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
if it were possible the very causes of the kinges sorrowe And seeing withall that euery one of them had in their turnes spoken and now againe expected his graue sentence hee stood vp and after a long pause he spake vnto them in these wordes My Lordes all I haue heard you one by one and considered well of all your sayings howbeit I haue not yet heard that any man hath founde out much lesse declared the causes of the kings affliction For I am well assured that there be diuers other reasons and occasions which might iustly moue him as being a mortall man Subiects may not bee quicke censorers of their princes though so wise a man to be sory in his heart But I know well as it hath been said that it becommeth not subiects but in dutifull modesty to sifte or examine much lesse to censure the actions dealings of their princes the which is also a matter no lesse dangerous then presumptious Neuertheles in regard of your present opportunitie so willing and earnest to vrge on mine answere to satisfie your desires but chiefly that thereby the sooner as we be here assembled in councell we may consider consult thereof determine and endeuour not onely to ease the kings grace of his trouble if it may be but to satisfy all others work to preserue the common-wealth which through the kings displeasure may vnhappily be annoyed and brought into danger Therefore I will no longer holde you in suspence There be 7. causes of Solomons trouble but reueile the whole matter to your content I haue found seauen causes of the kings troubled mind The first whereof riseth of the deepe consideration of his owne Supremacie and the present high glory of the kingdome of Israel The second springeth of Hyram the king of Tyrus vpon the view dislike of those citties which the king hath granted him The third groweth of certaine letters of intelligence which the Arabian Queene sent him after that she departed from the court The fourth is from his Mother the Prophet Nathan which are now both departed this life The fifth is of Rhehoboā the kings sonne heire apparant not so well pleasing his fathers heart The sixth commeth from the kings adversaries as namely Hadad Rhesō and Ieroboā which haue lift vp their hands against him The seventh and the greatest of all is the sense of Gods high displeasure and fearful iudgements conceived bent against him and the people for some hamous sinnes and transgressions At this worde The princes the Princes and Lordes were fully astonished all abashed and not able to speake for anguish of mind stoode looking one on another Notwithstanding after a whiles they desired reuerend Zadok to explane that which he had as yet but briefly and obscurely touched and first how it could be that the kings sorrow might rise from the consideration of his most excellent Supremacie and the high glory of the kingdome of Israel wherof both the king and they all with his people had so good an occasion to be glad and to reioice with praises to the Lord God zadoke The great glory of Solomon and his kingdome was a pronostication of a future declination To this replied Zadoke Although that men for the most part neither foresee nor foreshew their owne dangers imminent like as the Sun the Moone the starres the seas the trees the hearbes the beastes the birdes the wormes the Fishes the elementes naturally pretend and foreshew the times the tides the tempests the alteratiō of terrene bodies yet who doubteth of this that the king being wise and prudent foreknoweth things yet to come not onely as such as haue a propheticall spirit but as those which are able and accustomed to gather the effects and euents by the causes and occasions in naturall things which is not the meanest king of Philosophy but a science right excellent no lesse profitable for many purposes in mans life and that which appertaineth to a reasonable creature By this he seeth that those thinges which florish most beautifully often wither most speedily when yet others endure This is first found in the life and constitution of mans body wherein that which is most florishing and glorious is soonest and that lightly altered and turned al about as health into sickenes strength into weakenes beautie into deformitie prosperity into misery life into death And hereof the cunning phisiciās pronosticate the future sickenes and danger of that person whom they see to stand in the highest grade of prosperity and health as when the Sea is at the very highest then it beginneth sodainly to fall againe by the Ebbe when the Moone is at the fullest by and by she waneth Therefore the wise ship-maister knowing how stormes and tempests succéede calmes and tranquillities hee fearing thereof prepareth himselfe to eschew the danger Now the king knowing all this and seeing himselfe placed in the highest grade of his honour and that the kingdome of Israel is no lesse aduanced to the highest grade of worldly felicitie therein farre preferred before all the kings and kingdomes of the earth he also knoweth that now of necessity must ensew and follow an alteration yea a declination of that resplendent glory and that the sooner by the meanes of mans inconstancy wherein he is like a bird in a Cage which will not bee quiet though by his excessiue flittering and striuing he kill himselfe Of this inconuenience feared Iob Iob. 1. in his prosperitie as hee testifieth therefore seeing his children wonderfull merry and in their mirth giuen to al kind of ryot pleasures to delight thēselues he vsed to pray for them euery day howbeit their fulnes was sodenly emptied himselfe though so good a man cast into great aduersitie Moreouer as it is the nature of worldly thinges to be subiect to alterations so man can neither conteyne himselfe in any cōdition be it neuer so excellēt without some desire of change yea in how better place and estate he is set furnished with all thinges so much the sooner will hee abuse the honour grace of the same to his own destruction verifying that saying of the kings father psal 49.12.20 Man being in honour plac'd declares his want of wit And in that honour cannot stay as one for it vnfit Wherefore vnto the beasts that in their death decay Compared he is for in this life this is his common way Therfore the king feareth greatly that these pleasāt things shal not continue and abide long in this sort and that shortly after these pleasures wil ensew paines after peace trouble after ioies sorrowes and after prosperity infelicity at the least then whē it shal please the high God to take him away from raigning over vs. In the time of prosperity thinke on the dayes of aduersitie in this life This shold teach all men liuing in this world not to trust in the great glory of this time nor in the wealth nor in the
thoughts of his troubled heart and to confesse the greatnes of his vanities that not onely before the Lord the seer and searcher of all mens hearts but also before the face of all mē yea in the Catalogue of vanities he bringeth in himselfe to be noted For when he might haue pointed at the folly of Adam of Cain of Nimrod of Pharao of Abimelech of Saul of Nabal and such others as commonly men are wont to do when they note others and the whiles conceale their own sinnes and imperfections yet the king leauing all others and their faults pointed directly at himselfe as a principall foole among all the fooles of vanities kingdome worthily to be derided and reproued yea as we our selues cannot deny it the K. in the low conceit of his owne integritie and great humblenes of mind notwithstanding hee bee a most glorious K. woulde if he might by our consent that his faults and the greatnes of his folly shoulde bee openly proclaimed and published by his own person throghout the long streets of Ierusalem For the K. wel knoweth that it is a more grieuous thing to transgresse the law then to bee punished according to the law and a more shame for a man to cōmit a sinne then to repent for a sinne for in the one both God is dishonoured 3. Contempt of the world and man offended in the other God is glorified man is satisfied Moreouer as for his glory and royall apparrell with all externall beautie he esteemeth it but as the painting on a wall of clay Favour and beauty which beeing scowred off the clay appeareth Therefore he said favour is deceitfull and beauty is but vanitye yea he esteemeth this for no beauty nor glory at all that one birde shoulde be decked in an other birds feathers nor this for any honor at all that a noble mā shold beg his beauty of the worms the birds the beasts or of others so far inferior in dignity yea he may be full ashamed to purchase his glory from thence as who saith may these things garnish thée but he were beautiful indéede if he could beautify thē For when a man seeketh to deck himselfe with other things he shold acknowledge his own vilenes wāt That beauty which with the garmēt is put on is with the same put off againe Therfore this is of the garmēt not of the persō but aboue al it is a shame for any mā to shine in the beauty of royall garments and to be deformed in his māners Therfore this is not forgotten in the K. catalogue of vanities And to bee plaine the K. now estéemeth al the honors pleasures riches dignities pollicies studies counsailes thoughts actions endevors of man in the world which are without the word wisdome and feare of God to be méere vanity worthily to be abandoned as that which will neither profit a man in this life nor abide with him Solomons humble conceit of himselfe nor helpe him nor cōfort him after death * Fourthly the K. presumeth not hēceforth to be called or named the K. of Israel notwithstāding his wisdom wealth fame the great glory in that place wherin his father David by the diuine prouidēce had placed him There be some which vpon many meaner occasions resemble the Chamelion a beast which is fed with the aire and therefore is euer gaping for they desier the foode of popular praise and the highest titles whereof they take a pride and vaineglory but the K. being wise and so hauing learned to know both the deceitfull world and the vanitie of this glory neither admireth the one nor fawneth on the other but he seeketh and vseth al the waies and meanes hēceforth to purge himselfe of this dāgerous humor Eccles 1.12 Solomon saide he was King but not that he is King therfore to thē which call him my L. the K. of Israel he is wont to say indeed I have sometimes been K. ouer Israel in Ierusalē but now I am not that King Notwithstanding we know wel that he yet raigneth ouer vs and so wee esteeme him and honor him for our K. as duty bindeth vs But thus he said first to eschew that vaine glory and praise of men which the men of this life so much affect and delight in both the which now seeme loathsome vnto him and a griefe vnto his soule Next he hath thus spokē in the consideratiō of his trāsgressiōs against the L. and his law for the which now perceiuing and féeling a touch of the diuine anger hee is worthily humbled accōpteth himselfe nothing fit for the dignity of that most roiall place although hee may yet bee far preferred before all the K. princes of the world at this day Thus David his father abased himselfe before the L. and thought indeede whē he fel into the reckoning of his cōdition that hee was too vile to be a dore-kéeper in the house of God Thirdly the K. hath spokē it in regard of that message which he lately receiued from the L. wherin he is certified that his kingdom shal be diuided and only 2. parts of the 12. shall remaine to his son posterity the other 10. parts shal be giuē to his servāt Ieroboā who is therfore gon away from him waiteth but for the time and occasion of th' effecting therof that those parts shal be Israel that the K. therof shal be called King of Israel as if therefore the K. shold haue said howsoeuer the men of this life admiring themselues doting on their lewd affectiōs are ignorāt of their proper infirmities imperfections deformities without the sense and knowledge whereof they are most wretched seeing that neither feeling nor perceiuing them the dāgers therō ensewing they are neither hūbled nor desirous to haue them cured of themselues defended for mine owne part I both acknowledge and confesse mine infirmities and imperfections yea the corruption of my nature as being a sinfull man in the consideration whereof as I am cast downe and humbled so am I not willing to seeke the glory of that vanity but rather to cry and craue for aid and deliuerāce Nor do I imagine that there can be in my selfe any thing meritorious of the euerlasting goodnes which quickneth the dead for what haue I putting my sinnes infirmities aparte which I had not receiued frō the almighty The office of a King nor know I what there is in mans nature whereof hee may ware proud And although ye call me K. and I haue been to that end both exalted and graced yet what cause haue ye now to esteeme me so is honor méet for a fool a K. is honorable but I haue distained that honor by my lewdnes A King ruleth and subdueth his owne lusts but I haue giuen place to my lusts and beene overcome thereof A king doeth equitie and righteousnes the end of his preferment but I haue done iniury to my God and giuē offence to his people by
and threescore yeeres before the birth of the most holy Messiah gathered of his words doctrines and praiers and comprised them in a Booke the which he entituled Solomons wisedome therein confessing from whence he had taken them namely from Solomon Albeit there be which attribute this collection to one Philo who lived and wrote in the time of C. Caligula the romane Emperour about the 38. yeare after the nativity of our Lorde Christ yet which of either of them collected the learned Fathers have taken and esteemed for the very Author thereof Solomon the King of Israel who as they considered hath therein spoken and delivered not only many wise and godly precepts and doctrines for the institution of a godly man but also divers singular prophesies as of the comming and crosses of Messiah of the tyranny and Apostasie of the Iewes of the paines of the reprobates in hell and of the ioyes of the elect in heaven Lastly hee hath remembred for all posterities that most excellent prayer which Solomon made and vsed to the Lord to get wisedome the which is begunne at the beginning of the ninth chapter and continued even vnto the end of that booke And although this booke is not found written in the hebrew tongue yet shall not that withstand the opinion of the ancient fathers seeing it may bee the right hebrew Coppie perished among some other of Solomons bookes in the vnhappy captivitie of Israel and Iuda and that this notwithstanding might bee preserved and kept as before that time taken and copied out by those strangers which either came to him heard his wisdome and laid vp all things in their heart or the which having affinitie and amitie with him as had Pharao King of Aegypt and Hyram King of Tyrus procured that those his words and wise sentences shoulde be copied out interpreted and translated into their severall languages as wee see the like to bee wrought for vs in this time Aug. de civ dei lib. 17. cap. 20. Hier. lib de vir illustr Cypr. in suis epist. passim Therefore not onely the auncient Nicen Councell wherein were assembled no lesse in number then 318 Bishoppes in the raigne of blessed Constantine but also the semblable Fathers of the Church after that as they thought honourably of the person have not onely accepted SCHELOMONOCHAM OR KING SOLOMON His Solace CHAP I. Of King Solomon his glorious Estate his Transgression and his Affliction ABout the thrée thousand Annal. sac◠Script Codaman Fol. 21.21 one hundred and tenth yeare after the creation of the world that right noble and most famous King Solomon the best beloued sonne of King Dauid that man of Gods pleasure and sweet Psalmist of Israel liued and raigned ouer Israel the Lords chosen people in the most renowned cittie Hierusalē As this Solomō was both chosen nominated by the Lorde his God ere that hee was borne by his grace appointed to succéede his Father King Dauid in the throne of that happy Kingdome and by his singular wisedome to goe in and out before his people so also in processe of time it came to passe that by the direction of diuine prouidence the meanes of his right prudent Mother the willing consent and word of his kinglie father and the faithful ministry of Zadock the Priest and Nathan the prophet hee was annointed crowned and proclaimed king ouer Israel euen in the life-time of King Dauid who thereupon gaue him the charge of the regal Scepter praised Iehouah his God with ioy and gladnes and prayed hartily vnto his supreme grace for the future peace and prosperity of his Sonne Solomon as wherein he might build an house to his most excellent Maiestie the God of Israel and prepare the Sanctuary for euer Whereupon Solomon sate on the seat of the Lord was king in the steede of Dauid and God prospered and encreased him in dignitie and gaue him so glorious a kingdome as the like no king euer had before him in Israel This was that Solomon to whome the Lord appeared in Gibeon and willed him to aske whatsoeuer hee would that it might be giuen vnto him and beeing yet but a child in yeeres he praied to God for an vnderstanding heart to iudge the Lords people with the which praier of his the Lord being right well pleased filled him with vnderstanding as with a floud that his mind couered the whole earth and replenished it with profound and graue sentences his name went abrode in the Iles and for his peace he was beloued the countries meruailed at him for his Songs Prouerbs similitudes Interpretations Moreouer by the name of the Lord God the God of Israel he gathered Gold as Tin and heaps of Siluer as Lead whereby he became famous before all the kings of the earth to the ioy of his people the wonder of the nations and the glorie of his God This was that Solomon who in the time of his peace and prosperitie and namelie about foure hundreth and fourescore yeeres after that the children of Israel by the conduct of Moses came forth of the land of Aegypt built vnto the name of Iehouah his God a magnificēt house an house of exceeding great glorie namelie that most beautifull Temple of God in Hierusalem according to the purpose of the Lord and that iust rule which Dauid his father receiuing from the Lord gaue vnto him before his death In the end this admirable worke perfectlie finished with all thinges both necessarie and conuenient king Solomon as he was of an heroicall spirite no lesse glorie so being thankefull he blessed and magnified Iehouah his God from whose grace he acknowledged this honour to be giuen him he adored his eternall maiestie with feruent zeale he praied vnto him in spirit and with vnderstanding and offered vp many great swéete and pleasing sacrifices vnto his supreme power who then againe right well pleased with him with his workes with his adorations with his sacrifices and prayers appeared to him the second time saying 1. King 4. that hee had both heard his prayer and intercession which hee had made before him and had halowed the house which hee had built to put his name there foreuer and that his heart should bee there perpetuallie Furthermore this magnanimious King for the better maintenance and preseruation of his royal estate prouided himselfe twelue certain Officers according to the nūber as well of the twelue months in the yeere as of the twelue tribes of Israell appointed and authorised euerie of them in his turne to leuie collect receiue and prouide from those places and persons which were within their seuerall diuisions all such victuals and other necessaries as might bee requisite for the kings person and familie The which Officers were these viz. K. Solomons 12. Officers The sonne of Hur the sonne of Dekar the son of Chesed the sonne of Abinadab Baana the sonne of Ahilud the sonne of Gaber Ahinadab the sonne of Iddo Ahimaaz Baana the sonne of
burthen and poore men satisfied in their iust requests 16. They had the ingenie and vertue to inuestigate vnderstand and make knowne to the king the whole estate and principall affaires of his kingdome 17. They were both able willing to cheare the subiects to correct their acttions to salue their sores to consolate the afflicted to tolerate the simplicitie of the ignorant by a fatherly connivance and to gouerne not only the whole but euery particular member of the common wealth 18. Lastly they had a chiefe regarde of their oath to God and the king as Solomon himselfe aduised them fearing God and keeping his commandements wherein the whole duty not onely of euery man but especially of such princely personages consisteth And this Solomon well obseruing as hee had an heroicall spirite so procéeded he to consider of and to reward their good deserts according to their seruices done and after the terme of the imposition of his will that they might further be encouraged in their places of gouernment but those placed he in the highest grade of remuneration whose good seruice he had approued most profitable and so orderly euery one of the rest after his place had both his qualification rewarde of the same for the king being conuersant with those his princes he honoured the honour worthy and held euery one in his sorte he inuited to his owne Table this day one the next day another adorning this man now and that man then according to his degrée Neither was any one of them neglected or left without some taste of his bounty yea his clemency liberality grace was apparent to all for he was neuer of the mind or semblance to be couetous towards his subiects whiles he was bountifull to himselfe but as I said bountifull to all but especially to those his princes and them which had best deserued in their faithfull seruices Now by this the sooner the true religion florished the common-wealth of Israel prospered and the highest of all was wonderfull well pleased with the king with his Nobles and with the people in those his happy daies wherein as he was not inferiour to any Prince in the whole world so neither was the kingdome of Israel thereby lesse prosperous then any kingdome on the earth yea this nation and their policie was to all others by many degrées preferred through this grace and blessing of the Lord both on them and their king Truly these be the things which the noble Counsaylors of kings and Princes most respect according to the right of their degrées the dignities of their functions the duties of their places and the diuine prescription knowing this to be the verie end of their preferments and the same which finally crowneth them that are worthie with the highest honour as we haue séene it verified in the examples of Abraham Moses Iehosuah Ioseph Samuel and Dauid the Kinges Father Whereas the neglect or abuse of this princely duty which is often found in them which ambitiously aspire for their proper pleasures vain glory or filthy lucre hath occasioned euen mighty men in the world shamefully to couch and fall downe vnder ignomy and finally to dye without any honour as we may behold in the fearefull examples of Cain Nimrod Achitophel Ioab Shimei Adonia Doeg and many such like But yet behold After many prosperous and florishing daies of peace and pleasing tranquillity this wise king euen Solomō began more and more to decipher his infirmities and to manifest himselfe as indeede he was a mortall yea a sinfull man For as Sathan who had long time envied his happy state and royall dignity suggested euill in his heart and tempted him to sinne against Iehouah his God thereby entending to ouerwhelme him his kingdome as sometimes he assayed to effect against righteous Iob whereon the Lord who had thus long staide him vp with his diuine power permitted him at the length to fal that for some good causes to himselfe wel known howbeit within the compasse of such a limit and measure as he should not defect and fall away from him for euer But King Solomon was as it were for a time committed I say not to Sathan but to himselfe who beeing so left notwithstanding his excéeding great wisedome soveraigne dexteritie in iudgement soone forgat himselfe his condition his duty and the law of his God following after the sensuall humour of a humain mind and prave affection he bowed his loynes vnto Women yea to many outlandish strange Women contrary to th'xpresse commandement of Iehouah his God whereby in his elder dayes being quite ouercome in his bodie turning away his hart from the Lord and affecting those vaine Gods which his wiues worshipped he wrought wickednes before Iehouah his God and walked not vprightly in his law by doing whereof he stained his honour defiled his posterity brought wrath on his children and felt sorrow for his folly For the Lord who had before graced and magnified him being iustly prouoked was very angry with him and in his fierce yet iust wrath not only minaced the diuision of his kingdome in the dayes of his Successor namely Rehoboam but stirred vp against him to that end euen in his latter time sundry Satans or aduersaries who euer crossing thwarting his peace purposes drenched him with manie bitter potions to the noysome disturbance of that blessed tranquillity which his name imported th'exéeding sorrow of his people dayly vexed with incursions of enemies and the continuall agony of his oppressed soule which both day and night felt the gnawing of a restles worme within his consciēce And here we obserue two memorable things for admonition and instruction to all posterities first what is the nature of man with his condition when hee is left or committed to himselfe not stayed or assisted by the diuine grace Next how little the Lord God regardeth them that turne their harts frō him how wise or magnificent soeuer they bee in their places before men We know how true and too often that is verified which King Dauid said in his godly meditations that man being in honour hath none vnderstanding and therefore is compared to that Beast which perisheth For thus Adam the Lord of the whole earth beeing left vnto himselfe with Lady Hevah his wife though in the most blessed Pallace of pleasant Paradise within short time transgressed the commaundement and expressed folly Thus Prince Noah after his laborious trauails on the huge deluge at length being at ease and as it were cōmitted to himselfe was made druncken with wine and lay vncouered before his children Thus good Lot after that Sodom was burned and himselfe but a little refreshed fell into both the sinne of drunkennes and inceste Thus Israel both in the wildernes and in the land of Canaan franked and pampered with prosperitie wherein they too much admired their owne valour forgat the Lord went a whoaring after strange Gods and fell to ruin Saul the late king plaied a plain
