King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 2
The ſecond Chapter.
King Solomons Lordes, perceiuing the ſtrange alteration of their Soueraigne, waxe very ſorowfull: they enquire for the cauſe, and endeuour to preuent the future inconveniences.
WHileſt all thoſe thinges were in action, apparent euen before Strangers, talked of openly, and laid in the common ballance to be peazed and cenſured of eueryevery man, King Solomons noble Princes and chiefe Lords were aſſembled in the Councell Chamber, there partly to conferre of the affaires of the kingdome, for the high glory of Iehouah their God, the benefite of the common-wealth and the right honour of their Soueraigne Lord: partly to inueſtigate and ſearch for the cauſes of this the kings ſorrow and ſodaine alteration: the which they wold aſſay to remoue or mitigate, according to their wiſdom, knowledge and beſt habilitie. Wherein, they manifeſted themſelues dutifull to their God, profitable to the weale-publique and regardfull of their kings health and proſperity,The duty of noble Counſailors to their King. which are the principall things that noble Counſaylors and the worthy ſeruants of ſuch Soueraignes, ſhould in their ſupreame places reſpect with all fidelitie. Now vponupon a ſodaine Zabud the prieſt, the ſonne of Nathan, and the kings familiar friend (who had béene with his highnes for his better comfort in affliction, all that night before) iſſued forth of his priuy Chamber, entred the aſſemblie of thoſe Lords, and (although with an heauie heart meſtiue mind and ſadde countenance, by reaſon of the Kinges great perplexitie and troubles) he ſaluted them in theſe words: Iehovah our God ſaue you (my Lords all, both Honourable and Reuerend) the right happy princes of king Solomon! To whome they all (as with one mouth reſaluting him) anſwered, & the ſame Power bleſſe, proſper and preſerue you, Reuerend Zabud, the right truſtie Secretarie and familiar good friend of our Soueraigne Lord King Solomon! And whence come ye now (my Lord) an what is the cauſe (if it pleaſe you) that ye be ſo penſive and heavy to day? Is all thing well? To his Zabud replied: My Lords all: I am preſently come forth of the Kings privie Chamber, where I hauehave béene all this laſt night, watching and attending on his moſt royall perſon: the Lord God ſaue & keep his grace: howbeit, there hauehave I found little or no comfort, as God knoweth: for much griefe and ſorrowe hath betided the king, which encreaſeth yet more and more without mitigation: and the like acreweth towardes vsus, and the whole kingdome, as farre as I can gather by that which I hauehave both heard with mine ears, and ſeene with mine eyes of and in him. VponUpon this ſaying, in this manner deliuered before them, ſuch a ſtrange terror and dread aſſayled the hearts of thoſe Lords, that being throughly aſtoniſhed, they neither were able to anſwer him,The trouble of the King is a griefe to his Subiects. nor wiſt they what to ſay. For there can be no greater grief and diſcomfort to true hearted ſubiects, eſpecially to the faithfull Counſaylors of happy kings, then when they ſhall either ſee or heare of the hurt, ſorrow or diſcontent of their Soueraigne Lord, at the alteration of whoſe proſperous eſtate, both Nobles and the Commons are ſodainly moued & much diſquieted, as that body which féeleth the diſtemperature of his proper head, fearing the enſewing of ſuch plagues, troubles and vexations, as are wont to follow and ſucceed the ſodaine loſſe and departure of ſuch heroicall perſons by whoſe good gouernment and valour their Realmes and Common-weales hauehave bin right happily maintained in peace and tranquillitie. Neither (at the leaſt) ſhould either the Nobles, or the common people be merry or pleaſed in the ſadneſſe, trouble or vexation of their Soueraigne Lord, knowing well that natures of that grade and apprehenſion, will not ſhew themſelues heavie hearted and meſtive for any light or meane cauſes. At the length after long expectation, ſilence, pawzes and eagre looking one on another of them, with deppe ſighes, pitifull groanes and cheekes watred with weeping eyes, a principall Lord,Azariah ſheweth the good opinion, louelove, and affection of a good Subiect. whoſe name was Azariah though ſcarcely able for ſorrow of mind to vtter with his trembling tongue his hearts conceit, ſpake thus in effect. Alas, alas! and how fareth then his moſt royall perſon? how doth our good Lord king Solomon, the moſt famouſt, moſt wiſe, and moſt glorious King in all the world? The God of heauen graunt his moſt princely grace both along life and