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
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
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
whereas we hoped for some consolatory refrigeration and ease by the mitigation of those extraordinary passions wee see him yet hardly perplexed and vexed out of measure with farre greater and more torments For why the Sunne so brightsome is shadowed the ioyful light is couered the fayre Moone is obscured the shining starres be dazeled Eccle. 12.13 and the palpable cloudes returne after the late raine Neither indeede haue I any hope of the recouery of his former constitution of mind and health of body although I hartily wish it and desire it euery minute of an hower he accustomed to sit often in his kingly Throane most royally amiddes his Princes but now he prostrates himselfe on the most lumpish earth and reposeth him selfe most solitary as one forlorne He was wont to feede on the most daintie delicates but now hee is replete with bitter worme-wood and loathsome gall he sometimes solaced his sweete soule with the chearefull delightes of the happie but now he laments his hard lot with the wringing corasiues of the wretched Whereas for his recreation he vsed Harps Shalms Psalteries Dulcimers and other musicall instruments of pleasing sound now are they all set aside and neglected yea he doth vtterly distaste those and such delights Moreouer whereas he dayly accustomed for the better health of his body which hee was carefull to preserue to exercise himselfe before his meates and to rest himselfe sometimes after towards his better digestion and that in his bed he would first repose himselfe on his right side wherein is the greater heate of nature to further the same with the due obseruation of such and other good phisicall Diets now he is as another man he doeth all contrary he obserueth no diet profitable to health neither can he rest in his bed any while but tossing and turning hither and thither hee declareth his anguishes and powreth out his heart in sorowfull complaints The very remēbrance of his former pleasures grieue his very soul he vtterly abandoneth that he before much affected though a most glorious king in his estate hee yet abaseth himselfe beyond all measure his eyes gush out streames the teares runne downe his cheekes with the which he hath all watred his bed in the night 2. Sam. 12. right semblant therein to Dauid his Father after that the prophet Nathan had brought him a message from the Lord his God yea he séemeth not most wearie of his present life death is wished for being more acceptable to him in these his agonies of soule and semblably his Wordes Sentences sayings vpon whatsoeuer occasion he vttereth them argue a very déepe mortification of the flesh a vehement contempt of the worlde and a plaine condemnation of all the delights of the Sonnes of men Whereby in heauy sighes and groanes hee driues this mestiue myll Vanity of Vanities and all is nothing but meere Vanitie Eccl. 1.1.2 Lo thus fareth the king neither can my great familiarity with his Grace or any word or gesture of mine now preuaile with him as in times past to remoue this dangerous humour from his heart but as soone as I put him in minde of those his pristine delights he crieth out most wofully The person truely repentant is not soon drawne againe to follow his former lusts Io◠27.2.3 Vanity of Vanities as though God had taken away his iudgement and the Almighty troubled his mind But howsoeuer it be I tell you here in Councell that the King is in a very desperate agony of minde then the which nothing can bee more noysome to his health For as the trée cannot prosper whose roote is annoied so neither can that person receiue health which hath a pensiue soule I am very fearefull to thinke whereunto this will come and doubtles the kinges enemies hearing hereof they will clap their hands hissing and wagging their heads vpon him as the base abiects sometimes did on holy Iob with this bitter taunt Is this that man whome all the world admire for wisedome wealth glory and fame But on th' other side the kings people shall haue little cause to eate drinke and to reioyce vnder their vines and figge trées as they haue done in those dayes forepast vnder our Kinges happy Raigne This being spoken and heard with consideration of euery of these Lordes Zadock the high Priest stood forth and with a mighty sigh from the roote of his troubled heart zadock expresseth the wisdōe function and afection of a good Bishop Counsaylor he lifted vp both his eies and handes towardes the heauens vttering these wordes Oh good God helpe vs he said againe The peace prosperity and well-fare of all Israell doth depend next to our God on the peace prosperitie and well-fare of our most gratious King Solomon whom Iehouah his God hath chosen and appointed to represent his own glorious person in our happy Common-wealth in his wisedome his iustice his equity his benignity his fortitude his magnanimity his piety and all other his princely vertues no lesse then the faire and bright Sunne resembleth his Maiestie in the high Heauens to the ioy and comfort of the Creatures or as doth the head on the naturall body to the bewtie life and gouernment of the same or as the wise Gouernour of a Shippe in the Sea to the direction and safety both of it and of all those embarked therein Therefore I say if the Lord of heauen in his displeasure should take away our shadow or abridge our king and his honourable prosperity for transgression and sinne who from thencefoorth shall haue peace who shall fare well who shall prosper how can that body prosper whose head aketh and languisheth with paine and how can those creatures reioice from the which the light comfort and commodity of the Sun is remoued detayned The people ought to pray for the good estate of their Prince Psal 20.1.2 Then worthily are the people occasioned and obliged in their solemne praiers and seruices to lift vp their mindes to the Lord God aboue all other thinges next to the glory of God to pray for the good health comfort wellfare and prosperity of our gratious Soueraigne Lord as my Lord Azariah hath well before aduised and wished it For I know that the king is not onely much agonized in mind and afflicted in heart but that he is much weakened and worne away neither thinke I that without some presēt remedy or mitigatiō of this his griefe can his weake body long retaine his sorowful Soule The good consent of the princes for the safety of their king This beeing said the Princes with one consent answered In truth it is no lesse needfull then it is godly that all the kings maiesties Subiects both in generall and particular should pray vnto God for the life and well-fare of the kings Grace for as this duty of subiects towardes their lawfull Princes is comprised within that honour which children are to yeelde to their parents and taught
to God who gaue it All these and many other such like are the ordinary wordes and speeches of the king the which are intermixed with many deepe motions of the Spirite and diuine doctrines to draw men from the vanities of the world and to perswade them to the feare of God and the obseruation of his lawes Surely I haue much mused thereof in my mind yea I haue many times examined mine owne conscience and wayes whether there rested or appeared any thing in mee whereof the king might take any offence for I haue verily thought that eyther the whole cause or at the least some part of the cause of the kinges sorrow and trouble hath risen or beene taken from some of vs that haue beene and are daylie so neare and about his royall person Therefore it shall not be amisse in my iudgement that wee first examine our owne wordes workes and dealinges and with an vpright conscience trie and iudge our selues secretly with our selues and finding with vs any part of the cause or th' occasion of this displeasure that we endeuoure spéedily and séeke how to recure or mitigate the same lest whiles we delay the king be so ouercome in those his perilous passions that hee may be hardly recouered After that those forenamed Lordes had thus spoken euery of them in his turne zadock Zadock the Priest opened his mouth againe and with great grauity vttered these wordes in effect And my selfe also my Lordes haue with these mine eares heard those and others the like words to bée spoken by our most Soueraigne Lord But yet as I haue conceiued thereof duely pondered the King in such his wordes by you before remembred and recorded hath not spoken of vanitie Solomon hath not vsed any vaine talke that is hee hath not vttered any vaine or idle thing nor hath his tongue talked of deceit but hee hath wel refrained that and will doe as he hath protested with patient Iob as long as his breath is in his body for as the King is of al other the wisest so hath he had especially sithens the time that those passions afflicted him a due regard both of his place and calling And truely in my iudgement he hath made and yet dayly maketh and augmenteth A Catologue of mans vanities vnder the Sunne right worthy to be lamented and abandoned And by this he would that men should learne to contemne the wicked world with the pompe and vanities thereof The deceit vanitie of the world for why he hath found and yet perceiueth the world to be very deceitfull the euent horrible and the paine thereof intollerable wherein not to feare not to lament not to be afflicted not to bee in perill not to bee tormented it is most impossible Surely as the King could not finde so neither can I report any good or profitable thing of the World Therefore O ye louers of the world for whose sake yee striue and make warres your hope can bee no greater then that yee shall be made the friendes of the worlde and what gaine ye by that surely yee shall finde therein that the flesh will infect you Sathan will deceiue you and the worlde herselfe will daunt you besides that the world passeth away with her lusts and if yee loue those thinges that be hers yee shall passe away with her and her lustes and through many perils ye shall fall at length into eternall torments Therfore would our king that yee should leaue and contemne all those vaine things of the world which perish as that wherof ye can gather no profite at all in the end but paine and sorrowes vnspeakable And surely neither hath the king spoken or done this without the argumentes of many godly and diuine motions of minde from whence as from the treasure-house of a godly wise man he hath brought foorth many heauenly Oracles and sweet Sermons tending to the highest honour of the euerlasting God and the chiefe felicity of man being worthily esteemed the two principall endes of mans election and creation the which is to be inquired sought after and effected in the feare of God and the obseruation and performance of his commaundementes according to that saying of the Lord which David the Kings father receiued from his spirite and committed vnto Asaph that excellent singer psal 50.23 He doth me glorifie indeed that prayses yeeldes to me And he that leades a godly life my saving health shall see I thinke vndoubtedly that this sodaine Metamorphosis of the king The former good counsell approued by zadock is not occasioned by any of vs here present Neuerthelesse I dislike not your aduise right noble Zabud that euery one of vs should enter into himselfe and duely examine and trie his wordes and actions especially those which in any sorte may touch our Lord the King and endeuour with speede to redresse and amend that whatsoeuer wee shall finde or at the least suspect to bee faulty or amisse Nor may this bee disliked of any man liuing nay rather it is to bee highly cōmended in euerie man It is profitable for men to examine their owne wayes as a vertue whereby hee may the better know himselfe of the which whiles many men though otherwise wise in this world haue remained ignorant or at the least forgetful they haue not onely neglected the duties of their vocations but missed the right scope of their life and so the highest happinesse But would to God that the king were now as he was sometimes in those monethes past Iob 29.2 and in the dayes when God prospered him when his light shined vpon his head when he went forth after the same light and shining euen through the darkenes as it stoode with him when hee was young when God prospered his house and when the Almighty was yet with him and when hee had ioy and gladnesse in that his prosperity amongst vs and his people Then should not sorrow oppresse his heart nor dread of future dangers daunt our hope But let the Lord be true as hee is and euery man a lyer that so hee may worthily bee extolled in his iudgements and praysed in his mercies which doubtlesse is not the least cause that God in his wisedome hath suffered many of his Saintes which haue been and may stand for singular examples of pietie and godly vertues vnto vs not onely to shew forth their humaine imperfection and infirmitie by some certaine slidinges and blemishes but also to taste of afflictions cuppe aswell for a correction of their faults as for an exercise of their spirites no lesse necessary vnto man then his daily foode in this wretched worlde CAP. V. Solomons Lordes examining themselves and their dealinges one by one are in their owne consciences cleared of any cause of his affliction Zabud and Azariah are iustified AS the sodaine alteration of King Solomon after that hee came to himselfe again vpon the sense of his sinne was very maruailous and his words aunswerable to
