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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Israel if all things had answered ad amussim to his request and dayly endevor but also by many heauenly doctrines learned Orations wise sentences parables and arguments to display and set foorth the manifolde vanities of wordly-men and there-withall as the wise Preacher to studie and endevor on the one side to disswade and hallow them from the same beeing replenished with so many miseries and on the other side to allure and draw them on towardes the chiefe good and highest felicitie where onely is found the true sacietie and best solace after all the confused troubles of this life Truely this is the very Argument Summe or chiefe matter of his Booke entituled the Ecclesiastes or the Preacher from whence as from the head-spring of many both pleasant and profitable streames this present Solace is chiefly derived In the which besides the viewe of Solomons Common-wealth and many other matters of right worthy request is contained his true Repentance and Pardon after his sinnes displayed in a certaine Dialogue or conference of his Princes and chiefe Lordes A worke both godly pleasant and profitable aswell for Princes and noble personages as for all others which have any desire to walke in this life towardes the highest obiect of our hope But heere I thought it good to admonish thee gentle Reader that as the worke chiefely regardeth those matters of Antiquitie and namely such as were either heard of scene vnderstood or in action within the compasse of that time wherein that most famous King both raigned and lived and of the which his Princes Lordes and servantes coulde as auriti or oculati testes both take and giue true testimonies or the which they could readily cite gather obserue remember consider and reason of in and among themselues so haue I therein for the most part taken applyed and vsed those testimonies examples and Arguments the which either that time or the times then fore-past could happily affoord mee for those persons from whose wordes reportes and disputations this Dialogue is deduced could not possibly deliver vnto vs the things which as yet were neither in action or motion among men seeing themselues knew not as they were men what shoulde followe or come to passe after them vnder the Sunne Eccle. 3.22 but as they might conclude effects from the causes in naturall things Therefore I haue beene carefull that there-with I might intermixe any of those which succeeded in the ages times and persons following the which neuerthelesse being extant may be neither reiected nor abandoned but rather as they stand to bee taken and collected in and from the wordes writings and workes of others which though farre latter have yet beene both godly faithfull well learned and of no lesse credite and authoritie in the Church Howbeit because I would not that any thing which is either worthie thy knowledge or heere in request with any of them that stand in doubt of the holynesse of King Solomon the authoritie of his wordes and Bookes shoulde bee cowched in silence or buried in obscuritie I purpose and God will though very briefly to supply even here that which might seeme to bee wanting there that so the latter compared with the former and one thing considered rightly with another they may from either gather a meete harmony and consent to conclude both for the holynesse of th' one for the sufficiency of th' other But here I finde them that demaund how the knowledge of this disputation and conference should be brought vnto mine vnderstanding from whence this princely dialogue could be either gathered or presumed To whome I might answere that howsoever it be that either this or the semblable matter may bee hidden from the knowledge and vnderstanding of the simple and ignoraunt or how hardly it may bee conceived of some wise and learned persons yea and howsoever this present dialogue shal be censured and esteemed in a great part as prosopopoicall or imagined yet it is true and sure enough as it is hereafter declared and proved that those godly wise well learned and noble personages which were and lived in the time of Solomon heard of his wisedome and saw his glorie never doubted of his holinesse and true repentance and so neither of his remission and salvation with the Lorde And as in those thinges they were not doubtfull so were they neither so negligent nor carelesse of the Kinges health and prosperity and of the Common-good of the Lordes people but that they as most noble Princes and wise and grave Counsailors entered into a deepe consideration of the royal estate and of the common wealth of Israel reasoned and argued the case in and betweene themselves concerning the causes of the kinges great heavines and sorrow and therein did not onely thinke honourably and constre charitably and reverently of the kinges dealinges and wordes as it well became them but also endevoured by their wisedom counsel authority to remove away all the causes that the vnhappy effectes thereof might cease and to withstand the remedilesse inconveniences of such desperate mischiefs in time convenient that in such sort in effect as it is reported in this Solace And to the end that no man might either make question of the holinesse of their soveraigne Lord or doubt of his remission and salvation they argue for him and above all the rest of that most honourable society the most reverend father in God namely Zadok the Lordes high priest to whose grave and learned iudgement they all most gladly condiscended spake and proved first that king Solomon was by the providence of the highest provided and made a lively figure of the most holy Messiah whom they faithfully expected to come into the world and that it was necessary that the figure should answere to the thing figured Therefore the Messiah beeing most holy it must follow that King Solomon should bee also holy alluding to those equall proportions in the law between the Seed of the Woman and the types shadows and figures of the same * Next to that they argue his Pardon partly from Gods owne promise of mercy to him and the continuance of his divine Graces 2. Sam. 7.15 partly from his Repentance the which besides other places is worthily gathered of his Ecclesiastes or Preacher beeing as the Hebrewes say the booke of his repentance * Thirdly they argue his Salvation with the Lorde from the consideration of his pardon as that which necessarily followeth the same after this and like Testimonies and examples Blessed is that man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne And as they never doubted of the holinesse pardon and salvation of the person so neither called they into questiō any his books proverbs words songs sētences but honoured reverenced and esteemed them as wise and grave sayings divine prophesies and matters right holy and profitable for the Lordes congregation and for the instruction of his people Therfore they
Nay we ought not to be such sharp cēsorers as either to deny or to bring into doubt the salvation of all thē whose sins have bin made manifest in the holy scriptures albeit of their finall repentance we finde no mention in plaine forme of wordes If it were not so what shoulde wee iudge of Adam and Hevah which hearkened to the Serpent and fell from their obedience of Noah which beeing drunken with wine lay vncovered of Lot which was overcome and committed incest of Iudah which lay with Thamar his daughter in law of Sampson the Nazarite who dallied with Dalila slew himselfe with the Philistines of Iosiah which attempted an vnnecessary battaile against Neko the K. of Aegypt died in the same of the man of God which cōtrary to the L. commādement did eat bread in the old Prophets house was slaine of a Lyon and of many such others both before and sithence the time of Christ of whose salvatiō there is no doubt or questiō Neither may we think howsoever Solomon offēded as he did offēd that hainously that yet his sins were irremissible not to be pardoned or by nature such as passed the sins of those others of whō wee read and belieue that God pardoned them Amongst others look on David the King look on Manasses look on Paul and consider Peter Was not David both an adulterer a murtherer for he tooke Bethsabe caused Vriah her husband for her sake to be slain howbeit he was not shut out frō repentāce so neither from remissiō as the scriptures testifie What was Manasses the scriptures report that he did evil in the sight of the L. even after the abhominatiōs of the heathēs whō the L. cast out before the childrē of Israel for hee built vp all the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroied he reared vp altars for Baal made groaves as did Achab K. of Israel worshipped al the hoast of heavē served thē he built altars for al the hoast of heavē he offered his own Son in the sier gave heed vnto witchcraft sorcery and maintained workers with spirits and tellers of fortunes wrought much wickednes in the sight of the L. to anger him Againe he led the people out of the way to do more wickedly thē did the heathē people And he slew Isaiah the L. prophet shed much innocent bloud till hee replenished Ierusalem from corner to corner besides his sinne wherewith he made Iudah to sin and to doe evill in the sight of the Lord. Lo such an one was Manasses and such were his sinnes farre beyonde that wee reade of Solomon Further what was Paul was he not a Saul a blasphemer a persecutor of Christ and his Saintes and finally did not Peter 3. times not onely deny his Maister Christ after he had believed and confessed him but also did sweare that hee knew him not yet lo Manasses is witnessed to repent and to finde mercie Peter goeth out and weepeth and the Lord looketh on him and sheweth him mercie Paul hath also obtained mercie as himselfe testifieth and such indeede is the mercie of our good God to penitent sinners Note this Now let no man thinke that this hath bin spokē to encourage men in their sins God forbid Nay rather let men by these fearefull examples feare to sinne and not presume on Gods mercie knowing that presumptuous sinnes shall not be freed of plagues when even those sinnes which are done of ignorance of feare of frailtie or natures imperfections are not left without some measure of punishmentes But this hath bin said partly to arme all men against despaire but chiefly to banish out of mens hearts that deep suspicion of Solomons finall Repentance and the doubtfulnes of his eternall health with that holy Messiah whome he so worthily prefigured in his life Secondly as wee have saide of Solomons person so may wee say resolve of his Books Sermons and Songs chiefely of his Proverbes his Preacher and his Song of Songes as of perfect veritie consonant in all thinges to the legall propheticall and Apostolicall Scriptures And therfore howsoever some persons either malicious or ignorant would obiect and except against any of those by reason of the persons transgression or of his strange phrases farre passing the vulgare and ordinarie manner of speech or the reach of their knowledge or otherwise wee find neverthelesse that as both the author and his workes and wordes have beene reverently esteemed and worthily admired of those wise and honourable personages who lived in his time and so neare him that they both beheld him with their eyes and heard him with their eares and from his wisdom collected and preserved that which they esteeme worthie the holy register as most divine Oracles prophesies sentences and doctrines so necessary and profitable for the Church so also have those wise learned Hebrues and others of regarde which succeeded them resolved of the same which therefore they have likewise esteemed and embraced accordingly Pro. 25.1 Aug. de civ dei lib. 17.20 Io. Driedo in Catalog sacr script Therfore the godly affected Servantes of the right worthie King Hezekiah admiring the one and well affecting the other did carefully copie out for their better solace and instruction many of his wise parables and grave sayings Therefore also Esra the right learned Scribe who collected and restored the written lawe sacred prophesies dispersed in the vnhappy time of the Babylonicall captivitie gathered and placed those 3. former Bookes in the Canon of the holy Scriptures Therefore the Synagogue of the Iewes after him and that aswell before as sithence the time of the Lordes nativitie accepted and received those his Bookes in the number of the 22. which they proportioned to the letters of the holy tongue Therefore the Chaldean translators of the holy scriptures have both regarded entituled his sayings songs Prophesies Therfore Iesus or Iosua the high priest being in Aegypt Eccles 1. in Prolog August de civit deilib 17. cap. 20. Et lib. retract 1. cap. 4. Hieron in lib. de viris illustrad Chromat Hag. 1.1 Zach. 3.1 Io. Driedo in Catalog sacr script Damas lib. 4. cap. 18. finding there many Books writtē in the hebrew tōgue left there of the Iewes among them all copied out collected and comprised in a book many of Solomons wise words sentences divine prophesies the which afterward that is to say in the raigne of Ptolomy Euergetes the Aegytian K. a little before the daies of Iudas Macchabeus and about 200. yeeres before the birth of Messiah one Iesus the sonne of Sirach which was the son of the same Iosuah affecting that which his grandfather had collected did interpret or translate the same frō the hebrew into the Greeke tongue acknowledging himselfe therin to bee not the Author but the translator Therefore Philo the learned Iewe who lived in the time of Onias the high priest beeing about an hundred
Husai Iehosophat the sonne of Paruah Semei the sonne of Ela Gaber the sonne of Vri. These Officers being elected with discretion and so approued were not the children of Belial as proud couetous luxurious extortioners bribers oppressors fighters brawlers or such as were either noted or suspected of anie wicked vice but of a goodlie constitution prudent ingenious of good capacitie gentle courteous of good conscience obedient to the lawes honest and faithfull in their places therein aunswering to the interpretations of their seuerall names either proper or appellatiue Whereby king Solomō was not onely most royally serued with all kind of princly prouision of houshoulde but had his store-houses replete with that which was timely reposed therein for the same and like vses Howbeit Solomon beeing most prudent did euer estéeme his people and subiectts for his best store-house Kings store-house so wel semblant I say not to the open fieldes but to that good Orchard or Gardine well set with diuers kindes of trées which haue in them not onely many branches boughs leaues stems erected but aboundance of fruit wholesome and profitable for mans vse especially then when the same is welhusbandred necessities respected iniuries salued particular causes wel waighed And truly to and for this end had king Solomon those prudent and meete prepositours knowing that by such persons the affaires are commonly well managed and performed but on the contrarie the subiects occasioned iustly to murmure wil be easily perswaded to rebell against the king and his gouernmēt and mens cogitations erst pure may be sorely corrupted especially if they perceiue that they which stand in place of authority shal not obserue that which themselues bid and command which both defaceth their authority and destroieth the good nature of many a man Solomons servants in house * Also the king for his priuate seruants in house had them which were of especiall choice as who for their wisedome strength agilitie actiuitie industrie good disposition manners humanity patience docilitie constancie trust fidelitie and the feare of the Lord were not only best fit to stand before him to gard him to serue him to attend his royall presence and person but also to heare his wisedome to apprehend his iudgements to note his behauiour to imitate his graces and to be interpreters of his wil and word vnto others And indeed these and such are worthie so noble a maister and well it becommeth a king of that puissance and magnanimity to be serued and attended on by such chosen seruants K. Solomons principal Lords But aboue all the rest the king had certaine principall and princelie Lordes by whose graue counsayle iudgement prudence good aduise and prouidence both the king himselfe was assisted consolated and preserued in gouernment and the affaires of the whole kingdome of Israell the better disposed ordered and performed 1. King 4.2 1. Chro. 28. Exod. 18.20 that according to the defier and charge of his father King Dauid who was not vnmindfull of that prudent counsaile which sometimes wise Iethro gane Moses in the right vse wherof himselfe was eased and ayded and the people timely iudged and well gouerned And these are the names of those principall Lordes viz. 1. Azariah 2. Helioreph 3. Ahiah 4. Iehosophat 5. Benaiah 6. Zadock 7. Abiathar 8. Azariah 9. Zabud 10. Ahishar 11. Adoniram Azariah the first of that name was an especiall Lorde attending and assisting the kings person Helioreph and Ahiah were the kings wise Secretaries Scribes ornotaries Iehosophat was the kings Recorder of the gestes or Chronicles Benaiah was the general Captaine ouer the kings hostes in the which office his succeeded Captaine Ioab Zadocke was the chiefe Priest preferred to that function and place after that Abiathar was degraded and put away for his confederacie with Adoniah against King Solomon Abiathar the same before named among the Lordes was a priest who sometimes ministred and attended in the stéede and place of Zadock Azariah the second of that name was a prudent Lorde whome the King had placed ouer those twelue Purueyors or officers before named Zabud was the sonne of Nathan a Priest and the Kinges friend and familiar companion Ahishar was set ouer the Kinges Pallace Adoniram had the authority for the Tributes as high Treasurer of the kingdome A description of King Solomons Counselors As all and euery of those Lords were of no meane choice but some of them such as were commended and left vnto him by his Father Dauid for wise graue Counsaylors and the Sonnes of Nobles so were they most exquisitely qualified and adorned with such princely vertues as appertaine to personages of that ranke As first they were adorned with that perfection of their mēbers as best fitted those affaires to and for the which they were elected and put in place Next they wanted not the goodnes of apprehension to vnderstand whatsoeuer was spoken worthy audiēce Thirdly they were graced with an excellēt memory to retain things heard and apprehended yéelding nothing necessarie the remēbrance to thriftles obliuion 4. they possessed a profound consideration and déepe conceit concerning such difficulties as occurred 5. A courteous affabilitie pleasing speech and ready eloquence but so as therein their tongues concorded with their heartes 6. A learned skill in the liberall sciences 7. They were in word faithfull louers of the truth contemners of lyes composite in manners pleasant gentle tractable well complexioned 8. Also free and without any iust suspition of ebrietie luxurie carnall lusts and notorious offences 9. Men right magnanimious in their purposes and affecting the true honor 10. Not couetous minded but contemning Gold Siluer and other accidentall things of the world in regard of their dutie to God to their king and the common-wealth wherein they had and retayned a most faithfull loue as well of strangers as of their neighbours 11. As they had a loue both to the iust and to iustice so also hated they alkind of iniuries odious offences yeelding euery one his right aiding the oppressed and those which sustained wrong not making at any time the strength of their authoritie their rod of reuenge to beate them whom they affected not in good will but remouing away all iniustice and shew of oppression they set no difference betwéene persons and degrées of men but only betwéene causes as equitie required 12. They had likewise a strong and perseuering purpose in th' execution of things méet the performance audacious deuoid of pusillanimity or feare 13. They knew well the issues of all expences nor were they ignorant of any vtilitie appertinent to good gouernment as whereby the poore subiects might not be iustly occasioned to exclame or complaine of hard or cruel dealings 14. They were neither worders or giuen to high laughters nor gamesters nor common players or such like but graue modest silent temperate and courteous 15. readie to heare such as came to séeke iustice as whereby the king might be eased of that
