Commentary on Daniel, Epitome
❧ The Lectures and readynges of Iohn Caluine vponupon Daniel. ¶
The firſt Prayer that he continually vſed before the ſame.
¶ The Lord God graunt vsus to be exerciſed in the myſteries of his heauenly wiſedome with true encreaſe of Godlines, vntounto his glory and our edification. Amen.
HEre foloweth the boke of Daniel the Prophet, the vtility & commoditie wherof, how great it is, may more eaſily bee vnderſtand by the goyng forward in the ſame, then aptly in fewe wordes be declared. But I will now giuegive ſome taſt yet therof, which may the better prepare vsus to the readyng, & make vsus more attentiue. And before I do come ſo farre, I will briefly comprehend the ſumme of the boke and ſo diuide it as may beſt further vsus. Wherfore we will diuide it into two partes. Firſt Daniel rehearſeth how he atteined authoritie euen amongeſt the infidels. For it was neceſſarie that he ſhould be rayſed vp to his propheticall office after a ſtraunge & rare maner. All thinges (as is well knowne) were ſo cōfuſed and ſo farre out of order amongeſt the Iewes, that ſcarcely could any man beleue that there remained yet any Prophet. Hieremias was a lyue in the begynnyng, and Ezekiel afterward. Alſo the Iewes had their Prophetes after their returne: but Hieremias & Ezekiel had almoſt ended their courſe when Daniel began to Prophecy. Others, as Haggaei, Zakari, and Malachi were created Prophets to exhort the people: ſo that their office ſeemed to be limited. As concernyng Daniel, he could ſcarcely be counted for a Prophet vnles God had ſet hym vp after a maruelous maner, as I hauehave ſayd. This ſhall we ſee to the end of the vj. chapter, that he was adourned of God with ſpeciall notes and tokens, that the Iewes might fully be aſſured yt God had geuē hym vntounto them for a Prophet, vnles they would condemne them ſelues of filthy ingratitude agaynſt God. His name was famous amongeſt the Babilonians, and much honored. If the Iewes had deſpiſed hym that was had in admiratiō euē of the prophane Gentiles, was not this as it were of ſet purpoſe to quench & to tread vnderunder foote the grace of God? Daniel therfore had certaine notes and tokens wherby he might be knowen the Prophet of God, & wherby his vocation might be ratified.
The ſecond part is ioyned afterward, wherby God forwarneth by him what ſoeuer ſhould ſhortly come to the elect people. The viſions therfore from the vij. chapter to the end of the booke do peculiarly belong to the Church of God. For there God declareth what is to come: which was a thyng very neceſſary. It was a ſore tentation when the Iewes muſt ſuffer captiuitie 70. yeares, and yet after that they ſhould returne into their countrey, for thoſe 70. yeares God did differre the full deliuerance vntounto 70. times ſeuē yeares. Their mindes might hauehave fayled and they all hauehave diſpayred a thouſand tymes. For the Prophetes had ſpoken ſo gloriouſly of the redemption, that the Iewes did hope for an happy and moſt bleſſed ſtate ſo ſoone as they ſhould be deliuered from the Babilonicall bondage. But when they are oppreſſed agayne with ſo many afflictions, and that not for a ſhort tyme, but aboue foure hundreth yeares, where as they were in captiuitie but 70. yeares, the deliuerance might ſeme but a mockery. And there is no doubt but that Sathan dyd tempt the myndes of many to fall away from God, as though God had deluded them when he brought them forth of Chaldea into their countrey. For theſe cauſes God declared by a viſion vntounto hys ſeruaunt, how many and how great afflictions did remaine for the people of God. Howbeit Daniel doth ſo Prophetie, that he doth almoſt lyke an Hiſtoriographer deſcribe all thoſe thyngs which then were ſecrete. And this was very neceſſarie, becauſe that in ſo troubleſome alterations the people had neuer taſted that theſe thynges were reueled vntounto Daniel by God if the ſucceſſe had not approued the heauenly teſtimonie. Therfore was it mete that this holy man ſhould thus ſpeake and Prophecie of thynges to come, as though he had declared thynges already performed. But this ſhall we ſpeake of in place.
