conscience which aggrauated by his owne sting or pricke doeth euer accuse condemne and wring mans heart If publique fame neither condemne nor accuse nor suspect yet the guiltie conscience within a mans selfe forceth the same to the vttermost neither can it be that he which liueth faultie shall escape the torment and terror thereof nor therfore can hee be happy in his life be he neuer so rich The comfort of a good conscience so honourable so strong so mightye so glorious in the worlde but blessed is the man that feareth God and walketh in his waies as David the Kinges Father hath modulated For this is that which in the lawe is required of him as the King hath saide This man concludeth to himselfe Ioy and gladnes Iob. 23.3.4.5.6.7 when that which hee hath done shal be well approued by the lawe This cheared Iob in the middest of his afflictions notwithstanding that his wife and his thrée friendes hardly charged him with folly So was Ioseph holde in Aegypt when his integritie cleared him So Moses and Aaron were not discouraged Gen. 40.41 Exod. 10. notwithstanding the threates and hard dealinges of Pharao and thus the Kinges father with a cleare conscieÌ„ce protested before King Saul Behold this daye thine eyes have seene 1 Sam. 24.10 how that the Lord hath delivered thee this daye into mâ—ne hand in the caue and some bad mee to kill thee but I had compassion on thee and saide I will not lay mine handes on my Maister for he is the Lords annoynted c. And this to expresse the innocencie of his heart hee feared not to protest before the Lord in his prayer O Lord my God If I haue done any such thing Psal 7.3.4 or if there bee any wickednes in mine handes If I haue rewarded euill vnto him that dealte srowardly with mee yea I haue deliuered him that without any cause is mine enemy then let mine enemy persecute my soule and take mee Yea let him treade my life downe vpon the earth and lay mine honour in the dust Lastly I cannot but remember that worthie example of Samuel the Lords Prophet who was occasioned through the disobedience of the people before King Saul and them to pleade for himselfe to defende his integritie 1. Sam. 12.3 And thus hee saide with a good conscience and boldnes of Spirit Beholde here I am Beare record of mee before the Lorde and before his Annointed Whose Oxe haue I taken Or whose Asse haue I taken Whome haue I done wrong to Whome haue I hurt or of whose hand haue I receiued any bribe to blinde mine eyes therewith and I will restore it you They said their own conscience prouoking them thou hast done vs no wrong nor hurte neither hast thou takeÌ„ ought of any maÌ„s hand Lo my lords here is ioy gladnes the greatest coÌ„fort in this life for the good Conscience hath with it a thousand witnesses and as many pleaders to testifie for his owners integritie and to defend the same before the throne of Iustice This therefore is the swéetest and most wholsome rest of mans soule the title of Religion the spirituall Temple the blessed field the pleasant gardin the golden peace the Angelicall ioy the holy Arke the Kings treasure the house of the spirit and the glasse wherein a man both séeth ordereth and confirmeth himselfe to the liuely image of his maker Though the flesh oppresse vs the world allure vs the Diuel terrifie vs yet is this treasure safe and sure within vs from all daunger of euill Therefore I hold that in this life there is nothing more pleasant more swéet more profitable and more to be desired and reteyned then a good conscience both towards God and man Wherefore my Lords as ye haue very well done in that ye haue submitted your selues to this present examination and tryal so are ye happy in this that ye are iustified in conscience for hereof ye haue and shall find the highest comfort and gladnesse And now I beséech you to permit me to do as ye haue done The high priest is willing to ease himselfe in shewing forth his integritie with the rest that thereby I may not onely expresse mine owne integritie so cleare my selfe of all offence and suspicion of the same but also reioyce together with you though in the middest of mine affliction for the kinges trouble And that the sooner because whiles I stand an hearer and a iudge of other men in their examination and triall I might not séeme to disdaine mine owne 1. Kings 2.35 Abiather was before this time high priest howbeit his cause and dealing concerning both God and the king came into question before the king and his princes and being found guilty against either in his triall he was worthelie deposed and the priestshood translated Then why should I imagin my selfe frée from censures the rather in respect of my place and why should I not abide the hammering of that which should be obiected against me and my maÌ„ner of procéeding towards God the king and his people And if I shall be found guiltie as Abiather was why should not I be remoued as he was another man put in my place more worthy And now my Lords although I may not say whether in my person or in my ministerie and behauiour wherin I am to prefigure the holy Messiah in his priesthood or whether in that Abiather the priest attended sometimes for me in the kings presence any contempt or abuse hath béene taken or suspected to his highnesse offence yet I know well that for mine owne part I here safelie protest from my conscience before the Lord of heauen and earth and before you all that according to that trust which the kinges father reposed in me when I was to annoint and proclame my Lord King ouer Israel and after that good opinion which the king himselfe conceiued of me in the day when he tooke me to him to be the Lords high priest in the place of Abiather whom he put away I haue performed the first and expressed the second whithout any deceit in the one or iust offence in the other and that after my state and dignitie so farre forth as a mortall man could possibly extend himselfe therein And of this as of my calling I hope ye doubt not Neuerthelesse let me be heard I beséech you a few words concerning both this and that seing that the Priesthood was ordayned to foreshew and signifie the office and dignitie of that highest Priest which is to come as vnto whoÌ„ all the types and shadowes of the law do point it hath beene both prouided and commaunded by the Lord himselfe that the Priest might haue his lawfull calling and therewith not onely in bodie but in habites and ornamentes should be pure holy and glorious in all pointes To the which it was aduised how he should be consecrated what he should doe how he he should liue what wife he
escaped both death and displeasure Thus also Baruch the noble Captaine harkened to wise Deborah gat the victorie ouer Gods enemies Thus Pharao though a tyrant craued aide of Moses and Aaron to be deliuered from those plagues of Egypt K. Saul permitted little David to enter the field against huge Goliah for Israels glory On the otherside the reprobate Cain would neither know his danger nor be restrained of his purpose and being in distresse would not vouchsafe to craue or séeke for aide whereby he perished a vagabond and exile from the Lord of heauen who cast him off from his grace and mercy Thus the filthy Sodomits stroken with blindnesse would neither thinke of their destruction nor craue nor admit the aduise and aide of righteous Lot who had vexed his soule among them nor any thing regarded the prayer and meanes of faithfull Abraham for their safetie to be short Saul the King disdained David and his comfort notwithstanding he had taken so good experience of his integritie and the power of God in him therefore rather then he would séeme to embrace him and his power he chose to kill himselfe with his owne sword to the daunger of his soule and decay of his glory These be examples to teach and admonish vs. Therefore now following those which haue in their choise declared wisedome to the preseruation and comfort of their soules Let vs withall regard both of the Kings health and of the good of his people both séeke for and embrace those things that may either helpe or comfort both And because the God of heauen is the same from whome and by whome all good thinges descend come vnto his children and which both comfortes and helpes them indeede in all their afflictions and dangers let vs as I said before lift vp vnto him both our hearts and eyes and thus let vs pray and say as the kings father hath taught vs in the like case Psal 20. The Lord God of heauen heare our Lord the King in the day of his trouble The name of the God of Iacob defend him Send him helpe from the Sanctuary and strengthen him out of Zyon Let the Lord God remember all his offeringes and accept his burnt sacrifices Selah The Lord God grant him according to his heart and fulfill all his purpose that we may reioyce in his sauing health and set vp the bāner in the Name of our God when the Lord shall performe all his petitions Now we know this that the Lord will helpe his Annoynted and will heare him from his sanctuary by the mighty helpe of his right hand O Lord most holy saue our Lord King Solomon let him prosper thereby be able to helpe vs by his wisedome power when in thy name we seeke vnto him for succour O Lord in loue heare our prayers be gratious vnto thy King mercifull vnto vs and all thy people for thy holy Names sake Amen Amen CHAP. 3. Iehosophat and the other Princes and Lords call to mind report in order what they haue noted and obserued in Solomons gesture behauiour and wordes as arguments of his troubled mind and misery THe former wordes being spoken the praier ended a pauze againe taken whiles the Lordes looked one on another with heauy hearts sad faces musing much of the kings woful case at lēgth Iehosophat the Recorder opened his mouth and saide Ah las I haue knowne and that not long sithence when at any time the kinges grace sat at his table to eate and to drinke among his Princes and Lords he would wonderfully be solaced and delighted with swéet harmonies of Men-singers and Women-singers whereof he had right many in his Courte and would be excéeding merry and glad in the middest of them all saying A merrie heart is the life of the body prouer 14.30 but envie consumeth away the bones But now sitting at his table in whatsoeuer company and howsoeuer he be serued and attended on he séemeth meruelous sad and wofull he museth he studieth he looketh heuelie he distasteth all thinges and giueth not so much as any sparkle or shew of a merry conceit yea he is wholly ouercome with deepe displeasure which argueth an vnmeasurable griefe of heart and a strange affection of the soule for the face and externall behauiour of a man which is not hypocriticall doth commonly expresse and declare the thought and heart And although the King well knoweth that he which being diseased in the body and distempred in his health when he shal be recreated with the ioy of his minde doth easely recouer if his sicknes be not incurable and that the most naturall cure of the diseased is to procure or occasion him some ioy or mirth of the minde for often times the sick man by the comfort of gladnes is eased yet to them which now laugh and would assay to prouoke the king to laughter for the same cause he sayeth ye are meere mad persons Eccles 2.1 The true vnderstanding of these the kings words is afterward declared by Zadok in his Apologie for Solomon and to them which proffer him mirth to recreate his mind he saieth Sirs what is it which ye do When any man willing to put him out of this conceit inuiteth him to a feast or banquet he denieth to come being vnwilling to enter into such houses saying It is better to goe into the house of mourning then into the house of feasting Moreouer of all those pleasant pastimes and delightes of the sonnes of men the which sometimes hee so much affected and of all their pleasures counselles studies laboures deuises policies workes and wisedome vnder the Sunne seeme they neuer so laudable in the eyes and estimation of worldly men he saieth Eccles Cap. 1.2.3 Vanitie vanitie of vanities and all is meere vanitie For what els doeth a man get profitable for himselfe of all those trauails which he taketh vnder the Sunne wherefore trauaile men in the wynd and what good thing is there to be found or enioyed or tasted of by men vnder the Sunne * This being said Azariah rose vp Azariah stoode foorth and spake againe The same thing said he haue I also lately noted in my Lord the King Hee was wont to walke foorth into his garding Eccl. 2.4.5.6 to view his Orchardes his Pondes and his fishing pooles to beholde with delight his faire houses and beautifull buildings and to take great pleasure in all the delights of the sonnes of men at all times but now alas hee rather conteyneth himselfe solitarilie within his Chamber pensiue sad now all the works which his hand hath made and all the things vnder the Sunne wherin heretofore he tooke such passing great pleasure to the wonder of all his Princes séeme vain and loathsome vnto his soule Solomon loatheth his labors and delights And as I sawe him of late to passe by and to behold them all I heard him with these eares sodainly to sigh
should marry and how he should be esteemed in his place According to the which though I say it for my selfe I was taken froÌ„ the middest of my people as one worthelie esteemed and honoured in my place for the tokens of my graces then I was straitly viewed and throughlie examined wherein I was found cleane and free from euery one of those blemishes with the which whosoeuer was touched was forbidden to prease forth to do the priests office Leuit. 21.17.18.19.20 I was wel tried to be neither blind nor lame nor brused or flat of nose nor mishapeÌ„ in my meÌ„bers nor brokeÌ„ in my féet nor brokeÌ„ in my haÌ„ds nor crooked in my back nor bleared in mine eyes nor eyes webbed or blemished nor skiruy nor scabbed nor broken in the stoanes The blemishes for the which a man was vnfit for the priesthood yea I was found frée of those imperfections or blemishes which our Elders haue gathered and noted out of that place of the law which disabled the priest for they noted in the head eight in the necke two in the ears twelue in the eye-browes and eye-lides fiftéene in the eyes ninetéene in the nose sixe in the lips and mouth nine in the belly thrée in the backe thrée in the priuities sixtéene in the handes and féete twelue in the leges fiftéene and in all the body foure the which being taken away the naturall body appeared sound faire and perfect in all partes that by the same not onely the puritie of the mind might be signified but also the person of the Messiah truely prefigured Then was I consecrated to the Lord according to the law The consecration and ornamentes of the priest then was I cloathed in the holy garments as namely the Breastplate the Ephod the Tunicle the broadered Coate the Mytre the Girdle which were according to the commaundement garnished and beautified with gould blew-silke purple scarlet white twyned silke and brodered worke also with Owches Chaynes pretious stoans other such things with Vrim and Thumim in the which are expressed not onely spiritually the seuerall graces of a godly minde but also mistically the heaueÌ„lie vertues of the holy Messiah the finall obiect of our loue To this I was annointed with the holy oyle and had mine handes filled for the sacrifices The duties of priesthood performed Thus haue I béene furnished and approued for the Priestes office Now to this haue I beene willing and ready to doe my duety in the execution of my function I haue offered the sacrifices to the Lord for my selfe and the people and haue prayed for them in the which I haue beene mercifully heard and regarded of the Lord as Aaron was I haue taught the people and instructed them in the feare and lawes of the Lord I haue iudged and discerned according to equitie and as placed ouer the priests and ministers in the Lords house I haue regarded therein not only the conuersation and behauiour but also the order of the ministeries and seruices of the persons in the same for the better seruice of God the preseruation and maintainance of the ornaments of the Lords house and the benefit of the Lords people And this the better to performe I haue ruled my selfe and liued according to the law in my place and for my comfort I haue taken to me a cleane Vâ—rgin to wife Moreouer I haue serued and honoured next vnto my God my Lord the King in all dutiful thankfulnesse without giuing him any iust offence to my knowledge And therfore as the King is most wise and will not take an offence being not offered him I am sure he is not afflicted or grieued for any cause of mine as I perswade neither for any thing he hath noted or conceited in any of you But I know well there be other causes things whereof he hath taken this sorrow the which also may bee knowne to some of you and yet are yee most vnwilling to reveile or make knowne but would rather if it might be conceale and couer them for it is the part of a friend to couer the fault of his friend much rather then ought a true Subiect for the loue and honour of his Prince rather modestly to forbeare then to aduenture the display of any his faultes or imperfections They that obserue not this rule resemble shamelesse Cham one of the sonnes of Noah Gen. 9.22 who most vnreuerently both discouered and derided the nakednesse of his father This being said Zadok sighed déepely and made as a proffer to further speeches Neuerthelesse hee refrained for this time for he well knew the causes of the Kings griefe although it pleased him not as yet to vtter it partly for the reuerence he yeelded the kings honour partly for his owne modesty as also for that he was verie vnwilling to be the vnfolder of that which hee was sure the Princes and all the Kinges friendes would be very sory and loath to heare albeit they were so redy to inuestigate that whereof being once certified they did much maruaile at greatly lament and could scarsely ease or mitigate much lesse salue and recure howbeit they endeuoured their best and thought it bootelesse for them to stand wondering and reasoning longer then they might set on and spéedily assay which way to bring ease or comfort to their Soueraigne Lord the which they wel knew could not be effected till time they had found out and considered of the true causes of the kings affliction Therefore though much against their wils yet vrged by the present necessitie they presume on the king in this examination CAP. IX The Lordes are resolved to examine and consider of the King and his actions but note by what occasion in what sort and to what end Of Solomons birth WHen euery one of the Lordes had perused himselfe cleared his owne conscience and approued his words and actions towards the king Azariah Azariah the chiefe Lord replied againe and said Now that wee haue in this sort submitted our selues to the iust triall in all modestie and no lesse faithfulnes to our Lord K. Solomon and so cleared our selues of any iust offeÌ„ce offered him which bringeth no small comfort to our heartes in the time of this our trouble and trial Let vs aduenture to behold the king himselfe in whome it may be that the cause of his owne sorrow may be found Therfore let vs consider of his person actions and his manner both of entrance and life Indéede I confesse as Zadok hath before intimated that it may be thought a thing too malepert in Subiectes to censure the Prince or to pry too narrowlie into his actions and dealings or to discouer any his faults or imperfections especially to this end to diffame or deride him for this was Chams offence against his father for the which he was reproued and his posteritie cursed Neuerthelesse I thinke it not vnlawful nor amisse that the kings Princes and Priuie Counsellors seeing the kings
volume of the booke it is written of mee that I should fulfill thy will O my God I am content to doe it Thus was the most holy sonne and worde of God brought in talking with his father touching mans redemption and shewing both his willingnes and obedience to relieue the state of mankind Hereof it was that the Lord God decreed and said that the womans seed should tread on the serpents head Gen. 3. which signified that one should be borne of the womans body the which the Serpent had corrupt that should not onely purifie her and all mankind but also confound the Serpent and all his power From the which time our fathers haue expected we as yet expect and waite for the comming of that holy Seede Now here by the way wee may consider that albeit the Lord God be wonderfull mercifull vnto mankind he doth not ouerthrow therin his Iustice How the Lord was both iust and mercifull but obseruing either he expresseth great Equitie in a wonderfull for t For beholde hee laid that on his sonne which was due vnto man and againe hee gaue that vnto man which was onely proper to his sonne hee laid mans sinne and faults on his sonne hee imputed the righteousnes of his sonne vnto man In th' one appeared his iustice in th' other his mercy And in them both conioyned equitye That which was due vnto man the holy seed taketh on himselfe namely mans punishment which mans nature could not beare that which the holy seede merited namely eternall life the Lorde gaue vnto man for the sinne of man which deserued death was imputed vnto this seede and the Iustice of the holy seed which deserued Heauen was imputed vnto man I meane vnto them onely that by faith depend on that promise and those be the same whom the Lord God had before loued elected and predestinated to eternall glory and whome hee would not by any meanes permit to perrish and dye for euer This is the onely recouery of mankind and hope of his health This is that eternall verity and obiect of our faith This is the same whereunto all the law and the Prophets and all the tipes and figures both of them before vs and of them now in daily vse do aime point Promises of the Messiah Gen. 6. Gen. 22. Gen. 22.18 and direct vs for all succour helpe comfort and reliefe The decree and promise of this seede was after this confirmed to Noah to whome the Lorde said With thee wil I make my covenant thou shalt come into the Arkè But more plainly to our father Abraham to whome the Lorde declared this Sauiour and said of him In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth bee blessed The same which was called the seede of the Woman is now called the seede of Abraham for the Lorde woulde that hee shoulde come of Abrahams Seede after the flesh Prophesies of Messiah Gen. 49. Exod. 4.13 This is that whome Iacob our Father called Shilo and prophesyed that he should come in the tribe of Iudah And to him should be the gathering of the people This is that same to whome Moses pointed in the booke Velleschemoth when he saide to the Lord. Send I pray thee by the hand of him whome thou wilt send Deut. 18.15.18 and in his booke Haddebarim the Lorde himselfe calleth him a Prophet saying thus vnto Moses I will raise them vp a Prophet from among their brethren like vnto thee This is the same the holy man Iob calleth his Redeemer whome hee knewe to liue Iob. 19. Num. 14.17 This is that bright Starre and Scepter of the which Baalam did prophesie in Moses Booke Vaiedabber saying there shall come a Starre of Iacob and rise a Scepter in Israel 2. Sam. 7.12.13 14. This is that true King of peace promised to David the Kinges Father in 2. Schemuel 7. that Seede of David and Davids Lorde whose throne shall bee established for euer To bee short this is that lively Image of God and King of glory without all spot or blemish most mightye wise and excellent which shall in his time new builde Heirusalem and prepare himselfe an holy Temple and house for his worshippe therein I meane a Church spiritually framed and gloriously garnished after that proportion and forme which David the Kinges Father gaue and prescribed him according to the writing thereof which hee had receiued from Iehovah his God and the which the King hath in his time of peace builded and perfected accordingly Therefore of this holy Seede sang the Princely Prophet in many Psalmes calling him sometimes Gods Sonne sometimes a King psal 2.45.110 sometimes the King of glory sometimes a Priest eternall after the order of Melchisedek sometimes his Lorde sometimes his God sometimes his Redeemer sometimes his Saviour sometimes the Messiah or Annointed of Iehovah And as this holy Seede hath beene thus promised and foretolde of and belieued to come into the worlde Shadowes tipes and figures of Messiah The tree of life in paradise Abel Abraham Noah so hath hee beene shadowed typed and prefigured As first by the tree of life in Paradise of the which if our first parentes had taken and eaten they had neuer dyed but should haue liued foreuer Next by the Sacrifices of Abel Abraham others in the which it pleased God to declare himselfe gratious This Noah also prefigured when the Lord made him the finisher of the old world and the beginner of the new To the same pointed Melchisedek and Melchisalem Melchisedek to shew that he was a King and a Priest A King of peace and righteousnes and a priest of the highest God for euer as without beginning and without ending for the number of his daies may not bee reckoned or knowne The same was signified in the ladder our father Iacob saw Iacobs ladder Moses Iosuah by the which the angels did ascend and descend to and from heauen He was fore-shewed a deliuerer from thraldome in Moses and a Sauiour in Iosuah for Moses brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt and Iosuah conducted them inherited them and preserued them in the promised land Also Aaron the priest of the Lorde prefigured him with his Vrim and Thumim Aaron The pascall Lambe c To the same also serued the vse of the Pascall Lambe and those other symboles and sacraments in the Wildernes as the Manna from heauen the Water from the rocke Iudges and such like In the booke of * Shophtim is mention made of many bodily Saviours by the which was mistically shewed the person and office of Messiah There was Sampson Gedeon Othoniel Ieptha Samuel And within our age Sampson Gedeon Othoniel Ieptha Samuel David the calling annointing and manner of the raigne and condition of David foreshewed the same For all these things my Lordes haue and do rightly aime to that most holy Messiah whome the Lord God would that men should belieue and expect and