which eyther his owne conceit blameth as too base and vndecent to his honour or his owne conscience condemneth as vniust or his wisedome disliketh as too fond or his diuine spirite abandoneth as impious Iehosophat * Well then quod Iehosophat this being well resolued why should wee further delay Let vs approch howbeit with all the best wisedome and modesty to the consideration of the kings Maiesty Of Solomons progeny and birth As for progenie and birth there is no cause that the kings Maiesty should abase or dislike himselfe for hee is the sonne of worthy Nobles yea Noah hee is descended of the most noble house of that auncient Ianus or Noah Noah to whome the Lord granted to see the end of the old world and the beginning of the new howbeit he came not in by Cham nor by Iaphet Shem. but by Shem whome the Lord especially fauoured and chose to continue the seed of the blessed Abraham vnto the time of Abraham our father by whom and from whome the king is lineally descended neverthelesse not by his sonne Ismael the sonne of Hagar the bonde Isaack but by his sonne Isaack of Sarah the frée woman in whome the hope of the promise rested Againe hee was not of Esau who was iustly depriued both of the birth-right and the blessing Iacob but of Iacob whome the Lord louing and liking called Israel and Israel had many sonnes but the king came onely from Iudah â—udah in whose tribe according to the prophesie of Iacob the Scepter should be raised and a Law-giuer continued vnto the comming of Shilo to whome the people should be gathered From hence was the line drawne to Ishai Ishai and from him to David the Kings father who being a man after Gods owne heart David was according to the diuine prouidence ordained and annointed by Samuel the Lords Prophet before all his brethren to be king ouer his people of Israel whom he defended from their enemies on euery side with a strong and valiant hand fed them with discretion iudged theÌ„ with equitie and righteousnes and raigned ouer them ful 40. yeares to the glory of the Lord and good of his people with great honour Bethseba Sol. mother The kinges mother also was Bethseba the daughter of Eliam of no meane parentage her name soundeth the daughter of an oath or the seuenth daughter She was a right noble wise and vertuous Gentlewoman sometimes the wife of Vriah the Hittite a man of great estimation Indeede it was so that for her sake the king affecting her did iniuriously oppresse her said husband the rather by Ioabs meanes at what time this noble woman eyther doubted or simply thought that it was not lawfull for her husband or her selfe being subiectes to deny any thing which the king should command or desire of them 1. Sam. 8 11. knowing what Samuel the prophet had before that said vnto the people when they required a king what their king might or would do vnto them by his power and authority howbeit the trespasse being pardoned and grace and mercy restored according to the kings true repeÌ„tance and humble praier she feared the Lord God of Israel hearkened to Nathan the Lordes prophet notwithstanding that hee had before reproued the King for his faulte whereby she liued and contained her selfe with King David in all godly behauiour and high honour during her life This Noble Lady in many thinges both aided and comforted the King her husband and did not onely beare and bring foorth but also educated brought vp and nurtoured our Lord King Solomon in all such princely and diuine vertues to her power as did best beséeme him that should succeede King David in the happy kingdome of Israel as she had well learned and considered thereof by the inspiration of the diuine Spirit and the instruction of the Lordes Prophet that it was appointed and ordained by the Lord that this Solomon before all Davids other Sonnes should raigne ouer the kingdome of Israel after him Therefore shee diligently endeuored with the King the performance thereof as we sée it is brought to passe this day to the great ioy and comfort of the Lordes inheritance This therefore the young Quéene did gratefully remember at the time of the kinges marriage ascribing vnto her in the great solemnitie the chiefe cause next vnto God of his royall preferment saying to the daughters of Syon Go ye forth I pray you Cant. 3.10 and behold King Solomon in the Crowne wherewith his Mother hath crowned him in this day of his marriage and in the day of the gladnes of his heart And therefore also the king himselfe in the highest of his glory neither disdained nor omitted to commend her her excelleÌ„t vertues before vs al yea and vnder the same hath depainted and set forth not onely an holy and vertous Woman but also the holy Church the which also in his temple with the rich ornaments thereof he prefigured And thereof hath made an Alephabethical Encomion in these words pro. 31 Who so findeth an honest faithful womaÌ„ she is much more worth theÌ„ pearls the heart of her husbaÌ„d may safely trust in her so that he shall fall into no poverty She wil do him good not evil al the dais of her life c. A womaÌ„ that feareth the Lord shal be praised Giue her of the fruit of her hands and let her own workes praise her in the gates These things the king hath ruminated and vttered with great grauity as worthy the memory and imitation therefore wee also haue thought good to note and affixe the same to his wise prouerbs and Parables * Now with this let vs not forget The time of Sol. birth but carefully note and remember the rather to preuent the occasions of euill surmises that the king was neither borne nor begotten nor conceiued in the time of the trespasse and disgrace of his Parents but after the time that the Lord in mercy had pardoned them both and put away their sinnes vpon repentance and prayer 2. Sam. 12.13 of the which pardon the Lord certified him to the ioy and ease of their heartes by the prophet Nathan when also that was brought to passe and verified which David had with teares desired and with faith hoped to obtaine Thou shalt purge me said he with Isope and I shall be cleane thou shalt wash me I shall be whiter then snowe psal 51. Thou shalt make me to heare of ioy and gladnes that the boanes which thou hast broken may reioce For the which also he dewly blessed the Lord and in his thanksgiuing saide O Lord thou hast pardoned all mine iniquities and healed all mine infirmities psal 103. Finally the Lord himselfe to this his pleasure gaue testimony when he did not onely accept his sacrifices and burnt offeringes but also promised to set vp of his Seede after him vpon the throne of the
greater that way then all his Predecessors hauing a dominion ample and large with a princely prouision of all sorts of things both for the defence and maintenance of the same in all partes And for the better guard of his Royal person as the young Princesse noted when shee beheld and wisely considered in her Cant. 3.7 About the bed of Solomon there stand Ful threescore valiant men of sturdiest might Of Israel with glittering swords in hand Expert in warre him to defend by right Therein alluding to that which the kinges Father had modulated for the king in that swéete psalme 45. Gird now thy sword vpon thy thigh O prince of fame According to the worship and the glory of thy name And prosper in thy glee ride forth with glad successe Because of that thy word of truth meekenes and righteousnes Thy right hand forth shall tell the things of dreadful strength Thy sharpened shafts the people shall to thee subdue at length Yea though that they for safety should themselues bring Into the midst inuiron'd with th' enemies of the king To be briefe His blessings wonderfull are the blessinges wherewith the almighty hath graced our King for hee hath beene blessed beyound all other kinges on the earth aswell with thinges spirituall and heauenly as with those which are temporall and terrene according to that promise in the law made for such as be obedient Deut. 28. 2. Sam. 7. 1. King 3. according to that word of the Lord giuen to David concerning him and according to the that the Lord his God granted him when he had praied for wisedome to go out and in before his people In a word his blessinges are an astonishment to all the nations of the world vnto whom the fame of his Excellency hath gone forth This conioyned him in amitie with K. Hyram of Tyre His fame and glory and with Pharao king of Egypt this brought vnto him from the vttermost partes of the earth the famous Quéene of Arabia and many others and hee was in glory resplendent before all the kinges or Princes that euer raigned before him whereby many seeing and bearing of him thinke that they see or heare not a terrene or mortall Creature but a celestiall and diuine power And what should the king desire more Gen. 3. nothing at all except he would bee God as Adam thought to be But I am sure the king is not of that haughtie conceite of himselfe yea I haue obserued this that howsoeuer all these thinges haue beene excellent and aboundant in him as a Crowne of gold beset with pretious stones Solomon was not proude of his gifts and graces on the head of a most beautifull body yet did he neuer waxe proud or vaine glorious thereof as worldly men accustome when hauing a little beyond the ordinarie measure of some others of wisedome riches pleasures power policie or prosperitie do loue and like to sooth prayse and commend themselues resēbling the Pecocke which swelleth in the view of his painted plumes notwithstanding their humaine imperfections yet this is not al but thinking so highly of themselues they contemne others and endeuour in loath and disdaine to treade them vnder their feete Thus I say hath not the king at any time done but rather hee acknowledged his mortall humanity and his great ignorance and want of wisedome yea his base séely glory in respect of the supreme excellency eternity knowledge wisedome and glory of the almighty with the which when he had compared himselfe all his noble endewmentes hee found himselfe with the same iust nothing To this assented the Princes and found no cause in those thinges premised whereof the king should be offended CHAP. XII Of Solomons comming to the kingdom of Israel his proceeding against Adoniah and Abiather the priest is iustified AFter this Zadok the Priest who had thus farre listened to the wordes of the Princes stoode vppe and spake to this effect Indéede my Lords I sée not as yet that from any of those thinges whereof yee haue spoken to be in the king and his Estate any iust occasion is ministred him of his present affliction except it be in this that knowing the largenes of Gods bounties towardes him he either hath not satisfied the Lords expectatiō in the vse of those thinges or cannot as hee would shew himselfe gratefull enough And it may be that besides the premisses some question hath been or may be moued touching the kinges entrance into the kingdome of Israel wherein some especially they which stand to defend the cause of Adoniah Abiather and Ioab with others their confederates against the king imagine that he hath and doth rather vsurp and tyranize then that he hath lawfully attained and raigned and therin not answered to his name Solomon which is to say peaceable or a peacemaker But howsoeuer it be surmised or imagined by such kind of persons it is most certaine that the kings entrance with the meanes and manner thereof was both lawfull right and his gouernment therein may be neither condemned nor iustly reproued but rather iustified and commended of all wise and discreet persons King Solomon although he had a promise of the Soueraignty both of the Lord and also of his father he did not presume to vsurpe on the kingdome as Absolon wold haue done when aspiring he lifted vp his hand against his owne father the Lords Annointed Nor would hee do as Adoniah did Sol. was not an vsurper on the kingdome who was extolled and proclaimed king euer Israel in the life time of his father without the consent goodwill or knowledge of the king or of the Quéen The king our Soueraigne Lord knew better what was meet to be done bee remembred how his father dealt towards Saul the king namely that albeit hee knew Saul to bee reiected of the Lord and that himselfe was already annointed to succéede him in the kingdome of Israel he would dot preuent the time that God had appointed nor would he lay his hand on him beeing in his place the Lords annointed although he had many opportunities offered him therto for hee might easily haue slain him both in the Caue and in other places without his owne bodily danger But the king as hee was ordained for the kingdome by the diuine prouidence and the discretion of his father so also he entred by a lawfull and worthie meane and in the due time For King David knowing well the mind of the Lord who had promised him that there shoulde one of his seede sit on his Seate after him and his name should bee Solomon made a faithfull promise vnto Quéene Bethseba the Kinges mother 1. King 1.11.30 that according to the word of the Lord this his Son which was called Solomon should surely raigne after him and shoulde sit vpon his throne therfore as it is also recorded in the kings Annales when that king David being waxen olde and enféebled had heard by the report of the
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
trouble But that notwithstanding it is reported said Zadoke that sithence the time that noble Quéene departed from the Court shee addressed certaine letters vnto the king whereby he is certified that whiles shee was here with the king she espied and beheld in the kinges house called the house of the forrest or of the wood which the king hath builded for his pleasure a tree on the which as she hath learned by a diuine inspiration a certaine man shall be put to death For whose death the Iewish kingdome shal be vtterly destroyed wasted And this hath that noble Queene in those her letters by many tokens and arguments made knowen to our Lord K. Solomon as a thing requisite to be declared and if it be possible to be preuented in time the which neuerthelesse at her being here she durst not to reueale partly for feare of the kinges displeasure * for Kinges are soone exasperated towardes them which in any thing seeme to dislike them their works which is the cause that oftentimes they are praised and iustified when rather they deserue to be blamed whereby they flatter themselues in their owne sinnes and foresee not the vnhappy euent of their peruerse studies and endeuors Neither therefore do they sometimes heare know or see and so not enioy and vse that which might tend to their safetie and best profit albeit the thing be commonly knowen and talked of abrod partly she concealed it in that she was very loath in that time of her princely entertainment to offer vnto him any occasion of sorrow or heauines * for they that are inuited or wel entreated are or shold be vnwilling to vtter or shew forth that especially to their friendes when they be merry the which they thinke will trouble their mindes But now vpon these tidinges by certificate from the Quéene the king is stroken with a meruailous feare thinking that this prophecie of the Quéene should aime to the holy Messiah or some other excellent personage whome our nation shall vniustly oppresse and put to death on this Trée And it is that as I heare which Seth the sonne of Adam did sometimes plante on his fathers Sepulchre and hath euer florished as a tree of Paradise til time it pleased the King to take it into the house of the forrest * Surely the king had this tree in no mean estimation and price It is said that about the time of Christ this tree was growen againe whereof there was taken to make the Crosse whereon he was crucified els had it not been placed in this glorious house But now the king vpō these tidings and willing to prevent this inconuenience feared to ensew hath remoued it from thence and hid it full deepe vnder the earth that it might henceforth neither sproute againe nor be found of any man liuing And it may be that the king the rather by this occasion foreseeing the ruin of our Nation according to Gods euerlasting decree and purpose is very sorowfull and heauy but the more because this destruction shal be iustly procured and cast on them for their iniury cruelty and enuy against him whome they should in all duty loue honour and embrace He now calleth to minde what his father David prophecied of this tragedie My handes and feete peirced wondrous wide psal 22.17 psal 109.25 a man might tell my bones on every side They made me as their vile reproach to bee and looking too did shake their heads at me And now albeit the king knoweth that no man liuing can withstand the purpose of God in this matter yet he would not that any thing should either be placed in his house or preserued and kept within his realme which might minister the meanes of this vnhappy euent in time to come for albeit men are not to enter into the depth of Gods secret deuises yet looking on the law and word of God they must by the same learne to eschew that which might be the occasion of transgressions and sinnes as those men that bee weary and fearefull of murther theft Men must not commit sinnes of their owne malice and then thinke to be excused because it was Gods will they should so do but they must hearken to the law and word of God Exod. 20. and such other crimes because they be forbidden threatned to be punished for committing such thinges howsoeuer the secret will and prouidence of God is that they should bee accōplished Therefore the theefe or the murtherer may not say when such a fact is done It was Gods will it should be so done els it could not be done therefore I may be discharged or excused But the word and law of God must be hearkened vnto and obeyed which saith Thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not cōmit Adultery c. And though it be necessary the offēces come yet wo to them by whom they come Therefore as the king is right sory that such a thing shold be effected by our nation so wold he that the meanes whereby this might be wrought or furthered should be remoued and the iniury preuented to the vttermost of his power that so he might be guiltlesse of the innocent bloud and free from the destruction of our nation thereon likely to be occasioned Adoniram without wise preuention Now truly saide Adoniram this being considered of is no small cause of a troubled heart For such a conceit therof being cast into a mans minde and especially into the kings minde cannot but occasion great conflicts and the rather for that in the very place which he had erected and so beautifully garnished for his pleasure and delight there should be found such a mischiefe as might either disgrace or shadow all But beholde such is the nature of this world Note the nature of worldly felicitie that in the same where men place their felicitie thinke to find occasions of their greatest ioy and solace there commonly is interposed one thing or other which hindereth or disturbeth altogether Howbeit the lord in his louing mercies forbid that such a Tragedie should be either wrought or occasioned by the king or by vs or by any his or our successors in the kingdome of Israel by the which the same with the gouernment thereof so well established should be dissipated and wasted Aboue all be it farre from vs and our nation that such an outragious euill and heinous iniury shoulde bee offered to the holy Messiah whome to honour and embrace is perfect wisedome and health and whome to reiect and abuse is very foolishnes and destruction Psal 2 1◠The which the kings father well considered when he said O kisse the Son left he be angry and so ye perish from the right way if his wrath be kindled yea but a little but blessed are all they that put their trust in him Surely if this heynous matter were but broched in our daies we would either preuent it or assay to withstand it but
sometimes sharpe chidings hath their place to doe good in them that feare God as some precious stones shine the better bring steeped in sharpe vinegar some others when they bee boyled in soft oyle There be some which though they be in place The necessitie of good admonitions either dare not or list not to tell admonish or reprooue the mighty and rich vntill they sée them through folly fall downe to the ground and Fortune sternely frowne at them then perchance but neuer before they wil tel them of that which now it is too late for thē to auoyd resembling therin that maladie whē then neuer before appeareth when it hath throughly conquered nature in a man And then they will say as the Physician did to the man which after his long cure dyed surely if thou haddest forborne to eate of this and that kind of meat thou mightest have lived longer But hereof it commeth that as those which are wounded when they want friends are constrained to seeke helpe of their enemies so euen those noble personages themselues being offenders in their places as they bee men and doe offend often hauing none of such their faithfull friends about them as will either admonish or gently reprooue them of their offences doe often heare of their faults afterward by their very enemies and that to their shame and sorrowe Truely the king knowing both the wisedome and faithfulnesse of his Mother and considering what a comfort and stay shee was vnto him not onely in those priuate things but also in the better administration of the kingdome with him hee did worthily honour her hee was glad to heare her hee disdained not to follow her wise directions placed her on a seat next vnto his royall maiestie when at any time hee sate to giue sentence of iudgement in matters of the highest importance But now this princely counsailor is taken away and the king seeth that the departure of such a pretious ornament of his pallace is a prognostication of trouble to them that remaine behinde her seeing that with the losse of such a member the common-wealth of Israel is depriued of much wisedome and many good things And in this respect The departure of Nathan The losse of good counsailors a pronostication of future troubles the death and departure of that excellent Prophet Nathan his Scholemaster and faithfull counsailor doth not a little grieue him at this time not only in that Nathan is dead but also in that the king by his departure is depriued of a most wise godly happy counsailor For truly this is one chief cause that a Prince should mourne namely when his graue Senatours and prudent Counsailors be taken from him for this is as if the eyes shoulde bee pulled from out of the head knowledge should faile in him that hath an office of waight to bee performed the stayes taken from an house and a staffe from him that leaneth thereto In this consideration our Fathers in the wildernesse lamented with aboundance of teares when Moses their Leader was taken from them and in this respect all Israel mourned mightily ouer Samuel the Lords Prophet when he dyed For these did see that in the departing away of those worthy Personages a great part of their glorie their weale their prosperitie their safetie and defence departed also with them for the taking away of most noble Kings worthy Princes graue Senatours godly Magistrates and vertuous persons Deut 3.1.16 God sheweth mercy to them among whom the godly do liue Gen. 7.10 is a common Pronostication of euill euents to ensue on them that remaine behind in the world from the which it often pleaseth the Lorde first to remooue and take to himselfe * such his seruants for whose sake or through whose ministery and meanes he hath beene willing to deferre or withhold from the people such wofull afflictions So long as Noah was yet remaining in the world without the Arke the Lorde stayed the waters that they should not fall to couer the earth but when Noah was embarked then by and by the destruction threatned was executed on them that remayned without the Arke The like we haue obserued in the ouerthrowe of Sodome and the Citties there-about Gen. 19.22.24 which was soone effected after that Lot was taken from thence Thus also during the dayes of Moses and the whiles Iosuah liued the wealth of Israel encreased and great prosperitie enioyed our fathers the which then began to bee molested and to decline after their vnhappy departure from Israel as the Story of the Iudges doth certifie vs. So as long as the Prophet Samuel iudged Israel the land enioyed peace yea and whiles bee liued king Saul retained his honour before his princes and the people and the people their saftie for hee was a rare Prophet well beloued of the Lorde hee was a noble Counsailour to Saul and a most wise director of him in all his affayres to whom whils he listned and followed his godly counsaile hee and his people prospered on euery side But after that hee reiected Samuel but especially after the death of Samuel Saul was so agonized for want of good counsaile that despayring of good successe hee slewe himselfe disgraced his house and the people were sorely afflicted Euen so while those two right noble and godly persons namely Bethsabe the Queene and Nathan the Prophet liued and prospered in Israel all things went well and the King and his people prospered in great honour and peace but surely sithence the departure of those two worthy members there is a kind of defect espied in many things yea aswel in the king as in his people as yee shall more plainely vnderstand when I shall rippe vp vnto you the seauenth cause of the kings sorowe Worthily therefore may the king bee greiued for the losse of his most princely mother no lesse for the death of the diuine Prophet and wise Counsailor Nathan as for the falling downe of two such principall pillars as by whose strength and counsaile both the king and the Common-wealth of Israel hath beene sithence the kings most hapy gouerment the better stayd vp and maintained in peace and prosperitie And in very deede said the Princes this may be no small grief to the King in our iudgement as now wee call to minde and consider how tenderly his mother loued him The princes assent to zadokes reede and how honorably the Prophet esteemed him againe how deere was th' one and how fauoured was th' other of his royal grace wee cannot but testifie And most happy were the King indeede of hee had well obserued that which the one taught The consent of the prince with the prophet a stay to the common wealth and a comfort to the Church and th' other confirmed in him in his and their happy daies For these two euer well agreede in the right ordering of the holy religion in the right institution of the King and in the well