a wiſhed proſperity to liue & raigne ouer vsus and this people! For I aſſure you (my Lords as ye will know and muſt in equitie confeſſe) that next and immediately vntounto Iehouah our God, hee is the approved ſtay of our houſe: the lightſome eie of our body, the reſplendent glory of our kingdome, the happy peace of our people, the comfortable ioy of our heartes, the glad ſolace of our ſoules, the right guide of our gouernment, the diuine wiſedome of our nation, the manifeſt maieſtie of our God, and the bleſſed preſervation of Iſrael. But how fareth the Kinges moſt ſacred perſon? In all this, and other his ſpeeches and geſtures, did this noble Azariah expreſſe the good opinion conceiued, the right louelove, the godly zeale, the faithfull mind, the true affection and right worthy nature of a wiſe, faythfull and obedient Subiect to his moſt gratious Soueraigne. I will now tell you my good Lords (ſaide Zabud) how the king fareth: I am well aſſured,,zabud ſheweth the Kings alteration and preſent eſtate, as ayming to his Repentance. there is not any one of you all, but hath plainely perceiued, that his Grace is moſt ſtrangely and ſodainely altered of late from both his wonted conſtitution of mind, and his common order of life: and that his wordes alſo ſauour now much other wiſe then they hauehave ſometimes heretofore ſavored, to our audience and vnderſtanding. For behold, whereas he vſed to be gladſome and merily conceited: now is he rauiſhed with heavie dumpes, and oppreſſed with lad…es: wheras heretofore he accuſtomed to talke with a right lovely and lively voice: now, we heare nothing beſides a voice of lamentation from him, tending to mortification: and whereas we hoped for ſome conſolatory refrigeration and eaſe, by the mitigation of thoſe extraordinary paſſions: wee ſee him yet hardly perplexed and vexed out of meaſure with farre greater and more torments. For why? the Sunne ſo brightſome is ſhadowed, the ioyful light is couered, the fayre Moone is obſcured, the ſhining ſtarres be dazeled,Eccle. 12.13. and the palpable cloudes returne after the late raine. Neither (indeede) hauehave I any hope of the recouery of his former conſtitution of mind and health of body, (although I hartily wiſh it, and deſire it eueryevery minute of an hower) he accuſtomed to ſit often in his kingly Throane, moſt royally amiddes his Princes: but now he proſtrates himſelfe duplicate page duplicate page on the moſt lumpiſh earth, and repoſeth him ſelfe moſt ſolitary as one forlorne. He was wont to feede on the moſt daintie delicates: but now, hee is replete with bitter worme-wood and loathſome gall: he ſometimes ſolaced his ſweete ſoule with the chearefull delightes of the happie; but now, he laments his hard lot with the wringing coraſiues of the wretched. Whereas for his recreation he vſed Harps, Shalms, Pſalteries, Dulcimers and other muſicall inſtruments of pleaſing ſound, now are they all ſet aſide and neglected yea, he doth vtterly diſtaſte thoſe and ſuch delights. Moreouer whereas he dayly accuſtomed for the better health of his body which hee was carefull to preſerue, to exerciſe himſelfe before his meates, and to reſt himſelfe ſometimes after, towards his better digeſtion, and that in his bed, he would firſt repoſe himſelfe on his right ſide, wherein is the greater heate of nature, to further the ſame, with the due obſeruation of ſuch and other good phiſicall Diets: now he is as another man, he doeth all contrary, he obſerueth no diet profitable to health, neither can he reſt in his bed any while, but toſſing and turning hither and thither, hee declareth his anguiſhes, and powreth out his heart in ſorowfull complaints. The very remēbrance of his former pleaſures grieue his very ſoul, he vtterly abandoneth that he before much affected, & though a moſt glorious king in his eſtate, hee yet abaſeth himſelfe beyond all meaſure, his eyes guſh out ſtreames, the teares runne downe his cheekes, with the which he hath all watred his bed in the night,2. Sam. 12. right ſemblant therein to Dauid his Father, after that the prophet Nathan had brought him a meſſage from the Lord his God: yea, he ſéemeth not moſt wearie of his preſent life; & death is wiſhed for, being more acceptable to him in theſe his agonies of ſoule: and ſemblably, his Wordes, Sentences, & ſayings (vponupon whatſoeuer occaſion he vttereth them) argue a very déepe mortification of the fleſh, a vehement contempt of the worlde, and a plaine condemnation of all the delights of the Sonnes of men. Whereby, in heauy ſighes and groanes hee driues this meſtiue myll: Vanity of Vanities: and all is nothing but meere Vanitie. Eccl. 1.1.2.Lo! thus fareth the king! neither can my great familiarity with his Grace, or any word or geſture of mine, now preuaile with him (as in times paſt) to remoue this dangerous humour from his heart: but as ſoone as I put him in minde of thoſe his priſtine delights, he crieth out moſt wofully:The perſon truely repentant is not ſoon drawne againe to follow his former luſts. Io…. 