high Are all the sweets of Life of no esteem Will not this Daring Act Self-murder seem If thou destroy thy Life which thou may'st spare Will God-incourage a Self-murderer Why wilt thou vainly cast thy self away Is' t not sufficient in thy thoughts to pray The Ceremony's but the outward shell Will not Ejaculation do as well God is a Spirit if thy Spirit move He thy Devotion will as well approve What from thy Soul 's most secret Altar flies Will be accepted as a Sacrifice God the Desires of the Humble meets And sighs to him from contrite hearts are sweet Mental Devotion to thy Soul is free Which countermines their damn'd Conspiracy Ah! no these weak Temptations cannot find Admittance to Appal his Noble Mind Daniel to buy his Life won't sell his God But in those paths which he before had trod He still will move his Soul must still have vent His Lips must call on the Omnipotent He with his Speech his God still glorifies Though his Destruction in his Duty lies Though he should swiftly pray himself to Air He will approach his God in vocal prayer He 'l rather to the Lions be a prey Than to neglect his Duty for a day And while his Enemies do strictly watch He to his God in prayer doth approach He ne're regards his Crafty OBSERVATOR But thus Exalts his Voice to his Creator The Prayer ALmighty and Omnipotent Jehove Thou Glorious and Eternal God above Whose Habitation is Eternal Light My God in Thee Alone is my delight O thou whose Fulness only doth possess Immensity and Everlastingness Lord what is Man the Son of Man that thou Thy Glorious Ear to such an one dost bow O how illustrious is thy Grace when we Are made the Objects of thy Clemency To Thee O Lord to Thee Alone I bend O let my prayers to thy Throne ascend What is Darius Lord whom Men advance Can he as God command Deliverance Such would Invade the Glory of thy Throne Who make their Deity a Mortal one A God they do adore who cannot save Either himself or others from the Grave Pardon O pardon their blasphemous Deed. O let thy Mercies all their Guilt exceed Though their Design was principally laid My Divine Priviledges to Invade They would debar me from Access to Thee They would eclipse that glorious Liberty And draw a Curtain 'twixt my God and me Lord what is life to me unless I may Life of my Soul the God of Life obey Open the Door of Grace O Lord that I May to the Bosom of thy Favour fly O let me praise thee let my only Aim Be in my day to glorifie thy Name Lord I am in thy hand grant me thy pow'r That over Death I may be Conquerer Give me a holy Courage that I may Triumph in Death ere Heaven disobey And let my Sacrifice effectual prove To tell the world God only dwells above Redeem thy Church But then O strange surprise With Vulgar Tumults and exalted cryes The house with loud Allarms is begirt round The horrid Noise his pure Devotions drown'd The Conspirators with a full mouth'd cry Bawl Treason Treason ' gainst His Majesty And with a Guard surprise his prostrate Soul Whose thoughts were mounted far above the Pole Bring him away Darius cannot save Him from the paunches of a Living Grave They without Perjury could safely swear He to the God of Heaven made his prayer And now their Plot is to perfection brought They have obtain'd the only thing they sought For in the snare the Innocent is caught And now how briskly do they pass to Court Happy is he can give the first Report And to Darius Ears Evidence bring Of one that prays to God and not the King But with what subtilty do they proceed To make more sure what lately was decreed They the Transgressor do at first obscure To make the Law stronger or more secure For they well knew the King so well did love him Nothing could from his Princely Favour move him He would dispence Prerogative but he Would set his Best Beloved Daniel free If he foresaw what they by Craft obscure His Royal Word they once again procure That whosoere denies what is Decreed The Rav'ning Beasts shall on his Body feed This once obtain'd these Politicks proceed One who pretends to Loyalty and Trust Proves to your Sacred Majesty unjust Your Royal Law which all ought to obey And as a Debt unto your Greatness pay Is disesteem'd slighted and countermanded As though Dread Lord you had it not commanded One whom to Honour you have lifted high Scorns to obey your Sacred Majesty Ungrateful Rebel Traitor to the Crown Which did Exalt him to so high Renown His high Disdain on your Decree hath