THis Chapter (upon a summary viero) represents unto us a mali­cious conspiracy, and a miraculous deliverance, The proseprity and ho­nor of holy Daniell was envied by the Babylonian Princes, envy stirr'd them up to seek his ruine: No­thing will satisfie, for they consult, conspire, & effect their purpose: the Prophet is condemned, yet he is [Page 2] snatched from the jaws of death, and from thence the mighty hand of God doth wonderfully rescue him. The words are Da­niells thankfull acknow­ledgement of this great deliverance, and 'tis di­rected to King Darius by whom he was cast into this dangerous destructi­on; and it standeth upon these particulars,

• 1. A reverend Com­pellation, O King.
• 2. A loyall salutation, Live for ever.
• 3 A particular decla­ration of this deliverance, My God hath sent his An­gell, &c.

Come we to the first, the reverend Compella­tion. (O King) The Pro­phet here acknowledges and honors Darius for his Prince and Soveraigne: To understand this parti­cular we will consider Darius in this four-fold consideration.

1 Darius was a Hea­then Prince, an Alien from the People of God, estranged from the Church of God and that holy society, yet the Pro­phet doth honorably ac­knowledge him as his Prince and Soveraigne: it affords us this observa­tion, That Religion doth [Page 4] not rescue and exempt us from the power and au­thority of such Gover­nours and Magistrates though Infidells, Hea­thens and strangers to Re­ligion; the tyes & bonds of our obedience to them are inviolable, Domini­on and Soveraignty are the constitutions of God, not as he is the author of Grace and Redeemer of the Church, but as Au­thor of Mankind and Go­vernour of the world. It's a true Maxim, Dominium temborat non fundit in Gratia, supernaturall grace doth not constitute its authority, but it's the [Page 5] act of God in his provi­dence; Thus our Saviour acknowledges he was sub­ject to Pilate; and the authority he had over him was from Heaven; Thus Paul appeals to Caesar, & accounts himselfe abnoxi­ous to his judgement and tribunall as his Prince; Thus Christ paid tribute to Caesar. Some teach that Religion and Chri­stianity does exempt us from obedience unto o­ther Magistrates, and thus they affirm, that Christi­anity & the Gospell doth utterly discharge us from any obedience to Heathen Magistrates: No, we see [Page 6] Christ, Paul, and all the Primative Churches ac­knowledge it otherwise, Daniell, Ezekiell, and the whole state of Christiani­ty doth abhor that Do­ctrine, and acknowledge their Magistrates lawfull authority.

2 Darius was not one­ly an Alien but an Ene­my, he held the Church of God under Tyranny & his command; yet not­withstanding the Prophet acknowledges him as his lawfull Prince: Observe, Obedience to Magistrates it's nor only to those law­full and just, but though they be oppressors, yet [Page 7] notwithstanding their sub­jects owes to them all due obedience, Thus Jeremi­ah exhorteth the Jews to take upon them the yoke of the King of Babylon and submit to him, to study the peace of his Govern­ment and to pray for him. Thus the primative Churches submitted to the Emperour of Rome e­ven when it was Tyrannus; and Paul exhorts the Christians to submit to Magistrates even when they were persecutors; Thus the whole Army of Marters submitted to Ju­lian that hatefull Apo­state: 'tis true what Ter­tullian [Page 8] says, Christians had rather be murdered then murther others; and it was told the Em­perour in his time that the Christians would wage war against the Emperours that did slay and destroy them but that Religion and conscience did enforce obedience.

3 Darius comes under a third account consider how he made wicked laws here prohibiting all the worship of God, assumes all divine worship here to himselfe, and yet not­withstanding the Prophet Daniel acknowledges him as Prince and Soveraigne. [Page 9] Indeed active and actuall obedience to their unlaw­full commands we may not, we must not per­forme (so to be obedient to them is to be rebelli­ous to God) but yet not­withstanding though we refuse thir personall commands in doing of them, yet it must be with all submission and ac­knowledgement of their power and authority; thus Saul's servants were obedient to him, though they would not obey his command in killing Gods Priests. This is certain, Magistrates and Rulers (though their command­ments [Page 10] be unjust) we must acknowledge their Au­thority, though we doe not fullfill their com­mands: saith Austin, good lawes serve to bind men that are bad, and e­vill laws serve to prove the constancie of Reli­gion in them that are good: This is the Piety of Christianity, we know who to obey, yet not­withstanding to refuse those commands that are made against God.

