volume of the booke it is written of mee that I should fulfill thy will O my God I am content to doe it Thus was the most holy sonne and worde of God brought in talking with his father touching mans redemption and shewing both his willingnes and obedience to relieue the state of mankind Hereof it was that the Lord God decreed and said that the womans seed should tread on the serpents head Gen. 3. which signified that one should be borne of the womans body the which the Serpent had corrupt that should not onely purifie her and all mankind but also confound the Serpent and all his power From the which time our fathers haue expected we as yet expect and waite for the comming of that holy Seede Now here by the way wee may consider that albeit the Lord God be wonderfull mercifull vnto mankind he doth not ouerthrow therin his Iustice How the Lord was both iust and mercifull but obseruing either he expresseth great Equitie in a wonderfull for t For beholde hee laid that on his sonne which was due vnto man and againe hee gaue that vnto man which was onely proper to his sonne hee laid mans sinne and faults on his sonne hee imputed the righteousnes of his sonne vnto man In th' one appeared his iustice in th' other his mercy And in them both conioyned equitye That which was due vnto man the holy seed taketh on himselfe namely mans punishment which mans nature could not beare that which the holy seede merited namely eternall life the Lorde gaue vnto man for the sinne of man which deserued death was imputed vnto this seede and the Iustice of the holy seed which deserued Heauen was imputed vnto man I meane vnto them onely that by faith depend on that promise and those be the same whom the Lord God had before loued elected and predestinated to eternall glory and whome hee would not by any meanes permit to perrish and dye for euer This is the onely recouery of mankind and hope of his health This is that eternall verity and obiect of our faith This is the same whereunto all the law and the Prophets and all the tipes and figures both of them before vs and of them now in daily vse do aime point Promises of the Messiah Gen. 6. Gen. 22. Gen. 22.18 and direct vs for all succour helpe comfort and reliefe The decree and promise of this seede was after this confirmed to Noah to whome the Lorde said With thee wil I make my covenant thou shalt come into the Arkè But more plainly to our father Abraham to whome the Lorde declared this Sauiour and said of him In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth bee blessed The same which was called the seede of the Woman is now called the seede of Abraham for the Lorde woulde that hee shoulde come of Abrahams Seede after the flesh Prophesies of Messiah Gen. 49. Exod. 4.13 This is that whome Iacob our Father called Shilo and prophesyed that he should come in the tribe of Iudah And to him should be the gathering of the people This is that same to whome Moses pointed in the booke Velleschemoth when he saide to the Lord. Send I pray thee by the hand of him whome thou wilt send Deut. 18.15.18 and in his booke Haddebarim the Lorde himselfe calleth him a Prophet saying thus vnto Moses I will raise them vp a Prophet from among their brethren like vnto thee This is the same the holy man Iob calleth his Redeemer whome hee knewe to liue Iob. 19. Num. 14.17 This is that bright Starre and Scepter of the which Baalam did prophesie in Moses Booke Vaiedabber saying there shall come a Starre of Iacob and rise a Scepter in Israel 2. Sam. 7.12.13 14. This is that true King of peace promised to David the Kinges Father in 2. Schemuel 7. that Seede of David and Davids Lorde whose throne shall bee established for euer To bee short this is that lively Image of God and King of glory without all spot or blemish most mightye wise and excellent which shall in his time new builde Heirusalem and prepare himselfe an holy Temple and house for his worshippe therein I meane a Church spiritually framed and gloriously garnished after that proportion and forme which David the Kinges Father gaue and prescribed him according to the writing thereof which hee had receiued from Iehovah his God and the which the King hath in his time of peace builded and perfected accordingly Therefore of this holy Seede sang the Princely Prophet in many Psalmes calling him sometimes Gods Sonne sometimes a King psal 2.45.110 sometimes the King of glory sometimes a Priest eternall after the order of Melchisedek sometimes his Lorde sometimes his God sometimes his Redeemer sometimes his Saviour sometimes the Messiah or Annointed of Iehovah And as this holy Seede hath beene thus promised and foretolde of and belieued to come into the worlde Shadowes tipes and figures of Messiah The tree of life in paradise Abel Abraham Noah so hath hee beene shadowed typed and prefigured As first by the tree of life in Paradise of the which if our first parentes had taken and eaten they had neuer dyed but should haue liued foreuer Next by the Sacrifices of Abel Abraham others in the which it pleased God to declare himselfe gratious This Noah also prefigured when the Lord made him the finisher of the old world and the beginner of the new To the same pointed Melchisedek and Melchisalem Melchisedek to shew that he was a King and a Priest A King of peace and righteousnes and a priest of the highest God for euer as without beginning and without ending for the number of his daies may not bee reckoned or knowne The same was signified in the ladder our father Iacob saw Iacobs ladder Moses Iosuah by the which the angels did ascend and descend to and from heauen He was fore-shewed a deliuerer from thraldome in Moses and a Sauiour in Iosuah for Moses brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt and Iosuah conducted them inherited them and preserued them in the promised land Also Aaron the priest of the Lorde prefigured him with his Vrim and Thumim Aaron The pascall Lambe c To the same also serued the vse of the Pascall Lambe and those other symboles and sacraments in the Wildernes as the Manna from heauen the Water from the rocke Iudges and such like In the booke of * Shophtim is mention made of many bodily Saviours by the which was mistically shewed the person and office of Messiah There was Sampson Gedeon Othoniel Ieptha Samuel And within our age Sampson Gedeon Othoniel Ieptha Samuel David the calling annointing and manner of the raigne and condition of David foreshewed the same For all these things my Lordes haue and do rightly aime to that most holy Messiah whome the Lord God would that men should belieue and expect and
mine horrible ingratitude A K. banisheth from his Court Idolators and wantons and whoremongers c. but I haue fawned on those which in my presence haue dedicated themselues to those abhominations A king should be a patterne of beauty vnto his people in all godly vertues but I haue giuen them an example of lewdnesse in mine inordinate excesse A King is the stay and glory of his place but I haue both weakned and deformed mine house with transgressions A K. both respecteth and expecteth the honor of the most holy but I haue blemished the same with the damps of sinne Therfore vnworthy I am the title of a King And if I may not bee named a King then much lesse should ye call me the King of Israel And truly I may not henceforth be called K. over Israel because the L. God for mine offēces against him hath iustly depriued me of the honor of that high dignity But rather henceforth as I haue rightly merited I may be numbred amōg the fooles of Israel Messiah the true king of Israel Yea and albeit that my seruant Ieroboham hath lifted vppe his handes against mee and shall vsurpe that Name and dignitye yet shall both this Name and dignitye bee reserued as rightly imposed for the most righteous Seede and Prince of Israel which was promised to David my Father and which in his due time shal be raysed vp to sit on his seate and to raigne ouer the house of Israel that is ouer the Saints and holy people of God in doing them equitie and true iudgement for euer In the meane time I must in all humblenesse of minde bewaile my sinnes and the miserie of mine house and posteritie occassioned by the same the which I cannot but euery houre remember consider lament and finally repent and abandon those manifolde vanities of the sonnes of men Solomon is a preacher to teach and perswade the people pro. 31. wherein I haue beene polluted and wearyed in my life Lo thus the King ruminateth in affliction heereof is his continuall meditation in the sorowe of his minde and thus hee expresseth his faithfull repentance euery day * Fiftly although he hath spent some portion of his life in sin and the whiles did forget the wholesome lesson which his mother Bethsabe gaue him yet being in the ende preuented by the grace and mercie of God hee doeth agine often call to minde and recount her wife instructions and ruminateth of that which himselfe hath thought good to write and speake in his wise Prouerbs as a confession of his sinnes and a worthy argument of his Repentance yea hee hath not onely converted and dedicated himself again vnto the Lord in wonderfull great feare and reuerence Solomon inciteth all others to vertues Eccles. 12. but also as a learned and experienced Preacher of Repentance and Righteousnes he halloweth and calleth all men from the vices and vanities of the deceitfull world teaching and exhorting them to feare the Lorde and to keepe his commandements And in this the king is not like them which thinke that a benefite languisheth and perisheth as the flood which powreth foorth her streames into diuers channels and small veynes but he is as the liberall man right willing to benefite many thereby to cause his beneuolence to abound therefore he studieth he preacheth hee speaketh he exhorteth he admonisheth he comforteth he refuteth he confirmeth and whatsoeuer els necessarie and conuenient in a Preacher to drawe men from worldy vanities and to lead them towardes the best good and true felicitie the highest obiect of mans hope All this his nobles and his seruants All these things are testified by Solomons servants which stand before him heare his wisedome and obserue his wordes and workes finde and well vnderstande neither can wee but testifie the same for him before all men Yea wee see and can witnesse that there is in him both the wisedome of GOD and the knowledge of the holy Spirite in such abundance as wee are not able to expresse it and in this wee finde him yet more wise that now all the last hee hath changed his minde and withdrawen his affection from the worlde so farre that as he did sometimes swerue from the Lorde GOD and by his euill example did giue an occasion to many others to blaspheme and offend or at the least to bee offended so hee nowe endeuours himselfe tenne times more to eschewe euill and to seeke the Lorde in singlenesse of heart and to exhort and persuade others to doe the like to and for the which hee hath laboured day and night Eccles. 12 to searche and finde out delightsome wordes right Scripture and the wordes of trueth Wherein he followed not the common woont of sinners which beeing polluted and defiled with filthinesse haue a desire not onely to wallowe therein but also that others should bee defiled with them in the same resembling those Wrestlers or Fighters which care not to brush off the dust from their owne garmentes but rather endeuour to defile one another and fall together euen with the same Thus hath not the King done and to bee plaine The King hauing been nourtered and well trained vp in his youth sheweth foorth at this time the ripe fruites thereof notwithstanding those blemishes of humane imperfections * Finally although it bee a thing too common with men that though they for-beare to sinne for a time fearing the punishment thereof they neuerthelesse afterwarde forget themselues and returne againe Solomon after his repentance revolted not from God as with the dog to his vomit to their former vices as lately did Adoniah and Shimei yet the King beeing otherwise minded hath shunned and abandoned all his worldly delights vices and vanities and dedicated himselfe againe vnto the desire of heauenly things and the ioyes eternall in regard whereof for the loue of GOD and his owne health he abstaineth not onely from things vnlawfull but also from things lawfull and tollerable pleasing the minde and affection of man and now continueth stedfastly the same hauing made a sure Couenant with himselfe neuer to apostate or turne backewarde againe and therefore as the Trauailer which goeth towardes a most famous Citie is euer talking of his iourney and of the place to learne the customes and guise thereof and to expresse his desire to hasten and come thither Solomons common and daily meditation and talke as rauished with the loue of the same So we perceiue that the King is neuer pleased nor eased but when hee talketh and telleth of those high treasures of that most happy place thereof hee ruminateth thereof hee delighteth to talke thereof hee is glad to heare all other things bee they neuer so pleasant seeme loathsome and vaine in his conceit For of this nature are the words of his common talke and such are many of his Prouerbs the which seeme to be powred foorth from the good treasure of a good mans heart as the good fruits sprung of a good
