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
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
and dissolute wasting away of their wealth God forbid foe he hath no such meaning But he exhorteth men to be liberall and charitable two excellent vertues he would that therein they should extend of their welth in either parte without respect of persons or of reward or hope of gaine or glory that men should help such as be in néed trouble misery that cannot recōpence or requite and to commit the successe and the regarde of all retribution to the Lord without all feare or distrust In the doing whereof is shall come to passe that men shall find againe that which they had laid out in one sort or other For such thinges are but as lent to him that will in due time repay The Lord himselfe will augment and blesse the basket and the store as Moses hath saide to them that keepe the Lordes commandementes Deut. 28. Therfore according to this saying men in the bestowing of benefits or in the giuing of their Almes should do like vnto those which cast foorth their things on the fleeting streame the things are throwne foorth and they bee carried away and there is no care taken thereof nor hope of recouery againe So men ought to giue and dispose of their riches in this life especially to the poore and needy without hope of recompence or reward knowing wel that the reward thereof is with the Lorde who forgetteth not them that haue thus bestowed of their wealth and thinges that the LORD hath giuen them and in the due time wil duely recompence them Psal 103.2 This the Kinges Father remembred whem hee saide Blesse the LORD O my soule forget not all his retributions Moreouer by the face of the waters wee may not vnaptly vnderstand the wet faces or weeping eyes and namely the poore the needy the miserable which in regarde of their harde lotts and afflictions are constrained to mourne And further to shew that the ende of our good worke or charitable action should be the beginning of another that shold succéed he willeth men to giue and bestow a part not onely the 7. day which is the end of one wéek but also the 8. day which is the beginning of another so forth Wherein also hee woulde that men which haue abundance shoulde resemble the full cloudes which poure downe the raine without any respect of places or hope of receiuing therof again and shoulde be also like the trées which in the autumne or harvest time let fall their fruite for such as will gather thereof and regard not the returne of the benefit Lo this is the meaning of the king in his wordes which are indeede right worthy the memory and praise Then replied Abiather In truth most reuerende Father ye haue also in this fully satisfied mee and I trust that ye haue no lesse contented al these the Kings Princes and seruantes And wee said the Princes are very wel pleased in these resolutions But if there be any thing els to be obiected we would that ye did now remember it that it may bee in like sort answered for our hearty request is and the same shal be continued that it woulde please this most reuerend Father in presence to answere and resolue the doubtes that aswel the posteritie and others as our selues hearing both th' one and th' other may bee the better instructed occasioned to thinke ruerently both of the King and of his words And truly we esteeme him a meete defender of the truth who when he thinketh well doth neither feare nor is ashamed to speake CAP. XLI Zadok answereth to the three last obiections 15. of the difference betweene good and evill 16. mans power of life 17. the young-mans lesson Moreover Solomons words are approved for veritie Obiection 15 of the holy and prophane ABiather proceeded to ratify his obiections and said But wherefore I pray you hath the king put no differēce between the righteous and the wicked betweene the holy and the prophane I might peraduenture answere you saide zadok if ye coulde certify me from the which of all his wordes they haue taken this to be obiected They haue taken it said Abiather from those his wordes where yee haue hearde him say without retractation or correction Eccles. 9.2 It happeneth to the one as to the other it goeth with the righteous as with the vngodly with the good and cleane as with the vncleane with him that offereth as with him that offereth not like as it goeth with the vertuous so goeth it also with the sinner as it happeneth vnto the periured so it happeneth also to him that feareth an oath Among all thinges that come to passe vnder the Sunne this is a misery that it happeneth to al alike Answere And this is a cause that the hearts of mē are ful of wickednes madnesse is in their mindes as long as they live vntill they die To this answered Zadok Truely wisedome would perswade that before they had conclude against the King they had wisely considered one thing with another Cap. 7.25 as the king hath also counsailed For he hath often said to ouerthrow the strength of their argument that he thinketh in his minde that God shall separate the righteous from the vngodly then shal be the iudgement time of al counsails works Again he saith Cap. 3.17 Cap. 8.12 I know that it shal be wel with thē that feare God do reverēce before him But it at shal not be well to the wicked neither shal he prolōg his daies but even as a shadowe shal he be because he feareth not God Wherin he speaketh much like his father who said the L. knoweth or approueth the way of the righteous he shal prosper but the way of the vngodly shal perrish now shal he be able to stād in iudgemēt nor in the cōgregatiō of the iust Now therfore Abiather let these things places be cōsidered together and ye shal find that the K. hath a double purpose therin as els where he hath said Answer not a foole after his foolishnes again answere a foole after his foolishnes wherein he wold that an answere be made méet for the questiō but not according to the fools expectatiō so the K. hath said the iust is as the vniust again the iust is not like the vniust for in somethings they be cōpared in this world but not in al things As touching either mans mortalitie or the sundry accidēts euēts of this life they are not much vnlike For as it was before said touching the cōparisō of man with the beast or the wise mā with the foole so may it be said in this that it happeneth to the iust as to the vniust Iob. 21.23 And in this hee séemeth to allude to that saying if Iob One man dieth in his full strength beeing in all ease and prosperitie his breastes are full of milke and his bones runne full of marrow Another dieth in the bitternes of his
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
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
the glory and the prayse for euer As Moses and Barach and David haue worthily taught by their holy examples in the like case These be the thinges my Lordes which in my dutie among others I haue duely regarded to be performed Besides this I haue had a care neither to wrong or oppresse any man nor to be reuenged on any mā vnder colour of mine authority as my predecessor Ioab hath oftentimes done to the great affliction of David the kinges father wherewith being much grieued he could often complaine and lament with teares as then when Ioab had killed the noble Captaine Abner Davids friend But some peraduenture scarcely will belieue this secing they haue neither beene companions of my trauelles in those affaires nor been acquainted with my manner of dealing for the king howbeit I perswade that the King knoweth all this to be true which I haue said for he hath beene certified from time to time not onely by my selfe but by others about me which accustom not to glorie of the truth of al things If the King knew it not nor could bee perswaded to belieue me yet I am sure that the Lord of heauen knoweth it with the same mine owne pure conscience testifieth in me and for me Although I haue beene a Souldier my Lords and now a Captaine and man of warre appointed ouer the Kings hostes yet I praise God for this that I haue alwaies feared God and obserued a good conscience the which whosoeuer respecteth not nor regardeth may happily be as strong in body as Goliah but he shall neuer preuaile with David hee may peraduenture goe forth with Gedeon but he shall be as fit for Gedeons warre as were those doggish lappers and those faint hearted dastardes whome hee sent backe againe Whatsoeuer some say which neyther know the one nor regard in their dealinges to expresse the other I know it is a fearefull thing to goe forth to the warres without God and a miserable thing to want a good conscience in the warres This regarded Abraham and Moses Iosuah Othoniel Sampson Gedeon Iepthe Dauid and therefore haue been noble warriours and happy in battels And this I would aduise all them that goe forth to the wars to respect as they would tender their owne welfare prosperity in the same But to be briefe I esteeme my selfe frée from all offence iustly offered to the kings Grace in this case And now my Lordes I thinke verily The cause of the k. affliction supposed not to rise from any of the Lordes that wee neede to looke further then into any of our selues here assembled if we shall find the cause of the kings affliction Neither ought this to be procrastinated lest by our delay the king perish vnder our hands and all things grow out of order to the griefe of the kinges friendes and dutifull Subiects and to the glorie of his Enemies Nor may wee think but that though the king haue many friends which are right glad to heare of his prosperitie yet he is not quite free from such enemies as enuie and hate both him and his felicity These be they which can very hardly be perswaded to thinke or speake well of his maiestie but to doe and to vtter out that which may anie way hurt or blemish his roiall honour they are alwaies readie and waite for their occasions Besides that wee may with others perswade and be thereof grieued in our heartes that the king being in this time troubled in minde and disquietted in his soule cannot well vse the faculty of reason albeit he be so wise a man as neither the eye in the head nor any member in the humaine bodie is wel able to execute his proper function when the same shal be molested or blemished And therfore it cannot bee that he shall well gouerne and iudge his people after the discretion and wisdome of a Prince except that speedie meanes be found and applyed to withstand this dangerous inconueniences CAP. VIII Zadok the high Priest and Abiather the priest disdaine not to examine themselues and are cleare in iudgement with the rest King Solomons Princes and Lords hauing thus farre pleaded for themselues in the audience of Zadok and Abiather who vntill now had holden themselues silent listning and pondring of that which had beene spoken in the end they both also vouchsafed the like But first Abiather by Zadoks leaue began in this sorte Why should I be silent in this examination Abiather the Priest here clereth himself in his function seeing that euery one of you my Lordes hath declared his integritie and cleared himselfe in iudgement against the King In what soeuer his Grace be displeased I know for my part that I haue not faulted as that other Abiather faulted whom therfore the king worthily depriued of his place and dignitie for albeit I haue the like name yet God forbid I should be of the like nature and quality nor haue I euer minded to worke treacherie as he did against my Lord the king nor do I know that in any part of my ministerie I haue so offended as wherof his Maiestie might iustly conceiue any such displeasure or sorrow of mind Howsoeuer others in this function haue béene approued how they haue entred how they haue behaued themselues and neglected or transgressed their duties I hope that shall not bee laide to my charge Yee know well that according to the election of such as I am what view examination The election and entrance of priestes Leuit. 2◠triall and approbation hath beene made of me the law ordained in that respect hath béen sufficientlie respected exacted and performed that so I might be made fit for the place for the better seruice of the Lord knowing wel that none of them which were either halt or blind might be permitted to dwel within the gates of the tower of Zion but were by the kings father expelled kept out that the place being of such purged 2. Sam. 5.8 they which reteined the right vrim thūmim might enter remain therin for the seruice of God honor of the king Neither vsed I any vngodly or indirect meanes for mine entrance I came not in by the windows or by the clifts of the wals as théeues and murtherers accustom to do but by the gates the dores being set opē as right lawful it was for me to doe yea they which were both of authority of a fellowship in the house of the Lord were as willing and glad to receiue entertain me therein as I was willing ready to enter Hauing thus entred I haue bin as careful to perform obserue my dutie I haue sacrificed praied taught ministred in my due course according to the order effect of the priests office with al diligence to my power knowing that it is no small danger no lesse disgrace to a mā of my profession to expresse one thing in habite and another thing
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
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
kingdome of Israel and that also not Absolon nor Adoniah nor Amnon nor any other of Davids sonnes begotten and borne before this time but only Solomon his sonne borne of Bethseba after the pardon granted him should build an house for his name vnto whō he would be as a father to his sonne * Al these things the princes gladly heard to the same subscribed most willingly knowing well both the truth of the kinges petigree and the honour of his noble birth zabud And thereupon spake Zabud and said It séemeth good to me The seuerall names of the King that with this which hath beene saide wée regard those titles and names by the which it pleased the Lord that the king should be called knowne and honoured the which truly haue not bin imposed rashly as many which giue names without respect of the Natures dignity or qualityes of the persons but with great wisedome iudgement and prouidence as were those names of Adam Havah Noah Abraham Lot Abel Sarah Isaack Israel Samuel David and such other which haue had their approbation from the Lord and expressed or taught or remembred some worthy thing In this sort the King hath had and enioyed fiue particular names and names of honor two of the which were imposed by the Lord himselfe the third by Nathan the fourth by his Mother and the last hée resumed by th'approbation of his Lordes In or concerning any of the which names he hath no cause ministred him to be displeased except onely in this that he hath tried himselfe bring a mortall man not answerable in all points to the same knowing it a thing most ridiculous for any person whatsoeuer to bee noted or called by such a title or name of the which hee shal bee found most vnworthy For the first we haue it recorded what the Lord God said to David concerning him he shal be my sonne Secondly he said againe touching him his name is Solomon 2 Sam 7.14 1. Chro. 22.9 Thirdly the prophet Nathan called him Iedid-iah The sonne of God Fourthly his Mother called him Laemuel and fifthly he is called Koheleh In that he is called the Sonne of God and that by God himselfe it giueth vs to consider in him somewhat beyond that which is found to be in other men For they are not of the common sort to whome the Lord vouchsafeth this high title Such are they which resembling the holy Angels haue not only the brightnes of the diuine glory apparāt in them but also are euer willing and ready to execute his pleasure In that he is called Solomō 2. Solomon it noteth the peace of his gouernmēt ouer Gods people according to the reason which the Lord added saying he shal be a man of rest and I will send peace and rest vpon Israel in his dayes In the third name the prophet would expresse not only the loue of God vnto him 3. Iedid-iah but also the loue of God his diuine graces in him to the which alluded the Arabian Quéene at her being here when shee said blessed be the Lord thy God which loued thee hath set thee on the throne of Israel In the fourth his Mother beeing a wise and rare Princesse 4. Laemuel 5. Coheleth woulde by that name signifie the glory of God in him and by him in the people In the last is testified the diligence and desier that the king hath not onely to search out and gather together for his owne further instruction the auntient monuments and