should marry and how he should be esteemed in his place According to the which though I say it for my selfe I was taken froÌ„ the middest of my people as one worthelie esteemed and honoured in my place for the tokens of my graces then I was straitly viewed and throughlie examined wherein I was found cleane and free from euery one of those blemishes with the which whosoeuer was touched was forbidden to prease forth to do the priests office Leuit. 21.17.18.19.20 I was wel tried to be neither blind nor lame nor brused or flat of nose nor mishapeÌ„ in my meÌ„bers nor brokeÌ„ in my féet nor brokeÌ„ in my haÌ„ds nor crooked in my back nor bleared in mine eyes nor eyes webbed or blemished nor skiruy nor scabbed nor broken in the stoanes The blemishes for the which a man was vnfit for the priesthood yea I was found frée of those imperfections or blemishes which our Elders haue gathered and noted out of that place of the law which disabled the priest for they noted in the head eight in the necke two in the ears twelue in the eye-browes and eye-lides fiftéene in the eyes ninetéene in the nose sixe in the lips and mouth nine in the belly thrée in the backe thrée in the priuities sixtéene in the handes and féete twelue in the leges fiftéene and in all the body foure the which being taken away the naturall body appeared sound faire and perfect in all partes that by the same not onely the puritie of the mind might be signified but also the person of the Messiah truely prefigured Then was I consecrated to the Lord according to the law The consecration and ornamentes of the priest then was I cloathed in the holy garments as namely the Breastplate the Ephod the Tunicle the broadered Coate the Mytre the Girdle which were according to the commaundement garnished and beautified with gould blew-silke purple scarlet white twyned silke and brodered worke also with Owches Chaynes pretious stoans other such things with Vrim and Thumim in the which are expressed not onely spiritually the seuerall graces of a godly minde but also mistically the heaueÌ„lie vertues of the holy Messiah the finall obiect of our loue To this I was annointed with the holy oyle and had mine handes filled for the sacrifices The duties of priesthood performed Thus haue I béene furnished and approued for the Priestes office Now to this haue I beene willing and ready to doe my duety in the execution of my function I haue offered the sacrifices to the Lord for my selfe and the people and haue prayed for them in the which I haue beene mercifully heard and regarded of the Lord as Aaron was I haue taught the people and instructed them in the feare and lawes of the Lord I haue iudged and discerned according to equitie and as placed ouer the priests and ministers in the Lords house I haue regarded therein not only the conuersation and behauiour but also the order of the ministeries and seruices of the persons in the same for the better seruice of God the preseruation and maintainance of the ornaments of the Lords house and the benefit of the Lords people And this the better to performe I haue ruled my selfe and liued according to the law in my place and for my comfort I haue taken to me a cleane Vâ—rgin to wife Moreouer I haue serued and honoured next vnto my God my Lord the King in all dutiful thankfulnesse without giuing him any iust offence to my knowledge And therfore as the King is most wise and will not take an offence being not offered him I am sure he is not afflicted or grieued for any cause of mine as I perswade neither for any thing he hath noted or conceited in any of you But I know well there be other causes things whereof he hath taken this sorrow the which also may bee knowne to some of you and yet are yee most vnwilling to reveile or make knowne but would rather if it might be conceale and couer them for it is the part of a friend to couer the fault of his friend much rather then ought a true Subiect for the loue and honour of his Prince rather modestly to forbeare then to aduenture the display of any his faultes or imperfections They that obserue not this rule resemble shamelesse Cham one of the sonnes of Noah Gen. 9.22 who most vnreuerently both discouered and derided the nakednesse of his father This being said Zadok sighed déepely and made as a proffer to further speeches Neuerthelesse hee refrained for this time for he well knew the causes of the Kings griefe although it pleased him not as yet to vtter it partly for the reuerence he yeelded the kings honour partly for his owne modesty as also for that he was verie vnwilling to be the vnfolder of that which hee was sure the Princes and all the Kinges friendes would be very sory and loath to heare albeit they were so redy to inuestigate that whereof being once certified they did much maruaile at greatly lament and could scarsely ease or mitigate much lesse salue and recure howbeit they endeuoured their best and thought it bootelesse for them to stand wondering and reasoning longer then they might set on and spéedily assay which way to bring ease or comfort to their Soueraigne Lord the which they wel knew could not be effected till time they had found out and considered of the true causes of the kings affliction Therefore though much against their wils yet vrged by the present necessitie they presume on the king in this examination CAP. IX The Lordes are resolved to examine and consider of the King and his actions but note by what occasion in what sort and to what end Of Solomons birth WHen euery one of the Lordes had perused himselfe cleared his owne conscience and approued his words and actions towards the king Azariah Azariah the chiefe Lord replied againe and said Now that wee haue in this sort submitted our selues to the iust triall in all modestie and no lesse faithfulnes to our Lord K. Solomon and so cleared our selues of any iust offeÌ„ce offered him which bringeth no small comfort to our heartes in the time of this our trouble and trial Let vs aduenture to behold the king himselfe in whome it may be that the cause of his owne sorrow may be found Therfore let vs consider of his person actions and his manner both of entrance and life Indéede I confesse as Zadok hath before intimated that it may be thought a thing too malepert in Subiectes to censure the Prince or to pry too narrowlie into his actions and dealings or to discouer any his faults or imperfections especially to this end to diffame or deride him for this was Chams offence against his father for the which he was reproued and his posteritie cursed Neuerthelesse I thinke it not vnlawful nor amisse that the kings Princes and Priuie Counsellors seeing the kings
kingdome of Israel and that also not Absolon nor Adoniah nor Amnon nor any other of Davids sonnes begotten and borne before this time but only Solomon his sonne borne of Bethseba after the pardon granted him should build an house for his name vnto whō he would be as a father to his sonne * Al these things the princes gladly heard to the same subscribed most willingly knowing well both the truth of the kinges petigree and the honour of his noble birth zabud And thereupon spake Zabud and said It séemeth good to me The seuerall names of the King that with this which hath beene saide wée regard those titles and names by the which it pleased the Lord that the king should be called knowne and honoured the which truly haue not bin imposed rashly as many which giue names without respect of the Natures dignity or qualityes of the persons but with great wisedome iudgement and prouidence as were those names of Adam Havah Noah Abraham Lot Abel Sarah Isaack Israel Samuel David and such other which haue had their approbation from the Lord and expressed or taught or remembred some worthy thing In this sort the King hath had and enioyed fiue particular names and names of honor two of the which were imposed by the Lord himselfe the third by Nathan the fourth by his Mother and the last hée resumed by th'approbation of his Lordes In or concerning any of the which names he hath no cause ministred him to be displeased except onely in this that he hath tried himselfe bring a mortall man not answerable in all points to the same knowing it a thing most ridiculous for any person whatsoeuer to bee noted or called by such a title or name of the which hee shal bee found most vnworthy For the first we haue it recorded what the Lord God said to David concerning him he shal be my sonne Secondly he said againe touching him his name is Solomon 2 Sam 7.14 1. Chro. 22.9 Thirdly the prophet Nathan called him Iedid-iah The sonne of God Fourthly his Mother called him Laemuel and fifthly he is called Koheleh In that he is called the Sonne of God and that by God himselfe it giueth vs to consider in him somewhat beyond that which is found to be in other men For they are not of the common sort to whome the Lord vouchsafeth this high title Such are they which resembling the holy Angels haue not only the brightnes of the diuine glory apparāt in them but also are euer willing and ready to execute his pleasure In that he is called Solomō 2. Solomon it noteth the peace of his gouernmēt ouer Gods people according to the reason which the Lord added saying he shal be a man of rest and I will send peace and rest vpon Israel in his dayes In the third name the prophet would expresse not only the loue of God vnto him 3. Iedid-iah but also the loue of God his diuine graces in him to the which alluded the Arabian Quéene at her being here when shee said blessed be the Lord thy God which loued thee hath set thee on the throne of Israel In the fourth his Mother beeing a wise and rare Princesse 4. Laemuel 5. Coheleth woulde by that name signifie the glory of God in him and by him in the people In the last is testified the diligence and desier that the king hath not onely to search out and gather together for his owne further instruction the auntient monuments and holy bookes but also a people vnto the Lord to bee instructed and taught in the holy Religion for the glory of God and their owne health Teaching withall what should be the desier of all Princes in their places namely in this sort to tend to the end of their gouernment and rule Therefore finding rather an honour then an ignomy to grow from hence vnto the king Wee say as the kings daughter said in that excellent song Thy name is a sweet smelling oyntment when it is powred foorth Therefore do the virgins love thee CAP. X. Of Solomons person and estate forme beauty education wisedome c. wherof the cause of his griefe could not rise THen stoode foorth Ahishar and saide Truely my Lordes whatsoeuer hath beene here produced and spoken in the premisses maketh very much euery way for the kings honour and estimation Ahishar and therfore I perceiue not what shoulde thereof be gathered to offende him Neither can I finde any thing worthie dislike in any other points which concerne either his person or his estate for his forme and beautie his education his wisdome his iudgements his words his riches his works his peace his orders of house his pleasures his power his marriage his blessinges his fame his glory c. the king is most excellēt Solomon his beautie Homer singularly renowned as al men wil confes I remēber that looking on a certaine Booke of the Poet Melesigenes who liued and wrote in the time of our iudges among the Greekes I found where he had giuen an exceeding high praise to the forme and beautie of Priamus the Troyan Priamus the which in him as he saide was wel worthy a kingdome so faire was he The same Poet hath also spoken largely of one Nireus Nireus being the fairest of all them which came to Priamus his Pallace though hee had scarcely any worthy quality either of body or mind And in our own Records we haue the praise of the form and beauty of Saul the sonne of Cis whom Samuel annointed King ouer Israel Saul 1. Sam 9.2 that he was a goodly youngman and faire So that among the chidren of Israel there was none goodlier then he from the shoulders vpward he was higher then all the other people And we here present for the most part can say much of Absolon the kinges brother namely that in his time there was none in all Israel so much to bee praised for beautie Absolon 2. Sam. 14.25 from the seale of his foote to the top of his head there was no blemish in him And had his qualities beene to the same correspondent oh God how glorious might he haue beene And further we finde that Ioseph and Moses and Aaron and David haue beene praised in this respect But yet beyond them all looking with iudgement on our Lord the King and seeing howbewty is displayed in his royal person we cannot but acknowledge that for truth which the kings father said to him when he beheld him in his beautye Farre fairer then the sonnes of men art thou Cant. 5.9 Although all these things did properly belōg so were to be referred to the holy Messiah yet were they first spoken as of Solomon who in his person prefigured him as it is more fully declared hereafter And this the noble Princesse considered and sung of him He is both white ruddy the chiefest of thousands ten His head is as fine gold his
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
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Astronomy and also in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Science which by the voyce of birds prognosticateth the euents and thinges that ensue he also goeth beyond all the wise men not onely of the Egyptians but of our owne Nation as namely Ethan the Esrahite ond Heman Chalcol and Darda the sonnes of Mahol to be briefe the king is wiser then all men liuing for he hath that pure influence of the diuine Spirit the wisedome of the highest and that not so much by his owne studie and industrie albeit he hath béen wonderfully exercised in all laudable Artes and Sciences from his youth as by an especiall inspiration and diuine grace from the Lord his God who hath béene willing to enlarge and blesse him most aboundantlie By this he hath knowne to resolue and declare all hard riddles and questions By this he hath learned who hath laide the foundations of the earth who hath measured it and spread the line vpon it who hath shut vp the Sea with doores when it brake forth as out of the wombe who hath made the cloudes a couering for it and darkenes as his swadling bande who hath giuen the morning his charge and shewed the day-spring his place who hath bound the seauen-starres together and losed the bandes of Orion who hath brought forth the morning-star in his time and guided the euening-starre with his Sunne who hath ordayned the course of the heauens the Sea the windes the hailes the thunders the lightninges the showers of raine the deawes the light the darkenes and all that are both in heauen and earth yea he knoweth the purpose of the Creator therein And by this for the glory of God and the good of his people he hath spoken three thousand Proverbs he hath composed a thousand and fiue songes he hath told also of trees euen from the Cedar trée that groweth in Libanus vnto the Hysope that springeth out of the wall he hath spoken of Beastes of fowles of wormes of fishes and of all the creatures of God for their is nothing hidden from him his wisedom and knowledge is so admirable * By this his singular and swéet eloquence also is powred forth as the dropping of an hony combe Solomons Eloquence psal 45. vnto them that stand before him to heare his wisedome his lipes are full of grace as the Kinges father saide and dilectable to the hearers of his words euery where for his diligence was to find out and vtter pleasing wordes right scripture and the recordes of truth Cant. 5.14 This the noble Princes considering well semblably commended in him saying His lipes are like the Lillies that droppe sweete smelling mirhhe Doubtlesie as I saide of the former so may I say of this that the king herein farre passed all men on the earth without comparison which hath caused that many noble Kinges renowned Princes and wise and learned men of diuers strange far Countries were not only astonied when they heard thereof but the more to satisfie their eagre minds vndertooke great perilous and painefull iornies to come neare him to visit him to behold to heare to consider to take experience of that whreof they had heard reported concerning him and his wisedome Solomons iudgementes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * With this also my Lordes we may both remember and admire the excellencie of his Mischpatiim or iudgements in the which the very wisedom of the diuine power wonderfully