tree The definitions of repentance And truely those are notable Arguments of the Kings true Conversion and Repentance For whether Repentance bee defined * that affection and passion of the minde by the which any person being touched with the sense of Gods anger conceiued for his sinne committed is most heartily sory with an humble and earnest desire of mercie and amendement of life * Or the loathing of sinne and thirsting after mercie and righteousnesse * Or the bewayling of trespasses with a full purpose thence-foorth to amend leade a godly life * Or the turning againe of man vnto his Maker with hope of mercie by faith in the holy Messiah * Or a changing or a renewing of the minde or opinion with a due consideration and better aduise * Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the turning about or changing of both the mind and body and so of the whole-man * Or after the common receiued opinion touching the parts therof the Contrition of the heart the Confession of the mouth the tempering of the flesh the amendement of the worke and the continuance in vertues * Or howsoeuer els it be defined described or declared according to the analogie or proportion of our religion we may gather out of those premised testimonies and examples both a true Repentance and the ripe fruites and notes of the same A conclusion for Solomons Repentance and so conclude that Solomon our King is truely repentant For were hee not a true repentant person wee should neuer haue found such wholsome fruites on this tree Signes and tokens of true Repentance nor such soueraigne treasures to be drawne foorth from his humble heart Neither may we thinke those fruites and treasures are of that nature as they can bee found in that person especially towards the ende of his life of whose true conuersion and faithfull repentance it may iustly be doubted no more then sweete waters are expected from a bitter fountaine or Figs to grow of Thistles Iob. 27.10 For why the Hypocrite hath never such a delight in the Almightie Nor can it possibly come to passe that the persons in whome these and such vertues are found resident dwelling or springing so proper to the Lordes chosen shoulde be vtterly shut out from a godly repentance and so debarred of the mercie of that most mercifull God who vouchsafeth both to call sinners vnto him and promiseth them mercie that truly repēt Note this For as the Lord being ielous of such his graces hath not bin willing that the damned Reprobates should be seised of the same or so much as handle them with their prophane and sinfull hands so hath he been and is most glad and right well pleased that those graces be powred out as proper to them whom it pleaseth him to renewe by repentance and to bring with great honour to his eternall glorie * Therefore as wee know that the King is Repentant so wee also beleeue he hath eschewed the danger of Gods wrath obtained mercie and pardon of his sins Solomons pardon and saluation This cure is wrought of Gods mercie and reteineth hope of his eternall health But this wee acknowledge to bee wrought not by the trust wee haue in that his repentance but in that sweete mercie of God which draweth men to Repentance in comparison whereof all his sinnes and all the sinnes of men in this life are not so much as one droppe to the Sea The Sea is great so is his sinne but the sea receiueth yet a measure so doth his sinne but the mercie of GOD is beyond all measure Therefore although men should bee ashamed to sinne yet should they not be ashamed to repent them of their sinnes as I sayde before and to hope for mercie Neither let any man say Obiect I haue sinned much how should I finde mercie for my sinnes for though a man cannot vnderstande the reason thereof yet the Lord God well knoweth it he worketh it and he pardoneth sinners in such sort as neither their sin no nor any scarre and shew of their sins remaineth This is strange to vs The nature of this cure and not séen in the curing of the wounds of a mans bodie wherin though wee haue a thousand cunning Physicians or Chirurgians the scarres of the soares remaine to be seene an argument of the wound for why the infirmitie of a mans nature and the imbercillitie of Art and medicine are repugnant to it self but when God pardoneth he blotteth sins out in such sort as not so much as any scarre or signe of the wound remaineth to be séen but together with the healing there is giuē perfit beautie after the pardoning of the paine he powreth out righteousnesse and he maketh the sinner equall with him that neuer sinned This the Kings father testified in himselfe when he said to his soule The Lord hath forgiven all thine iniquitie and healed all thine infirmitie he saveth thy life from destruction psal 103.3 Arguments for Solomons Pardon crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindnesse * But howsoeuer it bee there is no reason why we should doubt of the assurance of the loue of God to him whom he vouchsaueth to entitle his Son Neither should we suspect the happy continuance of Gods loving mercie on him which of his owne worde was both promised and warranted him when we finde neither testimonie nor sufficient presumption of his finall apostasie and reprobation Nay we shall both decipher our want of loue in iudging so rashly and vnreuerently of the king and of the generation of the righteous whom the Lord wil not suffer to fall for euer as K. David saide and our want of wisedome against our God whom therein to our power wee should make a lyar and vnfaithfull in not performing that his word promise made concerning him in the figure as it concerneth the Messiah indeed Who said He shal be my son I will bee his father If he sin 2. Sam. 7 I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the plagues of the children of men but my mercie shal not depart from him as I tooke it from Saul Which words are to be vnderstood not only nor wholy of the Messiah but also partly of Solomō the childe of God by adoption grace to whom the L. would continue mercifull and not vtterly cast him off els why should Saul with his apostasie reprobatiō as by way of a cōparison be here brought in And this not only the K. himself hath often both said declared that yet His wisedome did remaine with him that is that Spirit of God and the mercy of God Eccles. 2. which was taken away from Saul in the Lords anger for his rebellion but also all we are able to testifie for him in whom wee haue discerned and doe yet approue the excellency of the Spirit and mercie of the Almightie * Moreouer Another Argument for Solomons Pardon although the Lorde by his
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
betide him could not so much hurt or annoy either him or his people as it shal be for his and their good so long as both he and they shal feare God The safety of them whome God preserveth howsoeuer it should seeme hurtful and loathsome in the eyes of men See therefore what a soueraign good thing it is to feare the Lord for such as feare him the Lord loueth thē whom he loueth he safely protecteth and for that their protection he hath a speciall care and regard This David considered found in triall to be true and therefore did sing as in the Psalme psal 91.11 For why vnto his Angels bright a speciall charge gives hee In all thy waies for to protect preserve and prosper thee And that they beare thee in their handes and waite still thee vpon That not vnwares thou fall nor bruse thy foote against a stone Thus are they happy which feare the Lorde because the Lord blesseth and preserueth them But now the king perceiueth that the Lord hath turned away his gratious countenāce looketh sternly angerly vpō him vpon his people and that the fierce wrath of God is bent and now comming vnto him and vs the force whereof no man liuing is able to resist or to withstand For who can beare the matchlesse power of the Almightie A description of God being angry God in his anger is as a ramping Lyon as an hungry Beare as a consuming fire as a mightie storme as a waliant warryer as a cruell tyrant as a mighty Gyant as a terrible Iudge If hee touch the high mountaines they shall tremble and smoke as David did sing And this to confirme the king hath placed before his eyes the fearefull Iudgements of God which in his wrath were executed on the old rebellious people he remembreth that when the Lord God was prouoked to anger by the disobedience of our first parents Adam Gen. 3.24 and Hevah though they were his beloued and the first that hee had created in his owne Image hee looked sternely on them and withall hee delayed not to call them into iust iudgement nor spared he to punish them Therfore he sent thē both out of pleasant Paradize opposed them to all miseries and barred the gate that they might not enter into that blessed Tabernacle which was appointed not for the polluted but for cleane and holy persons The king also remembreth the example of Gods heauy wrath against Cayn Gen. 4. whom he reprobated punished and banished from his fathers house and made a vagabond on the earth and that iustly because he had sinned against the Lorde in killing of his brother He setteth also before his face the example of Gods fierce anger on the olde worldings in the time of Noah whom hee destroyed without mercie with the flood of waters Gen. 6. hee calleth into memory the example of the diuine wrath executed on the filthy Sodomites Gen. 19. whom the Lord burned with fire and brimstome Hee is not vnmindfull Exod. 32.28 how the Lord vexed and afflicted our Fathers in the wildernesse when they had angred him with their sinnes of whom onely two of them which came out of Egypt being aboue twentie yeares of age could recouer possession in the promised land Neither is he forgetfull how terrible the Lord shewed himselfe to king David and his people not onely then 2. Sam. 12. when David had transgressed in the case of Vriah but also when he had numbred the people For the one offence the Lord stirred vp his owne sonne and them of his owne house against him and for the other threescore and ten thousand perished with pestilence and had not David repented and entreated mercie he had likewise perished in that high displeasure Sin is odious to God For sinne is that which the Lord abhorreth and as odious as is a Toade or serpent to a man so is the sin that men commit against the Lord vnto him so that as they are contemned and abandoned of men which nourish and foster vp such venemous beasts they are no lesse loathsome to God which commit sin and wallow and tumble in the filthinesse of that which God abhorreth Therefore vpon such as David said the Lorde raineth haile fire and brimstone which is their portion in his wrath neither is there any thing els due vnto them but death shame and confusion againe praying against such hee saith to the Lord Set thou an vngodly man to be Ruler over him and let Sathan stand at his right hand psal 109. When sentence is given vpon him let him bee condemned let his prayer bee turned into sinne Let his dayes be few and let another take his office Let his children bee fatherles and his wife a widow let his children be vagabonds and begge their bread let them seeke it also out of desolate places Let the extortioner consume all that he hath and let the stranger spoile his labour let there be no man to pittie him nor to haue compassion vpon his fatherles children Let his posteritie be destroyed and in the next generation let his name bee cleane put out let the wickednes of his fathers be had in remembrance in the sight of the Lord and let not the sinne of his mother he done away c. Now of such things feareth the king and therefore is waxen very pensiue and heauy not able to withstand the strokes of Gods anger conceiued against him and his people The fiercenes of Gods wrath * Alas Alas then sayd the Princes it is a most fearefull thing to prouoke the Lord to fall into his hands with guiltie consciences for wonderfull and terrible is the Lord in his wrath as ye haue well sayd For though the Lord be slow to anger when hee looketh for mans repentance amendement of life yet is he of great power and will in no case acquit the wicked Though he be most mercifull being pleased yet being prouoked he is most terrible and cruell to them that prouoke him His dealing will be with blustring stormes high tempests and whirle-winds and the cloudes of the ayre are the dust of his feete he will rebuke the raging sea and dry it vp with all the famous riuers of the land yea Basan and Carmel shall shrinke the spring also of Libanus shall be destroyed and the faire trees thereof shal be burnt with fire The great mountaines shall quake at his mighty power and the hils shal be dissolued the earth also shall burne at his sterne countenance with the worlde and all that dwelleth therein What man is hee that is able to stand before his fierce wrath or who can rise vp before the dreadfull anger of his countenance his fiercenesse is powred foorth like consuming fire yea the hard Rocks cleaue in peeces at his might the strong pillars of heauen tremble and all the kindreds of the earth weepe and waile before him when hee beginneth to appeare to visite