Rezon an adversary to Solomon 2. Sam. 8.3 namely Rezon was the sonne of Eliada who fled sometimes from his Lord Hadadezer king of Zoba when David smote him as he went to enlarge his border at the riuer Euphrates who also gathered men vnto him and became captain ouer the company when David slew them and they went to Damascus the Metropolitan cittie of Syria and dwelt there where he also raigned king Therefore is hee an aduersary to Israel retaining his minde of reuenge and denying to pay tribute And this is the mischiefe of Hadad and the hatred against Israel Hadad now raigneth in Edom and Rezon in Damascus ouer all Syria to the great griefe of the king and his people Howbeit all this doth not somuch vex him as that his late seruant Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat the Ephrathite of Zareda whose Mother was Zarviah this kings aunt is now lately stept forth Ieroboam the servant is an adversary 1 King 11.26 and lifteth vp his hand against him For when the king built Mello and amended the broken places of David and saw that this Ieroboam was a man of strength and habilitie for the worke he made him ruler ouer all the charge of the house of Ioseph whereby Ieroboam getting courage credit fauour and power is now waxen proud obliuious of duty and presumptuous wherin he opposeth himselfe against his Soueraigne Lord whereat the king is not a little troubled the more indeede for that he nothing thought much lesse suspected such a thing to be wrought by his seruāt Ieroboam whom he had trusted and obliged by fauour and many singular benefites to be faithfull and obedient vnto him Sodain tidings of vnkindnes trouble wise men much But it is no meruaile though the king be a wise man that hee should be hereat trouble for we know that gentle heartes do much alter when they sodenly heare any hard and strange tidings Thus David the kings father though a man valiant in warre and strong in heart was not a little grieued when he heard that Absolon his owne son had conspired against him but yet more when tidinges came to him that Absolon was slaine hee was likewise sore moued when Ioab had killed Abner a Prince in Israel when hee hearde that Amnon had defiled Thamar his sister that Absolon had killed Amnon and that Adoniah did aspire to the kingdome against his will in his life time * Howsoeuer the prouidence of God had decreed appointed that Ieroboham shoulde thus be exalted Ieroboham his vnkindnes it is cereaine that Ieroboam hath pretended mischiefe in his heart against the king and therfore most wickedly and rebelliously hath lifted vp his hand to hurt his highnes vs. A note of most beastly vnkindnes in him who forgetting the kings gratious fauours and large bounties towardes him vndeserued hath attempted the kings ouerthrow and destruction to aduance himselfe But such is the pride insolency ambition and ingratitude of many whom the fauour and benignitie of good Princes hath vnworthily exalted and honoured that forgetting both themselues their places al the goodnes of their gratious princes and their duties do eagerly seeke to attaine to the very places and honours of their Princes and benefactors by wicked and vngodly meanes Howbeit they find in the end that lot of the Eagle that carried fier to her nest together with her pray which consumed both it and her yong ones for God which bringeth downe all stony mountaines and all high rocks to fill the vallies to make them euen with the ground calleth their impiety vnfaithfulnesse and rebellion into remembrance before him yeelding vnto them in the iust iudgemēt that which they haue worthily deserued * But Ieroboham hauing found that the King vnderstandeth his purpose and practises against him Traitors and rebels live ever in feare and that he seeketh to bridle his insolency durst not to abide the hammering and tryall thereof for traitors and rebels hauing guilty consciences liue euer in fear of the diuine reuēge he is therefore fled into Aegypt vnto Sysar the Egyptian king and there continueth gaping for and expecting to heare of the kinge death when he mindeth with a fresh courage to giue the onset to his sonne Rehoboam which shall succeede in the kingdome whome hee knoweth hath neither the like wisedom to gouerne his people nor will haue sufficient power to resist his enemies and to defend himselfe And yet wel I wot that these things being ordinary troubles which happen to realms prouinces and nations and therefore whosoeuer bee a Prince must settle himselfe armed against them in his time and place our Lord King Solomō wel knoweth both how to beare thē and wade through the middest of themal with a right valiant mind as David his Father hath full often in his daies done Lo thus haue ye heard the declaration of sixe causes of the kings sorrow all which indeede could he wel enough digest were there not yet a farre greater and more dangerous then any of the former For the seuenth beyond all the rest pierceth and griueth the very ground of his heart and that riseth of the great displeasure of the Almighty conceived against him his people Alas said the Princes then may the King be worthily sad indeede when the Lord of heauen looketh so wer vpon him and vs. For dreadfull is the angry face of the almighty The princes especially towardes them that haue iustly prouoked him and his wrath is a very consuming fier who is able to abide it But now let vs heare the declaration of this cause also if it be your good plesure most reuerend Zadoke to whom he answered zadoke although I am not only most sory to heare thereof but very loath to relate it yet to satisfy your importunity for the former causes I am ready to do it according to your desire And I pray God that neither the sin The princes nor the occasion therof be in the Lords iustice laid to our charge To the which said the Lords that God forbid but howsoeuer it be the Lord for his holy annointed be yet mercifull vnto our King vnto vs and the whole common-wealth of Israel that he may be glorified not in our destructiō but in our preseruatiō and prosperitie as in times past he hath beene glorified in the pardon recouery and prosperity of Adam of Abraham of Iacob of Moses of David and others our godly forefathers in their times So be it good Lord we pray and beseech thee CHAP. XIX Zadoke declareth the seventh cause of Solomons sorrow which is the sinne of Solomon NOw will I endeuour saide Zadoke to satisfie your request I will declare the seventh cause Yea I will shew you the last and greatest cause of the Kinges sorrowfull heart And well is this called the greatest For were it not thereof the King might well resolue as he knoweth best how to resolue that euery thing whatsoever might or should
am not able they are both so many and wonderfull much lesse to apply them in euery point to him whome with his vertues these things doe fore-shew and teach vnto men Solomon a figure of Messiah in his birth And first touching the honor of the kings birth and acceptation with the Lord It is true that Solomon is the sonne of David as before it hath beene said concerning whom the Lord made a faithfull promise saying Of the seede of thy bodie will I set vpon thy seate Howbeit 2. Sam. 7.13 the Lord also saide to David concerning him I will bee his father and hee shall bee my sonne Surely this properly fits the Messiah who is to come of the séede of David and yet hee is that naturall Sonne of God Thereof spake the kings father Iehovah sayd to my Lord sit thou on my right hand Againe Thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee This is he indeed to whom the stabilitie of the kingdome of Israel is promised Where the Lord said I will establish the throne of his kingdome for euer Solomon as yet sitteth on the throne gouerneth his kingdom but the time will come that as the tipes must cease when the things typed come in place our Lord K. Solomon shal yéeld and giue his place to the holy Messiah that true Sonne of God when he shall begin to raigne in mount Zion Therefore let vs conclude that the king prefiguring also in this point the holy Messiah is a Saint of the Lord. Secondly the Lord hath imposed Solomon in his Names a figure of Messiah ordained such titles and names to and for the king as might no lesse expresse and set forth the same thing We heard before that the king had such Names as tended to th'exemplification of his honor but yet it was not then considered of euery one of vs to what certaine person or thing those names properly pointed for it is very certain that euery of those names are more proper to the Messiah then to the king albeit they were on him iustly imposed and of him at the first literally vnderstood The Lord God himself speaking vnto David of this person yer euer he was borne or begotten said His Name is Schelomon which is Peaceable 1. Schelomon 1. cho 22.9 or a maker of peace And the Lord shewed the reason thereof saying For I will giue him rest from his enemies round about him I will send peace quietnes vpon Israel By this he foresheweth the true Melchisalem that king of peace the right reconciler of his elect vnto himselfe who without this noble Prince are at wars with Lord opposed to the intollerable strokes of his Iustice But heereof it is that they haue quiet consciences peace with God and finally eternall rest and safetie in the most glorious kingdome of the King of peace To this also aymeth the blessed peace and tranquilitie that the Lord hath giuen the king and through him vnto vs from our bodily enemies on euery side in those the happy dayes of his gouernment Next when the Lorde would expresse his loue and affection towards him and againe the loue and affection that hee had and should haue to the Lorde his God thereby the sooner to foreshew the mutuall loue and delight betweene God and that holy Messiah he sent the Prophet Nathan as some of you yet remember who according to the diuine pleasure 2 Iedid-iah 2 Sam 12.25 called him Iedid-iah Beloued of God For so it is written that the Lord loued him therefore he called his Name Iedid-iah of the Lordes-behalfe Indeede it pleased the Lorde in this sort to declare his Ioue to the king Howbeit the Name properly fitteth that person Psal 2. to whom the Lord said as before Thou art my beloved sonne this day haue I begotten thee And the same which the Arabian Queene did mystically point vnto when in the spirit of Prophesie she said to the king Blessed be the Lord thy God which loved thee * After this the kings mother namely Queen Bethsabe that not without the instinct of the heauenly spirit perceiuing the maiestie feare of God in him 3 Laemuel pro. 31.1 withall knowing him to be made a liuely figure of the holy Messiah called him Laemuel that is God with him or God with them meaning that God was with him that he was as God vnto the people as Moses was sometimes said to be The which tittle therefore fitteth none so properly as it doth that bright Starre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Balaam descried and spake of in his prophesie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Num. 24 the which as we haue obserued containeth both the nuÌ„ber of the name ineffable and the number of the Divine law for the two former letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make in number 26. the which also the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yeeldeth and the two latter letters make 22. in which number of letters is written the whole lawe the which onely in the time of the right Laemuel shall bee performed and throughly affected in him by whom there shall be but one Lord and one Law one faith and one religion one sheepheard Gen. 49 â—0 4 Koheleth Eccles. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and one sheepefold Lastly he hath another Name which no lesse indeed appertaineth to that right Shilon vnto whom the gathering of the people shall bee That is Koheleth which signifieth a Congregator or a Preacher or a builder of a Church The King had this Name worthily imposed partly in regard of his wisedwne which was in him wonderfull beyond al others as if in one and the same person should be heaped and layd vp together all the wisedom and knowledge both diuine and humane which not onely any other one man but which all men together at the same time liuing had or could containe or comprehend partly in regarde of his Office and ministerie by the which he did not onely builde the materiall house which should prefigurate both the mysticall spirituall and eternall but also did preach and indeuor to call into the same and to instruct and conforme all others aswell Gentiles as Iewes in the true Religion of the most holy and euerlasting God But the effecting of all this properly belongeth to that holy Messiah who hath and shall haue in his time all wisedome and all knowledge without measure and thereof shall giue and dispose aboundantly to others and by his proper ministerie gather together the out-casts of Israel bring home them that bee and shall be scattered abroad by his wisedome iustifie the multitude in bearing their misdeedes and not onely builde of diuers stones and sundry things a Church and holy Congregation to himselfe but also defend foster susteine and preserue the same foreuer Nowe my Lordes in all these things hath our Lorde the King right worthily prefigured the holy Messiah to the which I hope yée will willy subcribe and thereof
of that right excellent Sermon * The third word of the Title is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sonne of David if it bee asked 3 The sonne of Dauid Solomons name is concealed Eccles. 1. why the Name of Shelomon is héere concealed It may be answered First because it pleased the King to entitle himselfe the Preacher when he acknowledged not himself for king of Israel but only said that he had bin king And albeit we hold our Lord the King yet honorable in his place as true Subiects ought to do and neither to discouer his faults imperfections as Cham did the nakednes of his father nor to conceale that with the envious which may giue a light to the glory of the worthy yet considering the Kings cause and the humors of men wee had need to walke warily in this matter And we know that howsoeuer the king shal be honored or suspected with thē that come after vs The estimation of the words the words being indéed the words of truth shall stand and be receiued of prize as those which procéeded not only from this person but from the true Solomon the sonne of David by whose spirit the king hath abounded in wisedom spoken those words For it is wel known and the king himself hath not concealed it that by his transgressions hee hath prouoked Iehovah his God to anger as it is before declared whereby hee is depriued of that excellent Peace and Dignitie which his Name Shelomoh importeth For the time was that the Lord fauouring him Eccles. 47.13 gaue him a glorious raigne when he had made all quiet round about him that he might build an house to his name and prepare the Sanctuarie for euer and for that his peace he was beloued But now there bee stirred vp against him diuers great enemies Solomon himself concealeth his name Solomon because he had transgressed Ruth 1.20 whereby in steed of peace hee is forced to embrace warres and troubles moreouer entring into the reckning of his own demerits and condition he acknowledgeth himself rather an occasioner of warres then a procurer of peace and to be called rather afflicted and vexed then delicate and tender according as once Naomi sayd to her citizens Call me not Naomi beautifull but call me Marah bitter For the Almighty hath given me much bitternesse Therefore it might bee that some though not any of vs hearing those wordes published vnder the title of Solomon whome they know to bee a transgressour and causer of warres may vnhappily suspect and doubt of the authoritie thereof for things are commonly estéemed according to the credit of their Authors as Abiather before said A Lesson for preachers Therfore it is méet that they which take on them to preach to others or to teach others be themselues first of all reformed and conformed in life and conuersation lest whiles they endeuor to saue others they remaine themselues cast-awayes occasion their words to be derided and their doctrine reiected And that these words might be vnderstood so esteemed as the very words of truth and of that excellent * Prophet and Pastor That is the Messiah which shall be raised vp in his time to preach and to feede the people of God with the heauenly Manna they are entituled Of the Sonne of David Howbeit to put difference betweene him and some others of that Name and there withall to retaine the right honor and dignitie of the persons whom it pleased the Lord in loue and mercy to aduance and set on the throne of Israel we haue added in the fourth place 4. King in Ierusalem King in Hierusalem which may be vnderstood of King Solomon and next of the holy Messiah And although the Name bee not put downe háere Solomon Pro. 1.1 1. King 1.35 yet the godly learned shall well perceiue the Author of these wordes to bee the same which in the title of the Kings wise Prouerbes is named Solomon For this person beyond all Davids sonnes was onely preferred to the throne of Israel on the which hee sitteth and ruleth all the twelue Tribes for the most part hath dwelt in Hierusalem which Citie his father David constituted the Metropolitane and chiefe seat of the Kingdome and therein ruling the people of God in equitie and righteousnesse he beareth a type and Figure of the holy Messiah the sonne of David that King of righteousnes and peace who raigneth and shall raigne ouer the house of Israel for euer as I haue said from whom The author and authoritie of holy scriptures as from the chief Pastor author the authoritie credit of those words is to bee deriued as is the authoritie of all the holy Scriptures by whomsoeuer the wordes and Doctrines thereof haue beene or shall bee written preached or taught Loe thus haue I spoken for the better vnderstanding of this Title which we thinke good to prefixe to those the Kings words by vs to be collected Now if it please you my good Lordes all let euery one of vs call to minde what wee haue heard the king to vtter in this time of his Repentāce the which I would should be simply plainly gathered and registred without any addition or diminution of any thing How the words are to be collected and written that so the Wordes as they be indited by the singer of the holy Ghost may remaine the same sound whole to be remēbred vnderstood expounded and learned by thē only to whom the same spirit shall giue both wisdom vtterance capacity the same to performe in posterity * Very well spoken sayde the Princes and turning themselues towards Helioreph and Ahiah The Kings Secretaries they requested them to write according to that euery one of them should call to minde and deliuer of those the Kings last words The Secretaries write the words to whom they answered We are heare ready and as ye shall remember and relate the Kings owne wordes so shall we receiue the same with all willingnesse and faithfully register them zadoke beginneth the Collection Say on my Lords in order one after another They giue good eare sayde zadok and I will beginne to report what I haue heard The matters are waightie and graue they require both attention trust and diligence Write and begin thus Eccles. 1.2 Vanity of vanities saith the Preacher vanity of vanities all is vanitie Verse 3. What remaineth vnto man in all his travell which he taketh vnder the Sunne c. Cap 2.1 I sayd in my heart Go too nowe I will proove thee with ioy therefore take thou pleasure in pleasant things beholde this also is vanity c. The Booke of the Ecclesiastes or the Preacher distinguished into 12. Chapters Cap. 3. To all things there is an appointed Time and a time to every purpose vnder heaven c Cap. 4.1 So I turned and considered all the oppressions that are wrought vnder the Sunne c. Cap. 5.1 Be not
SCHELOMONOCHAM OR King SOLOMON his Solace Containing among many thinges of right worthy request King Solomon his Politie his true Repentance and finally his Salvation First Presented to the Kinges most excellent Maiestie and afterward published 1 King 10.6 It was a true word which I heard in mine owne Land of thy sayinges and of thy wisedome Ecclesi 12.10 The Preacher was yet more wise and taught the people knowledge LONDON Imprinted by Iohn Windet 1606. THE Price and estimation OF Solomons Solace He that commeth to buy will peradventure say to him which would sell it It is naught It is naught Howbeit when he hath bought it and brought it home then he boasteth of his good peny-worth as Pro. 20.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DIEV ET MON DROIT 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salva Deo Regis sit magno vita IACOBI Vt servet charos divino iure Britannos Vincenti Maximo De Rege nostro Serenissimo eiusque pro genie clarissima poema 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A A great red Dragon with 7. heads 10. hornd power D Design'd of late a soveraign Queene quite to deuour I Intending eke that Son to strike for whom she gron'd A Affright whereat to her good God she timely mon'd C Conspecting then Iehovah this his handmaides greefe O Omitted not with readie hand to grant reliefe B But first her sweet Soule he convaighd as seem'd him best V Vnto his princely pallace there in peace to rest M Moreover then he Michael with army stout M Maugre the foe sent forth in field cast him out A And so that when the tragedie should be effected G God it withstood those complots in time detected N Now sith the Dragon saw his purpose thus prevented A And quaild himselfe he might have coucht so repēted E Expecting pardon but no lesse he erst reviv'd B Bruite stratagems and quaint designes by him cōtriv'd R Recounting that loud lowing Buls might pierce deep lorne I In roiall Lyons heart and princely Vnicorne T That so the seede right soveraigne amongst the rest A And all the flowers of this field should bee supprest N Not by the lore of sacred lawes or iustice right N Nor with the dinte of valiant sword or open fight I In manly wise but savadgely with stygian flame A And hellish hounds attempted how to forge the same E Enlarging so his beastly bent God him there staid R Restraining him vnto the snare himselfe had laide E Establishing for aie the scepters dignitie G Giuen rightfully to Iames and his posteritie E Enrich therfore with peace power worship renown M Most mighty God his grace his progeny and crown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 TO THE MOST MIGHtie most gracious and most Christian Prince IAMES by the divine Grace King of great Brittaine France and Ireland defendour of the faith c. Most mightie and most gratious Soveraigne Lorde IT is certaine that neither King Solomon so passing wise and famous nor anie his wordes recorded in Canonicall Scripture so prudent pithie and full of pietie need the helpe of humane hand much lesse of my poore penne for the defence of th' one or the authoritie of th' other having so long sithence by the best iudgement purchased that credit and approbation which neither the serpents envy nor mās malignity hath or shal be able to anihilate or empeach Howbeit seing that some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partly of malice partly of ignorance blush not to obiect except against either condemning the one as profane and damned and contemning th' other as polluted and perilous Wherat many remaine suspensive of both others with my selfe woful for both as that so soveraigne a tree should be blasted her wholsome fruit reiected I thought it good and my dutie aswell for the stopping of those mouthes as for the better resolution of the doubtfull the solace of the pensive the instruction of the ignorant the honour of the worthie and the glory of the Almighty to advēture the framing of this Apologetical Dialogue or conferēce entituled Schelomonocham or K. Solomons solace and the same vnder the divine feare and your Graces pardon to dedicate to your sacred Maiestie Howbeit this my rash enterprise most gracious Soveraigne first in attemting a worke so waightie then in addressing it to a personage so mightie convinceth me in some censures of audacious arrogancie when being farre poorer then Gedeon much slower tongued then Moses without comparison I should with the former have acknowledged my great impotence and with the latter have distrusted my small eloquence but with neither of them both have presumed on your Maiesticall presence At the least I should have followed that counsaile of Aesope to Solon approaching before Craesus King of Lydia to speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those conceites indeede might have daunted mee had I not found strong reasons to perswade mee For first beeing a Minister of Gods truth which as I reverence I shoulde also defend to my power and hearing those and other like obloquies divulged not onely in common conferences but in publike Sermones I should with them have consented and so sinned had I longer pawzed expecting from others the miraculous birth of those great bellied Mountaines Secondly having accomplished the worke and perpending as the vsuall manner is to whose worthinesse it should of right be commended I remembred that saying of King Alexander when a little before his death beeing asked to whome the Empire should remaine after him hee answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the worthiest yea I gladly recorded that ready resolution of our late right Christian Queene of blessed memorie concerning the successe of this most famous Monarchie which she said should in right descend and come to King Iames then of Scotland her naturall and lawfull successour and the most worthie Wherein I also resolved and presumed knowing well that as your princely power is best able to protect so your royall person is most meete to enioy King Solomons Solace for that not only after the philosophers rule and your Kingly advise in that learned Arist lib. Mor. 8. Plato de Leg. 8. godly and sententious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but after the Axiomes of divinity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is the person so should be the present the Argument so properly fits the same having for the principall subiect that most wise most divine most maiesticall and most famous King Solomon the sonne of King David the same whome Iehovah his God had both promised nominated and appointed to the kingdome of Israel before that he was conceived and borne made most prudent royall and glorious in his throne and set foorth in all thinges as a meete figure of the