trod And will not own Darius is a God But prayes to something which to us doth seem To be at greater Distances from him For to the Heav'ns and not unto your Throne He is Exalted in Devotion This vile pernicious Ill Example may Intice your Subjects in their minds astray After some other God and so deprive Darius of his Great Prerogative Shall he not Die shall not the Law proceed Hath not our God Darius so Decreed I cannot change nor alter my Decree Bring forth the Traitor instantly to me And then produce your Witness which is he This Daniel is the Man this Captive Slave That dares your Great and Royal Law outbrave Daniel dear Daniel oh what have I done I Issu'd out my Rash Resolves too soon Ah! you in this have Rent from me a Jem Of equal value with my Diadem My Soul is wounded for this Rash Decree Which puts a Period to all Loyalty For in his Breast such faithfulness did dwell His unexampl'd Love did all excel And must I lose him must he be Remov'd Shall I be dispossest of what I Lov'd Ah! what Distraction wounds my troubled Breast Of what I most esteem'd I 'm dispossest Who could imagine that your snare was laid Against your King whose Int'rest is betray'd In this vile Act by which is overthrown The strongest Pillar that supports my Throne My Glorious State will totter when he 's gone This is so far from Loyalty and Trust As it proclaims you hateful and unjust To me whom you in scorn a God have made By which my only Angel is betray'd What shall I say you 're Enemies of Peace Who hate what is your Sov'raigns Happiness For I in him alone was happy made But now too late I find we 're both betray'd I was a King would I had been content Without Invading the Omnipotent But I too late my Errours have survey'd Darius and his Daniel is betray'd Unhappy Daniel thy unhappy State Makes Thee an Object both of Love and Hate Thy King his singular Respects doth show The Nobles hate Thee to thy overthrow He if he could thy Honours would support But they design to Tear Thee from the Court And with a voice unanimous they cry Deliver Daniel to us he must Die. To
Inconsiderate These Men alone with Faith and Courage fill'd Against their God and Conscience scorn to yield They give a check to th'uncontroul'd Decree Shewing to God and King Fidelity That Impious Law which like a Torrent slows In honour to their God they dare oppose Though to the Face of Inrag'd Majesty Confiding in their God they dare defy The Fulness of a gen'rous Confidence In the Great Power of a God Immense Lifts their Resigning Souls so much the higher Before Idolatry to chuse the sire This did the Glorious Miracle Increase Honour to God and to Religion Peace Adds Credit here and future Happiness So little disadvantage doth attend On such as on their God and Truth depend Such as stand fast to what they do profess Wrap themselves up in future Happiness Such honour their Profession and their God Whose Faith on Kings unjust Commands have trod When in the face of Death the King of Terrors By owning God convince the World of Errors With Constancy and Courage such proclaim Triumphant Conquests of Eternal Fame With what Assurance do such Souls convince There 's none Infallible no not the Prince And he in Capitals may Read at large Such Men will certainly their Trust discharge And well conclude in such he may confide Who from their God refuse to turn aside What Service then did Daniel to the Crown By lifting such to Places of Renown Whose Noble Tempers and Heroick Souls Their Princes Laws when against God controuls How happy is that Prince whose Grand Affairs Are lodged in such Noble Breasts as theirs Who rather yield their Lives to Death than be Actors of Treason against Soveraignty These are no Pimping Sycophants that win Court-Favour by alluring Kings to sin No their Brave Minds Debauches will explode And all leud Pleasures that affront their God They 'l rather have their Lives before him laid Than yield his Interest should be betray'd Ere they 'l dishonour God or slatter Men Or stifle Conscience they 'l to Fire or Den Which Truth in time makes glorious agen Thus Richly cloath'd with Graces Daniel lives Belov'd of all those State-Superlatives Th' Eternal Being often doth Recite Daniel the Prophet is a Favourite What greater Honour can on Mortals be Than be Beloved of the Deity His Prince that Mighty Monarch also loves him For he a holy prudent States-man proves him In whose high Favour he securely dwells