holy bookes but also a people vnto the Lord to bee instructed and taught in the holy Religion for the glory of God and their owne health Teaching withall what should be the desier of all Princes in their places namely in this sort to tend to the end of their gouernment and rule Therefore finding rather an honour then an ignomy to grow from hence vnto the king Wee say as the kings daughter said in that excellent song Thy name is a sweet smelling oyntment when it is powred foorth Therefore do the virgins love thee CAP. X. Of Solomons person and estate forme beauty education wisedome c. wherof the cause of his griefe could not rise THen stoode foorth Ahishar and saide Truely my Lordes whatsoeuer hath beene here produced and spoken in the premisses maketh very much euery way for the kings honour and estimation Ahishar and therfore I perceiue not what shoulde thereof be gathered to offende him Neither can I finde any thing worthie dislike in any other points which concerne either his person or his estate for his forme and beautie his education his wisdome his iudgements his words his riches his works his peace his orders of house his pleasures his power his marriage his blessinges his fame his glory c. the king is most excellēt Solomon his beautie Homer singularly renowned as al men wil confes I remēber that looking on a certaine Booke of the Poet Melesigenes who liued and wrote in the time of our iudges among the Greekes I found where he had giuen an exceeding high praise to the forme and beautie of Priamus the Troyan Priamus the which in him as he saide was wel worthy a kingdome so faire was he The same Poet hath also spoken largely of one Nireus Nireus being the fairest of all them which came to Priamus his Pallace though hee had scarcely any worthy quality either of body or mind And in our own Records we haue the praise of the form and beauty of Saul the sonne of Cis whom Samuel annointed King ouer Israel Saul 1. Sam 9.2 that he was a goodly youngman and faire So that among the chidren of Israel there was none goodlier then he from the shoulders vpward he was higher then all the other people And we here present for the most part can say much of Absolon the kinges brother namely that in his time there was none in all Israel so much to bee praised for beautie Absolon 2. Sam. 14.25 from the seale of his foote to the top of his head there was no blemish in him And had his qualities beene to the same correspondent oh God how glorious might he haue beene And further we finde that Ioseph and Moses and Aaron and David haue beene praised in this respect But yet beyond them all looking with iudgement on our Lord the King and seeing howbewty is displayed in his royal person we cannot but acknowledge that for truth which the kings father said to him when he beheld him in his beautye Farre fairer then the sonnes of men art thou Cant. 5.9 Although all these things did properly belōg so were to be referred to the holy Messiah yet were they first spoken as of Solomon who in his person prefigured him as it is more fully declared hereafter And this the noble Princesse considered and sung of him He is both white ruddy the chiefest of thousands ten His head is as fine gold his
locks are curled blacke His eyes are like the Doues vpon the water streames Which are all waste with milke byde full vessels by His cheekes be like spice bedds as the sweetest flowers His lippes are Lillies like that drop the purest mirrhe His hands as ringes of gold with Chrisolite beset His belly yuory white with Saphires garnisht brave His legges as marble pillers on golden sockets set His looke as Libanon as Cedars excellent His mouth as sweetned thinges lovely all is hee Howsoeuer this was spoken as aiming mistically far beyond the Kings person It hath doubtles been applied to our Soueraign without adulation in whom their appeareth some especial grace yea the very image of the diuine nature beyond that hath been perceiued in any other man But were it that he had felt or vnderstood some defects in these external things yet see I not how he might be offended knowing well that he is but a mortall man that whatsoeuer is wanting in the body may bee supplied that to the vttermost by the graces of the minde the which the Lorde more respecteth then the beautie of the body as he said to Samuel when he sent him to annoint David for king moreouer he hath well tryed it and therof hath said it in iudgement that fauour is deceitfull and that beauty is a thing vaine therfore hath not béene of the mind to set his felicitie therein * To this also assented the Princes extolling and praising to the cloudes the most angelicall forme and beautie of the King Benaiah And forth with Benaiah beckning with his and proffered his speach and saide Neither indeed may the kinges education Solomon his eductaion or the manner thereof offend him as Ahishar hath saide for neuer any in this world hath beene better taught and brought vp as towching the feare of God and all princely and heroicall vertues For to this end king David had prouided him most wise and godlie teachers as namelie Nathan Gad Asaph and such other the Lordes prophets and wise men whom he had diuinelie inspired and sent forth yea king David himselfe being a man after Gods owne mind for his heauenlie songes and melody called the sweete Singer of Israel and the Lordes annointed and also his mother Quéene Beth-saba a most prudent and virtuous Ladie as it is before said and either of them haue very carefully taught and scholed him in the feare of the Lord and the right princelie virtues At whose knees he stood and was glad and ready to receaue both instruction and correction And thus himselfe acknowledgeth saying When I was my fathers deare sonne and tenderlie beloued of my mother he taught me also and saide vnto me pro. 4.3 let thine eare receiue my words kepe my commaundements and thou shalt liue Get thee wisdome and get thee vnderstanding forget not the wordes of my mouth and shrinke not from them c. Againe in his latter time ready to depart he left with him this direction 1 king 2.2 Be thou strong and shew thy selfe a man kepe thou the watch of the Lord thy God that thou walke in his waies kepe his statuts his precepts his iudgements and his testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses that thou maist prosper in all that thou doest and in every thing that thou medlest withall c. And this was his mothers lesson when shee taught and nourtured him pro. 31.1 What my sonne what the sonne af my body and what O my dearely beloued sonne Giue not over thy strength thy waies vnto womē which are the destructiō of kings O Laemuel it is not for kinges it is not I say for kinges to drinke wine nor princes strong drinke lest they by drinking forget the law and pervert the iudgement of all poore mens children Againe be thou an advocate for the dumbe to speake in the cause of all such as be succourlesse in this transitorie world open thy mouth defend the thing that is lawfull and right and the cause of the poore and helpelesse Lo such lessons hath his mother taught him so well beseeming I say not a child but a prince and excellent well fitting so beautifull a body from the which virtues are wont to shine as those pretious stoanes which are placed in goodlie Kinges of Gould But beyond all this the Lord his God which loued him and vouchsafed to call him his Sonne did extend vnto him the effect of a fathers office aboue that which earthly fathers are able to do or performe towards their children for he nurtured him by his spirit not onelie in the day time but by the nightes also And in this he acknowledged the great loue and mercie of God towards him as in his wise Prouerbs it is to be learned Lo thus was king Solomon educated and instructed in his tender yeares of the which he yet sauoureth euen in these his elder dayes to his double honour and the consolation of Israel * Therefore I see not that the king should be hereof offended except onely in this that he hath not in his owne cōceit answered in some pointes to this his education and instruction but let that alone to be considered of hereafter To this the Princes did also accord and then rose vp Adomiram and spake as followeth Adoniram Neither wanteth the king the excellencie of wisedome Solomon his wisedome by the which he goeth out and in before the people to iudge and gouerne this great multitude to teach all others the true wisdome This is that which being prized no man can tell the worthinesse thereof as Iob hath said thereof neither is it found in the land of the liuing it cannot be bought for gould nor may the price thereof be obtained with siluer No gold of Ophir no pretious Onyx stoans nor Saphyres may be valued with it for this is the highest Treasure of a king yea and the same without the which a king is vnfurnished of that he ought to haue and so méere vnfit for the place of gouernmēt but hauing this one iewell in possession he is sufficientlie armed not onely to do iustice and to defend them which are at home but also to withstand and subdue the enemies which Eccles 7.9 are abroad for Wisdome is much better then weapons of warre and giueth courage vnto thē that imbrace hir This the king by Gods good grace considered in his yong yeares 1 King 3.9 4.29 and therefore this was that only thing which he desired of the Lord whē he was willed to aske whatsoeuer hee would haue hee should haue it and therefore the Lord being well pleased with his desire gaue him wisdome and a large heart even as the sand that is by the sea shoare without number or measure By the which the king was most wise and therein is preferred before all those famouse men of the East Country which haue so farre excelled other men both in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
which David committed and left as a patterne vnto him 1. Kin. 6. he set onto build vp that Temple in Ierusalem euen an house for his God This house is threescore cubits long and twentie cubits broad and thirtie cubits high c. And this house was built of stone made perfect already before it was brought thither so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any toole of yron heard in the house while it was in building But it would be wonderfull yea and beyond mine abilitie to tell and your selues presently to heare how many strange and diuers and excellent thinges the King prouided and disposed in and about this excellent worke And in this worke he so well pleased the Lord that he spake vnto him saying Concerning the house which thou art in building if thou wilt walke in mine ordinances execute my lawes and keepe all my Commaundementes to walke in them then will I make good vnto thee my promise which I promised to David thy father And I wil dwell among the children of Israel wil not forsake my people Israel Further after the end of seuen yeares for so long was that magnificent house in building the king began to build another house for himself about the which he bestowed great time charge and labour as it is recorded in the book of the kinges Annales and touching the which the kinges daugther beholding it with admiration said Cant. 3.9 King Solomon hath made himselfe a pallace of wood of Libanus the pillars are of silver the pavement therof of golde the hanginges thereof of purple c. Thirdly the king builded another house in the forrest then the which there is not a more princely thing in the world for the site forme and beauty thereof No man can dislike any of these his workes yea euery one doth highlie praise and commend them and him in the most excellent frame disposition and order of the same wherefore it may not be that from thence hee should finde occasion to afflict his owne soule The peaceable time of Solomon * But all these things haue been the better effected by the king for that the Lord his God which would that he should be called Solomon or Peaceable hath giuen him rest from his enemies on euery side for it hath neuer been heard of that the childrē of Israel enioied the like peace sithens the time that they came out of the land of Egypt And truely saide Benaiah neither the king nor his people haue these forty yeres had any cause to feare the inuasion of any forraigne enemie Benaiah or the nations embordering who hauing been subdued kept vnder and qualified by his father David in his time haue neuer sithens that resumed any courage or presumed to lift vppe their handes or quake against his Maiestie for all people and nations stand in feare of him and rather yeeld to bée his contributaries and seruantes then to attempt or aduēture warres against him knowing well that the Lord of Heauen is with him to preserue and keepe him and that the woodes and all pleasant trées do ouershadow him and his people at the commaundement of the Lord by whose grace they haue long prospered and rested in peace euen from Dan to Berseba vnder the kings happy gouernement Moreouer I am sure there hath not been in any age sithens the creation of the world a captaine set ouer the hoast of any king that hath had lesse trouble and feare then I haue had in my time vnder my Lord the king for although the king hath many barbed horses strong Chariots valiant men of warre great store of weapons armour and munition of proofe in the which he may compare yea and be preferred to all the kinges on the earth yet hath hee in his time had as little vse thereof as any whatsoeuer for the onely terror of the kinges Maiestie and the view of those thinges hath sufficiently daunted the enemie wherby we and his people haue had little cause to complaine of mortall warres which haue ensuing it so many slaughters burninges famines plagues destructions and noysome inconueniences in al ages The Poet Homer hath written of the wonderfull slaughters Homer and burning broiles of the Greekes Troians before this time which setteth before our eyes the miseries of warres And our owne histories haue largely displaied the great infelicitie of our fathers in the wildernesse and in the time of the Iudges and of Saul But we haue a cause to blesse and prayse the Lord our God who hath in this time of his mercy raysed vp vnto vs this Prince of Peace I pray God wee may thankfully esteeme thereof and not by our froward ingratitude offer vnto our God an occasion of the losse of so heauenly a blessing as those commonly accustome which hauing not the feare of the Lord before their eyes and so no sparkle of the true wisedome doe prouoke him to wrath through the lewdenes of their rebellious heartes And whether the King as hee hath the wisedom of God foreseeth in the spirit what is liking to beside vs by his departure from ouer vs I know not for what misery or inconuenience is there which may not come on them that transgresse and offend against God and the king if the Lord shall eyther commaund or commit the spirit of troble to fall on them * And this may come on vs and the people said Ahiah we know not how soone Ahiah But as ye haue said the king hath had indéede a glorious peace The orders of Sol. house and we haue enioyed the like vnder him for the which both his Highnesse and his people may reioyce together And here we cannot but with the former commend the orders of the kings house the meate of his table the sitting of his seruants 2. Chro. 9.4 the standing of his wayters their apparrell his Butlars their apparrell and behauiour the which when the Queene of Seba saw and cōsidered she was astonied and there was no more spirit in her And she said vnto the king The saying which I heard in mine own land of thine actes and of thy wisedome is true I beleeved not the wordes of them vntill I came and mine owne eyes had scene it behold the one halfe of thy wisedome was not tolde me for thou exceedest the fame which I heard Happy are thy men happy are these thy servants which stand before thee alway and heare thy wisedom Neyther were the kinges pleasures lesse then sufficient being solaced with his faire houses Solomons pleasures his gardens of pleasures his men-singers and women-singers and instrumentes of Musicke of all sorts with all the admirable sweet delightes of the sonnes of men yea there was neuer any one man vnder the cope of heauen that more flowed in all kind of pleasures meete and conuenient for a kings honour His power * He was also of no sesse power and mightinesse yea he was