thought it good and no lesse their duties not onely to collect and preserve them but to commit and commende them with the like authoritie to the holy Church Now it remaineth that we also heare and consider what hath beene else resolved concluded and testified by the godly learned and wise men aswell hebrewes as others succeeding them of that age and that not onely before but also sithence the birth death and ascention of the most holy Messiah concerning King Solomon and those his wordes First the auncient hebrewes and Rabins of the Iewes have delivered that Solomon did so much dislike his lustfull delightes and chiefly that sinne of Idolatrie impuâ—ed to him Jn vita pat lib. 7. in prologo in Cap. 1. in that hee tolerated and maintained his strange wives in their abhominations that hee willingly exposed himselfe in person a publike example of repentance throughout the streetes of Ierusalem and woulde also have beene whipped with seaven roddes in that Temple which himselfe had builded had not the learned doctors of the lawe withstood it holding it vnlawfull for them or any others to laye their handes on the Lordes Annointed as David had taught esteeming him not onely their true King but a divine Prophet and holy man of GOD and at this time a person truly repentant for his sinnes whereof they presumed of his pardon and eternall health Next wee finde it testified by the Author of the latter booke of the Chronicles of the kinges of Israel and Iudah Chap. 11. verse 17. that after king Solomon was laide to his fathers Iudah for the time of three yeeres following pleased GOD walking in the waies of David and Solomon not onely of David but also of Solomon noting that although king Solomon walked not perfectly with the Lorde in the time of his trespasses as David walked when hee pleased GOD yet neverthelesse in his latter time hee was reclaimed and walked againe with David as himselfe did in his youth when they both together pleased the Lorde GOD and so in th' end resigned both himselfe repentant and holy vnto God Nota. and the kingdom in the same estate wholy to his sonne Rehoboam for neither was the kingdome as yet divided nor the state of religion altered during the daies of SolomoÌ„s governmeÌ„t according as the L. had de creed promised 1. King 11.12 saying I wil not do it in thy daies Therefore not onely Solomon is combined with good David touching the state of religion the manner of his walking but also it is testified that Rehoboam his son followed the L. also together with theÌ„ of Iudah that scared the L. in the same way full 3. yeeres after Solomons death within the which time it pleased God to fortify the kingdom of Iudah therin to make Rehoboam strong After this the wise Syracides chap. 47.12 among others in his time conceiving wel of this excelleÌ„t person whoÌ„ he esteemed an excelleÌ„t sainct of the L. from whose wise sayings his graÌ„dfather Iesus had collected many his sentences hath carefully and reverently named numbred him among those holy Patriarches fathers of the old testameÌ„t so worthy of praise wherewithall although as a true historiographer in that parte hee hath laide open his sins which els were so apparant as they coulde not be covered yet he extolleth him with many admirable coÌ„meÌ„dations in right consideratioÌ„ giveth not so much as the least aime to any doubtfulnes of either his holines or salvation yea rather he omitted not to say and protest that God forsooke not his mercy meaning that which was promised to David concerning SolomoÌ„ confirmed to SolomoÌ„ accordingly as 1. King 11.39 Neither that he was vtterly destroyed because of his works that he should leaue him no posteritie Fourthly Saint Matthew the Evangelist bringeth in King Solomon in the genealogie of Christ our Saviour together with his mother among those holy fathers of the olde Testament Matt. 1.6 But chiefly the Lorde Iesus himselfe in his profound doctrines and sermons hath not disdained this person but vouchsafed to name him and there-withall to remember not onely the wisdom of King Solomon but also that holy House which he built to the Name of the Lord. And to declare how well he liked the same house he daily taught the people therin shewed them the right vse therof yea hee much disliked that the same should be prophaned by vngodly sinful men therfore assayed to reduce it to his pristin purity when with a whip he drave out both the buyers and sellers saying My house is the house of Prayer for all Nations it was indeede all vnmeet that the thing which was ordayned for a figure of his Church and prepared to so holy an vse should be stayned with mens prophanitie so long as the vse of the figure endured which was vntill the time of the comming of the holy Ghost vnto the Apostles after Christs ascension into the heavens After this that holy Protomartyr Steuen in his answere to the high Priest Actes 7. speaketh right reverently both of Solomon and of his worke and to testifie that the same had yet a further aime then to the ordinary personage or to the worke of other men he addeth But hee that is the highest of all dwelleth not in the Temples made with mens hands alluding to Solomons wordes in the dedication of that house 2. Chro. 6.18 For right well is it said that the very person whome that holy king prefigured dwelt not in that house made with handes howbeit as concerning his power and th'excellent graces of his spirite he is ever present in and with that holy church which Solomons Temple hath prefigured and expressed After all this to passe over the Apostles and their worthie estimation of this person and his workes from the which they have taken and cited argumentes to confirme their doctrins all the ancient fathers of the Nicen Concil Aug. in lib. 17 de civit dei cap. 20. Idem in 2. lib. de doct Christian Ioh. Driedo de Catalo sacr script lib. 2. vide Hieron in extrema visione Ezechiel Ambros super Ecclesiast et in Apolog. David and others both holy and learned in the church have not only gathered received aswel froÌ„ hence as from others monumeÌ„ts of their elders Solomons holines and true repentance but also have esteemed him for a Prophet and in their writings have called him the most wise holy Solomon But were it so that those things did not so plainly appeare in the holy scriptures nor could it be founde in any word or writing of antiquity that Solomon after his transgressioÌ„ did repent coÌ„vert himselfe to the L. what reasoÌ„ what charitie or what wisdom would yet cast into suspeÌ„se the holines salvation of so rare excelleÌ„t a persoÌ„ when there is not extaÌ„t any sufficieÌ„t scripture or warraÌ„t to prove his final prophanity eternall perdition or that hee continued irrepentant vntill his death
Husai Iehosophat the sonne of Paruah Semei the sonne of Ela Gaber the sonne of Vri. These Officers being elected with discretion and so approued were not the children of Belial as proud couetous luxurious extortioners bribers oppressors fighters brawlers or such as were either noted or suspected of anie wicked vice but of a goodlie constitution prudent ingenious of good capacitie gentle courteous of good conscience obedient to the lawes honest and faithfull in their places therein aunswering to the interpretations of their seuerall names either proper or appellatiue Whereby king Solomō was not onely most royally serued with all kind of princly prouision of houshoulde but had his store-houses replete with that which was timely reposed therein for the same and like vses Howbeit Solomon beeing most prudent did euer estéeme his people and subiectts for his best store-house Kings store-house so wel semblant I say not to the open fieldes but to that good Orchard or Gardine well set with diuers kindes of trées which haue in them not onely many branches boughs leaues stems erected but aboundance of fruit wholesome and profitable for mans vse especially then when the same is welhusbandred necessities respected iniuries salued particular causes wel waighed And truly to and for this end had king Solomon those prudent and meete prepositours knowing that by such persons the affaires are commonly well managed and performed but on the contrarie the subiects occasioned iustly to murmure wil be easily perswaded to rebell against the king and his gouernmēt and mens cogitations erst pure may be sorely corrupted especially if they perceiue that they which stand in place of authority shal not obserue that which themselues bid and command which both defaceth their authority and destroieth the good nature of many a man Solomons servants in house * Also the king for his priuate seruants in house had them which were of especiall choice as who for their wisedome strength agilitie actiuitie industrie good disposition manners humanity patience docilitie constancie trust fidelitie and the feare of the Lord were not only best fit to stand before him to gard him to serue him to attend his royall presence and person but also to heare his wisedome to apprehend his iudgements to note his behauiour to imitate his graces and to be interpreters of his wil and word vnto others And indeed these and such are worthie so noble a maister and well it becommeth a king of that puissance and magnanimity to be serued and attended on by such chosen seruants K. Solomons principal Lords But aboue all the rest the king had certaine principall and princelie Lordes by whose graue counsayle iudgement prudence good aduise and prouidence both the king himselfe was assisted consolated and preserued in gouernment and the affaires of the whole kingdome of Israell the better disposed ordered and performed 1. King 4.2 1. Chro. 28. Exod. 18.20 that according to the defier and charge of his father King Dauid who was not vnmindfull of that prudent counsaile which sometimes wise Iethro gane Moses in the right vse wherof himselfe was eased and ayded and the people timely iudged and well gouerned And these are the names of those principall Lordes viz. 1. Azariah 2. Helioreph 3. Ahiah 4. Iehosophat 5. Benaiah 6. Zadock 7. Abiathar 8. Azariah 9. Zabud 10. Ahishar 11. Adoniram Azariah the first of that name was an especiall Lorde attending and assisting the kings person Helioreph and Ahiah were the kings wise Secretaries Scribes ornotaries Iehosophat was the kings Recorder of the gestes or Chronicles Benaiah was the general Captaine ouer the kings hostes in the which office his succeeded Captaine Ioab Zadocke was the chiefe Priest preferred to that function and place after that Abiathar was degraded and put away for his confederacie with Adoniah against King Solomon Abiathar the same before named among the Lordes was a priest who sometimes ministred and attended in the stéede and place of Zadock Azariah the second of that name was a prudent Lorde whome the King had placed ouer those twelue Purueyors or officers before named Zabud was the sonne of Nathan a Priest and the Kinges friend and familiar companion Ahishar was set ouer the Kinges Pallace Adoniram had the authority for the Tributes as high Treasurer of the kingdome A description of King Solomons Counselors As all and euery of those Lords were of no meane choice but some of them such as were commended and left vnto him by his Father Dauid for wise graue Counsaylors and the Sonnes of Nobles so were they most exquisitely qualified and adorned with such princely vertues as appertaine to personages of that ranke As first they were adorned with that perfection of their mēbers as best fitted those affaires to and for the which they were elected and put in place Next they wanted not the goodnes of apprehension to vnderstand whatsoeuer was spoken worthy audiēce Thirdly they were graced with an excellēt memory to retain things heard and apprehended yéelding nothing necessarie the remēbrance to thriftles obliuion 4. they possessed a profound consideration and déepe conceit concerning such difficulties as occurred 5. A courteous affabilitie pleasing speech and ready eloquence but so as therein their tongues concorded with their heartes 6. A learned skill in the liberall sciences 7. They were in word faithfull louers of the truth contemners of lyes composite in manners pleasant gentle tractable well complexioned 8. Also free and without any iust suspition of ebrietie luxurie carnall lusts and notorious offences 9. Men right magnanimious in their purposes and affecting the true honor 10. Not couetous minded but contemning Gold Siluer and other accidentall things of the world in regard of their dutie to God to their king and the common-wealth wherein they had and retayned a most faithfull loue as well of strangers as of their neighbours 11. As they had a loue both to the iust and to iustice so also hated they alkind of iniuries odious offences yeelding euery one his right aiding the oppressed and those which sustained wrong not making at any time the strength of their authoritie their rod of reuenge to beate them whom they affected not in good will but remouing away all iniustice and shew of oppression they set no difference betwéene persons and degrées of men but only betwéene causes as equitie required 12. They had likewise a strong and perseuering purpose in th' execution of things méet the performance audacious deuoid of pusillanimity or feare 13. They knew well the issues of all expences nor were they ignorant of any vtilitie appertinent to good gouernment as whereby the poore subiects might not be iustly occasioned to exclame or complaine of hard or cruel dealings 14. They were neither worders or giuen to high laughters nor gamesters nor common players or such like but graue modest silent temperate and courteous 15. readie to heare such as came to séeke iustice as whereby the king might be eased of that
wherof Good counsell for them that liue in this world men should not so much marvaile at the sodaine chaunges of others and at the inconstancy of these worldly things as they should endeuour to learne to beware that they depend not on the deceaveable vanities of this life and to take héede that they waxe not proud nor forgetfull of their maker and of their owne estate and condition in the fond abuse of the things which are not their owne but as lent vnto them to be vsed to the honor of God their owne necessities Lastly séeing that these things be so vncertaine they should in time prouide to lay vp for themselues those treasures which are permanent and many stéede them to their highest content in the feare and loue of him that blesseth and prospereth all them that neuer turne their faith from him The second Chapter King Solomons Lordes perceiuing the strange alteration of their Soueraigne waxe very sorowfull they enquire for the cause and endeuour to preuent the future inconveniences WHilest all those thinges were in action apparent euen before Strangers talked of openly and laid in the common ballance to be peazed and censured of euery man King Solomons noble Princes and chiefe Lords were assembled in the Councell Chamber there partly to conferre of the affaires of the kingdome for the high glory of Iehouah their God the benefite of the common-wealth and the right honour of their Soueraigne Lord partly to inuestigate and search for the causes of this the kings sorrow and sodaine alteration the which they wold assay to remoue or mitigate according to their wisdom knowledge and best habilitie Wherein they manifested themselues dutifull to their God profitable to the weale-publique and regardfull of their kings health and prosperity The duty of noble Counsailors to their King which are the principall things that noble Counsaylors and the worthy seruants of such Soueraignes should in their supreame places respect with all fidelitie Now vpon a sodaine Zabud the priest the sonne of Nathan and the kings familiar friend who had béene with his highnes for his better comfort in affliction all that night before issued forth of his priuy Chamber entred the assemblie of those Lords and although with an heauie heart mestiue mind and sadde countenance by reason of the Kinges great perplexitie and troubles he saluted them in these words Iehovah our God saue you my Lords all both Honourable and Reuerend the right happy princes of king Solomon To whome they all as with one mouth resaluting him answered the same Power blesse prosper and preserue you Reuerend Zabud the right trustie Secretarie and familiar good friend of our Soueraigne Lord King Solomon And whence come ye now my Lord an what is the cause if it please you that ye be so pensive and heavy to day Is all thing well To his Zabud replied My Lords all I am presently come forth of the Kings privie Chamber where I haue béene all this last night watching and attending on his most royall person the Lord God saue keep his grace howbeit there haue I found little or no comfort as God knoweth for much griefe and sorrowe hath betided the king which encreaseth yet more and more without mitigation and the like acreweth towardes vs and the whole kingdome as farre as I can gather by that which I haue both heard with mine ears and seene with mine eyes of and in him Vpon this saying in this manner deliuered before them such a strange terror and dread assayled the hearts of those Lords that being throughly astonished they neither were able to answer him The trouble of the King is a griefe to his Subiects nor wist they what to say For there can be no greater grief and discomfort to true hearted subiects especially to the faithfull Counsaylors of happy kings then when they shall either see or heare of the hurt sorrow or discontent of their Soueraigne Lord at the alteration of whose prosperous estate both Nobles and the Commons are sodainly moued much disquieted as that body which féeleth the distemperature of his proper head fearing the ensewing of such plagues troubles and vexations as are wont to follow and succeed the sodaine losse and departure of such heroicall persons by whose good gouernment and valour their Realmes and Common-weales haue bin right happily maintained in peace and tranquillitie Neither at the least should either the Nobles or the common people be merry or pleased in the sadnesse trouble or vexation of their Soueraigne Lord knowing well that natures of that grade and apprehension will not shew themselues heavie hearted and mestive for any light or meane causes At the length after long expectation silence pawzes and eagre looking one on another of them with deppe sighes pitifull groanes and cheekes watred with weeping eyes a principall Lord Azariah sheweth the good opinion loue and affection of a good Subiect whose name was Azariah though scarcely able for sorrow of mind to vtter with his trembling tongue his hearts conceit spake thus in effect Alas alas and how fareth then his most royall person how doth our good Lord king Solomon the most famoust most wise and most glorious King in all the world The God of heauen graunt his most princely grace both along life and a wished prosperity to liue raigne ouer vs and this people For I assure you my Lords as ye will know and must in equitie confesse that next and immediately vnto Iehouah our God hee is the approved stay of our house the lightsome eie of our body the resplendent glory of our kingdome the happy peace of our people the comfortable ioy of our heartes the glad solace of our soules the right guide of our gouernment the diuine wisedome of our nation the manifest maiestie of our God and the blessed preservation of Israel But how fareth the Kinges most sacred person In all this and other his speeches and gestures did this noble Azariah expresse the good opinion conceiued the right loue the godly zeale the faithfull mind the true affection and right worthy nature of a wise faythfull and obedient Subiect to his most gratious Soueraigne I will now tell you my good Lords saide Zabud how the king fareth I am well assured zabud sheweth the Kings alteration and present estate as ayming to his Repentance there is not any one of you all but hath plainely perceiued that his Grace is most strangely and sodainely altered of late from both his wonted constitution of mind and his common order of life and that his wordes also sauour now much other wise then they haue sometimes heretofore savored to our audience and vnderstanding For behold whereas he vsed to be gladsome and merily conceited now is he rauished with heavie dumpes and oppressed with ladâ—es wheras heretofore he accustomed to talke with a right lovely and lively voice now we heare nothing besides a voice of lamentation from him tending to mortification and
