Religion and my God But hold 2 Flesh whither does this Noble but Temerarious Zeal Transport thee Daniel Is this thy Kindness to thy dearest Self and hast thou no Regard to the Glories and Sweets of Life Is that Holy Fire that Devours its own Altar and Callest thou that Zeal that hurls thee into nothing and tempts thee to an Annihilation Is Death so desirable and such a Death as will gratifie thine Enemies too Whose Malice will Feast it self on thy Ruines with greater Luxury than the Lions Banquet on thy Flesh What is this but to Execute the Plot against thine own Life which they cannot perfect without thee and will thy God thank thee for Destroying thy Self and throwing away thy Life for a Nicety the Ceremony and Carkass of Devotion which his Grace is so ready to dispense with and for so little a time as a Month too Is he not the Father of Spirits and regards more the Oratory of a Sigh than all the luscious Expressions of the Lips Vnderstands he not the Language of the Soul and hearkens to the very desires of the Humble Maist thou not Offer up the purer Sacrifice from the Secret Altar of a Flaming Heart and be safe What an advantage hast thou to baffle the Conspiracy by a Mental Devotion and to Countermine the Villanies of their Cursed Policy by locking up thy Soul in its self Ah no! Spirit prevails The brave Votary scorns to compound with his God for his Life nor will save himself by so much as Latching the Door of his Lips He will not Stifle the Vent of his Soul thô it self were sure to fly through it He will glorifie God with his Speech thô he speak himself into Air He will not Disfigure the Body of his Duty to save his own from Mangling and would rather the Lions should open their Mouths to Swallow him than he by shutting up his to Imprison his Zeal and Affections He resolves that his Mouth shall Confess unto God and the World that his Heart believeth unto Salvation and while his Enemies were Watching Imagine this devout Supplicant thus pouring out his Soul unto God The PRAYER GOD of my Soul and of my Being the Glorious Jehovah that Inhabitest inaccessible Light and Everlastingness and humblest thy Self to behold the things that are in Heaven and Earth Hear and have Mercy Thou art God alone and besides thee there is none else What is this Darius whom these Men have blasphemously Exalted to Rob thee of thy Glory and Worship and made a God of him that cannot help that cannot Save himself or others O Pardon their Sin And this they have done with design to Rob me too of this Glorious Liberty of Access to thee my God who art the very Life of my Soul and whose loving Kindness is better than Life and without whom Life is none at all They would Shut me from thy Presence but do not thou Open the Door of thy Grace and my Soul that I may fly unto thee And thô these these mine Enemies lye in wait for my Blood Yet let me Praise thee with joyful Lips and Serve thee without Fear What though they have Decreed to take away my Life are not my Times in thy hand and without thee shall not fall an hair from my Head O give me a Faith beyond my Fear and a Courage beyond their Malice that I may Dye rather than disown thee and by Devoting my Self a Sacrifice to thy Glory may let all the World know that thou Lord art the only God that Savest the Souls of thy Servants who put their trust in thee Redeem thy Church and People But here a Noise Interrupts him They find him Praying v. 11. The Confederates cry out amain Treason Treason A Traitor against our King and his Law away with him to the Lions Darius himself cannot Save him These we may suppose were the Evidence ready to Swear against him who could safely take their Oaths without fear of Perjury that they heard him making his Petitions to the God of Heaven and so breaking the Decree And now has the Plot taken effect The Plot takes the Innocent man falls by the Councils of the Wicked Righteous art thou O Lord yet let me talk with thee of thy Judgments Wherefore doth the way of the wicked Prosper wherefore are they happy that deal very Treacherously Jer. 12.1 So foolish was I and Ignorant Surely thou didst set them in slippery places thou Castest them down into Destruction how are they brought into Desolation as in a moment they are utterly Consumed with Terrours Psal 73.18 19 22. Now may you see them troop together with Joy and speed to the Court They go to Court where they subtilly repeat the Contents of the Law to the King with a Cursed Policy of designing to oblige him to a Sacred and Inviolable observance of his own Edict e're ever they discover the Transgressor who they knew was so dear to him that for his Sake he might have strain'd his Prerogative unto the length of a Pardon if possible But having once oblig'd him by the honour of his Royal word to confirm the Decree then they presume to produce the Indictment and thus Address O King Live for Ever THat Daniel who pretends so much Love and Loyalty to thy Royal Person And Indict him so much Veneration and respect to all thy Laws He He is the first Rebell Ungrateful man that he is whom of a Captive of the Children of Judah thou hast loaded with such Honours whose very weight has unfortunately caus'd him to Stagger in his Loyalty and 't is visible Dread Sir that the Sublimity of his State has giddied him into Fanaticism too he Trants after other Gods as if thou O King wert not