rebell against the Lord as Samuel told him in the height of his wealth Yea thus Dauid the father of K. Solomon being a whiles permitted to try himselfe and his might transgressed and confessed his folly Lo such is mans nature prave inclinatiō semblant to the ponderous lead or Iron which declineth to the bottom of the water whereon it is cast when as it is not by some arte or meanes staid from sinking or as the vine which groweth proud and out of course without timely pruning yea they be not vnlike touching their misfortunes those little Chickens which runne forth to the Vultures and the sily Lambes which offer themselues a pray to the Foxes without regard of their proper dās to kéepe or draw them away Men therefore yea the best and most strong men should feare and not desire to bee left vnto their owne wils wisedome power and habilitie but pray and desier to be continually protected governed and directed by the diuine counsayles and providence knowing that God beeing their Father doth euermore care and prouide for them which being humbled in his feare depend on his will direction Next that we sée that the Lord neither blesseth nor graceth thē which leaue him and his service how mighty wise rich or glorious soeuer they be but in this he estéemeth the king as a Caytiffe the Emperour as a wretch the rich as a beggar the wise as a foole nor will he vouchsafe them honour who dishonour him Nor indeede hath he freed his own from the touch of miserie in measure when they transgressed Adam and Hevah were exiled Paradise Noah was wade ashamed David mas floysed with many afflictions So neyther will the Lord that any person of whatsoeuer estate or condition should assure himselfe of peace and prosperity longer then whiles hee liueth in peace with his maker King Solomon began now to know his transgression and to returne dependeth on him by faith in Messiah and serueth him in singlenesse of heart All this the King at length wisely considering by the blessed motion of the diuine Spirite which now began to reclaime and call him home againe sodainely altred the constitution of minde and changed his behauiour as Dauid did after that the Lord created a new heart and renewed the right spirite within him And thereupon he became euen as another man For now knowing both his heynous transgression and the danger of his own poore soule foreséeing the imminent alteration of his high estate and the great perill of his people and féeling the heauy singer of that iust God and his dreadfull wrath already burning as a consuming fier in his conscience he was as a man stricken with a deadly arrow he waxed both pale and wan in the fearefull agonies of his most sorry soule that face which shined sometimes as a bright Angel was deformed with the aboundance of his watry teares and whereas he vsed to sit royally on his stately Throne he did now choose to lye all alone on the cold earth he wayled all the day and watched euery night rent his kingly cloathes cast ashes on his head mingled his drinke with his teares and watred hid cowch with the same sighed sorily and lamented wofully abandoned as donge all his former pleasures and contemned as vanitie the delights of men Moreouer all his words which were before so pleasant and hony sweete to the hearing now sauoured of mortification and sorrow expressing the vnmeasurable torment of his wofull soule Alas The fraile cōdition of mans nature who would haue thought that such a noble person could haue beene so sodainely turned about and altred Who could beleeue that such passing great pleasures should be determined in paines such comfortatiues conuerted into corasiues such gladnesse into griefes such prosperitie into aduersitie such felicitie into misery in so short a time in so noble a personage But yet we may marvaile the lesse if we duely consider not onely that the King though so Wise Rich and Glorious is yet but a Man to whom are incident both sinnes slydings falles but also that such are the miseries infirmities afflictions and conditions of this life And that whensoeuer the Lord God in his iust iudgements either openly or secretly beateth and punisheth a man for his faults that man is all vnable either to withstand those scourges or to abide in his honour or prosperous estate to retaine his health or welfare either of body or minde being worthyly constrained to cowch and giue place to him which is much stronger then he and to yeelde to him with whom no man can pleade nor answere one for a thousand as Iob said in the like consideration With this I call to minde that which the Kings Father was wont to modulate singing vnto the Lord his God When thou for sinne a mortall man doest beate He waues away and waxeth woe and wan Psal 39.12 Much like the garment which the moath doth freate So vaine a thing indeede is mortall man Lo here may we see the fickle condition of man the nature of his prosperitie in this life Well may he be compared therein to the flower of the fielde as both Iob A similitude which setteth forth mans condition Iob. 14.1 and Dauid faith for like as the flower is not onely sed and refreshed with the pleasant showers of raine the comfortable beames of the Sunne and groweth and shineth in the beauty of diuers colours but also within a very short time is annoyed altred and deformed now with the pearching heate of the Canicular Starre then with the pinching frosts of Boreas windes Euen so is man for he commeth vp he florisheth he shineth he is glorious in his place so long as it pleaseth God to giue him the sweete beames of prosperitie and honor in this world but this is not permanent for as man will not abide in honor so neither is it meete he should be still fostred and lulled here in the cradle of felicitie for by this he forgets himselfe and his estate yea he forgetteth God that made him and forsaketh the same which redeemed him Therefore the Lord is best pleased that he should be exercised with those afflictions which commonly follow after worldly pleasure and prosperitie being indeede as a common pronostication of sorrow and aduersitie Neither is there any thing to be looked for in this life as both the sayings of the wise the ancient histories the proper similitudes of things and the present examples of such euents doe plainely teach and instruct vs. In the sense and experience therefore of these things what is there found of any constancie or of any stability or of any continuance in mans life As man himselfe is fraile so are all those accidents appertenant to his humane nature transitory Therefore not onely the poore man but also the rich man yea not onely the beggers but the most Royall Princes are subiect to this alterations and vanities In the due consideration
wherof Good counsell for them that liue in this world men should not so much marvaile at the sodaine chaunges of others and at the inconstancy of these worldly things as they should endeuour to learne to beware that they depend not on the deceaveable vanities of this life and to take héede that they waxe not proud nor forgetfull of their maker and of their owne estate and condition in the fond abuse of the things which are not their owne but as lent vnto them to be vsed to the honor of God their owne necessities Lastly séeing that these things be so vncertaine they should in time prouide to lay vp for themselues those treasures which are permanent and many stéede them to their highest content in the feare and loue of him that blesseth and prospereth all them that neuer turne their faith from him The second Chapter King Solomons Lordes perceiuing the strange alteration of their Soueraigne waxe very sorowfull they enquire for the cause and endeuour to preuent the future inconveniences WHilest all those thinges were in action apparent euen before Strangers talked of openly and laid in the common ballance to be peazed and censured of euery man King Solomons noble Princes and chiefe Lords were assembled in the Councell Chamber there partly to conferre of the affaires of the kingdome for the high glory of Iehouah their God the benefite of the common-wealth and the right honour of their Soueraigne Lord partly to inuestigate and search for the causes of this the kings sorrow and sodaine alteration the which they wold assay to remoue or mitigate according to their wisdom knowledge and best habilitie Wherein they manifested themselues dutifull to their God profitable to the weale-publique and regardfull of their kings health and prosperity The duty of noble Counsailors to their King which are the principall things that noble Counsaylors and the worthy seruants of such Soueraignes should in their supreame places respect with all fidelitie Now vpon a sodaine Zabud the priest the sonne of Nathan and the kings familiar friend who had béene with his highnes for his better comfort in affliction all that night before issued forth of his priuy Chamber entred the assemblie of those Lords and although with an heauie heart mestiue mind and sadde countenance by reason of the Kinges great perplexitie and troubles he saluted them in these words Iehovah our God saue you my Lords all both Honourable and Reuerend the right happy princes of king Solomon To whome they all as with one mouth resaluting him answered the same Power blesse prosper and preserue you Reuerend Zabud the right trustie Secretarie and familiar good friend of our Soueraigne Lord King Solomon And whence come ye now my Lord an what is the cause if it please you that ye be so pensive and heavy to day Is all thing well To his Zabud replied My Lords all I am presently come forth of the Kings privie Chamber where I haue béene all this last night watching and attending on his most royall person the Lord God saue keep his grace howbeit there haue I found little or no comfort as God knoweth for much griefe and sorrowe hath betided the king which encreaseth yet more and more without mitigation and the like acreweth towardes vs and the whole kingdome as farre as I can gather by that which I haue both heard with mine ears and seene with mine eyes of and in him Vpon this saying in this manner deliuered before them such a strange terror and dread assayled the hearts of those Lords that being throughly astonished they neither were able to answer him The trouble of the King is a griefe to his Subiects nor wist they what to say For there can be no greater grief and discomfort to true hearted subiects especially to the faithfull Counsaylors of happy kings then when they shall either see or heare of the hurt sorrow or discontent of their Soueraigne Lord at the alteration of whose prosperous estate both Nobles and the Commons are sodainly moued much disquieted as that body which féeleth the distemperature of his proper head fearing the ensewing of such plagues troubles and vexations as are wont to follow and succeed the sodaine losse and departure of such heroicall persons by whose good gouernment and valour their Realmes and Common-weales haue bin right happily maintained in peace and tranquillitie Neither at the least should either the Nobles or the common people be merry or pleased in the sadnesse trouble or vexation of their Soueraigne Lord knowing well that natures of that grade and apprehension will not shew themselues heavie hearted and mestive for any light or meane causes At the length after long expectation silence pawzes and eagre looking one on another of them with deppe sighes pitifull groanes and cheekes watred with weeping eyes a principall Lord Azariah sheweth the good opinion loue and affection of a good Subiect whose name was Azariah though scarcely able for sorrow of mind to vtter with his trembling tongue his hearts conceit spake thus in effect Alas alas and how fareth then his most royall person how doth our good Lord king Solomon the most famoust most wise and most glorious King in all the world The God of heauen graunt his most princely grace both along life and a wished prosperity to liue raigne ouer vs and this people For I assure you my Lords as ye will know and must in equitie confesse that next and immediately vnto Iehouah our God hee is the approved stay of our house the lightsome eie of our body the resplendent glory of our kingdome the happy peace of our people the comfortable ioy of our heartes the glad solace of our soules the right guide of our gouernment the diuine wisedome of our nation the manifest maiestie of our God and the blessed preservation of Israel But how fareth the Kinges most sacred person In all this and other his speeches and gestures did this noble Azariah expresse the good opinion conceiued the right loue the godly zeale the faithfull mind the true affection and right worthy nature of a wise faythfull and obedient Subiect to his most gratious Soueraigne I will now tell you my good Lords saide Zabud how the king fareth I am well assured zabud sheweth the Kings alteration and present estate as ayming to his Repentance there is not any one of you all but hath plainely perceiued that his Grace is most strangely and sodainely altered of late from both his wonted constitution of mind and his common order of life and that his wordes also sauour now much other wise then they haue sometimes heretofore savored to our audience and vnderstanding For behold whereas he vsed to be gladsome and merily conceited now is he rauished with heavie dumpes and oppressed with ladâ—es wheras heretofore he accustomed to talke with a right lovely and lively voice now we heare nothing besides a voice of lamentation from him tending to mortification and
whereas we hoped for some consolatory refrigeration and ease by the mitigation of those extraordinary passions wee see him yet hardly perplexed and vexed out of measure with farre greater and more torments For why the Sunne so brightsome is shadowed the ioyful light is couered the fayre Moone is obscured the shining starres be dazeled Eccle. 12.13 and the palpable cloudes returne after the late raine Neither indeede haue I any hope of the recouery of his former constitution of mind and health of body although I hartily wish it and desire it euery minute of an hower he accustomed to sit often in his kingly Throane most royally amiddes his Princes but now he prostrates himselfe on the most lumpish earth and reposeth him selfe most solitary as one forlorne He was wont to feede on the most daintie delicates but now hee is replete with bitter worme-wood and loathsome gall he sometimes solaced his sweete soule with the chearefull delightes of the happie but now he laments his hard lot with the wringing corasiues of the wretched Whereas for his recreation he vsed Harps Shalms Psalteries Dulcimers and other musicall instruments of pleasing sound now are they all set aside and neglected yea he doth vtterly distaste those and such delights Moreouer whereas he dayly accustomed for the better health of his body which hee was carefull to preserue to exercise himselfe before his meates and to rest himselfe sometimes after towards his better digestion and that in his bed he would first repose himselfe on his right side wherein is the greater heate of nature to further the same with the due obseruation of such and other good phisicall Diets now he is as another man he doeth all contrary he obserueth no diet profitable to health neither can he rest in his bed any while but tossing and turning hither and thither hee declareth his anguishes and powreth out his heart in sorowfull complaints The very remēbrance of his former pleasures grieue his very soul he vtterly abandoneth that he before much affected though a most glorious king in his estate hee yet abaseth himselfe beyond all measure his eyes gush out streames the teares runne downe his cheekes with the which he hath all watred his bed in the night 2. Sam. 12. right semblant therein to Dauid his Father after that the prophet Nathan had brought him a message from the Lord his God yea he séemeth not most wearie of his present life death is wished for being more acceptable to him in these his agonies of soule and semblably his Wordes Sentences sayings vpon whatsoeuer occasion he vttereth them argue a very déepe mortification of the flesh a vehement contempt of the worlde and a plaine condemnation of all the delights of the Sonnes of men Whereby in heauy sighes and groanes hee driues this mestiue myll Vanity of Vanities and all is nothing but meere Vanitie Eccl. 1.1.2 Lo thus fareth the king neither can my great familiarity with his Grace or any word or gesture of mine now preuaile with him as in times past to remoue this dangerous humour from his heart but as soone as I put him in minde of those his pristine delights he crieth out most wofully The person truely repentant is not soon drawne againe to follow his former lusts Io◠27.2.3 Vanity of Vanities as though God had taken away his iudgement and the Almighty troubled his mind But howsoeuer it be I tell you here in Councell that the King is in a very desperate agony of minde then the which nothing can bee more noysome to his health For as the trée cannot prosper whose roote is annoied so neither can that person receiue health which hath a pensiue soule I am very fearefull to thinke whereunto this will come and doubtles the kinges enemies hearing hereof they will clap their hands hissing and wagging their heads vpon him as the base abiects sometimes did on holy Iob with this bitter taunt Is this that man whome all the world admire for wisedome wealth glory and fame But on th' other side the kings people shall haue little cause to eate drinke and to reioyce vnder their vines and figge trées as they haue done in those dayes forepast vnder our Kinges happy Raigne This being spoken and heard with consideration of euery of these Lordes Zadock the high Priest stood forth and with a mighty sigh from the roote of his troubled heart zadock expresseth the wisdōe function and afection of a good Bishop Counsaylor he lifted vp both his eies and handes towardes the heauens vttering these wordes Oh good God helpe vs he said againe The peace prosperity and well-fare of all Israell doth depend next to our God on the peace prosperitie and well-fare of our most gratious King Solomon whom Iehouah his God hath chosen and appointed to represent his own glorious person in our happy Common-wealth in his wisedome his iustice his equity his benignity his fortitude his magnanimity his piety and all other his princely vertues no lesse then the faire and bright Sunne resembleth his Maiestie in the high Heauens to the ioy and comfort of the Creatures or as doth the head on the naturall body to the bewtie life and gouernment of the same or as the wise Gouernour of a Shippe in the Sea to the direction and safety both of it and of all those embarked therein Therefore I say if the Lord of heauen in his displeasure should take away our shadow or abridge our king and his honourable prosperity for transgression and sinne who from thencefoorth shall haue peace who shall fare well who shall prosper how can that body prosper whose head aketh and languisheth with paine and how can those creatures reioice from the which the light comfort and commodity of the Sun is remoued detayned The people ought to pray for the good estate of their Prince Psal 20.1.2 Then worthily are the people occasioned and obliged in their solemne praiers and seruices to lift vp their mindes to the Lord God aboue all other thinges next to the glory of God to pray for the good health comfort wellfare and prosperity of our gratious Soueraigne Lord as my Lord Azariah hath well before aduised and wished it For I know that the king is not onely much agonized in mind and afflicted in heart but that he is much weakened and worne away neither thinke I that without some presēt remedy or mitigatiō of this his griefe can his weake body long retaine his sorowful Soule The good consent of the princes for the safety of their king This beeing said the Princes with one consent answered In truth it is no lesse needfull then it is godly that all the kings maiesties Subiects both in generall and particular should pray vnto God for the life and well-fare of the kings Grace for as this duty of subiects towardes their lawfull Princes is comprised within that honour which children are to yeelde to their parents and taught