27.2.3. Vanity of Vanities, as though God had taken away his iudgement, and the Almighty troubled his mind. But howſoeuer it be, I tell you here in Councell, that the King is in a very deſperate agony of minde, then the which nothing can bee more noyſome to his health. For as the trée cannot proſper whoſe roote is annoied: ſo neither can that perſon receiue health, which hath a penſiue ſoule. I am very fearefull to thinke whereunto this will come: and doubtles the kinges enemies, hearing hereof, they will clap their hands hiſſing and wagging their heads vponupon him, as the baſe abiects ſometimes did on holy Iob with this bitter taunt: Is this that man whome all the world admire, for wiſedome, wealth, glory and fame? But on th'other ſide the kings people ſhall hauehave little cauſe to eate, drinke and to reioyce vnderunder their vines and figge trées, as they hauehave done in thoſe dayes forepaſt, vnderunder our Kinges happy Raigne. This being ſpoken, and heard with conſideration of eueryevery of theſe Lordes: Zadock the high Prieſt ſtood forth and with a mighty ſigh from the roote of his troubled heart,zadock expreſſeth the wiſdōe function and afection of a good Biſhop & Counſaylor. he lifted vp both his eies and handes towardes the heauens, vttering theſe wordes. Oh good God helpe vsus! he ſaid againe. The peace, proſperity and well-fare of all Iſraell, doth depend, (next to our God) on the peace, proſperitie and well-fare of our moſt gratious King Solomon, whom Iehouah his God hath choſen and appointed to repreſent his own glorious perſon in our happy Common-wealth, in his wiſedome, his iuſtice, his equity, his benignity, his fortitude, his magnanimity, his piety and all other his princely vertues: no leſſe then the faire and bright Sunne reſembleth his Maieſtie in the high Heauens, to the ioy and comfort of the Creatures: or, as doth the head on the naturall body to the bewtie, life and gouernment of the ſame: or as the wiſe Gouernour of a Shippe in the Sea to the direction and ſafety both of it, and of all thoſe embarked therein. Therefore I ſay, if the Lord of heauen in his diſpleaſure, ſhould take away our ſhadow, or abridge our king and his honourable proſperity for tranſgreſſion and ſinne, who, from thencefoorth, ſhall hauehave peace? who ſhall fare well? who ſhall proſper? how can that body proſper whoſe head aketh and languiſheth with paine? and how can thoſe creatures reioice, from the which the light, comfort and commodity of the Sun is remoued & detayned?The people ought to pray for the good eſtate of their Prince. Pſal. 20.1.2. Then worthily are the people occaſioned and obliged in their ſolemne praiers and ſeruices, to lift vp their mindes to the Lord God: & aboue all other thinges (next to the glory of God) to pray for the good health, comfort, wellfare and proſperity of our gratious Soueraigne Lord: as my Lord Azariah hath well before aduiſed and wiſhed it. For I know, that the king is not onelyonly much agonized in mind and afflicted in heart: but that he is much weakened and worne away: neither thinke I that without ſome preſēt remedy or mitigatiō of this his griefe, can his weake body long retaine his ſorowful Soule.The good conſent of the princes for the ſafety of their king. This beeing ſaid, the Princes with one conſent anſwered. In truth it is no leſſe needfull then it is godly, that all the kings maieſties Subiects, both in generall and particular ſhould pray vntounto God for the life and well-fare of the kings Grace: for as this duty of ſubiects towardes their lawfull Princes is compriſed within that honour which children are to yeelde to their parents and taught them by many diuine teſtimonies and godly examples,Exod, 20. foraſmuch as thoſe are as fathers vntounto their people: ſo (as farre as we can perceiue) it is a thing moſt requiſite and needfull to be done in this time, partly in reſpect of the king himſelfe: partly in regard of vsus his princes and of his people. Indéed (ſayde Zadock) it may be the King himſelfe knoweth that hee hath faulted and prouoked the Lord to wrath in ſome one offence or other committed againſt the diuine maieſty: for there is no man but he ſometimes