in life and behauiour and not to be perfect within as to make shew without and not to be in either conformable to the office and place I haue especially regarded the maner of my walking that it might bee honest worthie and wise that so I might teach both in doctrine and life and not destroye in th' one Psal 109.7 whiles I would seeme to build in the other accounting them that offend herein worthy of that censure which David gaue on such saying His office let another take Moreouer whereas it was the good pleasure of my Lorde the King and the will of my Lorde Zadoke that I should at times minister for my Lorde Zadoke in the seruice of God the King It is well knowne that I haue not presumptuously vsurped nor intruded nor thrust my selfe into presence but being called and commanded beeing well mindfull of the kinges words writtē amōg his wise prouerbs pro. 25.5.6 Put not forth thy selfe in the presence of the King and prease not into the place of great men for better it is that it be said to thee come vp higher then that thou shouldest be placed lower in the presence of the Prince whome thou seest with thine eyes Therefore I haue not béene of that ambitious and arrogant minde But howsoeuer I might bee suspected as faultie or imperfect in place and time I appeale to the Lord and mine owne conscience as yee my Lords haue done If I be guiltie against the king to my knowledge then would I wish that the one might accuse me and the other condemne me in the presence of you all Howbeit letting passe this examinatiō I presume there is some other cause whereof the kings affliction springeth the which I doubt not will in time appeare in the clearing of vs al. For time is that which discloseth secrets reuealeth the truth therefore is worthily called the mother of truth Nor do I thinke that the king suspecteth any of vs in this case for if he did his iealousie would not haue forborne to disclose and vtter the same to any of vs all for he respecteth neither persons nor power nor wealth nor policie such is his wisedome wealth power and the glory of the fearefull God in him zadock the high priest putteth forth his Apology and sheweth what is the function duty of his place Abiather hauing thus spoken for himselfe he at the last giueth place to Zadoke perceiuing how ready willing also he was to say sōwhat in the presēce of the lords * Zadock was a uery graue and reuerend Father and a faithfull Priest of the Lord doing according to his heart and mind in whome the bright Vrim Thumim so shined that no man either suspected him of any fault towardes the king or doubted of his diuine wisedome and singular perfection and therefore neither the Princes required either any examination or further triall of his integritie howbeit the most reuerend father in all humilitie neither refused nor disdained to doe as they had before done in this respect Therfore stāding vp in the midst of thē he spake with great grauity deliberation to this effect My Lords all although it be so that neither any of you hath giuen this offence vnto the king nor may it be that he holdeth any of you faultie in this matter yet am I glad to see and heare how willing and readie ye haue béene with all submission to examine and cleare your selues in this presence And truely howsoeuer ye bee sory for the kings affliction as indéed ye cannot be glad thereof yet may ye reioice in this that ye haue had this fit opportunity by this confession and trial both to cleare your selues of guilt to manifest your integritie and dutifull heartes towardes his Maiestie But howsoeuer it be that any suspicion or surmises may spring of any of your wordes or dealinges ye are happy in this that ye retain a good consiēce to testify in for your selues to the ease and ioy of your heartes then the which there cannot be a greater treasure in this life The guiltie man proposing to his vnderstanding the law which he hath broken The guilty cōscience and transgressed and withall the iudgement and paine ensewing the same being rightly concluded and applied to himselfe hath alwayes dreade carefulnes and sorrowe of heart as who might thus argue Thus saith the lawe but thus haue I done and so transgressed the lawe Ergo I stand to bee iudged and condemned by the same as who shoulde saye shall not that iust God deale with me as I haue deserued and shall not I be plagued in the end for my desert offending against the law of God as others haue beene plagued for the like and shoulde I promise vnto my selfe safetie any way in this my guiltinesse Thus argued Adam when he had broken the law of the Lord thus also Cain when he had murthered his brother Thus the brethrē of Ioseph who had abused and solde him away Thus argued Pharao after that he had threatned Moses and Aaron and would not let the people go thus Saul when hee perceiued Davids innocencie and his owne malice against him and thus Achitophel and such like who in the knowledge of their owne sinnes and the sense of the diuine Iustice concluded a iust condemnation on themselues Adam fearing what wold ensewe hid himselfe in the bushes and yet hee coulde not bee safe opposed as it were to the diuine wrath and all miseries and therefore confessed Gen. 4. that hee was naked and was afraide at the sounde of the Lordes voyce Cain confessed that his sinne was greater then that hee coulde bee pardoned and that the punishment thereof shoulde bee farre beyond his habilitie to beare yea hee saide vnto the Lord Beholde thou hast cast mee out this day from the vpper face of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid fugitiue also and a vagabond shall I bee in the earth and it shall come to passe that every one that findeth mee shall slay me * The sonnes of Iacob seeing they could not bee hidden Gen 42.21 confessed at length their sinne against their brother saying we haue verily sinned against him and therefore are we now troubled And againe fearing what Ioseph woulde doe vnto them after his fathers funeralls they in the terror of minde come and beséech him to forget their iniury against him The king of Aegypt at length confessed and saide vnto Moses and Aaron Exod. 6.27 Indeede the Lord is righteous and I and my people are vngodly On the which he would conclude his conscience condemning him Therefore shall both I and my people be plagued Saul in the agonie of his heart slew himselfe with his owne sworde and Achitophel who had béene a Counsaylor and prouoker of Absolon against his Father his owne conscience condemning him went and hanged himselfe Surely of all the torments vnder the Sunne there is none comparable to an euill
conscience which aggrauated by his owne sting or pricke doeth euer accuse condemne and wring mans heart If publique fame neither condemne nor accuse nor suspect yet the guiltie conscience within a mans selfe forceth the same to the vttermost neither can it be that he which liueth faultie shall escape the torment and terror thereof nor therfore can hee be happy in his life be he neuer so rich The comfort of a good conscience so honourable so strong so mightye so glorious in the worlde but blessed is the man that feareth God and walketh in his waies as David the Kinges Father hath modulated For this is that which in the lawe is required of him as the King hath saide This man concludeth to himselfe Ioy and gladnes Iob. 23.3.4.5.6.7 when that which hee hath done shal be well approued by the lawe This cheared Iob in the middest of his afflictions notwithstanding that his wife and his thrée friendes hardly charged him with folly So was Ioseph holde in Aegypt when his integritie cleared him So Moses and Aaron were not discouraged Gen. 40.41 Exod. 10. notwithstanding the threates and hard dealinges of Pharao and thus the Kinges father with a cleare conscieÌ„ce protested before King Saul Behold this daye thine eyes have seene 1 Sam. 24.10 how that the Lord hath delivered thee this daye into mâ—ne hand in the caue and some bad mee to kill thee but I had compassion on thee and saide I will not lay mine handes on my Maister for he is the Lords annoynted c. And this to expresse the innocencie of his heart hee feared not to protest before the Lord in his prayer O Lord my God If I haue done any such thing Psal 7.3.4 or if there bee any wickednes in mine handes If I haue rewarded euill vnto him that dealte srowardly with mee yea I haue deliuered him that without any cause is mine enemy then let mine enemy persecute my soule and take mee Yea let him treade my life downe vpon the earth and lay mine honour in the dust Lastly I cannot but remember that worthie example of Samuel the Lords Prophet who was occasioned through the disobedience of the people before King Saul and them to pleade for himselfe to defende his integritie 1. Sam. 12.3 And thus hee saide with a good conscience and boldnes of Spirit Beholde here I am Beare record of mee before the Lorde and before his Annointed Whose Oxe haue I taken Or whose Asse haue I taken Whome haue I done wrong to Whome haue I hurt or of whose hand haue I receiued any bribe to blinde mine eyes therewith and I will restore it you They said their own conscience prouoking them thou hast done vs no wrong nor hurte neither hast thou takeÌ„ ought of any maÌ„s hand Lo my lords here is ioy gladnes the greatest coÌ„fort in this life for the good Conscience hath with it a thousand witnesses and as many pleaders to testifie for his owners integritie and to defend the same before the throne of Iustice This therefore is the swéetest and most wholsome rest of mans soule the title of Religion the spirituall Temple the blessed field the pleasant gardin the golden peace the Angelicall ioy the holy Arke the Kings treasure the house of the spirit and the glasse wherein a man both séeth ordereth and confirmeth himselfe to the liuely image of his maker Though the flesh oppresse vs the world allure vs the Diuel terrifie vs yet is this treasure safe and sure within vs from all daunger of euill Therefore I hold that in this life there is nothing more pleasant more swéet more profitable and more to be desired and reteyned then a good conscience both towards God and man Wherefore my Lords as ye haue very well done in that ye haue submitted your selues to this present examination and tryal so are ye happy in this that ye are iustified in conscience for hereof ye haue and shall find the highest comfort and gladnesse And now I beséech you to permit me to do as ye haue done The high priest is willing to ease himselfe in shewing forth his integritie with the rest that thereby I may not onely expresse mine owne integritie so cleare my selfe of all offence and suspicion of the same but also reioyce together with you though in the middest of mine affliction for the kinges trouble And that the sooner because whiles I stand an hearer and a iudge of other men in their examination and triall I might not séeme to disdaine mine owne 1. Kings 2.35 Abiather was before this time high priest howbeit his cause and dealing concerning both God and the king came into question before the king and his princes and being found guilty against either in his triall he was worthelie deposed and the priestshood translated Then why should I imagin my selfe frée from censures the rather in respect of my place and why should I not abide the hammering of that which should be obiected against me and my maÌ„ner of procéeding towards God the king and his people And if I shall be found guiltie as Abiather was why should not I be remoued as he was another man put in my place more worthy And now my Lords although I may not say whether in my person or in my ministerie and behauiour wherin I am to prefigure the holy Messiah in his priesthood or whether in that Abiather the priest attended sometimes for me in the kings presence any contempt or abuse hath béene taken or suspected to his highnesse offence yet I know well that for mine owne part I here safelie protest from my conscience before the Lord of heauen and earth and before you all that according to that trust which the kinges father reposed in me when I was to annoint and proclame my Lord King ouer Israel and after that good opinion which the king himselfe conceiued of me in the day when he tooke me to him to be the Lords high priest in the place of Abiather whom he put away I haue performed the first and expressed the second whithout any deceit in the one or iust offence in the other and that after my state and dignitie so farre forth as a mortall man could possibly extend himselfe therein And of this as of my calling I hope ye doubt not Neuerthelesse let me be heard I beséech you a few words concerning both this and that seing that the Priesthood was ordayned to foreshew and signifie the office and dignitie of that highest Priest which is to come as vnto whoÌ„ all the types and shadowes of the law do point it hath beene both prouided and commaunded by the Lord himselfe that the Priest might haue his lawfull calling and therewith not onely in bodie but in habites and ornamentes should be pure holy and glorious in all pointes To the which it was aduised how he should be consecrated what he should doe how he he should liue what wife he
kingdome of Israel and that also not Absolon nor Adoniah nor Amnon nor any other of Davids sonnes begotten and borne before this time but only Solomon his sonne borne of Bethseba after the pardon granted him should build an house for his name vnto whō he would be as a father to his sonne * Al these things the princes gladly heard to the same subscribed most willingly knowing well both the truth of the kinges petigree and the honour of his noble birth zabud And thereupon spake Zabud and said It séemeth good to me The seuerall names of the King that with this which hath beene saide wée regard those titles and names by the which it pleased the Lord that the king should be called knowne and honoured the which truly haue not bin imposed rashly as many which giue names without respect of the Natures dignity or qualityes of the persons but with great wisedome iudgement and prouidence as were those names of Adam Havah Noah Abraham Lot Abel Sarah Isaack Israel Samuel David and such other which haue had their approbation from the Lord and expressed or taught or remembred some worthy thing In this sort the King hath had and enioyed fiue particular names and names of honor two of the which were imposed by the Lord himselfe the third by Nathan the fourth by his Mother and the last hée resumed by th'approbation of his Lordes In or concerning any of the which names he hath no cause ministred him to be displeased except onely in this that he hath tried himselfe bring a mortall man not answerable in all points to the same knowing it a thing most ridiculous for any person whatsoeuer to bee noted or called by such a title or name of the which hee shal bee found most vnworthy For the first we haue it recorded what the Lord God said to David concerning him he shal be my sonne Secondly he said againe touching him his name is Solomon 2 Sam 7.14 1. Chro. 22.9 Thirdly the prophet Nathan called him Iedid-iah The sonne of God Fourthly his Mother called him Laemuel and fifthly he is called Koheleh In that he is called the Sonne of God and that by God himselfe it giueth vs to consider in him somewhat beyond that which is found to be in other men For they are not of the common sort to whome the Lord vouchsafeth this high title Such are they which resembling the holy Angels haue not only the brightnes of the diuine glory apparāt in them but also are euer willing and ready to execute his pleasure In that he is called Solomō 2. Solomon it noteth the peace of his gouernmēt ouer Gods people according to the reason which the Lord added saying he shal be a man of rest and I will send peace and rest vpon Israel in his dayes In the third name the prophet would expresse not only the loue of God vnto him 3. Iedid-iah but also the loue of God his diuine graces in him to the which alluded the Arabian Quéene at her being here when shee said blessed be the Lord thy God which loued thee hath set thee on the throne of Israel In the fourth his Mother beeing a wise and rare Princesse 4. Laemuel 5. Coheleth woulde by that name signifie the glory of God in him and by him in the people In the last is testified the diligence and desier that the king hath not onely to search out and gather together for his owne further instruction the auntient monuments and holy bookes but also a people vnto the Lord to bee instructed and taught in the holy Religion for the glory of God and their owne health Teaching withall what should be the desier of all Princes in their places namely in this sort to tend to the end of their gouernment and rule Therefore finding rather an honour then an ignomy to grow from hence vnto the king Wee say as the kings daughter said in that excellent song Thy name is a sweet smelling oyntment when it is powred foorth Therefore do the virgins love thee CAP. X. Of Solomons person and estate forme beauty education wisedome c. wherof the cause of his griefe could not rise THen stoode foorth Ahishar and saide Truely my Lordes whatsoeuer hath beene here produced and spoken in the premisses maketh very much euery way for the kings honour and estimation Ahishar and therfore I perceiue not what shoulde thereof be gathered to offende him Neither can I finde any thing worthie dislike in any other points which concerne either his person or his estate for his forme and beautie his education his wisdome his iudgements his words his riches his works his peace his orders of house his pleasures his power his marriage his blessinges his fame his glory c. the king is most excellēt Solomon his beautie Homer singularly renowned as al men wil confes I remēber that looking on a certaine Booke of the Poet Melesigenes who liued and wrote in the time of our iudges among the Greekes I found where he had giuen an exceeding high praise to the forme and beautie of Priamus the Troyan Priamus the which in him as he saide was wel worthy a kingdome so faire was he The same Poet hath also spoken largely of one Nireus Nireus being the fairest of all them which came to Priamus his Pallace though hee had scarcely any worthy quality either of body or mind And in our own Records we haue the praise of the form and beauty of Saul the sonne of Cis whom Samuel annointed King ouer Israel Saul 1. Sam 9.2 that he was a goodly youngman and faire So that among the chidren of Israel there was none goodlier then he from the shoulders vpward he was higher then all the other people And we here present for the most part can say much of Absolon the kinges brother namely that in his time there was none in all Israel so much to bee praised for beautie Absolon 2. Sam. 14.25 from the seale of his foote to the top of his head there was no blemish in him And had his qualities beene to the same correspondent oh God how glorious might he haue beene And further we finde that Ioseph and Moses and Aaron and David haue beene praised in this respect But yet beyond them all looking with iudgement on our Lord the King and seeing howbewty is displayed in his royal person we cannot but acknowledge that for truth which the kings father said to him when he beheld him in his beautye Farre fairer then the sonnes of men art thou Cant. 5.9 Although all these things did properly belōg so were to be referred to the holy Messiah yet were they first spoken as of Solomon who in his person prefigured him as it is more fully declared hereafter And this the noble Princesse considered and sung of him He is both white ruddy the chiefest of thousands ten His head is as fine gold his
