King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 43
CAP. XLIII.
The Concluſion of the Booke, contayning the declaration of the Princes and Collectors, concerning their approbation of Solomon and his words, with their Affixe to the ſame.
THe Secretaries hauing written the Words of King Solomon according to the former collection, they ſaid vntounto zadok and the Princes. Behold my Lords, all theſe words hauehave wee written with diligence: Is there any thing elſe, that ye would, we ſhould alſo write?Solomon ſpake much more then is here remembred. Truely (ſaide the Princes) the King hath ſpoken in our hearing many other things, right worthy both the remembrance and the writing: yea and ſo many, as wee neither could beare away, nor can now report: and the Kings wiſedome and diligence hath yet farre paſſed and exceeded. It is moſt true, in very truth) (ſaid Zadoke) And although the Lord his God hath wonderfully bleſſed him with wiſedom, knoweldge, vnderſtanding and many rare graces farre beyonde that any other man now living doth enioy: yet he omitteth not,Solomon yet ſtudieth and ſearcheth for more wiſedom. nor neglecteth his daily ſtudy, and diligence, to ſearch for, and to obtaine and get more wiſedom, more knowledge, more vnderſtanding and more graces, and hee yet learneth and ruminateth that both night and day, which hee mindeth to produce and teach vntounto the people. Neither doth hee aduenture to ſpeake or vtter any thing, before that hee hath with wiſedom conceiued it, and with a perfect iudgement digeaſted it in his heart. For hée knoweth, that as in the ordinary courſe of nature, the conception goeth before the birth: ſo learning ought to goe before teaching in him which is the teacher. Firſt therefore, he hath learned, yea and yet he continueth a learner, that thereby he might the better know all things and frame himſelfe a Teacher. And to that end, he hath béene a diligent ſearcher of all Antiquities, and the worthieſt monuments of the ancient Fathers, hearkening therein to the counſaile of Moſes, Deut. 32.7.where hee faith: Remember the dayes of the world that is paſt: conſider the yeeres of ſo many generations, Aske thy father & he will ſhew thee: thine Elders and they will tell thee. Geneſis. Exodus. Levit. Num. Duet.And therefore he hath commonly in his hands the Bookes of Moſes, as namely, Bereſchith, Velleſchemoth, Vaichrah, Vaiedabber & Ellehaddebarim. Alſo the Booke of Iob, the Booke of Ioſuah, the Bookes of Shemuel, the writtings of Nathan, of Gad, of Aſaph, and of his father David, with the volumes of other Prophets & wiſe men: neither abandoneth he the writtings of Homer, & other learned monuments of the Gentiles. From, and out of the which, he hath gathered, and yet gathereth of learning, knowledge, and wiſedome more and more eueryevery day. Nor is the King ignorant of this, that as the herbe Moly, which is ſo good and ſoueraigne for medicine beyonde many others, is very hardly digged or drawen vp from the earth: ſo thoſe things which are excellent (indéed) and of ſpeciall choice, come not to men without exquiſite ſtudie,wiſedō is Gods guift, yet muſt men ſtudy & labour for it. and great and hard trauels: and that albeit the excellencie of wiſedome, knowledge and iudgement is not atchiued or gotten by any the wit, wiſedome, power, policie or agilitie of man, but commeth from the Lordes goodneſſe and mercy: yet doth not the Lord ordinarily giuegive or beſtow any of thoſe things without the lawfull exerciſes of reaſon, ſtudies, and diligence: but he is right willing to helpe and further the true labourers, to inſtruct them which reade aduiſedly, and to further them which hauehave a deſire to procéede faithfully in the way of his commandments: to, and for the which, he maketh his word a Lanterne vntounto their fecte, and a light vntounto their pathes. To this purpoſe, he giueth them Séers, wiſemen, Prophets, Prieſts and goodly Princes: and he powreth foorth of his diuine ſpirite, whereby they be made apt and capable of thoſe ſingular graces: Whereof wee hauehave many worthy examples, as namely, in Noah, in Lot, in Abraham, in Iacob, in Ioſeph, in Moſes, in Samuel, in the Kings father, and laſtly, in the King himſelfe, who in his youth (as the Lorde by his ſpirit had diſpoſed him) prayed vntounto the Lord for wiſedome, exerciſed himſelfe in the things which thereunto appertained: hearkened to David, to Bethſabe, to Nathan, to Gad, to Aſaph, and to his noble Counſailors: and vſed the reaſon and wiſedom which God gaue him, as a talent encreaſing. So God yet more and more proſpered him from day to day: hee taught him: he aduiſed him, he bleſſed him, and wiſdome was found of him that ſought for her. And thus vſeth the Lorde in his merciemercy and louelove, to