hope to come and at his comming loue and embrace as the onely person in and through whome the diuine Iustice is satisfied the heauenly will fulfilled the Serpent and all his fiery darts quenched and mankind pardoned healed recouered and blessed for euer Now this being said as an introduction to that which followeth we will come to speak of our Soueraign Lord K. Solomon whom I trust to proue and declare a Saint of the Lord and a right worthy member in his Church and so consequently no reprobate nor prophane nor damned person for if the former be proued wee shall by the same easily cleare him of the latter as before I haue said The Princes at this word seemed much comforted and shewed their willingnes yet further to heare what Zadoke would say For this saide they shall not onely please and satisfy vs but all others aswell they which now liue as they which shall come after vs. Therefore proceede most reuerend Father to proue that which ye haue assumed for the king And we will gladly giue both an attentiue eare vnto your words and vnto you condigne thankes CHAP XXVI Zadoke preveth that K. Solomon is a Saint of the Lord. THen Zadok proceeded reasoned for the King saying Whosoeuer is made and ordained by the will wisedome and providence of God a most lively and excellent figure of that holy Messiah the sonne of God the same is not a damned or reprobate or prophane person but he is a Sainct of the Lord But our Lord King Solomon is made and ordained by the will wisedom and providence of God a most lively and excellent figure of that holy Messiah the sunne of God Therefore our Lord K. Solomon is not a damned reprobate or prophane person but he is a Saint of the Lord. Now although no man may iustly deny either the first or the second proposition in any thing whatsoeuer yet as I perceiue ye are willing to listen ye shall heare mee to declare and proue either and so concludet or the King Surely my Lords it were not onely a great absurdity to hold it but an horrible thing to imagine that the most holy Messiah the sonne of the everlasting God that bright morning Starre that right holy Seede that high diuine Priest that excellent prophet and king of Glory so well resembling the almighty in holines beauty and in all perfection should be prefigured and declared by a prophane and vnholy person and that the excellency of his high dignity and royall gouernment should be typed by any thing common or vncleane Neither haue we found such inequalities in the proportions of the law of the Prophets and holy writings especially touching the promised and expected Messiah But this we finde that as the best things be best figured and declared in and by that which is most like or neere in nature kinde and qualitie so is the dignity person and function of the most holy Messiah prefigured and foreshewed according to the wisdome and prouidence of the Almighty where the types agree well with the things typed Therefore it was commanded in the lawe that the Lambes which were taken for the sacrifices should be cleane without all blemishes Exod. 12.5 Gen. 4.4 Aaron a figure of Messiah Exod. 28.30 Levit. 8. 21.6.18 as such as Habel offered vp to the Lord of the best of his flocks Therefore Aaron the Lords Priest who in his body prefigured the body of Messiah and in his garments expressed the excellency and perfection of his graces and vertues was a person without defectes or blemishes of body and glorious in his beautifull ornamentes according to the commandement the which also my selfe being the present high Priest am holden to retaine and vse and the which for that Abiather my predecessor vsed not but abused he was iustly depriued Moses also who brought our fathers out of the house of bondage and the same whome that prophet should resemble was a man welbeloued of God wel learned sanctifyed and made like vnto him in the glory of his Angels Likewise the Captaine Iosuah whome the Lorde appointed enabled to lead our fathers into this promised land was a man full of the spirit of wisedome the Lord his God both strēgthned and encouraged him whereby hee might be made a meete figure of the true Iehosuah our leader and guide into the land of the liuing To bee briefe David the Kings father who in his time bare an excellent figure of that Messiah both in his annointing nature raigne exaltation and humiliation was a man after Gods owne heart and euery way furnished with divine graces and right princely vertues meete for the same The like may be said of our forefathers Adam Enoch Noah Abraham Isaack Iacob Ioseph Sampson the Nazarite others in and by whome the Lord our God wold tipe and foreshew his deare sonne the Messiah notwithstanding all their humane imperfections and fleshly infirmities All these things saide the Princes haue we hearde with great delight and that to our full satisfaction in that part The princes For indeede such is the nature of the diuine proportions in the lawe in the Prophetes and in the psalmes And therefore he which by the wisedome will and prouidence of God is made a liuely excellent figure of that holy Messiah must of necessitie be a Sainct not a damned wretch reprobate or prophane But now what will ye produce for the proofe of this that our Lord King Solomon among those blessed Fathers is by the same wisedome Solomon is a figure of the holy Messiah will and providence or dained and made a right figure of that most holy Messiah This proposition saide Zadok can neither bee denied nor abandoned but confessed and receiued aswell of them now liuing as of al them that shall come after vs in all posterities who in the due consideration thereof with the circumstances shall grant and conclude with vs in the same And this may easily be gathered and proued to put all men out of doubt First in that according to the diuine prouidence and direction he hath built and garnished that right glorious Temple in Ierusalem Solomon in the building of the Temple figured the Messiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an house dedicated to the name of the Lorde the which doubtlesse standeth for a perfect figure of the holy Koheleh or Church of the Lorde our God whether misticall in the Congregation of them that serue God after his will declared in his worde or spirituall in the heart and minde of all the faithfull where it pleaseth the holy spirite of discipline to dwell or glorious in heaven of all them that be deliuered from hence and translated into the societie of the celestiall angels An house indeede The Church figured Gen. 3. which none either in heauen or in earth can or must builde or garnish but onely that most holy Messiah and promised Seede And this was prefigured by the womans body betweene whome
true Melchisedek and Melchisalem many yeeres ere hee came into this worlde Neither might this prerogative bee well transferred to any other in regarde of the subiect without some iniurie to your highnes disgrace to the thing and blame to my selfe Thirdly as I was very willing in this sort to manifest the acknowledgement of my deepest debt namely dutifull love and true alleageance to your high Soveraignety so was I no lesse encouraged when I considered that I should present my selfe these my labours not before an Egyptian Pharao as did Moses nor before a Lydian Craesus as did Solon but which I vtter with a most ioyfull heart before the Lords annointed a right Christian King who with King David a man after Gods own heart vouchsaveth sweet audience to the prophet Nathan though he speak without a parable for the preferment of yong Solomon and for Israels cōmon good who al so with K. Iehosophat is desirous to know the wil of God thogh by the simple ministery of poore Micheas finally which with K. Solomon is contented to heare in his own royall person the pleading of 2. women though of base cōdition But now because that godly modestie though in the habite of princely magnanimitie admits not in presence any speeches displaying such your apparant worthinesse I lay my hand on my mouth yeelding many thinges to vnwilling silence the which neverthelesse the most loving affections of all your true-hearted subiects cannot but acknowledge willingly proclaime For we are truly perswaded that as Iehovah graced Noah the righteous with many perfections wonderfully blessed David his annointed with an excellent spirite and adorned K. Solomon with manifold graces as wherby changed into other men the first was miraculously preserved in the great deluge which drowned the olde world that he might be made the happy originall of the new the second powerfully rescued from the Lyon the Beare the hurtfull sworde that he might feede the Lords people and Iacob his inheritance the 3. beautified blessed with an admirable peace that he might build the L. house keep the Lords watch do equitie righteousnes in the midst of his people so hath your high excellēcie found enioyed the like frō the L. that being protected preserved by his holy Angels and established on the Throne of your kingdome ye are with that provident Ianus who behelde all thinges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made worthy the original of a new prosperous peace with the sweet Psalmist ordained a feeder of the L. inheritance after the discretion of your hands with that lovely Laemuel appointed a builder of that holy house a keeper of the watch and the Executioner of righteousnesse and iudgement in the middest of your people And as this is the end of your advancement the Glory of your Throne the peace of your kingdome and the ioy of your people so in the same shall yee truely confirme the love of GOD to your selfe declare your thankefulnesse to his Almightines perform the duty of a most Christian Governour assure your good Subiects of your vnfained amitie embrace their love retaine their loialty and publikely expresse your right Princely Pietie for the honour of God the comfort of his Church the ioy of your people the peace of your heart the safetie of your place the praise of your vertue and the salvation of your soule for this is that which as saith the Apostle hath all the promises both of this life and of the life to come All the which therefore we dayly desire of God in our heartie praiers to be confirmed encreased established and continued in your sacred Maiestie with the abundance of blessings so long as the Sunne and the Moone endureth Thus farre therfore have I adventured on your high person and presence Moreover seeing your Maiestie is not wont to blame your obsequious servant for profering the stay of your stirrop although ye are well able and willing to mount your faire Palfray without any his help I hope that yee will not much blame mee if in this happie accesse to your royal presence after th' example of wise Zorobabel speaking before King Darius and the three Princes of Persia according to my bounden dutie I onely remember you of that promise and vow made to the King of heaven in the day of your Coronation concerning the building of Ierusalem and the reparation of the Temple It is well knowne that our late deceased Noursemother so well learned and approved in all princely pietie did not only repaire and garnish the Lordes house which before her time lay ruinous and defaced as King Hezekiah and other ancient benefactors had don in their daies but having a right good opinion of the faithfull Pastours and painefull Ministers of the worde as sometimes the noble Sunemitish Ladie had of Elisha the man of God shee was wonderfull careful that they shoulde be enhabled to live of the Gospell which they preached in their due honour and therefore shee builte or at the least repaired and appointed not onely one little Chamber but many large houses for them to turne into compassed with strong walles to bee secured in and furnished with beddes to rest on Tables to eate on stooles to sit on and Candlestickes to put light on with all other meete provision and furniture for their studies functions and fare the which also had happily continued without great breaches vntill the day of her death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. lib. 1. Aristoph apud Suid. had not some more expert in Simonides Songes then in Davids Psalmes deceived her trust But as devouring time decayeth houses most strongly built and both estates in all ages by occasions wax blunt so the Lordes house which shoulde first be respected and those Chambers in the next place which should not bee neglected were so empaired that as the former needed the regard of the right owner to support it so the latter the wisdom of the cunning Artificer to edge it Now for that the highest Power hath not onely appointed your royall Maiestie next himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the principall overseer and chiefe Artificer of this great worke But also hath already moved your sanctified minde to consider so religiously of the same wee cannot but acknowledge this divine and gracious benefit with thankefulnes to his high Maiestie and a faithfull hope in holy invocation that your Maiestie may not onely continue zealous and regardfull of that howse but also vouchsafe that those chambers may from time to time bee truely survaighed kept and repaired with the preservation of their pristine and laudable rightes according to the purporte of your mind of pietie therein well declared not for Gehezi the Seller nor for Simon the Buyer nor for the vnworthie hireling But for Elisha that holy man of GOD that so the glorie of the LORDE may fill this house 2. Chro. 7.1.3 and that the people may bow downe their faces and praise the God of Israel
thought it good and no lesse their duties not onely to collect and preserve them but to commit and commende them with the like authoritie to the holy Church Now it remaineth that we also heare and consider what hath beene else resolved concluded and testified by the godly learned and wise men aswell hebrewes as others succeeding them of that age and that not onely before but also sithence the birth death and ascention of the most holy Messiah concerning King Solomon and those his wordes First the auncient hebrewes and Rabins of the Iewes have delivered that Solomon did so much dislike his lustfull delightes and chiefly that sinne of Idolatrie impuâ—ed to him Jn vita pat lib. 7. in prologo in Cap. 1. in that hee tolerated and maintained his strange wives in their abhominations that hee willingly exposed himselfe in person a publike example of repentance throughout the streetes of Ierusalem and woulde also have beene whipped with seaven roddes in that Temple which himselfe had builded had not the learned doctors of the lawe withstood it holding it vnlawfull for them or any others to laye their handes on the Lordes Annointed as David had taught esteeming him not onely their true King but a divine Prophet and holy man of GOD and at this time a person truly repentant for his sinnes whereof they presumed of his pardon and eternall health Next wee finde it testified by the Author of the latter booke of the Chronicles of the kinges of Israel and Iudah Chap. 11. verse 17. that after king Solomon was laide to his fathers Iudah for the time of three yeeres following pleased GOD walking in the waies of David and Solomon not onely of David but also of Solomon noting that although king Solomon walked not perfectly with the Lorde in the time of his trespasses as David walked when hee pleased GOD yet neverthelesse in his latter time hee was reclaimed and walked againe with David as himselfe did in his youth when they both together pleased the Lorde GOD and so in th' end resigned both himselfe repentant and holy vnto God Nota. and the kingdom in the same estate wholy to his sonne Rehoboam for neither was the kingdome as yet divided nor the state of religion altered during the daies of SolomoÌ„s governmeÌ„t according as the L. had de creed promised 1. King 11.12 saying I wil not do it in thy daies Therefore not onely Solomon is combined with good David touching the state of religion the manner of his walking but also it is testified that Rehoboam his son followed the L. also together with theÌ„ of Iudah that scared the L. in the same way full 3. yeeres after Solomons death within the which time it pleased God to fortify the kingdom of Iudah therin to make Rehoboam strong After this the wise Syracides chap. 47.12 among others in his time conceiving wel of this excelleÌ„t person whoÌ„ he esteemed an excelleÌ„t sainct of the L. from whose wise sayings his graÌ„dfather Iesus had collected many his sentences hath carefully and reverently named numbred him among those holy Patriarches fathers of the old testameÌ„t so worthy of praise wherewithall although as a true historiographer in that parte hee hath laide open his sins which els were so apparant as they coulde not be covered yet he extolleth him with many admirable coÌ„meÌ„dations in right consideratioÌ„ giveth not so much as the least aime to any doubtfulnes of either his holines or salvation yea rather he omitted not to say and protest that God forsooke not his mercy meaning that which was promised to David concerning SolomoÌ„ confirmed to SolomoÌ„ accordingly as 1. King 11.39 Neither that he was vtterly destroyed because of his works that he should leaue him no posteritie Fourthly Saint Matthew the Evangelist bringeth in King Solomon in the genealogie of Christ our Saviour together with his mother among those holy fathers of the olde Testament Matt. 1.6 But chiefly the Lorde Iesus himselfe in his profound doctrines and sermons hath not disdained this person but vouchsafed to name him and there-withall to remember not onely the wisdom of King Solomon but also that holy House which he built to the Name of the Lord. And to declare how well he liked the same house he daily taught the people therin shewed them the right vse therof yea hee much disliked that the same should be prophaned by vngodly sinful men therfore assayed to reduce it to his pristin purity when with a whip he drave out both the buyers and sellers saying My house is the house of Prayer for all Nations it was indeede all vnmeet that the thing which was ordayned for a figure of his Church and prepared to so holy an vse should be stayned with mens prophanitie so long as the vse of the figure endured which was vntill the time of the comming of the holy Ghost vnto the Apostles after Christs ascension into the heavens After this that holy Protomartyr Steuen in his answere to the high Priest Actes 7. speaketh right reverently both of Solomon and of his worke and to testifie that the same had yet a further aime then to the ordinary personage or to the worke of other men he addeth But hee that is the highest of all dwelleth not in the Temples made with mens hands alluding to Solomons wordes in the dedication of that house 2. Chro. 6.18 For right well is it said that the very person whome that holy king prefigured dwelt not in that house made with handes howbeit as concerning his power and th'excellent graces of his spirite he is ever present in and with that holy church which Solomons Temple hath prefigured and expressed After all this to passe over the Apostles and their worthie estimation of this person and his workes from the which they have taken and cited argumentes to confirme their doctrins all the ancient fathers of the Nicen Concil Aug. in lib. 17 de civit dei cap. 20. Idem in 2. lib. de doct Christian Ioh. Driedo de Catalo sacr script lib. 2. vide Hieron in extrema visione Ezechiel Ambros super Ecclesiast et in Apolog. David and others both holy and learned in the church have not only gathered received aswel froÌ„ hence as from others monumeÌ„ts of their elders Solomons holines and true repentance but also have esteemed him for a Prophet and in their writings have called him the most wise holy Solomon But were it so that those things did not so plainly appeare in the holy scriptures nor could it be founde in any word or writing of antiquity that Solomon after his transgressioÌ„ did repent coÌ„vert himselfe to the L. what reasoÌ„ what charitie or what wisdom would yet cast into suspeÌ„se the holines salvation of so rare excelleÌ„t a persoÌ„ when there is not extaÌ„t any sufficieÌ„t scripture or warraÌ„t to prove his final prophanity eternall perdition or that hee continued irrepentant vntill his death
