King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 27
CAP. XXVII.
Zadok produceth many other arguments to proove that Solomon was a Saint appointed to ſalvation.
ZAdok liſtening to the godly deſire of the Princes, touching the further probation of the kings holines, and acceptation with the Lord, notwithſtāding his ſins, opened his mouth againe and ſaide: God forbid (my Lords) that I ſhould either conceile or keepe backe any thing, of that which may either ſatiſfie you to be reuealed, or confirme my former propoſition, in the which I aſſumed, that the king was a Saint of the Lorde. Therefore hearken, and I will ſpeake. As the Lord our God had choſen and appointed the king to be a true figure of Meſsiah in the building of his Temple: and therein a Saint of the Lord: So alſo hath the ſame Lord ordained and declared many other notable things in and by the king, to fore-ſhew and expreſſe the ſame: for ſurely vntounto this belongeth alſo the honor of his birth and acceptation, his diuers titles and names, his wiſedom, his iudgements his wealth, his kingdom, his fame, with many his actions, his words, his qualities, his graces, his vertues, and rare enduments moſt admirable in the eyes of all men. Of ſome few of the which I will ſpeake very briefely: for to tell of them al, I am not able, they are both ſo many and wonderfull, much leſſe to apply them in eueryevery point to him, whome with his vertues theſe things doe fore-ſhew, and teach vntounto men.
Solomon a figure of Meſsiah in his birth.And firſt touching the honor of the kings birth, and acceptation with the Lord: It is true that Solomon is the ſonne of David: as before it hath beene ſaid, concerning whom the Lord made a faithfull promiſe, ſaying: Of the ſeede of thy bodie will I ſet vponupon thy ſeate. Howbeit,2. Sam. 7.13. the Lord alſo ſaide to David concerning him: I will bee his father, and hee ſhall bee my ſonne. Surely, this properly fits the Meſsiah, who is to come of the ſéede of David: and yet hee is that naturall Sonne of God. Thereof ſpake the kings father. Iehovah ſayd to my Lord ſit thou on my right hand: Againe, Thou art my ſonne, this day have I begotten thee. This is he (indeed) to whom the ſtabilitie of the kingdome of Iſrael is promiſed. Where the Lord ſaid, I will eſtabliſh the throne of his kingdome for euer. Solomon, as yet ſitteth on the throne, & gouerneth his kingdom: but the time will come, that (as the tipes muſt ceaſe, when the things typed come in place) our Lord K. Solomon ſhal yéeld and giuegive his place to the holy Meſsiah, that true Sonne of God when he ſhall begin to raigne in mount Zion. Therefore let vsus conclude: that the king prefiguring alſo in this point the holy Meſsiah, is a Saint of the Lord. Secondly, the Lord hath impoſed,Solomon in his Names a figure of Meſsiah. & ordained ſuch titles and names to and for the king as might no leſſe expreſſe and ſet forth the ſame thing. We heard before, that the king had ſuch Names as tended to th'exemplification of his honor: but yet, it was not then conſidered of eueryevery one of vsus, to what certaine perſon, or thing thoſe names properly pointed: for it is very certain, yt eueryevery of thoſe names are more proper to the Meſſiah, then to the king, albeit they were on him iuſtly impoſed, and of him at the firſt literally vnderſtood. The Lord God himſelf ſpeaking vntounto David of this perſon, yer euer he was borne or begotten, ſaid: His Name is Schelomon: which is Peaceable,1. Schelomon. 1. cho. 22.9. or a maker of peace. And the Lord ſhewed the reaſon thereof, ſaying: For I will giuegive him reſt from his enemies round about him, & I will ſend peace & quietnes vponupon Iſrael. By this he foreſheweth the true Melchiſalem, that king of peace, the right reconciler of his elect vntounto himſelfe, who without this noble. Prince are at wars with Lord, & oppoſed to the intollerable ſtrokes of his Iuſtice. But heereof it is, that they hauehave quiet conſciences, peace with God, and finally eternall reſt and ſafetie in the moſt glorious kingdome of the King of peace.
To this alſo aymeth the bleſſed peace and tranquilitie, that the Lord hath giuen the king, and through him vntounto vsus, from our bodily enemies on eueryevery ſide in thoſe the happy dayes of his gouernment.
