The Restitution of King Nebuchadnezzar, Text
THE Restitution of King Nabuchadnezzer.
DAN. 4. Verses. 31. 32. 33. 34.
By Henrie Smith.
Printed by Thomas Scarleti 1591,
Daniel. 4. 31.
31 And at the end of those daies, I Nabuchadnezzer lift vp mine eies to heauen, and my vnderstanding was restored to me, and I gaue thankes to the most high, and I praised and honoured him that liueth for euer, whose power is an euerlasting power, and his kingdom is from generation to generation,
32 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, & according to his will he worketh in the army of heauen, & in the inhabitance of the earth, & none can stay his hand, nor say vntounto him, what doest thou.
33 At the same time was my vnderstanding restored to me, & I returned to the honor of my kingdom, my glorie, & my beautie was restored to me, and my counsellers and my princes sought vntounto me, and I was established in my kingdome, and my glorie was augmented towards me.
34 Now therefore I Nabuchadnezzer, praise, and extoll, and magnifie the king of heauen, whose works are all truth, and his waies iudgement, and those that walke in pride, hee is able to abase.
NOw wee are come to his Restitution. First Nabuchadnezzer was humbled, as God humbleth his enemies: nowe hee is humbled, as God humbleth his Children: that although hee hath more honour than hee had before, yet hee is not proud of it, as hee was, but cryeth with the Prophet, Not vntounto mee Psa…Lord, not vntounto me, but vntounto thy name giuegive the honour. So he which sayde, not onelyonly in heart, but almost with his mouth too, There is no God, now Ps…with heart and mouth honoureth none but God. His pride, and fall, Daniell declareth: when he came to his restitution, he maketh Nabuchadnezzer to speake with himselfe, and giuegive thankes in his owne person, like a witnesse brought in to testifie the truth of this wonderfull storie.
When the Prophet had shewed how this king vaunted, and how he was debased for it, presently after he had spoken, he calleth in as it were the king himselfe to witnesse his report, and he declareth how he was raised again, like a man, which hauing receiued grace of a Prince or great personage, is brought in before him, to giuegive thankes for his fauour receiued, and then hee is dismissed.
In these verses two things shew themselues at first view: Nabuchadneezzers restitution, and his thankfulnesse. In his restitution, first hee sheweth the time when he was restored in these wordes: At the end of those dayes. Then hee sheweth the manner how hee was restored, in these wordes: I Nabuchadnezzer, lift mine eies to heauen, & mine vnderstanding was restored vntounto me, and my Councellors sought vntounto me, & my glory was augmented more then it was. In his thankfulnesse, first hee extolleth gods power, in setting him vp and pulling him down, and raising him againe: then he commendeth Gods trueth and iustice, which deserueth to be praised for his iudgement as much as his merciemercy, as if he reioiced that God made him like a beast, that he may die like a man, At the end of those dayes. As the time of his pride was noted, when hee walked in his pallace, to shew how pride groweth out of building, and wealth, and apparell, & such roots, so hee noted the time of his fall, when the wordes were in his mouth, to shewe that he was punished for his pride and arrogancie, that hee might know where to begin his conuersion, and abate his pride, and when he had taken away the cause, then God woulde take away the punishment: so likewise hee noteth the time of his restitution, At the ende of those dayes: That is, after seuen yeares were expired, to shewe how long the sickenesse of pride is in curing, and to shewe how euerything was fulfilled, as it was prophesied, euen vntounto the point of time: for it was tolde him by Daniel, and by his dreame, that hee shoulde be like a beast seuen yeares. Therefore Nabuchadnezzer is prompt, as it were to confes the truth, & saith as the Prophet saith, At the end of those daies: That is, at the ende of seuen yeares, I was restored againe to my vnderstanding and honour, as Daniel foretold me.