God enough for him who hast been so kind and Royal to him Never has the Largesse of Princely Bounty so unluckily miscarried by Ingratitude and Treachery which dares be so Insolent to give so pernicious an Example of first Violating that Law which he should have valued infinitely dearer than his Life and rather than have prostituted it to vulgar Contempt should have Sacrific'd the warmest Blood of his Heart to its Glory WE Pray therefore that he may Suffer the Pains and Penalties of the Irrevocable Decree He has so Prophanely Despised may receive the just Recompense of his haughty Rebellion and Pride Be thrown to the Lions Now is the King almost Dead with Sorrow The King repents Signing the Decree the fatal News more wounds his Royal Heart than the Prisoners he hath not a better Subject in the Kingdom who must now be rent from his Bosom by a Stratagem the malicious Imputations of Disloyalty and Rebellion he well knew were but the Proofs of his Innocency and their Malice This is so far from being a Service to his Majesty as 't is his Torment Have they Decreed him a God to this end to make him a miserable Prince The King himself Suffers
him The Third Ruler in the Kingdom Chap. 5.29 But alas this Glory was very short-liv'd Belshazzer slain for the Fountain of it lyes that very Night bleeding in the Dust The Prophesie was fulfill'd and the King call'd for to Judgment v. 30. However upon the Change our Prophet is no loser for the Kingdom being translated to Darius the Mede Darius succeeds who makes him to whose Ears the Report and Fame of the great Daniel's Parts and Excellency quickly arrives and himself being Old for the Ease of his Government 1. He Constitutes under him an Hundred and twenty Deputies Chap. 6.1 2. Over all these Three Presidents to whom they were to make their Accounts 3. And of these three was our Daniel chief in Commission Lord chief President The very first Minister of State Thus you have him in the Zenith of his Honours Lord high President over all the Kings Councils and Treasures next and immediately under himself Supreme Governour together with the Reason which justifies the Kings great Prudence and Policy in promoting him to so high Degree And wherefore viz. Because an Excellent Spirit was found in him He was every way qualified for his Station But this Mighty Preferment soon contracts an universal Envy upon him from those whose Dim Eyes could not see The Princes Envy or whose Cankered Spirits would not weigh his Merits in a Righteous Scale The Hill of Honour is dangerously trod though by never so fair and meritorious Feet Envious Men hate to acknowledge a worth beyond their own and look with a squint Eye on all above themselves The Promotion that falls not on their own Heads grieves their Hearts and is plotted against Indeed Daniel was an Alien and a Captive and for such a One to top them in their own Countrey was they thought insufferable For this Stranger to Monopolize their Princes affections and bear away the greatest share of his Heart and Preferments while themselves must truckle under him dance his attendance and strike Top-sail to him This they could with no patience endure Therefore the Presidents and Princes sought to find occasion against Daniel Yet Safely may the Heavenly Aspirer fix his steps while he has no Competitor to contend with him Note and few are Emulous of the Caelestial Crown The Four and twenty Elders may pass an Eternity e're any below disturb their Honours while weak Eyes wax sore at the sight but of a Coronet though the King himself has stuck it on They sought to find occasion c. And Consult against him And methinks I fancy them sitting in close Consult against him and ransacking every Inch of his Life and Manners Not an under-Officer but is brought in and strictly examin'd upon Oath if possibly the least defect might be found in his Managements or Accounts And perhaps the very Attendants of his Family Brib'd or Menac'd into an unreserved confession and disclosure of the daily Customs of his House nay and those of his very Oratory and Bed-chamber Nor must the freedom of his Table be allowed him unpurged if probably even There but a Syllable might escape him which may be Artificially interpreted into Treason or wrench'd but into the misprision of it Or but any thing which might bear the least shadow or Reflexion of dishonour or damage to the great Person Dignity or Interest of his Royal Master But when now after all this Nothing is squeezed out that can though but colourably charge him How do they fret and vex and are ready to Indict even his Care and his Caution And are vext that they want Eyes to penetrate into the very Recesses of his Soul For it may be There might Sculk some Trayterous and Disloyal Thought which gladly would they tear out from his Heart and produce in Evidence against him But if even That be White and Innocent too they again wax Mad and Curse his very Lovalty and Truth and could wish that his Snowy Innocence would take a Crimson Dye But find nothing to charge him with and be though but Superficially Criminal They sought occasion but could find none for as much as he was faithful Neither was there any Errour or Fault found in him Chap. 6.4 Prying Inquisition is the Jackall to Malice which fetches in the Stores it feeds on And if it chance to light on a full Prey how greatly does it gratifie