beautifull without blemish because they shew our deformity copious large for the number they comprehēd for the whole world is comprized within the net of Christ plaine without difficultie because they sweetly rellish euery Christian tast for as Bernard saith in another place they are deliciosa ad saporem solida ad nutrimentum efficacia ad medicinam Such words as the blessed Apostles did exhibit our Sauiour Christ in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. not in his scarlet robes or goldē diadems but they preached his pouerty his thirst his trauailing his whipping his gall and vineger his pangs of death they preached him crucified in the knowledge of which Paul did so spiritually boast that he cried out God forbid that I should reioyce in any thing but in Iesus Christ and him crucified whereby the world is crucified to me and I vnto the world and sure the most pleasant words that will strike the deepest dint and greatliest comfort the inward heart of a spirituall man is them of the blessed crosse of Christ though to the cursed Iewes a scandale and to the Gentiles foolishnes But as Plutarch saies that sweetest harmonie and melodie is made of Asses bones so the greatest comfort redounds vnto the distressed soule by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this foolishnesse of preaching this of the foolish tree of the crosse of Christ as the Gentiles tearme it and assure we our selues that as Zacheus could not see Christ before he clambred vp into the Sycomore that foolish figtree so without the knowing of this foolish tree this tree of the crosse of Iesus Christ if we doe not with little Zacheus little in our owne conceit climbe vp into it we shall neuer come to see Christ but beeing pestred and crowded with the throng of our infinite sinnes we shall be prest to death euen to the second death of the soule beeing hurried headlong to Tophet that obscure land couered with the fog of death euen the kingdome of euerlasting darkenesse from which the Lord of his infinite mercie deliuer vs. Nor doe I here patronize your fieriebraind Sermon-mongers who haue more mother wit then Fathers wisdome for they can not away with the Fathers who will preach whole daies together God knowes how rudely and slenderly without the maiestie of the Spirit beeing like vnto your brasen cocks or leaden conduit-pipes running all day but flowing backe againe vnto the streame from whence the water was deriued so still day by day flowing with the same moisture preaching at least the same next yeare they had this This is not Pauls foolishnesse of preaching but a foolish preaching when with vnwashen hands and vnlauerd hearts they will handle the holy things of the sanctuarie speaking without due preparation These can neuer speake Salomons diure kephets his pleasant words But were Salomon the preachers words so pleasing so delectable so comfortable Then giue me leaue amongst a whole rout of indecent pastours to single out onely foure principal forts which both with my tongue and pen are worthily to be taxed Which I may fitly shadow out by foure manner of birds The Lapwing The Bitter The Lenit The Estridge 1 First the Lapwing or rather lackewing for these will needes flie before they be flidge and sing before they haue learnd to tune any spirituall note they feede the flocke before they are taught to weeld the shepheards crooke they sit in Moses chaire not hauing learnd to read a lecture before they haue sit down at the feete of Gamaliel at least like the Mustela or weasil which as the Naturalist saies doth aure concipere ore parere conceiue in at her eare and bring forth at her mouth so what onely they haue heard and writ from others tongues not digested by their own industrie nor suggested by the blessed spirit that are they wofully with childe withall vntill rash folly hath plaid the midwife deliuered them of a bastard issue Those too forward runne with the shell on their head crying with the Poet occupet extremum scabies ill happe light o th' hindmost they are like vnto Ahimaaz who when Cushi was runne before to bring Dauid newes of Abshaloms death said vnto Ioab Yet what I run too These abortiue monsters if I may so tearme them haue like the Gyant in the battell of Gath in their owne conceits sixe fingers on a hand and sixe toes on a foote for action and motion they surpasse all when as God knowes they are like Adonibezech who had the thumbs of his hands and feete cut off Plinie writes of the Almond tree that it buds in Ianuarie and brings forth fruit in March to which these worthily may be likened beeing so preproperous and bold to were Aarons Ephod and his linnen garment before they be fit to put on the Christians cloake wherof Tertullian speakes who will touch the holy things before they wash themselues at the brasen laver of the sanctuarie wanting both the Vrim of knowledge and Thummim of integritie they ranne saies the Spirit but I sent them not and we knowe none can preach but he that is sent Those may be likened to nothing so well as to your quilled iacks of virginalls so that they lift vp themselues and strike the wire or string whether in tune or out of tune they haue done too to well The tongue is called a mans glory so Psal. 16. 