soule and never eateth with pleasure Neverthelesse they sleepe both a like in the earth and the wormes cover them Thus are they both confounded and worthily combined together Yea here Thersites the deformed Nircus the most beautifull as the very Gréeke Poets say are worthily compared as touching their bodies Next to this such are also the confusions and euents of this life and humaine affairs in this words that in the iudgement of the carnall man there is not discerned any difference at all between the good the euil the iust man and the sinner to either of the which the temporall good thinges of nature fortune and life are often alike Abraham our Father was rich so was Pharao Abimelech and the king of Sodom Againe Cain was an exile from his Fathers house so was Abraham and Iacob and Ioseph Moreouer Sarah was faire and beautifull so were the daughters of Cain Shem was preserued in the Arke with his Father Noah so was Cham also within the same But it may be so that the Lord would therin teach that his children should serue him not inregard of those temporall and worldly things and again that the vngodly which also haue and do abuse the same might be left without all excuse of their vnthankefulnes that the iustice of God might bee acknowledged and his word beleeued which commendeth and promiseth the future iudgement and full retribution of all mens wordes and workes and that the worthines of faith might bee encreased Moreouer it is so that the true vertues of the spirit diuine which are so well knowne of the king do not externally appeare to the carnall minded man Therefore the men of this world esteeme no more of the iust and godly then of the wicked and impious yea they persecute the godly and most vertuous and constraine them by their cruel tyrannies and oppressions to suffer and endure those bitter tormentes and paines which are only one as well deserued to malefactor and transgressours of the law This thing was noted in the death of Habel whom Cain slew in the persecution of our father Iacob by Esau by Laban others wherof he could say to Pharao that his dayes had beene few and euill in the accusation the selling away the imprisonment and afflictiōs of Ioseph in the afflictions of our fathers in Egypt in the contempt of Lot in Sodom in th'xtremity of poore Naomi and Ruth and in the sorrow of Hanna with others Such is the entertainement of the godly and their common estimation in the world and this is the nature of vanities kingdome Now what is that which ye disliked in these the kings words No man hath power over the spirit to keepe still the spirite nor hath any power in the time of death Is it not a true saying Obiection 16 mans power of life Cap. 8.8 For hath any man power either to liue as long as he listeth or to put away his soule from his body at his pleasure Surely it is true as Iob said to this purpose The dayes of man are determined and as the King said The dayes of a man are numbred that is sby the Lord who onely hath power either to giue or to take away mans life at his will and pleasure at all times and that neither this nor that lieth in the will or power of man therefore as he may not cast himselfe rashly into danger so neither should he promise himself long life Though Saul slew himselfe he had not therein power of his life for his dayes were determined and now expired he was shewed the day before 1. Sam. 28.19 that hee should die and in the manner of his death he was by the iustice of God made his owne executioner As he could retaine his life no longer so neither could he forbeare to performe that on himselfe which he was in this iudgement constrayned to performe If worldly men had this power either to retaine life or to put it off when they lifted they would then often renew themselues and old age would not be much dislike yea death which is so bitter to the wealthy men of this life would not be so much feared as it is But now it falleth out otherwise for why neither can the courage and strength of body preserue the strong warrier nor the industry of arte nor the deuises and counsailer of man withstand death when the Lord taketh away life nor can force death on them whom the Lord is willing so preserue in life Thus when Saul in his trouble was slaine of his owne handes for want of another executioner David on the other part was preserued Obiection 17 the yong mans lesson nor could he be slaine by them which were his mortall enemies because the Lord did keepe his life * Finally ye haue said that it is obiected against the King that hee shoulde in his wordes counsaile young men to take their delights of youth and to swmime in their lustes Let mee heare the Kings owne wordes as he spake them and vpon what occasion Hee said quod Abiather