King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 20
CAP. XX.
The firſt of Solomons ſinnes: Viz. the pluralitie of Wiues.
AFter a very long pauze, Abiather the Prieſt, ſtood forth and obiected for the king concerning the pluralitie of his Wiues,Abiather obiecteth for the kings wiues. and ſaide: How ſhould this be a fault ſo heynouſe in the king? Abraham our Father was permitted to take Hagar his mayd, notwithſtanding that Sarah was his wedded wife. And Iacob the Lords ſeruant had two wiues, namely, Leah, and Rachel: and yet beſides them hee had the company of his two maydes, Bilha, and Zilpha, on whom he begat children. So Lamech, before the flood, had two wiues, Ada, and Zella. And (to let paſſe others) David the kings father (a man ſo well beloued of God) had diuers wiues, of whome he begate ſonnes and daughters. Therefore why might not the king do the like?
zadok anſwereth to the pluralitie of wiues.To this anſwered Zadok: It is true: howbeit, wee ſhould not liue by examples of men, but according to the Lawe of the Lorde. All men be ſinners and offend in many things: therefore what they doe, we may not reſpect, nor preſume to follow: but regard what the Lorde hath inſtituted and commanded. And ſurely this pluralitie of wiues, hath beene a fault euen in thoſe fathers,Gen. 3.15. & 16.3. howſoeuer they aymed thereby to the multiplying of their ſéede, whereof they hoped the Meſsiah ſhould be borne, according to the promiſe. Neither ſhould they hauehave ſtaggered in faith touching the Meſsiah, to imagine that Gods promiſe could not hauehave beene performed without their owne wiſedome and meanes. Abraham ſeeing his wife aged, thought that the promiſe of God ſhould hauehave holden on the venter of Hagar: howbeit, God being faithfull effected his promiſe in Sarah, though beyond the courſe of nature, and mans expectation. And this to prooue, we reade that at the beginning, when God created man, he made them Male and Female, and therein, not three, or foure, or more; but only two in one fleſh, namely, one man, and one woman.Gen. 2.24. And there-vponupon this Law was ordained, that for this cauſe a man ſhould leave his father and mother, and ſhould cleave to his wife, not Wiues. This was the firſt Inſtitution of Matrimonie, and thus it was obſerued by Adam, by Seth, by Enos, by Kenan, by Mehalaleel, by Jared, by Henoch, by Methuſalah, by Lamech, and Noah and his three ſonnes, who (as we read) brought into the Arke with them, eueryevery of them one wife: for they were but eight perſons in all, that is to ſay, foure men, and ſo many women, being their wiues.gen. 4.19. The breach of this Inſtitution was firſt found in that other Lamech which deſcended from Cayn, and afterward (as it is deliuered to vsus) killed Cayn, with a dart. From whom it was drawen to others, & continued for a cuſtome in the poſteritie, though ſo contrary to the Law and ordinance of the Lord. But leauing the errors of thoſe, we are to obſerue that firſt ordinance, with thoſe holy fathers of that firſt Age, if we will be free from blame in that reſpect, and not preſume the tranſgreſſion thereof, howſoeuer ſome others, bee they kings or potentates of the earth hauehave followed, or faulted, and beene tollerated in the abuſe of the ſame. But after this, there is a ſpeciall Law prouided by the Lord, and giuen by Moſes, Deut. 17.vntounto kings and princes (before all others) that none of them ſhould multiply wiues to himſelfe. And this the kings mother doubtleſſe conſidered, when ſchooling him, ſhe thus charged him ſaying:Pro. 31.2. O my deerely beloved ſonne, Laemuel, give not over thy ſtrength and wayes vntounto Women, which are the destruction even of kings It may bee ſhee called to minde,Homer. II. & Vliſſ. A tragicall Hiſtory written before this time. gen. 6. what is written in that Heathen Storie, of the deſtruction that fellon ſo many Kings and Princes in and about Troy, touching the rauiſhing of Helena. It may be ſhe remembred, what betyded the olde world for the euill coniunction of the ſonnes of God with the daughters of men. And the king himſelfe ſometimes in the remembrance duplicate page duplicate page of this Leſſon could aduiſe others from this deſtruction. Saying:Pro. 5.18.19. Let thy wel be bleſſed, and be glad with the wife of thy youth: let her be as the louing Hynde, and pleaſant Roe, let her breasts alwayes ſatiſfie thee, and hold thee ever content with her love. Hee ſpeaketh of a wife, not wiues: neuertheles, howſoeuer it hath beene occaſioned, the king hath offended, yea, he hath wonderfully exceeded therein: for he hath not contented his luſt with one wife, according to the Law, nor with a fewe wiues, after the example of thoſe godly Fathers, Abraham, and Iacob: but he hath taken vntounto himſelf 700. wiues