King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 28
CAP. XXVIII.
Zadok argueth for the King, concerning his repentance and remiſſion after his Tranſgreſſions.
ZAdok hauing thus farre pleaded for K. Solomon, and with many ſubſtantiall Arguments proued him a Saint of the Lorde, and therefore that hee could not bee either a damned ſoule, or a reprobated wretch, or a prophane perſon as ſome hauehave or might ouer harldy & raſhly cenſure him: the Princes ſhewed themſelues both ioyfull and thankefull. But after a whiles Prince Azariah in the behalfe of the reſt ſtood foorth, opened his mouth and ſayde. Moſt reuerende Father, wee all confeſſe with thankefulnes, that yee hauehave framed a worthie Apologie for the king, and with Arguments ſufficient yee hauehave prooued him to bee not foreign prophane, but foreign a Saint. Neither doe wee doubt of any of thoſe things, but partly know them, and partly beleeue them to be ſo indeede, as yee hauehave ſayde. And God forbidde that any of vsus, by reaſon of our ſuſpenſiue opinions and doubtfull conceites, ſhould tender occaſion to any of them that come after vsus, to bee doubtfull of the King, whom (wee well knowe) the Lorde hath elected, and will preſerue, and whome wee eſteeme (notwithſtanding his ſinnes) a Saint of the Lorde. And in truth, as thoſe perſons which hauehave bruiſed frankinſence, and beene enſenced therewith doe ſmell of the ſame, neither will they by and by loſe the ſauour and ſent thereof, though they bee purged: ſo the King, hauing beene endued with the diuine Spirite, and long exerciſed in the vſe of the right Princely and ſacred vertues, doeth yet, and ſhall enioy the ſweete ſauor and acceptable memorie of the ſame, neither may ſo ſhort a time (as this life is) blotte it out. Whereby being enboldened, hee may therein contemne them that ſhall either diſdayne him, or vniuſtly iudge of either him, his wordes, or actions.
But nowe, becauſe the Kings Remiſſion and Pardone, Solomons ſinnes are pardoned and he remaineth a Saint of the Lord for euer.after his treſpaſſe, was called into queſtion, it may not diſpleaſe your Reuerence, that wee enquire, whether his ſinnes bee remitted: that is, whether the Lorde hath forgiuen and pardoned his treſpaſſes, forgotten his iniquitie, abſolued him of his guiltineſſe, and looſed him from the bandes of eternall death, yea, or no. For they will reply, and thus obiect: It may bee, that hee was a Saint, and ſeruant of Iehovah his GOD, ſo long as hee kept his minde chaſte, his body cleane, his actions without reproofe, and the trueth of his doctrine pure and vnſpotted: Or ſo long as hee well pleaſed GOD, who iuſtifieth the beleeuing ſinner: or ſo long as hee was ordained to ſtand the figure of the holy Meſsiah, wherein hee ſheened in perfite beautie: but afterwarde in his tranſgreſſions and ſinnes he turned his beautie into ougly deformitie. Nor indeede, according to your former words, coulde hee poſſibly bee and remayne the figure of the holy Meſsiah longer, then whiles his beautie remayned perfite in him. Therefore, except hee were forgiuen, and by this his remiſſion clenſed and reſtored to his former excellencie, or at the leaſted admitted into the fauour of GOD, and iuſtified, the former doubt will be ſtill retained, and vrged againſt both him and his words. Therefore let it pleaſe you to reſolue this doubt and ſatiſfie vsus therein, as we know yee are well able (moſt reuerend Father). To this anſwered Zadok. I am moſt willing both to reſolue this doubt, and to ſatiſfie you (my Lords all) in this caſe: therefore, to proue that the King hath obtained merciemercy and pardon of the Lord God for all thoſe his tranſgreſſions, and ſo conſequently ſtandeth and remayneth a Saint and perſon dedicated to the Lorde, notwithſtanding all thoſe his tranſgreſſions, I thus reaſon for my Lord the king. * Whoſoeuer hath truely repented him of his ſinnes, Solomon obteined merciemercy, for he repented him of his ſinnes.hee hath obtained merciemercy and forgiveneſſe: But our Lord King Solomon, hath truely repented him of his ſins, therfore he hath obtained mercy and forgeveneſſe. The firſt propoſition is prooued by many ſounde Arguments and poſitions of holy Scriptures. And firſt by the due conſideration of the Nature of GOD, who as hee hath created man to his owne image and likeneſſe and hath a will to preſerue him, ſo deſireth hee nothing more then his conuerſion and amendement after his falling, as whereby hee may not bee hindered, but furthered and bolpen in his walking towardes the higheſt Glorie: yea, in this hee reſembleth a true father that both pitieth and pardoneth his owne ſonne which hath offended him, vponupon his true repentance, as both Moſes, Iob, and David, of famous memorie hauehave tolde vsus, with other our holy Prophets, who teache and aſſure vsus, from the Lordes owne mouth, that if an vngodly man will turne away from all his ſinnes that hee, hath