Though a man live many yeeres in them all reioice Cap. 11.8.9 yet he should remember the dayes of darkenes because they are many all that commeth is vanitie Then thereupon he said againe Reioyce O yong man in thy youth walke in the waies of thine heart in the sight of thine eyes Then he added indéed But know that for all these thinges God will bring thee to iudgement therefore take away griefe out of thine heart cause evill to depart from thy flesh for childhood youth are vanitie Then answered Zadok how haue they here considered one word with another Answere the beginning with the end the exordium with the conclusion Yong-men are counsailed to beware For they also haue their Iudgment appointed and how is the māner of the kings speech marked When the king had aduised men in the highest grade of their proserity to thinke vpon affliction trouble and aduersitie and to endeuor to eschew it he commeth to behold the guise and condition of yong men yea of such as did sway in wordly and fleshly lustes and wantonnes without regarde of the iudgementes of God which is wont to ouertake such persons in the time appointed and he derideth their folly speaking by the figure Ironia in the which the contrary is euer intended as who should say Go too go too thou yong man if thou wilt not bee aduised nor restrained nor reclaimed by these instructions and lessons take thine own mind follow thine own will walk in thine own waies if thou thinke it good But he leaueth him not without a commination or threatning And thinkest thou that there is none account to be made for these thinges and will not God bring thee into iudgement thou art deceiued thou foolish yong man for there is a iudgement which a waiteth but the time appointed wherein thou must enter not onely at the last when al men shal
which David committed and left as a patterne vnto him 1. Kin. 6. he set onto build vp that Temple in Ierusalem euen an house for his God This house is threescore cubits long and twentie cubits broad and thirtie cubits high c. And this house was built of stone made perfect already before it was brought thither so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any toole of yron heard in the house while it was in building But it would be wonderfull yea and beyond mine abilitie to tell and your selues presently to heare how many strange and diuers and excellent thinges the King prouided and disposed in and about this excellent worke And in this worke he so well pleased the Lord that he spake vnto him saying Concerning the house which thou art in building if thou wilt walke in mine ordinances execute my lawes and keepe all my Commaundementes to walke in them then will I make good vnto thee my promise which I promised to David thy father And I wil dwell among the children of Israel wil not forsake my people Israel Further after the end of seuen yeares for so long was that magnificent house in building the king began to build another house for himself about the which he bestowed great time charge and labour as it is recorded in the book of the kinges Annales and touching the which the kinges daugther beholding it with admiration said Cant. 3.9 King Solomon hath made himselfe a pallace of wood of Libanus the pillars are of silver the pavement therof of golde the hanginges thereof of purple c. Thirdly the king builded another house in the forrest then the which there is not a more princely thing in the world for the site forme and beauty thereof No man can dislike any of these his workes yea euery one doth highlie praise and commend them and him in the most excellent frame disposition and order of the same wherefore it may not be that from thence hee should finde occasion to afflict his owne soule The peaceable time of Solomon * But all these things haue been the better effected by the king for that the Lord his God which would that he should be called Solomon or Peaceable hath giuen him rest from his enemies on euery side for it hath neuer been heard of that the childrē of Israel enioied the like peace sithens the time that they came out of the land of Egypt And truely saide Benaiah neither the king nor his people haue these forty yeres had any cause to feare the inuasion of any forraigne enemie Benaiah or the nations embordering who hauing been subdued kept vnder and qualified by his father David in his time haue neuer sithens that resumed any courage or presumed to lift vppe their handes or quake against his Maiestie for all people and nations stand in feare of him and rather yeeld to bée his contributaries and seruantes then to attempt or aduēture warres against him knowing well that the Lord of Heauen is with him to preserue and keepe him and that the woodes and all pleasant trées do ouershadow