which were Quéens, & 300. Concubines, in the whole a 1000. as the like was neuer heard off before this time. And by theſe women hee hath béene drawen into an inordinate luſt, and bin ouercome in affection to the ſtayning of his honor & blemiſhing of his holy profeſſion, the which is in him an heynous fault. For although the heathē (which know not God, and are as brute beaſtes without vnderſtanding) doe neigh as the ſtoned horſes after eueryevery woman that hath a faire face, and ſéeke to ſatiſfie their fleſhly luſts in theſe kinds of pleaſure: yet ſhould not king Solomon, endowed with ſo excellent a ſpirit and wiſedome, hauehave ſought to ſatiſfie his deſire therein: and that the rather, becauſe as the conſtancie of the chaſte helpeth to the prolonging of life,The inconveniences of fleſhly luſt. as appeareth in the Vultures, which being chaſte and ſober that way, liue (as it is ſaid) by nature an hundred yeeres: ſo they which delight in fleſhly luſt, and be ſo ordinarily inflamed and ouercome with the ſame, are of a very ſhort life, as wée may ſee in thoſe Sparrowes, which of other birdes are full of Lecherie. And it is a ſure axiome, that they which engender much, liue the leſſe while. The king therefore in this hath abreuiated, empared, wounded and endangered his life. His naturall life is ſhortened, his ciuill life is diſtained, his ſpirituall life is perced, and his life eternall is endangered. For in the firſt, there is an euacuation of that naturall heate and moiſtneſſe, by the which mans life is conſerued, and the ſtrength of body ſuſtained. Yea, Luxurie is ſuch an immoderate wantonneſſe of the fleſh, which as a ſweete poiſon, an importunate plague and a pernitious potion, doth both weaken mans naturall body, and effeminateth his minde. O extréeme filthineſſe of luſt! all other ſinnes are without the body, but hee that giueth himſelfe ouer to this ſin, offendeth againſt his owne body! Before this goeth euer heate and petulancy, with it in company is ſtinch and vncleanneſſe, and after it followeth ſorrowe and repentance. Theſe bee the leaders, the fellowes, and the followers of luxurious perſons. Secondly, this ſinne taketh from a man all his credite, good name and glory: and bringeth to him diſtruſt, an euill fame, and ignomy. What vice is more diſhoneſt? what more damnable? what more hurtfull to mans ciuill life and eſtimation? for behold, how vertues are decayed: how victories languiſh: how glory is ſwallowed vp of infamie: how the vertues of minde and body are infringed? Surely a man can ſcarcely diſcerne, whether it be better or worſe, to be captiued either of this vice, or of his mortall foes. * Thirdly, the ſpirituall life, is in them wounded: for all ſuch as giuegive themſelues ouer to the luſt of bodie, doe grieue the ſpirite of God in themſelues, and ſuppreſſe all the good motions of mind, whereby being like to the beaſts, they runne into many miſchiefes, and ſinne more and more againſt God and their owne ſoules.Gen. 6.5. Thus thoſe olde ſinners were alienated from the Lord: for as their thoughts were by nature euill, they were the ſooner by this furthered and blinded in their malice: for why the ſpirit of God which ſanctifieth and garniſheth men with graces, did not onelyonly depart from them, but alſo repented that euer they were, in reſpect of their filthy abhominations. Neither is it poſſible, that hee can liue ſpiritually to God, which is dedicated to the fleſh: for between the ſpirit and the fleſh there is euer contrarietie. Laſtly, as this withſtandeth the graces of the diuine ſpirit heere, by the which men ſhould paſſe to the life of glory, as by vertues men attaine to honor: ſo indeede it ſhutteth vp vntounto them the gate of the kingdom of God, into the which, neither fornicators,Gen. 3.24. nor leachers, nor vncleane perſons ſhalenter, no more then Adam could enter Paradize, after that he had polluted himſelf with ſin. Lo, what an enemy is the luxurious man to his owne life, whether natural, political, ſpirituall, or eternall. And by this we ſee the dangerous condition of our L.K. Solomon! yea, by this we may behold & conſider what is ye fraile nature of mā in this life. A man being in honor and puffed vp in proſperitie, hath none vnderſtanding (as king David ſayde) and therefore may bee compared to the beaſts which periſh: for he forgetteth himſelf, he remembreth not the Lord, hee waxeth proude, inſolent, hautie, high minded, prone to pleaſures, and ingratefull to God. In this hee well reſembleth the Siphny ſtone which though of it owne nature ſoft, yet boyled in oyle, waxeth wonderfull hard. But after this, their follow on him an hell of miſchiefes & huge torments: for who can proſper in his deuiſes or endeuors, which forgetting God, walketh his owne wayes in