Sermon 17 November 1599 — Thomas Holland

Sermon 17 November 1599 · Thomas Holland

Math. 12.42.

The Queene of the South ſhall riſe in iudgement with this generation, and ſhall condemne it: for ſhee came from the vtmoſt partes of the earth, to heare the wiſedome of Salomon: and beholde, a greater then Salomon is heere.

THIS ſentence (Right Reverend, Honourable, and in our Lord beloved) which I hauehave now read vntounto you, is a part of an anſwere, which our Saviour maketh to the blaſphemous Phariſes, and incredolous Scribes: blaſphemous, becauſe they aſcribed the workes of the holy Ghoſt to Beelzebu…, Mat. 12.24. Athanaſ. in euangel. quicunq, dix. Ioh. 15.24.the prince of the devils: incredulous, becauſe they woulde not beleeue the wo…kes done amongſt them by our Saviour: ſuch workes as none other man ever did, if they be conſidered either in number, or in nature: but thirſted ever with an vnſatiable appetite to ſee more and more miracles, not to be edified in holy faith, but to ſatisfie their curious humor, and vnperſwaſible mindes: in ſome ſort reſembling the ſenſeleſſe and ſeely Idiots of this world, whom God in the iuſtice of his iudgement, hath deprived of reaſon in this life. Who oftentimes ſeeke to finde the day, after the ſun hath diſplaied his orient beames in the morning; who in the Ocean Sea ſeeke waters; and in the ſhore, ſands: nay, in far worſe condition, then theſe are. For theſe ſeely ones erre through ſimplicity, the other through impiety. The one through want of diſcretion; the other through want of grace. The one would doe better, if they had knowledge; the other wilfully will ex…inguiſh the eie of knowledge, which ſhineth in their hearts. The ones ſin is begotten through ignorance; the others ſinne is hatched by peeviſh curioſity, wilful malice, inſolent preſumption. Againſt men of this condition, which like deafe adders, Pſa. 58.4.5.as it is Pſal. 58.4.5. ſtop their eares at the voice of the charmer, charme hee never ſo wiſely. Againſt ſuch men, I ſay, our Saviour thundereth out theſe threates; againſt ſuch men, as hauehave eies to ſee, and will not ſee; which hauehave eares to heare, and will not heare: which hauehave made their hearts as fat as brawne, becauſe they will not vnderſtand. And, to provoke theſe people to a zeale, or to ſhew the greatneſſe and greevouſneſſe of their puniſhment, and of the iudgements of God hanging over their heads, our Saviour inſtanceth firſt in the men of Ninive, Mat. 12.41.affirming that the men of Ninive ſhall riſe in iudgement with this generations, and condemne it; for they repented at the preaching of Io…as: and behold, a greater then Ionas is heere: next, our Saviour inſtanceth in the example of the Queene of the ſouth, ſaying, The Queene of the ſouth ſhall riſe in iudgement with this generation, and ſhall condemne it: for ſhee came from the vtmoſt partes of the earth to beare the wiſedome of Salomon: and behold, a greater then Salomon is heere. Other verſes ſet aſide, this part ſhall now only be handled, God willing, as farre forth as the ſpirit of God ſhall aſſiſt me, the time limited to me not prevent me, your patience beare with me, and vouchſafe to heare me.

In this ſentence, wherein our Saviour reproveth the infidelity of the Iewes, and prophecieth of their iudgement to come, by the way of compariſon, is compriſed an example, taken out of the old teſtament, demonſtrating thereby,1. Cor. 10.11. Rom. 15.4. that the ſtones of the old teſtament doe ſerue for the inſtruction of the church; and that all things, that are written, are written for our learning: and that one iote,Mat. 5.18. or one title of Gods word is not idle. But, that I may more orderly apply my ſelfe to the time, and your edification, I will binde my ſelfe in this diſcourſe to theſe partes, which braunch themſelues naturally out of my text. And becauſe this ſentence is a briefe recapitulation of an hiſtory of the old teſtament, to the two generall parts I purpoſe, by Gods grace, to annexe the figure, which thi… hiſtory of the old teſtament ſhadoweth in the new. The application either ſhall follow in the concluſion, or, as I ſhalbe occaſioned by the ſeverall parts iſſuing out of the generall, bee fitted for the time and place, if God permit, Chriſt aſſiſting me: who, after his aſcenſion into heaven, as Saint Paul hath taught, gaue giftes vntounto men; who gaue ſome to be Apoſtles, Eph. 4.8.11 12 13and ſome Prophets, and ſome Evangeliſts, and ſome Paſtors, and teachers, for the gathering togither of the Saints, for the worke of the miniſtery, and for the edification of the body of Chriſt, &c. till wee all meete togither (in the vnity of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God) vntounto a p…rfect man, and vntounto the meaſure of the age of the fulneſſe of Chriſt.

The two general partes, before ſpecified, containe theſe two heads, and braunch themſelues into theſe two armes; firſt here is, by our Saviour, an inſtance givē in an honorable perſon, a prince, which is, as an ancient Poet hath ſaid, foreign. The liuely image of God. Menand.Secondly there is in this ſentence alſo compriſed, by our Saviour, her action, wherevnto is annexed a compariſon betweene our Saviour and Salomon. Of each of theſe in order, by Gods aſſiſtance.

The perſon heere,Pars 1. Luc. 11.31. 1. King. 10.1. 2 Chron. 9.1. of whom the examples is inferred is a Queene; of the place termed the Queene of the South, foreign, the Queene of the South, Luc. 11.3…. In the 1. King. 10.1. foreign and ſo 2. Paralip. 9.1. Malcat Sheba and ſo in the Thargum of Ionathan 1. King. 10. The Queene of the South, the Queene of Sheba. b…. 1. King. 10.1.Pſa. 72.10. Gen. 10.7. Gen. 25.3. There is both Shebah, and Sebah, and Sebah. Pſal. 72.10. the kings of Shebah and Seba ſhall bring giftes. Seba was one of the ſonnes of C…ſh Gen. 10.7. Sheba was one of the ſonnes of lokſhan, whom Abraham begat by Keturah. Gen. 25.3 & l…kſhan begat Sheba, & Dedan. The one is written with S…h…n in the Hebrew. The other with Samech, but all one they bee in Greeke. Yet Seba and Sheba are two divers countries. The one in Arabia foelix the other in Aethiopia. The one inhabited by the ſonnes of Cuſh, and taking name of them: the other of the ſonnes of Abraham, and taking name of them. The one Eaſt from Ieruſalem: the other South from Ieruſalē. Yet the names hauehave beene both confounded (as I gather) by many writers. But more of this to be ſaid, when wee come to diſcourſe of the countrey of this Queene. In the 60. chap. of Iſay. 6. we read,Iſai. 60.6. All they of Sheba ſhall come, they ſhall bring golde and incenſe, and ſhewe foorth the praiſes of the Lord. 43.3. Bibl. Graec. Romae.In the 43.3. of the ſame prophet it is Seba, but in the Greeke foreign: the other in Greeke of the 60. chap. is foreign whether it be Syene, whence the ſecond climate begin…eth, I am not now to define. In the diverſity of reading, it may be good coūſel to follow that opiniō, which Saint Auguſtine mentioneth lib. de Civitat. Dei 18. cap 43. Aug. de Civit. Dei. lib. 18.43.that the Greeke and Latine tranſlations of the old teſtament are to bee corrected by the Hebrew or the Septuaginte of the olde teſtament. Saint Ierome, in the preface of the Pentateuch, ſpeaketh it plainely, Sic ubi in tranſlatione videar orrare interroga Hebraeos: and evidently vpbraideth them, who preferre the Latine copies of the Pentateuch before the Greeke, and the Greeke before the Hebrew aſcribing not ſo much vntounto the ſeptuagint as Auſten doth. And I, for my part, yeeld vntounto Saint Ierome, becauſe,Decret. Grat part. 1. …ſt. 9. cap. 6. vt veterum librorum fides de Hebra… volum…ibus examinanda eſt… ita …ovorum grac… ſermonis normam deſiderat. Decret. Gras. 1. part. diſtinct. 9. cap. 6. And becauſe Auguſtine magis credēd… ̄ eſt in desputationibus, &c. Auguſtine is worthieſt of credet in diſputations, Hierome in hiſtories & tranſlations, Gloſſ.Gregorie in morals. gloſſ. Saint Auguſtines high commendation of the ſeptuagint loco citato in the place before rehearſed, I doe om…t, preferring Saint Ieromes opinion before his. Hither vntounto for the clearing of the text. Her name is not expreſſed. The Queene of the ſouth, the Queene of Sheba, ſhee is ſo named by the place and countrey. The Aeth…opian hiſtory doth call her Makeda. Cedre…e foreign, who was called S…bylla amongſt the Graecians. One calleth her Nicaula, Hug. Card. 1. Reg. 10.alleadging Herodotus for his author. Poſt reges dictos Pharaones ſucceſſiſſe illis Nicaulā, &c. after the kings which were called Pharaohs ſucceeded Nicaula intituled the Queene of Aegypt and Aethiopia whome Ioſephus ſuppoſeth to hauehave beene the ſame which came to Salomon. Shee is called by Ioſephus Agypt… & Aethiopiae Regina, The Queene of Aegypt and Aethiopia. But Herodotus, as hee is now, differeth from that, which Ioſephus alleadgeth: for in theſe copies it is Nicrotis. The certainety of it in this variety I dare not define: for, Quod D…mmus ta…cuerit, quis, &c. Aug. in Ioh.That which the Lord hath concealed who is there amongſt vsus that can ſay it is thus or thus: or if any man dare ſay i…, whence doth he prooue it. Herodot. in Euterp.foreign &c. The wom…n who then ruled was called N…tocris as alſo the Queene of Babylon, and ſhee is ſaid to hauehave revenged her brother who was ſlaine by the Aegyptians over whō ſhee reigned, ſo ſoone as they after his death had eſtabliſhed her in the kingdome.Ioſeph. Antiqu. …ib. 8. cap. 2. Makeda Aethiopum regina (Item Aegypt…) Makeda the Queene of the Aethiopians and Aegyptians came to king Salomon from Saba an Ile of the River Nilus afterwardes by Cambyſes called Meroe But this may ſuffice, that, by our Saviour, ſhee is named the Queene of the South: & in the old teſtament, the Queene of Sheba, as for other names, Sybylla, Nicaula, Nitocris, I referre the learned to the authors.

In that ſhee is called a Queene, I obſerue this. Firſt foreign foreign:Act. 10.34. that of a truth. God is no accepter of perſons, but in every nation he, that feareth him, and worketh righteouſnes, is accepted with him. There is no respect of perſons with God. There is no difference, before God, neither of Iew, nor Graecian; Gal. 3.18.bond, nor free: there is neither male, nor female, for we are all one in Chriſt Ieſus. Before God, the…e is no difference, neither Graecian, nor Iew: neither circumciſion; nor vncircumciſion; Coll. 3.16.Barbarian, Scythian▪ bond, free: but Chriſt is all, and in all things: and, as I may ſay, noble, vnnoble; ſubiect, ſovereigne; learned, vnlearned: ſervant, maſter; handmaide, miſtres: people, prince: diſciple, doctor: ſcholer, tutor: but in every nation, 1. Cor. 1.26.he that feareth him, & worketh righteouſnes, is accepted with him. For, although Saint Paul hath ſaide, that God hath not called many mighty: yet he doth not ſeclude all mighty: not many noblemen, yet not all noble men are ſecluded: not many wiſe after the fleſh, yet hath he not ſecluded all wiſe in the fleſh:1. Tim. 2.1.3.4 otherwiſe in the 1. Tim. 2.1.2. he would not that ſupplications, praiers, interceſſions and giving of thankes ſhould be made for all men, for kings and all them, that are in authority. Otherwiſe, he would not hauehave affirmed in the ſame chap. verſe 4. that God would hauehave all men ſaved, and come vntounto the knowledge of the truth. Otherwiſe he would never hauehave wiſhed,Act. 26.29. that king Agrippa, Portius Feſtus, and Bernice, and all the reſt, that heard him, when hee was permitted to ſpeake for himſelfe, were altogither ſuch, as he was, excepting his bondes. Otherwiſe Saint Iohn would never hauehave termed the Lady, to whō he wrote his ſecond Epiſtle,Ioh. ep. 2. the elect Lady, whom with her children hee loved in the truth Otherwiſe Iſay would never hauehave ſaid Kings ſhall be thy …urcing fathers, Iſay. 49.23.and Queenes ſhall bee thy nurces. Laſtly, this Queene ſhould never hauehave beene made an inſtance, that ſhee ſhould riſe in the reſurrection of the dead. VntoUnto this conſenteth that of Oecumenius, Occumen.foreign, This worde Many is put,Act. 17. becauſe there were foreign Some wiſe men as Dionyſius the Areopagite, and the Proconſul. And foreign foreign, This word Many is annexed, to the next branch,Act. 13. for that there were certaine foreign & foreign, Mighty and noble which beleeued. And although they, that be wiſe in their owne conceiptes, and relie vponupon their own wiſedome,Occumen. foreign are hardly drawen from their owne opinion; and they, that are Mighty, and Noble, are foreign full of pride, the one for their riches, the other for their nobleneſſe of blood, yet al are nor excluded from Gods kingdome. For,Paulinus. if we can looke into the catalogue of Gods church in this world, and to the vaine of iuſtice derived from Adam to Chriſt, and ſo in the church militant afterward, we may ſee through the caſemēt & glaſſe, wherein the children of God conſider the ſtate of the church triumphant, though not ſo many rich as poore, yet ſome rich: though not ſo many noble, yet ſome noble: not many mighty, yet ſome mighty: not ſo many kings, as cō mons, yet many bleſſed kings and Queenes: not ſo many wiſe philoſophers, and wiſe of this worlde, yet many wiſe men of this world, ſo that they relie not on their own wiſedome, are inheritours of Gods kingdome,Math. 8.11. and ſitters downe with Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob in the kingdome of God. And as poore E… that mighty prophet was ſeene glorified in the mount with our Saviour: ſo was divine Moſes, Math. 17.that was learned in all Aegyptian wiſedome. And as Lazarus, in in this life, full of ſores,Luc. 16. was ſeene in Abrahams boſome after his death in great glory: ſo, no doubt, David the patriarch, that was ſo mighty and rich, enioyed the bleſſings of the Lord in the land of the living. And,Mat. 13.17. Though ſome learned men hauehave thought the contrary of king Salomon Heb. 11. as there was place in heaven for Peter & Andrew, Iames and Iohn, that were fiſhermen, and left all to follow Chriſt: ſo there was place in heaven for rich, glorious, and wiſe Salomon, that being a notable figure of Chriſt, was a king, and that a glorious & wiſe king, while he lived on the earth. Neither is there only place in the kingdome of God for ſuch, as wandred vp & downe in ſheepe skins, and goate skins, being deſtitute, afflicted and tormented, ſuch as the world was not worthy of: but there is place for the great conquerour Ioſhua, honourable Gedeon, valiant Ehua, ſtrong Sampſon, godly Hezekias, zealous Ioſias, and iuſt Iehoſaphat, kings of Iuda. There is not only place for litle Beniamin, Pſal. 108.9.but alſo for Iuda, that was the l…wgiver, the princes of Zebulon, and the princes of Nephtalim. There is not only in heaven a place for ſtarres, but for the ſunne and moone. And although God hath choſen the poore of this world, that they ſhould bee riche in faith, and heires of the kingdome, which he promiſed to them that louelove him: yet he hath not reiected the rich, nor altogither ſecluded them,Ioh. 14.2. for, In my fathers houſe, ſaith our Saviour, be many manſions: of this argument alſo Saint Ambroſe ſpeaketh in this ſort,Ambros ad …emetriad. li. 1. ep. 84. Quamvis tota vita hominis tentatio ſit ſuper terram, &c. Although the whole life of man vponupon the earth be a tēptation & aſwell aboundance, as want is wont to be the matter of ſin, when either the rich man is puffed vp with pride, or the poore man falleth on murmuring, yet there hauehave beene in al times, and in our times alſo as ſome are good Poor, ſo ſome good Rich. Neither is it in vaine that the bleſſed. Apoſtle Saint Paule counſelleth Timothy ſaying, 1. Tim. 6.Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, and that they truſt not in vncertaine riches, but in the living God which giveth vsus all thinges aboundantly to enioy. That they doe good and bee rich in good workes, ready to diſtribute and communicate. Laying vp in ſtore for thē ſelues a good foundation againſt the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life. And to come to the ſexe o… women, in the kingdome of God there was not only place for poore Martha, Luc. 10.that miniſtred vntounto Chriſt, and Mary, that had choſen the better part, and the poore widdow, that caſt two mites into the treaſurie of the temple,Luc. 21. and the poore widdowes that miniſtred things neceſſary to the faithfull pilgrims and Saintes of God,1. Tim. 5. but there is place alſo for Deburah the propheteſſe, the wife of Lapidoth, that iudged Iſraell, and was a mother in Iſraell: for Miriam the ſiſter of Moſes, who with Moſes and Aaron, Iudic. 4. & 5when the Lorde redeemed Iſrael out of the houſe of ſervants, was ſent before the people to their delivery. And laſtly,Micheah. 6, 4. there is a place in the kingdome of heaven for this honourable Queene, the Queene of the South: who came from the vtmoſt partes of the earth, to heare the wiſedome of Salomon. I might heere mention Conſtantinus Magnus, Theodoſius, Ioſeph of Arimathia, that honourable counſeller noble Theophilus, &, after Conſtantinus the great, & his mother Helena, Theodoſius Magnus and his wife Placilla, Martian the great Emperour, and his wife Pulcheria, in whoſe government the great counſell of Chalcedon was held, Carolus Magnus, and Iudeth the wife of Ludovicus Pius, with many Kings and Queenes of England, King Henry the ſeventh, and Elizabeth his wife, Lady Margaret Counteſſe of Richmond, Iohn Kempe Archbiſhop of Canterbury, Thomas Kempe Biſhop of London, Thomas Woolſey Cardinall Archbiſhop of Yorke, King Henry the eight, King Edward the ſixt…, Iohn Baill… king of the Scottes, and Dorberguilla his wife, founders of Bailliol Colledge: Water Stapleton, and Edmond Stafford Biſhops of Exceſter, and Sir William Peter, knight, foū ders of Exceſter Coll. in Oxford: But the time wil not ſuffer me: I wil therefore returne to my preſent text of the Queene of the ſouth, a figure of the comming of the gentiles vntounto Chriſt: and one, by the teſtimony of our Saviour, that ſhall riſe againſt this generation, and ſhall condemne it: for ſhee came from the vtmoſt partes of the earth, to heare the wiſedome of Salomon; and, beholde, a greater then Salomon is heere.