them by many diuine testimonies and godly examples Exod 20. forasmuch as those are as fathers vnto their people so as farre as we can perceiue it is a thing most requisite and needfull to be done in this time partly in respect of the king himselfe partly in regard of vs his princes and of his people Indéed sayde Zadock it may be the King himselfe knoweth that hee hath faulted and prouoked the Lord to wrath in some one offence or other committed against the diuine maiesty for there is no man but he sometimes sinneth Euery man is a sinner A man though neuer so wise holy righteous cannot liue in this world without some kind of sinne for all his thoughts are euill and all his workes yet his good workes are imperfect and defectiue if they be compared and weighed with the diuine thoughts workes and iudgements of God God punisheth his owne children when they offend his Maiestie Howbeit God permitteth not his holy elect to sinne with out some measure of punishment but as a father he correcteth and chastiseth his children to amend them is willing to be reconciled with them that returne home and humbly pray before him and thereto in the middest of their troubles hee giueth them power and habilitie to beare those afflictions with patient minds howsoeuer the flesh would rebell and hee keepeth them in his hand that the fury of the vngodly may not be further extended nor fearcer executed towards them then it pleaseth him to suffer it for his owne honour the benefit of his chosen and the instruction of his Church And here the good prayers and repentance of the people for and with the king may peraduenture please God and somewhat appeaze this high anger Again it may be that there is some displeasure conceiued against vs and the kings people for some vnthankefulnes of vs or of them the which the king beeing wise doth perceiue but cannot redresse and amend according to the desire of his heart Howsoeuer it be The taking away of a good prince is a plague to the people as the disquietnes of the king must needs discomfort his people as the ecclipsing of the Sunne oppresseth the earth so whensoeuer he shall be taken from vs it will come to passe that much wisedome will also depart with him for the king is passing wise and his wisedome is beneficiall both to the Church cōmon-wealth of Israel for by the same the one is diuinely instructed and th' other prudently gouerned the which therfore if we should want by this the kings disgrace departure we shal be couered with ignorāce swallowed vp with confusion besides all this if the king should bee depriued of that diuine wisedom or constrained by an vnhappy occasion to liue and continue in care and misery amongst vs the which the most holy forbid it cannot otherwise be but that many mighty troubles afflictions and inconueniences will soone ouertake vs and the whole land wherein that will be verified which the King hath lately said in the agonie of his soule Woe be to thee O land whose King is but a child Eccles. 10.15 and whose Princes are early at their Banquets But this we of Israel little minde or consider as yet because we know our King to be the Sonne of Nobles and his Princes and Lords haue beene more regardfull of his high honour and of the gouernement of his people then for their owne glory gaine or commoditie whereby the Subiectes haue been the sooner lulled a sleepe in the sweete cradle of ease peace and tranquillitie and thereby satisfying their appetites in pleasures are waxen euen secure and carelesse vnder the happy raigne of a most wise prudent and gentle King But too morrow is not yet come on them and vs and the time of our pleasant peace is not yet determined but when or how soone those vnlucklie daies which ingender and bring forth our heauy calamities and woe in the raigne of a most childish and vnhappy King shall inuade both them and vs we are yet vncertaine Howbeit we may worthely dread as the King himselfe also dreadeth that those vnthriftie daies approach too neere vs. Surely surely now of late as we haue plainly perceaued a strange alteration and wonderfull chaunge in the Kings person who appeareth as most loathsome to himselfe weary of his owne life negligent of his owne health carelesse of his royall glory and hatefull of the world as drooping towards the end of his daies for this may any one discerne in him which shall either heare him to speake or sée him to goe so the high renowne and bright beawtie of our time and nation beginneth to vale the bonnet and to decline as from the highest to the lowest and will indeede yer long be shadowed and disgraced with ougly deformitie without speedy preuention Let vs therefore consider of our present time When men be in the greatest daunger they striue with the more carefulnes to wind out the condition of our estate and the daungers which are imminent and in regard thereof not disdaine nor omitte to imitate and followe the examples not onely of men but also the bruite creatures in this case for behold they and euery of them in their kind and nature commonly struggle and striue with the more diligence and carefull regard when they be in hazard of hurte then when they be free from all perill If any fall into the fier the water or into some lethall or deadly sickenesse or other mischiefe first of all he is made afraide then he is pained then he looketh about him then he groaneth then he laboureth to escape this if he cannot doe then he crieth then he craueth the counsell and aide of others whersoeuer whence soeuer he may get it in the end he gréedily catcheth holde of whatsoeuer helpe is proffered him And wee haue séene that many by such meanes haue escaped great dangers and losses On the contrary we haue knowne many to perish and decaye which haue béene either so foolish as that they haue not séene their owne danger or so negligent as they would not labour striue to winde out or so proud as they would not vouchsafe to desire aide of others or so peruerse as they disdained or denied their willing assent vnto others that might any way helpe or comfort them in their distresse Gen. 14 21. The time was that Bera the King of Sodom hearkened to Abraham who recouered his people from the captiuitie of Codorlaomor and the other Kings of the nations whereby not onely the King of Zodom but also his people were freed from that heauy yoke whereunto they had beene subdued tweleue yéeres before And it is happely remembred Gen. 20.17 how that Abimelech the King of Gerar was most willing at Gods commandement to request Abraham to pray vnto God for him that he might he deliuered from the death which was threatned him and be healed by the which he
that many ichinges are purloined and much of the Kinges treasure mscarrieth in the way neither can a great part of that either come home to the kinges coffer or be brought to light which is either payed or receiued to and for the kinges vse such is the fault of Officers But to speake of my selfe I haue done that which I haue been able to do in mine office as mine owne cōscience testifieth for me be fore God and the king I haue taken the Accompts viewed the Audictes reckoned the Receites receiued in the moneis and duties I haue againe disbursed allowed paid out that which I haue or might haue receiued faithfully to the kinges vse that which remaineth is made knowne and I am alwayes readie both to yeeld an accompt of those things and of my dealinges therein I haue cleared my fingers and am ready to cleare my conscience I doubt not therefore but that as the king is wise hath two eares in his head so he hath not opened them both vnto him which hath sinistrelie accused or slaundered me before his royall presence but hath yet reserued the one of his eares for me Solomons discretiō in iudgment when I shall come forth to be heard in my honest iust defēce for this princelie virtue hath béen euer apparant and shining in the king from the tyme that he began to go out and in before vs and the people Such words spake Azariah the Collector and then gaue palce of speach vnto Benaiah the Captaine who had expected Benaiah the captaine declareth his integrity for his owne discharge in his office as yet when he might haue the like oportunity to speake for himselfe amongst the rest * And thus he prostested with great boldnesse Being placed ouer the kinges hoastes I haue béene also ready for my part in all pointes to do my duetie and to eschew and abandon the contrary as any other whatsoeuer I know how ready some are to leauie warres and to wage battailes without the Princes authority how hasty some are to ioyne their authoritie to old soares when they would be reuenged how some haue vpon displeasure pressed forth the vnworthy to serue in the Kinges warres and againe for money haue released and sent them home againe which were meetest for the seruice how some haue reteined to themselues the poore Souldiers paie and others haue receiued from the kinges Treasure pay for many more then they haue had in their Bandes And to passe ouer other particular faultes committed by them whome the king hath authorized to deale in his warres many haue dealt most vngodly respecting neither the cause nor the kinges commaundement nor the defence of the innocent nor the safetie of their Countrie nor the ouerthrow or weakning of the enemie nor any thing else besides the spoile for their owne lucre or the victorie for their owne glory For mine owne part I know iust warres are not vnlawfull nor vnméete for a godly man to fight in The honor of a good Souldier the duety of a Captaine and the office of a Captaine therein is an honourable calling and therefore ought to bee vsed and esteemed accordingly I haue not béen ignorant what thing this profession is what is the right end and vse of the same what is the dutie and office of a Captain who ought to be chosen for Souldiers and what they be what thinges are to be considered in them what thinges are necessarie how to place the companies and bandes what directions to giue what caueats how to encounter with the enemie how to fight how to triumph after victory such like The whole estate of a kingdome is contained in two partes wherof the one is Iudiciall the other Military and this Military part is euen a kind of prudence ordained for the common good There is prudence singular prudence oeconomicall prudence royall prudence politicall prudence in fiue points and prudence militarie By the first a man gouerneth himselfe by the second he gouerneth his houshold by the third a kingdome by the fourth a Cittie by the fift he defendeth and maintaineth the common good And here I haue considered this ende that as lawes doe chiefly respect the common good so is warfare instituted for the defence and maintainance of that common good either of the kingdome or Citty And for this purpose I haue considered from whence disturbances haue come to the common peace which might hinder that good whether by the sedition of Cittizens or by the oppression of innocentes or by incursions or inuasions of forraigne enemies and thereupon by the kinges commaundement and warrant I haue suppressed th' one and defended th' other I haue thereto made choice of méete and able persons for my souldiers as namely strong manly bolde nimble well set and of sufficient yeares aboue all I haue regarded such as feare the Lord loue the Kings Maiestie and the common-wealth of the Countrey Iudg. 7.3.4 remembring what the Lord charged to Gedeon for the choice of his Souldiers of the which sorte I estéeme tenne before an hundred of all others Furthermore to euery one I haue caused such meete weapons and furniture to be committed as best fitteth their strength knowledge and constitution of body That now they might know that they ought to bee as Doctors in their facultie Moreouer their apparrell their dyet their pay and their prouision in all partes haue also by my carefull prospection and direction béene duely proportioned and appointed vnto them without deniall diminution tasking telling wringing polling delay or any other inconuenience which might any way hinder or discourage them And I haue caused mine vnder Captaines to do the like After this I haue considered of the number of the daily practises of the constitution of the strength of the industrie of the virilitie of the enemies I haue also considered of the armour the victuals the places the times the aides of either partie I haue weighed where should be placed the horsemen where the footemen How many should be vnder the conduct of one Captaine how many vnder another I haue caused them to haue directions of their wayes in writing I haue placed in the Campes prudent Counsellors for aduise and direction to the Captaines I haue aduised that they conioyne and holde their forces together not to be dispersed that they keepe their purposes secret especially from the enemie I haue willed them to encounter with the enemy in the name and feare of God as Gedeon and David and Abraham and as Barach Moses Iosua and as Iepthe and such other noble Captaines haue done and therin not to feare And lastly hauing stroken down or dispersed the enemie I haue charged them to consider from whom the victory commeth as namely from the Lord of hostes who is the chiefe warriour mighty and glorious in battaile as David the king saith and then not to forget nor neglect to giue and ascribe vnto his high Maiestie the honour
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
which eyther his owne conceit blameth as too base and vndecent to his honour or his owne conscience condemneth as vniust or his wisedome disliketh as too fond or his diuine spirite abandoneth as impious Iehosophat * Well then quod Iehosophat this being well resolued why should wee further delay Let vs approch howbeit with all the best wisedome and modesty to the consideration of the kings Maiesty Of Solomons progeny and birth As for progenie and birth there is no cause that the kings Maiesty should abase or dislike himselfe for hee is the sonne of worthy Nobles yea Noah hee is descended of the most noble house of that auncient Ianus or Noah Noah to whome the Lord granted to see the end of the old world and the beginning of the new howbeit he came not in by Cham nor by Iaphet Shem. but by Shem whome the Lord especially fauoured and chose to continue the seed of the blessed Abraham vnto the time of Abraham our father by whom and from whome the king is lineally descended neverthelesse not by his sonne Ismael the sonne of Hagar the bonde Isaack but by his sonne Isaack of Sarah the frée woman in whome the hope of the promise rested Againe hee was not of Esau who was iustly depriued both of the birth-right and the blessing Iacob but of Iacob whome the Lord louing and liking called Israel and Israel had many sonnes but the king came onely from Iudah â—udah in whose tribe according to the prophesie of Iacob the Scepter should be raised and a Law-giuer continued vnto the comming of Shilo to whome the people should be gathered From hence was the line drawne to Ishai Ishai and from him to David the Kings father who being a man after Gods owne heart David was according to the diuine prouidence ordained and annointed by Samuel the Lords Prophet before all his brethren to be king ouer his people of Israel whom he defended from their enemies on euery side with a strong and valiant hand fed them with discretion iudged theÌ„ with equitie and righteousnes and raigned ouer them ful 40. yeares to the glory of the Lord and good of his people with great honour Bethseba Sol. mother The kinges mother also was Bethseba the daughter of Eliam of no meane parentage her name soundeth the daughter of an oath or the seuenth daughter She was a right noble wise and vertuous Gentlewoman sometimes the wife of Vriah the Hittite a man of great estimation Indeede it was so that for her sake the king affecting her did iniuriously oppresse her said husband the rather by Ioabs meanes at what time this noble woman eyther doubted or simply thought that it was not lawfull for her husband or her selfe being subiectes to deny any thing which the king should command or desire of them 1. Sam. 8 11. knowing what Samuel the prophet had before that said vnto the people when they required a king what their king might or would do vnto them by his power and authority howbeit the trespasse being pardoned and grace and mercy restored according to the kings true repeÌ„tance and humble praier she feared the Lord God of Israel hearkened to Nathan the Lordes prophet notwithstanding that hee had before reproued the King for his faulte whereby she liued and contained her selfe with King David in all godly behauiour and high honour during her life This Noble Lady in many thinges both aided and comforted the King her husband and did not onely beare and bring foorth but also educated brought vp and nurtoured our Lord King Solomon in all such princely and diuine vertues to her power as did best beséeme him that should succeede King David in the happy kingdome of Israel as she had well learned and considered thereof by the inspiration of the diuine Spirit and the instruction of the Lordes Prophet that it was appointed and ordained by the Lord that this Solomon before all Davids other Sonnes should raigne ouer the kingdome of Israel after him Therefore shee diligently endeuored with the King the performance thereof as we sée it is brought to passe this day to the great ioy and comfort of the Lordes inheritance This therefore the young Quéene did gratefully remember at the time of the kinges marriage ascribing vnto her in the great solemnitie the chiefe cause next vnto God of his royall preferment saying to the daughters of Syon Go ye forth I pray you Cant. 3.10 and behold King Solomon in the Crowne wherewith his Mother hath crowned him in this day of his marriage and in the day of the gladnes of his heart And therefore also the king himselfe in the highest of his glory neither disdained nor omitted to commend her her excelleÌ„t vertues before vs al yea and vnder the same hath depainted and set forth not onely an holy and vertous Woman but also the holy Church the which also in his temple with the rich ornaments thereof he prefigured And thereof hath made an Alephabethical Encomion in these words pro. 31 Who so findeth an honest faithful womaÌ„ she is much more worth theÌ„ pearls the heart of her husbaÌ„d may safely trust in her so that he shall fall into no poverty She wil do him good not evil al the dais of her life c. A womaÌ„ that feareth the Lord shal be praised Giue her of the fruit of her hands and let her own workes praise her in the gates These things the king hath ruminated and vttered with great grauity as worthy the memory and imitation therefore wee also haue thought good to note and affixe the same to his wise prouerbs and Parables * Now with this let vs not forget The time of Sol. birth but carefully note and remember the rather to preuent the occasions of euill surmises that the king was neither borne nor begotten nor conceiued in the time of the trespasse and disgrace of his Parents but after the time that the Lord in mercy had pardoned them both and put away their sinnes vpon repentance and prayer 2. Sam. 12.13 of the which pardon the Lord certified him to the ioy and ease of their heartes by the prophet Nathan when also that was brought to passe and verified which David had with teares desired and with faith hoped to obtaine Thou shalt purge me said he with Isope and I shall be cleane thou shalt wash me I shall be whiter then snowe psal 51. Thou shalt make me to heare of ioy and gladnes that the boanes which thou hast broken may reioce For the which also he dewly blessed the Lord and in his thanksgiuing saide O Lord thou hast pardoned all mine iniquities and healed all mine infirmities psal 103. Finally the Lord himselfe to this his pleasure gaue testimony when he did not onely accept his sacrifices and burnt offeringes but also promised to set vp of his Seede after him vpon the throne of the
