A choice Bed of Spices. 115 honeft things, not only lefore the Lord, be alfo 'before peen. So Daniel would not defile himfelf with the portion of the Kings meat (that is, fay fome, he would not defile his Confcience by eating fuch unclean meats as were forbidden under the Law, for the Babilonians did eat of divers meats, as of Swine Hares, &c. and of fundry forts of Fifties and Fowls which were forbidden by God unto the children of/frac', Levit.ii. Deut. 14) nor with the wine which he drank (but in the He- brew the plural "lmber is ufed, of hs drinks, whence fome gather, that the King drank divers forts of Wines, which were alto fet before Daniel and his companions), therefore he re- quefted of the Prince of the Eunuchs, that he might not defile himfelf. Daniels living at a full Table,and his feeding upon Kingly dainties, might have been, not only a means to en- fnare him, and drown him in the fenfualities of the Court, but it would have carried with it alfo too great a ihew of Da- niels conformity to the Courts manners and cuftoms, and have been too great an appearance of Daniels forgetfulnefs of the fore and rniferable calamities and matchlefs miferies of the captive Church,who fate fighing and groaning and mour- ning in her cruel bondage, and had none to comfort her, or (peak peace unto her ; and, therefore Daniel purpofed in his heart (or fet it upon his heart, or laid it upon his heart, as the Hebrew may be read) that he would not defile himfelf, with the portion of the Kings meat, -&c. that fo he might avoid all fhews or tufpition of evil. cTis very obfervabley that in the Law of thelVaarite (who did fur a time fpecial, confecrate himfelf to God, that befides his notcomming to the dead, and fuffering his hair to grow.) 'Twas ordained of God that he ftiould abftain from thefe fix thingS.. 1. From Wine and firong drink. 2. From the Vinegar of Wine cr ftrong drink. 3. From any Liquor of Grapes; though it were but the water wherein they were fteeped- 4. From the green or rnoift Grape. 5. From the dryed G -pe or. Raifin. 6. From the husk orlternel of them, Num. 6 3,4. Had the 2Vaz,arite eaten but the skin of the Grape or Raifin, he had broken the Law. Nov hereby the Lord wouldL..:i.la trs,,,that thofe that feparate thernfelves from the world, to be Dan. I. t. ,
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