King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
The 5. & 6. cauſes of the kings ſorrow: viz of Rhehoboam, Hadad, Rhelon, and Ieroboam.
THe fifth cauſe of the kinges trouble (ſaide Zadoke) is indeede of Rhehoboam, who (notwithſtanding his right vertuous and rare educatiō, which might wel perſwade in him obſequie, obedience, the feare of God and a godly life, through the wiſdom and eſpeciall regard of the king) doth yet rather imitate and follow the corrupt humour and vnthrifty nature of his mother Naama the Ammonitiſſe, then the good nature,Rhehoboam his nature and inclination. and wiſedome of his father: and he leaneth more vntounto thoſe yong and gréene heads that are growen vp with him and hauehave waited, attended, and beene conuerſant with him in his childhood, then to any of the K. noble Princes & wiſe Counſailors, the which the King perceiueth, and knoweth to pronoſticate the decay of his houſe and the diſſipation of his honour. For Rhehoboam being a yong man, will hauehave his owne will and his owne libertie, he is growen diſobedient, and ſcarcely can be reſtraigned by his father, or kept within the boundes of his duty, The King ſéeth whereto this will grow after his departure, when this yong Prince ſhalbe placed in the throne & hauehave the raines at wil: And truly this wilbe to vsus a very ſtrāge Metamorphoſis and ſory change: Thus, as the King in his divine wiſedome foreſeeth the miſery which the euerlaſting God will bring vppon vsus and his people: ſo doth he more then feare the ſame to be iuſtly occaſioned and performed in the daies of that Prince Rehoboam that is to ſucceed him that during his owne time this matter ſhalbe deferred for the ſake of David the Lords annointed, to whome God had made a faithfull promiſe which concerned not him alone, but alſo his Seede.2. Sam. 7. And that notwithſtanding, he well perceiueth that the people begin to affect Rehoboam more then they either louelove or like him their preſēt king, for who is els that ſecond man which ſhall ſtand vp after him of whome he lately ſpake?Eccles. 4.15. Now hence is it, that the king is occaſioned to loath the labours of his owne handes to lament that vnhappy condition of his ſonne and the people, and thereof it is that hee ſaith in the wofulnes of his heart: I am weary of my labors which I hauehave taken vnderunder the Sun:Eccles. 2.18. becauſe I ſhall be faine to leaue them to another man that commeth after me: and who knoweth whether hee ſhall be a wiſe man, or a foole: and yet ſhall he be Lord of all my labors, which I with ſuch wiſdome hauehave taken vnderunder the Sun. Then turning towards his people, he ſaid: Wo bee to thee thou land, whoſe King is but a child (meaning a child in affection, manners and wit, ſuch as Rehoboam is feared to proue after him) and wo be to thee (O land whoſe Princes are earely at their banquets (meaning ſuch, as thoſe counſailors of Rehoboam and companions of his youth ſhall declare themſelues to be) And thereunto he added this affixe: Through ſlothfulnes the balkes fall downe, and through idle handes it raineth in at the houſe. Surely, ſurely, the vntowardnes of this youthful Prince hath already very much diſquieted the kings heart: neither (beſides all the former cauſes) can it be otherwiſe, then an vnſpeak able griefe to a moſt louing and deere father, eſpecially to ſuch a rare, wiſe, renowmed, magnificent, mighty, magnanimious and glorious king, to leaue behind him a thriftles, an vnhappy child, poſſeſſor of all thoſe his ingenious trauailes. It was not without good cauſe that father Noah in the griefe of his heart,Gen. 9.25. denounced a bitter curſe on Canaan the ſonne of Cham and his generation, whereof there enſewed no meane incōueniēce to the Chanan…ts in poſterity, who at this day (as ye ſee) ſtand odious in the ſight both of God and of our nation. Neither may we imagine, that any light cauſe ſhall moue a father to caſt on his owne children a curſe in ſteed of a bleſſing. So the ſorrow of our firſt parent Adam, conceiued vpō the vngodly and brutiſh behauiour of his firſt borne Cain, eſpecially in that tragicall action perpetrated againſt God and his brother Habel, was ſo great that Adam was verily reſolued (as it is deliuered vntounto vsus) not to know his wife any more: that thenceforth he might not be occaſioned to lamēt & be grieued in ſuch ſort, for the loſſe of another ſonne, neither