appeared as in him whom the Lord his God had brought to this kingdome of Israel to do therein iudgement and equitie as the noble Quéene of Sheba perceiued and saide vnto him 1. King 10. For into how many partes soeuer Iudgement is deuided or any way considered the King expressed in euerie of them a right singular dexteritie For first according to the certaine and prescript rules of the law he wiselie discerned iudged and tried all matters of controuersie before him brought and therein as the parties were deuided one against an other after the manner of contenders in the Law their causes being eitheir contrary or doubtfull he worthily defended the good and condemned the euill extending to either iustice according to their sundry causes and contrary deserts Next as this title respected his place office ordinance function administration and ministery he was therein not ignorant but right prudent neither negligent but most carefull and diligent and gaue good heede attended that which was to him cōmitted in al reuerēce diuine feare knowing well that the iudgement was the Lords howsoeuer it pleased him to appoint him the minister who he was sure would rise vp for him in the iudgement that hee had commanded that the congregation of the people might flock round about him Thirdly as touching the iust lawfull and ordinary knowledge of the causes which is rightly regarded in such kind of administrations who sawe not pro. 12. but that the very thoughts of the King as those of the righteous were very iudgement as hee saide in the Prouerbs the which were deciphered to vs and others in many singular effects and sounde arguments Fourthly as touching the causes iudiciall wherein iudgement was to be reduced into righteousnes whereby the poore fatherlesse oppressed and wronged were to bee relieued and comforted with godly equitie shining forth of a iust and mercifull heart psal That is he will acquit and defend the poore the King did wonderfully declare himselfe before all his people ruminating to that purpose the saying of his father And sure am I the Lord will* iudge the poore and eke maintaine The cause of him that hath no friend his safety to sustaine Fifthly as concerning questions and doubts in matters of our holy religion or hard riddles or parables or the lawes and ordinances by which wee do and must liue and bee iudged or the causes and cases in controuersy that expect moderation and iudgement or the patterns and examples left to bee followed and receiued for performance in things of moment or manners of life or the gouernment and rule of the Church and common-wealth or whatsoeuer els which appertaineth or is incident to this noble virtue so worthy the royall Scepter the king I say hath before all others in the worlde declared himselfe a principall and chiefe personage To passe ouer so many examples as might bee produced in euery pointe for breuitie let vs bee contented with that particular example of the two Women which came before the king The kinges iudgement in the case of the two women 1. King 3. pleading for the living childe I hope yee haue not forgotten it the thing was done within our time and the matter being so rare and worthie memory could not so soone be forgotten although a wonder as men say lasteth not aboue nine dayes The King hauing heard the pleading and contention of those two women about the childe at length as a wise Iudge though yet but a child in yeares repeated briefly the
strongest power of man nor in wisdome nor in anything vnder the Sunne for all these thinges being transitory haue aswell their falling as their rising as well their ending as their beginning as well their discommoditie as their commodity incident Now that king and also the kingdome haue that supremitie of glory and peace it is most apparant not onely by the firme testimony of Gods words spoken vnto the king promising him such a thing but by our own certaine knowledge and experience thereof and all men that haue vnderstanding cannot but beholde confesse the same with vs. For who is like to K. Solomon in wisedome wealth fame and glory of all the kings on the face of the earth and what kingdome is cōparable to the kingdom of Israel in beauty peace and prosperity For albeit the king hath been sometimes resisted and shouldered by Adoniah Ioab Abiather and some others yet hath he preuailed thus farre forth prospered and triumphed ouer his enemies valiantly and although the kingdome of Israel hath beene many times battered threatned troubled by diuers enemies on euery side sithence the cōming of our fathers out of Aegypt as the Sunne Moone with Eclipses clouds darke mists yet hath the same still increased growne and prospered more and more as the Sunne from his rising vnto the high noone and as the Moone from her Coniunction to her perfect fulnesse vntill this very day wherein the same is so highly aduanced that the exaltation thereof can no further procéede proceed but henceforth begin to decline droope returne and decay after the state and course of worldlie thinges wherein we sée how one generation passeth away another succedeth The world is like a sea of glasse Eccles 3. one falleth another riseth one dieth another is borne one thing corrupteth another thing is engendred Neither can thinges be established otherwise in this wauering world how glorious soeuer it be to the eye or delight of man therefore the world is not vnaptlie likened to a sea of glasse And surely this is an exceeding greate sorrow to a wise and glorious king when he séeeth and preceiueth that all his glorie will end in ignomie his pleasures will be finished in paynes his wealth will wast and wash away his peace will be quenched with warres and his prosperitie will draw after it aduersitie all this the very heauens portend the earth pronosticateth the elemēts expresse the creatures forshew and the king himselfe through his wisdome doth foresée and therefore he is full sad heauy in his heart Alas quod the Princes is it so indéed The princes is there not any thing to be foūd out or prepared this hard lot to withstād It is true and too true saide Zadok But how to withstand it I know not zadock sauing that wel I wot al things are possible to the Lord God of heauen and earth The best way to withstand this inconuenience is to go to God and craue help at his hands to whose high Maiesty deuout and faithfull prayers and supplications must he made powred forth and offered vp by vs them which shall be included within those dolefull times that it would vouchsafe his goodnes for his names sake to grant vs true patience and constant abilitie to stand before him satisfied with his grace sufficient for them which depend on him to shroud our selues vnder the wings of his mercie compassing all his works howsoeuer things be carried and séem confused in this world psal 37.25.27 neither shal so much as one haire of the head miscarry of the which belōg to Iehovah our God To this purpose spake the kings father in his godlie meditations saying I have beene young and now am old yet did I never see the righteous forsaken Therefore he resolued as well for the solace of his owne soule as for the comfort of them in posteritie that it is good for a man to hold him fast by God to put his trust in the Lord God and to speake of all his workes in the gates of the daughter of Zion how further to withstand those fatall decrees why should we search will the most high alter his purpose are not all his workes iudgement Deut. 32. and doth he not worke and effect whatsoeuer is in his thought and that euermore for the comfort and profit of his saintes that by faith trust in him yeas assuredlie whereof we may not doubt To this replied the Princes Neither will we presume to inuestigate those hidden thinges which the Lord hath sealed vp with seauen seales nor attempt to walke in his secret wayes which no mortall man is able to find out nor studie we to withstand the purpose and prouidence of the Almightie which is euer strongest and shall with the truth preuaile But rather we will assay to conforme our will vnto his will and our liues to his pleasure being well content with that which is reuealed as that which is onely appertinent to vs and our children for euer Now let it be your pleasure most reuerend father in God to explane that second cause of the kings displeasure which riseth as yee saide from Hyram the king of Tyrus the kings brother in amitie and especiall wel willer with the rest as they follow in order for our vnderstanding CHAP. XVI Of the second third causes of king Solomons grieved minde viz. of Hyram and of the Arabian Queene THen Zadok the most Reuerend father in God being willing to satisfie the Lordes procéeded in the declaratiō of those other causes of the Kings sadnesse Of Hyram and now concerning the secōd he spake as it followeth It is true that albeit Hyram be an especiall good friend to our Lord King Solomon as he was to his father David yet ye know well my Lordes that the king aswell to gratifie him for his approued goodwill as to recompence his rich bounty in that he furnished the king with Timber and many other necessaries for the building of the Temple and his royall howses and such like he had giuen him some twentie Cities in the land of Galilee the which he thought the King of Tyrus would gladly haue accepted at his hand the rather in regard of his lonely affection and friendlie goodwill 1. king 9.11.12.13 But now king Hyram lately comming out of Tyre to sée those twentie Cities declareth himselfe scarcely well pleased with king Solomon concerning them saying vnto him What kind of Cities are these which thou hast bestowed on me my brother Moreouer he called them the land Cabul which is barraine or as old and worne out howbeit we perceiue not but that he might be well enough pleased with those Citties forasmuch as the king hath not onely in loue ioyned amitie with him as his brother when he could haue made him a Subject vnto his power by conquest but also hath admitted him into his Territories so farre as hee thought it was lawfull for him to doe for the land
rather then we would yeeld to the mischief we should choose to die as Moses Iosuah Gedeon Samson David haue well resolued for the glory of God the wel-fare of the people Neuerthelesse the kings father to confirme the former hath plainely prophisied that the heathen shall furiously rage psal 2.1 and the people shall imagine a vaine thing the kings of the earth shall stand vp the Rulers shall take counsaile together against the Lord and against his Annointed Abiather And not doubt saide Abiather king David hath pointed therein to some great trouble intended to the holy Messiah at his comming of whom we haue gathered the kings father hath beene before ordained a figure whose troubles therefore as wee all know haue not béene small but wonderfull great inforced against him by them whom he neuer iniured nor iustly offended yea and that not by meane persons but by kings Princes Rulers and Potentates of the earth Against the which notwithstanding the Almightie hath defended and deliuered him to the shame and confusion of all his enemies which haue now no cause left them to triumph against him And so I doubt not but howsoeuer the rage and fury of the aduersaries shall be against the Lords holy Messiah he shall for all that bée mightily protected he shall tread downe the head of his enemies and prosper in his deuises But God grant that neither our Princes nor Priests nor Prophets nor people be appointed the actors or executioners of this heynous Tragedie against the holy Messiah then might not the King be sory nor the people bée destroyed in time to come for the committing of so heynous an action CAP. XVII Zadoke speaketh of the fourth cause of King Solomons trouble viz. of Bethsabe and Nathan KIng Solomons Princes being willing to heare what Zadok could yet further say in the causes of the kings trouble vrged on and sayde Wee haue heard what yée haue said touching the Queene of Shaba Now let it please you most reuerend Father to proceede to declare vnto vs the fourth Cause the which as ye sayd did rise of the Kings most noble mother and of Nathan the Prophet Indeed said Zadok there hath no meane sorrow inuaded the kings mind of late occasioned by those two noble persons howbeit not that either of thē hath in thought word or déed hurt or offended him but that by their death bee is depriued of them For as they were such as he wonderfully loued affected and fauoured Naturall affection sorroweth for the departure of friends so they were no lesse profitable and comfortable to his state and honor in their liues Wee see that very nature prouoketh men yea the very wisest and holiest men to bee sadde and to lament the departure of other men especially of their fathers mothers brethren sisters kinsfolkes and friends for in them they see not onely the horrour of death the dissolution of soule and body that the same which was lately liuing is now dead and that which was a man is become a senselesse carkesse and very earth to the terror and horror of all mortall men which are taught therein to know their owne condition and nature but also that they must now depart one from another the father from his sonne the mother from her daughter the brother from his brother the friend from his friend and both man and woman from all his and her acquaintance and familiars of this life Therefore when the king speaketh of death by the which a man is resolued into dust from whence he was taken he saith also Eccles. 12 that The Mourners goe about the streetes Againe that men mourne for the dead seuen dayes Wherefore our father Abraham although he knew right wel that Sarah his wife being dead Gen. 23.1.2 was freed from all the miseries of this life whereto all persons that heere liue are subiect and was assured by his faith that she being a true beleeuer should rise againe to eternall life yet he sorowed he wept mourned for that her departure many daies Gen. 50.1 Also that godly Ioseph the sonne of Israel when he sawe his father to bee dead hee mourned and wept for him 2. Sam. 4.31 13.36 18.33 expressing thereby both his pietie and naturall affection Thus David the kings father wept wofully and bewayled the death of his friend Abner the like he did for Absalon and for Amnon his sonnes And therefore the king though a wise and godly Prince worthely soroweth for his deare mother and for the Prophet Nathan whom the Lorde hath taken away from this world Neuerthelesse Eccles. 4 2◠I haue heard him to say and that according to the truth that the deade are happier than they which live and then must that follow that he which is dead and fréed from this world and the troubles thereof is in better case than the highest Emperour king prince or potentate in his life and being so we should séeme to enuie that their happy estate How farre to be sory if we that be yet liuing should celebrate their funerals with excessiue sorow Sorow then we may for that is naturall and sorow for our friends and acquaintances for that is godly but to be sory without measure is neither naturall nor godly but heatheanish and brutish For therein we shall not onely hurt the naturall constitution of our bodily health but declare our selues to want that constancie of faith which our godly fathers haue reteyned the word of the Lord hath taught touching the eternall happinesse of man after this life yea we should be as enemies to them that bee deliuered from the miseries of this world as they which are sory that men being in prison and torments should be deliuered eased and we should be as the envious that is wonderfully greeued to behold and consider the good health and prosperitie of another man Therefore albeit I say the king is for this right wofull and sad as nature and pietie requireth yet I say not that he is ouercome therewith knowing well as he is a wise man how to bridle affections and therein best to behaue himselfe yet as a mortall man * But my Lords besides this naturall sympathie and pietie such was the wisedom the iudgement the grace vertues of his Mother Bethsabe a wise woman right profitable to the king in her life and such a helpe and comfort she was vnto him euery way that as he thought in her life he could not honour her enough so he may not forget her and her vertues after her death As this noble gentle woman instructed and taught the king when he was a child so she neuer desisted to aduise and counsaile him in all godlines being a man and she thought it appertained to her dutie not only to teach and cathecise him with wisedom but also both to admonish him gently and to reprooue him sharpely knowing well that sometimes gentle admonitions and