Next when the Lorde would expreſſe his louelove and affection towards him, and againe, the louelove and affection that hee had and ſhould hauehave to the Lorde his God, thereby the ſooner to foreſhew the mutuall louelove and delight betweene God and that holy Meſsiah: he ſent the Prophet Nathan (as ſome of you yet remember) who according to the diuine pleaſure,2 Iedid-iah. 2 Sam, 12.25. called him Iedid-iah, Beloued of God. For ſo it is written, that the Lord loued him, therefore he called his Name Iedid-iah, of the Lordes-behalfe. Indeede, it pleaſed the Lorde in this ſort to declare his Ioue to the king: Howbeit, the Name properly fitteth that perſon,Pſal. 2. to whom the Lord ſaid (as before) Thou art my beloved ſonne this day hauehave I begotten thee: And the ſame which the Arabian Queene did myſtically point vntounto, when in the ſpirit of Propheſie, ſhe ſaid to the king. Bleſſed be the Lord thy God which loved thee. * After this, the kings mother, namely Queen Bethſabe (that not without the inſtinct of the heauenly ſpirit) perceiuing the maieſtie & feare of God in him,3 Laemuel. pro. 31.1. & withall knowing him to be made a liuely figure of the holy Meſsiah, called him Laemuel, that is God with him, or God with them: meaning that God was with him, & that he was as God vntounto the people, as Moſes was ſometimes ſaid to be. The which tittle therefore fitteth none ſo properly as it doth that bright Starre (foreign) which Balaam deſcried and ſpake of in his propheſie,foreign. Num. 24 the which (as we hauehave obſerued) containeth both the nū ber of the name ineffable, and the number of the Divine law: for the two former letter foreign make in number 26. the which alſo the name foreign yeeldeth and the two latter letters make 22. in which number of letters, is written the whole lawe, the which onelyonly in the time of the right Laemuel ſhall bee performed and throughly affected in him, by whom there ſhall be but one Lord, and one Law: one faith and one religion: one ſheepheard,Gen. 49:…0. 4 Koheleth Eccles. 1. foreign and one ſheepefold. Laſtly he hath another Name, which no leſſe (indeed) appertaineth to that right Shilon vntounto whom the gathering of the people ſhall bee. That is Koheleth, which ſignifieth a Congregator, or a Preacher, or a builder of a Church. The King had this Name worthily impoſed partly in regard of his wiſedwne which was in him wonderfull beyond al others, as if in one and the ſame perſon ſhould be heaped and layd vp together, all the wiſedom and knowledge both diuine and humane, which not onelyonly any other one man, but which all men together at the ſame time liuing, had or could containe or comprehend: partly in regarde of his Office and miniſterie, by the which he did not onelyonly builde the materiall houſe, which ſhould prefigurate both the myſticall, ſpirituall and eternall: but alſo did preach and indeuor to call into the ſame, and to inſtruct and conforme all others aſwell Gentiles as Iewes in the true Religion of the moſt holy and euerlaſting God. But, the effecting of all this properly belongeth to that holy Meſsiah, who hath and ſhall hauehave in his time all wiſedome, and all knowledge without meaſure, and thereof ſhall giuegive and diſpoſe aboundantly to others and by his proper miniſterie gather together the out-caſts of Iſrael, bring home them that bee and ſhall be ſcattered abroad, by his wiſedome iuſtifie the multitude in bearing their miſdeedes, and not onelyonly builde of diuers ſtones and ſundry things, a Church and holy Congregation to himſelfe: but alſo defend, foſter, ſuſteine and preſerue the ſame foreuer. Nowe (my Lordes) in all theſe things hath our Lorde the King right worthily prefigured the holy Meſsiah: to the which I hope yée will willy ſubcribe, and thereof conclude with mée, that hee is neither a damned, nor a reprobate,The conſent of the princes. or a prophane perſon: but a ſinguler Saint of the moſt high. To this anſwered the Princes yee hauehave well ſpoken (moſt reuerend father) and ſemblably applyed whatſoeuer yee hauehave produced for the king. Many things whereof wee knowe, and all other things wee beleeue to be true, as yee hauehave declared them: therefore wee will gladly both ſubſcribe to the ſame, and conclude with you for the Kings holines. Morouer, as we hauehave been willing to heare you, and are glad of thoſe your reſolutions: ſo are wee not weary, but more willing as yet to heare you further and further in theſe things: neither ſhall ye bee more ready to ſpeake, then wee ſhall be pleaſed to liſten and learne to vnderſtand the myſteries of the kings excellency and glorie.