the Beast it 's Master but if it make but a lean Hunt what a Deal of groaning and grumbling Discontent is there What a plague is it to envy Innocence and to make anothers Health Ones own Disease Is thine Eye Evil because mine is Good And 't is madness to forget Note into how many Snares and fatal Dangers the loose and unguarded Life betrayes Men in the World when the greatest Circumspection and most accurate Vigilance shall not secure the Wary and Provident Daniel from the Gripes of his malicious and conspiring Enemies Yet for ever be it Remarqu'd ☞ to the Honour of these eager Conspirators That the height of this Feavourish Rage did not distemper them into the Distraction of perjurious Revenges nor the Detestable Contrivances of Subornation against him they hate They will not Damn Souls to destroy Bodies Their very Heathen Consciences boggled at that Hellish practice 'T is enough for Rome and Hell to boast such impious Customs and produce such frightful Monsters where they are dispens'd with and encourag'd with due rewards unless perhaps they have of late Landed among us in hopes to serve a Great Turn but in Vain and O God may these Vermine return again to their own home and no longer infest our Air with their infectious Breath And now very despair make these Plotters Witty they alter the Measures of their Counsels They alter Counsels And since nothing can be discovered Defective in his Allegiance to his Prince they will weave a Net that shall ensnare him in the exactness of his Obedience to his God His very Devotions shall be twisted into a Cord that shall strangle him And if he dare pay service to his Maker And Plot against Religion even That shall be High Treason against his King And to save them the Labour he shall Pray himself into the Grave For said these men we shall find no occasion against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the Law of his God verse 5. But I would wish no greater Judgment upon Plotters than to find them bending their Wits against Heaven which is ever engaged to destroy Them for its own Security and Honour Nor can an Arrow be shot against Piety without hitting God himself directly in the Face Since all that is in the World is but his Reflexion upon the Soul and He is as much in one Beam or Ray of his Holiness that shines in the Creature below is in the whole Sun of it that makes Glory above The Malice that wounds a Saint would destroy the Deity if it could
Eyes as well as their Mouths and while theirs were closed down in Rest his were lifted up in Faith and Prayer that They might sleep on securely who might have chanced else to have made a Meal upon him at Midnight No sooner had the Night began to draw it's Curtains And Rises early but Darius draws his Neither Bed nor Palace can hold him while Daniel was missing The first Light leads him to pay his visit to him either Dead or Alive He is resolved to have an end of his Fears or his Hopes Delays in great Expectations are Killing 't is perfect Hell that puts off for ever He hastens his Body thither to meet his Heart which he had left lock'd up with Daniel in the Den all the night Then the King arose very early in the Morning and went in hast to the Den c. How nimbly do I see his Royal Feet pace the Streets while yet his affections Lacquey before him And hasts to the Den. and are impatient after the first Tidings See how love fascinates Majesty into a forgetfulness of its Grandeur He values not the Complements of State so he find Daniel alive 't is Great enough Why may not Darius measure Faith with Abraham who against hope believed in hope too And being not weak in faith considered not the natural fierceness of these voracious Beasts nor the biting rage of their hungry Bellies nor the Luscious sweetness of Daniel's Blood but against all these expected life to start out from the very Womb of Death For When he came to the Den And cries lamentably to Daniel he cryed with a Lamentable voyce unto Daniel c. v. 20. Object But does not his kindness run him into folly here and Daniel into hazard since by so loud an Exclamation at his coming to the Den he might chance to rouze up the sleepy Lyons to an early execution which all the Night long they had fasted from with purpose to reserve him for a Break-fast in the Morning and now comes the King and halloo's them to it Answ Brutes like some Men as bad consult not the Morrow but love to make sure of the present Prey Sense knows no Life of Faith and seldom trusts out of hand grapples at every thing coming in its way and so its Panch be presently stuff'd has confidence enough to trust till hereafter The King knew that if he were yet alive 't was Providence not Project that kept him so He cried with a lamentable Voyce unto Daniel c. What surer Indication couldst thou have given thy Daniel of the fixed unalterableness of thy Princely Affections to him An assurance of his Love even beyond the Grave While thus thou sendest thy very Soul to him wrapt up in a Sigh that pierces through the very Stone which yet seperates thee from him and safely arrives into his joyful Ears For now assuredly he was not dead at Court who was still alive in the Prison To me Darius art Thou a fair Precedent of entire and absolute Freindship and the Illustrious Copy of him who will never leave nor forsake And I thank thee O King for minding me of my Saviour who