locks are curled blacke His eyes are like the Doues vpon the water streames Which are all waste with milke byde full vessels by His cheekes be like spice bedds as the sweetest flowers His lippes are Lillies like that drop the purest mirrhe His hands as ringes of gold with Chrisolite beset His belly yuory white with Saphires garnisht brave His legges as marble pillers on golden sockets set His looke as Libanon as Cedars excellent His mouth as sweetned thinges lovely all is hee Howsoeuer this was spoken as aiming mistically far beyond the Kings person It hath doubtles been applied to our Soueraign without adulation in whom their appeareth some especial grace yea the very image of the diuine nature beyond that hath been perceiued in any other man But were it that he had felt or vnderstood some defects in these external things yet see I not how he might be offended knowing well that he is but a mortall man that whatsoeuer is wanting in the body may bee supplied that to the vttermost by the graces of the minde the which the Lorde more respecteth then the beautie of the body as he said to Samuel when he sent him to annoint David for king moreouer he hath well tryed it and therof hath said it in iudgement that fauour is deceitfull and that beauty is a thing vaine therfore hath not béene of the mind to set his felicitie therein * To this also assented the Princes extolling and praising to the cloudes the most angelicall forme and beautie of the King Benaiah And forth with Benaiah beckning with his and proffered his speach and saide Neither indeed may the kinges education Solomon his eductaion or the manner thereof offend him as Ahishar hath saide for neuer any in this world hath beene better taught and brought vp as towching the feare of God and all princely and heroicall vertues For to this end king David had prouided him most wise and godlie teachers as namelie Nathan Gad Asaph and such other the Lordes prophets and wise men whom he had diuinelie inspired and sent forth yea king David himselfe being a man after Gods owne mind for his heauenlie songes and melody called the sweete Singer of Israel and the Lordes annointed and also his mother Quéene Beth-saba a most prudent and virtuous Ladie as it is before said and either of them haue very carefully taught and scholed him in the feare of the Lord and the right princelie virtues At whose knees he stood and was glad and ready to receaue both instruction and correction And thus himselfe acknowledgeth saying When I was my fathers deare sonne and tenderlie beloued of my mother he taught me also and saide vnto me pro. 4.3 let thine eare receiue my words kepe my commaundements and thou shalt liue Get thee wisdome and get thee vnderstanding forget not the wordes of my mouth and shrinke not from them c. Againe in his latter time ready to depart he left with him this direction 1 king 2.2 Be thou strong and shew thy selfe a man kepe thou the watch of the Lord thy God that thou walke in his waies kepe his statuts his precepts his iudgements and his testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses that thou maist prosper in all that thou doest and in every thing that thou medlest withall c. And this was his mothers lesson when shee taught and nourtured him pro. 31.1 What my sonne what the sonne af my body and what O my dearely beloued sonne Giue not over thy strength thy waies vnto womē which are the destructiō of kings O Laemuel it is not for kinges it is not I say for kinges to drinke wine nor princes strong drinke lest they by drinking forget the law and pervert the iudgement of all poore mens children Againe be thou an advocate for the dumbe to speake in the cause of all such as be succourlesse in this transitorie world open thy mouth defend the thing that is lawfull and right and the cause of the poore and helpelesse Lo such lessons hath his mother taught him so well beseeming I say not a child but a prince and excellent well fitting so beautifull a body from the which virtues are wont to shine as those pretious stoanes which are placed in goodlie Kinges of Gould But beyond all this the Lord his God which loued him and vouchsafed to call him his Sonne did extend vnto him the effect of a fathers office aboue that which earthly fathers are able to do or performe towards their children for he nurtured him by his spirit not onelie in the day time but by the nightes also And in this he acknowledged the great loue and mercie of God towards him as in his wise Prouerbs it is to be learned Lo thus was king Solomon educated and instructed in his tender yeares of the which he yet sauoureth euen in these his elder dayes to his double honour and the consolation of Israel * Therefore I see not that the king should be hereof offended except onely in this that he hath not in his owne cōceit answered in some pointes to this his education and instruction but let that alone to be considered of hereafter To this the Princes did also accord and then rose vp Adomiram and spake as followeth Adoniram Neither wanteth the king the excellencie of wisedome Solomon his wisedome by the which he goeth out and in before the people to iudge and gouerne this great multitude to teach all others the true wisdome This is that which being prized no man can tell the worthinesse thereof as Iob hath said thereof neither is it found in the land of the liuing it cannot be bought for gould nor may the price thereof be obtained with siluer No gold of Ophir no pretious Onyx stoans nor Saphyres may be valued with it for this is the highest Treasure of a king yea and the same without the which a king is vnfurnished of that he ought to haue and so méere vnfit for the place of gouernmēt but hauing this one iewell in possession he is sufficientlie armed not onely to do iustice and to defend them which are at home but also to withstand and subdue the enemies which Eccles 7.9 are abroad for Wisdome is much better then weapons of warre and giueth courage vnto thē that imbrace hir This the king by Gods good grace considered in his yong yeares 1 King 3.9 4.29 and therefore this was that only thing which he desired of the Lord whē he was willed to aske whatsoeuer hee would haue hee should haue it and therefore the Lord being well pleased with his desire gaue him wisdome and a large heart even as the sand that is by the sea shoare without number or measure By the which the king was most wise and therein is preferred before all those famouse men of the East Country which haue so farre excelled other men both in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
cause The one saith qoud he this childe which is alive is my sonne and the dead is thine And the other saith Nay but thy sonne is the dead and the living child is mine Then séeing the case doubtfull the more because there were no witnesses for eyther part hee said againe to them that stoode about him Bring me hether a sword and they brought it after that he said againe Divide the living child into two partes and give th' one part to the one and th' other part to the other For hee well knew what he would doe neither was his mind so cruell and bloody as to slay the young innocent for the mothers offence howbeit some being present not considering his purpose beganne to deride and dislike this sentence But by and by his intent was displaied for the woman whose the liuing child was féeling her vowels to yerne within her vpon her sonne whom shee thought was ordained for death cried out and sayde vnto the king I beseech thee my Lord giue her the liuing child and let it not be slaine but the other woman said Let the child be neither thine nor mine but let it be diuided as the king hath said Then the king gaue the sentence in iudgement and saide vnto the Ministers that stood by Geve her the living child whose bowels yerneth thereon and slay it not for doubtles she is the right mother thereof This being done all they of Israel hearing of this iudgement of the king feared his Maiestie the godly for loue the wicked for dread for they saw that the wisedome of God was in him to doe iustice Of this the kinges vertue spake the kings father in the spirit Thou hast loved righteousnes and hated iniquitie This being well weighed my Lordes I see not what should thereof be conceited to offend his Graces mind The princes Subscription To al this the Princes gladly subscribed commending in all thinges the iudgementes of the king And surely saide they they are happy in iudgemēt which haue as the king hath wel learned the right natures of thinges for they soundly consider of th'effectes and discerne and trie them well if they be such as are wise prudent godly and not led by affections but by sure knowledge good counsaile and the guide of the diuine spirite But we see that none of those can this perform which eyther are themselues vnlearned ignorant obstinate selfe willed prowde vngodly or contemne the good counsel and godly and graue aduise of the learned wise and vertuous Surely wee cannot denie it for it is most apparent that our Lord the king hath by this his discrete iudgement purchased to himselfe authority to his kingdome peace and trāquillitie and to the high God condigne glorie Now the better sorte of all men gratifie his honour and gladly submit themselues and their causes to his determination knowing that hee will do iustice The wicked transgressors and hypocriticall persons are fearefull to stand before his presence in the defence of their faults or triall of their liues So aswell of th' one as of th' other is the king feared in respect of those his vpright and iust iugementes which as ye said hath indéed appeared so admirable before all men CHAP. XI Of Solomons riches peace orders pleasures power blessinges fame glory from any of the which riseth not the cause of his sorrow IN the former conference king Solomons Princes and Lordes haue described displaied and defended his most noble birth his honourable names his excellent beautie his godly education his singular wisedome his sweet eloquence and his vpright iudgements Now they are no lesse willing to consider of his riches his workes his peace his orders his pleasures his power Azariah his blessinges his fame his glory And therefore Azariah spake againe and said As in the former wee haue not found anie iust cause of the kinges disgrace Solomons riches but altogether causes of honour and prouocations to ioy and gladnes so neither wanteth he any Riches or the Treasures of a King whether natural or artificiall By the naturall riches I vnderstand all such thinges as come from the fieldes trées and beastes as corne wines oyles fruites victuals clothings and such like apt and meete for mans body by artificiall I vnderstand and those things which are found out or framed by the art and industrie of man as gold siluer coyne pretious stones iewels and such like Ineyther of the which the king is maruailouslie enriched according to that word which the Lord his God spake vnto him when he asked wisedome saying I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked even riches and honour 1. King 3.13 so that there shal be no king like vnto thee in all thy daies Eccles 2.4 2. Chron. 1.15 For this wee know as himselfe hath confessed that the king hath many excellent vineyeardes planted orchardes and gardens with frees of all manner of fruit and fed oxen and beefes and more cattell and sheepe then all they which were before him in Ierusalem And as for siluer and gold wee know that hee hath made such thinges as plentifull as stones in Ierusalem and Cedar trees as plentiful as the Mulbury trées that grow in the vaileis and he hath horses brought out of Egypt and fine linnen which his Marchāts receiued for a price hee hath a chariot which cost him sixe hundred péeces of siluer with many of her Chariots and horsemen yea an hundred twelue thousand horsemen which hee hath bestowed in the Chariot Citties and at Ierusalem with his Maiesty Moreouer hee hath seruants and maidens a great houshold great substance and the chiefe treasures and large possessions euery way And truely howsoeuer these thinges doe proue as a very foolishnes vnto the ignorant and foolish Eccl. 2.9 Pro. 14.24 they are vnto with whome his wisedome remained as a glorious crowne and he is greater and of more worshippe then all his predecessors in Ierusalem Helioreph * All this is manifest said Helioreph neither can any man denie any thing of that which ye haue said therefore it is set downe in the kinges Annales and committed to the holy Registre Solomons works And as his riches is great so also are his workes most admirable according as himselfe hath said I have made gorgeous faire works I have built mee houses planted vineyeards Eccl. 2.4 I made mine Orchardes gardens of pleasure I made pooles of water to water the greene and fruitfull trees withall And it is true and hee hath builded Citties and raised the walles 2. Chro. 8. and fortified his townes and territories magnificently but beyond all others those his three houses which he hath made and performed in Ierusalem are excellent and passe all the buildings and workes in the world First according to the commaundement of his Father David and iust after the forme and proportion that the Lord had giuen to David 1. Chro. 28.19 and
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