Therefore, if ye hauehave any thing elſe to produce, ſay on wee beſeech you.
To this ſaid Zadok: Yea (my Lords) there be as yet, many more Arguments to this purpoſe, and more then I minde at this time to produce. It ſhall be ſufficient that among many, I take ſome few. For the thing being already ſo well proved, that of the trueth fewe or none néede to doubt, it may be bootleſſe for mee to heape together ouer-much, leſt I may not onelyonly ſéeme to affirme and confirme that which no man denieth: but alſo to confound your memories with ambages and tedious circumſtances. But hearken againe. As it hath well pleaſed the Almightie to elect king Solomon, to appoint him the builder of his houſe,Solomon in his dignitie prefigureth Chriſt. to honor his birth, and to entitle him with thoſe moſt ſoueraigne Names: ſo hath hee made him king ouer his people Iſrael, to doe vntounto them equitie and righteouſneſſe. And this the Lorde did in his louelove to his people,1. king. 10. as the noble Queene of Saba ſaid at her being here: and ſo ſaid Hyram the king of Tyrus, writing to the king: Becauſe the Lord loved Iſrael, therefore hath he placed the king over them. Wherein, wee ſee how he typeth the holy Meſsiah, for inſomuch as the Lord loued his Church (I meane all thoſe faithfull ones, whom he had before elected and purpoſed to glorifie in the end) he made his Meſsiah their Prince and Captaine. He gaue vntounto them in his good pleaſure, ſuch a king, as might ſit vponupon mount Sion, from whence he had expelled all the halt and the blinde, that this king of the right Ʋrim and Thumim might be placed, and raigne therein, doing righteouſneſſe and equitie vntounto his Saints. If therefore the Lorde loued Iſrael, and in his pleaſure placed ouer them a king, whom he alſo loued, and by the ſame would prefigurate both his Meſsiah & his Church, what ſhould let vsus in this to conclude for the kings holineſſe? Moreouer, the end of this gouernment ſhooteth to the ſame ſcope: which is to doe equitie and righteouſnes. This our king endeuoured to his power, and ſo much performed, as a mortall man could: but the full perfection thereof indeede is reſerued to the moſt holy ſeede, which is appointed to combine the Lords Iuſtice with his MercieMercy, & therof conclude Equitie: when laying mans guilt on himſelfe, hee ſhall beare the ſtrokes of the diuine iuſtice: and imputing his perfection vntounto man, hee ſhall procure him pardon. Thus ſhall iuſtice be adminiſtred, & yet mercy ſhall not be abandoned: but one thing ſo conſidered with another, that both righteouſneſſe and equitie ſhall bee extended. This worke (I ſay) is proper to the Meſsiah, wherein therefore our Lord king Solomon ſtandeth a true figure. Furthermore to be briefe:Solomons magnanimitie. the K. great magnanimitie expreſſeth the ſame: he ſpared & forbare to puniſh thē which had offended his Maieſtie: as Adoniah, Ioab, and others, whom hee would neuer hauehave ſtruken, had they not after their ſecond offence againſt him worthily deſerued the reward of their wickednes: and how mercifully he dealt with Abiather it is apparent, to ſignifie how ready the Meſsiah ſhall bee to forgiue them that offend him vponupon their ſubmiſſion, after the diuine nature, who (as David the king did ſing) is more ready to pardon, then to puniſh them that ſin againſt him, when they repent, as we ſée in the example of ye ſame David. To this,His wiſedome. may be added, the excellencie of Solomons wiſdō: I mean that pure influence flowing from the glorie of the moſt high, the brightneſſe of that euerlaſting light, that vndefiled mirrour of the divine Maieſtie, and the image of his goodneſſe, that without meaſure: The which ſhall perfectly and fully farre beyond all that the King hath or can hauehave, be found really and actually reſident in the perſon of holy Meſsiah, the fountaine of all wiſedome and heauenly graces, the depth whereof the wit of man is not, nor ſhall euer bee able to ſound,His iudgements and other things. The 2. harlots The prieſthood tranſlated. as long as the worldendureth. Moreouer, his diſcretion in Iudgement concerning the cauſe of the 2. women and their children ſignifieth the maner of dealing of the Meſsiah in iudgemēt between his Church and the malignant in time to come: his tranſlating of the Prieſt-hoode from the houſe of Eli, foretelleth that the Prieſt-hood in