4 Darius was he that cast Daniel into the Ly­ons Den: His Law did insnate him, his sentence condemned him, his seale [Page 11] shut him up and seal'd him up in the Den of Ly­ons, yet notwithstanding he did here acknowledge him as King and Sove­raigne: No wrongs that we can receive from Ma­gistracy and Superiours must free and disingage us from our obedience to them; Thus the prima­tive Church did obey those Princes that yet notwithstanding brought them into danger.

Having seen the consi­deration of Daniel in it selfe; Now let us look upon his salutation (O King live for ever) he wishes him long life, [Page 12] peace and prosperity here, and salvation here­after.

1 He does not pray a­gainst his Tiranny and Impiety; He charges not upon him the cruelty of his office, much lesse doth he threaten him w^ith wrath and judgement from God, least of all like the Pope that past sentence of death against Henry the second that for the death of a rebellious Papist, presently sentenced him and cast him out of his Kingdome: No, here's the piety of a Christian to pray for those that re­vile and persecute him: [Page 13] saith Saint Paul, pray and curse not, Rom. 12. This is not to be overcome of evill, but to overcome e­vill with good: 'tis that Saint Paul saith, he ap­proves himselfe to be a good Christian in all pa­tience, in affliction, in suffering, in persecutions, in bonds and imprison­ments. Indeed the spirit of the Law it was more direfull and more severe, Elijah calls for fire from heaven upon his persecu­tors; I but the Gospell calls us to an other spirit, the spirit of the Gospell is a spirit of meeknesse, gentlenesse, goodnesse; [Page 14] there we must not take upon us unlawfull revenge but prayers and supplica­tions: We learn curse­ing, and execrations, and slaughters from the ma­lignant Church, they are the brands of those that are the worshippers of the red Dragon; we that are the followers of the Lambe, and adore him, must be like the Lambe full of meeknesse and gentlenesse. Zechariah the son of Jehoiada (out of the spirit of the Law) when he was stoned, prays to God for vengeance, 2 Chron. 24.20. But Steven when he was [Page 15] stoned (out of the spirit of the Gospell) he prays for his Persecutors, Lord lay not this sin to their charge. Thus the Apo­stle when hardly used by the high Priest is falling to his prayers; not to punish and plague his E­nemies: but to win and convert them. This is the spirit of the Gospell to yeild to, not rise up again in any mutiny and rebel­lion.

2 Orat pro Rege, Da­niel will not pray to the Emperour, but he prays for him: Here's the try­all of Daniells Allegi­ance to his King, he re­fuses [Page 16] indeed to pray to him, but he never gives over to pray for him. This is the duty we owe. Alas, his Enemies count­ed him an Idolatrous man, a worshiper of strange Gods, and one that will not honour the King; but whether is not Daniel a better subject that doth not pray to the King as an Idoll, but doth earnestly pray to God for him? The King is to be honoured, non pro Deo, but propter Deum, not in­stead of God, but in the behalfe of God and Gods cause; we honour him not as an Idoll to pray to [Page 17] him, but as the great Ma­gistrate of God, and so we pray for him. Thus the primative Church did, they would not wor­ship the Emperour as God, nor sacrifice to him; but prayed for his office for good successe, for continuance in the Em­pire, and for all prospe­rity.

The Third thing is the re­presentation of the dan­ger it selfe; and it stands here upon five par­ticulars.

• 1 The Author of this deliverance, and that is (God.)
• [Page 18]2 The Instrument of this deliverance whom God imployes, and that's an (Angell.)
• 3 The manner of this deliverance how it was wrought (He stops the mouths of Lyons.)
• 4 The measure of this deliverance how farre it proceeded, (He had not the least hurt by it.
• 5 The motive that stir­ed up God to do this for him, and that is two fold, 1. Innocentia personae, the Innocency of his person, (Before God he was found innocent) 2dly. Innocen­cia causa, The Innocency of his cause (Before thee [Page 19] O King have I done no hurt.