him and his people at the commaundement of the Lord by whose grace they haue long prospered and rested in peace euen from Dan to Berseba vnder the kings happy gouernement Moreouer I am sure there hath not been in any age sithens the creation of the world a captaine set ouer the hoast of any king that hath had lesse trouble and feare then I haue had in my time vnder my Lord the king for although the king hath many barbed horses strong Chariots valiant men of warre great store of weapons armour and munition of proofe in the which he may compare yea and be preferred to all the kinges on the earth yet hath hee in his time had as little vse thereof as any whatsoeuer for the onely terror of the kinges Maiestie and the view of those thinges hath sufficiently daunted the enemie wherby we and his people haue had little cause to complaine of mortall warres which haue ensuing it so many slaughters burninges famines plagues destructions and noysome inconueniences in al ages The Poet Homer hath written of the wonderfull slaughters Homer and burning broiles of the Greekes Troians before this time which setteth before our eyes the miseries of warres And our owne histories haue largely displaied the great infelicitie of our fathers in the wildernesse and in the time of the Iudges and of Saul But we haue a cause to blesse and prayse the Lord our God who hath in this time of his mercy raysed vp vnto vs this Prince of Peace I pray God wee may thankfully esteeme thereof and not by our froward ingratitude offer vnto our God an occasion of the losse of so heauenly a blessing as those commonly accustome which hauing not the feare of the Lord before their eyes and so no sparkle of the true wisedome doe prouoke him to wrath through the lewdenes of their rebellious heartes And whether the King as hee hath the wisedom of God foreseeth in the spirit what is liking to beside vs by his departure from ouer vs I know not for what misery or inconuenience is there which may not come on them that transgresse and offend against God and the king if the Lord shall eyther commaund or commit the spirit of troble to fall on them * And this may come on vs and the people said Ahiah we know not how soone Ahiah But as ye haue said the king hath had indéede a glorious peace The orders of Sol. house and we haue enioyed the like vnder him for the which both his Highnesse and his people may reioyce together And here we cannot but with the former commend the orders of the kings house the meate of his table the sitting of his seruants 2. Chro. 9.4 the standing of his wayters their apparrell his Butlars their apparrell and behauiour the which when the Queene of Seba saw and cōsidered she was astonied and there was no more spirit in her And she said vnto the king The saying which I heard in mine own land of thine actes and of thy wisedome is true I beleeved not the wordes of them vntill I came and mine owne eyes had scene it behold the one halfe of thy wisedome was not tolde me for thou exceedest the fame which I heard Happy are thy men happy are these thy servants which stand before thee alway and heare thy wisedom Neyther were the kinges pleasures lesse then sufficient being solaced with his faire houses Solomons pleasures his gardens of pleasures his men-singers and women-singers and instrumentes of Musicke of all sorts with all the admirable sweet delightes of the sonnes of men yea there was neuer any one man vnder the cope of heauen that more flowed in all kind of pleasures meete and conuenient for a kings honour His power * He was also of no sesse power and mightinesse yea he was
which lifted them vp yea and some are therefore aduanced that forgetting God and their duties Gon. 11. ◠Iudg. 9.53 they may be thrown downe and confounded as Nimrod was and Abimelech aswell for example vnto others which thereby are taught to take heede as for a iust reward of their owne pride ambition insolency great wickednesse Secondly Ioab being faultie against God and the King and now not onely accused before the king and his Princes but iustly condemned and fearing the kinges displeasure and the reward he had deserued hath most egregiously abused that holy place for Sanctuaries are ordained for a refuge and defence Sanctuaries Exod. 21.14 Num. 24. 