King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV.
Zadok proueth by many arguments and reaſons that Solomon was not a prophane or damned perſon: But a Saint of the Lord and a right excellent member of the Church.
THen Zadok (as one moſt willing to defend the honour of his moſt Soueraigne Lorde King Solomon) anſwered againe and ſayde. I moſt heartily thanke you (my Lords all) that yee hauehave vouchſaued mee this honour. For I eſteeme it an honour to my ſelfe to bee thought worthy by your wiſedomes to ſpeake, and to hauehave your audience in the defence of my Lorde the King, and his cauſe. Neither doe I thinke, but that in conſcience and dutie I am holden ſo to doe: for it in not meete that I ſhoulde heare my good Lorde, and his wordes to bee ſclandered or euill reported, and to paſſe it ouer in ſilence, yea, I ſhall be thought therein to giuegive conſent to thoſe ſiniſter reports. And firſt, as touching the king:The king is not to be iuſtified in his ſins nor excuſed. it cannot bee denyed, but that hee hath (indeede) wonderfully doated on his ſtrange wiues, and hath hearkened too much to them, which euer retaining that euill opinion and cuſtome, would neuer receiue nor admit that counſell which the wiſeſt of all men liuing gaue them, and hath beene by them allured, ſeduced and led away from Iehovah his God, againſt whole Maieſtie (by their inſtigation) hee hath wrought wickedneſſe. And therefore, howſoeuer ſome might allegorize of the tranſgreſſions and ſinnes of our Lord the king: yet will not I, nor may I in equitie iuſtifie him or excuſe him therein, no more then I may either iuſtifie or excuſe the ſinne of Adam in his fall (howſoeuer there bee which call it an happy fall) or the ſinne of Iacob, in his two wiues, howſoeuer the priuiledge thereof came in with the promiſe, of the multiplication of the holy ſeede: or of Noah in his drunkenneſſe, or of Lot in his inceſt, or of Iudah in his whoredome, or of the kings father in his murther, pride and adultrey: wherein it is certaine that they both diſpleaſed God, and deciphered their humane imperefctions and infirmities: Nor was it the wil of God, that ſuch their ſins (albeit they were his own children) ſhould be concealed or couered, but rather hee woulde that (for ſome good cauſes) they ſhould bee reuealed and reproued.He …hat iuſtifieth the ſinner is abhominable before God. For as ſinne is that which onelyonly prouoketh and diſpleaſeth the Lord, and therefore is no leſſe odious vntounto him then a moſt ougly and venemous Serpent vntounto a man: ſo he that either iuſtifieth or excuſeth the ſinner in his ſinne, ſhall not bee holden guiltleſſe before Gods iudgement ſeate. Neuertheleſſe, as godly wiſedome, and holy louelove hauehave both taught and perſwaded a reuerend opinion and like conſtruction of thoſe men,A reuerent opinion of the repentent ſinners. their actions, and words, in whom godlineſſe and the right worthy vertues in habit could not be vtterly ouerthrown with one or a fewe contrary actions, (whiles the merciemercy of God remayning with them) they held faſt the foundatiōs of their holy hope: ſo is it not meete nor conuenient, that wee ſhould raſhly caſt into dangerous ſuſpence either the holines of our Lorde,The holineſſe, repentance, remiſsion and ſalvatiō of Solomon proved. king Solomon, or his repentance after his ſinne, or his remiſsion after his repentance, or the hope of his eternall ſalvation, the which depending on the euerlaſting louelove, and ſweete grace of God in the merit of the holy Meſsiah, may not onelyonly bee preſumed, but alſo rightly gathered and ſufficiently proued, as by your patience you ſhall heare.Satans ſubtilty. Indeed Satan (the great enimy of mankind) hath aſſayed to deale with the king, as the Eagle dealeth with the Goate: for when the Eagle comes to hurt the Goate, to whome ſhee hath a mortall enemitie, ſhee firſt aſſayeth to take away his ſight by pulling out his eyes, and then afterwarde ſhee killeth him: againſt whom the Goate defendeth himſelfe with his hornes: So this Enemie, hauing a deadly enuie to the King and his glory, though to diſpoyle him of his knowledge and wiſedome: but hee neuertheleſſe by his faith and hope in the Lorde as with two ſtrong hornes hath reſiſted him, ſo farre, that though hee were much wounded in his body, hee hath yet preſerued and kept ſafe his yes.Solomons eies For (as I hauehave heard him ſay, and doe finde it by experience) his wiſedome remained with him. Neither was hee drawen from the foundation of his hope. For as the trees which are ſtrong deepe rooted, and hauehave ſufficient ſappe in themſelues, cannot eaſily be ouercome by either the violent heate, or noyſome colde, when ſuch as hauehave neither rootes, nor ſtrength, nor ſappe doe wither and decay: ſo they which are rooted and grounded on the ſure foundation of their hope, and hauehave in them the habite of diuine vertues, cannot vtterly bee quayled or ouerthrowne by either the heate or colde of afflictions, or the vehemency of Sathans aſſaults, or the alluring luſtes of the fleſh, or the concupiſcence of Nature: for they bee holden by the right hande of Gods ſpirite, and ſtand like the tree planted by the waters ſide,pſal. 1. whereof David the Kings father coulde ſo diuinely modulate and ſing.