was annointed King in the place of David his Father did sit on his throne by his fathers goodwill The charge that David gave to his sonne Solomō 1. King 2. aduise consent and direction David seeing the day to draw neare that he shold rest with his fathers he called Solomon and charged him saying I go the way of all the earth be thou strong therefore shew thy selfe a man keepe thou the watch of Iehovah thy God that thou walke in his wayes keepe his statutes and precepts his iudgements his testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses that thou maist prosper in all that thou doest in every thing that thou medlest withall That the Lord also may make good his word which he spake vnto me saying If thy children take heed to their waies that they walk before mee in truth withall their hearts withall their soules thou shalt not be without a man on the seate of Israel And all this the kings Father tooke from that holy Oracle which Nathan had before that time brought him Wherein the Lorde had certified David 2. Sam. 7. that Solomon his sonne should build an house for his name and hee saide he shall build an house for my name I will establish the throne of his kingdome for ever I wil be his father he shal be my sonne And if hee sinne I will chasten him with the rod of men with the plagues of the children of men but my mercy shall not depart away from him as I tooke it from Saul whome I have put away before thee And thine house shal be established thy kingdome for ever before thee even thy throne shal be established for ever * After this I find it recorded againe that the Lord appeared in Gibeon to King Solomon in a dreame by night Whiles he yet walked in the ordinances and waies of David his Father And the Lord said Aske what I shall give thee the King said Thou hast shewed vnto thy servant David my father great mercy when he walked before thee in truth 1. King 3.5 How David walked with God in righteousnes in plainnes of heart with thee And thou hast kept for him this great mercy that thou hast givē him a son to sit on his seat as it is come to passe this day And now O Lord my God it is thou that hast made thy servant King in steed of David my Father And I am but yong wot not how to go out in And thy servāt is in the middest of thy people which thou hast chosen verily the people are so many that they cannot be tolde nor numbered for multitude Solomons request Give therfore thy servant an vnderstanding heart to iudge thy people that I may discerne betweene good evill For who it able to iudge this so mighty a people And this pleased the Lord well that Solomō had desired this thing Therefore God said vnto him because thou hast asked this thing hast not asked for thy selfe long life neither hast asked riches for thy selfe nor hast asked the life of thine enemies but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstāding discretion in iudgement beheld I have done according to thy wordes Lo I have given thee a wise vnderstāding heart The Lorde granted him his request moreover of his louing mercies so that there hath beene none like thee before thee neither after thee shull any arise like vnto thee And I have givē thee that which thou hast not asked evē riches honour so that there shal be no King like vnto thee in al thy daies * And if thou wilt walke in my waies to keep mine ordinances my commandements as thy father David did walke I wil prolōg thy dayes c. Againe I find it recorded that when the King had builded the Temple and had prayed to the Lord that it would please him to sanctify the same for his name c. 1. King 9.2 The Lorde appeared vnto him the second time and said I have heard thy praier thine intercession that thou hast made before mee For I have hallowed this house which thou hast built to put my name there for ever And if thou wilt walke before mee as David thy father walked in purenes of heart in righteousnes to do all that I have commanded thee wilt keepe my statutes my lawes then will I stablish the seate of thy kingdome vpon Israel for ever as I have promised to David thy father saying Thou shalt not be without a man vpon the seate of Israel zadoke sheweth how gratious the Lord hath beene to Solomon and his people 1. King 10. To what end God giveth good princes * Lo said Zadok ye see how gratious the Lord our God hath shewed himselfe to the King and by him vnto the people of Israel whom the Lord hath chosen and to whome therefore it was his pleasure to giue vs such a King as the Queen of Saba in the due consideration thereof said for godly kings are adorned and giuen of the Lorde for the prosperity and peace of them whome his grace loueth And as by him they raigne so is hee carefull to defend them from euil and to leade them foorth in all goodnes by his wisedome and prouidence Moreouer this is an especiall grace of God bestowed on such Princes For without this the wisest man liuing can neither follow the good nor eschew the euill in this flattering and guilefull world * But read on gentle Iehosophat Is there not somwhat els Yes quod Iehosophat and thus the Lorde added on the contrary part But if ye your children turne away from me will not keepe my commandements my statutes A commination on the Apostates and disobedient 1. King 9.6 which I have set before you but go serve other Gods worship them then will I weed Israel out of the land which I have given them this house which I have hallowed for my name will I cast out of my sight Israel shal be a proverb fable among all nations this house shall be takē away so that every one that passeth by it shal be astonished shal hisse they shal say why hath the Lord don thus vnto this land to this house they shal answere because they forsooke the Lord their God which brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt have taken hold vpon other Gods have worshipped them and served them therefore hath the Lorde brought vpon them all this evill * Then aunswered Zadoke ye haue reade enough of this Argument Loe my Lordes as in the former member the Lorde hath declared his diuine loue and great mercies both to the King and his people and generally to all them that belieue in him and walk in his waies so in this latter he sheweth how much he hateth and abhorreth them that apostate from him follow after other
his words if they be weighed in an equall ballance many more shall not onely suppresse their rashe iudgements concerning the king and his words but acknowledge and confesse with vs That all things are not so damned nor so daungerous nor so doubtfull as they haue imagined them to be Nay the Accusers themselues shall grant rather that SolomoÌ„ our king is neither a damned nor reprobated nor a prophane person but that hee is an excellent Saint of the Lord a true penitent person that hath obtained mercie and forgivenesse after his sinne and henceforth expecteth the ioyes of his Lord in everlasting happinesse through faith in the most holy Messiah whom hee did most worthily prefigure and set foorth in the world according to the foreknowledge and good pleasure of the everlasting God CHAP. XXV Zadok proueth by many arguments and reasons that Solomon was not a prophane or damned person But a Saint of the Lord and a right excellent member of the Church THen Zadok as one most willing to defend the honour of his most Soueraigne Lorde King Solomon answered againe and sayde I most heartily thanke you my Lords all that yee haue vouchsaued mee this honour For I esteeme it an honour to my selfe to bee thought worthy by your wisedomes to speake and to haue your audience in the defence of my Lorde the King and his cause Neither doe I thinke but that in conscience and dutie I am holden so to doe for it in not meete that I shoulde heare my good Lorde and his wordes to bee sclandered or euill reported and to passe it ouer in silence yea I shall be thought therein to giue consent to those sinister reports And first as touching the king The king is not to be iustified in his sins nor excused it cannot bee denyed but that hee hath indeede wonderfully doated on his strange wiues and hath hearkened too much to them which euer retaining that euill opinion and custome would neuer receiue nor admit that counsell which the wisest of all men liuing gaue them and hath beene by them allured seduced and led away from Iehovah his God against whole Maiestie by their instigation hee hath wrought wickednesse And therefore howsoeuer some might allegorize of the transgressions and sinnes of our Lord the king yet will not I nor may I in equitie iustifie him or excuse him therein no more then I may either iustifie or excuse the sinne of Adam in his fall howsoeuer there bee which call it an happy fall or the sinne of Iacob in his two wiues howsoeuer the priuiledge thereof came in with the promise of the multiplication of the holy seede or of Noah in his drunkennesse or of Lot in his incest or of Iudah in his whoredome or of the kings father in his murther pride and adultrey wherein it is certaine that they both displeased God and deciphered their humane imperefctions and infirmities Nor was it the wil of God that such their sins albeit they were his own children should be concealed or couered but rather hee woulde that for some good causes they should bee reuealed and reproued He â—hat iustifieth the sinner is abhominable before God For as sinne is that which onely prouoketh and displeaseth the Lord and therefore is no lesse odious vnto him then a most ougly and venemous Serpent vnto a man so he that either iustifieth or excuseth the sinner in his sinne shall not bee holden guiltlesse before Gods iudgement seate Neuerthelesse as godly wisedome and holy loue haue both taught and perswaded a reuerend opinion and like construction of those men A reuerent opinion of the repentent sinners their actions and words in whom godlinesse and the right worthy vertues in habit could not be vtterly ouerthrown with one or a fewe contrary actions whiles the mercie of God remayning with them they held fast the foundatioÌ„s of their holy hope so is it not meete nor conuenient that wee should rashly cast into dangerous suspence either the holines of our Lorde The holinesse repentance remission and salvatioÌ„ of Solomon proved king Solomon or his repentance after his sinne or his remission after his repentance or the hope of his eternall salvation the which depending on the euerlasting loue and sweete grace of God in the merit of the holy Messiah may not onely bee presumed but also rightly gathered and sufficiently proued as by your patience you shall heare Satans subtilty Indeed Satan the great enimy of mankind hath assayed to deale with the king as the Eagle dealeth with the Goate for when the Eagle comes to hurt the Goate to whome shee hath a mortall enemitie shee first assayeth to take away his sight by pulling out his eyes and then afterwarde shee killeth him against whom the Goate defendeth himselfe with his hornes So this Enemie hauing a deadly enuie to the King and his glory though to dispoyle him of his knowledge and wisedome but hee neuerthelesse by his faith and hope in the Lorde as with two strong hornes hath resisted him so farre that though hee were much wounded in his body hee hath yet preserued and kept safe his yes Solomons eies For as I haue heard him say and doe finde it by experience his wisedome remained with him Neither was hee drawen from the foundation of his hope For as the trees which are strong deepe rooted and haue sufficient sappe in themselues cannot easily be ouercome by either the violent heate or noysome colde when such as haue neither rootes nor strength nor sappe doe wither and decay so they which are rooted and grounded on the sure foundation of their hope and haue in them the habite of diuine vertues cannot vtterly bee quayled or ouerthrowne by either the heate or colde of afflictions or the vehemency of Sathans assaults or the alluring lustes of the flesh or the concupiscence of Nature for they bee holden by the right hande of Gods spirite and stand like the tree planted by the waters side psal 1. whereof David the Kings father coulde so diuinely modulate and sing Therefore I will first proue that our Lord king Solomon is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a prophane or damned person Chadesch Chadosch but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a person holy dedicated to God and a member of the holy Congregation For in this Antithesis or contrarietie that which is the one cannot bee the other and that the Lorde hath not taken his Spirite vtterly from him howsoeuer his Graces were shadowed in him when hee sinned as hee is not willing to cast them away whome hee knewe before or elected howsoeuer hee seeme to hide his face from them in his displeasure and they onely are fore-knowen and elected which are his Saintes and holy ones howsoeuer they appeare or are esteemed before the face of worldly men Howbeit although there bee many notable things externally to be seene in the Kings person which yet are not to bee neglected nor forgotten but well considered remembred and applyed
haue framed a worthie Apologie for the king and with Arguments sufficient yee haue prooued him to bee not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prophane but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Saint Neither doe wee doubt of any of those things but partly know them and partly beleeue them to be so indeede as yee haue sayde And God forbidde that any of vs by reason of our suspensiue opinions and doubtfull conceites should tender occasion to any of them that come after vs to bee doubtfull of the King whom wee well knowe the Lorde hath elected and will preserue and whome wee esteeme notwithstanding his sinnes a Saint of the Lorde And in truth as those persons which haue bruised frankinsence and beene ensenced therewith doe smell of the same neither will they by and by lose the sauour and sent thereof though they bee purged so the King hauing beene endued with the diuine Spirite and long exercised in the vse of the right Princely and sacred vertues doeth yet and shall enioy the sweete sauor and acceptable memorie of the same neither may so short a time as this life is blotte it out Whereby being enboldened hee may therein contemne them that shall either disdayne him or vniustly iudge of either him his wordes or actions But nowe because the Kings Remission and Pardone Solomons sinnes are pardoned and he remaineth a Saint of the Lord for euer after his trespasse was called into question it may not displease your Reuerence that wee enquire whether his sinnes bee remitted that is whether the Lorde hath forgiuen and pardoned his trespasses forgotten his iniquitie absolued him of his guiltinesse and loosed him from the bandes of eternall death yea or no. For they will reply and thus obiect It may bee that hee was a Saint and seruant of Iehovah his GOD so long as hee kept his minde chaste his body cleane his actions without reproofe and the trueth of his doctrine pure and vnspotted Or so long as hee well pleased GOD who iustifieth the beleeuing sinner or so long as hee was ordained to stand the figure of the holy Messiah wherein hee sheened in perfite beautie but afterwarde in his transgressions and sinnes he turned his beautie into ougly deformitie Nor indeede according to your former words coulde hee possibly bee and remayne the figure of the holy Messiah longer then whiles his beautie remayned perfite in him Therefore except hee were forgiuen and by this his remission clensed and restored to his former excellencie or at the leasted admitted into the fauour of GOD and iustified the former doubt will be still retained and vrged against both him and his words Therefore let it please you to resolue this doubt and satisfie vs therein as we know yee are well able most reuerend Father To this answered Zadok I am most willing both to resolue this doubt and to satisfie you my Lords all in this case therefore to proue that the King hath obtained mercie and pardon of the Lord God for all those his transgressions and so consequently