Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Daniel · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Ver. 1. IN the third year of the reign of Jehojakim] That wicked King, who killed the Prophet Ʋriah, Jer. 26. cut Jeremia's Prophecy with a knife, and caſt it into the fire, Jer. 36. was a groſſe Idolater, 2 Chron. 36.8. and therefore juſtly ſuffered.
Came Nebucahdnezzar] Surnamed Magnus, ſon to Nebuchadnezzar ſurnanamed Priſcus. See 2 King. 24.1, 2. 2 Chron. 36.8. with the Notes.
Ver. 2. And the Lord gave Jehojakim] Becauſe the affliction by Pharaoh (being but a mony-matter) had not a kindly effect, 2 King. 23.35. a heavier is now ſent. For as one cloud followeth at the heels of another, ſo doth one Judgement of God upon another till Repentance, as the Sun, do interpoſe, and cauſe it to clear up.
With part of the veſſels] Not all as yet, by a ſweet Providence, and for an inſtance of Gods Patience.
Which he carried into the land of Shinar] Or Babylonia, Gen. 11.2. a part of the Garden of Eden, as moſt Geographers think, but now the ſeat of Satan, as Rev. 2.13.
To the houſe of his god] Jupiter Belus: See on Iſa. 46.1.
Ver. 3. And the King ſpake unto Aſhpenaz] Which ſignifieth in the Chaldee tongue, the chief chider, or Controler of the Kings houſe: as Cteſias uſeth Aſhpamithres for chief-Prieſts. To this great officer the King commendeth the care of his School.
And of the Kings ſeed, and of the Princes] As having been better bred, and ſo more hopeful.Ingenium Galbae malè habitat. Deformitas corporis cum …urpitudine certavit ingenii. Paterc. Here Nebuchadnezzar minding nothing but the glory of his Court by theſe noble waiters, unwittingly maketh way for the Churches comfort.
Ver. 4. Children in whom was no blemiſh] Such as were Joſeph, David, Artaxerxes Longimanus, Germanicus, and others, in whom beauty proved to be the flower of virtue, as Chryſippus called it. Of Galba the Emperour One ſaid, that his good wit dwelt in an ill houſe, like an excellent inſtrument in a bad caſe: whereas Vatinius the Roman was not more misſhapen in body then in mind. The Heathens alſo adviſe us to beware of thoſe whom Nature hath ſet a mark upon.
And skilful in all wiſdom] i. e. Ingenious and induſtrious, apt and able to receive, and improve inſtruction. Tacitus telleth us, that in the times of Veſpatian and Domitian, the children of the Brittiſh Nobles were ſo witty and well-bred, that the Romans infinitely admired them, for the debonnaireneſſe of their natures,In vit. Jul. Agrico. preferring the wits of the Brittaines, before the ſtudy of the Gaules. And they are called Angli quaſi Angeli, ſaid Gregory the Great, concerning the Engliſh boys preſented to him.
And ſuch as had ability in them] Daniel and his three friends are thought by ſome to have been bred under the Prophet Jeremy, and to have begun to Prophecy ſome years before Ezekiel.
To ſtand in the Kings Palace] i. e. To do him ſervice. This is that which learned men ſhould aim at in their ſtudies: viz. to lay forth themſelves for the publike g…od. Paulùm ſepultae diſtat inertiae Celata virtus.Horat.
And whom they might teach the learning] Heb. the Book, that is, the Art of Grammar, ſay ſome: But why not other Arts alſo learned by books, thoſe mutemaſters? yet not ſo well (the Mathematickes eſpecially) without a Teacher. Joſeph Scaliger who was foreign, ſelf-taught, and yet proved ſo great a ſcholar, is by One called daemonium hominis, & miraculum naturae, more then a man, even a very miracle.
And the tongue of the Chaldee] Which was not therefore the ſame with the Hebrew, but a different dialect, or daughter of it. The moſt ancient tongue was the Hebrew, preſerved in Hebers family. The Hebrews and Chaldees had one common Anceſtour, viz. Arphaxad: and Abraham, being born in Chaldea, could ſpeak both Languages: but ſo could not Daniel and his fellows, till they were taught. Good letters and languages are to be taught in Schools and Univerſities; Hebrew, Greek, and Latin eſpecially, the dignity and ſtudy whereof Chriſt would have to be ever kept a foot in his Church, as appeareth by that inſcription (not without a Providence) ſet upon his croſſe in thoſe three tongues, Joh. 19.19, 20.