I returne to the begynnyng, to declare how profitable this booke of Daniel is to the Church of Chriſt. And firſt the matter it ſelfe declareth that Daniel did not ſpeake of his own head, but that what ſoeuer he did ſpeake it was taught hym by the holy ghoſt. For how could he hauehave coniectured theſe thynges that we ſhall ſee afterward, if he had folowed nothyng but mās wiſedome: that is to ſay, that other Monarchies ſhould grow vp which ſhould deſtroy the Empire of Babylon, which had thē the greateſt power in all the world? Agayne, how could he coniecture of the commyng of great Alexander and of his ſucceſſors? Long before Alexander was borne Daniel dyd Prophecie what he ſhould do. Alſo he declareth that his kingdome ſhould not be lōg becauſe it ſhould ſtraight wayes be diuided into foure hornes. Other thynges that he ſpeaketh alſo do manifeſtly proue that he ſpake by the holy Ghoſt. Howbeit this may be more euidently proued by his other Prophecies, whē he admoniſheth with what great miſeries the Church ſhall be vexed betwixt thoſe two moſt cruell enemies ye kyng of Syria and the kyng of Aegypt. There doth he rehearſe their leagues, and then reciteth theyr cruell warres one agaynſt an other, and afterward all the alterations, and he doth ſo point out eueryevery thyng with the finger and proſecute the whole matter, that it may appeare that God ſpeaketh by his mouth. This is then a great thyng and very profitable, to know aſſuredly that Daniel was the inſtrument of the holy Ghoſt, and that he dyd ſpeake nothyng of his owne brayne. Now that he was in ſuch authoritie to the end that he might be in more credite with the Iewes concernyng his doctrine, that is extended vntounto vsus. For how foule and ſhamefull ingratitude is this, if we do not embrace the Prophet of God, whom the Chaldees were compelled to honour: whom we know both to hauehave bene ſuperſtitious and full of pompe and pride? Thoſe two nations of the Aegyptians and Chaldees ſtode moſt in their owne conceit of all others. For the Chaldees thought that they onelyonly had the Vniuerſitie of all wiſedome. Wherfore they would neuer hauehave bene very ready to receiue Daniel, vnles the truth had compelled them, and that this confeſſion had bene violently wraſted forth of them, that Daniel was the very Prophet of God.
Now when the authoritie of Daniel is thus confirmed, ſomethyng muſt be ſpoken of the matters that he treateth. And concernyng interpretations of dreames, the firſt dreame of Nebuchadnezar doth conteine (as we ſhall ſee) a thyng of moſt great importance, that is to ſay, that all the glory & the power of the world muſt vaniſh away, and that ye kingdome of Chriſt onelyonly ſhall remaine ſtable, and that there is none other perpetuitie. As concernyng the ſecond dreame of Nebuchadnezar, therin doubtles the meruelous conſtancy of Daniel is euident. It was a thyng very daungerous ſo to caſt down the Emperour of the whole world as Daniel did. Thou (ſayth he) wilt not be counted amongeſt men, but art now worſhipped as it were a God, thou ſhalt hereafter be a beaſt. There is no man at this day that dare thus ſpeake to Emperours and Kynges, either yet that dare admoniſh them gently whē they treſpas. Seyng then that Daniel did forwarne the kyng boldly what great ſhame he ſhould come vntounto, doubtles herein he did declare a rare and notable example of his conſtancy. And thus was his vocatiō ſealed vp and more plainly confirmed: for this boldnes came of the ſpirite of God. But we muſt rather ſtand of the ſecond parte, where we ſee Gods care towardes his Church. The prouidence of God vndoubtedly is ſpread throughout the world.Mat. 10. Luk. 12. For if a ſparow do not fall vponupon the earth without his permiſſion, we may be ſure that he prouideth for mankind. Therfore nothyng commeth vntounto vsus by chaunce. But God in this booke doth ſet vsus vp a light to ſee that the Church is ſo gouerned of him, that he hath a ſingular care ouer it. If euer thinges were ſo troubled and out of order in the world that men might coniecture that God dyd ſlepe in the heauens and forgate mankind, no doubt ſuch was the rollyng whele of thoſe tymes, yea there were ſo manifold and ſtraunge alterations, that he which was of the moſt hye courage might well faint, ſeing there was none end of warres, and ſometymes the Aegyptians gate the victorie, and ſometymes there were other ſtyrres and warres in Syria. Seyng then that all thynges were turned vpſide downe, what could be iudged, but that God contemned the world, and that the miſerable Iewes were deceiued of their hope when they thought that GOD which was their deliuerer would likewyſe be their keper and Sauiour at all tymes. For although all nations generally were then ſubiect to many calamities, if yet the Syrians ouercame the Aegyptians then dyd they abuſe their power agaynſt the Iewes, and Ieruſalem was ſayd open to the ſpoyle, as though it had bene the wages of the victory. If other had ouercome in battaile, they aduenged their iniuries vponupon the poore Iewes, and there they ſought their recompenſe.