standeth and remayneth a Saint and person dedicated to the Lorde notwithstanding all those his transgressions I thus reason for my Lord the king * Whosoeuer hath truely repented him of his sinnes Solomon obteined mercie for he repented him of his sinnes hee hath obtained mercie and forgivenesse But our Lord King Solomon hath truely repented him of his sins therfore he hath obtained mercy and forgevenesse The first proposition is prooued by many sounde Arguments and positions of holy Scriptures And first by the due consideration of the Nature of GOD who as hee hath created man to his owne image and likenesse and hath a will to preserue him so desireth hee nothing more then his conuersion and amendement after his falling as whereby hee may not bee hindered but furthered and bolpen in his walking towardes the highest Glorie yea in this hee resembleth a true father that both pitieth and pardoneth his owne sonne which hath offended him vpon his true repentance as both Moses Iob and David of famous memorie haue tolde vs with other our holy Prophets who teache and assure vs from the Lordes owne mouth that if an vngodly man will turne away from all his sinnes that hee hath done and keepe all his Statutes and doe the thing that is iudgement and right hee shall doubtlesse liue and not die neither shall his sinnes bee either retained or mentioned vnto him for God hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner but gladly will bee mercifull vnto him and pardon him vpon his repentance For God is most readie to forgiue Therefore hee comforteth vs with this saying Circumcise the fore-skinnes of your heartes Deut. cast away your transgressions and turne againe vnto Iehovah your God and yee shall not dye but liue And this is that which wee beleeue and persuade of our Lorde the king Surely Cain himselfe though too presumpsuous and proude in his sinnes could inregard hereof say and is my sinne greater Gen. 4. then that it can bee pardoned Knowing that the promise which GOD had made to Adam in Paradize both imported and included remission saying that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Seede of the Woman shoulde breake the Serpents heade whereof man though an execrable sinner shoulde finde both remission and life with Iehovah his GOD. Next to this wee haue a great many comfortable examples in the Bookes of Moses Iob Iosuah the Iudges and Samuel as of the pardon offered vnto Iudah Lot the Israelites and to bee briefe to David the Kings father to whome the Lorde sayde by Nathan the Prophet God hath put away thy sinnes thou shalt not die the which hee often remembred in the Booke of the Psalmes psal 103.3 whereof hee also prouoketh his soule to the praise of GOD who had forgiuen him all his iniquitie and couered all his sinne Nowe as none can forgiue sinnes but God onely so those our ancestors when they sinned perswading that all their sinnes were done against God either immediately or by meanes they would in the hope of remission and health repaire vnto him seeking first to bee reconciled with his grace before they would goe vnto men remembering what olde Eli the Priest 1. Sam. 2. saide some-times to his children If a man sinne against man sayde hee the Iudge may decide it but if a man sinne against GOD who shall bee his Vmpire or Dayes-man Moreouer knowing that pardon required precedent Repentance without the which who will forgiue him that offendeth him among men they neither presumed to approach the diuine throne with proud insolent and presumptuous Spirites but with contrite and humble heartes desiring mercie for sinnes committed and confessed with great submission For albeit that Repentance be very sharpe and bitter to the sinner and many men had leaner sinne openly then repent secretly yet is this the Medicine of trespasses the consumption of iniquities a weapon against Satan and a sharpe sworde prepared and able to daunt
Solomon so holy elected and beloued of God shold find no place of true Repentance after his sinnes committed Neither may we in equitie and charitie being indeede witnesses of such his Repentance but testify and auouch the same before the whole world But be it that his Repentance were neither apparant nor here protested by vs should the king therfore If this were not so plainely testified yet might not Solomon be iustly condemned as a reprobate which is so holy a man and the Lords chosen be condemned God forbid And it were too sharpe a censure either to say so or to think that euery person whose sins haue beene laid open in the holy Scriptures hath not been truly repentant except that also such his repentance hath beene expresly and plainely depainted and set foorth in the same Adam his repentance What plaine or expresse mention I beseech you is there made in the holy Scriptures of Adams repentance after his fall in whome wee bee all cast away by nature howsoeuer the same is presumed or gathered by circumstances or of the repentance of Noah after his drunkennes Noah Lot Sampson Simeon Levi. Iudah or of Lot after his incest or of Sampson after his daliances with Dalila or of Iacobs sonnes Simeon and Levi which against the mind of their Father dealt deceitfully and cruelly with Hemor the sonne of Sichem and his citizens or of Iudah th' eldest sonne of Iacob after his sinne with Thamar his daughter in lawe hee confessed indeede that shee was more iust then hee so did Pharao also confesse that the Lord was righteous and that hee and his people were Sinners Surely albeit that these and many other the Lordes chosen haue beene both noted in the holy Scriptures which are extant before vs and also punished in some measure for their sinnes and offences yet did it not alwayes follow that the repentance of euery of them hath beene so largely declared to the world or so plainely set foorth in wordes as was the repentance of David the Kinges Father Davids repentance and of some of others And yet who should either in wisedome reason equity or good conscience call their repentance conuersion or turning againe to the Lord into question to whome the Lorde hath expressed the full assurance of his loue and mercy in their liues What said the King in this case Though the righteous be overtaken by death yet shal he bee at rest Againe The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God their shall none evill touch them Worthily haue these golden sayings beene taken from his mouth Sap. 4.7 and copied out and conserued for the posteritie to giue comfort vnto the Lordes chosen and to satisfy them that might otherwise condemne themselues and their cause in the consideratiō of their punishments and miseries in this life Therefore it is true that as the man which hath beene long nooseled vp in vices will not onely with much adoe leaue them and leauing them will yet retaine some sauour thereof in his person as such which hauing beene long clogged with iron fetters will yet halte after they bee loosed so on the contrary parte hee that hath beene brought vp and exercised in holy vertues will not soone loose the habite much lesse the sauor of them as those vessels will long retaine and yeeld the smack of that liquor which was in them first steeped although they bee washed and assayed to bee purged from the same Neither may wee thinke but that if after the opinion of the very heathen Philosophers one vice ouerthroweth not a vertue in habite much rather shoulde wee of Israel not so much as imagine that one or a few faultes of the children of God occasioned either of ignoraunce or of feare or of infirmitye or of naturall concupiscence or of the malice of the olde Serpent shoulde rent asunder an habite of holinesse and so infringe or weaken the power of Gods free election and loue the which by his spirite euer worketh a godly repentance vnto them which are elected and by the same in mercy appointed to glory For those whome in his loue hee hath elected before all worldes hee wil in his mercy pardon and glorifie and for that purpose hee giueth them a godly repentance as that which is ordained for the calling home againe and recouery of those the Lords chosen whom the Serpent had beguiled and seduced For the Lorde our God will not loose any one of them which appertaine vnto him nor will hee suffer his truth to faile CAP. XXIX Of the nature of Solomons sinnes and argumentes of his true Repentance ZAdoke had no soonr deliuered the former speeches but by and by Abiather rose vp againe and obiected saying Whether are Solomons sins greater then the sinnes of some other that did repent and were pardoned 1. King 11. 5. It is said most reuerend father that the sins of our L.K. Solomō are of the nature as they haue far exceeded the sinnes of those holy ones of whose repentāce we be either certified or perswaded in the holy scriptures as more hainous and dangerous for behold his strange wiues and fleshly Concubines haue turned away his heart from the Lord his God in so much that hee hath followed after Astaroth the God of the Sydonians and Milcom the abhomination of the Ammonites he hath builded an high place for Chamos the abhomination of Moab and for Moloch the abhominatiō of the childrē of Ammon and hath wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and hath not followed the Lord perfectly as did David his father Al these are your own words concerning the King and his trespasse most reuerend father neither haue I added any thing in the hearing whereof who is there almost but that will condemne the king of a more heinous and dangerouse sinne zadok then that the Fathers of whome ye haue spoken did euer commit in their daies But yet I beseech you said Zadok that those my wordes may neither bee wrested nor amisse vnderstood in this case God forbid that therein I shoulde so farre depresse the Kinges hope and estimation with the Lorde as to iudge his sinnes either irremissible or such haue exceeded the sinnes of those others whom the Lorde hath pardoned vpon their true repentance Indeede it cannot be denyed nor defended but that the king hath sinned grieuously against the Lord his God as I said before and therin hath offered an offence vnto the Lords people Howbeit that either the nature of those his sinnes is such as can neither haue pardon as was the sinne of Cain or that it was more hainous and horrible either in quantitie or qualitie then the sinnes of some others whom it pleased the Lorde in mercy to remit and renew vpon repentance wee neither finde nor dare to auouch Our first parents in Paradise committed an horrible transgression They hearkened to Satan they brake the commandement they forsooke the Lord their God were made thralls
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
* Finally for asmuch as with the regarde of the former the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and man of mercie forgets not the Poore Neh. 5. Isa 57. Act. 4.35 Gen. 1.8 let not my LORD bee angry if after Abrahams example pleading before the Iudge of all the worlde I speake yet this once supplicating for the Poore first for the Poore neglected Secondly for the Poore oppressed Among the former it may please your highnesse with Elisha's hearte to thinke on the honest Widowes the fatherlesse Sonnes 1. King 41.2 and virgine daughters of the deceased poore Pastours who in their life time applying their functions and studies in Divinitie might not so conveniently provide for their owne families as other men accustome to doe that thereby the first of them by some christian contribution may be relieved the second in Schooles of learning preferred and the third for meete Mariages endowed the which in every part may easily by your Princely providence bee timely compassed Among the latter those your poore Subiects may be considered who are iniuriously beaten by them which make your publike authority in their handes a staffe of private revenge that those poore may yet freely plead for themselves with meete audience especially then when the case toucheth their life their landes their gooddes or good names that so King Solomons complaint Eccles 4.1 may not iustly be renued but in regard of your Kingly piety so well approved in thinges past apparant in the present and hoped for in the future as a right imitator of the King of Glory King Davids sweete Song may be dayly modulated Hee delivereth the Poore when hee crieth the needy also and him that hath no helper Psal 72.12 These thinges beeing remembred the King of mercie shall respect and thinke on your Noble Grace in goodnes Thus most humbly acknowledging mine owne audacious attempt I here prostrate my selfe with my labours at your highnes feete imploring and craving your most gratious pardon and princely protection that for my selfe this for my present that in regarde of my faithfull good meaning and dutifull alleageance this for the honour of the Subiect so worthie estimate and both this and that of your heroicall Spirite and godly good nature And I dayly pray vnto the Almightie in the name of his holy Messiah by the sweet influence of his Spirite bountifully to blesse gratiously to preserue powerfully to defend and mercifully to maintaine your royall maiestie together with your most lovely our Soveraigne Lady Queene Anna the most noble Prince Henry of excellent hope and all your most Honourable Progenie to liue raigne florish and prosper in the feare of the Highest and in the highest felicitie for ever more Amen Your Maiesties right humble and faithfull Subiect in all obedience IOHN CARPENTER Minister of Gods Word A PREFACE to the Reader DIvers men diuersly affected as we may see in the sundry examples of all ages and persons haue sought diuersly to solace themselues in this life To passe ouer the manifolde delights wherewith a man is naturally recreated in the sundry changes and chances of his time some have beene well pleased in the remembrance of their owne pristine adventures whereof they haue made vse for the better Instruction of themselues some in the reading hearing or rehearsing of the Actes and Histories of Antiquitie some in often conference and talke with other men touching the vsages customes affayres of diuers persons places things some in the holy meditation of heauenly and spirituall