cause The one saith qoud he this childe which is alive is my sonne and the dead is thine And the other saith Nay but thy sonne is the dead and the living child is mine Then séeing the case doubtfull the more because there were no witnesses for eyther part hee said againe to them that stoode about him Bring me hether a sword and they brought it after that he said againe Divide the living child into two partes and give th' one part to the one and th' other part to the other For hee well knew what he would doe neither was his mind so cruell and bloody as to slay the young innocent for the mothers offence howbeit some being present not considering his purpose beganne to deride and dislike this sentence But by and by his intent was displaied for the woman whose the liuing child was féeling her vowels to yerne within her vpon her sonne whom shee thought was ordained for death cried out and sayde vnto the king I beseech thee my Lord giue her the liuing child and let it not be slaine but the other woman said Let the child be neither thine nor mine but let it be diuided as the king hath said Then the king gaue the sentence in iudgement and saide vnto the Ministers that stood by Geve her the living child whose bowels yerneth thereon and slay it not for doubtles she is the right mother thereof This being done all they of Israel hearing of this iudgement of the king feared his Maiestie the godly for loue the wicked for dread for they saw that the wisedome of God was in him to doe iustice Of this the kinges vertue spake the kings father in the spirit Thou hast loved righteousnes and hated iniquitie This being well weighed my Lordes I see not what should thereof be conceited to offend his Graces mind The princes Subscription To al this the Princes gladly subscribed commending in all thinges the iudgementes of the king And surely saide they they are happy in iudgemēt which haue as the king hath wel learned the right natures of thinges for they soundly consider of th'effectes and discerne and trie them well if they be such as are wise prudent godly and not led by affections but by sure knowledge good counsaile and the guide of the diuine spirite But we see that none of those can this perform which eyther are themselues vnlearned ignorant obstinate selfe willed prowde vngodly or contemne the good counsel and godly and graue aduise of the learned wise and vertuous Surely wee cannot denie it for it is most apparent that our Lord the king hath by this his discrete iudgement purchased to himselfe authority to his kingdome peace and trāquillitie and to the high God condigne glorie Now the better sorte of all men gratifie his honour and gladly submit themselues and their causes to his determination knowing that hee will do iustice The wicked transgressors and hypocriticall persons are fearefull to stand before his presence in the defence of their faults or triall of their liues So aswell of th' one as of th' other is the king feared in respect of those his vpright and iust iugementes which as ye said hath indéed appeared so admirable before all men CHAP. XI Of Solomons riches peace orders pleasures power blessinges fame glory from any of the which riseth not the cause of his sorrow IN the former conference king Solomons Princes and Lordes haue described displaied and defended his most noble birth his honourable names his excellent beautie his godly education his singular wisedome his sweet eloquence and his vpright iudgements Now they are no lesse willing to consider of his riches his workes his peace his orders his pleasures his power Azariah his blessinges his fame his glory And therefore Azariah spake againe and said As in the former wee haue not found anie iust cause of the kinges disgrace Solomons riches but altogether causes of honour and prouocations to ioy and gladnes so neither wanteth he any Riches or the Treasures of a King whether natural or artificiall By the naturall riches I vnderstand all such thinges as come from the fieldes trées and beastes as corne wines oyles fruites victuals clothings and such like apt and meete for mans body by artificiall I vnderstand and those things which are found out or framed by the art and industrie of man as gold siluer coyne pretious stones iewels and such like Ineyther of the which the king is maruailouslie enriched according to that word which the Lord his God spake vnto him when he asked wisedome saying I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked even riches and honour 1. King 3.13 so that there shal be no king like vnto thee in all thy daies Eccles 2.4 2. Chron. 1.15 For this wee know as himselfe hath confessed that the king hath many excellent vineyeardes planted orchardes and gardens with frees of all manner of fruit and fed oxen and beefes and more cattell and sheepe then all they which were before him in Ierusalem And as for siluer and gold wee know that hee hath made such thinges as plentifull as stones in Ierusalem and Cedar trees as plentiful as the Mulbury trées that grow in the vaileis and he hath horses brought out of Egypt and fine linnen which his Marchāts receiued for a price hee hath a chariot which cost him sixe hundred péeces of siluer with many of her Chariots and horsemen yea an hundred twelue thousand horsemen which hee hath bestowed in the Chariot Citties and at Ierusalem with his Maiesty Moreouer hee hath seruants and maidens a great houshold great substance and the chiefe treasures and large possessions euery way And truely howsoeuer these thinges doe proue as a very foolishnes vnto the ignorant and foolish Eccl. 2.9 Pro. 14.24 they are vnto with whome his wisedome remained as a glorious crowne and he is greater and of more worshippe then all his predecessors in Ierusalem Helioreph * All this is manifest said Helioreph neither can any man denie any thing of that which ye haue said therefore it is set downe in the kinges Annales and committed to the holy Registre Solomons works And as his riches is great so also are his workes most admirable according as himselfe hath said I have made gorgeous faire works I have built mee houses planted vineyeards Eccl. 2.4 I made mine Orchardes gardens of pleasure I made pooles of water to water the greene and fruitfull trees withall And it is true and hee hath builded Citties and raised the walles 2. Chro. 8. and fortified his townes and territories magnificently but beyond all others those his three houses which he hath made and performed in Ierusalem are excellent and passe all the buildings and workes in the world First according to the commaundement of his Father David and iust after the forme and proportion that the Lord had giuen to David 1. Chro. 28.19 and
the sooner Solomon came to the royall Seat the which he Adoniah had so ambitiously and eagrelie affected and vnlawfully vsurped in his fathers life-time Whereat notwithstanding that she was as betwene hope and dispayre when she saw him sodenlie to enter her chamber she asked him if he came to her in peace and he answered yea whatsoeuer he meant and he said that he had a certaine petition vnto her which was that she would be a meane for him to the king that he would giue him to wife Abisag the Sunamite who had beene sometimes king Davids bedfellow to warme and nourish him in his weake old age In the which practice he had a purpose to aspire to the kingdom not onely for that though he were the fourth yet the eldest of king Davids sonnes then liuing but also combined with her who was estéemed as king Davids wife he might the sooner in his owne conceite and by the suggestion of the kinges enemies haue obtained the soueraigntie The which deceit and pretence of his the Quéene as yet perceiued not and therefore partlie for dread and partlie for good-will she bare him for king Davids sake she condiscended to his desire and made request for him vnto the king But the king being right wise soone espied this to be a suttle deuise of Adoniah for his owne aduancement The nature manner of the ambitious hee knew well that the ambitious are euery way ready to insinuate themselues into fauour before they be preferred they will faine humilitie lowlines honestie affabilitie and all benignitie they will follow and obey at a becke they will flatter and giue applause to all mens doings fearing to offend any yea and as is the common prouerb they will brush off the dust from the coate which hath no dust at all But being once aduanced exalted they begin to change their opinions and soone alter their manners for now they are become proud and glorious boasters they neuer care to profit but are glad of prefermēt they thinke themselues far better then others because they be placed higher then others their former friends they disdaine know not their old acquaintances they contemne their benefactors and bee vnthankefull to them which haue done them the highest good To let passe other things they be burthensom to their subiects hateful to al men headstrong troublesom arrogant gréeuous and importune This I say the king knew wel and that Adoniah was swolne with this humour Moreouer he perceiued that this matter did doth proceed and was furthered by two others his deadly foes namely Ioab and Abiather who thereby intended to supplant the king and to set vppe Adoniah And therefore when Queene Bethsabe requested the king for Adoniah according to her promise he answered her And why doest thou aske Abisag for Adoniah aske for him the kingdome also for he is mine elder brother and hath for him both Abiather the the priest and Ioab the sonne of Zerviah for he knew that if Adoniah had once gotten Abisag who was so deare and neere vnto his father he would also with her haue sought for the Crowne Therefore he sware and pronounced a sentence against Adoniah to recompence his wicked ambition and iniquitie saying God do so to me and more also if Adoniah hath not spoken this against his owne life Therefore the king being well aduised for he did euery thing with iudgement sent and commanded me to smite him that he might die thereby the sooner to establish the gouerment according to the will word of the Lord the which Adoniah his counsailors had practised to hinder ouerthrow Therfore this actiō of the king neither may be reproued nor may occasion him now after so many yeares of peace to be offēded with himselfe therefore Abiather * Thus haue yee saide quod Abiather and your wordes in mine opiniō may not be iustlie reproued The dealings of Solomon against Abiather the priest for yee haue spoken nothing but truth But what shall we say to this that the king at his entrance did both depriue Abiather then the Lordes priest of his office and expelled and bannished him the Lordes house Although I haue the like name my Lordes I neither propose this question nor speake as if I would defēd the cause of the Abiather against the king and his proceedinges therein but because I haue heard some opposition to the same by others and I would willingly they should be resolued zadok To this answered Zadok As I may not condemn that Abiather my predecessour because I woulde my selfe as Primas should be aduāced and approued in the place so neither may I dislike in equity the kings proceedings against him For firste it is certayne that Abiather behaued not himselfe worthely in his place and therefore was iustly depriued For albeyt my-selfe am now high Priest yet if I should not answere to my calling and name I allow the verification of that sentence of the kinges father on my selfe Let his daies be few and his office let another take And as cōcerning Abiather it became him not to counsaile Adoniah and to confederate with him in that he vnlawfullie couetted to be king both without the consent of his father and against the rightfull honor of king Solomō * Next it is most apparant how the Lord would that now by this occasion that word of his should be performed which was sometime spoken to Eli the priest 1 Sam. 2.32 that for the high dishonor and contempt of Godes seruice in his children and by him permitted the priesthood should be taken away from him and his house and another should be preferred in the same This was brought to passe when Abiather was reiected and zadocke taken to be the high priest 2 Sam. 2 32 The which the King béeing wise and indowed with a principall spirit did in time wisely consider and iustlie performed in the depriuing of Abiather and placing me in his office for there is not any word of the Lord which shall fall to the ground but shall be performed in the appointed time Howbeit the king according to the exellencie of his wisedome would neither slay nor cruellie torment or vexe that vnfaithfull Abiather because he had béene the Lordes higd priest and had beene a companiō a fauourer of his father David in all his afflictiōs Wherein he expressed a right sober mercifull and gratefull minde for he reuerenced the Lords ordinance and lawfull function of the person albeit the person was vnworthie he shewed lenitie where rigour was deserued and he would not that his hatefull enemie should be occasioned either iustlie to comdemne him or at the least to accuse him of any sauour of oppression tyrannie cruelty or vnkindnesse towardes him which had béene kind to his father in his afflictions though now after his fathers departure And surelie these are the virtues which are not common or vsuall among the men of this life especiallie among Princes and
Potentates where we often behold and consider how the Lordes priestes prophets and faithfull seruantes are not onely neglected but vnreuerentlie contemned and abused and that for the lightest causes that may be imagined we see that seueritie recompenseth priuate iniuries against all men without mercie and we see that little kindnesse is found to consider of great benefites of them which be liuing much lesse of them that be dead of whom the prouerbe is beaten Out of sight out of mind 1. Sam. 22.17 Such hath beene the vngodly behauiour of Saul towards Abimelech and the Priestes of the Lord whome notwithstanding they had made their honest excuse withall humilitie hee commaunded Doeg the Edomite to murther euen fourescore and fiue persons that did weare a linnen Ephod yea and bee smote with the edge of the sworde Nob the Cittie of the Priestes both men and women children and sucklinges Gen. 37.20 oxen and asses and sheepe with horrible crueltie Thus the brethren of Ioseph hardly handled their poore brother in that they did not onely cast him into a pit but sold him away as a bondslaue to strangers following therein the Nature of Cain who murthered Abel his brother vpon an offence not giuen Gen. 4. but taken Iudg. 7. And thus the vnthankfull Sichemites in the time of the Iudges notwithstanding that Gedeon had beene beneficiall to Israel shewed no mercy vnto his house but gaue consent to the setting vp of Abimelech the tyrant to the destruction of the same But thus hath not our King done Neuerthelesse as reason required he remoued Abiather both from his office and also from out of the Court for hee had distained his honour and disgraced his function by his lewde behauiour therein and was an enemie to the kinges estate Therefore that he might not longer abuse the place so fit for a better person yea for a person perfect and well approued Treacherous persons are euer suspected againe that he might not thenceforth as he was an enemie vnhappily moue or entise any of the Kinges Courte to conspire with him against the king and his gouernement hee was iustly depriued of the one and banished from the other for as it is indeed wisedome in time to cast out of the congregation such by whome the same is daily offended and the place abused to auoid the contempt which by such persons is often occasioned so it is good policie timely to obserue sequestre and put apart such dangerous persons from the presence of Princes and from the societie of their Lordes and seruantes left they both infect and inflame and so confound the body with the head by the contagion of their trecherous plots wicked designes and pestilent practizes in and about the which will euer bee their dailie and greatest studies and indeuours for they are set on the pricked forth by the Syre of treasons and broacher of rebellions Hence was it that Moses commanded a separation between the Israelites and Corah Dathan and Abiram whome the earth opening swallowed vppe in their rebellion Thus the Lord reproued Cain for his enuy and anger against Abel his brother and admonished him to his dutie but after that hee had listed vppe his hand against him murthered him he expelled him though too late and sent him an exile from his fathers house So also after that Ismael was noted to be a persecuter and derider of his brother whome hee sought to supplant hee was shut out of Abrahams house with Hagar his mother who had counselled and defended him in his wickednesse Therfore wee may perswade that this proceeding and iudgement of the king against Abiather for the abuse of his function and his treacherie against both David and our Lord the king being both lawfull and discreetely handled according to the diuine prouidence and the equitie of the law is not the cause of the kinges present sorrow To this all the Princes subscribed gladly iustifying the wise and worthy iudgement of the king with all his proceedinges therein in whom they did manifestly behold the wisedome of the most high God to doe equity and righteousnes CAP. XIII Of Solomons proceedinges against Ioab and Shimei KIng Solomon being iustified and commended in his iudgement procéedinges against Adoniah and Abiather in th' execution of th' one Azariah and the depriuatiō of th' other Azariah the chiefe of the Collectors came foorth said But there be which do not only blame but condemne the King concerning his dealing against his Cosen Ioab chiefly after he had taken holde of the hornes of the Altar where for the holinesse and reuerence of the place be presumed of securitie for he verily thought that the king which was wise and singularly affected the holy Religion would haue rather reuerenced the place and not aduentured to plucke any man out of the Lords house especially from the high Altar which did flie thither for defence and safetie as to the Sanctuary of the Lord. To this Benaiah the chiefe Captaine answered Benaiah against Ioab In that my Lord as I am well assured of mine owne guiltlesse hand being especially charged by the king to slay Ioab for indéede I slew him at the kings commaundement so am I well perswaded of the perfect wisedome and vpright iudgemēt of the king in that matter for diuers causes first for that Ioab had beene of the confederacie with Abiather yea and a chiefe Counsellor of Adoniah both against K. David and against our Lord the king for although he were the sonne of Zaruiah Davids sister placed by him in a very high grade and authority as the chiefe Captaine of all his heastes and had béene bolde in the presumption thereof to doe and commit many thinges both vnlawfull and vndecent against the kings will and good liking as in the murther of Abner and Amasa and such like yet here he presumed too too farre for as it was not lawfull nor conuenient so was it neither safe for himselfe to aduenture to set vp and to proclaime Adoniah king ouer Israel in the life time of K. David without the goodwill and manifest commaundement and warrant of the king and of his noble Counsellors vnto whom it better became Ioab to haue submitted himselfe his Counsailes to whom he should haue hearkened and yéelded the due honour according to the law chiefly in this high matter and not in such malepert lewde sort haue vsurped on the Kings gratious fauour arrogantly presumed so farre on the authority of his high place Truely this is a fault which is often committed and no lesse noted in them whom the fauour of gratious Princes hath aduanced and graced and the honour of the place hath puffed vppe so far Men being in honour do often forget themselues that forgetting themselues and their dutie they neither foresée their owne dangers imminent for it is sufficiently proued that many men being sodainely exalted are also sodainely depressed and humbled in their pride by the same