Having diſcouered ſufficiently of the perſon, & having made vſe of ſuch doctrine, as fitly herein might anſwere this time, text, land place: the figure and type, which this perſon repreſenteth, draweth me to handle it. For,Exo. 25.20. For, as in the tabernacle, the face of one of the Cherubins reſpected another, & one ever with a reflexed countenance beheld the other; & as one ring of the arke was ingaged within the other, & thereby drew the other: ſo having expreſſed the hiſtoricall ſenſe, the figure of myſticall ſenſe draweth me to ſhew what is ſignified by this great perſon here mē tioned. And this figure or type is myſtically vnderſtood of the whole text of the old teſtament, ſecretly woven in by the ſpirit of God, as the threed is, which the ſhittle carieth in the ſilkemans web, by which the partes of the whole are combined togither: and although the myſticall ſenſe be not manifeſt to the Iewes, nor yet revealed vntounto them, yet for vsus it is to beholde,2. Cor. 3. as in a myrrour, the face of the Lord with open face. The figure I mention oft which giveth life and inlighteneth the hiſtory, as the arteries giuegive life to the blood in the vaines: as the crowne of golde imbordered the holy table of Shittim wood,Exod. 25. that was in the tabernacle, and as the bels and pomgranates were vponupon the skirts of Aarons garments, the one ſounding, the other ſhadowing the ſweet odoriferous holines of the true high Prieſt, by the which he was made vocalis, or ſounding: for as the waters of Marah were made ſweete by the tree, which Moſes caſt into thē at the Lords commāden ent:Exo. 25.25. ſo by this figure the holy hiſtory of this honorable Queene receiveth life, and is inlightened, garniſhed, and made ſhining and ſounding. And this is the ſalt, that ſeaſoneth the old teſtament,Iob. 6. without which oftentimes there is no more taſte in the ſtory of it, then in the white of an egge. The teſtimony of Chriſt is the ſpirit of prophecy.Apocalyps. 19.10. And how p… ant this is to this purpoſe, you may ſee that this figure diverſe ancient fathers of the church do ſufficiently obſerue. Iſidore ſaith,Iſidore. Haec regina venturā …ccleſiam de gentibus deſiderā tē Chriſtum figurabat, &c. This Queene repreſented the Church which ſhould come of the Gentiles deſiring Chriſt, which accompanied with diverſe ſortes of men, Eucher. de de regn. l. 3.and forgetting both her owne people, and her fathers houſe ſhould runne vntounto Chriſt. To this is correſpondent that of Eucherit…s: Sien… haec regina venit à ſinibus terra, &c. As this Queene came from the endes of the ends of the earth, to wit *Or Aethiopia.India, as ſome ſay, to heare the wiſedome of Salomon: ſo the Church many ages after came to her redeemer and teacher, that after the fooliſhneſſe of her error ſhee might at length perceiue the doctrine of the truth. This is that Queene of whom it is ſaid vntounto the Lord, On thy right hand ſtandeth the Queene in a veſture of golde wrought about with diverſe colours, that is to ſay, adorned on all ſides with diverſe precious and comely vertues. For this is the mother of all that beleeue, which regenerateth ſuch vntounto ſalvation, as were borne vntounto death, by whome Chriſt hath reſtored more in Grace, then periſhed in Nature. To this may be fitly annexed that of Angelomus Stromata, Angelomus Stromata. Auguſt. Serm. de Temp 252. Se…. 2.In figura hutu… reginae ven…t eccleſia ex gentibus, &c. VnderUnder the figure … to this Queene the Church of the Gentiles came from the endes of the earth, ſaying aſide all earthly deſires and vices to heare the wiſedome of Salomon, that is to ſay of our peace maker our Lord Chriſt Ieſus who in his fleſh looſed the bandes of enmity betwixt God and man. Shee came, after her olde profane ſuperſtitions, to heare of inlightning of the faith, of the iudgmēt to come, of the immortality of the ſoule, and of the hope and glorie of the reſurrection. Shee came into Hieruſalem therefore with a great company, not with the one onelyonly nation of the Hebrewes, of which the Synagogue did before conſiſt, but with all kindes of men, and diverſe nations throughout the whole world. We muſt alſo thinke, as Saint Auguſtine very well obſerveth.Aug. cōtra Manich. li. 22. cap. 24. Qua in re hoc pr…mùm d…co, &c. In which matter firſt this I ſay, that not onelyonly the tongue of thoſe men, but the life alſo was propheticall, and that that whole kingdome of the Hebrew nation was ſome great Prophet, becauſe they were the figure of ſome great prophet. Wherfore concerning them whoſe heartes were inſtructed in the wiſedome of God, the prophecy of Chriſt, and of the church which was to come is to be ſcanned not only in their ſayings, but in their doings alſo: but as concerning the reſt, and the whole body of that nation the prophecie of Chriſt and the church to come, is to be examined in thoſe things which by Gods ſecret working were done either in them or by them. 1. Cor. 10.Namely this I doe gather of him, that not only their tongues, but alſo their liues were propheticall: ſo that the hiſtory of the olde teſtament is but as the ſhell of the nut to the kernell, the vaile to the face of Moſes, the curtaine to the arke, the vaine to the ſilver, the letter to the ſpirit, as the combe to the hony, the ring of golde to the precious ſtone incloſed in the baſe. Of this we may ſee more in Saint Auguſtine in his ſeventeenth booke de Civitate Dei, his firſt and third chapters.

The perſon and figure ſufficiently deſcribed, and the vſe of the doctrine accordingly handled, the next thing, that offereth it ſelfe to my diſcourſe, is the action of this worthy woman here mentioned. Her action may be the better ſcanned, if we wil weigh what the ſon of God hath teſtified of her action in this life, and of her honour, reward and glory in the life to come: adioyning here vntounto, as occaſion ſerveth, for elucidations ſake, ſuch things, as are at large written of her 1. King. 10. and 2. Paralip. 9. to which chapters I muſt neceſſarily referre you oftentimes:1. King. 10. 2. Chro. 9. becauſe that thoſe things, which are briefely laide downe here, are amply diſcourſed of in thoſe former hiſtories. Here they are brought in by the way of example, there they are laide downe fully in ſtory. By this alſo you ſhall finde, that the old teſtament is not contrary to the new; but that the ſame ſpirit was author of them both.Aug. cōtra Manich. Auguſt. de doct. Chriſtian. lib. 3. cap. 30. Laſtly that, although there are ſundry ſecond helpes to open the ſcripture, as the rules of Ticonius, which Saint Auguſtine hath mentioned de doctr. Chriſt. lib. 3. cap. 30. and other rules there ſpecified and ſuch things, as many of the ancient fathers mentioned:Hilar. de trinit. lib. 1. Iren. contr. va…ent li. 1. cap. 1. Apocalyps. as Hilary lib. 1. de Trinitate. And Irenaeus againſt the Valentinians lib. 1. cap. 1. Yet the beſt of all, that farre ſurmounteth all other kindes of expoſitions, is to open holy ſcripture by ſcripture. For the treaſuries of the houſe of David will only be truly and finally opened by the key of David. Scriptures will beſt bee expounded by that holy ſpirit, by which they were endited:2. Pet. 1. as metall wil bee only mollified by fire, the adamant hammered only by tooles of his owne nature, or, as ſome ſay, ſanguine hircino, with Goates bloud, Iron will only bee drawne by the load ſtone. And becauſe I may ſtrictly follow the line of my diſcourſe I will firſt, by the grace of God, ſpeake of ſuch actions, as are mentioned of her in this life performed, and ſo by ſequele of the reſt. Things, that are ſpoken of her in this life, are theſe two: firſt, her comming to Hieruſalem: ſecondly, what her actions were at Hieruſalem, when ſhee came to Salomon.

And leſt I ſhould counfound both you, and my ſelfe, in the multiplicity of theſe generall heads, I purpoſe firſt to anſwere an obiection, which might otherwiſe through occurrence hinder me in this particular diſcourſe. Wherein nominately theſe three branches are incident to be delivered, what moued this noble Queene to come to Hieruſalē: what paines ſhee tooke in her comming, or iourney: laſtly, with what traine ſhee came, and how honorably ſhee was accompanied, and attended vponupon in her iourney to Hieruſalem. The obiections, by Gods aſſiſtance, in few words ſhall be diſſolued. Whereas it may bee thought an vnmeet thing, both in regard of the ſex, which is feeble & delicate by nature, and in regard of the vocation & place, which this woman was by God called vntounto, & honoured with all, namely, that a perſon of her ſex and eſtimation ſhould vndertake to perfourme a iourney of ſo great travaile (a matter of ſo great moment, as is ſpecificied heere,) that a woman, and a woman Queene ſhoulde leaue her fathers houſe, her natiue ſoile, and countrey, & ſhould relinquiſh her friendes and leaue them ſo many miles behinde her, to viſit a king vnknowne vntounto her, in a forraine land, leaving her court and kingdome, as a ſhip without a maſter, a flocke without a ſheepeheard an heard without an heard man, an houſe without a guide; a quiver without a chaunter, a chariot without one to be foreign, or coachman, to governe it: or an horſe without a b…ſith the Apoſtles rule is,1. Tim. 5. that the womās office is foreign, to governe their houſes, to giuegive none occaſion to the adverſary to ſpeake evill; moreover, that they ſhoulde not goe about from houſe to houſe, much leſſe from kingdome to kingdome; that they ſhoulde not bee foreign, pratlers, nor buſie boa…es, vntounto which that ſexe is oftentimes too prone & in as much as, by another rule of the ſame Apoſtle, it is an iniunction vntounto women, that,Plutarch. praecept. coniugal. foreign. if they will learne any thing, they ſhould aske their husbāds at home; And ſince, by Antiquity, Venus, ſhadowing the office of the matrone at home, is painted ſitting vponupon a tortoiſe or ſnaile, thereby ſignifying, that the chaſt matrones reſidence at home was her honour: and ſince Euripides hath obſerved, that

Euripid. in Heraclid.foreign

foreign

ſilence, modeſty and reſidence at home are honourable iewels in women: and ſince in policie that the abſence of the prince might mooue mutinies, ſeditions and rebellions at home in her kingdome: all theſe obiections I refell in this manner, by manifold anſweres. I confeſſe, it is an abſurd thing in moſt mens opinions, for a ſhepheard to leaue his flocke, an heardman his cattell, the maſter or Pilot his ſhip, the chariotman his chariot, the rider his horſe, the king his kingdome, the wi…e her husband. Wil not the ſeely ſheepe then be a pray to the iawes of the Wolfe, the heard to the Lyon and beares of the forreſt, deſtitute of the heardman? the ſhip in danger of drowning, deſtitute of the Pilot? the chariot like to that, out of which Phaeton was ſhaken, deſtitute of the guide? the common weale left in a miſerable plight, and the kingdome without a king, the huſbande left comfortleſſe, forſaken of his wife for ſo long a time. And this we may ſee by the lamentable example of king Richard the ſecond, who loſt his kingdome, and, in the end, his life, by the over-vnconſiderate warres attempted in his owne perſon into Ireland: for, by his departure, his enimies getting head at home,Engl. Chr. at his returne by armes diſpoſſeſſed him of his regall crowne and dignity. Yet theſe generall rules doe not alwaies overthrow every particular… neither any ſuch particular, as this is, that is guided by his wiſedome, by whom princes raigne, & by whom the actions of the people are ruled, moderated and bridled.