if it were possible the very causes of the kinges sorrowe And seeing withall that euery one of them had in their turnes spoken and now againe expected his graue sentence hee stood vp and after a long pause he spake vnto them in these wordes My Lordes all I haue heard you one by one and considered well of all your sayings howbeit I haue not yet heard that any man hath founde out much lesse declared the causes of the kings affliction For I am well assured that there be diuers other reasons and occasions which might iustly moue him as being a mortall man Subiects may not bee quicke censorers of their princes though so wise a man to be sory in his heart But I know well as it hath been said that it becommeth not subiects but in dutifull modesty to sifte or examine much lesse to censure the actions dealings of their princes the which is also a matter no lesse dangerous then presumptious Neuertheles in regard of your present opportunitie so willing and earnest to vrge on mine answere to satisfie your desires but chiefly that thereby the sooner as we be here assembled in councell we may consider consult thereof determine and endeuour not onely to ease the kings grace of his trouble if it may be but to satisfy all others work to preserue the common-wealth which through the kings displeasure may vnhappily be annoyed and brought into danger Therefore I will no longer holde you in suspence There be 7. causes of Solomons trouble but reueile the whole matter to your content I haue found seauen causes of the kings troubled mind The first whereof riseth of the deepe consideration of his owne Supremacie and the present high glory of the kingdome of Israel The second springeth of Hyram the king of Tyrus vpon the view dislike of those citties which the king hath granted him The third groweth of certaine letters of intelligence which the Arabian Queene sent him after that she departed from the court The fourth is from his Mother the Prophet Nathan which are now both departed this life The fifth is of Rhehoboā the kings sonne heire apparant not so well pleasing his fathers heart The sixth commeth from the kings adversaries as namely Hadad Rhesō and Ieroboā which haue lift vp their hands against him The seventh and the greatest of all is the sense of Gods high displeasure and fearful iudgements conceived bent against him and the people for some hamous sinnes and transgressions At this worde The princes the Princes and Lordes were fully astonished all abashed and not able to speake for anguish of mind stoode looking one on another Notwithstanding after a whiles they desired reuerend Zadok to explane that which he had as yet but briefly and obscurely touched and first how it could be that the kings sorrow might rise from the consideration of his most excellent Supremacie and the high glory of the kingdome of Israel wherof both the king and they all with his people had so good an occasion to be glad and to reioice with praises to the Lord God zadoke The great glory of Solomon and his kingdome was a pronostication of a future declination To this replied Zadoke Although that men for the most part neither foresee nor foreshew their owne dangers imminent like as the Sun the Moone the starres the seas the trees the hearbes the beastes the birdes the wormes the Fishes the elementes naturally pretend and foreshew the times the tides the tempests the alteratiō of terrene bodies yet who doubteth of this that the king being wise and prudent foreknoweth things yet to come not onely as such as haue a propheticall spirit but as those which are able and accustomed to gather the effects and euents by the causes and occasions in naturall things which is not the meanest king of Philosophy but a science right excellent no lesse profitable for many purposes in mans life and that which appertaineth to a reasonable creature By this he seeth that those thinges which florish most beautifully often wither most speedily when yet others endure This is first found in the life and constitution of mans body wherein that which is most florishing and glorious is soonest and that lightly altered and turned al about as health into sickenes strength into weakenes beautie into deformitie prosperity into misery life into death And hereof the cunning phisiciās pronosticate the future sickenes and danger of that person whom they see to stand in the highest grade of prosperity and health as when the Sea is at the very highest then it beginneth sodainly to fall againe by the Ebbe when the Moone is at the fullest by and by she waneth Therefore the wise ship-maister knowing how stormes and tempests succéede calmes and tranquillities hee fearing thereof prepareth himselfe to eschew the danger Now the king knowing all this and seeing himselfe placed in the highest grade of his honour and that the kingdome of Israel is no lesse aduanced to the highest grade of worldly felicitie therein farre preferred before all the kings and kingdomes of the earth he also knoweth that now of necessity must ensew and follow an alteration yea a declination of that resplendent glory and that the sooner by the meanes of mans inconstancy wherein he is like a bird in a Cage which will not bee quiet though by his excessiue flittering and striuing he kill himselfe Of this inconuenience feared Iob Iob. 1. in his prosperitie as hee testifieth therefore seeing his children wonderfull merry and in their mirth giuen to al kind of ryot pleasures to delight thēselues he vsed to pray for them euery day howbeit their fulnes was sodenly emptied himselfe though so good a man cast into great aduersitie Moreouer as it is the nature of worldly thinges to be subiect to alterations so man can neither conteyne himselfe in any cōdition be it neuer so excellēt without some desire of change yea in how better place and estate he is set furnished with all thinges so much the sooner will hee abuse the honour grace of the same to his own destruction verifying that saying of the kings father psal 49.12.20 Man being in honour plac'd declares his want of wit And in that honour cannot stay as one for it vnfit Wherefore vnto the beasts that in their death decay Compared he is for in this life this is his common way Therfore the king feareth greatly that these pleasāt things shal not continue and abide long in this sort and that shortly after these pleasures wil ensew paines after peace trouble after ioies sorrowes and after prosperity infelicity at the least then whē it shal please the high God to take him away from raigning over vs. In the time of prosperity thinke on the dayes of aduersitie in this life This shold teach all men liuing in this world not to trust in the great glory of this time nor in the wealth nor in the
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
in that time of his age Solomon offended God in his elder daies when he should rather haue abandoned fleshly lustes the delights of the sonnes of men and all the vanities of the worlde and haue offered vp himselfe both body and soule a sweete and holy Sacrifice acceptable to the Lorde his God in that holy Temple which hee both built and dedicated to his Name Alas what a blemish is this to his Grace and that his gray haires shoulde bee polluted with youthfull lustes This is one of the things which I haue heard him saye that his very soule abhorred But when vnto those lustes shall ioyne that transgression of the Lawes and abhominable sinnes against the true seruice and honor of God and that in olde men oh God howe great and daungerous is this kinde of abhomination A great deale more loathsome and daungerous is the fire in an olde house then in a newe and no lesse dangerous and loathsome is sinne in an old person beyond those which bée in the yonger sort Olde men should bee to the yonger examples of a chaste life holinesse godly behauiour Religion and vertues they should be profitable to the common-wealth by their wisedome reuerend before all men for their age and well prepared for the place of eternitie vnto whose gate they are or should be ready to enter with holy hearts and cleane bodies they in whom the contrary is found especially among the Princes Nobles Magistrates and persons of name and account are rightly likened vnto those olde Cockes that bring forth certaine blacke and blewish Egges Similitude which being couered by some venemous beast as a Toade or serpent in the canicular dayes there is hatched a Basiliscus or Cockatrice of that venom which infecteth and killeth men with his piercing sight By the Egge is vnderstood the euill worke or action of the faultie olde man by the venemous beast is meant the suggestor or flatterer of him in his faults by the Cockatrice is noted the wicked example and by the persons killed the seers and imitators thereof For those elder persons and namely Princes and Magistrates which haue beene estéemed and honoured in their places now sinning against God and the honor of their functions and their sinnes fostered and nourished by the pestiferous and wicked suggestion giueth a most pestilent example the which being seene of the Subiects yonger and inferiour persons infecteth and corrupteth them and as much as lyeth in him he killeth him And thus hath the king done Howbeit now at length he perceiueth that the iust iudgements of God threatned in this case and wont to ensue on them that breake and contemne his holy ordinance and Lawe is now prepared against him and this whole Nation yea more fiercer than it was in Davids time when seuenty thousand dyed in the pestilence Neither hath he found as yet by his wisedome how to excuse himselfe in this matter nor how to defend his innocencie for behold it is neither the king though so wise and royal nor things in heauen nor them on the earth nor any other power or might whatsoeuer that is able either to dispence with this diuine Lawe or to beare the effects of that celestiall wrath Woulde God that King Solomons example could be remembred of all thē that shall come after him An admonition for princes to remember Solomons example and learn to feare the diuine iudgements to be placed vpon his throne that in the middest of all their prosperity they wold thinke of aduersity as Iob did with that reuerence and feare that they presume not so farre to tempt the Lorde in the lust of their eyes the lust of their flesh and in the trust of their proper wisedome worldly policies and high places for howsoeuer they be preferred and aduanced and do stand yet shoulde they know themselues to be but men yea miserable and fraile men in this life subiect to whatsoeuer misery betideth other men Wherein the King is no freer then the beggar though preferred in his estate royall and the lustie yong man is no more respected then the olde man to whom crooked age is a continuall sickenesse such is mans condition for this cause men be well likened to the grasse in the field and all their glory honour wealth wisedome beauty and whatsoeuer els wherby a man is adorned in this world and in the which hee delighteth as that which is mans or incident to his pleasures in this life is rightly likened to the flowers of the grasse in the fielde the which are by diuers occasions either withered or altered in a very short time neither is any one herbe or flower in the fielde more free from those blastings burnings annoies and perrils then any other in the same notwithstanding that one beyonde the other is in higher estimation and price among men But as for the Lord our God he is most mighty euer the same without alteration or changes alwaies sufficiēt a reuenger of them that dishonour him and a very consuming fier to deuoure the ongodly as the stuble from the face of the earth hee is in his iudgements most iust in his workes most perfect in his wisedome infinite and in all thinges good for his saints and glorious in himselfe This is he that ouerthroweth man in offences and compasseth him about with a net wherein if sinfull man should complaine of violence done vnto him Iob. 19.7 he shall not be heard and if he cry for helpe there is no sentence to bee giuen for him he must abide his lot and beare the iustice of the Iudge without hope of change or alteration of the decree vntill it bee his pleasure vpon mans true repepentance to turne Iustice into mercy and paine into peace * All this answered the Lords being true can neither be denied nor dissembled but we wil witnes the same though to our sorrow because it toucheth our Lord the King Howbeit we haue not found that the holy religion hath beene altered but that the seruices of Iehovah our God and al his holy sacrifices are continued in that house which the king had dedicated to that vse howsoeuer those strāge women haue in their apostacie turned to their Idols againe affected the superstitions of their seuerall nations and obtained by the kings fauour permissiō to vse their own religions within these his territories and dominions I grant said Zadoke that our holy religion is yet preserued in vre howbeit not without a manifest contempt zadoke tels that religion is much blemished by those sins of Solomon 1. Sam. 5.2.3.4 Iudg. 6.31 when such as deride and disdaine the same shal be both permitted and maintained in the open face of the king and his people Could Dagon stand before the arke of God Would Gedeon permit in his daies that any man shold pleade Baals cause did our father Iacob suffer that his wife Rachel should retaine with her Labans Images or that any of his sonnes or family should be
polluted with any strange Gods when as they came to Bethel to sacrifice vnto Iehovah and should then king Solomon not only permit those horrible Idolatries and loathsome superstitions of Idols but also exhibit them maintenance in the same that follow such thinges so neare the Temple and the holy Cittie of God This thing is not hidden from the Lord who seeth and wil be auenged on the same Howbeit the King most vnhappily doting on those profane women his wiues and concubines which are now reuolted from the Lord and his religion and turned backe vnto their fathers and their Gods hath beene contented to conniue and beare with them in such their abhominations euen before his face and in the open sight of the Lorde people yea and rather then he would diuorce them or deny them or reproue them or correct them or displease them therein as he might haue don and indeede should haue done in this case he hath both appointed and commaunded many great summes of mony and treasure to be paied and giuen forth from his owne treasurie both to the building of certaine houses and places for such their Gods and also for the daily maintenance of their seruices in the same Therof it is before al other things that Iehovah his God is prouoked and waxen angry with him with vs and his people and hath thereon not omitted to threaten him and vs with many mighty plagues and punishments to ensew yea such as neither he we nor our posteritie shal be able to beare thereof as I vnderstand the Lord hath lately spoken by his prophet and messenger vnto the King himselfe saying Forasmuch as this thing is done of thee and thou hast not kept mine appointment and my statutes which I commanded thee 1. King 11.11 I will rent the kingdome from thee and wil giue it to thy Seruant Notwithstanding in thy dayes I will not do it because of David thy Father but I will take it from the hand of thy sonne Howbeit I will not take away all the kingdome but will giue one Tribe to thy Sonne because of David my Seruant and because of Ierusalem which I haue chosen Now here I call to remembrance what the Lorde our God hath resolued in such a case by the consideration of his words once spoken to Eli the Priest in the daies of our iudges 1. Sam. 2.25 I will worship them saith he that worship me but they which despise me shall come to shame Moreouer I remember what the King himselfe hath said in his wise Prouerbs The turning away of the vnwise shall hasten his owne destruction And well I wot therefore that of all the creatures in the world pro. 1.32 the impious and wicked person is most vnhappy that not only in respect of his sinnes and condition of life but in regard of his end and conclusion for as the end of much eating is sicknes the end of pleasure is paine the end of this life is death and corruption so the end of the Sinner is extreame anguish and miserie both in this worlde and after his death For being iustly sequestred from the societie of the Saintes and so shut out from the diuine protection he is euen whiles he liueth molested with an vnquiet conscience an aking heart feareful cogitations and dreames and many afflictions both of body and mind the hand of God being streatched foorth against him from aboue and the instrumentes of wrath tormenting him from beneath Finally this life finished hee broyles and toyles in bitter tormentes for euer more In the which he may be compared to those flying fishes which being in the waters are persecuted by other