Therefore I will firſt proue, that our Lord king Solomon, is not foreign a prophane or damned perſon: Chadeſch. Chadoſch.but foreign a perſon holy, dedicated to God, and a member of the holy Congregation. For in this Antitheſis or contrarietie, that which is the one cannot bee the other: and that the Lorde hath not taken his Spirite vtterly from him, (howſoeuer his Graces were ſhadowed in him when hee ſinned) as hee is not willing to caſt them away whome hee knewe before, or elected, howſoeuer hee ſeeme to hide his face from them in his diſpleaſure: and they onelyonly are fore-knowen and elected which are his Saintes and holy ones, (howſoeuer they appeare or are eſteemed before the face of worldly men): Howbeit, although there bee many notable things externally to be ſeene in the Kings perſon, which yet are not to bee neglected nor forgotten, but well conſidered remembred and applyed to purpoſe (as in the nature of thoſe Symboles, Figures, Types and ſhadowes which teach and put vsus in minde of things aſwell ſpirituall and eternall, as future, of the which wee hauehave and retayne many at this time): yet will I not beginne with thoſe externall things, leſt peraduenture any man ſhoulde ſaye, that the King is not therefore the better in the ſpirit, nor the more acceptable to God, becauſe he is outwardly glorious, no more then he is a good king that raigneth in a wealthy country, or he a wiſe gouernour which is placed in a goodly ſhip, or he a worthy man, who weareth a faire Coate or that a perfect Steed which is arraied with a golden Saddle.Solomon is a figure of Meſſiah, But I wil aſpire higher in the conſideration of our king, to expreſſe and confirme vntounto you his excellency, aſwell before the Lord, as before mortall men. And namely, and chiefely in that, whereby it pleaſeth the Lord his God, that he ſhould prefigurate and foreſhew that holy Meſſiah, whom wee do verily belieue to come into the worlde, and doe daily expect. But firſt of this moſt glorious Perſon (I mean the Meſſiah) it may pleaſe you to heare me a few words (for they ſhalbe both ſweete and comfortable to the true hearted Iſralites) that from thence I may the better argue for the Kinges holineſſe to your content.