Yet an other note is set vppon this, least wee shoulde thinke, that God regarded onelyonly the season, and thinke seuen yeares punishment inough for such a sinner: he saith not barely that his vnderstanding and honour were restored to him, when seuen yeares were ended, but that they were restored vntounto him, when he beganne to lift vp his eyes vntounto heauen, to shewe that his blessing came from aboue, and that hee which had humbled him, had restored him againe: as if hee woulde say vntounto all that are cast downe with sicknesses, or pouertie, or infamie, or any trouble in body orminde: hee which hath humbled you, will raise you, as he hath done me, but you must looke vp to heauen, & lift vp your hearts vntounto him, and then your vnderstanding, and comfort, and peace, and health, and wealth, and libertie, and good name and all, shall returne vntounto you againe, like Iobes …ob. 42.sheepe, and cammels, and oxen, in greater number thē he had before, as all the blessings of God returned to Nabuchadnezzer, when he looked vp to heauen: lo they shall come backe like a riuer vponupon you, when your eies can go by these vanities, and looke vponupon him which looketh vpō you, or els seuen and seuen yeares shall passe ouer you, & you shalbe neuer the better, but worse and worse, like Saule, which was …. Sa. 31 4vexed more and more, till hee had killed himselfe. Therefore as the Iewes looked vp to the brasen serpent, which was a figure of Iesus Num. 21 8Christ, when they woulde be healed: so all which woulde recouer that they hauehave lost, or obtaine that which they want, Nabuchadnezzer doth teach them heere to lift vp their eies to heauen, from whence, saith Christ, commeth euerie blessing of man.
At the end of those daies, I Nabuchadnezzer lift vp mine eies to heauen. Like a man which is wakened out of a long trance, now he began to stirre and lift vp his eies. When the heart is lift vp, it will lift vp the eyes, and the handes, and the voyce and all, to heauen. He which neuer looked vp to heauen, so long as his comfort was vppon the earth, now his minde is changed, his lookes, and gestures, and speeches, and all are chaunged with it, as though God would shew a visible difference betweene the spirituall and the carnall, euen in their gate, and lookes, and gestures, as there is betweene a childe and an olde man. The spirituall mindes are heauenly mindes, and look vp, because their ioy is aboue. The carnall mindes are earthly mindes, and looke downe like beastes, because their treasure is beneath. As the serpent grouels vponupon the ground, so doth the serpentes seed, and hath not so much as the Genes. 3. 14.countenance of grace. Therefore by lifting vp his eyes to heauen, is signified, that the time was come which the Lorde had set downe that he shoulde be like a beast, vntill hee had well learned that lesson: That the moste high beareth rule ouer the kingdomes of men, and giueth it to whomsoeuer hee will.
Therfore Nabuchannezzer doth shew that hee had learned this lesson: for hee looked not vp to heauen, to beholde the sunne, or the moone, or the stars, like an Astronomer: but thinking how he had set himselfe against heauen, from whence came all his honour, in a godly shame and holy anger towards himselfe, he turneth his face from earth to heauen, to magnifie him that had humbled him so, that contemned him, that aduaunced him so.
Now he talketh no more of his pallace, nor his power, nor his maiestie, though it be greater then it was: but he looketh aboue his own pallace, vp to another pallace, from whence that terrible voice came downe vntounto him, Thy kingdome is departed from thee: which expresseth his contrite heart, and wounded spirit, how many passions batled within, as if hee shoulde chide himselfe, and say, O vnthankefull man, my power descended from aboue, and I euer looked vponupon the earth, mine honour came downe from heauen, and I neuer lift vp mine eyes before: Go vp my eyes, and my heart, and my voyce, and mine hands, how long will ye pore vponupon the earth, like a beast? so hee lifted vp his eies vntounto heauen. After he had lift vp his eyes, he beginneth to pray, and gaue praise and thankes vntounto God: which sheweth that hee did not onelyonly lift vp his eyes, but his heart too. For vnlesse we can say with Dauid, I lift vp mine heart, it is in vaine to lifte vp Psal. 15 1handes, or eyes, or voice, as the hypocrites do, because he that is a spirit, requireth the spirit. Therefore Mary saith, Mine hart doth magnifie Ioh. 4. 24the Lord. As for the infidels and idolaters, they hauehave no heart seruice, but their religiō is like an occupation which is done with the bodie: for when we read of the sacrifice or praiers of Idolaters, wee doe not find that they lift vp theyr harts to their idols, but their hands 1. Kin. 18 28or eies, or voice, as the Baalites rored to Baal, as the marriners cried Ionas. 1 5 Act. 19 28to their sea oods: as the Ephesians shouted to Diana: but the lifting vp of their hart, the hartie seruice is alwaies appropriat to God, which saith, My son giuegive me thy heart. Therfore Pro. 23. 26Nabuchad. lifted vp his hart to God, shewing that he had learned the lesson God gaue him 7. yeares to studie, that the moste high beareth rule ouer the kingdomes of men. Now God thinketh the time long inough, and as hee reformed the ground after the floud, with fruites, and hearbes, and flowers againe: so he reformed Nabuchadnezzer with an vnderstanding, and beautie, and honor againe, as if he repented himselfe and saide, I will drowne the earth no more, I will Gen. 8 21change Nabuchadnezzer no more: now hee knoweth there is a king aboue him, he shalbe a king againe: now hee seekes my honour, I will giuegive him honour: now he magnifieth him, that debased him, I will returne to exalt him. So the voyce which thundred from heauen: Thy kingdome is departed from thee, soundeth again, Thy kingdom is returned to thee. For it was not tolde him, that he should bee like a beast vntill he died, but vntill hee knewe That the most high beareth rule ouer the kingdomes of men. Therefore when he knewe this, nothing could stay him from his kingdom, no more then they could stay him in his kingdome before.