polluted with any strange Gods when as they came to Bethel to sacrifice vnto Iehovah and should then king Solomon not only permit those horrible Idolatries and loathsome superstitions of Idols but also exhibit them maintenance in the same that follow such thinges so neare the Temple and the holy Cittie of God This thing is not hidden from the Lord who seeth and wil be auenged on the same Howbeit the King most vnhappily doting on those profane women his wiues and concubines which are now reuolted from the Lord and his religion and turned backe vnto their fathers and their Gods hath beene contented to conniue and beare with them in such their abhominations euen before his face and in the open sight of the Lorde people yea and rather then he would diuorce them or deny them or reproue them or correct them or displease them therein as he might haue don and indeede should haue done in this case he hath both appointed and commaunded many great summes of mony and treasure to be paied and giuen forth from his owne treasurie both to the building of certaine houses and places for such their Gods and also for the daily maintenance of their seruices in the same Therof it is before al other things that Iehovah his God is prouoked and waxen angry with him with vs and his people and hath thereon not omitted to threaten him and vs with many mighty plagues and punishments to ensew yea such as neither he we nor our posteritie shal be able to beare thereof as I vnderstand the Lord hath lately spoken by his prophet and messenger vnto the King himselfe saying Forasmuch as this thing is done of thee and thou hast not kept mine appointment and my statutes which I commanded thee 1. King 11.11 I will rent the kingdome from thee and wil giue it to thy Seruant Notwithstanding in thy dayes I will not do it because of David thy Father but I will take it from the hand of thy sonne Howbeit I will not take away all the kingdome but will giue one Tribe to thy Sonne because of David my Seruant and because of Ierusalem which I haue chosen Now here I call to remembrance what the Lorde our God hath resolued in such a case by the consideration of his words once spoken to Eli the Priest in the daies of our iudges 1. Sam. 2.25 I will worship them saith he that worship me but they which despise me shall come to shame Moreouer I remember what the King himselfe hath said in his wise Prouerbs The turning away of the vnwise shall hasten his owne destruction And well I wot therefore that of all the creatures in the world pro. 1.32 the impious and wicked person is most vnhappy that not only in respect of his sinnes and condition of life but in regard of his end and conclusion for as the end of much eating is sicknes the end of pleasure is paine the end of this life is death and corruption so the end of the Sinner is extreame anguish and miserie both in this worlde and after his death For being iustly sequestred from the societie of the Saintes and so shut out from the diuine protection he is euen whiles he liueth molested with an vnquiet conscience an aking heart feareful cogitations and dreames and many afflictions both of body and mind the hand of God being streatched foorth against him from aboue and the instrumentes of wrath tormenting him from beneath Finally this life finished hee broyles and toyles in bitter tormentes for euer more In the which he may be compared to those flying fishes which being in the waters are persecuted by other fishes for their pray springing vp with their finnes into the aire they are followed and deuoured of the cormorants and Sea-meawes or to that bird which being on the ground is hunted by dogs and flying aboue the earth is taken by the vultures for true it is that the man of impietie and sinne hath neither peace nor safety either in this world or in the world to come This thing the kings father well knew and considered of in the depth of his heart therfore when he was remembred of his transgressions and faults by Nathan and by Gad the Lordes prophets and messengers to him in that respect feeling the true sense of Gods angry coūtenance iustly bent against him and his people for the same the perilous estate both of himselfe and his dominions by and by although a chosen magnanimious puissant and valorous minded King comming to answere before the highest God hee sodainly cast himselfe downe to the earth as a base caitiffe hee repented him of his sinnes and in the fearefull agony of his afflicted soule he cried out I have sinned I haue sinned Mercy Lord mercye nor would be leaue off crying and repenting nor any otherwise estéeme of himselfe then a sinfull guilty and condemned wretch vntill he perceiued that the Lord was willing to be appeazed and of his mercie to turne his gratious face towards him as in times past resembling the bird of Paradise which beeing taken in a snare is neuer quiet nor leaueth crying and flittering till time he either dye or be deliuered And thus behoveth it our Lord the King to esteeme of himselfe vnder those his transgressions this to respect and the same to performe which in this desperate and dangerous case is the best counsail we may giue him for remedy and ease For surely surely God being thus prouoked and that iustly he will not be appeazed nor will he surcease to streatch forth his hand of iustice against him so offending vntill that he meekly acknowledge his offences before him repent and seeke him with sorrow and singlenes of heart as we may see in th'examples of our forefathers both in the wildernes vnder the conduct of Moses and Aaron and in this land vnder the gouernment of our wise and valiant Iudges Now my Lords hereof is it that Iehovah our God being most iustly displeased with our Lord the King hee hath in iustice stirred vp and prouoked against him besides the two former enemies which much troubled him that Ieroboam who thirsting for the soueraignity of Israel now especially opposeth himselfe in might and policie against the King Neither may wee thinke but howsoeuer those persons especially Ieroboam are maliciously bent and prouoked against the king and his gouernment The kings enemies are the very instruments of Gods wrath appointed to vex the king and his people and do of themselues little respect or consider the prouidence and working of the most high in this his displeasure that yet they be the very instruments and ministers of Gods iudgements as those other aduersaries of Israel haue beene in the times past against our fathers when as they forgetting God did rebell against him and his holy servants And therefore the onely way to resist them is not the wisedome power policie or arme of man but the grace of our mercifull
was annointed King in the place of David his Father did sit on his throne by his fathers goodwill The charge that David gave to his sonne Solomō 1. King 2. aduise consent and direction David seeing the day to draw neare that he shold rest with his fathers he called Solomon and charged him saying I go the way of all the earth be thou strong therefore shew thy selfe a man keepe thou the watch of Iehovah thy God that thou walke in his wayes keepe his statutes and precepts his iudgements his testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses that thou maist prosper in all that thou doest in every thing that thou medlest withall That the Lord also may make good his word which he spake vnto me saying If thy children take heed to their waies that they walk before mee in truth withall their hearts withall their soules thou shalt not be without a man on the seate of Israel And all this the kings Father tooke from that holy Oracle which Nathan had before that time brought him Wherein the Lorde had certified David 2. Sam. 7. that Solomon his sonne should build an house for his name and hee saide he shall build an house for my name I will establish the throne of his kingdome for ever I wil be his father he shal be my sonne And if hee sinne I will chasten him with the rod of men with the plagues of the children of men but my mercy shall not depart away from him as I tooke it from Saul whome I have put away before thee And thine house shal be established thy kingdome for ever before thee even thy throne shal be established for ever * After this I find it recorded againe that the Lord appeared in Gibeon to King Solomon in a dreame by night Whiles he yet walked in the ordinances and waies of David his Father And the Lord said Aske what I shall give thee the King said Thou hast shewed vnto thy servant David my father great mercy when he walked before thee in truth 1. King 3.5 How David walked with God in righteousnes in plainnes of heart with thee And thou hast kept for him this great mercy that thou hast givē him a son to sit on his seat as it is come to passe this day And now O Lord my God it is thou that hast made thy servant King in steed of David my Father And I am but yong wot not how to go out in And thy servāt is in the middest of thy people which thou hast chosen verily the people are so many that they cannot be tolde nor numbered for multitude Solomons request Give therfore thy servant an vnderstanding heart to iudge thy people that I may discerne betweene good evill For who it able to iudge this so mighty a people And this pleased the Lord well that Solomō had desired this thing Therefore God said vnto him because thou hast asked this thing hast not asked for thy selfe long life neither hast asked riches for thy selfe nor hast asked the life of thine enemies but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstāding discretion in iudgement beheld I have done according to thy wordes Lo I have given thee a wise vnderstāding heart The Lorde granted him his request moreover of his louing mercies so that there hath beene none like thee before thee neither after thee shull any arise like vnto thee And I have givē thee that which thou hast not asked evē riches honour so that there shal be no King like vnto thee in al thy daies * And if thou wilt walke in my waies to keep mine ordinances my commandements as thy father David did walke I wil prolōg thy dayes c. Againe I find it recorded that when the King had builded the Temple and had prayed to the Lord that it would please him to sanctify the same for his name c. 1. King 9.2 The Lorde appeared vnto him the second time and said I have heard thy praier thine intercession that thou hast made before mee For I have hallowed this house which thou hast built to put my name there for ever And if thou wilt walke before mee as David thy father walked in purenes of heart in righteousnes to do all that I have commanded thee wilt keepe my statutes my lawes then will I stablish the seate of thy kingdome vpon Israel for ever as I have promised to David thy father saying Thou shalt not be without a man vpon the seate of Israel zadoke sheweth how gratious the Lord hath beene to Solomon and his people 1. King 10. To what end God giveth good princes * Lo said Zadok ye see how gratious the Lord our God hath shewed himselfe to the King and by him vnto the people of Israel whom the Lord hath chosen and to whome therefore it was his pleasure to giue vs such a King as the Queen of Saba in the due consideration thereof said for godly kings are adorned and giuen of the Lorde for the prosperity and peace of them whome his grace loueth And as by him they raigne so is hee carefull to defend them from euil and to leade them foorth in all goodnes by his wisedome and prouidence Moreouer this is an especiall grace of God bestowed on such Princes For without this the wisest man liuing can neither follow the good nor eschew the euill in this flattering and guilefull world * But read on gentle Iehosophat Is there not somwhat els Yes quod Iehosophat and thus the Lorde added on the contrary part But if ye your children turne away from me will not keepe my commandements my statutes A commination on the Apostates and disobedient 1. King 9.6 which I have set before you but go serve other Gods worship them then will I weed Israel out of the land which I have given them this house which I have hallowed for my name will I cast out of my sight Israel shal be a proverb fable among all nations this house shall be takē away so that every one that passeth by it shal be astonished shal hisse they shal say why hath the Lord don thus vnto this land to this house they shal answere because they forsooke the Lord their God which brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt have taken hold vpon other Gods have worshipped them and served them therefore hath the Lorde brought vpon them all this evill * Then aunswered Zadoke ye haue reade enough of this Argument Loe my Lordes as in the former member the Lorde hath declared his diuine loue and great mercies both to the King and his people and generally to all them that belieue in him and walk in his waies so in this latter he sheweth how much he hateth and abhorreth them that apostate from him follow after other
gods Exod. 20. and bee disobedient vnto his will For the Lord is a iealous God visiting the sins of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him For hee cannot suffer or abide sinne and iniquity as both Moses and Iob haue truly testified seeing that the committing of a sinne is a proude contempt of his law neither wil he winke at the vngodly in their iniquities being such as depart from him and set his commandements at nought Therefore he doth neither in loue respect them nor in mercy regard them but as a Iudge inexorable and a Lord most righteous he detesteth their waies beateth them with afflictions reiecteth them casteth them downe and destroyeth them yea be they neuer so wise wealthy royal famous strong and glorious he will notwithstanding speake to them in wrath and vex them in displeasure Psal 2. he shall beate them with a rod of iron and teare them in peeces as a potters vessell * Note this ye that haue tasted of the goodnes of the Lord in the aboundance of his mercies An admonition not to depart nor forget God psal 50.22 and take heede that ye neither turne away from him nor disobey him nor forget him vnmindfull of your duties lest peraduenture before he giue you true repentance he sodainly come vpon you as a theefe in the night and all to teare you as a ramping Lyon and there bee none found to rescue or deliuer you Neither is it good that any man should presume on this that God hath yet beene mercifull in the end and hath gratiously pardoned one or more that haue so sinned and offended his maiesty when they haue repented for as godly Repentance is not in the wil and power of man but is the guift and worke of God on them onely which hee is well willing to pardon and receiue again by repentance Against presumption so who is hee that knoweth when he presumeth to sinne in hope of mercy whether it shal be Gods pleasure to giue him repentāce and to receiue him to mercy yea or no Was not this the destruction of Cain the sonne of Adam Because hee had seene the Lords great mercy on his parentes which were pardoned in the promised Seed he presumed on the same and murthered his brother yea albeit the Lorde in iustice did both threaten and iudge him yet hee saide But is mine iniquitie more then that it may bee forgiven Neuerthelesse the Lorde cast him foorth from the vpper face of the earth a fugitiue and vagabonde and in the ende recompenced him for his brothers bloud This was also the sinne and ouerthrow of Saul whome God cast away before David 1. Sam. 15.9.19 For notwithstanding the Lordes commaundement giuen him against Agag and the Amalekites hee presumed to preserue that which was by the diuine decree prepared to the sworde the rather to content his couetous minde thinking that yet the Lorde woulde haue dispensed with him and winked at his folly But Samuel saide hee was a foole in that hee transgressed the word of the Lorde and that therefore his kingdome shoulde bee taken from him and giuen to another In this sinne offended Baalam Num 22.28 and was both reproued of his owne Asse and afterwards destroyed among the Lordes enemies .. Worthily therefore did the Kinges Father pray vnto God to keepe him from presumptuous sinnes CHAP XXIII Azariah telleth of the kings ingratitude to God The Lordes counsell and consent that praier be made for the king that the best be construed of him and that his wordes be neverthelesse worthy both the collection and preservation ZAdoke hauing thus considered and advised to disswade al other men from