matters some in the glorious crosse of Martyrdō to be short some in the timely agnizing of their owne sinnes and infirmities in the declaration of mans vanities in helping the weake in defending the oppressed in teaching the ignorant in correcting the faulty and performing the duties of Christianitie to the praise of God and the benefit of men Yea and as times and seasons alter and men changed in those times often vary opinions so in the selfe-same persons are not alwayes found the same delights but that which hath beene highly requested hath at other times beene all so much loathed and that which was before abandoned is afterward eagerly pursued Among others the valiant Troian who was sometimes much delighted in the right princely prowesse and the remembrance of his martiall exploytes did neuerthelesse after his desperate aduentures on the wrathfull Seas perswade that this also should in the time future bee a profitable solace for him and his Companions saying vnto them Haec olim meminisse iuvabit And that happie Fortunatus whom the Poet bringeth in talking with his fellow Faustus willing to recreate himselfe after some extraordinarie labours sayd Antiquos paulùm recitemus Amores But more worthily that holy Spowsesse whome King Solomon mentioneth as one enamored on him whom her soule loued is very much solaced not onely with the zealous meditation and condigne commendation of him and his soueraigne graces but after that she found and enioyed him in the glad report and declaration of the manner and methode how she fought him how shee was hindred how shee found and apprehended him and whatsoeuer else betided her in those her carefull and fearefull affaires The sweete Psalmist could sometimes comfort himselfe with holy hymnes godly psalmes and ghostly songs sometimes in fighting the Lordes battailes sometimes in the noble duties of his royall place sometimes in the deepe consideration of his troubles and afflictions the which hee framed as documentes of godly discipline and simboles of divine graces whereof he gladly confessed Before I was troubled I went wrong Psal 1 19.3.7 but now have I kept thy worde Againe It is good for mee that I have beene in trouble that I may learne thy statutes Thus the Apostle was often solaced to tell not onely of the Lordes graces and mercies towardes him with thankefulnesse but also to declare openly his owne former ignorances infirmities and sinnes wherin hee had beene before time delighted as zealous for the law and now to report of his travailes his troubles his afflictions his persecutions his crosses c. for his maisters cause in the which he gloried and tooke no meane delight There was a time when K. Solomon was wonderfully pleased in the exercises of holy princely vertues in the building of magnificent houses especially that which hee dedicated to the L. his God Againe there was a time when the same Solomon being carried away of his own concupiscēce and be sotted with the pernicious love of strange women was delighted in the lewd lusts of men But yet there was an other time when as the same Solomon after the full experience of those delightes wherein hee had wearied himselfe vnder the Sunne and the sense of both the divine iudgements and mercies thought that the house of mourning yeelded him a sweeter Solace then the banquetting house Moreouer after this hee much eased his afflicted spirite not onely in declaring what a florishing and happy Common-wealth hee would haue established in
Nay we ought not to be such sharp cēsorers as either to deny or to bring into doubt the salvation of all thē whose sins have bin made manifest in the holy scriptures albeit of their finall repentance we finde no mention in plaine forme of wordes If it were not so what shoulde wee iudge of Adam and Hevah which hearkened to the Serpent and fell from their obedience of Noah which beeing drunken with wine lay vncovered of Lot which was overcome and committed incest of Iudah which lay with Thamar his daughter in law of Sampson the Nazarite who dallied with Dalila slew himselfe with the Philistines of Iosiah which attempted an vnnecessary battaile against Neko the K. of Aegypt died in the same of the man of God which cōtrary to the L. commādement did eat bread in the old Prophets house was slaine of a Lyon and of many such others both before and sithence the time of Christ of whose salvatiō there is no doubt or questiō Neither may we think howsoever Solomon offēded as he did offēd that hainously that yet his sins were irremissible not to be pardoned or by nature such as passed the sins of those others of whō wee read and belieue that God pardoned them Amongst others look on David the King look on Manasses look on Paul and consider Peter Was not David both an adulterer a murtherer for he tooke Bethsabe caused Vriah her husband for her sake to be slain howbeit he was not shut out frō repentāce so neither from remissiō as the scriptures testifie What was Manasses the scriptures report that he did evil in the sight of the L. even after the abhominatiōs of the heathēs whō the L. cast out before the childrē of Israel for hee built vp all the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroied he reared vp altars for Baal made groaves as did Achab K. of Israel worshipped al the hoast of heavē served thē he built altars for al the hoast of heavē he offered his own Son in the sier gave heed vnto witchcraft sorcery and maintained workers with spirits and tellers of fortunes wrought much wickednes in the sight of the L. to anger him Againe he led the people out of the way to do more wickedly thē did the heathē people And he slew Isaiah the L. prophet shed much innocent bloud till hee replenished Ierusalem from corner to corner besides his sinne wherewith he made Iudah to sin and to doe evill in the sight of the Lord. Lo such an one was Manasses and such were his sinnes farre beyonde that wee reade of Solomon Further what was Paul was he not a Saul a blasphemer a persecutor of Christ and his Saintes and finally did not Peter 3. times not onely deny his Maister Christ after he had believed and confessed him but also did sweare that hee knew him not yet lo Manasses is witnessed to repent and to finde mercie Peter goeth out and weepeth and the Lord looketh on him and sheweth him mercie Paul hath also obtained mercie as himselfe testifieth and such indeede is the mercie of our good God to penitent sinners Note this Now let no man thinke that this hath bin spokē to encourage men in their sins God forbid Nay rather let men by these fearefull examples feare to sinne and not presume on Gods mercie knowing that presumptuous sinnes shall not be freed of plagues when even those sinnes which are done of ignorance of feare of frailtie or natures imperfections are not left without some measure of punishmentes But this hath bin said partly to arme all men against despaire but chiefly to banish out of mens hearts that deep suspicion of Solomons finall Repentance and the doubtfulnes of his eternall health with that holy Messiah whome he so worthily prefigured in his life Secondly as wee have saide of Solomons person so may wee say resolve of his Books Sermons and Songs chiefely of his Proverbes his Preacher and his Song of Songes as of perfect veritie consonant in all thinges to the legall propheticall and Apostolicall Scriptures And therfore howsoever some persons either malicious or ignorant would obiect and except against any of those by reason of the persons transgression or of his strange phrases farre passing the vulgare and ordinarie manner of speech or the reach of their knowledge or otherwise wee find neverthelesse that as both the author and his workes and wordes have beene reverently esteemed and worthily admired of those wise and honourable personages who lived in his time and so neare him that they both beheld him with their eyes and heard him with their eares and from his wisdom collected and preserved that which they esteeme worthie the holy register as most divine Oracles prophesies sentences and doctrines so necessary and profitable for the Church so also have those wise learned Hebrues and others of regarde which succeeded them resolved of the same which therefore they have likewise esteemed and embraced accordingly Pro. 25.1 Aug. de civ dei lib. 17.20 Io. Driedo in Catalog sacr script Therfore the godly affected Servantes of the right worthie King Hezekiah admiring the one and well affecting the other did carefully copie out for their better solace and instruction many of his wise parables and grave sayings Therefore also Esra the right learned Scribe who collected and restored the written lawe sacred prophesies dispersed in the vnhappy time of the Babylonicall captivitie gathered and placed those 3. former Bookes in the Canon of the holy Scriptures Therefore the Synagogue of the Iewes after him and that aswell before as sithence the time of the Lordes nativitie accepted and received those his Bookes in the number of the 22. which they proportioned to the letters of the holy tongue Therefore the Chaldean translators of the holy scriptures have both regarded entituled his sayings songs Prophesies Therfore Iesus or Iosua the high priest being in Aegypt Eccles 1. in Prolog August de civit deilib 17. cap. 20. Et lib. retract 1. cap. 4. Hieron in lib. de viris illustrad Chromat Hag. 1.1 Zach. 3.1 Io. Driedo in Catalog sacr script Damas lib. 4. cap. 18. finding there many Books writtē in the hebrew tōgue left there of the Iewes among them all copied out collected and comprised in a book many of Solomons wise words sentences divine prophesies the which afterward that is to say in the raigne of Ptolomy Euergetes the Aegytian K. a little before the daies of Iudas Macchabeus and about 200. yeeres before the birth of Messiah one Iesus the sonne of Sirach which was the son of the same Iosuah affecting that which his grandfather had collected did interpret or translate the same frō the hebrew into the Greeke tongue acknowledging himselfe therin to bee not the Author but the translator Therefore Philo the learned Iewe who lived in the time of Onias the high priest beeing about an hundred
Potentates where we often behold and consider how the Lordes priestes prophets and faithfull seruantes are not onely neglected but vnreuerentlie contemned and abused and that for the lightest causes that may be imagined we see that seueritie recompenseth priuate iniuries against all men without mercie and we see that little kindnesse is found to consider of great benefites of them which be liuing much lesse of them that be dead of whom the prouerbe is beaten Out of sight out of mind 1. Sam. 22.17 Such hath beene the vngodly behauiour of Saul towards Abimelech and the Priestes of the Lord whome notwithstanding they had made their honest excuse withall humilitie hee commaunded Doeg the Edomite to murther euen fourescore and fiue persons that did weare a linnen Ephod yea and bee smote with the edge of the sworde Nob the Cittie of the Priestes both men and women children and sucklinges Gen. 37.20 oxen and asses and sheepe with horrible crueltie Thus the brethren of Ioseph hardly handled their poore brother in that they did not onely cast him into a pit but sold him away as a bondslaue to strangers following therein the Nature of Cain who murthered Abel his brother vpon an offence not giuen Gen. 4. but taken Iudg. 7. And thus the vnthankfull Sichemites in the time of the Iudges notwithstanding that Gedeon had beene beneficiall to Israel shewed no mercy vnto his house but gaue consent to the setting vp of Abimelech the tyrant to the destruction of the same But thus hath not our King done Neuerthelesse as reason required he remoued Abiather both from his office and also from out of the Court for hee had distained his honour and disgraced his function by his lewde behauiour therein and was an enemie to the kinges estate Therefore that he might not longer abuse the place so fit for a better person yea for a person perfect and well approued Treacherous persons are euer suspected againe that he might not thenceforth as he was an enemie vnhappily moue or entise any of the Kinges Courte to conspire with him against the king and his gouernement hee was iustly depriued of the one and banished from the other for as it is indeed wisedome in time to cast out of the congregation such by whome the same is daily offended and the place abused to auoid the contempt which by such persons is often occasioned so it is good policie timely to obserue sequestre and put apart such dangerous persons from the presence of Princes and from the societie of their Lordes and seruantes left they both infect and inflame and so confound the body with the head by the contagion of their trecherous plots wicked designes and pestilent practizes in and about the which will euer bee their dailie and greatest studies and indeuours for they are set on the pricked forth by the Syre of treasons and broacher of rebellions Hence was it that Moses commanded a separation between the Israelites and Corah Dathan and Abiram whome the earth opening swallowed vppe in their rebellion Thus the Lord reproued Cain for his enuy and anger against Abel his brother and admonished him to his dutie but after that hee had listed vppe his hand against him murthered him he expelled him though too late and sent him an exile from his fathers house So also after that Ismael was noted to be a persecuter and derider of his brother whome hee sought to supplant hee was shut out of Abrahams house with Hagar his mother who had counselled and defended him in his wickednesse Therfore wee may perswade that this proceeding and iudgement of the king against Abiather for the abuse of his function and his treacherie against both David and our Lord the king being both lawfull and discreetely handled according to the diuine prouidence and the equitie of the law is not the cause of the kinges present sorrow To this all the Princes subscribed gladly iustifying the wise and worthy iudgement of the king with all his proceedinges therein in whom they did manifestly behold the wisedome of the most high God to doe equity and righteousnes CAP. XIII