your soules Wherefore as his most excellent Maiestie hath rightly cōdemned Ioab and thereon commaunded him to bee executed according to the law in this case prouided and the charge that David gaue him a little before hee fell a sleepe so can wee not but worthily approue his iudgementes iustifie his proceedings and perswade that as thereby hee hath remoued away euill form his kingdom and house so neither hath he taken thereof any occasion of this great heauines wherewith he now languisheth for Ioab as ye know was not onely a wicked murtherer proud enuious and ambitious of honor but also stubborne and rebellious against the king a conspiratour with Adoniah the kings enemie perfidious treacherous seditious and couetous and in a word replenished with many vices where with hee was distained to the dishonor of our religion the daunger of our king the euill example of the nobles and the shame of himselfe Yee haue well spoken saide all the other Princes and Lordes And indéede this is not strange for wee our selues haue oftentimes seene and wel obserued that the vngodly and irreligious persons though long forborne and suffered to sinne yea and to wallow in impieties saying vnto themselues peace and all is well yet sodainly as holy Iob said they descend downe to the hell neither shal their pompe follow thē for glutted with prosperitie inveterated in malice hardened in heart and farre off from true repentance they euen prouoke the diuine power to powre on them that which they haue iustly merited in their abhominations And truely this is one of those thinges which follow man ordinary course and semblable succession in the world But to speake of Ioab we know that the kinges father having the spirite of Iehovah his God taught him how intollerable the sufferance of such a member as Ioab was should bee esteemed in his wisedome which much better were to bee expelled and abandoned of the people then that hee should bee the occasion of conspiracies and seditious in the common State remembring this beyond many other his mischiefes that hee had embrued his sword which hung on his loines in the bloud of a friend as if he had beene his enemie in the open fielde And now againe he euen bewraied himselfe openly as priuie to the new conspiracie of Adoniah who aspiring the second time to the kingdom of Israel sought to obtain to wife Abisag K. Davids last bedfellow for his conscience condemning him he fled frō the kings face and tooke hold as ye haue said of the horns of the Altar howbeit being a man wise acquainted with the law he might haue known that a volūtary murtherer or traitor was not to be protected in that place moreouer if he had alleadged that seeing the kings pleasure was to slay him indéed yet he would die in that holy place as before the Lord yet he might know for certaintie that the place shold be nothing profitable vnto him there to die seeing that for his impietie he was not worthy there to be interred amōg his fathers whereof all such are worthily depriued which are executed by an ordinary sentēce iudgemēt of law as execrable malefactors And in very déed wherfore shold such persōs as in their profanitie neither feare God nor loue his house nor care for his Altar nor regarde his diuine Seruice nor seeke to honour him in their liues presume so much on his house on his Altar on his tabernacle and Sanctuarye as either there to be protected or there to rest their wandring bones For as the Castle of Syon spewed out the halte and the blinde that David and such as retained both Vrim and Thumim might lodge and dwell there so the Lordes hill the Lordes tabernacle and his holy house is built prouided and prepared for them onely which feare and serue him in singlenes of heart all the daies of his life Then Banaiah proceeded saying The proceedings of the K. against Shimei 1. Kings 2.8 The like may be resolued concerning that iudgement which was giuen and executed on Shimei the sonne of Gera the sonne of Gemini of Bahurim whom the king commanded me to strike I speak not this my Lords to excuse my selfe of crime as guiltie in that action although I may not want my iustification therein but in regard of the equity of the cause For it is not vnknown vnto you and to many others that yet remaine aliue how that Shimei for getting himselfe and his oath with the reuerence hee should haue yeelded king David cast stones at him and at his seruants and withall railed at him and cursed him being the Lords annointed with an horrible curse in the day when he went to Mahavim and thus he said in great envy malice pride and contempt of the king euen to the king himselfe The railing wordes of Shimei 2. Sam. 16.5.6 Come forth come forth thou bloodshedder thou mā of Belial The Lord hath brought vpon thee all the bloud of the house of Saul in whose steede thou hast raigned and the Lord hath delivered the kingdome into the hand of Absolon thy sonne And behold thou art come to thy mischiefe because thou art a man of bloud Such words spake Shimei and so misdemeaned he himselfe euen against king David and his seruants Howbeit David was then contented to forbeare to reuenge this iniury on him although there wer standing about him that offered to go and to take away his head yea and afterward when he came and submitted himselfe to David he promised him rest from his hand neither woulde he strike him in all his daies Neuerthelesse he left the consideration therof to Solomon his Sonne whom he wel knew the Lord had inspired with a princely Spirit and noble mind and therefore could not be ignorant how to deale and behaue himselfe in these and such like causes And so likewise our Lord the King beeing as mercifull as he was wise did not in all the hast set on wicked Shimei to recompence that abuse he gaue to his father but first he called him and remembered him of his vnreuerent behaviour towards the Lords annointed thē he willed him to build him an house in Ierusalē to dwelm not to aduenture abrode said Be thou sure that the day that thou goest out and passest over the river Cedron thou shalt dye and thy blood shal be on thine owne head To the which Shemei gaue answer This saying is good As my Lord the King hath said so will thy servant doe By which wordes as he cleared and iustified both the king and his proceedings so did hee both iudge and condemne himselfe if he kept not that commandement of the king And yet we may not imagine but that he granted further then that he had any desire to performe as those which being endangered vow and promise many thinges more then euer they purpose to pay the danger beeing once past and that hee thus promised more for dread punishment then for any loue
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
God the which we must seeke by godly repentance obtaine by faithfull praier vnto God in the trust of Messiah vntill which time the Lord will neuer be perswaded to draw in his hand which is stretched forth Solomon repenteth This the King himselfe well knoweth and therefore he is humbled on the ground he bewaileth himselfe hee weepeth hee lamenteth hee abandoneth the vaine things of this world and he turneth himselfe both body and minde as in the best sort of pennance vnto his God who I doubt not but wil be mercifull vnto him as he was merciful vnto his father David when he so repented * But yet in this interim to the aggrauating of the kinges griefe it is fallen out of late whereof the King is also certified for what can be hidden from his eyes that when this fellow Ieroboham departed from Ierusalem the Prophet Ahiah the Sylonite found him in the way hauing a new garment on him and they two being alone in the field the Prophet caught that new garment and rent it in twelue peeces The Lord threatneth Solomon to punish him for sin 1. King 11. and said to Ieroboham Take vnto thee ten peeces for thus saith the Lord God of Israel behold I will rent the kingdome out of the handes of Solomon and will give ten tribes to thee and thou shall raigne according to all that my soule desireth and shalt be King over Israel Againe I will for this offence which Solomon hath committed punish the seede of David but not for ever Now the consideration of this being added to the former hath caused the kings eies to faile through weeping his bowels to swell his liuer to be powred out on the earth and himselfe to swoone in the middest of his house Neither shoulde we also in the regard of this his great sorrow and the miseries imminent on him on vs and on the people but wéepe and howle with him and repent and cry to the Lord for mercy CAP. XXII Zadoks Reede is approved and secunded touching the cause of K. Solomons trouble And it is so recorded THe former speeches being well heard considered accordingly by the Lords assembled Prince Zabud the kings familiar friend answered My Lord Zadoke I suppose ye haue fully pierced the centre and haue plainely reuealed though in secret vnto vs the highest cause of this so strange metamorphosis and alteration of the king Your words so graue and right reuerendly disposed on this occasion wee allow as wel worthie and commend your plaine manner of dealing in this matter though of such waight for howsoeuer it bee honourable to conceale the Kinges secrets as my Lorde the Kings secretarie will confesse yet in this case I hold it necessarie that those things bee manifested to vs of this assembly no lesse then it shal be needfull that the sicknesse and griefe of the languishing patient with the causes thereof bee made knowen to the faithfull Phisician who at the least howsoeuer he may be able or not able to cure the malady wil neuerthelesse extend his good wil endeuour his best and wish the patient health And out of doubt as ye haue said so may I say what I likewise haue obserued being ordinarily so neere his grace as any one els in his Court that he hath had very lately a message sent him from God containing both a sharpe reprehension and a fearefull commination The message was therefore irksome to him for who may but bash when God reprooueth him and who should not tremble at the sentence of punishment The reproofe toucheth to the quicke but the threate dawnteth the guiltie conscience for as the one argueth a displeasure for a fault committed so the other awardeth iudgement for the same But yet what the very cause thereof was I could not vnderstand vntill now for ye haue said it to be besides all other causes the high displeasure of God iustly conceiued against the King and his people for that the King hath contrary to the diuine law multiplyed wiues to himselfe in a great number that he hath also combined himselfe with strange Women yea such as are strangers in Religion to vs and that by their societie and temptations he hath beene allured and turned his hart from Iehovah his God then the which alas what can be more reprehensible horrible and fearefull * The King himselfe said Zadok will not at the least he should not dissemble this matter zadoke proceedeth to tell what the prophet said to K. Solomon for the Prophet who brought him this Embassady from God deliuered it not in a corner nor staggered he to tell it to the Kings face and that with wonderfull audacitie For so God commaunded him to doe and neither to feare nor dissemble nor conceale any thing of that he had in charge and he had his authoritie and power then from God which emboldned him Therefore the holy Prophets whom God authoriseth and sendeth forth into the world The boldnes of the prophets setting God before their eyes and their duty nothing dread the faces of mortall men in their holy ministry and seruice vnto whose aspect the greatest potentates of the earth which feare not the Lord of heauen appeare but as sauage beasts or base things that perrish howsoeuer glorious they seeme to the conceits of prophane men So the Prophet beholding the King charged him and said without feare that he had transgressed and not obserued that which first David the Kings father receiued from the Lord and had giuen him in charge to performe nor that which Iehovah his God appearing to him at two sundry times willed him to obserue keepe as he was willing to enioy and retaine his blessings bee shadowed vnder the safe wings of his protection possesse the peace both of mind and body and thenceforth prosper in his place M. Recorder ye know well where the words be recorded I pray you to turne over the Annales till yee finde the place and then let vs heare the wordes read openly before vs all that we may the better consider and compare the same with the Kings dealings Iehosophat the Recorder findeth the record of the matter in the Annales Psal 102.18 for thus must one thing bee considered with another if we thinke to vnderstand that which we desier and to effect the thing which to our duty belongeth * I am here ready said Iehosophat the Recorder and I know very wel where this matter lyeth written Oh how necessary and profitable is the true record of things in writing And this is written for them that come after that they thereof may learne to bee wise as we are taught by the writings of Moses Iosuah Samuel and others both learned godly that liued before our daies And now my Lords all hearken what I haue founde written by Nathan the Prophet in the Kinges Annales Most willingly said the Lordes therefore read on in the name of God I finde said Iehosophat that after the time Solomō
was annointed King in the place of David his Father did sit on his throne by his fathers goodwill The charge that David gave to his sonne Solomō 1. King 2. aduise consent and direction David seeing the day to draw neare that he shold rest with his fathers he called Solomon and charged him saying I go the way of all the earth be thou strong therefore shew thy selfe a man keepe thou the watch of Iehovah thy God that thou walke in his wayes keepe his statutes and precepts his iudgements his testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses that thou maist prosper in all that thou doest in every thing that thou medlest withall That the Lord also may make good his word which he spake vnto me saying If thy children take heed to their waies that they walk before mee in truth withall their hearts withall their soules thou shalt not be without a man on the seate of Israel And all this the kings Father tooke from that holy Oracle which Nathan had before that time brought him Wherein the Lorde had certified David 2. Sam. 7. that Solomon his sonne should build an house for his name and hee saide he shall build an house for my name I will establish the throne of his kingdome for ever I wil be his father he shal be my sonne And if hee sinne I will chasten him with the rod of men with the plagues of the children of men but my mercy shall not depart away from him as I tooke it from Saul whome I have put away before thee And thine house shal be established thy kingdome for ever before thee even thy throne shal be established for ever * After this I find it recorded againe that the Lord appeared in Gibeon to King Solomon in a dreame by night Whiles he yet walked in the ordinances and waies of David his Father And the Lord said Aske what I shall give thee the King said Thou hast shewed vnto thy servant David my father great mercy when he walked before thee in truth 1. King 3.5 How David walked with God in righteousnes in plainnes of heart with thee And thou hast kept for him this great mercy that thou hast givē him a son to sit on his seat as it is come to passe this day And now O Lord my God it is thou that hast made thy servant King in steed of David my Father And I am but yong wot not how to go out in And thy servāt is in the middest of thy people which thou hast chosen verily the people are so many that they cannot be tolde nor numbered for multitude Solomons request Give therfore thy servant an vnderstanding heart to iudge thy people that I may discerne betweene good evill For who it able to iudge this so mighty a people And this pleased the Lord well that Solomō had desired this thing Therefore God said vnto him because thou hast asked this thing hast not asked for thy selfe long life neither hast asked riches for thy selfe nor hast asked the life of thine enemies but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstāding discretion in iudgement beheld I have done according to thy wordes Lo I have given thee a wise vnderstāding heart The Lorde granted him his request moreover of his louing mercies so that there hath beene none like thee before thee neither after thee shull any arise like vnto thee And I have givē thee that which thou hast not asked evē riches honour so that there shal be no King like vnto thee in al thy daies * And if thou wilt walke in my waies to keep mine ordinances my commandements as thy father David did walke I wil prolōg thy dayes c. Againe I find it recorded that when the King had builded the Temple and had prayed to the Lord that it would