King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
Of the ſecond. & third cauſes of king Solomons grieved minde. viz. of Hyram, and of the Arabian Queene.
THen Zadok the moſt Reuerend father in God being willing to ſatiſfie the Lordes, procéeded in the declaratiō of thoſe other cauſes of the Kings ſadneſſe:Of Hyram. and now concerning the ſecōd he ſpake as it followeth. It is true that albeit Hyram be an eſpeciall good friend to our Lord King Solomon, as he was to his father David, yet ye know well (my Lordes) that the king aſwell to gratifie him for his approued goodwill, as to recompence his rich bounty in that he furniſhed the king with Timber, and many other neceſſaries for the building of the Temple and his royall howſes, and ſuch like, he had giuen him ſome twentie Cities in the land of Galilee, the which he thought the King of Tyrus would gladly hauehave accepted at his hand, the rather in regard of his lonely affection and friendlie goodwill.1. king. 9.11.12.13. But now king Hyram lately comming out of Tyre to ſée thoſe twentie Cities, declareth himſelfe ſcarcely well pleaſed with king Solomon concerning them, ſaying vntounto him: What kind of Cities are theſe which thou haſt beſtowed on me, my brother? Moreouer he called them the land Cabul, which is barraine, or as old and worne out: howbeit we perceiue not, but that he might be well enough pleaſed with thoſe Citties, foraſmuch as the king hath not onelyonly in louelove, ioyned amitie with him as his brother; when he could hauehave made him a Subject vntounto his power by conqueſt: but alſo hath admitted him into his Territories, ſo farre as hee thought it was lawfull for him to doe, for the land of Iſrael being deuided and appointed by lot to them after their Tribes, might not be alienated nor giuen away to ſtrangers. Moreouer the king of his gratefull mind and princelie liberalitie hath alſo beſtowed on the King of Tyrus (beſides thoſe Citties) for the better prouiſion and maintenance of his houſe the annuall frée gift of twentie thouſand quarters of wheate,1. King. 5.10. and twentie Buts of pure oyle. For as the thrée noble Graces were neuer better entertained in any place, then in king Solomons Court, eſpeciallie by himſelfe who had made himſelfe a right worthie mirror of kindneſſe vntounto all men: ſo was he neuer to ſeeke how to requite benefites, and to declare himſelfe grateful to all them which euer did him pleaſure: How bountifull hath he béene that way to the famous quéene of Arabia, who came from farre vntounto him to heare his wiſdome with her guiftes? and to let paſſe particulars how gratefully hath he recompenſed al as wel ſtrangers as others that at any time repayred to him with any their preſentes. Neither indéede woulde he, that any perſon ſhould ſo much as conceit in him the leaſt touch of vnkindneſſe. Therefore it cannot be but a merueilous griefe to his noble heart, that the king of Tyrus, euen that prudent and religious Prince to whom before many others he would expreſſe louelove and good affection, and from whom he expected the like, ſhould any way diſlike his grateful reward, and ſuſpect him of vnkindneſſe towardes him. And ſurely (ſaid Prince Azarias) I Proteſt, that in my iudgement there cannot be a greater greife to a gentle heart then this, as whereof I hauehave heard the king to ſay not long ſithence that ſuch manner of dealing beſotteh a wiſe man, and diſcourageth a liberall heart. Worthelie therefore may the king be ſadde and ſorrie,Eccleſ. 