Thus the Prophet Da­niell reckons up all the Causes of his deliverance in opposition to all his E­nemies; 1. They plot­ted to take away his life; here's releef against that, God Almighty hath saved and rescued: 2ly. They excluded him out from the Kings favour; well, here's a remedy for that, he appropriates to him­selfe the favour of God, My God hath sent his An­gell. 3ly. The Princes and Potentates of Babylon they conspire against him to cut him off; but here's [Page 20] a Potentate of Heaven, a holy Angell he comes with a rescue. 4ly. They made sure of him, shut him up, put him into the Lyons Den and sealed it up; This Angell of God hath sealed up the Lyons that they could not hurt him.

First the Author of this deliverance; herein two things are observable; the author of this deliverance and that is God; and then the hould that he layes upon this God for his helpe, and that in this pronoune Meus, he is my God.

First God is the Au­thor [Page 21] of it. Indeed all de­liverances especially of his Church and People, they are all the works of God, it's he works salva­tion and deliverance in the middst of the Earth; and what saith David? God is a God of Salvation, and to God belongs the is­sues of life, Psal. 68. but especially of this great de­liverance that we have now before us in three re­spects, three particular works of God, three Ec­ces.

• 1 Contra tantum ini­micum, To rescue this Man from so potent a Prince as Darius.
• [Page 22]2 A Tantillo, To suc­kor so helplesse and for­lorne a Man, that's God's peculiar.
• 3 A Tanto periculo, from such great danger to bring him out from the pit of destruction.

1 Contra tantum ini­micum, for to rescue this Prophet from Darius it must be the work of God. The strong man may be at peace and hold what he will till a stronger then he spoiles him and takes a­way his goods: so all o­ther powers whatsoever. Private wrongs may have other adresses, but when the Magistrate doth argue [Page 23] Law and Auhority, that's a peculiar case to God. St. Ambrose, Basill, Chri­sostome, when the people would have rescued them from the ill will of the Emperour; oh they ut­terly forbid it, O no, God and God onely is ter­rible to Kings.

2 A Tantillo, for so forlorne and forsaken a Man, this is a case God only can dispose it; he is utterly forlorne, cast out of the Kings protection, no mediation used for him; here's a peculiar to God: It was Davids case, Psal. 142.4. I look­ed on my right hand and be­held, [Page 24] but there was no man that would know me, resuge failed me, no man cared for my soul, (then he sayes) I cried unto the Lord, I said, thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living, deliver me from my Persecutors, for they are stronger then I, this is the God that doth give it, he is the helper of the helpless.

3 A Tanto periculo, God alone can rescue him from this danger: The King himselfe if he would never so fane cannot save him: he is past the reach of any humane help: this is the case wherein God wil be seen, he is the helper [Page 25] then from the greatest dan­ger, when all is forsaken and lost, when they see no hope in man as the condition of the Prophet is now desperate God steps in. Thus Paul makes his thankfull ac­knowledgement when he was prest in Asia he de­spar'd of life; he receiv­ed the sentence of death in himselfe, yet he ac­knowledges God delivered me from so great evil. So he gives an account when he appeared first be­fore Nero that cruel Ty­rant, all men forsook me, no man stood by me, I but God stood by me, and [Page 26] I was delivered from the mouth of the Lyon: Da­vid in the depth, Jonah in the Whales belly, the three Children in the fie­ry Furnace, these are cases peculiar to God that workes salvation in the midst of the earth. You have seen the help;

Come we to the se­cond, which is the hold which he layes upon this help, for it's not sufficient to see help at hand but we must lay hold upon it, lay hold upon my strength saith God in Isaiah. In­deed at all times we must put our trust in him; but in extremities, in dangers, [Page 27] when life begins to faile and to sit in the snares of death then the Prophet clasps close to God: here's not only contactus fi­dei, but complexus fidei, he lays hold upon him close, he will not let him goe, as it was with Jacom when he was in danger, his bro­ther coming against him with 400 armed Men, he would not let the Angell goe. This is that, that magnifies the faith of a Christian when he drawes neare to God. No near­nesse can be too much, no approach too much; when we make God our refuge, then we shall be [Page 28] sure he will not fail us.

To understand this parti­cle Meus, my God, we will resolve it into these particular expressions.

