monarchy is hereby meant, because that never extended so far, but to a small part of the earth, the Romans did. For the ten horns said to be ten kings, I have shown who most probably they were, Revel. 17. qu. 3. and of the three falling before the little horn, see before, verse. 8. and of his power to be a time and times and half a time. Ver. 27. And the dominion and kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the Saints of the most High, and all kingdoms shall obey him. Hereby is shown how that the Pope being destroyed, all kingdoms shall be united under one head Christ Jesus, as was touched before, and that no terrestrial Potentate should arise anymore to persecute Christians; but the Church shall continue in peace, till the Saints at the last day be taken up and possess the kingdom of heaven in everlasting peace and joy. But it cannot hence be inferred that Countries and Nations shall after this be no more governed by kings, no king in any place reigning anymore, but one only, that is, Christ Jesus, all Nations being now governed as free States to the end of [Note.] tht world. For all kingdoms be the Lord's, though under a Monarchical government, when they are governed according to his will, as appeareth by that saying of Samuel, Ye said a King shall reign over us, when the Lord was your king, they were under a Monarchical government, and yet he saith, that then the Lord was their King, and so he was in David's time, who saith, the Lord is King, and the Lord reigneth, and calleth him his King and his God, whereby it appeareth that he is King not only by his coercive power secretly ruling and swaying all things to his own ends, making the greatest Kings to serve his providence, but also by his spirit ruling as Supreme amongst those, that willingly submit to his ordinances. Therefore Monarchy is consistent with Christ's Universal Monarchy, when all Monarchies do homage to him, and reign under him and for him, as in a large Empire many Kings in divers places and parts thereof are not prejudicial to the sovereignty of that Emperor, but his glory is hereby the more magnified.
Hitherto the end of the matter, this is added for a conclusion of this matter to prevent all curious inquiring after such things, as God hath not been pleased to reveal: for we must be wise only according to that which is written, and not pry into other secrets of the Lord. As for me Daniel, my thoughts were troubled in me, my countenance was changed, and I kept the matter in my heart, that is, knowing hereby, that most sad things should befall the Church of God under these Monarchies, I was accordingly affected with grief, and this appeared in the paleness of my face, Daniel being herein propounded as a [Note.] pattern to us, that we may not be unaffected with the sufferings of God's people, against which it is declaimed, Amos 6. 6. and as he, so we must keep in our hearts the words' of God, as we desire, that our hearing of them may not be vain, so likewise Mary did, and who so is wise will ponder these things.
CHAP. VIII.
HEre Daniel setteth forth another vision, which he had two years after the former of the four Monarchies of the world, in the third year of Belshazzar the King of Babylon, and therefore before that the Medes and Persians had attained unto it. He had all four very briefly represented unto it. He had all four very briefly represented unto it. He had all four very briefly represented unto him in the former chapter, but now the Lord declareth more at large the proceeding of two of them in particular, viz. of the kingdom of the Medes and Persians and of the Grecians, that his people might fully understand, what should be done both under the one and the other, and so it might appear how all things past, present and to come are present unto God, and that the wars betwixt kingdom and kingdom, and prevailings at all times are ordered by his providence, and that one cannot subdue another, or stir up any persecution against the people of God, but according to his will secretly working in all the transactions of men. In this chapter the Prophet speaks no more in the Chaldee tongue, as in the seventh, but in the Hebrew, because as Polanus conjectureth, the Lord had in setting forth these things respect unto his Church in Judea, as for whose comfort they were written, and not of Pagans and Infidels, yet because it seemed good unto him by his predictions to show to the Chaldeans something, whereby they might be convinced, that he only was the true God, from whom nothing to come lay hid, and that theirs who could not do this, were false gods and vain idols, he would have the first Vision chap. 7. written in the Chaldee tongue, whereby they might have a taste of his Omniscience, and that all things to come to the end of the world were open and manifest unto him, because in that the principal occurrences of all times and ages to the day of judgment are revealed, which is also another strong argument to prove, that the fourth kingdom there spoken of was the Roman, how soever touching the little horn something like unto Antichrists persecution is hereby shown to have been done by a King arising out of the Grecian Kingdom in this chapter, against the old Church of God, which because it was as material for the Jews then to know, as for us Christians the proceedings of Antichrist; God vouchsafed to show unto Daniel another Vision here representing the tragical acts that by Antiochus Epiphanes should then be done. For betwixt the Kingdom there spoken of, out of which sprung the little horn, and this here spoken of there is this plain difference made, that was a fourth beast, not one springing out of the third, and had ten horns, this springeth out of the Goat, and consisteth but of four horns, and out of one of these springeth the little horn, that afterwards grew so great, whereas the little horn there is said to have come up amongst the ten horns. For the place where Daniel had this Vision, at Shushan the palace by the river Ulai. This Shusan, from whence the Palace here spoken of had the name, was one of the chief Cities of Persia, whereof it was spoken before Esther 1. 5. But how could Daniel, who was a captive in Babylon at this time, it being in the reign of Belshazzar, be in Shushan? Polanus saith, that he was there only in spirit, about the proving of which he useth divers arguments, but forsomuch as Daniel speaketh of no such manner of being there, but saith plainly, I was in the palace of Shushan, it is rather to be held, that he was there indeed, being carried miraculously thither by the Spirit of God, as Ezekiel had been by the lock of his head to the Temple at Jerusalem from the land of the Chaldees, and as the spirit took up Elijah sometime and carried him to remote places, so that Ahah, who sought to destroy him could nowhere find him. For all arguments brought to prove, that Daniel that was not really now in Persia, (because so he should have made himself obnoxious to the King of Babylon at his return, and he should have done against his duty, it being the known will of God, that the Jews should dwell where they were, till the 70 years expired, and be subject to the King of Babylon, and pray for the peace of that Kingdom) fall to the ground, since if by the Spirit he were carried thither to see these visions, and back again, he did nothing against his fidelity to the Babylonian King, or which had been by the Lord forbidden the Jews in general, no more then Ezekiel, who before had been likewise carried to Jerusalem, or Jeremiah, who being the subject of the King of Judah, when according to the will of God he went to Babylon to hide a girdle by the river Euphrates, for from general' rules exception of particulars is ever to be understood, all are to do so, unless God specially ordereth it touching some particular persons otherwise. And an argument to prove him not to have been in Chaldea now, may be drawn from his change of the language wherein he writeth, not in the Chaldean tongue as he had done before from chap. 2. 4. to the end of the seventh. But not to contend about a matter of so small moment, because divers other Expositors say the same with Polanus herein, I will yet relate what Jerome saith hereupon. Susis is the Metropolis of the region of the Elamites, and here as Josephus saith, Daniel built an high Tower foursquare of marble great and fair which continueth to this day, into which the Kings of the Medes and Persians had their bones laid, and it looketh still as if it were new built, and is kept by a Jew, a Priest. By the gate Ulai, Symmach. by the marish Ulay, but Vatabl. and Pagnin. by the river Ulai, and this may suffice for the place where Daniel had this Vision. Whereas verse. 