Wisdom and Piety in him excels In the whole Series of this Monarch's Reign What Great Esteem his Worthiness did gain Nebuchadnezzar's Honour did maintain Alas what 's this what sweet Repose can be Within the Arms of Earthly Majesty When some at Princes Favours do arrive In their Esteem they no where else can live Those warm Embraces of a Prince's Love Chills their Devotion that it cannot move To seek Repose Eternally above Not walking in those paths which Daniel trod Who thought his greatest Good was nigh his God For he consults an Earthly Prince must die Therefore seeks Peace with Divine Majesty And Piety can no Assurance give He shall secure in Princes Favours Live The least Affront of Royalty destroys All hope of comfort in Terrestrial Joys Or if by Death a Monarch be remov'd The next Successor hates the Man he lov'd Daniel Divinely may the World convince There 's no fixation on an earthly Prince When that Great King Nebuchadnezzar's gone Daniel forbears Attendance on the Throne But for what cause our Prophet did retire Whether his God his Service did require Or whether King Belshazzar disapprov'd Whom his Grandfather had in honour lov'd Or whether Time had Razed out the Fame Of his Memorials or obscur'd his Name Or whether by his distance from the Court The King had lost the Fame of his Report Or for what other cause to me unknown He seems a perfect stranger to the Throne Until a Hand without an Arm affords Strange characters both to the King and Lords For they carouzing were in fluvious Bouls Till the Almighty's Hand their Mirth controuls Which did with Terrour such Amazement bring To this so Potent but now Trembling King He straightway did to his Magicians send Who instantly on his Commands attend But all in vain for Mortals cannot see Th'Interpretation of the Heav'ns Decree No other Spirit can the thing declare But his whose Hand did write the Character The Aged Queen to the Young King doth tell Excelling Wisdom doth in Daniel dwell Send Messengers for him in him alone Is found Divine Interpretation He 's come Belshazzar highly doth adore him Honour and Dignity are laid before him Which of no worth he modestly refuses The King may give his Gifts to other uses Yet will he serve his God and King in this To let the King know what God's meaning is No Flattery from Daniel's Lips will flow But the King shall his Fatal Ruine know And who but Daniel dares to tell him so The clear Divine All seeing Eye behold That he the Scepter was unfit to weild When in the Heav'nly Ballance he was weigh'd He was too light the Scale turn'd Retrograde And though on Earth he was a Monarch Crown'd Fitter for Tomb than Empire he was found Esau his Birth right greedily devours So he prophanely drinks an Emperours No Cups so well could please his Impious mind As what for sacred uses were design'd Upbraiding Heaven daring to desy The Infinite All Ruling Deity Having forgot the Generation past When 's Grandfather with Beasts had his Repast Became a grater Brute in brutish sort Turning into a Bachanale his Court Forgetting he was Mortal and must dye And pass Account with Divine Majesty No wonder that the God Omnipotent This sudden Summons to Belshazzar sent No Variation in this firm Decree He who is all Immutability Signs with his Hand the King's Mortality Yet ere he goes to his Eternal Port He will Exalt Good Daniel in his Court Thereby to Bribe the Heavens to reprieve And to Revoke the Doom that he may Live Daniel a Friend of God's he did Esteem Was Policy to make God Friends with him Therefore proclaims him by his Great Command To be the Third Chief Ruler in his Land But then alas what sudden Change how soon Low Earthly Glory is from Mortals gone Honour and Riches make them Wings and fly As Streams do lessen when the Fountain's dry The King that night is summon'd to the dust Where his prophane Acts do his Glories Rust The Prophecy's fulfill'd the King must come Unto his Judgment and Eternal Doom When next Darius mounts the Losty Throne The Mede is now King of Great Babylon Fame to his Ears Daniel's great worth makes known In whom was found so Excellent a Soul Whose temperate mind his passions could controul The Aged King by his Grave Wisdom knows This weighty Crown will be too ponderous For his Gray Head his Age consults his Ease And therefore chuseth sixscore Deputies And over them he constituteth three The Best Beloved of his Monarchy To whom all those accountable must