35.11.14 Deut. 4.42 19.4 Ios 20.3 not for wilful murtherers stubborne malefactors traytors rebels seditionaries and conspiratours against lawful Princes but for innocents such as do or shall ignorantly and by an héedlesse occasion offend that there they may be protected and preserued till time the truth of the matters laide against them be in iudgement discerned and tryed as we finde it written in the law of Moses Nor was it méete indéed that Ioabs eāxple therin though a noble man so neere of bloud to the king and no lesse fauoured of David should embolden others to commit such hainous actions and villanies and then to shrowde themselues vnder those places of refuge so farre off from the true meaning of the law and from the right end of the institution of those places Therefore they that offend in like matters and thinke to be defended with their causes eyther by such places or by the wreasting of the holy lawes to their purpose do alwaies deceiue themselues and draw vengeance on their owne heades deseruedly * Thirdly Ioab expressed a most stubborne nature Ioabs stubbornes peruerse will and disobedient heart against the Lords Annointed for when in the kinges name and by his Highnesse commaundement I commaunded him to come forth from the Altar hee neuer so much as asked mercy of the king nor sought nor entreated for his owne pardon but presuming that the King would not haue aduentured to plucke him from the Altar wherof he had taken hold although he had been a wilful transgressor he then answered most stoutely in the presumption of his hart I wil not came forth and being further certified that then the king would not feare nor omit to stay him euen there for his ambitious praetizes and trespasse he replied as daring the king and his lawfull authority most arrogantly then let him slay me euen here for I will not come forth Neither think I but he will haue some regard to the high reuerence of this place into the which I haue betaken my selfe for the safety of my life as in the Lords Sanctuary vpon this aunswere the king perceiuing his pride and the stubbornes of his hart commanded me to doe vnto him euen as he had said namely to stay him euen there and so hee receiued the execution of his iust iudgement Fourthly the Lord our God The rewarde of murther hath rightly brought vpon the heade of Ioab the reuenge of that innocent bloud which he had before that time shed causeles and now cried to the Lord for vengeance according to that word of David 1. Kin. 2.5 when a little before his death hee gaue the king a very straite charge concerning this matter willing that Ioab should not be holden guiltlesse nor be brought in peace to his graue but that he shold receiue the reward of a merciles murtherer Num. 24. after the wordes of the law in that case prouided as whereby the sooner he might remoue away from the king and his fathers house that bloud which Ioab had shed without iust cause for beyond others his manifold slaughters and oppressions hee smote and most traiterously murthered two men which were more righteous and better then himselfe in the time of peace namely Abner the sonne of Ner captaine of the hoast of Israel 2. Sam. 3.23 who was as king David in his lamentation for him acknowledged a Prince and a Great man and also Amasa the Sonne of Iether Captaine of the hoast of Iudah A man likewise of right excellent gouernement and valour for Ioab being a person very proude enuious and ambitious greatly feared lest the fauour and estimation of those two Worthies in the kings eyes would much diminish or at the least hinder or withstand his further and higher honour Therefore David perceiuing his wicked inclination and considering wel the equitie of the cause charged and required his Sonne our Soueraigne Lord that the bloud of those two worthy persōs should be returned on the head of Ioab and vpon his seede that so vpon David and vpon his séede and vpon his house and vpon his seat there might be and remaine a perpetuall peace Thus truely when one creature kils another the heauenlie Powers crie out to the highest Maiesty saying Lord Lord this thy seruant presumes to be like thee Therefore if the déed be vniust the Creator of all aunswereth Suffer him yet which kils for he also shall be killed Vengeance is mine and I will repay And indéed those celestiall Powers shal and wil so often represent with their praises to the Lord the death of the person slaine till iust vengeance be taken of the slayer who therefore shall be numbred with them that are appointed to perpetual torments Hermogenes * as also one among the Philosophers of the Gentiles hath truely said And so we obserue that albeit the impious and wicked be for their times and turnes aduanced aboue many others better then themselues by the great fauour and liberalitie of bountiful Princes and so stand a while in an high grade of flourishing prosperity and that when the vngodly commit wickednesse against God and his Annointed they are spared or passed ouer with silence wherby forgetting God and their proper conditions they imagine him to bee wel pleased and so promise themselues lasting securitie in their impieties yet neuerthelesse in the end yea euen in their due time are they well ouertaken