3. a Ram is seen by the river having two horns, one higher then the other, and the highest came up last, the vulgar that rendered the word Porta or gate before here renders it marish, stood upon the marish; for the two horns they are afterwards expounded by the Medes and Persians, whose Kingdom is by this Ram set forth, as it was before by a Bear for its pushing the Nations in all parts, Westward, Northward and Southward; the higher horn coming up last was Cyrus the Persian, who after Darius his death came to be King alone, and was far greater then Darius had ever been. Vers. 5. After the Ram a Goat appeared with one horn, who is afterwards plainly said to be the first King of Grecia, and for his swist marching with his Forces into all parts and subduing them, he is said not to have touched the ground. But this great horn is broken off, when Alexander within 12 years died, and four come up in the room of it, when Alexanders kingdom was divided amongst the four Kings before spoken of, chap. 8. and out of one of these came a little horn, which waxed exceeding great towards the South and the East, and the pleasant land; the vulgar for the last words here hath contra fortitudinem, expounded by Lyra of Judea and Jerusalem, the fortitude whereof was in God Almighty. And he saith, that Antiochus Epiphanes set forth by this little horn, was little at the first because he was a pledge at Rome, and therefore in such a condition, that no man would ever have thought of his rising to such greatness, but he being of the race of Seleucus one of the four Kings, viz. of the King of Syria, although divers generations after him, for which it is said, verse. 23. at the latter end of these kingdoms, escaped from Rome, and gat the kingdom of Syria from the Son of Seleucus Philometor who was his elder brother, and waxed great against the South, that is Egypt which he subdued, and the East, that is, some parts of Persia, by him subdued also, and lastly, Jerusalem, of his prevailing against which, and cruelty exercised there, and insolencies against God and his Laws, see 1 Maccab. 1. &c. for the Heb. word rendered fortitude, it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying decor or gloria, or capreelus; and therefore may best be rendered against the glory, yet hereby Jerusalem is understood, which was the glory of the whole earth. Of these things done by that Antiochus Ibn Ezra writeth in Perush, and that he subdued Persia as far as Ptolemais, verse. 10. And it waxed great to the host of Heaven, that is, as Polanus hath it, the Church militant upon earth, which is for warfare here compared to an host, and is called the Hoast of Heaven, as the Church the Kingdom of Heaven commonly in the New Testament. He is also said to throw down the stars, because he subdued men of greatest eminency, who in virtue shone as stars in Jerusalem, and trampled them under his feet. For so the holy Ministers of Christ's Churches are compared to stars, Revel 1. he is said also, verse. 11. to have magnified himself against the Prince of the Hoast, that is, the Lord whose the heavenly hosts are, and that by opposing against him in sour things. 1. In taking away the daily Sacrifice, and making that to cease which God commanded always to be made. 2. In overthrowing his Tabernacle, that is, his Temple, which he turned into a Temple of Idols, causing swine's flesh to be sacrificed there. 3. An host was given him against the daily Sacrifice because of transgression; Polanus, through defection, that is, by means of such as for fear of his tyranny fell away and did after the manner of the heathen, eating and offering swine's flesh, and not circumcising as God had commanded, of which sort of perfidious persons there were many amongst the Jews, and the word here used is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying so first and chiefly, for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is deficere to fail, or to fall away, and they who thus fell away, were a new host, as it were, raised up for the subduing of such as stood in opposition to these abominations. 4. He cast the truth to the ground, which he did by burning the Books of the Laws of God wherein the true and right way of worshiping him was set forth, and therefore this Holy Book being taken away, the truth was cast down, and notwithstanding all this, Antiochus prospered, and did a long time according to his wicded desire, no contrary power hindering him, and this continued 2300 days, and then the Sanctuary, it is said, shall be cleansed: This time, saith Lyra, is six years, but it is to be understood, that this was from Antiochus his first taking of Jerusalem, and entering into the Temple, but he set not up an idol in the Temple till three years after this. But let us look into the words. I beard one Saint speaking, and another Saint said to that certain saint who spake, How long shall the vision be concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, &c. the word here rendered that certain Saint, Heb. is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to the Palmoni in the margin of the New Translation rendered the numberer of secrets, or the wonderful numberer, but why it should be rendered numberer of secrets, I see not, Polanus indeed compoundeth it of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 wonderful, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 occult are to hide or keep secret: but it cometh of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying to number, and therefore to render it rightly, it must be the wonderful numberer, and this was Christ the Son of God, and the matter in hand implieth, that it should thus be reudered, because the question asked of him was about the number of the days of the desolation of the Sanctuary, and the answer, verse. 14. is made accordingly 2300 days. Christ then was he, of whom this question was demanded, and he is called Palmoni or the Wonderful numberer, because of his wonderful wisdom, whereby he knew all things even to come, and so was able to set the very day, when that desolation should have an end, which no creature, no not any Saint, nor Angel in heaven, here meant by Saint, could do. And well might he be set forth by numberer, because he numbereth all things, the days of the tribulation of his Church in any particular place at any time, as appeareth, where it is said, ye shall have tribulation ten days, he also numbereth the Stars and calleth them by their names, and the hairs of our head are by him numbered. And by the name Wonderful, as also Isaiah 14. 6. They shall call his name Wonderful, because he was Wonderful in his conception and birth, in that a Virgin conceived, man was to God united in him, he that was infinite was contained in a woman's womb, and he that is in heaven descended being still in heaven, and wonderful in his life and death. And it is to be noted that Christ is not only set forth by the name Palmoni here, but also by the name Hamdabber, that speaker, or as he is called, John. 1. that word, to which we are to take heed, and in it to believe, that we might be saved. But why is the Angel so inquisitive of the time, that this great judgment should last? Answ. First to show, that the Angels are affected with sorrow, and do condole together with the Church of God suffering, and desire a speedy end of our miseries. 2. That they are solicitous about the glory of God, who if he doth not soon stretch out his Almighty hand to deliver his Church conflicting with misery under the hands of persecutors, they will hereupon be ready to open their blasphemous mouths, and say, either he is not able to save his people, or that he regards them not, and therefore it is no advantage to men to be his faithful servants. 3. The Angel thus interposeth himself to ask out of a desire, which he had to have something answered for the comfort of Daniel and such godly ones, as he was, who could not but be greatly astonished at the hearing of those grievous judgments by an heathen King to come upon God's people and Sanctuary; and therefore the answer was made to Daniel, he said unto me [Note.] unto 2300 days. And of the Angels of God we should learn both to condole and to be solicitous for the Church of God in misery in any place, and to stand for the comfort of one another, as it is said, weep with those that weep.