ſinneth.EueryEvery man is a ſinner. A man though neuer ſo wiſe, holy & righteous cannot liue in this world without ſome kind of ſinne: for all his thoughts are euill, and all his workes, yet his good workes are imperfect and defectiue, if they be compared and weighed with the diuine thoughts, workes and iudgements of God.God puniſheth his owne children when they offend his Maieſtie. Howbeit God permitteth not his holy elect to ſinne with out ſome meaſure of puniſhment, but, as a father, he correcteth and chaſtiſeth his children to amend them, & is willing to be reconciled with them that returne home and humbly pray before him and thereto in the middeſt of their troubles hee giueth them power and habilitie to beare thoſe afflictions with patient minds (howſoeuer the fleſh would rebell) and hee keepeth them in his hand, that the fury of the vngodly may not be further extended nor fearcer executed towards them, then it pleaſeth him to ſuffer it for his owne honour, the benefit of his choſen, and the inſtruction of his Church. And here the good prayers and repentance of the people for and with the king may (peraduenture) pleaſe God and ſomewhat appeaze this high anger. Again, it may be that there is ſome diſpleaſure conceiued againſt vsus and the kings people, for ſome vnthankefulnes of vsus, or of them, the which the king (beeing wiſe) doth perceiue, but cannot redreſſe and amend according to the deſire of his heart. Howſoeuer it be,The taking away of a good prince is a plague to the people. as the diſquietnes of the king muſt needs diſcomfort his people (as the ecclipſing of the Sunne oppreſſeth the earth:) ſo whenſoeuer he ſhall be taken from vsus, it will come to paſſe, that much wiſedome will alſo depart with him: for the king is paſſing wiſe, and his wiſedome is beneficiall both to the Church & cōmon-wealth of Iſrael: for by the ſame the one is diuinely inſtructed, and th'other prudently gouerned: the which therfore if we ſhould want by this the kings diſgrace & departure, we ſhalbe couered with ignorāce & ſwallowed vp with confuſion: beſides all this, if the king ſhould bee depriued of that diuine wiſedom, or conſtrained (by an vnhappy occaſion) to liue and continue in care and miſery amongſt vsus (the which the moſt holy forbid) it cannot otherwiſe be, but that many mighty troubles, afflictions, and inconueniences will ſoone ouertake vsus and the whole land, wherein that will be verified, which the King hath lately ſaid in the agonie of his ſoule. Woe be to thee, O land, whoſe King is but a child, Eccles. 10.15.and whoſe Princes are early at their Banquets. But this we of Iſrael little minde or conſider, as yet, becauſe we know our King to be the Sonne of Nobles, and his Princes and Lords hauehave beene more regardfull of his high honour and of the gouernement of his people; then for their owne glory, gaine, or commoditie: whereby the Subiectes hauehave been the ſooner lulled a ſleepe in the ſweete cradle of eaſe, peace and tranquillitie and thereby ſatiſfying their appetites in pleaſures, are waxen euen ſecure and careleſſe vnderunder the happy raigne of a moſt wiſe, prudent, and gentle King. But too morrow is not yet come on them and vsus, and the time of our pleaſant peace is not yet determined: but when, or how ſoone thoſe vnlucklie daies which ingender and bring forth our heauy calamities and woe (in the raigne of a moſt childiſh and vnhappy King) ſhall inuade both them and vsus, we are yet vncertaine. Howbeit, we may worthely dread (as the King himſelfe alſo dreadeth) that thoſe vnthriftie daies approach too neere vsus. Surely, ſurely, now of late as we hauehave plainly perceaued a ſtrange alteration and wonderfull chaunge in the Kings perſon, who appeareth as moſt loathſome to himſelfe, weary of his owne life, negligent of his owne health, careleſſe of his royall glory, and hatefull of the world, as drooping towards the end of his daies (for this may any one diſcerne in him, which ſhall either heare him to ſpeake, or ſée him to goe:) ſo the high renowne and bright beawtie of our time and nation beginneth to vale the bonnet, and to decline, as from the higheſt to the loweſt, and will (indeede) yer long be ſhadowed and diſgraced with ougly deformitie, without ſpeedy preuention: Let vsus therefore conſider of our preſent time,When men be in the greateſt daunger they ſtriue with the more carefulnes to wind out the condition of our eſtate and the daungers which are imminent, and in regard thereof, not diſdaine nor omitte to imitate and followe the examples not onelyonly of men, but alſo the bruite creatures in