9. wherefore my heart is glad and my glorie reioyceth c. so awake my glorie awake my lute and my harpe c. Psal. 57. because there is no other visible part wherof we may more boast and glorie in then in our tongue beeing that part by which we most glorifie God now then these penne-feathered preachers in handling those diuine mysteries so rashly without knowledge they doe make that their ignominie which should be their glorie which Salomon well considering giueth this aduise especially in speaking of God Be not rash with thy mouth nor let thy heart be hastie to vtter a thing before God for God is in the heauen and thou on the earth therefore let thy words be few It is a great fault in yong light prizd and vnlearned heads to loue to be in motion as the worst starres be vsually most prodigall of their worthles influences We may see the difference of old wise men and young fooles in the very wheeles of a clock the great wheeles they turne about the slowest and the lesser run about the fastest but we see the great ones are the cause of motion in the lesse and the lesse be sooner worne by much Which should make our greener heads more highly to esteeme the hoarie heires in whose brests time hath treasured vp a greater portion of wisdome by their long experience Let them of younger yeares especially not infranchiz'd into the happy liberty of the sonnes of Leui not presume to take the place of Bezaliel and Aholiab before they can tell how to handle
yet Ireneus speaks it from the relation of a Priest I confesse Austen in the last place quoted out of his comment vpon the Psal. speakes very preiudiciously of Salomon as may be gathered out of his succeeding words where he takes away the argument deriued from his penmanship But if he vncharitably and sinisterly censured this holy man it was no doubt a blemish in him perchance rather to deterre and affright euery soule from falling so low then peremptorily and preiudiciously to determine of his damnation we may say as Augustine himselfe sayes in another case of Saint Cyprian who held the Anabaptization of hereticks so of Augustine this was peraduenture magis discendi modestia quam docendi diligentia For their reason it is this Because his soule was so deepely tainted with Idolatrie and loue of his concubines and if he had repented say they we should haue read of his taking away the high altars before his death But to answer Although his soule was dibapho peccati tincta dyed in a crimsen dye of sinne yet he that came with redde garments from Bozrah who trod the wine-presse of Gods wrath alone he that sate vpon the white horse whose eyes were like a flame of fire and on his head a many crownes who had a name writ that no man knewe but himselfe whose garment was dipt in blood he he could purge him with hysope he no doubt could make the scarlet soule of Salomon as white as the snow in Salmon Againe what if he were for a time fascinated bewitched so with the loue of his concubines that for their sakes he followed Ashtaroth the god of the Sidonians Chemosh the god of the Moabites and Milchom the god of the Ammonites yet no doubt he might before his death command these abominations to be ruinated and defaced which were not peraduenture and which he beeing bedred it may be could not in his owne person by reason of his too long delay see throwne downe And by the way nor is it a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Ambrose saith God permitted Salomon thus grieuously to fall least the Iews might be deceiued and thinke promissum diuinum ad illum manasse and so consequently that he was the Messias But with authoritie and reason counterpoised against their vngrounded censure for any thing I see we will prooue directly that he repented and so was saued I will onely mention that place in Ecclesiasticus in which chapter is set out the prayse of Nathan Dauid and Salomon it is there saide Salomon felt sorrowe for his folly but God left not off his mercie to him nor did he destroy him for his workes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I thinke may be interpreted well he wip't him not out of the booke of life beeing the posteritie of Dauid whom he loued Hierome vpon Ezekiel cites a place out of the Prouerbs in the Septuagints translation where Salomon thus speakes of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is at the length I repented and beheld c. I know the Hebrew runnes not so for thus vaechezeh anôchi ashith libbi c. then I beheld and laid it to my heart and looked vpon it and receiued instruction Where the fault is it is not at this time to be discussed since it requires an ample discourse and I would not become tediously irkesome for as Nazianzen saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is satietie in speach is as great on enemie to the eare as surfet to the body But this is not onely Hieromes but also Cyril the Archbishop of Alexandria his allegation who cites also this very place out of the Septuagints in his booke de Baptismo But Bacchiarius in his fore-mentioned booke he brings in this reason that he was repentant and so saued All the godly kings saies he are reported in the Scripture to haue beene buried among the kings of Israel their fathers in the citie of Dauid amongst which Salomon as a godly king is said to be thus buried but it is not read of the wicked kings as Ieroboam Ahab and the rest that they were thus buried therefore it is likely that Salomon was saued that he did