Of Solomons proceedinges against Ioab and Shimei KIng Solomon being iustified and commended in his iudgement procéedinges against Adoniah and Abiather in th' execution of th' one Azariah and the depriuatiō of th' other Azariah the chiefe of the Collectors came foorth said But there be which do not only blame but condemne the King concerning his dealing against his Cosen Ioab chiefly after he had taken holde of the hornes of the Altar where for the holinesse and reuerence of the place be presumed of securitie for he verily thought that the king which was wise and singularly affected the holy Religion would haue rather reuerenced the place and not aduentured to plucke any man out of the Lords house especially from the high Altar which did flie thither for defence and safetie as to the Sanctuary of the Lord. To this Benaiah the chiefe Captaine answered Benaiah against Ioab In that my Lord as I am well assured of mine owne guiltlesse hand being especially charged by the king to slay Ioab for indéede I slew him at the kings commaundement so am I well perswaded of the perfect wisedome and vpright iudgemēt of the king in that matter for diuers causes first for that Ioab had beene of the confederacie with Abiather yea and a chiefe Counsellor of Adoniah both against K. David and against our Lord the king for although he were the sonne of Zaruiah Davids sister placed by him in a very high grade and authority as the chiefe Captaine of all his heastes and had béene bolde in the presumption thereof to doe and commit many thinges both vnlawfull and vndecent against the kings will and good liking as in the murther of Abner and Amasa and such like yet here he presumed too too farre for as it was not lawfull nor conuenient so was it neither safe for himselfe to aduenture to set vp and to proclaime Adoniah king ouer Israel in the life time of K. David without the goodwill and manifest commaundement and warrant of the king and of his noble Counsellors vnto whom it better became Ioab to haue submitted himselfe his Counsailes to whom he should haue hearkened and yéelded the due honour according to the law chiefly in this high matter and not in such malepert lewde sort haue vsurped on the Kings gratious fauour arrogantly presumed so farre on the authority of his high place Truely this is a fault which is often committed and no lesse noted in them whom the fauour of gratious Princes hath aduanced and graced and the honour of the place hath puffed vppe so far Men being in honour do often forget themselues that forgetting themselues and their dutie they neither foresée their owne dangers imminent for it is sufficiently proued that many men being sodainely exalted are also sodainely depressed and humbled in their pride by the same
wofull For being a man of an excellent spirit he feareth not Death whose day as I haue heard him to say is better in respect then the birth day of a man and that the dead are more happy then the liuing and therefore hath thus counsailed the liuing Be not feareful of death Remēber them that haue gone before thee them that come after thee This is the iudgement of the Lord vpon al flesh why wouldst thou be against the pleasure of the most high whether it be tenne and hundred or a thousand yeeres death neuer asketh how long a man hath liued Againe he hath said that death though a tyrant in nature is yet acceptable and welcome to some sorts of liuing creatures and namely to the man whose strength faileth him to him that is come to his last age and to him that is ful of care and fearefulnes and in miserie in this life Which sentences for th'excellencie thereof are also copied out and notified vnto many other nations which gladly accept and embrace them Moreouer the King hath said that howsoeuer a man be dead and laid senseles in the graue among the dead and dust be returned into dust that yet his Soule which is the best part of man returneth vnto God that gave it that is not to die with the body but to liue and continue for euer with him whose Image it beareth that fréely exonerated off and from all the miserable torments and vexations which assaile men in this transitory life By the which as among some other his words we find as a wise man should not be daunted with the terror of death but rather expect and embrace him so himselfe is nothing moued therewith Feare not death being of all men the wisest His reasons therefare many from the which wee take and gather these which follow First that Death is better then life or the day of the death happier then the birth day We may simply beleeue him therein Mors ita qualis vita For death is the renewing of a mans nature I meane to him that leadeth a godly life for if the life of a man be good his death cannot be euil And as men do alwaies desire that which is good so neither do they feare that which therein they desire Secondly this is that which belongeth to the cōdition of mans nature for he is borne into the worlde not to stay here but to dye and to depart againe therefore as no man can dye which hath not first liued so neither shall any liue which shall not also dye in this world Thirdly this is the decree of the almighty vpon all flesh once to dye to whose will and pleasure therein al men must yeeld obey Gen. 3 as good subiects to their prince in his place and authority And therefore we should neither murmur at nor feare that which he hath ordained knowing withall that he decreeth nothing but that which is good and profitatable for his children Fourthly this is not onely Gods decrée but also his good pleasure by this to glorifie himselfe and to benefite his children To whome euen death which came in through sinne might notwithstanding bee a meane to deliuer men from the same when his iustice therin shal be ioyned with mercy and louing kindnes Fifthly by this messenger men are ridde and discharged of many troubles vexations sorrowes miseries which oppres and grieue them in this yea through faith in the Messias from all sinne and dangers of Soule that follow after and awaite them in this worlde Sixthly a man may be comforted by th'examples of them that haue passed before him and the consideration of such as follow him This hath seised on father mother brother sister and friend This hath fallen on Adam on Abel on Noah on Abraham on Moses Iosuah Samuel and David and it shall not passe ouer them that come after thée Seuenthly this yeeldeth a man rest from his labours yea it yeeldeth the due both to heauen and earth for hereby the soule returneth to God that gaue it and the body to the dust from whence it was taken This the king considereth and feareth not death but as a man that hath trauailed and now wel neare finished a long and perilous voyage is rather glad and ioyfull then sory or wofull when hee seeth himselfe so neare the end thereof and would be vnwilling to begin his voyage againe especially being weary so the king being thus farre proceeded passing through the dangerous surges of the vanities of this life he is rather ioyfull glad and ready to resigne ouer his soule to his maker his body to the earth and his royall dignitie to an other then any way wofull or fearefull of death the end of this voyage Neither is he ignorant of this for he hath the highest knowledge of all men liuing that so long onely a man shoulde desire to liue in this worlde as he may bee well able to glorifie God and to performe his duty in the same which shal be so long How long a man should desire to liue here as the time of his ministry in this life is by the diuine prouidēce appointed to endure no lōger and that when the time of this his seruice is determined he should then desire rather to depart hēce thē to liue any longer assuring himselfe that hee shall neither effect nor performe any thing out of the due time for euery thing and euery worke hath his opportunity and time as the King hath said This time therefore abserued Noah Abraham Isaack Iacob Ioseph Moses Iosuah Samuel David and other our godly forefathers in their liues And this time I am assured the King shall accomplish and therein shall doe and performe that onely which the Lord hath appointed him in his place for his glory and the benefit of his people Thus farre the Princes were contented to heare one another of them and withall to iustifie that which had beene saide for the King Howbeit howsoeuer some of them dissembled the matter there was not yet any one of thē that either declared or reuealed the cause of the Kinges affliction Neither indeede was hee which knew the matter willing to open it because it touched the Kings Maiestie Whereby it was like to bee as daungerous to his person and state as the malady is to that patient the cause of whose griefe is neither reuealed nor wel known to the phisician This the lords cōsidered therfore they yet desisted not to search enquire further vntil they found out the causes of the kings present sicknesse CHAP. XV. Zadoke hath found the causes of the kinges troubled minde and declareth them of Solomons glory ZAdoke the most reuerend Father hauing now a good whiles hearkened to the conference of the Lordes and perceiuing that they would neither bee quieted in heart appeazed in conscience nor surcease to search and examine matter by matter cause by cause vntil they might at length find out
behaued himselfe after that hee was anointed and proclamed King in the place of his Father David and thus hee shoulde haue worthily continued and retained the honour of his place especially in his elder yeares wherein is required sobrietie grauitie holinesse wisedome zeale and perfection This the king knewe well-enough for hee wanted no wisedome no knowledge no vnderstanding no iudgement But that notwithstanding hee abused both his calling place and age whereof it is that as they which come out of hote bathes doe sodainely coole more vehemently and as that water which hath beene once heate seemeth to bee more colde then any other and as they most deadly hate one another which haue beene sometimes friendes when they fall at variance so turning himselfe from the Lorde his God and from the vse of those princely and heroicall vertues wherein hee was first exercised hee is esteemed execrable wicked in the eyes of wisemen Therefore There bee among them which doe not onely call into question his election and remission but also doe iudge him a person prophane reprobate and damnable and so not meete to bee a King much lesse to bee the King of Israel For as the iudgement of the tree is taken from the consideration of the fruite and of the fountaines by the taste or vse of the waters so gather they this censure from the consideration of the kings life and demeanour for whiles a man continueth wallowing in sinne without true repentance he declareth no pardon and he whose sinnes are not pardoned hath none hope of health Againe he that repenteth not of his sinnes when he hath sinned is a prophane person he that obtaineth not mercy is a reprobate and he that is shut out from saluation is damned Howbeit the Lord forbidde that this thing should bee found or iustly proued in our Lorde the King of Israel Herence also they obiect against the sermons wordes Exceptions to Solomons doctrine and words and doctrines of King Solomon as of fruites vnwholesome growing of such an euill tree For neither could his vnderstanding as they say henceforth be perfit to this purpose for as they which sodainly turne themselues to the shadow which haue seene the Sunne haue their eyes dazeled and cannot as yet see cleerely so it cannot be that be which hath turned away his minde from spirituall contemplations to the obscure lusts of the flesh should so soone afterwarde bee of perfite vnderstanding in those heauenly mysteries and diuine doctrines And heere it is remembred what the King himselfe hath sometimes saide That wisedome entreth not into a wicked soule nor dwelleth in a bodie that is subiect to sinne Therefore they from hence argue Solomon hath not presumed to vse the name Iehovah of late The booke of the Ecclesiastes not well vnderstood of many wherof it was that so many evill opinions haue bin fathered thereon that the King in this time is not replenished with the perfite wisedome and so can neither vtter nor teach wisedome vnto others by any deedes or wordes of his * But yet they are more bolde on these their assertions because the King hath not of late vsed the most holy Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iehovah which is proper to the Almightie either in his priuate talke or in those his Wordes which hee hath lately vttered before his Princes or in that Booke of his called the Song of Songs which they holde and will esteeme a cause sufficient that both those his Wordes and Bookes shoulde bee not onely suspected but also reiected as prophane and vnprofitable for the Church of God Yea they say morouer that from hence as from a bitter roote will issue foorth sundry monstrous opinions and dangerous doctrines by the which the most prophane persons shall strengthen their prophanites the vngodly their impieties the superstitious their superstitions the sinners their sinnes Therefore as we are of Israel and ought not to be polluted with the manners of the heaten so shoulde wee before all others abandon those and such like works and words which corrupt good manners and that kinde of learning which confounds the good constitution of a mans health and hasteneth his destruction as for the conseruation of bodily health the Phisicians doe aduise men to eschew those daintie meates which prouoke them to eate when they are not hungry and those delicate drinkes which tempt them to drinke being not thirstie And of this kinde they obiect that the king hath much spoken in this his olde age But howsoeuer it bee we may bee sure of this that as the best wine looseth his verdit and grace when it is infused into fowle and filthy vessels So the words of the king be they neuer so good and profitable in right estimation shall by this his vngodly life and polluted behauiour loose both their right grace and commendation in the iudgement of all men I am right sory I was occasioned to say thus much of my Lorde the King and of his Sermons and last Words Azariah for the king and his words Then answered Azariah in the behalfe of all the other Princes Indeed as yee haue saide there may bee many things obiected by such as being not onely ignorant and neither able to discerne betweene things holy and prophane so perceiue not that the fault lyeth rather in their own synister interpretations of the Kings workes and wordes then in the workes and wordes themselues but also by such as regarde not to yeelde honour to them to whome honour belongeth and little care whome they wound with their tongues or whose wordes or workes they depraue and sclander as my Lorde Zadok hath before well noted Giue not sentence before the matter bee heard But let vs aduise all them that come after vs that they giue not sentence in a matter before they heare it with discretion lest it turne to their folly and shame pro. 18. A Caveat especially in these matters of God and the king and that they beware that they bee not seduced and led away by the sophistrie and guilfull practizes of such deriders from the true vse of this the kings Solace and so consequently from the way that leadeth to the highest felicitie and best good Gen. ◠The spirite of God is euer wont to reproue them that bee vniust in iudgement and thereof that cursed and reprobated Serpent is already condemned But heere wee heartily request you most reuerend Zadok which are adorned and beautified with that right * Vrim and Thumim That is knowledge perfection to speake in the defence of king Solomon our Soueraigne Lord and of his words and say whatsoeuer the Lorde shall put in your mouth to be spoken without feare or partialitie and wee will not onely giue eare vnto you but also be right thankefull We doubt not but that after your answeres to all those and such like obiections heard and waighed with deliberation Note well what wil be in the end resolued of Solomon and