To this the Princes gladly accorded,The comfort of the tidings of the Meſſiah being moſt willing to heare tell of that moſt holy and ſweete Meſſiah, of Gods mercy promiſed, ſo long ago, typed, ſhadowed, prefigured, and now ſo earneſtly expected. For as their is nothing more pleaſing to the priſoner, then to heare of his libertie, more wiſhed for to the hungry, then meate: more comfortable to the ſicke then the comming of a cunning Phiſician: and more ioyfull to the condemned to death, then the glad tidinges of pardon & life: ſo what ſhould be more pleaſing, more deſired, more comfortable, and more ioyfull to vsus which are captiued to the Serpent, ſtarued for want of graces, ſicke and ſore in ſinne, and by a iuſt ſentence condemned to death: yea, to eternall death, then to heare the glad tidings of the cōming of ye moſt noble Prince, ye carefull paſtour, that faithfull Phiſician, and that mighty Saviour, which wil (as he is beſt able) releaſe vsus, refreſh vsus, heale vsus, pardon and ſaue vsus? Say on therefore (moſt reuerend Father) for we long to heare of thoſe chearefull things.zadoke telleth of mans fall and miſery. Gen. 3. * Then hearken (ſaid he) I know it is not hidden from you (for Moſes hath plainely written thereof in the booke Bereſcith, and it is often read vntounto you) that our firſt Parents by the Serpentes ſubtiltie, tooke the forbidden fruit in Paradiſe, & therein breake the commandement: the paine and inconuenience thereon threatned for the ſame was, that they ſhould dye the death that ſame day. Therfore it followed, that they were exiled & kept out from the preſence of God, they were wounded with the act of their tranſgreſſion, they were captiued in the Serpents bands, they became odious to their maker, they were diſpoiled of all their diuine vertues, they were oppoſed to all miſeries, and laſtly ſubdued vntounto ghaſtfull death and hell torments. Lo ſuch was the wofull condition of thoſe our firſt parents. Howbeit, this had not beene ſo intollerable and grieuous vntounto vsus, had not the effect of this tranſgreſſion beene extended and propagated by nature on all Adams children and poſterity, but it is too true that all men are thereby holden guilty, as the naughty children of like parents, and as vnwholeſome fruites of the ſame tree. This David the kinges father hath conſidered and acknowledged,Pſal. 51. in Miſmor Ledavid; Behold I was ſhapen in wickednes and in ſinne hath my mother cōceived me: yea, and when the Lord looked downe from heauen, he ſaw that all were gone out of the waye and were become abhominable, and that none of them did good, no, not one. The recovery of man by Meſſiah.But yet ſeeing Iehovah our God was moſt willing to recouer and recure man (I meane thoſe whome he had in his louelove fore knowne for his owne, elected to life, and appointed for his glory) he did in wiſedome deuiſe and prouide a wonderfull meane therevnto, wherein his mercy ſtriuing with his Iuſtice might yet in the ende conclude for Equitie, by the which, this man who was indged and iuſtly condemned, ſhould be pardoned, and yet the diuine iuſtice not infringed. How this could bee compaſſed by Gods wiſedome and prouidence, ye ſhall hereafter vnderſtand. Here let vsus conſider in the nature of the diuine goodnes, that God is more ready to pardon and to ſaue, then to iudge and deſtroy the children of his election and grace: and the rather for that he loueth them, hath created them in his owne image, hath appointed them for his glory, and would not they ſhould be loſt for euer. Againe, hee conſidered mans frailtie and pittied it, he was mercifull and expreſſed it, he was liberall and extended it, he was the beſt father, and declared his affection, he was willing to ſaue, and performed his will. Therefore, hee would neither ſuffer ſin either to ouerthrow him, or to raigne or to reſt on him, but hating and abhorring ſin from his heart he did deſtroy the ſame by his grace: he had compaſſiō on mans miſerable condition, therefore he little waighed, yea, hee forgat the iniury that man did him: hee ſhewed himſelfe ready both to ſatiſfy for his guilt & to heale his paine, he was more ready to pardon man, then man was to aske mercy, and finally when in iuſtice he ſhould and might, if he would hauehave thrown him down into the depth of the nethermoſt hell, he neuertheleſſe, after his mercy recouered him, reſtored him to grace, and raiſed him vp into the higheſt heauen. And this to effect when neither angels nor powers, either in heauen or earth, or vnderunder the earth could do the deede: he propoſed his owne Sonne, euen that moſt holy and eternall worde of God by whome all thinges were made. Gen. 1.1. whom he appointed to deale for mans guilte, to ſatiſfy the diuine Iuſtice and to compaſſe and effect the moſt excellent worke of mans redemption, by and in the which hee might gather and ioyne againe vntounto himſelfe a chaſte ſpowſeſſe as vntounto whome he might expreſſe the greatnes of his louelove, and continue as an huſband or head to defend, preſerue, maintaine and beautify the ſame for euer.The obediēce of Meſſiah. Therevpon the Almighty was not ſo ready that man by this meane ſhould be recouered: but that ſonne alſo himſelfe (as an earneſt wower that ſeeketh for her whome his ſoule loueth) was alſo willing & obedient to doe and performe all things conuenient therein. According to the which, the Kinges Father did ſing in his perſon.