repent in the iudgement of the church but let them that can discerne see into this reason In briefe our plaine arguments to prooue his saluation are these 1 First In the 2. of Samuel Salomon is caled Iedidah by Nathan the Prophet at the command of the Lord the word signifieth beloued of the Lord and so sayes the text because the Lord loued him now whom the Lord loues he loues to the ende and therefore he was saued 2 Secondly He was a sacred Scribe and penman of the Canonicall Scripture inspired by the holy Ghost as all other Prophets were which thing besuits not any reprobate now it is saide in S. Luke that all the Prophets of God are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the kingdome of God therefore to seclude Salomon one of the Prophets from the kingdome of heauen were to denie the Scriptures 3 Thirdly He calls his former waies madnesse and folly therefore it is probable that he seeing in the Scriptures mirrour and looking glasse his owne blemishes and fowle deformites that he washt away the spots of his soule by the troubled waters of Bethesda the teares of true repentance 4 Fourthly He was the liueliest type of Iesus Christ the true pacificus the true Salomon that euer was saue Melchisedeth To say then that he who was thus buried among the faithfull for a faithfull man in the citie of Dauid with the kings of Israel his fathers who was sufficiently reprooued and so cōsequently amended by the holy Scripture who was the louely darling of God the penman of heauēly writ one of the sanctified Prophets who was so liuely a resemblance of our Sauiour Christ who saw into his owne madnesse and folly that he he I say was damned withstands reason denies Scripture and iniuries the dead in the Lord and I verily am perswaded in my soule conscience that his portion is fallen in a faire ground that his inheritance is in the land of the liuing And thou O my soule inioy for euer that blessed paradise he now happily doth bathe himselfe in giue me leaue to end this point with the Poet Happie and thrise happie are them soules Quêis datur Elysium sic habit are nemus who thus are made free denizens in that heauēly Ierusalem the citie of the Saints And thus I conclude that Salomon he was this Preacher and penman of this penitentiall booke with making this short double vse vnto our selues 1. let him that stands take heede least he fall 2. let euery one vpon the bended knee of his heart humbly desire the Lord to conuert him then being conuerted with Salomon let him conuert his brethren Now will I come nearer vnto this first word Coheleth or Preacher As the Prophet saies of
Ierusalem the earthly Eden of pleasure the navil of the world the cathedrall sea of God Many excellent things are spoken of thee O thou citie of God so we may say of Salomon many glorious titles are giuen to thee O thou man of God Diuerse singular men haue had other names for their excellencie as Origen was called Adamantius Iohannes Constantinopol for his mellifluous eloquence was called Chrysostome Basil was called Magnus Gregorie Nazianz. for his worthie disputations in diuinitie was called Theologus Thus he that was Saul before his conuersion as Sheol or hell was after called Paul that is mirabilis wonderfull or os tubae the mouth of the trumpet of the Lord though there be no great substance in that But King Salomon as a man specially graced with rarest parts has sundry excellent and worthy names as first Salomon that is a peacemaker then Iedidah that is beloued of the Lord then Ithiel that is God with me then Agur that is gathering together and so in the same sense here in this booke and in this place is he tearmed Coheleth or Ecclesinstes or the preacher because like the sound of Aarons golden bells he calls the flocke of Iesus Christ together by his heauenly pleasant words The Hebrew word Coheleth is here of the feminine gender as the learned know as if he called himselfe the shee preacher or the woman preacher Because as some say he writ it when he was satur annis very aged when they began to wax dark that looke out by the windows when all the daughters of singing were abased when his Almond tree began to flourish the grashopper was a burden to him when his siluer corde was lengthened and the golden ewre broken when he was as Nazianz. speakes of Eleazar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gray-headed and graue-witted when his day declined and the shadowes of his euening began to be stretched out when his manlike strength once failed him when he was by age as weake as woman the weaker sex at the very brink of death then he writ this booke and calls himselfe the woman preacher which confirmes the former assertion of the Hebrues that this was his last booke his palinodia his sweet recantation like the swanne on the bankes of Maeander Cantator cygnus funer is ipse sui who sings the sweetest when her death is nearest that this was his penitenciarie more then auricular confession therefore seemes he in this Autumne of old age to scoff at his yong April yeares nay almost all his former daies which were much like this backward spring without buds and blossomes of heauenly vertues and therfore cryes out in this booke Reioyce O young man in thy youth and let thine heart cheere thee in the daies of thy youth and follow the lust of thy heart as I my selfe haue done but presently