A Comment Upon Coheleth, Biography
AN ABRIDGEMENT OF SALOMONS LIFE.
DAVID had ſonnes by many vvives. The King and his brother Nathan, & tvvo more named in 1 Chr. 3. 5. by the daughter of Ammiel: beſides the firſt borne that ſone died. That his vvife vvas called Bath-Suagh foreign a Daughter of nobility: God cloſly diſpoſing tongues to that vvhichwhich in ſtory should be moſt famous. After Vrias the faithfull Hettean died for his people & the cities of his God, by good Davids vvicked ſleight, and David had made that Pſalme of repētance to the cōfort of all that should by faith find juſtice, David conforted Bath ſuagh, and ſvvare that Salomon should reigne: & called her Bathshebagh foreign daughter of Oth. And he ſavv further that Salomons houſe vvold not be vpright vvith God, but vvold overthrovv the temple & nation Lev. 26. and Deut. 28. and that Nathans prophecy should come of Salomons next brother: & called him Nathan: that his name should abridge the Prophecy. Bath shebagh foreign alſo hath her honour from God. Prov. 31. Being an holy teacher of holy truth, and joying that Chriſt should come of her, as of Thamar, Rachab, and Ruth the Moabite: and not alſo of Roboams mother the Ammonite, nor of any King aftervvardes. Salomō vvas borne about the time that Adoniah defloured Thamar: as the ſtory shevveth: and is caſt by the Rabbines and Grekes to be tvvelve yeres old vvhen David dieth. His Father and his mother and the Prophet Nathan inſtructed him in the vvayes of God: & he craved vviſdome of God, and had it above all Kinges: and the more he increaſed in vviſdome, he taught the people knovvledge, and fitted many Proverbes. Three bookes he left; The Songe of Songes shevving the ioy of the Church that truly folovveth Chriſt: and the Proverbes, vvarning much the Tribes that they vvill fall avvay from God. In the ſame booke he joineth the vvordes of Agur Ben Iakeh: a vviſe Prophet of his time, vvho in fevv vvordes taught much, of mans corruptiō: and ſpake of God to dvvell in Chriſt, named …thiel, and Vcal, that is vvith me God, euen the Mighty. And Koheleth in his third book. The K. had fovver names Salomon, and Iedidiah, 1 King. 12., Lemoel, Prov. 31. and Koheleth: Eccl. 1. The notation of the laſt should here be opened: foreign Cahal the verb is, Gather, and the novvne Eccleſia, a company gathered to one aſſembly: as the 600000. vvhichwhich at once denyed God: Num. 13. called there foreign Ghedah: elſvvhere often foreign Cahal. foreign, Synagogue, or Eccleſia. Of Gathering the beſt thing, that is, vviſdome, he is called Koheleth foreign. Aben Ezr. Eccleſiaſt. 1. That is: He is called Koheleth, by the terme of wiſdome which was gathered in him: finding by experience that all thinges vnderunder the ſunne are vaine: & common vveales full of folly & madnes: that men should look to the Kingdome of Chriſt in heaven. The LXX. made a nevv terme of their ovvne Eccleſiaſtes: a vviſe Doctor. And this book commenteth vponupon Nathans Prophecy, cited afore: and teacheth cloſly, that many Kinges of his poſterity by foolishnes vvold breake the hedge, that Serpentes should bite them: & vvold ſpeak great vvordes, as did Roboam, ſo foolish as one that knevv not the vvay to the city. And he himſelfe, vvas entangled by his vvives to build Idolea for them: But he proclameth their vvickednes: and hovv Iedidiah, the beloved of God vvas delivered from them. None should doubt but that he is in the Kingdome of heaven; ſeing all the Prophetes be there Luc. 13. and he ſpent all his life to teach the vanities of this vvorld. His poſterity ended in Iechonias: and the Ievves miſſe of all the Prophetes meaning, vvhichwhich ſay: that Meſſias should come of Iechonias: vvho left no child naturally: Iere. 22. But ſonnes to his Kingdome many. 1 Chr. 3. & Salathiel of Nathan Mat. 1. Luc. 3. This poinct should ſpecially be noted of Chriſtianes. The Ievves vſe all endevour to overthrovv S. Luk for our Lords Kindred: & mightily labour to prove that Salathiel vvas naturall ſonne to Iechonias: and not onelyonly S. to the Kingdome: as troupes of others 1 Chr. 3. but properly ſonne, as any other to his father, in private ſpech. And as they look for a pompous Kingdome: ſo they continue againſt Gods oth, the line of Salomon: in Sanedr. fol. 18. Perec 10. atticle 12. in theſe vvordes.
foreign
This rule is a foundation: that no King may be accepted for Iſrael, but of the houſe of David & of the ſede of Salomon only: & who ſo is a ſchiſmatique against this family, denyeth the name of the bleſsed God, & the wordes of his prophets. Thus expreſſely they teach that Meſſias muſt come of Iechonias: & knovv that S. Luke & our Goſpell falleth vvher that is graunted: vvhom I anſvvear in myne ebrevv treatiſe to Prince Henry. And I have shevved of the groſnes of our table elſvvhere.