Ver. 5. And the King appointed them a daily proviſion] A competent and comfortable ſubſiſtence and maintenance: ſuch as whereof, in time paſt, thoſe Abbylubbers had too much: and now Univerſities and Schools of learning have too little; but far leſſe ſhould have, might ſome brain-ſick Sectaries be heard: ſuch as was that Weigelius who ſaid, that in no Univerſity in the world was Chriſt to be found: and that Chriſt would not have his Goſpel to be preached by devils,D. Arrowim. Orat. Anti-Weigel ad calc. Tact. Sacr. and therefore not by Academikes; with a great deal more of ſuch paltry ſtuff, vented by that illiterate widgin.
So nouriſhing them three years] Thoſe that ſtay over-long in the Univerſities (ſtanding there till they are ſowre again, and preaching only now and then, to aire their great learning) ſhall have the ruſt and canker of their abilities to be a ſwift witneſſe againſt them at that great day.
Ver. 6. Now among theſe were of the children of Judah, Daniel] Who had not his name for nought, as we ſay, but by a providence: It ſignifieth God is my Judge, and ſo indeed he was throughout his whole life, but eſpecially when they caſt him into the Lions den, chap, 16. David had alſo a ſon of the ſame name, and that by Abigail, 2 Sam. 3.3. with 1 Chron. 3.1. in remembrance haply of the right that God had done him upon the churl Nabal, 1 Sam. 25.39.
Hananiah, Miſhael and Azariah] Good names all, and good men all, yet wrapt up, with the reſt, in a common calamity, but for excellent ends, as it afterwards appeared. Meanwhile, God much ſweetened the affliction to theſe four, by their mutual ſociety.
Ver. 7. Ʋnto whom the Prince of the Eunuchs gave names] Not without the command of the king, chap. 5.12. as deſirous to naturalize them, and by changing their right names (which had the names of God in them, El and Jah) to make them forget their religion; but that was better rooted, then to be ſo eaſily razed out, though theſe new names were ſhrewd temptations to Apoſtacy and Idolatry: as being compounded of the names of the Babyloniſh gods, and means to make them honourable among the Chaldeans.
Ver. 8. But Daniel purpoſed in his heart] The change of his name (though he utterly diſliked, yet) he could not help: but to ſhew that he was ſtill of the ſame religion, though he were but a childe of twelve years old or thereabouts, yet he purpoſeth (firſt, and then performeth it) to keep himſelf pure and free from Heatheniſh defilements.Ver. 2. What if the veſſels of the Temple (by being brough into the treaſure-houſe of Nebuchadnezzar's god) were defiled, yet theſe elect veſſels would not.Ad leonem potius quam lennem. Tertul. Anſelm. So the Primitive Chriſtians choſe rather to be thrown to Lions without, then left to luſts within. Yea I had rather be caſt pure and innocent into hell, ſaith an Ancient, then go to heaven, being polluted with the filth of ſin. Daniel's greateſt care is, ne contra legem Dei & conſcientiam impuretur, leſt he ſhould be defiled in the leaſt: fall back, fall edge, as they ſay, he is fully reſolved againſt that. So the Prince of Conly when, at the Pariſian Maſſacre, he was put to his choice by the French King, whether to go to Maſſe, to ſuffer death, or to endure perpetual impriſonment? anſwered, As for the firſt, by the grace of God, I will never do it: And for the two laſt, I humbly ſubmit to his Majeſty: let him do with me what he pleaſeth.
That he would not defile himſelf with the portion of the Kings meat] That which Scaliger ſaith of Matthew Beroaldus, Vir doctus, &, quod familiam ducit, pius, that he was a learned man; but (that which was his chief commendation) he was alſo a godly man, may be better ſaid of the Prophet Daniel. Godly he was betimes, and of a childe, as was alſo his Maſter Jeremy (in whoſe works he was well read, Dan. 9.2.) Samuel, Timothy, Athanaſius, Beza who (amongſt many other things) bleſſed God chiefly for this in his laſt will and Teſtament, that at the age of ſixteen years, He had called him to the knowledge of the truth. Daniel had this happineſſe at twelve or thirteen:De vita & obitu Sanct. neither was he like rath-ripe fruit that are ſoon rotten (Hermogenes was old in his childhood, and a childe in his old age) but although he lived 110 years, as Iſidor reckoneth, ſome ſay 130, yet he was beſt at laſt, and may very well paſſe for a Martyr, though he came again ſafe out of the Lions den, like as John the Evangeliſt alſo did out of the caldron of ſcalding oyle, wherein he was caſt by the command of Domitian, in contempt of Chriſtianity. Daniel's piety appeareth in this, that he maketh conſcience of ſmaller evils alſo, ſuch as moſt men in his caſe would never have boggled at. He would not defile himſelf with the portion of the Kings meat: he ſcrupled the eating of it, and why? 1. Becauſe it was often ſuch as was forbidden by the Law of God, Levit. 