least he might peraduenture being in a losse run himselfe breathles in a false sent ouer the craggie and steepie waies of sinne he windes his dreadfull horne to check him backe againe he lets him see after this his comicall plaudite a tragicall and lamentable plangite after mirth a doolefull end he comes in with a terrible But which serues as a peale of ordinance or a thunderclap to rouse him out of his dead slumber of iniquitie he brings in a But to curbe and stint him like huge bankes to limit his boundlesse Ocean But know that for all these things God will bring thee to iudgement which I my selfe seeing and hauing tasted the pleasure of sinne for a season especially with these my alluring concubines that haue wofully drawne me from Almightie God haue thought it very requisite to set an euerlasting memento mori before thy face to put thee in mind of the second death the endles death of the soule in hell fire which by a diuine accident those outlandish women making almost my pore selfe as outlandish euen an aliant from the commonwealth of Israel haue caused me happily to doe and therefore am I Coheleth as a woman preacher Others say he calls himselfe the shee-preacher as hauing respect to his chiefe and heauenly part his soule or hauing a reference to wisdome comprized in his soule the cynosura or polestar to direct al his speach and action as if thus he had saide Marke now what Salomon the preacher saies yet not what Salomon but what his very soule and wisedome harbouring in his aged brest by long experience what it can say to the throwing downe of Dagon this gilden idol Vanitie which all the world adores list with an attentine eare what sage aduise deliuers what a learned lecture of mutabilitie curiositie mortalitie it reads and therefore is he Coheleth or the shee-preacher Oh you you that are in eminent place that daily conuerse with Salomons golden throne ye pines of Ida ye cedars of Lebanon ye okes of Basan ye that lie on downy pallets on beds of Iuory with the princes of Israel ye that feede on the dew of Hermon on mannah Angels food here take your sweete repose sit you downe heare with me feede a while in a spirituall contemplation consider what I say and the Lord Iesus giue you vnderstanding see how this mightie Monarch casts away his Princely ornaments deuests himselfe of his royall robes his stately Parlament weeds indeed but as weeds in regard of spirituall flowres of heaueÌ„ly habiliments see how he leaues his â—haire of state as it were rapt vp into the third heauens of all spirituall thoughts he humbly turnes Clergy-man betaking himselfe vnto the pulpit to preach and all to teach thee a spirituall meditation humiliation conuersion and that thou beeing conuerted to God shouldst conuert others vnto God O how beautifull vpon the mountains are such louely feet that come with the glad tidings of saluation from the Lord. He that is an earthly King acts the King of Heauens embassadour thus he humbles and yet honours himselfe We read of a worthy historie in Pol. Virgil. Canutus sometimes happy king of this our happy Isle beeing flattringly cald of some of them that were nie him King of kings to disprooue this their too hie a title he sate him downe vpon the shore of Thames hard by the flowing water vpon a garment wrapt on a heape and after a little pause many wondring what he intended he thus spoke vnto the billowes Proud waues I commaund you to cease your flowing who no sooner hauing vttred the speech but the rebellious waues set him wetshod see saies he ye call me King of kings and alas I haue no power to forbid this silly waue after he going to Winchester raught of his golden diademe and with his owne hands impald the head of Christs statue with his Crowne and neuer would weare his crowne after howeuer this were in too superstitious a zeale yet he shewed his great humilitie Our blessed Salomon here was like vnto this Canutus for humble demeanour he
meant Aliis seruiens me ipsum contero by giuing light to others I burne out the lampe of my owne life If he thought this to be the duty of a secular prince how much more should we thinke it the dutie of a spirituall prophet of one that is set apart for the holy function of the ministerie to spēd his happie daies in Gods seruice to preach in season out of season neuer to giue ouer but to runne the race with chearefulnesse vnto the gole and end of his life knowing that his labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord. We know the Heffers that carried the arke they went lowing continually but these Estridges these Heffers these fatte Buls of Basan they neuer low at least so low that none can heare them or if they doe it is but tanquam partus Elephantinus as Elephants bring forth that is once in ten yeares and well too if they themselues who duly looke for their tithes at mens hands will giue the tenth yeare as tithe to God These men doe not giue that portion of meate in due time vnto the hunger-starued soules with Demosthenes they doe pati argyranchen they are molested with a siluer squinancie mute as S. Mathews fish with twentie pence in his mouth they haue bought a farme purchased possessions bought a yoake nay a hundred yoake of oxen and yet all them teames of oxen can not draw them out vnto the plow of the sanctuary vnto the solemnization of the mariage of Iesus Christ and