thought it good and no lesse their duties not onely to collect and preserve them but to commit and commende them with the like authoritie to the holy Church Now it remaineth that we also heare and consider what hath beene else resolved concluded and testified by the godly learned and wise men aswell hebrewes as others succeeding them of that age and that not onely before but also sithence the birth death and ascention of the most holy Messiah concerning King Solomon and those his wordes First the auncient hebrewes and Rabins of the Iewes have delivered that Solomon did so much dislike his lustfull delightes and chiefly that sinne of Idolatrie impuâ—ed to him Jn vita pat lib. 7. in prologo in Cap. 1. in that hee tolerated and maintained his strange wives in their abhominations that hee willingly exposed himselfe in person a publike example of repentance throughout the streetes of Ierusalem and woulde also have beene whipped with seaven roddes in that Temple which himselfe had builded had not the learned doctors of the lawe withstood it holding it vnlawfull for them or any others to laye their handes on the Lordes Annointed as David had taught esteeming him not onely their true King but a divine Prophet and holy man of GOD and at this time a person truly repentant for his sinnes whereof they presumed of his pardon and eternall health Next wee finde it testified by the Author of the latter booke of the Chronicles of the kinges of Israel and Iudah Chap. 11. verse 17. that after king Solomon was laide to his fathers Iudah for the time of three yeeres following pleased GOD walking in the waies of David and Solomon not onely of David but also of Solomon noting that although king Solomon walked not perfectly with the Lorde in the time of his trespasses as David walked when hee pleased GOD yet neverthelesse in his latter time hee was reclaimed and walked againe with David as himselfe did in his youth when they both together pleased the Lorde GOD and so in th' end resigned both himselfe repentant and holy vnto God Nota. and the kingdom in the same estate wholy to his sonne Rehoboam for neither was the kingdome as yet divided nor the state of religion altered during the daies of SolomoÌ„s governmeÌ„t according as the L. had de creed promised 1. King 11.12 saying I wil not do it in thy daies Therefore not onely Solomon is combined with good David touching the state of religion the manner of his walking but also it is testified that Rehoboam his son followed the L. also together with theÌ„ of Iudah that scared the L. in the same way full 3. yeeres after Solomons death within the which time it pleased God to fortify the kingdom of Iudah therin to make Rehoboam strong After this the wise Syracides chap. 47.12 among others in his time conceiving wel of this excelleÌ„t person whoÌ„ he esteemed an excelleÌ„t sainct of the L. from whose wise sayings his graÌ„dfather Iesus had collected many his sentences hath carefully and reverently named numbred him among those holy Patriarches fathers of the old testameÌ„t so worthy of praise wherewithall although as a true historiographer in that parte hee hath laide open his sins which els were so apparant as they coulde not be covered yet he extolleth him with many admirable coÌ„meÌ„dations in right consideratioÌ„ giveth not so much as the least aime to any doubtfulnes of either his holines or salvation yea rather he omitted not to say and protest that God forsooke not his mercy meaning that which was promised to David concerning SolomoÌ„ confirmed to SolomoÌ„ accordingly as 1. King 11.39 Neither that he was vtterly destroyed because of his works that he should leaue him no posteritie Fourthly Saint Matthew the Evangelist bringeth in King Solomon in the genealogie of Christ our Saviour together with his mother among those holy fathers of the olde Testament Matt. 1.6 But chiefly the Lorde Iesus himselfe in his profound doctrines and sermons hath not disdained this person but vouchsafed to name him and there-withall to remember not onely the wisdom of King Solomon but also that holy House which he built to the Name of the Lord. And to declare how well he liked the same house he daily taught the people therin shewed them the right vse therof yea hee much disliked that the same should be prophaned by vngodly sinful men therfore assayed to reduce it to his pristin purity when with a whip he drave out both the buyers and sellers saying My house is the house of Prayer for all Nations it was indeede all vnmeet that the thing which was ordayned for a figure of his Church and prepared to so holy an vse should be stayned with mens prophanitie so long as the vse of the figure endured which was vntill the time of the comming of the holy Ghost vnto the Apostles after Christs ascension into the heavens After this that holy Protomartyr Steuen in his answere to the high Priest Actes 7. speaketh right reverently both of Solomon and of his worke and to testifie that the same had yet a further aime then to the ordinary personage or to the worke of other men he addeth But hee that is the highest of all dwelleth not in the Temples made with mens hands alluding to Solomons wordes in the dedication of that house 2. Chro. 6.18 For right well is it said that the very person whome that holy king prefigured dwelt not in that house made with handes howbeit as concerning his power and th'excellent graces of his spirite he is ever present in and with that holy church which Solomons Temple hath prefigured and expressed After all this to passe over the Apostles and their worthie estimation of this person and his workes from the which they have taken and cited argumentes to confirme their doctrins all the ancient fathers of the Nicen Concil Aug. in lib. 17 de civit dei cap. 20. Idem in 2. lib. de doct Christian Ioh. Driedo de Catalo sacr script lib. 2. vide Hieron in extrema visione Ezechiel Ambros super Ecclesiast et in Apolog. David and others both holy and learned in the church have not only gathered received aswel froÌ„ hence as from others monumeÌ„ts of their elders Solomons holines and true repentance but also have esteemed him for a Prophet and in their writings have called him the most wise holy Solomon But were it so that those things did not so plainly appeare in the holy scriptures nor could it be founde in any word or writing of antiquity that Solomon after his transgressioÌ„ did repent coÌ„vert himselfe to the L. what reasoÌ„ what charitie or what wisdom would yet cast into suspeÌ„se the holines salvation of so rare excelleÌ„t a persoÌ„ when there is not extaÌ„t any sufficieÌ„t scripture or warraÌ„t to prove his final prophanity eternall perdition or that hee continued irrepentant vntill his death
in life and behauiour and not to be perfect within as to make shew without and not to be in either conformable to the office and place I haue especially regarded the maner of my walking that it might bee honest worthie and wise that so I might teach both in doctrine and life and not destroye in th' one Psal 109.7 whiles I would seeme to build in the other accounting them that offend herein worthy of that censure which David gaue on such saying His office let another take Moreouer whereas it was the good pleasure of my Lorde the King and the will of my Lorde Zadoke that I should at times minister for my Lorde Zadoke in the seruice of God the King It is well knowne that I haue not presumptuously vsurped nor intruded nor thrust my selfe into presence but being called and commanded beeing well mindfull of the kinges words writtē amōg his wise prouerbs pro. 25.5.6 Put not forth thy selfe in the presence of the King and prease not into the place of great men for better it is that it be said to thee come vp higher then that thou shouldest be placed lower in the presence of the Prince whome thou seest with thine eyes Therefore I haue not béene of that ambitious and arrogant minde But howsoeuer I might bee suspected as faultie or imperfect in place and time I appeale to the Lord and mine owne conscience as yee my Lords haue done If I be guiltie against the king to my knowledge then would I wish that the one might accuse me and the other condemne me in the presence of you all Howbeit letting passe this examinatiō I presume there is some other cause whereof the kings affliction springeth the which I doubt not will in time appeare in the clearing of vs al. For time is that which discloseth secrets reuealeth the truth therefore is worthily called the mother of truth Nor do I thinke that the king suspecteth any of vs in this case for if he did his iealousie would not haue forborne to disclose and vtter the same to any of vs all for he respecteth neither persons nor power nor wealth nor policie such is his wisedome wealth power and the glory of the fearefull God in him zadock the high priest putteth forth his Apology and sheweth what is the function duty of his place Abiather hauing thus spoken for himselfe he at the last giueth place to Zadoke perceiuing how ready willing also he was to say sōwhat in the presēce of the lords * Zadock was a uery graue and reuerend Father and a faithfull Priest of the Lord doing according to his heart and mind in whome the bright Vrim Thumim so shined that no man either suspected him of any fault towardes the king or doubted of his diuine wisedome and singular perfection and therefore neither the Princes required either any examination or further triall of his integritie howbeit the most reuerend father in all humilitie neither refused nor disdained to doe as they had before done in this respect Therfore stāding vp in the midst of thē he spake with great grauity deliberation to this effect My Lords all although it be so that neither any of you hath giuen this offence vnto the king nor may it be that he holdeth any of you faultie in this matter yet am I glad to see and heare how willing and readie ye haue béene with all submission to examine and cleare your selues in this presence And truely howsoeuer ye bee sory for the kings affliction as indéed ye cannot be glad thereof yet may ye reioice in this that ye haue had this fit opportunity by this confession and trial both to cleare your selues of guilt to manifest your integritie and dutifull heartes towardes his Maiestie But howsoeuer it be that any suspicion or surmises may spring of any of your wordes or dealinges ye are happy in this that ye retain a good consiēce to testify in for your selues to the ease and ioy of your heartes then the which there cannot be a greater treasure in this life The guiltie man proposing to his vnderstanding the law which he hath broken The guilty cōscience and transgressed and withall the iudgement and paine ensewing the same being rightly concluded and applied to himselfe hath alwayes dreade carefulnes and sorrowe of heart as who might thus argue Thus saith the lawe but thus haue I done and so transgressed the lawe Ergo I stand to bee iudged and condemned by the same as who shoulde saye shall not that iust God deale with me as I haue deserued and shall not I be plagued in the end for my desert offending against the law of God as others haue beene plagued for the like and shoulde I promise vnto my selfe safetie any way in this my guiltinesse Thus argued Adam when he had broken the law of the Lord thus also Cain when he had murthered his brother Thus the brethrē of Ioseph who had abused and solde him away Thus argued Pharao after that he had threatned Moses and Aaron and would not let the people go thus Saul when hee perceiued Davids innocencie and his owne malice against him and thus Achitophel and such like who in the knowledge of their owne sinnes and the sense of the diuine Iustice concluded a iust condemnation on themselues Adam fearing what wold ensewe hid himselfe in the bushes and yet hee coulde not bee safe opposed as it were to the diuine wrath and all miseries and therefore confessed Gen. 4. that hee was naked and was afraide at the sounde of the Lordes voyce Cain confessed that his sinne was greater then that hee coulde bee pardoned and that the punishment thereof shoulde bee farre beyond his habilitie to beare yea hee saide vnto the Lord Beholde thou hast cast mee out this day from the vpper face of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid fugitiue also and a vagabond shall I bee in the earth and it shall come to passe that every one that findeth mee shall slay me * The sonnes of Iacob seeing they could not bee hidden Gen 42.21 confessed at length their sinne against their brother saying we haue verily sinned against him and therefore are we now troubled And againe fearing what Ioseph woulde doe vnto them after his fathers funeralls they in the terror of minde come and beséech him to forget their iniury against him The king of Aegypt at length confessed and saide vnto Moses and Aaron Exod. 6.27 Indeede the Lord is righteous and I and my people are vngodly On the which he would conclude his conscience condemning him Therefore shall both I and my people be plagued Saul in the agonie of his heart slew himselfe with his owne sworde and Achitophel who had béene a Counsaylor and prouoker of Absolon against his Father his owne conscience condemning him went and hanged himselfe Surely of all the torments vnder the Sunne there is none comparable to an euill
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