1 The Prophet calls him my God, he is the God of my speciall ser­vice and Religion, the God of my faith, of my piety, and of my devoti­on. Nature discovers a God; and infidelity will give us leave to trust in him; but faith brings us near to him in close ap­plication; this is that will give us good ground of help in trouble when [Page 29] we come neare to God, and make the Lord our trust, and confidence, and repose. Stick to God and he will stand for thee, we deale with God as the Israelites in time of distresse send and think Assiria will help at a pinch; No, let us stick close to God.

2 He is Meus, my God by publike profession, and open adoration, the Prophet boasts of his God in that time when he was forbidden to name a­ny other God but an I­doll; he laves hold upon God and the worship of God even at that time [Page 30] when it was danger to him, nay it might be death and destruction. I this is that gives you assu­rance to God when you will owne him in the face of dangers. It was a base and unworthy speech of them in Micha, hold thy peace, we will not name the name of God: No, what saith Christ? They that confesse me before men, my Father will confesse them at the last day. This is that, that makes us to be truly belonging to him when we own his Religion and maintain his cause. Alas we faile God too often, and therefore it is [Page 31] just with God to faile us and leave us to our selves.

3 He is my God, the God of my faith and of my affiance. Indeed this pirticle Meus, is faiths possessive, it workes it selfe into nearnesse to God. Common faith leaves it at random, and particular saving faith brings us home to God in the greatest closenesse; what saith Paul, he loved me, and gave himselfe for me. What, saith Chri­sistome, did Paul ingrosse all to himselfe? did Christ dve for him a­lone? No, he doth not exclude others, but to be [Page 32] sure he will include him­selfe. This makes us draw near to God when we have a speciall interest and af­fiance in him. If we maintain his cause he will maintaine our cause and will deliver us. This is the property of faith, my Beloved is mine, and I am his saith the Spouse; here are mutuall imbra­sings of Christ and the Church. dic anima (saith Austin) say securely Deus meus es tu, and then God will say to thy soule, I am thy salvation.

4 He is my God by present evidence and ex­perience of this great de­liverance [Page 33] and rescue; it's that, that makes him now to renew his Cove­nants with God; God doth assure him as he doth speake of his people, I will be know to thee by my name Jehovah, when I bring thee out of captivity from the Land of Egypt, God gives us then tryalls and experi­ences of his love, as is said of the Jewes, three times a yeare they shall goe up to Jerusalem and leave all their Towns un­man'd and unguarded (what saith God?) not any of thy enemies shall de­sire thy Land, they shall [Page 34] make no inroad nor inva­sion.

5 He is my God by Resolution in the ingage­ment to all holy thankful­nesse, now Daniel does obliedge himselfe to God by new Covenants, as the people when they return­ed from Captivity they entred into a new covenant with the Lord to be his people. Hath the Lord delivered thee from any danger? raised thee from any affliction? O then devote thy thankfulnesse to God; as it was with David, how does he blesse God for his own and his peoples delive­rance [Page 35] out of dangers, O this God shall be our God for ever and ever, our guide unto death. So Psal. 116.16. I am thy servant, I am thy servant, and the son of thy hand­maid, why so? Thou hast loosed my bonds, I will offer to the thee sacrifice of thanks­giving. O When God hath vouchsafed such mighty salvation as to this Nation, for us to sit loose by God, to grow strange to him, to be false in his Covenant, to linger aftter false worships and false Gods; O it's most odius and execrable un­thankfullnesse.

The second particular is the Instrument by which this salvation was wrought; it was done by an Angel; and this speech is consi­dered upon two Reasons.

1 It's not said Angelus meus, but Deus meus, he doth not say God sent my Angel, but my God sent his Angel; he placeth this possessive word upon it's proper object. Indeed the assignement of par­ticular Angels to parti­cular men, it's a dispute in the Schooles, it may passe for a likely and pro­bable opinion, but whe­ther [Page 37] it be so or no, we are sure of this, it was Gods Angell, and appointed by him to deliver his ser­vant. Among the Jewes it was a common opinion that every man had his particular Angel; when Peter was delivered out of prison he knockt and they said it is his Angel; but what saith Saint Pe­ter? he answereth other­wise, the Lord hath sent his Angel and brought me out of prison: so Paul, Acts 27. Saith, the Angel of the Lord whose I am, and whom I serve appeared to me, &c.