fishes for their pray springing vp with their finnes into the aire they are followed and deuoured of the cormorants and Sea-meawes or to that bird which being on the ground is hunted by dogs and flying aboue the earth is taken by the vultures for true it is that the man of impietie and sinne hath neither peace nor safety either in this world or in the world to come This thing the kings father well knew and considered of in the depth of his heart therfore when he was remembred of his transgressions and faults by Nathan and by Gad the Lordes prophets and messengers to him in that respect feeling the true sense of Gods angry coūtenance iustly bent against him and his people for the same the perilous estate both of himselfe and his dominions by and by although a chosen magnanimious puissant and valorous minded King comming to answere before the highest God hee sodainly cast himselfe downe to the earth as a base caitiffe hee repented him of his sinnes and in the fearefull agony of his afflicted soule he cried out I have sinned I haue sinned Mercy Lord mercye nor would be leaue off crying and repenting nor any otherwise estéeme of himselfe then a sinfull guilty and condemned wretch vntill he perceiued that the Lord was willing to be appeazed and of his mercie to turne his gratious face towards him as in times past resembling the bird of Paradise which beeing taken in a snare is neuer quiet nor leaueth crying and flittering till time he either dye or be deliuered And thus behoveth it our Lord the King to esteeme of himselfe vnder those his transgressions this to respect and the same to performe which in this desperate and dangerous case is the best counsail we may giue him for remedy and ease For surely surely God being thus prouoked and that iustly he will not be appeazed nor will he surcease to streatch forth his hand of iustice against him so offending vntill that he meekly acknowledge his offences before him repent and seeke him with sorrow and singlenes of heart as we may see in th'examples of our forefathers both in the wildernes vnder the conduct of Moses and Aaron and in this land vnder the gouernment of our wise and valiant Iudges Now my Lords hereof is it that Iehovah our God being most iustly displeased with our Lord the King hee hath in iustice stirred vp and prouoked against him besides the two former enemies which much troubled him that Ieroboam who thirsting for the soueraignity of Israel now especially opposeth himselfe in might and policie against the King Neither may wee thinke but howsoeuer those persons especially Ieroboam are maliciously bent and prouoked against the king and his gouernment The kings enemies are the very instruments of Gods wrath appointed to vex the king and his people and do of themselues little respect or consider the prouidence and working of the most high in this his displeasure that yet they be the very instruments and ministers of Gods iudgements as those other aduersaries of Israel haue beene in the times past against our fathers when as they forgetting God did rebell against him and his holy servants And therefore the onely way to resist them is not the wisedome power policie or arme of man but the grace of our mercifull
youth being vnder the education and nurtour of his father David of Bethsabe his mother and of Nathan the Prophet did well remember his maker and therby behaued himselfe in all things most worthily He was a graue wise man even in his yong yeeres for he hearkened to his father when hee taught him and to his mother when shee schooled him and to wisedome when she directed him Oh how wise was hee in his youth Eccles 47.14 filled with heauenly vnderstanding as with a flood his minde couered the whole earth and filled it with graue darke sentences his name went abrode in the Iles and for his peace he was well beloued The countries meruailed at him for his songs An example of Solomons ingratitude to God after his large guifts prouerbs similitudes and interpretations By the name of the Lord God which is called the God of Israel hee gathered God as Tin and had so much Siluer as Lead Al this not with standing as it hath been with great grief declared by the most reuerend father so must it be also recorded here by mee for I cannot dissemble it or passe it ouer that the King hath bowed his loines vnto womē and hath been overcome by his body and turned a way his heart from the Lord. And therein shall appeare to all posterities a most notable example of the kings ingratitude and disobedience against God and therewithall a fearefull example of the diuine iudgements to teach all others to take heede how they forget God and anger him with disobedience after all his large bounties towards them For besides the examples of the Elephants Storks and other beasts and birds without reason the earth which hath no sense shall worthily condemne him For the very earth receiuing good seede of the sowers hand yeeldes him againe in recompence and token of thankfulnes a farre greater quantitie as some thirty some sixty sōe an hundred fold teaching both how ready men should be to requite benefites receiued if they may do it without iniury especially how thankfull to God of whose hand they haue receiued both life and liuing and also to fly that menstrous sinne of vnkindnes then the which no sinne can be greater for within it is comprehended euery other sin whatsoeuer either against God or man either to giue or not to giue it is in a mans owne power but to recompence or requite a good turne it is of duty required And there where power or habilitie wanteth a good minde is accepted Oh God! how many graces blessings and wealthy gifts hath the kings grace receiued of the Lords hand neuer king had the like before him and it is said which wee belieue there shall neuer any succeede him comparable to him in all these things Therfore shoulde his thankfulnes to God haue been greater far aboue al the rest For of him to whom much is giuen is much required Againe shall not the paine of such vnkindnes exceede the punishment of others it is much to bee feared and the mighty shall bee mightely tormented Wherefore the King vnderstanding this is right sorrowfull in his soule zadoke yet speaketh for the King whome wee should not condemne as a reprobate Neither can wee bee merry and glad as wee haue beene sometimes in the florishing happy daies and prosperitye of our King * Then Zadoke the high Priest whome for his grauitie all the Lordes did reuerence and for his wisedome they did gladly heare replied againe againe and saide Yet may we not so condemne the king as if bee were vtterly cast out of the fauour of God for truly hee expresseth great tokens of repentance euery day The King is but a man hath imperfections and infirmities The King is excellent wise but yet the king is a man neither is a man so perfect in this life but that not onely hee hath infirmities but also many imperfections Yea as the fairest day hath his cloude the sweetest hony a prick and the finest wheat his branne so hath the best man liuing on this earth his fall and fault But this I confesse that seldom there hath bin seene in so wise and holy a man so foule a fault and I esteeme the fault so much the more by how much the king was wise and excellent before others A little fault appeareth great in a wise man For as the least blemish wil appeare in the fairest face so a little fault shal be esteemed much in a wise man How-much more this monstrous sinne in the wisest of all men which hath his eyes in his head to foresee and to preuent dangers then when the foole runneth foorth without knowledge to his own shame and confusion Surely the King hath been in this wonderfully ouertaken An example of mans insecuritie vnto all other men A caveat how wise prudent or politike soeuer they bee and a caueat for them to beware they fall not then when they thinke themselues to stand most assuredly For securitie is a deceitfull hagge Security The princes verdit of the Kinges fault and will cast men sodainly into dangers whē they imagine themselues most safe and sure * Indeede said the Princes this thing being so indiscreetly handled by so wise a King wil be an exceeding blot to his honour a sclander to the holy religion a shame to his Princes a plague to his people an encouragement to his enemies and an euill example for the posteritie and yet it shal be as it is conuenient in the Record lest vnto them For we may not be foūd false witnesses therin Alas that euer we should with these our eyes behold such abhominations with these our eares heare such euill reports with our hearts feare in these dayes of such thinges as are threatned and like to fall on vs zadoke telles that the King is contrite and sory for his sins and so repenreth Howbeit said Zadoke there is some hope in that I perceiue the king doth not only feel in his heart the seuerity of the diuine wrath foreseeth the misery that is threatned thereof is sorowfull but also knowing what is best to bee done as his father David did when he had sinned and was reproued by the Prophet hee is wonderfull contrite and grieued in heart for his sinnes which he now hateth and condemneth in himselfe hee is humbled on the earth and couered with sack-cloth and ashes hee maketh ◅rs strange confessions of his life and behauiour Hee abandoneth all the delights of the worlde which hee esteemeth and calleth vaine and hencefoorth doth assay to dedicate himselfe anew vnto the Lorde his God against whom he hath faulted And as hee hath taught that the iust man falleth seuen times in the day and riseth againe so hee knoweth that his onely way to rise is by faithfull repentance the which the Lorde hath promised to preserue keepe in store and to giue vnto them that bee his chosen that thereby they may passe vnto his hill in safetie howsoeuer
equall authoritie those matters of the king the reuerence of whose person and the authoritie of whose Words I haue euen with these mine eares heard some wise-men to call into question and whereof they are wont to say to them that commend the king and his wordes yet praise not the vnworthy because of his riches nor his wordes by reason of his wealth Is not a green apple tree bearing fruit better then the dry Cedar of Lybanus lying on the ground is not a living dogge preferred before a dead lyon and what is that person to be esteemed or his words regarded which hath distained his wisedome with foolishnesse and polluted his honor with vngodlinesse For truely as when women deck themselues they endeuor to choose the best glasses and cast away others which are polluted or deceitfull and as schollers to write doe set before them not ragged but plaine and perfite copies to learne by so in the Church or in the Common-wealth should onely those examples bee proposed for imitation and instruction which are the holy deedes of worthy men And as that worke is most praise-worthy in the which both the Arte commendeth the matter and the matter the Arte The perfection of the person should ioyne with his words so those Sermons and wordes are alwayes best meete the conseruation and obseruation wherein the worthinesse of the person commendeth the Wordes and the wisedome of the words commendeth the worthinesse of the person Neither should wee praise that too much which is polluted in part lest vnhappily the vnwise that knoweth not to put difference betweene the good and the euill will take and vse as well the one as the other for although the wise and prudent are wont to make choise of the waters whereof they drinke knowing that all Fountaines are not of one goodnesse operation and vse yea and be as the Bees which make hony and not poison of euery herbe yet the foolish which can not discerne or make difference of things will bee ready to take those waters which breede fury and madnesse and procure death and with the Spider will make poison of the sweetest flowers It may bee that some of you my Lordes thinke as I haue sayde would yee bee as plaine and simple to deliuer it foorth as I am What say yee to that which I haue obiected Then stoode foorth the most reuerende Father zadok answereth for the king against Abiathers obiection Contemners of other men and as the mouth of them all for they all willed him to giue an answere bee spake and sayde By your leaue Abiather As hee that commendeth another but sparingly seemeth to want his owne prayse so they that contemne other men rashly seeme to enuie their happinesse And truely as the slouthfull dogges doe barke at euery one whom they know not whether hee bee friende or foe to their master so there bee certaine ignorant persons which carpe at all that themselues vnderstand not bee it neuer so excellent and good Againe Vncharmed tongues there bee many vncharmed tongues which vse to speake euill of that which they know well to bee good These wil contemne the hony together with the pricks they will condemne true men Haters of that which is good because there be some theeues they dislike al things in respect of the fault of some things There be others which beare euill will at Zion and therfore blaspheme the holy religion of the children of Zion Envious persons and sclanderers neither are any of these disposed vpon occasiō to yeeld the due either to God or to the king but striue in their vnquiet spirits to derogate frō both so to draw frō this most princely person I meane K. Solomon and his most excellent labours Sermons and Doctrines all the honor credit and estimation which to either of them iustly belongeth vnprofitable persons whereby they are become both vnprofitable to themselues and hurtfull to others for thereof it is that both themselues neuer féele the swéetnesse and comfort of those most soueraigne and healthfull solaces therein prouided and proposed vnto them and many others especially the ignorant and ouer credulous are and shall be iniuriously defrauded also aswell of this the kings Solace as of many other things godly wholesome profitable and necessarie the which the true-hearted and faithfull of the Lord doe and shall thereof gladly reape and enioy to their exceeding great good and highest consolation These aspire not to the true happinesse themselues nor would that others should attaine the same wherein they resemble those idle and wayward dogges that lying in the maunger will neither eat the hay nor suffer the labouring Asse to feed thereof But right iudgement and reason resolue that albeit it is not good to praise them much which of their owne accords are apt to vaine glory as we may not tickle them which by nature are giuen to excessiue laughter Whō to praise whom not yet meete it is that wee praise the praise-worthy and vpon an occassion prouoke them to laughter which are ouer pensiue and sadde that wee yeeld to euery man his dutie as honor to whom honour loue to whom loue feare to whome feare belongeth lest as in the former we should prouoke to vice which resteth in extremities so in the latter wee should discourage from vertue which holdeth the meane and so declare ourselues so vniust in th' one as wicked in th' other * Therfore although that both soueraigne Lord K. Solomon and those his last words haue already both deserued in themselues and obtained among the godly-wise both credit and authoritie sufficient yet The credite and estimation of Solomon and his words vpon this necessary occasion I shall be alwayes ready as my dutie is to pleade for the defence both of th' one and the other not withstanding his vnhappy staine with those transgressions and sins and so much the sooner because beeing both an eare and an eye witnesse I can best testifie and being the High-priest I can or should well discerne both of the one and the other without partialitie or corruption in iudgement Nor doe I doubt my good Lords but that yee all will consent with mee in the same as farre as truth will warrant mee to pleade for my Lorde the king Surely I would not exceed the boundes of truth nor endeuor to defend or excuse sinne in any person be hee high or low * And well worthy most reuerent Father said the Princes nor is it meete The princes consent to zadok in the kings apologie that any of vs all should presume to auouch that for truth which is a false lye for as he which heareth false witnesse against a man as the king hath said bringeth foorth lyes and is a very clubbe asworde and a sharpe arrowe so should wee bee if wee should produce any thing besides the veritie in any thing much more in those matters which concerne the kings Maiestie the which the