in life and behauiour and not to be perfect within as to make shew without and not to be in either conformable to the office and place I haue especially regarded the maner of my walking that it might bee honest worthie and wise that so I might teach both in doctrine and life and not destroye in th' one Psal 109.7 whiles I would seeme to build in the other accounting them that offend herein worthy of that censure which David gaue on such saying His office let another take Moreouer whereas it was the good pleasure of my Lorde the King and the will of my Lorde Zadoke that I should at times minister for my Lorde Zadoke in the seruice of God the King It is well knowne that I haue not presumptuously vsurped nor intruded nor thrust my selfe into presence but being called and commanded beeing well mindfull of the kinges words writtē amōg his wise prouerbs pro. 25.5.6 Put not forth thy selfe in the presence of the King and prease not into the place of great men for better it is that it be said to thee come vp higher then that thou shouldest be placed lower in the presence of the Prince whome thou seest with thine eyes Therefore I haue not béene of that ambitious and arrogant minde But howsoeuer I might bee suspected as faultie or imperfect in place and time I appeale to the Lord and mine owne conscience as yee my Lords haue done If I be guiltie against the king to my knowledge then would I wish that the one might accuse me and the other condemne me in the presence of you all Howbeit letting passe this examinatiō I presume there is some other cause whereof the kings affliction springeth the which I doubt not will in time appeare in the clearing of vs al. For time is that which discloseth secrets reuealeth the truth therefore is worthily called the mother of truth Nor do I thinke that the king suspecteth any of vs in this case for if he did his iealousie would not haue forborne to disclose and vtter the same to any of vs all for he respecteth neither persons nor power nor wealth nor policie such is his wisedome wealth power and the glory of the fearefull God in him zadock the high priest putteth forth his Apology and sheweth what is the function duty of his place Abiather hauing thus spoken for himselfe he at the last giueth place to Zadoke perceiuing how ready willing also he was to say sōwhat in the presēce of the lords * Zadock was a uery graue and reuerend Father and a faithfull Priest of the Lord doing according to his heart and mind in whome the bright Vrim Thumim so shined that no man either suspected him of any fault towardes the king or doubted of his diuine wisedome and singular perfection and therefore neither the Princes required either any examination or further triall of his integritie howbeit the most reuerend father in all humilitie neither refused nor disdained to doe as they had before done in this respect Therfore stāding vp in the midst of thē he spake with great grauity deliberation to this effect My Lords all although it be so that neither any of you hath giuen this offence vnto the king nor may it be that he holdeth any of you faultie in this matter yet am I glad to see and heare how willing and readie ye haue béene with all submission to examine and cleare your selues in this presence And truely howsoeuer ye bee sory for the kings affliction as indéed ye cannot be glad thereof yet may ye reioice in this that ye haue had this fit opportunity by this confession and trial both to cleare your selues of guilt to manifest your integritie and dutifull heartes towardes his Maiestie But howsoeuer it be that any suspicion or surmises may spring of any of your wordes or dealinges ye are happy in this that ye retain a good consiēce to testify in for your selues to the ease and ioy of your heartes then the which there cannot be a greater treasure in this life The guiltie man proposing to his vnderstanding the law which he hath broken The guilty cōscience and transgressed and withall the iudgement and paine ensewing the same being rightly concluded and applied to himselfe hath alwayes dreade carefulnes and sorrowe of heart as who might thus argue Thus saith the lawe but thus haue I done and so transgressed the lawe Ergo I stand to bee iudged and condemned by the same as who shoulde saye shall not that iust God deale with me as I haue deserued and shall not I be plagued in the end for my desert offending against the law of God as others haue beene plagued for the like and shoulde I promise vnto my selfe safetie any way in this my guiltinesse Thus argued Adam when he had broken the law of the Lord thus also Cain when he had murthered his brother Thus the brethrē of Ioseph who had abused and solde him away Thus argued Pharao after that he had threatned Moses and Aaron and would not let the people go thus Saul when hee perceiued Davids innocencie and his owne malice against him and thus Achitophel and such like who in the knowledge of their owne sinnes and the sense of the diuine Iustice concluded a iust condemnation on themselues Adam fearing what wold ensewe hid himselfe in the bushes and yet hee coulde not bee safe opposed as it were to the diuine wrath and all miseries and therefore confessed Gen. 4. that hee was naked and was afraide at the sounde of the Lordes voyce Cain confessed that his sinne was greater then that hee coulde bee pardoned and that the punishment thereof shoulde bee farre beyond his habilitie to beare yea hee saide vnto the Lord Beholde thou hast cast mee out this day from the vpper face of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid fugitiue also and a vagabond shall I bee in the earth and it shall come to passe that every one that findeth mee shall slay me * The sonnes of Iacob seeing they could not bee hidden Gen 42.21 confessed at length their sinne against their brother saying we haue verily sinned against him and therefore are we now troubled And againe fearing what Ioseph woulde doe vnto them after his fathers funeralls they in the terror of minde come and beséech him to forget their iniury against him The king of Aegypt at length confessed and saide vnto Moses and Aaron Exod. 6.27 Indeede the Lord is righteous and I and my people are vngodly On the which he would conclude his conscience condemning him Therefore shall both I and my people be plagued Saul in the agonie of his heart slew himselfe with his owne sworde and Achitophel who had béene a Counsaylor and prouoker of Absolon against his Father his owne conscience condemning him went and hanged himselfe Surely of all the torments vnder the Sunne there is none comparable to an euill
present affliction and extremitie the which they should regarde to mitigate and withstand and whose health and safetie they should tender and maintaine How subiectes may consider of their princes in all loue duty and reuerence of his honor not onely modestly to search out and to know but also wisely to endeuour to remoue or withstand the causes that the vnhappy effects might cease and the dangerous incōueniences be vtterly preuented onely in such sort to that end as the faithfull Phisicians accustome to deale with their pained Patientes or as they which desire to know the griefe of their distressed friendes to the entent either to prouide remedies or to ease them of their griefes for although we know the Kinges misery to be great heare his complaint very wofull ringing in our eares do condole with him with sorrow of mind yet vnlesse wee seeke for the cause consider well thereof and labour with wisedome and that spéedily to ease him of his affliction we shall do iust nothing but shall be rightly likened vnto them which stand gaping and gazing on the prisoners in bandes but neither goe about to deliuer them or to comfort them or like vnto those which seeme to visite the sicke and behold their deadely maladies but purpose neither to helpe or ease them There bee many more which accustome this then that performe the former in our dayes Helioreph * Indeed said Helioreph men should much rather in the sense of their owne faultes be penitent and in the kings offences be silent for as it is against humanity and good maners either to enter into another mans house not inuited or too curiously to obserue another not occasioned so is it much against the duty of a Subiect eyther too narrowly to note the kinges life and behauiour or to talke rashlie of his actions Notwithstanding we sée this that as Kings and Princes liue not so angelically but they offend in some things grieuously and offēding they cannot so conceale all thinges but they are seene noted and the more because they be Kings and Princes so their actions and maners with the behauiour of the whole Court are often more spoken of and censured in the Country among the Commons then either regarded or obserued amongst our selues But as ye haue well saide as cures cannot easily be wrought without first knowledge of the cause of-the griefe so I see not how we may ease the King of this his affliction except wee were certaine how it was occasioned Therefore with the consideration of the present necessitie and fearing the future inconuenience both to the king and to all his people which wee must speedily regarde to preuent in this case and time I thinke that wee his Princes and Counsellors so neare vnto him may lawfully aduenture as yee haue saide without all iust offence to his honor disgrace to his persō hurt to his people glory to his enemies sin against God or danger to our selues Gen. 21.14 Exod. 18.24 Iob. 31.13 1. Sam. 25.18 32 Abraham as we reade hearkened to his wife Sarah Moses gaue eare to his father in law Iethro Iob heard the complaint of his seruants against himselfe Abigail listned to her poore boy and David refused not them that at any time spake to him either for his or their owne good So I trust will the King giue vs audience in this case and the sooner because we are his Counsellors who as hee may well perswade do tender his safetie and haue a desire to counsell aduise endeuor the best in all things * And I remember said Ahiah the David the kinges father was not onely contented Ahiah but also acknowledged it right profitable for his safety that Nathan should both enquire and examine his life and actions 2. Sam. 12.13 also reproue and correct that which he found faulty in him yet say I not that it is meete for euery man to looke into those matters or to meddle in the Princes affaires but for such onely as are especially elected and called and authorized as Nathan was or be in place to consider aid and counsell the king as we are Neither thinke I the kings Maiestie will be exaspered or displeased with any of vs if wee doe the like for the better preseruation of his honor and credit for being wise he will consider the reason and ponder all things indifferently 2. Sam. 16.7 Againe I remember for it is noted in the kinges Annales that Shimei railing on David the kings father called him bloud sucker and man of Belial At the which although David might iustly haue striken him because hee cursed the Lordes Annointed David considering vpon those reprochful wordes what himselfe had before done in the case of Vriah and thereby condemning himselfe as guilty in his owne conscience and withall willing to shew a token of his owne wisedome and clemency would not suffer him to bee striken for his malepertnesse but he said in the anguish of his soule Let him alone for he curseth euen because the Lord hath bidden him curse David who dare then say wherefore hast thou done so How much rather then will the king content himselfe that we his Counsellors doe with a farre better mind and purpose for the honour and health of his Maiesty and preseruation of his people consider of the thinges that bee his and séeke to redresse or amend that which is amisse But therein let vs follow the example of Shem and Iaphet Shem Iaphet Gen. 9.23 the sonnes of Noah when they perceiued that Cham had vncouered him mocked him for they turning their faces from their fathers nakednes came towards him as backward and couered the same with their owne garments For it is not entended that the Kings secrets be displayed or published to his ignomy for it is not good to vtter the secrets of a Prince but onely that they may be knowne to our selues for the causes premised and that those thinges which are either knowne abroad already or may be knowne hereafter and whereof his aduersaries beholding and obseruing the same may giue their sharpe censures against his Maiestie and his wordes and works with maligne and malitious mouthes may be wisely considered of well construed reconciled resolued and salued or at the least the extremitie of those inconueniences ensuing these vnhappy causes may bee in some sort preuented * And verily I suppose there is somewhat conceited of himselfe and his owne workes for it is not long sithens I heard him to say and that with great wofulnes that hee loathed his owne life and then looking on the workes which his hands had wrought being indeede many and mighty and on the trauels that hee had taken the which yet farre passed the labours of other men hee confessed that all was but vanitie and vexation of the spirite whereby I was presently moued to suspect something in the kinges owne person and to doubt of some of his workes and deedes the
kingdome of Israel and that also not Absolon nor Adoniah nor Amnon nor any other of Davids sonnes begotten and borne before this time but only Solomon his sonne borne of Bethseba after the pardon granted him should build an house for his name vnto whō he would be as a father to his sonne * Al these things the princes gladly heard to the same subscribed most willingly knowing well both the truth of the kinges petigree and the honour of his noble birth zabud And thereupon spake Zabud and said It séemeth good to me The seuerall names of the King that with this which hath beene saide wée regard those titles and names by the which it pleased the Lord that the king should be called knowne and honoured the which truly haue not bin imposed rashly as many which giue names without respect of the Natures dignity or qualityes of the persons but with great wisedome iudgement and prouidence as were those names of Adam Havah Noah Abraham Lot Abel Sarah Isaack Israel Samuel David and such other which haue had their approbation from the Lord and expressed or taught or remembred some worthy thing In this sort the King hath had and enioyed fiue particular names and names of honor two of the which were imposed by the Lord himselfe the third by Nathan the fourth by his Mother and the last hée resumed by th'approbation of his Lordes In or concerning any of the which names he hath no cause ministred him to be displeased except onely in this that he hath tried himselfe bring a mortall man not answerable in all points to the same knowing it a thing most ridiculous for any person whatsoeuer to bee noted or called by such a title or name of the which hee shal bee found most vnworthy For the first we haue it recorded what the Lord God said to David concerning him he shal be my sonne Secondly he said againe touching him his name is Solomon 2 Sam 7.14 1. Chro. 22.9 Thirdly the prophet Nathan called him Iedid-iah The sonne of God Fourthly his Mother called him Laemuel and fifthly he is called Koheleh In that he is called the Sonne of God and that by God himselfe it giueth vs to consider in him somewhat beyond that which is found to be in other men For they are not of the common sort to whome the Lord vouchsafeth this high title Such are they which resembling the holy Angels haue not only the brightnes of the diuine glory apparāt in them but also are euer willing and ready to execute his pleasure In that he is called Solomō 2. Solomon it noteth the peace of his gouernmēt ouer Gods people according to the reason which the Lord added saying he shal be a man of rest and I will send peace and rest vpon Israel in his dayes In the third name the prophet would expresse not only the loue of God vnto him 3. Iedid-iah but also the loue of God his diuine graces in him to the which alluded the Arabian Quéene at her being here when shee said blessed be the Lord thy God which loued thee hath set thee on the throne of Israel In the fourth his Mother beeing a wise and rare Princesse 4. Laemuel 5. Coheleth woulde by that name signifie the glory of God in him and by him in the people In the last is testified the diligence and desier that the king hath not onely to search out and gather together for his owne further instruction the auntient monuments and holy bookes but also a people vnto the Lord to bee instructed and taught in the holy Religion for the glory of God and their owne health Teaching withall what should be the desier of all Princes in their places namely in this sort to tend to the end of their gouernment and rule Therefore finding rather an honour then an ignomy to grow from hence vnto the king Wee say as the kings daughter said in that excellent song Thy name is a sweet smelling oyntment when it is powred foorth Therefore do the virgins love thee CAP. X. Of Solomons person and estate forme beauty education wisedome c. wherof the cause of his griefe could not rise THen stoode foorth Ahishar and saide Truely my Lordes whatsoeuer hath beene here produced and spoken in the premisses maketh very much euery way for the kings honour and estimation Ahishar and therfore I perceiue not what shoulde thereof be gathered to offende him Neither can I finde any thing worthie dislike in any other points which concerne either his person or his estate for his forme and beautie his education his wisdome his iudgements his words his riches his works his peace his orders of house his pleasures his power his marriage his blessinges his fame his glory c. the king is most excellēt Solomon his beautie Homer singularly renowned as al men wil confes I remēber that looking on a certaine Booke of the Poet Melesigenes who liued and wrote in the time of our iudges among the Greekes I found where he had giuen an exceeding high praise to the forme and beautie of Priamus the Troyan Priamus the which in him as he saide was wel worthy a kingdome so faire was he The same Poet hath also spoken largely of one Nireus Nireus being the fairest of all them which came to Priamus his Pallace though hee had scarcely any worthy quality either of body or mind And in our own Records we haue the praise of the form and beauty of Saul the sonne of Cis whom Samuel annointed King ouer Israel Saul 1. Sam 9.2 that he was a goodly youngman and faire So that among the chidren of Israel there was none goodlier then he from the shoulders vpward he was higher then all the other people And we here present for the most part can say much of Absolon the kinges brother namely that in his time there was none in all Israel so much to bee praised for beautie Absolon 2. Sam. 14.25 from the seale of his foote to the top of his head there was no blemish in him And had his qualities beene to the same correspondent oh God how glorious might he haue beene And further we finde that Ioseph and Moses and Aaron and David haue beene praised in this respect But yet beyond them all looking with iudgement on our Lord the King and seeing howbewty is displayed in his royal person we cannot but acknowledge that for truth which the kings father said to him when he beheld him in his beautye Farre fairer then the sonnes of men art thou Cant. 5.9 Although all these things did properly belōg so were to be referred to the holy Messiah yet were they first spoken as of Solomon who in his person prefigured him as it is more fully declared hereafter And this the noble Princesse considered and sung of him He is both white ruddy the chiefest of thousands ten His head is as fine gold his
locks are curled blacke His eyes are like the Doues vpon the water streames Which are all waste with milke byde full vessels by His cheekes be like spice bedds as the sweetest flowers His lippes are Lillies like that drop the purest mirrhe His hands as ringes of gold with Chrisolite beset His belly yuory white with Saphires garnisht brave His legges as marble pillers on golden sockets set His looke as Libanon as Cedars excellent His mouth as sweetned thinges lovely all is hee Howsoeuer this was spoken as aiming mistically far beyond the Kings person It hath doubtles been applied to our Soueraign without adulation in whom their appeareth some especial grace yea the very image of the diuine nature beyond that hath been perceiued in any other man But were it that he had felt or vnderstood some defects in these external things yet see I not how he might be offended knowing well that he is but a mortall man that whatsoeuer is wanting in the body may bee supplied that to the vttermost by the graces of the minde the which the Lorde more respecteth then the beautie of the body as he said to Samuel when he sent him to annoint David for king moreouer he hath well tryed it and therof hath said it in iudgement that fauour is deceitfull and that beauty is a thing vaine therfore hath not béene of the mind to set his felicitie therein * To this also assented the Princes extolling and praising to the cloudes the most angelicall forme and beautie of the King Benaiah And forth with Benaiah beckning with his and proffered his speach and saide Neither indeed may the kinges education Solomon his eductaion or the manner thereof offend him as Ahishar hath saide for neuer any in this world hath beene better taught and brought vp as towching the feare of God and all princely and heroicall vertues For to this end king David had prouided him most wise and godlie teachers as namelie Nathan Gad Asaph and such other the Lordes prophets and wise men whom he had diuinelie inspired and sent forth yea king David himselfe being a man after Gods owne mind for his heauenlie songes and melody called the sweete Singer of Israel and the Lordes annointed and also his mother Quéene Beth-saba a most prudent and virtuous Ladie as it is before said and either of them haue very carefully taught and scholed him in the feare of the Lord and the right princelie virtues At whose knees he stood and was glad and ready to receaue both instruction and correction And thus himselfe acknowledgeth saying When I was my fathers deare sonne and tenderlie beloued of my mother he taught me also and saide vnto me pro. 4.3 let thine eare receiue my words kepe my commaundements and thou shalt liue Get thee wisdome and get thee vnderstanding forget not the wordes of my mouth and shrinke not from them c. Againe in his latter time ready to depart he left with him this direction 1 king 2.2 Be thou strong and shew thy selfe a man kepe thou the watch of the Lord thy God that thou walke in his waies kepe his statuts his precepts his iudgements and his testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses that thou maist prosper in all that thou doest and in every thing that thou medlest withall c. And this was his mothers lesson when shee taught and nourtured him pro. 31.1 What my sonne what the sonne af my body and what O my dearely beloued sonne Giue not over thy strength thy waies vnto womē which are the destructiō of kings O Laemuel it is not for kinges it is not I say for kinges to drinke wine nor princes strong drinke lest they by drinking forget the law and pervert the iudgement of all poore mens children Againe be thou an advocate for the dumbe to speake in the cause of all such as be succourlesse in this transitorie world open thy mouth defend the thing that is lawfull and right and the cause of the poore and helpelesse Lo such lessons hath his mother taught him so well beseeming I say not a child but a prince and excellent well fitting so beautifull a body from the which virtues are wont to shine as those pretious stoanes which are placed in goodlie Kinges of Gould But beyond all this the Lord his God which loued him and vouchsafed to call him his Sonne did extend vnto him the effect of a fathers office aboue that which earthly fathers are able to do or performe towards their children for he nurtured him by his spirit not onelie in the day time but by the nightes also And in this he acknowledged the great loue and mercie of God towards him as in his wise Prouerbs it is to be learned Lo thus was king Solomon educated and instructed in his tender yeares of the which he yet sauoureth euen in these his elder dayes to his double honour and the consolation of Israel * Therefore I see not that the king should be hereof offended except onely in this that he hath not in his owne cōceit answered in some pointes to this his education and instruction but let that alone to be considered of hereafter To this the Princes did also accord and then rose vp Adomiram and spake as followeth Adoniram Neither wanteth the king the excellencie of wisedome Solomon his wisedome by the which he goeth out and in before the people to iudge and gouerne this great multitude to teach all others the true wisdome This is that which being prized no man can tell the worthinesse thereof as Iob hath said thereof neither is it found in the land of the liuing it cannot be bought for gould nor may the price thereof be obtained with siluer No gold of Ophir no pretious Onyx stoans nor Saphyres may be valued with it for this is the highest Treasure of a king yea and the same without the which a king is vnfurnished of that he ought to haue and so méere vnfit for the place of gouernmēt but hauing this one iewell in possession he is sufficientlie armed not onely to do iustice and to defend them which are at home but also to withstand and subdue the enemies which Eccles 7.9 are abroad for Wisdome is much better then weapons of warre and giueth courage vnto thē that imbrace hir This the king by Gods good grace considered in his yong yeares 1 King 3.9 4.29 and therefore this was that only thing which he desired of the Lord whē he was willed to aske whatsoeuer hee would haue hee should haue it and therefore the Lord being well pleased with his desire gaue him wisdome and a large heart even as the sand that is by the sea shoare without number or measure By the which the king was most wise and therein is preferred before all those famouse men of the East Country which haue so farre excelled other men both in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