his deepe conceite and that every one aswell his howshold seruantes as his Princes and Lords were ready to note obserue and record both the one and the other so also were they most willing to inuestigate and seeke for the cause of these thinges yea euery of them was almost ready according to that sentence of Zabud with the assent of Zadock to enter into him selfe with a due examination to search and enquire whether any iust cause or any occasion whatsoeuer might arise from any thing in them or of any their words or actions to trouble his Highnes mind and so to cleare himselfe in presence by declaring his integrity without all hypocrisie or vaine glory And so it is to bee esteemed that although a mans owne mouth should not prayse himselfe Note but rather another yet these Lordes vttered nothing of themselues as to blase in the pride of their heartes In what minde and sort the Lordes cleared themselues the honour of their owne demerites but as within the boundes of modesty they might excuse and cleare themselues of whatsoeuer might bée obiected to them In this sorte the holy man Iob and the holy Patriarke Abraham and Moses and Samuel and Sampson and David the King were not onely constrained but well contented to doe as in their seuerall histories plainely appeareth And herein they shew forth not onely their great griefe conceiued for the kinges trouble but also the desire they haue to ease and remedy the same to their power But now as hee is faithfull which performeth that in déede which in worde he hath protested and promised Zabud his Apologie so reuerend Zabud who first spake thereof beganne in this sort to performe it accordingly And thus he said As the Heauen is high and the earth deepe Pro. 25.2 so is the kinges heart vnsearchable I haue heard him thus to say therefore omitting as yet the search of his reines as Subiectes should I haue entered into mine owne heart and haue examined and tried mine owne thoughtes wordes and wayes especially The godly man rather iudgeth himselfe then others such as concerne his Highnesse I haue not cast mine eyes on others and censured them and their doinges and sayings but I haue I say obserued tried and iudged mine own fearing greatly whether at any time the King as hee is passing wise hath noted any point of folly or lightnes in mee whome his grace hath vouchsafed to embrace and to vse as his deere and familiar friend In the which point it were an ingratefull part in me and nothing beséeming the worthines and honour of my place if I should in such sort behaue my selfe especially towardes him or them by whose rich bountie I haue beene preferred aduanced and am dailie benefited and fauoured yea I confesse I might well bee numbred vppe among those fooles that haue crooked soules in vpright bodies for whome worshippe is so vnséemly as the snow for the Summer and raine for the haruest whome whosoeuer shall place in high dignity shall binde a stone in a sling to hurt himselfe And in my iudgement as those young Pellicans are worthily loathed reiected and abandoned of their Dams which neither feede them nor comfort them nor regard them Ingratefull persons after the time they haue weakened their bodies by shedding foorth of their precious bloud to cure and recouer them of the biting of the venemous serpents so also those persons do not only deserue to be expelled and cast out of this honourable societie but to be estéemed not worthy to liue much lesse to liue in honor that recompence their most gratious Princes and bountifull benefactors with such monstrous ingratitude as will not onely not assay to requite or that doe forget good turnes but also yeeld hatred and displeasures for that their louing demerites Surelie these be the persons in whom is plainely séene the enemy of the soule the quencher out of merites the dispearcer of vertues the destroyer of benefites the consumer of pieties fountaine the dryer vp of mercies deaw the stopper of graces streame the shutter out of Sonnes from their Fathers blessinges and the same to the which the Almighty that formed all things and both commendeth and commandeth gratitude to his Saints shal adde the transgressors reward in the end I am set in an high place and enioy therein like fauour of my Lord the King This I confesse I doe prayse God for the same and ambolden to be right thankfull to my Soueraigne God forbid I should in the same waxe proud arrogant disdainefull How zabud behaved himselfe in the K. Court enuious or seeke to reuenge priuate iniuries on thē which in times past haue abused me although I be in place either to hurt or profite them at my pleasure I haue not as being familiar with his Grace suggested and vngodly thing nor flattered nor dissembled with the King nor plaied the sycophant in accusing others in his presence I haue not though preferred and familiarly esteemed of the Kinges Maiestie eyther contemned or neglected the dutie of my Priesthoode to the which I was called nor the holy seruice and Religion but deuoutely attended the same and withall waited on the King and followed him neither haue I abandoned the cry of the poore with their petitions to the king when they haue been oppressed but I haue beene right glad to heare them and to further their suites yea and to defend and helpe the oppressed and them which had none helper against the proud faces of their oppressors I haue been as holy Iob hath taught me an eye to the blinde a staffe to the lame an eare to the deafe a mouth to the dumbe and a father to the fatherlesse I haue taken on me to further the honest suites of all the kings people that come to the Court for iustice howbeit not in that minde which Absolon had vnder David as the Lord is my witnes for he thought by this deuise to aspire to the kingdome but in the same spirite which my Lord the King had vnder his father by the good counsaile of his mother Pro. 31.8.9 who thus taught him Bee thou an Aduocate for the dumb to speake in the cause of all such as bee succourlesse in this transitory worlde Open thy mouth defend the thing that is lawfull and right and the cause of the poore and helpelesse Neyther haue I in this respect taken any mans oxe or asse or any thing else for a bribe or reward or a Fee as such often accustome to doe which stand in high places yea rather I haue beene of Samuels spirite and gladde withall mine heart that such an occasion was offered mee to expresse my loue to the Lordes poore people and therefore I haue payde foorth of mine owne and bestowed largelie both to the neede of the oppressed and the punishment of those prowde persons which knowing not their duties haue both abused the King and his liege people To be short I haue as
way of wickednes destruction what good hath this vngodly gaine and the pompe of riches brought vs But I hope that the kings grace is not offended at me to whome to my knowledge I haue not giuen as touching my duty in my place any occasion of offence The Lord saue his noble Grace and graunt that hee may thinke and resolue of mee but as in equitie I haue deserued then as mine owne integritie of conscience doth cleare mee so shall not his noble Grace bée perswaded to suspect mée But as I am well resolued in the one hee shal be satisfied in the other and so neither shall I feare the terror of his face nor his grace be either grieued or offended at any fault of mine CHAP. 7. Adoniram the Treasurer Azariah the chiefe Collector and Benaiah the Captaine ouer the Kinges hoastes are iustified concerning the cause of the Kinges affliction AS the former Lordes had spoken in the clearing of themselues of all offence offered to the King Adoniram the Lord Treasurer his integrity in his office which might occasion his affliction and trouble of minde So also Adoniram the Lorde Treasurer Azariah the chiefe Collector and Benaiah the Captaine of the kings hoastes endeuoured the like And first Adoniram spake to this effect It may bee that the Kinges Maiestie hath conceyued against mee some matter in minde to the disquiet of the same But truely my Lordes as yée haue saide and done so may I also boldely say and auouch for mine owne sinceritie and vpright dealinges as touching the thinges in the which it hath pleased his Highnesse to put mee in trust I haue not beene of that couetous minde and of that base and corrupt nature to conueigh the Kings Treasure into mine owne chestes for any my priuate vses the which yet is the only end for the which some men hunt after seeke for such Offices little caring how the king or the commons do either prosper or decay Nor haue I wasted spoiled or ryotously spent or consumed the royall wealth as some haue done respecting rather their owne pleasures then the kings profit to the abuse of this authoritie nor haue I purchased in large landes builte vp sumptuous houses endowed my wife exalted my sonnes married my daughters or otherwise prouided for mine house and posterity with that which I haue receiued for the King the which without his especial warrant to the contrary is onely to be employed or kept and preserued to and for his Maiesties vse and the affaires of his kingdome I haue neither deteined nor withholden that which I haue beene willed or commaunded by the King to disburse and payfoorth as if the things were mine own to bee vsed and cōmaunded nor vnder colour of mine office and authority haue I extorted exacted or encroched that of the kinges people which was neither due to his Maiestie nor lyable in right to my commission or authority But why should I be prolixe and tedious in declaring further what I haue not béene and what I haue not done that might bréede offence It is enough for me to tell you that I haue executed mine office and done my duety faithfully to the vttermost of my power I haue kept and preserued the Royall treasures for the honour of his Maiesty the weale of his Realme and the daunting of the enemie with a good conscience and as there was neuer king more rich so was there neuer any more carefull in preseruing and more héedefull in well employing the wealth of the same It is wonderfull to reckon vp what hath béene receiued and againe to tell what hath beene paide out in and about the kinges buildinges of his Temple of his houses of his Cities of his Townes of his walles and about many other thinges The dealers in and about these great matters may neither be ignorant nor inexpert nor negligent In al the which I say I haue dealt yet as iustly and as carefully as I might howbeit not without great toile trauell and weakening both of mind and body But yet I haue beene glad and ready thus to imploy my selfe so far foorth as therein I might please my Lord the king and discharge my duety towardes him in this seruice And truely in all these great dealinges as I haue beene faithfull and therein discharged mine oath conscience both to God and the king So did I neuer as yet eyther heare or obserue in the king that hee was displeased with mee for any mine actions or doinges therein Neither belieue I that at this present hee hath taken any iust conceite against me in any thing that offendeth his kinglie mind Azariah the L. Collector acquiteth himselfe in his office * This being said Adoniram pauzed At the which Azariah the Collector stoode forth and spake in his owne defence and thus hee said Although so it be that the kinges trouble may not spring from any of vs all my Lordes yet as this one thing hath worthily touched the conceites of others by the which they haue beene right willing for the better satisfaction of others and for the ease and clearing of their owne consciences to examine and iudge themselues and their dealinges so am I also moued and readie with the rest to examine and iudge my selfe with all mine actions and dealinges in the kinges affaires for he that is silent in such a time of triall may be iudged guiltie and worthy blame how free cleare soeuer he be And againe A guiltie persō is fearefull how willing soeuer the innocent person be to abide the trial of iustice the guilty and faultie person will euer shunne or seeke to shift from himselfe the right triall and the censure of law for he that doth euill hateth the truth nor will hee come to the light that his wickednes might not appeare Therefore knowing mine vprightnes I stand to be tried and speaking for my selfe thus I protest howsoeuer it be that I be holden faultie or suspected of any indirect courses and procéedinges in my suruey of his Maiesties Collectors Receyuers Auditours or of any kind of wrongfull exaction extortion oppression or vniust impositions of taxes tributes or tolles on his liege people or of any kind of misdemeanour or lawles behauiour towardes his Grace and them I am able here with an vpright heart to iustifie my selfe and my doinges albeit I doe not throughlie know what euerie particular meane officer in his place hath done eyther good or euill But for that as occasion may require let euery one of them plead answere for himselfe and let the guiltie person beare the blame of his owne guiltines A fault in the meaner officers as well worthy And it may be for it is a thing too too common with officers that many loue to licke their owne fingers in their offices howsoeuer they be sworne to doe and deale iustly whereof the Prouerbe is that it is a good thing for a man to haue an office Hereof it is indeed
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
cause The one saith qoud he this childe which is alive is my sonne and the dead is thine And the other saith Nay but thy sonne is the dead and the living child is mine Then séeing the case doubtfull the more because there were no witnesses for eyther part hee said againe to them that stoode about him Bring me hether a sword and they brought it after that he said againe Divide the living child into two partes and give th' one part to the one and th' other part to the other For hee well knew what he would doe neither was his mind so cruell and bloody as to slay the young innocent for the mothers offence howbeit some being present not considering his purpose beganne to deride and dislike this sentence But by and by his intent was displaied for the woman whose the liuing child was féeling her vowels to yerne within her vpon her sonne whom shee thought was ordained for death cried out and sayde vnto the king I beseech thee my Lord giue her the liuing child and let it not be slaine but the other woman said Let the child be neither thine nor mine but let it be diuided as the king hath said Then the king gaue the sentence in iudgement and saide vnto the Ministers that stood by Geve her the living child whose bowels yerneth thereon and slay it not for doubtles she is the right mother thereof This being done all they of Israel hearing of this iudgement of the king feared his Maiestie the godly for loue the wicked for dread for they saw that the wisedome of God was in him to doe iustice Of this the kinges vertue spake the kings father in the spirit Thou hast loved righteousnes and hated iniquitie This being well weighed my Lordes I see not what should thereof be conceited to offend his Graces mind The princes Subscription To al this the Princes gladly subscribed commending in all thinges the iudgementes of the king And surely saide they they are happy in iudgemēt which haue as the king hath wel learned the right natures of thinges for they soundly consider of th'effectes and discerne and trie them well if they be such as are wise prudent godly and not led by affections but by sure knowledge good counsaile and the guide of the diuine spirite But we see that none of those can this perform which eyther are themselues vnlearned ignorant obstinate selfe willed prowde vngodly or contemne the good counsel and godly and graue aduise of the learned wise and vertuous Surely wee cannot denie it for it is most apparent that our Lord the king hath by this his discrete iudgement purchased to himselfe authority to his kingdome peace and trāquillitie and to the high God condigne glorie Now the better sorte of all men gratifie his honour and gladly submit themselues and their causes to his determination knowing that hee will do iustice The wicked transgressors and hypocriticall persons are fearefull to stand before his presence in the defence of their faults or triall of their liues So aswell of th' one as of th' other is the king feared in respect of those his vpright and iust iugementes which as ye said hath indéed appeared so admirable before all men CHAP. XI Of Solomons riches peace orders pleasures power blessinges fame glory from any of the which riseth not the cause of his sorrow IN the former conference king Solomons Princes and Lordes haue described displaied and defended his most noble birth his honourable names his excellent beautie his godly education his singular wisedome his sweet eloquence and his vpright iudgements Now they are no lesse willing to consider of his riches his workes his peace his orders his pleasures his power Azariah his blessinges his fame his glory And therefore Azariah spake againe and said As in the former wee haue not found anie iust cause of the kinges disgrace Solomons riches but altogether causes of honour and prouocations to ioy and gladnes so neither wanteth he any Riches or the Treasures of a King whether natural or artificiall By the naturall riches I vnderstand all such thinges as come from the fieldes trées and beastes as corne wines oyles fruites victuals clothings and such like apt and meete for mans body by artificiall I vnderstand and those things which are found out or framed by the art and industrie of man as gold siluer coyne pretious stones iewels and such like Ineyther of the which the king is maruailouslie enriched according to that word which the Lord his God spake vnto him when he asked wisedome saying I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked even riches and honour 1. King 3.13 so that there shal be no king like vnto thee in all thy daies Eccles 2.4 2. Chron. 1.15 For this wee know as himselfe hath confessed that the king hath many excellent vineyeardes planted orchardes and gardens with frees of all manner of fruit and fed oxen and beefes and more cattell and sheepe then all they which were before him in Ierusalem And as for siluer and gold wee know that hee hath made such thinges as plentifull as stones in Ierusalem and Cedar trees as plentiful as the Mulbury trées that grow in the vaileis and he hath horses brought out of Egypt and fine linnen which his Marchāts receiued for a price hee hath a chariot which cost him sixe hundred péeces of siluer with many of her Chariots and horsemen yea an hundred twelue thousand horsemen which hee hath bestowed in the Chariot Citties and at Ierusalem with his Maiesty Moreouer hee hath seruants and maidens a great houshold great substance and the chiefe treasures and large possessions euery way And truely howsoeuer these thinges doe proue as a very foolishnes vnto the ignorant and foolish Eccl. 2.9 Pro. 14.24 they are vnto with whome his wisedome remained as a glorious crowne and he is greater and of more worshippe then all his predecessors in Ierusalem Helioreph * All this is manifest said Helioreph neither can any man denie any thing of that which ye haue said therefore it is set downe in the kinges Annales and committed to the holy Registre Solomons works And as his riches is great so also are his workes most admirable according as himselfe hath said I have made gorgeous faire works I have built mee houses planted vineyeards Eccl. 2.4 I made mine Orchardes gardens of pleasure I made pooles of water to water the greene and fruitfull trees withall And it is true and hee hath builded Citties and raised the walles 2. Chro. 8. and fortified his townes and territories magnificently but beyond all others those his three houses which he hath made and performed in Ierusalem are excellent and passe all the buildings and workes in the world First according to the commaundement of his Father David and iust after the forme and proportion that the Lord had giuen to David 1. Chro. 28.19 and
Kinges Mother and Nathan that Adoniah had proudly vsurped and that this Solomon his beloued sonne and choson heire apparant was to bee taken for a sinner in Adoniah his sight contrary to the Kinges promise made and confirmed by an oath to Bethseba and NathaÌ„ in that behalfe David was very highly displeased with Adoniah and sware againe vnto Bethseba saying 1 King 1.29 As the Lorde liveth who hath redeemed my soule out of al adversity that as I sware vnto thee by the Lord God of Israel saying assuredly Solomon thy sonne shall raigne after me and he shall sit upon my throne in my place so will I certainly do this day Whereupon King David commanded mee and Nathan the Lordes prophet to annoint his sonne Solomon King ouer Israel euen whiles that David liued the which wee both faithfully performed Wherat David then greatly reioiced and praised the Lord vpon his bedde and he said Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath made one to sit on my throne this day even in my sight Therefore this thing being so diuinely prouided and handled in al pointes so directly no man may iustly reproue it neither may the King in the due consideration thereof now in his elder daies either repent thereof or be touched with sorrowe in his heart Nor may wee otherwise thinke but that the Lord of Israel louing well his people hath set our Lord the King on the seate of his Father to do equity and righteousnes in the same 1 King 10. Solomons proceeâ—ings against Adoniah as the noble Queene of Sheba at her beeing heere right worthily testified and as a prophitesse in that behalfe blessed the Lord and the King in the same Moreouer I haue not found that my Lord the king hath merited blame or dislike in any his dealinges touching his said brother Adoniah who had so vniustly exalted himselfe as an Eagle in the clouds of heauen against his honour for truly contrary to the wonted vse of worldly Princes and potentates which cannot easily permit or beare a coÌ„petitor of the kingdome he did not rashly or seuerely execute displeasure of Adoniah but being perfect wise of a most royal heart and of noble Lyons nature perceiuing him to stand infeare of him to submit himselfe to his gratious mercy on the grouÌ„d he gladly pardoned him with this saying that not so much as one haire of his head shoulde fall to the earth if he would thenceforth shew himselfe a worthie man and so commanded him to goe to his house in peace and to rest himselfe so long as wickednes might not be found in him No doubt the king remembred that worthy example of Ioseph so ful of piety who notwithstaÌ„ding the great iniury his brethren had done him Gen. 50.20 did vpon their submission and request forgiue and forget all yea he was so farre from reuenging that iniury that he said fear not now will I nourish you and your children and he comforted them and spake kindly vnto them * Thus farre procéeded Zadoke Benaiah and then Benaiah because he was not onely an eye witnesse but also an actor therin stood forth said And al this do I perfectly remeÌ„ber being especially called appointed by king David together with your reuerence and Nathan the Prophet to deale for the king in those high matters the which I doubt not but NathaÌ„ would also confirme if he were present and therein commend and praise that noble magnanimity ano rare clemency of the king extended towardes his capitall enemy at such his entraÌ„ce into the kingdome when as beeing not yet so perfectly setled scarcely knowing his friendes from his foes hee might rather haue feared the euent of such a dangerous manumission pardon Solomon was not willing to revenge an iniury It appeared that the gratious king was not only glad to pardoÌ„ him which had submitted himselfe and promised obedieÌ„ce but also carefull to eschew all colour or suspicion of tyranny or cruell dealing euen to an aduersary Some Princes and mightie persons in such cases are seuere persecutors euen to the death of them which haue neuer so little offended them although neither they haue nor can possibly hurt them and such as the king well knoweth are more hurtfull to their owne territories then the brute creatures are to such as neuer hurt or annoied them The Dolphin Fish Wee find of the Sea-Dolphins of whose nature the king hath spoken among other beastes and Fishes that if perchance they find a dead man in the seas they feele by the smell of him whether hee hath euer eaten of Dolphin Fish the which if at any time he hath then they deuoure him if not then they defend him from the biting of all other Fishes and bring him to the shoare as it were to his funeralles in the earth Lo although theis Sea-beasts doe by nature reuenge any iniurie yet are they farre off from the persecuting of him that neuer hurt or annoyed them howbeit such is mans cruelty and commonly the vse of mighty persons that they persecute and hurt them grieuously of whome they neuer receiued nor are like to receiue any dammage at all Wherein they righgtly resemble the wolfe which quarrelled with the Lambe and tooke an occasion to kill and deuour him because he drank beneath him in the riuer But as I said albeit it had beene but a iust thing in the king to haue reuenged that iniury yet was hee more mercifull and gentle to his foes to whome in steede of death deserued zadoke hee pardoned and them preserued * Yee haue well saide quod Zadoke and thus shoulde Adoniah haue well remembred and considered accordingly and not haue attempted further matter to prouoke the Kings displeasure and turne mercy into iustice against his owne life But seeing that hee woulde not continue thankefull vnto his Grace but renewe his old malice and thereby worke to supplant the Lordes Annointed I see no reason why the King shoulde further spare him to the danger of his own safetie Therefore I verily belieue that the king hath hath not offended either against God or the lawe in that hee afterward perceiuing the wickednes and ambitious practises of Adoniah Benaiah did cause him to bee rewarded with death And well worthie said Benaiah for notwithstanding the King had most gratiously pardoned him and charged him thereon in my hearing to bee conteyned within his owne house hee yet presumed too boldely to come foorth and most malepertly to rush into the Queenes Chamber after Davids death in such sorte that shee was therewith wonderfully afraide of him neither coulde shee easily bee perswaded that hee beeing her mortal enemy though now subdued would either wish her well or entend her any good For as enemies are not to bee trusted notwithstanding their faire faces and wordes so beyond others had she a great cause to doubt of Adoniah who as she wel knew bare her a deadly hatred for that by her means