the lewdnes of carnall luſt?Gen. 19. Exod. 32. Numb. 25. Iudg. 19. Homer. To paſſe ouer theſe examples of the Sodomites, of the Iſraelites offending with the women of the Moabites, & Madianites, of thoſe men of Beliall that rauiſhed the poore Levites wife, in the time of our Iudges, & of Paris the Troiane of whō we hauehave heared: let vsus not forget the example of David the kings father.2. Sam. 11. After that God had both aduanced him and giuen him reſt and proſperitie in his honor, hee too ſoone forgate himſelfe, and burned in luſt, in whome the louelove of the fleſh was ſo naturall to the fleſh, that albeit reaſon, as reaſon, would put the deſire to flight in him, yet the fleſh yéelded herſelfe a captiue thrall to thoſe deſires, by the which he was more fiercely aſſaulted, then with the greateſt enemies that euer he had. For there be no foes ſo deadly and importunate, as thoſe which a man findeth and foſtereth againſt himſelfe within himſelfe:2. Sam. 12.14. David had fought with the huge Goliah, and caſt him to the ground: hee had killed a Lyon and a Beare, which came to deuour his ſhéepe: he vexed and ſpoyled the Philiſtines and other the enemies of Iſrael, and euer returned home a victor and triumpher in the name of his God, whereof they could ſing to his praiſe, David hath ſlayne his tenne thouſand! Howbeit this noble Prince, in his reſt and proſperitie, (as I ſaid) ſuffered luſt in him to ſubdue reaſon, gaue the raynes at large to carnall appetite, and therein inflamed and agonized, he vnlawfully deſired & abuſed Vriahs wife: and yet not ſo contented, he cauſed Vriah to bee vniuſtly murthered; whereby he diſtained his honor, he quenched out the ſpirituall graces, and endangered his ſoule, to the high diſpleaſure of God, who doth neither louelove, nor permit ſuch delights in the children of men, much leſſe in his owne the ſeruants of grace. And thus (be it here ſpoken in counſayle) hath our Lorde the king forgotten himſelfe, and both abuſed and diſhonoured his honor. Thus men ſet in honour are ſoone ouertaken therein: for temporall felicitie is a moſt vnquiet thing, neither can mans nature bee contained whithin his bounds and dutie of life in worldly proſperitie. Worthily therefore David thanked the Lord, for that he had beaten him with aduerſitie, which (as he confeſſed) hee found to be beſt for him. It is good for mee (ſayd he) that I have beene troubled. But if wiſe men and godly men can ſcarcely and very ſeldome meaſure themſelues in the vſe of this flattring enemie: how then ſhould the ignorant and ſinners doe, when the Lorde ſulleth them in this eaſie cradle?
Beſides this, here wee ſee,What man is, when he is given ouer to his owne will. how fooliſhly the wiſeſt of all men behaueth and demeaneth himſelfe, and into what inconveniences he runneth, when it pleaſeth God for his tryall, to looſe vntounto him the raines of youthfull libertie, and to commit him to the guide of his owne counſailes! Surely, hee may well be compared to the pondrous yron, that of it owne nature ſinketh to the bottome of the ſtreame, except it bee ſuſtained or holden vp by ſome other thing. This ſhould mooue vsus to pray vntounto God, that as hee would vouchſafe to ſuccour and defend vsus: ſo he would not giuegive vsus to our owne willes: but that his will might be fulfilled in vsus. For if we ſhould but hauehave the guide of our ſelues, and not be ſuſteined and defended by the power and will of God, it cannot bee otherwiſe, but that we ſhall not only fall, but fall away and periſh from him, and from our owne ſaluation eueryevery houre, in eueryevery day of this our life. Therefore, that I may be briefe, howſoeuer this euill cuſtome of the pluralitie of Wiues came in, or howſeuer this kinde of pleaſure hath beene vſed, and delighted in, among worldly men: yea, howſoeuer many wiſe men, hauehave beene ſéene to ſolace themſelues therein, it is doubtleſſe in the king a great fault: and the more, becauſe hee is the king and ſhould be a guide of holineſſe, and good example of life vntounto others: eſpecially, becauſe the Lorde hath ſo bleſſed him with wiſedome, and diuine graces before all the kings of the earth.
Thus hauehave I explained the firſt of thoſe thrée faultes, which prouoked the Lord to diſpleaſure, the conſideration whereof, now moueth the king to this heauines of minde. But yet, the ſecond fault excéedeth this in degree, to aggrauate the ſorrow, and paine him to the heart. Theſe words being ſpoken, and in ſuch ſort as Zadok could deliuer them, prouoked the Princes to wéep with him wéeping, & to condole together the kings hard lot. Howbeit they requeſted him to ſay ſomewhat more of that ſecond ſin, which was (as he ſaid) more heynouſe and dangerous: and ſo pauzed, and expected what Zadok would ſay.