11. Deut. 14. 2. Becauſe it was ſo uſed,Ante c…bum ſua habebant prothymata, & laudabant deos ſuos. Jun. as would defile him and his fellows, againſt the Word of God: for the Heathens (to the ſhame of many Chriſtians) had their Grace afore meat, as it were, conſecrating their diſhes to their Idols before they taſted of them, Dan. 5.4. 1 Cor. 8.10. 3. They could not do it without offence to their weaker brethren, with whom they choſe rather to ſympathize in their adverſity, then to live in exceſſe, and fulneſſe, Amos 6.6. 4. They well perceived that the Kings Love and proviſions were not ſingle and ſincere, but that he meant his own profit, to aſſure himſelf the better of the land of Judah, and that they might forget their Religion. Laſtly, They know that intemperance was the mother of many miſchiefs, as in Adam, Eſan, the rich glutton, &c. That's a memorable ſtory that is recorded by William Schickard concerning eleven Jew doctors, whom the Heathen King of Pirgandy having in his power,Schickard. Jus reg. Hebr. c. 5. p. 149. put them to this hard choice, either to eat ſwines-fleſh, or to drink wine that had been conſecrated to idols, or to lie with certain harlots. They choſe rather to drink the wine then to do either of the other two. But when they had drunk wine liberally, they were eaſily drawn to do the other two things alſo. Any one of theſe five reaſons had been of force enough to prevail with Daniel and the other three to forbear. They knew well that the leaſt hair caſteth its ſhaddow: a barly-corn laid on the ſight of the eye will keep out the light of the Sun, as a mountain. The eye of the ſoul that will ſee God, muſt be kept very clear, Matth. 5.8, &c.
Therefore he requeſted] Modſtly and prudently he propounded it, non convitiando, ſed ſupplicando, and petitioneth for liberty of conſcience, confeſſing his religion.
Ver. 9. Now God had brought Daniel into favour] God is never wanting to the truly conſcientious: let them chuſe rather to offend all the world then to do things ſinful, and they ſhall be ſure of good ſucceſſe. The Prince of the Eunuchs durſt not yield to Daniel's requeſt, but he connived at the Sewards yieldance.
Ver. 10. I fear my Lord the King] This made him ſtand off as he did, in pretence at leaſt. Tertullian taxeth the Heathens for this,Tert. cont. Act. 4.19. quòd majore formidine Caeſarem obſervarent quam ipſum de Olympo Jovem, that they feared Caeſar more then they did their greateſt god Jupiter. But he who truly feareth God, needeth not fear any elſe.
Ver. 11. Then ſaid Daniel to Melzar] Or, to the Steward, alimentator, the Purveyour for the Pages of honour. The Prince of the Eunuchs might haply give him an hint to go to this Melzar, who might do it with leſſe danger.
Ver. 12. Prove thy ſervants I beſeech thee ten dayes] All good means muſt be uſed for the keeping of a good conſcience: and then God muſt be truſted for the iſſue. But did not Daniel herein tempt God? No: for beſides that he had a word, 1. Of precept, Deut. 14. And 2. Of Promiſe, Exod. 23.25. ex arcana revelatione certior factus eſt, it might be revealed unto him, that no inconvenience ſhould follow upon this courſe.
And let them give pulſe to eat, and water to drink] Poor fare for Noble-mens ſons, but ſuch as they were well apaid of. Nature is contented with a little, Te ver. innoc. cap. 56.Grace with leſſe. The ſobriety of Democritus and Demoſthenes is much celebrated among the Heathen. But what ſaith Auſtin? Omnis vita infidelium peccatum eſt, & nihil bonum ſine ſummo Bono. Whatſoever is not of faith is ſin, &c. Daniel's ſobriety was of another nature, of a better alloy. Papiſts crack much of their abſtinence from certain meats and drinks at certain times. But Daniel's and Papiſts Faſts agree as harp and harrow. See my Common-place of Abſtinence.
Ver. 13. Then let our countenances be looked upon] See the Note on ver. 12.
And as thou ſeeſt, deal with thy ſervants] Thus humbly they beſpeak the Butler, or Purveyour, though themſelves were nobly deſcended. God had made them Captives, and they now carry their ſails accordingly.
Ver. 14. So he conſented to them in this matter] This had been well done, if done for Gods ſake; but it was nothingleſſe: he had a hawks eye herein to his own profit: he favoured them becauſe he meant to finger ſomething from them. Theſe four made a meſſe.
Ver. 15. Their countenances appeared fairer] They had both better health (for Tenuis menſa ſanitatis mater, ſaith Chryſoſtom, Guſtato ſpiritu de ſipit omnis caro. Bern.Spare diet is very healthful) and their good conſcience or merry heart was a continual feaſt to them. They had alſo Gods bleſſing upon their courſer fair: and this was the main matter that made the difference.