please him to sanctify the same for his name c. 1. King 9.2 The Lorde appeared vnto him the second time and said I have heard thy praier thine intercession that thou hast made before mee For I have hallowed this house which thou hast built to put my name there for ever And if thou wilt walke before mee as David thy father walked in purenes of heart in righteousnes to do all that I have commanded thee wilt keepe my statutes my lawes then will I stablish the seate of thy kingdome vpon Israel for ever as I have promised to David thy father saying Thou shalt not be without a man vpon the seate of Israel zadoke sheweth how gratious the Lord hath beene to Solomon and his people 1. King 10. To what end God giveth good princes * Lo said Zadok ye see how gratious the Lord our God hath shewed himselfe to the King and by him vnto the people of Israel whom the Lord hath chosen and to whome therefore it was his pleasure to giue vs such a King as the Queen of Saba in the due consideration thereof said for godly kings are adorned and giuen of the Lorde for the prosperity and peace of them whome his grace loueth And as by him they raigne so is hee carefull to defend them from euil and to leade them foorth in all goodnes by his wisedome and prouidence Moreouer this is an especiall grace of God bestowed on such Princes For without this the wisest man liuing can neither follow the good nor eschew the euill in this flattering and guilefull world * But read on gentle Iehosophat Is there not somwhat els Yes quod Iehosophat and thus the Lorde added on the contrary part But if ye your children turne away from me will not keepe my commandements my statutes A commination on the Apostates and disobedient 1. King 9.6 which I have set before you but go serve other Gods worship them then will I weed Israel out of the land which I have given them this house which I have hallowed for my name will I cast out of my sight Israel shal be a proverb fable among all nations this house shall be takē away so that every one that passeth by it shal be astonished shal hisse they shal say why hath the Lord don thus vnto this land to this house they shal answere because they forsooke the Lord their God which brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt have taken hold vpon other Gods have worshipped them and served them therefore hath the Lorde brought vpon them all this evill * Then aunswered Zadoke ye haue reade enough of this Argument Loe my Lordes as in the former member the Lorde hath declared his diuine loue and great mercies both to the King and his people and generally to all them that belieue in him and walk in his waies so in this latter he sheweth how much he hateth and abhorreth them that apostate from him follow after other
gods Exod. 20. and bee disobedient vnto his will For the Lord is a iealous God visiting the sins of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him For hee cannot suffer or abide sinne and iniquity as both Moses and Iob haue truly testified seeing that the committing of a sinne is a proude contempt of his law neither wil he winke at the vngodly in their iniquities being such as depart from him and set his commandements at nought Therefore he doth neither in loue respect them nor in mercy regard them but as a Iudge inexorable and a Lord most righteous he detesteth their waies beateth them with afflictions reiecteth them casteth them downe and destroyeth them yea be they neuer so wise wealthy royal famous strong and glorious he will notwithstanding speake to them in wrath and vex them in displeasure Psal 2. he shall beate them with a rod of iron and teare them in peeces as a potters vessell * Note this ye that haue tasted of the goodnes of the Lord in the aboundance of his mercies An admonition not to depart nor forget God psal 50.22 and take heede that ye neither turne away from him nor disobey him nor forget him vnmindfull of your duties lest peraduenture before he giue you true repentance he sodainly come vpon you as a theefe in the night and all to teare you as a ramping Lyon and there bee none found to rescue or deliuer you Neither is it good that any man should presume on this that God hath yet beene mercifull in the end and hath gratiously pardoned one or more that haue so sinned and offended his maiesty when they haue repented for as godly Repentance is not in the wil and power of man but is the guift and worke of God on them onely which hee is well willing to pardon and receiue again by repentance Against presumption so who is hee that knoweth when he presumeth to sinne in hope of mercy whether it shal be Gods pleasure to giue him repentāce and to receiue him to mercy yea or no Was not this the destruction of Cain the sonne of Adam Because hee had seene the Lords great mercy on his parentes which were pardoned in the promised Seed he presumed on the same and murthered his brother yea albeit the Lorde in iustice did both threaten and iudge him yet hee saide But is mine iniquitie more then that it may bee forgiven Neuerthelesse the Lorde cast him foorth from the vpper face of the earth a fugitiue and vagabonde and in the ende recompenced him for his brothers bloud This was also the sinne and ouerthrow of Saul whome God cast away before David 1. Sam. 15.9.19 For notwithstanding the Lordes commaundement giuen him against Agag and the Amalekites hee presumed to preserue that which was by the diuine decree prepared to the sworde the rather to content his couetous minde thinking that yet the Lorde woulde haue dispensed with him and winked at his folly But Samuel saide hee was a foole in that hee transgressed the word of the Lorde and that therefore his kingdome shoulde bee taken from him and giuen to another In this sinne offended Baalam Num 22.28 and was both reproued of his owne Asse and afterwards destroyed among the Lordes enemies .. Worthily therefore did the Kinges Father pray vnto God to keepe him from presumptuous sinnes CHAP XXIII Azariah telleth of the kings ingratitude to God The Lordes counsell and consent that praier be made for the king that the best be construed of him and that his wordes be neverthelesse worthy both the collection and preservation ZAdoke hauing thus considered and advised to disswade al other men from presumptuous sinnes and so from destruction Azariah the chiefe Prince answered and said Ye haue right wel said most reverend Father and semblably remembred the words so worthily recorded Oh that the King had well obserued and kept those holy commandements and walked in the waies of the Lorde as did David his father and as himselfe at the first did to the glory of God and the instruction and peace of his people then had it beene well for himselfe and profitable for vs all for they that obserue this want no manner of thing that good is Deut. 28. But the contrary perpetrated and wrought and now at length reuealed the feareful wrath of God appeareth his hand is already stretched foorth neither is there found a man to stand vp in the gap as sometimes Moses did with our fathers and as K. David did in his time for vs to pacify this deadly ire that wee perish not For as there is no safe contending with the Lord so are we not able to answere him one for a thousand And this is such a griefe vnto the King as will sticke by him in the bone faster then that we shal be able to remoue it For as they which haue once surfeited with pleasant meates are thereby occasioned to be grieued and to lament the same some long time therafter Salo. 5.7 though at the present they think themselues neuer therof satisfied so the King hath in these pleasures and the desires of his flesh so glutted himselfe as it is apparant to vs now that he hath thereby not only prouoked God to anger but also quite spoiled the right constitution of his health He may therfore alas with Esau lament but too late and say as we haue heard him tell of the vngodly We have over wearied ourselves in the way of destructiō Sap. 5.7 It was Gods pleasure that aswell the faults as the vertues of his children shold be recorded and remembred for the posterity Iehosophat what good hath our great pleasures brought vnto vs c. But I pray you right noble Iehosophat let this also be written and recorded for them that come after in such manner and forme as the most reuerend Father Zadoke hath before declared it I meane touching this last and greatest cause of the kings sorrow which commeth of the displeasure of God towards him by reason of his heinous offences and aboue them all for that he turned away his heart from God in those his elder daies * It shal be done said Iehosophat with al speede and fidelitie And yet as we see the king hath somwhat declined from the common course of men in this world For the greater part of them in their youth are wanton licentious addicted to diuers vaine lusts and little regard the power of God and the holy religion the which they esteeme a thing only incident to old age wherein men be more contemplatiue and yet neuerthelesse wee also see that of them there be some which in th' end are reclaimed do repent come home and serue the Lord and so are more religious in their mans estate or rather in their old age then euer they were in the daies of their youth Eccles. 12.1 But the K. in all the time of his
youth being vnder the education and nurtour of his father David of Bethsabe his mother and of Nathan the Prophet did well remember his maker and therby behaued himselfe in all things most worthily He was a graue wise man even in his yong yeeres for he hearkened to his father when hee taught him and to his mother when shee schooled him and to wisedome when she directed him Oh how wise was hee in his youth Eccles 47.14 filled with heauenly vnderstanding as with a flood his minde couered the whole earth and filled it with graue darke sentences his name went abrode in the Iles and for his peace he was well beloued The countries meruailed at him for his songs An example of Solomons ingratitude to God after his large guifts prouerbs similitudes and interpretations By the name of the Lord God which is called the God of Israel hee gathered God as Tin and had so much Siluer as Lead Al this not with standing as it hath been with great grief declared by the most reuerend father so must it be also recorded here by mee for I cannot dissemble it or passe it ouer that the King hath bowed his loines vnto womē and hath been overcome by his body and turned a way his heart from the Lord. And therein shall appeare to all posterities a most notable example of the kings ingratitude and disobedience against God and therewithall a fearefull example of the diuine iudgements to teach all others to take heede how they forget God and anger him with disobedience after all his large bounties towards them For besides the examples of the Elephants Storks and other beasts and birds without reason the earth which hath no sense shall worthily condemne him For the very earth receiuing good seede of the sowers hand yeeldes him againe in recompence and token of thankfulnes a farre greater quantitie as some thirty some sixty sōe an hundred fold teaching both how ready men should be to requite benefites receiued if they may do it without iniury especially how thankfull to God of whose hand they haue receiued both life and liuing and also to fly that menstrous sinne of vnkindnes then the which no sinne can be greater for within it is comprehended euery other sin whatsoeuer either against God or man either to giue or not to giue it is in a mans owne power but to recompence or requite a good turne it is of duty required And there where power or habilitie wanteth a good minde is accepted Oh God! how many graces blessings and wealthy gifts hath the kings grace receiued of the Lords hand neuer king had the like before him and it is said which wee belieue there shall neuer any succeede him comparable to him in all these things Therfore shoulde his thankfulnes to God haue been greater far aboue al the rest For of him to whom much is giuen is much required Againe shall not the paine of such vnkindnes exceede the punishment of others it is much to bee feared and the mighty shall bee mightely tormented Wherefore the King vnderstanding this is right sorrowfull in his soule zadoke yet speaketh for the King whome wee should not condemne as a reprobate Neither can wee bee merry and glad as wee haue beene sometimes in the florishing happy daies and prosperitye of our King * Then Zadoke the high Priest whome for his grauitie all the Lordes did reuerence and for his wisedome they did gladly heare replied againe againe and saide Yet may we not so condemne the king as if bee were vtterly cast out of the fauour of God for truly hee expresseth great tokens of repentance euery day The King is but a man hath imperfections and infirmities The King is excellent wise but yet the king is a man neither is a man so perfect in this life but that not onely hee hath infirmities but also many imperfections Yea as the fairest day hath his cloude the sweetest hony a prick and the finest wheat his branne so hath the best man liuing on this earth his fall and fault But this I confesse that seldom there hath bin seene in so wise and holy a man so foule a fault and I esteeme the fault so much the more by how much the king was wise and excellent before others A little fault appeareth great in a wise man For as the least blemish wil appeare in the fairest face so a little fault shal be esteemed much in a wise man How-much more this monstrous sinne in the wisest of all men which hath his eyes in his head to foresee and to preuent dangers then when the foole runneth foorth without knowledge to his own shame and confusion Surely the King hath been in this wonderfully ouertaken An example of mans insecuritie vnto all other men A caveat how wise prudent or politike soeuer they bee and a caueat for them to beware they fall not then when they thinke themselues to stand most assuredly For securitie is a deceitfull hagge Security The princes verdit of the Kinges fault and will cast men sodainly into dangers whē they imagine themselues most safe and sure * Indeede said the Princes this thing being so indiscreetly handled by so wise a King wil be an exceeding blot to his honour a sclander to the holy religion a shame to his Princes a plague to his people an encouragement to his enemies and an euill example for the posteritie and yet it shal be as it is conuenient in the Record lest vnto them For we may not be foūd false witnesses therin Alas that euer we should with these our eyes behold such abhominations with these our eares heare such euill reports with our hearts feare in these dayes of such thinges as are threatned and like to fall on vs zadoke telles that the King is contrite and sory for his sins and so repenreth Howbeit said Zadoke there is some hope in that I perceiue the king doth not only feel in his heart the seuerity of the diuine wrath foreseeth the misery that is threatned thereof is sorowfull but also knowing what is best to bee done as his father David did when he had sinned and was reproued by the Prophet hee is wonderfull contrite and grieued in heart for his sinnes which he now hateth and condemneth in himselfe hee is humbled on the earth and couered with sack-cloth and ashes hee maketh ◅rs strange confessions of his life and behauiour Hee abandoneth all the delights of the worlde which hee esteemeth and calleth vaine and hencefoorth doth assay to dedicate himselfe anew vnto the Lorde his God against whom he hath faulted And as hee hath taught that the iust man falleth seuen times in the day and riseth againe so hee knoweth that his onely way to rise is by faithfull repentance the which the Lorde hath promised to preserue keepe in store and to giue vnto them that bee his chosen that thereby they may passe vnto his hill in safetie howsoeuer