to purpose as in the nature of those Symboles Figures Types and shadowes which teach and put vs in minde of things aswell spirituall and eternall as future of the which wee haue and retayne many at this time yet will I not beginne with those externall things lest peraduenture any man shoulde saye that the King is not therefore the better in the spirit nor the more acceptable to God because he is outwardly glorious no more then he is a good king that raigneth in a wealthy country or he a wise gouernour which is placed in a goodly ship or he a worthy man who weareth a faire Coate or that a perfect Steed which is arraied with a golden Saddle Solomon is a figure of Messiah But I wil aspire higher in the consideration of our king to expresse and confirme vnto you his excellency aswell before the Lord as before mortall men And namely and chiefely in that whereby it pleaseth the Lord his God that he should prefigurate and foreshew that holy Messiah whom wee do verily belieue to come into the worlde and doe daily expect But first of this most glorious Person I mean the Messiah it may please you to heare me a few words for they shal be both sweete and comfortable to the true hearted Isralites that from thence I may the better argue for the Kinges holinesse to your content To this the Princes gladly accorded The comfort of the tidings of the Messiah being most willing to heare tell of that most holy and sweete Messiah of Gods mercy promised so long ago typed shadowed prefigured and now so earnestly expected For as their is nothing more pleasing to the prisoner then to heare of his libertie more wished for to the hungry then meate more comfortable to the sicke then the comming of a cunning Phisician and more ioyfull to the condemned to death then the glad tidinges of pardon life so what should be more pleasing more desired more comfortable and more ioyfull to vs which are captiued to the Serpent starued for want of graces sicke and sore in sinne and by a iust sentence condemned to death yea to eternall death then to heare the glad tidings of the coÌ„ming of the most noble Prince the carefull pastour that faithfull Phisician and that mighty Saviour which wil as he is best able release vs refresh vs heale vs pardon and saue vs Say on therefore most reuerend Father for we long to heare of those chearefull things zadoke telleth of mans fall and misery Gen. 3. * Then hearken said he I know it is not hidden from you for Moses hath plainely written thereof in the booke Berescith and it is often read vnto you that our first Parents by the Serpentes subtiltie tooke the forbidden fruit in Paradise therein breake the commandement the paine and inconuenience thereon threatned for the same was that they should dye the death that same day Therfore it followed that they were exiled kept out from the presence of God they were wounded with the act of their transgression they were captiued in the Serpents bands they became odious to their maker they were dispoiled of all their diuine vertues they were opposed to all miseries and lastly subdued vnto ghastfull death and hell torments Lo such was the wofull condition of those our first parents Howbeit this had not beene so intollerable and grieuous vnto vs had not the effect of this transgression beene extended and propagated by nature on all Adams children and posterity but it is too true that all men are thereby holden guilty as the naughty children of like parents and as vnwholesome fruites of the same tree This David the kinges father hath considered and acknowledged Psal 51. in Mismor Ledavid Behold I was shapen in wickednes and in sinne hath my mother coÌ„ceived me yea and when the Lord looked downe from heauen he saw that all were gone out of the waye and were become abhominable and that none of them did good no not one The recovery of man by Messiah But yet seeing Iehovah our God was most willing to recouer and recure man I meane those whome he had in his loue fore knowne for his owne elected to life and appointed for his glory he did in wisedome deuise and prouide a wonderfull meane therevnto wherein his mercy striuing with his Iustice might yet in the ende conclude for Equitie by the which this man who was indged and iustly condemned should be pardoned and yet the diuine iustice not infringed How this could bee compassed by Gods wisedome and prouidence ye shall hereafter vnderstand Here let vs consider in the nature of the diuine goodnes that God is more ready to pardon and to saue then to iudge and destroy the children of his election and grace and the rather for that he loueth them hath created them in his owne image hath appointed them for his glory and would not they should be lost for euer Againe hee considered mans frailtie and pittied it he was mercifull and expressed it he was liberall and extended it he was the best father and declared his affection he was willing to saue and performed his will Therefore hee would neither suffer sin either to ouerthrow him or to raigne or to rest on him but hating and abhorring sin from his heart he did destroy the same by his grace he had compassioÌ„ on mans miserable condition therefore he little waighed yea hee forgat the iniury that man did him hee shewed himselfe ready both to satisfy for his guilt to heale his paine he was more ready to pardon man then man was to aske mercy and finally when in iustice he should and might if he would haue thrown him down into the depth of the nethermost hell he neuerthelesse after his mercy recouered him restored him to grace and raised him vp into the highest heauen And this to effect when neither angels nor powers either in heauen or earth or vnder the earth could do the deede he proposed his owne Sonne euen that most holy and eternall worde of God by whome all thinges were made Gen. 1.1 whom he appointed to deale for mans guilte to satisfy the diuine Iustice and to compasse and effect the most excellent worke of mans redemption by and in the which hee might gather and ioyne againe vnto himselfe a chaste spowsesse as vnto whome he might expresse the greatnes of his loue and continue as an husband or head to defend preserue maintaine and beautify the same for euer The obedieÌ„ce of Messiah Therevpon the Almighty was not so ready that man by this meane should be recouered but that sonne also himselfe as an earnest wower that seeketh for her whome his soule loueth was also willing obedient to doe and performe all things conuenient therein According to the which the Kinges Father did sing in his person Burnt offeringes and sacrifices for sinne thou hast not required psal 40. â—â— Then saide I Lo I come in the
the deadly aduersarie This is the hope of health the purchase of mercie and way to felicitie I cannot yet cease but speake againe of this soueraigne treasure and medicine of the sinners sore beeing therein as full as the Moone and most willing to bee powred foorth in the excellencie thereof so full of consolation and rich blessings This is that which through the mercie of the liuing God in the promised seede remitteth sinnes openeth the gates of Paradize salueth the man that is broken in heart and gladeth them that bee sorowfull This is that which calleth a mans life from destruction restoreth his estate reneweth his decayed honour giueth him boldnesse reformeth his spirites and powreth in grace vpon grace This is that which looseth things bounde clarifieth things obscure and animateth things desperate The beautie of this vertue is as cleare as the Sunne as bright as the Moone as glistring as the Starres The sweetnes thereof is as honye the price as golde and the estimation beyonde all precious stones For this is that which neither sinne ouer-commeth nor defection destroyeth nor dispaire blotteth out Finally this abandoneth all vices imbraceth all vertues tormenteth sinne extolleth righteousnesse obtaineth mercies produceth vertues freeth sinners recouereth the lost recreateth the desperate He that can truely repent needeth not to doubt of saluation refresheth the harde labourer and bringeth to her possessors eternall happinesse For by this a man shall bee saued although hee hath lead all his life in sinne as there is no man which sinneth not full often and euery day Such an excellent thing is true Repentance But yee will saye Howe is this wrought in a man howe is this repentance wrought in man Howe shall a man truely repent Indeede this thing is not wrought in man of mans owne power nor wisedome For GOD stayeth not to expect it from mans wisedome or abilitie for so may both his expectation bee frustrated and man bee deceiued but it is the goodnesse of GOD to renewe them by repentance which are waxen olde in sinne Therefore the Sinner shoulde neuer despaire Despaire not of mercie nor fall from hope neither shoulde hee bee ashamed to repent but ashamed to sin and consider that as the one is a wound so the other is a medicine for the wound Sinne is the wound Repentance is the medicine the wounde hath shame the medicine hath boldnesse the wound is made by the malice of the deuill the medicine is wrought by the loue and goodnesse of GOD in the merite of the holy Messiah which beareth and washeth away all the sinnes of them that truely repent The princes * To this the Princes hauing yeelded attentiuenesse with great gladnesse consented esteeming the Oration as profitable as it was plausible and as fruitfull as gladsome vnto them And then among them stood foorth the Priest Abiather Abiather obiecteth and sayde Yee haue well spoken concerning the former proposition most reuerend Father It is likewise in request that yee prooue the Minor For it may bee called into question heereafter whether the King hath truely repented him yea or no For except this bee prooued what is any thing of that which yee haue spoken touching Repentance appertinent vnto him and if it concerneth not him what profite takes he thereof for hee is not remitted or how is our common question answered and the doubt resolued zadok proveth that king Solomon repented To the which answered Zadok neither is this question so hard to bee answered vnto nor the doubt intricate to bee dissolued for if there were none other Argument whereby to proue the kings true Repentance yet is this enough that he is a Saint a person dedicated to the Lorde therefore he is not fallen from hope therefore hee is truely repentant For as the strong foundation standeth still hauing this Seale The Lorde knoweth them that bee his The saints do not fall away for euer so wee may not thinke that the Saints of God for whom mercie is euer kept in store can fall vtterly away from hope or bee shut out from mercie in the time of their neede For as the wood whose nature is to swimme on the water may yet beeing ouer-laden with yron sinke but the yron beeing taken off the wood neuertheles ascendeth againe to the head of the water and swimmeth Neither may we say that it is no wood because it did sinke once to the bottome Though the faithfull fall yet they rise vp againe So though the righteous men whose nature is by Faith to stand and walke in Gods way being oppressed with the burthen of sinne through the deuils malice do vnhappily couch downe as with Isachar between two burdens yet may we not rightly saye that they are not of the Lords chosen for it is so that whensoeuer that burden is remoued as it is from them that repent they rise againe and bee renued as in their former estate and beeing of that generation and nature it is not possible that they shoulde fall vtterly away for the sonnes of God do not so apostate that they fall into eternall perdition howsoeuer they sinne and sinke vnder their sins For the iust man falleth but he riseth againe And therein they be likened to the herbe Adyanton which beeing steeped deep in the waters though a long time will neuertheles beeing taken vp appeare very dry For the righteous man which had fallen after his rising againe by Repentance is as beautifull as euer he was maugre the malice of the Serpent And touching this doctrine I haue heard the King himselfe to say according to the truth of the holy writings and words of our Prophets that the soules of the righteous are in the handes of God These be Solomons wordes which afterward were gathered by philo the Iew. Sap. 31. and there shall no torment touch them c. Again God proveth them and findeth them meete for himselfe as gold in the furnace doth he try them and receiveth them as a burnt offering and when the time commeth they shal be looked vpon Againe They that put their trust in the Lord shall vnderstand the truth and such as be faithfull shall persevere with him in love For his saincts have grace and mercy Sap. 4 15. and he hath care for them Againe The loving favour and mercy of God is vpon his saincts and he hath respect vnto his chosen Moreouer I haue heard the kinges Father to say The Lord will not permit the righteous to fall for ever though for their triall and bettering hee suffer them to slide for a time psal 55.22 And th'excellent prophets Nathan and Gad haue preached and others the Lords Prophets and holy men haue and do yet preach that God loueth his chosen with an eternall loue therefore he draweth them vnto himselfe by his mercy although they sinne seuen times in a day whereby they rise againe and are renewed Therefore it cannot bee that this person I meane King
