Daniel 2

Daniel 2:31-45

This great image, beheld in a quickly-forgotten dream, represented the successive empires in the world, as but an empty show, a terrible but quickly-forgotten vision. The golden head was the Chaldean monarchy, extremely rich, and in appearance lasting; including the Assyrian, it continued about 240 years. The breast and arms of silver signified the Medo-persian, established by Cyrus, which lasted about 204 years. The belly and thighs of brass represented the strong, though less rich empire of the Greeks, which was chiefly continued in the two kingdoms of Egypt on the south and Syria on the north, lasting in all about 320 years. The legs of iron and the feet ending in ten toes of iron and clay, never rightly joined, denote the Roman empire, very strong, and very destructive and conquering, which, after having two joint consuls, and two conjunct emperors of east and west, was at last formed into ten different kingdoms, consisting partly of the old Roman subjects, and partly of the barbarians nations which invaded and ravaged the empire: it is not yet quite destroyed. The little stone, cut out of the mountain without hands, and breaking in pieces the remains of these empires, and becoming a great mountain, filling the whole earth, is the gospel church, supernaturally formed in the countries, and on the ruins, of these ancient empires, and which did in the apostolic age, and will especially in the millennium, extend over the whole habitable world. See Introduction, ch iv. sect. xii—xv. xix

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. II.—To what perplexing/cares and fancized great men subjected by God! To what pangs, what sleepless hours, be fear in the night! It is dreadful to be under the power of wicked and uncurable men. Yet by the most unexpected means God can punish impostors exalt his favourites. How inexpressibly valuable are friends mighty in—Fervent prayer is powerful to unlock the mysteries of providence, there is great need of earnestness in it when God’s favourites are in suffering as evil doers. God must be thankfully acknowledged as the God of wisdom and every good gift. But humble souls will rather attribute raining of his favours to the prayers of their friends than their own; and guished abilities never appear so grand as when accompanied with no humility. Whatever influence we have with great men should be imp attempts to bring them to the true God; as no princes, no not the greatest, have any power but from him. Earthly kingdoms do but overturn one another, to make way for the fixed and everlasting kingdom of Christ. And, as kings ought to advance to power the qualified favourites of God, so they, whom providence exalts ought never to forget their old friends. a favour! Sinners readily comply with the most wicked commands of terrible tyrants; and few can at once withstand the charms of music and the terrors of a fiery furnace. Every where there are villains ready to accuse the faithful servants of God. But it is honourable to the cause of God, when, in the way of duty, we avoid all parleying with temptation, and drop all care about the consequences; when faith in God casts out shash tears; and when self-denial prepares for the severest conflicts. How terrible and violent the passions of proud men become when they are indulged! they laid defiance to every thing human! 1. Walk with his people in their fiery furnace, and they shall reign with him on the throne. God can easily convince the proudest that wherein they deal, perish, he is above them; and can extort confessions of his Godhead from such as have been just ready to curse him to his face. But he greatly honours those of the obey and seek praise of him, rather than of men; and it is a mercy to his obey, who have the mouths of her enemies stopped, even when their hearts are not tied to God. And princes should prudently prefer those to places of power and whom they have found faithful to God. REFERENCES FROM