Now for the number of days, they are reckoned by Polanus to have been so many, that they make 6 years 3 months and 18 days. But chap. 7. 25. in speaking of the time of the little horns going on in his insolent doings against God's people, it is said, Ide shall have power to do a time and times, and the dividing of time; that is, but 3 years and an half. For reconciling of these he taking both to be spoken of Antiochus Epiphanes saith, that there the time spoken of, was that of his setting up an Altar to offer swine's flesh in the Temple, from which time in the cleansing of the Sanctuary by Judas Maccabeus were only 3 years and 10 days, but I see not there how the whole time from the desolation made by Menelaus to that wicked King is also included, which, as Josephus as Josephus saith, was Anno 141. of the Seleucidin Kingdom, but the proceedings of Antiochus here reckoned upon were not till Anno 142. the 6 month and the 6 day of the month, and an end was put to this judgment Anno 148. the 9 month the 25 day. But as hath been before said, the little horn spoken of chap. 7. and the time of the power thereof doth not set forth Antiochus, but Antichrist rising up in the Roman State, and therefore it is but lost labor to seek to reconcile the time here spoken of, and there, being so divers one from the other. Jerome saith, that some will have Antiochus Epipha •• s a type of Antichrist, and to make him so, divide his time of raging against the Jews and God thus, the whole time betwixt his entering the Sanctuary so proudly and robbing it, and Judas his cleansing it again, began Anno 143. and in the month Casleu the 15 day An. 145. the abomination of desolation was set up, and An. 148 the 25 day of the same month. Judas cleansed it. But from 143 to 148. although we reckon the whole 143 years for one, and 365 days to the year the days will be but 2100. 2nd out of these deduct what is missing in the last year of an whole year, viz. 3 months and 5 days, that is, 95 more, the whole time will be but 2095 days. Wherefore the time must not be thus reckoned, but An. 143. to An. 149. when this persecuting Antiochus died, and the godly Jews who could not go on in their continual daily sacrifice before without fear, had not him anymore to put them in danger by raising more Forces against them. And if we pitch upon that 149 year of the Grecian Kingdom for the determination of this time, and begin An. 143. there will be 6 whole years and so many more days as will fully make up the whole number of days here mentioned, viz. 2300. that is 2090 as was said before, in 6 years and 210 in 7 months out of the odd year. And this the words may well bear, then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed, that is, within the compass of this time, he being cut off that polluted it, which must be before that they could be perfectly delivered to hold and sacrifice in the Sanctuary going on constantly and continually without interruption, and for further confirming of this exposition, see ver. 24. where his death is spoken of, as the full period of this vision. As for the distinction of this whole time made again into two, that Antiochus in the time of his rage might be a type of Antichrist fighting and reigning three years and an half, I see no cause, why it should once come in question here, because here is no such distinction made, howsoever the other part of his time may be for this mystical end singled out, chap. 12. as may be seen there. Lastly, before we go from hence, it is to be noted that the Vulgar and Hebrew have not barely 2300 days, but, until morning and evening 2300 days. In answering more fully to the question about the continual Sacrifice, which was morning and evening, and the meaning is, it shall be 2300 days complete consisting of both parts, morning and evening, wherein the Sacrifice of the Lamb used to be offered from day today continually, shall cease according to the description of a day, Gen. 1. So the Evening and the morning were the first day, &c. and this is the reason why he counteth the time by days.
Then Daniel saith, that he heard the voice of a man between the banks of [Note.] Ulai calling to Gabriel and bidding him to make Daniel understand the Vision before going, about which he was solicitous, whence by the way note, that it is a study beseeming the wisest of men to study, what may be the meaning of heavenly visions shown by God unto his servants at any time, and he that is studious hereabout and seeketh for resolution, shall find it, as this holy Prophet did, and of this I can also say the same by experience, especially in my reading through the dark passages of Ezek. 40, 41. &c. almost without any guide but the Spirit of God, whose direction I assiduously sought.
Now for this voice of a man, it was most probably the voice of Christ [Note.] called before Palmoni, and Gabriel an Angel, this being as Polanus noteth, the only name whereby an Angel is called in all the Canonical Scriptures, whereas other names are by some named, as Raphael, &c. They are but human inventions Gabriel is a fit name for any Angel of God, because signifying the strength or virtue of God. Whereas Michael is afterwards also spoken of, he is none other, but Christ the Archangel, that is, the Prince of Angels, so Polanus. For these words, I fell into a deep sleep upon the ground, the vulg. hath it, I fell down upon the ground, or to the ground, as being astonished at the glorious presence of the Angel, not for adoration, for then it would have been noted, as it is afterwards, and taxed, the word cometh of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which signifieth soporare, to make to sleep, such a sleep as that of death, when a man through [Note.] sudden fear and passion coming upon him swouneth away and salleth down. Whereby we see, what the Majesty of an Angel is, and how unable man is to bear his presence, coming to speak unto him, and how much less then are we able to bear the presence of God, that we may believe and repent at men's speaking, whom God sendeth, and praise him for condescending to our weakness so far, as to teach us by one another, as we are able to bear.
At the latter time of their kingdom when transgressors are come to the full: a king of fierce countenance and understanding dark sentences shall stand up. Heb. for in the latter time of their kingdom, it is in the after time, for the Seleucidan kingdom stood as Appian saith, 270 years, therefore Antiochus Epiphanes dying, An. 149. it continued still 121 years more in which time many Kings reigned, as the said Appian showeth, and who they were. For these words, when transgressors are come to the full, Heb. it is, in making full transgressors, that is, the transgressors amongst the people of God becoming most notoriously wicked, wherein Jasons falling away to the humouring of Antiochus Epiphanes in conforming the Jews to the Heathens, and after him of Menelaus, by whom many were drawn to the like, is prophesied of. And Antiochus is here further set forth to be a man of a fierce countenance and understanding dark sentences, whereby the harshness of his manners is denoted: for he both procured his Fathers death by sedition and his elder brothers Seleucus, and prevented his sons enjoining the kingdom. For his under standing of dark sentences, hereby was meant his subtlety to devise means to circumvent others, as it is said, Mac cab. 1. 3. that he sent his collectour of tributes to the Jews, who spake peaceable words unto them, but when he was come into the City, committed all manner of violence against their goods and persons, and his fierceness not only in attaining to that kingdom, but also all the time of his reign after appeared.
And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: here it is foreshowed, how he should come to this greatness, even as the history saith, that he did by the help of Eumenes and Attalus neighbor Kings come to the kingdom of Syria, unto which they inclined their minds the rather, because for some offenses taken against them by the Romans they feared them. He also increased his strength by the ambitious and profane high Priests of the Jews, as hath been already touched according to 2 Maccab. 4. 7. &c.
He shall be broken without hands. Having hitherto spoken of the wicked practices and intolerable pride of Antiochus, now he showeth, what his end should be, viz. not by being cut off by a violent death in war, but by God's just judgment seizing, upon him, as he was well worthy. How this was fulfilled, see 2 Maccab. 9. he had intolerable pangs in his body through a fall out of his Chariot, when he hastened in a great rage towards Jerusalem, whereupon his inward parts putrefied and worms bred, and an intolerable stench came from him, and so he died in extreme misery, making vows to God, if he would spare him, but God's wrath would not now be pacified again towards him. Wherefore let none of how great power soever they be bear themselves hereupon, but still walk humbly before God, forsomuch as that the power, which [Note.] is irresistible by man, is still subject to God, as this wretched tyrant before his death was made to acknowledge: but because he did it not sooner, that his acknowledgement was vain and bootless unto him, that we may learn to confess our own weakness and wickedness before it be too late, that is, extremity of sickness forcing us hereunto, because so we may doubt whether we shall be accepted or no, humble ourselves what we can, since the judgment of death is now begun to be executed, and so it is too late for us to repent, as when the great day of judgment of all the world cometh.