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
wofull For being a man of an excellent spirit he feareth not Death whose day as I haue heard him to say is better in respect then the birth day of a man and that the dead are more happy then the liuing and therefore hath thus counsailed the liuing Be not feareful of death Remēber them that haue gone before thee them that come after thee This is the iudgement of the Lord vpon al flesh why wouldst thou be against the pleasure of the most high whether it be tenne and hundred or a thousand yeeres death neuer asketh how long a man hath liued Againe he hath said that death though a tyrant in nature is yet acceptable and welcome to some sorts of liuing creatures and namely to the man whose strength faileth him to him that is come to his last age and to him that is ful of care and fearefulnes and in miserie in this life Which sentences for th'excellencie thereof are also copied out and notified vnto many other nations which gladly accept and embrace them Moreouer the King hath said that howsoeuer a man be dead and laid senseles in the graue among the dead and dust be returned into dust that yet his Soule which is the best part of man returneth vnto God that gave it that is not to die with the body but to liue and continue for euer with him whose Image it beareth that fréely exonerated off and from all the miserable torments and vexations which assaile men in this transitory life By the which as among some other his words we find as a wise man should not be daunted with the terror of death but rather expect and embrace him so himselfe is nothing moued therewith Feare not death being of all men the wisest His reasons therefare many from the which wee take and gather these which follow First that Death is better then life or the day of the death happier then the birth day We may simply beleeue him therein Mors ita qualis vita For death is the renewing of a mans nature I meane to him that leadeth a godly life for if the life of a man be good his death cannot be euil And as men do alwaies desire that which is good so neither do they feare that which therein they desire Secondly this is that which belongeth to the cōdition of mans nature for he is borne into the worlde not to stay here but to dye and to depart againe therefore as no man can dye which hath not first liued so neither shall any liue which shall not also dye in this world Thirdly this is the decree of the almighty vpon all flesh once to dye to whose will and pleasure therein al men must yeeld obey Gen. 3 as good subiects to their prince in his place and authority And therefore we should neither murmur at nor feare that which he hath ordained knowing withall that he decreeth nothing but that which is good and profitatable for his children Fourthly this is not onely Gods decrée but also his good pleasure by this to glorifie himselfe and to benefite his children To whome euen death which came in through sinne might notwithstanding bee a meane to deliuer men from the same when his iustice therin shal be ioyned with mercy and louing kindnes Fifthly by this messenger men are ridde and discharged of many troubles vexations sorrowes miseries which oppres and grieue them in this yea through faith in the Messias from all sinne and dangers of Soule that follow after and awaite them in this worlde Sixthly a man may be comforted by th'examples of them that haue passed before him and the consideration of such as follow him This hath seised on father mother brother sister and friend This hath fallen on Adam on Abel on Noah on Abraham on Moses Iosuah Samuel and David and it shall not passe ouer them that come after thée Seuenthly this yeeldeth a man rest from his labours yea it yeeldeth the due both to heauen and earth for hereby the soule returneth to God that gaue it and the body to the dust from whence it was taken This the king considereth and feareth not death but as a man that hath trauailed and now wel neare finished a long and perilous voyage is rather glad and ioyfull then sory or wofull when hee seeth himselfe so neare the end thereof and would be vnwilling to begin his voyage againe especially being weary so the king being thus farre proceeded passing through the dangerous surges of the vanities of this life he is rather ioyfull glad and ready to resigne ouer his soule to his maker his body to the earth and his royall dignitie to an other then any way wofull or fearefull of death the end of this voyage Neither is he ignorant of this for he hath the highest knowledge of all men liuing that so long onely a man shoulde desire to liue in this worlde as he may bee well able to glorifie God and to performe his duty in the same which shal be so long How long a man should desire to liue here as the time of his ministry in this life is by the diuine prouidēce appointed to endure no lōger and that when the time of this his seruice is determined he should then desire rather to depart hēce thē to liue any longer assuring himselfe that hee shall neither effect nor performe any thing out of the due time for euery thing and euery worke hath his opportunity and time as the King hath said This time therefore abserued Noah Abraham Isaack Iacob Ioseph Moses Iosuah Samuel David and other our godly forefathers in their liues And this time I am assured the King shall accomplish and therein shall doe and performe that onely which the Lord hath appointed him in his place for his glory and the benefit of his people Thus farre the Princes were contented to heare one another of them and withall to iustifie that which had beene saide for the King Howbeit howsoeuer some of them dissembled the matter there was not yet any one of thē that either declared or reuealed the cause of the Kinges affliction Neither indeede was hee which knew the matter willing to open it because it touched the Kings Maiestie Whereby it was like to bee as daungerous to his person and state as the malady is to that patient the cause of whose griefe is neither reuealed nor wel known to the phisician This the lords cōsidered therfore they yet desisted not to search enquire further vntil they found out the causes of the kings present sicknesse CHAP. XV. Zadoke hath found the causes of the kinges troubled minde and declareth them of Solomons glory ZAdoke the most reuerend Father hauing now a good whiles hearkened to the conference of the Lordes and perceiuing that they would neither bee quieted in heart appeazed in conscience nor surcease to search and examine matter by matter cause by cause vntil they might at length find out
strongest power of man nor in wisdome nor in anything vnder the Sunne for all these thinges being transitory haue aswell their falling as their rising as well their ending as their beginning as well their discommoditie as their commodity incident Now that king and also the kingdome haue that supremitie of glory and peace it is most apparant not onely by the firme testimony of Gods words spoken vnto the king promising him such a thing but by our own certaine knowledge and experience thereof and all men that haue vnderstanding cannot but beholde confesse the same with vs. For who is like to K. Solomon in wisedome wealth fame and glory of all the kings on the face of the earth and what kingdome is cōparable to the kingdom of Israel in beauty peace and prosperity For albeit the king hath been sometimes resisted and shouldered by Adoniah Ioab Abiather and some others yet hath he preuailed thus farre forth prospered and triumphed ouer his enemies valiantly and although the kingdome of Israel hath beene many times battered threatned troubled by diuers enemies on euery side sithence the cōming of our fathers out of Aegypt as the Sunne Moone with Eclipses clouds darke mists yet hath the same still increased growne and prospered more and more as the Sunne from his rising vnto the high noone and as the Moone from her Coniunction to her perfect fulnesse vntill this very day wherein the same is so highly aduanced that the exaltation thereof can no further procéede proceed but henceforth begin to decline droope returne and decay after the state and course of worldlie thinges wherein we sée how one generation passeth away another succedeth The world is like a sea of glasse Eccles 3. one falleth another riseth one dieth another is borne one thing corrupteth another thing is engendred Neither can thinges be established otherwise in this wauering world how glorious soeuer it be to the eye or delight of man therefore the world is not vnaptlie likened to a sea of glasse And surely this is an exceeding greate sorrow to a wise and glorious king when he séeeth and preceiueth that all his glorie will end in ignomie his pleasures will be finished in paynes his wealth will wast and wash away his peace will be quenched with warres and his prosperitie will draw after it aduersitie all this the very heauens portend the earth pronosticateth the elemēts expresse the creatures forshew and the king himselfe through his wisdome doth foresée and therefore he is full sad heauy in his heart Alas quod the Princes is it so indéed The princes is there not any thing to be foūd out or prepared this hard lot to withstād It is true and too true saide Zadok But how to withstand it I know not zadock sauing that wel I wot al things are possible to the Lord God of heauen and earth The best way to withstand this inconuenience is to go to God and craue help at his hands to whose high Maiesty deuout and faithfull prayers and supplications must he made powred forth and offered vp by vs them which shall be included within those dolefull times that it would vouchsafe his goodnes for his names sake to grant vs true patience and constant abilitie to stand before him satisfied with his grace sufficient for them which depend on him to shroud our selues vnder the wings of his mercie compassing all his works howsoeuer things be carried and séem confused in this world psal 37.25.27 neither shal so much as one haire of the head miscarry of the which belōg to Iehovah our God To this purpose spake the kings father in his godlie meditations saying I have beene young and now am old yet did I never see the righteous forsaken Therefore he resolued as well for the solace of his owne soule as for the comfort of them in posteritie that it is good for a man to hold him fast by God to put his trust in the Lord God and to speake of all his workes in the gates of the daughter of Zion how further to withstand those fatall decrees why should we search will the most high alter his purpose are not all his workes iudgement Deut. 32. and doth he not worke and effect whatsoeuer is in his thought and that euermore for the comfort and profit of his saintes that by faith trust in him yeas assuredlie whereof we may not doubt To this replied the Princes Neither will we presume to inuestigate those hidden thinges which the Lord hath sealed vp with seauen seales nor attempt to walke in his secret wayes which no mortall man is able to find out nor studie we to withstand the purpose and prouidence of the Almightie which is euer strongest and shall with the truth preuaile But rather we will assay to conforme our will vnto his will and our liues to his pleasure being well content with that which is reuealed as that which is onely appertinent to vs and our children for euer Now let it be your pleasure most reuerend father in God to explane that second cause of the kings displeasure which riseth as yee saide from Hyram the king of Tyrus the kings brother in amitie and especiall wel willer with the rest as they follow in order for our vnderstanding CHAP. XVI Of the second third causes of king Solomons grieved minde viz. of Hyram and of the Arabian Queene THen Zadok the most Reuerend father in God being willing to satisfie the Lordes procéeded in the declaratiō of those other causes of the Kings sadnesse Of Hyram and now concerning the secōd he spake as it followeth It is true that albeit Hyram be an especiall good friend to our Lord King Solomon as he was to his father David yet ye know well my Lordes that the king aswell to gratifie him for his approued goodwill as to recompence his rich bounty in that he furnished the king with Timber and many other necessaries for the building of the Temple and his royall howses and such like he had giuen him some twentie Cities in the land of Galilee the which he thought the King of Tyrus would gladly haue accepted at his hand the rather in regard of his lonely affection and friendlie goodwill 1. king 9.11.12.13 But now king Hyram lately comming out of Tyre to sée those twentie Cities declareth himselfe scarcely well pleased with king Solomon concerning them saying vnto him What kind of Cities are these which thou hast bestowed on me my brother Moreouer he called them the land Cabul which is barraine or as old and worne out howbeit we perceiue not but that he might be well enough pleased with those Citties forasmuch as the king hath not onely in loue ioyned amitie with him as his brother when he could haue made him a Subject vnto his power by conquest but also hath admitted him into his Territories so farre as hee thought it was lawfull for him to doe for the land
indeede as it is reported for the space of an hundred yeeres after that time Howsoeuer it was no doubt his griefe that way conceiued was vnspeakeable neither is the kings sorrow foreseeing such a thing to ensew him in the dayes of Rehoboam any meane or measurable sorrow Oh therfore that yet it wold please the Lord our God if possibly it may be in his mercy to allure and perswade Prince Rehoboam to feare his highest maiesty and to keep his lawes which is that which is required of him in his duty to honour his father our Soueraigne King in his life that his dayes may bee prolonged in this land to hearken to godly and graue counsell to remember his creator euen in those his tender yeeres and to learne and follow that which belongeth both to his fathers peace the safety of Israel and his own honour In summe that hee so order and demeane himselfe and his family in the true vse of his fathers faith and religion with the dayly exercise of his princely vertues that al Israel may bee moued by God to bee willing to incline vnto him and to obey him as a man most meete to succeede him and to sit on his seat whensoeuer it shall please God to take from over vs our Lord the king To this answered the Princes present Verily verily these be causes and argumentes waightie and sufficient to prouoke sorrow and griefe and such as may trouble any King Prince or Potentate in the world But wee yet hoped that seeing these troubles are such as commonly follow the nature of man Wise men bee not soone over come with ordinary afflictions and to the which all men in this life be of force subiected the king being most prudent and prouident will not be ouercome nor quailed with these or any such passions but will assay as he knoweth he should to beare and digest them or so to passe them ouer as hee may rather take profit then hurt thereby to himselfe Thus he seeth what Noah and Abraham Moses and Samuel Iehosuah and David with such other noble personages haue done in the like cases in their times The whiles it is our parts and duties to counsaile and perswade the king to that which shal be most meet and profitable aswell for his owne health as for the common good and therein not to contemne nor neglect Prince Rehoboam nor to defraud his honour hoping and wishing for the best to ensewe touching him howsoeuer God shall worke to dispose of matters in his secret counsaile that so the fault of his disobedience and defect if so it fall out may neither bee ours nor any way occasioned by any of vs. And so Iehovah our God be mercifull vnto our soueraigne Lord vnto Rehoboam his sonne vnto vs and vnto all Israel the land of his delight Now it may please you most reuerend father to call to minde that sixth cause of the kinges grieued heart which came as ye said of Hadad of Rezon and of Ieroboam The 6. cause of Solomons sorrowe the kinges aduersaries and of euery of them It is certaine answered Zadoke that troubles be common in all places of the world and incident to al men liuing on the earth seeing that al men be sinners and no man doth good as both David in his songs and our king in his wise parables record neither therfore is anyone man without his particular crosse Troubles are common nor any person without his aduersary or enemy to vex molest him eueÌ„ then when he seeketh to be quiet And surely it is rare an especial blessing of God when men may enioy peaceable times to finish their works taken in hand for the glory of God and the weale of his people as had our king during the time he was occupied in the building of the Lords house The kings father knew this wel all the histories of the former times are stored with such spectacles and examples that troubles awaite all men in this life Howbeit these things seeme strange and so wer vnto them which haue in loÌ„g peace liued and prospered vnder the raigne of peaceable Princes as we haue done in the happy time of our Soueraigne Lord. 1. King 11.14.23 Hadad the Edomiâ—e Now so it is that very lately as ye know there be risen vp against the king and his people those three namely Hadad Rezon and Ieroboam dangerous and shrewde enemies for that Hadad as ye remember is an Edomite of the kings Seede which was in Edom. And that when David the kings father was sometimes in Edom in the time of his warres and that Ioab then the captain of the hoast was gone vp to bury them that were slaine in the battayle he smote all the men-childreÌ„ of Edom. At what time this Hadad fled certaine other Edomites of his Fathers seruants with him to come into Aegypt Hadad being yet but a little Child Howbeit he had gotten fauour in the sight of Pharao the king who hath giuen him to wife the sister of his own wife euen the sister of Thaphynes the Queene Now as soone as Hadad had heard tell that David was laid to his Fathers and that Ioab also then captaine of the hoast was dead hee came againe into Israel by the power and assistance of Pharao where after processe of times being strengthned by his affinitie and combination with the Aegyptian King he tooke an occasion to rebell to stand vp against our Lord the King It appeared that hee had a mischieuous mind both against the king against all his house wherby not only the king and his court was much troubled but his subiects especially those territories which embordered on Hadad were annoyed with sodaine incursions inuasions and spoiles The king God knoweth hath long liued raigned in great peace with all nations as with his friendes now must he study euery day how to defeÌ„d himselfe against theÌ„ as his enemies And Hadad as I may say is not only an enemy so professed but a most daÌ„gerous enemy that not far off but eueÌ„ at home within his graces dominioÌ„s and the more for that Pharao whom the king had so many wayes benefited Take heede of old enemies in regard of loue and good will was contented to take a wife from thence to confirme the league of mutuall friendshippe betweene them By the which wee may obserue as it is not safe for a man to trust his enemy then when hee hath gotten habilitie with waies and meanes to reuenge an olde grief so neither is it wisedome either to trust or depend much on them which are of another religion howsoeuer they offer themselues obsequious vnto vs then when wee may pleasure them in the thinges of this life For surely though Nature be supprest yet will she sprout againe What oathes vowes or promises soever are giuen or taken to the contrary notwithstanding Therfore how could this be otherwise then a griefe to the king The second aduersary