Firſt, where it is obiected,Chaweer, He that ſuffreth his wife to goe to each hallowes. Annal. Ecc. lib. 1. Ann. Chriſt. 9. Ioh. Nicole. that it is vnſeemely for a woman to travell any long way without her husband: and a thing iuſtly reprooued, iuſtly miſliked of our fathers, as namely the gadding abroad in pilgrimage, heretofore rebuked even by our learned ſatyricals of our owne nation: and what evill in theſe daies hath come by ſuch, that follow the Idole of abomination, which the Italians runne a whoring after at Marcade A…cona, which Caeſar Baronius would miraculouſly authoriſe: and a Papiſt writing ſecretly in England, in a booke vnperfectly printed, tearmed the iourney of this Queene to Ieruſalem,In a booke ſecretly printed nere Henly vponupon Thames. to bee a pilgrimage: and although, I ſay, ſuch pilgrimages may be full of ſcandals, ſuſpicion, and impiety, and hath beene prooved little better then the whoring after the calues in Dan and Bethell, condemned by the prophet, yet nevertheleſſe the credite, authority and neceſſity of the iourney of this Queene was nothing impeached or impaired by it, as I will make manifeſt (God willing) by theſe reaſons, that follow. Firſt, I might anſwere by Herodotus, Apud Acthiopas & Aegyptios.foreign, &c. With theſe the women vſe merchandiſe buying & ſelling, and the men ſit at home and spinne. Secondly, where it may be obiected, that this woman had an husband and children, I rather am perſwaded the contrary; and namely mine opinion is, that ſhee was a virgin, becauſe this womā had formam ſynagogae, as I prooved before in the figure:Pſal. 45. becauſe Pharaohs daughter and the ſpouſe in the Canticles were virgins, and the virgins, that be her fellowes, ſhall beare her company: Cant. 8.8.wherevnto accordeth that Cantic. 8.8. wee hauehave a little ſiſter, and ſhee hath no breaſts: what ſhall we doe for our ſiſter, when ſhee ſhall be ſpoken for? where it is obiected, that it is not likely, that a woman was then ſole governour, I anſwere, that it is moſt falſe: for it is recorded in the Aethiopian hiſtory,Aethiopic. hiſt. that women by ſucceſsion had the monarchical government in thoſe times in Aethiopia, and long after that governement did endure: and this may alſo be confirmed out of Strabo, Strab. lib. 10. 17.that lived a little after Chriſt. foreign, &c. Some of theſe were the Generals of the Queene Candaces which in our time reigned over the Aethiopians, a vtrago,Here is cō futed the want of learning in them, that hauehave denied it to bee lawfull for women to governe: & in print divulgated it. Act. 8. but blinde of one eie. But the chiefeſt foundation of this argument is to bee taken out of the eight of the Actes of the Apoſtles ver. 27. where it is expreſſed, that Phillip was ſent to baptiſe, and catechiſe a certaine Eunuch Chā berlaine to the Queene Candaces. Where the danger is obiected, that her kingdome might incurre; and how vnſeemely a thing it is for a womā to travaile, I anſwere theſe obiections all in one. Firſt, that this action was heroicall, and extraordinary: and proportionable to thoſe actions of the Patriarches, and holy Prophets: wherein we maie more fitly admire the wiſedome of God in the working of it in her, then cenſure it. And they, that iudge of it otherwiſe, may well be compared to young ſchollers, as Saint Auguſtine ſaith,Lib. 22. cap. 25. contra fauſt. Manich. that ſuppoſe great Latiniſts miſſe their congruity, when they ſay, Part in fruſta ſecant, Some of them divide it peece-meale, and are like them, that goe about to iudge of Eſaias going barefoot, Ieremies hyding his girdle in the river Perath, Hoſeas mariage with Bat diblaij…, Ierom. praefat. in Hoſeam. Iob. 8.our Saviours going to the figtree to ſeeke fruit neere to Ieruſalem, our Saviour ſtowping downe, & writing with his finger on the ground. The cenſure of which actions as farre forth exceede the reach of our capacities, vnleſſe we be inlightened from aboue, & daily exerciſed in holy meditations, as the earth is from the heavens: as the plaine is from the depth, as fleſh and blood is from Gods kingdome. To the danger or perill of the loſſe of her kingdome, I anſwere, ſeeing it was the Lords doing, to ſtir her vp to take this iourney, her country could not be rebellious: for God (no queſtiō) thē dwelled in the middeſt of her people by his mighty power, that God, that accōpanied her in her iourney to Ieruſalē, & was alſo glorified by Salomon in …eruſalem, & ſpake there out of the Mercy ſeat. Now, where God is in the middeſt of a people,Pſal. 46.5. how ſhall that nation be moved? God ſhall helpe ſuch a prince early. This our God will make the warres to ceaſe, there hee will breake the bow, cut the ſpeare, and burne the chariots: he will ſtill the rages of ſuch ſeas, aſſwage all fury in ſuch people: and ſuch ſeas then ſhall hauehave ſands from God to ſtop their overflowing: all ſuch people ſhall then hauehave railes to keep thē in: & al ſuch ſurge… ſhal hauehave ſhore rockes to binde them in, or to breake them. Beſides, how could this woman feare any tumult or rebellion at home, or amongſt her owne people, when as the text ſaith, ſhee came to Ieruſalem beſhem-Iehovah, which thing alſo Rabbi Kim…y hath obſerued. And in that her action was a figure of the church of the Gentiles, as I hauehave before obſerued out of Iſidore, Eucherius, & Angelomus; and ſince we finde that, which Gregory hath expreſſed 1. Moral. Greg. …. ….Vt ad oſtendēdam innocentiam venit Abel; &c. As Abell came to be a paterne of innocency; Enoch of integrity, Noe of a long-patient perſeverance both of good hope, and weldoing, Abraham of obedience, Iſaac of chaſtity of of mariage: Iacob of tolerancie in labour, Ioſeph of repaying evill with good; Moſes of mildeneſſe, Ioſhua of conſtancie in adverſitie; Iob of patience in affliction: and all theſe were as morning ſtarres ſhining before the ſun; &, as it were forerunners and types of the true meſsias, who ſucceeded them: ſo the church of the Gentiles was prefigured in Rahab of Iericho, Ruth of Moab, Pharaohs daughter eſpowſed to Salomon, in the little ſiſter, which then had no breaſtes Cant. 8.8. and nowe in this honourable princeſſe the Queene of the ſouth here ſpecified, commended, & farre preferred in Gods kingdome, and received thereinto, whē incredulous Scribes, Epicureall Sadduces, blaſphemous Phariſes ſhall be caſt into vtter darkeneſſe, where is weeping and gnaſhing of teeth.

The obiection being diſſolved, the internall cauſe, that moved this Queene to vndertake this iourney, is next to be handled. But what moved this noble Queene to come to Ieruſalem?Wiſd. 7. The firſt thing that moved her, queſtionleſſe was the ſecret working of the holy Ghoſt, that finger of God, that ſpirit of vnderſtanding, which is holy, ſubtile, moueable, cleare, vndefiled, pure, intellectuall; who, as the winde,Ioh. 18. bloweth whither it liſteth, whoſe ſounde none hearing knoweth either from whence it commeth, or whither it goeth,Sap. 1. who being one can doe all things, and remaining in it ſelfe renueth all thinges,Pro. 21. who entereth into holy ſoules, & maketh them friends of God, & Prophets: this holy ſpirit, mooved the heart of this mighty Queene, in whoſe power the heartes of princes are, who turneth them, as the rivers of waters, whither ſoever it pleaſeth him. If it be therfore not laborious for the influence of the heavens not only to heat the inferior bodies, that lie in the ſuperficial part of the earth, & aire; but alſo to worke by a ſecret vertue in ſuch mettals, as are hidden in the bowels of the earth, and are vnſenſible in thēſelues, according to that of Saint Ambroſe offic. 1.14.Ambroſe offic. 1.14. Quid autem tam ſtoliaum, quam putare, &c. But what is ſo fooliſh as to thinke that any thing as hidden from God, whereas the ſunne who miniſtreth vsus light, pierceth into hidden corners, and the force of his heate entereth into the very foundations of our houſes, & ſecret cloſets? & who can deny but that by the temperate heate of the ſpring the inward bowels of the earth are warmed, which before were faſt congealed with winter froſtes? Trees alſo hauehave a ſenſe of the force of heate & colde, in ſo much that their very rootes are either killed with colde, or revived with the cheriſhing heate of the Sunne. The earth alſo diſpla…th her variety of fruit, as ſoone as the aire waxeth moderate. If then the beames of the Sun be able to disperſe their light over the whole earth, and can neither be hindered by yron barres, nor cloſe wickets from making entrance into our cloſeſt roomes: and ſhall not the intelligible brightnes of God diffuſe it ſelfe into the inmoſt cogitations of men, and diue into thoſe heartes which it ſelfe hath created?1. Cor. 2. Was it not eaſie then for Gods holy ſpirit, which ſearcheth al things, yea the deepe things of God, which ſearcheth the corners of mans heart, ſealeth our election, which is foreign the earneſt of our inheritance, Eph. 1. Rom. 8.which crieth abba father in our hearts, and beareth witneſſe vntounto vsus, that we are Gods children: which maketh requeſt for vsus with ſighes, that cannot bee expreſſed; by whom all things were faſhioned;Heb. 4. vntounto whoſe eies all things are foreign, Naked, and laide open, whoſe operation is mighty & liuely, & ſharper then any two edged ſword, & entereth through even to the dividing aſunder of the ſoule and the ſpirit, and of the iointes and of the marrow, & is a diſcerner of the thoughts & intents of the hart: vntounto whoſe ſight there is no creature, which is not manifeſt: was it not eaſie I ſay, thē for that holy ſpirit, which is infinite in power, incomprehenſible in maieſty, and, becauſe he is God, is as the Schoolemen ſay, vbi que praeſens, Lōb. S…nt. 1. D…ſi. 37.per eſſentiam, praeſentiam, & pot…ntiam, Every where ſubſiſtent by his eſſence, praeſence, and power to mooue the heart of this holy Queene to come to Ieruſalem, to draw her heart after Salomon, as rivers follow the ſpring tydes, as the orbe draweth the planet, as primum mobile, The firſt spheare which is moved draweth the inferiour ſpheres againſt their owne courſe, as Elias his mantle caſt on Eliſha made him run after him;1. King. 19.10. in as much as by this holy ſpirite all things are created and moved. Hercules Gallus and all other oratours drawe by the eares, but this holy Queene was drawen by the hearte in that maner of drawing,Cant. 1.3. that the ſpowſe in the Cant…cles is drawen after him, whom her ſoule loveth, in thoſe lines of louelove, that our Saviour ſpeaketh of in the ſixth of Iohn, Nemo venit ad me, Ioh. 6.niſi pater meus traxerit illum. Trahimur à Deo vel revelatione, &c. No man commeth vntounto me vnleſſe my father draw him. We are drawne of God either by revelation, according vntounto that, Mat. 16.17. Ioh. 5.36. Ierem. 31.3. Apoc. 3.19. Hoſe. 11.4. Pſal. 93.6. Pro. 7.21.Bleſſed art thou Simon the ſonne of Ionas, for fleſh and bloud hath not reveiled it vntounto thee, but my father which is in heaven: Or by ſome miraculous operatiō, as, The works which the father hath given me to finiſh doe beare witneſſe of me: Or by louelove, as, I hauehave loved thee with an everlaſting louelove, therefore with mercy I hauehave drawen thee: Or by ſcourges and chaſtiſementes, at, As many as I louelove, I rebuke and chaſten: and I lead them vvith cordes of a man, even with bands of louelove: Or by benefites, as, I will ſing of the Lord becauſe he hath dealt ſo lovingly with me: Or by promiſes, as, with her flattering lips ſhee intiſed him. Theſe meanes of drawing doe not violence the will vnwilling to come vntounto Chriſt, but doe perſwade it. By which of theſe waies this honourable Queene was drawn, I cannot now ſtand vponupon; only I ſuppoſe it to hauehave beene occulta revelatione, & miraculoſa operatione, By hidden reuelation, and miraculous operation: as many holy veſſels are drawen vntounto him like as all the faithfull are drawen to be iuſtified, ſanct…fied, and ſaved, according to that of Bernard De lib. arbit. Trahis voluntarios, non ſeruat inuitos, &c. He draweth ſuch as are willing, and ſaveth none againſt their wils: he draweth, as Paule was drawne vntounto Damaſcus: he draweth ſpiritually, as the ſpouſe in the Canticles, who deſired it greatly when ſhee ſaid, Draw me, wee will runne after thee becauſe of the ſweete ſavour of thy good ointmentes. Cant. 1.3.This ſecret working of Gods ſpirite made this honorable perſonage run after the odour of the ſweete ointment, that was in Salomon, by whom our Saviour Chriſt was prefigured.Ambroſe. Beſides then, as Saint Ambroſe ſaith, religiō was amongſt the Iſraelites as a ſweet ointment in a veſſell encloſed, whoſe ſweete and fragrant ſmell though it were diffuſed through many nations: yet the matter and marrow of faith was there principally contained. Whoſe favor iſſuing then fotth by moſt ſweete fragrant fumes drewe many out of the whole earth to ſee Salomon. Yet nevertheleſſe, as Auguſtine ſaith of the ſower rivers of Paradiſe, that watered other countries, were only fructifying, and cauſing fruit to grow in Paradiſe: ſo the name and current of Salomons vertues were ſounded in other nations; but the ſubſtance of religion, and the perſon of him, that Salomon prefigured, was only then according to ordinary diſpenſation, and long after, ſoule-ſaving among the Iewes in Iſraell.

The Externall cauſe, that mooved this great perſonage to travaile ſo farre to ſee king Salomon.