which eyther his owne conceit blameth as too base and vndecent to his honour or his owne conscience condemneth as vniust or his wisedome disliketh as too fond or his diuine spirite abandoneth as impious Iehosophat * Well then quod Iehosophat this being well resolued why should wee further delay Let vs approch howbeit with all the best wisedome and modesty to the consideration of the kings Maiesty Of Solomons progeny and birth As for progenie and birth there is no cause that the kings Maiesty should abase or dislike himselfe for hee is the sonne of worthy Nobles yea Noah hee is descended of the most noble house of that auncient Ianus or Noah Noah to whome the Lord granted to see the end of the old world and the beginning of the new howbeit he came not in by Cham nor by Iaphet Shem. but by Shem whome the Lord especially fauoured and chose to continue the seed of the blessed Abraham vnto the time of Abraham our father by whom and from whome the king is lineally descended neverthelesse not by his sonne Ismael the sonne of Hagar the bonde Isaack but by his sonne Isaack of Sarah the frée woman in whome the hope of the promise rested Againe hee was not of Esau who was iustly depriued both of the birth-right and the blessing Iacob but of Iacob whome the Lord louing and liking called Israel and Israel had many sonnes but the king came onely from Iudah â—udah in whose tribe according to the prophesie of Iacob the Scepter should be raised and a Law-giuer continued vnto the comming of Shilo to whome the people should be gathered From hence was the line drawne to Ishai Ishai and from him to David the Kings father who being a man after Gods owne heart David was according to the diuine prouidence ordained and annointed by Samuel the Lords Prophet before all his brethren to be king ouer his people of Israel whom he defended from their enemies on euery side with a strong and valiant hand fed them with discretion iudged theÌ„ with equitie and righteousnes and raigned ouer them ful 40. yeares to the glory of the Lord and good of his people with great honour Bethseba Sol. mother The kinges mother also was Bethseba the daughter of Eliam of no meane parentage her name soundeth the daughter of an oath or the seuenth daughter She was a right noble wise and vertuous Gentlewoman sometimes the wife of Vriah the Hittite a man of great estimation Indeede it was so that for her sake the king affecting her did iniuriously oppresse her said husband the rather by Ioabs meanes at what time this noble woman eyther doubted or simply thought that it was not lawfull for her husband or her selfe being subiectes to deny any thing which the king should command or desire of them 1. Sam. 8 11. knowing what Samuel the prophet had before that said vnto the people when they required a king what their king might or would do vnto them by his power and authority howbeit the trespasse being pardoned and grace and mercy restored according to the kings true repeÌ„tance and humble praier she feared the Lord God of Israel hearkened to Nathan the Lordes prophet notwithstanding that hee had before reproued the King for his faulte whereby she liued and contained her selfe with King David in all godly behauiour and high honour during her life This Noble Lady in many thinges both aided and comforted the King her husband and did not onely beare and bring foorth but also educated brought vp and nurtoured our Lord King Solomon in all such princely and diuine vertues to her power as did best beséeme him that should succeede King David in the happy kingdome of Israel as she had well learned and considered thereof by the inspiration of the diuine Spirit and the instruction of the Lordes Prophet that it was appointed and ordained by the Lord that this Solomon before all Davids other Sonnes should raigne ouer the kingdome of Israel after him Therefore shee diligently endeuored with the King the performance thereof as we sée it is brought to passe this day to the great ioy and comfort of the Lordes inheritance This therefore the young Quéene did gratefully remember at the time of the kinges marriage ascribing vnto her in the great solemnitie the chiefe cause next vnto God of his royall preferment saying to the daughters of Syon Go ye forth I pray you Cant. 3.10 and behold King Solomon in the Crowne wherewith his Mother hath crowned him in this day of his marriage and in the day of the gladnes of his heart And therefore also the king himselfe in the highest of his glory neither disdained nor omitted to commend her her excelleÌ„t vertues before vs al yea and vnder the same hath depainted and set forth not onely an holy and vertous Woman but also the holy Church the which also in his temple with the rich ornaments thereof he prefigured And thereof hath made an Alephabethical Encomion in these words pro. 31 Who so findeth an honest faithful womaÌ„ she is much more worth theÌ„ pearls the heart of her husbaÌ„d may safely trust in her so that he shall fall into no poverty She wil do him good not evil al the dais of her life c. A womaÌ„ that feareth the Lord shal be praised Giue her of the fruit of her hands and let her own workes praise her in the gates These things the king hath ruminated and vttered with great grauity as worthy the memory and imitation therefore wee also haue thought good to note and affixe the same to his wise prouerbs and Parables * Now with this let vs not forget The time of Sol. birth but carefully note and remember the rather to preuent the occasions of euill surmises that the king was neither borne nor begotten nor conceiued in the time of the trespasse and disgrace of his Parents but after the time that the Lord in mercy had pardoned them both and put away their sinnes vpon repentance and prayer 2. Sam. 12.13 of the which pardon the Lord certified him to the ioy and ease of their heartes by the prophet Nathan when also that was brought to passe and verified which David had with teares desired and with faith hoped to obtaine Thou shalt purge me said he with Isope and I shall be cleane thou shalt wash me I shall be whiter then snowe psal 51. Thou shalt make me to heare of ioy and gladnes that the boanes which thou hast broken may reioce For the which also he dewly blessed the Lord and in his thanksgiuing saide O Lord thou hast pardoned all mine iniquities and healed all mine infirmities psal 103. Finally the Lord himselfe to this his pleasure gaue testimony when he did not onely accept his sacrifices and burnt offeringes but also promised to set vp of his Seede after him vpon the throne of the
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
greater that way then all his Predecessors hauing a dominion ample and large with a princely prouision of all sorts of things both for the defence and maintenance of the same in all partes And for the better guard of his Royal person as the young Princesse noted when shee beheld and wisely considered in her Cant. 3.7 About the bed of Solomon there stand Ful threescore valiant men of sturdiest might Of Israel with glittering swords in hand Expert in warre him to defend by right Therein alluding to that which the kinges Father had modulated for the king in that swéete psalme 45. Gird now thy sword vpon thy thigh O prince of fame According to the worship and the glory of thy name And prosper in thy glee ride forth with glad successe Because of that thy word of truth meekenes and righteousnes Thy right hand forth shall tell the things of dreadful strength Thy sharpened shafts the people shall to thee subdue at length Yea though that they for safety should themselues bring Into the midst inuiron'd with th' enemies of the king To be briefe His blessings wonderfull are the blessinges wherewith the almighty hath graced our King for hee hath beene blessed beyound all other kinges on the earth aswell with thinges spirituall and heauenly as with those which are temporall and terrene according to that promise in the law made for such as be obedient Deut. 28. 2. Sam. 7. 1. King 3. according to that word of the Lord giuen to David concerning him and according to the that the Lord his God granted him when he had praied for wisedome to go out and in before his people In a word his blessinges are an astonishment to all the nations of the world vnto whom the fame of his Excellency hath gone forth This conioyned him in amitie with K. Hyram of Tyre His fame and glory and with Pharao king of Egypt this brought vnto him from the vttermost partes of the earth the famous Quéene of Arabia and many others and hee was in glory resplendent before all the kinges or Princes that euer raigned before him whereby many seeing and bearing of him thinke that they see or heare not a terrene or mortall Creature but a celestiall and diuine power And what should the king desire more Gen. 3. nothing at all except he would bee God as Adam thought to be But I am sure the king is not of that haughtie conceite of himselfe yea I haue obserued this that howsoeuer all these thinges haue beene excellent and aboundant in him as a Crowne of gold beset with pretious stones Solomon was not proude of his gifts and graces on the head of a most beautifull body yet did he neuer waxe proud or vaine glorious thereof as worldly men accustome when hauing a little beyond the ordinarie measure of some others of wisedome riches pleasures power policie or prosperitie do loue and like to sooth prayse and commend themselues resēbling the Pecocke which swelleth in the view of his painted plumes notwithstanding their humaine imperfections yet this is not al but thinking so highly of themselues they contemne others and endeuour in loath and disdaine to treade them vnder their feete Thus I say hath not the king at any time done but rather hee acknowledged his mortall humanity and his great ignorance and want of wisedome yea his base séely glory in respect of the supreme excellency eternity knowledge wisedome and glory of the almighty with the which when he had compared himselfe all his noble endewmentes hee found himselfe with the same iust nothing To this assented the Princes and found no cause in those thinges premised whereof the king should be offended CHAP. XII Of Solomons comming to the kingdom of Israel his proceeding against Adoniah and Abiather the priest is iustified AFter this Zadok the Priest who had thus farre listened to the wordes of the Princes stoode vppe and spake to this effect Indéede my Lords I sée not as yet that from any of those thinges whereof yee haue spoken to be in the king and his Estate any iust occasion is ministred him of his present affliction except it be in this that knowing the largenes of Gods bounties towardes him he either hath not satisfied the Lords expectatiō in the vse of those thinges or cannot as hee would shew himselfe gratefull enough And it may be that besides the premisses some question hath been or may be moued touching the kinges entrance into the kingdome of Israel wherein some especially they which stand to defend the cause of Adoniah Abiather and Ioab with others their confederates against the king imagine that he hath and doth rather vsurp and tyranize then that he hath lawfully attained and raigned and therin not answered to his name Solomon which is to say peaceable or a peacemaker But howsoeuer it be surmised or imagined by such kind of persons it is most certaine that the kings entrance with the meanes and manner thereof was both lawfull right and his gouernment therein may be neither condemned nor iustly reproued but rather iustified and commended of all wise and discreet persons King Solomon although he had a promise of the Soueraignty both of the Lord and also of his father he did not presume to vsurpe on the kingdome as Absolon wold haue done when aspiring he lifted vp his hand against his owne father the Lords Annointed Nor would hee do as Adoniah did Sol. was not an vsurper on the kingdome who was extolled and proclaimed king euer Israel in the life time of his father without the consent goodwill or knowledge of the king or of the Quéen The king our Soueraigne Lord knew better what was meet to be done bee remembred how his father dealt towards Saul the king namely that albeit hee knew Saul to bee reiected of the Lord and that himselfe was already annointed to succéede him in the kingdome of Israel he would dot preuent the time that God had appointed nor would he lay his hand on him beeing in his place the Lords annointed although he had many opportunities offered him therto for hee might easily haue slain him both in the Caue and in other places without his owne bodily danger But the king as hee was ordained for the kingdome by the diuine prouidence and the discretion of his father so also he entred by a lawfull and worthie meane and in the due time For King David knowing well the mind of the Lord who had promised him that there shoulde one of his seede sit on his Seate after him and his name should bee Solomon made a faithfull promise vnto Quéene Bethseba the Kinges mother 1. King 1.11.30 that according to the word of the Lord this his Son which was called Solomon should surely raigne after him and shoulde sit vpon his throne therfore as it is also recorded in the kings Annales when that king David being waxen olde and enféebled had heard by the report of the
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
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