done, and keepe all his Statutes; and doe the thing that is iudgement and right, hee ſhall doubtleſſe liue and not die: neither ſhall his ſinnes bee either retained or mentioned vntounto him: for God hath no pleaſure in the death of a ſinner: but gladly will bee mercifull vntounto him, and pardon him vponupon his repentance. For God is moſt readie to forgiue. Therefore hee comforteth vsus with this ſaying: Circumciſe the fore-ſkinnes of your heartes:Deut. caſt away your tranſgreſſions, and turne againe vntounto Iehovah, your God, and yee ſhall not dye but liue. And this is that which wee beleeue, and perſuade of our Lorde the king. Surely, Cain himſelfe (though too preſumpſuous and proude in his ſinnes) could inregard hereof ſay: and is my ſinne greater,Gen. 4. then that it can bee pardoned? Knowing, that the promiſe which GOD had made to Adam in Paradize, both imported and included remiſſion, ſaying, that foreign that is, the Seede of the Woman ſhoulde breake the Serpents heade, whereof man, though an execrable ſinner ſhoulde finde both remiſſion and life, with Iehovah his GOD. Next to this wee hauehave a great many comfortable examples, in the Bookes of Moſes, Iob, Ioſuah, the Iudges, and Samuel, as of the pardon offered vntounto Iudah, Lot, the Iſraelites, and to bee briefe, to David the Kings father, to whome the Lorde ſayde by Nathan the Prophet: God hath put away thy ſinnes, thou ſhalt not die, the which hee often remembred in the Booke of the Pſalmes, pſal. 103.3whereof hee alſo prouoketh his ſoule to the praiſe of GOD, who had forgiuen him all his iniquitie and couered all his ſinne. Nowe, as none can forgiue ſinnes, but God onelyonly: ſo thoſe our anceſtors, when they ſinned, perſwading that all their ſinnes were done againſt God, either immediately or by meanes, they would in the hope of remiſſion and health repaire vntounto him, ſeeking firſt to bee reconciled with his grace, before they would goe vntounto men, remembering what olde Eli the Prieſt,1. Sam. 2. ſaide ſome-times to his children. If a man ſinne againſt man (ſayde hee) the Iudge may decide it: but if a man ſinne againſt GOD, who ſhall bee his Vmpire, or Dayes-man? Moreouer, knowing that pardon required precedent Repentance, without the which, who will forgiue him that offendeth him among men: they neither preſumed to approach the diuine throne with proud, inſolent and preſumptuous Spirites but with contrite and humble heartes, deſiring merciemercy for ſinnes committed and confeſſed with great ſubmiſſion. For albeit, that Repentance be very ſharpe and bitter to the ſinner and many men had leaner ſinne openly, then repent ſecretly: yet is this the Medicine of treſpaſſes, the conſumption of iniquities, a weapon againſt Satan, and a ſharpe ſworde prepared and able to daunt the deadly aduerſarie.
This is the hope of health, the purchaſe of merciemercy and way to felicitie: I cannot yet ceaſe, but ſpeake againe of this ſoueraigne treaſure, and medicine of the ſinners ſore, beeing therein as full as the Moone, and moſt willing to bee powred foorth in the excellencie thereof, ſo full of conſolation, and rich bleſſings. This is that, which (through the merciemercy of the liuing God in the promiſed ſeede) remitteth ſinnes, openeth the gates of Paradize, ſalueth the man that is broken in heart, and gladeth them that bee ſorowfull. This is that, which calleth a mans life from deſtruction, reſtoreth his eſtate, reneweth his decayed honour, giueth him boldneſſe, reformeth his ſpirites, and powreth in grace vponupon grace.
This is that, which looſeth things bounde, clarifieth things obſcure and animateth things deſperate. The beautie of this vertue is as cleare, as the Sunne: as bright as the Moone, as gliſtring as the Starres. The ſweetnes thereof is as honye, the price as golde, and the eſtimation beyonde all precious ſtones: For this is that, which neither ſinne ouer-commeth, nor defection deſtroyeth, nor diſpaire blotteth out. Finally, this abandoneth all vices, imbraceth all vertues, tormenteth ſinne, extolleth righteouſneſſe, obtaineth mercies, produceth vertues, freeth ſinners, recouereth the loſt, recreateth the deſperate,He that can truely repent▪ needeth not to doubt of ſaluation. refreſheth the harde labourer, and bringeth to her poſſeſſors eternall happineſſe. For by this a man ſhall bee ſaued, although hee hath lead all his life in ſinne (as there is no man which ſinneth not, full often and eueryevery day.) Such an excellent thing is true Repentance! But yee will ſaye? Howe is this wrought in a man?howe is this repentance wrought in man? Howe ſhall a man truely repent? Indeede, this thing is not wrought in man of mans owne power nor wiſedome, For GOD ſtayeth not to expect it from mans wiſedome or abilitie, (for ſo may both his expectation bee fruſtrated, and man bee deceiued) but it is the goodneſſe of GOD to renewe them by repentance, which are waxen olde in ſinne.