2 The speech is observ­able [Page 38] for an other reason; he doth not say Angelus venit, but Deus misit, the Angell came, but God sent his Angel to doe it.

Indeed those holy An­gels and blessed spirits are most ready, most for­ward to assist us in all our dangers, in all our temptations; but here's that, that makes it com­fortable, the Angel came not by his owne motion, but by Gods mission. As the evill Angels can doe us no hurt, but by Gods promission, so the good Angels cannot assist us but by Gods mission, and commission; they are [Page 39] all ministring spirits sent forth for the good of them that are the heirs of selvation. It was that that comforted David, Psal. 71 thou hast given a command­ment to save me. Our deli­verance 'tis Gods appoint­ed commandment, and 'tis their appointment. Had the Papists the setting out of this story, they would have told us the name of this Angel who he was, and what order he was, and he should have an office, and they would have published solemn praise and thanks­giving to the Angel; no, but Daniel that was con­versant [Page 40] with Angels over­lookes these, but gives thanks to God; as when Mannoah would have worshipped the Angel, O saith he, if you sacri­fice, let it be to God, and let him have the honour. It's Athanasius his de­scription of an Angel, an Angel is an invisible crea­ture living for ever, and alwayes singing praise and laud unto God. So then in that this delivery of the Prophet was wrought by an Angel, it puts upon this deliverance three excellencies.

1 In that an Angel doth rescue him from the [Page 41] power of the Lyons it makes this rescue to be comfortable: If Daniel be now excluded from men, and cast amongst wilde beasts, I but here's his comfort, forsaken of men and visited by an Angel. It was our Savi­ours case, Mark 1. He wandred in the wildernesse among wilde beasts, but Angels came and ministred to him. Let the world spare their favours and visits (such as they are) here's the comfort, Gods distressed Children are forsaken by men, but vi­sited by Angels.

Second, Excellency it [Page 42] is an honourable delive­ry: such a servant of God as this Prophet shall not only have safety but honour put upon him; as Elijah was not onely fed with a Raven, but an Angel came and brought him his meat, an Angel was his Steward and Cup­bearer, and ministred to him. The King of Is­raels Children it is said were placed with the great men of the Citty that they might take care of them and attend them: Gods Children are placed not with the great men of the Citty but with the Angels of [Page 43] heaven, they are com­passed about with Legi­ons of Angels.

Third, Excellency it was and avoidable an unirre­sistable deliveranee such as could not be disap­pointed: They shut him in, and seal'd him in: what then? can they withstand the entrance and power of an Angel? It was thus with Saint Peter, Herod clapt him up into Prison, there were four Quaternians of Soldiers to watch him; the Iron gate that was fastened upon him; Alas, poore help against an Angel; the Angel of [Page 44] God came and presently knockt off his shackles and opened the Iron gate and delivered him out of prison. If men can clip an Angels wing, and pi­nion those mighty powers and withstand their en­trance, then and not till then shall they have pow­er against the Church of God. Thus those two A­postles Peter and John were clapt up by the High-Priests, (but mark their delivery) the Sadu­ces shall know God hath Angels in heaven, the An­gel of the Lord came and opened the prison doore, and bid them goe [Page 45] into the Temple, and preach the word of life to the people. I this is their great security; they may withstand us, but not those holy Angels, those mighty powers that have done his will; this makes it to be an extraordinary deliverance.

Thirdly, come we to the manner of this delive­rance, and that's set down in these words (they stopt the mouths of the Ly­ons.) God had infinite wayes to deliver his peo­ple from destruction; he might have altered the mind of Darius, and of his nobles, and given them [Page 46] more moderate thoughts, as Ahasuerus he made a bloudy Law, but God al­tered his mind; and Esay comes marching against Jacob with 400 at his heeles, but God gave him a tender and brotherly affection; Laban drives after him furiously, but God stood by him by night, and commanded him to speake neither good nor evil to him: God might have sent a message to him as to Pi­lat, have nothing to doe with this just man; but God lets them goe on, no stop is put to them yet, but here comes a [Page 47] watchman, and a holy one from heaven, and dashes all presently. So then this deliverance was from the Lyons mouths, God might have wrought it o­therwise, but this was the most glorious deliverance to bring him out of it; sometimes God delivers us by way of prevention, suffers us not to fall into danger: sometimes God delivers us by way of sub­vension, reaches out the hand, and plucks us out of danger: but here God works by way of preser­vation, lets us be in danger, yet preserves us in it; to teach us in the greatest [Page 48] extreamity not to despair of the favour of God: when the snares of death are about us, when we are at the pits brink, nay at the pits bottome, he is a­ble then to bring us out, he is able to restraine the roaring Lyon that it shall not devour us; they may shew their teeth, but not lay their paw upon us; the bush may burn, but tis not consumed; there may be fire kindled, and persecution may be a­gainst the Church of God, but it shall not be destroyed. But how then did he stop the mouths of the Lyons.