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
conclude with mée that hee is neither a damned nor a reprobate The consent of the princes or a prophane person but a singuler Saint of the most high To this answered the Princes yee haue well spoken most reuerend father and semblably applyed whatsoeuer yee haue produced for the king Many things whereof wee knowe and all other things wee beleeue to be true as yee haue declared them therefore wee will gladly both subscribe to the same and conclude with you for the Kings holines Morouer as we haue been willing to heare you and are glad of those your resolutions so are wee not weary but more willing as yet to heare you further and further in these things neither shall ye bee more ready to speake then wee shall be pleased to listen and learne to vnderstand the mysteries of the kings excellency and glorie Therefore if ye haue any thing else to produce say on wee beseech you To this said Zadok Yea my Lords there be as yet many more Arguments to this purpose and more then I minde at this time to produce It shall be sufficient that among many I take some few For the thing being already so well proved that of the trueth fewe or none néede to doubt it may be bootlesse for mee to heape together ouer-much lest I may not onely séeme to affirme and confirme that which no man denieth but also to confound your memories with ambages and tedious circumstances But hearken againe As it hath well pleased the Almightie to elect king Solomon to appoint him the builder of his house Solomon in his dignitie prefigureth Christ to honor his birth and to entitle him with those most soueraigne Names so hath hee made him king ouer his people Israel to doe vnto them equitie and righteousnesse And this the Lorde did in his loue to his people 1. king 10. as the noble Queene of Saba said at her being here and so said Hyram the king of Tyrus writing to the king Because the Lord loved Israel therefore hath he placed the king over them Wherein wee see how he typeth the holy Messiah for insomuch as the Lord loued his Church I meane all those faithfull ones whom he had before elected and purposed to glorifie in the end he made his Messiah their Prince and Captaine He gaue vnto them in his good pleasure such a king as might sit vpon mount Sion from whence he had expelled all the halt and the blinde that this king of the right Vrim and Thumim might be placed and raigne therein doing righteousnesse and equitie vnto his Saints If therefore the Lorde loued Israel and in his pleasure placed ouer them a king whom he also loued and by the same would prefigurate both his Messiah his Church what should let vs in this to conclude for the kings holinesse Moreouer the end of this gouernment shooteth to the same scope which is to doe equitie and righteousnes This our king endeuoured to his power and so much performed as a mortall man could but the full perfection thereof indeede is reserued to the most holy seede which is appointed to combine the Lords Iustice with his Mercie therof conclude Equitie when laying mans guilt on himselfe hee shall beare the strokes of the diuine iustice and imputing his perfection vnto man hee shall procure him pardon Thus shall iustice be administred yet mercy shall not be abandoned but one thing so considered with another that both righteousnesse and equitie shall bee extended This worke I say is proper to the Messiah wherein therefore our Lord king Solomon standeth a true figure Furthermore to be briefe Solomons magnanimitie the K. great magnanimitie expresseth the same he spared forbare to punish thē which had offended his Maiestie as Adoniah Ioab and others whom hee would neuer haue struken had they not after their second offence against him worthily deserued the reward of their wickednes and how mercifully he dealt with Abiather it is apparent to signifie how ready the Messiah shall bee to forgiue them that offend him vpon their submission after the diuine nature who as David the king did sing is more ready to pardon then to punish them that sin against him when they repent as we sée in the example of the same David To this His wisedome may be added the excellencie of Solomons wisdō I mean that pure influence flowing from the glorie of the most high the brightnesse of that euerlasting light that vndefiled mirrour of the divine Maiestie and the image of his goodnesse that without measure The which shall perfectly and fully farre beyond all that the King hath or can haue be found really and actually resident in the person of holy Messiah the fountaine of all wisedome and heauenly graces the depth whereof the wit of man is not nor shall euer bee able to sound His iudgements and other things The 2. harlots The priesthood translated as long as the worldendureth Moreouer his discretion in Iudgement concerning the cause of the 2. women and their children signifieth the maner of dealing of the Messiah in iudgemēt between his Church and the malignant in time to come his translating of the Priest-hoode from the house of Eli foretelleth that the Priest-hood in time shall bee translated when the true Melchizedek shall come to offer vp his sacrifice for the people of God His iudgement on Adoniah and Ioab Adoniahs iudgement fore-sheweth that the King of glorie in his dayes shall powerfully throwe downe and confound all such as bee enemies to the Lords Annointed and which seeke to disturbe the common-wealth of his Church Hyram his contribution The sending to Hyram the Sidonian for timber and other things for the building of his Temple signifieth that the Messiah as hee is a light for the Gentiles so he shall from thence also take and gather into the Church according to the request of Noah Gen. 9. who prayed that Iaphet might be persuaded to dwell in the tents of Shem. To this also belongeth the comming of the famous Queene of Arabia The Queene of Sheba to heare the kings wisedome with her royall presents and her entertainement for the time shall come that in the like manner the kings of the Gentiles and the people which dwell in the remote and vttermost parts of the earth shall be congregated to heare the wisdom of the holy one Solomons glorie and riches and shal be most gratefull to him for his loving mercies Also the great glory and riches of the king setteth foorth the high glory and noble vertues of that heauenly king from whose kingly stocke many princely branches of divine issue haue and shall spring out and of whom the kings father diuinely inspired prophesied when he spake in the Psalme of his beautie psal 4.5 grace blessing courage might worship renowne prosperitie honor truth meekenes righteousnes noble actions strength in warre of his throne his scepter his iudgements his
righteousnes his annointing his apparell his marriage his royaltie his Godhead his praise his eternitie and everlasting glory For all these things are found and shall for euer be well approued and highly praised in that holy Messiah Solomons prayers and sacrifices which the Lord accepted 1. king 8.22 to whom onely the king by the letter pointeth as the figure to the thing figured Nowe with this wee may not forgette that the king hauing finished the Lords house stood before the Altar of the Lord in the sight of all the Congregation of Israel and stretched out his hands towards heauen and blessed the Lord and praised him and his truth yea he knéeled also on his knées and prayed vnto him that the word might be verified which hee spake vnto David his father and that it would please him to haue respect vnto his prayer and supplication as well for himselfe as for the people praying in that house Also he stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel verse 56. with a loude voyce saying Blessed bee the Lorde that hath given rest vnto his people Israel according to all that hee promised c. The Lord our God bee with vs as he was with our Fathers and forsake vs not nor leave vs but that hee may bowe our hearts vnto him that wee may walke in all his wayes and keepe his Commandements his statutes and his Lawes which hee commanded our Fathers And those my words that I haue prayed before the Lorde bee nigh vnto Iehovah our GOD day and night that hee defend the cause of his servant the cause of his people Israel at all times as the matter shall require that all nations of the earth may knowe that Iehovah is God and none but hee Moreuer the King offered Offrings before the Lord yea peace-offrings in great aboundance and therewithall dedicated the house which he builded to the Lord with great ioy and gladnesse In all the which things Iehovah his God was well pleased with him yea and with the people through him heard his prayers receiued his requests graunted his petitions and apeared vnto him in Gibeon with this comfortable saying I have heard thy Prayer and thine intercession that thou hast made before mee For I haue hallowed this house which thou hast built to put my name there for ever and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually Now consider I pray you what K. Solomon is with the Lorde will the Lord heare and accept the reprobate and prophane persons or will he honour and esteeme their works although they séeme glorious to the conceits of worldly men No surely What saith the Kings father touching their prayers The prayer of vngodly men is turned into sinne Psal 100.6 And thus I haue heard him to modulate concerning himselfe and his estimation with the highest The Lord I know wil not vouchsafe my praier or words to heare If vnto sinne mine heart I should encline and him not feare But if I come into his Courts with offerings worthie praies And pay the vowes I promised in mine afflicted daies If on him with my mouth I call and with my tongue him blesse And offer him the sacrifice of thankes and righteousnes Then will he heare my praiers and consider of my case And my request will graunt in time of his aboundant grace In al these things therfore the king is declared to be not only holy and approued of God but also a perfect figure of that most holy Seede who in his time shall pray shall offer shall please God shal be heard shal be accepted and all his desires performed to the satisfying of his soule to the health of his people Finally The pluralitie of Solomons wiues the very pluralitie of the kings Wiues his Concubines on whom he was enamored and dishonoured howsoeuer vnlawfull offensiue to God and a disgrace to himselfe shall not be reckoned as a thing vnnecessarie in this comparison seeing that the most holy Messiah in his ardent zeale for mans recouery will be contented that the serpent shall trippe on his heele Gen. 3. whereby he will be dishonored and abased whiles he taketh on himselfe mans ougly deformities and sinnes being so willing through his owne humiliation and ignominie to ease man so burthened and to bring him home againe vnto him from whom hee had farre wandered and to reconcile him with him against whom hee had monstrously transgressed And therefore as his Proverbes the which for the most part hee vttered in his florishing and perfect estate are applicable as chiefly appertaining to the gouernment of a godly family as these his * Wordes That is his Ecclesiastes 1. now daily and ordinarily vttered and ruminated are applicable as especially belonging to the ordering of a godly Common-wealth So also those his Loue-songs and Ballads entituled * Schir-hasschirim The Canticles of Solomon The Song of songs composed in his yonger dayes yea before the twentieth year of his age shall not be reiected or abandoned but esteemed and properly applied both to that mysticall and spirituall woowing espowsing combination and familiar societie communication of the holy Messiah with his elect and faithfull Saints of the which hee gathereth and garnisheth a Church as a chaste Wife to himselfe Loe my Lordes in these and many other such notable things is our Lord K. Solomon by the will wisdom and providence of God made an excellent figure of that holy Annointed and therefore he may not bee esteemed a naughty or prophane person but to bee taken as hee is indeede a Saint of the Lorde Neither doe I any thing doubt but that the best learned and godly that either now liue or shall come after vs will so iudge and esteeme of him when they shall heare and well weigh not onely of that which hath beene said heretofore concerning him his words actions and estate but also shall plainely beholde the verification thereof in the very person and perfect beautie of that promised Schilo the King of righteousnesse and highest peace at his happy comming in the world into the appointed time This being sayd all the Princes were much comforted although in this their kings affliction and gaue thankes to Zadok who yet seemed further to resolue and satisfie them in any thing whereof either any question might bee mooued or any doubt iustly arise concerning the kings holines CAP. XXVIII Zadok argueth for the King concerning his repentance and remission after his Transgressions ZAdok hauing thus farre pleaded for K. Solomon and with many substantiall Arguments proued him a Saint of the Lorde and therefore that hee could not bee either a damned soule or a reprobated wretch or a prophane person as some haue or might ouer harldy rashly censure him the Princes shewed themselues both ioyfull and thankefull But after a whiles Prince Azariah in the behalfe of the rest stood foorth opened his mouth and sayde Most reuerende Father wee all confesse with thankefulnes that yee