Thus the displeasure of God is but an Interim, vntill wee knowe some thing that we should knowe, and then Nabuchadnezzer shall be king againe, then the sicke man shal be whole again, then the bond man shall be free againe: his mercies Psa. 136 1, 2. 6are called Euerlasting, because they indure for euer, but his anger is compared to the cloudes, because it lasteth but a season: whom he loueth, hee loueth to the ende, but whom he scourgeth, he scourgeth till they repent, as Ezechias was sick vntil he wept, Nabuchadnezzer was banished but till he repented. Nowe the first cure of this kings restitution, was of his mind: Mine vnderstanding, sayth he, was restored vntounto me, which he repeateth againe in the 33. verse: Mine vnderstanding was restored vntounto mee, to shewe what an inestimable gift our vnderstanding and reason is, wherby we differ from beasts, for which wee cannot be thankfull enough. Therefore he recordes it twise, as though his heart did slowe with gladnesse, and his toong coulde not chuse but speake often of it: as a man thinketh and speaketh of that which hee loueth, Mine vnderstanding was restored vntounto mee: that which was first taken away, came first againe, which so soone as it was gone, hee was counted a man no more, but a beast, as Dauid Psal. 23. 9.saith, Like horse and mule, which hauehave no vnderstanding, accounting them which are voyd of vnderstanding, no better then a horse or mule.
Therefore they which hauehave left their vnderstāding at the Tauerns, (as many heere hauehave done sometime) and they which vnderstand not yet what is the booke of God, are but horse and mule, though they beare the visors of men. After he had said, Mine vnderstanding was restored vntounto me, he annexeth also, Mine honour was restored vntounto mee, and so hee grewe to bee a king againe. As he was woont to put on one robe after another when hee was king: so when God woulde make him king againe, first he putteth vppon him the robe of vnderstanding, as it were the foundation ofaking: like the princely spirite which came vponupon Saul, and when he had a princely heart, then God 1. Sa. 10 9gaue him a princely power, and proclaimed like a voyce from heauen, Nabuchadnezzer king of Babel. So gloriously hee rose againe like the sunne, with a triumph of his restitution, and welcome of his subiects: like the shout that went before king Salomon, God saue king Salomon, It doth not appeare, that 2. Kin. 1 34his nobles and subiects were conuerted like himselfe, to receiue him to his kingdome againe, because hee repented, or because it was Gods will: but because it was Gods will, they could not resist it, but fulfilled his ordinance, as the wicked doe those things which are foretold that they should doe, and neuer thinke how they are moued to it, nor which way it commeth to passe, no more then the Rauen knewe, who had sent her to feede 1. Kin. 17 4Elias, she did as God commanded her, but shee knewe not that God had commaunded her: so they do as God inforceth them, but they knowe not howe God inforceth them.