admoniſh ſuch as thinke of his goodnes, and to comfort them which early enquire for him: he teacheth them that deſire to learne: hee heareth them that pray vntounto him: he lighteneth them that diſpute of knowledge, hée openeth to them that knocke, and he giueth to them that aſke, that in things that be profitable, holy, and appertaining to the glory of his Name, to the good of his Church, to the benefite of his people. This the King (as hee is moſt wiſe) knoweth right well. And hauing thus gotten and attained the excellencie of wiſedome, he burieth not thoſe his Talents in the earth,The vſe of talents and gifts which God beſtoweth on men. but employeth and occupieth the ſame: not like vntounto that niggard, who for feare of looſing his wealth would hide it, though without all vſe: nor like the enuious, which would not that other men ſhould be partakers of knowledge: but as the right libeberall and charitable man, he laboureth & endeuoreth to make all other men partakers of his wiſdome and diuine graces, and hideth her riches from no man. For he ſéeth, that as wiſedome is an infinite meaſure vntounto men, ſo ſhall his diligence and ſtudie be acceptable not only to them, but to the Lorde,Sap. 13.14. who hath filled his ſoule with diuine treaſures mooued him to ſpeake what his minde hath conceiued, and to vſe his graces to the edification of his pepole. Therefore hath hee ſpoken according to the fulnes of his ſpirit the ſooner, becauſe he ſawe, that thoſe good things, by how much the more they were imparted and made common to others, by ſo much they appeared the better in all iuſt eſtimation. * Moreouer, to the ende that his wiſedom and knowledge ſo imparted might be heard with the more delight,The beſt wayes and meanes to inſtruct, teach and edifie others. the better conceiued & the deeper imprinted in the mindes and memorie of the hearers, & by thē the more exquiſitely diſcuſſed, he hath inuented, and doth dayly inuent, compoſe and ſet foorth many rare and excellent Riddles, Prouerbs, and ſimilitudes, taken from the very nature and truth of things: yea, he ſeeketh and frameth ſuch words, Sermons, and Sentences, which hee knoweth to be moſt profitable and fit for the purpoſe: he layeth euer before him thoſe Bookes and Monuments of the wiſe and godly men of yore (as it is before ſaid) whom hee knewe were illuminated and taught of GOD, and the things which they ſpake and left to the Church, were indited by the finger of the holy ſpirit. For hee knoweth and hath ſo taught and tolde vsus often,The vſe of the Bookes of holy ſcriptures. that the Bookes, wordes and writings of thoſe antient holy men are right profitable in the Church to stirre vp and prouoke men to pietie, and to walke in the way that leadeth towards the higheſt good, and chief felicitie: and alſo to confirme any doctrine or opinion, that ſhall be either taught or deliuered to the Church, for Gods glorie, and the profite of the ſame. For therein is to be ſéene and gathered the ſame veritie, which it hath pleaſed God by the inſpiration of his ſpirite to exhibite vntounto his Prophets, and ſeruants, whom he hath made in this reſpect the Maiſters and Authors of thoſe holy Bookes and godly collections, worthily entituled the Word of God. Pſal. 1.Theſe be the things which the King wonderfully affecteth, and is neuer wearied in the holy meditation thereof. Heere is that doctrine and learning, vntounto the which, he would, that all men ſhould liſten and giuegive attentiue heed,All men muſt take heed of ſtrange doctrines and opinions. and that in regard thereof, they ſhould eſchew and abandon all other doctrines and opinions whatſoeuer, which ſound or any way ſauor contrary, or not like vntounto this. For it is certaine, that as the eie is not ſatiſfied with ſéeing, nor the eare with hearing; and mans curioſitie being vnmeaſurable, the doctrines and opinions of men doe exceed in multitude and diuerſitie: ſo both the inuenting of thoſe doctrines and opinions, and in the making of thoſe Bookes, which are neither agreable, nor any way comparable to this one doctrine ſo giuen and approoued by the chiefe Paſtor and Teacher, and alſo in the reading, ſtudying, learning and exerciſes thereof, are nothing els, but a labour of the fleſh, and a vexing of the minde: And ſo much the more, for that therein (among other things) this is holden and plauſibly accepted, that the chiefe felicitie of man, did conſiſt either of honors, or riches,Men hauehave placed their chief felicitie in thoſe things of the world. or of pleaſures and mens delights and ſuch like, the which therefore moſt men ſtudyed to attaine, in the reading, hearing and obſeruing the precepts and rules of the ſame. Wherein, nevertheleſſe, whiles men are buſied, they reſemble thoſe fooliſh people, which being diſeaſed, do ſeeke for remedies of the things which are brought from India, Aethiopia, and the furtheſt parts of the world, happily not ſo well fitting the conſtitution of their natures, when the whiles, they contemne or neglect the good things which grow in their owne gardens. * But as for that doctrine and thoſe words, which are indited and giuen by that chief paſtor, approued by thoſe graue maiſters of authoritie, and collected, taken, and taught by the King, aſwell in this, as in other his Bookes, and ſo wee finde them to ſhoote harmonically to this chiefe ſcope or marke,The ende of the holy ſcriptures. Eccles. 