haue framed a worthie Apologie for the king and with Arguments sufficient yee haue prooued him to bee not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prophane but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Saint Neither doe wee doubt of any of those things but partly know them and partly beleeue them to be so indeede as yee haue sayde And God forbidde that any of vs by reason of our suspensiue opinions and doubtfull conceites should tender occasion to any of them that come after vs to bee doubtfull of the King whom wee well knowe the Lorde hath elected and will preserue and whome wee esteeme notwithstanding his sinnes a Saint of the Lorde And in truth as those persons which haue bruised frankinsence and beene ensenced therewith doe smell of the same neither will they by and by lose the sauour and sent thereof though they bee purged so the King hauing beene endued with the diuine Spirite and long exercised in the vse of the right Princely and sacred vertues doeth yet and shall enioy the sweete sauor and acceptable memorie of the same neither may so short a time as this life is blotte it out Whereby being enboldened hee may therein contemne them that shall either disdayne him or vniustly iudge of either him his wordes or actions But nowe because the Kings Remission and Pardone Solomons sinnes are pardoned and he remaineth a Saint of the Lord for euer after his trespasse was called into question it may not displease your Reuerence that wee enquire whether his sinnes bee remitted that is whether the Lorde hath forgiuen and pardoned his trespasses forgotten his iniquitie absolued him of his guiltinesse and loosed him from the bandes of eternall death yea or no. For they will reply and thus obiect It may bee that hee was a Saint and seruant of Iehovah his GOD so long as hee kept his minde chaste his body cleane his actions without reproofe and the trueth of his doctrine pure and vnspotted Or so long as hee well pleased GOD who iustifieth the beleeuing sinner or so long as hee was ordained to stand the figure of the holy Messiah wherein hee sheened in perfite beautie but afterwarde in his transgressions and sinnes he turned his beautie into ougly deformitie Nor indeede according to your former words coulde hee possibly bee and remayne the figure of the holy Messiah longer then whiles his beautie remayned perfite in him Therefore except hee were forgiuen and by this his remission clensed and restored to his former excellencie or at the leasted admitted into the fauour of GOD and iustified the former doubt will be still retained and vrged against both him and his words Therefore let it please you to resolue this doubt and satisfie vs therein as we know yee are well able most reuerend Father To this answered Zadok I am most willing both to resolue this doubt and to satisfie you my Lords all in this case therefore to proue that the King hath obtained mercie and pardon of the Lord God for all those his transgressions and so consequently standeth and remayneth a Saint and person dedicated to the Lorde notwithstanding all those his transgressions I thus reason for my Lord the king * Whosoeuer hath truely repented him of his sinnes Solomon obteined mercie for he repented him of his sinnes hee hath obtained mercie and forgivenesse But our Lord King Solomon hath truely repented him of his sins therfore he hath obtained mercy and forgevenesse The first proposition is prooued by many sounde Arguments and positions of holy Scriptures And first by the due consideration of the Nature of GOD who as hee hath created man to his owne image and likenesse and hath a will to preserue him so desireth hee nothing more then his conuersion and amendement after his falling as whereby hee may not bee hindered but furthered and bolpen in his walking towardes the highest Glorie yea in this hee resembleth a true father that both pitieth and pardoneth his owne sonne which hath offended him vpon his true repentance as both Moses Iob and David of famous memorie haue tolde vs with other our holy Prophets who teache and assure vs from the Lordes owne mouth that if an vngodly man will turne away from all his sinnes that hee hath done and keepe all his Statutes and doe the thing that is iudgement and right hee shall doubtlesse liue and not die neither shall his sinnes bee either retained or mentioned vnto him for God hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner but gladly will bee mercifull vnto him and pardon him vpon his repentance For God is most readie to forgiue Therefore hee comforteth vs with this saying Circumcise the fore-skinnes of your heartes Deut. cast away your transgressions and turne againe vnto Iehovah your God and yee shall not dye but liue And this is that which wee beleeue and persuade of our Lorde the king Surely Cain himselfe though too presumpsuous and proude in his sinnes could inregard hereof say and is my sinne greater Gen. 4. then that it can bee pardoned Knowing that the promise which GOD had made to Adam in Paradize both imported and included remission saying that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Seede of the Woman shoulde breake the Serpents heade whereof man though an execrable sinner shoulde finde both remission and life with Iehovah his GOD. Next to this wee haue a great many comfortable examples in the Bookes of Moses Iob Iosuah the Iudges and Samuel as of the pardon offered vnto Iudah Lot the Israelites and to bee briefe to David the Kings father to whome the Lorde sayde by Nathan the Prophet God hath put away thy sinnes thou shalt not die the which hee often remembred in the Booke of the Psalmes psal 103.3 whereof hee also prouoketh his soule to the praise of GOD who had forgiuen him all his iniquitie and couered all his sinne Nowe as none can forgiue sinnes but God onely so those our ancestors when they sinned perswading that all their sinnes were done against God either immediately or by meanes they would in the hope of remission and health repaire vnto him seeking first to bee reconciled with his grace before they would goe vnto men remembering what olde Eli the Priest 1. Sam. 2. saide some-times to his children If a man sinne against man sayde hee the Iudge may decide it but if a man sinne against GOD who shall bee his Vmpire or Dayes-man Moreouer knowing that pardon required precedent Repentance without the which who will forgiue him that offendeth him among men they neither presumed to approach the diuine throne with proud insolent and presumptuous Spirites but with contrite and humble heartes desiring mercie for sinnes committed and confessed with great submission For albeit that Repentance be very sharpe and bitter to the sinner and many men had leaner sinne openly then repent secretly yet is this the Medicine of trespasses the consumption of iniquities a weapon against Satan and a sharpe sworde prepared and able to daunt
the deadly aduersarie This is the hope of health the purchase of mercie and way to felicitie I cannot yet cease but speake againe of this soueraigne treasure and medicine of the sinners sore beeing therein as full as the Moone and most willing to bee powred foorth in the excellencie thereof so full of consolation and rich blessings This is that which through the mercie of the liuing God in the promised seede remitteth sinnes openeth the gates of Paradize salueth the man that is broken in heart and gladeth them that bee sorowfull This is that which calleth a mans life from destruction restoreth his estate reneweth his decayed honour giueth him boldnesse reformeth his spirites and powreth in grace vpon grace This is that which looseth things bounde clarifieth things obscure and animateth things desperate The beautie of this vertue is as cleare as the Sunne as bright as the Moone as glistring as the Starres The sweetnes thereof is as honye the price as golde and the estimation beyonde all precious stones For this is that which neither sinne ouer-commeth nor defection destroyeth nor dispaire blotteth out Finally this abandoneth all vices imbraceth all vertues tormenteth sinne extolleth righteousnesse obtaineth mercies produceth vertues freeth sinners recouereth the lost recreateth the desperate He that can truely repent needeth not to doubt of saluation refresheth the harde labourer and bringeth to her possessors eternall happinesse For by this a man shall bee saued although hee hath lead all his life in sinne as there is no man which sinneth not full often and euery day Such an excellent thing is true Repentance But yee will saye Howe is this wrought in a man howe is this repentance wrought in man Howe shall a man truely repent Indeede this thing is not wrought in man of mans owne power nor wisedome For GOD stayeth not to expect it from mans wisedome or abilitie for so may both his expectation bee frustrated and man bee deceiued but it is the goodnesse of GOD to renewe them by repentance which are waxen olde in sinne Therefore the Sinner shoulde neuer despaire Despaire not of mercie nor fall from hope neither shoulde hee bee ashamed to repent but ashamed to sin and consider that as the one is a wound so the other is a medicine for the wound Sinne is the wound Repentance is the medicine the wounde hath shame the medicine hath boldnesse the wound is made by the malice of the deuill the medicine is wrought by the loue and goodnesse of GOD in the merite of the holy Messiah which beareth and washeth away all the sinnes of them that truely repent The princes * To this the Princes hauing yeelded attentiuenesse with great gladnesse consented esteeming the Oration as profitable as it was plausible and as fruitfull as gladsome vnto them And then among them stood foorth the Priest Abiather Abiather obiecteth and sayde Yee haue well spoken concerning the former proposition most reuerend Father It is likewise in request that yee prooue the Minor For it may bee called into question heereafter whether the King hath truely repented him yea or no For except this bee prooued what is any thing of that which yee haue spoken touching Repentance appertinent vnto him and if it concerneth not him what profite takes he thereof for hee is not remitted or how is our common question answered and the doubt resolued zadok proveth that king Solomon repented To the which answered Zadok neither is this question so hard to bee answered vnto nor the doubt intricate to bee dissolued for if there were none other Argument whereby to proue the kings true Repentance yet is this enough that he is a Saint a person dedicated to the Lorde therefore he is not fallen from hope therefore hee is truely repentant For as the strong foundation standeth still hauing this Seale The Lorde knoweth them that bee his The saints do not fall away for euer so wee may not thinke that the Saints of God for whom mercie is euer kept in store can fall vtterly away from hope or bee shut out from mercie in the time of their neede For as the wood whose nature is to swimme on the water may yet beeing ouer-laden with yron sinke but the yron beeing taken off the wood neuertheles ascendeth againe to the head of the water and swimmeth Neither may we say that it is no wood because it did sinke once to the bottome Though the faithfull fall yet they rise vp againe So though the righteous men whose nature is by Faith to stand and walke in Gods way being oppressed with the burthen of sinne through the deuils malice do vnhappily couch downe as with Isachar between two burdens yet may we not rightly saye that they are not of the Lords chosen for it is so that whensoeuer that burden is remoued as it is from them that repent they rise againe and bee renued as in their former estate and beeing of that generation and nature it is not possible that they shoulde fall vtterly away for the sonnes of God do not so apostate that they fall into eternall perdition howsoeuer they sinne and sinke vnder their sins For the iust man falleth but he riseth againe And therein they be likened to the herbe Adyanton which beeing steeped deep in the waters though a long time will neuertheles beeing taken vp appeare very dry For the righteous man which had fallen after his rising againe by Repentance is as beautifull as euer he was maugre the malice of the Serpent And touching this doctrine I haue heard the King himselfe to say according to the truth of the holy writings and words of our Prophets that the soules of the righteous are in the handes of God These be Solomons wordes which afterward were gathered by philo the Iew. Sap. 31. and there shall no torment touch them c. Again God proveth them and findeth them meete for himselfe as gold in the furnace doth he try them and receiveth them as a burnt offering and when the time commeth they shal be looked vpon Againe They that put their trust in the Lord shall vnderstand the truth and such as be faithfull shall persevere with him in love For his saincts have grace and mercy Sap. 4 15. and he hath care for them Againe The loving favour and mercy of God is vpon his saincts and he hath respect vnto his chosen Moreouer I haue heard the kinges Father to say The Lord will not permit the righteous to fall for ever though for their triall and bettering hee suffer them to slide for a time psal 55.22 And th'excellent prophets Nathan and Gad haue preached and others the Lords Prophets and holy men haue and do yet preach that God loueth his chosen with an eternall loue therefore he draweth them vnto himselfe by his mercy although they sinne seuen times in a day whereby they rise againe and are renewed Therefore it cannot bee that this person I meane King
to the tyranny of the Serpent which had deceiued them Adams sinne Gen. 3. Iudah Gen. 38.26 Lot Aaron Exo. 32.2 Gen. 34.25 Simeon and Levi. Ruben Gen 49 4. The Israelites Sampson Iudg 2.11.13 3.6 16.18 Laban Gen. 31.30 for the which they were iustly driuen out of Paradise and made subiect to misery and death notwithstanding it pleased the L. God as ye haue heard to forgiue them and to gather to himselfe an holy church euē from among them which had sinned We read that Iudah tooke his daughter in law Thamar lay with her contrary to the law and acknowledged that he had sinned therein Lot was made drunke and lay with both his daughters Aarō the Lords priest yeelded to the making of a molten calfe which the people worshipped VVe read that Simeon and Levi the sonnes of Iacob dealt deceitfully with Hemor Sichē his son and murthered them and their people against the will of their father who in his last words cursed their wrath which was shameles their rage which was cruel As for Rubē Iacobs eldest sonne he defiled his fathers bed distained his dignity Our fathers in the time of the Iudges were carried away to serue Baal Astaroth and they were cōioined with the Cananites against the law of the L. Sampsō the Nazarite combined himselfe with a strange woman yea and in the end yeelded his power to the harlot Dalila Laban the father in law of Iacob was a worshipper of strāge Gods Terah the father of Abrahā was not free frō the like offence And are the sinnes of those our fathers especially the greatest of these sins inferior to the K. sins Notwithstāding it is testified that the L. pardoned thē restored thē to his fauor But ye say that the K. hath turned away his heart form the Lord. Indeede of all others his sins this is the greatest Howbeit I say not therefore that hee hath vtterly turned away his heart as that hee hath quite forsaken God and by wicked apostasy fallen away from him for euer for had it beene so we should not haue seene him in this his estate And as I well remember I heard the king himselfe to say and wee cannot denye it when we well consider thereof and of him in this his estate that in the depth of those his sinnes and vanities he perceiued that yet his wisedome remained with him psal 51.11 1. Sam. 16.14 2. Sam. 7.15 How Solomon is said to turne away his heart from God by the which he ment the graces of that diuine spirit which King David praied that the Lorde would not vtterly take from him being indeed an effect of that mercy which the Lord his God said he would not take from him as he toke it from Saul whom hee had cast off before him But I say the King hath turned away his heart in this sense first in that he hath sinned against the Lorde his God secondly in that he hath yeelded to his lusts and thirdly in that he fainted in his holy zeale For there is no sinne whatsoeuer which a man committeth wherein there is not a turning away of the sinner from the Lord for sinne is contrary to the law of God and argueth a contempt of his iustice neglect of his graces therefore the Lorde requireth in them whom he recoureth and pardoneth a faithful returne in humble contrition Next it is true that euery man is led away from God of his owne concupiscence or naturall lusts and thus the King doting ouermuch on his strange Woemen hath been enflamed ouercome in affection seduced and led away from the Lordes righteousnes Thirdly the king by those former occasions had forsaken his first loue was waxen more colde or luke-warme in that holy religion and godly zeale with the which his heart hath been wonderfully enflamed in his youth But yet I remember what the Lord said I will shew mercy to whome I will shew mercy The same said to Hagar Returne againe to thy mistris Exo. Gen. 16 9. though thine heart was turned from her Againe he saith to the sinner ' Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do those good workes which thou hast vsed to doe when I was well pleased with thee Againe Remember thy maker So I confesse