Ans. 1. By abating and restraining their vio­lence and fiercenesse that they should not lay hold upon him: Thus the Viper that venemous beast that fell on Pauls hand did not hurt him: God is able to withstand and abate the rage of cruell men, he can cast them into a dead sleep that they cannot prevaile over us. This is that God that is able to deliver us and give us salvation in the midst of our enemies.

2. God did stop the mouths of these Lyons by ordering their fancy into a more moderate and [Page 50] milde apprehension: Thus God promiseth to deale with his people, the Lyon shall lye down with the Lambe, and a little childe shall lead him; God makes a covenant with them and the beasts of the field, and the stones in the streets: Noah, Daniel, and Job, Ezek. 14. Shall suffer no hurt by wilde beasts.

3. He does stop the mouths of the Lyons by making Daniel appeare awfull and dreadfull to them. The Image of God in Adam in innocen­cy gave him Soveraignty, and a powerfull com­mand [Page 51] over all the beasts, they were all in subjecti­on to him: now this I­mage of God shining gloriously in this ho­ly man Daniel, makes the Lyons quake and tremble at him (thou shalt walk upon the Lyon, and the Adder shall not hurt thee) this is the portion of Gods children, they are at peace with God, and he makes peace with the creature. Our rebel­lion to him makes the re­bellion of the creature against us. If we keep close to God they shall obey us.

The fourth particular [Page 52] is the degree of it, how far he was delivered (it is said, he was not hurt by it) this makes it a perfect and compleat deliverance. Indeed the Prophet that went to Bethel the Lyon slew him, but did not de­vour him; but here was neither Jaw nor Paw, nei­ther Tooth nor Talon fastened upon Daniel. Otherwhile God delivers his people out of many afflictions, but not with­out some marks and scars as their deliverance out of Captivity (are they not as a brand snatched out of the fire?) they were like a brand halfe [Page 53] burnt, they were not con­sumed, but shrowdly singed and scorched: the same Prophet tells us, it should be as a sheppard that takes out of the mouth of the Lyon, two leggs, but a remnant shall be saved: God suffers the King of Egypt to come and sack Jerusalem, and tells them they shall not prevaile, but yet you shall serve him for a time that you may know my service and the service of him: So God speaks to his people, Jer. 30. I will not make a full end, but will correct you, I will not suffer you to goe on wholly unpunished: [Page 54] I these judgements are laid upon people for their sins, for their disobedience and falsenesse to God; but Daniel, and Shadrech, Mesech, and Abed-nego, God delivers them intire­ly, they were witnesses for God, they avouched his worship, and stood in defence of it, therefore God gives them compleat deliverance.

Fiftly, the Motive that is here used that God takes notice of, and 'tis double, the first is the in­nocency of his person: (before God he was found innocent) secondly, the in­nocency of his cause (be­fore [Page 55] thee O King have I done no hurt.

1. The Innocency of his person. Certainly Daniel was as all other men a sin­ner, himselfe confesseth it, Chapter 9. I confesse mine owne sins, and the sins of my people. So asserts John, if we say we have no sin we wofully deceive our selves, and there's no truth in us. Daniel he was highly be­loved of God, and yet he had weaknesses, frailties, and infirmities.

2. Innocentia causae, I have done no wrong to thee O King.

Object. But he did not obey the Kings com­mandment, [Page 56] for did not the King sorbid him to pray, yet he will still be pray­ing? Yes, he did so, yet he was an obedient sub­ject, though he did crosse the Kings command. He is a disobedient subject that doth breake and trample under his feet, just, good, and profitable Lawes; but if the Law be against God and his will, we may well depart from it, but upon these three cautions.