the aduersary hath beset them and battered their faith with sinne and thereby occasioned them to be beaten with the rod of men which is yet so necessary in them that fall that therefore they should not be ashamed to repent but ashamed to sinne Neither doth the king despaire of mercie * Lorde God sayd Benaiah and could it be that so wise a person should so fall May it bee lawfull for vs to inuestigate the causes of this thing Benaiah * It hath beene already sayd answered Zadok that the king was yet but a man zadok telleth the causes of the kings fall If hee had been God as hee is not he would not haue fallen in this sort Other causes of this declination in the king are knowne onely to the Lorde who wil◠hereafter I doubt not also reueale the same in the due time And yet it may be howsoeuer wee haue cleared ourselues of all heynous crimes and offences Sometimes the sinnes of the people are the cause of the trouble and plague of their princes both against God the king in those our owne conceits that the cause of the kings fall hath risen partly from some of vs partly by some thing committed in and among the people in whom are oftentimes found that which prouoketh the Lorde in displeasure to take away those blessings which in his louing mercies he had bestowed on them and so such kings and Princes by and vnder whose gouernment they haue and might haue inioyed long peace and prosperitie But for this time let vs in all sobrietie cease to search after those hidden things too curiously remembring that the king himselfe lately aduised Search not out the things which are aboue thy reach and capacitie And let vs commit this with the successe therof vnto God wha hath appointed these and all things else to succeed and come to passe by his Providence after his owne will for his glorie and the good of his chosen howsouer it appeareth vnto vs that the King hath therein offended and in whatsoeuer sorte they appeare vnto men And let vs haue a chiefe care that our Willes bee made and conformed here in earth to his will in heauen in all things Praye for the king and speake well of him * Furthermore as we be bound both by the law of God and a good conscience let vs neither forget nor omit to pray and make intercession vnto God for the King both daily and hourely and therewith both commaund excite the Congregation people to doe the like It may be the Lorde our God will heare vs and be mercifull Let vs also speake well and the best of the King euen in our priuy chambers and with him good in our hearts and so much the sooner because hee is the Lordes annointed and at this present setteth not himselfe in wickednesse nor maketh a mocke of Religion and good admonition as did Pharaoh when hee saide Who is the Lord or as those vngodly which iest and contemne correction and haue a delight in their sinnes But rather he is contented to heare to bee ruled to be reclaymed and to be directed by the wisedome of that divine Spirite as himselfe hath sayd the wise-man is wont to doe pro. 10.23 Solomon hath declared many arguments of his repētance And therein as vnto vs it appeareth hee hath expressed many arguments of a true repentant heart both in his gesture and manner of life Neither are his Sermons words and speaches to be neglected or forgotten being right worthy the noting obseruation and memorie of all men For as they sauour of the holy spirit so are they vttered with such wisedom discretion grauitie and deepe affects of the soule vpon this occasion that they doe not onely argue and declare the Kings true repentance but shall also teach instruct admonish and mooue the heartes of all Gods people to feare God and serue him with reuerence and therfore shall be right profitable for the holy Congregation and worthy preseruation for all posterities Solomons wordes and sermons are meete to bee collected and preserued Let vs therefore call those his Wordes and sermons into remembrance let vs collect and write them in a Booke and let vs after our power conserue them or some part of them in the sacred Register among other the kings wise parables Prouerbs graue sentences Prophesies and holy songs Let vs neither defraude the King of that he hath deserued nor withhold from the holy Congregation that which to the same belongeth nor appeare negligent in our dutie to bee performed to either of them And as in this wee shall serue the Lorde honour our King and benefite the Church so by those his words and sermons being thus exemplified he shall be more commended and praysed of the Saints then by the worldly glory of his Throne no lesse wise then those wise Princes Patriarks Sages Seers which are much more esteemed for their graue sayings words writings Elioreph the Notary then exalted for their great conquests and worldly riches * Then said Elioreph the kings Notarie right worthily spoken reuerend father for indeed the words of the king are such as are in all things consonant to the veritie and shall witnesse for euer the kings cōtrition and true conuersion vnto Iehovah his God after his sinne committed Moreouer they shall be preached as fruitefull and godly sermons in the Church to teach admonish exhort reforme conforme comfort instruct them that come after vs in the feare of God and the obseruation of his Lawes Eccles. 12. the which is as the King hath often and yet dayly teacheth that which chiefly appertaineth to euery man and is required of all men that liue in this world Therefore my selfe with the conuenient help of Ahia my fellow Notary and with the aduise of my Lord the kings Recorder will gladly endeuour this thing to effect In the Name of God whom we beséech to looke vpon the King and vpon his people in the aboundance of his louing mercies CAP. XXIIII Obiections and exceptions against Solomon and his words and deedes the which the Princes endeuour to defend AFter that the whole assembly of king Solomons Lords were thus disposed and agreed in counsaile that the kings Words which hee in this time of his troubled spirits and thencefoorth did vtter and speake before them should be called into remembrance considered of and kept in the holy Register among other the diuine monuments of the Church ad it in before declared Abiather Abiather the priest which sometimes had ministred before the king in the steede of Zadok stood foorth and obiected to the decree Obiections against Solomon and his words after this manner But my Lords all said hee I am much afraid of this that many in the posteritie will the lesse esteeme or at the least doubt of some other things which are noted in the holy Register when vnto the same wee shall adde and combine as of
his words if they be weighed in an equall ballance many more shall not onely suppresse their rashe iudgements concerning the king and his words but acknowledge and confesse with vs That all things are not so damned nor so daungerous nor so doubtfull as they haue imagined them to be Nay the Accusers themselues shall grant rather that SolomoÌ„ our king is neither a damned nor reprobated nor a prophane person but that hee is an excellent Saint of the Lord a true penitent person that hath obtained mercie and forgivenesse after his sinne and henceforth expecteth the ioyes of his Lord in everlasting happinesse through faith in the most holy Messiah whom hee did most worthily prefigure and set foorth in the world according to the foreknowledge and good pleasure of the everlasting God CHAP. XXV Zadok proueth by many arguments and reasons that Solomon was not a prophane or damned person But a Saint of the Lord and a right excellent member of the Church THen Zadok as one most willing to defend the honour of his most Soueraigne Lorde King Solomon answered againe and sayde I most heartily thanke you my Lords all that yee haue vouchsaued mee this honour For I esteeme it an honour to my selfe to bee thought worthy by your wisedomes to speake and to haue your audience in the defence of my Lorde the King and his cause Neither doe I thinke but that in conscience and dutie I am holden so to doe for it in not meete that I shoulde heare my good Lorde and his wordes to bee sclandered or euill reported and to passe it ouer in silence yea I shall be thought therein to giue consent to those sinister reports And first as touching the king The king is not to be iustified in his sins nor excused it cannot bee denyed but that hee hath indeede wonderfully doated on his strange wiues and hath hearkened too much to them which euer retaining that euill opinion and custome would neuer receiue nor admit that counsell which the wisest of all men liuing gaue them and hath beene by them allured seduced and led away from Iehovah his God against whole Maiestie by their instigation hee hath wrought wickednesse And therefore howsoeuer some might allegorize of the transgressions and sinnes of our Lord the king yet will not I nor may I in equitie iustifie him or excuse him therein no more then I may either iustifie or excuse the sinne of Adam in his fall howsoeuer there bee which call it an happy fall or the sinne of Iacob in his two wiues howsoeuer the priuiledge thereof came in with the promise of the multiplication of the holy seede or of Noah in his drunkennesse or of Lot in his incest or of Iudah in his whoredome or of the kings father in his murther pride and adultrey wherein it is certaine that they both displeased God and deciphered their humane imperefctions and infirmities Nor was it the wil of God that such their sins albeit they were his own children should be concealed or couered but rather hee woulde that for some good causes they should bee reuealed and reproued He â—hat iustifieth the sinner is abhominable before God For as sinne is that which onely prouoketh and displeaseth the Lord and therefore is no lesse odious vnto him then a most ougly and venemous Serpent vnto a man so he that either iustifieth or excuseth the sinner in his sinne shall not bee holden guiltlesse before Gods iudgement seate Neuerthelesse as godly wisedome and holy loue haue both taught and perswaded a reuerend opinion and like construction of those men A reuerent opinion of the repentent sinners their actions and words in whom godlinesse and the right worthy vertues in habit could not be vtterly ouerthrown with one or a fewe contrary actions whiles the mercie of God remayning with them they held fast the foundatioÌ„s of their holy hope so is it not meete nor conuenient that wee should rashly cast into dangerous suspence either the holines of our Lorde The holinesse repentance remission and salvatioÌ„ of Solomon proved king Solomon or his repentance after his sinne or his remission after his repentance or the hope of his eternall salvation the which depending on the euerlasting loue and sweete grace of God in the merit of the holy Messiah may not onely bee presumed but also rightly gathered and sufficiently proued as by your patience you shall heare Satans subtilty Indeed Satan the great enimy of mankind hath assayed to deale with the king as the Eagle dealeth with the Goate for when the Eagle comes to hurt the Goate to whome shee hath a mortall enemitie shee first assayeth to take away his sight by pulling out his eyes and then afterwarde shee killeth him against whom the Goate defendeth himselfe with his hornes So this Enemie hauing a deadly enuie to the King and his glory though to dispoyle him of his knowledge and wisedome but hee neuerthelesse by his faith and hope in the Lorde as with two strong hornes hath resisted him so farre that though hee were much wounded in his body hee hath yet preserued and kept safe his yes Solomons eies For as I haue heard him say and doe finde it by experience his wisedome remained with him Neither was hee drawen from the foundation of his hope For as the trees which are strong deepe rooted and haue sufficient sappe in themselues cannot easily be ouercome by either the violent heate or noysome colde when such as haue neither rootes nor strength nor sappe doe wither and decay so they which are rooted and grounded on the sure foundation of their hope and haue in them the habite of diuine vertues cannot vtterly bee quayled or ouerthrowne by either the heate or colde of afflictions or the vehemency of Sathans assaults or the alluring lustes of the flesh or the concupiscence of Nature for they bee holden by the right hande of Gods spirite and stand like the tree planted by the waters side psal 1. whereof David the Kings father coulde so diuinely modulate and sing Therefore I will first proue that our Lord king Solomon is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a prophane or damned person Chadesch Chadosch but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a person holy dedicated to God and a member of the holy Congregation For in this Antithesis or contrarietie that which is the one cannot bee the other and that the Lorde hath not taken his Spirite vtterly from him howsoeuer his Graces were shadowed in him when hee sinned as hee is not willing to cast them away whome hee knewe before or elected howsoeuer hee seeme to hide his face from them in his displeasure and they onely are fore-knowen and elected which are his Saintes and holy ones howsoeuer they appeare or are esteemed before the face of worldly men Howbeit although there bee many notable things externally to be seene in the Kings person which yet are not to bee neglected nor forgotten but well considered remembred and applyed
volume of the booke it is written of mee that I should fulfill thy will O my God I am content to doe it Thus was the most holy sonne and worde of God brought in talking with his father touching mans redemption and shewing both his willingnes and obedience to relieue the state of mankind Hereof it was that the Lord God decreed and said that the womans seed should tread on the serpents head Gen. 3. which signified that one should be borne of the womans body the which the Serpent had corrupt that should not onely purifie her and all mankind but also confound the Serpent and all his power From the which time our fathers haue expected we as yet expect and waite for the comming of that holy Seede Now here by the way wee may consider that albeit the Lord God be wonderfull mercifull vnto mankind he doth not ouerthrow therin his Iustice How the Lord was both iust and mercifull but obseruing either he expresseth great Equitie in a wonderfull for t For beholde hee laid that on his sonne which was due vnto man and againe hee gaue that vnto man which was onely proper to his sonne hee laid mans sinne and faults on his sonne hee imputed the righteousnes of his sonne vnto man In th' one appeared his iustice in th' other his mercy And in them both conioyned equitye That which was due vnto man the holy seed taketh on himselfe namely mans punishment which mans nature could not beare that which the holy seede merited namely eternall life the Lorde gaue vnto man for the sinne of man which deserued death was imputed vnto this seede and the Iustice of the holy seed which deserued Heauen was imputed vnto man I meane vnto them onely that by faith depend on that promise and those be the same whom the Lord God had before loued elected and predestinated to eternall glory and whome hee would not by any meanes permit to perrish and dye for euer This is the onely recouery of mankind and hope of his health This is that eternall verity and obiect of our faith This is the same whereunto all the law and the Prophets and all the tipes and figures both of them before vs and of them now in daily vse do aime point Promises of the Messiah Gen. 6. Gen. 22. Gen. 22.18 and direct vs for all succour helpe comfort and reliefe The decree and promise of this seede was after this confirmed to Noah to whome the Lorde said With thee wil I make my covenant thou shalt come into the Arkè But more plainly to our father Abraham to whome the Lorde declared this Sauiour and said of him In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth bee blessed The same which was called the seede of the Woman is now called the seede of Abraham for the Lorde woulde that hee shoulde come of Abrahams Seede after the flesh Prophesies of Messiah Gen. 49. Exod. 4.13 This is that whome Iacob our Father called Shilo and prophesyed that he should come in the tribe of Iudah And to him should be the gathering of the people This is that same to whome Moses pointed in the booke Velleschemoth when he saide to the Lord. Send I pray thee by the hand of him whome thou wilt send Deut. 18.15.18 and in his booke Haddebarim the Lorde himselfe calleth him a Prophet saying thus vnto Moses I will raise them vp a Prophet from among their brethren like vnto thee This is the same the holy man Iob calleth his Redeemer whome hee knewe to liue Iob. 19. Num. 14.17 This is that bright Starre and Scepter of the which Baalam did prophesie in Moses Booke Vaiedabber saying there shall come a Starre of Iacob and rise a Scepter in Israel 2. Sam. 7.12.13 14. This is that true King of peace promised to David the Kinges Father in 2. Schemuel 7. that Seede of David and Davids Lorde whose throne shall bee established for euer To bee short this is that lively Image of God and King of glory without all spot or blemish most mightye wise and excellent which shall in his time new builde Heirusalem and prepare himselfe an holy Temple and house for his worshippe therein