greater that way then all his Predecessors hauing a dominion ample and large with a princely prouision of all sorts of things both for the defence and maintenance of the same in all partes And for the better guard of his Royal person as the young Princesse noted when shee beheld and wisely considered in her Cant. 3.7 About the bed of Solomon there stand Ful threescore valiant men of sturdiest might Of Israel with glittering swords in hand Expert in warre him to defend by right Therein alluding to that which the kinges Father had modulated for the king in that swéete psalme 45. Gird now thy sword vpon thy thigh O prince of fame According to the worship and the glory of thy name And prosper in thy glee ride forth with glad successe Because of that thy word of truth meekenes and righteousnes Thy right hand forth shall tell the things of dreadful strength Thy sharpened shafts the people shall to thee subdue at length Yea though that they for safety should themselues bring Into the midst inuiron'd with th' enemies of the king To be briefe His blessings wonderfull are the blessinges wherewith the almighty hath graced our King for hee hath beene blessed beyound all other kinges on the earth aswell with thinges spirituall and heauenly as with those which are temporall and terrene according to that promise in the law made for such as be obedient Deut. 28. 2. Sam. 7. 1. King 3. according to that word of the Lord giuen to David concerning him and according to the that the Lord his God granted him when he had praied for wisedome to go out and in before his people In a word his blessinges are an astonishment to all the nations of the world vnto whom the fame of his Excellency hath gone forth This conioyned him in amitie with K. Hyram of Tyre His fame and glory and with Pharao king of Egypt this brought vnto him from the vttermost partes of the earth the famous Quéene of Arabia and many others and hee was in glory resplendent before all the kinges or Princes that euer raigned before him whereby many seeing and bearing of him thinke that they see or heare not a terrene or mortall Creature but a celestiall and diuine power And what should the king desire more Gen. 3. nothing at all except he would bee God as Adam thought to be But I am sure the king is not of that haughtie conceite of himselfe yea I haue obserued this that howsoeuer all these thinges haue beene excellent and aboundant in him as a Crowne of gold beset with pretious stones Solomon was not proude of his gifts and graces on the head of a most beautifull body yet did he neuer waxe proud or vaine glorious thereof as worldly men accustome when hauing a little beyond the ordinarie measure of some others of wisedome riches pleasures power policie or prosperitie do loue and like to sooth prayse and commend themselues resēbling the Pecocke which swelleth in the view of his painted plumes notwithstanding their humaine imperfections yet this is not al but thinking so highly of themselues they contemne others and endeuour in loath and disdaine to treade them vnder their feete Thus I say hath not the king at any time done but rather hee acknowledged his mortall humanity and his great ignorance and want of wisedome yea his base séely glory in respect of the supreme excellency eternity knowledge wisedome and glory of the almighty with the which when he had compared himselfe all his noble endewmentes hee found himselfe with the same iust nothing To this assented the Princes and found no cause in those thinges premised whereof the king should be offended CHAP. XII Of Solomons comming to the kingdom of Israel his proceeding against Adoniah and Abiather the priest is iustified AFter this Zadok the Priest who had thus farre listened to the wordes of the Princes stoode vppe and spake to this effect Indéede my Lords I sée not as yet that from any of those thinges whereof yee haue spoken to be in the king and his Estate any iust occasion is ministred him of his present affliction except it be in this that knowing the largenes of Gods bounties towardes him he either hath not satisfied the Lords expectatiō in the vse of those thinges or cannot as hee would shew himselfe gratefull enough And it may be that besides the premisses some question hath been or may be moued touching the kinges entrance into the kingdome of Israel wherein some especially they which stand to defend the cause of Adoniah Abiather and Ioab with others their confederates against the king imagine that he hath and doth rather vsurp and tyranize then that he hath lawfully attained and raigned and therin not answered to his name Solomon which is to say peaceable or a peacemaker But howsoeuer it be surmised or imagined by such kind of persons it is most certaine that the kings entrance with the meanes and manner thereof was both lawfull right and his gouernment therein may be neither condemned nor iustly reproued but rather iustified and commended of all wise and discreet persons King Solomon although he had a promise of the Soueraignty both of the Lord and also of his father he did not presume to vsurpe on the kingdome as Absolon wold haue done when aspiring he lifted vp his hand against his owne father the Lords Annointed Nor would hee do as Adoniah did Sol. was not an vsurper on the kingdome who was extolled and proclaimed king euer Israel in the life time of his father without the consent goodwill or knowledge of the king or of the Quéen The king our Soueraigne Lord knew better what was meet to be done bee remembred how his father dealt towards Saul the king namely that albeit hee knew Saul to bee reiected of the Lord and that himselfe was already annointed to succéede him in the kingdome of Israel he would dot preuent the time that God had appointed nor would he lay his hand on him beeing in his place the Lords annointed although he had many opportunities offered him therto for hee might easily haue slain him both in the Caue and in other places without his owne bodily danger But the king as hee was ordained for the kingdome by the diuine prouidence and the discretion of his father so also he entred by a lawfull and worthie meane and in the due time For King David knowing well the mind of the Lord who had promised him that there shoulde one of his seede sit on his Seate after him and his name should bee Solomon made a faithfull promise vnto Quéene Bethseba the Kinges mother 1. King 1.11.30 that according to the word of the Lord this his Son which was called Solomon should surely raigne after him and shoulde sit vpon his throne therfore as it is also recorded in the kings Annales when that king David being waxen olde and enféebled had heard by the report of the
Kinges Mother and Nathan that Adoniah had proudly vsurped and that this Solomon his beloued sonne and choson heire apparant was to bee taken for a sinner in Adoniah his sight contrary to the Kinges promise made and confirmed by an oath to Bethseba and NathaÌ„ in that behalfe David was very highly displeased with Adoniah and sware againe vnto Bethseba saying 1 King 1.29 As the Lorde liveth who hath redeemed my soule out of al adversity that as I sware vnto thee by the Lord God of Israel saying assuredly Solomon thy sonne shall raigne after me and he shall sit upon my throne in my place so will I certainly do this day Whereupon King David commanded mee and Nathan the Lordes prophet to annoint his sonne Solomon King ouer Israel euen whiles that David liued the which wee both faithfully performed Wherat David then greatly reioiced and praised the Lord vpon his bedde and he said Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath made one to sit on my throne this day even in my sight Therefore this thing being so diuinely prouided and handled in al pointes so directly no man may iustly reproue it neither may the King in the due consideration thereof now in his elder daies either repent thereof or be touched with sorrowe in his heart Nor may wee otherwise thinke but that the Lord of Israel louing well his people hath set our Lord the King on the seate of his Father to do equity and righteousnes in the same 1 King 10. Solomons proceeâ—ings against Adoniah as the noble Queene of Sheba at her beeing heere right worthily testified and as a prophitesse in that behalfe blessed the Lord and the King in the same Moreouer I haue not found that my Lord the king hath merited blame or dislike in any his dealinges touching his said brother Adoniah who had so vniustly exalted himselfe as an Eagle in the clouds of heauen against his honour for truly contrary to the wonted vse of worldly Princes and potentates which cannot easily permit or beare a coÌ„petitor of the kingdome he did not rashly or seuerely execute displeasure of Adoniah but being perfect wise of a most royal heart and of noble Lyons nature perceiuing him to stand infeare of him to submit himselfe to his gratious mercy on the grouÌ„d he gladly pardoned him with this saying that not so much as one haire of his head shoulde fall to the earth if he would thenceforth shew himselfe a worthie man and so commanded him to goe to his house in peace and to rest himselfe so long as wickednes might not be found in him No doubt the king remembred that worthy example of Ioseph so ful of piety who notwithstaÌ„ding the great iniury his brethren had done him Gen. 50.20 did vpon their submission and request forgiue and forget all yea he was so farre from reuenging that iniury that he said fear not now will I nourish you and your children and he comforted them and spake kindly vnto them * Thus farre procéeded Zadoke Benaiah and then Benaiah because he was not onely an eye witnesse but also an actor therin stood forth said And al this do I perfectly remeÌ„ber being especially called appointed by king David together with your reuerence and Nathan the Prophet to deale for the king in those high matters the which I doubt not but NathaÌ„ would also confirme if he were present and therein commend and praise that noble magnanimity ano rare clemency of the king extended towardes his capitall enemy at such his entraÌ„ce into the kingdome when as beeing not yet so perfectly setled scarcely knowing his friendes from his foes hee might rather haue feared the euent of such a dangerous manumission pardon Solomon was not willing to revenge an iniury It appeared that the gratious king was not only glad to pardoÌ„ him which had submitted himselfe and promised obedieÌ„ce but also carefull to eschew all colour or suspicion of tyranny or cruell dealing euen to an aduersary Some Princes and mightie persons in such cases are seuere persecutors euen to the death of them which haue neuer so little offended them although neither they haue nor can possibly hurt them and such as the king well knoweth are more hurtfull to their owne territories then the brute creatures are to such as neuer hurt or annoied them The Dolphin Fish Wee find of the Sea-Dolphins of whose nature the king hath spoken among other beastes and Fishes that if perchance they find a dead man in the seas they feele by the smell of him whether hee hath euer eaten of Dolphin Fish the which if at any time he hath then they deuoure him if not then they defend him from the biting of all other Fishes and bring him to the shoare as it were to his funeralles in the earth Lo although theis Sea-beasts doe by nature reuenge any iniurie yet are they farre off from the persecuting of him that neuer hurt or annoyed them howbeit such is mans cruelty and commonly the vse of mighty persons that they persecute and hurt them grieuously of whome they neuer receiued nor are like to receiue any dammage at all Wherein they righgtly resemble the wolfe which quarrelled with the Lambe and tooke an occasion to kill and deuour him because he drank beneath him in the riuer But as I said albeit it had beene but a iust thing in the king to haue reuenged that iniury yet was hee more mercifull and gentle to his foes to whome in steede of death deserued zadoke hee pardoned and them preserued * Yee haue well saide quod Zadoke and thus shoulde Adoniah haue well remembred and considered accordingly and not haue attempted further matter to prouoke the Kings displeasure and turne mercy into iustice against his owne life But seeing that hee woulde not continue thankefull vnto his Grace but renewe his old malice and thereby worke to supplant the Lordes Annointed I see no reason why the King shoulde further spare him to the danger of his own safetie Therefore I verily belieue that the king hath hath not offended either against God or the lawe in that hee afterward perceiuing the wickednes and ambitious practises of Adoniah Benaiah did cause him to bee rewarded with death And well worthie said Benaiah for notwithstanding the King had most gratiously pardoned him and charged him thereon in my hearing to bee conteyned within his owne house hee yet presumed too boldely to come foorth and most malepertly to rush into the Queenes Chamber after Davids death in such sorte that shee was therewith wonderfully afraide of him neither coulde shee easily bee perswaded that hee beeing her mortal enemy though now subdued would either wish her well or entend her any good For as enemies are not to bee trusted notwithstanding their faire faces and wordes so beyond others had she a great cause to doubt of Adoniah who as she wel knew bare her a deadly hatred for that by her means
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
your soules Wherefore as his most excellent Maiestie hath rightly cōdemned Ioab and thereon commaunded him to bee executed according to the law in this case prouided and the charge that David gaue him a little before hee fell a sleepe so can wee not but worthily approue his iudgementes iustifie his proceedings and perswade that as thereby hee hath remoued away euill form his kingdom and house so neither hath he taken thereof any occasion of this great heauines wherewith he now languisheth for Ioab as ye know was not onely a wicked murtherer proud enuious and ambitious of honor but also stubborne and rebellious against the king a conspiratour with Adoniah the kings enemie perfidious treacherous seditious and couetous and in a word replenished with many vices where with hee was distained to the dishonor of our religion the daunger of our king the euill example of the nobles and the shame of himselfe Yee haue well spoken saide all the other Princes and Lordes And indéede this is not strange for wee our selues haue oftentimes seene and wel obserued that the vngodly and irreligious persons though long forborne and suffered to sinne yea and to wallow in impieties saying vnto themselues peace and all is well yet sodainly as holy Iob said they descend downe to the hell neither shal their pompe follow thē for glutted with prosperitie inveterated in malice hardened in heart and farre off from true repentance they euen prouoke the diuine power to powre on them that which they haue iustly merited in their abhominations And truely this is one of those thinges which follow man ordinary course and semblable succession in the world But to speake of Ioab we know that the kinges father having the spirite of Iehovah his God taught him how intollerable the sufferance of such a member as Ioab was should bee esteemed in his wisedome which much better were to bee expelled and abandoned of the people then that hee should bee the occasion of conspiracies and seditious in the common State remembring this beyond many other his mischiefes that hee had embrued his sword which hung on his loines in the bloud of a friend as if he had beene his enemie in the open fielde And now againe he euen bewraied himselfe openly as priuie to the new conspiracie of Adoniah who aspiring the second time to the kingdom of Israel sought to obtain to wife Abisag K. Davids last bedfellow for his conscience condemning him he fled frō the kings face and tooke hold as ye haue said of the horns of the Altar howbeit being a man wise acquainted with the law he might haue known that a volūtary murtherer or traitor was not to be protected in that place moreouer if he had alleadged that seeing the kings pleasure was to slay him indéed yet he would die in that holy place as before the Lord yet he might know for certaintie that the place shold be nothing profitable vnto him there to die seeing that for his impietie he was not worthy there to be interred amōg his fathers whereof all such are worthily depriued which are executed by an ordinary sentēce iudgemēt of law as execrable malefactors And in very déed wherfore shold such persōs as in their profanitie neither feare God nor loue his house nor care for his Altar nor regarde his diuine Seruice nor seeke to honour him in their liues presume so much on his house on his Altar on his tabernacle and Sanctuarye as either there to be protected or there to rest their wandring bones For as the Castle of Syon spewed out the halte and the blinde that David and such as retained both Vrim and Thumim might lodge and dwell there so the Lordes hill the Lordes tabernacle and his holy house is built prouided and prepared for them onely which feare and serue him in singlenes of heart all the daies of his life Then Banaiah proceeded saying The proceedings of the K. against Shimei 1. Kings 2.8 The like may be resolued concerning that iudgement which was giuen and executed on Shimei the sonne of Gera the sonne of Gemini of Bahurim whom the king commanded me to strike I speak not this my Lords to excuse my selfe of crime as guiltie in that action although I may not want my iustification therein but in regard of the equity of the cause For it is not vnknown vnto you and to many others that yet remaine aliue how that Shimei for getting himselfe and his oath with the reuerence hee should haue yeelded king David cast stones at him and at his seruants and withall railed at him and cursed him being the Lords annointed with an horrible curse in the day when he went to Mahavim and thus he said in great envy malice pride and contempt of the king euen to the king himselfe The railing wordes of Shimei 2. Sam. 16.5.6 Come forth come forth thou bloodshedder thou mā of Belial The Lord hath brought vpon thee all the bloud of the house of Saul in whose steede thou hast raigned and the Lord hath delivered the kingdome into the hand of Absolon thy sonne And behold thou art come to thy mischiefe because thou art a man of bloud Such words spake Shimei and so misdemeaned he himselfe euen against king David and his seruants Howbeit David was then contented to forbeare to reuenge this iniury on him although there wer standing about him that offered to go and to take away his head yea and afterward when he came and submitted himselfe to David he promised him rest from his hand neither woulde he strike him in all his daies Neuerthelesse he left the consideration therof to Solomon his Sonne whom he wel knew the Lord had inspired with a princely Spirit and noble mind and therefore could not be ignorant how to deale and behaue himselfe in these and such like causes And so likewise our Lord the King beeing as mercifull as he was wise did not in all the hast set on wicked Shimei to recompence that abuse he gaue to his father but first he called him and remembered him of his vnreuerent behaviour towards the Lords annointed thē he willed him to build him an house in Ierusalē to dwelm not to aduenture abrode said Be thou sure that the day that thou goest out and passest over the river Cedron thou shalt dye and thy blood shal be on thine owne head To the which Shemei gaue answer This saying is good As my Lord the King hath said so will thy servant doe By which wordes as he cleared and iustified both the king and his proceedings so did hee both iudge and condemne himselfe if he kept not that commandement of the king And yet we may not imagine but that he granted further then that he had any desire to performe as those which being endangered vow and promise many thinges more then euer they purpose to pay the danger beeing once past and that hee thus promised more for dread punishment then for any loue