The external cauſe, which by her attractiue vertue drew this honorable prince after Salomon, to ſee him, and to conferre with him, was the report of the great graces & giftes of God, which ſhined gloriouſly in Salomon. For when rare and excellent vertues manifeſt their beauty in any ſubiect immediatly the trumpet of fame, which is, as Heſiod ſaith,Heſiod. foreign. 2. 759. foreign, Ʋery light, and eaſie to bee lifted vp, ſoundeth out their glory: which glory being, as the oratour ſaith, conſentiens laus bonorum, & incorrupta vox iudicantium de excellenti virtute, The conspiring praiſe of good men, & the ſincere approofe of ſuch as are able to iudge of the excellency of vertue, rauiſheth the mindes of moſt well affected perſons to the admirable view & ſight of ſuch things, as are extraordinarily ſpoken of, and commended. And although every vertue be amiable, and each drop of Gods grace in his children is to be embraced, yet properly, as Seneca ſaith ep. 33. in aequabilitate notabilia en inent, Sen. ep. 33.Notable things of worth in perſonages of an anſwerable eſtate are moſt eminent, and the higheſt tree in the foreſt hath the concourſe of the moſt beholders. And ſuch excellent & rare gifts draw men into admiratiō of thē: & make mē reſt vnſatisfied, til they ſee, or enioy thē in whō they ſhine, &, by an attractiue quality, draw the world after them, like as the load-ſtone draweth the needle, and the North ſtarre draweth the load-ſtone: nay, as I may ſpeake more to purpoſe, and more ſignificantly, l…ke as the Orient ſunne, which, as Ambroſe ſaith, is oculus mundi, …ucundi as, &c. The eie of the world, the pleaſure of the day, the beauty of heaven, the excellencie of creatures, and the grace of nature, when hee diſcovereth his golden beames in the morning, converteth the eies of the whole world to behold his beauty, and to enioy the comfort of his heat: So the vertues, that ſhined then in Salomon iſſuing from Gods goodneſſe; from whom, as the waters iſſue out of the bottomleſſe pit, as the rivers and floods out of the Ocean ſea, according to that of S… lomon, all the rivers goe into the ſea, vt hence they returne. Eccleſ. 1.7.Eccleſ. 1.7. which Homer alſo did ſee, though as it were through a creviſe in a wall, ſpeaking of the Ocean, Hom. Ilia.foreign. From whence flowed all rivers, and the whole Sea; theſe vertues, I ſay, diſcovering themſelues in Salomon drew ſome of all people and nations to behold him, and to heare his wiſedome from kings, princes, and rulers of the earth, as it is evident by this, that followeth, collected out of holy ſcriptures: for, as naturally the heliotropium followeth the ſun, the ſhadow the body, the ſuperficiall partes of things colours, the triumph the conquerour, the ſweete ſmell the oile,Eurip. Hec. the voice the Eccho, which is the daughter of the hils and woods (as Euripides tearmed her) the ſmoke the fire, May flowers Aprill ſhowres, the morning the day ſtar: ſo the mindes of the moſt part of men are ſtirred vp to follow rare and excellent vertues intellectuall or morall, when their beames doe begin to gliſter in the worlde, and to reveale themſelues by manifeſtation to Gods glory, as theſe did in Salomon, of whom this is written, and in ſacred writ recorded. Whereby it is gathered that the fame & report of Salomons wiſdome, drew her to come and ſee Salomon at Ieruſalē. Salomō having obtained, by Gods gift, a wiſe & vnderſtanding heart, grew famous through all nations, and kingdoms: for God gaue Salomon wiſdome and much vnderſtandnig, and a large hearte, euen as the ſand, that is on the ſea ſhore 1. King. 4.25.1. King. 4.25. and Salomons wiſdome excelled all the wiſdome of the children of the Eaſt, and all the wiſdome of Egypt: for hee was wiſer then any man, yea then were Ethan the Ezrahite, then Heman, then Chalcol, then Darda, the ſonnes of Mahol; and hee was famous through all nations round aboute. And Salomon ſpake three thowſand prouerbs, and his ſongs were a thowſand, and fiue. And hee ſpake of trees from the cedar tree, which is in lebanon, euen vntounto the hyſlop, that ſpringeth out of the wall. Hee ſpake alſo of beaſts, and of fowles, and of creeping thinges, and of fiſhes. And there came of all people to heare the wiſdome of Salomon from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wiſdome. Theſe things are repeated againe in the 10. chap. of the ſame booke.1. King. 10, So king Salomon exceeded all the kings of the earth both in riches and wiſdome. And all the world ſought to ſee Salomon, to heare his wiſdom, which God had put in his heart. And they brought eueryevery man his preſent, veſſells of ſiluer, and veſſels of gold, and raiment, and armour, & ſweet odors, horſes, & mules from yeere to yeere.Sap. 7. To this conſenteth that, which is in the 7. of wiſedome. God gaue Salomon true vnderſtanding of things that are, ſo that hee knew the world was made, and the powers of the elements: the begining, and the end, and the mids of the times, how the times alter, and the change of the ſeaſons, the courſe of the yeare, and the ſituacion of the ſtarres, the name of liuing things, and the furiouſnes of beaſts, the power of the windes, and the imaginacions of men, the diuerſity of plants, and the vertue of rootes, and all things both ſecret & knowne did he know: for wiſedome the woorker of all things taught him. And heereunto cō ſenteth that of Sirachs ſon,Eccle. 47. chap. 47. How wiſe was Salomon in his youth. Hee was ſided with vnderſtanding as a floud. His minde couered the whole earth, filled it with graue and darke ſentences. His name went about in the Iles, and for his peace he was beleeved. And this wiſedome of Salomon, which was giuen him by God, was either Ʋniverſalis quaedam ſapientia, A certaine vniverſall wiſedome. For his heart was large by his wiſedome, which was as the ſand of the ſea in number: his heart was filled with vnderſtanding as a floud: hee excelled all men in wiſedome. Or els this wiſedome was particularis, Particular. In naturall cauſes, which conſiſted in knowing of birds, beaſts, hearbs, elements, fiſhes, trees, influences aſtronomicall, ſituatiō of ſtarres, of prouerbs and darke ſentences: of muſike: of Diuinity, which appeareth by his praier in the dedication of the temple, & by the reſolution of the Queenes queſtions, which ſhee propoſed vntounto him: There were the lines and cords of admiration, which drew people out of all nations to bee deſirous to ſee Salomon, as now what a concourſe wold bee to ſee ſuch a man, as ſhould excell in ſuch gifts, that ſhould ſhine in ſuch qualities, that ſhould gliſter with ſo manifold and miraculous graces?

Theſe gifts of God, theſe graces and theſe vertues were the cords, I ſay that drew the whole world after Salomon, and made all the world deſirous to ſee Salomon. This was that attractiue quality, that drew ſuch a concourſe of people out of all the earth to ſee Salomon: this was the loadeſtone, that drew the heart of this honorable Queene of the ſouth, as it were a needle, and incenſed her with an holy zeale to come to ſee, and to conferre with king Salomon. Yet all this …dome of Salomon was nothing in compariſon of the wiſedome of Chriſt, in whome the fulnes of the Godhead Coloſſ. 2.Cōll. 2.9. dwelt foreign, Bodily and vponupon whom reſted thoſe manifolde giftes of the holy Ghoſt, ſpoken of,Iſa. 11.2. Eſay 11.2, the ſpirit of wiſedome and vnderſtanding: the ſpirit of counſell and ſtrength: the ſpirit of knowledge & of the feare of the Lord; whom Salomon in figure repreſented, and of whom this Queene by Salomon ſought to be inſtructed. Heere I ſhould enter into the figure betweene Chriſt and Salomon; but becauſe the time paſſeth away ſpeedily, I will ſummarily conclude. Salomon an earthly king; Chriſt our Saviour a king of heaven, rex regum, & Dominus domina…trum, king of kings, and Lord of Lordes: Salomon drew ſome of all nations to heare him: Chriſt our Saviour drew all nations after him to heare him; and to beleeue in him. Salomon raigned in Ieruſalem, & in the land of Iſraell; Chriſt our Saviour his dominion is vntounto the vttermoſt endes of the earth: Salomons raigne was but for forty years; Chriſts raigne for ever. Salomon a man; Chriſt God and man, Salomons wiſedome definite; Chriſts wiſdome infinite. Salomon had plenty of ſilver in Ieruſalem, almuggim trees &c. gold and precious ſtones; Chriſt gaue ioy of ſoules, peace of conſcience, comfort of the ſpirit, and life everlaſting, by powring out his ſpirit vponupon all fleſh. We read not that Salomō ſpake with many tongues, but Chriſt, ſending downe the holy Ghoſt, gaue cloven and fierie tongues, and made young men to ſee viſions, old men to dreame dreames, and maidens to prophecy. Briefly,Ioel. 2. Act. 2. Salomons benefites were ſpecially earthly; or, if they were ſpirituall, they were infuſed by revelation: but vponupon our Saviour Eſay 11.2. there reſided the ſpirit of wiſedome, of counſell,Iſa. 11.2. &c. Chriſt was annointed with the oile of gladneſſe and ioy aboue his fellowes: and, as Saint Iohn ſaith, cap. 1.14. We ſaw the glory of him, Ioh. 1.14.as the glory of the only begotten ſonne of God, full of grace, and truth. And, of his fulneſſe hauehave we all received grace for grace. Laſtly, Salomon was but a ſhadow or figure: Chriſt the ſubſtance figured. So of this compariſon, let this ſuffice. The next thing to be handled, that followeth the motiues, which drew this Queene to Ieruſalē, are the paines, that this noble Queene taketh to come to Salomon. Proverb. 1.Wiſedome in the booke of the proverbs, vttereth her voice in the ſtreetes, and ſhee calleth in the high ſtreetes among the preſſe, and entering of the gates: yet the fooles of this world, whom ſhee calleth, refuſe to come, when ſhee ſtretcheth out her hand, they wil not regard: when ſhee admoniſheth, they will deſpiſe her correction:Proverb. 9. when they are invited to her feaſt, they refuſe to come: when they are charmed by the wiſe charmer, they will ſtop their eares like a deafe adder: they will ſaie, villam …, I hauehave bought a farme, or, vxo…em duxi, I hauehave married a wife, &c. as the excuſers of themſelues in the parable, Luc. 14.18.Luc. 14.18.20. But this noble Queene, ſhee doth otherwiſe; as the needle ſhee will follow the load-ſtone, as the loadſtone will by ſecret influence follow the North ſtar, as the heliotropium will turne towardes the ſunne. This may be ſeene in the paines of her iourney, by her comming from Mero… to Ieruſalem.Ieruſalem Long. 66. Latit 31. The north pole is elevated at Ieruſalem 31. degrees; as Coſmographers doe define; every degree containeth 60. miles in earth, the diſtance of Meroe from the aequinoctiall line is 16. degrees: according to Ptolomees tables:Meroe Long. 61. Latit. 16. Ptolem. tab. geograph. The difference of longitude muſt alſo be conſidered. ſo Meroe from Ieruſalem is diſtant 15. degrees: now every degree in heauen making 60. miles on earth, we may gather therefore, that this Queene came about 1000. miles to ſee king Salomon. See, what paines this honourable perſon taketh to ſee an earthly Prince, and ſo much the greater, that a woman perfourmeth that, which men durſt not attempt: a weake veſſell effecteth that, which a mighty Gyant durſt not vndertake: a Queene accompliſheth that, which inferiour perſons will refuſe: ſhee, that had a tender body, vndertooke that, which manie ſtrong men ſhunned: ſhee neither careth to parch her beauty in the ſun, which many women are ſo nice to preſerue: neither the fiery climate, vnderunder which ſhee was to paſſe: nor the fury of beaſtes, the eie of the ravenous crocodile, neither the venimous ſerpents, wherwith thoſe coaſts doe ſwarme: neither the fell Lyons, which thoſe Climates naturally nouriſh: neither did ſhee ſay with the ſlouthfull man in the Proverbs, A Lyon is without. Pro. 22.13.I ſhall bee ſlaine in the ſtreet: but, all excuſes ſet apart, ſhee cometh to Ieruſalem to ſee Salomon: & yet theſe Iewes at home, ſeeing Chriſt, will not heare Chriſt: or, if they will heare him, will not beleeue him: or, if they beleeue him, will doo it conditionally, ſo, as they may ſee a miracle: and yet after they hauehave heard doctrine and ſeene miracles, will not only not beleeue, but alſo perſecute. Such are our Recuſants,Senec. ep. Lib. 15. ep. 96. ſuch are our licentious Libertines, ſuch are they, that Seneca ſpeaketh of: ſuch are many among vsus, that preferre playes before preaching, a ſound ſleepe before a ſounding ſermon, Belial before God: whoſe hearts the Lord turne, if it be his bleſſed will. But in this, that the Queene taketh this great iourney, note her zeale that which the ſpowſe vttereth in the Cantic.Cant. 8.8.1.2.3. Much water cannot quench louelove: and that Cant. 1.2. Becauſe of the ſauour of thy good oinctments, thy name is as an oinctment powred out. Therefore the virgins louelove thee. Draw mee, wee will run after thee Cant. 1.2. To this accordeth that of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 13.1. Cor. 13. LoueLove ſuffereth all things: beleeueth all things; hopeth all things; endureth all things. This ſhadoweth how the faithfull in all ages followed Chriſt, when the ſtandard was ſet vp in Sion what a thirſt was then of the worde of God.Pſal. 45. Chriſts gratious words, that he ſpake in the ſynagogue at Nazareth, ſhewed that gratta was diffuſa in labiis ſuis, Full of grace were his lipps. Pſal. 45. and, if I may ſo ſay, Suadoe medulla, The pith & marowe of perſwaſion ſitting in his lipps. And how ſince he hath drawen all the world after him through perill, through danger, through fire, through flame, through life, through death, the ſtories in all ages hauehave regeſtred to Gods glory, and to the greate honour of all his Saints. For, Quos dei charitas trahit, nec retrahit, &c. Whō the louelove of God draweth, them neither doth luſt withdrawe, nor aff…ight. For the ſaints run that they may leaue the world behinde thē becauſe they ſee God before them. This zeale which ſhined in this honorable Queene to ſee Salomon, and to heare …s wiſedome burneth in thoſe faithfull ſoules, who hunger & thirſt after righteouſnes: which, when heretofore there was a fame of Gods word in our land, wandred frō ſea, to ſea,Amos. 8. frō North to eaſt to here Gods word: which ought to bee more ſweete vntounto vsus, then the hony, and the hony combe.Pſal. 19.13. God be praiſed, there is a great light riſen in out daies, and God hath beene gratious vntounto our land: there is ſuch a doore opened in England, as was in Philadelphia, that no force can ſhut, but our ſinnes; ſuch a light, that no counſells of men can extinguiſh or eclipſe, but our iniquities: ſuch a ſun-ſhine of the Goſpell, that no interpoſition of any groſſe maſſe can ſhadow, vnles it bee our owne ingratitude. Our ſin will bee the greater, if we make not much of this great grace offered vntounto vsus. This Queene tooke greate paines to ſee and heare Salomon: wee hauehave Chriſt offered in our ſtreetes, howſes, churches, & in our eares cōtinually ſoūded:Heb. 4. If thē we ſhall yet harde our harts while it is called Today, Proverb.& ſhal deſpiſe the voice of wiſdōe crying vntounto vsus in the ſ…ets, & mu…ting vsus to her baker of new mingled wine,Math. 25. and the voice of the bridegroome calling vsus to hauehave our lampes prepared to enter with him to the mariage: not onelyonly this Queene ſhalbee a witneſſe againſt vsus in the day of his laſt coming, but it ſhalbe more tollerable in the day of iudgment for Sodom and Gomorrah, then for vsus. Yea more tollerable for Capernaum and ſinfull Ieruſalem, who would not know the time of their viſitations: and from whoſe eies repentance, by the iuſt iudgment of God, was wonderfully hidden, & miraculouſly, as I may tearme it, with held. From the which iudgment, God for his mercy ſaue & deliuer this land both now and euer.