and destroyed without mercie being nothing worthie of mercie though they crie and call Therefore the Greeke Homer whom in this matter without iust offence to our Religion but to the shame of such ambitious persons we may remember hath well modulated in all iust censure saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus translated Although in pitie powerfull love A long some time refraines To smite the Sinner yet at length He plagues him to his paines But most diuinelie hath the kings father spoken in his Psalms and hymnes touching this argument which when learned Asaph the kings Scholemaister had aduisedly considered with the manifold instances dayly occurring hee thus spake as in the Lordes behalfe Oh now consider this ye that forget Gods grace Lest that I rent you for a pray and none be found in place To rescue or to saue
before him in whose sight the very Angels be vncleane nor that he might thinke himselfe righteous in his owne power before the throne of that King in whose presence no flesh liuing can be iustified but that rather in the consideration of his imperfections and the bitter sense of the diuine displeasure he should acknowledge and confesse his infirmities and by a godly repentance striue to resurge vnto that from whence he was fallen as his father did * But here I call to minde Why Solomon vsed not the holy name Tetragrammaton in his Booke of Eccles that Abiather obiected further against the king and his wordes namely in this that hee had not of late vsed nor remembred in his common talke the glorious Name Iehovah whereof he would conclude as it appeareth a note of prophanitie in the King as one that either should denie or forget the liuing God who is to be remembred praised for euer Wherefore lest any aduantage might be either giuen or taken in passing such a thing ouer in silence which might indéed argue a consent to that which is obiected ye shal vnderstand that in any wise we may not gather of this omission of that sacred Name either a deniall or a forgetfulnes of the Lord God by the king nor may we thereby the sooner derogate authoritie from him and his words no more then wee may iustly condemne the poore sinner and his prayer which in the consideration of his owne vilenesse dareth not to lift vp his eyes to the heauens For as this Name is wonderfull and most dreadfull to the sinfull so who knoweth not but that we esteeme it Ineffable not to bee pronounced or vsed except in waightie matters and in the causes of the highest importance But the omission of this Name by the king may be imputed partly to the great honor he yéelded the same partly to the singular humilitie of his contrite spirit who now déeply weighing the heauy burthen of his sinne and all those vanities wherein hee had béene long wearied with the terror of the diuine iudgements threatned on him and his posteritie by the Lords Prophet he thinketh himselfe most vnworthy to take in his mouth or to vse that dreadfull name being not forgetfull of that which he heard his Maister Asaph after the Prophesie that David had giuen him often times to sing and say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But God vnto the sinner said And why psal 50.16 presumest thou to preach mine holy heasts and in thy mouth to take my Testament For the King is now so far humbled An argument of the kings repentance that notwithstanding his wisedome place and glory he estéemeth himselfe of no reputation and therein too vile not onely to name Iehovah but also to be as a doore-kéeper within that holy house which himselfe hath built and dedicated in the time of grace to that most glorious Name And this is so farre off from all iust suspicion of prophanitie or forgetfulnesse or deniall of God in the King that the omission of this Name doth rather mightily argue his faithfull feare and humbled heart in true Repentance and with the like spirite in the remebrance of his sinnes committed and the punishments thereon threatned and felt in part and in this regard hee also refused to be called the King of Israel as before it hath béene sayd Would to God the like consideration dread and reuerence of this most holy Name did in the same spirit hold and possesse the hearts of all others that not onely mean and priuate persons but also princes and great personages would rather either tremble with David to heare thereof or feare with Solomon to take the same rashly and commonly in their mouthes then should not that commandement bee so presumptuously and dayly broken Exod. 20. Thou shalt not take the Name of Iehovah thy God in vaine Neither should this vengeance bee so often iustly inflicted Iehovah will not holde him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine Therefore hath the King