did he know her indeede (as it is reported) for the ſpace of an hundred yeeres after that time. Howſoeuer it was, no doubt his griefe that way conceiued was vnſpeakeable: neither is the kings ſorrow (foreſeeing ſuch a thing to enſew him in the dayes of Rehoboam) any meane or meaſurable ſorrow. Oh therfore that yet it wold pleaſe the Lord our God (if poſſibly it may be) in his mercy to allure and perſwade Prince Rehoboam to feare his higheſt maieſty and to keep his lawes, which is that which is required of him in his duty, to honour his father our Soueraigne King in his life, that his dayes may bee prolonged in this land, to hearken to godly and graue counſell, to remember his creator euen in thoſe his tender yeeres, and to learne and follow that which belongeth both to his fathers peace, the ſafety of Iſrael and his own honour: In ſumme, that hee ſo order and demeane himſelfe and his family in the true vſe of his fathers faith and religion with the dayly exerciſe of his princely vertues, that al Iſrael may bee moued by God to bee willing to incline vntounto him, and to obey him, as a man moſt meete to ſucceede him and to ſit on his ſeat whenſoeuer it ſhall pleaſe God to take from over vsus our Lord the king. To this anſwered the Princes preſent: Verily, verily, theſe be cauſes and argumentes waightie and ſufficient to prouoke ſorrow and griefe, and ſuch as may trouble any King, Prince or Potentate in the world. But wee yet hoped, that ſeeing theſe troubles are ſuch as commonly follow the nature of man,Wiſe men bee not ſoone over come with ordinary afflictions. and to the which all men in this life be of force ſubiected, the king being moſt prudent and prouident, will not be ouercome nor quailed with theſe, or any ſuch paſſions: but will aſſay (as he knoweth he ſhould) to beare and digeſt them, or ſo to paſſe them ouer, as hee may rather take profit then hurt thereby to himſelfe. Thus he ſeeth what Noah and Abraham, Moſes and Samuel, Iehoſuah and David with ſuch other noble perſonages hauehave done in the like caſes, in their times. The whiles it is our parts and duties to counſaile and perſwade the king to that which ſhal be moſt meet and profitable aſwell for his owne health, as for the common good and therein not to contemne, nor neglect Prince Rehoboam nor to defraud his honour, hoping and wiſhing for the beſt to enſewe touching him, howſoeuer God ſhall worke to diſpoſe of matters in his ſecret counſaile, that ſo the fault of his diſobedience and defect (if ſo it fall out) may neither bee ours, nor any way occaſioned by any of vsus. And ſo Iehovah our God be mercifull vntounto our ſoueraigne Lord, vntounto Rehoboam his ſonne, vntounto vsus, and vntounto all Iſrael, the land of his delight.
Now it may pleaſe you (moſt reuerend father) to call to minde that ſixth cauſe of the kinges grieued heart, which came as ye ſaid of Hadad, of Rezon, and of Ieroboam, The 6. cauſe of Solomons ſorrowe,the kinges aduerſaries and of eueryevery of them. It is certaine (anſwered Zadoke) that troubles be common in all places of the world and incident to al men liuing on the earth, ſeeing that al men be ſinners, and no man doth good (as both David in his ſongs, and our king in his wiſe parables record) neither therfore is anyone man without his particular croſſe,Troubles are common. nor any perſon without his aduerſary or enemy to vex & moleſt him, euē then when he ſeeketh to be quiet. And ſurely it is rare & an eſpecial bleſſing of God when men may enioy peaceable times to finiſh their works taken in hand for the glory of God and the weale of his people, as had our king, during the time he was occupied in the building of the Lords houſe. The kings father knew this wel, & all the hiſtories of the former times are ſtored with ſuch ſpectacles and examples, that troubles awaite all men in this life. Howbeit theſe things ſeeme ſtrange and ſo wer vntounto them which hauehave in lōg peace liued and proſpered vnderunder the raigne of peaceable Princes, as we hauehave done in the happy time of our Soueraigne Lord.1. King. 11.14.23. Hadad the Edomi…e. Now ſo it is, that very lately (as ye know) there be riſen vp againſt the king and his people thoſe three, namely Hadad, Rezon and Ieroboam, dangerous and ſhrewde enemies: for that Hadad (as ye remember) is an Edomite, of the kings Seede which was in Edom. And that, when David the kings father was