betide him could not so much hurt or annoy either him or his people as it shal be for his and their good so long as both he and they shal feare God The safety of them whome God preserveth howsoeuer it should seeme hurtful and loathsome in the eyes of men See therefore what a soueraign good thing it is to feare the Lord for such as feare him the Lord loueth thē whom he loueth he safely protecteth and for that their protection he hath a speciall care and regard This David considered found in triall to be true and therefore did sing as in the Psalme psal 91.11 For why vnto his Angels bright a speciall charge gives hee In all thy waies for to protect preserve and prosper thee And that they beare thee in their handes and waite still thee vpon That not vnwares thou fall nor bruse thy foote against a stone Thus are they happy which feare the Lorde because the Lord blesseth and preserueth them But now the king perceiueth that the Lord hath turned away his gratious countenāce looketh sternly angerly vpō him vpon his people and that the fierce wrath of God is bent and now comming vnto him and vs the force whereof no man liuing is able to resist or to withstand For who can beare the matchlesse power of the Almightie A description of God being angry God in his anger is as a ramping Lyon as an hungry Beare as a consuming fire as a mightie storme as a waliant warryer as a cruell tyrant as a mighty Gyant as a terrible Iudge If hee touch the high mountaines they shall tremble and smoke as David did sing And this to confirme the king hath placed before his eyes the fearefull Iudgements of God which in his wrath were executed on the old rebellious people he remembreth that when the Lord God was prouoked to anger by the disobedience of our first parents Adam Gen. 3.24 and Hevah though they were his beloued and the first that hee had created in his owne Image hee looked sternely on them and withall hee delayed not to call them into iust iudgement nor spared he to punish them Therfore he sent thē both out of pleasant Paradize opposed them to all miseries and barred the gate that they might not enter into that blessed Tabernacle which was appointed not for the polluted but for cleane and holy persons The king also remembreth the example of Gods heauy wrath against Cayn Gen. 4. whom he reprobated punished and banished from his fathers house and made a vagabond on the earth and that iustly because he had sinned against the Lorde in killing of his brother He setteth also before his face the example of Gods fierce anger on the olde worldings in the time of Noah whom hee destroyed without mercie with the flood of waters Gen. 6. hee calleth into memory the example of the diuine wrath executed on the filthy Sodomites Gen. 19. whom the Lord burned with fire and brimstome Hee is not vnmindfull Exod. 32.28 how the Lord vexed and afflicted our Fathers in the wildernesse when they had angred him with their sinnes of whom onely two of them which came out of Egypt being aboue twentie yeares of age could recouer possession in the promised land Neither is he forgetfull how terrible the Lord shewed himselfe to king David and his people not onely then 2. Sam. 12. when David had transgressed in the case of Vriah but also when he had numbred the people For the one offence the Lord stirred vp his owne sonne and them of his owne house against him and for the other threescore and ten thousand perished with pestilence and had not David repented and entreated mercie he had likewise perished in that high displeasure Sin is odious to God For sinne is that which the Lord abhorreth and as odious as is a Toade or serpent to a man so is the sin that men commit against the Lord vnto him so that as they are contemned and abandoned of men which nourish and foster vp such venemous beasts they are no lesse loathsome to God which commit sin and wallow and tumble in the filthinesse of that which God abhorreth Therefore vpon such as David said the Lorde raineth haile fire and brimstone which is their portion in his wrath neither is there any thing els due vnto them but death shame and confusion againe praying against such hee saith to the Lord Set thou an vngodly man to be Ruler over him and let Sathan stand at his right hand psal 109. When sentence is given vpon him let him bee condemned let his prayer bee turned into sinne Let his dayes be few and let another take his office Let his children bee fatherles and his wife a widow let his children be vagabonds and begge their bread let them seeke it also out of desolate places Let the extortioner consume all that he hath and let the stranger spoile his labour let there be no man to pittie him nor to haue compassion vpon his fatherles children Let his posteritie be destroyed and in the next generation let his name bee cleane put out let the wickednes of his fathers be had in remembrance in the sight of the Lord and let not the sinne of his mother he done away c. Now of such things feareth the king and therefore is waxen very pensiue and heauy not able to withstand the strokes of Gods anger conceiued against him and his people The fiercenes of Gods wrath * Alas Alas then sayd the Princes it is a most fearefull thing to prouoke the Lord to fall into his hands with guiltie consciences for wonderfull and terrible is the Lord in his wrath as ye haue well sayd For though the Lord be slow to anger when hee looketh for mans repentance amendement of life yet is he of great power and will in no case acquit the wicked Though he be most mercifull being pleased yet being prouoked he is most terrible and cruell to them that prouoke him His dealing will be with blustring stormes high tempests and whirle-winds and the cloudes of the ayre are the dust of his feete he will rebuke the raging sea and dry it vp with all the famous riuers of the land yea Basan and Carmel shall shrinke the spring also of Libanus shall be destroyed and the faire trees thereof shal be burnt with fire The great mountaines shall quake at his mighty power and the hils shal be dissolued the earth also shall burne at his sterne countenance with the worlde and all that dwelleth therein What man is hee that is able to stand before his fierce wrath or who can rise vp before the dreadfull anger of his countenance his fiercenesse is powred foorth like consuming fire yea the hard Rocks cleaue in peeces at his might the strong pillars of heauen tremble and all the kindreds of the earth weepe and waile before him when hee beginneth to appeare to visite
whereby being like to the beasts they runne into many mischiefes and sinne more and more against God and their owne soules Gen. 6.5 Thus those olde sinners were alienated from the Lord for as their thoughts were by nature euill they were the sooner by this furthered and blinded in their malice for why the spirit of God which sanctifieth and garnisheth men with graces did not onely depart from them but also repented that euer they were in respect of their filthy abhominations Neither is it possible that hee can liue spiritually to God which is dedicated to the flesh for between the spirit and the flesh there is euer contrarietie Lastly as this withstandeth the graces of the diuine spirit heere by the which men should passe to the life of glory as by vertues men attaine to honor so indeede it shutteth vp vnto them the gate of the kingdom of God into the which neither fornicators Gen. 3.24 nor leachers nor vncleane persons shalenter no more then Adam could enter Paradize after that he had polluted himself with sin Lo what an enemy is the luxurious man to his owne life whether natural political spirituall or eternall And by this we see the dangerous condition of our L.K. Solomon yea by this we may behold consider what is the fraile nature of mā in this life A man being in honor and puffed vp in prosperitie hath none vnderstanding as king David sayde and therefore may bee compared to the beasts which perish for he forgetteth himself he remembreth not the Lord hee waxeth proude insolent hautie high minded prone to pleasures and ingratefull to God In this hee well resembleth the Siphny stone which though of it owne nature soft yet boyled in oyle waxeth wonderfull hard But after this their follow on him an hell of mischiefes huge torments for who can prosper in his deuises or endeuors which forgetting God walketh his owne wayes in the lewdnes of carnall lust Gen. 19. Exod. 32. Numb 25. Iudg. 19. Homer To passe ouer these examples of the Sodomites of the Israelites offending with the women of the Moabites Madianites of those men of Beliall that rauished the poore Levites wife in the time of our Iudges of Paris the Troiane of whō we haue heared let vs not forget the example of David the kings father 2. Sam. 11. After that God had both aduanced him and giuen him rest and prosperitie in his honor hee too soone forgate himselfe and burned in lust in whome the loue of the flesh was so naturall to the flesh that albeit reason as reason would put the desire to flight in him yet the flesh yéelded herselfe a captiue thrall to those desires by the which he was more fiercely assaulted then with the greatest enemies that euer he had For there be no foes so deadly and importunate as those which a man findeth and fostereth against himselfe within himselfe 2. Sam. 12.14 David had fought with the huge Goliah and cast him to the ground hee had killed a Lyon and a Beare which came to deuour his shéepe he vexed and spoyled the Philistines and other the enemies of Israel and euer returned home a victor and triumpher in the name of his God whereof they could sing to his praise David hath slayne his tenne thousand Howbeit this noble Prince in his rest and prosperitie as I said suffered lust in him to subdue reason gaue the raynes at large to carnall appetite and therein inflamed and agonized he vnlawfully desired abused Vriahs wife and yet not so contented he caused Vriah to bee vniustly murthered whereby he distained his honor he quenched out the spirituall graces and endangered his soule to the high displeasure of God who doth neither loue nor permit such delights in the children of men much lesse in his owne the seruants of grace And thus be it here spoken in counsayle hath our Lorde the king forgotten himselfe and both abused and dishonoured his honor Thus men set in honour are soone ouertaken therein for temporall felicitie is a most vnquiet thing neither can mans nature bee contained whithin his bounds and dutie of life in worldly prosperitie Worthily therefore David thanked the Lord for that he had beaten him with aduersitie which as he confessed hee found to be best for him It is good for mee sayd he that I have beene troubled But if wise men and godly men can scarcely and very seldome measure themselues in the vse of this flattring enemie how then should the ignorant and sinners doe when the Lorde sulleth them in this easie cradle Besides this here wee see What man is when he is given ouer to his owne will how foolishly the wisest of all men behaueth and demeaneth himselfe and into what inconveniences he runneth when it pleaseth God for his tryall to loose vnto him the raines of youthfull libertie and to commit him to the guide of his owne counsailes Surely hee may well be compared to the pondrous yron that of it owne nature sinketh to the bottome of the streame except it bee sustained or holden vp by some other thing This should mooue vs to pray vnto God that as hee would vouchsafe to succour and defend vs so he would not giue vs to our owne willes but that his will might be fulfilled in vs. For if we should but haue the guide of our selues and not be susteined and defended by the power and will of God it cannot bee otherwise but that we shall not only fall but fall away and perish from him and from our owne saluation euery houre in euery day of this our life Therefore that I may be briefe howsoeuer this euill custome of the pluralitie of Wiues came in or howseuer this kinde of pleasure hath beene vsed and delighted in among worldly men yea howsoeuer many wise men haue beene séene to solace themselues therein it is doubtlesse in the king a great fault and the more because hee is the king and should be a guide of holinesse and good example of life vnto others especially because the Lorde hath so blessed him with wisedome and diuine graces before all the kings of the earth Thus haue I explained the first of those thrée faultes which prouoked the Lord to displeasure the consideration whereof now moueth the king to this heauines of minde But yet the second fault excéedeth this in degree to aggrauate the sorrow and paine him to the heart These words being spoken and in such sort as Zadok could deliuer them prouoked the Princes to wéep with him wéeping to condole together the kings hard lot Howbeit they requested him to say somewhat more of that second sin which was as he said more heynouse and dangerous and so pauzed and expected what Zadok would say CHAP. XXI Of Solomons second sinne and third sinne viz. of his strange wiues and his turning away with the diuine Commination for the same THe second sinne of Solomon as I before sayd quod Zadok is
in that time of his age Solomon offended God in his elder daies when he should rather haue abandoned fleshly lustes the delights of the sonnes of men and all the vanities of the worlde and haue offered vp himselfe both body and soule a sweete and holy Sacrifice acceptable to the Lorde his God in that holy Temple which hee both built and dedicated to his Name Alas what a blemish is this to his Grace and that his gray haires shoulde bee polluted with youthfull lustes This is one of the things which I haue heard him saye that his very soule abhorred But when vnto those lustes shall ioyne that transgression of the Lawes and abhominable sinnes against the true seruice and honor of God and that in olde men oh God howe great and daungerous is this kinde of abhomination A great deale more loathsome and daungerous is the fire in an olde house then in a newe and no lesse dangerous and loathsome is sinne in an old person beyond those which bée in the yonger sort Olde men should bee to the yonger examples of a chaste life holinesse godly behauiour Religion and vertues they should be profitable to the common-wealth by their wisedome reuerend before all men for their age and well prepared for the place of eternitie vnto whose gate they are or should be ready to enter with holy hearts and cleane bodies they in whom the contrary is found especially among the Princes Nobles Magistrates and persons of name and account are rightly likened vnto those olde Cockes that bring forth certaine blacke and blewish Egges Similitude which being couered by some venemous beast as a Toade or serpent in the canicular dayes there is hatched a Basiliscus or Cockatrice of that venom which infecteth and killeth men with his piercing sight By the Egge is vnderstood the euill worke or action of the faultie olde man by the venemous beast is meant the suggestor or flatterer of him in his faults by the Cockatrice is noted the wicked example and by the persons killed the seers and imitators thereof For those elder persons and namely Princes and Magistrates which haue beene estéemed and honoured in their places now sinning against God and the honor of their functions and their sinnes fostered and nourished by the pestiferous and wicked suggestion giueth a most pestilent example the which being seene of the Subiects yonger and inferiour persons infecteth and corrupteth them and as much as lyeth in him he killeth him And thus hath the king done Howbeit now at length he perceiueth that the iust iudgements of God threatned in this case and wont to ensue on them that breake and contemne his holy ordinance and Lawe is now prepared against him and this whole Nation yea more fiercer than it was in Davids time when seuenty thousand dyed in the pestilence Neither hath he found as yet by his wisedome how to excuse himselfe in this matter nor how to defend his innocencie for behold it is neither the king though so wise and royal nor things in heauen nor them on the earth nor any other power or might whatsoeuer that is able either to dispence with this diuine Lawe or to beare the effects of that celestiall wrath Woulde God that King Solomons example could be remembred of all thē that shall come after him An admonition for princes to remember Solomons example and learn to feare the diuine iudgements to be placed vpon his throne that in the middest of all their prosperity they wold thinke of aduersity as Iob did with that reuerence and feare that they presume not so farre to tempt the Lorde in the lust of their eyes the lust of their flesh and in the trust of their proper wisedome worldly policies and high places for howsoeuer they be preferred and aduanced and do stand yet shoulde they know themselues to be but men yea miserable and fraile men in this life subiect to whatsoeuer misery betideth other men Wherein the King is no freer then the beggar though preferred in his estate royall and the lustie yong man is no more respected then the olde man to whom crooked age is a continuall sickenesse such is mans condition for this cause men be well likened to the grasse in the field and all their glory honour wealth wisedome beauty and whatsoeuer els wherby a man is adorned in this world and in the which hee delighteth as that which is mans or incident to his pleasures in this life is rightly likened to the flowers of the grasse in the fielde the which are by diuers occasions either withered or altered in a very short time neither is any one herbe or flower in the fielde more free from those blastings burnings annoies and perrils then any other in the same notwithstanding that one beyonde the other is in higher estimation and price among men But as for the Lord our God he is most mighty euer the same without alteration or changes alwaies sufficiēt a reuenger of them that dishonour him and a very consuming fier to deuoure the ongodly as the stuble from the face of the earth hee is in his iudgements most iust in his workes most perfect in his wisedome infinite and in all thinges good for his saints and glorious in himselfe This is he that ouerthroweth man in offences and compasseth him about with a net wherein if sinfull man should complaine of violence done vnto him Iob. 19.7 he shall not be heard and if he cry for helpe there is no sentence to bee giuen for him he must abide his lot and beare the iustice of the Iudge without hope of change or alteration of the decree vntill it bee his pleasure vpon mans true repepentance to turne Iustice into mercy and paine into peace * All this answered the Lords being true can neither be denied nor dissembled but we wil witnes the same though to our sorrow because it toucheth our Lord the King Howbeit we haue not found that the holy religion hath beene altered but that the seruices of Iehovah our God and al his holy sacrifices are continued in that house which the king had dedicated to that vse howsoeuer those strāge women haue in their apostacie turned to their Idols againe affected the superstitions of their seuerall nations and obtained by the kings fauour permissiō to vse their own religions within these his territories and dominions I grant said Zadoke that our holy religion is yet preserued in vre howbeit not without a manifest contempt zadoke tels that religion is much blemished by those sins of Solomon 1. Sam. 5.2.3.4 Iudg. 6.31 when such as deride and disdaine the same shal be both permitted and maintained in the open face of the king and his people Could Dagon stand before the arke of God Would Gedeon permit in his daies that any man shold pleade Baals cause did our father Iacob suffer that his wife Rachel should retaine with her Labans Images or that any of his sonnes or family should be