worthily omitted the common vse of this Name in those his wordes and late writings Howbeit he hath neuerthelesse in all humilitie reuerence and grauitie vsed and yet doth daily vse those other Titles or Attributes of God whereby he is sufficiently knowne in the Law and in the Prophtes as namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is God Creatour King Supreme or highest And hee thus resolueth with holy Iob Iob. 27.3 that now so long as his breath is in him and the spirit of God in his nostrels his lips shall speake no wickednes and his tongue shall vtter no deceit But howsoeuer it bee that men haue their imperfections and slidings as wée may not tie the authoritie of holy Scriptures diuine Sermons and the truth of the Almightie to the credite or estimation of any mortall man The way to try all writings words and works of men so neither shall those Wordes and Sermons of our Lorde King Solomon bee esteemed onely after the person and authoritie of Solomon though he so far excelled all other men liuing in wisedom knowledge many other right excellent and rare induments and vertues but also according to the consent it hath with the propheticall and legall veritie and doctrine indited by the finger of Gods Spirit by whose motion Noah Abraham Isaack Iacob Samuel Moses David and other holy men haue spoken And it is most certaine howsoeuer some would gather thereof as Spiders which gather poison of the sweetest flowers and as the purest streames may bee polluted by the trampling of soule feete and the best Scriptures may be abused as Satan himselfe and the deceiuers of all times haue therein presumed to credite and authorize their owne that yet these present words of King Solomon as also his Proverbs Solomons words are approoued collected and reserued by his princes and servants Parables and divine songs the which he hath in the fullnesse of the Spirite of wisedome vttred spoken and modulated are sound veritie good Scripture and words agreable to the words and writings of Moses and the Prophets in all things Therefore let vs proceed with diligent carefulnesse to call to minde those the kings wordes which in this time and vpon this occasion hee vseth to vtter and speake before vs with great grauitie and to collect them into a Booke in the Name of God not forgetting to expresse our gratefull minde towardes his Grace in this our care to preserue his Wordes to commend them to the holy Church for the better instruction of the same acknowledging and testifying withall the diligence wisedome godly desire and excellencie of him who studied to be yet more wise and to teach the people knowledge that thereby abandoning the deceiuable vanities of this wicked world they might with him walke the right and perfite way towardes the best Good and highest felicitie These words beeing said Zadok pauzed again wherat
rash with thy mouth nor let thine heart be hasty to vtter a thing bofore God c Cap. 6.1 There is an euill which I saw vnder the Sunne and it is much among men c Cap. 7.1 Surely there be many things that encrease vanitie and what availeth it man c Cap. 8. Who is as the wise man who knoweth the interpretation of a thing c. Cap. 9.1 I have surely given mine heart to all this and to declare all this c Cap. 10.1 Dead flyes cause to stincke and putrifie the best oyntment of the Apothecary c Chap. 11.1 Cast thy bread vpon the waters and after many dayes thou shalt find it c Cap. 12.1 Remember nowe thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth c Verse 8. Vanitie of vanities saith the Preacher and all is Vanitie CAP. XLIII The Conclusion of the Booke contayning the declaration of the Princes and Collectors concerning their approbation of Solomon and his words with their Affixe to the same THe Secretaries hauing written the Words of King Solomon according to the former collection they said vnto zadok and the Princes Behold my Lords all these words haue wee written with diligence Is there any thing else that ye would we should also write Solomon spake much more then is here remembred Truely saide the Princes the King hath spoken in our hearing many other things right worthy both the remembrance and the writing yea and so many as wee neither could beare away nor can now report and the Kings wisedome and diligence hath yet farre passed and exceeded It is most true in very truth said Zadoke And although the Lord his God hath wonderfully blessed him with wisedom knoweldge vnderstanding and many rare graces farre beyonde that any other man now living doth enioy yet he omitteth not Solomon yet studieth and searcheth for more wisedom nor neglecteth his daily study and diligence to search for and to obtaine and get more wisedom more knowledge more vnderstanding and more