be And of these Three although Beloved all Daniel's Commission is for Principal The Prime and Greatest Minister of State And Next Immediate to the Potentate His Honours now with Greatest Lustre we May in the Zenith of his Glories see Now Lord High President of great Renown Over the Counsels that attend the Crown And o're the Treasures of Darius State His Government is next Immediate Nor did the King his Favours thus bestow Ere he had Reason for his doing so For his serene and well pois'd Judgment found Faith Prudence Policy in him abound A Spirit of so Excellent a frame That his deserts laid to his Honours claim But he no sooner Mounted is above In full possession of his Prince's Love No sooner on the wing of Favour flyes To Lofty Honours vast Transcendencies Though ne're so justly merited and due Black-Envious-Rankard-Spirits will pursue With eager mindâ— fill'd with Revengeful hate What may eclipse the Greatness of their State What between them and Honour though Belov'd By their Great Sov'raign must be now remov'd What shall an Alien Lord it over me One of the Children of Captivity Shall we that are the Natives of the Land In our own Country bend to his Command Shall he Monopolize our Princes Love While we like Clouds below his Glories move How can you bear your Princes Lords Peers Shall Babel's Honours be a Forreigners Let us Remove him he once being gone Then our Access is nigher to the Throne While many strive for Honour here how few Do the Eternal Crown of Life pursue Immortal Honour such a Drug is grown They 'l rather satisfie themselves with none For the same Eye which for the one doth strive Cannot the value of the other give Methinks I see their Cabal Counsel croud Under the covert of a sooty Cloud Shaking their PLOT-CONTRIVING CASE OF BRAINS Taking all dext'rous and laborious pains Gaping for Breath whilst others lend an Ear And each by turns commences Counseller This will not do says one th' other replies How shall we dress him for Our Sacrifice Then how they scratch their Heads bite their Nails When this and that and th' other Counsel fails Are his State Ministrations all so Just Can we not find him vary in his Trust Let 's his Attendants bribe for they may see Something Defective in his Family Can it be possible he Err'd not or May not some words confound the Orator May we not artificially expound If but a doubtful syllable be found Drop from his Lip what e're th' occasion be Treason is meant against His Majesty Thus with malicious undermining Arts Their consultation at his Honour darts What shall we do is there no hope to bring Some guilty Accusation to the King Can we not find some colourable Story Diminutive to Dignity and Glory Can we not dive into his Inmost part May not some Trait'rous Thought lodge in his heart Which we might squeez into a Treas'nous sense And publickly produce for Evidence But is his Soul too Innocent and clear And no hope left for an Endictment here Curse of his Faith his Loyalty his Trust Would he were not unless he were unjust Our Circumspection ought to be our care Which while unguarded does invite a snare For with our Greatest Diligence we scarce Repel those Darts that would our Honours pierce Great Personages cannot be too wise For their Conspiring Plotting Enemies Whose greedy Lusts their Int ' rest to advance Dare swear Men Traitors by their Coumenance But to their Honour let the World admire They without Evidence could not conspire Let it remain unto posterity As a Remarque of HEATHEN PIETY These Heathen Conspirators scorn to foul With Base Degen'rate Perjury the Soul Though their Revenge so fiercely they engage Base Subornation must not help their Rage They will not Damn their Souls for those they hate Foul Perjury meer Heathen boggle at Rome doth from Hell such Impious Customs fetch Which consciencious Heathens scorn to teach Such Monstrous Births as these can never come But from that Hydra Triple Crown of Rome Who issues Dispensations and Commissions Grants to the Greatest Villanies Permissions Rapine Rebellion Treason Fire and Blood Is the Religion of this vip'rous Brood Can EIGHTY EIGHT th' accursed POWDER-PLOT And STROMBOLONIAN LONDON be forgot So many Living Monuments appear Proves Rome more Impious than the Heathens were May Heav'ns Dread Anger drive this Torrent home With all their Fry to Lucifer or Rome And may their Plots and Shams confounded be Ere they arrive to full Maturity Mean