Husai Iehosophat the sonne of Paruah Semei the sonne of Ela Gaber the sonne of Vri. These Officers being elected with discretion and so approued were not the children of Belial as proud couetous luxurious extortioners bribers oppressors fighters brawlers or such as were either noted or suspected of anie wicked vice but of a goodlie constitution prudent ingenious of good capacitie gentle courteous of good conscience obedient to the lawes honest and faithfull in their places therein aunswering to the interpretations of their seuerall names either proper or appellatiue Whereby king Solomō was not onely most royally serued with all kind of princly prouision of houshoulde but had his store-houses replete with that which was timely reposed therein for the same and like vses Howbeit Solomon beeing most prudent did euer estéeme his people and subiectts for his best store-house Kings store-house so wel semblant I say not to the open fieldes but to that good Orchard or Gardine well set with diuers kindes of trées which haue in them not onely many branches boughs leaues stems erected but aboundance of fruit wholesome and profitable for mans vse especially then when the same is welhusbandred necessities respected iniuries salued particular causes wel waighed And truly to and for this end had king Solomon those prudent and meete prepositours knowing that by such persons the affaires are commonly well managed and performed but on the contrarie the subiects occasioned iustly to murmure wil be easily perswaded to rebell against the king and his gouernmēt and mens cogitations erst pure may be sorely corrupted especially if they perceiue that they which stand in place of authority shal not obserue that which themselues bid and command which both defaceth their authority and destroieth the good nature of many a man Solomons servants in house * Also the king for his priuate seruants in house had them which were of especiall choice as who for their wisedome strength agilitie actiuitie industrie good disposition manners humanity patience docilitie constancie trust fidelitie and the feare of the Lord were not only best fit to stand before him to gard him to serue him to attend his royall presence and person but also to heare his wisedome to apprehend his iudgements to note his behauiour to imitate his graces and to be interpreters of his wil and word vnto others And indeed these and such are worthie so noble a maister and well it becommeth a king of that puissance and magnanimity to be serued and attended on by such chosen seruants K. Solomons principal Lords But aboue all the rest the king had certaine principall and princelie Lordes by whose graue counsayle iudgement prudence good aduise and prouidence both the king himselfe was assisted consolated and preserued in gouernment and the affaires of the whole kingdome of Israell the better disposed ordered and performed 1. King 4.2 1. Chro. 28. Exod. 18.20 that according to the defier and charge of his father King Dauid who was not vnmindfull of that prudent counsaile which sometimes wise Iethro gane Moses in the right vse wherof himselfe was eased and ayded and the people timely iudged and well gouerned And these are the names of those principall Lordes viz. 1. Azariah 2. Helioreph 3. Ahiah 4. Iehosophat 5. Benaiah 6. Zadock 7. Abiathar 8. Azariah 9. Zabud 10. Ahishar 11. Adoniram Azariah the first of that name was an especiall Lorde attending and assisting the kings person Helioreph and Ahiah were the kings wise Secretaries Scribes ornotaries Iehosophat was the kings Recorder of the gestes or Chronicles Benaiah was the general Captaine ouer the kings hostes in the which office his succeeded Captaine Ioab Zadocke was the chiefe Priest preferred to that function and place after that Abiathar was degraded and put away for his confederacie with Adoniah against King Solomon Abiathar the same before named among the Lordes was a priest who sometimes ministred and attended in the stéede and place of Zadock Azariah the second of that name was a prudent Lorde whome the King had placed ouer those twelue Purueyors or officers before named Zabud was the sonne of Nathan a Priest and the Kinges friend and familiar companion Ahishar was set ouer the Kinges Pallace Adoniram had the authority for the Tributes as high Treasurer of the kingdome A description of King Solomons Counselors As all and euery of those Lords were of no meane choice but some of them such as were commended and left vnto him by his Father Dauid for wise graue Counsaylors and the Sonnes of Nobles so were they most exquisitely qualified and adorned with such princely vertues as appertaine to personages of that ranke As first they were adorned with that perfection of their mēbers as best fitted those affaires to and for the which they were elected and put in place Next they wanted not the goodnes of apprehension to vnderstand whatsoeuer was spoken worthy audiēce Thirdly they were graced with an excellēt memory to retain things heard and apprehended yéelding nothing necessarie the remēbrance to thriftles obliuion 4. they possessed a profound consideration and déepe conceit concerning such difficulties as occurred 5. A courteous affabilitie pleasing speech and ready eloquence but so as therein their tongues concorded with their heartes 6. A learned skill in the liberall sciences 7. They were in word faithfull louers of the truth contemners of lyes composite in manners pleasant gentle tractable well complexioned 8. Also free and without any iust suspition of ebrietie luxurie carnall lusts and notorious offences 9. Men right magnanimious in their purposes and affecting the true honor 10. Not couetous minded but contemning Gold Siluer and other accidentall things of the world in regard of their dutie to God to their king and the common-wealth wherein they had and retayned a most faithfull loue as well of strangers as of their neighbours 11. As they had a loue both to the iust and to iustice so also hated they alkind of iniuries odious offences yeelding euery one his right aiding the oppressed and those which sustained wrong not making at any time the strength of their authoritie their rod of reuenge to beate them whom they affected not in good will but remouing away all iniustice and shew of oppression they set no difference betwéene persons and degrées of men but only betwéene causes as equitie required 12. They had likewise a strong and perseuering purpose in th' execution of things méet the performance audacious deuoid of pusillanimity or feare 13. They knew well the issues of all expences nor were they ignorant of any vtilitie appertinent to good gouernment as whereby the poore subiects might not be iustly occasioned to exclame or complaine of hard or cruel dealings 14. They were neither worders or giuen to high laughters nor gamesters nor common players or such like but graue modest silent temperate and courteous 15. readie to heare such as came to séeke iustice as whereby the king might be eased of that
escaped both death and displeasure Thus also Baruch the noble Captaine harkened to wise Deborah gat the victorie ouer Gods enemies Thus Pharao though a tyrant craued aide of Moses and Aaron to be deliuered from those plagues of Egypt K. Saul permitted little David to enter the field against huge Goliah for Israels glory On the otherside the reprobate Cain would neither know his danger nor be restrained of his purpose and being in distresse would not vouchsafe to craue or séeke for aide whereby he perished a vagabond and exile from the Lord of heauen who cast him off from his grace and mercy Thus the filthy Sodomits stroken with blindnesse would neither thinke of their destruction nor craue nor admit the aduise and aide of righteous Lot who had vexed his soule among them nor any thing regarded the prayer and meanes of faithfull Abraham for their safetie to be short Saul the King disdained David and his comfort notwithstanding he had taken so good experience of his integritie and the power of God in him therefore rather then he would séeme to embrace him and his power he chose to kill himselfe with his owne sword to the daunger of his soule and decay of his glory These be examples to teach and admonish vs. Therefore now following those which haue in their choise declared wisedome to the preseruation and comfort of their soules Let vs withall regard both of the Kings health and of the good of his people both séeke for and embrace those things that may either helpe or comfort both And because the God of heauen is the same from whome and by whome all good thinges descend come vnto his children and which both comfortes and helpes them indeede in all their afflictions and dangers let vs as I said before lift vp vnto him both our hearts and eyes and thus let vs pray and say as the kings father hath taught vs in the like case Psal 20. The Lord God of heauen heare our Lord the King in the day of his trouble The name of the God of Iacob defend him Send him helpe from the Sanctuary and strengthen him out of Zyon Let the Lord God remember all his offeringes and accept his burnt sacrifices Selah The Lord God grant him according to his heart and fulfill all his purpose that we may reioyce in his sauing health and set vp the bāner in the Name of our God when the Lord shall performe all his petitions Now we know this that the Lord will helpe his Annoynted and will heare him from his sanctuary by the mighty helpe of his right hand O Lord most holy saue our Lord King Solomon let him prosper thereby be able to helpe vs by his wisedome power when in thy name we seeke vnto him for succour O Lord in loue heare our prayers be gratious vnto thy King mercifull vnto vs and all thy people for thy holy Names sake Amen Amen CHAP. 3. Iehosophat and the other Princes and Lords call to mind report in order what they haue noted and obserued in Solomons gesture behauiour and wordes as arguments of his troubled mind and misery THe former wordes being spoken the praier ended a pauze againe taken whiles the Lordes looked one on another with heauy hearts sad faces musing much of the kings woful case at lēgth Iehosophat the Recorder opened his mouth and saide Ah las I haue knowne and that not long sithence when at any time the kinges grace sat at his table to eate and to drinke among his Princes and Lords he would wonderfully be solaced and delighted with swéet harmonies of Men-singers and Women-singers whereof he had right many in his Courte and would be excéeding merry and glad in the middest of them all saying A merrie heart is the life of the body prouer 14.30 but envie consumeth away the bones But now sitting at his table in whatsoeuer company and howsoeuer he be serued and attended on he séemeth meruelous sad and wofull he museth he studieth he looketh heuelie he distasteth all thinges and giueth not so much as any sparkle or shew of a merry conceit yea he is wholly ouercome with deepe displeasure which argueth an vnmeasurable griefe of heart and a strange affection of the soule for the face and externall behauiour of a man which is not hypocriticall doth commonly expresse and declare the thought and heart And although the King well knoweth that he which being diseased in the body and distempred in his health when he shal be recreated with the ioy of his minde doth easely recouer if his sicknes be not incurable and that the most naturall cure of the diseased is to procure or occasion him some ioy or mirth of the minde for often times the sick man by the comfort of gladnes is eased yet to them which now laugh and would assay to prouoke the king to laughter for the same cause he sayeth ye are meere mad persons Eccles 2.1 The true vnderstanding of these the kings words is afterward declared by Zadok in his Apologie for Solomon and to them which proffer him mirth to recreate his mind he saieth Sirs what is it which ye do When any man willing to put him out of this conceit inuiteth him to a feast or banquet he denieth to come being vnwilling to enter into such houses saying It is better to goe into the house of mourning then into the house of feasting Moreouer of all those pleasant pastimes and delightes of the sonnes of men the which sometimes hee so much affected and of all their pleasures counselles studies laboures deuises policies workes and wisedome vnder the Sunne seeme they neuer so laudable in the eyes and estimation of worldly men he saieth Eccles Cap. 1.2.3 Vanitie vanitie of vanities and all is meere vanitie For what els doeth a man get profitable for himselfe of all those trauails which he taketh vnder the Sunne wherefore trauaile men in the wynd and what good thing is there to be found or enioyed or tasted of by men vnder the Sunne * This being said Azariah rose vp Azariah stoode foorth and spake againe The same thing said he haue I also lately noted in my Lord the King Hee was wont to walke foorth into his garding Eccl. 2.4.5.6 to view his Orchardes his Pondes and his fishing pooles to beholde with delight his faire houses and beautifull buildings and to take great pleasure in all the delights of the sonnes of men at all times but now alas hee rather conteyneth himselfe solitarilie within his Chamber pensiue sad now all the works which his hand hath made and all the things vnder the Sunne wherin heretofore he tooke such passing great pleasure to the wonder of all his Princes séeme vain and loathsome vnto his soule Solomon loatheth his labors and delights And as I sawe him of late to passe by and to behold them all I heard him with these eares sodainly to sigh