I meane a Church spiritually framed and gloriously garnished after that proportion and forme which David the Kinges Father gaue and prescribed him according to the writing thereof which hee had receiued from Iehovah his God and the which the King hath in his time of peace builded and perfected accordingly Therefore of this holy Seede sang the Princely Prophet in many Psalmes calling him sometimes Gods Sonne sometimes a King psal 2.45.110 sometimes the King of glory sometimes a Priest eternall after the order of Melchisedek sometimes his Lorde sometimes his God sometimes his Redeemer sometimes his Saviour sometimes the Messiah or Annointed of Iehovah And as this holy Seede hath beene thus promised and foretolde of and belieued to come into the worlde Shadowes tipes and figures of Messiah The tree of life in paradise Abel Abraham Noah so hath hee beene shadowed typed and prefigured As first by the tree of life in Paradise of the which if our first parentes had taken and eaten they had neuer dyed but should haue liued foreuer Next by the Sacrifices of Abel Abraham others in the which it pleased God to declare himselfe gratious This Noah also prefigured when the Lord made him the finisher of the old world and the beginner of the new To the same pointed Melchisedek and Melchisalem Melchisedek to shew that he was a King and a Priest A King of peace and righteousnes and a priest of the highest God for euer as without beginning and without ending for the number of his daies may not bee reckoned or knowne The same was signified in the ladder our father Iacob saw Iacobs ladder Moses Iosuah by the which the angels did ascend and descend to and from heauen He was fore-shewed a deliuerer from thraldome in Moses and a Sauiour in Iosuah for Moses brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt and Iosuah conducted them inherited them and preserued them in the promised land Also Aaron the priest of the Lorde prefigured him with his Vrim and Thumim Aaron The pascall Lambe c To the same also serued the vse of the Pascall Lambe and those other symboles and sacraments in the Wildernes as the Manna from heauen the Water from the rocke Iudges and such like In the booke of * Shophtim is mention made of many bodily Saviours by the which was mistically shewed the person and office of Messiah There was Sampson Gedeon Othoniel Ieptha Samuel And within our age Sampson Gedeon Othoniel Ieptha Samuel David the calling annointing and manner of the raigne and condition of David foreshewed the same For all these things my Lordes haue and do rightly aime to that most holy Messiah whome the Lord God would that men should belieue and expect and
hope to come and at his comming loue and embrace as the onely person in and through whome the diuine Iustice is satisfied the heauenly will fulfilled the Serpent and all his fiery darts quenched and mankind pardoned healed recouered and blessed for euer Now this being said as an introduction to that which followeth we will come to speak of our Soueraign Lord K. Solomon whom I trust to proue and declare a Saint of the Lord and a right worthy member in his Church and so consequently no reprobate nor prophane nor damned person for if the former be proued wee shall by the same easily cleare him of the latter as before I haue said The Princes at this word seemed much comforted and shewed their willingnes yet further to heare what Zadoke would say For this saide they shall not onely please and satisfy vs but all others aswell they which now liue as they which shall come after vs. Therefore proceede most reuerend Father to proue that which ye haue assumed for the king And we will gladly giue both an attentiue eare vnto your words and vnto you condigne thankes CHAP XXVI Zadoke preveth that K. Solomon is a Saint of the Lord. THen Zadok proceeded reasoned for the King saying Whosoeuer is made and ordained by the will wisedome and providence of God a most lively and excellent figure of that holy Messiah the sonne of God the same is not a damned or reprobate or prophane person but he is a Sainct of the Lord But our Lord King Solomon is made and ordained by the will wisedom and providence of God a most lively and excellent figure of that holy Messiah the sunne of God Therefore our Lord K. Solomon is not a damned reprobate or prophane person but he is a Saint of the Lord. Now although no man may iustly deny either the first or the second proposition in any thing whatsoeuer yet as I perceiue ye are willing to listen ye shall heare mee to declare and proue either and so concludet or the King Surely my Lords it were not onely a great absurdity to hold it but an horrible thing to imagine that the most holy Messiah the sonne of the everlasting God that bright morning Starre that right holy Seede that high diuine Priest that excellent prophet and king of Glory so well resembling the almighty in holines beauty and in all perfection should be prefigured and declared by a prophane and vnholy person and that the excellency of his high dignity and royall gouernment should be typed by any thing common or vncleane Neither haue we found such inequalities in the proportions of the law of the Prophets and holy writings especially touching the promised and expected Messiah But this we finde that as the best things be best figured and declared in and by that which is most like or neere in nature kinde and qualitie so is the dignity person and function of the most holy Messiah prefigured and foreshewed according to the wisdome and prouidence of the Almighty where the types agree well with the things typed Therefore it was commanded in the lawe that the Lambes which were taken for the sacrifices should be cleane without all blemishes Exod. 12.5 Gen. 4.4 Aaron a figure of Messiah Exod. 28.30 Levit. 8. 21.6.18 as such as Habel offered vp to the Lord of the best of his flocks Therefore Aaron the Lords Priest who in his body prefigured the body of Messiah and in his garments expressed the excellency and perfection of his graces and vertues was a person without defectes or blemishes of body and glorious in his beautifull ornamentes according to the commandement the which also my selfe being the present high Priest am holden to retaine and vse and the which for that Abiather my predecessor vsed not but abused he was iustly depriued Moses also who brought our fathers out of the house of bondage and the same whome that prophet should resemble was a man welbeloued of God wel learned sanctifyed and made like vnto him in the glory of his Angels Likewise the Captaine Iosuah whome the Lorde appointed enabled to lead our fathers into this promised land was a man full of the spirit of wisedome the Lord his God both strēgthned and encouraged him whereby hee might be made a meete figure of the true Iehosuah our leader and guide into the land of the liuing To bee briefe David the Kings father who in his time bare an excellent figure of that Messiah both in his annointing nature raigne exaltation and humiliation was a man after Gods owne heart and euery way furnished with divine graces and right princely vertues meete for the same The like may be said of our forefathers Adam Enoch Noah Abraham Isaack Iacob Ioseph Sampson the Nazarite others in and by whome the Lord our God wold tipe and foreshew his deare sonne the Messiah notwithstanding all their humane imperfections and fleshly infirmities All these things saide the Princes haue we hearde with great delight and that to our full satisfaction in that part The princes For indeede such is the nature of the diuine proportions in the lawe in the Prophetes and in the psalmes And therefore he which by the wisedome will and prouidence of God is made a liuely excellent figure of that holy Messiah must of necessitie be a Sainct not a damned wretch reprobate or prophane But now what will ye produce for the proofe of this that our Lord King Solomon among those blessed Fathers is by the same wisedome Solomon is a figure of the holy Messiah will and providence or dained and made a right figure of that most holy Messiah This proposition saide Zadok can neither bee denied nor abandoned but confessed and receiued aswell of them now liuing as of al them that shall come after vs in all posterities who in the due consideration thereof with the circumstances shall grant and conclude with vs in the same And this may easily be gathered and proued to put all men out of doubt First in that according to the diuine prouidence and direction he hath built and garnished that right glorious Temple in Ierusalem Solomon in the building of the Temple figured the Messiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an house dedicated to the name of the Lorde the which doubtlesse standeth for a perfect figure of the holy Koheleh or Church of the Lorde our God whether misticall in the Congregation of them that serue God after his will declared in his worde or spirituall in the heart and minde of all the faithfull where it pleaseth the holy spirite of discipline to dwell or glorious in heaven of all them that be deliuered from hence and translated into the societie of the celestiall angels An house indeede The Church figured Gen. 3. which none either in heauen or in earth can or must builde or garnish but onely that most holy Messiah and promised Seede And this was prefigured by the womans body betweene whome
and the law in their seuerall places and functions th' other generall parte is that holiest place into the which none but only the high Priest and that once in the yeere enireth to sacrifice aswell for himselfe as for the people By the former is expressed the condition of that part of the Church which is in this life militant gathered and made vp of all sortes aswell of the common people as of the priestes and of the Gentiles together with the Iewes By the latter is signified that part which containeth onely the Lordes holy elect and glorious company of heauenly Sainctes in the kingdome of holy Messiah Betweene those two partes of the Temple there is made a certaine lofte or Chamber boorded or séeled By the which is not vnaptly signified mans mortall body in this world the which neuerthelesse being once rent or dissolved the gate or entrance is made open of the passage from the one part to the other For by this we passe out of the troubles and confusion of this place into the place of glorie This Temple hath a foundation strong and permanent by the which is signified the power and might of Messiah who beeing best able to support and beare the burden and building of his Church hath laid the same on himselfe as that sure rocke of rest vpon the which whatsoeuer is fast grounded shall stand and neuer fall This is the same by whome our fathers in the wildernesse were relieued and strengthned This Temple hath also walles standing on that foundation raised vp of framed stones and set well in order by the which we vnderstand the goodly companies of holy men rightly disposed and well ordered in the same There bee also windowes to giue in the light By the which are ment the order of the wise teachers ministers in the same There be pretious stones which note the most excellent Princes Prophets Priestes and Magistrates There bee two Altars wherof the one is of gold standing in the holiest place th' other is of brasse standing in the other part By the former we consider the merite of Messiah by the other the pure heart of the holy ones On the one is offered the same vnspotted Lambe vnto which all the sacrificed Lambes of our law do point on the other is lifted vp that sacrifice of praier faith thanksgiuing and righteousnes where of King David hath spoken There bee also Cherubins in the holiest place which note those Angels and ministring Spirits which standing in the heauenly presence are most obedient to his wil and euen ready to helpe succour and comfort the Saincts which are on the earth There bee lights and Candles in number ten By the lights are ment the doctrine of the right knowledge of God by the which the people are taught and instructed and by the Candlestickes wee may consider that diuine law vnto the which hee woulde that all those doctrines and instructions shoulde drawe men and to note the perfection thereof as alluding to the tenne commaundementes in the Law which indeede conteineth the very summe of all other commandements they are in number ten for this is a number of perfection Moreouer on the walles bee certaine pictures most gloriously beautified which expresse the noble graces and vertues of those liuely stones I meane the saints and withall diuers other things right beautifull and most admirable which also are to bee applyed to so many sundry functions administrations duties offices vertues in the Church of Messiah of the which I may not presently delate nor may as yet presume to vnfold that which I know shall be shut vp and fast sealed from the perfect knowledge of man Many things were sealed vp from mans knowledge before the comming of Messiah vntill the comming of that most holy one Moses himselfe could see but the very backe partes of him whom he desired to behold and things which shall be indeede are as obscurely shadowed vnto vs as yet But when hee commeth hee will both confirme that which is declared and shewe all things else most plainly which yet are hidden from our eyes Now all these things my Lords are not vnknowne vnto you or at the least vnto some of you and therefore I am sure yee will not yéeld to this that the King should bee either called or accounted a damned or reprobated or prophane person but rather as yee should indeed conclude and subscribe to this that King Solomon whom the Lord his God hath appointed the Builder of his Temple which so lively expresseth the holy Church of Messiah and there in hath made him an excellent figure of that Messiah is a Saint of the Lord elected and ordained to salvation To this answered all the Princes Indeede wee know it but much the better by this your explanation And therefore we see no reason to denie your conclusion but rather as we should doe acknowledge and confesse the Kings Holines and subscribe to that whatsoeuer ye haue said concerning the same And now my Lord Zadok if ye haue any thing els further to ratifie or establish that which yee haue assumed although we doubt not of any thing We pray you to bring it foorth also that his Highnesse be not defrauded of that which in right hee ought to haue nor others left without a resolution of that whereof they might peraduenture rest doubtfull Neither are wee any thing weary to heare you to speake so iustly for the king so delectably for vs and so profitably for the people Yee haue thus farre walked in a very pleasant way Walke on as yet good father proceed and bee not faint the ende of this course is both profitable and right praise worthy in the iudgement of all good men CAP. XXVII Zadok produceth many other arguments to proove that Solomon was a Saint appointed to salvation ZAdok listening to the godly desire of the Princes touching the further probation of the kings holines and acceptation with the Lord notwithstāding his sins opened his mouth againe and saide God forbid my Lords that I should either conceile or keepe backe any thing of that which may either satisfie you to be reuealed or confirme my former proposition in the which I assumed that the king was a Saint of the Lorde Therefore hearken and I will speake As the Lord our God had chosen and appointed the king to be a true figure of Messiah in the building of his Temple and therein a Saint of the Lord So also hath the same Lord ordained and declared many other notable things in and by the king to fore-shew and expresse the same for surely vnto this belongeth also the honor of his birth and acceptation his diuers titles and names his wisedom his iudgements his wealth his kingdom his fame with many his actions his words his qualities his graces his vertues and rare enduments most admirable in the eyes of all men Of some few of the which I will speake very briefely for to tell of them al I