time O Lord protect the Innocent And all Rome's Cursed Black Designs prevent To their Cabal let us Return and there We find our Plotting Politicks despair Of the Success in all they have design'd Nothing defective in him they can finds For his Allegiance to his Prince is such They cannot Daniel's Reputation touch And this Despair makes them consult their Wits Since this nor that nor th' other project hits It is propos'd and the Proposal finds An universal One and All their Minds Concur they at Religion will begin To find his holy Duty to be sin For his Exact Obedience to his God Must be the Snare the Trap the Net the Rod His dear Devotions which though he esteem Must be the Cord by which we 'll strangle him Get the Decree but sign'd the work is done Then let him pray and End what we Begun Pray to the Grave each Motion of his Breath In prayer to his God he prays to death Say is' t agreed My Lords is this the way Nemine Contradicente bears the sway There needs no greater Judgment upon those Whose Consultations do the Heav'ns oppose They that ' gainst God their close Devices bend His Honour is engaged to defend They who conspire ' gainst Divine Majesty In their own Plots shall their own Ruine see For he that shoots at Piety and Grace Hits God himself directly in the Face That Malice which one single Soul doth wound Would if it could the Deity confound This new Contrivance hits so rarely well The humour of it doth so much Excel All they have done or thought upon before Th' Invention they are ready to adore O how they chuckle how they bless their wits For being such Ingenious Counterfeits The Rare Intexture of this Plot shuts out All kind of Room for Jealousie or Doubt It cannot miss it is so strongely laid He must deny his God or be betray'd If he be Just to him his Life is ours This Blest Invention makes us Conquerours Thus the Decree with general Assent Passes the Peers as Votes in Parliament Who with unanimous Results agree And for Assent Address His Majesty They by a Law Enact him God on Earth And whoso owns another it is death The God of Heaven now must be deny'd And in his Room the King is Dein'd To him each Soul must his Devotions pay And to no other Deity must pray For all Petitions must be spread before him They as a God for
thirty daies adore him Allowing God as School boys for their Plays An undivided Month of holy days And whoso dares in thirty daies to pray To any other God his Life shall pay O King Darius thou art mounted high Who says you're Gods when God says you must die Those Tributes due to Caesar I will pay But who makes man a God doth man betray Those Honours and Prerogatives which be The proper Rights of Earthly Majesty I in obedience to my God will bring And pay as due unto my Soveraign King But those that Kings Exalt to that degree As they did Herod by their Flattery Are none of Caesar's Friends for God above Now for his Honour is oblig'd to move And with his slaming Darts and Arrows keen Le ts Mortal Kings know that they are but Men. Thus that Blasphemous Rout the Papal Tribe My Ink's not black enough for to describe How have they Deifi'd their Idol Pope Our Great Lord God he 'd more become a Rope Darius ne'r consults from whence might spring The Branches of this new promoted thing Blinded with Honour and Ambition he Could not Inspect his Nobles Hattery The Treacherous Design was hid from him He did it perfect Loyalty Esteem Some Policy of State that might procure A Grandeur of his Empire more secure That in his Glory he might brighter shine And therefore doth more easily incline Especially since he has but of late Mounted the Babylonian Throne of State Those proffer'd Honours he doth not withstand But the Decree signs with his Royal hand This Mortal Monarch King of Babylon Justles th' Immortal Being from his Throne But his Ambitious Daring Rash Design Calls from an Angry God Revenge Divine A Rash Result such may repent too late Who answer first ere they premeditate To do and then consider is it good T'answer a question ere 't is understood Thus I this sensless fancy understand It shall be so what was 't you did demand Men may pretend great Politicks to be But such an Act is far from Policy To do and then to say what have I done Would I had let this Stratagem alone Looks like the Fool describ'd by Solomon A wise man's Tongue is in his Heart for he Ere he resolves looks what th' effect will be The Plot is laid Sagacious Daniel