The third & laſt braunch of this firſt part ſheweth vntounto vsus in theſe wordes, that this Queene came not abiectly,The thirde branch of the fi…ſt part. meanely to Ieruſalem, but, as it was fit and ſeemely for a Prince, prince like in honour, honourable in riches, rich & glorious in her traine, yet conuenient for her eſtate, regall crowne, and princely authoritie. And vntounto this end it is laied downe by the holy Ghoſt in the ſcriptures, in theſe woords.1. King. 10.2. And ſhee came to Ieruſalem with a very greate traine, and camels that bare ſweet odours, and gold exceeding much, and pretious ſtones. Shee came to Ieruſalem with a very greate traine, and camels,2. Para. 9.1. that bare ſweet odours, & much gold & pretious ſtones. By this wee may learne, that theſe creatures of God, which ſome thinke ſuperſ…uous hauehave a neceſſary vſe being well vſed: that God hath made nothing in vaine, & that in things hid in the bowels of the earth, the wiſdōe of God is to be known, & to be admired, worſhipped: that all Gods creatures doe spirare potentiā, ſapientiā, et benignitatē Dei, Hug. de ſanct. victore. Inviſib. Dei.Breath out the power, wiſedome, & bountye of God: that all creatures, that God hath made, are ſit for our vſe, ſervice and commoditie: that in a glaſſe we may ſee in all creatures ordinem mirabilem o…ationem efficacem, finem vtilem. A wonderfull order, a powrefull working, a profitable vſe & end: that every creature ſaieth vntounto vsus, accipe benefi…tum, reade ſeruitium, fuge ſupplec…ū, Receiue the benepte of vsus, repar thy ſeruice for vsus: Avoid the penal … of abaſing vsus: that that is moſt true, that Pliny hath, only this excepted, that that which he ſpeaketh of nature, we affirme to be of God, to wit, that maieſtas Dei mirab…lis, Plin. li. 37.The maieſty of God is wōderfully ſeen in pretious ſtones, in ſo much that o…e pretious ſtone is ſufficient to cary vsus into a deepe contemplat…ō therof. & that that is true, which he hath cited the 36 l…. c. 1. that al things, he had before mētioned & diſcourſed of, in 35. books, yea as I may adde, in all his books following, that om… …hom…um cauſa genita videre poſſunt, All things may ſeeme & ſhew to hauehave bin made for mā. Laſtly that princes traines art not taken away by Gods woord, but that they are eſtabliſhed by God and from God,Rom. 13. as appeareth Rom. 13. by the Worthies of David, by the deſcription of Salomons houſehold, and the throne of his kingdome, by that in a ſhew princes on earth do repreſent in ſome ſort Gods maieſty in heauē, if ſo great a glory may be repreſented in any ſort by any thing in earth, according to that cited out of the greek Poet foreign.Menand. The liuely image. Socr. hiſt. eccle. lib. 3. cap. 1. And therefore iuſtly. Iuliā the Apoſtata is reprehēded by an Eccleſiaſticall writer, for defacing the honour of the Romane Empire. foreign.

The ſecond generall head of this ſermon, or ſacred diſcourſe, containeth ſummarily what this honorable perſon did when ſhee came to Ieruſalem, what the holy Ghoſt hath in ſcripture recorded and regiſtred of this honorable Queenes actions in Ieruſalem;Mat. 12 the briefe whereof our Saviour hath in theſe wordes delivered vntounto vsus. Shee came from the vttermoſt partes of the earth to heare the wiſedome of Salomon. Herein obſerue alſo, though the word Hearing be only expreſſed, yet nevertheleſſe, as one face of the Cherubim reſpected the other; ſo here I muſt make reference to that alſo, which is written of her comming to Salomon, 1. King. 10. & 2. Paralip. 9.1. King. 10. 2. Chro. 9. Shee came to prooue Salomon with hard queſtions. And when ſhee came to Salomon, ſhee commaned with him of all, that was in her heart, &c. Nay, theſe wordes of our Saviour compriſe a great deale more. For in mine opinion it is a ſummary narration of all the actions ſhee perfourmed at her being at Ieruſalem. Wherefore in this ſummary narratiō I obſerue principally theſe 4. branches, or pleaſant ſtreames, that naturally iſſue and ſpring cut of the general head before ſpecified: ſo that this Queenes cō ming to heare Salomons wiſedome containeth in it firſt her Proving of Salomon with hard queſtions, in Greeke thus, foreign, foreign: And ſhee came prooue him with hard queſtions. And ſhee came to Ieruſalem with a very great traine, & camels that bare ſweete odours, and golde exceeding much, and precious ſtones, and ſhee came to Salomon, Tent…ret cū maenigmatibus.and communed with him of all that was in heart: in Hebrew thus, …levuſto bekid…th, &c. Secōdly, the diſcreet view & eie, that ſhee made of Salomon… court and kingdome: Thirdly the ſincere teſtimony ſhee giveth before God and man of Salomons wiſedome speculatiue, and practick… tending to Gods glory, and mans inſtruction. Laſtly, it followeth, that I ſhould briefly touch the greatnes of the gifts, which on honorable bounty, & regall magnificēce ſhee cōferreth vponupon Salomō. Here vntounto ſhould be annexed her returne to her own coūtry; but becauſe theſe 3. latter are not ſo pertinēt to that, in the new teſtamēt, I rather wilbe a referendary therein, then a diſcourſer thereof. The firſt thing this honorable perſon doth, when ſhee commeth to Ieruſalem, is in theſe words diſcovered: her comming to Ieruſalem was to heare Salomons wiſedome. Now becauſe the wiſedome of men is eſpecially diſcovered by their ſpeech, according to the proverbe, Qualis vir, talis oratio: Such as the man is, ſuch is his language, and, as another hath ſaid,Hierome. neſcio quid latentis energia habet viva vox, I know not what hidden power the liuely voice of a man carrieth with it: ſhee doth, as it were, elicere, that is to ſay, diſcreetly perſwade king Salomon to powre out the ſap of wiſedome vntounto her, by proving him with hard queſtions: ſo that the firſt marke, ſhee aimeth at by her comming to Ieruſalem, is to prooue whether Salomons wiſedome be correſpondent to his fame; the body to the ſhadow, the counterfeit to the perſon▪ yea whether the fire anſwere the ſmoake; the fruit the bloſſome: Laſtly, whether, as it is in the proverbe, as Pythagoras learnedly collected, whether, I ſay, the ſtature and bigneſſe of the whole body of the gyant Hercules might proportionably be gathered by the quantity of his foot: by which, as Gellius hath collected out of Plutarch, he meaſured the race in mount Olympus. By this wee may gather perſpicuouſly, that, although there bee in our daies, and in times before, great abuſes by travaile, and by it many corruptions hauehave crept into floriſhing nations, by which in the ende they beene venimouſly baned, yet nevertheleſſe, as it may bee evidently gathered out of this text, the wiſe and godly may ſuck ſweetnes out of trauail, as Samſon found hony in the lion, as the painfull man eateth the fruit of his hands, and as the bee ſucketh ſweetnes out of forein flowres, namely the flowres of the fields, farre from home, For, as there is a profitable, ſo there is an vnprofitable kind of trauel or peregrination: as the one kind of trauel doeth good, ſo the other doeth harme: as one ſort of travellers finde wiſedome by their trauell, ſo another ſort learne nothing, but fooliſhnes. The vnprofitable, daungerous, and fooliſh trauellers are they, that trave…le to great cities, and princes courts, and forein nations to ſee, and to be ſeene, ſpectatum veniunt, veniunt ſpectentur vt ipſi, They come to gaze, & to bee gazed on as ſaith the Poet. And eſpecially heeretofore idle women, and ſome men travell to learne newe faſhions, ſome to ſee faire buildings, ſome to looke vponupon the bravery of the world, whereby of late our nation hath beene made a ſinke to receiue the ſinnes of all nations, almoſt vnderunder the coape of heauen, by ſomes running to Paris, other ſome to Venice, ſome to Genua, other ſome to Florence, ſome to Rome, (as though wee had not ſufficiently drunke already of the cuppe of Babylon) ſome into one lande, other ſome into another. So that there are almoſt no Spaniſh deviſes, no Italian devices, no Dutch devices, no Turkiſh nor heatheniſh devices, nay vices, but our nation hath ſwallowed them vp: but if there were any good there, wee hauehave left it behinde vsus. And, as there was in corrupted Ieruſalem an high place for Chemoſh the abomination of Moab, 1. King. 11.5.for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, the root of which abomination was tranſlated out of thoſe countries: ſo I feare mee that our travell into thoſe countries hath wrought the like effect among vsus. So that,Exek. 23.14.15. as it is in Ezekiel the prophet, if it were a ſufficient motiue to Aholibah to increaſe her fornications but to ſee men painted vponupon the wall, the image of the Chaldeans painted with vermilion, and girded with girdles vponupon their loynes, & with died attire vponupon their heads, looking all like princes after the manner of the Babylonions in Chaldea, the land of their natiuitie; as ſoone, I ſay, as ſhee ſaw them, ſhee doated vponupon them, & ſent meſſengers, vntounto them into Chaldea: If, I ſay, the very ſight of theſe things were ſufficient to allure Aholibah to ſinne, how much more eaſy is the carnall nature of man tainted by ſin, when we liue among ſinners? Pſal. 1. our nature eſpecially being prone to be corrupted with ſin as eaſily, as the match is to take the fire, gūpoulder to take the ſparkling, the dry ſtubble to take the flame, mans nature I ſa…e, being prone to drinke iniqury as puddle, and to ſucke vp the dregs of ſin, as ſweet hony▪ Seneca thought trau…l not much profitable in his time in regard that ſuch men, that vndertooke ſuch courſes rather vndertooke that charge and paines to feed their eies, then to benefit their mindes, in theſe woords,Senec ep. 105. ad Lucil. Peregrinatio notitiā dabit gentiū, &c. Trauaile will teach thee knowledge of countries & nations, will ſhew thee ſtrang ſhapes of huge hilles, large cham…ion feelds, valeys ſtreaming with continuall water, & vponupon due obſeruation perhaps the nature of ſome riuer: namely, either howe the river Nilus ſwelleth in winter by reaſon of the increaſe of waters which it gathereth in ſommer: Or how the riuer Tigris ſodenly conueieth it ſelfe out of our ſight, & taking her courſe through the hidden partes of the earth at length recouereth her former hugenes: Or how the floud M…ander which hath exerciſed the wits of the moſt famous poets of all times paſſeth to and fro by often ſed to Salomon, were either naturall, mathematicall, muſicall, or ſuch like, which might be gathered out of ſcripture Canonicall, and out of the booke of wiſedome, & namely out of thoſe ſcriptures, which I hauehave cited already 1. King. 4.49. and ſo to the end of the chap. The beſt iudgement, that I hauehave ſeene yet given of theſe queſtions, which the Queene propoſed to Salomon, may bee ſummarily ſelected out Pelican and Lavater. Ʋeriſimile eſt eam de rebus divinis, &c. It is a matter of good likelyhood that ſhee deſired to proue Salomōs knowledge in points of diuinity. For now the glory of the moſt High creatour of all things hade beene publiſhed amongſt the nations through Salomons renowne. By this word (Aenigmata) are not meant thoſe vnprofitable & curious queſtions which Paul cō demneth, but certaine graue and weighty queſtiōs cōcerning God, & the prouidence of God; touching ſinne & good workes; of euerlaſting l…fe, & perhaps alſo of things perte…ning to ciuill gouernmēt, & ordering of the affaires of this life. For howſoeuer it ſeeme probable that ſhee was furniſhed with learned men, ſuch as were her coūtry mē the Gymnoſophiſts; yet they taught few truths, their wordes were ſpiced with ſo much falſhood, overflowed with ſo many dregs, were cōfoūded with ſo much droſſe, that it was litle or nothing in compariſon to that greate and holy wiſedome, that ſhined in king Salomon. The onelyonly generall therefore in this I follow not further herein to ſpeake in particular of it propoſing that rule of S. Auguſtines for my ground, Quae ipſe tacuit Dominus, &c. That which the Lord hath concealed, Aug. in Ioh.who is there amongſt us that can ſay it is thus or thus? or if any man dare ſay it whence doth hee proue it?

By this experimentall proofe, that this Queene was enabled by God to make, and actully maketh of king Salomons wiſedome, I do find and gather, that vertue and learning may bee ſeemely ornaments in ſome women, & as well become them, as they become men, according to that of Xenophon in Symphoſ. foreign Womens nature is as capable in ſome degree of many good gifts, as mans nature: eſpecially. I ſay,Eurip. med. when God graceth theſe gifts with counſell and diſcretion: and alſo that that may be without flattery ſpoken in commēdation of that ſexe, which Euripides, hath ſpoken of it in Medea,