righteousnes his annointing his apparell his marriage his royaltie his Godhead his praise his eternitie and everlasting glory For all these things are found and shall for euer be well approued and highly praised in that holy Messiah Solomons prayers and sacrifices which the Lord accepted 1. king 8.22 to whom onely the king by the letter pointeth as the figure to the thing figured Nowe with this wee may not forgette that the king hauing finished the Lords house stood before the Altar of the Lord in the sight of all the Congregation of Israel and stretched out his hands towards heauen and blessed the Lord and praised him and his truth yea he knéeled also on his knées and prayed vnto him that the word might be verified which hee spake vnto David his father and that it would please him to haue respect vnto his prayer and supplication as well for himselfe as for the people praying in that house Also he stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel verse 56. with a loude voyce saying Blessed bee the Lorde that hath given rest vnto his people Israel according to all that hee promised c. The Lord our God bee with vs as he was with our Fathers and forsake vs not nor leave vs but that hee may bowe our hearts vnto him that wee may walke in all his wayes and keepe his Commandements his statutes and his Lawes which hee commanded our Fathers And those my words that I haue prayed before the Lorde bee nigh vnto Iehovah our GOD day and night that hee defend the cause of his servant the cause of his people Israel at all times as the matter shall require that all nations of the earth may knowe that Iehovah is God and none but hee Moreuer the King offered Offrings before the Lord yea peace-offrings in great aboundance and therewithall dedicated the house which he builded to the Lord with great ioy and gladnesse In all the which things Iehovah his God was well pleased with him yea and with the people through him heard his prayers receiued his requests graunted his petitions and apeared vnto him in Gibeon with this comfortable saying I have heard thy Prayer and thine intercession that thou hast made before mee For I haue hallowed this house which thou hast built to put my name there for ever and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually Now consider I pray you what K. Solomon is with the Lorde will the Lord heare and accept the reprobate and prophane persons or will he honour and esteeme their works although they séeme glorious to the conceits of worldly men No surely What saith the Kings father touching their prayers The prayer of vngodly men is turned into sinne Psal 100.6 And thus I haue heard him to modulate concerning himselfe and his estimation with the highest The Lord I know wil not vouchsafe my praier or words to heare If vnto sinne mine heart I should encline and him not feare But if I come into his Courts with offerings worthie praies And pay the vowes I promised in mine afflicted daies If on him with my mouth I call and with my tongue him blesse And offer him the sacrifice of thankes and righteousnes Then will he heare my praiers and consider of my case And my request will graunt in time of his aboundant grace In al these things therfore the king is declared to be not only holy and approued of God but also a perfect figure of that most holy Seede who in his time shall pray shall offer shall please God shal be heard shal be accepted and all his desires performed to the satisfying of his soule to the health of his people Finally The pluralitie of Solomons wiues the very pluralitie of the kings Wiues his Concubines on whom he was enamored and dishonoured howsoeuer vnlawfull offensiue to God and a disgrace to himselfe shall not be reckoned as a thing vnnecessarie in this comparison seeing that the most holy Messiah in his ardent zeale for mans recouery will be contented that the serpent shall trippe on his heele Gen. 3. whereby he will be dishonored and abased whiles he taketh on himselfe mans ougly deformities and sinnes being so willing through his owne humiliation and ignominie to ease man so burthened and to bring him home againe vnto him from whom hee had farre wandered and to reconcile him with him against whom hee had monstrously transgressed And therefore as his Proverbes the which for the most part hee vttered in his florishing and perfect estate are applicable as chiefly appertaining to the gouernment of a godly family as these his * Wordes That is his Ecclesiastes 1. now daily and ordinarily vttered and ruminated are applicable as especially belonging to the ordering of a godly Common-wealth So also those his Loue-songs and Ballads entituled * Schir-hasschirim The Canticles of Solomon The Song of songs composed in his yonger dayes yea before the twentieth year of his age shall not be reiected or abandoned but esteemed and properly applied both to that mysticall and spirituall woowing espowsing combination and familiar societie communication of the holy Messiah with his elect and faithfull Saints of the which hee gathereth and garnisheth a Church as a chaste Wife to himselfe Loe my Lordes in these and many other such notable things is our Lord K. Solomon by the will wisdom and providence of God made an excellent figure of that holy Annointed and therefore he may not bee esteemed a naughty or prophane person but to bee taken as hee is indeede a Saint of the Lorde Neither doe I any thing doubt but that the best learned and godly that either now liue or shall come after vs will so iudge and esteeme of him when they shall heare and well weigh not onely of that which hath beene said heretofore concerning him his words actions and estate but also shall plainely beholde the verification thereof in the very person and perfect beautie of that promised Schilo the King of righteousnesse and highest peace at his happy comming in the world into the appointed time This being sayd all the Princes were much comforted although in this their kings affliction and gaue thankes to Zadok who yet seemed further to resolue and satisfie them in any thing whereof either any question might bee mooued or any doubt iustly arise concerning the kings holines CAP. XXVIII Zadok argueth for the King concerning his repentance and remission after his Transgressions ZAdok hauing thus farre pleaded for K. Solomon and with many substantiall Arguments proued him a Saint of the Lorde and therefore that hee could not bee either a damned soule or a reprobated wretch or a prophane person as some haue or might ouer harldy rashly censure him the Princes shewed themselues both ioyfull and thankefull But after a whiles Prince Azariah in the behalfe of the rest stood foorth opened his mouth and sayde Most reuerende Father wee all confesse with thankefulnes that yee
haue framed a worthie Apologie for the king and with Arguments sufficient yee haue prooued him to bee not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prophane but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Saint Neither doe wee doubt of any of those things but partly know them and partly beleeue them to be so indeede as yee haue sayde And God forbidde that any of vs by reason of our suspensiue opinions and doubtfull conceites should tender occasion to any of them that come after vs to bee doubtfull of the King whom wee well knowe the Lorde hath elected and will preserue and whome wee esteeme notwithstanding his sinnes a Saint of the Lorde And in truth as those persons which haue bruised frankinsence and beene ensenced therewith doe smell of the same neither will they by and by lose the sauour and sent thereof though they bee purged so the King hauing beene endued with the diuine Spirite and long exercised in the vse of the right Princely and sacred vertues doeth yet and shall enioy the sweete sauor and acceptable memorie of the same neither may so short a time as this life is blotte it out Whereby being enboldened hee may therein contemne them that shall either disdayne him or vniustly iudge of either him his wordes or actions But nowe because the Kings Remission and Pardone Solomons sinnes are pardoned and he remaineth a Saint of the Lord for euer after his trespasse was called into question it may not displease your Reuerence that wee enquire whether his sinnes bee remitted that is whether the Lorde hath forgiuen and pardoned his trespasses forgotten his iniquitie absolued him of his guiltinesse and loosed him from the bandes of eternall death yea or no. For they will reply and thus obiect It may bee that hee was a Saint and seruant of Iehovah his GOD so long as hee kept his minde chaste his body cleane his actions without reproofe and the trueth of his doctrine pure and vnspotted Or so long as hee well pleased GOD who iustifieth the beleeuing sinner or so long as hee was ordained to stand the figure of the holy Messiah wherein hee sheened in perfite beautie but afterwarde in his transgressions and sinnes he turned his beautie into ougly deformitie Nor indeede according to your former words coulde hee possibly bee and remayne the figure of the holy Messiah longer then whiles his beautie remayned perfite in him Therefore except hee were forgiuen and by this his remission clensed and restored to his former excellencie or at the leasted admitted into the fauour of GOD and iustified the former doubt will be still retained and vrged against both him and his words Therefore let it please you to resolue this doubt and satisfie vs therein as we know yee are well able most reuerend Father To this answered Zadok I am most willing both to resolue this doubt and to satisfie you my Lords all in this case therefore to proue that the King hath obtained mercie and pardon of the Lord God for all those his transgressions and so consequently standeth and remayneth a Saint and person dedicated to the Lorde notwithstanding all those his transgressions I thus reason for my Lord the king * Whosoeuer hath truely repented him of his sinnes Solomon obteined mercie for he repented him of his sinnes hee hath obtained mercie and forgivenesse But our Lord King Solomon hath truely repented him of his sins therfore he hath obtained mercy and forgevenesse The first proposition is prooued by many sounde Arguments and positions of holy Scriptures And first by the due consideration of the Nature of GOD who as hee hath created man to his owne image and likenesse and hath a will to preserue him so desireth hee nothing more then his conuersion and amendement after his falling as whereby hee may not bee hindered but furthered and bolpen in his walking towardes the highest Glorie yea in this hee resembleth a true father that both pitieth and pardoneth his owne sonne which hath offended him vpon his true repentance as both Moses Iob and David of famous memorie haue tolde vs with other our holy Prophets who teache and assure vs from the Lordes owne mouth that if an vngodly man will turne away from all his sinnes that hee hath done and keepe all his Statutes and doe the thing that is iudgement and right hee shall doubtlesse liue and not die neither shall his sinnes bee either retained or mentioned vnto him for God hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner but gladly will bee mercifull vnto him and pardon him vpon his repentance For God is most readie to forgiue Therefore hee comforteth vs with this saying Circumcise the fore-skinnes of your heartes Deut. cast away your transgressions and turne againe vnto Iehovah your God and yee shall not dye but liue And this is that which wee beleeue and persuade of our Lorde the king Surely Cain himselfe though too presumpsuous and proude in his sinnes could inregard hereof say and is my sinne greater Gen. 4. then that it can bee pardoned Knowing that the promise which GOD had made to Adam in Paradize both imported and included remission saying that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Seede of the Woman shoulde breake the Serpents heade whereof man though an execrable sinner shoulde finde both remission and life with Iehovah his GOD. Next to this wee haue a great many comfortable examples in the Bookes of Moses Iob Iosuah the Iudges and Samuel as of the pardon offered vnto Iudah Lot the Israelites and to bee briefe to David the Kings father to whome the Lorde sayde by Nathan the Prophet God hath put away thy sinnes thou shalt not die the which hee often remembred in the Booke of the Psalmes psal 103.3 whereof hee also prouoketh his soule to the praise of GOD who had forgiuen him all his iniquitie and couered all his sinne Nowe as none can forgiue sinnes but God onely so those our ancestors when they sinned perswading that all their sinnes were done against God either immediately or by meanes they would in the hope of remission and health repaire vnto him seeking first to bee reconciled with his grace before they would goe vnto men remembering what olde Eli the Priest 1. Sam. 2. saide some-times to his children If a man sinne against man sayde hee the Iudge may decide it but if a man sinne against GOD who shall bee his Vmpire or Dayes-man Moreouer knowing that pardon required precedent Repentance without the which who will forgiue him that offendeth him among men they neither presumed to approach the diuine throne with proud insolent and presumptuous Spirites but with contrite and humble heartes desiring mercie for sinnes committed and confessed with great submission For albeit that Repentance be very sharpe and bitter to the sinner and many men had leaner sinne openly then repent secretly yet is this the Medicine of trespasses the consumption of iniquities a weapon against Satan and a sharpe sworde prepared and able to daunt
the deadly aduersarie This is the hope of health the purchase of mercie and way to felicitie I cannot yet cease but speake againe of this soueraigne treasure and medicine of the sinners sore beeing therein as full as the Moone and most willing to bee powred foorth in the excellencie thereof so full of consolation and rich blessings This is that which through the mercie of the liuing God in the promised seede remitteth sinnes openeth the gates of Paradize salueth the man that is broken in heart and gladeth them that bee sorowfull This is that which calleth a mans life from destruction restoreth his estate reneweth his decayed honour giueth him boldnesse reformeth his spirites and powreth in grace vpon grace This is that which looseth things bounde clarifieth things obscure and animateth things desperate The beautie of this vertue is as cleare as the Sunne as bright as the Moone as glistring as the Starres The sweetnes thereof is as honye the price as golde and the estimation beyonde all precious stones For this is that which neither sinne ouer-commeth nor defection destroyeth nor dispaire blotteth out Finally this abandoneth all vices imbraceth all vertues tormenteth sinne extolleth righteousnesse obtaineth mercies produceth vertues freeth sinners recouereth the lost recreateth the desperate He that can truely repent needeth not to doubt of saluation refresheth the harde labourer and bringeth to her possessors eternall happinesse For by this a man shall bee saued although hee hath lead all his life in sinne as there is no man which sinneth not full often and euery day Such an excellent thing is true Repentance But yee will saye Howe is this wrought in a man howe is this repentance wrought in man Howe shall a man truely repent Indeede this thing is not wrought in man of mans owne power nor wisedome For GOD stayeth not to expect it from mans wisedome or abilitie for so may both his expectation bee frustrated and man bee deceiued but it is the goodnesse of GOD to renewe them by repentance which are waxen olde in sinne Therefore the Sinner shoulde neuer despaire Despaire not of mercie nor fall from hope neither shoulde hee bee ashamed to repent but ashamed to sin and consider that as the one is a wound so the other is a medicine for the wound Sinne is the wound Repentance is the medicine the wounde hath shame the medicine hath boldnesse the wound is made by the malice of the deuill the medicine is wrought by the loue and goodnesse of GOD in the merite of the holy Messiah which beareth and washeth away all the sinnes of them that truely repent The princes * To this the Princes hauing yeelded attentiuenesse with great gladnesse consented esteeming the Oration as profitable as it was plausible and as fruitfull as gladsome vnto them And then among them stood foorth the Priest Abiather Abiather obiecteth and sayde Yee haue well spoken concerning the former proposition most reuerend Father It is likewise in request that yee prooue the Minor For it may bee called into question heereafter whether the King hath truely repented him yea or no For except this bee prooued what is any thing of that which yee haue spoken touching Repentance appertinent vnto him and if it concerneth not him what profite takes he thereof for hee is not remitted or how is our common question answered and the doubt resolued zadok proveth that king Solomon repented To the which answered Zadok neither is this question so hard to bee answered vnto nor the doubt intricate to bee