sees This an Intrigue laid by his Enemies His piercing Judgment soon informs his mind That his Destruction's by their Plots design'd In that Decree did Daniel plainly Read His Execution firmly was Decreed Yet 't is below his Generous Soul to move One step from God his firm Devotions prove How little he doth dread their Stratagem He bids Defiance both to it and them He scorns to Live Death he will rather chuse And will his Life before his Duty lose Ere he will want Communion with his God For thirty daies he 'l pass that Bloody Road Which they provided for him their Decree Must be his way to Immortality If the True Ends of Life he cannot have 'T is not worth Living better chuse the Grave Death is the only way to set him free The Port that lets in to Eternity Where he may commune with his God by prayer Daniel resolves to serve him here or there No sooner had that Royal Hand and Pen Sign'd that Insnaring Law but these Great Men Turn all Informers greedy of their prey How to Insnare Trapan Accuse Betray The Lord High President for he alone Their Object is he sits too nigh the Throne How do they sneak about his house and creep Under the windows and through crannies peep Methinks I see how covertly they stand Each a Dark Lanthorn in his trembling hand Their easie Footsteps and their watchful Ears With their dumb signs and silent charecters That nothing might impede but that they may Through their own silence hear the Prophet pray O how their hopes do swell their blood doth rise When they behold the Casement open flies How their hearts leap for Joy their Souls revive In hope this opportunity will thrive And he Brave Spirit scorning to Retire Or to obscure the thing which they desire Doth that on purpose to confirm their Ears That they nor yet their Impious Law he fears But his Devotions to his God will pay And in Despite of their Decree will pray The wings of Faith and Zeal mount him above Fear of Darius hate or hope of Love Shall Daniel his Beloved God disown Or wear a Mask on his Religion No 't is below the Greatness of his Soul To stain Religion with an act so foul As not to do the thing he does profess He from his Principles will not digress His holy Resolutions bear the sway His God in spight of Mortals he 'l obey No sooner have their piercing Eyes inspection Of the least Motion towards Genuflection When they behold those sacred Joynts to bend How greedily their Eyes his Motions tend How his preparatory Sighs they mind What they have sought now they expect to find They diligently hearken not for zeal Their Itching Ears wait but for an Appeal That they might hear his voice so as to prove It was directed to a God above And though the Heavens as if the force they felt At his pathetical Expressions melt A different Effect in them it seals Their putrid hearts it hardens or congeals Illustrious Prophet little do we know What various Passions in thy mind doth flow Within thy sacred Breasts such thoughts may live Nature ' gainst Grace Grace against Nature strive Or thou art Extasi'd beyond the cares Of thy terrestrial transient low affairs Surely thy Soul slies upwards to its Rest Sweet Divine Raptures issue from thy Breast Methinks I hear thy heav'nly thoughts exprest And must I now forsake my God or pay My Life to Man if I my God obey Must I on such unhappy terms as these Forfeit my Life or God of Life displease Shall the confederating Heathens say Die Daniel die or Heav'n disobey Must my Devotions hurl me to the Grave Must Prayer kill which is a means to save 'T is worse than Death to live one day alone Without Access to the Coelestial Throne How then shall I with Thirty Daies dispence What 's Life when Means of Life is banish'd hence Must I upon my Lips these Fetters wear Must my Affections and my Tongue forbear To call upon my God my Hope my Trust No let me Die e're I do prove unjust Rather let Beasts a passage tear and free My Captive Soul from its Captivity That it may to Eternal Manfions sly And take possession of Eternity Now let them Rend me from Darius Love For that their Heav'n is but mine 's above My Body is the King 's at his Command But my dear Soul is in my Maker's hand To the fierce Lions I 'll become a prey E're I my God's Commands will disobey The Heathens shall not glory over me Nor yet Rejoyce in my Apostacy Hold pause a little Daniel do'st not sly Upon thy winged Zeal at pitch too