ſometimes in Edom, in the time of his warres, and that Ioab then the captain of the hoaſt was gone vp to bury them that were ſlaine in the battayle, he ſmote all the men-childrē of Edom. At what time this Hadad fled & certaine other Edomites of his Fathers ſeruants with him, to come into Aegypt, Hadad being yet but a little Child. Howbeit he had gotten fauour in the ſight of Pharao the king, who hath giuen him to wife the ſiſter of his own wife, euen the ſiſter of Thaphynes the Queene. Now as ſoone as Hadad had heard tell that David was laid to his Fathers, and that Ioab alſo then captaine of the hoaſt was dead, hee came againe into Iſrael by the power and aſſiſtance of Pharao: where after proceſſe of times, being ſtrengthned by his affinitie and combination with the Aegyptian King, he tooke an occaſion to rebell, & to ſtand vp againſt our Lord the King. It appeared that hee had a miſchieuous mind both againſt the king, & againſt all his houſe, wherby not only the king and his court was much troubled, but his ſubiects (eſpecially thoſe territories which embordered on Hadad, were annoyed with ſodaine incurſions, inuaſions and ſpoiles. The king (God knoweth) hath long liued & raigned in great peace with all nations, as with his friendes: now muſt he ſtudy eueryevery day, how to defēd himſelfe againſt thē as his enemies. And Hadad (as I may ſay) is not only an enemy ſo profeſſed, but a moſt dāgerous enemy: that not far off, but euē at home within his graces dominiōs: and the more, for that Pharao whom the king had ſo many wayes benefited,Take heede of old enemies. & in regard of louelove and good will was contented to take a wife from thence to confirme the league of mutuall friendſhippe betweene them. By the which wee may obſerue, as it is not ſafe for a man to truſt his enemy, then when hee hath gotten habilitie with waies and meanes to reuenge an olde grief: ſo neither is it wiſedome either to truſt or depend much on them which are of another religion, howſoeuer they offer themſelues obſequious vntounto vsus then when wee may pleaſure them in the thinges of this life. For ſurely though Nature be ſuppreſt, yet will ſhe ſprout againe. What oathes, vowes, or promiſes ſoever are giuen or taken to the contrary, notwithſtanding. Therfore how could this be otherwiſe then a griefe to the king?
The ſecond aduerſary,Rezon an adverſary to Solomon. 2. Sam. 8.3. namely Rezon was the ſonne of Eliada, who fled ſometimes from his Lord Hadadezer king of Zoba, when David ſmote him as he went to enlarge his border at the riuer Euphrates, who alſo gathered men vntounto him, and became captain ouer the company when David ſlew them, and they went to Damaſcus the Metropolitan cittie of Syria and dwelt there, where he alſo raigned king. Therefore is hee an aduerſary to Iſrael retaining his minde of reuenge and denying to pay tribute. And this is the miſchiefe of Hadad and the hatred againſt Iſrael; Hadad now raigneth in Edom and Rezon in Damaſcus ouer all Syria to the great griefe of the king and his people. Howbeit, all this doth not ſomuch vex him, as that his late ſeruant Ieroboam the ſonne of Nabat the Ephrathite of Zareda, whoſe Mother was Zarviah this kings aunt, is now lately ſtept forth,Ieroboam the ſervant is an adverſary. 1▪ King. 11.26. and lifteth vp his hand againſt him. For when the king built Mello and amended the broken places of David, and ſaw that this Ieroboam was a man of ſtrength and habilitie for the worke, he made him ruler ouer all the charge of the houſe of Ioſeph: whereby Ieroboam getting courage, credit, fauour and power, is now waxen proud obliuious of duty, and preſumptuous, wherin he oppoſeth himſelfe againſt his Soueraigne Lord: whereat the king is not a little troubled, & the more (indeede) for that he nothing thought (much leſſe ſuſpected) ſuch a thing to be wrought by his ſeruāt Ieroboam, whom he had truſted and obliged by fauour and many ſingular benefites to be faithfull and obedient vntounto him.Sodain tidings of vnkindnes trouble wiſe men much. But it is no meruaile (though the king be a wiſe man) that hee ſhould be hereat trouble, for we know that gentle heartes do much alter, when they ſodenly heare any hard and ſtrange tidings. Thus David the kings father (though a man valiant in warre, and ſtrong in heart) was not a little grieued, when he heard that Abſolon his owne ſon had conſpired againſt him but