King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Zadoke hath found the cauſes of the kinges troubled minde: and declareth them of Solomons glory.
ZAdoke the moſt reuerend Father, hauing now a good whiles hearkened to the conference of the Lordes: and perceiuing, that they would neither bee quieted in heart, appeazed in conſcience, nor ſurceaſe to ſearch and examine matter by matter, & cauſe by cauſe, vntil they might at length find out (if it were poſſible) the very cauſes of the kinges ſorrowe: And ſeeing withall, that eueryevery one of them had in their turnes ſpoken, and now againe expected his graue ſentence: hee ſtood vp, and after a long pauſe he ſpake vntounto them in theſe wordes. My Lordes all, I hauehave heard you one by one, and conſidered well of all your ſayings: howbeit, I hauehave not yet heard that any man hath founde out, much leſſe declared the cauſes of the kings affliction. For I am well aſſured, that there be diuers other reaſons and occaſions which might iuſtly moue him (as being a mortall man,Subiects may not bee quicke cenſorers of their princes. though ſo wiſe a man) to be ſory in his heart. But I know well (as it hath been ſaid) that it becommeth not ſubiects but in (dutifull modeſty to ſifte or examine, much leſſe to cenſure the actions & dealings of their princes, the which is alſo a matter no leſſe dangerous, then preſumptious. Neuertheles, in regard of your preſent opportunitie, ſo willing and earneſt to vrge on mine anſwere to ſatiſfie your deſires, but chiefly, that thereby the ſooner (as we be here aſſembled in councell) we may conſider, conſult thereof, determine and endeuour not onelyonly to eaſe the kings grace of his trouble (if it may be) but to ſatiſfy all others, & work to preſerue the common-wealth, which through the kings diſpleaſure may vnhappily be annoyed and brought into danger: Therefore I will no longer holde you in ſuſpence,There be 7. cauſes of Solomons trouble. but reueile the whole matter to your content. I hauehave found ſeauen cauſes of the kings troubled mind.
The firſt whereof riſeth of the deepe conſideration of his owne Supremacie, and the preſent high glory of the kingdome of Iſrael.
The ſecond ſpringeth of Hyram the king of Tyrus vponupon the view & diſlike of thoſe citties which the king hath granted him.
The third groweth of certaine letters of intelligence which the Arabian Queene ſent him, after that ſhe departed from the court.
The fourth is from his Mother & the Prophet Nathan, which are now both departed this life.
The fifth is of Rhehoboā the kings ſonne & heire apparant, not ſo well pleaſing his fathers heart.
The ſixth commeth from the kings adverſaries as namely Hadad, Rheſō and Ieroboā, which hauehave lift vp their hands againſt him
The ſeventh and the greateſt of all, is the ſenſe of Gods high diſpleaſure and fearful iudgements conceived & bent againſt him, and the people for ſome hamous ſinnes and tranſgreſſions.
At this worde,The princes. the Princes and Lordes were fully aſtoniſhed all abaſhed, and not able to ſpeake for anguiſh of mind, ſtoode looking one on another. Notwithſtanding, after a whiles they deſired reuerend Zadok to explane that, which he had (as yet) but briefly and obſcurely touched: and firſt how it could be, that the kings ſorrow might riſe from ye conſideration of his moſt excellent Supremacie, and the high glory of the kingdome of Iſrael, wherof both the king and they all with his people had ſo good an occaſion to be glad and to reioice with praiſes to the Lord God?zadoke. The great glory of Solomon and his kingdome was a pronoſtication of a future declination. To this replied Zadoke. Although that men for the moſt part neither foreſee, nor foreſhew their owne dangers imminent, like as the Sun, the Moone, the ſtarres, the ſeas, the trees, the hearbes, the beaſtes, the birdes, the wormes the Fiſhes, the elementes naturally pretend and foreſhew the times, the tides, the tempeſts, & the alteratiō of terrene bodies: yet who doubteth of this, that the king being wiſe and prudent foreknoweth things yet to come, not onelyonly as ſuch as hauehave a propheticall ſpirit, but as thoſe which are able and accuſtomed to gather the effects and euents