satisfie at once his hopes and fears His hope that Daniel lives fills him with Joys His fear that he is dead the same destroys Darius's heart is in the Lions Den And new he moves to meet his heart agen How briskly I behold his Royal Feet With nimble motion hurry through the street His winged thoughts fly swifter than a Dove Yet cann't surpass the motion of his Love He values not the Complements of State Nor minds if his Retinue on him wait Nor for his Coach or Chariot will he stay Lest it should too much of his time delay If he can find his Daniel but alive 'T is satisfaction in superlative Might not Darius have a Faith which came By its Original from Abraham Who against hope firmly in hope believes And strongest Faith the most Assurance gives What though the Lions Beasts of Rapine are And though by hunger made the eagerer And what though human flesh and blood be sweet A novel Dish and not their usual Meat 'T is possible that Life from Death may spring Sure some such Faith as this possess the King He cryes aloud his voice the Air doth fill Ho! Daniel Daniel art thou living still Hold hold Darius cease thy hollow voice Lest thou awake the Lions with the noise Thy loud Allarms thy unexpected cryes May Rouse the savage Beasts to Sacrifice Thy Dearest Daniel who among them lyes If they have fasted all the night from Food May they not take their morning draught in blood And break their Fasts on that delicious Meat Which they last night set up and could not cat Brutes can no Reason give for their Delay Their savage Nature is for present prey They cannot trust but Run at all that lyes Within the prospect of their greedy Eyes Faith is a stranger to their Rav'nous Claws Sense only cloys or tires their greedy Jaws They think not of hereafter or before But gorge their Guts till they can eat no more The King well knew if Daniel mist their Jaws 'T was Providence not Project was the cause The King 's unchangeable Affections prove The greater Confirmation of his Love His Princely Favours pass beyond the Grave His Faith beyond his Sense what 's lost will save Through the Impenetrable Stones he calls His Soul wrapt up in sighs doth pierce the walls And safely doth arrive at Daniel's Ears Whose Joy doth swell when he his Master hears Daniel what greater honour can be shown Was ever Mottal Man so waited on Was ever Pris'ner when condemn'd by Fate Attended with such Majesty and State Thy God within thy King without the Gate Waits in his Person where he stayes till he The happy Prospect of his Daniel see And to Return Thanks to those savage Beasts For their Accommodations to their Guests For they contrary to their Nature now To the Beloved of their Master bow Now may you hear this worthy Porentate Express his Soul in Accents passionate O Daniel servant to the Living God Whose Habitation Dwelling and Abode Is in Eternal Everlasting Light Whose Eyes can penetrate the sable Night Is thy God able by his Pow'r to free From Death from Bondage and Captivity Such as depend on his Ability Darius Queries yet is far from doubt His Faith confirms what he is come about For he affirms thy God will set thee free His Confidence was in the Deity Experience past confirms his Faith the more That God can do what he has done before He the Effects of Faith doth now embrace For Living Daniel stands before his face Which through the Grates no sooner he esples The sudden Vision doth his Soul surprise As in an Extasie of Joy he stands And upwards elevates his Princely hands Being struck dumb with admiration hears His Daniels voice approach his Royal Ears In the same stile in the same Loyal sound O King for ever live live ever Crown'd With the Celestial Diadem of Glory When thou hast perfected thy Earthly Story Praises ascend from me to God above That he the heart of my dread Lord did move Thus to bestow on me his princely Love From Prayer he to Preaching doth proceed Though from his Chappel yet he is not freed The King stands in the porch and doth not stir But is content to be his Auditer Into two Branches he his theam doth bring Leaving the Application to the King He first the goodness of his God declares Next his own innocency he avers And these two points doth he unite to prove The mighty God doth Innocency love His Duty he from hence doth justifie Both to Divine and Earthly Majesty Such cannot be unfaithful to their King Who to their God are just in ev'ry thing Darius ne're was satisfied more In any Sermon he e're heard before The Surly