Shut up the vision, for it shall be for many days. After these things represented and expounded, the Lord would have Daniel keep them secret from the Chaldees and other Heathens then living, as not concerning them, for which cause the language, wherein they were written, is also varied from the Chaldee, wherein the 7 chapter was written, to the Hebrew, intimating a concealing of them from them, and an imparting of them only to the Church, that in all the changes and troubles that should follow, she might have whereupon to stay herself and be comforted, as certainly known, that all things were by the Divine providence moderated and her persecutions, although most fierce [Note.] and sharp, should soon have an end again, which ought also to be our comfort in the midst of our greater sufferings, who be the true faithful people of God, and speak and understand the Holy language. Whereas he saith, the vision is for many days, the meaning is, from the first to the last extending to a long tract of time, viz. from the beginning of the reign of the Medes and Persians to the time of the foresaid Antiochus, and his death, that is, as Polanus casts it up, about 300 years, at the end or near the end of which time the faithful Jews should have special use hereof, as being in it most concerned.
Lastly, Daniel showeth how this Vision wrought upon him, for certain days he was sick and weak, so stricken was he at the miseries foreseen to come to • he Church, but none else knew of these things then, but he concealed them as he was commanded, when he was recovered from his sickness arising and going about the Kings business, and making no show in his countenance of any trouble or distraction of mind for anything, that he had seen. From hence Polanus argueth again, that Daniel was all this while in Babylon, and not at Susis before spoken of, but only seemed to himself to be there, but this cannot hence be proved, for the same divine power that carried him out could suddenly bring him back again, as weak as he was, and then he, as if nothing else had befallen him in all the days, that he was absent, went silently on about his business again.
CHAP. IX.
IN this chapter Daniel showeth, how that in the first year of Darius the Median he understanding by Jer. 25. that at the end of 70 years God would bring back again the captivity of his people from Babylon, set himself by prayer and fasting most earnestly to seek unto God, now that this time was accomplished, for the fulfilling of this his gracious promise, and in this his devotion he continued confessing sins, & the justice of God's proceedings against his people therefore, and entreating for mercy, till the Lord sent the foresaid Gabriel unto him, who telleth him, V. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and the holy City to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the Vision and Prophesy, and to amount the most Holy. But before I come to speak upon these words, it will be necessary to resolve a question about the fulfilling of the 70 years spoken v. 2. whether they were now ended or no, or when they ended, and to find this out, when they began. But touching this I have spoken upon 2 King. 25. 9. showing the divers conjectures of divers, but approving that, which beginneth the 11. of Zedekiah, the 19 of Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned 43, and therefore 24 years, in the time of his reign passed, of these 70 Evilmer. 30. Ragassar 3. Labassardas 6. Belshaz. 5. Darius 1. Cyrus 1. But since according to others I have gone upon another reckoning, Dan. 5. counting to Nebuch. 35 years, to Evilmerodach 18, to Belshazzar 17, leaving out the other two mentioned also by Josephus, in making which accounts Authors are so divers, that I can determine nothing certainly, only this is certain, that about this time 70 years were expired, which is proved by the event, the Jews set at liberty to return, and whatsoever others conjecture, the time of reckoning must needs begin Anno 11 of Zedekiah, because Daniel calleth them here 70 years of desolations, and the time of Jerusalem lying desolate could not begin till then, because that neither from Jehoiakim’s 4. year, nor his 11. nor Iehoiachins captivity can the reckoning be begun, seeing all this notwithstanding Jerusalem and Judah were inhabited till Zedekiah An. 11. And after this Nebuchadnezzar's time could not be above 26 years, because Evilmerodach was King An. 37. of Iehoiachins captivity, out of which deduct 11 of Zedekiah, and 26 years remain, after which if we allow to Evilmerodach 30, as some do, and but 14 to Belshazzar, whereas some reckon 17. we shall come to the full time, the first of Darius. But to leave this, as touching which we can have no great certainty, let us come to the 70 weeks here spoken of, at the expiration whereof God promiseth far greater matters for the comfort of his beloved servant Daniel, and of all his faithful people, for our encouragement to seek unto God with all earnestness for the deliverance of his Church in Faith, for in so doing we shall both prevail in respect of the thing desired, and to hear also of far more that the Lord will do, then we have desired.
For the computing of these 70 weeks, every week being 7 years, together 490. I have spoken so largely in my continuation of the History at the end of Nehemiah, that I shall not need to say anymore thereof in this place, but refer the studious reader thither. For this place, the Angel speaketh here, 1. Generally of that which should be done in the 70 weeks, all together, For thy people and the holy City to finish transgression, &c. 2. He distinguisheth these weeks into 7 weeks, and 62 weeks, v. 25, 26. and one week again into two, in the first part whereof the sacrifice should cease, and then for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate. V. 27. Touching the general, that by 70 weeks are not simply understood so many weeks, but so many weeks of years is plain, because otherwise after their return out of captivity they should have had their City destroyed again in one year and 18 weeks, which was before it was built again, yea which is as strange, both City and Temple must have been built in 7 weeks, and therefore the Rab. themselves seeing into this, acknowledge weeks of years to be here meant, as I have in the place before cited shown. In saying 70 weeks he alludeth to the 70 years then passed wherein they suffered by a tedious captivity, but now he showeth, that they being returned into their own land should dwell there again 7 times as long as they had lived in exile, in which time an expiation for sin should be made, and everlasting righteousness by the Messiah or Christ brought in, and his whole time is ten Jubilees, wherein this reckoning of weeks of years first begun, only before it there was a week of years, the last whereof was holy, in which they might neither sow nor reap but let the land rest, and for the rest of old upon the 7 year, and the year after 7 times 7, now 70 weeks, consisting of ten times such a number are appointed, to show the rest to come to all the truly faithful by the Messiah. And as Polanus noteth, here are three benefits coming by Christ to the faithful reckoned up, 1. To keep from defection. 2. To seal transgressions. And 3. to expiate sin, in which words he rendereth it instead of these, to finish transgression, to make an end of sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquity. By keeping from defection he understandeth the keeping of the remnant of the faithful from falling from God's grace through unbelief in Christ, when so many of that Nation should by sealing up transgressions, the forgiving thereof, they being hidden and covered: the expiation of sin by Christ's offering himself for their sins, and the Heb. will well bear this reading and exposition. But R. Solomon he saith, turneth all this another way, viz. to keep them by a longer continued exile, then that of the Babylonian captivity from falling away to wickedness anymore, their sufferings in all this time being satisfactory for their sins past, so that when there shall once be an end hereof, they shall be a righteous people forever. But this is a devilish device to keep them in blindness, and to harden their hearts against the true Messiah in expectation of another yet to come, and is contrary to the evidence of this place, and the explanation hereof following, verse. 25. which is so clearly for our Christ, that it cannot possibly be evaded. From the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem shall be 7 weeks and 62 weeks, and the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. In which words the proceedings to come according to the general prediction, verse. 24. are more particularly set forth. 1. The going out of the Decree to build Jerusalem, and the houses in the streets thereof and the wall about it, which should not be without great trouble 7 weeks, that is, 49 years, the time of a Jubiliee. 2. The time which should intervene after this, until the coming of the Messiah and his cutting off, 62 weeks, verse. 26. that is, 434. years. 3. Another week in the midst whereof the Sacrifice should be made to cease, and in this time the destruction of the City, verse. 27. that is, in 7 years more, all together being 490 years. But before we come to the opening of this further, I will return again to verse. • 4. And first, by the keeping from defection the obsignation of sin and the expiation thereof, Polanus rightly saith, that one part of the benefit coming by Christ is meant, viz. the taking away of evil, and by the bringing in of everlasting righteousness, the other part which standeth in the collation of good. The evil taken away is 1. of sin, when through sanctification attained by the spirit sin is mortified and it reigneth no more in our mortal bodies. 2. Of guilt, the handwriting, that is against us, being cancelled. 3. Of punishments out of God's justice due for our sins either in this or in the world to come, for from all these the true believer is delivered through him our most blessed Savior, and Redeemer.