presumptuous sinnes and so from destruction Azariah the chiefe Prince answered and said Ye haue right wel said most reverend Father and semblably remembred the words so worthily recorded Oh that the King had well obserued and kept those holy commandements and walked in the waies of the Lorde as did David his father and as himselfe at the first did to the glory of God and the instruction and peace of his people then had it beene well for himselfe and profitable for vs all for they that obserue this want no manner of thing that good is Deut. 28. But the contrary perpetrated and wrought and now at length reuealed the feareful wrath of God appeareth his hand is already stretched foorth neither is there found a man to stand vp in the gap as sometimes Moses did with our fathers and as K. David did in his time for vs to pacify this deadly ire that wee perish not For as there is no safe contending with the Lord so are we not able to answere him one for a thousand And this is such a griefe vnto the King as will sticke by him in the bone faster then that we shal be able to remoue it For as they which haue once surfeited with pleasant meates are thereby occasioned to be grieued and to lament the same some long time therafter Salo. 5.7 though at the present they think themselues neuer therof satisfied so the King hath in these pleasures and the desires of his flesh so glutted himselfe as it is apparant to vs now that he hath thereby not only prouoked God to anger but also quite spoiled the right constitution of his health He may therfore alas with Esau lament but too late and say as we haue heard him tell of the vngodly We have over wearied ourselves in the way of destructiō Sap. 5.7 It was Gods pleasure that aswell the faults as the vertues of his children shold be recorded and remembred for the posterity Iehosophat what good hath our great pleasures brought vnto vs c. But I pray you right noble Iehosophat let this also be written and recorded for them that come after in such manner and forme as the most reuerend Father Zadoke hath before declared it I meane touching this last and greatest cause of the kings sorrow which commeth of the displeasure of God towards him by reason of his heinous offences and aboue them all for that he turned away his heart from God in those his elder daies * It shal be done said Iehosophat with al speede and fidelitie And yet as we see the king hath somwhat declined from the common course of men in this world For the greater part of them in their youth are wanton licentious addicted to diuers vaine lusts and little regard the power of God and the holy religion the which they esteeme a thing only incident to old age wherein men be more contemplatiue and yet neuerthelesse wee also see that of them there be some which in th' end are reclaimed do repent come home and serue the Lord and so are more religious in their mans estate or rather in their old age then euer they were in the daies of their youth Eccles. 12.1 But the K. in all the time of his
youth being vnder the education and nurtour of his father David of Bethsabe his mother and of Nathan the Prophet did well remember his maker and therby behaued himselfe in all things most worthily He was a graue wise man even in his yong yeeres for he hearkened to his father when hee taught him and to his mother when shee schooled him and to wisedome when she directed him Oh how wise was hee in his youth Eccles 47.14 filled with heauenly vnderstanding as with a flood his minde couered the whole earth and filled it with graue darke sentences his name went abrode in the Iles and for his peace he was well beloued The countries meruailed at him for his songs An example of Solomons ingratitude to God after his large guifts prouerbs similitudes and interpretations By the name of the Lord God which is called the God of Israel hee gathered God as Tin and had so much Siluer as Lead Al this not with standing as it hath been with great grief declared by the most reuerend father so must it be also recorded here by mee for I cannot dissemble it or passe it ouer that the King hath bowed his loines vnto womē and hath been overcome by his body and turned a way his heart from the Lord. And therein shall appeare to all posterities a most notable example of the kings ingratitude and disobedience against God and therewithall a fearefull example of the diuine iudgements to teach all others to take heede how they forget God and anger him with disobedience after all his large bounties towards them For besides the examples of the Elephants Storks and other beasts and birds without reason the earth which hath no sense shall worthily condemne him For the very earth receiuing good seede of the sowers hand yeeldes him againe in recompence and token of thankfulnes a farre greater quantitie as some thirty some sixty sōe an hundred fold teaching both how ready men should be to requite benefites receiued if they may do it without iniury especially how thankfull to God of whose hand they haue receiued both life and liuing and also to fly that menstrous sinne of vnkindnes then the which no sinne can be greater for within it is comprehended euery other sin whatsoeuer either against God or man either to giue or not to giue it is in a mans owne power but to recompence or requite a good turne it is of duty required And there where power or habilitie wanteth a good minde is accepted Oh God! how many graces blessings and wealthy gifts hath the kings grace receiued of the Lords hand neuer king had the like before him and it is said which wee belieue there shall neuer any succeede him comparable to him in all these things Therfore shoulde his thankfulnes to God haue been greater far aboue al the rest For of him to whom much is giuen is much required Againe shall not the paine of such vnkindnes exceede the punishment of others it is much to bee feared and the mighty shall bee mightely tormented Wherefore the King vnderstanding this is right sorrowfull in his soule zadoke yet speaketh for the King whome wee should not condemne as a reprobate Neither can wee bee merry and glad as wee haue beene sometimes in the florishing happy daies and prosperitye of our King * Then Zadoke the high Priest whome for his grauitie all the Lordes did reuerence and for his wisedome they did gladly heare replied againe againe and saide Yet may we not so condemne the king as if bee were vtterly cast out of the fauour of God for truly hee expresseth great tokens of repentance euery day The King is but a man hath imperfections and infirmities The King is excellent wise but yet the king is a man neither is a man so perfect in this life but that not onely hee hath infirmities but also many imperfections Yea as the fairest day hath his cloude the sweetest hony a prick and the finest wheat his branne so hath the best man liuing on this earth his fall and fault But this I confesse that seldom there hath bin seene in so wise and holy a man so foule a fault and I esteeme the fault so much the more by how much the king was wise and excellent before others A little fault appeareth great in a wise man For as the least blemish wil appeare in the fairest face so a little fault shal be esteemed much in a wise man How-much more this monstrous sinne in the wisest of all men which hath his eyes in his head to foresee and to preuent dangers then when the foole runneth foorth without knowledge to his own shame and confusion Surely the King hath been in this wonderfully ouertaken An example of mans insecuritie vnto all other men A caveat how wise prudent or politike soeuer they bee and a caueat for them to beware they fall not then when they thinke themselues to stand most assuredly For securitie is a deceitfull hagge Security The princes verdit of the Kinges fault and will cast men sodainly into dangers whē they imagine themselues most safe and sure * Indeede said the Princes this thing being so indiscreetly handled by so wise a King wil be an exceeding blot to his honour a sclander to the holy religion a shame to his Princes a plague to his people an encouragement to his enemies and an euill example for the posteritie and yet it shal be as it is conuenient in the Record lest vnto them For we may not be foūd false witnesses therin Alas that euer we should with these our eyes behold such abhominations with these our eares heare such euill reports with our hearts feare in these dayes of such thinges as are threatned and like to fall on vs zadoke telles that the King is contrite and sory for his sins and so repenreth Howbeit said Zadoke there is some hope in that I perceiue the king doth not only feel in his heart the seuerity of the diuine wrath foreseeth the misery that is threatned thereof is sorowfull but also knowing what is best to bee done as his father David did when he had sinned and was reproued by the Prophet hee is wonderfull contrite and grieued in heart for his sinnes which he now hateth and condemneth in himselfe hee is humbled on the earth and couered with sack-cloth and ashes hee maketh ◅rs strange confessions of his life and behauiour Hee abandoneth all the delights of the worlde which hee esteemeth and calleth vaine and hencefoorth doth assay to dedicate himselfe anew vnto the Lorde his God against whom he hath faulted And as hee hath taught that the iust man falleth seuen times in the day and riseth againe so hee knoweth that his onely way to rise is by faithfull repentance the which the Lorde hath promised to preserue keepe in store and to giue vnto them that bee his chosen that thereby they may passe vnto his hill in safetie howsoeuer
to purpose as in the nature of those Symboles Figures Types and shadowes which teach and put vs in minde of things aswell spirituall and eternall as future of the which wee haue and retayne many at this time yet will I not beginne with those externall things lest peraduenture any man shoulde saye that the King is not therefore the better in the spirit nor the more acceptable to God because he is outwardly glorious no more then he is a good king that raigneth in a wealthy country or he a wise gouernour which is placed in a goodly ship or he a worthy man who weareth a faire Coate or that a perfect Steed which is arraied with a golden Saddle Solomon is a figure of Messiah But I wil aspire higher in the consideration of our king to expresse and confirme vnto you his excellency aswell before the Lord as before mortall men And namely and chiefely in that whereby it pleaseth the Lord his God that he should prefigurate and foreshew that holy Messiah whom wee do verily belieue to come into the worlde and doe daily expect But first of this most glorious Person I mean the Messiah it may please you to heare me a few words for they shal be both sweete and comfortable to the true hearted Isralites that from thence I may the better argue for the Kinges holinesse to your content To this the Princes gladly accorded The comfort of the tidings of the Messiah being most willing to heare tell of that most holy and sweete Messiah of Gods mercy promised so long ago typed shadowed prefigured and now so earnestly expected For as their is nothing more pleasing to the prisoner then to heare of his libertie more wished for to the hungry then meate more comfortable to the sicke then the comming of a cunning Phisician and more ioyfull to the condemned to death then the glad tidinges of pardon life so what should be more pleasing more desired more comfortable and more ioyfull to vs which are captiued to the Serpent starued for want of graces sicke and sore in sinne and by a iust sentence condemned to death yea to eternall death then to heare the glad tidings of the coÌ„ming of the most noble Prince the carefull pastour that faithfull Phisician and that mighty Saviour which wil as he is best able release vs refresh vs heale vs pardon and saue vs Say on therefore most reuerend Father for we long to heare of those chearefull things zadoke telleth of mans fall and misery Gen. 3. * Then hearken said he I know it is not hidden from you for Moses hath plainely written thereof in the booke Berescith and it is often read vnto you that our first Parents by the Serpentes subtiltie tooke the forbidden fruit in Paradise therein breake the commandement the paine and inconuenience thereon threatned for the same was that they should dye the death that same day Therfore it followed that they were exiled kept out from the presence of God they were wounded with the act of their transgression they were captiued in the Serpents bands they became odious to their maker they were dispoiled of all their diuine vertues they were opposed to all miseries and lastly subdued vnto ghastfull death and hell torments Lo such was the wofull condition of those our first parents Howbeit this had not beene so intollerable and grieuous vnto vs had not the effect of this transgression beene extended and propagated by nature on all Adams children and posterity but it is too true that all men are thereby holden guilty as the naughty children of like parents and as vnwholesome fruites of the same tree This David the kinges father hath considered and acknowledged Psal 51. in Mismor Ledavid Behold I was shapen in wickednes and in sinne hath my mother coÌ„ceived me yea and when the Lord looked downe from heauen he saw that all were gone out of the waye and were become abhominable and that none of them did good no not one The recovery of man by Messiah But yet seeing Iehovah our God was most willing to recouer and recure man I meane those whome he had in his loue fore knowne for his owne elected to life and appointed for his glory he did in wisedome deuise and prouide a wonderfull meane therevnto wherein his mercy striuing with his Iustice might yet in the ende conclude for Equitie by the which this man who was indged and iustly condemned should be pardoned and yet the diuine iustice not infringed How this could bee compassed by Gods wisedome and prouidence ye shall hereafter vnderstand Here let vs consider in the nature of the diuine goodnes that God is more ready to pardon and to saue then to iudge and destroy the children of his election and grace and the rather for that he loueth them hath created them in his owne image hath appointed them for his glory and would not they should be lost for euer Againe hee considered mans frailtie and pittied it he was mercifull and expressed it he was liberall and extended it he was the best father and declared his affection he was willing to saue and performed his will Therefore hee would neither suffer sin either to ouerthrow him or to raigne or to rest on him but hating and abhorring sin from his heart he did destroy the same by his grace he had compassioÌ„ on mans miserable condition therefore he little waighed yea hee forgat the iniury that man did him hee shewed himselfe ready both to satisfy for his guilt to heale his paine he was more ready to pardon man then man was to aske mercy and finally when in iustice he should and might if he would haue thrown him down into the depth of the nethermost hell he neuerthelesse after his mercy recouered him restored him to grace and raised him vp into the highest heauen And this to effect when neither angels nor powers either in heauen or earth or vnder the earth could do the deede he proposed his owne Sonne euen that most holy and eternall worde of God by whome all thinges were made Gen. 1.1 whom he appointed to deale for mans guilte to satisfy the diuine Iustice and to compasse and effect the most excellent worke of mans redemption by and in the which hee might gather and ioyne againe vnto himselfe a chaste spowsesse as vnto whome he might expresse the greatnes of his loue and continue as an husband or head to defend preserue maintaine and beautify the same for euer The obedieÌ„ce of Messiah Therevpon the Almighty was not so ready that man by this meane should be recouered but that sonne also himselfe as an earnest wower that seeketh for her whome his soule loueth was also willing obedient to doe and performe all things conuenient therein According to the which the Kinges Father did sing in his person Burnt offeringes and sacrifices for sinne thou hast not required psal 40. â—â— Then saide I Lo I come in the