10.1. as one that had offended in the higheſt degrée, as ingratitude is aptlie placed in the higheſt grade of vices. Neuertheleſſe I doubt not, but he knoweth beſt how to diſgeſt this bitter coraſiue by his moſt excellent wiſdom, which to him ſhould be (as it is) a ſtrōg rock of defence againſt ſuch perturbations and affections of mans nature, and ſomuch the ſooner, becauſe the offence is not iuſtlie giuen by ye king, howſoeuer the offence is now vniuſtly takē by Hyram: and yet this may not be long of Hyram, or any diſcontented humor in him, but of ſome others which are about him, or too néer vntounto him, being vntounto him as ſōtime ſmoothing Ziba was to good king David, who by their ſiniſtre adulation, aſſentation, and wicked whiſperinges in the kinges eares, may ſoon ouerthrow and peruert the good nature of moſt noble perſonages: of which kind of perſons therefore it is needfull that Princes take heed, and once knowing them, not onelyonly to obſerue, but alſo to expel them in time, as ſemblant to that Litta in a Dogs tongue, which being not timelie taken out makes him ſtarke madde. For king Hyram himſelfe (we may perſuade) fearing God, and louing our king, would neuer hauehave caught that occaſion of diſlike, but gladlie hauehave accepted yt whatſoeuer the king had beſtowed on him, though neuer ſo ſmall, eſteeming more the good mind of the giuer then the value of the gift. But howſoeuer it be, now needfull it is, that we conſult, prouide & aſſay how to aſſwage thoſe mightie diſpleaſures, that ſo they, which as brethren in louelove and amitie, ſhould not in equitie contend and ſtriue together, might be reconciled and continued mutuall friends, aſwell for the common good as their owne content in the diuine feare, & not in any ſort prouoked to wars, for it muſt of neceſſity follow ye many great loſſes troubles bloudſheds & huge incōueniēces will ouertake thoſe realms and prouinces which hauehave of long time had trafficke & ſocitie, and continued league together, if afterwardes through the grudge and diſpleaſure of their princes they ſhould mutually ſtand in armes, ſtriue, and through enuy wrath and diſſentions, ſéeke and worke one the others deſtructions. Neither howſoeuer they may afterwards agrée and be reconciled, ſhal the manifold loſſes and greeuances of their poore ſubiects taken and ſuſtained in that interim or whiles,Vnquiet heads grone for wars and troubles. be ſufficiently recouered or ſalued. There be ſome, which cannot content themſelues with the preſent peace and proſperitie of our nation: but ſeeke occaſions of trouble, as by this tune weary of all peace, grone for bloudy broiles, and thinke (becauſe they be not yet acquainted with military affaires) that warre is a pleaſant thing, yea, and ſo profitable, that (by reaſon of th' ordinary ſpoiles) the poore ſhal therby be inriched, the wretched be made happy, that thoſe aduancements are both lawfull and glorious euen with and among them that be brethren: and thereto are they ready to enueagle the heads of their princes, and to vrge them to reuenge eueryevery ſmall iniury: as if it ſtoode not with the honor and magnanimitie of a Prince, to paſſe ouer and to forbeare the leaſt iniury offered him by an other Prince, though his friend and compeere, vnrequited. But it is our part to perſwade the contrarie: that all ſuch ſhold eſteeme of peace which may by any meanes eſchew warres, knowing well that David, the kings father (though he were a man of warre) did rather deſire peace, euen among them that had made themſelues ready for warres. It alſo becommeth vsus to counſaile and perſwade, that rather light and final iniuries ſhould be winked at, and paſſed ouer, euen among Princes, then that they ſhould vnhappily by reuenging of them, open wide gappes to farre greater inconueniences: and in this eaſe, he that knoweth not how to diſſemble, neither knoweth he how to raigne or liue in the world.Eccles. 7.21. The king is the conſerver of peace and the counſailors muſt aduiſe thereto. To this the king himſelfe would perſwade when he ſaid: Be thou not over wiſe, nor be thou over iuſt. Againe GiueGive thou not heede to every ſecret talke of thy ſervant, lest peradventure thou heare him to ſpeake evill of thee. And indeede, it rightly becommeth the royall gouernment to ſéeke to conſerne peace which extolleth the vertues and praiſe of him that ruleth therein, and it no leſſe becommeth vsus which be Counſaylors, to regard the ſame, and timely to preuent thoſe miſchiefes, which by too long delayes and want of due conſideratiō, do often hurt