The good collated is everlasting righteousness, which is not only that of sanctification, because it is but in part, but the righteousness, whereby the believer standeth righteous, and so shall stand forever, which is righteousness every way perfect according to that, which is by the law required; and in none is this righteousness to be found but in Christ alone, who came not to dissolve the law, but to fulfill it; yet this righteousness is made ours by faith through imputation, whereby we come to be accepted of before God for perfectly righteous, as if we had in everything all the days of our lives fulfilled all righteousness.
Qu. If it be so, that Christ in fulfilling the law in all things, brought in [Qu.] everlasting righteousness, as hath been said, what need was there, that he should die for our justification and salvation? Answ. It was necessary for us that Christ should suffer death for us sinners, that we might be delivered from everlasting death, and that by fulfilling all righteousness he should make a compensation for our unrighteousness: for the precepts of the law cannot be satisfied but by doing them, and the comminations of the law for transgressions cannot be satisfied but by dying for them: and so bearing the punishment due therefore: So Christ by bearing the punishment due to us, and by his obedience covered and abolished our disobedience. Thus likewise Justin Martyr taught of old; saying, As Adam subjected all men to death by sinning, and made all our nature obnoxious to sin; so Christ revoked and abolished all this, by leading a life free from all sin, and suffering death for our sins: And indeed in suffering he fulfilled all righteousness, which was begun, and in acting whereof he continued all his life; but in his death his obedience was most perfected, and the greatest love of all was shown. If it be said, when God gave Adam a commandment to be kept at the first, and annexed a penalty in case he should break it; we cannot conceive that any other thing was meant, but either he should keep the commandment, or die the death; and therefore Christ having kept it in everything, which was since given in charge, it should seem, that there was no need to the bringing in of righteousness, that he should suffer death also. Sol. It is true, if Adam had obeyed that commandment, and never broken it, he could not have been required to bear the punishment of death also; but he transgressed, and we in him, and therefore both this punishment must be born, and Christ, who came as a second Adam, must obey and persevere in obedience also to the end, that through him, standing in the stead of him and his sinful posterity, perfect righteousness might again be brought in, and we delivered from Adams unrighteousness in both parts forever.
If it be said, forsomuch as Christ's perfect obedience is ours, we need not [Ob.] live in obedience to God's laws, but as we lust. I answer, he obeyed not only to make a compensation for our disobedience, but also to give us example, as he saith, Learn of me, &c. and therefore disobedience and looseness of life in us is inconsistent with faith in him, for how can he be judged to believe in Christ that followeth him not as far as he is able, but rather goeth from him and followeth his enemies, the Devil, the World, and the Flesh?
If it be said, Christ was bound to keep the law because he was a man, and it is every man's duty to obey the law for himself, and when he doth so, this [Ob.] extendeth not to another, but to himself only; therefore Christ's obedience and righteousness cannot be ours. Sol. 1. Although the man Christ were tied to obey, yet Christ God was not. 2. He was not made man for himself, but for us, and therefore obeyed for us. 3. Man is not bound to obey because he is a man, but because God hath subjected him to laws, as Christ was not, but only in relation to us; as it is said, God sent his son made of a woman, and made under the law to redeem &c.
If against justification or righteousness imputed to us, that is, Christ's [Ob.] righteous living, it be objected, that S. Paul never teacheth so, but of justification by his death, or blood; it is answered, this implieth his obedience also, for he saith that he came in the form of a servant and humbled himself herein to serve and obey to the death of the Cross; yea, it is expressly said, that as by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one, many were made righteous. Divers other questions are moved and answered by Polanus upon this place, but whoso desireth to see them, may have recourse unto him, I think divers of them overcurious, and that these are enough to be moved and resolved here.
The next thing here spoken of, is to seal up the vision and prophesy, whereby is meant, putting an end to all prophesies touching the Messiah, as having their accomplishment in him, for the setting forth of whom, they were principally stirred up from time to time, that wrote them, and therefore Hebr. it here to seal up the Vision and the Prophet, no Prophet being to come after to set forth visions or prophesies touching him. According to which our Lord saith, that the law and the Prophets were till John, and Hebr. 1. In former times God spake divers ways, but now, by his Prophets: It followeth, and to anoint the most holy, that is, Christ, with the fullness of the Spirit, as in his baptism, of whose fullness we all receive. For the words to anoint, cometh of the same radix that the Messiah doth; and it is, the holy of holies, by which name the most holy part of the Temple was commonly called Sanctum Sanctorum, and here the Messiah is thus called, to show, that he was by the Sanctuary prefigured in his body, as he also intimateth, when he saith, Destroy this Temple, and I will raise it up again in three days: for he spake this of his body. So then here is shown, that within the compass of the 70 weeks, great things should be done for the Jews, if they had grace to make use thereof; their City with the Temple and walls, should be built, the expected Messiah should come to their everlasting comfort in respect of the expiation of sin made by him, and introducing of righteousness, a sign of whom, should be the anointing with the Holy Ghost by coming down and resting upon him.
Now to come to the division of this time, v. 25. the first 7 weeks making 49 years, are the time after the going out of the decree for the building of the City and Wall, which by Polanui is begun anno 2. of Darius Nothus, who gave out his Decree, and to the end of his reign were 18 years; then Artaxerxes in the 20 of his reign sent Nehemiah to build the Walls, who tarried there about it, 11 years, which being put all together, make 49 years. But he in reckoning thus bringeth in not only the cutting off of the Messiah, but also the destruction of Jerusalem, following 36 years after, within the compass of this whole time of 70 weeks; which indeed cannot be done, unless the computation be so begun.