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
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Kinges Mother and Nathan that Adoniah had proudly vsurped and that this Solomon his beloued sonne and choson heire apparant was to bee taken for a sinner in Adoniah his sight contrary to the Kinges promise made and confirmed by an oath to Bethseba and NathaÌ„ in that behalfe David was very highly displeased with Adoniah and sware againe vnto Bethseba saying 1 King 1.29 As the Lorde liveth who hath redeemed my soule out of al adversity that as I sware vnto thee by the Lord God of Israel saying assuredly Solomon thy sonne shall raigne after me and he shall sit upon my throne in my place so will I certainly do this day Whereupon King David commanded mee and Nathan the Lordes prophet to annoint his sonne Solomon King ouer Israel euen whiles that David liued the which wee both faithfully performed Wherat David then greatly reioiced and praised the Lord vpon his bedde and he said Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath made one to sit on my throne this day even in my sight Therefore this thing being so diuinely prouided and handled in al pointes so directly no man may iustly reproue it neither may the King in the due consideration thereof now in his elder daies either repent thereof or be touched with sorrowe in his heart Nor may wee otherwise thinke but that the Lord of Israel louing well his people hath set our Lord the King on the seate of his Father to do equity and righteousnes in the same 1 King 10. Solomons proceeâ—ings against Adoniah as the noble Queene of Sheba at her beeing heere right worthily testified and as a prophitesse in that behalfe blessed the Lord and the King in the same Moreouer I haue not found that my Lord the king hath merited blame or dislike in any his dealinges touching his said brother Adoniah who had so vniustly exalted himselfe as an Eagle in the clouds of heauen against his honour for truly contrary to the wonted vse of worldly Princes and potentates which cannot easily permit or beare a coÌ„petitor of the kingdome he did not rashly or seuerely execute displeasure of Adoniah but being perfect wise of a most royal heart and of noble Lyons nature perceiuing him to stand infeare of him to submit himselfe to his gratious mercy on the grouÌ„d he gladly pardoned him with this saying that not so much as one haire of his head shoulde fall to the earth if he would thenceforth shew himselfe a worthie man and so commanded him to goe to his house in peace and to rest himselfe so long as wickednes might not be found in him No doubt the king remembred that worthy example of Ioseph so ful of piety who notwithstaÌ„ding the great iniury his brethren had done him Gen. 50.20 did vpon their submission and request forgiue and forget all yea he was so farre from reuenging that iniury that he said fear not now will I nourish you and your children and he comforted them and spake kindly vnto them * Thus farre procéeded Zadoke Benaiah and then Benaiah because he was not onely an eye witnesse but also an actor therin stood forth said And al this do I perfectly remeÌ„ber being especially called appointed by king David together with your reuerence and Nathan the Prophet to deale for the king in those high matters the which I doubt not but NathaÌ„ would also confirme if he were present and therein commend and praise that noble magnanimity ano rare clemency of the king extended towardes his capitall enemy at such his entraÌ„ce into the kingdome when as beeing not yet so perfectly setled scarcely knowing his friendes from his foes hee might rather haue feared the euent of such a dangerous manumission pardon Solomon was not willing to revenge an iniury It appeared that the gratious king was not only glad to pardoÌ„ him which had submitted himselfe and promised obedieÌ„ce but also carefull to eschew all colour or suspicion of tyranny or cruell dealing euen to an aduersary Some Princes and mightie persons in such cases are seuere persecutors euen to the death of them which haue neuer so little offended them although neither they haue nor can possibly hurt them and such as the king well knoweth are more hurtfull to their owne territories then the brute creatures are to such as neuer hurt or annoied them The Dolphin Fish Wee find of the Sea-Dolphins of whose nature the king hath spoken among other beastes and Fishes that if perchance they find a dead man in the seas they feele by the smell of him whether hee hath euer eaten of Dolphin Fish the which if at any time he hath then they deuoure him if not then they defend him from the biting of all other Fishes and bring him to the shoare as it were to his funeralles in the earth Lo although theis Sea-beasts doe by nature reuenge any iniurie yet are they farre off from the persecuting of him that neuer hurt or annoyed them howbeit such is mans cruelty and commonly the vse of mighty persons that they persecute and hurt them grieuously of whome they neuer receiued nor are like to receiue any dammage at all Wherein they righgtly resemble the wolfe which quarrelled with the Lambe and tooke an occasion to kill and deuour him because he drank beneath him in the riuer But as I said albeit it had beene but a iust thing in the king to haue reuenged that iniury yet was hee more mercifull and gentle to his foes to whome in steede of death deserued zadoke hee pardoned and them preserued * Yee haue well saide quod Zadoke and thus shoulde Adoniah haue well remembred and considered accordingly and not haue attempted further matter to prouoke the Kings displeasure and turne mercy into iustice against his owne life But seeing that hee woulde not continue thankefull vnto his Grace but renewe his old malice and thereby worke to supplant the Lordes Annointed I see no reason why the King shoulde further spare him to the danger of his own safetie Therefore I verily belieue that the king hath hath not offended either against God or the lawe in that hee afterward perceiuing the wickednes and ambitious practises of Adoniah Benaiah did cause him to bee rewarded with death And well worthie said Benaiah for notwithstanding the King had most gratiously pardoned him and charged him thereon in my hearing to bee conteyned within his owne house hee yet presumed too boldely to come foorth and most malepertly to rush into the Queenes Chamber after Davids death in such sorte that shee was therewith wonderfully afraide of him neither coulde shee easily bee perswaded that hee beeing her mortal enemy though now subdued would either wish her well or entend her any good For as enemies are not to bee trusted notwithstanding their faire faces and wordes so beyond others had she a great cause to doubt of Adoniah who as she wel knew bare her a deadly hatred for that by her means
Potentates where we often behold and consider how the Lordes priestes prophets and faithfull seruantes are not onely neglected but vnreuerentlie contemned and abused and that for the lightest causes that may be imagined we see that seueritie recompenseth priuate iniuries against all men without mercie and we see that little kindnesse is found to consider of great benefites of them which be liuing much lesse of them that be dead of whom the prouerbe is beaten Out of sight out of mind 1. Sam. 22.17 Such hath beene the vngodly behauiour of Saul towards Abimelech and the Priestes of the Lord whome notwithstanding they had made their honest excuse withall humilitie hee commaunded Doeg the Edomite to murther euen fourescore and fiue persons that did weare a linnen Ephod yea and bee smote with the edge of the sworde Nob the Cittie of the Priestes both men and women children and sucklinges Gen. 37.20 oxen and asses and sheepe with horrible crueltie Thus the brethren of Ioseph hardly handled their poore brother in that they did not onely cast him into a pit but sold him away as a bondslaue to strangers following therein the Nature of Cain who murthered Abel his brother vpon an offence not giuen Gen. 4. but taken Iudg. 7. And thus the vnthankfull Sichemites in the time of the Iudges notwithstanding that Gedeon had beene beneficiall to Israel shewed no mercy vnto his house but gaue consent to the setting vp of Abimelech the tyrant to the destruction of the same But thus hath not our King done Neuerthelesse as reason required he remoued Abiather both from his office and also from out of the Court for hee had distained his honour and disgraced his function by his lewde behauiour therein and was an enemie to the kinges estate Therefore that he might not longer abuse the place so fit for a better person yea for a person perfect and well approued Treacherous persons are euer suspected againe that he might not thenceforth as he was an enemie vnhappily moue or entise any of the Kinges Courte to conspire with him against the king and his gouernement hee was iustly depriued of the one and banished from the other for as it is indeed wisedome in time to cast out of the congregation such by whome the same is daily offended and the place abused to auoid the contempt which by such persons is often occasioned so it is good policie timely to obserue sequestre and put apart such dangerous persons from the presence of Princes and from the societie of their Lordes and seruantes left they both infect and inflame and so confound the body with the head by the contagion of their trecherous plots wicked designes and pestilent practizes in and about the which will euer bee their dailie and greatest studies and indeuours for they are set on the pricked forth by the Syre of treasons and broacher of rebellions Hence was it that Moses commanded a separation between the Israelites and Corah Dathan and Abiram whome the earth opening swallowed vppe in their rebellion Thus the Lord reproued Cain for his enuy and anger against Abel his brother and admonished him to his dutie but after that hee had listed vppe his hand against him murthered him he expelled him though too late and sent him an exile from his fathers house So also after that Ismael was noted to be a persecuter and derider of his brother whome hee sought to supplant hee was shut out of Abrahams house with Hagar his mother who had counselled and defended him in his wickednesse Therfore wee may perswade that this proceeding and iudgement of the king against Abiather for the abuse of his function and his treacherie against both David and our Lord the king being both lawfull and discreetely handled according to the diuine prouidence and the equitie of the law is not the cause of the kinges present sorrow To this all the Princes subscribed gladly iustifying the wise and worthy iudgement of the king with all his proceedinges therein in whom they did manifestly behold the wisedome of the most high God to doe equity and righteousnes CAP. XIII Of Solomons proceedinges against Ioab and Shimei KIng Solomon being iustified and commended in his iudgement procéedinges against Adoniah and Abiather in th' execution of th' one Azariah and the depriuatiō of th' other Azariah the chiefe of the Collectors came foorth said But there be which do not only blame but condemne the King concerning his dealing against his Cosen Ioab chiefly after he had taken holde of the hornes of the Altar where for the holinesse and reuerence of the place be presumed of securitie for he verily thought that the king which was wise and singularly affected the holy Religion would haue rather reuerenced the place and not aduentured to plucke any man out of the Lords house especially from the high Altar which did flie thither for defence and safetie as to the Sanctuary of the Lord. To this Benaiah the chiefe Captaine answered Benaiah against Ioab In that my Lord as I am well assured of mine owne guiltlesse hand being especially charged by the king to slay Ioab for indéede I slew him at the kings commaundement so am I well perswaded of the perfect wisedome and vpright iudgemēt of the king in that matter for diuers causes first for that Ioab had beene of the confederacie with Abiather yea and a chiefe Counsellor of Adoniah both against K. David and against our Lord the king for although he were the sonne of Zaruiah Davids sister placed by him in a very high grade and authority as the chiefe Captaine of all his heastes and had béene bolde in the presumption thereof to doe and commit many thinges both vnlawfull and vndecent against the kings will and good liking as in the murther of Abner and Amasa and such like yet here he presumed too too farre for as it was not lawfull nor conuenient so was it neither safe for himselfe to aduenture to set vp and to proclaime Adoniah king ouer Israel in the life time of K. David without the goodwill and manifest commaundement and warrant of the king and of his noble Counsellors vnto whom it better became Ioab to haue submitted himselfe his Counsailes to whom he should haue hearkened and yéelded the due honour according to the law chiefly in this high matter and not in such malepert lewde sort haue vsurped on the Kings gratious fauour arrogantly presumed so farre on the authority of his high place Truely this is a fault which is often committed and no lesse noted in them whom the fauour of gratious Princes hath aduanced and graced and the honour of the place hath puffed vppe so far Men being in honour do often forget themselues that forgetting themselues and their dutie they neither foresée their owne dangers imminent for it is sufficiently proued that many men being sodainely exalted are also sodainely depressed and humbled in their pride by the same