time ſhall bee tranſlated when the true Melchizedek ſhall come to offer vp his ſacrifice for the people of God. His iudgement on Adoniah and Ioab, Adoniahs iudgement.fore-ſheweth that the King of glorie in his dayes ſhall powerfully throwe downe and confound all ſuch as bee enemies to the Lords Annointed, and which ſeeke to diſturbe the common-wealth of his Church.Hyram his contribution. The ſending to Hyram the Sidonian for timber and other things for the building of his Temple: ſignifieth that the Meſsiah, as hee is a light for the Gentiles, ſo he ſhall from thence alſo take and gather into the Church, according to the requeſt of Noah, Gen. 9.who prayed that Iaphet might be perſuaded to dwell in the tents of Shem. To this alſo belongeth the comming of the famous Queene of Arabia, The Queene of Sheba.to heare the kings wiſedome, with her royall preſents, and her entertainement: for the time ſhall come, that in the like manner, the kings of the Gentiles, and the people which dwell in the remote and vttermoſt parts of the earth, ſhall be congregated to heare the wiſdom of the holy one, Solomons glorie and riches.and ſhalbe moſt gratefull to him for his loving mercies. Alſo, the great glory and riches of the king ſetteth foorth the high glory and noble vertues of that heauenly king from whoſe kingly ſtocke many princely branches of divine iſſue hauehave and ſhall ſpring out, and of whom the kings father diuinely inſpired propheſied, when he ſpake (in the Pſalme) of his beautie, pſal. 4.5.grace, bleſſing, courage, might, worſhip, renowne, proſperitie, honor, truth, meekenes, righteouſnes, noble actions, ſtrength in warre: of his throne, his ſcepter, his iudgements, his righteouſnes, his annointing: his apparell, his marriage, his royaltie, his Godhead, his praiſe, his eternitie and everlaſting glory. For all theſe things are found and ſhall for euer be well approued, and highly praiſed in that holy Meſsiah, Solomons prayers and ſacrifices which the Lord accepted. 1. king. 8.22.to whom onelyonly the king by the letter pointeth, as the figure to the thing figured. Nowe, with this wee may not forgette, that the king hauing finiſhed the Lords houſe, ſtood before the Altar of the Lord, in the ſight of all the Congregation of Iſrael▪ and ſtretched out his hands towards heauen, and bleſſed the Lord, and praiſed him and his truth: yea, he knéeled alſo on his knées, and prayed vntounto him, that the word might be verified which hee ſpake vntounto David his father, and that it would pleaſe him to hauehave reſpect vntounto his prayer and ſupplication, as well for himſelfe as for the people, praying in that houſe. Alſo he ſtood and bleſſed all the congregation of Iſrael, verſe 56.with a loude voyce ſaying: Bleſſed bee the Lorde that hath given reſt vntounto his people Iſrael: according to all that hee promiſed &c. The Lord our God bee with vsus, as he was with our Fathers, and forſake vsus not, nor leave vsus: but that hee may bowe our hearts vntounto him, that wee may walke in all his wayes, and keepe his Commandements, his ſtatutes and his Lawes, which hee commanded our Fathers. And thoſe my words that I hauehave prayed before the Lorde, bee nigh vntounto Iehovah our GOD day and night, that hee defend the cauſe of his ſervant, the cauſe of his people Iſrael, at all times, as the matter ſhall require, that all nations of the earth may knowe, that Iehovah is God, and none but hee. Moreuer, the King offered Offrings before the Lord, yea, peace-offrings in great aboundance, and therewithall dedicated the houſe which he builded to the Lord with great ioy and gladneſſe. In all the which things Iehovah his God was well pleaſed with him, yea, and with the people through him, heard his prayers, receiued his requeſts, graunted his petitions: and apeared vntounto him in Gibeon, with this comfortable ſaying: I have heard thy Prayer and thine interceſſion, that thou haſt made before mee. For I hauehave hallowed this houſe which thou haſt built to put my name there for ever, and mine eyes and mine heart ſhall be there perpetually. Now conſider, I pray you, what K. Solomon is with the Lorde: will the Lord heare and accept the reprobate, and prophane perſons? or will he honour and eſteeme their works although they ſéeme glorious to the conceits of worldly men? No ſurely. What ſaith the Kings, father touching their prayers.