Therefore the Sinner ſhoulde neuer deſpaire,Deſpaire not of merciemercy. nor fall from hope: neither ſhoulde hee bee aſhamed to repent, but aſhamed to ſin: and conſider that as the one is a wound, ſo the other is a medicine for the wound: Sinne is the wound: Repentance is the medicine: the wounde hath ſhame, the medicine hath boldneſſe: the wound is made by the malice of the deuill: the medicine is wrought by the louelove and goodneſſe of GOD, in the merite of the holy Meſsiah, which beareth and waſheth away all the ſinnes of them that truely repent.The princes. * To this the Princes hauing yeelded attentiueneſſe, with great gladneſſe conſented, eſteeming the Oration as profitable as it was plauſible, and as fruitfull, as gladſome vntounto them. And then among them ſtood foorth the Prieſt Abiather, Abiather obiecteth.and ſayde. Yee hauehave well ſpoken concerning the former propoſition (moſt reuerend Father,) It is likewiſe in requeſt, that yee prooue the Minor. For it may bee called into queſtion heereafter, whether the King hath truely repented him, yea, or no? For except this bee prooued, what is any thing of that which yee hauehave ſpoken touching Repentance, appertinent vntounto him? and if it concerneth not him, what profite takes he thereof, for hee is not remitted? or how is our common queſtion anſwered, and the doubt reſolued?zadok proveth that king Solomon repented. To the which anſwered Zadok, neither is this queſtion ſo hard to bee anſwered vntounto, nor the doubt intricate to bee diſſolued: for if there were none other Argument whereby to proue the kings true Repentance: yet is this enough, that he is a Saint, a perſon dedicated to the Lorde: therefore he is not fallen from hope, therefore hee is truely repentant: For as the ſtrong foundation ſtandeth ſtill, hauing this Seale, The Lorde knoweth them that bee his:The ſaints do not fall away for euer. ſo wee may not thinke, that the Saints of God, for whom merciemercy is euer kept in ſtore, can fall vtterly away from hope, or bee ſhut out from merciemercy in the time of their neede. For as the wood whoſe nature is to ſwimme on the water, may yet beeing ouer-laden with yron ſinke, but the yron beeing taken off, the wood neuertheles aſcendeth againe to the head of the water and ſwimmeth: Neither may we ſay, that it is no wood, becauſe it did ſinke once to the bottome:Though the faithfull fall, yet they riſe vp againe, So though the righteous men whoſe nature is by Faith to ſtand and walke in Gods way, being oppreſſed with the burthen of ſinne through the deuils malice, do vnhappily couch downe (as with Iſachar between two burdens) yet may we not rightly ſaye, that they are not of the Lords choſen: for it is ſo, that whenſoeuer that burden is remoued (as it is from them that repent) they riſe againe and bee renued, as in their former eſtate, and beeing of that generation and nature, it is not poſſible that they ſhoulde fall vtterly away: for the ſonnes of God do not ſo apoſtate that they fall into eternall perdition, howſoeuer they ſinne and ſinke vnderunder their ſins. For the iuſt man falleth, but he riſeth againe. And therein they be likened to the herbe Adyanton, which beeing ſteeped deep in the waters (though a long time) will neuertheles (beeing taken vp) appeare very dry. For the righteous man, which had fallen, after his riſing againe by Repentance, is as beautifull as euer he was, maugre the malice of the Serpent. And touching this doctrine I hauehave heard the King himſelfe to ſay (according to the truth of the holy writings and words of our Prophets) that the ſoules of the righteous are in the handes of God, Theſe be Solomons wordes which afterward were gathered by philo the Iew. Sap. 31.and there ſhall no torment touch them. &c. Again. God proveth them and findeth them meete for himſelfe: as gold in the furnace doth he try them and receiveth them as a burnt offering, and when the time commeth they ſhalbe looked vponupon. Againe. They that put their trust in the Lord ſhall vnderſtand the truth: and ſuch as be faithfull ſhall perſevere with him in love. For his ſaincts have grace and mercy, Sap. 4 15.and he hath care for them. Againe. The loving favour and mercy of God is vponupon his ſaincts, and he hath reſpect vntounto his choſen. Moreouer I hauehave heard the kinges Father to ſay. The Lord will not permit the righteous to fall for ever; though for their triall and bettering hee ſuffer them to ſlide for a time. pſal. 55.22.And th'excellent prophets Nathan and Gad, hauehave preached, and others the Lords Prophets and holy men hauehave, and do yet preach: that God loueth his choſen with an eternall louelove, therefore he draweth them