Commentaries of the diuine Iohn Caluine, vpon the prophet Daniell, translated into Englishe, especially for the vse of the family of the ryght honorable Earle of Huntingdon, to set forth as in a glasse, how one may profitably read the Scriptures, by consideryng the text, meditatyng the sense therof, and by prayer

44 And in the dayes of these kinges, shall the God of heauen set vp a kingdome which shall ne∣uer be destroyed: and this kingdome shall not be geuen to an other people, but it shall breake and destroy all the other kingdomes, and it shall stād for euer.

The God of heauen shal thē rayse vp a kingdome which shall neuer be destroyed, neither shall this kingdome be ge∣uen to an other people: it shall destroy all, and it selfe shall for euer. The which comfortable promise of this eternall kingdome, doth not onely pertaine to the person of Christ, who is the onely king that liueth and raigneth for euer, but also to hys Church, which is the whole body of his king∣dome, to all his people and subiectes, and to euery particu∣lar member and person of the same. Thus doth this eter∣nall king communicate his eternitie to all his, because he will haue alwayes a kyngdome in this world, though the world can not alwayes sée it, and he doth regenerate al his true subiectes of thys kingdome w^t his eternall spirite into euerlastyng lyfe, to raygne wyth hym in hys kingdome for euer. Therfore the perpetuity of this kyngdome of Christ is true after two sortes, besides the eternitie that is in the person of Christ: first in the whole body, which is the Church: who though it be often tymes so scattered that it do not appeare in mans eyes, yet doth it neuer vtterly pe∣rish, but God doth preserue it by his secret and incompre∣hensible wisdome and power, so that it shall remayne for

euer. Secondly in euery one of the faythfull there is an o∣ther perpetuity, because they are borne agayne by the in∣corruptible séede, and beyng borne by the spirit of God, are not onely the mortall children of Adam, but they cary the heauenly lyfe in themselues, because the spirit which is in them is life, as Paul sayth to the Romaynes.* 1.1

And we sée how thys kingdome hath bene eternall euer since the doctrine of the Gospell hath bene preached. For though the Church haue séemed sometymes as it had bene buried, yet God gaue life in the very graue of Idolatry and ignoraunce vnto hys elect. And now how is it come to passe that the children of the Church & the souldiours of Chri∣stes kingdome are come forth as it were of the graue in such aboundaunce, but that the Lord hath mercy vpon Zi∣on because hys tyme appointed is come,* 1.2 and therefore his seruauntes delite to builde vp Zion, yea he himselfe wyll builde it, and his glory shall appeare, and the heathen shall feare and all the kinges of the earth at his glory, and the people which shall be as it were new created, shall prayse the Lord.

Furthermore, Daniel sayth that this kingdome can not be translated from one to an other, as the first was from Baltazar to Darius, the second from Darius to Alexander, the thirde from that cursed kinred of Alexander and hys Princes to the Romaines. The fourth of the Romaynes was turned not onely to straungers of forraine nations, but to swineherds (as Iustine writeth), to beastes, as was Heliogabalus, to monsters in nature, as was Nero and Caligula, and such lyke: like as also, as the Gospell did grow it continually decayed because it was so manifest an enemy to Christes kingdome. But as for Christes king∣dome, neither can Christ be spoiled of his power and domi∣nion, neither yet we his members can lose this kingdome, whereof hee hath made vs pertakers. Therefore Christ raigneth for euer, as well in hym selfe as in hys members, without any perill of alteration: for we shall be preserued for euer by hys grace, and hee hath receaued vs into hys

protection that wee can not perish. Iohn. 10.* 1.3 We that are kept through his power by fayth (as Peter sayth) may be sure and quiet: for what so euer the world and the deuill deuise against vs, we shall for euer remayne safe and sure in Christ.

And thus would Daniel haue all men to sée that there is no stabilitie any where, how great so euer the power or glory appeare, but onely in Christ. Where Daniel sayth, that this stone was hewen forth of the mountaine without handes, he declareth that nothing in Christes kingdome is wrought by mans power, but all things in the saluation of man are wrought by God, as Isa. 63:* 1.4 Because the Lord did sée no helper in the world, he armed himselfe with hys owne strength. Agayne, herein we note his lowe and base beginning, like vnto a stone that had no forme nor fashion. Which both are comprehēded in Micha,* 1.5 where he sayth: Thou Bethleem Ephratha art the least amongest the thou∣sandes of Iuda, yet foorth of thee shall hee come vnto me, that shall be the ruler in Israell, whose goynges foorth haue bene from all eternitie. Thus Daniel would aunswere mans grosse imaginatiōs, which might thinke that because Chri∣stes glory did not appeare so great at y^e first as in the king∣domes of the worlde, and because yet his kingdome is vn∣der the crosse, that therefore it were not to be regarded: and would haue vs to lift vp our eyes to the heauens and behold Gods power herein, who worketh his glory con∣trary to mans iudgement.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rom. 8.10.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 102.13
• * 1.3

  Iohn. 10.1. Pet. 1.5.
• * 1.4

  Isay. 63.5.
• * 1.5

  Isay. 53. Micha. 5.2