—foreign

foreign

We women alſo hauehave our Muſe, which attendeth on vsus to inſtruct vsus in wiſedome: I ſay not all women, but perhaps amongeſt many you may finde a fewe not altogither rude and voide of learning, whereunto alſo I may adde thus much, that women may bee indued from aboue with holy learning not one…y by the way of diſcourſe, but alſo that they may be indued from aboue with knowledge of ſuch points in Diuinity, as are deepe, ſcholaſticall, materiall, fit for diſputation, learned conference, and Academicall ſchooles. Otherwiſe the ſpirite of God would neuer hauehave giuen ſo great a teſtimony of holy knowledge & zeale in this honorable Queene. Vnleſſe alſo ſome women might hauehave excelled in theſe qualities of learning in the ſtate of the new Teſtament, Saint Ierom would neuer hauehave written ſo ſeriouſly to Lat… de i…ſtitut. Fil. Hierom. ad laet. de Iuſt. filiae.that ſhee ſhould ſee her daughter from her infancy brought vp in the ſtudie and holy literature of the ſacred bible: if women might not hauehave beene learned, that learned and good Father would never hauehave aduiſed her, that her daughter ſhould take heed how ſhee read the bookes commonly called Apocrypha, and with what iudgmēt ſhe ſhould obſerue the contents of thoſe books: if women might not hauehave beene learned, he would never hauehave perſwaded her to bring vp her daughter in reading of Cyprians workes, Athanaſius his epiſtles, and in pervſing heare the wiſedome of king Salomon, and in that ſhee came to heare it is not meant a bare heating; for, as I mentioned before, ſhee came to heare, and to learne, and to be inſtructed, yea to diſpute with Salomon, to hauehave his reſolutiō in great queſtions of religion, forth words of the text import ſo much. For 1. King. 10. and 2. Chron. 9. the Queene of Sheba hearing the fame of Salomon cōcerning the name of the Lord came to proue him with hard queſtions; Hebr. levaſt… bek…doth; the …argum of Ionatham doth expound it in this ſort, …euaſſa …uth te be matlin, id eſt, vt tentaret eum in parabolis; the Greeke, foreign. The hebrew word is k…dath, Proer. 1.6.the greeke foreign, Lat. obſcurae quaeſtiones, &c. darke queſtions. The vulgare of Saint Ierome, and Tremellius latinize the greeke worde both calling theſe hard queſtions, aenigmata. In the firſt of Proverbs I do find theſe words alſo in the conſequence of one verſe alleadged, one as it were after the other, maſhal melitſa dibre koccanam kidoth, Theſe foure words the greeke expreſſeth thus, foreign. The vulgare in latine expreſſeth theſe words in this ſort, parabela, interpretatio, verba ſapientum, & aenigmati …eorum. Tremellius tranſlateth them alſo in this maner word for worde. Our Engliſh Bible readeth theſe foure words in this ſort, a parable, and the interpretation, the wordes of the wiſe, and their darke ſayings. So that I may ſignificantly enough heere vſe the word kidah as it ſoundeth in the Hebrew radicall, darke ſayings, for ſo much in nature the roote importeth. For k…d is anigmatic… loqui, ſeu aenigma aut problema proponere, To speake darkely, or to propoſe a riddle or hard queſtion, neither may it be vnfitly vſed in the ſenſe of acuere, To ſharpen the wit, which is kadad, whence commeth kidah, ſignifying acumen, Sharpeneſſe of wit. So that the definition of it is not vnfitly givē in this forme, aenigma eſt oratio obſcura, &c. A ridale is a darke ſpeech tending to ſome profitable vſe ſhadowing the ſubſtāce of the matter it containeth in obſcure tearmes, in greeke thus, foreign,foreign. A speech hiding in obſcurity that which of it ſelfe is manifeſt: to that theſe properties are to be expected in every aenigmaticall ſpeech; the matter of it muſt be a ſpeech profitable; the forme, obſcu…e words, in ſhew demonſtrating one thing▪ in ſenſe diſciphering another, ſeaſoned with witty invētiō, as with ſalt, that it may be pithy, cōdited with ſweet mixture of diſcretion, that it be pleaſāt, ſugred with a quinteſſēce of great wiſdō, that it may raviſh men with the admiration of the excellency of it, and yeelde a teſtimony that the perſon, by whom it is vttered, hath infuſed from almighty God great giftes of wiſedome and vnderſtanding. The definition, which is brought in Athenaeus his tenth booke dipnoſophiſt. Athenaeus.I ſuppoſe not convenient for this place, & perſon: the holy Ghoſt teſtifying in the words before, that ſhee came to proue Salomon with hard queſtions: and our Saviour teſtifying therevnto, that ſhee came to heare the wiſedome of Salomon. If any man ſhall heere inquire, what theſe queſtions were, I am not able particularly to d…fine, ſince the ſcripture hath vttered nothing of them.

Heere theſe conſidered, let vsus weigh the place Firſt we muſt not thinke, that the Queene did propoſe vntounto Salomon fooliſh and idle queſtions, ſuch as the Apoſtle condē ned 2. Tim. 2.23 foreign, &c. Put away fooliſh and vnlearned queſtions, 2. Tim. 2.23. 1. Tim. 4.7.knowing that they …gender ſtrife. & 1. Tim 4 7. foreign, &c. Caſt away prophane and ol…e wiues fables, and exerciſe thy ſelfe vntounto godlineſſe: ſince our Saviour hath taught in this chapter, that of every idle word, that men ſhall speake, they ſhall giuegive …ccompteth therof at the day of iudgemēt. Yet the world is ful of ſuch queſtions; as I might inſtance in many not only of ſchoolemē,Compend. Hiſt. but of ou… owne age, &c. Thoſe things, that Cedren mentioneth, I thinke impertinent, and rather conſort with old wiues fables, then anſwere to any truth, therefore I omitte them. Some thinke that the queſtions, which were propoſed windings and turnings, & often ſheweth and bendeth herſelfe as were vntounto the neighbour chāpiō, ere it enter into her owne chānell. But ſuch travaile will better neither thy iudgment, nor thy manners. But many travailers in theſe daies conuert their peregrination to worſe purpoſes, I ſay with griefe, many travail in theſe daies of our countrie men into Dutchland to learne drunkennes; into Italy, France, and Spain to learne the wickednes of Moab and Ammon, to Venice to learne to keepe curtiſans; to Genua to learne pride; to Rome to learne idolatry, and to practice treaſon: but the godly, wiſe, learned, honourable, and valiant minds, that vndertake trauaile, doe it for other ends, and ſuch travellers as in this fort benefit themſelues are an ornament to their countrey, enrich their natiue ſoile, are meanes to plāt good lawes among their people, plant colonies, enlarge Gods church, aduaunce Gods honour, and fulfill in our dayes that precept, that God gaue to Noah Gen. 9.1.2.7. And God bleſſed Noah and his ſonnes, Gen. 9.1.2.7.and ſaide them, bring foorth fruit, and multiply, and repleniſh the earth. Alſo the feare of you, and the dread of you ſhalbe vponupon eueryevery beaſt of the earth, and vponupon eueryevery foule of the heauen, vponupon all that moueth on the earth &c. Of this order of travellers are godly and painfull merchaunts, godly and valiaunt ſoldiers, godly and learned preachers, godly and graue ſtudents, godly and wiſe ſtates men, godly and faithfull chriſtians: I mention, godly and painfull merchants, becauſe their trauail is to bring in ſuch cōmodities with the daunger of their liues which may enrich their country, and deſire to make new Seminaries of churches in ſuch countries, as the goſpell to our knowledge hath not yet beene preached. I mentiō godly and valiant ſoldiers, becauſe many of them travell into other countries to learne feates of armes and ſtrategemes of warre, whereby at their returne home they may bee the better able vponupon any occaſion to defend their owne coū try, and becauſe many of them in neighbour countreys aboute bend the bow, anoinct the ſhield, furbiſh their ſpeares, make ready their buckler, watch in their trenches, ſtand in ther ſallets and armour, oppoſe their liues and bodies to the bullet of the muſket, to the mouth of the canō in the ſeruice & defence of their prince and people, wiue; and children, lawes and religion. I mention godly and learned preachers, which travell into diuers churches beyond ſeas to conferre with ſome learned men excellinge in ſome heauenly giftes, by whoſe conference they might be the better incouraged to runne to the end of the race, which already they hauehave vndertaken to perfourme. I mē tion godly and wiſe ſtates men, which trauell into forein nations, to finde whether the gouernment at home bee correſpondent, as farre foorth as the ancient cuſtomes & the olde good lawes of the country, wherein they dwell, will permit in policy, bee, I ſay correſpondent and agreeable to the lawes and ſtatutes of the beſt gouerned common wealthes elſwhere: and to this end and purpoſe, that they may better giuegive counſel vntounto their coūtrey at home after their returne, do ſtriue and labour to ſee, as the Poet ſaith, foreign, The cities of divers people, Hom. odyſſ. …. Plat. de leg lib. 12.and to know foreign their wiſedome. For, as Plato ſaith, foreign, &c. A City which hath no experience to diſcerne betweene good and evill men, if it converſe not with ſome forreine people, cannot poſſibly be brought vntounto civility and perfection, neither can it by custome only obſerue the laws, vnleſſe it wax more politike by the knowledge of others. I mention godly and graue ſtrudents, that thirſt after good learning, and godly and faithfull Chriſtians, that hunger and thirſt after righteouſnes, becauſe the ſpirit of God hath marſhal, led this honorable Queene to be an holy leader in this cō pany, & to march vnderunder theſe colours, and hath regiſtred her in the booke of the righteous, that her memory ſhould be ſacred and honourable in all ages to come, for that ſhee came from the vtmoſt partes of the earth to Ieruſalem to vſing Hilarius his bookes inoffenſo pede, Without tripping, or ſtumbling into error next after the reading of holy writt. Nay, if women might not hauehave beene learned, the Prophet Ioel would neuer in his ſecond Chap. hauehave foretold, that, in the ſtate of the new teſtament, maidens ſhould prophecy, Gods ſpirit beeing powred out vpō the church imediatly after Chriſt our ſauiours aſcenſiō, which ſhould, with a mighty floud neuer failing in aboundance of waters to the end of the world, water from aboue the whole body of the church, as the miſt, that did uſe out of the ſpring amiddeſt Paradiſe, out of which the riuers iſſuing watered the garden, and made it fruitfull: Secondly you muſt not onelyonly ſtay here, but you muſt needs proceede ſomewhat further in the vnfouldinge of theſe words, To heare the wiſedome of Salomon, As they, that looke vponupon the ſunne, ought not onelyonly to conſider the brightnes of his face, when it is orientall, but alſo ſometimes bend themſelues to conſider the benefit of his reflexion; and, beſides this, alſo him, that is the creator of this ſunne, by which this materiall worlde receiueth light,Ambroſ. Hexam. 4. die 4. cap. 1 according as Sant Ambroſe hath taught lib. 4. hexamer. die 4. cap. 1. So in this poinct alſo you are not onelyonly to conſider the wiſedome of this Queene in propoſing to king Salomon theſe hard queſtions; but here we are, by the way of reflexion, to conſider that which is added 1. King. 10.3. and 2. Chrō. 9.2. how well king Salomon ſatisfied the Queenes obiections & how wel he reſolued her doubts:1. King. 10.3. 2. Chro. 9.2 which followeth in theſe words, And Saloman declared vntounto her all her queſtions: nothing was hid from the king, which he expounded not vntounto her. Theſe things noted, as from the body of the ſun wee proceede to conſider the benefit of his reflexion, and from the reflexion to conſider the creator of the ſun, namely him, that made the ſun to be the great light to rule the day, to ſhine vponupon the earth, to ſeparate the day from the night, to diſtinguiſh ſeaſons, dayes, & yeeres &c. ſo we muſt not here perſiſt in conſidering Salomon onelyonly,Sy…ſ. Hymn 5. foreign 1. King. 10.3. 2. Chr. 9.2. but we muſt with all let this action of Salomon leade vsus by the hand to conſider his greatnes, wiſedome, power, fullnes of all knowledge, whome king Salomon in this action prefigured. O! king Salomon the text ſaith, And Salomon declared vntounto her all her queſtions: nothing was hid from the king, which he expounded not vntounto her. Which words in opinion import thus much, ſuch hard queſtions, as this Queene propoſed, Salomon anſwered: ſuch darke ſpeeches as this