the sooner Solomon came to the royall Seat the which he Adoniah had so ambitiously and eagrelie affected and vnlawfully vsurped in his fathers life-time Whereat notwithstanding that she was as betwene hope and dispayre when she saw him sodenlie to enter her chamber she asked him if he came to her in peace and he answered yea whatsoeuer he meant and he said that he had a certaine petition vnto her which was that she would be a meane for him to the king that he would giue him to wife Abisag the Sunamite who had beene sometimes king Davids bedfellow to warme and nourish him in his weake old age In the which practice he had a purpose to aspire to the kingdom not onely for that though he were the fourth yet the eldest of king Davids sonnes then liuing but also combined with her who was estéemed as king Davids wife he might the sooner in his owne conceite and by the suggestion of the kinges enemies haue obtained the soueraigntie The which deceit and pretence of his the Quéene as yet perceiued not and therefore partlie for dread and partlie for good-will she bare him for king Davids sake she condiscended to his desire and made request for him vnto the king But the king being right wise soone espied this to be a suttle deuise of Adoniah for his owne aduancement The nature manner of the ambitious hee knew well that the ambitious are euery way ready to insinuate themselues into fauour before they be preferred they will faine humilitie lowlines honestie affabilitie and all benignitie they will follow and obey at a becke they will flatter and giue applause to all mens doings fearing to offend any yea and as is the common prouerb they will brush off the dust from the coate which hath no dust at all But being once aduanced exalted they begin to change their opinions and soone alter their manners for now they are become proud and glorious boasters they neuer care to profit but are glad of prefermēt they thinke themselues far better then others because they be placed higher then others their former friends they disdaine know not their old acquaintances they contemne their benefactors and bee vnthankefull to them which haue done them the highest good To let passe other things they be burthensom to their subiects hateful to al men headstrong troublesom arrogant gréeuous and importune This I say the king knew wel and that Adoniah was swolne with this humour Moreouer he perceiued that this matter did doth proceed and was furthered by two others his deadly foes namely Ioab and Abiather who thereby intended to supplant the king and to set vppe Adoniah And therefore when Queene Bethsabe requested the king for Adoniah according to her promise he answered her And why doest thou aske Abisag for Adoniah aske for him the kingdome also for he is mine elder brother and hath for him both Abiather the the priest and Ioab the sonne of Zerviah for he knew that if Adoniah had once gotten Abisag who was so deare and neere vnto his father he would also with her haue sought for the Crowne Therefore he sware and pronounced a sentence against Adoniah to recompence his wicked ambition and iniquitie saying God do so to me and more also if Adoniah hath not spoken this against his owne life Therefore the king being well aduised for he did euery thing with iudgement sent and commanded me to smite him that he might die thereby the sooner to establish the gouerment according to the will word of the Lord the which Adoniah his counsailors had practised to hinder ouerthrow Therfore this actiō of the king neither may be reproued nor may occasion him now after so many yeares of peace to be offēded with himselfe therefore Abiather * Thus haue yee saide quod Abiather and your wordes in mine opiniō may not be iustlie reproued The dealings of Solomon against Abiather the priest for yee haue spoken nothing but truth But what shall we say to this that the king at his entrance did both depriue Abiather then the Lordes priest of his office and expelled and bannished him the Lordes house Although I haue the like name my Lordes I neither propose this question nor speake as if I would defēd the cause of the Abiather against the king and his proceedinges therein but because I haue heard some opposition to the same by others and I would willingly they should be resolued zadok To this answered Zadok As I may not condemn that Abiather my predecessour because I woulde my selfe as Primas should be aduāced and approued in the place so neither may I dislike in equity the kings proceedings against him For firste it is certayne that Abiather behaued not himselfe worthely in his place and therefore was iustly depriued For albeyt my-selfe am now high Priest yet if I should not answere to my calling and name I allow the verification of that sentence of the kinges father on my selfe Let his daies be few and his office let another take And as cōcerning Abiather it became him not to counsaile Adoniah and to confederate with him in that he vnlawfullie couetted to be king both without the consent of his father and against the rightfull honor of king Solomō * Next it is most apparant how the Lord would that now by this occasion that word of his should be performed which was sometime spoken to Eli the priest 1 Sam. 2.32 that for the high dishonor and contempt of Godes seruice in his children and by him permitted the priesthood should be taken away from him and his house and another should be preferred in the same This was brought to passe when Abiather was reiected and zadocke taken to be the high priest 2 Sam. 2 32 The which the King béeing wise and indowed with a principall spirit did in time wisely consider and iustlie performed in the depriuing of Abiather and placing me in his office for there is not any word of the Lord which shall fall to the ground but shall be performed in the appointed time Howbeit the king according to the exellencie of his wisedome would neither slay nor cruellie torment or vexe that vnfaithfull Abiather because he had béene the Lordes higd priest and had beene a companiō a fauourer of his father David in all his afflictiōs Wherein he expressed a right sober mercifull and gratefull minde for he reuerenced the Lords ordinance and lawfull function of the person albeit the person was vnworthie he shewed lenitie where rigour was deserued and he would not that his hatefull enemie should be occasioned either iustlie to comdemne him or at the least to accuse him of any sauour of oppression tyrannie cruelty or vnkindnesse towardes him which had béene kind to his father in his afflictions though now after his fathers departure And surelie these are the virtues which are not common or vsuall among the men of this life especiallie among Princes and
your soules Wherefore as his most excellent Maiestie hath rightly cōdemned Ioab and thereon commaunded him to bee executed according to the law in this case prouided and the charge that David gaue him a little before hee fell a sleepe so can wee not but worthily approue his iudgementes iustifie his proceedings and perswade that as thereby hee hath remoued away euill form his kingdom and house so neither hath he taken thereof any occasion of this great heauines wherewith he now languisheth for Ioab as ye know was not onely a wicked murtherer proud enuious and ambitious of honor but also stubborne and rebellious against the king a conspiratour with Adoniah the kings enemie perfidious treacherous seditious and couetous and in a word replenished with many vices where with hee was distained to the dishonor of our religion the daunger of our king the euill example of the nobles and the shame of himselfe Yee haue well spoken saide all the other Princes and Lordes And indéede this is not strange for wee our selues haue oftentimes seene and wel obserued that the vngodly and irreligious persons though long forborne and suffered to sinne yea and to wallow in impieties saying vnto themselues peace and all is well yet sodainly as holy Iob said they descend downe to the hell neither shal their pompe follow thē for glutted with prosperitie inveterated in malice hardened in heart and farre off from true repentance they euen prouoke the diuine power to powre on them that which they haue iustly merited in their abhominations And truely this is one of those thinges which follow man ordinary course and semblable succession in the world But to speake of Ioab we know that the kinges father having the spirite of Iehovah his God taught him how intollerable the sufferance of such a member as Ioab was should bee esteemed in his wisedome which much better were to bee expelled and abandoned of the people then that hee should bee the occasion of conspiracies and seditious in the common State remembring this beyond many other his mischiefes that hee had embrued his sword which hung on his loines in the bloud of a friend as if he had beene his enemie in the open fielde And now againe he euen bewraied himselfe openly as priuie to the new conspiracie of Adoniah who aspiring the second time to the kingdom of Israel sought to obtain to wife Abisag K. Davids last bedfellow for his conscience condemning him he fled frō the kings face and tooke hold as ye haue said of the horns of the Altar howbeit being a man wise acquainted with the law he might haue known that a volūtary murtherer or traitor was not to be protected in that place moreouer if he had alleadged that seeing the kings pleasure was to slay him indéed yet he would die in that holy place as before the Lord yet he might know for certaintie that the place shold be nothing profitable vnto him there to die seeing that for his impietie he was not worthy there to be interred amōg his fathers whereof all such are worthily depriued which are executed by an ordinary sentēce iudgemēt of law as execrable malefactors And in very déed wherfore shold such persōs as in their profanitie neither feare God nor loue his house nor care for his Altar nor regarde his diuine Seruice nor seeke to honour him in their liues presume so much on his house on his Altar on his tabernacle and Sanctuarye as either there to be protected or there to rest their wandring bones For as the Castle of Syon spewed out the halte and the blinde that David and such as retained both Vrim and Thumim might lodge and dwell there so the Lordes hill the Lordes tabernacle and his holy house is built prouided and prepared for them onely which feare and serue him in singlenes of heart all the daies of his life Then Banaiah proceeded saying The proceedings of the K. against Shimei 1. Kings 2.8 The like may be resolued concerning that iudgement which was giuen and executed on Shimei the sonne of Gera the sonne of Gemini of Bahurim whom the king commanded me to strike I speak not this my Lords to excuse my selfe of crime as guiltie in that action although I may not want my iustification therein but in regard of the equity of the cause For it is not vnknown vnto you and to many others that yet remaine aliue how that Shimei for getting himselfe and his oath with the reuerence hee should haue yeelded king David cast stones at him and at his seruants and withall railed at him and cursed him being the Lords annointed with an horrible curse in the day when he went to Mahavim and thus he said in great envy malice pride and contempt of the king euen to the king himselfe The railing wordes of Shimei 2. Sam. 16.5.6 Come forth come forth thou bloodshedder thou mā of Belial The Lord hath brought vpon thee all the bloud of the house of Saul in whose steede thou hast raigned and the Lord hath delivered the kingdome into the hand of Absolon thy sonne And behold thou art come to thy mischiefe because thou art a man of bloud Such words spake Shimei and so misdemeaned he himselfe euen against king David and his seruants Howbeit David was then contented to forbeare to reuenge this iniury on him although there wer standing about him that offered to go and to take away his head yea and afterward when he came and submitted himselfe to David he promised him rest from his hand neither woulde he strike him in all his daies Neuerthelesse he left the consideration therof to Solomon his Sonne whom he wel knew the Lord had inspired with a princely Spirit and noble mind and therefore could not be ignorant how to deale and behaue himselfe in these and such like causes And so likewise our Lord the King beeing as mercifull as he was wise did not in all the hast set on wicked Shimei to recompence that abuse he gaue to his father but first he called him and remembered him of his vnreuerent behaviour towards the Lords annointed thē he willed him to build him an house in Ierusalē to dwelm not to aduenture abrode said Be thou sure that the day that thou goest out and passest over the river Cedron thou shalt dye and thy blood shal be on thine owne head To the which Shemei gaue answer This saying is good As my Lord the King hath said so will thy servant doe By which wordes as he cleared and iustified both the king and his proceedings so did hee both iudge and condemne himselfe if he kept not that commandement of the king And yet we may not imagine but that he granted further then that he had any desire to performe as those which being endangered vow and promise many thinges more then euer they purpose to pay the danger beeing once past and that hee thus promised more for dread punishment then for any loue
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
gouerning of the common-wealth of Israel And surely when these both departed from vs we found as ye haue in sort signified that a great part of the light of Israel was shadowed and the kings honour blemished but such is their lots and such is our discomfort and the occasion of the kings sorrow Now here wee may remember well what the Lord God said to Moses a little before his departure from Israel Deut. 3 116. Behold said he thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers and this people will rise vp and go a whoaring after strange Gods of the land whether they go and will forsake mee and breake the appointment which I have made with them and then my wrath shall waxe hot against them in that day and I will forsake them and hide my face from them and they shal be consumed and much aduersitie and tribulation shall come vpon them so that they will say are not those troubles come vpon me because God is not with me Wherein we may see the order of the destruction of them whom the Lord determineth to consume First hee taketh away their godly and vertuous Prince then they as people without good gouernment depart from him and liue in all abhomination then his wrath is kindled against them then he hideth away his face and fauour from them then hee grieuously afflicteth them and in conclusion consumeth them This partly beginneth to worke on vs in the taking away of those wise Counsailors but oh God! what may wee feare to ensewe on vs of our Soueraigne King shoulde bee also called away Surely then it cannot otherwise bee but that those troubles which awayte for vs in such a time will sodenly seise on vs to our extreame paine and miserye In the meane time it is meete that we bee diligent in our duties and places aswell towardes the king as towards the people and assay to supply them which are so departed aboue all let vs haue an eye to the law of our God and not to contemne the same nor in any sort neglect it that so the Lord may thereby the sooner in his mercy regard the king and his people that neither we may be without an honourable King nor his Maiesty destitute both of faithfull counsaylors and obedient Subiects But now most reuerend father we also request that the fifth cause of the kings sorrow be likewise examined the which as ye said riseth of the yong Prince Rhehoboham the kings sonne and heire apparent to the kingdome CHAP. XVIII The 5. 6. causes of the kings sorrow viz of Rhehoboam Hadad Rhelon and Ieroboam THe fifth cause of the kinges trouble saide Zadoke is indeede of Rhehoboam who notwithstanding his right vertuous and rare educatioÌ„ which might wel perswade in him obsequie obedience the feare of God and a godly life through the wisdom and especiall regard of the king doth yet rather imitate and follow the corrupt humour and vnthrifty nature of his mother Naama the Ammonitisse then the good nature Rhehoboam his nature and inclination and wisedome of his father and he leaneth more vnto those yong and gréene heads that are growen vp with him and haue waited attended and beene conuersant with him in his childhood then to any of the K. noble Princes wise Counsailors the which the King perceiueth and knoweth to pronosticate the decay of his house and the dissipation of his honour For Rhehoboam being a yong man will haue his owne will and his owne libertie he is growen disobedient and scarcely can be restraigned by his father or kept within the boundes of his duty The King séeth whereto this will grow after his departure when this yong Prince shal be placed in the throne haue the raines at wil And truly this wil be to vs a very straÌ„ge Metamorphosis and sory change Thus as the King in his divine wisedome foreseeth the misery which the euerlasting God will bring vppon vs and his people so doth he more then feare the same to be iustly occasioned and performed in the daies of that Prince Rehoboam that is to succeed him that during his owne time this matter shal be deferred for the sake of David the Lords annointed to whome God had made a faithfull promise which concerned not him alone but also his Seede 2. Sam. 7. And that notwithstanding he well perceiueth that the people begin to affect Rehoboam more then they either loue or like him their preseÌ„t king for who is els that second man which shall stand vp after him of whome he lately spake Eccles. 4.15 Now hence is it that the king is occasioned to loath the labours of his owne handes to lament that vnhappy condition of his sonne and the people and thereof it is that hee saith in the wofulnes of his heart I am weary of my labors which I haue taken vnder the Sun Eccles. 2.18 because I shall be faine to leaue them to another man that commeth after me and who knoweth whether hee shall be a wise man or a foole and yet shall he be Lord of all my labors which I with such wisdome haue taken vnder the Sun Then turning towards his people he said Wo bee to thee thou land whose King is but a child meaning a child in affection manners and wit such as Rehoboam is feared to proue after him and wo be to thee O land whose Princes are earely at their banquets meaning such as those counsailors of Rehoboam and companions of his youth shall declare themselues to be And thereunto he added this affixe Through slothfulnes the balkes fall downe and through idle handes it raineth in at the house Surely surely the vntowardnes of this youthful Prince hath already very much disquieted the kings heart neither besides all the former causes can it be otherwise then an vnspeak able griefe to a most louing and deere father especially to such a rare wise renowmed magnificent mighty magnanimious and glorious king to leaue behind him a thriftles an vnhappy child possessor of all those his ingenious trauailes It was not without good cause that father Noah in the griefe of his heart Gen. 9.25 denounced a bitter curse on Canaan the sonne of Cham and his generation whereof there ensewed no meane incoÌ„uenieÌ„ce to the Chananâ—ts in posterity who at this day as ye see stand odious in the sight both of God and of our nation Neither may we imagine that any light cause shall moue a father to cast on his owne children a curse in steed of a blessing So the sorrow of our first parent Adam conceiued vpoÌ„ the vngodly and brutish behauiour of his first borne Cain especially in that tragicall action perpetrated against God and his brother Habel was so great that Adam was verily resolued as it is deliuered vnto vs not to know his wife any more that thenceforth he might not be occasioned to lameÌ„t be grieued in such sort for the losse of another sonne neither did he know her
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
God the which we must seeke by godly repentance obtaine by faithfull praier vnto God in the trust of Messiah vntill which time the Lord will neuer be perswaded to draw in his hand which is stretched forth Solomon repenteth This the King himselfe well knoweth and therefore he is humbled on the ground he bewaileth himselfe hee weepeth hee lamenteth hee abandoneth the vaine things of this world and he turneth himselfe both body and minde as in the best sort of pennance vnto his God who I doubt not but wil be mercifull vnto him as he was merciful vnto his father David when he so repented * But yet in this interim to the aggrauating of the kinges griefe it is fallen out of late whereof the King is also certified for what can be hidden from his eyes that when this fellow Ieroboham departed from Ierusalem the Prophet Ahiah the Sylonite found him in the way hauing a new garment on him and they two being alone in the field the Prophet caught that new garment and rent it in twelue peeces The Lord threatneth Solomon to punish him for sin 1. King 11. and said to Ieroboham Take vnto thee ten peeces for thus saith the Lord God of Israel behold I will rent the kingdome out of the handes of Solomon and will give ten tribes to thee and thou shall raigne according to all that my soule desireth and shalt be King over Israel Againe I will for this offence which Solomon hath committed punish the seede of David but not for ever Now the consideration of this being added to the former hath caused the kings eies to faile through weeping his bowels to swell his liuer to be powred out on the earth and himselfe to swoone in the middest of his house Neither shoulde we also in the regard of this his great sorrow and the miseries imminent on him on vs and on the people but wéepe and howle with him and repent and cry to the Lord for mercy CAP. XXII Zadoks Reede is approved and secunded touching the cause of K. Solomons trouble And it is so recorded THe former speeches being well heard considered accordingly by the Lords assembled Prince Zabud the kings familiar friend answered My Lord Zadoke I suppose ye haue fully pierced the centre and haue plainely reuealed though in secret vnto vs the highest cause of this so strange metamorphosis and alteration of the king Your words so graue and right reuerendly disposed on this occasion wee allow as wel worthie and commend your plaine manner of dealing in this matter though of such waight for howsoeuer it bee honourable to conceale the Kinges secrets as my Lorde the Kings secretarie will confesse yet in this case I hold it necessarie that those things bee manifested to vs of this assembly no lesse then it shal be needfull that the sicknesse and griefe of the languishing patient with the causes thereof bee made knowen to the faithfull Phisician who at the least howsoeuer he may be able or not able to cure the malady wil neuerthelesse extend his good wil endeuour his best and wish the patient health And out of doubt as ye haue said so may I say what I likewise haue obserued being ordinarily so neere his grace as any one els in his Court that he hath had very lately a message sent him from God containing both a sharpe reprehension and a fearefull commination The message was therefore irksome to him for who may but bash when God reprooueth him and who should not tremble at the sentence of punishment The reproofe toucheth to the quicke but the threate dawnteth the guiltie conscience for as the one argueth a displeasure for a fault committed so the other awardeth iudgement for the same But yet what the very cause thereof was I could not vnderstand vntill now for ye haue said it to be besides all other causes the high displeasure of God iustly conceiued against the King and his people for that the King hath contrary to the diuine law multiplyed wiues to himselfe in a great number that he hath also combined himselfe with strange Women yea such as are strangers in Religion to vs and that by their societie and temptations he hath beene allured and turned his hart from Iehovah his God then the which alas what can be more reprehensible horrible and fearefull * The King himselfe said Zadok will not at the least he should not dissemble this matter zadoke proceedeth to tell what the prophet said to K. Solomon for the Prophet who brought him this Embassady from God deliuered it not in a corner nor staggered he to tell it to the Kings face and that with wonderfull audacitie For so God commaunded him to doe and neither to feare nor dissemble nor conceale any thing of that he had in charge and he had his authoritie and power then from God which emboldned him Therefore the holy Prophets whom God authoriseth and sendeth forth into the world The boldnes of the prophets setting God before their eyes and their duty nothing dread the faces of mortall men in their holy ministry and seruice vnto whose aspect the greatest potentates of the earth which feare not the Lord of heauen appeare but as sauage beasts or base things that perrish howsoeuer glorious they seeme to the conceits of prophane men So the Prophet beholding the King charged him and said without feare that he had transgressed and not obserued that which first David the Kings father receiued from the Lord and had giuen him in charge to performe nor that which Iehovah his God appearing to him at two sundry times willed him to obserue keepe as he was willing to enioy and retaine his blessings bee shadowed vnder the safe wings of his protection possesse the peace both of mind and body and thenceforth prosper in his place M. Recorder ye know well where the words be recorded I pray you to turne over the Annales till yee finde the place and then let vs heare the wordes read openly before vs all that we may the better consider and compare the same with the Kings dealings Iehosophat the Recorder findeth the record of the matter in the Annales Psal 102.18 for thus must one thing bee considered with another if we thinke to vnderstand that which we desier and to effect the thing which to our duty belongeth * I am here ready said Iehosophat the Recorder and I know very wel where this matter lyeth written Oh how necessary and profitable is the true record of things in writing And this is written for them that come after that they thereof may learne to bee wise as we are taught by the writings of Moses Iosuah Samuel and others both learned godly that liued before our daies And now my Lords all hearken what I haue founde written by Nathan the Prophet in the Kinges Annales Most willingly said the Lordes therefore read on in the name of God I finde said Iehosophat that after the time Solomō