Burnt offeringes and ſacrifices for ſinne thou haſt not required:pſal. 40.…. Then ſaide I, Lo, I come, in the volume of the booke it is written of mee, that I ſhould fulfill thy will: O my God, I am content to doe it. Thus was the moſt holy ſonne and worde of God brought in, talking with his father touching mans redemption and ſhewing both his willingnes and obedience, to relieue the ſtate of mankind! Hereof it was, that the Lord God decreed and ſaid that the womans ſeed ſhould tread on the ſerpents head, Gen. 3.which ſignified, that one ſhould be borne of the womans body (the which the Serpent had corrupt) that ſhould not onelyonly purifie her and all mankind, but alſo confound the Serpent and all his power. From the which time, our fathers hauehave expected, & we (as yet) expect and waite for the comming of that holy Seede.
Now here (by the way) wee may conſider that albeit the Lord God be wonderfull mercifull vntounto mankind, he doth not ouerthrow therin his Iustice, How the Lord was both iuſt and mercifull.but obſeruing either, he expreſſeth great Equitie in a wonderfull fort. For beholde hee laid that on his ſonne, which was due vntounto man, and againe hee gaue that vntounto man, which was onelyonly proper to his ſonne: hee laid mans ſinne and faults on his ſonne, hee imputed the righteouſnes of his ſonne vntounto man. In th'one appeared his iuſtice, in th'other his mercy. And in them both conioyned equitye. That which was due vntounto man, the holy ſeed taketh on himſelfe, namely mans puniſhment, which mans nature could not beare, that which the holy ſeede merited, namely eternall life, the Lorde gaue vntounto man, for the ſinne of man which deſerued death, was imputed vntounto this ſeede, and the Iuſtice of the holy ſeed which deſerued Heauen, was imputed vntounto man, I meane, vntounto them onelyonly that by faith depend on that promiſe. and thoſe be the ſame, whom the Lord God had before loued, elected and predeſtinated to eternall glory, and whome hee would not by any meanes permit to perriſh and dye for euer. This is the onelyonly recouery of mankind, and hope of his health? This is that eternall verity and obiect of our faith! This is the ſame, whereunto all the law and the Prophets, and all the tipes and figures both of them before vsus, and of them now in daily vſe, do aime, point,Promiſes of the Meſſiah. Gen. 6. Gen. 22. Gen. 22.18. and direct vsus for all ſuccour, helpe, comfort and reliefe. The decree and promiſe of this ſeede was after this confirmed to Noah, to whome the Lorde ſaid: With thee wil I make my covenant, & thou ſhalt come into the Arkè. But more plainly to our father Abraham, to whome the Lorde declared this Sauiour, and ſaid of him. In thy ſeede ſhall all the nations of the earth bee bleſſed. The ſame which was called the ſeede of the Woman, is now called the ſeede of Abraham: for the Lorde woulde that hee ſhoulde come of Abrahams Seede after the fleſh.Propheſies of Meſſiah. Gen. 49. Exod. 4.13. This is that whome Iacob our Father called Shilo and propheſyed that he ſhould come in the tribe of Iudah. And to him ſhould be the gathering of the people. This is that ſame to whome Moſes pointed in the booke Velleſchemoth, when he ſaide to the Lord. Send I pray thee by the hand of him whome thou wilt ſend:Deut. 18.15.18. and in his booke Haddebarim the Lorde himſelfe calleth him a Prophet, ſaying thus vntounto Moſes I will raiſe them vp a Prophet from among their brethren like vntounto thee. This is the ſame the holy man Iob calleth his Redeemer, whome hee knewe to liue.Iob. 19. Num. 14.17. This is that bright Starre and Scepter of the which Baalam did propheſie in Moſes Booke Vaiedabber, ſaying, there ſhall come a Starre of Iacob, and riſe a Scepter in Iſrael. 2. Sam. 7.12.13 14.This is that true King of peace promiſed to David the Kinges Father in 2. Schemuel. 7. that Seede of David, and Davids Lorde, whoſe throne ſhall bee eſtabliſhed for euer. To bee ſhort, this is that lively Image of God, and King of glory without all ſpot or blemiſh, moſt mightye, wiſe and excellent, which ſhall in his time new builde Heiruſalem, and prepare himſelfe an holy Temple and houſe for his worſhippe therein. I meane, a Church ſpiritually framed and gloriouſly garniſhed after that proportion and forme which David the Kinges Father gaue and preſcribed him according to the writing thereof, which hee had receiued from Iehovah his God, and the which the King hath in his time of peace builded and perfected accordingly.