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
and considered what the swéet Psalmist of Israel euen the kinges father both prophesied and diuinely modulated thereof in these wordes O daughter now take heed incline and giue good eare Thou must forsake thy kindred all and fathers house most deere So shall the king affect thy beautie faire and trim For why he is the Lord thy God thou must worship him The Daughters then of Tyre with gifts full rich to see And all the wealthy of the land shal make their suits to thee Secondly after this as it is left in Record King Solomon loued Iehova his God walking in the ordināces of David his father offered vnto the Lord a 1000. whole burnt offerings the Lord being louing most mercifull vnto him did not only accept the same at his hands but had him aske of him whatsoeuer he would that it might be giuē him He asked wisedome the Lord his God heard him granted him his request declared his loue good pleasure towards him his actiōs procéedings by many notable arguments the which as we may persuade with the wife of Manoah he would neuer haue done had he not loued him or had he bin willing to haue reprobated him Thirdly albeit the Egyptians which had forgotten Ioseph and the manifolde benefites they enioyed by him in his time had grieuously afflicted our fathers as Moses hath recorded it yet as before that time our Fathers Abraham Isaack and Iacob and their children haue found refreshing and comfort from thence and therefore haue been contented to soiourne there and to ioyne in amitie with them so without any abuse of our Religion or danger of our consciences or iust offence to any being stedfastly purposed to reteine the right honour of Iehova our God we could not see How farre we may win amitie with strangers why we should denie this amitie or to conuerse with them that are well pleased not only to help vs at al needs with the things that appertaine to the vse and comfort of bodyes and life but also to bee reclaymed and willingly consent to serue the Lorde of Israel together with vs circumcising the foreskins of their hearts as Moses exhorteth And to such a purpose aymed our fathers the sonnes of Iacob Gen. 34.14 when speaking of the cause in question betweene Sechem and Dina their sister whom he desired they answered Sechem and Hamor his father saying We cannot doe this thing to giue our sister to an vncircumcised man for that were a reproofe vnto vs but in this will we consent vnto you if ye will be as we are that euery man childe among you be circumcised then will we giue our daughters to you we will take your daughters to vs will dwel with you and be one people Neuertheles to auoyd al occasiō of iust offence which might be taken of the kings wiues being brought into the house of David because the place was sanctified and the Arke of God was reposed therein therefore the king built a house for this Quéene remote from Bethlem placed her therin where she continued Neither haue we heard any exception made as yet to the king for such his matching or conuersing with her Therefore I perswade that this is not the thing which so much offends him now except perchaunce he perceiueth that she hath a desire to returne againe into Egypt and to looke backe behinde him as the vnhappy wife of Lot did the which the Lord forbid or that there is mooued twirt them some secret emulatiō ielousie or dislike wherof I may not presume to talke nor might I were I able to expresse it the wringing of the shoo being knowne to him only which weareth it Helioreph Ye haue very well said my Lord quod noble Helioreph and the like may bee well resolued of the kings amitie with Hyram the Prince of Tyrus and Sidon although there bee of our nation that thereat bee much offended disliking that the Israelites should meddle with or haue to doe with any of them which are without no lesse then in times past it was an abomination to the Egyptians to eat and drinke with the Hebrewes And surely this affinitie and amitie was not made vpon meane occasions nor indeede without an especiall instinct of Gods spirite which had mooued and perswaded Hyram though an heathen Prince without the motion of king Solomon as of his owne accord to desire and seeke for this league and societie the which truely was first begun betweene king David and him from whom David gratefully acknowledged the receiuing of many good things yea and such as were appointed and laid vp to and for the building of the Lords house in Ierusalem In regard of that amitie with his father being now renewed and yet continued with him hee vouchsafed to honor him with the name of his father calling him his father Hyram Wherein as he verily manifested his right thankefull minde to so bountifull a benefactor and godly wel-willer so learneth he all children as by a true Copie in what honor reuerence estimatiō they should hold those persons who had beene not onely familiar but most louing and beneficiall vnto their Parents in their liues Likewise in king Hyrams combination with Solomon as there is a perfect intimation of the coniunction of both the Iewes and Gentiles within one Temple as whereof the mystycall Church should be compleate in the time appoynted so are they which yet be without to yeeld obedient heartes to this perswasion of the diuine spirit as whereby with all alacritie and ready willes they might run after him which both mooueth and draweth them according to that louely word and desire of the holy Spowsesse whom the King in his most excellent song bringeth in with this saying Cant. 3 O draw me foorth after thee and then shall we run Next it was respected that king Hyrā was a man very wise he feared serued Iehovah the God of Israel and was wonderfully qualified in all kinde of princely graces Else truly would not king David haue obliged himselfe in such a mutuall loue with him who as himselfe protested could neuer abide either prophane persons or froward hearts or any of them which had an euill wil at Zion Neither would the king himselfe as we well know being as the Angell of God perfit in knowledge of exquisite wisedome repleate with the spirit of God and chiefly then when both the Lord loued him fauoured him and blessed him with an admirable peace and namely in the time wherein he was busied in the building of the Lords house wherein he euer depended on the helpe and hand of God to asist him haue had any commerce or dealing at all with Hyram had he not well knowen that as it was Gods will and working therein so Hyram was a person that was to be regarded Thirdly Hyram was right beautifull and set as it were in the pleasant Paradise Ezec. 28. deckt with all manner of pretious stones
with Rubies Tophas Diamond Thurkoie Onyx Iasper Saphyr Emeralde Carbuncle and gold with Tymbrels and Musicall pipes he was as an annointed Cherub and holy placed in the sacred mount of God and made perfect in his wayes A king of Maiestie and of excellent regard for his admirable vertues Hyram his name interpreted worthily alluding to his noble name being as one would say loving exceedingly the promotion of life the beautie of them that appertaine to him freedome or libertie an high mountaine a faithfull watch a bearing or powring forth that is to say of treasures and good thinges for the helpe and comfort of others the citie or refuge of them that maintaine peace and a discovering or vnderstanding of thinges divine and profitable Fourthly as this right noble Prince had an especiall loue to the Lord the God of Israel and his most holy Religion and therefore affected wondrous well both king David 1. King 5.1.7.8 and our Lord K. Solomon so was hee euer most glad willing and ready to send vnto either of them whatsoeuer they requested of him for and towardes the building of both the Lords house and also the kinges house in the greatest aboundance for as his land was plentifull and abounding with all those thinges before mentioned that by the especial blessing of God so thought he they could not be better employed then on the king and chiefly to and for so excellent a monument as he had purposed to erect to the name of Iehovah his God the same God I say which Hyram also so deuoutely honored to the prayse of his Maiesty the true solace of his soule and the good example of others Furthermore Hyram reioycing greatly to heare tel of our Soueraigne Lord now lately aduāced on the glorious seate of his father hee glorified God with this saying Blessed be the Lord this day who hath given vnto David a wise sonne to raigne ouer this mightie people Moreouer hee sent a message to the king saying I have considered all the things of the which thou hast sent vnto me and I wil surely accomplish all thy desire therein c. So that both the faith and pietie of king Hyram was plainely manifested in this kinde of congratulation of Solomons graces especially for that religious institution concerning the setting forth of the holy Religion as whereby not onely we Iewes might glorie of this that wee haue beene earnest professors of Gods law and builders of his house But that also the Gentiles whom wee sometimes abhorred are by the diuine fauour instigated and perswaded to conioine with vs in the performance of the same the which also as wee haue seene happilie to commence hath been continued and yet is enioyed to the comfort of vs all Therefore as for this benefit wee are bound to be thankfull to God and gratefull to that good King so haue wee not found or may perceiue any iust cause of offence to spring therence or that the King should thereof be greeued and perplexed in mind as at this time we obserue him to bee There is some other matter doubtles that causeth the sadnesse the which would to God wee could both find and remedy with speede for long delayes bring dangers especially in the cure of a wounded languishing head Then Lord Ahiah opening his mouth spake to this effect Ye haue well saide of the two former namely touching king Pharaohs daughter and the Tyrian king with whome the kinges Maiestie hath vnited himselfe with the former in mariage with the second in mutual amitie Ahiah speaketh of the Queene of Saba And this also may bee spoken of the most vertuous Queene of Arabia that vpon the report of the kinges seruantes which were sent at Ophir for gold prepared herselfe in great roialtie and came hether to this end to heare the kinges wisedome and to learne the religion of Iehovah our God and thereon she was happilie taught instructed being no doubt moued and perswaded thereunto by the diuine power who as we perceiue is willing that the Gentiles should partake with vs of those thinges which appertaine to the highest honour of our God and eternall happinesse as ye haue before intimated Now therefore the king knowing the purpose of God in this point and vnderstanding by his wisedome that her repaire vnto him was for this very end hee gladly welcomed her with her traine 1. King 10. and most willingly satisfied her mind euery way for he declared vnto her al her hard questions touching those diuine things for she had propounded many vnto him so that there was not one thing hiddē frō the king which he expounded not vnto her But when she saw his royall Maiestie with her eyes heard his words with her eares and well considered the admirable building of his house the excellēt orders of his noble Princes seruants and many semblable things farre passing all others and beyond the report she had heard which yet was merueilous she was throughlie rauished and astonied and thereon brake forth blessing the Lord blessing the kings royall maiestie and those his seruants with many emphaticall wordes and wonderfull gestures of bodie declaring her selfe at this time rather a true Iewish deuoted with the zeale of the glorie of our God then a Gentile as one educated and nurtured not in Arabia but in the Cittie of Ierusalem yea in Sion the Lords holie hill and sanctified Tabernacle all the daies of her life What kind of persons king Solomon accepted into league And here note I beseech you that as our most sacred Soueraigne hath entred league or affinitie with none of this kind I meane the out-landish before that they had acknowledged the Lord conuerted vnto him and made faithfull voues and promisses to be the Lordes and to feare him as somtimes Ruth and Rahab had done as the law in that case did require so refused he not any whosoeuer in this mind and sinceritie of heart came or offered themselues vnto him with a desire either to learne of him wisdome or to gratifie his wisdome glorie and prosperitie according to the true sense of the same law In or by the which we haue not found that the State of our holie Religion hath beene at any time altered or the same any way empaired or neglected but we haue seene that by this our shining candle many other candles haue beene kindled and our owne nothing blemished or consumed thereby All this doubtlesse was in our king very prayse-worthy as that which fitteth the high honor of a Soueraigne Prince Ahishar speaketh of the kings age and of his declining and death * In very truth as ye haue well spoken quod Ahishar But heare mee my Lordes might not this griefe be occasioned of this that the king now striken in yeares and well knowing himselfe a mortall man though a maiesticall King in his place doth either by his rare wisdome or some late inspiration perceiue that he must of necessitie shortlie giue ouer