Lorde forbid for besides many other reasons we shall through such vntruthes not onely hurt the King and delude his people but ouerthrow our selues But may wee vnderstand most reuerend Father by sound report what all those things are that be or may be obiected against the king and his Sermons and words which might impayre the credit of the one and the authoritie of the other It is good to withstand the beginnings of mischiefes for if such conceits haue already entred the eares and mindes of men what may wee thinke will thereof ensue in processe of time if there be not a preuention ye know the common aduise Withstand the beginning of a maladie els the medicine will too lately be applyed But as a worde spoken in due season is like apples of gold in a graued worke of siluer so the testimonie which we shall exhibite with you vnto the king in this opportune time shall bee pretious and full of excellent beautie in the face of them that feare the Lord in time to come Therefore as Abiather hath ministred vnto vs the occasion of this question let him also declare heere before vs all what hee hath heard or may imagine to bee obiected against the king and those the kings words And let him also say what he feareth may yet be further excepted to the same alwayes prouided that modestie be not transgressed Then answered Abiather My Lords sauing alwayes the kings reuerence Abiather reporteth what he hath heard obiected against the king and his words and the credite of his wordes with the pleasure of your honours I will speake as the reseconding Echo reporting rather the wordes and speaches of others than any of mine owne for both against my Lorde the kings Highnesse and also against his sermons and words I haue heard of late some and that not meane nor ignorant but great personages and prudent largely to obiect Neither may any of vs thinke otherwise but that the king and his words and life are obserued and noted by others not onely his friends but his enemies also The words the liues and behaviour of princes are obserued of the people and so much the sooner because hee is the King on whom before all others the eyes of all the people are bent as on a famous citie set on an hill or as on a light on the table And truely the errors and meane faultes of Princes whose liues are set foorth to bee séene obserued and followed of many appeare often wonderfull great as in the face of a man a little webbe or scarre is sooner seene and disliked then a farre greater spot or blemish in any other the parts of the body And then as the eclipsing or defect of the Sunne bringeth a great annoyance to the earth and no lesse calamitie to men and other inferiour treasures those faults and errors of the king who should chiefly direct all others to the common good and highest felicitie engender no small perturbation and other great inconueniencies in the affaires of his Kingdome and Common-wealth An admonition to princes Therefore it is meet that the king and such high estates do walke aduisedly both in word deed with honourable behauior and that Princes bee right wary that they neither doe nor suffer to be done any thing which themselues would not that the people should not obserue or imitate or iustly dislike in them aboue all they must regard that they neither commit nor command any thing contrary to the Law of God and the honour of that place wherein they that stand are called Gods because they represent the Maiestie of God and raigne by his prouidence and power to doe equitie and righteousnesse vnto the people And heerein observing dutie they stand devoyd of all dreade honoured of their Subiects and others and goe foorth most couragiously in their lawfull enterprises no more respecting the sinister talkes of their malicious enemies then the great barbed horses feare of those little Curres which barke at their heeles But when these rules bee neither obserued nor followed both the honour of the place is distained by those persons and themselues in fine requited with obloquie and diffame For as the great ramping Lyon so gréedy of his pray is made afraid both at the crowing of the Cocke and at the sight of the Cockes-combe so many mightie and high Potentates of the earth in the knowledge of their owne slidings haue been wonderfully annoyed and astonished both by the hard reportes of very meane persons and by their churlish behauior towards them and their honor vpon such occasions And I doe no lesse feare that both the reports which are carryed abroad and the opinions of men with their demeanure occasioned thereby towards the king hath both much disgraced his high magnificencie and disquieted his happy peace Moreouer there be which stick not to except against his gouernment For as the rule wherby men worke must first be made straight and plaine before the worke can thereby be either corrected or directed so a prince ought to be free from all heinous vices yea it is required that he be perfect and sound in all princely vertues before hee be able to rule well or to correct or to direct others Neither indeede amongst the wisest haue such persons beene esteemed worthie to beare rule in the affayres of a Kingdome or to instruct guide and direct others in the Church which haue not throughly subdued their affections restrained their appetites abandoned their lustes and bridled their naturall passions Truely these and such like are the ordinary matters nowe in question and much ruminated among the very rusticall and Countrey people in such sorte as the eares of them that heare the same may glowe the King himselfe may bee sorie and all wee of his Court vtterly ashamed And first against the king himselfe there be which thus obiect Obiections against King Solomon Although that King Solomon hath in his time farre excelled all the kings in the world in wisedome wealth glory and other things of the highest request yet beyond all expectation he hath wonderfully transgressed sinned against God against his people against his own honour And with this they bring foorth against him all whatsoeuer my Lorde Zadok hath saide before and a great deale more Wherein they point at him as at one of the fooles of Israel farre vnmeete the dignitie of his place honor of his calling and reuerence of his Age. for as he best knoweth the nature of all hearbs and beastes hee should in this they say haue imitated the nature of either the hearbe or of the beast Chamoeleon whereof the one will euer change the colour of her leaues to the qualitie of the place wherein shee groweth and the other will resemble the colours and shewes obiected Thus it was saide of Saul i. Sam. 10.6 assoone as Samuel had annointed him for King ouer Israel that hee was chaunged into another man Thus also our Lorde the king
and the law in their seuerall places and functions th' other generall parte is that holiest place into the which none but only the high Priest and that once in the yeere enireth to sacrifice aswell for himselfe as for the people By the former is expressed the condition of that part of the Church which is in this life militant gathered and made vp of all sortes aswell of the common people as of the priestes and of the Gentiles together with the Iewes By the latter is signified that part which containeth onely the Lordes holy elect and glorious company of heauenly Sainctes in the kingdome of holy Messiah Betweene those two partes of the Temple there is made a certaine lofte or Chamber boorded or séeled By the which is not vnaptly signified mans mortall body in this world the which neuerthelesse being once rent or dissolved the gate or entrance is made open of the passage from the one part to the other For by this we passe out of the troubles and confusion of this place into the place of glorie This Temple hath a foundation strong and permanent by the which is signified the power and might of Messiah who beeing best able to support and beare the burden and building of his Church hath laid the same on himselfe as that sure rocke of rest vpon the which whatsoeuer is fast grounded shall stand and neuer fall This is the same by whome our fathers in the wildernesse were relieued and strengthned This Temple hath also walles standing on that foundation raised vp of framed stones and set well in order by the which we vnderstand the goodly companies of holy men rightly disposed and well ordered in the same There bee also windowes to giue in the light By the which are ment the order of the wise teachers ministers in the same There be pretious stones which note the most excellent Princes Prophets Priestes and Magistrates There bee two Altars wherof the one is of gold standing in the holiest place th' other is of brasse standing in the other part By the former we consider the merite of Messiah by the other the pure heart of the holy ones On the one is offered the same vnspotted Lambe vnto which all the sacrificed Lambes of our law do point on the other is lifted vp that sacrifice of praier faith thanksgiuing and righteousnes where of King David hath spoken There bee also Cherubins in the holiest place which note those Angels and ministring Spirits which standing in the heauenly presence are most obedient to his wil and euen ready to helpe succour and comfort the Saincts which are on the earth There bee lights and Candles in number ten By the lights are ment the doctrine of the right knowledge of God by the which the people are taught and instructed and by the Candlestickes wee may consider that diuine law vnto the which hee woulde that all those doctrines and instructions shoulde drawe men and to note the perfection thereof as alluding to the tenne commaundementes in the Law which indeede conteineth the very summe of all other commandements they are in number ten for this is a number of perfection Moreouer on the walles bee certaine pictures most gloriously beautified which expresse the noble graces and vertues of those liuely stones I meane the saints and withall diuers other things right beautifull and most admirable which also are to bee applyed to so many sundry functions administrations duties offices vertues in the Church of Messiah of the which I may not presently delate nor may as yet presume to vnfold that which I know shall be shut vp and fast sealed from the perfect knowledge of man Many things were sealed vp from mans knowledge before the comming of Messiah vntill the comming of that most holy one Moses himselfe could see but the very backe partes of him whom he desired to behold and things which shall be indeede are as obscurely shadowed vnto vs as yet But when hee commeth hee will both confirme that which is declared and shewe all things else most plainly which yet are hidden from our eyes Now all these things my Lords are not vnknowne vnto you or at the least vnto some of you and therefore I am sure yee will not yéeld to this that the King should bee either called or accounted a damned or reprobated or prophane person but rather as yee should indeed conclude and subscribe to this that King Solomon whom the Lord his God hath appointed the Builder of his Temple which so lively expresseth the holy Church of Messiah and there in hath made him an excellent figure of that Messiah is a Saint of the Lord elected and ordained to salvation To this answered all the Princes Indeede wee know it but much the better by this your explanation And therefore we see no reason to denie your conclusion but rather as we should doe acknowledge and confesse the Kings Holines and subscribe to that whatsoeuer ye haue said concerning the same And now my Lord Zadok if ye haue any thing els further to ratifie or establish that which yee haue assumed although we doubt not of any thing We pray you to bring it foorth also that his Highnesse be not defrauded of that which in right hee ought to haue nor others left without a resolution of that whereof they might peraduenture rest doubtfull Neither are wee any thing weary to heare you to speake so iustly for the king so delectably for vs and so profitably for the people Yee haue thus farre walked in a very pleasant way Walke on as yet good father proceed and bee not faint the ende of this course is both profitable and right praise worthy in the iudgement of all good men CAP. XXVII Zadok produceth many other arguments to proove that Solomon was a Saint appointed to salvation ZAdok listening to the godly desire of the Princes touching the further probation of the kings holines and acceptation with the Lord notwithstāding his sins opened his mouth againe and saide God forbid my Lords that I should either conceile or keepe backe any thing of that which may either satisfie you to be reuealed or confirme my former proposition in the which I assumed that the king was a Saint of the Lorde Therefore hearken and I will speake As the Lord our God had chosen and appointed the king to be a true figure of Messiah in the building of his Temple and therein a Saint of the Lord So also hath the same Lord ordained and declared many other notable things in and by the king to fore-shew and expresse the same for surely vnto this belongeth also the honor of his birth and acceptation his diuers titles and names his wisedom his iudgements his wealth his kingdom his fame with many his actions his words his qualities his graces his vertues and rare enduments most admirable in the eyes of all men Of some few of the which I will speake very briefely for to tell of them al I
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
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
had said before touching those things The works of a mans vocatiō are not condemned c. which the King would comprehend within Vanities kingdome It is not his meaning by that his expostulation to condemne the lawfull workes of any mans vocation in this life which are to him either enioyned or commended with a promise of blessing nor to discourage any person from his studie and labours in the same I neede not to tell you againe that as the king is most wise so he best knoweth what a man is what hee is to susteine in his life and wherein hee may finde peace and rest for his soule and that after his wisedome and experience he knoweth well what the Lawe what the Prophets what the Psalmes and wise men before him haue therein both taught and commanded neither hath hee euer giuen that semblance or shewe of prophanitie or impietie to oppose himselfe in his Doctrine and wordes against those holy Oracles so receiued and well approued of the chiefe Maisters of the Assemblyes Eccles 12.11 Eccles. 4. 5. and 5.11 But in this the King speaketh not of those laudable workes and actions of a man nor of all kindes of labours and workes vnto him enioyned and incident the which truely I haue heard him many times to commend yea and to praise them which are diligent in doing and effecting them well Againe I haue heard him vehemently to reprooue such persons as giue ouer themselues to idlenesse in the neglect of the works of their lawfull vocations What things are condemned But the K. in this place pointeth at the vaine and miserable studies counsayles deuises endeuors of man after the which in conclusion ensueth the practize of that which hee neither can nor may lawfully compasse and performe And this is made plaine by the due consideration of the Kings wordes of the same expostulation in the which wee consider this that the King speaking of mans labours Nota Exod. 20.9 taketh not any of those three wordes vsed by the Lorde in the Law where hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt labour and thou shalt doe all thy worke The first worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth any kinde of seruice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or seruile labours such as are not to be done on the Sabboth or Festiuall dayes but on other dayes they are to bee done without deniall by this warrant Levit. 23.2 Exo. 20.9 Sixe dayes thou shalt labour But that kinde of labour the king meaneth not in those his wordes What getteth a man els of all his labours The second worde of the Lawe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to doe or to make any thing and herence is that worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a deede or worke done or wrought or the effecting of any thing by any action or worke This worde hath that place of Iob whereas it is said to God concerning him Iob. 1.10 Exod. 18.20 Thou hast blessed the worke or labour of his hands so said Iethro to Moses Shew them the way wherein they must walke and the worke or labour that they must doe But the King hath not vsed this word of the Law in his sentence The third word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which noteth euery thing which serueth to to the vse and ministerie of man whether Artes or Workes or Flockes or whatsoeuer else which are gotten and obtained by the labour and industry of man This Labour Levit. 23.2 Exod. 12.16 and 20.9 is a worke necessarie to mans life and is not forbidden to bee done but on the Saboth dayes and holy convocations else they are both lawfull and commendable for in sixe dayes saith the Lorde thou shalt doe all thy worke which is necessarie to bee done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither hath the King that worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth that worke which is done with an earnest affection and desire to be effected and is both lawfull and laudable in them that studie and endeuour to doe and performe the worke of the Lorde with diligence This truely obserued the kings father in the Lorde himselfe to whom he thus sang Our eares haue heard our Fathers tell psal 44.1 and reverently record The wonderous workes that thou hast done in elder times O Lorde But the worde which the King here vseth and applyeth to this his purpose is as yee know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a labour with wearinesse and not with pleasure or delight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as are those other labours wherein a man expecteth the ende of his workes with sacietie For it hath tediousnesse and no relevation it hath sorrowfull despare and no hope of comfort in respect either of the horrible loathsomnes or of the vnhappy euent thereof for it is wonderfull tedious and yet in the ende effecteth nothing to content or please the minde This is that worke whereof spake Iob Iob. 3.10 saying He hid not sorrow from mine eyes and the same which the Kings father hath concerning that vngodly sinner singing thus Behold he labours in the throwes of mischiefes He hath conceived sorrow and brought forth impieties Gen. 2. But this is not that or such a kinde of labour as Adam had in Paradize or that which men should haue laboured in if that Adam had not fallen from that his blessed estate but rather that The effect of Adams fall which all men are constrained to feele as an effect of Adams fall hauing an affinitie with those 2. words which beyond all other expresse and set forth the vanitie of man the first whereof is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath the same letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but being inverted or other wise placed it varieth onely the manner of signification and is interpreted as ye know transgression preuarication a voluntary transcension against the conscience a contempt contumacie or rashnes and namely the trespasse of a subiect against his Prince of a wife against her husband of a seruant against his maister of a sonne against his father according as we find it in Levit. 5.17 and in Iob. 21.34 and some other places of the holy Scriptures * The other worde which is so neere allyed to this in signification is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aven that euill concupiscence of our first parents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the which they hauing listened to the Serpent transgressed the commandement of God Iob. 31.3 This is that whereof the same Iob spake Is not destruction said he vnto the wicked and some strange thing to the workers of concupiscence against the same sang the Psalmist Psal 119.133 Direct a right my steps to walke within thy way Then shall not vile Concupiscence within me beare the sway And this word is oftentimes applyed to Idolatrie as Samuel sayde to Saul 1. Sam. 15. 23. who rebelled
against the Lorde Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and concupiscence and Idolatrye breakes out By this then it appeareth that the king meaneth chiefly this kinde of affliction of man and that whereof himselfe was weary as hee saide I am weary of my labours Next hee calleth those labours his labours wherein hee confirmeth that which was saide before touching the abridging of Col. For in this hee speaketh onely of mans labours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mans labors so named for 3 causes and hee calleth them so for three causes first because they bee occasioned through mans owne malice and concupiscence Secondly for that they bee imposed on him for a iust punishment of his rebellion and sinne in this life Thirdly because they bee the same wherein a man is most exercised and busied in this worlde And by this difference hee excludeth from this vanity all the workes of God and all those labours which are wrought by man according to the will and worde of God Deut. 32. For as a man is cōtrary to God in his nature so is he also contrary to him in all his works labours thoughts waies and deuises Thirdly the King hath shewed the place of these labours which is as ye heard him to say vnderneath the Sunne that is within the limites of Vanities kingdome among worldly men The place of mans labors which in the world are of a lewd mind and without God For the things that are wrought in mans heart and disposed by the diuine spirit are not called either the works of man or the labours of man vnder the Sunne but they be called properly as they be indéed the Workes of God deuised decreede and wrought in heauen by him that spake the worde and all thinges were done To bee briefe the King hath here brought in two generall argumentes to proue his former generall proposition vanitye of vanities 2 Arguments against mans vanitie the first whereof is taken from the condition of man in this life in the which howsoeuer hee search hee findeth nought els of himselfe but labour and toyle The second argument is taken from the effects and fruites of his labours wherein when hee hath vexed him selfe hee findeth no contentation no sacietie and so no felicity but altogether vanitie and vexation of the spirite And that the king might more fully expresse the greatnesse of this Vanitye and confirme with the more emphasis that which he had saide he expostulateth with this interrogation what els hath a man In which manner of speach there is a greater force then if he had said A man gaineth nought els For this is so vehement an affirmation of the thing proposed as if it coulde not bee denied and is so much to say as yee cannot in any wise denie that a man getteth nothing but vanitie of all those labours wherein he afflicteth himselfe vnder the Sunne CAP. XXXIIII Zadok answereth to some other obiections and speaketh 1. of the generations and Elements THen spake the Princes and said vnto Zadok yee haue right well explaned the Kings words and wee verily beleeue that his meaning is The princes approbation of zadoks words as ye haue sayd therin Neither think we that he hath or doth cōdemne all the works of God which are done either by himselfe or by man after his commandements but only all those labours whereof himselfe is now sorie and ashamed namely such as hee hath done and wrought vnder the Sunne as a carnall or naturall man without the wisedome of Gods spirite or the warrant of his Law Therefore wee may not either reiect or dislike the Kings words in this parte But hath Abiather the Priest any thing els to obiect against the Kings doctrine and words Another obiection ca. 1.4 yea that I haue answered Abiather for I haue heard the king to speake of the Generations as if he comprehended all generations within the same predicament as vaine and thus hee saide One Generation passeth away another commeth the Earth standeth for euer Yea hee combineth with them the foure principall Elementes as the Sunne which riseth and falleth the winde which bloweth and compasseth the earth zadok answereth to the obiection and expoundeth the place the waters riuers which come and go from and to the sea and the Earth which remaineth euer the same * Indeed saide zadok the King here speaketh of the Creatures and things themselues howbeit although they bee made subiect to mans vanitie in that they must stand for the vse of sinfull men according to the will of him that hath so subdued them vnder hope and expectation of a deliuery from this intollerable thraldom which wil be in the end of this world yet are they not in themselues vaine but good and profitable both to the glory of God and to the benefit of men Neither hath the King ment to place them in his catalogue of vanities But from the consideration of them beeing compared with the labours and affaires of men vnder the Sunne he taketh Arguments to proue the vanity not of the things but of sinfull man who is so inconstant and variable from his dutie and consequētly vnhappy But if it please you my L. for the better satisfying not only of Abiather but of al them that shal hence gather a conceit of the vanitie of these generations and elementes I will by the diuine grace speake first of these generations and what the Kings purpose is therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a generation what it signifieth and afterwardes of those elements * The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dor signifieth as ye know the constituted and ordinary order and course either of times or of persons or of actions or things A certaine succession or reuolution an order of degrées of the natural propagatiō of things as one thing is engendred or riseth vp of another thing An age A generation for one of the ages of the worlde a generatiō the which as a sphere or globe hath his reuolutions courses stéedes and turnes * Sometimes this word is set and vsed for one of the ages of the world which wee haue reckoned as from Adam to Noah from Noah to Abraham from Abraham to Moses from Moses to David the King c. * Somtimes an age is restrained to the time of a hundred yeares as where the Lord said to Abraham The time of an 100 yeeres gen 15.13.16 Thy seede shal be a stranger in a land which is not theirs foure hundred yeeres And afterward he expoundeth it saying In the fourth age they shall come hither againe the which fell out about the time that the Lord deliuered our fathers from the thraldome of Egypt by the hand of Moses * Somtimes it is taken for the time that a man liveth in this world whose life is called an age or a generation The time of a mans age in this worlde and so haue our fathers vnderstoode it * But it is certaine that