But in my foresaid continuation I have, following others, begun it anno 7. of Artaxerxes, when Ezra was sent to Jerusalem, because from thence to the passion of Christ were just 70 weeks, as I have there shown more at large. Neither can it be hence proved, that the destruction of the City and Temple should be within the compass of this time, but only that after this, it should be for the abominable wickednesses of the Jews: whereas the dividing of one of these 70 weeks from all the other, and the dividing of that week into halfs (v. 27. He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week, and in the midst of the week he shall cause the oblation and sacrifiee to cease,) may seem to make against the suffering of the Messiah at the end of the whole time first named, it is to be noted, that he saith not, he shall be cut off in the midst of the week, but only he shall make the sacrifice to cease, that is, he at his beginning to show himself publicly to be the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, as John the Baptist called him immediately after his being baptized, shall from thenceforth be counted the only propitiatory sacrifice for sin; and that the continual sacrifice of a lamb every morning and evening, should upon his offering of himself upon the cross, cease, and be available no more, to show which further the Temple should be destroyed not long after, and never be reedified, so that there should then be a cessation of sacrificing per force forever after. And for the computation made by Polanus, the words before going, after 62 weeks the Messiah shall be cut off, show that the destruction of Jerusalem cannot possibly be brought within the compass of the 70, because that 62 and 7 before them being deducted out of those 70, one only will remain, that is, seven years, but Jerusalem was not destroyed til near 40 years after his cutting off; neither is it said, in the sixty second week the Messiah shall be cut off, but after 62. To come therefore to the explanation of each passage here according to this account. In saying 7 weeks and 62 shall be to Messiah the Prince, he meaneth not, that these two should strictly be divided, but that within the first number the City and Wall should be built, and in the compass of 7 and 62 put together, the Messiah should come. For the naming of 7 first, it is done because 7 weeks of years make a Jubilee, and so it is an holy number, of which the spirit of God delighted to speak, especially in setting forth deliverance from servitude, return to possessions, and making public joy. It is not hereby necessarily implied that so many years should pass, before that all the things here spoken of should be done, but in this compass of time they should be done, as they were in the days of Nehemiah.
But it may be doubted how the computation of the 70 weeks can be from the 7 year of Artaxerxes, seeing no decree came out then, but in the time of Nehemiah in his 20 year: For the resolving of this, it is said, that the same which is said to be the 20 year was the 7; the 20 since he began to reign together with his father Xerxes, and the 7 since he began to reign alone. Of the time when the Wall was built and the troubles thereof see in Nehemiah. After 62 weeks the Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself, Hebr. and shall have nothing, that is, be counted by the Jews as vile and naught, Vulg. Et non erit ejus populus quieum negaturus est: a manifest place to convince all gainsayers, that Christ Jesus was to be cut off by a violent death, and despised, as Isaiah 53. it is also prophesied, whereas the Jews would not believe in him for this cause, affirming that the Messiah must continue always, and the Prince of the people that shall come, shall destroy the City and Sanctuary, this is a Prophesy of the judgment to come upon the Jews, after their cutting off of the Messiah, by Vespasian the Roman Emperor, and is not to be counted within the compass of the time of 70 weeks, and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and to the end of the war desolations are determined: that is, the Roman Army, as a great and irresistible flood bearing down all things, like unto Noah's flood, wherein so few persons were preserved; so the coming of the Assyrians is set forth by a flood, Isaiah 8. 7. and to the end of the war, &c. that is, this war being ended and all destroyed hereby, desolations shall follow forever; not desolation, as in the 70 years captivity, but desolations without end, as hath been hitherto proved true by experience, the flood that then overflowed Judea, overflowing it as it were still in the stupendous effects hereof, even as ground into which the Sea hath broken, that cannot be delivered anymore, but lieth waste always.
And he shall confirm the covenant with many, for one week, and in the midst of the week shall make the sacrifice to cease: This by Rabbi Solomon, is applied to the Roman Prince before spoken of, with whom he saith a covenant was made by the Jews for 7 years, but being not kept on the Jews part, in the fourth year after the making thereof, the Romans destroyed both the City and Sanctuary, and then the daily sacrifice, as must needs, when they had no place to offer it in anymore, ceased forever. But of such a covenant betwixt the Roman Emperor and the Jews, no Historian maketh any mention, and therefore it is a Rabbinical fiction. The truth is, the end of the City being spoken of, as by the overflowing of a flood by way of anticipation, to join together the cause, the crucifying of Christ, and the effect, viz. the coming of the Roman Prince, and destroying the City never to be rebuilt, but always to lie desolate; now he returneth to Messiah the Prince again, showing what he should do in the last of the weeks before spoken, he shall confirm the Covenant with many, that is, through preaching the Gospel and doing miracles, he shall convert many unto him, and so confirm by his blood the covenant, called the new covenant, before spoken of by Jeremiah, which is the covenant of grace and life; and he saith, not to all, but to many, because the generality of the Jews rejected him.
For the Sacrifice made to cease in the midst of the week, herein respect was had to the time of our Lord's preaching, before his suffering death, which put an end to all carnal sacrificing, since that therein that was perfectly done, which was by oblations and sacrifices prefigured. For this time was but three years and an half, which is half a week of years; and here the Angel varieth from the one week of the 70 before spoken of, to an half week of Christ's preaching, to denote justly by this circumstance again the very time of his death, as he had spoken at large of it before, saying, after 62 weeks the Messiah shall be slain, and more restrainedly 70 weeks are determined for the expiation of sin, and bringing in of everlasting righteousness, which was the time of Christ's death. For neither can this half week be referred to the ceasing of the sacrifice through the destruction of the Sanctuary, because even they that bring that destruction within the compass of these 70 weeks, say not that it was before the last year hereof, therefore not three years and an half before that time ended: nor can it be referred to the last of the 70 weeks, for then Christ must have suffered before the last year of the time here determined above three years, unless we shall say, as I said before, that his being published to be the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, is here called the causing of the sacrifice to cease.
And for the overspreading of abominations, he shall make it desolate, even till the consummation and that determined shall be poured out upon the desolate. The Vulg. in the Temple shall be the abomination of desolation, and even to the consummation and end the desolation shall persevere: Hebr. until the consummation and consumption determined poured out upon desolation: there being nothing in the former words, that signifieth Temple, but only to make this to agree with Mat. 24. where the abomination of desolation is spoken of, but without any such supply, that agreeth well with this, and thereby it appeareth, that the abomination overspreading here spoken of, was the cause of this desolation: for Jerusalem was then so full of abominable sins, as Josephus saith, that if the Romans had not come to destroy them and their City, it might well have been expected that God should have rained down fire and brimstone to consume them, as he did upon Sodom; as hath been said in my continuation of the history before spoken of; where I have also shown the manner of the destruction of Jerusalem. Of these words the meaning is, that for the Jews abominable sins universally corrupting all the land, the City and Temple should be ruined, and so continue after the desolation, to which it should be brought forever, desolation being thus, as it were, added to desolation. And therefore if any think of the reedifying of Jerusalem again after the Jews conversion, they are by this manifestly concluded against us holding contrary to the truth. For although the Lord saith, thy habitation shall be left desolate, till thou sayest, Blessed be he, that cometh in the name of the Lord, and the building of Jerusalem upon her own heap be spoken of, and everlasting peace to be to Israel after this; yet it cannot hence be inferred, that the Jerusalem and Temple of wood and stone shall be built there again, but a glorious Church in that land spiritually understood. And whereas many Rabbins of the Jews blindfold their eyes from seeing into the true meaning of this place, by diverting them to some other interpretations hereof; none of them yet can deny, but that the time here set is long ago past, even ever since the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans; and by consequence the Messiah cannot be yet to come, as they expect, but came then, and was approved by God's Angels, and an almighty power showing itself in him; so that nothing but a spiritual judgment upon their souls, whereby they seeing see & perceive not, hindereth them from seeing to believe unto this day. And when this judgment shall be taken off, they shall see and look up to him whom they have pierced, and mourn; which till then, by the greatest evidence of reason out of their own Prophets, they cannot be made to do.