indeede as it is reported for the space of an hundred yeeres after that time Howsoeuer it was no doubt his griefe that way conceiued was vnspeakeable neither is the kings sorrow foreseeing such a thing to ensew him in the dayes of Rehoboam any meane or measurable sorrow Oh therfore that yet it wold please the Lord our God if possibly it may be in his mercy to allure and perswade Prince Rehoboam to feare his highest maiesty and to keep his lawes which is that which is required of him in his duty to honour his father our Soueraigne King in his life that his dayes may bee prolonged in this land to hearken to godly and graue counsell to remember his creator euen in those his tender yeeres and to learne and follow that which belongeth both to his fathers peace the safety of Israel and his own honour In summe that hee so order and demeane himselfe and his family in the true vse of his fathers faith and religion with the dayly exercise of his princely vertues that al Israel may bee moued by God to bee willing to incline vnto him and to obey him as a man most meete to succeede him and to sit on his seat whensoeuer it shall please God to take from over vs our Lord the king To this answered the Princes present Verily verily these be causes and argumentes waightie and sufficient to prouoke sorrow and griefe and such as may trouble any King Prince or Potentate in the world But wee yet hoped that seeing these troubles are such as commonly follow the nature of man Wise men bee not soone over come with ordinary afflictions and to the which all men in this life be of force subiected the king being most prudent and prouident will not be ouercome nor quailed with these or any such passions but will assay as he knoweth he should to beare and digest them or so to passe them ouer as hee may rather take profit then hurt thereby to himselfe Thus he seeth what Noah and Abraham Moses and Samuel Iehosuah and David with such other noble personages haue done in the like cases in their times The whiles it is our parts and duties to counsaile and perswade the king to that which shal be most meet and profitable aswell for his owne health as for the common good and therein not to contemne nor neglect Prince Rehoboam nor to defraud his honour hoping and wishing for the best to ensewe touching him howsoeuer God shall worke to dispose of matters in his secret counsaile that so the fault of his disobedience and defect if so it fall out may neither bee ours nor any way occasioned by any of vs. And so Iehovah our God be mercifull vnto our soueraigne Lord vnto Rehoboam his sonne vnto vs and vnto all Israel the land of his delight Now it may please you most reuerend father to call to minde that sixth cause of the kinges grieued heart which came as ye said of Hadad of Rezon and of Ieroboam The 6. cause of Solomons sorrowe the kinges aduersaries and of euery of them It is certaine answered Zadoke that troubles be common in all places of the world and incident to al men liuing on the earth seeing that al men be sinners and no man doth good as both David in his songs and our king in his wise parables record neither therfore is anyone man without his particular crosse Troubles are common nor any person without his aduersary or enemy to vex molest him eueÌ„ then when he seeketh to be quiet And surely it is rare an especial blessing of God when men may enioy peaceable times to finish their works taken in hand for the glory of God and the weale of his people as had our king during the time he was occupied in the building of the Lords house The kings father knew this wel all the histories of the former times are stored with such spectacles and examples that troubles awaite all men in this life Howbeit these things seeme strange and so wer vnto them which haue in loÌ„g peace liued and prospered vnder the raigne of peaceable Princes as we haue done in the happy time of our Soueraigne Lord. 1. King 11.14.23 Hadad the Edomiâ—e Now so it is that very lately as ye know there be risen vp against the king and his people those three namely Hadad Rezon and Ieroboam dangerous and shrewde enemies for that Hadad as ye remember is an Edomite of the kings Seede which was in Edom. And that when David the kings father was sometimes in Edom in the time of his warres and that Ioab then the captain of the hoast was gone vp to bury them that were slaine in the battayle he smote all the men-childreÌ„ of Edom. At what time this Hadad fled certaine other Edomites of his Fathers seruants with him to come into Aegypt Hadad being yet but a little Child Howbeit he had gotten fauour in the sight of Pharao the king who hath giuen him to wife the sister of his own wife euen the sister of Thaphynes the Queene Now as soone as Hadad had heard tell that David was laid to his Fathers and that Ioab also then captaine of the hoast was dead hee came againe into Israel by the power and assistance of Pharao where after processe of times being strengthned by his affinitie and combination with the Aegyptian King he tooke an occasion to rebell to stand vp against our Lord the King It appeared that hee had a mischieuous mind both against the king against all his house wherby not only the king and his court was much troubled but his subiects especially those territories which embordered on Hadad were annoyed with sodaine incursions inuasions and spoiles The king God knoweth hath long liued raigned in great peace with all nations as with his friendes now must he study euery day how to defeÌ„d himselfe against theÌ„ as his enemies And Hadad as I may say is not only an enemy so professed but a most daÌ„gerous enemy that not far off but eueÌ„ at home within his graces dominioÌ„s and the more for that Pharao whom the king had so many wayes benefited Take heede of old enemies in regard of loue and good will was contented to take a wife from thence to confirme the league of mutuall friendshippe betweene them By the which wee may obserue as it is not safe for a man to trust his enemy then when hee hath gotten habilitie with waies and meanes to reuenge an olde grief so neither is it wisedome either to trust or depend much on them which are of another religion howsoeuer they offer themselues obsequious vnto vs then when wee may pleasure them in the thinges of this life For surely though Nature be supprest yet will she sprout againe What oathes vowes or promises soever are giuen or taken to the contrary notwithstanding Therfore how could this be otherwise then a griefe to the king The second aduersary
betide him could not so much hurt or annoy either him or his people as it shal be for his and their good so long as both he and they shal feare God The safety of them whome God preserveth howsoeuer it should seeme hurtful and loathsome in the eyes of men See therefore what a soueraign good thing it is to feare the Lord for such as feare him the Lord loueth thē whom he loueth he safely protecteth and for that their protection he hath a speciall care and regard This David considered found in triall to be true and therefore did sing as in the Psalme psal 91.11 For why vnto his Angels bright a speciall charge gives hee In all thy waies for to protect preserve and prosper thee And that they beare thee in their handes and waite still thee vpon That not vnwares thou fall nor bruse thy foote against a stone Thus are they happy which feare the Lorde because the Lord blesseth and preserueth them But now the king perceiueth that the Lord hath turned away his gratious countenāce looketh sternly angerly vpō him vpon his people and that the fierce wrath of God is bent and now comming vnto him and vs the force whereof no man liuing is able to resist or to withstand For who can beare the matchlesse power of the Almightie A description of God being angry God in his anger is as a ramping Lyon as an hungry Beare as a consuming fire as a mightie storme as a waliant warryer as a cruell tyrant as a mighty Gyant as a terrible Iudge If hee touch the high mountaines they shall tremble and smoke as David did sing And this to confirme the king hath placed before his eyes the fearefull Iudgements of God which in his wrath were executed on the old rebellious people he remembreth that when the Lord God was prouoked to anger by the disobedience of our first parents Adam Gen. 3.24 and Hevah though they were his beloued and the first that hee had created in his owne Image hee looked sternely on them and withall hee delayed not to call them into iust iudgement nor spared he to punish them Therfore he sent thē both out of pleasant Paradize opposed them to all miseries and barred the gate that they might not enter into that blessed Tabernacle which was appointed not for the polluted but for cleane and holy persons The king also remembreth the example of Gods heauy wrath against Cayn Gen. 4. whom he reprobated punished and banished from his fathers house and made a vagabond on the earth and that iustly because he had sinned against the Lorde in killing of his brother He setteth also before his face the example of Gods fierce anger on the olde worldings in the time of Noah whom hee destroyed without mercie with the flood of waters Gen. 6. hee calleth into memory the example of the diuine wrath executed on the filthy Sodomites Gen. 19. whom the Lord burned with fire and brimstome Hee is not vnmindfull Exod. 32.28 how the Lord vexed and afflicted our Fathers in the wildernesse when they had angred him with their sinnes of whom onely two of them which came out of Egypt being aboue twentie yeares of age could recouer possession in the promised land Neither is he forgetfull how terrible the Lord shewed himselfe to king David and his people not onely then 2. Sam. 12. when David had transgressed in the case of Vriah but also when he had numbred the people For the one offence the Lord stirred vp his owne sonne and them of his owne house against him and for the other threescore and ten thousand perished with pestilence and had not David repented and entreated mercie he had likewise perished in that high displeasure Sin is odious to God For sinne is that which the Lord abhorreth and as odious as is a Toade or serpent to a man so is the sin that men commit against the Lord vnto him so that as they are contemned and abandoned of men which nourish and foster vp such venemous beasts they are no lesse loathsome to God which commit sin and wallow and tumble in the filthinesse of that which God abhorreth Therefore vpon such as David said the Lorde raineth haile fire and brimstone which is their portion in his wrath neither is there any thing els due vnto them but death shame and confusion againe praying against such hee saith to the Lord Set thou an vngodly man to be Ruler over him and let Sathan stand at his right hand psal 109. When sentence is given vpon him let him bee condemned let his prayer bee turned into sinne Let his dayes be few and let another take his office Let his children bee fatherles and his wife a widow let his children be vagabonds and begge their bread let them seeke it also out of desolate places Let the extortioner consume all that he hath and let the stranger spoile his labour let there be no man to pittie him nor to haue compassion vpon his fatherles children Let his posteritie be destroyed and in the next generation let his name bee cleane put out let the wickednes of his fathers be had in remembrance in the sight of the Lord and let not the sinne of his mother he done away c. Now of such things feareth the king and therefore is waxen very pensiue and heauy not able to withstand the strokes of Gods anger conceiued against him and his people The fiercenes of Gods wrath * Alas Alas then sayd the Princes it is a most fearefull thing to prouoke the Lord to fall into his hands with guiltie consciences for wonderfull and terrible is the Lord in his wrath as ye haue well sayd For though the Lord be slow to anger when hee looketh for mans repentance amendement of life yet is he of great power and will in no case acquit the wicked Though he be most mercifull being pleased yet being prouoked he is most terrible and cruell to them that prouoke him His dealing will be with blustring stormes high tempests and whirle-winds and the cloudes of the ayre are the dust of his feete he will rebuke the raging sea and dry it vp with all the famous riuers of the land yea Basan and Carmel shall shrinke the spring also of Libanus shall be destroyed and the faire trees thereof shal be burnt with fire The great mountaines shall quake at his mighty power and the hils shal be dissolued the earth also shall burne at his sterne countenance with the worlde and all that dwelleth therein What man is hee that is able to stand before his fierce wrath or who can rise vp before the dreadfull anger of his countenance his fiercenesse is powred foorth like consuming fire yea the hard Rocks cleaue in peeces at his might the strong pillars of heauen tremble and all the kindreds of the earth weepe and waile before him when hee beginneth to appeare to visite