volume of the booke it is written of mee that I should fulfill thy will O my God I am content to doe it Thus was the most holy sonne and worde of God brought in talking with his father touching mans redemption and shewing both his willingnes and obedience to relieue the state of mankind Hereof it was that the Lord God decreed and said that the womans seed should tread on the serpents head Gen. 3. which signified that one should be borne of the womans body the which the Serpent had corrupt that should not onely purifie her and all mankind but also confound the Serpent and all his power From the which time our fathers haue expected we as yet expect and waite for the comming of that holy Seede Now here by the way wee may consider that albeit the Lord God be wonderfull mercifull vnto mankind he doth not ouerthrow therin his Iustice How the Lord was both iust and mercifull but obseruing either he expresseth great Equitie in a wonderfull for t For beholde hee laid that on his sonne which was due vnto man and againe hee gaue that vnto man which was onely proper to his sonne hee laid mans sinne and faults on his sonne hee imputed the righteousnes of his sonne vnto man In th' one appeared his iustice in th' other his mercy And in them both conioyned equitye That which was due vnto man the holy seed taketh on himselfe namely mans punishment which mans nature could not beare that which the holy seede merited namely eternall life the Lorde gaue vnto man for the sinne of man which deserued death was imputed vnto this seede and the Iustice of the holy seed which deserued Heauen was imputed vnto man I meane vnto them onely that by faith depend on that promise and those be the same whom the Lord God had before loued elected and predestinated to eternall glory and whome hee would not by any meanes permit to perrish and dye for euer This is the onely recouery of mankind and hope of his health This is that eternall verity and obiect of our faith This is the same whereunto all the law and the Prophets and all the tipes and figures both of them before vs and of them now in daily vse do aime point Promises of the Messiah Gen. 6. Gen. 22. Gen. 22.18 and direct vs for all succour helpe comfort and reliefe The decree and promise of this seede was after this confirmed to Noah to whome the Lorde said With thee wil I make my covenant thou shalt come into the Arkè But more plainly to our father Abraham to whome the Lorde declared this Sauiour and said of him In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth bee blessed The same which was called the seede of the Woman is now called the seede of Abraham for the Lorde woulde that hee shoulde come of Abrahams Seede after the flesh Prophesies of Messiah Gen. 49. Exod. 4.13 This is that whome Iacob our Father called Shilo and prophesyed that he should come in the tribe of Iudah And to him should be the gathering of the people This is that same to whome Moses pointed in the booke Velleschemoth when he saide to the Lord. Send I pray thee by the hand of him whome thou wilt send Deut. 18.15.18 and in his booke Haddebarim the Lorde himselfe calleth him a Prophet saying thus vnto Moses I will raise them vp a Prophet from among their brethren like vnto thee This is the same the holy man Iob calleth his Redeemer whome hee knewe to liue Iob. 19. Num. 14.17 This is that bright Starre and Scepter of the which Baalam did prophesie in Moses Booke Vaiedabber saying there shall come a Starre of Iacob and rise a Scepter in Israel 2. Sam. 7.12.13 14. This is that true King of peace promised to David the Kinges Father in 2. Schemuel 7. that Seede of David and Davids Lorde whose throne shall bee established for euer To bee short this is that lively Image of God and King of glory without all spot or blemish most mightye wise and excellent which shall in his time new builde Heirusalem and prepare himselfe an holy Temple and house for his worshippe therein I meane a Church spiritually framed and gloriously garnished after that proportion and forme which David the Kinges Father gaue and prescribed him according to the writing thereof which hee had receiued from Iehovah his God and the which the King hath in his time of peace builded and perfected accordingly Therefore of this holy Seede sang the Princely Prophet in many Psalmes calling him sometimes Gods Sonne sometimes a King psal 2.45.110 sometimes the King of glory sometimes a Priest eternall after the order of Melchisedek sometimes his Lorde sometimes his God sometimes his Redeemer sometimes his Saviour sometimes the Messiah or Annointed of Iehovah And as this holy Seede hath beene thus promised and foretolde of and belieued to come into the worlde Shadowes tipes and figures of Messiah The tree of life in paradise Abel Abraham Noah so hath hee beene shadowed typed and prefigured As first by the tree of life in Paradise of the which if our first parentes had taken and eaten they had neuer dyed but should haue liued foreuer Next by the Sacrifices of Abel Abraham others in the which it pleased God to declare himselfe gratious This Noah also prefigured when the Lord made him the finisher of the old world and the beginner of the new To the same pointed Melchisedek and Melchisalem Melchisedek to shew that he was a King and a Priest A King of peace and righteousnes and a priest of the highest God for euer as without beginning and without ending for the number of his daies may not bee reckoned or knowne The same was signified in the ladder our father Iacob saw Iacobs ladder Moses Iosuah by the which the angels did ascend and descend to and from heauen He was fore-shewed a deliuerer from thraldome in Moses and a Sauiour in Iosuah for Moses brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt and Iosuah conducted them inherited them and preserued them in the promised land Also Aaron the priest of the Lorde prefigured him with his Vrim and Thumim Aaron The pascall Lambe c To the same also serued the vse of the Pascall Lambe and those other symboles and sacraments in the Wildernes as the Manna from heauen the Water from the rocke Iudges and such like In the booke of * Shophtim is mention made of many bodily Saviours by the which was mistically shewed the person and office of Messiah There was Sampson Gedeon Othoniel Ieptha Samuel And within our age Sampson Gedeon Othoniel Ieptha Samuel David the calling annointing and manner of the raigne and condition of David foreshewed the same For all these things my Lordes haue and do rightly aime to that most holy Messiah whome the Lord God would that men should belieue and expect and
hope to come and at his comming loue and embrace as the onely person in and through whome the diuine Iustice is satisfied the heauenly will fulfilled the Serpent and all his fiery darts quenched and mankind pardoned healed recouered and blessed for euer Now this being said as an introduction to that which followeth we will come to speak of our Soueraign Lord K. Solomon whom I trust to proue and declare a Saint of the Lord and a right worthy member in his Church and so consequently no reprobate nor prophane nor damned person for if the former be proued wee shall by the same easily cleare him of the latter as before I haue said The Princes at this word seemed much comforted and shewed their willingnes yet further to heare what Zadoke would say For this saide they shall not onely please and satisfy vs but all others aswell they which now liue as they which shall come after vs. Therefore proceede most reuerend Father to proue that which ye haue assumed for the king And we will gladly giue both an attentiue eare vnto your words and vnto you condigne thankes CHAP XXVI Zadoke preveth that K. Solomon is a Saint of the Lord. THen Zadok proceeded reasoned for the King saying Whosoeuer is made and ordained by the will wisedome and providence of God a most lively and excellent figure of that holy Messiah the sonne of God the same is not a damned or reprobate or prophane person but he is a Sainct of the Lord But our Lord King Solomon is made and ordained by the will wisedom and providence of God a most lively and excellent figure of that holy Messiah the sunne of God Therefore our Lord K. Solomon is not a damned reprobate or prophane person but he is a Saint of the Lord. Now although no man may iustly deny either the first or the second proposition in any thing whatsoeuer yet as I perceiue ye are willing to listen ye shall heare mee to declare and proue either and so concludet or the King Surely my Lords it were not onely a great absurdity to hold it but an horrible thing to imagine that the most holy Messiah the sonne of the everlasting God that bright morning Starre that right holy Seede that high diuine Priest that excellent prophet and king of Glory so well resembling the almighty in holines beauty and in all perfection should be prefigured and declared by a prophane and vnholy person and that the excellency of his high dignity and royall gouernment should be typed by any thing common or vncleane Neither haue we found such inequalities in the proportions of the law of the Prophets and holy writings especially touching the promised and expected Messiah But this we finde that as the best things be best figured and declared in and by that which is most like or neere in nature kinde and qualitie so is the dignity person and function of the most holy Messiah prefigured and foreshewed according to the wisdome and prouidence of the Almighty where the types agree well with the things typed Therefore it was commanded in the lawe that the Lambes which were taken for the sacrifices should be cleane without all blemishes Exod. 12.5 Gen. 4.4 Aaron a figure of Messiah Exod. 28.30 Levit. 8. 21.6.18 as such as Habel offered vp to the Lord of the best of his flocks Therefore Aaron the Lords Priest who in his body prefigured the body of Messiah and in his garments expressed the excellency and perfection of his graces and vertues was a person without defectes or blemishes of body and glorious in his beautifull ornamentes according to the commandement the which also my selfe being the present high Priest am holden to retaine and vse and the which for that Abiather my predecessor vsed not but abused he was iustly depriued Moses also who brought our fathers out of the house of bondage and the same whome that prophet should resemble was a man welbeloued of God wel learned sanctifyed and made like vnto him in the glory of his Angels Likewise the Captaine Iosuah whome the Lorde appointed enabled to lead our fathers into this promised land was a man full of the spirit of wisedome the Lord his God both strēgthned and encouraged him whereby hee might be made a meete figure of the true Iehosuah our leader and guide into the land of the liuing To bee briefe David the Kings father who in his time bare an excellent figure of that Messiah both in his annointing nature raigne exaltation and humiliation was a man after Gods owne heart and euery way furnished with divine graces and right princely vertues meete for the same The like may be said of our forefathers Adam Enoch Noah Abraham Isaack Iacob Ioseph Sampson the Nazarite others in and by whome the Lord our God wold tipe and foreshew his deare sonne the Messiah notwithstanding all their humane imperfections and fleshly infirmities All these things saide the Princes haue we hearde with great delight and that to our full satisfaction in that part The princes For indeede such is the nature of the diuine proportions in the lawe in the Prophetes and in the psalmes And therefore he which by the wisedome will and prouidence of God is made a liuely excellent figure of that holy Messiah must of necessitie be a Sainct not a damned wretch reprobate or prophane But now what will ye produce for the proofe of this that our Lord King Solomon among those blessed Fathers is by the same wisedome Solomon is a figure of the holy Messiah will and providence or dained and made a right figure of that most holy Messiah This proposition saide Zadok can neither bee denied nor abandoned but confessed and receiued aswell of them now liuing as of al them that shall come after vs in all posterities who in the due consideration thereof with the circumstances shall grant and conclude with vs in the same And this may easily be gathered and proued to put all men out of doubt First in that according to the diuine prouidence and direction he hath built and garnished that right glorious Temple in Ierusalem Solomon in the building of the Temple figured the Messiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an house dedicated to the name of the Lorde the which doubtlesse standeth for a perfect figure of the holy Koheleh or Church of the Lorde our God whether misticall in the Congregation of them that serue God after his will declared in his worde or spirituall in the heart and minde of all the faithfull where it pleaseth the holy spirite of discipline to dwell or glorious in heaven of all them that be deliuered from hence and translated into the societie of the celestiall angels An house indeede The Church figured Gen. 3. which none either in heauen or in earth can or must builde or garnish but onely that most holy Messiah and promised Seede And this was prefigured by the womans body betweene whome
righteousnes his annointing his apparell his marriage his royaltie his Godhead his praise his eternitie and everlasting glory For all these things are found and shall for euer be well approued and highly praised in that holy Messiah Solomons prayers and sacrifices which the Lord accepted 1. king 8.22 to whom onely the king by the letter pointeth as the figure to the thing figured Nowe with this wee may not forgette that the king hauing finished the Lords house stood before the Altar of the Lord in the sight of all the Congregation of Israel and stretched out his hands towards heauen and blessed the Lord and praised him and his truth yea he knéeled also on his knées and prayed vnto him that the word might be verified which hee spake vnto David his father and that it would please him to haue respect vnto his prayer and supplication as well for himselfe as for the people praying in that house Also he stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel verse 56. with a loude voyce saying Blessed bee the Lorde that hath given rest vnto his people Israel according to all that hee promised c. The Lord our God bee with vs as he was with our Fathers and forsake vs not nor leave vs but that hee may bowe our hearts vnto him that wee may walke in all his wayes and keepe his Commandements his statutes and his Lawes which hee commanded our Fathers And those my words that I haue prayed before the Lorde bee nigh vnto Iehovah our GOD day and night that hee defend the cause of his servant the cause of his people Israel at all times as the matter shall require that all nations of the earth may knowe that Iehovah is God and none but hee Moreuer the King offered Offrings before the Lord yea peace-offrings in great aboundance and therewithall dedicated the house which he builded to the Lord with great ioy and gladnesse In all the which things Iehovah his God was well pleased with him yea and with the people through him heard his prayers receiued his requests graunted his petitions and apeared vnto him in Gibeon with this comfortable saying I have heard thy Prayer and thine intercession that thou hast made before mee For I haue hallowed this house which thou hast built to put my name there for ever and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually Now consider I pray you what K. Solomon is with the Lorde will the Lord heare and accept the reprobate and prophane persons or will he honour and esteeme their works although they séeme glorious to the conceits of worldly men No surely What saith the Kings father touching their prayers The prayer of vngodly men is turned into sinne Psal 100.6 And thus I haue heard him to modulate concerning himselfe and his estimation with the highest The Lord I know wil not vouchsafe my praier or words to heare If vnto sinne mine heart I should encline and him not feare But if I come into his Courts with offerings worthie praies And pay the vowes I promised in mine afflicted daies If on him with my mouth I call and with my tongue him blesse And offer him the sacrifice of thankes and righteousnes Then will he heare my praiers and consider of my case And my request will graunt in time of his aboundant grace In al these things therfore the king is declared to be not only holy and approued of God but also a perfect figure of that most holy Seede who in his time shall pray shall offer shall please God shal be heard shal be accepted and all his desires performed to the satisfying of his soule to the health of his people Finally The pluralitie of Solomons wiues the very pluralitie of the kings Wiues his Concubines on whom he was