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
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
equall authoritie those matters of the king the reuerence of whose person and the authoritie of whose Words I haue euen with these mine eares heard some wise-men to call into question and whereof they are wont to say to them that commend the king and his wordes yet praise not the vnworthy because of his riches nor his wordes by reason of his wealth Is not a green apple tree bearing fruit better then the dry Cedar of Lybanus lying on the ground is not a living dogge preferred before a dead lyon and what is that person to be esteemed or his words regarded which hath distained his wisedome with foolishnesse and polluted his honor with vngodlinesse For truely as when women deck themselues they endeuor to choose the best glasses and cast away others which are polluted or deceitfull and as schollers to write doe set before them not ragged but plaine and perfite copies to learne by so in the Church or in the Common-wealth should onely those examples bee proposed for imitation and instruction which are the holy deedes of worthy men And as that worke is most praise-worthy in the which both the Arte commendeth the matter and the matter the Arte The perfection of the person should ioyne with his words so those Sermons and wordes are alwayes best meete the conseruation and obseruation wherein the worthinesse of the person commendeth the Wordes and the wisedome of the words commendeth the worthinesse of the person Neither should wee praise that too much which is polluted in part lest vnhappily the vnwise that knoweth not to put difference betweene the good and the euill will take and vse as well the one as the other for although the wise and prudent are wont to make choise of the waters whereof they drinke knowing that all Fountaines are not of one goodnesse operation and vse yea and be as the Bees which make hony and not poison of euery herbe yet the foolish which can not discerne or make difference of things will bee ready to take those waters which breede fury and madnesse and procure death and with the Spider will make poison of the sweetest flowers It may bee that some of you my Lordes thinke as I haue sayde would yee bee as plaine and simple to deliuer it foorth as I am What say yee to that which I haue obiected Then stoode foorth the most reuerende Father zadok answereth for the king against Abiathers obiection Contemners of other men and as the mouth of them all for they all willed him to giue an answere bee spake and sayde By your leaue Abiather As hee that commendeth another but sparingly seemeth to want his owne prayse so they that contemne other men rashly seeme to enuie their happinesse And truely as the slouthfull dogges doe barke at euery one whom they know not whether hee bee friende or foe to their master so there bee certaine ignorant persons which carpe at all that themselues vnderstand not bee it neuer so excellent and good Againe Vncharmed tongues there bee many vncharmed tongues which vse to speake euill of that which they know well to bee good These wil contemne the hony together with the pricks they will condemne true men Haters of that which is good because there be some theeues they dislike al things in respect of the fault of some things There be others which beare euill will at Zion and therfore blaspheme the holy religion of the children of Zion Envious persons and sclanderers neither are any of these disposed vpon occasiō to yeeld the due either to God or to the king but striue in their vnquiet spirits to derogate frō both so to draw frō this most princely person I meane K. Solomon and his most excellent labours Sermons and Doctrines all the honor credit and estimation which to either of them iustly belongeth vnprofitable persons whereby they are become both vnprofitable to themselues and hurtfull to others for thereof it is that both themselues neuer féele the swéetnesse and comfort of those most soueraigne and healthfull solaces therein prouided and proposed vnto them and many others especially the ignorant and ouer credulous are and shall be iniuriously defrauded also aswell of this the kings Solace as of many other things godly wholesome profitable and necessarie the which the true-hearted and faithfull of the Lord doe and shall thereof gladly reape and enioy to their exceeding great good and highest consolation These aspire not to the true happinesse themselues nor would that others should attaine the same wherein they resemble those idle and wayward dogges that lying in the maunger will neither eat the hay nor suffer the labouring Asse to feed thereof But right iudgement and reason resolue that albeit it is not good to praise them much which of their owne accords are apt to vaine glory as we may not tickle them which by nature are giuen to excessiue laughter Whō to praise whom not yet meete it is that wee praise the praise-worthy and vpon an occassion prouoke them to laughter which are ouer pensiue and sadde that wee yeeld to euery man his dutie as honor to whom honour loue to whom loue feare to whome feare belongeth lest as in the former we should prouoke to vice which resteth in extremities so in the latter wee should discourage from vertue which holdeth the meane and so declare ourselues so vniust in th' one as wicked in th' other * Therfore although that both soueraigne Lord K. Solomon and those his last words haue already both deserued in themselues and obtained among the godly-wise both credit and authoritie sufficient yet The credite and estimation of Solomon and his words vpon this necessary occasion I shall be alwayes ready as my dutie is to pleade for the defence both of th' one and the other not withstanding his vnhappy staine with those transgressions and sins and so much the sooner because beeing both an eare and an eye witnesse I can best testifie and being the High-priest I can or should well discerne both of the one and the other without partialitie or corruption in iudgement Nor doe I doubt my good Lords but that yee all will consent with mee in the same as farre as truth will warrant mee to pleade for my Lorde the king Surely I would not exceed the boundes of truth nor endeuor to defend or excuse sinne in any person be hee high or low * And well worthy most reuerent Father said the Princes nor is it meete The princes consent to zadok in the kings apologie that any of vs all should presume to auouch that for truth which is a false lye for as he which heareth false witnesse against a man as the king hath said bringeth foorth lyes and is a very clubbe asworde and a sharpe arrowe so should wee bee if wee should produce any thing besides the veritie in any thing much more in those matters which concerne the kings Maiestie the which the
Solomon so holy elected and beloued of God shold find no place of true Repentance after his sinnes committed Neither may we in equitie and charitie being indeede witnesses of such his Repentance but testify and auouch the same before the whole world But be it that his Repentance were neither apparant nor here protested by vs should the king therfore If this were not so plainely testified yet might not Solomon be iustly condemned as a reprobate which is so holy a man and the Lords chosen be condemned God forbid And it were too sharpe a censure either to say so or to think that euery person whose sins haue beene laid open in the holy Scriptures hath not been truly repentant except that also such his repentance hath beene expresly and plainely depainted and set foorth in the same Adam his repentance What plaine or expresse mention I beseech you is there made in the holy Scriptures of Adams repentance after his fall in whome wee bee all cast away by nature howsoeuer the same is presumed or gathered by circumstances or of the repentance of Noah after his drunkennes Noah Lot Sampson Simeon Levi. Iudah or of Lot after his incest or of Sampson after his daliances with Dalila or of Iacobs sonnes Simeon and Levi which against the mind of their Father dealt deceitfully and cruelly with Hemor the sonne of Sichem and his citizens or of Iudah th' eldest sonne of Iacob after his sinne with Thamar his daughter in lawe hee confessed indeede that shee was more iust then hee so did Pharao also confesse that the Lord was righteous and that hee and his people were Sinners Surely albeit that these and many other the Lordes chosen haue beene both noted in the holy Scriptures which are extant before vs and also punished in some measure for their sinnes and offences yet did it not alwayes follow that the repentance of euery of them hath beene so largely declared to the world or so plainely set foorth in wordes as was the repentance of David the Kinges Father Davids repentance and of some of others And yet who should either in wisedome reason equity or good conscience call their repentance conuersion or turning againe to the Lord into question to whome the Lorde hath expressed the full assurance of his loue and mercy in their liues What said the King in this case Though the righteous be overtaken by death yet shal he bee at rest Againe The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God their shall none evill touch them Worthily haue these golden sayings beene taken from his mouth Sap. 4.7 and copied out and conserued for the posteritie to giue comfort vnto the Lordes chosen and to satisfy them that might otherwise condemne themselues and their cause in the consideratiō of their punishments and miseries in this life Therefore it is true that as the man which hath beene long nooseled vp in vices will not onely with much adoe leaue them and leauing them will yet retaine some sauour thereof in his person as such which hauing beene long clogged with iron fetters will yet halte after they bee loosed so on the contrary parte hee that hath beene brought vp and exercised in holy vertues will not soone loose the habite much lesse the sauor of them as those vessels will long retaine and yeeld the smack of that liquor which was in them first steeped although they bee washed and assayed to bee purged from the same Neither may wee thinke but that if after the opinion of the very heathen Philosophers one vice ouerthroweth not a vertue in habite much rather shoulde wee of Israel not so much as imagine that one or a few faultes of the children of God occasioned either of ignoraunce or of feare or of infirmitye or of naturall concupiscence or of the malice of the olde Serpent shoulde rent asunder an habite of holinesse and so infringe or weaken the power of Gods free election and loue the which by his spirite euer worketh a godly repentance vnto them which are elected and by the same in mercy appointed to glory For those whome in his loue hee hath elected before all worldes hee wil in his mercy pardon and glorifie and for that purpose hee giueth them a godly repentance as that which is ordained for the calling home againe and recouery of those the Lords chosen whom the Serpent had beguiled and seduced For the Lorde our God will not loose any one of them which appertaine vnto him nor will hee suffer his truth to faile CAP. XXIX Of the nature of Solomons sinnes and argumentes of his true Repentance ZAdoke had no soonr deliuered the former speeches but by and by Abiather rose vp againe and obiected saying Whether are Solomons sins greater then the sinnes of some other that did repent and were pardoned 1. King 11. 5. It is said most reuerend father that the sins of our L.K. Solomō are of the nature as they haue far exceeded the sinnes of those holy ones of whose repentāce we be either certified or perswaded in the holy scriptures as more hainous and dangerous for behold his strange wiues and fleshly Concubines haue turned away his heart from the Lord his God in so much that hee hath followed after Astaroth the God of the Sydonians and Milcom the abhomination of the Ammonites he hath builded an high place for Chamos the abhomination of Moab and for Moloch the abhominatiō of the childrē of Ammon and hath wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and hath not followed the Lord perfectly as did David his father Al these are your own words concerning the King and his trespasse most reuerend father neither haue I added any thing in the hearing whereof who is there almost but that will condemne the king of a more heinous and dangerouse sinne zadok then that the Fathers of whome ye haue spoken did euer commit in their daies But yet I beseech you said Zadok that those my wordes may neither bee wrested nor amisse vnderstood in this case God forbid that therein I shoulde so farre depresse the Kinges hope and estimation with the Lorde as to iudge his sinnes either irremissible or such haue exceeded the sinnes of those others whom the Lorde hath pardoned vpon their true repentance Indeede it cannot be denyed nor defended but that the king hath sinned grieuously against the Lord his God as I said before and therin hath offered an offence vnto the Lords people Howbeit that either the nature of those his sinnes is such as can neither haue pardon as was the sinne of Cain or that it was more hainous and horrible either in quantitie or qualitie then the sinnes of some others whom it pleased the Lorde in mercy to remit and renew vpon repentance wee neither finde nor dare to auouch Our first parents in Paradise committed an horrible transgression They hearkened to Satan they brake the commandement they forsooke the Lord their God were made thralls
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
an hell of troubles euen then The divine naturall wisedome is necessarie when he thinketh himselfe in the highest grade of this wisedome But let it be that the king spake of that other wisdome either deuine or natural Yet as neither of these can be obtained without study and paine of body and minde so being had it causeth a man to descrie behold and consider that sometimes which occasioneth him to be troubled and to lament He that hath it not is as that man which closing his eyes or being a sléepe seeth not either that which is like to hurt his bodie or offend his minde and so may vnhappilie be annoyed before he knoweth thereof howbeit the whiles he resteth himselfe secure But he that hath wisdome is as the man which hath his eyes open or is wakefull and thereby both seeth and endeuoreth to eschew the danger In the meane time he is indéede sore troubled vexed with feare And of this kind are they which behold the greate vanities of men and the more wisdome a man hath the more he beholdeth it considereth of it wayeth it and is much vexed therewith in his heart not that his wisdome is evill but that by that his wisdome he seeth and discerneth and is greiued with those things that be evill in this miserable and vaine world Therefore well he said the more wisdome the more greife In all those thinges I haue not founde that the King hath sinned with his lippes Therefore his wordes thus farre foorth may not in any iust censure be disliked nor in reason reiected Then said the Princes The Princes assent to zadoke they approue the kings words yee haue thus wel answered those obiections which Abiather hath produced most reuerend father Neither think we that the K. in this his constitution will exhibite vnto vs or to any others before vs any wordes but such as be right graue wise and sauering of the truth of Gods spirit the which we perswade at this time possesseth his minde whereby he is fully devoured with holy zeale If yet Abiather hath any thing els to obiect let him proceede in the name of God and we beséech you my Lorde Zadoke to giue him an answere CAP. XXXVII Of the gladnes and pleasurs of men and of the works of Princes c. ABiather being requested by the princes to bring foorth whatsoeuer hee had els heard obiected against the kings words answered againe and said I haue heard yet many other thinges whereby some would endeuor to deface the authoritie of his Sermons But I am sure that your wisdome most reuerend Father will easily stoppe their mouthes and satisfie vs and others Cap. 6. which haue not a desire to wrest the kings meaning and thus they obiect that the king is not onely pensiue and sorrowfull but also that he much speaketh against all kind of gladnesse of other men yea he condemneth all pleasant thinges and delights all mirth and pastime with the vse of the creatures for he hath said indeede Go to let me prove thee in gladnes Cap. 2. take thou delight in pleasant things but lo this also was vanitie Againe hee said I have esteemed laughter for an accustomed foolishnes and of mirth I said what is that which is don I have deliberated in mine heart to powre foorth my flesh to wine c. And this was also vanity Then answered Zadok As we haue heard the kings words zadok answereth so it is meete that wee consider how best to vnderstand them Surely wee may not thereof gather that the king condemneth all kind of gladnes and all delights Solomon condemneth not all kind of gladnes etc. nor that he holdeth al the creatures prophane which the L. hath made for the vse of man wee may not think that the king in so deuoid of reason and natural sense But thus we may vnderstand him that as before hee had proved by many substantiall arguments that mans felicitie and so his contentation is not contained within the limits either of the labors wisdom or deuises of the sons of men so now in like sort he proueth by those his words that the same is neither fouÌ„d nor indeed consisteth in the pleasures delights of those sons of men the which are such pleasures delights as are throughly pondered with wickednes and many lewd lusts that often ouerwhelme men in perdition Therefore all men are to beware the rather by the Kings example how they follow after their owne lusts in the waies of their sinfull affections And their are to respect this that the thoughts of their hearts and desires consent with the spirit and worde of God The true contempt of the world the which wil neither deceiue them nor occasion them to repent the same And this is the true contempt of the worlde when being guided by Gods spirit they abstaine from prosecuting and effecting their owne lusts pleasures and delights Solomons veyne in his lusts But to draw more neere to the obiection The time was and that lately when the king would excéede beyond his boundes and so he abused those good thinges which he might haue vsed for his solace and recreation for hee saide to his soule I will prove thee with ioy and gladnes or as it may be saide J will swimme in those delights I will dedicate my selfe to those pleasures nor will I desist or omit any occasion whatsoeuer vntill I haue fulfilled my desire yea I will wholy regard how I may liue in the world most pleasantly prouide that nothing may bee interposed to hinder those my lustfull delights This was indeede his purpose in that fleshly conceit of his but he saw No contentation in worldly pleasures that this was also a vaine deuise for in the preparing of those pleasures there was more cost then comlines much more labor then profit and to be briefe he found that in all those delights when the iust reckoning was taken there was more paine then pâ—easure and no contentation at all for one labour brought in another one study and deuise another one pleasure required another and for the most part determined in sorrow and griefe Now this is that which the King here condeÌ„neth and not that honest and lawful ioy and recreation which is either incident to mans nature whereof he is called a risible creature or proper to the Saintes of GOD in this life wherein they reioice in the LORD and praise him for his benefites as David vsed with instrumentes of musique Howbeit as in the former so neither in this is contained mans highest felicitie which is not founde in this life But the worde which the King vseth noteth as yee well knowe rather a lightnesse of the mind and an immoderate and vnmeasurable laughter to expresse the same then that pleasure or mirth which is proper to mans nature And such persons as are light minded and excessiue and vnmeasurable in their sportes and laughters hee might worthily