graces and hee yet learneth and ruminateth that both night and day which hee mindeth to produce and teach vnto the people Neither doth hee aduenture to speake or vtter any thing before that hee hath with wisedom conceiued it and with a perfect iudgement digeasted it in his heart For hée knoweth that as in the ordinary course of nature the conception goeth before the birth so learning ought to goe before teaching in him which is the teacher First therefore he hath learned yea and yet he continueth a learner that thereby he might the better know all things and frame himselfe a Teacher And to that end he hath béene a diligent searcher of all Antiquities and the worthiest monuments of the ancient Fathers hearkening therein to the counsaile of Moses Deut. 32.7 where hee faith Remember the dayes of the world that is past consider the yeeres of so many generations Aske thy father he will shew thee thine Elders and they will tell thee Genesis Exodus Levit. Num. Duet And therefore he hath commonly in his hands the Bookes of Moses as namely Bereschith Velleschemoth Vaichrah Vaiedabber Ellehaddebarim Also the Booke of Iob the Booke of Iosuah the Bookes of Shemuel the writtings of Nathan of Gad of Asaph and of his father David with the volumes of other Prophets wise men neither abandoneth he the writtings of Homer other learned monuments of the Gentiles From and out of the which he hath gathered and yet gathereth of learning knowledge and wisedome more and more euery day Nor is the King ignorant of this that as the herbe Moly which is so good and soueraigne for medicine beyonde many others is very hardly digged or drawen vp from the earth so those things which are excellent indéed and of speciall choice come not to men without exquisite studie wisedō is Gods guift yet must men study labour for it and great and hard trauels and that albeit the excellencie of wisedome knowledge and iudgement is not atchiued or gotten by any the wit wisedome power policie or agilitie of man but commeth from the Lordes goodnesse and mercy yet doth not the Lord ordinarily giue or bestow any of those things without the lawfull exercises of reason studies and diligence but he is right willing to helpe and further the true labourers to instruct them which reade aduisedly and to further them which haue a desire to procéede faithfully in the way of his commandments to and for the which he maketh his word a Lanterne vnto their fecte and a light vnto their pathes To this purpose he giueth them Séers wisemen Prophets Priests and goodly Princes and he powreth foorth of his diuine spirite whereby they be made apt and capable of those singular graces Whereof wee haue many worthy examples as namely in Noah in Lot in Abraham in Iacob in Ioseph in Moses in Samuel in the Kings father and lastly in the King himselfe who in his youth as the Lorde by his spirit had disposed him prayed vnto the Lord for wisedome exercised himselfe in the things which thereunto appertained hearkened to David to Bethsabe to Nathan to Gad to Asaph and to his noble Counsailors and vsed the reason and wisedom which God gaue him as a talent encreasing So God yet more and more prospered him from day to day hee taught him he aduised him he blessed him and wisdome was found of him that sought for her And thus vseth the Lorde in his mercie and loue to admonish such as thinke of his goodnes and to comfort them which early enquire for him he teacheth them that desire to learne hee heareth them that pray vnto him he lighteneth them that dispute of knowledge hée openeth to them that knocke and he giueth to them that aske that in things that be profitable holy and appertaining to the glory of his Name to the good of his Church to the benefite of his people This the King as hee is most wise knoweth right well And hauing thus gotten and attained the excellencie of wisedome he burieth not those his Talents in the earth The vse of talents and gifts which God bestoweth on men but employeth and occupieth the same not like vnto that niggard who for feare of loosing his wealth would hide it though without all vse nor like the enuious which would not that other men should be partakers of knowledge but as the right libeberall and charitable man he laboureth endeuoreth to make all other men partakers of his wisdome and diuine graces and hideth her riches from no man For he séeth that as wisedome is an infinite measure vnto men so shall his diligence and studie be acceptable not only to them but to the Lorde Sap. 13.14 who hath filled his soule with diuine treasures mooued him to speake what his minde hath conceiued and to vse his graces to the edification of his pepole Therefore hath hee spoken according to the fulnes of his spirit the sooner because