and Moses and Aaron And this he did also truely and speedily as soone as he saw the Angell of Gods wrath had drawen forth his sworde against him his people as David did when he saw the angell of God plaguing the people in this point he well resembled that wary bird which seeing the fowlers bow bent and himselfe in danger makes haste to flye away before that the arrow bee sent foorth against him remembring what his father had modulated If when that men offend the Lord they will not turn againe He furbisheth his percing sword in iustice them to paine He bends his bow it prepares with dreadfull darts of death And lethall instrumentes to take from them their vitall breath But alas there be in the world too many cōparable to that foolish bird which maketh no hast to escape frō the snare before he be taken therin Therfore I now remēber not only what he coūsailed Be not slow to turne to the Lord for sodainly shall his wrath burne like fier but what his father aduised psal 95.8 To day if ye his voice will heare Then harden not your faithles heart As ye with grudging many a yeare Provokte me in the wild desert It is meet that men attend him whē he calleth If men offer gold which is yet but transitory there bee which come with speede and the tree being shaken they will gather vp the fruit without long tarrying But when the Lorde proffereth peace to mans soule they come slackly regarde it little which is the cause they often misse the kings thousand But as for our Soueraign L. albeit we had been neither eare-witnesses nor eye-witnesses yet besides the K. gesture and present constitution of body the very words which wee haue heard from him and yet daily heare him to vtter That is his Ecclesiastes and the which being taken and collected into a register may bee called the booke of his repentance shall for euer witnesse and manifest the same thing For therein it doth and may appeare that our L. King Solomon not onely after his full and perfect experience of all the delights of the sonnes of men and the affaires of this life but also after all those his transgressions wherein he had so much vexed and disquietted both his minde and body angred the L. offended the holy ones distained his honor and endangered his soule is neverthelesse by the admirable operation of the diuine spirite brought to the true sense and knowledge of his sinnes and so of the danger of himselfe and his people the which is alwaies the first grade to true repentance from whence hee hath orderly proceeded to the full perfection thereof as hereafter yee shall vnderstand In the meane time my good L let vs think right honourably of the K. and beleeue that Iehovah his God hath not barred him out from the contrition and repentance of the blessed and so neither from the diuine mercy Ye haue well spoken most reuerēd father said the Princes which we haue gladly heard and will both concurre and conclude with you for the King to the honour of our God And truely in this that hee hath acknowledged and confessed his offences hee may not bee either condemned or disliked albeit hee bee the King of Israel no more then such a thing was blamed in David his father but rather to be commended as it was in him as first in regard of the good example wherby others might be instructed next for the more ease of his own heart oppressed with sorrow in the consideration of his sin with the danger ensewing it Thirdly for the better pacifying of the diuine wrath which is vehemēt against obstinat sinners and fouthly for the good of his people who vpon his repentance and remission might hope for peace there be some who when they haue sinned will not easily acknowledge themselues faultie either to God or to man and therfore are hardly perswaded to amend Wherin they bee like those which holden of desperate diseases not feeling themselues sick are hardly recouered for this is a great hinderāce to amēdment of life when men which are offenders will not acknowledge their offences But there bee some though not many of them which offending do by times feele and know their offences and seek to escape the diuine wrath by a faithful recōciliatiō and so are recouered in good time And these be like not only to those wise birds which as ye said eschew the arrowes comming towards them but also to those which being distempered in their bodies soone espy it and seek to preuent inconueniences by the aduise and help of the cunning phisician For as the sense of the sicknes is the commencement of the cure so the acknowledging of a fault is the first step to pardon and so to the amēdment of him that hath faulted But proceed most reuerend father we pray you and desist not vntill ye haue fully declared the order and manner of the K. true repentance for truly howsoeuer it hath beene a griefe and sorow vnto our hearts to hear of those his great transgressions and sins it is and shal be now a ioy and comfort vnto vs to heare of his happy Repentance by the which it may be the L. will also repent him of that euill which he had purposed to doe vnto him and vs and will turne iustice into mercy that we perrish not in this his high displeasure which is as a fearfull fyer to consume thē that wil neither repent them of their sinnes nor seeke him whiles hee may bee found in the singlenesse of heart CAP. XXX Zadok declareth the order and manner of Solomons Repentance THe Princes hauing heard Zadok thus farre acknowledged the equitie of his dealing and withall hauing praysed and commended the King in this point that although he were a King yet he disdained not both is acknowledge himselfe an offendor after the example of his father David they requested Zadoke to proceede who continuing the former argument spake againe to this effect Surely my Lordes as the K. is most wise and his wisedome euer remained with him so perceiuing that he had sinned against God who thereby was prouoked to anger hee did not onely acknowledge the same in his heart but also considered that the iudgements diuine were now ready to be executed against him and his people Yea Solomons Contrition as in Eccl. ca. 1. 2. hee felt the arrowes of God to stick fast in him whereby he was moved to such great contrition of heart and sorrw of minde for his sins that there was no health in his flesh nor rest in his bones he was brought into such an extreame trouble and heauines that hee went mourning all the day long as sometimes I saw his father David to do when his heart was contrite after the knowledge of his sinnes and sense of Gods wrath Secondly Solomons confession of his sinnes the king hath not omitted to vtter foorth the fearefull
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
to the tyranny of the Serpent which had deceiued them Adams sinne Gen. 3. Iudah Gen. 38.26 Lot Aaron Exo. 32.2 Gen. 34.25 Simeon and Levi. Ruben Gen 49 4. The Israelites Sampson Iudg 2.11.13 3.6 16.18 Laban Gen. 31.30 for the which they were iustly driuen out of Paradise and made subiect to misery and death notwithstanding it pleased the L. God as ye haue heard to forgiue them and to gather to himselfe an holy church euē from among them which had sinned We read that Iudah tooke his daughter in law Thamar lay with her contrary to the law and acknowledged that he had sinned therein Lot was made drunke and lay with both his daughters Aarō the Lords priest yeelded to the making of a molten calfe which the people worshipped VVe read that Simeon and Levi the sonnes of Iacob dealt deceitfully with Hemor Sichē his son and murthered them and their people against the will of their father who in his last words cursed their wrath which was shameles their rage which was cruel As for Rubē Iacobs eldest sonne he defiled his fathers bed distained his dignity Our fathers in the time of the Iudges were carried away to serue Baal Astaroth and they were cōioined with the Cananites against the law of the L. Sampsō the Nazarite combined himselfe with a strange woman yea and in the end yeelded his power to the harlot Dalila Laban the father in law of Iacob was a worshipper of strāge Gods Terah the father of Abrahā was not free frō the like offence And are the sinnes of those our fathers especially the greatest of these sins inferior to the K. sins Notwithstāding it is testified that the L. pardoned thē restored thē to his fauor But ye say that the K. hath turned away his heart form the Lord. Indeede of all others his sins this is the greatest Howbeit I say not therefore that hee hath vtterly turned away his heart as that hee hath quite forsaken God and by wicked apostasy fallen away from him for euer for had it beene so we should not haue seene him in this his estate And as I well remember I heard the king himselfe to say and wee cannot denye it when we well consider thereof and of him in this his estate that in the depth of those his sinnes and vanities he perceiued that yet his wisedome remained with him psal 51.11 1. Sam. 16.14 2. Sam. 7.15 How Solomon is said to turne away his heart from God by the which he ment the graces of that diuine spirit which King David praied that the Lorde would not vtterly take from him being indeed an effect of that mercy which the Lord his God said he would not take from him as he toke it from Saul whom hee had cast off before him But I say the King hath turned away his heart in this sense first in that he hath sinned against the Lorde his God secondly in that he hath yeelded to his lusts and thirdly in that he fainted in his holy zeale For there is no sinne whatsoeuer which a man committeth wherein there is not a turning away of the sinner from the Lord for sinne is contrary to the law of God and argueth a contempt of his iustice neglect of his graces therefore the Lorde requireth in them whom he recoureth and pardoneth a faithful returne in humble contrition Next it is true that euery man is led away from God of his owne concupiscence or naturall lusts and thus the King doting ouermuch on his strange Woemen hath been enflamed ouercome in affection seduced and led away from the Lordes righteousnes Thirdly the king by those former occasions had forsaken his first loue was waxen more colde or luke-warme in that holy religion and godly zeale with the which his heart hath been wonderfully enflamed in his youth But yet I remember what the Lord said I will shew mercy to whome I will shew mercy The same said to Hagar Returne againe to thy mistris Exo. Gen. 16 9. though thine heart was turned from her Againe he saith to the sinner ' Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do those good workes which thou hast vsed to doe when I was well pleased with thee Againe Remember thy maker So I confesse though with sorrow of heart that the king in that his estate hath not so zeolously set foorth and maintained the glory and seruices of God as he was wont to doe for whosoeuer is addicted to the former is defectiue in the latter but he neglected a great part of his office and duty But yet the Lord bee thanked we know that the state of religion was neuer altered or changed The holy religion neuer altered but continued the same in Solomons time 2. Chro. 11.16.17 but that hath and yet doth remaine the same as in the time of David notwithstanding the idolatries superstitions and prouocations of his strange women which is a notable argument that yet thee helde the sure foundation of his saith vnshaken And therefore let vs not presume either to say or to thinke that King Solomon is fallen vtterly away from the Lord his God who hath so wonderfully loued beautified and blessed him It is one thing to offend God by euill thoughts euill wordes or wicked deedes another thing to deny God and to forsake him vtterly He that sinneth and offendeth God and yet beleeueth in God he is by his repentance reserved for saluation but who so doth deny God and vtterly apostate from him there remaineth vnto him not so much as one little shell wherewith he may drawe a very small measure of the water of life It is not one and the same thing to turne frō the Lorde and to turne vtterly awry from him without retyre or returne The former of these faults is often seene in Gods owne children when like prodigall and disobedient sonnes they bee tempted to depart from their most louing father and yet do returne home againe are renued by repentāce as were Aaron Moses David the latter is seene in the reprobates only which fall away and neuer returne and therefore are not renued by repentance for they cannot truely repent The reprobates cannot truely repent because the Lord giueth not repentance vnto them as it was apparant in Cain in Lots wise in Saul whom the Lord cast away frō before him But this falling away from God wee haue not found nor shall perceiue in K. Solomon the Lorde bee blessed therefore Neither may wee thinke that howsoeuer he is saide to followe after Astaroth Milcom Molock Camos such others the Gods of the heathen that therefore he was so grosse an Idolator as he did adore and worshippe those strange Gods no more then we may thinke Solomon did not worship Idols Exo. 32.2 that Aaron the Priest did adore and worship the golden Calfe which himselfe had made at the importunacie of our Fathers in the wildernes And I knowe