methinks with the same Accent is ever crying unto me in the midst of my dangers Is Joseph yet alive How good is God Note to those that trust him Daniel has the Heart of his Prince as sure as God hath his own Wolseys heavy Groan upbraided his Masters Inconstancy to him in his Age but was confessedly grounded on his own to God There is all Gain in Godliness that universal Trader which hath a Patent from Heaven to Traffick for it self in the very Bosom of Kings which Themselves cannot prevent though they would For what an Honour was this to the Imprison'd Daniel to have Majesty waiting on him at the Door The King had sent no less Person than Himself to enquire of his Welfare and to return the Lions his thanks for their Civility that night to his Friend And now may you hear him thus Passionately Crying O Daniel Servant of the Living God is thy God able to deliver thee c Daniel had entred the Den inthe Faith of Gods Word and the Kings Affidavit Thy God will deliver thee v. 16. and does he now abate of his Confidence Is he able Great dangers try the Mettle of our Faith and swelling Fears sink our Courage He is more than a Peter that can tread the Waters and not cry out there is a Fear hangs on our very Faith The King might averr that God would for he had heard that he had in as great dangers yet might he doubt lest he now had not Historical Faith made him Promise but Passionate Love made him fear and be jealous But Daniel is yet alive The King finds Daniel alive and Blesses God and the King He imployes his Breath to the ends it was given him O King Live for ever Thy Servant yet Alive darts up that Sacred Option from his very Soul for thee 'T is Stinking Breath that Curses any but Infectious 't is that Curses the King Thô the Tongue be a Fire 't is Insolence in it to make havock of the Palace From Prayer the Prophet proceeds to Preaching and the Chappel not yet open Darius is content to be his Auditor in the Porch He divides his Sermon into two parts and treats First Of Gods goodness to him in shutting the Lyons Mouths or else his own had not been open this Morning Who pleads his Innocency and Loyalty Secondly His own Innocency where he justifies his most entire Duty and Veneration both to God and the King and he handles these both together because they are inseparable The Life of the Preacher was the visible proof of the whole Sermon The King never heard one that better pleas'd him and the very Lions themselves seem to understand it while they stand Mute and Demure and are more Mannerly than to disturb him nay they are his very Converts and the proof of his Ministry who from his first coming among them by the Reverence of his Person his very Silence had transformed them from their natural Ferity into a wonderful Humanity How much more his Eloquence And Experience now makes him confident of their Love and his own Safety And therefore is fearless Deliverances like some Friends are Security each for the other and the more the stronger still especially where Faith stands Principal and a good Life as Witness David Slings the Bear and the Lyon with the Stone that Stunn'd the Philistine and the Israelites on the Shore stood as Sureties to the rest in the midst of the Channel The same Faith that hung the Padlock on the Mouths of these Lions over night was strong enough to keep it on till such time as it Self pleas'd to unlock it next day to make room for the Conspirators The Sermon now finish'd has the Effects of Thunder The Den is open'd and Daniel delivered the Seals
are rent away and the Stony Door of the Chappel flies open the Preacher is hurl'd he hardly knows how into the Royal Presence where he finds the King Heaven-strucken too an Extasie of Joy had Ravish'd away his Senses and he talks like a Fanatick indeed Distractedly Ah Daniel art thou indeed my very Daniel May mine Heart believe what mine Eyes see Then stands like a Statue his rolling eye the only Index of his Life Is astonish'd and admires what he cannot express at length recovering himself into Majesty again he thunders out his dreadful Mandates And his Enemies cast in and orders the Execution of his own and the Lord Presidents Enemies This is a Day of Memorable Deliverance and the King dubs it into a Festival the Commons are doubled at Court but the first Course shall be serv'd up to the Lyons Good reason they who so Superstitiously Fasted all the night should now Feast the next day Therefore the King orders them Messes of all sorts and Sexes Young and Old They stay not laying the cloth and Daniel had given thanks before but they hastily fall too nay they meet the Waiters in the Entry and catch away their Meat e're it come to the Table and make no Bones of these Trepanners the Crackling of whose Joynts make Musick while they are Scranch'd by the Teeth of the Beasts and all together they Tip off the King's Health and Daniel's in the very Heart Blood of their Enemies they leave not a drop behind and should any chance to drivel down their Beards they lick them clean again make a clear Riddance and quick dispatch But if his Majesty has any more such Presents to make them they have reserved a Corner of their Stomachs and would be glad of another Draught next day 'T was but natural that the Flesh of these Monsters should be Incorporate into the Bodies of these bloody Beasts whose very Souls were degenerated into