by the cauſes and occaſions in naturall things which is not the meaneſt king of Philoſophy but a ſcience right excellent, no leſſe profitable for many purpoſes in mans life, and that which appertaineth to a reaſonable creature. By this he ſeeth that thoſe thinges which floriſh moſt beautifully, often wither moſt ſpeedily, when yet others endure. This is firſt found in the life and conſtitution of mans body, wherein that which is moſt floriſhing and glorious, is ſooneſt and that lightly altered and turned al about, as health into ſickenes, ſtrength into weakenes, beautie into deformitie, proſperity into miſery, life into death. And hereof the cunning phiſiciās pronoſticate the future ſickenes and danger of that perſon, whom they ſee to ſtand in the higheſt grade of proſperity and health: as when the Sea is at the very higheſt, then it beginneth ſodainly to fall againe by the Ebbe: when the Moone is at the fulleſt by and by ſhe waneth. Therefore the wiſe ſhipmaiſter, knowing how ſtormes and tempeſts ſuccéede calmes and tranquillities, hee fearing thereof prepareth himſelfe to eſchew the danger. Now the king knowing all this, and ſeeing himſelfe placed in the higheſt grade of his honour, and that the kingdome of Iſrael is no leſſe aduanced to the higheſt grade of worldly felicitie, therein farre preferred before all the kings and kingdomes of the earth: he alſo knoweth, that now of neceſſity muſt enſew and follow an alteration, yea, a declination of that reſplendent glory: and that the ſooner by the meanes of mans inconſtancy, wherein he is like a bird in a Cage which will not bee quiet, though by his exceſſiue flittering and ſtriuing he kill himſelfe.
Of this inconuenience feared Iob, Iob. 1.in his proſperitie (as hee teſtifieth) therefore, ſeeing his children wonderfull merry, and in their mirth giuen to al kind of ryot & pleaſures to delight thēſelues, he vſed to pray for them eueryevery day: howbeit; their fulnes was ſodenly emptied & himſelfe, though ſo good a man, caſt into great aduerſitie. Moreouer as it is the nature of worldly thinges to be ſubiect to alterations: ſo man can neither conteyne himſelfe in any cōdition, be it neuer ſo excellēt without ſome deſire of change, yea, in how better place and eſtate he is ſet, furniſhed with all thinges, ſo much the ſooner will hee abuſe the honour & grace of the ſame to his own deſtruction, verifying that ſaying of the kings father.
pſal. 49.12.20Man being in honour plac'd, declares his want of wit,
And in that honour cannot stay, as one for it vnfit.
Wherefore vntounto the beaſts that in their death decay,
Compared he is: for in this life this is his common way.
Therfore the king feareth greatly that theſe pleaſāt things ſhal not continue and abide long in this ſort, and that ſhortly after theſe pleaſures wil enſew paines, after peace trouble, after ioies ſorrowes, and after proſperity infelicity, at the leaſt, then whē it ſhal pleaſe the high God to take him away from raigning over vsus.In the time of proſperity thinke on the dayes of aduerſitie in this life. This ſhold teach all men, liuing in this world, not to truſt in the great glory of this time, nor in the wealth, nor in ye ſtrongeſt power of man, nor in wiſdome, nor in anything vnderunder the Sunne: for all theſe thinges (being tranſitory) hauehave aſwell their falling, as their riſing, as well their ending as their beginning, as well their diſcommoditie as their commodity incident. Now that king, and alſo the kingdome hauehave that ſupremitie of glory and peace, it is moſt apparant, not onelyonly by the firme teſtimony of Gods words ſpoken vntounto the king promiſing him ſuch a thing, but by our own certaine knowledge and experience thereof, and all men that hauehave vnderſtanding cannot but beholde & confeſſe the ſame with vsus. For who is like to K. Solomon in wiſedome, wealth, fame and glory, of all the kings on the face of the earth? and what kingdome is cō parable to ye kingdom of Iſrael in beauty, peace and proſperity? For albeit the king hath been ſometimes reſiſted and ſhouldered by Adoniah, Ioab Abiather, and ſome others: yet hath he preuailed thus farre forth, proſpered and triumphed ouer his enemies valiantly: and