Lyons seem to understand And watch the motion of his Lip and Hand How mute and how demure they sit and hear As if his voice were musick to the Ear. And if his silence so much aw'd their sence How were they charmed with his Eloquence Experience worketh confidence for he Can the Beasts Love and his own safety see Well may he trust whom he hath found his Friends One Mercy on another still depends The same deliv'rance which first set him free Makes him still trust in its security That which the Lyon and the Bear subdue Was the same Faith which the Philistine slew The Israelites on th' other shore that stood Were sureties for such as pass the flood So the same saith as firmly doth ingage Still to preserve as first to stay the rage Of the fierce Lyons till the Charm be past Which clearly quits the Innocent and Chast Which by his faith is justifi'd at last The Sermon being done the Seals are tore And open flies the stony Chappel door The Captive issues forth where soon he spies His Royal Prince wrapt up in extasies He 's Heaven struck with Joy and admiration His Soul is rap't in Divine Contemplation He like a Statue stands fixt and unmov'd His Royal Eyes gaze on his best belov'd His ravisht thoughts are glutted with excess Of Heav'nly Raptures which he can't express After some pause deliberately he Doth reassume the thoughts of Majesty And thundering forth with terrour on his Brow Those dreadful mandates which must follow now Orders for Execution forth are sent In favour of his Lord High President Those who have his destruction thus design'd Must the revenge of great Darius find Those who his life have plotted to betray Shall their own lives instead of Daniels pay What they would take from him they down must lay This Day 's Deliverance is of high Esteem When Heav'n Beloved Daniel did Redeem And now the King Resolves to keep a Feast In Memory of his Reprieved Guest But the first Course he to the Lions sends To make their fasting Appetites amends They could not tast the Dish that first was drest Therefore the King supplies 'em with a â—east Varieties of Sexes choice of Meat ' Cause on a single Dish they cannot eat On which when serv'd their eager stomachs feed They have not patience till the Cloth be spread Daniel gave Thanks before they scorn the fashion But fall on boldly without Invitation They 're so impatient that they cannot stay But meet each Course while in the middle way Ere the Meat comes to Table they devour And drink Carouzes to the Emperour In the hearts-blood of these Man catching Feinds Those vile Trappaners of the King 's best Friends The crackling of whose Joynts their Musick is They find no sweeter Melody than this And having sup't betake themselves to Rest Well satisfi'd with this Delicious Feast Till they awake and Rouse themselves agen To overlook the Fragments in the Den They ready are for more if more there be Found acting Treason ' gainst his Majesty Thirsting with greedy Appetites for Blood As those Men did who lately were their food And 't is but Nat'ral that the Flesh of those Monsters of Nature whose Designs oppose Sov'regnity in Monarchs and contrive His Best of Subjects to Intomb alive 'T is natural I say that such should be Incorporate in Inhumanity To savage Nature they degenerate Savage they are and in that savage state They justly are condemn'd to savage fate No need of Process Summoning or Juries He who Infallibly both Just and Pure is Sits Judge in Court he who alone surveys Dark obscure thoughts untrodden crooked waies Of sinful Mortals he who sits on high Condemns and who shall dare to justifie 'T was he those Catifs to destruction hurld And by his Miracle convinc'd the world It is a Maxim Politick in State And the prime Lesson of a Potentate To fix the Crown on his own Temples sure And in his Royal Throne to sit secure Therefore at first remov's what may impede The Diadems fixation on his head And if Conspiracy hereafter moves So losty as to strike at what he loves Then Policy calls Majesty to rouse And his Beloved Subjects Cause espouse For such as venture at his Royal Breast To rend from thence what he doth value best Will the next onset ravenously fly To strike the very Heart of Majesty That insolence which dares attempt the one Dares undermine or overthrow the Throne The Great Darius will decree oâ—… more But not against the Heavens as before He will be God no longer but lay down His Divine Title for a mortal one