or willingnes he had to obey the kinges commandement as those men of Belial which forbeare to sinne openly more for feare of the rod of Iustice then for any loue or reuerence of godly vertues Moreouer Shemei might haue considered as hee was subtle and craftie enough that men suspected are euer obserued and therefore such should be very heedfull not onely of committing the fact but of all pretence and shew of that which is euill Howbeit as he that is euill by nature doth euer presume in his euill without the reuerent feare of either God or man How Shemei was brought into the snare in his time as one garded secured in the foolish conceit of his own humor so Shemei either forgetting or little regarding any of those thinges premised passed foorth of Ierusalem the place wherein he was commanded to stay and went to Geth to Achis pretending to seeke for and to fetch home two of his Seruantes which were some little time before that runne away from him In the which presumption he could not escape a vehement suspicion of practising some lewd matters with the Philistines against the peace and gouernment of the king whome hee euer envied and closely assaied to reduce the kingdome from the house of David which the Lord God had chosen vnto the posterity of Saul whom the Lord had reiected But behold whiles Shemei went forth in his greedy ambition to finde and fetch home his seruants he lost and ouerthrew himselfe For thus by the diuine preuidence which holdeth them not guiltlesse that either touch his annointed or curse and maligne their father mother howsoeuer the seruants of Shemei faulted in their going from him and he had a iust pretence to reclaime them an occasion was rightly ministred in this time of his iudgement to cast him as guiltie into the kinges danger as whereby the king might euen in this though vpon a fresh occasion perform the word of his father David administer true iudgement and yeeld that deserued recompence to that rebellious beast Now my Lords it is apparant as ye see that Shemei though a person of great place could neither be iustified nor defended in such his impieties for why to recapitulate his crimes he was most proud and malitious a rayler seditious perfidious an infringer of oath a lyar and a couetous wretch for hauing wealth beyond his worthines he was thereof puffed vp both against God and his Soueraign enuying the regimēt of David and his prosperitie he cursed the Lords annointed with a most horrible curse against the law and the equitie of the kings cause he moved the people to rebellion against David and his house from whome hee assaide to translate the Scepter he was vntrustie and treacherous to his Lorde whome with all faithfulnesse hee shoulde haue serued in discharge of his duetie Hee had broken his oathe which hee had made to God and the King departing most presumptuouslye from the Cittie of Ierusalem wherein hee had vowed to contain himselfe Hee had scandalized the Lordes annointed most egregiouslye and more hee regarded his owne priuate lucre and gaine in fetching home his Seruantes which were departed and drawing thinges vnlawfully to himselfe then the kings manifest and expresse commandement and therfore in respect of th' one he too boldly transgressed the other Wherefore the king sitting in the seate of the Lord gaue vpon him most iustly the sentence of death and withall commanded me the captaine of his gard to execute the same accordingly whereof the king in my iudgement or any other his true subiects neede not to be sory or displeased To this the Princes answered with one mouth And truly in our iudgements as the king being most wise hath done iust iudgemēt therein so shold he not only be iustified but also commended for the same of as many as either heare or consider thereof Thus indeed hath K. Solomon rightly recompenced his dangerous enemies by the prouidence help of the power diuine For doubtles this is the Lords doing who loueth righteousnes and hateth iniquity as the kings father did sing therfore as he defendeth the iust that feare him in their iustice Psal 45. so he ouertaketh the vngodly that dishonour his high maiestie in their mischieuous deuises and casteth them downe Thus the cankred old serpent whiles he purposed and had subtly plotted not only to deceiue but to destroy that noble mankind in Paradise was by Gods vpright iudgement worthily condemned to the deepest hell and so the blessed Seede of the Woman whom hee had beguiled and thought to kill did in the end confounde both him and his kingdome To this might we adde the tragecall examples of enuious Cain whō the Lord God execrated exiled from the earth for his savage villany against his brother being a righteous man Also of that proud and tyrannous Codorlaomor and those other profane princes which had captiued iust Lot which princes therefore our Father Abraham worthily smote and discomfited of hard hearted Pharao and those cruel Aegyptians who were ouerwhelmed in the red-sea when they verily presumed to haue subdued and vtterly rooted out our fathers Of those cursed Chananites whom the Lord prostrated to the powerfull hand of his seruant Iosuah of the peruerse and hateful Philistines whom Sampson the Nazarite plagued in the spirit of Iehovah of the mōstrous Goliah the Gyant of Geth whom the kinegs father being yet but a yong man and tender slew cut off his head with his own sword of vnnaturall Absolō the kings elder brother who had practised to supplant his father being lawful king who by the iust vengeance from the highest was hanged on a trée by the hair of his head as he rode throgh the woods and beyond some others th' example of that trecherous and rebellious Achitophel a chiefe Counsailor of Absolon is yet fresh in memory who seeing that his crafty and impious counsell was not affected to his desier strangled himselfe with his owne handes Many more fearefull spectacles of the semblable iudgements wee find extant not onely with vs within those his highnes dominions but els where among the Gentiles and euery where to the terror and astonishment of the Sonnes of men but yet to the consolation and vnspeakable ioy of the righteous Wherein is verified that which the kings father hath modulated in his holy songes The wicked haue I seene most strong and plac'd in high degree In wealth and stoare faire florishing much like the lawrell tree But sodainly he past him hence and prisoned was in hell Nor could I find within a whiles the place where he did dwell But as for iust and perfect men the Lord them doth encrease Who have from him them to content great ioy with rest and peace Againe the Lord protects the iust his wealth his life his lot When wicked men are dawnted with the shaftes themselves had shot Oh blessed therefore Godly men preseru'd by God your King But woe yee wicked in your
rather then we would yeeld to the mischief we should choose to die as Moses Iosuah Gedeon Samson David haue well resolued for the glory of God the wel-fare of the people Neuerthelesse the kings father to confirme the former hath plainely prophisied that the heathen shall furiously rage psal 2.1 and the people shall imagine a vaine thing the kings of the earth shall stand vp the Rulers shall take counsaile together against the Lord and against his Annointed Abiather And not doubt saide Abiather king David hath pointed therein to some great trouble intended to the holy Messiah at his comming of whom we haue gathered the kings father hath beene before ordained a figure whose troubles therefore as wee all know haue not béene small but wonderfull great inforced against him by them whom he neuer iniured nor iustly offended yea and that not by meane persons but by kings Princes Rulers and Potentates of the earth Against the which notwithstanding the Almightie hath defended and deliuered him to the shame and confusion of all his enemies which haue now no cause left them to triumph against him And so I doubt not but howsoeuer the rage and fury of the aduersaries shall be against the Lords holy Messiah he shall for all that bée mightily protected he shall tread downe the head of his enemies and prosper in his deuises But God grant that neither our Princes nor Priests nor Prophets nor people be appointed the actors or executioners of this heynous Tragedie against the holy Messiah then might not the King be sory nor the people bée destroyed in time to come for the committing of so heynous an action CAP. XVII Zadoke speaketh of the fourth cause of King Solomons trouble viz. of Bethsabe and Nathan KIng Solomons Princes being willing to heare what Zadok could yet further say in the causes of the kings trouble vrged on and sayde Wee haue heard what yée haue said touching the Queene of Shaba Now let it please you most reuerend Father to proceede to declare vnto vs the fourth Cause the which as ye sayd did rise of the Kings most noble mother and of Nathan the Prophet Indeed said Zadok there hath no meane sorrow inuaded the kings mind of late occasioned by those two noble persons howbeit not that either of thē hath in thought word or déed hurt or offended him but that by their death bee is depriued of them For as they were such as he wonderfully loued affected and fauoured Naturall affection sorroweth for the departure of friends so they were no lesse profitable and comfortable to his state and honor in their liues Wee see that very nature prouoketh men yea the very wisest and holiest men to bee sadde and to lament the departure of other men especially of their fathers mothers brethren sisters kinsfolkes and friends for in them they see not onely the horrour of death the dissolution of soule and body that the same which was lately liuing is now dead and that which was a man is become a senselesse carkesse and very earth to the terror and horror of all mortall men which are taught therein to know their owne condition and nature but also that they must now depart one from another the father from his sonne the mother from her daughter the brother from his brother the friend from his friend and both man and woman from all his and her acquaintance and familiars of this life Therefore when the king speaketh of death by the which a man is resolued into dust from whence he was taken he saith also Eccles. 12 that The Mourners goe about the streetes Againe that men mourne for the dead seuen dayes Wherefore our father Abraham although he knew right wel that Sarah his wife being dead Gen. 23.1.2 was freed from all the miseries of this life whereto all persons that heere liue are subiect and was assured by his faith that she being a true beleeuer should rise againe to eternall life yet he sorowed he wept mourned for that her departure many daies Gen. 50.1 Also that godly Ioseph the sonne of Israel when he sawe his father to bee dead hee mourned and wept for him 2. Sam. 4.31 13.36 18.33 expressing thereby both his pietie and naturall affection Thus David the kings father wept wofully and bewayled the death of his friend Abner the like he did for Absalon and for Amnon his sonnes And therefore the king though a wise and godly Prince worthely soroweth for his deare mother and for the Prophet Nathan whom the Lorde hath taken away from this world Neuerthelesse Eccles. 4 2◠I haue heard him to say and that according to the truth that the deade are happier than they which live and then must that follow that he which is dead and fréed from this world and the troubles thereof is in better case than the highest Emperour king prince or potentate in his life and being so we should séeme to enuie that their happy estate How farre to be sory if we that be yet liuing should celebrate their funerals with excessiue sorow Sorow then we may for that is naturall and sorow for our friends and acquaintances for that is godly but to be sory without measure is neither naturall nor godly but heatheanish and brutish For therein we shall not onely hurt the naturall constitution of our bodily health but declare our selues to want that constancie of faith which our godly fathers haue reteyned the word of the Lord hath taught touching the eternall happinesse of man after this life yea we should be as enemies to them that bee deliuered from the miseries of this world as they which are sory that men being in prison and torments should be deliuered eased and we should be as the envious that is wonderfully greeued to behold and consider the good health and prosperitie of another man Therefore albeit I say the king is for this right wofull and sad as nature and pietie requireth yet I say not that he is ouercome therewith knowing well as he is a wise man how to bridle affections and therein best to behaue himselfe yet as a mortall man * But my Lords besides this naturall sympathie and pietie such was the wisedom the iudgement the grace vertues of his Mother Bethsabe a wise woman right profitable to the king in her life and such a helpe and comfort she was vnto him euery way that as he thought in her life he could not honour her enough so he may not forget her and her vertues after her death As this noble gentle woman instructed and taught the king when he was a child so she neuer desisted to aduise and counsaile him in all godlines being a man and she thought it appertained to her dutie not only to teach and cathecise him with wisedom but also both to admonish him gently and to reprooue him sharpely knowing well that sometimes gentle admonitions and
gouerning of the common-wealth of Israel And surely when these both departed from vs we found as ye haue in sort signified that a great part of the light of Israel was shadowed and the kings honour blemished but such is their lots and such is our discomfort and the occasion of the kings sorrow Now here wee may remember well what the Lord God said to Moses a little before his departure from Israel Deut. 3 116. Behold said he thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers and this people will rise vp and go a whoaring after strange Gods of the land whether they go and will forsake mee and breake the appointment which I have made with them and then my wrath shall waxe hot against them in that day and I will forsake them and hide my face from them and they shal be consumed and much aduersitie and tribulation shall come vpon them so that they will say are not those troubles come vpon me because God is not with me Wherein we may see the order of the destruction of them whom the Lord determineth to consume First hee taketh away their godly and vertuous Prince then they as people without good gouernment depart from him and liue in all abhomination then his wrath is kindled against them then he hideth away his face and fauour from them then hee grieuously afflicteth them and in conclusion consumeth them This partly beginneth to worke on vs in the taking away of those wise Counsailors but oh God! what may wee feare to ensewe on vs of our Soueraigne King shoulde bee also called away Surely then it cannot otherwise bee but that those troubles which awayte for vs in such a time will sodenly seise on vs to our extreame paine and miserye In the meane time it is meete that we bee diligent in our duties and places aswell towardes the king as towards the people and assay to supply them which are so departed aboue all let vs haue an eye to the law of our God and not to contemne the same nor in any sort neglect it that so the Lord may thereby the sooner in his mercy regard the king and his people that neither we may be without an honourable King nor his Maiesty destitute both of faithfull counsaylors and obedient Subiects But now most reuerend father we also request that the fifth cause of the kings sorrow be likewise examined the which as ye said riseth of the yong Prince Rhehoboham the kings sonne and heire apparent to the kingdome CHAP. XVIII The 5. 6. causes of the kings sorrow viz of Rhehoboam Hadad Rhelon and Ieroboam THe fifth cause of the kinges trouble saide Zadoke is indeede of Rhehoboam who notwithstanding his right vertuous and rare educatioÌ„ which might wel perswade in him obsequie obedience the feare of God and a godly life through the wisdom and especiall regard of the king doth yet rather imitate and follow the corrupt humour and vnthrifty nature of his mother Naama the Ammonitisse then the good nature Rhehoboam his nature and inclination and wisedome of his father and he leaneth more vnto those yong and gréene heads that are growen vp with him and haue waited attended and beene conuersant with him in his childhood then to any of the K. noble Princes wise Counsailors the which the King perceiueth and knoweth to pronosticate the decay of his house and the dissipation of his honour For Rhehoboam being a yong man will haue his owne will and his owne libertie he is growen disobedient and scarcely can be restraigned by his father or kept within the boundes of his duty The King séeth whereto this will grow after his departure when this yong Prince shal be placed in the throne haue the raines at wil And truly this wil be to vs a very straÌ„ge Metamorphosis and sory change Thus as the King in his divine wisedome foreseeth the misery which the euerlasting God will bring vppon vs and his people so doth he more then feare the same to be iustly occasioned and performed in the daies of that Prince Rehoboam that is to succeed him that during his owne time this matter shal be deferred for the sake of David the Lords annointed to whome God had made a faithfull promise which concerned not him alone but also his Seede 2. Sam. 7. And that notwithstanding he well perceiueth that the people begin to affect Rehoboam more then they either loue or like him their preseÌ„t king for who is els that second man which shall stand vp after him of whome he lately spake Eccles. 4.15 Now hence is it that the king is occasioned to loath the labours of his owne handes to lament that vnhappy condition of his sonne and the people and thereof it is that hee saith in the wofulnes of his heart I am weary of my labors which I haue taken vnder the Sun Eccles. 2.18 because I shall be faine to leaue them to another man that commeth after me and who knoweth whether hee shall be a wise man or a foole and yet shall he be Lord of all my labors which I with such wisdome haue taken vnder the Sun Then turning towards his people he said Wo bee to thee thou land whose King is but a child meaning a child in affection manners and wit such as Rehoboam is feared to proue after him and wo be to thee O land whose Princes are earely at their banquets meaning such as those counsailors of Rehoboam and companions of his youth shall declare themselues to be And thereunto he added this affixe Through slothfulnes the balkes fall downe and through idle handes it raineth in at the house Surely surely the vntowardnes of this youthful Prince hath already very much disquieted the kings heart neither besides all the former causes can it be otherwise then an vnspeak able griefe to a most louing and deere father especially to such a rare wise renowmed magnificent mighty magnanimious and glorious king to leaue behind him a thriftles an vnhappy child possessor of all those his ingenious trauailes It was not without good cause that father Noah in the griefe of his heart Gen. 9.25 denounced a bitter curse on Canaan the sonne of Cham and his generation whereof there ensewed no meane incoÌ„uenieÌ„ce to the Chananâ—ts in posterity who at this day as ye see stand odious in the sight both of God and of our nation Neither may we imagine that any light cause shall moue a father to cast on his owne children a curse in steed of a blessing So the sorrow of our first parent Adam conceiued vpoÌ„ the vngodly and brutish behauiour of his first borne Cain especially in that tragicall action perpetrated against God and his brother Habel was so great that Adam was verily resolued as it is deliuered vnto vs not to know his wife any more that thenceforth he might not be occasioned to lameÌ„t be grieued in such sort for the losse of another sonne neither did he know her
polluted with any strange Gods when as they came to Bethel to sacrifice vnto Iehovah and should then king Solomon not only permit those horrible Idolatries and loathsome superstitions of Idols but also exhibit them maintenance in the same that follow such thinges so neare the Temple and the holy Cittie of God This thing is not hidden from the Lord who seeth and wil be auenged on the same Howbeit the King most vnhappily doting on those profane women his wiues and concubines which are now reuolted from the Lord and his religion and turned backe vnto their fathers and their Gods hath beene contented to conniue and beare with them in such their abhominations euen before his face and in the open sight of the Lorde people yea and rather then he would diuorce them or deny them or reproue them or correct them or displease them therein as he might haue don and indeede should haue done in this case he hath both appointed and commaunded many great summes of mony and treasure to be paied and giuen forth from his owne treasurie both to the building of certaine houses and places for such their Gods and also for the daily maintenance of their seruices in the same Therof it is before al other things that Iehovah his God is prouoked and waxen angry with him with vs and his people and hath thereon not omitted to threaten him and vs with many mighty plagues and punishments to ensew yea such as neither he we nor our posteritie shal be able to beare thereof as I vnderstand the Lord hath lately spoken by his prophet and messenger vnto the King himselfe saying Forasmuch as this thing is done of thee and thou hast not kept mine appointment and my statutes which I commanded thee 1. King 11.11 I will rent the kingdome from thee and wil giue it to thy Seruant Notwithstanding in thy dayes I will not do it because of David thy Father but I will take it from the hand of thy sonne Howbeit I will not take away all the kingdome but will giue one Tribe to thy Sonne because of David my Seruant and because of Ierusalem which I haue chosen Now here I call to remembrance what the Lorde our God hath resolued in such a case by the consideration of his words once spoken to Eli the Priest in the daies of our iudges 1. Sam. 2.25 I will worship them saith he that worship me but they which despise me shall come to shame Moreouer I remember what the King himselfe hath said in his wise Prouerbs The turning away of the vnwise shall hasten his owne destruction And well I wot therefore that of all the creatures in the world pro. 1.32 the impious and wicked person is most vnhappy that not only in respect of his sinnes and condition of life but in regard of his end and conclusion for as the end of much eating is sicknes the end of pleasure is paine the end of this life is death and corruption so the end of the Sinner is extreame anguish and miserie both in this worlde and after his death For being iustly sequestred from the societie of the Saintes and so shut out from the diuine protection he is euen whiles he liueth molested with an vnquiet conscience an aking heart feareful cogitations and dreames and many afflictions both of body and mind the hand of God being streatched foorth against him from aboue and the instrumentes of wrath tormenting him from beneath Finally this life finished hee broyles and toyles in bitter tormentes for euer more In the which he may be compared to those flying fishes which being in the waters are persecuted by other fishes for their pray springing vp with their finnes into the aire they are followed and deuoured of the cormorants and Sea-meawes or to that bird which being on the ground is hunted by dogs and flying aboue the earth is taken by the vultures for true it is that the man of impietie and sinne hath neither peace nor safety either in this world or in the world to come This thing the kings father well knew and considered of in the depth of his heart therfore when he was remembred of his transgressions and faults by Nathan and by Gad the Lordes prophets and messengers to him in that respect feeling the true sense of Gods angry coūtenance iustly bent against him and his people for the same the perilous estate both of himselfe and his dominions by and by although a chosen magnanimious puissant and valorous minded King comming to answere before the highest God hee sodainly cast himselfe downe to the earth as a base caitiffe hee repented him of his sinnes and in the fearefull agony of his afflicted soule he cried out I have sinned I haue sinned Mercy Lord mercye nor would be leaue off crying and repenting nor any otherwise estéeme of himselfe then a sinfull guilty and condemned wretch vntill he perceiued that the Lord was willing to be appeazed and of his mercie to turne his gratious face towards him as in times past resembling the bird of Paradise which beeing taken in a snare is neuer quiet nor leaueth crying and flittering till time he either dye or be deliuered And thus behoveth it our Lord the King to esteeme of himselfe vnder those his transgressions this to respect and the same to performe which in this desperate and dangerous case is the best counsail we may giue him for remedy and ease For surely surely God being thus prouoked and that iustly he will not be appeazed nor will he surcease to streatch forth his hand of iustice against him so offending vntill that he meekly acknowledge his offences before him repent and seeke him with sorrow and singlenes of heart as we may see in th'examples of our forefathers both in the wildernes vnder the conduct of Moses and Aaron and in this land vnder the gouernment of our wise and valiant Iudges Now my Lords hereof is it that Iehovah our God being most iustly displeased with our Lord the King hee hath in iustice stirred vp and prouoked against him besides the two former enemies which much troubled him that Ieroboam who thirsting for the soueraignity of Israel now especially opposeth himselfe in might and policie against the King Neither may wee thinke but howsoeuer those persons especially Ieroboam are maliciously bent and prouoked against the king and his gouernment The kings enemies are the very instruments of Gods wrath appointed to vex the king and his people and do of themselues little respect or consider the prouidence and working of the most high in this his displeasure that yet they be the very instruments and ministers of Gods iudgements as those other aduersaries of Israel haue beene in the times past against our fathers when as they forgetting God did rebell against him and his holy servants And therefore the onely way to resist them is not the wisedome power policie or arme of man but the grace of our mercifull