dissolued for if there were none other Argument whereby to proue the kings true Repentance yet is this enough that he is a Saint a person dedicated to the Lorde therefore he is not fallen from hope therefore hee is truely repentant For as the strong foundation standeth still hauing this Seale The Lorde knoweth them that bee his The saints do not fall away for euer so wee may not thinke that the Saints of God for whom mercie is euer kept in store can fall vtterly away from hope or bee shut out from mercie in the time of their neede For as the wood whose nature is to swimme on the water may yet beeing ouer-laden with yron sinke but the yron beeing taken off the wood neuertheles ascendeth againe to the head of the water and swimmeth Neither may we say that it is no wood because it did sinke once to the bottome Though the faithfull fall yet they rise vp againe So though the righteous men whose nature is by Faith to stand and walke in Gods way being oppressed with the burthen of sinne through the deuils malice do vnhappily couch downe as with Isachar between two burdens yet may we not rightly saye that they are not of the Lords chosen for it is so that whensoeuer that burden is remoued as it is from them that repent they rise againe and bee renued as in their former estate and beeing of that generation and nature it is not possible that they shoulde fall vtterly away for the sonnes of God do not so apostate that they fall into eternall perdition howsoeuer they sinne and sinke vnder their sins For the iust man falleth but he riseth againe And therein they be likened to the herbe Adyanton which beeing steeped deep in the waters though a long time will neuertheles beeing taken vp appeare very dry For the righteous man which had fallen after his rising againe by Repentance is as beautifull as euer he was maugre the malice of the Serpent And touching this doctrine I haue heard the King himselfe to say according to the truth of the holy writings and words of our Prophets that the soules of the righteous are in the handes of God These be Solomons wordes which afterward were gathered by philo the Iew. Sap. 31. and there shall no torment touch them c. Again God proveth them and findeth them meete for himselfe as gold in the furnace doth he try them and receiveth them as a burnt offering and when the time commeth they shal be looked vpon Againe They that put their trust in the Lord shall vnderstand the truth and such as be faithfull shall persevere with him in love For his saincts have grace and mercy Sap. 4 15. and he hath care for them Againe The loving favour and mercy of God is vpon his saincts and he hath respect vnto his chosen Moreouer I haue heard the kinges Father to say The Lord will not permit the righteous to fall for ever though for their triall and bettering hee suffer them to slide for a time psal 55.22 And th'excellent prophets Nathan and Gad haue preached and others the Lords Prophets and holy men haue and do yet preach that God loueth his chosen with an eternall loue therefore he draweth them vnto himselfe by his mercy although they sinne seuen times in a day whereby they rise againe and are renewed Therefore it cannot bee that this person I meane King
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
mine horrible ingratitude A K. banisheth from his Court Idolators and wantons and whoremongers c. but I haue fawned on those which in my presence haue dedicated themselues to those abhominations A king should be a patterne of beauty vnto his people in all godly vertues but I haue giuen them an example of lewdnesse in mine inordinate excesse A King is the stay and glory of his place but I haue both weakned and deformed mine house with transgressions A K. both respecteth and expecteth the honor of the most holy but I haue blemished the same with the damps of sinne Therfore vnworthy I am the title of a King And if I may not bee named a King then much lesse should ye call me the King of Israel And truly I may not henceforth be called K. over Israel because the L. God for mine offēces against him hath iustly depriued me of the honor of that high dignity But rather henceforth as I haue rightly merited I may be numbred amōg the fooles of Israel Messiah the true king of Israel Yea and albeit that my seruant Ieroboham hath lifted vppe his handes against mee and shall vsurpe that Name and dignitye yet shall both this Name and dignitye bee reserued as rightly imposed for the most righteous Seede and Prince of Israel which was promised to David my Father and which in his due time shal be raysed vp to sit on his seate and to raigne ouer the house of Israel that is ouer the Saints and holy people of God in doing them equitie and true iudgement for euer In the meane time I must in all humblenesse of minde bewaile my sinnes and the miserie of mine house and posteritie occassioned by the same the which I cannot but euery houre remember consider lament and finally repent and abandon those manifolde vanities of the sonnes of men Solomon is a preacher to teach and perswade the people pro. 31. wherein I haue beene polluted and wearyed in my life Lo thus the King ruminateth in affliction heereof is his continuall meditation in the sorowe of his minde and thus hee expresseth his faithfull repentance euery day * Fiftly although he hath spent some portion of his life in sin and the whiles did forget the wholesome lesson which his mother Bethsabe gaue him yet being in the ende preuented by the grace and mercie of God hee doeth agine often call to minde and recount her wife instructions and ruminateth of that which himselfe hath thought good to write and speake in his wise Prouerbs as a confession of his sinnes and a worthy argument of his Repentance yea hee hath not onely converted and dedicated himself again vnto the Lord in wonderfull great feare and reuerence Solomon inciteth all others to vertues Eccles. 12. but also as a learned and experienced Preacher of Repentance and Righteousnes he halloweth and calleth all men from the vices and vanities of the deceitfull world teaching and exhorting them to feare the Lorde and to keepe his commandements And in this the king is not like them which thinke that a benefite languisheth and perisheth as the flood which powreth foorth her streames into diuers channels and small veynes but he is as the liberall man right willing to benefite many thereby to cause his beneuolence to abound therefore he studieth he preacheth hee speaketh he exhorteth he admonisheth he comforteth he refuteth he confirmeth and whatsoeuer els necessarie and conuenient in a Preacher to drawe men from worldy vanities and to lead them towardes the best good and true felicitie the highest obiect of mans hope All this his nobles and his seruants All these things are testified by Solomons servants which stand before him heare his wisedome and obserue his wordes and workes finde and well vnderstande neither can wee but testifie the same for him before all men Yea wee see and can witnesse that there is in him both the wisedome of GOD and the knowledge of the holy Spirite in such abundance as wee are not able to expresse it and in this wee finde him yet more wise that now all the last hee hath changed his minde and withdrawen his affection from the worlde so farre that as he did sometimes swerue from the Lorde GOD and by his euill example did giue an occasion to many others to blaspheme and offend or at the least to bee offended so hee nowe endeuours himselfe tenne times more to eschewe euill and to seeke the Lorde in singlenesse of heart and to exhort and persuade others to doe the like to and for the which hee hath laboured day and night Eccles. 12 to searche and finde out delightsome wordes right Scripture and the wordes of trueth Wherein he followed not the common woont of sinners which beeing polluted and defiled with filthinesse haue a desire not onely to wallowe therein but also that others should bee defiled with them in the same resembling those Wrestlers or Fighters which care not to brush off the dust from their owne garmentes but rather endeuour to defile one another and fall together euen with the same Thus hath not the King done and to bee plaine The King hauing been nourtered and well trained vp in his youth sheweth foorth at this time the ripe fruites thereof notwithstanding those blemishes of humane imperfections * Finally although it bee a thing too common with men that though they for-beare to sinne for a time fearing the punishment thereof they neuerthelesse afterwarde forget themselues and returne againe Solomon after his repentance revolted not from God as with the dog to his vomit to their former vices as lately did Adoniah and Shimei yet the King beeing otherwise minded hath shunned and abandoned all his worldly delights vices and vanities and dedicated himselfe againe vnto the desire of heauenly things and the ioyes eternall in regard whereof for the loue of GOD and his owne health he abstaineth not onely from things vnlawfull but also from things lawfull and tollerable pleasing the minde and affection of man and now continueth stedfastly the same hauing made a sure Couenant with himselfe neuer to apostate or turne backewarde againe and therefore as the Trauailer which goeth towardes a most famous Citie is euer talking of his iourney and of the place to learne the customes and guise thereof and to expresse his desire to hasten and come thither Solomons common and daily meditation and talke as rauished with the loue of the same So we perceiue that the King is neuer pleased nor eased but when hee talketh and telleth of those high treasures of that most happy place thereof hee ruminateth thereof hee delighteth to talke thereof hee is glad to heare all other things bee they neuer so pleasant seeme loathsome and vaine in his conceit For of this nature are the words of his common talke and such are many of his Prouerbs the which seeme to be powred foorth from the good treasure of a good mans heart as the good fruits sprung of a good
soule and never eateth with pleasure Neverthelesse they sleepe both a like in the earth and the wormes cover them Thus are they both confounded and worthily combined together Yea here Thersites the deformed Nircus the most beautifull as the very Gréeke Poets say are worthily compared as touching their bodies Next to this such are also the confusions and euents of this life and humaine affairs in this words that in the iudgement of the carnall man there is not discerned any difference at all between the good the euil the iust man and the sinner to either of the which the temporall good thinges of nature fortune and life are often alike Abraham our Father was rich so was Pharao Abimelech and the king of Sodom Againe Cain was an exile from his Fathers house so was Abraham and Iacob and Ioseph Moreouer Sarah was faire and beautifull so were the daughters of Cain Shem was preserued in the Arke with his Father Noah so was Cham also within the same But it may be so that the Lord would therin teach that his children should serue him not inregard of those temporall and worldly things and again that the vngodly which also haue and do abuse the same might be left without all excuse of their vnthankefulnes that the iustice of God might bee acknowledged and his word beleeued which commendeth and promiseth the future iudgement and full retribution of all mens wordes and workes and that the worthines of faith might bee encreased Moreouer it is so that the true vertues of the spirit diuine which are so well knowne of the king do not externally appeare to the carnall minded man Therefore the men of this world esteeme no more of the iust and godly then of the wicked and impious yea they persecute the godly and most vertuous and constraine them by their cruel tyrannies and oppressions to suffer and endure those bitter tormentes and paines which are only one as well deserued to malefactor and transgressours of the law This thing was noted in the death of Habel whom Cain slew in the persecution of our father Iacob by Esau by Laban others wherof he could say to Pharao that his dayes had beene few and euill in the accusation the selling away the imprisonment and afflictiōs of Ioseph in the afflictions of our fathers in Egypt in the contempt of Lot in Sodom in th'xtremity of poore Naomi and Ruth and in the sorrow of Hanna with others Such is the entertainement of the godly and their common estimation in the world and this is the nature of vanities kingdome Now what is that which ye disliked in these the kings words No man hath power over the spirit to keepe still the spirite nor hath any power in the time of death Is it not a true saying Obiection 16 mans power of life Cap. 8.8 For hath any man power either to liue as long as he listeth or to put away his soule from his body at his pleasure Surely it is true as Iob said to this purpose The dayes of man are determined and as the King said The dayes of a man are numbred that is sby the Lord who onely hath power either to giue or to take away mans life at his will and pleasure at all times and that neither this nor that lieth in the will or power of man therefore as he may not cast himselfe rashly into danger so neither should he promise himself long life Though Saul slew himselfe he had not therein power of his life for his dayes were determined and now expired he was shewed the day before 1. Sam. 28.19 that hee should die and in the manner of his death he was by the iustice of God made his owne executioner As he could retaine his life no longer so neither could he forbeare to performe that on himselfe which he was in this iudgement constrayned to performe If worldly men had this power either to retaine life or to put it off when they lifted they would then often renew themselues and old age would not be much dislike yea death which is so bitter to the wealthy men of this life would not be so much feared as it is But now it falleth out otherwise for why neither can the courage and strength of body preserue the strong warrier nor the industry of arte nor the deuises and counsailer of man withstand death when the Lord taketh away life nor can force death on them whom the Lord is willing so preserue in life Thus when Saul in his trouble was slaine of his owne handes for want of another executioner David on the other part was preserued Obiection 17 the yong mans lesson nor could he be slaine by them which were his mortall enemies because the Lord did keepe his life * Finally ye haue said that it is obiected against the King that hee shoulde in his wordes counsaile young men to take their delights of youth and to swmime in their lustes Let mee heare the Kings owne wordes as he spake them and vpon what occasion Hee said quod Abiather Though a man live many yeeres in them all reioice Cap. 11.8.9 yet he should remember the dayes of darkenes because they are many all that commeth is vanitie Then thereupon he said againe Reioyce O yong man in thy youth walke in the waies of thine heart in the sight of thine eyes Then he added indéed But know that for all these thinges God will bring thee to iudgement therefore take away griefe out of thine heart cause evill to depart from thy flesh for childhood youth are vanitie Then answered Zadok how haue they here considered one word with another Answere the beginning with the end the exordium with the conclusion Yong-men are counsailed to beware For they also haue their Iudgment appointed and how is the māner of the kings speech marked When the king had aduised men in the highest grade of their proserity to thinke vpon affliction trouble and aduersitie and to endeuor to eschew it he commeth to behold the guise and condition of yong men yea of such as did sway in wordly and fleshly lustes and wantonnes without regarde of the iudgementes of God which is wont to ouertake such persons in the time appointed and he derideth their folly speaking by the figure Ironia in the which the contrary is euer intended as who should say Go too go too thou yong man if thou wilt not bee aduised nor restrained nor reclaimed by these instructions and lessons take thine own mind follow thine own will walk in thine own waies if thou thinke it good But he leaueth him not without a commination or threatning And thinkest thou that there is none account to be made for these thinges and will not God bring thee into iudgement thou art deceiued thou foolish yong man for there is a iudgement which a waiteth but the time appointed wherein thou must enter not onely at the last when al men shal
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