The prayer of vngodly men is turned into ſinne.Pſal. 100.6
And thus I hauehave heard him to modulate concerning himſelfe, and his eſtimation with the higheſt,
The Lord I know wil not vouchſafe my praier or words to heare
If vntounto ſinne mine heart I ſhould encline, and him not feare:
But if I come into his Courts with offerings worthie praies,
And pay the vowes I promiſed in mine afflicted daies:
If on him with my mouth I call, and with my tongue him bleſſe,
And offer him the ſacrifice of thankes and righteouſnes:
Then will he heare my praiers and conſider of my caſe:
And my requeſt will graunt in time, of his aboundant grace.
In al theſe things therfore, the king is declared to be not only holy and approued of God: but alſo a perfect figure of that moſt holy Seede, who in his time ſhall pray, ſhall offer, ſhall pleaſe God, ſhalbe heard, ſhalbe accepted, and all his deſires performed to the ſatiſfying of his ſoule, & to the health of his people. Finally,The pluralitie of Solomons wiues. the very pluralitie of the kings Wiues & his Concubines, on whom he was enamored and diſhonoured, howſoeuer vnlawfull, offenſiue to God, and a diſgrace to himſelfe, ſhall not be reckoned as a thing vnneceſſarie in this compariſon, ſeeing that the moſt holy Meſsiah, in his ardent zeale for mans recouery, will be contented that the ſerpent ſhall trippe on his heele, Gen. 3.whereby he will be diſhonored and abaſed, whiles he taketh on himſelfe mans ougly deformities and ſinnes, being ſo willing through his owne humiliation and ignominie, to eaſe man ſo burthened, and to bring him home againe vntounto him, from whom hee had farre wandered, and to reconcile him with him, againſt whom hee had monſtrouſly tranſgreſſed. And therefore as his Proverbes, the which for the moſt part, hee vttered in his floriſhing and perfect eſtate, are applicable as chiefly appertaining to the gouernment of a godly family: & as theſe his *Wordes, That is his Eccleſiaſtes. 1.now daily and ordinarily vttered, and ruminated, are applicable, as eſpecially belonging to the ordering of a godly Common-wealth: So alſo thoſe his LoueLove-ſongs, and Ballads entituled *Schir-haſſchirim, The Canticles of Solomon.The Song of ſongs: & compoſed in his yonger dayes (yea, before the twentieth year of his age) ſhall not be reiected or abandoned, but eſteemed and properly applied both to that myſticall and ſpirituall woowing, eſpowſing, combination, and familiar ſocietie & communication of the holy Meſsiah, with his elect and faithfull Saints, of the which hee gathereth and garniſheth a Church as a chaſte Wife to himſelfe. Loe, my Lordes: in theſe and many other ſuch notable things is our Lord K. Solomon, by the will, wiſdom, and providence of God, made an excellent figure of that holy Annointed: and therefore he may not bee eſteemed a naughty or prophane perſon: but to bee taken (as hee is indeede) a Saint of the Lorde. Neither doe I any thing doubt, but that the beſt learned and godly that either now liue, or ſhall come after vsus, will ſo iudge and eſteeme of him, when they ſhall heare and well weigh not onelyonly of that which hath beene ſaid heretofore concerning him, his words, actions, and eſtate: but alſo ſhall plainely beholde the verification thereof in the very perſon and perfect beautie of that promiſed Schilo, the King of righteouſneſſe and higheſt peace, at his happy comming in the world into the appointed time. This being ſayd, all the Princes were much comforted (although in this their kings affliction) and gaue thankes to Zadok, who yet ſeemed further to reſolue and ſatiſfie them in any thing whereof, either any queſtion might bee mooued, or any doubt iuſtly ariſe concerning the kings holines.