Therefore, of this holy Seede ſang the Princely Prophet in many Pſalmes, calling him ſometimes Gods Sonne: ſometimes a King:pſal. 2.45.110. ſometimes the King of glory: ſometimes a Prieſt eternall after the order of Melchiſedek : ſometimes his Lorde: ſometimes his God: ſometimes his Redeemer: ſometimes his Saviour: ſometimes the Meſſiah, or Annointed of Iehovah.
And as this holy Seede hath beene thus promiſed and foretolde of, and belieued to come into the worlde:Shadowes, tipes and figures of Meſſiah. The tree of life in paradiſe Abel. Abraham. Noah. ſo hath hee beene ſhadowed, typed, and prefigured: As firſt, by the tree of life in Paradiſe, of the which if our firſt parentes had taken and eaten, they had neuer dyed, but ſhould hauehave liued foreuer. Next by the Sacrifices of Abel, Abraham, & others, in the which, it pleaſed God to declare himſelfe gratious. This Noah alſo prefigured, when the Lord made him the finiſher of the old world, and the beginner of the new. To the ſame pointed Melchiſedek and Melchiſalem, Melchiſedek.to ſhew that he was a King, and a Prieſt: A King of peace and righteouſnes and a prieſt of the higheſt God for euer, as without beginning and without ending, for the number of his daies may not bee reckoned or knowne. The ſame was ſignified in the ladder our father Iacob ſaw,Iacobs ladder. Moſes. Ioſuah. by the which the angels did aſcend and deſcend to and from heauen. He was fore-ſhewed a deliuerer from thraldome in Moſes, and a Sauiour in Ioſuah: for Moſes brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt, and Ioſuah conducted them, inherited them, and preſerued them in the promiſed land. Alſo Aaron the prieſt of the Lorde prefigured him with his Vrim and Thumim. Aaron. The paſcall Lambe. &c,To the ſame alſo ſerued the vſe of the Paſcall Lambe and thoſe other ſymboles and ſacraments in the Wildernes, as the Manna from heauen, the Water from the rocke,Iudges. and ſuch like. In the booke of * Shophtim, is mention made of many bodily Saviours, by the which was miſtically ſhewed the perſon and office of Meſſiah. There was Sampſon, Gedeon, Othoniel, Ieptha & Samuel. And within our age,Sampſon. Gedeon. Othoniel. Ieptha. Samuel. David. the calling, annointing, and manner of the raigne and condition of David foreſhewed the ſame. For all theſe things (my Lordes) hauehave and do rightly aime to that moſt holy Meſſiah, whome the Lord God would that men ſhould belieue and expect, and hope to come, and at his comming louelove and embrace as the onelyonly perſon in and through whome the diuine Iuſtice is ſatiſfied, the heauenly will fulfilled, the Serpent and all his fiery darts quenched, and mankind pardoned, healed, recouered, and bleſſed for euer. Now, this being ſaid as an introduction to that which followeth, we will come to ſpeak of our Soueraign Lord K. Solomon whom I truſt to proue and declare a Saint of the Lord, and a right worthy member in his Church, and ſo conſequently, no reprobate, nor prophane, nor damned perſon. for if the former be proued, wee ſhall by the ſame eaſily cleare him of the latter, as before I hauehave ſaid. The Princes at this word ſeemed much comforted, and ſhewed their willingnes yet further to heare what Zadoke would ſay. For this ſaide they ſhall not onelyonly pleaſe and ſatiſfy vsus, but all others, aſwell they which now liue, as they which ſhall come after vsus. Therefore proceede (moſt reuerend Father) to proue that which ye hauehave aſſumed for the king. And we will gladly giuegive both an attentiue eare vntounto your words, and vntounto you condigne thankes.