Ver. 16. Thus Melzar took away] See on ver. 14.
And gave them pulſe] This ſlender diet was ſome help to their ſtudies:foreign. for loaden bellyes make leaden wits, ſaith the Greek Senary: and Pinguis venter macra mens, ſaith Jerom, a fat belly maketh a lean mind. A body farced with delicious meats and drinks, unfitteth a man for divine contemplation.
Ver. 17. As for theſe four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning] Both natural and ſupernatural. In the Art of Grammar, ſaith Symmachus: in every book ſaith the Latin Interpreter. There was potus ex fonte, fletus in prece, ſomnus in codice, as Ambroſe ſpeaketh, they drank Adams-ale, prayed with tears, ſlept with a book in their hands. Whether they read the curious books of the Magicians (fitter to be burnt, Acts 19.19.) is another queſtion. Oſiander thinketh that their Chaldaean Tutours would have obtruded upon them ſuch kind of learning alſo: but, as they abſtained from the Kings meat, ſo they did, likely, from ſuch corrupt and unlawful arts. Other commendable learning they looked into, as did alſo Moſes, Solomon, Paul, &c. But what meant Pope Paul the ſecond to condemn all learned Artiſts for hereticks: and to tell his Romans that it was learning enough for a man to be able to read and write? Nebuchadnezzar was of another mind,Jac. Rev. de vit. Pont. 244. and Daniel and his fellows went further then ſo. Learning hath no enemy but Ignorance.
In all viſions and dreams] i. e. In all kind of Prophecy. See Num. 12.6.
Ver. 18. Now at the end of the dayes] i. e. After three years time of ſtudying. See on ver. 5. Account is to be exacted of time, and profiting. Pliny ſaid to his Nephew,Plin. Epiſt. when he ſaw him walk out ſome hours without ſtudying, Poteras has horas non perdere, you might have ſpent theſe hours better. Ignatius when he heard a clock ſtrike, would ſay, Here's one hour more now paſt, that I have to anſwer for. Archbiſhop Ʋſſier on his death-bed begg'd hard of God to pardon his Omiſſions, who yet was never known to omit an hour,His life by D. Bernard. but ever employed in his Maſters buſineſs, reading, writing, preaching, reſolving doubts, &c.
Ver. 19. And the King communed with them] It ſeems he was himſelf a learned King, able to poſe them, and put them to't. So was Alexander the Great, Ptolomy Philadelph, Julius Ceſar, Conſtantine the Great, Charles the Great, Alphonſus of Arragon, our Henry the firſt, ſurnamed Beauclerk, and King James, who was able to confer learnedly with any man in his faculty. Alphonſus was wont to ſay, that an unlearned King was but a crowned Aſſe; and that he would not be without that little learning he had, for all that he was worth beſides.
And among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, M…ſhael and Azariah] That which Patricius ſaith of the ſon of Juba King of Namidia, taken captive by Julius Ceſar, may fitly be applied to theſe four noble captives, Quicquid nobilitatis fortuna eripuerat, id longe accumulatius ei reſtituerat bonarum artium diſciplixa, what luſtre ſoever they had loſt by their captivity, was abundantly made up and reſtored by their excellent learning.
Therefore ſtood they before the King] Who had no ſooner proved them, but he highly approved them.Cicero. O Hortenſii admodum adoleſcentu ingenium, ut Phidiae ſignum ſimul aspectum & probatum eſt: So Daniels and the reſt; neither need we wonder; ſith, beſide all other helps, they were taught of God.
Ver. 20. And in all matters of wiſdom] God will honour them that honour him: his gifts and graces he giveth to pure ſouls, and according to their ſtudy of purity, as to Daniel chiefly.
He found them ten times better] Maſters of knowledge, skilled uſque ad apices literarum, Mr. Fuller.and therefore highly favoured by the King, who was himſelf a great Philoſopher. Daniel was a Leviathan of learning both divine, and humane, as one ſaith of Archbiſhop Ʋſſier, Ʋnicum iſtius aetatis miraculum & Muſarum delicium, as Eraſmus ſaith of Alciat, the Miracle of his age, and the Muſes darling: one that better deſerved, for his learning, to be called Magnus then ever Albertus did. The perfection even of humane Arts is to be found in the Church: ſee my common place of A…ts.
Ver. 21. And Daniel continued, &c.] And afterwards alſo, though ſhrewdly lifted at under Darius, chap. 6.4. and in the third year of Cyrus he was overborn by the Councellours hired to hinder the building of the Temple, whom he could not withſtand, and therefore kept an extraordinary faſt, Ezra 4.5. with Dan. 10.3, 4.