their Nature before neither needed there the Câ—remony of Process and Tryal where God himself had Sate as Judge and Condemned them by a Miracle So let all thine Enemies and thy Peoples Perish O Lord 'T is the first Lesson of Court-Policy to secure it self Where a Conspiracy had the Impudence to dare at the first Minister of State 't was time for Majesty to Consult its own Safety those who would adventure to its Bosom will next tear out its very Heart if they can Darius is Decreeing again A Decree of Honour to God but not against Heaven He is Sick of his Godship the Robe of Divine Honour sate too uneasie upon him Besides its sparkling Brightness struck him Blind that he could not see through the Treacheries of Designing Men He resolves therefore to resign it up to him that had a better Title to it than he 'T was Happiness enough for himself to enjoy his Daniel below And now all Nations People and Languages have free Liberty of Conscience to own the God of Heaven They should not need fear to Pray to that God that had been so kind to him to spare his Daniels Life Yea upon their Allegiance he Commands them to fear before him He is a God working Wonders they might chance need his Deliverance too Thus Daniel stands a Figure of Christ whose Imprisonment and Redemption as Jesus his Death and Resurrection is the means of Salvation to the World APPLICATION NOW folding up Daniel's Robe let us not be asham'd to present him to you in his naked Vest and give you a short Revise as it were in little both in the Character of his Piety The Cause of his Sufferings The Quality of his Enemies And the End of all 1. He was Heavens visible Representative upon Earth a Beam of the Divine Nature the Church in Epitome a mighty Man of Prayer One who would give Heaven no rest and therefore the better belov'd One that kept up the Reputation of Piety and its sinking Interest in the World One who was Valiant for God and Truth upon Earth that valued his Soul and Salvation above all the concerns of Life who spent much â—ime in his Closet conferring with God and his Heâ—â—â— notwithstanding the Noise and Avocations of a perplexing World One whose Eye was directly fix'd upon God but an utter Enemy to all the Selfish Hypocritical Squint-ey'd Designs of Men One in whose Thoughts God was alwayes uppermost and Scorn'd to let his Maker stand by while he Embrac'd an 〈◊〉 When but a Youth he was even so Wonderfully Temperate that he fasted himself into Beauty and would rather have eaten nothing than have Swallowed down Sin When rais'd to Degrees of Preferment and Honour the Air of a Title did but blow him nearer to Heaven and was as humble as Jonah when he Rode Leviathan towards Ninève The Cringes of his Flatterers made him Bow the more humbly to God and no wonder while he Harbours so lowly Apprehensions of Honours vanity and Nothingness Is so far from Impaling himself within the Grandeurs of State that he is Proud only of a Free Condescention and Opens himself to universal Service But when his Prince Commands him to Court he is there the whole Cabal himself and that mighty Empire stands steddy on the safe Basis of his Councils which made the Kingdom have an Ague all the time he was in the Den and while he Improves his profound Parts for the King has yet Policy enough to be wise for his Soul In short an excellent Pattern and glorious Exemplar of all Piety and Policy to those great Ones of his Station 2. Admire not then that he is sent to the Prison and you find him among the Lions is maliciously Conspir'd against as the Burden and Plague of the Generation he Liv'd in He that will be so Impudent as to Court Heaven more heartily than others when Righteousness and Goodness is out of Fashion shall not need Complain of too much Ease in the World And this Great Man was resolv'd to be Devout on purpose to dare their Malice thô sure to be thrust out of not Commission only but Life Let them Plot their Hearts out as they did his Resolutions were Set for Heaven He kept God in his Eye whose Faith scattered his Carnal Fears as the Clouds flye before the Sun or his Enemies before the Lions He knew all the Motions of the Inferiour World to be guided by that Great Agent whose very Faithful Servant he was Besides the King was his Friend whose Favour and Protection he worthily Merited does therefore heartily trust to both and is no Loser by his Considence 3. For his Enemies who were they but the Cursed Enemies of God The Heathen that knew him not and the Families that Call not on his Name Jer. 10.25 Men of the World whose Portion was in this Life and were without God and without Hope for the next Men that had no Prospect beyond the Grave and who Hated the poor Remains of Piety that still survive the Fall and upbraided all their Actions Who because themselves never Kneel'd but to an Idol Fret that another should to the True God they knew not No wonder then their Consults took no faster Hold together than the Extenterated Bowels of the Spider so weakly pinn'd to the Wall God Swept them away with the easie Hand of his Providence but afterwards twisted them into a Cable that hales them into the Bowels of the Beasts where I am very willing to leave them Unless perhaps Nature having cast them out at the back Door they are become as Dung to the Earth O Daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us Psal 137.8 FINIS