1. It must be in mani­fest evill: if the Magi­strate lay such commands upon us as are repugnant to God and his word, [Page 57] there our obedience must be restrained: yet when doubtfull as it was in the case of numbering the people, Joab misliked it, it was vanity in the King; though he diswaded him from it, yet the Kings Commandment tooke place, and he went a­bout it.

2. Our disobedience must be without con­tempt of their persons and callings.

3. It must be with of­fering of our passive o­bedience: If we cannot doe their wills we must o­bey their punishments; in the text you may observe [Page 58] our Combinations.

1. Here's Duplex obedi­entia, a double obedi­ence; obedience to God, and obedience to the King too; they must goe to­gether, we must not sever them asunder: we must not be Herodians, all for the King, if Herod be King all is well, no matter for God and his Religion: nor must we be Pharisees, only very strict and nice upon some cerimonious point of Religion, but false heart­ed to the King; no, we must be both good Kings and good Subjects.

2 Here's Duplex tri­bunall, the tribunall of [Page 59] God, and before him Da­niel is acquitted, & count­ed innocent; then here's the tribunall of Darius, & before him he is cast and condemned. Well, here's our comfort, though the tribunall of Men may con­demn us, yet let them know there's a higher then they, Solomon speaks it for our comfort, if we can ju­stifie our selvs before God.

3 Here's Duplex solici­tudo, a double care; this Prophet shews his duty to God and man; first he does here plead his inno­cency before God: then he doth avouch his inno­cency before men, 'tis [Page 60] that that Paul teaches us, I have exercised my selfe to have a conscience void of offence both towards God and men.

Indeed he first prefers God, afterwards man, I count it no great matter to be judged by man's law: Good Christians first observe their consci­ence to God, and then their credit with the world, they will not be scandalous, nor give of­fence to any man.

4. Combination, here is Duplex purgatio, a double purging of him­selfe; first before God a purgation of evidence; [Page 61] God cleer'd him, and past a sentence; but before men purgatio protestatio­nis, he doth protest and a­vow it before men.

Application to the day.

LEnd me your atten­tion to some appli­cation of this Treason, and the deliverance which this day we are bound to commemorate with all possible thankfullnesse. See the comparison be­twixt these two.

• 1. By way of simili­tude, how they both agree and are alike.
• 2. By way of dissimi­litude, how the Treason of this day exceeds that in the Text.

First the similitude in these particulars.

1. They had the same Authors: who are they that would have ruin'd the Prophet? It was the Ba­bilonian Princes: And surely the Treason of this day was framed in the same wombe, it was the Babilonian Princes, the Pope and his complices plotted this great ruine to this Church. Saith Au­stin, here's two Babyloni­ans, Babilon the Mother, and Babilon the Daugh­ter; the Eastern Babilon that's the Mother; the Western Babilon, that is the Daughter. We may say of this Treason what God saith, Ezek. 24.2. [Page 64] Son of man write the name of the day, even of this same day, the King of Ba­bilon set himselfe against Jerusalem this selfe same day.

2. They agree here in the Motive: What was the Motive that stirr'd up these Babilonian Princes to seeke the ruine of Da­niel? It was envy (as in­deed envy is alwayes in treason) they envyed him: so those that plotted our ruine, O it gall'd and vex­ed them that King James succeeded in the Crown.

3. The Plea that they make for themselves; what's their Plea? The [Page 65] sentence of Darius was unalterable, he was con­demned by the Lawes of the Meades and Persians that could not be chang­ed: And the Traytors of this day hath the same Plea, Pope Clemens sent to the Papists not by any meanes to admit a pro­testant King here; for all the world like their fore­fathers the Preist and El­ders that condemned Christ, we have a Law, and by our Law he must dye.

4. Their pretext was to preserve the honour of the King, the King should be worshipped, and all [Page 66] must concur in this course of worshipping the King, and of him onely: And was not this the same a­mongst our Traytors, the Popish religion bringing in Masse, burdening the Church withall those trumperies? Nay, it was to worship their Popish Darius to acknowledge his Supremacie, and no Religion should take place here among us, but onely by his allowance.