his blessed spouse Whom for their securitie and supine negligence we may tearme as Athanasius cals the wicked that florish like a greene bay tree in this world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hogs that are larded for the day of destruction And the Lord Iesus open their eies that they sleepe not in death nor suffer the slumbering soules of Christs flocke committed to their charge to become as fuell for hell fire and that they may at the length after their long scandalous silence speake Salomons diure Kephets his pleasant words 3 Lastly In one word I will couch all the proiect comes to be considered He sought to find out that was his care and studie he beate his braine about this to speake pleasant words The hebrew word bickesh doth signifie with an earnest endeauour and care to find out a thing euen as a mettalist would search for a golden minerall or as a merchant for a prizelesse orient pearle and this Salomon he did no doubt by them foure christian exercises in Augustine Lection meditation oration contemplation neither are here by the way meditation and contemplation to be confounded as some dote for meditation is a painfull searching out of the hidden truth and contemplation a ioyfull wondermēt at the truth reuealed Thus Salomon he sought to find out this pretious pearle of pleasant speach with all industrie If then in breefe Salomon who was inriched with an extraordinarie knowledge and wisedome that he might worthily threby be esteemed and tearmed the Non such for wisedomes residence the very quintescence of science the pretious balme of the wounded soule If he I say did studie to be wiser did seeke carefully to speake pleasantly then let vs who cannot espire to his heauenly pitch striue with might and maine to grow in all good gifts from grace to grace from knowledge to knowledge from faith to faith from vertue to vertue vntill wee become perfect men in Iesus Christ and let vs carefully indeauour that the meditations of our hearts and the words of our mouthes may euer be acceptable to God our strength and our redeemer that we may speake these diure kephets Salomons pleasant words And by your leaue here we may taxe a fourth sort of teachers insinuated in this our text which fitly might be called psittaci plain parrats but that they cā not crie Aue Caesar I meane our extemporarie start-vps who without preparation premeditation feare and trembling are wont to speake of the mightie name of Iehoua they neuer seeke with Salomon studie to speak these pleasant words We know Gedeons souldiers held in one hand a trumpe in the other hand a lampe and so should euery dispenser of the word who are the Lords souldiers to fight his battaile against the kingdome of sinne Sathan Antichrist and the wicked world they should I say hold in one hand the trumpe of the word in the other the burning lampe of spirituall vnderstanding and meditation they should both speake and see what they speake for cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Those are they whose fiery deuotion is not managed by discretion they wholly relying on Dabitur in illa hora as if they had the spirit of God at commaund which as elegant Nazianzen whom I cannot mention too often saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heriliter non seruiliter it is present to vs all in dominion not subiection as a Lord not as a seruant and these are our Donatists and Brownists men of separation who are wont to vse such excursions in their preaching wandring in the wildernes of wofull digressions when they are the furthest from the mark shewing the hottest zeale and vociferation like your bastard plouer that beeing furthest from her nest will euer cry the most The zeale of Gods house did euen eate vp Dauid but they with their irregular zeale haue eaten vp the house of God These are vsually your hot spurres against the state against Caesar against the Gordian knot of the two worthy kingdomes against necessary tributes princely and noble recreations against our reuerend prelates blessed hierarchy all spirituall gouernement running in a fierie indiscretion they know not whether like Iehu the sonne of Nimshi that droue the coach as if hee had beene madde crying and shouting for a reformation or rather a deformation for a new presbiterie and sage senioury and for our our gouernement downe with it downe with it euen vnto the ground And it were very necessarie that in many places of this land they beeing growne vnto the height of Brownisme drawing an infinite troupe of the brainesick commonalty especially from their loyable allegeance that these eares of cockle and darnell were quickly cropt or their heads were pruned off in time and that these little foxes were taken with a quick sent and a full crie which will in time if not prevented with the hand of wisdome in my simple iudgement waighing with my selfe some priuate circumstance by a giddie and headie commotion by their burning firebrands of sedition set a wild fire on the vineyard of the Lord which the Lord in mercy forbid pardon me O Lord if in a feruent zeale of the peace of our Sion I may seeme as a rigorous and mercilesse inueigher against those schismatikes who violently would raught away the oliue branch of vnitie from the mouth of thy spotlesse doue and O pray for the endlesse peace of Sion they shall prosper that