enamored and dishonoured howsoeuer vnlawfull offensiue to God and a disgrace to himselfe shall not be reckoned as a thing vnnecessarie in this comparison seeing that the most holy Messiah in his ardent zeale for mans recouery will be contented that the serpent shall trippe on his heele Gen. 3. whereby he will be dishonored and abased whiles he taketh on himselfe mans ougly deformities and sinnes being so willing through his owne humiliation and ignominie to ease man so burthened and to bring him home againe vnto him from whom hee had farre wandered and to reconcile him with him against whom hee had monstrously transgressed And therefore as his Proverbes the which for the most part hee vttered in his florishing and perfect estate are applicable as chiefly appertaining to the gouernment of a godly family as these his * Wordes That is his Ecclesiastes 1. now daily and ordinarily vttered and ruminated are applicable as especially belonging to the ordering of a godly Common-wealth So also those his Loue-songs and Ballads entituled * Schir-hasschirim The Canticles of Solomon The Song of songs composed in his yonger dayes yea before the twentieth year of his age shall not be reiected or abandoned but esteemed and properly applied both to that mysticall and spirituall woowing espowsing combination and familiar societie communication of the holy Messiah with his elect and faithfull Saints of the which hee gathereth and garnisheth a Church as a chaste Wife to himselfe Loe my Lordes in these and many other such notable things is our Lord K. Solomon by the will wisdom and providence of God made an excellent figure of that holy Annointed and therefore he may not bee esteemed a naughty or prophane person but to bee taken as hee is indeede a Saint of the Lorde Neither doe I any thing doubt but that the best learned and godly that either now liue or shall come after vs will so iudge and esteeme of him when they shall heare and well weigh not onely of that which hath beene said heretofore concerning him his words actions and estate but also shall plainely beholde the verification thereof in the very person and perfect beautie of that promised Schilo the King of righteousnesse and highest peace at his happy comming in the world into the appointed time This being sayd all the Princes were much comforted although in this their kings affliction and gaue thankes to Zadok who yet seemed further to resolue and satisfie them in any thing whereof either any question might bee mooued or any doubt iustly arise concerning the kings holines CAP. XXVIII Zadok argueth for the King concerning his repentance and remission after his Transgressions ZAdok hauing thus farre pleaded for K. Solomon and with many substantiall Arguments proued him a Saint of the Lorde and therefore that hee could not bee either a damned soule or a reprobated wretch or a prophane person as some haue or might ouer harldy rashly censure him the Princes shewed themselues both ioyfull and thankefull But after a whiles Prince Azariah in the behalfe of the rest stood foorth opened his mouth and sayde Most reuerende Father wee all confesse with thankefulnes that yee
to the tyranny of the Serpent which had deceiued them Adams sinne Gen. 3. Iudah Gen. 38.26 Lot Aaron Exo. 32.2 Gen. 34.25 Simeon and Levi. Ruben Gen 49 4. The Israelites Sampson Iudg 2.11.13 3.6 16.18 Laban Gen. 31.30 for the which they were iustly driuen out of Paradise and made subiect to misery and death notwithstanding it pleased the L. God as ye haue heard to forgiue them and to gather to himselfe an holy church euē from among them which had sinned We read that Iudah tooke his daughter in law Thamar lay with her contrary to the law and acknowledged that he had sinned therein Lot was made drunke and lay with both his daughters Aarō the Lords priest yeelded to the making of a molten calfe which the people worshipped VVe read that Simeon and Levi the sonnes of Iacob dealt deceitfully with Hemor Sichē his son and murthered them and their people against the will of their father who in his last words cursed their wrath which was shameles their rage which was cruel As for Rubē Iacobs eldest sonne he defiled his fathers bed distained his dignity Our fathers in the time of the Iudges were carried away to serue Baal Astaroth and they were cōioined with the Cananites against the law of the L. Sampsō the Nazarite combined himselfe with a strange woman yea and in the end yeelded his power to the harlot Dalila Laban the father in law of Iacob was a worshipper of strāge Gods Terah the father of Abrahā was not free frō the like offence And are the sinnes of those our fathers especially the greatest of these sins inferior to the K. sins Notwithstāding it is testified that the L. pardoned thē restored thē to his fauor But ye say that the K. hath turned away his heart form the Lord. Indeede of all others his sins this is the greatest Howbeit I say not therefore that hee hath vtterly turned away his heart as that hee hath quite forsaken God and by wicked apostasy fallen away from him for euer for had it beene so we should not haue seene him in this his estate And as I well remember I heard the king himselfe to say and wee cannot denye it when we well consider thereof and of him in this his estate that in the depth of those his sinnes and vanities he perceiued that yet his wisedome remained with him psal 51.11 1. Sam. 16.14 2. Sam. 7.15 How Solomon is said to turne away his heart from God by the which he ment the graces of that diuine spirit which King David praied that the Lorde would not vtterly take from him being indeed an effect of that mercy which the Lord his God said he would not take from him as he toke it from Saul whom hee had cast off before him But I say the King hath turned away his heart in this sense first in that he hath sinned against the Lorde his God secondly in that he hath yeelded to his lusts and thirdly in that he fainted in his holy zeale For there is no sinne whatsoeuer which a man committeth wherein there is not a turning away of the sinner from the Lord for sinne is contrary to the law of God and argueth a contempt of his iustice neglect of his graces therefore the Lorde requireth in them whom he recoureth and pardoneth a faithful returne in humble contrition Next it is true that euery man is led away from God of his owne concupiscence or naturall lusts and thus the King doting ouermuch on his strange Woemen hath been enflamed ouercome in affection seduced and led away from the Lordes righteousnes Thirdly the king by those former occasions had forsaken his first loue was waxen more colde or luke-warme in that holy religion and godly zeale with the which his heart hath been wonderfully enflamed in his youth But yet I remember what the Lord said I will shew mercy to whome I will shew mercy The same said to Hagar Returne againe to thy mistris Exo. Gen. 16 9. though thine heart was turned from her Againe he saith to the sinner ' Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do those good workes which thou hast vsed to doe when I was well pleased with thee Againe Remember thy maker So I confesse though with sorrow of heart that the king in that his estate hath not so zeolously set foorth and maintained the glory and seruices of God as he was wont to doe for whosoeuer is addicted to the former is defectiue in the latter but he neglected a great part of his office and duty But yet the Lord bee thanked we know that the state of religion was neuer altered or changed The holy religion neuer altered but continued the same in Solomons time 2. Chro. 11.16.17 but that hath and yet doth remaine the same as in the time of David notwithstanding the idolatries superstitions and prouocations of his strange women which is a notable argument that yet thee helde the sure foundation of his saith vnshaken And therefore let vs not presume either to say or to thinke that King Solomon is fallen vtterly away from the Lord his God who hath so wonderfully loued beautified and blessed him It is one thing to offend God by euill thoughts euill wordes or wicked deedes another thing to deny God and to forsake him vtterly He that sinneth and offendeth God and yet beleeueth in God he is by his repentance reserved for saluation but who so doth deny God and vtterly apostate from him there remaineth vnto him not so much as one little shell wherewith he may drawe a very small measure of the water of life It is not one and the same thing to turne frō the Lorde and to turne vtterly awry from him without retyre or returne The former of these faults is often seene in Gods owne children when like prodigall and disobedient sonnes they bee tempted to depart from their most louing father and yet do returne home againe are renued by repentāce as were Aaron Moses David the latter is seene in the reprobates only which fall away and neuer returne and therefore are not renued by repentance for they cannot truely repent The reprobates cannot truely repent because the Lord giueth not repentance vnto them as it was apparant in Cain in Lots wise in Saul whom the Lord cast away frō before him But this falling away from God wee haue not found nor shall perceiue in K. Solomon the Lorde bee blessed therefore Neither may wee thinke that howsoeuer he is saide to followe after Astaroth Milcom Molock Camos such others the Gods of the heathen that therefore he was so grosse an Idolator as he did adore and worshippe those strange Gods no more then we may thinke Solomon did not worship Idols Exo. 32.2 that Aaron the Priest did adore and worship the golden Calfe which himselfe had made at the importunacie of our Fathers in the wildernes And I knowe
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
or endeuour to finde out wee shoulde reuerently admire and in all things iustifie them for it is true that Moses sayde Deut. 3 2.4 Perfect is the worke of the most mightie GOD for all his wayes are Iudgement Hee is a GOD of trueth without wickednesse righteous and iust is hee Deut. 29.29 Those secret things belong to GOD aboue and they are not for a man to knowe or finde out nor shall hee bee able in any other sorte then hee is able to finde out the circle of a Ring Iob. 28.7 This is that way whereof Iob spake the which the birdes haue not knowne the Vultures eye neuer sawe wherin the Lyons whelps walke not and into the which no Lyon euer came It is farre easier to knowe the way of an Eagle in the Ayre of a Serpent vpon a stoane of a shippe in the Sea and of a man with a yong-woman which yet passed the kings vnderstanding then to finde out the reasons and causes of the Lordes secret iudgements and hidden wayes Therefore when the wisest men in the worlde haue presumed this enterprise they haue beene compared to the hungry man which dreameth that hee is eating and beeing awaked out of his sléepe findeth himselfe emptie Thus are they fedde with winde in steede of woordes they take the shadowe for the bodie they finde wandering cloudes whiles they seeke for rayne and for substances they take holde of accidentes onely The causes of Gods secret iudgements are not to be found out But the better to suppresse the curiositie of mans minde let vs consider certaine examples of the workes and wayes of God the causes and reasons whereof we could neuer as yet finde out In the dayes of Iosuah the Captaine of the Lordes Hoaste wee finde that one Achan sinned against the Lorde Achan Ios 7.25 in that hee had contrary to the commandement taken among the spoyles a certaine Babilonish garment and two hundred sickles of siluer and a tongue of golde and conveyed and hidde them away for the which the whole Hoaste was troubled and fledde before the enemie and afterwarde not onely Achan but also his Familie and all the hee had was destroyed Nowe if Achan onely sinned why did the people flye and fall Againe why were his sonnes and Familie punished and what had his children and cattle deserued that they all perished with him was it not commanded before Deut. 24.16 The fathers shall not bee put to death for the children nor the children for the fathers Chorah Num. 16.13 but euery man shall bee put to death for his owne sin Also in the rebellion of Corah Dathan and Abiram why were the people plagued for these mens offences and wherefore dyed their Wiues and children and seruantes Abraham and Sarah Gen. 18. and cattle together with them * Also we finde that Abraham being fore-folde that hee should haue a sonne of Sarah his wife laughed aswel as did Sarah and yet Sarah was reprooued and not Abraham We may imagine that the one laughed for ioy and the other in scorne but wee haue no such cause deliuered vnto vs for they both beleeued God Moreover Adam Gen. 3. why did God permit Adam to fall and Hevah to be tempted Why was Abraham our Father made a soiorner in a strange land Abraham Iacob Pharao Why was Iacob vexed and afflicted with so many euils in his dayes why did God harden the hart of Pharaoh Why did the Lord plague thréescore and ten thousand of Davids people for his sin In all these things David let vs as I said wonder and iustifie the Lord knowing Iob. Gen. 18. that as no kinde of iniquitie dwelleth in the most high so beeing the Iudge of all the world he iudgeth according to right as Abraham saith and would that men should content their minds only with that which it pleaseth him to reueale vtter vnto them The generall cause of all But thus wee may say that in all those things the Lord hath respected his owne glorie and the benefite of his children and that as his will is in all things performed it was his will that among others the King should fall and shew his imperfections and that as I can gather besides the former for these foure causes Certain particular causes of Solomons sin First that the people which beheld his wonderfull wisedome wealth prosperitie and glory wherein hee hath as by way of symbole expressed the spirituall and heauenly vertues and glory of Messiah might not estéeme or thinke of him more then it is conuenient For indéed they haue for the most part taken him rather for God then for man and others haue taken him for the promised Messiah and not for the Figure of the same wherein they began to derogate from the Lorde and his Annoynted by giuing of his glory to a mortall man And surely for this cause hath the Lord often suffred the right worthy vessels of his grace to fall and to be noted in the holy Scriptures with their imperfections and imfirmities as were Adam Noah Abraham Lot David and such like Next the king hath in this sort fallen that as in his wisedome and diuine vertues he did prefigurate the holy Messiah so by those his slidings and the sinnes of his wiues and strange women imputed also vnto him in that he both affected maintained them notwithstanding their blemishes in religion hee might foreshew the burthen of mans sinnes layd and imputed to the holy one on whose héele therefore the Serpent was to treade in the regard whereof hee shall bee both reputed and esteemed vile and of no reputation among the children of men and shall be punished for their transgressions as David hath prophesied thereof Besides that in this declination of the Kings honor is noted the renting and finall dissipation of our Nation and gouernment in time to come Thirdly the Lorde God will that this example of the Kings fall should bee a terrour and document to all others in posteritie how prosperous or glorious soeuer they shall bee in this worlde full of Vanitie that they beware how they presumne on any ornament either of body or minde or any thing else of this present life and that they promise not to themselues the assurance and continuall vse of that which is but lent them and not their owne to retaine or dispose for if God hath suffered the king who enioyed all these things at his full pleasure to fall yea and to worke wickednes against his owne honor for these his sinnes hath laden him with a measure of his iudgements why should any other man assure himselfe the continuall possession of the like which yet come farre behinde the King in all things Lastly by this the Lord would schole and teach the king as wise as he is that hee presume not to enter into iudgement with him which is most iust and will not acquite a sinner in his sinnes nor to iustifie himselfe