5. They had a Cave, a Den of Lyons: So had these, and all in order to blow up and destroy.

6. Here's a like deli­verance: he was deliver­ed [Page 67] by an Angell: and certainly as great power from heaven did watch over us, the letter that gave notice of this trea­son (consider it as or­dered by Gods provi­dence) it was written with a pen that was made of an Angels wing; as he there speakes of write­ing the Scripture, the Devil hates that Fowl, that Bore, that Wing, that made that Pen by which the Scriptures were writ­ten.

7. We were all deli­vered, the snare was bro­ken, our King and Parli­ament preserved though [Page 68] at the point of death, but all rescued by Gods holy hand.

Secondly, the dissimi­litude and disagreement of these Traitors with those of Babilon; the deliverance of this day doth much exceed it.

1. The Conspiracy of the Babilonian Princes were onely against one man, if they could but get Daniel inward, and cut him off, they were fully satisfied: But the conspiracy of this day was not against one man; nay, the King, State, the Lords spirituall and tem­porall, the Law, reverend [Page 69] Judges, all the flower of the Gentry were all to be blown up at one time; it was a universall destructi­on like Hamans conspiracy scorning to reveng himself upon Mordecai alone, but he sought the ruine and de­struction of all the Jews.

2. The conspiracie here against Daniel, it was a­gainst one that was of the children of the captivity of Judah a forreigner: but the traytors of our dayes were against their own country men, their own brethren; they were all of them English men; the shame of our Nation to say so, that Vipers should be thus [Page 70] bred among us, but such they were) if Jacob did ab­hor the cruelty of his two sons, upon the Sichemites, how would he have digest­ed their cruelty towards their brother Joseph?

3. The Cospiracy a­mong the Babilonians, was against a man that was a Subject to King Darius: I but these men they plotted against King, Queen, Prince, Parliament, & all the No­bles of the Land, all the blood Royall: This is that makes them extream odious, they would have destroyed, not onely one man, but the whole nation.

4. This Treason and [Page 71] conspiracy, here it was a­gainst the Prophet that was a Holy man of God, and the men that did it were secular men, Prin­ces, Commanders, Go­vernours; but the Trea­son of this day was wrought by Clergy men, men of the Church, holy Fathers of the Church of Rome, great Grandees of the Jesuits. Indeed for secular men to masicre the Preists of God is a high provoca­tion; but for Divines, men of the Church to plot treason and conspi­racyes, to be incendiaryes of all seditions, that's [Page 72] a double evill.

5. They were cruell, yet there was some mercy in it. First the Prophet hath some warning given him, there was a Law published and made known. Then they had faire proceeding, he was convented, examined, convicted, and so was condemned, the Prophet had time to looke a­bout him to prepare him­selfe for death to addresse himselfe to God for the saving of the soule: But here was no warning, they did digg deepe, and hide in Hell; it was as sud­daine destruction that [Page 73] should have been brought upon us.

6. After this deliverance by the Angel Darius bles­ses God for it, gives testi­mony to that Religion that was thus honoured, repents himself of it, punishes those that plotted this mischiefe against them, and doth ad­vance Daniel to be the cheife man in his King­dome: But our conspira­tors hung their heads, bit their lips, nay the Pope himselfe was so far from saying with Jacob, cursed be their anger, that he had not so much as the spirit of old Eli to chide and re­prove [Page 74] them; O my Sons I heare an ill report of you, you would have blown up the Parliament and destroyed Nations. No, they were far enough from that, for he does ca­nonize some of them for Marters, Bookes were written for their defence. When Elijah prevail'd over Baal's Priests in bringing fire from heaven, the people all renounce Baal, and cryed out the the Lord is God; but when the Lord answered us from heaven, not by kindling fire, but by quenching fire, but still [Page 75] they stand out in their obduration.

O Let us thankfully acknowledge this great mercy. O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his good­nesse, and set forth his lov­ing kindnesse before the sons of men. If you count it now a day out of date, an old day, and it may now be forgotten, take heed a second war does not finish that work that those Traitors would have done but could not accomplish. That speech may truly be said of us, never people were more [Page 76] wonderfully delivered by God, and never was people so wofully and wretchedly undone by themselves.