the aduersary hath beset them and battered their faith with sinne and thereby occasioned them to be beaten with the rod of men which is yet so necessary in them that fall that therefore they should not be ashamed to repent but ashamed to sinne Neither doth the king despaire of mercie * Lorde God sayd Benaiah and could it be that so wise a person should so fall May it bee lawfull for vs to inuestigate the causes of this thing Benaiah * It hath beene already sayd answered Zadok that the king was yet but a man zadok telleth the causes of the kings fall If hee had been God as hee is not he would not haue fallen in this sort Other causes of this declination in the king are knowne onely to the Lorde who wil◠hereafter I doubt not also reueale the same in the due time And yet it may be howsoeuer wee haue cleared ourselues of all heynous crimes and offences Sometimes the sinnes of the people are the cause of the trouble and plague of their princes both against God the king in those our owne conceits that the cause of the kings fall hath risen partly from some of vs partly by some thing committed in and among the people in whom are oftentimes found that which prouoketh the Lorde in displeasure to take away those blessings which in his louing mercies he had bestowed on them and so such kings and Princes by and vnder whose gouernment they haue and might haue inioyed long peace and prosperitie But for this time let vs in all sobrietie cease to search after those hidden things too curiously remembring that the king himselfe lately aduised Search not out the things which are aboue thy reach and capacitie And let vs commit this with the successe therof vnto God wha hath appointed these and all things else to succeed and come to passe by his Providence after his owne will for his glorie and the good of his chosen howsouer it appeareth vnto vs that the King hath therein offended and in whatsoeuer sorte they appeare vnto men And let vs haue a chiefe care that our Willes bee made and conformed here in earth to his will in heauen in all things Praye for the king and speake well of him * Furthermore as we be bound both by the law of God and a good conscience let vs neither forget nor omit to pray and make intercession vnto God for the King both daily and hourely and therewith both commaund excite the Congregation people to doe the like It may be the Lorde our God will heare vs and be mercifull Let vs also speake well and the best of the King euen in our priuy chambers and with him good in our hearts and so much the sooner because hee is the Lordes annointed and at this present setteth not himselfe in wickednesse nor maketh a mocke of Religion and good admonition as did Pharaoh when hee saide Who is the Lord or as those vngodly which iest and contemne correction and haue a delight in their sinnes But rather he is contented to heare to bee ruled to be reclaymed and to be directed by the wisedome of that divine Spirite as himselfe hath sayd the wise-man is wont to doe pro. 10.23 Solomon hath declared many arguments of his repētance And therein as vnto vs it appeareth hee hath expressed many arguments of a true repentant heart both in his gesture and manner of life Neither are his Sermons words and speaches to be neglected or forgotten being right worthy the noting obseruation and memorie of all men For as they sauour of the holy spirit so are they vttered with such wisedom discretion grauitie and deepe affects of the soule vpon this occasion that they doe not onely argue and declare the Kings true repentance but shall also teach instruct admonish and mooue the heartes of all Gods people to feare God and serue him with reuerence and therfore shall be right profitable for the holy Congregation and worthy preseruation for all posterities Solomons wordes and sermons are meete to bee collected and preserued Let vs therefore call those his Wordes and sermons into remembrance let vs collect and write them in a Booke and let vs after our power conserue them or some part of them in the sacred Register among other the kings wise parables Prouerbs graue sentences Prophesies and holy songs Let vs neither defraude the King of that he hath deserued nor withhold from the holy Congregation that which to the same belongeth nor appeare negligent in our dutie to bee performed to either of them And as in this wee shall serue the Lorde honour our King and benefite the Church so by those his words and sermons being thus exemplified he shall be more commended and praysed of the Saints then by the worldly glory of his Throne no lesse wise then those wise Princes Patriarks Sages Seers which are much more esteemed for their graue sayings words writings Elioreph the Notary then exalted for their great conquests and worldly riches * Then said Elioreph the kings Notarie right worthily spoken reuerend father for indeed the words of the king are such as are in all things consonant to the veritie and shall witnesse for euer the kings cōtrition and true conuersion vnto Iehovah his God after his sinne committed Moreouer they shall be preached as fruitefull and godly sermons in the Church to teach admonish exhort reforme conforme comfort instruct them that come after vs in the feare of God and the obseruation of his Lawes Eccles. 12. the which is as the King hath often and yet dayly teacheth that which chiefly appertaineth to euery man and is required of all men that liue in this world Therefore my selfe with the conuenient help of Ahia my fellow Notary and with the aduise of my Lord the kings Recorder will gladly endeuour this thing to effect In the Name of God whom we beséech to looke vpon the King and vpon his people in the aboundance of his louing mercies CAP. XXIIII Obiections and exceptions against Solomon and his words and deedes the which the Princes endeuour to defend AFter that the whole assembly of king Solomons Lords were thus disposed and agreed in counsaile that the kings Words which hee in this time of his troubled spirits and thencefoorth did vtter and speake before them should be called into remembrance considered of and kept in the holy Register among other the diuine monuments of the Church ad it in before declared Abiather Abiather the priest which sometimes had ministred before the king in the steede of Zadok stood foorth and obiected to the decree Obiections against Solomon and his words after this manner But my Lords all said hee I am much afraid of this that many in the posteritie will the lesse esteeme or at the least doubt of some other things which are noted in the holy Register when vnto the same wee shall adde and combine as of
the Serpent the Lord set enmity and signified in that Adam called her Havah the mother of all liuing Herein are founde those kindreds of the earth who in the promised Seed are blessed for euer And this is that princely spowsesse indeede of the which the King in a propheticall Spirite spake in his Schir-hasschirim moreouer this is that same which was shadowed in the family of faithfull Abraham Cant. 1. in the Arke of Noah the righteous which was builte and prouided according to the patterne the Lorde gaue him and mankind preserued in and by the house of King David wherein God was honoured and serued in the true vse of the law 2. Sam. 5. praier and the holy sacrifices and by the mount or castle of Zion from the which both the halte and the blind were takē away that the bright Vrim and right Thumim with all knowledge and perfection might dwell there And the same is doubtlesse expressed in this great and holy house which the king hath built for the name of his God wherein wee may not imagine that the King hath beene more curious then godly more precise then profitable or more sumptuous then wise considering that there is not the least iote or point therein which hath not either his proper vse or mistical entendemēt as in place hereafter ye may better heare and consider therof with iudgemēt And thereof wee may gather conclude that as the holy Messiah was killed in Abel deliuered his church figurately in Noah was foreshewed the Father of all nations in Abraham was offered vp on the Altarin Isaack was blessed in Iacob was a deliuerer of mankind out of the serpents tiranny in Moses was a Sauiour of the Lordes people in Iehosuah and borne and annointed and humbled and exalted and fauoured in David so hath he built his Church figurately in our Lorde King Solomon Furthermore this is strongly ratified aswell by the report and testimony of those recordes which the prophet Nathan hath written and left vnto vs as by the consent of our owne knowledge and conscience which haue both seene and heard and in wisedome considered one thing with another By the which we are sure that all those diuine promises which the Lord God made aswell to King Solomon as to David his Father do aime and point further then either to David or to Solomon yea they concerne that most excellent K. the Messiah which was so promised and typed and beleeued and expected to come and that in many thinges the which the K. hath begunne or expressed mistically shall bee accomplished made and performed indeede in the true Messiah that some things are common both in th' one and in th' other as by comparing them and their actions shal be easily perceiued in due time But first concerning this figure I meane King Solomon When King David had determined to build an house for the name o◠the Lord 2. Sam. 7.13 and that the house shoulde bee made and proportioned according to the writing and charge which the Lorde had giuen him Yet said the Lord I will not that thou shalt build that house but out of thy loines shall spring one that shall builde the same For thou art a man of warre and art much troubled as yet The building of two houses by two sundry persons but he shal be a man of rest and I will give him rest on every side that hee may the better compasse and effect the same By the which Oracle David did not onely vnderstand that his will and pleasure was that such an house should be builded which shold prefigurate his holy congregation but also he learned by whome those two houses should be builded Howbeit not by King David although he were a man after Gods owne heart and in many thinges a true figure of the Messiah but by his Seed yet not both by one and the same person but the one should be made by his sonne Solomon whome hee begat on Bethsabe the other by the holy Messiah who albeit hee bee the sonne of the highest is after the flesh Davids sonne For hee is to rise not onely in Iudahs-tribe but also in the house and linage of David according as the same David said thereof in the person of God I have made a faithfull promise to David and I will not alter it of the seed of thy body will I raise vp to set vpon thy throne whose daies shal be as the daies of heaven And therein hee woulde that as figures go before things figured and voices before words so the building of this materiall house shoulde go before the building of the Church as touching the times and seasons wherein the Lord wold work manifest his heauēly wil pleasure therein as Baalam said I shall see him but not now Num. 24. and beholde him but not yet for euery thing vnder the heauens hath his appointed time And so that this former house shoulde bee a figure of the latter in all due proportions and the Builder of the one sholde prefigurate the Builder of the other Therefore as the former is a true figure of the Church of Messiah which hee shall in the due time gather and build to himselfe so is King Solomō the sonne of David who hath built this Temple a true figure of that Messiah And truely albeit King David was not permitted to build either house in his dayes yet towardes the building and performance of all thinges in and concerning them both hee gathered and prouided many thinges of the highest request For towardes the materiall house hee gathered and made ready heiued stones plentie of Iron 1. Chro. 21. Doores Brasse without waighte Cedar trees without number and hee made ordinances and lawes and prepared thinges in great abundance the which also are not without their signification of greater matters therein shadowed Againe towardes both the Mysticall and spirituall house to bee builded in the due time as he was the man whome the Lorde chose to raigne ouer his inheritance and for his excellent Songes was called the sweete singer of Israel so hee exercised himselfe in the diuine seruices hee ruled the Lordes people and prepared them to the Lordes house yea hee composed and modulated many spirituall and sweete Psalmes Hymnes and Songes to the prayse of God and the edification of his Church hee prouided also and left behinde him for the heauenly Solomon many prophesies testimonies and holy examples from and by the which hee might vouchsafe at his comming into the worlde to take gather and confirme yea and to conforme to purpose his doctrine and workes for the better edification of his Church For hee hath plainely spoken before in the Spirite of the nature the dignitie the function the obedience the diligence the trauailes the manner of life the manner of death the rising and the wonderfull glory of that King of Israel and declared himselfe a liuely figure of the same Moreouer howsoeuer those
conclude with mée that hee is neither a damned nor a reprobate The consent of the princes or a prophane person but a singuler Saint of the most high To this answered the Princes yee haue well spoken most reuerend father and semblably applyed whatsoeuer yee haue produced for the king Many things whereof wee knowe and all other things wee beleeue to be true as yee haue declared them therefore wee will gladly both subscribe to the same and conclude with you for the Kings holines Morouer as we haue been willing to heare you and are glad of those your resolutions so are wee not weary but more willing as yet to heare you further and further in these things neither shall ye bee more ready to speake then wee shall be pleased to listen and learne to vnderstand the mysteries of the kings excellency and glorie Therefore if ye haue any thing else to produce say on wee beseech you To this said Zadok Yea my Lords there be as yet many more Arguments to this purpose and more then I minde at this time to produce It shall be sufficient that among many I take some few For the thing being already so well proved that of the trueth fewe or none néede to doubt it may be bootlesse for mee to heape together ouer-much lest I may not onely séeme to affirme and confirme that which no man denieth but also to confound your memories with ambages and tedious circumstances But hearken againe As it hath well pleased the Almightie to elect king Solomon to appoint him the builder of his house Solomon in his dignitie prefigureth Christ to honor his birth and to entitle him with those most soueraigne Names so hath hee made him king ouer his people Israel to doe vnto them equitie and righteousnesse And this the Lorde did in his loue to his people 1. king 10. as the noble Queene of Saba said at her being here and so said Hyram the king of Tyrus writing to the king Because the Lord loved Israel therefore hath he placed the king over them Wherein wee see how he typeth the holy Messiah for insomuch as the Lord loued his Church I meane all those faithfull ones whom he had before elected and purposed to glorifie in the end he made his Messiah their Prince and Captaine He gaue vnto them in his good pleasure such a king as might sit vpon mount Sion from whence he had expelled all the halt and the blinde that this king of the right Vrim and Thumim might be placed and raigne therein doing righteousnesse and equitie vnto his Saints If therefore the Lorde loued Israel and in his pleasure placed ouer them a king whom he also loued and by the same would prefigurate both his Messiah his Church what should let vs in this to conclude for the kings holinesse Moreouer the end of this gouernment shooteth to the same scope which is to doe equitie and righteousnes This our king endeuoured to his power and so much performed as a mortall man could but the full perfection thereof indeede is reserued to the most holy seede which is appointed to combine the Lords Iustice with his Mercie therof conclude Equitie when laying mans guilt on himselfe hee shall beare the strokes of the diuine iustice and imputing his perfection vnto man hee shall procure him pardon Thus shall iustice be administred yet mercy shall not be abandoned but one thing so considered with another that both righteousnesse and equitie shall bee extended This worke I say is proper to the Messiah wherein therefore our Lord king Solomon standeth a true figure Furthermore to be briefe Solomons magnanimitie the K. great magnanimitie expresseth the same he spared forbare to punish thē which had offended his Maiestie as Adoniah Ioab and others whom hee would neuer haue struken had they not after their second offence against him worthily deserued the reward of their wickednes and how mercifully he dealt with Abiather it is apparent to signifie how ready the Messiah shall bee to forgiue them that offend him vpon their submission after the diuine nature who as David the king did sing is more ready to pardon then to punish them that sin against him when they repent as we sée in the example of the same David To this His wisedome may be added the excellencie of Solomons wisdō I mean that pure influence flowing from the glorie of the most high the brightnesse of that euerlasting light that vndefiled mirrour of the divine Maiestie and the image of his goodnesse that without measure The which shall perfectly and fully farre beyond all that the King hath or can haue be found really and actually resident in the person of holy Messiah the fountaine of all wisedome and heauenly graces the depth whereof the wit of man is not nor shall euer bee able to sound His iudgements and other things The 2. harlots The priesthood translated as long as the worldendureth Moreouer his discretion in Iudgement concerning the cause of the 2. women and their children signifieth the maner of dealing of the Messiah in iudgemēt between his Church and the malignant in time to come his translating of the Priest-hoode from the house of Eli foretelleth that the Priest-hood in time shall bee translated when the true Melchizedek shall come to offer vp his sacrifice for the people of God His iudgement on Adoniah and Ioab Adoniahs iudgement fore-sheweth that the King of glorie in his dayes shall powerfully throwe downe and confound all such as bee enemies to the Lords Annointed and which seeke to disturbe the common-wealth of his Church Hyram his contribution The sending to Hyram the Sidonian for timber and other things for the building of his Temple signifieth that the Messiah as hee is a light for the Gentiles so he shall from thence also take and gather into the Church according to the request of Noah Gen. 9. who prayed that Iaphet might be persuaded to dwell in the tents of Shem. To this also belongeth the comming of the famous Queene of Arabia The Queene of Sheba to heare the kings wisedome with her royall presents and her entertainement for the time shall come that in the like manner the kings of the Gentiles and the people which dwell in the remote and vttermost parts of the earth shall be congregated to heare the wisdom of the holy one Solomons glorie and riches and shal be most gratefull to him for his loving mercies Also the great glory and riches of the king setteth foorth the high glory and noble vertues of that heauenly king from whose kingly stocke many princely branches of divine issue haue and shall spring out and of whom the kings father diuinely inspired prophesied when he spake in the Psalme of his beautie psal 4.5 grace blessing courage might worship renowne prosperitie honor truth meekenes righteousnes noble actions strength in warre of his throne his scepter his iudgements his
righteousnes his annointing his apparell his marriage his royaltie his Godhead his praise his eternitie and everlasting glory For all these things are found and shall for euer be well approued and highly praised in that holy Messiah Solomons prayers and sacrifices which the Lord accepted 1. king 8.22 to whom onely the king by the letter pointeth as the figure to the thing figured Nowe with this wee may not forgette that the king hauing finished the Lords house stood before the Altar of the Lord in the sight of all the Congregation of Israel and stretched out his hands towards heauen and blessed the Lord and praised him and his truth yea he knéeled also on his knées and prayed vnto him that the word might be verified which hee spake vnto David his father and that it would please him to haue respect vnto his prayer and supplication as well for himselfe as for the people praying in that house Also he stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel verse 56. with a loude voyce saying Blessed bee the Lorde that hath given rest vnto his people Israel according to all that hee promised c. The Lord our God bee with vs as he was with our Fathers and forsake vs not nor leave vs but that hee may bowe our hearts vnto him that wee may walke in all his wayes and keepe his Commandements his statutes and his Lawes which hee commanded our Fathers And those my words that I haue prayed before the Lorde bee nigh vnto Iehovah our GOD day and night that hee defend the cause of his servant the cause of his people Israel at all times as the matter shall require that all nations of the earth may knowe that Iehovah is God and none but hee Moreuer the King offered Offrings before the Lord yea peace-offrings in great aboundance and therewithall dedicated the house which he builded to the Lord with great ioy and gladnesse In all the which things Iehovah his God was well pleased with him yea and with the people through him heard his prayers receiued his requests graunted his petitions and apeared vnto him in Gibeon with this comfortable saying I have heard thy Prayer and thine intercession that thou hast made before mee For I haue hallowed this house which thou hast built to put my name there for ever and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually Now consider I pray you what K. Solomon is with the Lorde will the Lord heare and accept the reprobate and prophane persons or will he honour and esteeme their works although they séeme glorious to the conceits of worldly men No surely What saith the Kings father touching their prayers The prayer of vngodly men is turned into sinne Psal 100.6 And thus I haue heard him to modulate concerning himselfe and his estimation with the highest The Lord I know wil not vouchsafe my praier or words to heare If vnto sinne mine heart I should encline and him not feare But if I come into his Courts with offerings worthie praies And pay the vowes I promised in mine afflicted daies If on him with my mouth I call and with my tongue him blesse And offer him the sacrifice of thankes and righteousnes Then will he heare my praiers and consider of my case And my request will graunt in time of his aboundant grace In al these things therfore the king is declared to be not only holy and approued of God but also a perfect figure of that most holy Seede who in his time shall pray shall offer shall please God shal be heard shal be accepted and all his desires performed to the satisfying of his soule to the health of his people Finally The pluralitie of Solomons wiues the very pluralitie of the kings Wiues his Concubines on whom he was enamored and dishonoured howsoeuer vnlawfull offensiue to God and a disgrace to himselfe shall not be reckoned as a thing vnnecessarie in this comparison seeing that the most holy Messiah in his ardent zeale for mans recouery will be contented that the serpent shall trippe on his heele Gen. 3. whereby he will be dishonored and abased whiles he taketh on himselfe mans ougly deformities and sinnes being so willing through his owne humiliation and ignominie to ease man so burthened and to bring him home againe vnto him from whom hee had farre wandered and to reconcile him with him against whom hee had monstrously transgressed And therefore as his Proverbes the which for the most part hee vttered in his florishing and perfect estate are applicable as chiefly appertaining to the gouernment of a godly family as these his * Wordes That is his Ecclesiastes 1. now daily and ordinarily vttered and ruminated are applicable as especially belonging to the ordering of a godly Common-wealth So also those his Loue-songs and Ballads entituled * Schir-hasschirim The Canticles of Solomon The Song of songs composed in his yonger dayes yea before the twentieth year of his age shall not be reiected or abandoned but esteemed and properly applied both to that mysticall and spirituall woowing espowsing combination and familiar societie communication of the holy Messiah with his elect and faithfull Saints of the which hee gathereth and garnisheth a Church as a chaste Wife to himselfe Loe my Lordes in these and many other such notable things is our Lord K. Solomon by the will wisdom and providence of God made an excellent figure of that holy Annointed and therefore he may not bee esteemed a naughty or prophane person but to bee taken as hee is indeede a Saint of the Lorde Neither doe I any thing doubt but that the best learned and godly that either now liue or shall come after vs will so iudge and esteeme of him when they shall heare and well weigh not onely of that which hath beene said heretofore concerning him his words actions and estate but also shall plainely beholde the verification thereof in the very person and perfect beautie of that promised Schilo the King of righteousnesse and highest peace at his happy comming in the world into the appointed time This being sayd all the Princes were much comforted although in this their kings affliction and gaue thankes to Zadok who yet seemed further to resolue and satisfie them in any thing whereof either any question might bee mooued or any doubt iustly arise concerning the kings holines CAP. XXVIII Zadok argueth for the King concerning his repentance and remission after his Transgressions ZAdok hauing thus farre pleaded for K. Solomon and with many substantiall Arguments proued him a Saint of the Lorde and therefore that hee could not bee either a damned soule or a reprobated wretch or a prophane person as some haue or might ouer harldy rashly censure him the Princes shewed themselues both ioyfull and thankefull But after a whiles Prince Azariah in the behalfe of the rest stood foorth opened his mouth and sayde Most reuerende Father wee all confesse with thankefulnes that yee