vnderstood by the drift and scope of the Kings owne words First therefore it may be known 1 the creatures are excluded that all the Creatures of God are excluded which in regard aswell of the Creatour beeing the best good as of the perfection of the things thēselues being in their natures good together with the conseruation of them by the diuine prouidence to and for good vses may not be vaine So the king many times teacheth the true vse of them and willeth men neither to contemne nor to abuse but to embrace enioy and vse them in the feare of God 2 Substances of things Neither are the Substances of things concluded in this particle All the which notwithstanding the diuersitie of accidents remaine the same as the Lorde hath ordained them from the beginning Nor may we bring vnder this particle All the workes and wayes of God 3 Gods works and wayes either spirituall within vs or externall without vs the which as Moses testifieth are perfite and good Eccles. 3.14 For whatsoeuer God doth as the King himselfe also considered it continueth for euer and nothing can be put vnto it nor taken from it 4 Solomons temple Nor doth this particle comprehend the Temple of God in Ierusalem which the King hath built and dedicated according to the will wisedome and purpose of God to be a type and Figure of that Church which the true Solomon namely Messiah shall build and dedicated to the eternall God although that when the thing figured is effected the figure ceaseth and vanisheth Nor is the Worde of God preached 5 Gods word preached and the words therin comended 6 The seuerall functions which are lawfull nor the godly workes and labours therein taught and commanded to bee done subiect to this partilce nor the seuerall functions of the Ministers in the Church or of the Magistrates in the Common-wealth or of husbands wiues maisters seruantes parents cihldrē c. Neither may these things be esteemed or called vaine without the abuse of the things and an offence to the Creator and institutor of the same who hath made them all perfite and good in their nature to be vsed enioyed with thanksgiuing and prayer in the feare of God On the other side these are the things which the king comprehendeth within this particle All as namely The counsels the studies the endevors These things are vaine the driftes the devices the purposes of man assaying to effect and bring to passe all things by and after his owne wit wisedom 1 Mans purposes and studies and by his owne power policies engines and abilitie without the word and counsaile of Gods Spirit Also all those works and buildings which the King hath wrought made for the lust of his eyes the lust of his flesh and for the pride of life 2 Idle workes and buildings as those which hee builded for the abhomination of his strange Women with all his labours expences and delights in and about the same Also man himselfe as nowe vnder transgression a stranger from the Lorde hauing vaine thoughtes 3 Man himselfe is vaine vaine wordes vaine deedes as of whom said the Kings father Man is altogether vanitie yea and lighter then vanitie it selfe is surely herein comprehended 4 The abuses which Solomon toucheth in this Booke Finally the King here noteth all those devises counsels studies workes matters and things the which are descried found to be within Vanities kingdome and particularly noted in his Catalogue thereof to the which this particle Col so abridged and restrained by He hath a speciall relation And surely this is a mayne and mightie stroke against the prudence and vertues of the naturall man to abate his pride to humble him to teach him to admitte correction to hearken to good counsaile to meditate of his owne condition to distrust his owne wayes to vse the Creatures and not to abuse them to turne himselfe from those things of vanities kingdome which are transitorie and vaine and to affect and follow after the things spirituall and heauenly which are permanent for euer and of the greatest price to all effects and purposes * Then replyed Abiather Abiather and sayde vnto Zadok In that ye haue denyed the consequence most reuerend Father yee haue right well satisfied vs neither indeede perceiue I how of the Kings Wordes as yee haue expounded them wee may conclude the contempt of the Creatures of God or the condemnation of those ordinarie functions in the Church and Common-wealth CAP. XXXIII The works and labours of men which Solomon condemneth in his Ecclesiastes AFter this Abiather procéeding in his reply said againe By those your answers most reuerende father wherin ye haue so well expounded and explayned the Kings wordes we may know the necessitie and end of good interpretations without the which The necessitie and ende of good expositions of the scriptures the ignorant and common people beeing not so wel learned in those sentences and phrases of holy scriptures may too soone as blindfolded persons fall into the pit of errors and preuarication They therfore which endeuor to with-draw or hold backe this good helpe from the holy Church do what in thē lyeth to hinder the people of the true vnderstāding of Gods will of walking in that light of righteousnes and consequently from the happy apprehension of the true felicitie by Faith in the holy Messiah But it may please you to heare me further Another obiection that he shold dissuade men from their lawfull labors Gen. 3. Exod. 20. Deut. 28. I haue heard the K. to vtter another sentence wherof at the first shew appeareth to spring a very dangerous doctrine and such indéede as might easily discourage all men that shall it heare from those laudable labours and trauailes which are to them enioyned in this world commanded thē in the law of God and haue the promises of blessing prosperity in this life For the K. speaking of vanitie expostulated and said by and by as I well remember his words What els hath a man of all his labors Eccles. 1.3 wherin he laboureth vnder the Sun as who should say a man getteth nothing by all his labors in this world and if it be so to what end thē should he labor sweat worke nay rather let him fold together his hands with the foole estéeming one morsell with quietnes better then both the hands full with labor vexation of the spirit let him be idle and take his ease not striue to get his liuing in the sweat of his face and toyle of body and minde nor to doe his necessarie workes in those sixe dayes wherein the Lorde hath commanded him to labour in his vocation zadoks answer To this zadok answering said As yee commend as well worthy good Interpretations so neither would yee dislike this sentence of the King if ye either vnderstood it aright or at the least noted well what I
breuitie for we haue beene here talking very long and it is more then time we were with his maiestie to giue him comfort in his afflictions Debarim The first worde in this title is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Debarim the which as ye know signifieth not onely bare words speeches sermons or orations but also matters thinges and causes yea and such as are not vulgar ordinary or common but rather graue profitable memorable and of price as such where of the kings father sometimes modulated saying Mine heart is willing to disclose a goodly thing Psalme 45.1 For in my workes I will report of Iah the King Such wordes vttered Moses the Lordes seruant before our fathers when he said hearken O ye heavens I shal speake Deut. 32. ◠let the earth heare the wordes of my mouth And the like words the diuine preacher in his publike Sermons is wont to vtter declare vnto the people with great wisedome and grauitie for those indeede are the thinges which the king hath lately vttered and spoken of in the audience of vs and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concinator and the which we purpose to gather and commit to writing The next word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Preacher or that Preacher This is made as well ye know of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to congregate to assēble and call people together to make a Church and is a participle rather feminine then masculine howbeit in this place let it be vsed for both that it may be referred aswell to the person as to the thinges or matters by him vttered Solomon a preacher Eccles. 1.12 And first as it signifieth a preacher or one preaching we may apply the word to the King who notwithstanding his great royaltie and glory disdaineth not this name appellatiue yea hee hath willingly admitted it by his owne choice For albeit hee bee no publike preacher or teacher in the Church which is a thing rather appertinent to the priests and Leuits yet in either gender the word rightly fitteth him First in regard of the singular wisdom which hath beene aboundantly gathered and noted in him For in him is gathered the wisedome and knowledge of all the Patriarks Prophets Maisters Teachers wise men the Lord hauing granted him wisedome and vnderstanding exceeding much and a large heart euen as the sand that is on the Sea shore Secondly in regard of his soule so wisely instructed or of the Church which is to receiue the doctrine of his wordes to the edification of the saintes Neither may it seeme strange vnto them which are acquainted with the wordes and phrases of holy write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that this gendre is applyed to such a person who though masculine wee find to bee called Shelomoh as a person feminine tender delicate and peaceable or a faire and chast virgin whom a man affecteth and woweth in honest loue Howsoeuer it bee that some men not acquainted with our tongue may esteeme this title to be imposed on him for his vnmeasurable loue of women by the which hee was effeminated and changed in nature Thirdly he may be called Choheleth or Preacher in that hee spake not to one or to a few but before many great personages and others of diuers nations For as he hath spoken in the great assembly so are his words fit to instruct and teach all Fourthly as he hath had a speciall regard for the glory of the great God to the which he had built a magnificent house so as the figure of the holy Messiah which gathereth to himselfe teacheth and preserueth his holy church he hath a speciall care with that wisedome which the Lord had given him in his time to call together and to assemble the people into the same to the hearing of the lawe of GOD and performance of his right seruice as to him indéed it appertained The right office of a K. in 2 points Besides that the office of a King as ye well know is not onely to defend and rule the people but also as well by himselfe as by his prophets priestes and ministers by his commādement in their seuerall functions to teach and excite his subiects to feare the Lord and to walke in his wayes Fifthly hee may bee thus called For that beeing sufficiently schooled in his afflictions and repenting those his transgressions and sins before vs al he can best admonish and warne al others to flye that misery and trouble by contemning and abandoning the vanities of this guilefull worlde and to aspire in the feare of God to the highest felicitie they are called happy whō the harms exāples of others either séen or heard of can cause to be warie * In the second place the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may not vnaptly be applyed to the matter or cause it selfe which is handled The matter of the Booke or Words meete to be preached openly and then it soundeth as thus The words of the Sermon or preaching of the sonne of David For indeede as those words were vttred before appertaining to many as a publike Sermon or Oration or matters or causes so are they right excellent and worthy not only to bee read heard in the Churches or Congregations but also to bee preached and published in open sermons as the word not of man but of God and right profitable to instruct teach all men on the one side how to know and to estéeme of the world how to liue and order themselues in the world how to contemne eschew the vanities of the worlde on the other side how to knowe the right Good and how to walke in the world and to attaine the highest felicitie Therefore although the King bee no publike Preacher yet shall those his wordes be preached heard and estéemed of the people of God in the Church with all reuerence for their better instruction to the glory of God Thus haue I sayde of the person The difference betweene Solomon other preachers and their words with an emphasis and of his wordes Howbeit to make difference aswell betwéene him all other Preachers as betwéene those his words and the words of others as also to adde the more emphasis to either part haue wee prefixed this particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ha the which as ye know besides the note of a prepositiue article pointeth expositiuely to that speciall person and thing whereof there was mention made before as the King himselfe did when pointing to those things which hee had descried within the limites of vanities kingdome sayde And all that or that whole is vanitie Againe this particle being prefixed to a Nowne appellatiue addeth vnto it a singular emphasis or force as it is to be seene in the first Psalme where the Kings of father pointing to some excellent person sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed is that man So we say here The wordes of That singular Preacher or Congregator or
rash with thy mouth nor let thine heart be hasty to vtter a thing bofore God c Cap. 6.1 There is an euill which I saw vnder the Sunne and it is much among men c Cap. 7.1 Surely there be many things that encrease vanitie and what availeth it man c Cap. 8. Who is as the wise man who knoweth the interpretation of a thing c. Cap. 9.1 I have surely given mine heart to all this and to declare all this c Cap. 10.1 Dead flyes cause to stincke and putrifie the best oyntment of the Apothecary c Chap. 11.1 Cast thy bread vpon the waters and after many dayes thou shalt find it c Cap. 12.1 Remember nowe thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth c Verse 8. Vanitie of vanities saith the Preacher and all is Vanitie CAP. XLIII The Conclusion of the Booke contayning the declaration of the Princes and Collectors concerning their approbation of Solomon and his words with their Affixe to the same THe Secretaries hauing written the Words of King Solomon according to the former collection they said vnto zadok and the Princes Behold my Lords all these words haue wee written with diligence Is there any thing else that ye would we should also write Solomon spake much more then is here remembred Truely saide the Princes the King hath spoken in our hearing many other things right worthy both the remembrance and the writing yea and so many as wee neither could beare away nor can now report and the Kings wisedome and diligence hath yet farre passed and exceeded It is most true in very truth said Zadoke And although the Lord his God hath wonderfully blessed him with wisedom knoweldge vnderstanding and many rare graces farre beyonde that any other man now living doth enioy yet he omitteth not Solomon yet studieth and searcheth for more wisedom nor neglecteth his daily study and diligence to search for and to obtaine and get more wisedom more knowledge more vnderstanding and more graces and hee yet learneth and ruminateth that both night and day which hee mindeth to produce and teach vnto the people Neither doth hee aduenture to speake or vtter any thing before that hee hath with wisedom conceiued it and with a perfect iudgement digeasted it in his heart For hée knoweth that as in the ordinary course of nature the conception goeth before the birth so learning ought to goe before teaching in him which is the teacher First therefore he hath learned yea and yet he continueth a learner that thereby he might the better know all things and frame himselfe a Teacher And to that end he hath béene a diligent searcher of all Antiquities and the worthiest monuments of the ancient Fathers hearkening therein to the counsaile of Moses Deut. 32.7 where hee faith Remember the dayes of the world that is past consider the yeeres of so many generations Aske thy father he will shew thee thine Elders and they will tell thee Genesis Exodus Levit. Num. Duet And therefore he hath commonly in his hands the Bookes of Moses as namely Bereschith Velleschemoth Vaichrah Vaiedabber Ellehaddebarim Also the Booke of Iob the Booke of Iosuah the Bookes of Shemuel the writtings of Nathan of Gad of Asaph and of his father David with the volumes of other Prophets wise men neither abandoneth he the writtings of Homer other learned monuments of the Gentiles From and out of the which he hath gathered and yet gathereth of learning knowledge and wisedome more and more euery day Nor is the King ignorant of this that as the herbe Moly which is