vntounto himſelfe by his mercy (although they ſinne ſeuen times in a day) whereby they riſe againe, and are renewed. Therefore it cannot bee that this perſon (I meane King Solomon, ſo holy, elected and beloued of God) ſhold find no place of true Repentance after his ſinnes committed. Neither may we in equitie and charitie (being indeede witneſſes of ſuch his Repentance) but teſtify and auouch the ſame, before the whole world. But be it, that his Repentance were neither apparant, nor here proteſted by vsus, ſhould the king therfore,If this were not ſo plainely teſtified▪ yet might not Solomon be iuſtly condemned as a reprobate. which is ſo holy a man, and the Lords choſen be condemned? God forbid. And it were too ſharpe a cenſure either to ſay ſo, or to think that eueryevery perſon whoſe ſins hauehave beene laid open in the holy Scriptures, hath not been truly repentant, except that alſo ſuch his repentance hath beene expreſly and plainely depainted and ſet foorth in the ſame.Adam his repentance. What plaine or expreſſe mention (I beſeech you) is there made in the holy Scriptures of Adams repentance after his fall in whome wee bee all caſt away by nature, howſoeuer the ſame is preſumed or gathered by circumſtances? or of the repentance of Noah after his drunkennes?Noah. Lot. Sampſon. Simeon. Levi. Iudah. or of Lot, after his inceſt, or of Sampſon after his daliances with Dalila? or of Iacobs ſonnes Simeon and Levi, which againſt the mind of their Father, dealt deceitfully and cruelly with Hemor the ſonne of Sichem and his citizens? or of Iudah th'eldeſt ſonne of Iacob after his ſinne with Thamar his daughter in lawe? hee confeſſed (indeede) that ſhee was more iuſt then hee, ſo did Pharao alſo confeſſe, that the Lord was righteous, and that hee and his people were Sinners. Surely, albeit that theſe and many other the Lordes choſen, hauehave beene both noted in the holy Scriptures which are extant before vsus, and alſo puniſhed in ſome meaſure for their ſinnes and offences: yet did it not alwayes follow, that the repentance of eueryevery of them hath beene ſo largely declared to the world, or ſo plainely ſet foorth in wordes as was the repentance of David the Kinges Father,Davids repentance. and of ſome of others: And yet, who ſhould either in wiſedome, reaſon, equity, or good conſcience, call their repentance, conuerſion or turning againe to the Lord, into queſtion, to whome the Lorde hath expreſſed the full aſſurance of his louelove and mercy in their liues? What ſaid the King in this caſe Though the righteous be overtaken by death, yet ſhal he bee at reſt. Againe. The ſoules of the righteous are in the hand of God & their ſhall none evill touch them. Worthily hauehave theſe golden ſayings beene taken from his mouth,Sap. 4.7. and copied out and conſerued for the poſteritie, to giuegive comfort vntounto the Lordes choſen, and to ſatiſfy them that might otherwiſe condemne themſelues and their cauſe in the conſideratiō of their puniſhments and miſeries in this life. Therefore it is true, that as the man which hath beene long nooſeled vp in vices, will not onelyonly with much adoe leaue them, and leauing them will yet retaine ſome ſauour thereof in his perſon: as ſuch which hauing beene long clogged with iron fetters, will yet halte after they bee looſed; ſo on the contrary parte, hee that hath beene brought vp and exerciſed in holy vertues, will not ſoone looſe the habite, much leſſe the ſauor of them: as thoſe veſſels will long retaine and yeeld the ſmack of that liquor which was in them firſt ſteeped, although they bee waſhed and aſſayed to bee purged from the ſame. Neither may wee thinke, but that if (after the opinion of the very heathen Philoſophers) one vice ouerthroweth not a vertue in habite, much rather ſhoulde wee of Iſrael, not ſo much as imagine, that one or a few faultes of the children of God occaſioned either of ignoraunce, or of feare, or of infirmitye, or of naturall concupiſcence, or of the malice of the olde Serpent, ſhoulde rent aſunder an habite of holineſſe, and ſo infringe or weaken the power of Gods free election and louelove, the which by his ſpirite euer worketh a godly repentance, vntounto them which are elected and by the ſame in mercy appointed to glory. For thoſe whome in his louelove hee hath elected before all worldes, hee wil in his mercy pardon and glorifie: and for that purpoſe hee giueth them a godly repentance, as that which is ordained for the calling home againe, and recouery of thoſe the Lords choſen whom the Serpent had beguiled and ſeduced. For the Lorde our God will not looſe any one of them which appertaine vntounto him: nor will hee ſuffer his truth to faile.