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17 As for these four children God gave them knowledge and understanding in all wisdom: also he gave Daniel understanding of all visions and dreams. 18 Now when the time was expired that the king had appointed to bring them in, the chief of the Eunuchs brought them before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king communed with them, and among them all was found none like Daniel. &c.

17 As for these fower children God gaue them knowledge and vnderstanding in all wisedome: also he gaue Daniell vnderstanding of all visions and dreames. 18 Now when the time was expired that the king had appointed to bring them in, the chiefe of the Eunuches brought thē before Nebuchadnezer. And the king communed with them, and among them all was found none like Daniel. &c.

¶ The Meditation.

Whereas the other three companions of Daniel were singular in all liberal sciences and learning, Daniel only was authorised for the prophet of God, to declare dark visions: the which thing is written to confirm his doctrine both unto the Jews and the Gentiles. And the Lord gave this excellency of learning and knowledge unto these that were strangers, to stir up the king and his people to reverence his majesty in the presence of his servants, that they should be compelled to acknowledge Gods grace whom they worshipped, to be the cause of their excellent wits and great knowledge, seeing no man by nature is excellent ⟨image 19⟩in such things, but only as God giveth, and his country men were as diligently instructed as these strangers. God therefore did this for his own glory when he made Daniel and his fellows so excellent by tenfold above all the learned of his whole kingdom. And thus God useth to ravish his enemies into the admiration of his power, even when they would most fly from it. For what sought Nebuchadnezzar, but only to extinguish the memory of God, by bringing up these of the noble families in the sciences of the Chaldees, that they might oppugn the Religion of God wherein they were borne? The king purposed this, but God caused the kings counsel to set forth his glory and made Daniel to be known for an excellent prophet all the days of this kings life and long after, even unto the first year of king Cyrus, as appeareth in the fifth chapt. and the eleventh verse.