the body together with the head, and confound them both in the end. Ye hauehave therefore well done (moſt noble Zadoke) to put vsus in mind of this thing. Thus hauehave wee heard of two cauſes of the kings troubled minde declared and committed to due conſideration. Now let vsus likewiſe vnderſtand the third cauſe, which riſeth (as ye ſaid before) of the Queene of Arabia. It ſeemeth very ſtrange vntounto vsus, that from thence the king ſhould take any conceit of ſorrow, when (as we know) he receiued her ſo ioyfully, entertained her magnificently, and dimiſſed her with Maieſtie.zadoke declareth the third cauſe of the kings trouble. But that notwithſtanding, it is reported (ſaid Zadoke) that ſithence the time that noble Quéene departed from the Court, ſhee addreſſed certaine letters vntounto the king, whereby he is certified, that whiles ſhee was here with the king, ſhe eſpied and beheld in the kinges houſe (called the houſe of the forreſt or of the wood, which the king hath builded for his pleaſure) a tree, on the which (as ſhe hath learned by a diuine inſpiration) a certaine man ſhall be put to death: For whoſe death, the Iewiſh kingdome ſhalbe vtterly deſtroyed & waſted. And this hath that noble Queene in thoſe her letters by many tokens and arguments made knowen to our Lord K. Solomon, as a thing requiſite to be declared (and if it be poſſible) to be preuented in time: the which neuertheleſſe at her being here, ſhe durſt not to reueale: partly for feare of the kinges diſpleaſure: * for Kinges are ſoone exaſperated towardes them which in any thing ſeeme to diſlike them & their works, which is the cauſe that oftentimes they are praiſed and iuſtified, when rather they deſerue to be blamed, whereby they flatter themſelues in their owne ſinnes and foreſee not the vnhappy euent of their peruerſe ſtudies and endeuors. Neither therefore do they ſometimes heare, know, or ſee (and ſo not enioy and vſe) that which might tend to their ſafetie and beſt profit, albeit ye thing be commonly knowen and talked of abrod: partly ſhe concealed it in that ſhe was very loath, in that time of her princely entertainment, to offer vntounto him any occaſion of ſorrow or heauines: * for they that are inuited or wel entreated, are or ſhold be vnwilling to vtter or ſhew forth that (eſpecially to their friendes when they be merry) the which they thinke will trouble their mindes. But now vponupon theſe tidinges by certificate from the Quéene, the king is ſtroken with a meruailous feare, thinking that this prophecie of the Quéene ſhould aime to the holy Meſſiah or ſome other excellent perſonage, whome our nation ſhall vniuſtly oppreſſe and put to death on this Trée. And it is that (as I heare) which Seth the ſonne of Adam did ſometimes plante on his fathers Sepulchre, and hath euer floriſhed as a tree of Paradiſe til time it pleaſed the King to take it into the houſe of the forreſt * Surely, the king had this tree in no mean eſtimation and price,It is ſaid that about the time of Chriſt this tree was growen againe whereof there was taken to make the Croſſe whereon he was crucified. els had it not been placed in this glorious houſe. But now, the king vpō theſe tidings, and willing to prevent this inconuenience feared to enſew, hath remoued it from thence and hid it full deepe vnderunder the earth, that it might henceforth neither ſproute againe, nor be found of any man liuing. And it may be, that the king (the rather by this occaſion (foreſeeing the ruin of our Nation (according to Gods euerlaſting decree and purpoſe) is very ſorowfull and heauy: but the more becauſe this deſtruction ſhalbe iuſtly procured and caſt on them for their iniury, cruelty and enuy againſt him whome they ſhould in all duty louelove, honour and embrace. He now calleth to minde what his father David prophecied of this tragedie.
My handes and feete peirced wondrous wide,pſal 22.17. pſal. 109.25.
a man might tell my bones on every ſide.
They made me, as their vile reproach to bee.
and looking too, did ſhake their heads at me.