to the tyranny of the Serpent which had deceiued them Adams sinne Gen. 3. Iudah Gen. 38.26 Lot Aaron Exo. 32.2 Gen. 34.25 Simeon and Levi. Ruben Gen 49 4. The Israelites Sampson Iudg 2.11.13 3.6 16.18 Laban Gen. 31.30 for the which they were iustly driuen out of Paradise and made subiect to misery and death notwithstanding it pleased the L. God as ye haue heard to forgiue them and to gather to himselfe an holy church euē from among them which had sinned We read that Iudah tooke his daughter in law Thamar lay with her contrary to the law and acknowledged that he had sinned therein Lot was made drunke and lay with both his daughters Aarō the Lords priest yeelded to the making of a molten calfe which the people worshipped VVe read that Simeon and Levi the sonnes of Iacob dealt deceitfully with Hemor Sichē his son and murthered them and their people against the will of their father who in his last words cursed their wrath which was shameles their rage which was cruel As for Rubē Iacobs eldest sonne he defiled his fathers bed distained his dignity Our fathers in the time of the Iudges were carried away to serue Baal Astaroth and they were cōioined with the Cananites against the law of the L. Sampsō the Nazarite combined himselfe with a strange woman yea and in the end yeelded his power to the harlot Dalila Laban the father in law of Iacob was a worshipper of strāge Gods Terah the father of Abrahā was not free frō the like offence And are the sinnes of those our fathers especially the greatest of these sins inferior to the K. sins Notwithstāding it is testified that the L. pardoned thē restored thē to his fauor But ye say that the K. hath turned away his heart form the Lord. Indeede of all others his sins this is the greatest Howbeit I say not therefore that hee hath vtterly turned away his heart as that hee hath quite forsaken God and by wicked apostasy fallen away from him for euer for had it beene so we should not haue seene him in this his estate And as I well remember I heard the king himselfe to say and wee cannot denye it when we well consider thereof and of him in this his estate that in the depth of those his sinnes and vanities he perceiued that yet his wisedome remained with him psal 51.11 1. Sam. 16.14 2. Sam. 7.15 How Solomon is said to turne away his heart from God by the which he ment the graces of that diuine spirit which King David praied that the Lorde would not vtterly take from him being indeed an effect of that mercy which the Lord his God said he would not take from him as he toke it from Saul whom hee had cast off before him But I say the King hath turned away his heart in this sense first in that he hath sinned against the Lorde his God secondly in that he hath yeelded to his lusts and thirdly in that he fainted in his holy zeale For there is no sinne whatsoeuer which a man committeth wherein there is not a turning away of the sinner from the Lord for sinne is contrary to the law of God and argueth a contempt of his iustice neglect of his graces therefore the Lorde requireth in them whom he recoureth and pardoneth a faithful returne in humble contrition Next it is true that euery man is led away from God of his owne concupiscence or naturall lusts and thus the King doting ouermuch on his strange Woemen hath been enflamed ouercome in affection seduced and led away from the Lordes righteousnes Thirdly the king by those former occasions had forsaken his first loue was waxen more colde or luke-warme in that holy religion and godly zeale with the which his heart hath been wonderfully enflamed in his youth But yet I remember what the Lord said I will shew mercy to whome I will shew mercy The same said to Hagar Returne againe to thy mistris Exo. Gen. 16 9. though thine heart was turned from her Againe he saith to the sinner ' Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do those good workes which thou hast vsed to doe when I was well pleased with thee Againe Remember thy maker So I confesse though with sorrow of heart that the king in that his estate hath not so zeolously set foorth and maintained the glory and seruices of God as he was wont to doe for whosoeuer is addicted to the former is defectiue in the latter but he neglected a great part of his office and duty But yet the Lord bee thanked we know that the state of religion was neuer altered or changed The holy religion neuer altered but continued the same in Solomons time 2. Chro. 11.16.17 but that hath and yet doth remaine the same as in the time of David notwithstanding the idolatries superstitions and prouocations of his strange women which is a notable argument that yet thee helde the sure foundation of his saith vnshaken And therefore let vs not presume either to say or to thinke that King Solomon is fallen vtterly away from the Lord his God who hath so wonderfully loued beautified and blessed him It is one thing to offend God by euill thoughts euill wordes or wicked deedes another thing to deny God and to forsake him vtterly He that sinneth and offendeth God and yet beleeueth in God he is by his repentance reserved for saluation but who so doth deny God and vtterly apostate from him there remaineth vnto him not so much as one little shell wherewith he may drawe a very small measure of the water of life It is not one and the same thing to turne frō the Lorde and to turne vtterly awry from him without retyre or returne The former of these faults is often seene in Gods owne children when like prodigall and disobedient sonnes they bee tempted to depart from their most louing father and yet do returne home againe are renued by repentāce as were Aaron Moses David the latter is seene in the reprobates only which fall away and neuer returne and therefore are not renued by repentance for they cannot truely repent The reprobates cannot truely repent because the Lord giueth not repentance vnto them as it was apparant in Cain in Lots wise in Saul whom the Lord cast away frō before him But this falling away from God wee haue not found nor shall perceiue in K. Solomon the Lorde bee blessed therefore Neither may wee thinke that howsoeuer he is saide to followe after Astaroth Milcom Molock Camos such others the Gods of the heathen that therefore he was so grosse an Idolator as he did adore and worshippe those strange Gods no more then we may thinke Solomon did not worship Idols Exo. 32.2 that Aaron the Priest did adore and worship the golden Calfe which himselfe had made at the importunacie of our Fathers in the wildernes And I knowe
or endeuour to finde out wee shoulde reuerently admire and in all things iustifie them for it is true that Moses sayde Deut. 3 2.4 Perfect is the worke of the most mightie GOD for all his wayes are Iudgement Hee is a GOD of trueth without wickednesse righteous and iust is hee Deut. 29.29 Those secret things belong to GOD aboue and they are not for a man to knowe or finde out nor shall hee bee able in any other sorte then hee is able to finde out the circle of a Ring Iob. 28.7 This is that way whereof Iob spake the which the birdes haue not knowne the Vultures eye neuer sawe wherin the Lyons whelps walke not and into the which no Lyon euer came It is farre easier to knowe the way of an Eagle in the Ayre of a Serpent vpon a stoane of a shippe in the Sea and of a man with a yong-woman which yet passed the kings vnderstanding then to finde out the reasons and causes of the Lordes secret iudgements and hidden wayes Therefore when the wisest men in the worlde haue presumed this enterprise they haue beene compared to the hungry man which dreameth that hee is eating and beeing awaked out of his sléepe findeth himselfe emptie Thus are they fedde with winde in steede of woordes they take the shadowe for the bodie they finde wandering cloudes whiles they seeke for rayne and for substances they take holde of accidentes onely The causes of Gods secret iudgements are not to be found out But the better to suppresse the curiositie of mans minde let vs consider certaine examples of the workes and wayes of God the causes and reasons whereof we could neuer as yet finde out In the dayes of Iosuah the Captaine of the Lordes Hoaste wee finde that one Achan sinned against the Lorde Achan Ios 7.25 in that hee had contrary to the commandement taken among the spoyles a certaine Babilonish garment and two hundred sickles of siluer and a tongue of golde and conveyed and hidde them away for the which the whole Hoaste was troubled and fledde before the enemie and afterwarde not onely Achan but also his Familie and all the hee had was destroyed Nowe if Achan onely sinned why did the people flye and fall Againe why were his sonnes and Familie punished and what had his children and cattle deserued that they all perished with him was it not commanded before Deut. 24.16 The fathers shall not bee put to death for the children nor the children for the fathers Chorah Num. 16.13 but euery man shall bee put to death for his owne sin Also in the rebellion of Corah Dathan and Abiram why were the people plagued for these mens offences and wherefore dyed their Wiues and children and seruantes Abraham and Sarah Gen. 18. and cattle together with them * Also we finde that Abraham being fore-folde that hee should haue a sonne of Sarah his wife laughed aswel as did Sarah and yet Sarah was reprooued and not Abraham We may imagine that the one laughed for ioy and the other in scorne but wee haue no such cause deliuered vnto vs for they both beleeued God Moreover Adam Gen. 3. why did God permit Adam to fall and Hevah to be tempted Why was Abraham our Father made a soiorner in a strange land Abraham Iacob Pharao Why was Iacob vexed and afflicted with so many euils in his dayes why did God harden the hart of Pharaoh Why did the Lord plague thréescore and ten thousand of Davids people for his sin In all these things David let vs as I said wonder and iustifie the Lord knowing Iob. Gen. 18. that as no kinde of iniquitie dwelleth in the most high so beeing the Iudge of all the world he iudgeth according to right as Abraham saith and would that men should content their minds only with that which it pleaseth him to reueale vtter vnto them The generall cause of all But thus wee may say that in all those things the Lord hath respected his owne glorie and the benefite of his children and that as his will is in all things performed it was his will that among others the King should fall and shew his imperfections and that as I can gather besides the former for these foure causes Certain particular causes of Solomons sin First that the people which beheld his wonderfull wisedome wealth prosperitie and glory wherein hee hath as by way of symbole expressed the spirituall and heauenly vertues and glory of Messiah might not estéeme or thinke of him more then it is conuenient For indéed they haue for the most part taken him rather for God then for man and others haue taken him for the promised Messiah and not for the Figure of the same wherein they began to derogate from the Lorde and his Annoynted by giuing of his glory to a mortall man And surely for this cause hath the Lord often suffred the right worthy vessels of his grace to fall and to be noted in the holy Scriptures with their imperfections and imfirmities as were Adam Noah Abraham Lot David and such like Next the king hath in this sort fallen that as in his wisedome and diuine vertues he did prefigurate the holy Messiah so by those his slidings and the sinnes of his wiues and strange women imputed also vnto him in that he both affected maintained them notwithstanding their blemishes in religion hee might foreshew the burthen of mans sinnes layd and imputed to the holy one on whose héele therefore the Serpent was to treade in the regard whereof hee shall bee both reputed and esteemed vile and of no reputation among the children of men and shall be punished for their transgressions as David hath prophesied thereof Besides that in this declination of the Kings honor is noted the renting and finall dissipation of our Nation and gouernment in time to come Thirdly the Lorde God will that this example of the Kings fall should bee a terrour and document to all others in posteritie how prosperous or glorious soeuer they shall bee in this worlde full of Vanitie that they beware how they presumne on any ornament either of body or minde or any thing else of this present life and that they promise not to themselues the assurance and continuall vse of that which is but lent them and not their owne to retaine or dispose for if God hath suffered the king who enioyed all these things at his full pleasure to fall yea and to worke wickednes against his owne honor for these his sinnes hath laden him with a measure of his iudgements why should any other man assure himselfe the continuall possession of the like which yet come farre behinde the King in all things Lastly by this the Lord would schole and teach the king as wise as he is that hee presume not to enter into iudgement with him which is most iust and will not acquite a sinner in his sinnes nor to iustifie himselfe
God the which we must seeke by godly repentance obtaine by faithfull praier vnto God in the trust of Messiah vntill which time the Lord will neuer be perswaded to draw in his hand which is stretched forth Solomon repenteth This the King himselfe well knoweth and therefore he is humbled on the ground he bewaileth himselfe hee weepeth hee lamenteth hee abandoneth the vaine things of this world and he turneth himselfe both body and minde as in the best sort of pennance vnto his God who I doubt not but wil be mercifull vnto him as he was merciful vnto his father David when he so repented * But yet in this interim to the aggrauating of the kinges griefe it is fallen out of late whereof the King is also certified for what can be hidden from his eyes that when this fellow Ieroboham departed from Ierusalem the Prophet Ahiah the Sylonite found him in the way hauing a new garment on him and they two being alone in the field the Prophet caught that new garment and rent it in twelue peeces The Lord threatneth Solomon to punish him for sin 1. King 11. and said to Ieroboham Take vnto thee ten peeces for thus saith the Lord God of Israel behold I will rent the kingdome out of the handes of Solomon and will give ten tribes to thee and thou shall raigne according to all that my soule desireth and shalt be King over Israel Againe I will for this offence which Solomon hath committed punish the seede of David but not for ever Now the consideration of this being added to the former hath caused the kings eies to faile through weeping his bowels to swell his liuer to be powred out on the earth and himselfe to swoone in the middest of his house Neither shoulde we also in the regard of this his great sorrow and the miseries imminent on him on vs and on the people but wéepe and howle with him and repent and cry to the Lord for mercy CAP. XXII Zadoks Reede is approved and secunded touching the cause of K. Solomons trouble And it is so recorded THe former speeches being well heard considered accordingly by the Lords assembled Prince Zabud the kings familiar friend answered My Lord Zadoke I suppose ye haue fully pierced the centre and haue plainely reuealed though in secret vnto vs the highest cause of this so strange metamorphosis and alteration of the king Your words so graue and right reuerendly disposed on this occasion wee allow as wel worthie and commend your plaine manner of dealing in this matter though of such waight for howsoeuer it bee honourable to conceale the Kinges secrets as my Lorde the Kings secretarie will confesse yet in this case I hold it necessarie that those things bee manifested to vs of this assembly no lesse then it shal be needfull that the sicknesse and griefe of the languishing patient with the causes thereof bee made knowen to the faithfull Phisician who at the least howsoeuer he may be able or not able to cure the malady wil neuerthelesse extend his good wil endeuour his best and wish the patient health And out of doubt as ye haue said so may I say what I likewise haue obserued being ordinarily so neere his grace as any one els in his Court that he hath had very lately a message sent him from God containing both a sharpe reprehension and a fearefull commination The message was therefore irksome to him for who may but bash when God reprooueth him and who should not tremble at the sentence of punishment The reproofe toucheth to the quicke but the threate dawnteth the guiltie conscience for as the one argueth a displeasure for a fault committed so the other awardeth iudgement for the same But yet what the very cause thereof was I could not vnderstand vntill now for ye haue said it to be besides all other causes the high displeasure of God iustly conceiued against the King and his people for that the King hath contrary to the diuine law multiplyed wiues to himselfe in a great number that he hath also combined himselfe with strange Women yea such as are strangers in Religion to vs and that by their societie and temptations he hath beene allured and turned his hart from Iehovah his God then the which alas what can be more reprehensible horrible and fearefull * The King himselfe said Zadok will not at the least he should not dissemble this matter zadoke proceedeth to tell what the prophet said to K. Solomon for the Prophet who brought him this Embassady from God deliuered it not in a corner nor staggered he to tell it to the Kings face and that with wonderfull audacitie For so God commaunded him to doe and neither to feare nor dissemble nor conceale any thing of that he had in charge and he had his authoritie and power then from God which emboldned him Therefore the holy Prophets whom God authoriseth and sendeth forth into the world The boldnes of the prophets setting God before their eyes and their duty nothing dread the faces of mortall men in their holy ministry and seruice vnto whose aspect the greatest potentates of the earth which feare not the Lord of heauen appeare but as sauage beasts or base things that perrish howsoeuer glorious they seeme to the conceits of prophane men So the Prophet beholding the King charged him and said without feare that he had transgressed and not obserued that which first David the Kings father receiued from the Lord and had giuen him in charge to performe nor that which Iehovah his God appearing to him at two sundry times willed him to obserue keepe as he was willing to enioy and retaine his blessings bee shadowed vnder the safe wings of his protection possesse the peace both of mind and body and thenceforth prosper in his place M. Recorder ye know well where the words be recorded I pray you to turne over the Annales till yee finde the place and then let vs heare the wordes read openly before vs all that we may the better consider and compare the same with the Kings dealings Iehosophat the Recorder findeth the record of the matter in the Annales Psal 102.18 for thus must one thing bee considered with another if we thinke to vnderstand that which we desier and to effect the thing which to our duty belongeth * I am here ready said Iehosophat the Recorder and I know very wel where this matter lyeth written Oh how necessary and profitable is the true record of things in writing And this is written for them that come after that they thereof may learne to bee wise as we are taught by the writings of Moses Iosuah Samuel and others both learned godly that liued before our daies And now my Lords all hearken what I haue founde written by Nathan the Prophet in the Kinges Annales Most willingly said the Lordes therefore read on in the name of God I finde said Iehosophat that after the time Solomō