And therefore pray we to the Lord to hasten the taking off of the veil of blindness and give them a sight of him, who in all their sacrifices was continually pointed at, that beholding at length his glory and unparalleled love, they may melt into tears for their so long continued obstinacy, and be saved.
CHAP. X.
HEre followeth the third Vision of Daniel in the third year of Cyrus King of Persia, at what time he must needs be very old, for he was carried captive into Babylon ann. 3. of Jehoiakim King of Judah, from which to the end of his reign was 8 years, from thence to that captivity in the 11 of Zedekiah 19: whereunto add the 70 years of the Babylonish captivity, and we shall come to 89, and one year of Darius, and 2 of Cyrus, make 92, and unto this add his age when he was carried captive, happily but 7 or 8, all together make 100 or thereabouts: Yet at this great age Daniel living in great honor and estimation, and without doubt abounding with all comforts of this life, for the high place wherein he was set by Darius, Dan. 6. gave his mind more to understand the mystical things of God, the more had been revealed before unto him; and to the end that he might attain hereunto, he sequestered himself from the delights of this life, pleasant wines and delicate fare, and continued mourning three full weeks.
From whence note, that he who is enlightened in the knowledge of the mystical [Note.] things of God, resteth not satisfied in that which he hath attained to, but carnestly desireth to be filled yet with more such knowledge, so sweet doth he find that unto him, which already he hath; as David, to whom the word of God was sweeter then the honey comb: which maketh against all those that care not for such knowledge, or if they do, they have no such earnest desire unto it, any modicum hereof sufficing them; verily it showeth, that they are altogether without divine understanding to this time, because that so soon as this entereth, there is a desire bred by all means to know more and more.
Again, to get spiritual knowledge the flesh must not be pampered, but abstinence used; and because it is not to be doubted, but that Daniel joined unto his abstinence assiduous prayer, for so he did ch. 9. it must at all times when we address ourselves to increase it, be sought by praying likewise. Polanus saith, that Daniel was affected with so great sorrow, because the decree of Cyrus going out for the building of the Temple, many enemies rose up and hindered it, and so it not going forward, he feared that dishonor would redound to God, who had promised that it should be built.
Whereas it is said v. 1. in the third year of Cyrus, but ch. 1. ult. Daniel continued to the first year of Cyrus, here is no contradiction, for it is not meant there, that he lived till then and no longer, but he continued in estimation and honor among the Babylonian Kings, till the subduing of Babylon by the Persian: But he lived still, and had this revelation the third year of Cyrus: and he was by the river Hiddekel, which was one of the four that lay by the garden of Eden, Vulg. the river Tigris, so called from the swift running, because the Tigre is the swistest of foot of all other beasts: but Quint. Curtius and Pliny say, that Tigris is a Median word signifying arrow; by which name yet it is agreed, that it was called for the same reason. The day of the month is also set down the 24, because the things now revealed were most memorable as concerning the Church of God to the end of the world.
I saw a man whose loins were girt with fine gold of Uphaz, in linen, and his face as lightning, his eyes as lamps, &c. This man according to Lyra, was an Angel, but Polanus will have him the same, that appeared before unto him, ch. 8. 13. who is called Palmoni, the numberer of secrets, which he proveth from Dan. 12. 7. where an Angel inquireth of this man, how long it should be to the end of these wonders, and he confirmed by oath, that it should be a time and times and half a time, which implieth, that this man was so great in understanding, that the Angels had light and understanding from him, as a fountain of knowledge, Revel. 1. 13. we read also of the like appearance, where no man doubteth, but that it was Christ. He had a linen garment to set forth his Priestly Office; because the Priests wear linen garments; a girdle of fine gold of Uphaz, to set forth by the girdle his readiness, as a servant to do his Fathers will, because good servants are said to stand with their loins girt, and their lamps burning; by the fine gold, of which it was made, his purity, stability, when tried in the fire, and virtue medicinal, that was in him to heal the discased. His body like Beryl, that is, of a sky color, shown him to be heavenly; his face like lightening for celerity, showing how soon he should shine from one part of the heaven to the other, all over the world; his eyes like lamps, to show his clear seeing of all things even in darkest and most hidden places. Lastly, his arms and his feet like burnished brass, his strength being hereby set forth to stamp upon, and break in pieces all men that oppose him, as he that hath brazen arms and feet can easily break in pieces a potters vessels of earth.
Hitherto his parts, now his words were as the sound of a multitude, so Joh. 1. 15. Ezek. 1. 14. A sound of the living creatures was heard as of many waters, hereby was shown the great extent of Christ's voice piercing further then the voice of any other man, yea more efficacious then the voices of many men together to move the air, as when the Spirit came down, Act. 2. a great sound, as of a rushing wind was heard, and the Apostles were filled with the Holy Ghost; so at his Word and will we receive the sanctifying Spirit to lead us into all truth.
Hitherto the description of the man appearing, now followeth the effect of this Vision, and of the sound heard in Daniel, and those that were with him by the river. Vers. 7. He was astonished, and no strength remained in him, but fell to the ground into a dead sleep, being as it were through fear stricken dead, as he had been before chap. 8. 18. but those that were with him, who heard only the sound, but saw pothing, fled away and hid themselves for fear, so that Daniel was left alone. He both saw this glorious apparition and heard the sound, as being vouchsafed so great a favor, they were by God's providence only present there at the first to testify the terribleness of the voice, and that it was not a feigned, but true thing, that Daniel had then this wonderful revelation, that we might believe: so when Saul was persecuting the Church of Christ, and had a Vision of a light from heaven, whereby he was smitten down to the ground, and heard that terrible voice, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? there were others present, but heard not the words, only they heard a sound of a voice speaking unto him, and saw the light. Daniel being astonished and fallen to the ground, as hath been said, was comforted and raised up, and then the man, that so gloriously appeared said unto him, Fear not Daniel, for from the first day, that thou didst set thy heart to understand, &c. thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the Prince of the kingdom of Persia with stood me 21 days, but loe Michael one of the chief princes came to help me, and I remained there with the King of Persia.