and witnes Therfore I thinke it good if it shall please you my Lords that these our right trusty and faithfull frinds Helioreph and Ahiah doe adde this also as an Affire to the Kings Conclusion of the booke which is written vz. Vers 9. The preacher was yet more wise and he taught the people knowledge and caused them to heare and he searched foorth and prepared many Parables Vers 10. The preacher sought to find out pleasant words and an vpright writing the words of truth Vers 11. The words of the wise are like Goads like nailes fastened by the maisters of the assemblies which are given by one Pastour Vers 12. And of other thinges besides these my Sonne take thou heede for there is none end in making many bookes and much reading is a labour or wearinesse of the flesh The Affixe to to Solomons Booke of Ecclesiastes Ecc. 12 Vers 13. Let vs heare the end or scope of all the sermon Feare God and keep his commandements for this is that which belongeth to everyman Vers 14. For God will bring euery worke into iudgement with every secret thing whether it be good or evill CAP. XLIIII The common consent and subscription of the Princes to this collection and the conclusion THe former Wordes beeing so written and finished and the two Secretaries hauing read ouer the same in the audience of the Princes they asked whether they all well liked of those thinges with the manner and cariage thereof To whom they all answered with one voice and consent that they liked all thinges right well and were very glad that those matters were so happily rememembred to bee preserued for posteritie Moreouer they saide And wee nothing doubt but that the King himselfe when he shall either read or heare those Words of his with the manner of the report collection therof he will both like allow and ratify the same Neither wil we omit or deferre to solicite his most noble grace therein for as it concerneth the King himselfe and the truth and authoritie of his wordes so it doth and shall for euer expresse our hearty desier to exonerate our selues and to expresse that duty which wee owe and must yéeld both to his highnesse and the holy Church Finally wee most heartily thank you most reuerende Father for this your paineful diligence and willing readinesse in the plaine resolution of those things which were or might bee holden suspensiue concerning either the Kinges person or his wordes neither are wee vnthankefull vnto you the Kinges most trustie Secretaries and to you Maister Recorder for the writing and recording of all those matters so needfull to bee knowne profitable for posteritie Against them which sclander the King and his wordes * After this Zadok spake againe and saide But my Lords that all these thinges with our godly purpose may the better proceede and happily prosper for the glory of GOD the comfort of our most dread Soueraigne and the benefite of his Church Let vs endeuour as much as in vs liesh to banish from hence malignant and froward mouthes and let the lippes of all them that seeke to sclander the King and his wordes bee abandoned But let the eyes of them that feare Iehovah and loue his holy annointed looke hither and beholde onely that which is right Let their eye-liddes looke straight before them and let the right bee hearde and considered in wisedome Thanksgiving to God Finally in the conclusion and vpshot of this our councell and conference let vs turne our selues to GOD in holy inuocation and prayer Wherein as it is meete let vs first blesse and praise Iehovah our GOD for all those excellent blessings the which he hath powred forth on vs vnder the happy gouernment and noble ministry of our Soveraigne Lorde King Solomon for the which beeing so abundant in his louing and large mercies wee are not able sufficiently to bee thankefull yet let vs prouoke our selues to that measure we haue psal 103. as the kings father did when hee saide Blesse the Lorde O my soule and all that is within mee praise his holy name Blesse the Lorde O my soule and forget not all his retributions Next let vs beseech his most high Grace that yet in his tender mercies and louing kindenes hee would preserue the life of our dread Soueraigne Prayer for the King and renew the same as the Eagle that hee woulde consolate his Soule and keepe him in well-fare and peace that we also may yet liue and prosper vnder him as wee haue done these fourty yeeres in the right God's seruice tranquillitie and peace Thirdly let vs pray to the Lorde of heauen for our selues that our sinnes may be pardoned and our true obedience both to his Grace and our noble Soueraigne renewed and confirmed that thereby the sooner for the sake of his holy anointed hee may spare vs and not remoue from vs in his wrath that thing which in his loue he hath vouchsafed vs that his louing fauour might bee yet continued and encreases towardes vs to the eternall ioy of our heartes Fourthly let vs heartily beseech him that this our Collection of the Kings words so rightly correspondent to those ancient Eccles. 1.1 and learned authors from whence hee has taken them to bee thus conueighed vnto vs may from hence proceede with happie successe among the Lordes people as whereby not onely the Pastor in the Church but the Magistrate in the Common-wealth may take instruction and comfort euen in the middest of all the crossing aduentures incident to either place Lastly let vs humble entreate the Lorde GOD to grant that wee and euery of vs may the rather by the King his Examples Lessons and Rules of pietie learne rightly to knowe and loue GOD to knowe and consider of our selues and the depth of this worldes Vanitie as whereby the sooner abandoning and forsaking the counsailes of the vngodly psal 1 i the wayes of the wicked and the seates of the scorners we may truely and timely conuert our selues to the diuine Maiestie and be wholy dedicated to his honour in his feare All these thinges beeing performed let vs againe repaire to his highnes presence who doubtlesse by this time museth very much of this our long absence To this all the Princes and Nobles assented conioyned in most holy and reuerende prayers to the Lord from whose spirite they received no small consolation and gladnesse and thence mutually bestowing thankes they brake vp and conueighed themselues in all dutifull manner to the royall presence of King Solomon their Soueraigne Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS
waies your lot and euery thing The King himselfe in his most graue and high Parables hath many thinges of this argument to be noted as also in and among those patheticall speeches which we dayly heare him to ruminate Neither in truth are the heathen and those which are without free of semblable exāples which schooled them to learne what that is which the highest God loueth and what he most abhorreth Among the which it may not iustly offend either ourselues or our Religion and people that we remember one other graue sentence of the same Gréeke poet who liuing in the time of our Iudges and obseruing many things of those daies in the world whereof he also wrote of great distructions of Kings Princes noble Captaines and mightie Potentates with the causes of the same we find that in the worke whereof he tels of the wandrings of the famous Vlisses he hath these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is In truth all godlesse deeds are nought estem'd with God above But rightfull heastes and godlie workes of goodmen doth he love And eke his foes and wicked wreatches which on earth here live By others spoile at length a pray to iust men doth he give And in this manner Iehovah our God confounded the kinges aduersaries establishing the kingdome in his hand according to that promise made by him to David in the time of his grace The ready way how to preserue Peace Neither did his method of proceeding vnworthelie beseeme him notwithstanding his name noteth Peace or a Peaceable person seing it behoued him for the purchase of true peace to extinguish the Seditious and broachers of vnnecessarie wars a thing no lesse necessary thē that part of his office which concerneth his gouerment to and for the which his father king David counsailed and sang as before Gird thee with thy sword vpon thy thigh psal 45. O thou most mightie Againe seing that al thinges are in vaine which are attempted without an happie successe the which is a singular gift of God and of him to be desired he added Prosper thou in thine Honour And all this wel-beséemed the king to whome the Lord hath granted rest for the building of his house Solomons name therefore hath named him Solomon This being saide the Princes with one accord approued the kings iudgements and orderlie proceedinges in the premisses praysed his royall maiestie in the same blessed the God of Israel that had placed ouer his people so prudent and happie a king and humbly beseeched the most holie of Israel for his graces happy health and wished prosperitie CHAP. XIV The cause of king Solomon his griefe was not of his match with the daughter of Pharao 2 Nor of his amitie with Hyram the King of Tyre 3 Nor of that he royally entertained the Queene of Sheba 4 Nor of his owne infirmitie of age 5 Nor of the feare of death IT cannot be denied said Iehosophat but that our soueraigne Lord Solomō hath done equity and righteousnes in his procéedings and actions tending therin to the end of his gouerment for his own discharge the good of his people and aboue all the honour of Iehovah his God who for the same be praysed for euermore But now the question is and the matter argued augmented and caried from mouth to mouth among the kings Subiects for of this the kinges alteration many men talke diuersly and imagin many thinges whether the king hath iustlie offended in his match with the daughter of king Pharao the Egyptian whom he brought into the cittie of David And here they call to minde not onely what the law hath prouided in this case but that which the Patriarch Isaack hath charged to Iacob touching the daughters of Canaan which he would not that he should touch Iud. 14.3 as also what Manoah and his godlie wife spake to their sonne Sampson the Nazarite when he would haue taken a wife from among the vncircumcised Philistines Howbeit I doubt not but that the king being passing wise and prudent knoweth well how to disgest that morsell and to resolue that doubt Moreouer it is not vnknowne vnto vs that albeit this Princesse was a stranger vnto vs and our Religion whiles shee remained at her fathers house in Egypt yet as she was not of the brood of those cankered hearted Chananites nations which the Lord willed our Fathers to expell and roote out so would not the king aduenture either to touch her or to bring her into his owne house although she was both a noble and beautifull Ladie till time that was done and performed on her Deu. 21.13 which the Law in that case prescribeth but cheifely as she had forsaken her owne people and her fathers house thē polluted with many abominations so turned she to the Lord God of Israel with al her heart for the loue she had both to him and his holie Religion And truelie this is also well obserued that as Rahab of Ierico a belieuing woman and conuert was both admitted and esteemed of the nomber of the true Israelites in the dayes by the wisdom of valiant Iosuah and as Ruth the Moabitish woman was married to Booz king Davids Grandfather and as king David himselfe refused not faire Thamar whome he had gotten in the warres and as other our forefathers haue not abāndoned such womē vpō their true conuersiō to the Lord so neither we abhor such as admit circumcition faithfully serue the true God notwithstanding they be of the Gentiles knowing or at the least presuming that the Lord God hath euen among them some that are his people also that the starre which Balaam somtime saw might lighten them in their due time as we are lightned and that shall be then whē the praier of Noah shall be both heard and effected wherein he desired the Lord to enlarge the tentes of Iaphet to seise him in the tentes of Shem to whom he would that Shanan should be a seruant Now the king in this regard would often say of this Ladie psal 45. The daughter of the king is beautifull within her garments are of beaten gold And herselfe although time was she could say of herselfe I am but blacke O ye daughters of Hierusalem for whie Cant. 4.1 the Sun hath shined vpon mine head yet now hauing no meane pleasure in her beautie Cant 4.1 he could iustlie commend her to her face saying thus How faire art thou my loue how faire art thou thou hast Doues eyes besides that which within thee lieth hidden Wherein doubtlesse as he hath made her a liuelie figure of the church of God to be gathered of and among the Gentiles in time to come so sheweth he what is and shall bee the glorie of the same and wherein the praise thereof consisteth therefore to declare the Lordes good pleasure therein we haue both heard
am not able they are both so many and wonderfull much lesse to apply them in euery point to him whome with his vertues these things doe fore-shew and teach vnto men Solomon a figure of Messiah in his birth And first touching the honor of the kings birth and acceptation with the Lord It is true that Solomon is the sonne of David as before it hath beene said concerning whom the Lord made a faithfull promise saying Of the seede of thy bodie will I set vpon thy seate Howbeit 2. Sam. 7.13 the Lord also saide to David concerning him I will bee his father and hee shall bee my sonne Surely this properly fits the Messiah who is to come of the séede of David and yet hee is that naturall Sonne of God Thereof spake the kings father Iehovah sayd to my Lord sit thou on my right hand Againe Thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee This is he indeed to whom the stabilitie of the kingdome of Israel is promised Where the Lord said I will establish the throne of his kingdome for euer Solomon as yet sitteth on the throne gouerneth his kingdom but the time will come that as the tipes must cease when the things typed come in place our Lord K. Solomon shal yéeld and giue his place to the holy Messiah that true Sonne of God when he shall begin to raigne in mount Zion Therefore let vs conclude that the king prefiguring also in this point the holy Messiah is a Saint of the Lord. Secondly the Lord hath imposed Solomon in his Names a figure of Messiah ordained such titles and names to and for the king as might no lesse expresse and set forth the same thing We heard before that the king had such Names as tended to th'exemplification of his honor but yet it was not then considered of euery one of vs to what certaine person or thing those names properly pointed for it is very certain that euery of those names are more proper to the Messiah then to the king albeit they were on him iustly imposed and of him at the first literally vnderstood The Lord God himself speaking vnto David of this person yer euer he was borne or begotten said His Name is Schelomon which is Peaceable 1. Schelomon 1. cho 22.9 or a maker of peace And the Lord shewed the reason thereof saying For I will giue him rest from his enemies round about him I will send peace quietnes vpon Israel By this he foresheweth the true Melchisalem that king of peace the right reconciler of his elect vnto himselfe who without this noble Prince are at wars with Lord opposed to the intollerable strokes of his Iustice But heereof it is that they haue quiet consciences peace with God and finally eternall rest and safetie in the most glorious kingdome of the King of peace To this also aymeth the blessed peace and tranquilitie that the Lord hath giuen the king and through him vnto vs from our bodily enemies on euery side in those the happy dayes of his gouernment Next when the Lorde would expresse his loue and affection towards him and againe the loue and affection that hee had and should haue to the Lorde his God thereby the sooner to foreshew the mutuall loue and delight betweene God and that holy Messiah he sent the Prophet Nathan as some of you yet remember who according to the diuine pleasure 2 Iedid-iah 2 Sam 12.25 called him Iedid-iah Beloued of God For so it is written that the Lord loued him therefore he called his Name Iedid-iah of the Lordes-behalfe Indeede it pleased the Lorde in this sort to declare his Ioue to the king Howbeit the Name properly fitteth that person Psal 2. to whom the Lord said as before Thou art my beloved sonne this day haue I begotten thee And the same which the Arabian Queene did mystically point vnto when in the spirit of Prophesie she said to the king Blessed be the Lord thy God which loved thee * After this the kings mother namely Queen Bethsabe that not without the instinct of the heauenly spirit perceiuing the maiestie feare of God in him 3 Laemuel pro. 31.1 withall knowing him to be made a liuely figure of the holy Messiah called him Laemuel that is God with him or God with them meaning that God was with him that he was as God vnto the people as Moses was sometimes said to be The which tittle therefore fitteth none so properly as it doth that bright Starre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Balaam descried and spake of in his prophesie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Num. 24 the which as we haue obserued containeth both the nuÌ„ber of the name ineffable and the number of the Divine law for the two former letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make in number 26. the which also the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yeeldeth and the two latter letters make 22. in which number of letters is written the whole lawe the which onely in the time of the right Laemuel shall bee performed and throughly affected in him by whom there shall be but one Lord and one Law one faith and one religion one sheepheard Gen. 49 â—0 4 Koheleth Eccles. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and one sheepefold Lastly he hath another Name which no lesse indeed appertaineth to that right Shilon vnto whom the gathering of the people shall bee That is Koheleth which signifieth a Congregator or a Preacher or a builder of a Church The King had this Name worthily imposed partly in regard of his wisedwne which was in him wonderfull beyond al others as if in one and the same person should be heaped and layd vp together all the wisedom and knowledge both diuine and humane which not onely any other one man but which all men together at the same time liuing had or could containe or comprehend partly in regarde of his Office and ministerie by the which he did not onely builde the materiall house which should prefigurate both the mysticall spirituall and eternall but also did preach and indeuor to call into the same and to instruct and conforme all others aswell Gentiles as Iewes in the true Religion of the most holy and euerlasting God But the effecting of all this properly belongeth to that holy Messiah who hath and shall haue in his time all wisedome and all knowledge without measure and thereof shall giue and dispose aboundantly to others and by his proper ministerie gather together the out-casts of Israel bring home them that bee and shall be scattered abroad by his wisedome iustifie the multitude in bearing their misdeedes and not onely builde of diuers stones and sundry things a Church and holy Congregation to himselfe but also defend foster susteine and preserue the same foreuer Nowe my Lordes in all these things hath our Lorde the King right worthily prefigured the holy Messiah to the which I hope yée will willy subcribe and thereof
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
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