although the kingdome of Iſrael hath beene many times battered threatned & troubled by diuers enemies on eueryevery ſide ſithence the cōming of our fathers out of Aegypt, as the Sunne & Moone with Eclipſes, clouds, & darke miſts) yet hath the ſame ſtill increaſed, growne and proſpered more and more, as the Sunne from his riſing vntounto the high noone, and as the Moone from her Coniunction to her perfect fulneſſe, vntill this very day: wherein the ſame is ſo highly aduanced that the exaltation thereof can no further procéede proceed: but henceforth begin to decline, droope, returne and decay, after the ſtate and courſe of worldlie thinges: wherein we ſée how one generation paſſeth away, another ſuccedeth,The world is like a ſea of glaſſe. Eccleſ. 3. one falleth, another riſeth: one dieth, another is borne: one thing corrupteth, another thing is engendred. Neither can thinges be eſtabliſhed otherwiſe in this wauering world, how glorious ſoeuer it be to the eye or delight of man: therefore the world is not vnaptlie likened to a ſea of glaſſe And ſurely this is an exceeding greate ſorrow to a wiſe and glorious king when he ſéeeth and preceiueth, that all his glorie will end in ignomie, his pleaſures will be finiſhed in paynes, his wealth will waſt and waſh away, his peace will be quenched with warres, and his proſperitie will draw after it aduerſitie: all this the very heauens portend, the earth pronoſticateth, the elemēts expreſſe, the creatures forſhew, and the king himſelfe (through his wiſdome) doth foreſée, and therefore he is full ſad & heauy in his heart. Alas (quod the Princes) is it ſo indéed?The princes. & is there not any thing to be foūd out, or prepared this hard lot to withſtād? It is true and too true (ſaide Zadok) But how to withſtand it, I know not,zadock. ſauing that wel I wot al things are poſſible to the Lord God of heauen, and earth,The beſt way to withſtand this inconuenience is to go to God and craue help at his hands. to whoſe high Maieſty, deuout and faithfull prayers and ſupplications muſt he made, powred forth and offered vp by vsus them which ſhall be included within thoſe dolefull times: that it would vouchſafe his goodnes for his names ſake to grant vsus true patience and conſtant abilitie to ſtand before him ſatiſfied with his grace, ſufficient for them which depend on him, & to ſhroud our ſelues vnderunder the wings of his merciemercy compaſſing all his works, howſoeuer things be carried and ſéem confuſed in this world,pſal. 37.25.27. neither ſhal ſo much as one haire of ye head miſcarry of the which belōg to Iehovah our God, To this purpoſe ſpake the kings father in his godlie meditations, ſaying: I have beene young and now am old: yet did I never ſee the righteous forſaken. Therefore he reſolued, as well for the ſolace of his owne ſoule, as for the comfort of them in poſteritie: that it is good for a man to hold him faſt by God, to put his truſt in the Lord God and to ſpeake of all his workes in the gates of the daughter of Zion: how further to withſtand thoſe fatall decrees why ſhould we ſearch? will the moſt high alter his purpoſe? are not all his workes iudgement?Deut. 32. and doth he not worke and effect whatſoeuer is in his thought? and that euermore for the comfort and profit of his ſaintes that by faith truſt in him, yeas aſſuredlie, whereof we may not doubt. To this replied the Princes: Neither will we preſume to inueſtigate thoſe hidden thinges which the Lord hath ſealed vp with ſeauen ſeales, nor attempt to walke in his ſecret wayes, which no mortall man is able to find out, nor ſtudie we to withſtand the purpoſe and prouidence of the Almightie, which is euer ſtrongeſt and ſhall with the truth preuaile: But rather we will aſſay to conforme our will vntounto his will, and our liues to his pleaſure, being well content with that which is reuealed as that which is onelyonly appertinent to vsus and our children for euer. Now let it be your pleaſure (moſt reuerend father in God) to explane that ſecond cauſe of the kings diſpleaſure, which riſeth (as yee ſaide) from Hyram the king of Tyrus the kings brother in amitie and eſpeciall wel willer, with the reſt as they follow in order, for our vnderſtanding.