And now albeit the king knoweth that no man liuing can withſtand the purpoſe of God in this matter: yet he would not that any thing ſhould either be placed in his houſe, or preſerued and kept within his realme, which might miniſter the meanes of this vnhappy euent in time to come: for albeit men are not to enter into the depth of Gods ſecret deuiſes: yet, looking on the law and word of God, they muſt by the ſame learne to eſchew that which might be the occaſion of tranſgreſſions and ſinnes, as thoſe men that bee weary and fearefull of murther, theft,Men muſt not commit ſinnes of their owne malice and then thinke to be excuſed becauſe it was Gods will they ſhould ſo do, but they muſt hearken to the law and word of God Exod. 20. and ſuch other crimes becauſe they be forbidden, & threatned to be puniſhed for committing ſuch thinges, howſoeuer the ſecret will and prouidence of God is, that they ſhould bee accō pliſhed. Therefore the theefe, or the murtherer may not ſay when ſuch a fact is done. It was Gods will, it ſhould be ſo done, els it could not be done: therefore I may be diſcharged or excuſed! But the word and law of God muſt be hearkened vntounto, and obeyed which ſaith: Thou ſhalt not kill, thou ſhalt not ſteale, thou ſhalt not cōmit Adultery, &c. And though it be neceſſary ye offēces come yet wo to them by whom they come. Therefore as the king is right ſory, yt ſuch a thing ſhold be effected: by our nation ſo wold he that the meanes whereby this might be wrought or furthered ſhould be remoued and the iniury preuented to the vttermoſt of his power, that ſo he might be guiltleſſe of the innocent bloud, and free from the deſtruction of our nation, thereon likely to be occaſioned,Adoniram. without wiſe preuention. Now truly (ſaide Adoniram) this being conſidered of, is no ſmall cauſe of a troubled heart. For ſuch a conceit therof being caſt into a mans minde, and eſpecially into the kings minde, cannot but occaſion great conflicts, and the rather, for that in the very place which he had erected and ſo beautifully garniſhed for his pleaſure and delight there ſhould be found ſuch a miſchiefe, as might either diſgrace or ſhadow all. But beholde, ſuch is the nature of this world,Note the nature of worldly felicitie. that in the ſame where men place their felicitie & thinke to find occaſions of their greateſt ioy and ſolace, there commonly is interpoſed one thing or other which hindereth or diſturbeth altogether. Howbeit, the lord in his louing mercies forbid that ſuch a Tragedie ſhould be either wrought or occaſioned by the king or by vsus, or by any his or our ſucceſſors in the kingdome of Iſrael by the which the ſame with the gouernment thereof ſo well eſtabliſhed, ſhould be diſſipated and waſted. Aboue all, be it farre from vsus and our nation, that ſuch an outragious euill and heinous iniury ſhoulde bee offered to the holy Meſſiah, whome to honour and embrace is perfect wiſedome and health: and whome to reiect and abuſe is very fooliſhnes and deſtruction.Pſal. 2.1…. The which the kings father well conſidered when he ſaid: O kiſſe the Son left he be angry, and ſo ye periſh from the right way: if his wrath be kindled, yea, but a little: but, bleſſed are all they that put their truſt in him. Surely, if this heynous matter were but broched in our daies, we would either preuent it, or aſſay to withſtand it: but rather then we would yeeld to the miſchief, we ſhould chooſe to die: as Moſes, & Ioſuah, & Gedeon, & Samſon, & David, hauehave well reſolued for the glory of God, & the wel-fare of the people. Neuertheleſſe, the kings father, to confirme the former hath plainely prophiſied: that, the heathen ſhall furiouſly rage, pſal. 2.1.and the people ſhall imagine a vaine thing: the kings of the earth ſhall stand vp, & the Rulers ſhall take counſaile together against the Lord and againſt his Annointed. AbiatherAnd not doubt (ſaide Abiather) king David hath pointed therein to ſome great trouble intended to the holy Meſſiah at his comming, of whom we hauehave gathered, the kings father hath beene before ordained a figure, whoſe troubles therefore (as wee all know) hauehave not béene ſmall, but wonderfull great inforced againſt him by them, whom he neuer iniured nor iuſtly offended: yea, and that not by meane perſons, but by kings, Princes, Rulers and Potentates of the earth. Againſt the which notwithſtanding the Almightie hath defended and deliuered him to the ſhame and confuſion of all his enemies, which hauehave now no cauſe left them to triumph againſt him. And ſo I doubt not but howſoeuer the rage and fury of the aduerſaries ſhall be againſt the Lords holy Meſsiah, he ſhall for all that bée mightily protected: he ſhall tread downe the head of his enemies, and proſper in his deuiſes. But God grant that neither our Princes, nor Prieſts nor Prophets, nor people be appointed the actors or executioners of this heynous Tragedie, againſt the holy Meſsiah: then might not the King be ſory, nor the people bée deſtroyed in time to come for the committing of ſo heynous an action.