was annointed King in the place of David his Father did sit on his throne by his fathers goodwill The charge that David gave to his sonne Solomō 1. King 2. aduise consent and direction David seeing the day to draw neare that he shold rest with his fathers he called Solomon and charged him saying I go the way of all the earth be thou strong therefore shew thy selfe a man keepe thou the watch of Iehovah thy God that thou walke in his wayes keepe his statutes and precepts his iudgements his testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses that thou maist prosper in all that thou doest in every thing that thou medlest withall That the Lord also may make good his word which he spake vnto me saying If thy children take heed to their waies that they walk before mee in truth withall their hearts withall their soules thou shalt not be without a man on the seate of Israel And all this the kings Father tooke from that holy Oracle which Nathan had before that time brought him Wherein the Lorde had certified David 2. Sam. 7. that Solomon his sonne should build an house for his name and hee saide he shall build an house for my name I will establish the throne of his kingdome for ever I wil be his father he shal be my sonne And if hee sinne I will chasten him with the rod of men with the plagues of the children of men but my mercy shall not depart away from him as I tooke it from Saul whome I have put away before thee And thine house shal be established thy kingdome for ever before thee even thy throne shal be established for ever * After this I find it recorded againe that the Lord appeared in Gibeon to King Solomon in a dreame by night Whiles he yet walked in the ordinances and waies of David his Father And the Lord said Aske what I shall give thee the King said Thou hast shewed vnto thy servant David my father great mercy when he walked before thee in truth 1. King 3.5 How David walked with God in righteousnes in plainnes of heart with thee And thou hast kept for him this great mercy that thou hast givē him a son to sit on his seat as it is come to passe this day And now O Lord my God it is thou that hast made thy servant King in steed of David my Father And I am but yong wot not how to go out in And thy servāt is in the middest of thy people which thou hast chosen verily the people are so many that they cannot be tolde nor numbered for multitude Solomons request Give therfore thy servant an vnderstanding heart to iudge thy people that I may discerne betweene good evill For who it able to iudge this so mighty a people And this pleased the Lord well that Solomō had desired this thing Therefore God said vnto him because thou hast asked this thing hast not asked for thy selfe long life neither hast asked riches for thy selfe nor hast asked the life of thine enemies but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstāding discretion in iudgement beheld I have done according to thy wordes Lo I have given thee a wise vnderstāding heart The Lorde granted him his request moreover of his louing mercies so that there hath beene none like thee before thee neither after thee shull any arise like vnto thee And I have givē thee that which thou hast not asked evē riches honour so that there shal be no King like vnto thee in al thy daies * And if thou wilt walke in my waies to keep mine ordinances my commandements as thy father David did walke I wil prolōg thy dayes c. Againe I find it recorded that when the King had builded the Temple and had prayed to the Lord that it would please him to sanctify the same for his name c. 1. King 9.2 The Lorde appeared vnto him the second time and said I have heard thy praier thine intercession that thou hast made before mee For I have hallowed this house which thou hast built to put my name there for ever And if thou wilt walke before mee as David thy father walked in purenes of heart in righteousnes to do all that I have commanded thee wilt keepe my statutes my lawes then will I stablish the seate of thy kingdome vpon Israel for ever as I have promised to David thy father saying Thou shalt not be without a man vpon the seate of Israel zadoke sheweth how gratious the Lord hath beene to Solomon and his people 1. King 10. To what end God giveth good princes * Lo said Zadok ye see how gratious the Lord our God hath shewed himselfe to the King and by him vnto the people of Israel whom the Lord hath chosen and to whome therefore it was his pleasure to giue vs such a King as the Queen of Saba in the due consideration thereof said for godly kings are adorned and giuen of the Lorde for the prosperity and peace of them whome his grace loueth And as by him they raigne so is hee carefull to defend them from euil and to leade them foorth in all goodnes by his wisedome and prouidence Moreouer this is an especiall grace of God bestowed on such Princes For without this the wisest man liuing can neither follow the good nor eschew the euill in this flattering and guilefull world * But read on gentle Iehosophat Is there not somwhat els Yes quod Iehosophat and thus the Lorde added on the contrary part But if ye your children turne away from me will not keepe my commandements my statutes A commination on the Apostates and disobedient 1. King 9.6 which I have set before you but go serve other Gods worship them then will I weed Israel out of the land which I have given them this house which I have hallowed for my name will I cast out of my sight Israel shal be a proverb fable among all nations this house shall be takē away so that every one that passeth by it shal be astonished shal hisse they shal say why hath the Lord don thus vnto this land to this house they shal answere because they forsooke the Lord their God which brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt have taken hold vpon other Gods have worshipped them and served them therefore hath the Lorde brought vpon them all this evill * Then aunswered Zadoke ye haue reade enough of this Argument Loe my Lordes as in the former member the Lorde hath declared his diuine loue and great mercies both to the King and his people and generally to all them that belieue in him and walk in his waies so in this latter he sheweth how much he hateth and abhorreth them that apostate from him follow after other
Lorde forbid for besides many other reasons we shall through such vntruthes not onely hurt the King and delude his people but ouerthrow our selues But may wee vnderstand most reuerend Father by sound report what all those things are that be or may be obiected against the king and his Sermons and words which might impayre the credit of the one and the authoritie of the other It is good to withstand the beginnings of mischiefes for if such conceits haue already entred the eares and mindes of men what may wee thinke will thereof ensue in processe of time if there be not a preuention ye know the common aduise Withstand the beginning of a maladie els the medicine will too lately be applyed But as a worde spoken in due season is like apples of gold in a graued worke of siluer so the testimonie which we shall exhibite with you vnto the king in this opportune time shall bee pretious and full of excellent beautie in the face of them that feare the Lord in time to come Therefore as Abiather hath ministred vnto vs the occasion of this question let him also declare heere before vs all what hee hath heard or may imagine to bee obiected against the king and those the kings words And let him also say what he feareth may yet be further excepted to the same alwayes prouided that modestie be not transgressed Then answered Abiather My Lords sauing alwayes the kings reuerence Abiather reporteth what he hath heard obiected against the king and his words and the credite of his wordes with the pleasure of your honours I will speake as the reseconding Echo reporting rather the wordes and speaches of others than any of mine owne for both against my Lorde the kings Highnesse and also against his sermons and words I haue heard of late some and that not meane nor ignorant but great personages and prudent largely to obiect Neither may any of vs thinke otherwise but that the king and his words and life are obserued and noted by others not onely his friends but his enemies also The words the liues and behaviour of princes are obserued of the people and so much the sooner because hee is the King on whom before all others the eyes of all the people are bent as on a famous citie set on an hill or as on a light on the table And truely the errors and meane faultes of Princes whose liues are set foorth to bee séene obserued and followed of many appeare often wonderfull great as in the face of a man a little webbe or scarre is sooner seene and disliked then a farre greater spot or blemish in any other the parts of the body And then as the eclipsing or defect of the Sunne bringeth a great annoyance to the earth and no lesse calamitie to men and other inferiour treasures those faults and errors of the king who should chiefly direct all others to the common good and highest felicitie engender no small perturbation and other great inconueniencies in the affaires of his Kingdome and Common-wealth An admonition to princes Therefore it is meet that the king and such high estates do walke aduisedly both in word deed with honourable behauior and that Princes bee right wary that they neither doe nor suffer to be done any thing which themselues would not that the people should not obserue or imitate or iustly dislike in them aboue all they must regard that they neither commit nor command any thing contrary to the Law of God and the honour of that place wherein they that stand are called Gods because they represent the Maiestie of God and raigne by his prouidence and power to doe equitie and righteousnesse vnto the people And heerein observing dutie they stand devoyd of all dreade honoured of their Subiects and others and goe foorth most couragiously in their lawfull enterprises no more respecting the sinister talkes of their malicious enemies then the great barbed horses feare of those little Curres which barke at their heeles But when these rules bee neither obserued nor followed both the honour of the place is distained by those persons and themselues in fine requited with obloquie and diffame For as the great ramping Lyon so gréedy of his pray is made afraid both at the crowing of the Cocke and at the sight of the Cockes-combe so many mightie and high Potentates of the earth in the knowledge of their owne slidings haue been wonderfully annoyed and astonished both by the hard reportes of very meane persons and by their churlish behauior towards them and their honor vpon such occasions And I doe no lesse feare that both the reports which are carryed abroad and the opinions of men with their demeanure occasioned thereby towards the king hath both much disgraced his high magnificencie and disquieted his happy peace Moreouer there be which stick not to except against his gouernment For as the rule wherby men worke must first be made straight and plaine before the worke can thereby be either corrected or directed so a prince ought to be free from all heinous vices yea it is required that he be perfect and sound in all princely vertues before hee be able to rule well or to correct or to direct others Neither indeede amongst the wisest haue such persons beene esteemed worthie to beare rule in the affayres of a Kingdome or to instruct guide and direct others in the Church which haue not throughly subdued their affections restrained their appetites abandoned their lustes and bridled their naturall passions Truely these and such like are the ordinary matters nowe in question and much ruminated among the very rusticall and Countrey people in such sorte as the eares of them that heare the same may glowe the King himselfe may bee sorie and all wee of his Court vtterly ashamed And first against the king himselfe there be which thus obiect Obiections against King Solomon Although that King Solomon hath in his time farre excelled all the kings in the world in wisedome wealth glory and other things of the highest request yet beyond all expectation he hath wonderfully transgressed sinned against God against his people against his own honour And with this they bring foorth against him all whatsoeuer my Lorde Zadok hath saide before and a great deale more Wherein they point at him as at one of the fooles of Israel farre vnmeete the dignitie of his place honor of his calling and reuerence of his Age. for as he best knoweth the nature of all hearbs and beastes hee should in this they say haue imitated the nature of either the hearbe or of the beast Chamoeleon whereof the one will euer change the colour of her leaues to the qualitie of the place wherein shee groweth and the other will resemble the colours and shewes obiected Thus it was saide of Saul i. Sam. 10.6 assoone as Samuel had annointed him for King ouer Israel that hee was chaunged into another man Thus also our Lorde the king
behaued himselfe after that hee was anointed and proclamed King in the place of his Father David and thus hee shoulde haue worthily continued and retained the honour of his place especially in his elder yeares wherein is required sobrietie grauitie holinesse wisedome zeale and perfection This the king knewe well-enough for hee wanted no wisedome no knowledge no vnderstanding no iudgement But that notwithstanding hee abused both his calling place and age whereof it is that as they which come out of hote bathes doe sodainely coole more vehemently and as that water which hath beene once heate seemeth to bee more colde then any other and as they most deadly hate one another which haue beene sometimes friendes when they fall at variance so turning himselfe from the Lorde his God and from the vse of those princely and heroicall vertues wherein hee was first exercised hee is esteemed execrable wicked in the eyes of wisemen Therefore There bee among them which doe not onely call into question his election and remission but also doe iudge him a person prophane reprobate and damnable and so not meete to bee a King much lesse to bee the King of Israel For as the iudgement of the tree is taken from the consideration of the fruite and of the fountaines by the taste or vse of the waters so gather they this censure from the consideration of the kings life and demeanour for whiles a man continueth wallowing in sinne without true repentance he declareth no pardon and he whose sinnes are not pardoned hath none hope of health Againe he that repenteth not of his sinnes when he hath sinned is a prophane person he that obtaineth not mercy is a reprobate and he that is shut out from saluation is damned Howbeit the Lord forbidde that this thing should bee found or iustly proued in our Lorde the King of Israel Herence also they obiect against the sermons wordes Exceptions to Solomons doctrine and words and doctrines of King Solomon as of fruites vnwholesome growing of such an euill tree For neither could his vnderstanding as they say henceforth be perfit to this purpose for as they which sodainly turne themselues to the shadow which haue seene the Sunne haue their eyes dazeled and cannot as yet see cleerely so it cannot be that be which hath turned away his minde from spirituall contemplations to the obscure lusts of the flesh should so soone afterwarde bee of perfite vnderstanding in those heauenly mysteries and diuine doctrines And heere it is remembred what the King himselfe hath sometimes saide That wisedome entreth not into a wicked soule nor dwelleth in a bodie that is subiect to sinne Therefore they from hence argue Solomon hath not presumed to vse the name Iehovah of late The booke of the Ecclesiastes not well vnderstood of many wherof it was that so many evill opinions haue bin fathered thereon that the King in this time is not replenished with the perfite wisedome and so can neither vtter nor teach wisedome vnto others by any deedes or wordes of his * But yet they are more bolde on these their assertions because the King hath not of late vsed the most holy Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iehovah which is proper to the Almightie either in his priuate talke or in those his Wordes which hee hath lately vttered before his Princes or in that Booke of his called the Song of Songs which they holde and will esteeme a cause sufficient that both those his Wordes and Bookes shoulde bee not onely suspected but also reiected as prophane and vnprofitable for the Church of God Yea they say morouer that from hence as from a bitter roote will issue foorth sundry monstrous opinions and dangerous doctrines by the which the most prophane persons shall strengthen their prophanites the vngodly their impieties the superstitious their superstitions the sinners their sinnes Therefore as we are of Israel and ought not to be polluted with the manners of the heaten so shoulde wee before all others abandon those and such like works and words which corrupt good manners and that kinde of learning which confounds the good constitution of a mans health and hasteneth his destruction as for the conseruation of bodily health the Phisicians doe aduise men to eschew those daintie meates which prouoke them to eate when they are not hungry and those delicate drinkes which tempt them to drinke being not thirstie And of this kinde they obiect that the king hath much spoken in this his olde age But howsoeuer it bee we may bee sure of this that as the best wine looseth his verdit and grace when it is infused into fowle and filthy vessels So the words of the king be they neuer so good and profitable in right estimation shall by this his vngodly life and polluted behauiour loose both their right grace and commendation in the iudgement of all men I am right sory I was occasioned to say thus much of my Lorde the King and of his Sermons and last Words Azariah for the king and his words Then answered Azariah in the behalfe of all the other Princes Indeed as yee haue saide there may bee many things obiected by such as being not onely ignorant and neither able to discerne betweene things holy and prophane so perceiue not that the fault lyeth rather in their own synister interpretations of the Kings workes and wordes then in the workes and wordes themselues but also by such as regarde not to yeelde honour to them to whome honour belongeth and little care whome they wound with their tongues or whose wordes or workes they depraue and sclander as my Lorde Zadok hath before well noted Giue not sentence before the matter bee heard But let vs aduise all them that come after vs that they giue not sentence in a matter before they heare it with discretion lest it turne to their folly and shame pro. 18. A Caveat especially in these matters of God and the king and that they beware that they bee not seduced and led away by the sophistrie and guilfull practizes of such deriders from the true vse of this the kings Solace and so consequently from the way that leadeth to the highest felicitie and best good Gen. ◠The spirite of God is euer wont to reproue them that bee vniust in iudgement and thereof that cursed and reprobated Serpent is already condemned But heere wee heartily request you most reuerend Zadok which are adorned and beautified with that right * Vrim and Thumim That is knowledge perfection to speake in the defence of king Solomon our Soueraigne Lord and of his words and say whatsoeuer the Lorde shall put in your mouth to be spoken without feare or partialitie and wee will not onely giue eare vnto you but also be right thankefull We doubt not but that after your answeres to all those and such like obiections heard and waighed with deliberation Note well what wil be in the end resolued of Solomon and
my Lordes that ye haue not seene any such thing in the king nor do ye imagine as I suppose that the king at any time was so foolish as to adore or worship such kind of Gods of the which his father David deciding the grosse Idolatrie of the heathen thus sang Their Idols both of silver golde and mens hand worke they be They mouthes have but do not speake and eies but cannot see They have eke eares but do not heare senseles noses so They have handes but they handle not feete but cannot go Doubtles answered the Princes we perswade as yee haue said yea said Azariah and wee haue often heard the K. himselfe to blame and reproue such kind of Idolatry and thus hath he said whose wordes for wisedome and grauity are copied out and divulged euen among the Gentiles Sap. 13.10 14.8 15.3 Miserable are they and among the dead that call them Gods which are but the workes of mens hands Againe deriding the folly of those Idoll-worshippers he saith he is not ashamed to speake to that which hath no soule for health hee makes his petition to that which is sicke for life he humbly praieth to him that is dead Againe cursed be the Idoll that is made with handes yea both it and he that made it he because he made it and it because it was called a God whereas it is but a fraile thing for the vngodly and his vngodlines are both like abhominable vnto God euen so the worke and he that made it shal be punished together Againe To know the Lord God is perfect righteousnesse yea to know his power is the root of immortality As for the thing that men haue found out through their euill science it hath not deceiued vs nor the painters vnprofitable labor namly an image spotted with diuers colors whose sight inticeth the ignorāt to lust after it and he desireth the picture of a dead image that hath no breath Both they that make them they that desire them and they that worship them loue euill thinges and merite to haue such thinges to trust vpon Againe the enemies of Israel that worship those Idols are most vnwise more miserable thē very fooles For they iudge of them to bee Gods which neither haue eyes to see nor noses to smell nor ears to heare nor hands nor fingers to grope and as for their feete they are too slow to goe Lo those and such like wordes hath the king his wisedome vttered touching those heathen Gods and the worshippers of thē euen publikely and in presence of all them to come to him to heare his wisdome that thereby the sooner he might withdraw them from that grosse error and impious abhomination and bring them to the right worship of Iehovah the God of Israel Ye haue truly spoken in this matter said Zadok for in truth I haue not knowen any one man of life that hath more disliked and derided this kind of Idolatry that hath more sharply reprehended them that haue followed after strange Gods then the K. himselfe Neither did he thinke that any man which either knew Iehovah our God or had any wisedome or reason or iudgement or humaine wit wold acknowledge such a senseles image for a God and worship it much lesse himselfe woulde either aduenture or attempt a thing so heinous shamefull and dangerous against the law of God reason and good conscience being a man so wise holy and zealous for the L. his God Therfore let vs not imagine that the K. was so perswaded to prostrate himselfe before those vaine images of the heathen to adore or worship them as Gods or that he did inuocate or pray to them or trust in thē for any aid or comfort seeing that both he knew the abhomination of such vain things In what sense it is said that Solomon followed after strange Gods felt the goodnes of the living God at al times so gratious towards him but indeede this is true that the K. hath in his fond loue and carnall affection to his wiues being Idolators and Apostats from the true religiō so doted besotted himselfe that he hath winked at such their abhominations yea hee hath permitted them to vse their strāge religiōs more yet he hath caused to be built for thē houses high places in the face of all Israel in the sight of Ierusalē hath allowed thē great sums of money maintenance out of his treasurs to for the same wherof it is well said indéede that he followed after their abhominatiōs for being both the K. of Israel the husband of those his wiues he should rather as he might wel do haue restrained punished such horrible abuses of the name honor of God But howsoeuer it was seing we haue not séen such palpable idolatry in the K. as that he did worship their idols nor cā we see into the K. heart as God séeth him Gods secret waies are such as no vultures eie did euer see as Iob said the bottōles profunditie therof we may not attempt to sownd let vs here content our selues with so much thereof as it hath well pleased him to reueale vnto vs iudge iustly and soberly of God and his waies constre the best of his Saintes thinke honourably of this chosen person and his actions and words not rashly censuring the one nor indiscreetely condēning the other And out of all question if in this resolution and minde wee duly search and wisely examine and consider of all thinges we shall find and confesse that howsoeuer it bee K. Solomon did not onely turne away from God and endangered himselfe as all other sinners do but that also he is returned againe and assured of safetie King Solomon did turne again to the Lord. as those which truly repent them of their sinnes that he had not onely his heart seduced and corrupted as his Father David had when he cōmitted murther adultery but hath also a new heart created and a right spirit renewed in him as the same David had after that hee repented psal 51. praied and founde grace with the Lord that he did not only deny the Lord wherby God was exasperated against him as our forefathers both in the wildernes and in the time of the Iudges haue don but also hath acknowledged his power Num. 21.8 and confessed him and therein eschewed his owne destruction as many of our fathers did which beheld that brasen serpēt in the wildernes and wept before the Lord and were preserued and comforted he did not only sin to prouoke the Lord but also he did repent and well pleased the Lord. Exo. 10.17 2. Sam. 12.13 Gen. 4.14 1. Sam. 13.4 Gen. 3.20 38 26. Exo. 32.22 And this he hath done not with his mouth onely as Pharao did but with his heart as K. David did he dispaired not as did Cain and Saul but he sorrowed and repented in hope as did Adam and Iudah