wiues Ada and Zella And to let passe others David the kings father a man so well beloued of God had diuers wiues of whome he begate sonnes and daughters Therefore why might not the king do the like zadok answereth to the pluralitie of wiues To this answered Zadok It is true howbeit wee should not liue by examples of men but according to the Lawe of the Lorde All men be sinners and offend in many things therefore what they doe we may not respect nor presume to follow but regard what the Lorde hath instituted and commanded And surely this pluralitie of wiues hath beene a fault euen in those fathers Gen. 3.15 16.3 howsoeuer they aymed thereby to the multiplying of their séede whereof they hoped the Messiah should be borne according to the promise Neither should they haue staggered in faith touching the Messiah to imagine that Gods promise could not haue beene performed without their owne wisedome and meanes Abraham seeing his wife aged thought that the promise of God should haue holden on the venter of Hagar howbeit God being faithfull effected his promise in Sarah though beyond the course of nature and mans expectation And this to prooue we reade that at the beginning when God created man he made them Male and Female and therein not three or foure or more but only two in one flesh namely one man and one woman Gen. 2.24 And there-vpon this Law was ordained that for this cause a man should leave his father and mother and should cleave to his wife not Wiues This was the first Institution of Matrimonie and thus it was obserued by Adam by Seth by Enos by Kenan by Mehalaleel by Jared by Henoch by Methusalah by Lamech and Noah and his three sonnes who as we read brought into the Arke with them euery of them one wife for they were but eight persons in all that is to say foure men and so many women being their wiues gen 4.19 The breach of this Institution was first found in that other Lamech which descended from Cayn and afterward as it is deliuered to vs killed Cayn with a dart From whom it was drawen to others continued for a custome in the posteritie though so contrary to the Law and ordinance of the Lord. But leauing the errors of those we are to obserue that first ordinance with those holy fathers of that first Age if we will be free from blame in that respect and not presume the transgression thereof howsoeuer some others bee they kings or potentates of the earth haue followed or faulted and beene tollerated in the abuse of the same But after this there is a speciall Law prouided by the Lord and giuen by Moses Deut. 17. vnto kings and princes before all others that none of them should multiply wiues to himselfe And this the kings mother doubtlesse considered when schooling him she thus charged him saying Pro. 31.2 O my deerely beloved sonne Laemuel give not over thy strength and wayes vnto Women which are the destruction even of kings It may bee shee called to minde Homer II. Vliss A tragicall History written before this time gen 6. what is written in that Heathen Storie of the destruction that fellon so many Kings and Princes in and about Troy touching the rauishing of Helena It may be she remembred what betyded the olde world for the euill coniunction of the sonnes of God with the daughters of men And the king himselfe sometimes in the remembrance of this Lesson could aduise others from this destruction Saying Pro. 5.18.19 Let thy wel be blessed and be glad with the wife of thy youth let her be as the louing Hynde and pleasant Roe let her breasts alwayes satisfie thee and hold thee ever content with her love Hee speaketh of a wife not wiues neuertheles howsoeuer it hath beene occasioned the king hath offended yea he hath wonderfully exceeded therein for he hath not contented his lust with one wife according to the Law nor with a fewe wiues after the example of those godly Fathers Abraham and Iacob but he hath taken vnto himself 700. wiues which were Quéens 300. Concubines in the whole a 1000. as the like was neuer heard off before this time And by these women hee hath béene drawen into an inordinate lust and bin ouercome in affection to the stayning of his honor blemishing of his holy profession the which is in him an heynous fault For although the heathē which know not God and are as brute beastes without vnderstanding doe neigh as the stoned horses after euery woman that hath a faire face and séeke to satisfie their fleshly lusts in these kinds of pleasure yet should not king Solomon endowed with so excellent a spirit and wisedome haue sought to satisfie his desire therein and that the rather because as the constancie of the chaste helpeth to the prolonging of life The inconveniences of fleshly lust as appeareth in the Vultures which being chaste and sober that way liue as it is said by nature an hundred yeeres so they which delight in fleshly lust and be so ordinarily inflamed and ouercome with the same are of a very short life as wée may see in those Sparrowes which of other birdes are full of Lecherie And it is a sure axiome that they which engender much liue the lesse while The king therefore in this hath abreuiated empared wounded and endangered his life His naturall life is shortened his ciuill life is distained his spirituall life is perced and his life eternall is endangered For in the first there is an euacuation of that naturall heate and moistnesse by the which mans life is conserued and the strength of body sustained Yea Luxurie is such an immoderate wantonnesse of the flesh which as a sweete poison an importunate plague and a pernitious potion doth both weaken mans naturall body and effeminateth his minde O extréeme filthinesse of lust all other sinnes are without the body but hee that giueth himselfe ouer to this sin offendeth against his owne body Before this goeth euer heate and petulancy with it in company is stinch and vncleannesse and after it followeth sorrowe and repentance These bee the leaders the fellowes and the followers of luxurious persons Secondly this sinne taketh from a man all his credite good name and glory and bringeth to him distrust an euill fame and ignomy What vice is more dishonest what more damnable what more hurtfull to mans ciuill life and estimation for behold how vertues are decayed how victories languish how glory is swallowed vp of infamie how the vertues of minde and body are infringed Surely a man can scarcely discerne whether it be better or worse to be captiued either of this vice or of his mortall foes * Thirdly the spirituall life is in them wounded for all such as giue themselues ouer to the lust of bodie doe grieue the spirite of God in themselues and suppresse all the good motions of mind
indeede a degree higher then the former albeit the former was abhominable and dangerous to his body life fame soule and glorie And that is the king hath combined himselfe with strange women for hee hath taken the daughter of Pharaoh Strange women and the women of the Moabites Ammonites Edomites Sydonites and Hethites whereas yet concerning those Nations the Lorde sayde vnto our Fathers zabud obiected Goe yee not into them nor let them come into you els will they turne your hearts after their gods To this obiected Zabud for the king But yet it hath beene permitted in the Lawe that such women might neuerthelesse bee taken accepted and vsed of our Nation with certaine prouisoes and conditions For the Lorde saith by the hand of Moses Deut. 21.11 If thou seest among the captives taken in warre a beautifull woman and hast a desire vnto her that thou wouldest have her to thy wife thou shalt bring her home to thine owne house she shall shaue her head and pare her nailes and put her rayment that she was taken in from her and let her remaine in thine house and bewayle her father and her mother a moneth long and after that thou shalt goe in vnto her and mary her and she shall be thy wife In this sort David the kings Father tooke one of his wiues namely the mother of Thamar whom he had captiued in his warres And thus did our king take and accept Pharaohs daughter of whom his father spake in the Psalme Hearken O daughter and consider encline thine eare forget also thine owne people thy fathers house so shall the king have pleasure in thy beautie for he is thy Lord God and thou must worship him And truely howsoeuer the Quéene did dissemble her owne former Religion and made shewe of loue vnto that which we loue and imbrace the king so accepted her and thought nothing lesse then of any hypocrisie in her And therefore in his integritie he imbraced her and tooke her as his owne All this I grant sayd Zadok And I will not denie zadoke answereth the obiection that the king did obserue the like according to the Lawe in all other his wiues and Concubines But why should not such as are receiued on conditions be retained on the same conditions and not otherwise for the meaning of the Lawe is that if such a woman albeit she be Pharaohs daughter or the daughter of any other Prince or person shall not hold and obserue the conditions touching the Religion and peace of Israel but apostate and turne away from the Lord and daily endeuor and study to pollute the honour of our king and contemne the religion of our God that thereupon she be abandoned reiected sent away from the Common-wealth of Israel much sooner from the kings societie yea rather then that societie should he continued to the danger of those inconueniencies Exod. 34.16 Deut 7.3 the parties should bee reduced and committed to the censure of the generall Lawe as when the league is infringed by the breach of the conditions the parties stand as in their former estate any thing to the contrary thereof notwithstanding And this is the Lawe to the children of Israel touching the abandoning of this kinde of societie with any of those seuen execrable Nations as the Hethites the Hevites the Gergesites the Amorites the Chananites the Pherezites and the Iebusites Thou shalt make no marriages with them neither shalt thou give thy daughter vnto his sonne nor take his daughter vnto thy son The reason is added whereunto this prouiso or condition hath respect For they will deceive thy sonne that hee should not follow the Lord and they shall serve strange gods and then will the wrath of the Lord waxe hote against thee and destroy thee This thing Abraham our father both considered and respected long before the Law giuen by Moses for hee had seene the inconuenience of such coniunctions in the old time when by the same the sonnes of God were polluted and the whole earth destroyed in the dayes of Noah Gen. 24.3 therefore hee gaue his seruant a speciall charge for the match of his sonne Isaak with a mate of a faithfull Family The like also Isaak respected when hee disliked the mariage of his sonne Esau with the Hethites and charged his sonne Iacob not to take him a wife of the daughters of Chanaan Gen. 26. 27. but that hee should repayre to his Vncle Laban and take from thence of his daughters But howsoeuer such coniunctions might be tolerated or winked at vpon occasions in some others what needed Solomon the sonne of David to haue lusted after the women of a strange Natition Are not the daughters of Zion faire and beautifull and wise and vertuous yea are they not preferred in honour to all the women in the worlde And did Solomon feare of any heathen Potentate that hee would in this sort be lincked vnto him in amitie for the retayning of peace Yea is hee not stronger and more wise and politicke then any of them all And doe they not more dread and admire him then hee hath neede to doubt what they are able to doe against his Maiestie But alas lust is blinde and many wise men as I said before bee led blindfolded into the pitte of preuarication and woe by such women as being of an euill opinion and like Religion will receiue no kinde of Counsaile which withstandeth or hindereth their fonde lustes and vanities And thereof it is that the King so prudent wise and famous hath beene bewitched enchaunted and besotted so farre that in the lightnesse of voluptuousnesse he hath altered his single minde and distained his honour * These be great faults my Lords but yet hee is much more blameable and guiltie of iudgement no lesse of punishment The third sin of Solomon though hee bee a king because that in his lustes hee hath turned away his heart from the Lorde his God which hath appeared to him at two sundry times For beholde the king hearkening vnto those his strange Wiues which had nowe at length apostated and turned backe againe to the Religion of their Fathers and Countrey hee hath followed after Asteroth the God of the Sydonians and after Melcome the abhomination of the Ammonites and he hath built an high place for Chamos the abomination of Moab euen in the hill that is before Hierusalem and vnto Moloch the abhomination of the children of Ammon and the like hath hee done for other his outlandish Women which burnt incense and offered diuers sacrifices to their sundry Gods Neither seemed the king then touched with any remorse of conscience but cleane contrary to the Lawe of God the charge which his father gaue him the lessons his mother taught him and that which his owne wisedome should perswade in him he hath fowly prostituted himselfe to their lewdnesse and disgraced his Nobilitie Yea all this hath the king done even in his elder years
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
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