Queene obiected, king Salomon cleared: ſuch doubtful matters, as moved ſome ſcruple in her minde, king Salomon diſſolved: all maner of reaſons, that ſhee could alleadge, by the way of diſputation king Salomon ſatisfied: there was no ſecret of this Queenes heart, but immediatly the holy and heavenly wiſedome of God, that ſhined in king Salomon, a vponupon the reference, did vnfold it. Now, if king Salomon, a mortall man, though a notable figure of Chriſt, coulde ſo largely and aboundantly and ſufficiently anſwere all this Queenes doubtes, and fully ſatisfie; how much more ſufficiently is the ſon of …od able to ſatisfie al the doubts, that riſe in the church, which this Queene here figuratiuely repreſenteth: and, to the comfort of the whole church militant, fully anſwere all obiections, that either the fleſh, the world, the devill yea man or …ngell can mooue, being the w…ſedome of the father, the beloved ſonne, whom the father hath referred vsus to heare;Ioh. 5. who hath received the holy ghoſt, not by meaſure: of whoſe fulneſſe we hauehave received all grace for grace, whoſe name be bleſſed for ever. I conclude here this part, for that I hauehave a little before handled this point by the way of compariſon, and therefore neede not to reiterate ſame, vide pag. D. The next particular of the ſecond generall, that commeth to mine handes in this text to be diſcuſſed, is, how this honorable & wiſe Queen behaveth her ſelfe in king Salomons court. Our Saviour ſaith, ſhee came from the vttermoſt endes of the earth, to heare king Salomons wiſedome. The wiſedome of king Salomon, as I hauehave ſufficiently before declared, was not only ſpeculatiue, but practical: it was not renowmed only, as it was called Sapientia but, as it vvas alſo Prudentia: neither was king Salomon famous for his vniverſall knowledge only, but hee was honourably ſpoken of for that he managed all aff…res of his country & kingdome, and, whatſoever he tooke in hand,Sapientia to the root, Prudentia to the flower of M…y. foreign. Nazian in tetraſtich. Araſt. Eth 6 vvith great prudence, wiſedome and diſcretion, and marſhalled all things anſwerable to his place and honour. For, although ſapience & prudence be two pretious …ewels, and two vertues of rare & excellent effects; yet nevertheleſſe, as one is greater then the other, ſo one is more profitable to ſome ſtates and perſons then the other; yea ſometimes in ſome perſons one of them is not linked with the other: yea oftentimes one of them is like to the hearb Moly, that Homer ſpeaketh of Odyſſ. μ. in roote: the other may more fitly bee compared to the hearb Molyes flower. Yet, as Naziar zeu ſaith, foreign Both of them are gracious and louely. This thing Ariſtotle hath learnedly obſerued, and verily pithily by the way of compariſon noted in theſe words. And in this antitheſis or mutuall reference, Wiſedome is a vertue meere intellectuall, propoſing to it ſelfe things only contemplatiue: Prudence an actiue vertue propoſing to it ſelfe operation in ſuch things, as are meere pract…ke. Wiſedome reſpecteth thinges moſt excellent in nature, yea it ſeeketh to learne miſteries aboue the compaſſe of nature: prudence worketh vponupon ſuch matters, as are cō modious for civile life. Wiſedome regardeth only knowledge, and therein repoſeth her contentation: Prudence reſpecteth how ſhee may benefit her ſelfe & others, there is her delectation. Wiſedome conſidereth vniverſals; Prudence conſidereth particulars, and how things are in vſe, and may be well vſed. Wiſedoms obiect are thi…gs alwaies immutable (as they be in themſelues, and in their cauſes, as far forth as Intellectus agens, The actiue vnderſtanding, which is the eie of mās ſoule, is able to reach.) Prudence is wholly exerciſed in matters, deliberatiue or in civile actiōs to the life of mā commodious or diſcommodious; in ſuch things, I ſay, as are often by their ſundry events particularly altered, ſometimes by one occaſion, ſometimes by another, yet alwaies ſuch, as ſerue mans life to ſome good end, or other. Wiſedome is only behouefull and good for the party that ſpēdeth his time in contēplatiō but Prudence ſtudieth to benefit it ſelfe, & reſteth not til it hath wrought benefit to others. Men renowmed for wiſedome were Anaxa…as, Thales, and ſuch like among the heathen, who ſtudied wholely to knowe greate thinges, wonderfull, and things fartheſt remote from ſenſe, which knowledge, though it were delectable to the mind, yet this knowledg was not ſo commodious for ciuile life, wheras by nature homo animal ciuile, Ariſt. polit. 1.1. Cic. ſom. ſcip.natum adcōmunem vi…a ſocietatē tuendam Man is a ciuill creature born to maint…ine a cōmō & ſociable life. But for prudence, Solon, Ariſtides, Pericles, Themiſtocles, Phocion,, Nicias, Alcibiades, Scipio were famous: & to ſpeake more ſincerely true according to holy ſcripture, Ioſeph, Moyſes, Ioſhua, Dauid, and ſuch like were renowmed, who gouerned people by counſell and by the knowledge of learning meet for people: which were rich in might, power and diſcretion, which hauehave left a name behinde them, which fought many batteils, overthrew great armies, and were honorable in their generations. Now although theſe vertues, I graunt, do not allwaies concurre in one ſubiect, according to the proverb, the greateſt clarkes are not the wiſeſt men, et E contra the wiſeſt men are not the greateſt clarkes: and it being ſeen oftentimes that where ſome mē hauehave been moſt addicted to the contemplatiue life, they might hauehave ſpent their times better, and hauehave more benefited the church, their countrey, and ſuch, as by the law of nature they were bound to prouide for, & to defend; and many ſuch, as hauehave beene prudent mē, hauehave not bene much deuoted to the contemplatiue life; yet, as it appeareth, theſe two vertues through Gods bleſſing both at one time were infuſed into Salomon: neither after this heauenly ingraffing of them into him did king Salomon bury them by ſlouth in his owne heart, neither did the holy ſpirit, by whome immed…atly they were giuen him, ſuffer them to ruſt, but daiely more & more by the ſame power, that they were powred vponupon him, did the king exerciſe them, vſe them, and ſhew them in the world to Gods glory, and to his owne comfort, & to the benefit of others. For by the vertue of the ſpeculatiue habite of wiſedome he reſolued the Queenes doubt by her alleadged: by his practike vertues & prudence hee found out, when two women ſtroue for a liue child,1. King. 3.26. whether of them both was his natural mother. By the vertue of ſpeculatiue wiſedome he was wiſer then all the children of the Eaſt, yea he excelled all the Aegyptians in wiſedom &c.1. King. 4.29. By practike wiſedome king Salomon deuiſed and perfited his glorious buildings, ordained his burnt offerings in the houſe of God, diſpoſed the ſervice of his table,1. King. 10. and marſhalled his ſeruaunts, watters and butlers in the order of their waiting, in the manner of their ſitting, preſcribing vntounto each ſort, how ſeemly they ſhould be apparailled, or what liuery they ſhould weare, & how they ſhould giuegive their attendance. I mention theſe fower latter eſpecially becauſe this Queene principally fixeth her eies vponupon theſe things, and becauſe they bee regiſtred in the text, and is the ſecond braunch of king Salomons wiſdō, which this Queene came to know and to vnderſtand, behauing her ſelfe in king Salomons courte like a wiſe intelligencer, yea a ſacred obſeruer of ſuch actions, offices, officers and honorable orders, with which the court of king Salomon was beawtyfied, & adorned. By this diſcreet obſeruing of this wiſe and mightie Queene we may learne thus much, that, when wiſe and diſcreet perſons come into princes courts or kingdoms, vſually they make a ſuruey, as farre foorth, as they may in honour, without offence of ſtate, king and counſell, of all ſuch orders, …ites, ceremonies, offices, ſeruices, by which the Prince and people flooriſheth, & maintaine a due reputation of honour either at home, or in forein countreys, and that common wealth, where princes with piety, wiſedome, learning, iuſtice, and mercy manage all their affaires, is like a fountain of Chriſtall water, that yeeldeth benefit not only to the inhabitantes, where it ſpringeth, but fertilytie vntounto other nations alſo, by which it floweth: it is like a lampe, that ſhineth, not only to the houſe where it is lighted, but ſerueth alſo, without impairing of …i own light, for others to take light of it. Nay ſuch a ſtate is like the ſun in the firmamenl, from whence the moone, the daughter of the night, & the ſtars Arcturus, Mazzaroth,Iob. 9.9.38 31.32. Amos. 5.8. Orion, the Pleiades and the reſt of that gliſtering & beawtifull conſort deriue their comfortable beames, & light resplendent. Wherby I garher thus much, that this honorable Queene for this ſecond reaſon alſo came to Ieruſalem,A Phaebo Phaebe lumen capit: et a ſapiēte inſipiens. deſirous to water the gardens of Aethiopia by waters flowing from Salomons fountaines: deſirous to light a lamp in Salomons court to illuminate her owne courte in Meroe, or Saba: deſirous that the ſun of wiſedom, which ſhined in Ieruſalem, might yeeld alſo ſome beames to the nations, countreys and people, which were ſubiect to her ſcepter …egall crowne & dignity in the prouinces of Aethiopia.

But, leſt I ſhould over long perſiſt in dilating this argument, let this example of this Queene be an inſtruction to al wiſe & godly travailers & ſtates men, how they ſhould behaue themſelues in forraine courts: & what things they ſhould eſpecially regard and conſider. On the other ſide we may learne what things Chriſtian Princes and honourable perſons ought principally in all their governmentes to hauehave an eie to, and wiſely to diſpoſe of, all the time of their regiment, their Pall…ces, their Tables, their Servants, the Service of Gods church …he greatnes of their buildings demonſtrateth to many people their riches, and artificiall direction in matters archit…ctonicall. The regall ſervice of their tables perfourmed in ſobriety & temperance demō ſtrateth their magnificence Heſt. cap. 1.Heſt. 1. Pſal. …01. Salomons building of the tēple, & Saltum domus Libani vide Ioſeph. lib. 8. cap. 2. vide Iudeth. cap. 1. Ariſt Eth. lib. 4. cap. 2. foreign doeth reſpect regal and magnificall expences either in the ſervice of God or in publike defence of the cōmon wealth &c. The good order of their ſervants ſheweth how ſincerely they follow and perfourme that, which the holy Prophet Pſal. 101. promiſeth vntounto God, in what manner hee woulde liue in his houſe, when he was advaunced to the throne of his kingdome, & how ſacred a ſeminary of holy d…ſcipline his court ſhould be. Laſtly, the care of Gods ſacrifice, namely, how that ſhould be offered, demonſtrateth how zealouſly governours ſhould embrace religion, howe ſincerely they ſhould ſerue God, and how faithfully they ſhoulde ſubmit their ſcepters to Chriſts kingdome. Theſe things ſtrangers, that reſort into Princes courtes may alwaies lawfully ponder for their better inſtruction, eſchewing as Crocodiles, al things that might impeach any way this courſe, and which might diſturbe the peace of the country or court, which they come into, and all practiſes that may ſavour of curioſity, much leſſe of ſedition, rebellion, or treaſon.

Now ſince this honorable Queene in king Salomons court eſpecially noteth theſe fower thinges, and the ſecond and third are of moſt wiſe men diligently marked and noted, & the fourth in this age, if not of many meere politicians, yet of alwiſe, godly, & learned are mervailouſly obſerved: and ſince that no regiment can be truly bleſſed, where the ſacrifice of the houſe of God is neglected, it behoveth all princes with ſpeciall regard to tender all things, which appertaine to Gods glory and his ſervice: For on this ſtring dependeth the principal point of Chriſtian government, and the office of great governours herein conſiſteth, as it appeareth Deut. 17.18.19.Deut. 17.18.19. And when the king ſhall ſit vpō the throne of his kingdome, then ſhall he write him this law repeated in a booke by the Prieſts of the Levites: and it ſhall be with him, and he ſhall reade therein all daies of his life, that hee may learne to feare the Lord his God, and to keepe all the words of this law, and theſe ordinances to doe them. And becauſe of that cōmandement, which is giuen in the ſecond Pſalme to all kings and princes in theſe wordes, Bee wiſe now therefore, yee kings, Pſal. 2.10.11.12.bee learned, yee iudges of the earth, ſerue the Lorde in feare, and reioice in trembling. Kiſſe the ſonne, leaſt hee be angry, and yee periſh in the way, when his wrath ſhall ſuddenly burne, bleſſed are al, that truſt in him. This which may be illuſtrated alſo not vnfitly by that place of Saint Auguſtine lib. 2.Aug cōrta. liter Petil. li. 2. cap. 92. contraliter as Petiliani cap. 92. Chriſtian princes hauehave a double office impoſed from God vponupon them, whereof the one they be bound as Christian men to perfourme, the other to perfourme as they bee Chriſtian princes. Reges cū in errore ſunt, &c. Kings & princes whē they are in errour, make lawes for defence of their errour againſt the truth; likewiſe when they are in the truth, they eſtabliſh decrees for the maintenance of truth againſt errour: ſo that both good men are tryed by evill lawes, & evill men amended by good ordinances. King Nabuc hodono ſor whileſt he was miſled by his wiſemē made a cruell lawe that his image ſhould be worſhipped: & he againe being led into the right way made a good lawe, that the true God ſhould not be blaſphemed. For in this doe kings perfourme that ſervice vntounto God which is giuen them in charge from aboue (as far forth as they are kinges) if in their kingdomes they eſtabliſh that which is good, & ſuppreſſe that which is evill, not onelyonly in matters perteining vntounto ciuill ſociety, but alſo in cauſes of religion. Aug. Creſcon. gra…. lib. 3. cap. 2.This ſpeake to ſignifie theſe two caueats, the one for that there are in theſe daies, I feare mee, a number crept into Chriſtian pr…nces courts priuy eſpials, prying into all matters with cattes, yea with Lynceus his eies, of whom the Lyricall Poet thus ſpake.

—foreign

foreign

foreign.—

For hee had a ſharper eie then any man on earth beſides vvhoſoever.

Men, that are like ſpiders, ſucking poiſon, men, which like toades th…rſt after venim like envies brattes feede vpō adders foode, firebrands of …edition, ſimple in ſhew, devilliſh in action; men, lovers of lies, and falſhood which conſtrue good actions ill,Iob. 1.10. Iude. as the devil accuſed Iob: which condemne things vnknowne, like thoſe beaſtes, th…t Saint Iude in his epiſtle liuely deſcribeth: which ſpeaketh of them, that are in authority, like curſing Shimei, and like them, that Saint Peter ſpeaketh of 2. Pet. 2.10.11.12.2. Pet. 2.10 11.12. which walke after the fleſh, in the luſt of vncleaneſſe, and deſpiſe the governement; which are preſumptuous, and ſtand in their owne conceipt, and feare not to ſpeake evill of them, that are in dignity. Whereas the angels, which are greater both in power & might, giuegive not railing iudgement againſt them before the Lord▪ but theſe, as brute beaſts, led with ſenſuality, and made to be taken, and deſtroied, ſpeake evill of thoſe things,Vergeſtan. in Theatro crudelitat. baereuc. excuſo antverp. Catholicus quidam in vbe Dub…i correptus pelli vrſin… in…uti ab…nfeſtiffimis Ang…e moloſſis laceratur. Zach. 3. Pſal. 52.2.3.4.5.6. which they know not, & ſhal periſh through their own corruption, &c. Into which crew and catalogue the authors of Calvino-…ur…iſmus, the reporters of many aſſertions of horrible lies inſerted to Stapletons promptuarium morale, the pictures of Vergeſtanu… his tables, & many pamphleters of the like ſtamp are to be aſcribed. Al which may be anſwered rather in that ſort that the angel of the Lord anſwereth the deuil in the 3. of the Prophet Zachary, the Lord rebuke thee, Satan, yea the Lorde, that hath choſen Ieruſalē, reproue thee. Or with the Pſal. 52.2.3.4.5.6. Thy tongue imagineth miſchiefe, and is like a ſharpe raſor, that cutteth deceitfully. Thou doeſt louelove evill more then good, and lies more then to speake the truth. Thou loveſt alwords, that may deſtroy, O deceitfull tongue. So ſhal God deſtroy thee for ever, …e ſhall take thee, & plucke thee out of thy tabernacle, and roote thee out of the lande of the loving. The righteous alſo ſhall ſee it, and feare, and ſhall laugh him. Wherein the prophet David doth liuely diſcover the actions and puniſhmentes of ſuch ſerpents, as delight to ſpit out againſt the innocent ſuch poiſon. The ſecond caueat wherfore I note ſo ſeriouſly that gouernours eueryevery one in their places ſhould hauehave great care faithfully to diſpoſe all ciuile actions committed to their regiment, and principally, to bend their ſtudies to maintain Gods ſeruice and holy ſacrifice, is becauſe mens eies are not onelyonly fixed over their kingdoms to looke what is doon there, but becauſe the eies of God do continually watch over all regences, euen the ſeauen eies of the Lamb, Apocal. 5. Pſal. 82.1.which do behold all things: and for that, which the prophet ſayeth, God ſtandeth in the aſſembly of Gods, hee iudgeth among Gods. Heſiodus an heathen poet perſuaded the rulers of his time to doe iuſtice becauſe, as he ſaith,

foreignHeſiod. foreign. 250.

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foreign,

foreign.

Omitting Heſiod, & them that onelyonly by the light of nature diſcourſe of this argument, I end this part with this exhortation, Yee rulers of the earth bee learned, deo iuſtice, kiſſe the ſon, leaſt hee be angry: &c. With diligent eie regard Gods ſeruice and ſacrifice, & let my counſell heerein be acceptable vntounto you. For there is a great watch-mā over all kingdoms, yea ſuch a watch-man as the Prophet Daniel deſcribeth, chap. 4. verſe. 10. which, if the mightie tree,Dan. 4.10. vnderunder which the beaſts of the feeld hauehave their ſhadow, in whoſe bowghes the fowles of heauen dwell, vnderunder whom all fleſh is ſed; if, I ſay, this tree bring not foorth good fruit anſwerable to his place. & neglect the ſacrifice of God… tabernacle, this watch man, I ſay, which the holy prophet ſaw, that Holy one which came downe from heauen,Dan. 4.11. foreign chaldaicè. vide Theodoret in Dan. 4. foreign. ſchol graec. foreign. aliud ſchol foreign Annot. bib. graec. Rom. excus. Pererius a Ieſuit hath writtē imperfectly of this word foreign Pintus hath ſpokē more to purpoſe vponupon that place, yet not perfectly. will cry a lowd, H…w downe the tree, and breake of his branches, ſhake of his leaues, & ſcatter his fruit, that the beaſts may flee from vnderunder it, and the fowles from his braunches, I ſhould heere enter into the deſcriptiō of that ſacred cō feſſion, which this holy Queene maketh to God, glorifying him that for his names ſake, and for Iſrael his peoples ſake had ſet on the throne of Iſrael ſuch a king, as Salomon was, & had bleſſed him with ſo great a meaſure of his ſpirit, and made him king to doo equitie and righteouſnes. But this part cannot now be poliſhed or amplifyed by my diſcourſe, leaſt I be over tedious to you, & partly for that ſome things of this diſcourſe may not vnfittly be vſed in the application.