this caſe: for behold; they and eueryevery of them in their kind and nature commonly ſtruggle and ſtriue with the more diligence and carefull regard, when they be in hazard of hurte, then when they be free from all perill. If any fall into the fier, the water, or into ſome lethall or deadly ſickeneſſe or other miſchiefe, firſt of all he is made afraide, then he is pained, then he looketh about him, then he groaneth, then he laboureth to eſcape, this if he cannot doe, then he crieth, then he craueth the counſell and aide of others wherſoeuer & whence ſoeuer he may get it: in the end, he gréedily catcheth holde of whatſoeuer helpe is proffered him. And wee hauehave ſéene, that many by ſuch meanes hauehave eſcaped great dangers and loſſes: On the contrary, we hauehave knowne many to periſh and decaye, which hauehave béene either ſo fooliſh as that they hauehave not ſéene their owne danger, or ſo negligent as they would not labour & ſtriue to winde out, or ſo proud, as they would not vouchſafe to deſire aide of others, or ſo peruerſe as they diſdained or denied their willing aſſent vntounto others that might any way helpe or comfort them in their diſtreſſe.Gen. 14, 21. The time was that Bera the King of Sodom hearkened to Abraham who recouered his people from the captiuitie of Codorlaomor and the other Kings of the nations, whereby not onelyonly the King of Zodom, but alſo his people were freed from that heauy yoke whereunto they had beene ſubdued tweleue yéeres before. And it is happely remembred,Gen. 20.17. how that Abimelech the King of Gerar was moſt willing (at Gods commandement) to requeſt Abraham to pray vntounto God for him, that he might he deliuered from the death which was threatned him, and be healed, by the which he eſcaped both death and diſpleaſure. Thus alſo Baruch the noble Captaine harkened to wiſe Deborah, & gat the victorie ouer Gods enemies. Thus Pharao (though a tyrant) craued aide of Moſes and Aaron to be deliuered from thoſe plagues of Egypt, & K. Saul permitted little David to enter the field againſt huge Goliah, for Iſraels glory. On the otherſide, the reprobate Cain would neither know his danger, nor be reſtrained of his purpoſe, and being in diſtreſſe, would not vouchſafe to craue or ſéeke for aide, whereby he periſhed, a vagabond and exile from the Lord of heauen, who caſt him off from his grace and mercy. Thus the filthy Sodomits ſtroken with blindneſſe would neither thinke of their deſtruction, nor craue, nor admit the aduiſe and aide of righteous Lot, who had vexed his ſoule among them, nor any thing regarded the prayer and meanes of faithfull Abraham for their ſafetie: to be ſhort, Saul the King diſdained David and his comfort notwithſtanding he had taken ſo good experience of his integritie and the power of God in him, therefore rather then he would ſéeme to embrace him and his power, he choſe to kill himſelfe with his owne ſword to the daunger of his ſoule and decay of his glory. Theſe be examples to teach and admoniſh vsus. Therefore now following thoſe which hauehave in their choiſe declared wiſedome to the preſeruation and comfort of their ſoules. Let vsus withall regard both of the Kings health, and of the good of his people both ſéeke for, and embrace thoſe things that may either helpe or comfort both. And becauſe the God of heauen is the ſame from whome, and by whome all good thinges deſcend & come vntounto his children, and which both comfortes and helpes them indeede in all their afflictions and dangers, let vsus (as I ſaid before) lift vp vntounto him both our hearts and eyes, and thus let vsus pray and ſay as the kings father hath taught vsus in the like caſe.Pſal. 20. The Lord God of heauen heare our Lord the King in the day of his trouble: The name of the God of Iacob defend him. Send him helpe from the Sanctuary, and strengthen him out of Zyon. Let the Lord God remember all his offeringes and accept his burnt ſacrifices Selah. The Lord God grant him according to his heart and fulfill all his purpoſe: that we may reioyce in his ſauing health and ſet vp the bāner in the Name of our God, when the Lord ſhall performe all his petitions. Now we know this, that the Lord will helpe his Annoynted, and will heare him from his ſanctuary by the mighty helpe of his right hand. O Lord moſt holy, ſaue our Lord King Solomon, let him proſper & thereby be able to helpe vsus by his wiſedome & power when in thy name we ſeeke vntounto him for ſuccour. O Lord in louelove heare our prayers, be gratious vntounto thy King, & mercifull vntounto vsus and all thy people, for thy holy Names ſake: Amen: Amen.