Thus were thoſe miſerable men ſpoyled, that their conditiō was much worſe after their captiuitie when they were returned into their countrey, then if they had alway bene exiles and ſtraungers in other countreys. And when they were admoniſhed of thinges to come, this was their chief ſtay wherupon to reſt. But the vſe of the ſame doctrine muſt be applied vntounto vsus at this day. For we do ſee as it were in a glaſſe or lyuely image, that God was carefull of his Church euen then when he ſemed to hauehave caſt of all care therof. Agayne, that it was not without his diuine counſaile that the Iewes were thus expoſed to the iniuries of their enemyes. But of the other part we do acknowledge that they were meruailouſly perſerued euen with a greater and more maruelous power of God, then if they had liued quietly and none had moleſted them. Theſe things are to be learned from the vij. Chapter to the ix. Now when Daniel doth nomber the yeares vntill the commyng of Chriſt, how cleare and euident a teſtimony is this, which we may ſet agaynſt Sathan and all the ſcoffes of the wicked: ſeyng it is certaine that the booke of Daniel was in mens handes before this came to paſſe. Where he thē reckeneth 70. Weekes, and affirmeth that then Chriſt ſhall come, let all prophane perſones come now and prate, and with open mouthes declare their obſtinacy: yet ſhall they be ouerthrowen in the end, and be conuinced that Chriſt is that true redemer whom God had promiſed from the begynnyng of the world: becauſe he would hauehave him manifeſt with ſo ſure a demonſtration as no Aſtrologians hauehave the lyke.
This then is well worthy to be obſerued and marked, that after that Daniel hath treated of diuerſe calamities of the Church, he appointeth the tyme wherin God would reuele his Sonne vntounto the world: and that he treateth of the office of Chriſt. This is one of the chief Articles of our fayth. And he doth not onelyonly ſpeake of his commyng, but Prophecieth that the ſhadowes of the law ſhall then be aboliſhed, becauſe that Chriſt will bryng the accompliſhment therof with him. And where he ſpeaketh of the death of Chriſt, he alſo teacheth to what end he ſhall ſuffer death, euen that he may aboliſhe ſinne by his ſacrifice, and may geue eternall iuſtice. To conclude, this is to be noted, that euen as he had inſtructed hys auncient people to patient ſufferyng of afflictions, ſo doth he alſo admoniſh, that the ſtate of the Church ſhall not be quyet when Chriſt ſhall be geuen vntounto the world: but that the children of God muſt hauehave a continuall battaile vntounto the end, and that the fruition of the victory is not to be hoped for, whiles that the dead ſhall ariſe and Chriſt ſhall gather vsus into his heauenly kyngdome. Thus do we comprehend briefly, or rather do taſt, how profitable and fruitfull this booke is. Now come I to the wordes, how that Nebuchadnezar, either the father or the ſonne (for they both reigned together) came in the thyrd yeare of Iehoiakim, and tooke away Daniel and the firſt captiues, of whom Ieremy ſpeaketh:Ierem. 24 Ierem. 25. afterward Iehoiakim rebelled in the fourth yeare and was worſe handled.