Here it is questioned, who is meant by the Prince of Persia, and resolved by the Ancients, an Angel set over that Kingdom, but whether good or bad, they agree not, some say, that it was a bad Angel, holding that every Kingdom hath two Angels set over it, one good and another evil, the good to move them that inhabit it unto good, and to stand for the good thereof, and the evil to instigate it to evil, therefore say they, an evil Angel is here meant, who stirred up the Persian King against the Jews, to hinder the putting of Cyrus his Decree for the building of the Temple into execution, as I have shown, that it was done upon Ezra, both in the time of Cyrus and Cambyses his son. Others, that it was a good Angel, who would not have the Persians to want such a people to serve them, as Pharaoh in times past would not, but to hold them still in the country, that were there, and to give to such as were gone into Judea so great discouragement, that they might rather be willing to return again, then to continue there still. Polanus, Junius, and others of ours hold, that no Angel, but a Prince properly so called, viz. Cambyses, King of the Persians after Cyrus is here meant. But of what power could a man, though a great Prince, be to withstand the Son of God, as they take the man before spoken of to be, when as one Angel in one night destroyed in the host of • enacharib 185000. 2. It is as great a question, who Michael, whom he calleth their Prince, was, who he saith holp him, for if by Michael the Son of God be understood, as ours hold, and by the man before spoken of, Christ, how can he speak of him, as of a third person? 'To these, I sinned nothing said by any man in way of resolution. And therefore it seemeth necessary to me to understand by the man before spoken of, not the Son of God, but an Angel of God representing God, as an Angel many times doth, and speaketh accordingly, one superior to another of an inferior rank, according to instruction given from God, and so it may be conceived to have been done, Dan. 12. 7. and then the Prince of Persia must needs be another Angel by God set over Persia, as the Guardian of that Kingdom, or rather one of the Devils Angels swaying by his suggestions the King of Persia to oppose the building of the Temple in enmity against the people of God, who most earnestly desired the going forward of that work. For that God setteth any good Angel over an heathen kingdom to be a guardian to it, to intermeddle so much, as to argue before God for a wicked Kings being permitted to hinder a good work, I cannot believe, although there be some that stand for this, saying it doth not misbecome a good Angel so to do, provided, that when God revealeth his will, he cease to stand any further for it. Of the Devils angels, see Revel. 12. 27. where it is said, the Dragon and his angels fought, and Michael and his angels. It is true, the Son of God, Christ Jesus is shown to John in the like manner, that this man here, but it is not therefore necessary to conclude, that he was the same; for some things here spoken, are said of the four living creatures, Ezek. 1. 12, 13. verse. 7. their appearance was as lightening and as lamps, and burnished brass. And if we take that glorious man for an Angel of God showing himself unto Daniel, and the Prince of Persia for an angel of the devil, and Michael called the Prince of the Jews, for a principal Angel of God placed as Guardian over Judea, and the Jews in chief, all things will very well agree. The angel of the Dragon or Devil might by opposing through God's permission retard a good Angels coming to Daniel to comfort him, and he might in a kind of duel be held by him in Persia during the time here spoken of, and then by Michael a principal Angel coming in to his help, prevail to come away and assure Daniel of the constant purpose of God to stand for his Temple and people. And touching Michael, it is not said any otherwise, but Michael one of the chief Princes came to help me, not the Prince over them, as Christ is, but one amongst them, implying, that there were more such Princes of God. And this argueth also, that the Prince of Persia was not the King, because another of these Princes, who are called Principalities in heavenly places, because Angels of great power whether they be good or bad. Of Michaels contending with the Devil also about the body of Moses Jude speaketh, saying that he durst not then bring a railing accusation against him, which argueth, that Michael this Archangel was one under an higher power, viz. God, and touching Christ, it is said, that he shall come with the voice of an Archangel, therefore he is not the Archangel so often in Scripture spoken of, verse. 20. He also saith, that he would now go forth and fight with the Prince of Persia, which was done, when Cambyses being dead, who had been stirred up by the suggestion of the Devil to hinder the building of the Temple, Darius came to be King, who took order for the going forward of that work until it was fully finished, no evil angel having power anymore to hinder it. Whereas headdeth, when I am gone forth the Prince of Grecia shall come, meaning the evil angel, that should stir up Alexander the Greek Emperor, who should also attempt something against the Temple and Jews, as he did, although miraculously by God inhibited from doing any harm to it or them. From the care taken to answer Daniel praying, note that so soon as the faithful [Note.] pray they are heard, and shall be certainly answered, although they may for a time be delayed. 2. The faithful have enemies amongst the Angels, but they have also friends, which shall do them more good at length, then they can do them hurt. 3. Such Kings and kingdoms, as work against God's people, and hinder his worship, have the Devil for their Prince, who instigateth them to this great wickedness, although they know it not, but they shall one day know it to their cost, according to which the Apostle speaketh, Ephes. 2. And when I am gone forth the Prince of Grecia shall come. It hath been already shown, that by this Prince another Angel of the Devil is meant, who should stir up the Grecians after the Persians, against the people of God, to persecute them also, for all such Principalities were bent to do the Jews what mischief they could, only Michael together with Gabriel stood in opposition to them, that is, the holy Angels, who had their names from El, that is, God, one the strength of God, the other, one like God, because all so armed with Divine power, and by revelation from God knowing things to come long before. And this Angel speaketh this, of the coming of the Prince of Grecia, when he should go out to fight with the Prince of Persia, because the subduing of one of these by the other is shown, chap. 11. but this was not indeed done till 200 years after. In saying then, none stood or held with me in these things, but Michael your Prince, he meaneth not, that none of the good Angels held with him, for they all doubtless were ready to do for God's people in all their straights, but none of those angels that were Princes of other Kingdoms, and ruled over them by their suggestions, leading them on blindly in superstition and sin, but Michael and his Angels, as may well be understood, because when a Prince is spoken of, in way of partaking in being for or against other Forces, he is not meant alone, but he and his forces following him: The Angels then have their fightings, as well as men, the good against the evil in behalf of men, good or evil, whereby the prosperity [Note.] of the good people of God is much hindered many times, they having advantage given them by their sins, but the good angels shall at length prevail, as it is said, that Michael and his Angels did, Revel. 7. against the Dragon. And from that which is here said, also, we may argue, that Michael was not the Son of God, but a principal Angel, because he saith, that he holp him in fighting, hereby implying, that he was but his fellow and confederate, as it were, as one Prince, that cometh in in time of war to help another. But what is it, that he saith, I will tell thee what is written in the Scripture of truth: by the Scripture of truth is meant the Decree of God which is spoken of as written indelebly, to show the certainty thereof, that neither Daniel nor any of his faithful people might be discouraged for the troubles in present or in future, as [Note.] being assured that nothing, which may seem cross to the good promised unto them, came or could come to pass without God, but as he had decreed for the exercise of their faith and patience, and the chastisement of them for their sins.
CHAP. VI.
ANd in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood to confirm and strengthen him. Here the Angel, that talked with Daniel, to purchase the more credit to that which he said, and to make him and his people the more confident in his help, recounteth unto him, what he had already done in favor of them, viz. holpen the King of the Medes against the Babylonians, that by this means, the Medes and Persians prevailing, they might have liberty to return, which they could not have had, if the King of Babylon had continued still.
There shall stand up yet three Kings in Persia, and the fourth shall be rich above them all. From hence, the Rabbins gather, that after Cyrus, in whose third and last year of his Monarchy