One would thinke, when Nabuchadnezzer was a king, that God coulde neuer hauehave made him like a beast, and when he was like a beast, one would thinke, that God could neuer hauehave made him like a king: for who woulde suffer a beast to rule ouer them, vnles they were beastes themselues. Wee will not hauehave this man to rule ouer vsus, say the Iewes (such stomackes are in men, that they will hardly abide any man to rule ouer them) Therefore it is straunge that these men should receiue one that had beene seuen yeares a beast: it is euen as if one should lie seuen yeares in the graue, and after come againe to challenge his goodes, and lands, & house, and monie, from them that hauehave taken possession, and count it their owne: hee should hauehave a colde suite of it I thinke, vnlesse it were some fewe that loued him in his life, he might goe againe to his graue, for a house to dwell in. So no body looketh nowe for Nabuchadnezzer to come out of the wildernesse, hee was the vnlikest man in the world to bee king after such a change. But see what God can do, though all be against it, he which made a king like a beast, raised a king of a beast. Mine vnderstanding (saith Nabuchadnezzer) was restored vntounto me, and more then that, Mine honour was restored vntounto me: and more then that, I was established in mine honour: and more then that, Mine honour was augmented more then it was, when I was so proud of it. As God turned his heart: so he turned the heart of his nobles and people, that they receiued him for their king againe, and reuerenced him, for all his former disgrace, for which they contemned him before as a beast: heere a wise man may stand and woonder, like Elizeus, when his maister was rapt to heauen: for as though a …. Kin. 11 11. 12snuffe had beene taken from the ground, and set vp againe in the candlesticke, and shined brighter then it did before: so the king was raised from the dust, and set in the throne: euen nowe no man cared for him, and nowe no man durst displease him: then was fulfilled that which Salomon sayth: When the waies of a man please the Lorde, hee …rou. 16 7will make all his enemies at peace with him: so when Nabuchadnezzer pleased the Lorde, God gaue him grace with men, and his glory was augmented. My glory (saith Nabuchadnezzer) was augmented to mee: that is, hee receiued not onelyonly his kingdome, and power, and honor againe, but hee receiued vsurie of them for his seuen yeares banishment: they hauehave beene put out seuen yeares to the banke for him, to receiue more when hee came againe. So when he sought his own honour, honour departed from him, his pallace coulde not hold it, his treasures could not redeeme it, his guarde coulde not stay it, but pride chased it away, whilest he folowed after it: but when he sought Gods honor, and cared not for his owne, then his honour was increased, according to that, I will honour him, which honoureth me. What incouragement is this for all Nabuchadnezzers to seeke the honor of God, seeing hee hath so linked his honour with their honour, that they cannot seeke Gods honour, but they shall finde their owne honour. Therefore what would Nabuchadnezzer say to our Nabuchadnezzers, who thinke it against their honours, if they should seeke Christs honor, and that if his kingdome went vp, their kingdome should goe down: like Herod, who thought hee coulde not be king, if Christ should raigne: and the Pharisies, which thought they shoulde be despised, if Christ were regarded. If Nabuchadnezzers honour came to him, for the honour which he gaue to God, howe long will their honor last, which eat & drink, giuegive & take, bid and forbid, set vp, and pull down, fauour, and wrong, and do all they do to honor themselues, as Nabuchadnezzer built Babel: vntill that voice thunder from heauen: Thy kingdom is departed from thee: thy office is departed from thee: thy life is departed from thee. Some hauehave exalted thēselues like Nabuchadnezzer, & are not fallen yet: some mounted vp, and are falne alreadie. Some are fallen lower & lower like Babylon, but they are not yet at the ground. They hauehave ruled like beastes, longer then hee, & yet looke not vp to heauen, that they may be chaunged. Thus Nabuchadnezzer is welcome to his throne againe. Now he hath receiued grace, let vsus examine his thankfulnes. If you marke eueryevery thing in his order, you shal see a maruelous consequence obserued both in his fall, & restitution. When he looked on his pallace, hee waxed proud, when hee waxed proud, then God threatned him, when he was threatened, then God bannished him: when he was banished, then he lift vp his eyes to heauen: when hee lift vp his eyes to heauen, then his vnderstanding came vntounto him, then he gaue thanks to God, shewing vsus the vse of our vnderstanding, why God hath giuen reason vntounto man: videlicet, to serue him, and praise him vponupon earth: as Nabuchadnezzer worshipped God, so soone as hee came to his vnderstanding: so, so soone as we come to yeares of discretion, and begin to vnderstand, wee should begin a new life, and serue him whome all creatures doe serue with vsus, or else our vnderstanding is vaine, and we are like beastes still. For by this Nabuchadnezzer shewes, that he had vnderstanding, and was like a man, because he gaue praise vntounto God, and was mooued in heart to worship him which made him, according to that definition which Dauid maketh of vnderstanding. Psal. 111 10.They which obserue them, hauehave a good vnderstanding. They which obserue the commandementes, hauehave a good vnderstanding, not they which speake of the commaundementes, nor they which write of the commaundementes, nor they which preach of the commaundementes, but they which keepe the commaundementes, hauehave a good vnderstanding, the rest hauehave a false vnderstanding, a vaine vnderstanding, an vnderstanding like the Scribes and Pharisies, which was enough to condemne them, but not to saue them. Besides euerie man should trie his wisedome: for so soone as vnderstanding commeth to him, as it came to Nabuchadnezzer, it will extort praier and obedience from him, whether he will or no.