so good and soueraigne for medicine beyonde many others is very hardly digged or drawen vp from the earth so those things which are excellent indéed and of speciall choice come not to men without exquisite studie wisedō is Gods guift yet must men study labour for it and great and hard trauels and that albeit the excellencie of wisedome knowledge and iudgement is not atchiued or gotten by any the wit wisedome power policie or agilitie of man but commeth from the Lordes goodnesse and mercy yet doth not the Lord ordinarily giue or bestow any of those things without the lawfull exercises of reason studies and diligence but he is right willing to helpe and further the true labourers to instruct them which reade aduisedly and to further them which haue a desire to procéede faithfully in the way of his commandments to and for the which he maketh his word a Lanterne vnto their fecte and a light vnto their pathes To this purpose he giueth them Séers wisemen Prophets Priests and goodly Princes and he powreth foorth of his diuine spirite whereby they be made apt and capable of those singular graces Whereof wee haue many worthy examples as namely in Noah in Lot in Abraham in Iacob in Ioseph in Moses in Samuel in the Kings father and lastly in the King himselfe who in his youth as the Lorde by his spirit had disposed him prayed vnto the Lord for wisedome exercised himselfe in the things which thereunto appertained hearkened to David to Bethsabe to Nathan to Gad to Asaph and to his noble Counsailors and vsed the reason and wisedom which God gaue him as a talent encreasing So God yet more and more prospered him from day to day hee taught him he aduised him he blessed him and wisdome was found of him that sought for her And thus vseth the Lorde in his mercie and loue to admonish such as thinke of his goodnes and to comfort them which early enquire for him he teacheth them that desire to learne hee heareth them that pray vnto him he lighteneth them that dispute of knowledge hée openeth to them that knocke and he giueth to them that aske that in things that be profitable holy and appertaining to the glory of his Name to the good of his Church to the benefite of his people This the King as hee is most wise knoweth right well And hauing thus gotten and attained the excellencie of wisedome he burieth not those his Talents in the earth The vse of talents and gifts which God bestoweth on men but employeth and occupieth the same not like vnto that niggard who for feare of loosing his wealth would hide it though without all vse nor like the enuious which would not that other men should be partakers of knowledge but as the right libeberall and charitable man he laboureth endeuoreth to make all other men partakers of his wisdome and diuine graces and hideth her riches from no man For he séeth that as wisedome is an infinite measure vnto men so shall his diligence and studie be acceptable not only to them but to the Lorde Sap. 13.14 who hath filled his soule with diuine treasures mooued him to speake what his minde hath conceiued and to vse his graces to the edification of his pepole Therefore hath hee spoken according to the fulnes of his spirit the sooner because
or willingnes he had to obey the kinges commandement as those men of Belial which forbeare to sinne openly more for feare of the rod of Iustice then for any loue or reuerence of godly vertues Moreouer Shemei might haue considered as hee was subtle and craftie enough that men suspected are euer obserued and therefore such should be very heedfull not onely of committing the fact but of all pretence and shew of that which is euill Howbeit as he that is euill by nature doth euer presume in his euill without the reuerent feare of either God or man How Shemei was brought into the snare in his time as one garded secured in the foolish conceit of his own humor so Shemei either forgetting or little regarding any of those thinges premised passed foorth of Ierusalem the place wherein he was commanded to stay and went to Geth to Achis pretending to seeke for and to fetch home two of his Seruantes which were some little time before that runne away from him In the which presumption he could not escape a vehement suspicion of practising some lewd matters with the Philistines against the peace and gouernment of the king whome hee euer envied and closely assaied to reduce the kingdome from the house of David which the Lord God had chosen vnto the posterity of Saul whom the Lord had reiected But behold whiles Shemei went forth in his greedy ambition to finde and fetch home his seruants he lost and ouerthrew himselfe For thus by the diuine preuidence which holdeth them not guiltlesse that either touch his annointed or curse and maligne their father mother howsoeuer the seruants of Shemei faulted in their going from him and he had a iust pretence to reclaime them an occasion was rightly ministred in this time of his iudgement to cast him as guiltie into the kinges danger as whereby the king might euen in this though vpon a fresh occasion perform the word of his father David administer true iudgement and yeeld that deserued recompence to that rebellious beast Now my Lords it is apparant as ye see that Shemei though a person of great place could neither be iustified nor defended in such his impieties for why to recapitulate his crimes he was most proud and malitious a rayler seditious perfidious an infringer of oath a lyar and a couetous wretch for hauing wealth beyond his worthines he was thereof puffed vp both against God and his Soueraign enuying the regimēt of David and his prosperitie he cursed the Lords annointed with a most horrible curse against the law and the equitie of the kings cause he moved the people to rebellion against David and his house from whome hee assaide to translate the Scepter he was vntrustie and treacherous to his Lorde whome with all faithfulnesse hee shoulde haue serued in discharge of his duetie Hee had broken his oathe which hee had made to God and the King departing most presumptuouslye from the Cittie of Ierusalem wherein hee had vowed to contain himselfe Hee had scandalized the Lordes annointed most egregiouslye and more hee regarded his owne priuate lucre and gaine in fetching home his Seruantes which were departed and drawing thinges vnlawfully to himselfe then the kings manifest and expresse commandement and therfore in respect of th' one he too boldly transgressed the other Wherefore the king sitting in the seate of the Lord gaue vpon him most iustly the sentence of death and withall commanded me the captaine of his gard to execute the same accordingly whereof the king in my iudgement or any other his true subiects neede not to be sory or displeased To this the Princes answered with one mouth And truly in our iudgements as the king being most wise hath done iust iudgemēt therein so shold he not only be iustified but also commended for the same of as many as either heare or consider thereof Thus indeed hath K. Solomon rightly recompenced his dangerous enemies by the prouidence help of the power diuine For doubtles this is the Lords doing who loueth righteousnes and hateth iniquity as the kings father did sing therfore as he defendeth the iust that feare him in their iustice Psal 45. so he ouertaketh the vngodly that dishonour his high maiestie in their mischieuous deuises and casteth them downe Thus the cankred old serpent whiles he purposed and had subtly plotted not only to deceiue but to destroy that noble mankind in Paradise was by Gods vpright iudgement worthily condemned to the deepest hell and so the blessed Seede of the Woman whom hee had beguiled and thought to kill did in the end confounde both him and his kingdome To this might we adde the tragecall examples of enuious Cain whō the Lord God execrated exiled from the earth for his savage villany against his brother being a righteous man Also of that proud and tyrannous Codorlaomor and those other profane princes which had captiued iust Lot which princes therefore our Father Abraham worthily smote and discomfited of hard hearted Pharao and those cruel Aegyptians who were ouerwhelmed in the red-sea when they verily presumed to haue subdued and vtterly rooted out our fathers Of those cursed Chananites whom the Lord prostrated to the powerfull hand of his seruant Iosuah of the peruerse and hateful Philistines whom Sampson the Nazarite plagued in the spirit of Iehovah of the mōstrous Goliah the Gyant of Geth whom the kinegs father being yet but a yong man and tender slew cut off his head with his own sword of vnnaturall Absolō the kings elder brother who had practised to supplant his father being lawful king who by the iust vengeance from the highest was hanged on a trée by the hair of his head as he rode throgh the woods and beyond some others th' example of that trecherous and rebellious Achitophel a chiefe Counsailor of Absolon is yet fresh in memory who seeing that his crafty and impious counsell was not affected to his desier strangled himselfe with his owne handes Many more fearefull spectacles of the semblable iudgements wee find extant not onely with vs within those his highnes dominions but els where among the Gentiles and euery where to the terror and astonishment of the Sonnes of men but yet to the consolation and vnspeakable ioy of the righteous Wherein is verified that which the kings father hath modulated in his holy songes The wicked haue I seene most strong and plac'd in high degree In wealth and stoare faire florishing much like the lawrell tree But sodainly he past him hence and prisoned was in hell Nor could I find within a whiles the place where he did dwell But as for iust and perfect men the Lord them doth encrease Who have from him them to content great ioy with rest and peace Againe the Lord protects the iust his wealth his life his lot When wicked men are dawnted with the shaftes themselves had shot Oh blessed therefore Godly men preseru'd by God your King But woe yee wicked in your
waies your lot and euery thing The King himselfe in his most graue and high Parables hath many thinges of this argument to be noted as also in and among those patheticall speeches which we dayly heare him to ruminate Neither in truth are the heathen and those which are without free of semblable exāples which schooled them to learne what that is which the highest God loueth and what he most abhorreth Among the which it may not iustly offend either ourselues or our Religion and people that we remember one other graue sentence of the same Gréeke poet who liuing in the time of our Iudges and obseruing many things of those daies in the world whereof he also wrote of great distructions of Kings Princes noble Captaines and mightie Potentates with the causes of the same we find that in the worke whereof he tels of the wandrings of the famous Vlisses he hath these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is In truth all godlesse deeds are nought estem'd with God above But rightfull heastes and godlie workes of goodmen doth he love And eke his foes and wicked wreatches which on earth here live By others spoile at length a pray to iust men doth he give And in this manner Iehovah our God confounded the kinges aduersaries establishing the kingdome in his hand according to that promise made by him to David in the time of his grace The ready way how to preserue Peace Neither did his method of proceeding vnworthelie beseeme him notwithstanding his name noteth Peace or a Peaceable person seing it behoued him for the purchase of true peace to extinguish the Seditious and broachers of vnnecessarie wars a thing no lesse necessary thē that part of his office which concerneth his gouerment to and for the which his father king David counsailed and sang as before Gird thee with thy sword vpon thy thigh psal 45. O thou most mightie Againe seing that al thinges are in vaine which are attempted without an happie successe the which is a singular gift of God and of him to be desired he added Prosper thou in thine Honour And all this wel-beséemed the king to whome the Lord hath granted rest for the building of his house Solomons name therefore hath named him Solomon This being saide the Princes with one accord approued the kings iudgements and orderlie proceedinges in the premisses praysed his royall maiestie in the same blessed the God of Israel that had placed ouer his people so prudent and happie a king and humbly beseeched the most holie of Israel for his graces happy health and wished prosperitie CHAP. XIV The cause of king Solomon his griefe was not of his match with the daughter of Pharao 2 Nor of his amitie with Hyram the King of Tyre 3 Nor of that he royally entertained the Queene of Sheba 4 Nor of his owne infirmitie of age 5 Nor of the feare of death IT cannot be denied said Iehosophat but that our soueraigne Lord Solomō hath done equity and righteousnes in his procéedings and actions tending therin to the end of his gouerment for his own discharge the good of his people and aboue all the honour of Iehovah his God who for the same be praysed for euermore But now the question is and the matter argued augmented and caried from mouth to mouth among the kings Subiects for of this the kinges alteration many men talke diuersly and imagin many thinges whether the king hath iustlie offended in his match with the daughter of king Pharao the Egyptian whom he brought into the cittie of David And here they call to minde not onely what the law hath prouided in this case but that which the Patriarch Isaack hath charged to Iacob touching the daughters of Canaan which he would not that he should touch Iud. 14.3 as also what Manoah and his godlie wife spake to their sonne Sampson the Nazarite when he would haue taken a wife from among the vncircumcised Philistines Howbeit I doubt not but that the king being passing wise and prudent knoweth well how to disgest that morsell and to resolue that doubt Moreouer it is not vnknowne vnto vs that albeit this Princesse was a stranger vnto vs and our Religion whiles shee remained at her fathers house in Egypt yet as she was not of the brood of those cankered hearted Chananites nations which the Lord willed our Fathers to expell and roote out so would not the king aduenture either to touch her or to bring her into his owne house although she was both a noble and beautifull Ladie till time that was done and performed on her Deu. 21.13 which the Law in that case prescribeth but cheifely as she had forsaken her owne people and her fathers house thē polluted with many abominations so turned she to the Lord God of Israel with al her heart for the loue she had both to him and his holie Religion And truelie this is also well obserued that as Rahab of Ierico a belieuing woman and conuert was both admitted and esteemed of the nomber of the true Israelites in the dayes by the wisdom of valiant Iosuah and as Ruth the Moabitish woman was married to Booz king Davids Grandfather and as king David himselfe refused not faire Thamar whome he had gotten in the warres and as other our forefathers haue not abāndoned such womē vpō their true conuersiō to the Lord so neither we abhor such as admit circumcition faithfully serue the true God notwithstanding they be of the Gentiles knowing or at the least presuming that the Lord God hath euen among them some that are his people also that the starre which Balaam somtime saw might lighten them in their due time as we are lightned and that shall be then whē the praier of Noah shall be both heard and effected wherein he desired the Lord to enlarge the tentes of Iaphet to seise him in the tentes of Shem to whom he would that Shanan should be a seruant Now the king in this regard would often say of this Ladie psal 45. The daughter of the king is beautifull within her garments are of beaten gold And herselfe although time was she could say of herselfe I am but blacke O ye daughters of Hierusalem for whie Cant. 4.1 the Sun hath shined vpon mine head yet now hauing no meane pleasure in her beautie Cant 4.1 he could iustlie commend her to her face saying thus How faire art thou my loue how faire art thou thou hast Doues eyes besides that which within thee lieth hidden Wherein doubtlesse as he hath made her a liuelie figure of the church of God to be gathered of and among the Gentiles in time to come so sheweth he what is and shall bee the glorie of the same and wherein the praise thereof consisteth therefore to declare the Lordes good pleasure therein we haue both heard
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