am not able they are both so many and wonderfull much lesse to apply them in euery point to him whome with his vertues these things doe fore-shew and teach vnto men Solomon a figure of Messiah in his birth And first touching the honor of the kings birth and acceptation with the Lord It is true that Solomon is the sonne of David as before it hath beene said concerning whom the Lord made a faithfull promise saying Of the seede of thy bodie will I set vpon thy seate Howbeit 2. Sam. 7.13 the Lord also saide to David concerning him I will bee his father and hee shall bee my sonne Surely this properly fits the Messiah who is to come of the séede of David and yet hee is that naturall Sonne of God Thereof spake the kings father Iehovah sayd to my Lord sit thou on my right hand Againe Thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee This is he indeed to whom the stabilitie of the kingdome of Israel is promised Where the Lord said I will establish the throne of his kingdome for euer Solomon as yet sitteth on the throne gouerneth his kingdom but the time will come that as the tipes must cease when the things typed come in place our Lord K. Solomon shal yéeld and giue his place to the holy Messiah that true Sonne of God when he shall begin to raigne in mount Zion Therefore let vs conclude that the king prefiguring also in this point the holy Messiah is a Saint of the Lord. Secondly the Lord hath imposed Solomon in his Names a figure of Messiah ordained such titles and names to and for the king as might no lesse expresse and set forth the same thing We heard before that the king had such Names as tended to th'exemplification of his honor but yet it was not then considered of euery one of vs to what certaine person or thing those names properly pointed for it is very certain that euery of those names are more proper to the Messiah then to the king albeit they were on him iustly imposed and of him at the first literally vnderstood The Lord God himself speaking vnto David of this person yer euer he was borne or begotten said His Name is Schelomon which is Peaceable 1. Schelomon 1. cho 22.9 or a maker of peace And the Lord shewed the reason thereof saying For I will giue him rest from his enemies round about him I will send peace quietnes vpon Israel By this he foresheweth the true Melchisalem that king of peace the right reconciler of his elect vnto himselfe who without this noble Prince are at wars with Lord opposed to the intollerable strokes of his Iustice But heereof it is that they haue quiet consciences peace with God and finally eternall rest and safetie in the most glorious kingdome of the King of peace To this also aymeth the blessed peace and tranquilitie that the Lord hath giuen the king and through him vnto vs from our bodily enemies on euery side in those the happy dayes of his gouernment Next when the Lorde would expresse his loue and affection towards him and againe the loue and affection that hee had and should haue to the Lorde his God thereby the sooner to foreshew the mutuall loue and delight betweene God and that holy Messiah he sent the Prophet Nathan as some of you yet remember who according to the diuine pleasure 2 Iedid-iah 2 Sam 12.25 called him Iedid-iah Beloued of God For so it is written that the Lord loued him therefore he called his Name Iedid-iah of the Lordes-behalfe Indeede it pleased the Lorde in this sort to declare his Ioue to the king Howbeit the Name properly fitteth that person Psal 2. to whom the Lord said as before Thou art my beloved sonne this day haue I begotten thee And the same which the Arabian Queene did mystically point vnto when in the spirit of Prophesie she said to the king Blessed be the Lord thy God which loved thee * After this the kings mother namely Queen Bethsabe that not without the instinct of the heauenly spirit perceiuing the maiestie feare of God in him 3 Laemuel pro. 31.1 withall knowing him to be made a liuely figure of the holy Messiah called him Laemuel that is God with him or God with them meaning that God was with him that he was as God vnto the people as Moses was sometimes said to be The which tittle therefore fitteth none so properly as it doth that bright Starre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Balaam descried and spake of in his prophesie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Num. 24 the which as we haue obserued containeth both the nuÌ„ber of the name ineffable and the number of the Divine law for the two former letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make in number 26. the which also the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yeeldeth and the two latter letters make 22. in which number of letters is written the whole lawe the which onely in the time of the right Laemuel shall bee performed and throughly affected in him by whom there shall be but one Lord and one Law one faith and one religion one sheepheard Gen. 49 â—0 4 Koheleth Eccles. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and one sheepefold Lastly he hath another Name which no lesse indeed appertaineth to that right Shilon vnto whom the gathering of the people shall bee That is Koheleth which signifieth a Congregator or a Preacher or a builder of a Church The King had this Name worthily imposed partly in regard of his wisedwne which was in him wonderfull beyond al others as if in one and the same person should be heaped and layd vp together all the wisedom and knowledge both diuine and humane which not onely any other one man but which all men together at the same time liuing had or could containe or comprehend partly in regarde of his Office and ministerie by the which he did not onely builde the materiall house which should prefigurate both the mysticall spirituall and eternall but also did preach and indeuor to call into the same and to instruct and conforme all others aswell Gentiles as Iewes in the true Religion of the most holy and euerlasting God But the effecting of all this properly belongeth to that holy Messiah who hath and shall haue in his time all wisedome and all knowledge without measure and thereof shall giue and dispose aboundantly to others and by his proper ministerie gather together the out-casts of Israel bring home them that bee and shall be scattered abroad by his wisedome iustifie the multitude in bearing their misdeedes and not onely builde of diuers stones and sundry things a Church and holy Congregation to himselfe but also defend foster susteine and preserue the same foreuer Nowe my Lordes in all these things hath our Lorde the King right worthily prefigured the holy Messiah to the which I hope yée will willy subcribe and thereof
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
the princes with one accord expressed by signes both their gratefull minde and ready will to yeeld to the performance of this dutie knowing so well not only that the reasons alleaged were of sufficient probabilitie merited allowances but also that those the Kings Wordes were perfite veritie profitable for the Church in posteritie and therefore would that they should bee committed to writing and preserued accordingly CAP. XXXII Zadok answereth to certaine Obiections and expoundeth those wordes Vanitie of Vanities Abiather THen Abiather the Priest who had before obiected against the king and his wordes rose vp againe and saide But yet my Lords before we collect and record those the kings words that our labour therein may not be in vaine beseech you let vs further heare what my Lorde Zadok will answere to those particular Exceptions which are taken and may be vrged hereafter for some presumption against the Kings Words especially against this his ordinary talke towards the ratification of diuers erronious opinions that so all things being made plaine by vs by whom those the Kings Words must be gathered recorded commended to the church there may hereafter no iust aduantages bee taken nor any exceptions be admitted against any thing in the same The princes And we are well pleased said the Princes if it shall please my Lorde Zadok to vouchsafe vs his learned iudgement patience therein zadok And I also said Zadok shall not be vnwilling to answere Abiather in these things as the Lord shall enable me for the better setting foorth of his glorie and the truth of the Kings wisedome vttered in those his words What is the first Exception The first exception Eccles. 1.2 tell me Abiather The first Exception said Abiather is taken against those words of the king where hee saide and yet dayly saith Vanitie of vanities and all is most plaine vanitie There is not any of you all but haue heard him vtter these words aswell as myselfe wherein howsoeuer the king entendeth it there be which thinke that the king therein condemneth all the Creatures of God in the worlde with all those functions which in the law of God we are commanded to vse and to exercise our selues in to his high glorie the good of his Church and the benefite of the common-wealth And this he would prooue by many Arguments and in the ende so concludeth againe Vanitie of vanities Ye haue said quod zadok Eccles. 12.9 The answere but by your leaue Abiather and by your patience my Lordes all Séeing it is your good pleasure I shall answere I am the more willing as I said and ready to speake for my Lord the Kings Wordes It is true that the King hath saide and dayly ruminateth this proposition Vanitie of vanities Vanitie of vanities and all is but vanitie as the ground or conclusion of those his Words But doth that conclude a contempt of the Creatures and of the holy functions and gifts of God which in their natures are good Nothing lesse Nor indéed hath the king spoken therein of those Creatures or of the true vse of them in their kinde nor of those lawfull functions either in the Church or in the Common wealth But the wordes hauing a large scope doe neuerthelesse include in them all those things which are placed vnder the Sunne onely that is to say within the kingdome of vanitie Vanities kingdome Wherein is found to reigne much malice and little wisedome wherin all things be vicious all things be loathsome al things are full of obscuritie and snares wherein soules bee endangered bodyes be afflicted wherein all things be vanitie and affliction of the spirite and within the which are not comprehended any of those workes or wayes of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The labour of man vnder the sunne And this the king hath sometime noted by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or labour of man vnder the Sun which word as ye well know noteth rather the affliction of the minde then a worke of the body or any other labor But to make this yet more plaine let vs consider first what the King meaneth by this word Vanitie and then what the things are which he comprehendeth vnder the same For why should men contende about that whereof they knowe neither the meaning nor the reason Therefore yee shall vnderstand that this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vanitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vanitie which the king vseth singularly and absolutely signifieth a very light thing that which soone vanisheth away as the smoke or as a bubble of the water and as touching any profite is worth nothing psal 144 The vanitie of Adams sonnes as saide the Psalmist Thus Adam and Hevah reposing all their hope of the promised seede in Cain their first borne whom they called a man of the Lord they thought of the next Sonne but as of a meere trifle or transitorie thing in respect of him and therefore they named him Habel Gen. 4.1.2 vanitie But the King here speaketh of an exceeding great vanitie the which to declare hee duplicateth the worde and saith Vanitie of vanities that is beholde a notable and wonderfull great vanitie what things he comprehendeth vnder vanitie Secondly What things are comprehended by him within this vanitie the next worde plainely sheweth vs for in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haccol where it is to bee noted I will speake it rather to teach others then any of you to whom the Phrases of our tongue are so well knowne that this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col put absolutely without He 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a signe vniuersall whereby the totall summe of things is signified and is so much to say as All or Altogether Haccol but hauing He prefixed as Haccol the same is abridged and restrained to some speciall or particular summe of things as not All generally or vniuersally but All that that whole that all which is either spoken of before or comprehended within such a predicament place or time Neither may any man thinke but that the particle in this place is referred to some particular or speciall summe of things or to some notable person as when pointing to such persons or such matters wee vse to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That singuler or speciciall Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That worde or that singuler or notable worde Ille sermo That word or matter So saide the Gréekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So by this wee may not say that the King hath included all things vnder vanitie but onely a particular summe of things Séeing therfore that all things are not drawne vnder this vanity but some things what things are excluded from vanitie and what not we may consider first what the things are which are excluded and stand without the compasse of this All then what those things are which are comprehended within the same both the which are to be gathered and
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
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