Therefore our Nabuchadnezzers are beastes still, for this is no part of their vnderstanding: but hee which can goe beyond all in shifts and pollicies, is counted the wisest man in Court or Citie. Oh if Nabuchadnezzer had liued in our countrey, what a Monarch might hee be, to what honour, and wealth, and power, might he hauehave risen in a short time, whether hee had beene a Lawyer, or a Courtier, or a Prelate. Me thinkes I see how many fingers would point at him in the streets, as they doe at his Apes, and say, there goeth a deepe fellow, he hath more wit in his little finger, then the rest hath in the whole body: but we speake to the bellie, which hath no eares.
Now let vsus see the partes of this kings confession, that we may see how his thankfulnes did answere to his sinne, before he had robbed God of his honor. Now as thogh hee came to make restitution, hee bringeth praise, and thanks, & glorie in his mouth: first hee aduaunceth Gods power, and saith, That his kingdome, is an euerlasting kingdome: vnderunder which words he confesseth, that God was aboue him, because his kingdome was not an euerlasting kingdome, but a momentary kingdome: like a sparke, which riseth from the fire, and falleth to the fire againe: therefore he sheweth, what a foole hee was to vaunt of his kingdome, as though it were like Gods kingdom, which lasteth for euer. Secondly he magnifieth the power of God, & sayth, That God doth what he listeth, in heauen and in earth, and nothing can hinder him, nor say vntounto him, What doest thou? VnderUnder which words he confesseth againe, that God was aboue him, because hee coulde not raigne as hee listed, but when he thought to liue at his plesure, then he was thrust out of the dores, and God said not vntounto him, What doest thou? but, Thy kingdome is departed from thee. Therefore hee sheweth, what a foole hee was to vaunt of his power, as though it had bene like Gods power, which could not bee checked. Thirdly, hee commendeth the iustice of God, and sayth, That his workes were all trueth, and his waies were all iudgement. VnderUnder the which wordes Nabuchadnezzer confesseth againe, that God was aboue him: for his waies were all errours, and his workes were all sinnes, as the ende proued. Therefore he sheweth, what a foole hee was to vant of his works, as thogh they had beene like Gods works, which cannot bee blamed. Therefore he concludeth, I Nabuchadnezzer, praise, and extoll, and magnifie the king of heauen. When hee lighted on the right string, marke how hee harps vponupon it, and doubles and trebles it, like a bond, which is ratified with many words of like sence, so he ratifieth his bond to God, with many wordes of like meaning: I will praise, and extoll, and magnifie the king of heauen, as though he would praise, and more then praise him: So they which louelove from the hart, & repent from the bottome, praise and praise, pray and pray, giuegive and giuegive, serue and serue, that is, when they hauehave serued him, they are readie to serue him againe.
Heere is a glasse for all the children of pride. First looke vponupon Nabuchadnezzer, yee which are great men like Nabuchadnezzer, for thus will God make his examples of greatmen, because they should be examples to others. Many wicked men died in Iurie, and scarse a man was by to see their end: but Herod was striken before the people, that all might see, because he was a wicked king. There were many in Babel as proud as Nabuchadnezzer, but none but Nabuchadnezzer was made like a beast, because hee was a proude king: so God doth stomacke sinnes in those that beare his owne person. As princes vse to picke out the principall and chiefe of the rebellion, to make them examples of terror, which were ringleaders in the treason, so doth God bend his shotagainst the captaines of his enemies: like the king of Aram, which charged his souldiers, that they should fight against none but against Achab the king. For as 2. Ch. 18 30 Prou. 19 25Salomon saith: Strike the scorner, and the rest will beware: so iustice shewed vppon a great man, doth terrifie manie. If wee could see but one of the Nabuchadnezzers of our daies so disgraced, it woulde make all the rest better in their office, and thinke when they sitte in their maiesties, as Queene Hester did, that their power is giuen them to minister iustice, and not to doe wrong. Paul doth not wish vntounto Agrippa more wealth, nor more honour, nor more friendes, but more religion, which is the greatest want of princes & magistrates, They sit in Gods chaire, saith Dauid, and are called Gods, but they are not like God, but like Mammon, Psal. 82.except their names and their crownes. Peraduenture there is a Dauid, or a Salomon, or a Iosua, that is, a few that remember whose person they beare. The rest are like Herod, and Saule, and Nabuchadnezzer, which knowe not from whom their kingdoms come. Nabuchadnezzer built for his honor, and they build for their honors: he gathered for his welth, & they gather for their wealth: he sought his pleasure, and they seeke after their pleasures: he vaunted of his power, and they vaunt of their power: what did Nabuchadnezzer, that they doe not, but repent, which they doe not? I cannot wish them beastes to doe them good like Nabuchadnezzer, because it is a question whether they bee worse then beastes already: but if wee coulde driue them out of their pallace, to liue in the wildernesse, it were a a good riddance, for there they should do lesse harme.