yet more, when tidinges came to him that Abſolon was ſlaine: hee was likewiſe ſore moued when Ioab had killed Abner a Prince in Iſrael, when hee hearde that Amnon had defiled Thamar his ſiſter, that Abſolon had killed Amnon, and that Adoniah, did aſpire to the kingdome againſt his will in his life time. * Howſoeuer the prouidence of God had decreed & appointed that Ieroboham ſhoulde thus be exalted:Ieroboham his vnkindnes. it is cereaine, that Ieroboam hath pretended miſchiefe in his heart againſt the king, and therfore moſt wickedly and rebelliouſly hath lifted vp his hand to hurt his highnes & vsus. A note of moſt beaſtly vnkindnes in him, who forgetting the kings gratious fauours and large bounties towardes him vndeſerued, hath attempted the kings ouerthrow and deſtruction to aduance himſelfe. But ſuch is the pride, inſolency, ambition, and ingratitude of many, whom the fauour and benignitie of good Princes hath vnworthily exalted and honoured, that forgetting both themſelues, their places & al the goodnes of their gratious princes and their duties, do eagerly ſeeke to attaine to the very places and honours of their Princes and benefactors, by wicked and vngodly meanes. Howbeit, they find in the end that lot of the Eagle that carried fier to her neſt together with her pray which conſumed both it, and her yong ones, for God which bringeth downe all ſtony mountaines and all high rocks to fill the vallies to make them euen with the ground, calleth their impiety, vnfaithfulneſſe and rebellion into remembrance before him, yeelding vntounto them in the iuſt iudgemēt that which they hauehave worthily deſerued. * But Ieroboham hauing found that the King vnderſtandeth his purpoſe and practiſes againſt him,Traitors and rebels live ever in feare. and that he ſeeketh to bridle his inſolency, durſt not to abide the hammering and tryall thereof (for traitors and rebels hauing guilty conſciences, liue euer in fear of the diuine reuēge) he is therefore fled into Aegypt vntounto Syſar the Egyptian king and there continueth gaping for and expecting to heare of the kinge death, when he mindeth with a freſh courage to giuegive the onſet to his ſonne Rehoboam, which ſhall ſucceede in the kingdome, whome hee knoweth hath neither the like wiſedom to gouerne his people, nor will hauehave ſufficient power to reſiſt his enemies, and to defend himſelfe. And yet (wel I wot) that theſe things being ordinary troubles, which happen to realms prouinces and nations (and therefore whoſoeuer bee a Prince muſt ſettle himſelfe armed againſt them in his time and place) our Lord King Solomō wel knoweth both how to beare thē and wade through the middeſt of themal, with a right valiant mind, as David his Father hath full often in his daies done. Lo, thus hauehave ye heard the declaration of ſixe cauſes of the kings ſorrow: all which indeede could he wel enough digeſt were there not yet a farre greater and more dangerous then any of the former. For the ſeuenth (beyond all the reſt) pierceth and griueth the very ground of his heart, and that riſeth of the great diſpleaſure of the Almighty, conceived against him & his people. Alas (ſaid the Princes) then may the King be worthily ſad indeede, when the Lord of heauen looketh ſo wer vponupon him and vsus. For dreadfull is the angry face of the almighty,The princes. eſpecially towardes them that hauehave iuſtly prouoked him, and his wrath is a very conſuming fier: who is able to abide it? But now, let vsus heare the declaration of this cauſe alſo, if it be your good pleſure (moſt reuerend Zadoke) to whom he anſwered:zadoke. although I am not only moſt ſory to heare thereof, but very loath to relate it, yet to ſatiſfy your importunity for the former cauſes, I am ready to do it according to your deſire. And I pray God, that neither the ſin,The princes, nor the occaſion therof be in the Lords iuſtice laid to our charge. To the which, ſaid the Lords, that God forbid: but howſoeuer it be, the Lord for his holy annointed be yet mercifull vntounto our King, vntounto vsus, and the whole common-wealth of Iſrael that he may be glorified not in our deſtructiō but in our preſeruatiō and proſperitie, as in times paſt, he hath beene glorified in the pardon, recouery and proſperity of Adam of Abraham, of Iacob, of Moſes, of David, and others, our godly forefathers in their times: So be it (good Lord) we pray and beſeech thee.