The laſt part.

Theſe things ſufficiently diſcourſed vponupon, the laſt part of my text offereth itſelfe to mine handling, which is the action of this honorable perſon in another world in the life to come, and in the day of the generall reſurrection, Her action: & honour in the life to come is demonſtrated in theſe woords or teſtimony of our Sauiour, The Queene of the S…wth ſhall riſe in iudgment with this generation, and ſhall cōdēne it. This great perſon was by ſexe as you hauehave heard, a woman; by vocation, a Queene; in wealth abundant; in knowledge, a rare Phaenix; in trauail, laborious; in diſputations, learned; in obſeruation, diſcreet; in behauiour, honorable and wiſe; in traine, magnificall? in rewardinge Salomon, heroicall; in religion, ſtudious, zealous and fervent. Yet al theſe, except the reward of her religiō, hauehave at length an end: her kingdōe ſhee was to leaue to her lawful ſucceſſors; the abundāce of her riches to her truſty executors; her knowledge experimētal in ciuil actiōs was in another world vnneceſſary; the beauty of her face, and comlines of her body was to turne to aſhes; her magnifical traine could do her no more honour, then to ſee her funeralls regally performed; her body imbaulmed, her bones intered; onelyonly by her princely, vertues and rare knowledge ſhee obtained a glorious reporte in earth, and by the integrity of her faith a crowne of glory in heauen. In that ſhee was a Queene, ſhee was to bee honoured; in that ſhee was a learned Queene, ſhee was to be admired; at in that ſhe regards to keepe the decorum of her perſon, ſhee was to be cōmended; in that ſhee takes paines to trauel ſo long, and ſo laborious a iourny, ſhee is to be by al louers of vertue remembred; in that ſhee is able to diſpute in deepe queſtions of Diuinity with king Salomon, ſhee is to be regiſtred, in the book of the iuſt, in that ſhee obſerueth things done in king Salomons court, ſhee is to be chronicled; in that ſhee rewardeth king Salomon ſo heroically with fames trumpet, ſhee is to be celebrated; in that ſhee glorifieth Gods name for king Salomons guifts, it ſheweth that with the malicious mothe & ruſt of enuy her heart was not cā kred; in that ſhee was not onelyonly learned, but religiouſly learned, ſhee was to be reuerenced; laſtly in that ſhee receiueth ſuch a teſtimony of our Sauiour in the new teſtament, ſhee was thereby in the booke of life canonized; Yet to knite vp all in one; honour, riches, peregrination, ciuill and humane ſcience, diſcretion, fame, bewty, body, limme, life hauehave an end, and all worldly honour hath their cataſtrophe in concluſion; and incurre neceſſarily in the end that ſentence of Eſay 40.6.7. which ſoundeth with a crie in all our eares: All fleſh is graſſe, & all the grace therof, is as the flower of the fielde. VVherfore according to that of the prophet this maſſe of earth that we cary about vsus in the ende muſt bee diſſolued, the beauty therof finally muſt fade, the flower will fall and faile; yea the outward pompe and ſhining of king Salomō whō this Queene came to conſulte, that was renouned over all the world, and glittered ſo gorgeouſlye aboue all the princes of the earth,Math. 6.5. in the ende withered like to the graſſe of the field, which is to day, and to morrow is caſt into the ouen; but the word of the Lorde indureth for ever. This teſtimony that our ſaviour Chriſt attributeth to this faithfull Queene, this teſtimony, I affirme, abideth for euer, and ſheweth that the glorious reward, bleſſed foelicity, aeternal happines of this renouned Queene in the kingdōe of God ſo far ſurpaſſeth al worldly honor, knowledge & delights,Stilla muriae Tulli de Finibus. as far as the Oceā exceedeth in greatnes ſtil…ā muriae, A drop of brine, as far as the light of the ſun exceedeth the light of a ruſh candle ſhining through a ſmall creuis, as far as the Alpes or Olympus exceede a mole hill,In divitijs Craeſi teruncij acceſſio. as far as the aboundance of Craſſus and Craeſus riches, innumerable to vsus, exceed a quewe, codrant, or farthing in a beggers purſe.

The world hath made great reckoning of Alexāder the great his foelicity, Phillip of Macedons pollicy, Hercules fortitude, Iulius Caeſars bounty, Traians clemency, Marcus Aurelius wiſedome, Antonius Pius care of the common wealth, Ariſtotles learning, Catoes ſeuerity, Scip…oes continency, Laelius amity, Fabritius integrity, and ſuch like men indued with civill vertues. Neither can I deny but theſe vertues were very beneficiall to the civill life of man in thoſe times of darknes when that thicke fogge of ignoraunce like the 9. plague of Aegypt poſſeſſed the world, Exod. 10 ver. 21. Sap. 17. I ſay moreover that theſe actiōs of the heathen, and theſe civil vertues of outward works God rewarded in this life aboundantly, as Saint Auguſtine de C… vit. Dei hath ſufficiently in theſe words demonſtrated, and by holy ſcripture proued.Aug. de civit. Dei ca. 15. & 16. lib. 5. Qui privatas ſuas res prore communi, &c. The heathen who ſet light by their private commodities in regard of the publique weale and common treaſure; who bridled avarice, and lived ſincerely without breach of lawes or other outrage, hauehave beene honoured almoſt in al nations, hauehave brought other nations in ſubiection to their country, and at this day are famous throughout the earth in all hiſtories. They received their reward here on earth, becauſe they did theſe good workes that they might be glorified amongeſt men. Yet I muſt on the other ſide confeſſe and defend that merces Sanctorum longe alta eſt, &c. The rewarde of the Saints is farre different. Who in this life runne the race that is before them without fainting, fixing the eies of their faith, vponupon the crowne of eternal life, which is propoſed vntounto them to obtaine. This crowne (I may boldly ſay) this holy Queene principally affected in regard of the teſtimony, by the which of our Sauiour ſhee is in my text to her perpetual and euerlaſting good honoured. The Queene of the South ſhal riſe in iudgement with this generation and ſhal condemne it. In which words I obſerue theſe principall pointes; firſt her reſurrection, ſecondly the the iudiciall authority that God giueth her. By the reſurrection I vnderſtand not the firſt reſurrection which is from ſinne,Apoc. 1.20.5.6. but the generall reſurrectiō of all fleſh which in the day of iudgment ſhall be accōpliſhed, namely in the generall iudgment wherein the Lord himſelfe ſhall deſcēd from heauen with a ſhoute,Epiſt. ad Theſ. Cap. 4. and with the voice of an Archangell and with the trumpet of God; at what hower they that are in the graues ſhall heare his voice, and at what hour, they ſhall come forth that hauehave done good to euerlaſting life,Euang. Iohn. 5. but they that hauehave done euill to everlaſtinge condemnation. Then the glory of this Queene ſhall be ſeene, when her body that was ſowed in corruptiō, ſhal riſe in incorruption; whē her fleſh that was ſowne in diſhonor, ſhal riſe in honour; when her outward man that was ſowne in weakenes, ſhall be raiſed in power, when her body naturall ſhall be raiſed a body ſpirituall;Ad Cor. 1.15. Ep. ad. Timoth. 2. cap. 4. in that day wherein the righteous iudge ſhall giuegive a crowne of righteteouſnes vntounto her, & to all them that louelove his appearance.

The ſecond and laſt thinge that I obſerue this teſtimony of our Sauiour, is that wherewith this Queene ſhall thē be honoured, which is iudiciall power. This Queene ſhall not onelyonly riſe, but iudiciall Power ſhall be giuen vntounto her, which power is expreſſed in theſe words. This Queene beinge riſen, or rather raiſed by Chriſt our Sauiour in the reſurrection, ſhall condemne this generation, this obſtinate & rebellious people of the Iewes, in whoſe harts incredulity is ingraued with an iron penne; with the point of a Diamond,Ierem. cap. 17. with the claw of an eagle, which hauehave harts that cannot repēt, & know not the time of their viſitatiō, If it ſhal be here obiected that iudiciall power is only givē to the ſonne of God, according to that anſwere of our Saviour the 5. of Iohns goſpell.v. 26. For as the father hath life in himſelfe: ſo likewiſe hath he giuen to the ſo…ne to hauehave life on himſelfe. And hath giuen him power alſo to execute iudgement, v. 27.in that hee is the ſonne of man. v. 30.I can doe nothing of mine own ſelfe: as I heare, I iudge, and my iudgemēt is iuſt becauſe I ſeeke not mine own wil, but the will of the father who hath ſent me. Ciuill. in Iohn. lib. 2. cap. 14.Whereby Saint Cirell hath perſpicuouſly proued in his commentaries vponupon the 5. of Iohn, that by the argument of the act of exerciſing of iudgement Chriſt our ſauiour is inuincibly demonſtrated to bee of the ſame ſubſtaunce with the father in theſe words.Pſal. 81. Pſal. 74. Cui orbem terrarū iudicare convenit niſi ſoli Deo? &c. To whom doth it appertaine to iudge the world but God alone? whō only the holy Scripture calleth vntounto iudgement ſaying; Ariſe, O God, and iudge the earth. And againe, becauſe God is iudge, he putteth downe one, and lif…eth vp another. He ſaith, Iudgement is given him of his father, not that he hath not this power of his owne nature; but he ſheweth that all things are in his divine power by wais of diſpenſation in regarde of his manhooode. Yet this argument infringeth nothing this honour, that our Saviour in this place attributeth to this Queene in the reſurrection of the dead. True it is that properly to ſpeake, only iudgement, condemnation, life, death is giuen by the father to Ieſus Chriſt, in that ſort as our Sauiour hath ſpoken chap. 5. Ioh. in the verſes before cited; and eſſentially it is due to none but only to that perſon which is God by nature. And in this ſenſe it is derogatory to the Godhead, abſolutely to affirme, that any ſhall iudge or condemne, but only ſuch a perſon as is by eſſence God. But in this ſenſe it is not vnderſtood heere; wherefore I ſuppoſe that that diſtinction which the Schoole-men hauehave giuen though ſomewhat barbarbarouſly in worde, yet pithily in ſenſe may ſufficiently ſatisfie this obiection, and plainely expreſſe without al abſurdity,Aquin. Suppl. 3. part. Sum. Quaeſt. 88. Art. 1. in what ſenſe our ſauiour hath attributed in this place iudiciall authority to this Queene in the general reſurrection. If the word to iudge or condemne which is a parte of iudgement be taken principally and eſſentially, it is peculiar to the three perſons in the bleſſed Trinity, the Famther, the Sonne, and the holy Ghoſt, only becauſe God is the only creator of mā: & iudgmēt is only in the power of God that canne ſearch the inward man. In this ſenſe the Pſalmiſt ſaith,Pſal. 96.9. Vrſin. exp. Symb. God commeth to iudge the world to righteouſnes, and the people in his truth. Iudicium erit trium perſonarum Divinitatis quoad conſenſum & authoritatem. All the three perſons of the Godhead ſhall iudge in respect of their conſent and authority. Secondly Chriſt our Saviour ſhall iudge in humana naturâ God and man in mans nature, becauſe in that nature hee hath redeemed vsus, and for that the finall ſentence in the laſt doome ſhall be pronounced by him only: and according to this humane nature, it is ſaid that Chriſt ſhall iudge poteſtate ordinatâ & delegatâ. By a ſubordinate power, and by way of Commiſſion. Thirdly the twelue Apoſtles of the Lambe ſhall iudge acceſſoriâ dignitate. By acceſſory dignitie which then ſhalbe given them, according to that in the 19. of Saint Matthew v. 20. And Ieſus ſaid vntounto thē, verily I ſay vntounto you that when the ſonne of man ſhal ſit in the throne of his maieſty, yee which followed me in the regeneration ſhall ſit alſo vponupon twelue thrones, and iudge the twelue tribes of Iſrael. And for that they were eie witneſſes of thoſe eie miracles that Chriſt our Saviour wrought,Act. 1.21.22. and becauſe they faithfully preached vntounto the Iewes and all the world his doctrine, according to the rule whereby the whole world ſhal be iudged; and for that in the excellency of glory giuen them by Chriſt our Saviour they ſhall ouerſhine others by diuerſity of glory in the day of iudgement. All the faithful ſhal iudge iudicij approbatione, that is, al the faithful ſhal ſubſcribe to the iudgement of our Sauiour in the generall doome of all the world, that that iudgment which Chriſt our Sauiour ſhall then pronounce is true and iuſt, when the ſentence ſhall be giuen for the godly venite benedicte &c. come yee bleſſed, and the contrary ſentence ſhall be vttered againſt the wicked Ite maledicto &c. goe yee curſed. This ſentēce (I ſay) the godly ſhall with their approbation teſtify, ſuch honor ſhall bee giuē to al Gods Saints. And in this ſence that honor is giuē to the faithfull to iudge and to condemne according to this iudgment of approbatiō in that place of S. Iohn. And after theſe things I heard a great multitude in heauen ſaying Halleluiah; Apoc. 19.ſaluatiō, & honour, & glory, & power be to the Lord our God. For true & righteous are his iudgments: for he hath condemned the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, & hath auenged the bloud of his ſeruants ſhed by her hand. And againe they ſaide Halleluiah: & her ſmoke roſe vp for evermore. And the 24 elders, and the four beaſtes fell downe and worſhiped God that ſate one the throne ſayinge Amen Halleliuah. Eph. 1. 1. Cor. 6.3.According to this forme of iudgement I ſuppoſe alſo theſe words may be vnderſtood of S. Paul, For I accord with Bezaes expoſition that the faithfull ſhall iudge the Angels. 1. Diabolū cum ſuis Angelis.Laſtly, according to this iudgment of Approbation this holy and Godly Q. of the South ſhal iudge & condēne the incredulous ewes, the hard hearted Iewes, I ſay, in whoſe ſtreets Chriſt our Saviour prophecied, in whoſe ſtreetes Chriſt our Savior caſt out Divels, amōgſt whō he did ſo many good deedes, and wrought ſo many miracles; who did ſtop their eares like deafe Adders, rather then they would heare him who was far greater then K. Salomō, whō K. Salomon ſhadowed, who infuſed to K. Salomō his great wiſdom; who did not only ſtop their ears rather thē they wold hear him, but withal did ſpet out venim againſt him that ſought to ſaue thē; who did not only ſpet out venim againſt him, but with their tailes ſtung him to death, who called them of his infinite goodnes to repentance, who praied for their converſion when they crucified him. To which Saviour with the Father and the holy Ghoſt be all honour, power, and dominion rendered both now & for euer. Amen.

Sermon 17 November 1599, Sermon

The Externall cauſe, that mooved this great perſonage to travaile ſo farre to ſee king Salomon.

The laſt part.