though with sorrow of heart that the king in that his estate hath not so zeolously set foorth and maintained the glory and seruices of God as he was wont to doe for whosoeuer is addicted to the former is defectiue in the latter but he neglected a great part of his office and duty But yet the Lord bee thanked we know that the state of religion was neuer altered or changed The holy religion neuer altered but continued the same in Solomons time 2. Chro. 11.16.17 but that hath and yet doth remaine the same as in the time of David notwithstanding the idolatries superstitions and prouocations of his strange women which is a notable argument that yet thee helde the sure foundation of his saith vnshaken And therefore let vs not presume either to say or to thinke that King Solomon is fallen vtterly away from the Lord his God who hath so wonderfully loued beautified and blessed him It is one thing to offend God by euill thoughts euill wordes or wicked deedes another thing to deny God and to forsake him vtterly He that sinneth and offendeth God and yet beleeueth in God he is by his repentance reserved for saluation but who so doth deny God and vtterly apostate from him there remaineth vnto him not so much as one little shell wherewith he may drawe a very small measure of the water of life It is not one and the same thing to turne frō the Lorde and to turne vtterly awry from him without retyre or returne The former of these faults is often seene in Gods owne children when like prodigall and disobedient sonnes they bee tempted to depart from their most louing father and yet do returne home againe are renued by repentāce as were Aaron Moses David the latter is seene in the reprobates only which fall away and neuer returne and therefore are not renued by repentance for they cannot truely repent The reprobates cannot truely repent because the Lord giueth not repentance vnto them as it was apparant in Cain in Lots wise in Saul whom the Lord cast away frō before him But this falling away from God wee haue not found nor shall perceiue in K. Solomon the Lorde bee blessed therefore Neither may wee thinke that howsoeuer he is saide to followe after Astaroth Milcom Molock Camos such others the Gods of the heathen that therefore he was so grosse an Idolator as he did adore and worshippe those strange Gods no more then we may thinke Solomon did not worship Idols Exo. 32.2 that Aaron the Priest did adore and worship the golden Calfe which himselfe had made at the importunacie of our Fathers in the wildernes And I knowe
Prophet Ahiah the Silonite hath for the Kings offence threatned punishment to the Seede of David as wee haue heard to our greife and sorow yet being mindefull of his promise and mercy made and shewed to David concerning Solomon to our great comfort hee hath in his grace stayed himselfe there and added this restraint 1. king 11.39 But not for ever or In all his dayes Whererin wee see that mercie is reserued and the punishment is determined in time which may not be vnderstoode of the paine of the reprobates and damned in hel the which is neither a punishment but a torment or plague and that not determinable but without and beyond all time Therfore we conclude that Solomon is not fallen for euer nor shall be punished for ever nor is deprived of the divine mercy but repenting being so well-beloved of God he is pardoned by him who hath commanded the woods and al pleasant trees to over shadow them that be his from this time foorth for ever more * And perswaded thereof Solomons salvation Object we may neither cast into doubt the hope of his eternal Saluatiō with the Lord for though I haue heard one to obiect Can a sinner be saved It is yet certaine as I saide that as such obtaine mercy which repent so shall they bee surely saued which obtaine mercie This the kings father testified when he modulated thus Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnes is forgiven Who are blessed and whose sinnes are covered Blessed is that man to whom the Lorde will not impute sinne And who are indeed blessed euen they to whome the kingdome of God belongeth and which are appointed to eternall happinesse Thus the first man Adam thus Abel the second man that feared God thus Abraham the father of true beleeuers thus Moses the Lords seruant and thus David the kings father and other the Lordes Saints were pardoned of their sinnes and blessed of the Lord. And therefore the King being the Lordes chosen and by his wisedome knowing the excellent effects of repentance and the sweetnesse of Gods louing mercies is doubtlesse happy and expecteth his rest and glorie with those Saints which hauing been wise and turned many vnto righteousnes doe and shall shine and glister as the brightnes of the firmament and as the starres for euer and euer Therefore howsoeuer it hath beene obiected against the King as neither the Egyptians for the heate Solomons defence nor the Scythians for the colde doe feele the terrible clappes of thunder So shall our Lord King Solomon partly by his excellent holines and glorie and partly by his true Repentance and forgiuenes of sinnes besides this our testimonie touching him be protected and defended against all reproches and obloquies of slanderous and enuious tongues aswell in this age as in all the ages that shall follow and succeed in the world yea and as he that casteth his darts against a rocke or other sound thing doeth sometimes hurt himself by the sodaine rebound of the same so whosoeuer shall hencefoorth ayme so contumeliously to the Kings person being a man so holy and glorious may paraduenture be perced himselfe by the inexpected rebounde of his owne dart and so they which haue beene glad of his sorrow and reioyce at his fall shall mourne in their owne destruction as a iust reward of their malitious censures and vngodly glory when on the other side they which loue the Lord and his Saintes shall be glad and reioyce in the sense of his louing mercies CAP. XXXI Why God permitted Solomon to fall Why Solomon now vseth not the Name Tetragrammaton The preservation of Solomons Sermons THE most reuerende Zadok hauing made the former Apologie for the K. and thervpon taken a pauze yet as not willing to giue ouer but as after a little breathing to proceed the Princes tooke an occasion of applause wherein they both approued and commended all those things which had beene sayde for the King The Nature of good subiects as right glad of that which might be iustly found and spoken in his defence being such persons indeed as wished him no euill but all good in their hearts But Zadok to preuent them who might of any his words take an occasion to presume in their sinnes zadok by defēding the king would not offer an occasion to any man to presume too farre vpon the divine mercies said I haue not produced the former arguments for the king nor spoken any thing my Lordes whereby I would animate or encourage men to presume vpon the diuine mercies and so to sinne that mercy might be powred out The Lorde forbid that any man should of this take that occasion Nay rather euery man might beware and take heed that he fall not then whiles he thinketh himselfe to stand most assured For as the most righteous man is not without his sinne and so prouokes the Lorde to anger and deserues damnation so shall not hee escape some measure of punishment Sinnes shall be punished aboue all hainous sinnes shall be horribly punished euen here in this life as it hath been apparant in David when he offended in the case of Vriah also in this our king of whom the Lord said before 2. Sam. 7. If he sinne I will beat him with the Rodde of men and with the plagues of the children of men thus did God beat euen him whom hee had made a man after his owne heart And thus he threatned euen the same whom hee named his Sonne If hee hath thus done on those greene and flowrishing branches what will he doe on the dry and withered stubbes surely whereas hee pruneth and correcteth the former to amend them for their good hee will cut off and destroy the other from among his people for though as a father he pittieth his owne yet as a iust Iudge hee will condemne and as a tyrant will rent a sunder the sonnes of Beliall Deut. 32. neither desist or spare vntill that in them hee hath filled vp the measure of his wrath according to the measure of their transgressions The which thing if the vngodly the féede dayly on mischiefe as on bread and drawe sinnes vnto themselues as with strong ropes duely considered and regarded they would haue lesse courage to flatter themselues in their manifold impieties and to promise peace to their soules in the depth of those their dangers Azariah * Then spake Azariah for the Princes saing Well sayd most reuerend father But wee beseech you wherefore did the Lord God permitte and suffer our noble King not onely to slide but also to sinne yea and to transgresse so horribly before the Lorde and his people zadok Gods secret iudgemēts are beyond the reach of man Shoulde godly sobrietie licence vs answered Zadok to sounde the profunditie of the divine thoughts or to enter into the bowels of his secretes or to searche out the causes of his hidden and vnknowen wayes no surely but rather then to search
stay suspend our iudgement then rashly giue censure or opinion without aduise But that neither our selues nor any others may happely mistake or misconstre the kings words it shal be néedfull that those things be both wel reconciled expoūded otherwise there be which thinke that they hardly deserue to be gathered cōserued placed in the holy Canon among the diuine writings and so nether to be committed to the Church for the instruction of Gods people Many things zadok saide Zadoke Alas I am right sorry to heare that Abiather shoulde say so It grieueth me not a litle that Words so wisely conceiued so princely vttered so agreable to the veritie so well applyed should be vnderstood so fondly cōceited so mailtiously considered of so ignorantly wrested so iniuriously Let vs heare Abiather what those matters are which are obiected Note that the things hereafter spoken of are but as briefely touched in respect of what may bee said of them But * I pray you to be briefe I wil promise the like in my resolutions answeres for we haue bin here a great whiles I feare mee the K. hath yer this asked often for some of vs we are foūd wanting faulty therin for it is not méet we should forget our dutifull attendance And for mine own part as I haue beene euer willing and ready to attend and serue my Lord the K. and the rather because his most noble grace hath been well pleased to accept of my poore seruice so would I not willingly absent my selfe from his presence too long for my whole desire and endeuor is as in dutie I am bound that which my best counsell and ready attendance I may next to the Lord gratifie and pleasure my Soueraigne and comfort him in this his estate Say on therefore Abiather But why stagger ye as though ye were fearfull feare not at all for there is not any of vs I dare say that doth so much as imagine that any of those obiections or hard censures against the king and his words hath or may procéed from your owne head Ye affect the King and his words better than so we fully persuade An Author and reporter in sort and ye are herein rather the reporter of other mens opinions and speeches then the Author of any such thing which may either hurt the Kings person or empeach the authoritie of his words And surely wee may in this rather commend then dislike you or your wordes though all words of all persons especially of kings and Princes howe true soeuer they be are not to bee vttered or spoken before all persons in all places at all times without difference wise consideration or due regard For by this wee shall not onely know what is conceited and spoken abroad of the king and his words but also consider of thē consult how to withstand those inconueniences which may grow follow and ensue thereof in posteritie And this shall be the sooner performed by the true vnderstanding of the Kings meaning and the right exposition of his words Abiather first clereth himself and then obiecteth Then answered Abiather my Lords all I hope yee iudge of mee as of a true subiect to my Lord King Solomon and I aduenture to stand for the perfect triall of my dutifull alleageāce fidelity in this respect against al mē wherin I know howsoeuer it be imagined I may not be resembled to that Abiather the Priest whom the King worthily deposed and put from his place for his infidelitie But now hearken my Lords It is obiected besides all the premised First that the King hath combined the wise-man together with thee foole without difference in the same condition and estimation 2 Hée conioyneth man in the like condition with the beast 3 Hée séemeth to define mans felicitie in eating drinking and fleshly pleasures 4 Hée preferreth as it appeareth death before life and the dead before the liuing yea and him who is yet vnborne before them both 5 Hée is noted to discourage men from the perfection of wisedome and Iustice which are two most excellent vertues in men 6 Hee condemneth the man that loueth quietnes and peace better then trouble and vexation and therein contrarieth his owne words else where deliuered 7 Hee is supposed to condemne and abandon womans Sexe the which the Lord hath framed and made meete and profitable for the man 8 Hee hath taught Ambiguitie and despaire of the diuine loue and mercie to the horrible anguish of conscience euen in the wisest and holy men 9 Hee seemeth to cast into suspense the substance and being of the soule of man 10 He denieth plainely the life and sense of mans soule after death 11 Hee iudgeth a man so deuoyde of reason and iudgement that hee knoweth not what is good for himselfe in this life 12 The King himselfe being a transgressour deemeth the like of all men condemning them of sinne and vnrighteousnesse 13 Hee ascribeth all that to Time and chance the which we iustly attribute to the diuine Prouidence 14 Hee encourageth men to a prodigall wasting out of their prouision wealth and substance 15 Hee hath set no difference betweene the righteous and the wicked the holy and profane as touching their conclusion ends and reward 16 Hee holdeth that a man hath no power of his owne life when yet it is seene thay many men hauing power murther themselues as Saul did 17 Hee hath intised yong men to take their delights of youth and to follow after their owne lustes Loe these and such like thinges are obiected And is it indeed so saide Zadok Howbeit zadoke answ to all the former obiections 1. Touching the combination of the wise man with the foole Eccles. 2.14 9.2 I nothing doubt howe to resolue those doubts and answere those obiections to your content viz. First it is obiected as yee saide that the King hath combined the wiseman with the foole in the same condition estimation Of what wordes of the King should that be gathered as yee suppose Of these saide Abiather that speaking both of the wiseman and of the foole said by and by I know that the same condition falleth to them all and thereupon he resolued It befalleth vnto me as it befalleth vnto the foole wherefore then labour I to bee more wise Is this answered Zadok the ground of that obiection and will yee so conclude of the Kings graue words Alas the grosse ignorance of vaine men and yet how hastie are they to iudge of that they neither know nor are able to apprehend Thus the blind-man is said to iudge of colours Howbeit ye shall consider with me that the king hath not said it absolutely or simply that the wise-man is no better then the foole but in this sense meaning First as we vse to say that Fooles haue fortune meaning that a wise-man by his proper wisedom studie and power can effect nothing more then doth a foole of any thing he
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