both mans curiositie and imperfection Mans curiositie and imperfection Man is willing to heare sée finde out all things to behold all strange matters newes and wonders hée would haue all knowledge hee would be like the most high as Adam and Hevah thought to bée he thinketh he can or may do all things Gen. 3.5.6 but hee is restreined his abilitie affoordeth him not that perfection nor hath the Lorde appointed him in this his estate capable of those things so farre aboue him In the mean time hee continueth insaciate without perfect contentation in this life * Here let man learn to know his own ignorance weaknes and imperfections in this world Let him containe himselfe within the bounds of his vocation place and abilitie and let him neither lust after or desire to comprehend those things which are neither reuealed nor incident to mans nature But in all modestie and reuerence let him seeke the Lorde who onely is the God sufficient perfiect wisedom omnipotent sacietie Abiather Another obiection and life eternall vnto them that serve him in humilitie and holinesse of heart Againe said Abiather it is obiected against the kings words that he hath denied that any thing is new When in trueth and experience it appeareth that things are dayly renewed and many new things are done and brought to passe in the worlde euery day how therefore shoulde this be vnderstood to sound acceptable to our knowledge It is true sayd Zadok that the King hath said zadok answereth Eccles. 1.9 What is that which hath beene that that shall bee and what is it that hath beene done that which shall be done And there is no new thing vnder the Sunne Or is there any thing whereof one may say Behold this is new It hath been already in the olde time that was before vs. Nothing is new But in these wordes the king speaketh not of the workes of the Creation as if they should be made againe so it is enough that those things be onely conserued in their kinde nor of the works of God for God doth worke daily newe and strange things nor of those generations of man which are past but of the occupations deuises counsailes drifts purposes Man and his vanities are eber the same and workes of worldly men which are euer wrapped in miserie and vanitie and are euer like and the same which haue beene of olde in the children of men Gen. 6.12 8.21 As man was in the olde time euill from his youth and all the imaginations of the heart wicked and vile so is hee now and so shall be as his deuises haue beene of yore so are they in this time as the vngodly thought and endeuored then so doe they thinke and endeuor now Gen. 4.6 gen 6.2 gen 10.9 gen 19.26 Exod. 7 13. Iudg. 9. 5. I neede not gather vp particulars of this time to match Cain in his enuie the daughters of men in their lustes Nimrod in his pride Lots wife in her apostasie Pharao in his hardnesse of heart Abimelech in his bloodie crueltie and such like they are easily noted and pointed at with the finger in euery place And that the king meaneth those things it is apparant by the place wherein he findeth nothing newe namely vnder the Sunne that is in vanities kingdome in and among worldly men which herein remaine the same still howsoeuer they bee scholed and instructed and therefore as vaine they are forgotten and passe away with the priuiledge of vanities dominion Howbeit The remembrance of the righteous the righteous are had in an euerlasting remembrance with their vertues in and for whom the Lorde worketh new and strange things to their necessitie and consolation euery day Abiather obiecteth againe * I haue both heard you most reuerende Father and well vnderstood the meaning of those the Kings words I haue heard another obiection that the King should dislike the searching and finding out of wisdome which is so much commended in the holy writings and among all good men and he saith that it is a sore trauell giuen to the sonnes of men to humble them zadok answereth The King saide Zadok seemeth to correct himselfe and his owne studyes when hee would aduenture or assay to doe and performe that of himselfe which hee should haue obtained and waited for from the Lorde to whom be first praied for wisedome and knew that she came from him yet doth he not condemne the ordinary labours and studies of them which in the feare of God assay to attaine to knowledge For as he commendeth wisedome before all things so hee condemneth the idle fooles which because the study and search after wisedome is laborious to the body sit still and continue ignorant But let vs consider the Kinges wordes obserue these thinges in order He said not Thus the Lord taught me or cōmanded me Eccles 1. vers 13. The meaning of the king is to condemne mans wisdome of worldly thinges or enabled mee to do to performe to bring to passe but thus I have given mine heart to search and find out wisedome how by the thinges that are done vnder the Sunne The King speaketh not of his present endeuour but of that forepast when he was carried away from the Lorde in the lusts of his eye and lusts of his flesh At what time respecting not what God had said nor what the diuine spirit had taught him but after his owne wit and humaine reason he entangled himselfe in the studies of the worlde and thereby made search curiously to be passing wise in the thinges of vanities kingdome where when hee thought to finde wisedome indeede he found nought besides afflictions and griefes of minde For what should a man expect of thornes but to be pricked and what is their to be learned vnder the Sunne of vngodly and foolish men their deuises but vngodlines foolishnes and sorrow And surely therof only the K. acknowledgeth that he made himselfe most worthy and therin to be punished as they do which neglecting the meditation of the law of God are distracted in the fables of vntruthes and receiving not the feare of the L. are wholy busied and vexed in the affairs of this world wherin they trauaile as in a most painful Labyrinth without any perfection or end therby to be tryed and humbled vnder the mighty hand of the Almighty whose wisedome words and direction they haue both forgotten and neglected The kings confession of his imperfections Moreouer in this the king maketh a kind of confession of his imperfections beeing a parte of his true conuersion and repentance Thus the King hath not condemned the search after the true wisedome but that vaine wisedome or at least the indirect manner of seeking after that which is commended in the word of God CAP. XXXVI The correction of thinges the experience of wisedome knowledge and high learning ABiather the Priest beeing willed by the Princes of
King Solomon to proceede and to produce any other argument which he had hearde to be obiected against the words of the precher stoode foorth againe and saide Cap. 1. Vers 15. Then let it not be grieuous vnto you my Lords that I produce here before you those other things which I haue heard It is obiected that the King denieth that any thing which is faultie or amisse can be corrected or amēded The crooked cānot saith he be made straight that which faileth cānot be brought into proportion To what end then are all instructions lessons zadok answereth what faults may be amended what may not artes sciences doctrins admonitions labours counsails laws The King hath so said indeede said Zadok But yet he entendeth it not of any particular faults or trespasses or of any the thinges which are by nature cureable But of that one generall maladie of mankinde and mans affaires beeing busied and vexed within the kingdome of vanitie for the errors slidings imperfections faultes offences and defects of man cannot bee amended The end of circumcision worthily therefore was circumcision commanded not only to the fathers but to the sons also yet that cutteth not off the cōcupiscence of mans nature but sheweth that it shold be cut off suppressed by * him which hath no concupiscēce at all That is Messiah Obiection Againe these imperfections be so many as that they can neither be numbred nor proportioned in number much les may they be recured by any witte or power of man who of himselfe is not able to make the least haire of his head And whereas another obiection may rise on the former that seeing those faults cannot be corrected it seemeth a vain thing for a magistrate to endeuor to amēd any thing that is amisse I say that this conclusiō is indirect Answere The office of a prince magistrate for it is one thing to endeuour to amned priuate faults things curable and it is another thing to assay to correct those generall griefes which are by nature vncureable Ca. 1. vers 17. J gave mine heart said he to know wisdome and knowledge madnes and foolishnes I knew also that this is a vexation of the spirite Note this It is doubtlesse a thing praise worthye in a Prince by his wisedome to endeuour to correct and amend thinges that are amisse in his common wealth But it is a meere follie in a Prince to think that by his proper wisdome and industrie he shall amend all thinges that are faulty Princes are bound to do their best endeuour but they may not imagine somuch as that they can performe all things This cure is proper to the Omnipotent God to effect and it is not committed to the power of any man Therefore that which man is able to performe in this let him doe it in the feare of God and that he cannot effect and compasse let him commit to the will and power of God to whome all thinges are possible Abiather obiecteth But yet said Abiather it is said that the king condemneth the experience of that wisdome and knowledge whereby a man especially a Magistrate should discerne between truth and error good and euill without the which a magistrate shall neuer bee able to iudge or doe well in his place according to Iethroes rule for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exo. 18.21.22 signifieth science knowledge cogitation notice and experience of the thinges both good and euill zadok answereth that Solomon condemneth not the wisdome of a Magistrate Indeede said Zadok Solomon asked for wisdome and science and the Lord gaue it him But if Solomon had staid himselfe and haue vsed this notable gift as hee did some times when hee plased God he had done well but exceeding his lymits he both ouercharged confoūded that wisdom in himselfe he sought out not iudgem̄et mercy but things prophane common polluted as I haue saide before yea things onely delightsome and pleasant to the sense of the flesh Gen. 3. and this he did not onely know but proue indeede as Adam and Heua did the taste of the forbiddē tree It is good to know both good and euill It is a good thing to knowe both the good and the euill and to discerne betweene th' one and thother but to follow the euill and to leaue the good it is an euill thing Adam knew both but he chose the euill and left the good so did Cain so did King Solomon to his paine and dishonour Well therefore might he call this a vaine thing in himselfe and a vexation of his spirit and yet not condemne that diuine vertue * But the King said Abiather is supposed to dislike and condemne high learning and much knowledge Abiather obiecteth Verse 18. from the which he terrifieth and disswadeth men saying that in much wisdome is much anger and that he which multiplieth knowledge multiplyeth sorrowes But if ye conclude so of the words said Zadok I will deny your consequence for here I finde a fallacie of equiuocation for the King in truth doth not condemne the best and highest learning nor that knowledge for in this place he spake either of the earthly and fleshly knowledge and wisdome or of the diuine and natural wisdome of a man in respect of the thinges obiected to the same As for the former which is taught men by the old subtle Serpent the King well knoweth that it is very vanitie for this wisdome respecteth not the thinges that bee pure peaceable and diuine but the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of this life being terrene sensuall zadoke his answere Gen. 3. and diabolicall of this kind are all the lustes guiles subtleties policies deceits and craftie conueiances of men whereby one man circumuenteth and beguileth another in this life But where this promiseth most pleasure and contentation it soonest casteth a man into paine and miseries The wisedom of the Serpent doth not direct men to paradise The King therefore perceiue yea he proued it too true in himselfe that therein offending God and abusing nature he gained nothing besides affliction of his Spirits for he could neuer thereby attaine that perfect ende of mans life nay rather hee wandred and departed from the same further and further euery day for it cannot bee that the wisdome of the Serpent may conduct them to Paradize who by the same are thence expelled but rather to the gate of perdition in the way of wickednesse Gen. 3.24 The wise man feareth man dangers when others sleepe in quiet beddes hee seeth himselfe to want manie thinges at the least hee lusteth after all thinges the which he thinketh he can purchase and get into his handes and possessions by his owne power policie or deuice howbeit he is preuented and cannot obtaine the greatest part of his gredie desire so he is neuer satisfied his minde remaineth discontent and himselfe is tormented with
soule and never eateth with pleasure Neverthelesse they sleepe both a like in the earth and the wormes cover them Thus are they both confounded and worthily combined together Yea here Thersites the deformed Nircus the most beautifull as the very Gréeke Poets say are worthily compared as touching their bodies Next to this such are also the confusions and euents of this life and humaine affairs in this words that in the iudgement of the carnall man there is not discerned any difference at all between the good the euil the iust man and the sinner to either of the which the temporall good thinges of nature fortune and life are often alike Abraham our Father was rich so was Pharao Abimelech and the king of Sodom Againe Cain was an exile from his Fathers house so was Abraham and Iacob and Ioseph Moreouer Sarah was faire and beautifull so were the daughters of Cain Shem was preserued in the Arke with his Father Noah so was Cham also within the same But it may be so that the Lord would therin teach that his children should serue him not inregard of those temporall and worldly things and again that the vngodly which also haue and do abuse the same might be left without all excuse of their vnthankefulnes that the iustice of God might bee acknowledged and his word beleeued which commendeth and promiseth the future iudgement and full retribution of all mens wordes and workes and that the worthines of faith might bee encreased Moreouer it is so that the true vertues of the spirit diuine which are so well knowne of the king do not externally appeare to the carnall minded man Therefore the men of this world esteeme no more of the iust and godly then of the wicked and impious yea they persecute the godly and most vertuous and constraine them by their cruel tyrannies and oppressions to suffer and endure those bitter tormentes and paines which are only one as well deserued to malefactor and transgressours of the law This thing was noted in the death of Habel whom Cain slew in the persecution of our father Iacob by Esau by Laban others wherof he could say to Pharao that his dayes had beene few and euill in the accusation the selling away the imprisonment and afflictiōs of Ioseph in the afflictions of our fathers in Egypt in the contempt of Lot in Sodom in th'xtremity of poore Naomi and Ruth and in the sorrow of Hanna with others Such is the entertainement of the godly and their common estimation in the world and this is the nature of vanities kingdome Now what is that which ye disliked in these the kings words No man hath power over the spirit to keepe still the spirite nor hath any power in the time of death Is it not a true saying Obiection 16 mans power of life Cap. 8.8 For hath any man power either to liue as long as he listeth or to put away his soule from his body at his pleasure Surely it is true as Iob said to this purpose The dayes of man are determined and as the King said The dayes of a man are numbred that is sby the Lord who onely hath power either to giue or to take away mans life at his will and pleasure at all times and that neither this nor that lieth in the will or power of man therefore as he may not cast himselfe rashly into danger so neither should he promise himself long life Though Saul slew himselfe he had not therein power of his life for his dayes were determined and now expired he was shewed the day before 1. Sam. 28.19 that hee should die and in the manner of his death he was by the iustice of God made his owne executioner As he could retaine his life no longer so neither could he forbeare to performe that on himselfe which he was in this iudgement constrayned to performe If worldly men had this power either to retaine life or to put it off when they lifted they would then often renew themselues and old age would not be much dislike yea death which is so bitter to the wealthy men of this life would not be so much feared as it is But now it falleth out otherwise for why neither can the courage and strength of body preserue the strong warrier nor the industry of arte nor the deuises and counsailer of man withstand death when the Lord taketh away life nor can force death on them whom the Lord is willing so preserue in life Thus when Saul in his trouble was slaine of his owne handes for want of another executioner David on the other part was preserued Obiection 17 the yong mans lesson nor could he be slaine by them which were his mortall enemies because the Lord did keepe his life * Finally ye haue said that it is obiected against the King that hee shoulde in his wordes counsaile young men to take their delights of youth and to swmime in their lustes Let mee heare the Kings owne wordes as he spake them and vpon what occasion Hee said quod Abiather Though a man live many yeeres in them all reioice Cap. 11.8.9 yet he should remember the dayes of darkenes because they are many all that commeth is vanitie Then thereupon he said againe Reioyce O yong man in thy youth walke in the waies of thine heart in the sight of thine eyes Then he added indéed But know that for all these thinges God will bring thee to iudgement therefore take away griefe out of thine heart cause evill to depart from thy flesh for childhood youth are vanitie Then answered Zadok how haue they here considered one word with another Answere the beginning with the end the exordium with the conclusion Yong-men are counsailed to beware For they also haue their Iudgment appointed and how is the māner of the kings speech marked When the king had aduised men in the highest grade of their proserity to thinke vpon affliction trouble and aduersitie and to endeuor to eschew it he commeth to behold the guise and condition of yong men yea of such as did sway in wordly and fleshly lustes and wantonnes without regarde of the iudgementes of God which is wont to ouertake such persons in the time appointed and he derideth their folly speaking by the figure Ironia in the which the contrary is euer intended as who should say Go too go too thou yong man if thou wilt not bee aduised nor restrained nor reclaimed by these instructions and lessons take thine own mind follow thine own will walk in thine own waies if thou thinke it good But he leaueth him not without a commination or threatning And thinkest thou that there is none account to be made for these thinges and will not God bring thee into iudgement thou art deceiued thou foolish yong man for there is a iudgement which a waiteth but the time appointed wherein thou must enter not onely at the last when al men shal
cureth euery patient seeing against the strength of death there is no phisicke auaileable the king coulde not as himselfe confessed cure all thinges for many thinges remaine imperfect defectiue and incureable in vanities kingdome All thinges cannot be cured in this world neither howsoeuer the medicines are compounded and applied may any man imagin that they can be salued and recured But this fault is not long of the phisician and his medicines but of the euill constitution and nature of the patient and his griefes * In the second generall parte the King proposeth the chiefe end of mans life in this worlde The chiefe good to be pursued which is The feare of God the keeping of his commandementes and is indeede the dutie of every man and that which by the law of Gods is required of all men as I saide before And as in the former hee shewed what things most encrease mans vanity and miscry so here he teacheth what they are which further him towardes his felicitie And they are certain vertues which he opposeth to those former vices Certain vertues commended which further men towards happines As namely the wisdome of God spirit prudence whereby a common wealth is gouerned Iustice obedience to laws and magistrates modesty temperance industry diligēce charity patience in troubles sobriety humilitie fidelitie truth praier liberalitie iudgement and to bee short pietie and the right seruice of God And because all those thinges are required of a man in the opportune time at the least within the compasse of his humane life The benefit of time therefore he is carefull to counsel and aduise him to take the benefit of the time and not to defer or put off from day to day to do perform that which is required of him lest he bee sodainely taken away and perish nor can at any time thencefoorth finde the like opportunitie to worke and effect that which hee shoulde haue done and now at length though all too late hee is most willing to doe if hee might haue a graunt of that libertie and time againe Therefore hee hath saide and saith it often to them that stand before him to heare his wisedome Whatsoever thou takest in hand Cap. 9 9. do it with all thy power For in the grave wherevnto thou goest there is neither worke counsell knowledge nor wisedome As if hee said there is no time allotted for men to worke and do the workes of their vocations after this life They therefore that bee willing to serue GOD in their seuerall functions as they ought must bee right diligent therein and obserue their times in this life at the least and not deferre it to the life to com Againe hee saith Remember now thy maker in the daies of thy youth whiles the evill daies come not nor the yeeres approach Cap. 2.1 wherein thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them And to the end he might not onely teach the great vanitie of mans life in this worlde but also take away from him all delaies which commonly followe the hope of long life hee setteth foorth mans Olde age and from thence defineth his death and lastly teacheth the immortality of mans Soule the consideration whereof beeing set before mans eies doth often containe him within the boundes of his duty as wise to God wary of the world and carefull for himselfe And this the King hauing said and strongly proued his former generall proposition he concludeth with the same thus The conclusion of the book Vanity of vanities all is meere vanity Lo thus hath the king spoken such is his purpose in those his words which some would so perversly constre against him and his good meaning crowne and dignity And of this sort is euen his ordinary talke and such are his sentences sayings and words which he dayly vttereth In the which as they are right consonant and agreable in all thinges to the sacred veritie and holy scriptures whosoeuer heareth and considereth aright shall find here and there applied such and so many excellent doctrins resolutions sentences The excellencie of Solomons wordes contayned in the Ecclesiastes proverbes parables examples counsels consolations exhortatiōs admonitions comminations reasons arguments and conclusions with such change and varietie of times though as yet on one instrument and on one ground to draw from vices and to perswade to vertues that they which read heare or vnderstand the same if they be not enchanted with some erronious spirite shall therein and thereof very easily finde out the heauenly wisdom with no small comfort of heart reape no little cōtentation of Soule when thereby the sooner the holy spirit assisting them they shal be enabled to contemne the deceiueable vanities and lusts of the world they shal be encouraged to vse the creatures of God thankfully to walke in their vocations wisely to liue in this world honestly to behaue themselues worthily to beare afflictions patiently and to passe in the same victoriously through the bottomlesse profundity of the horrible confusions of this wretched life towardes that Best Good and highest felicitie CAP. XLII The Princes having examined and approved Solomons wordes for veritie agree to collect the same into a booke to the which they prefixe a fit title and declare the reasons thereof ZAdoke hauing thus answered to all the former exceptions and obiections taken and opposed to the king and his wordes the Princes Lordes which were thus assembled in counsell and hitherto listned to the disputatiō and conference between Zadok Abiather answered said to Zadok Ye haue both learnedly and right godly answered and resolued all those doubts most reuerend Father whereby the sooner as both we al others are and shal be moved to esteeme worthily of the K. as of a Sainct of the L. no lesse of those his Sermons and wordes so consonant to Gods truth and profitable to instruct and teach all men so now let vs consent in one mind to collect those Sermons and wordes as wee may best call them into memory Ye haue wel said my L. saide Zadok it shal be good and profitable both for our selues and for many others that we do as ye haue saide But first it may please you that we agree on some fit Title to be prefixed and the Helioreph Ahiah the kings scribes or one of them woulde write the same With a very good-will saide the Scribes and what shall wee write Write thus said Zadok Eccl. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words of that Koheleth or the preacher the son of David K. in Ierusalem The title of Solomons last wordes And thus haue we written said the scribes But my L. said zadok how like ye this title we like it very wel answered the Princes May it please you also it be examined that the reasons thereof being declared all others may likewise bee satisfied with vs Yea said zadok it pleaseth me right well howbeit with conuenient
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