12.13. 1 Gods glory. 2. Mans happineſſe. Pſal. 50.23. Exod. 20. namely that men might thereby learne and bee perſwaded to Feare God, and to keepe his Commandements. In the which are reſpected thoſe two things, namely the glory of God, and the higheſt happineſſe. To the former whereof is required, the praiſe and thankefulneſſe vntounto GOD for his benefites: a dutie enioyned to man in the firſt Table of the Lawe: In the latter is required a godly life and holy conuerſation, or dutie enioyned vsus in the ſecond Table of the ſame Lawe. For in the firſt thereof is preſcribed our dutie to GOD: In the ſecond our dutie to man. In the former wee learne,Dutie to God. Dutie to man. what GOD requireth and what hee abandoneth as iouching his owne honour and ſeruice: In the latter, what hee requireth, and what hee condemneth in our behauiour one towardes another. For there is not any one ſingular Precept, but reſpecteth both what is to bee done,Note this in the ten Commandements. Exod. 20. and what is not to bee done. And this wee muſt obſerue therein, that where any vertue is commaunded, in the ſame Precept that vice which is her contrary, is forbidden: and ſo there, where any vice is forbidden, that vertue which is his contrarie is commanded.Eccles. 12. This is that feare of God and the obſeruation of his commandements, which is required of man, and to this ought eueryevery man (by thoſe holy doctrines) to frame and apply himſelfe. Beſides theſe, all the ſtudies,God hath prepared a iudgement for theſe things Pſal. 50 1.3. labours, deuiſes, and endeuors of man are vaine, and nothing els, but labors and vexations of minde, drawing men from good vntounto euill, from God to the diuell, from heauen to hell. Neither may wee thinke, but that for either of theſe wayes, a man ſhalll bee called into iudgement, to make his reckoning, and to caſt his account howe hee hath either vſed or abuſed them. Yea, men ſhall hauehave not onelyonly their particular iudgements heere in this worlde (wherein happie is hee that ſhall finde merciemercy and forgiueneſſe): but alſo in the end they ſhall ſtande before the tribunall Seate of Meſsiah, when hee ſhall come and ſit, to pronounce a iuſt ſentence againſt all men, whether they be good or euill. Then all things ſhall bee reuealed, yea euen thoſe which hauehave beene concealed,pſal. 2.5. and in a great part left vnpuniſhed, ſince the beginning of the Creatures. Then, for eueryevery idle word there ſhall bee made a reckoning, eueryevery idle deed ſhall bee diſcerned, and eueryevery ſecret thought of the heart ſhall bee made manifeſt. Then ſhall Gods choſen hee cleared and called into glory with the holy Meſsiah and his angels: and then ſhall the prophane reprobates be thruſt out into vtter darknes, to toyle and moyle with the ſerpent and wicked Feendes for euermore. All theſe things in effect, and many more, with ſingular wiſedome and great grauitie, hath our Lorde the King vttered and taught (as we muſt acknowledge and witnes.) Therfore I thinke it good (if it ſhall pleaſe you my Lords) that theſe our right truſty and faithfull frinds Helioreph and Ahiah doe adde this alſo, as an Affire to the Kings Concluſion of ye booke, which is written: vz.
Verſ. 9. The preacher was yet more wiſe, and he taught the people knowledge, and cauſed them to heare: and he ſearched foorth and prepared many Parables.
Verſ. 10. The preacher ſought to find out pleaſant words, and an vpright writing, the words of truth.
Verſ. 11. The words of the wiſe are like Goads & like nailes faſtened by the maiſters of the aſſemblies, which are given by one Paſtour.
Verſ. 12. And of other thinges, beſides theſe (my Sonne) take thou heede: for there is none end in making many bookes: and much reading is a labour (or wearineſſe) of the fleſh.The Affixe to to Solomons Booke of Eccleſiaſtes Ecc. 12
Verſ. 13. Let vsus heare the end (or ſcope) of all (the ſermon) Feare God and keep his commandements: for this is that (which belongeth) to everyman.
Verſ. 14. For God will bring eueryevery worke into iudgement, with every ſecret thing, whether it be good or evill.