Thus you see why Nabuchadnezzer was made like a beast, that he may die like a man: for he could neuer learne from whom his kingdome came, or who gaue him his name, vnlesse he had beene seuen yeares a prentise vntounto the crosse. When he perceiued who tooke his kingdome from him, then he gaue his kingdome vntounto him, and learned his thankfulnesse in the wilderdernesse.
When all the blessinges were gone which he should hauehave beene thankefull for, hee thought God was no bodie, vntill hee became like no body himselfe: and then who but God, no power but of him, no honour but from him, his first honor came from God, as wel as the last, but then hee was like a beast, which knoweth not his owner: like a babe, which knoweth not his father: like an Image, which knoweth not his maker. But nowe he knoweth from whō kingdoms come, and hath learned to say, Thy kingdome, as well as my kingdom: and is like the Elders in the Reuelation, which cast downe their crownes before the Lambe: such a scholemaister is affliction, to teach that which prophets & angels cannot teach. For the Prophet and his dreame had tolde him as much before: yet he could neuer say, The Lord hath giuen, before he saw the Lord had taken. They say, a friend is neuer knowne before he be lost: so when God fled, Nabuchadnezzer followed, but when God called, Nabuchadnezzer contemned when he hath all thinges, he is vnthankfull, and when hee hath nothing, hee beginneth to be thankfull. So we must learne Gods louelove, out of Gods wrath: spell his goodnes, out of his iustice. Therefore we preach iudgement to you, to make you flie vntounto merciemercy: we denounce the lawe against you, to make you louelove the Gospel: We shew you hell, to make you seeke heauen: because wee are all like Pharaos sorcerers. Though we receiue neuer so much, yet we neuer say, The finger of God hath done this, but when hee beginneth to plague vsus, then we cry, the finger of God hath done this: therfore if we will not be inuited, it is good to be compelled. To conclude, he which made Nabuchadnezzer a king, when he was like a beast, is he that makes thē rich, which were poore, and hee which makes them free, that were bond, and hee which makes them beloued, that were hated, and he which makes them wise, that were rude, and he which makes them whole, that were sick, they must stay a time, seuen dayes, or seuen weeks, or seuen moneths, or seuen yeares, as Nabuchadnezzer did, when they are ready for it, it will come sodainly, as the Angels came to refresh Christ so soon as he was hungry: yet a litle while, yet a little longer, comfort is on foote, and that God which is comming, will come, as the sun which was rising, is risen. For as Nabuchadnezzer said, mine honor is restored to me: so I am sure, many heere that hauehave beene afflicted may say, my right was restored vntounto me, my libertie was restored to mee, my goodes were restored to me, my health was restored to me in lesse time than Nabuchadnezzers honour was, and what then? Therefore I Nabuchadnezzer praise and extoll and magnifie the king of heauen. This is the conclusion of all Gods benefites. They which do not praise, and extoll, and magnifie the king of heauen, are worse then Nabuchadnezzer. Therefore letal those which hauehave said in their heart like Nabuchadnezzer, Is not this the house which I hauehave built? Is not this the land which I hauehave purchased? Is not this the money which I hauehave gathered? Are not those the children which I hauehave begotten? Say nowe with Nabuchadnezzer for all, I praise and extoll and magnifie the king of heauen, which can take all againe as he did from Nabuchadnezzer.
Thus hauehave you seene pride and humilitie, one pulling Nabuchadnezzer out of his throne, the other lifting him vntounto his throne, wherby they which stand, may take heed least they fall, and they which are fallen, may learne to rise againe.
FINIS.
Printed by T. S. and are to be sold by William Wright. 1591.
End of the text · Henry Smith, The Restitution of King Nebuchadnezzar (1591)