King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 37
CAP. XXXVII.
Of the gladnes and pleaſurs of men, and of the works of Princes. &c.
ABiather being requeſted by the princes to bring foorth whatſoeuer hee had els heard obiected againſt the kings words anſwered againe and ſaid: I hauehave heard yet many other thinges, whereby ſome would endeuor to deface the authoritie of his Sermons. But I am ſure that your wiſdome (moſt reuerend Father) will eaſily ſtoppe their mouthes, and ſatiſfie vsus and others,Cap. 6. which hauehave not a deſire to wreſt the kings meaning, and thus they obiect, that the king is not onelyonly penſiue and ſorrowfull, but alſo that he much ſpeaketh againſt all kind of gladneſſe of other men: yea, he condemneth all pleaſant thinges and delights, all mirth and paſtime with the vſe of the creatures: for he hath ſaid (indeede) Go to, let me prove thee in gladnes, Cap. 2.& take thou delight in pleaſant things: but lo, this alſo was vanitie: Againe hee ſaid I have esteemed laughter, for an accuſtomed fooliſhnes and of mirth, I ſaid what is that, which is don? I have deliberated in mine heart to powre foorth my fleſh to wine &c. And this was alſo vanity. Then anſwered Zadok: As we hauehave heard the kings words:zadok anſwereth. ſo it is meete that wee conſider how beſt to vnderſtand them. Surely wee may not thereof gather that the king condemneth all kind of gladnes and all delights:Solomon condemneth not all kind of gladnes. etc. nor that he holdeth al the creatures prophane, which the L. hath made for the vſe of man: wee may not think, that the king in ſo deuoid of reaſon and natural ſenſe, But thus we may vnderſtand him: that as before hee had proved by many ſubſtantiall arguments, that mans felicitie, and ſo his contentation is not contained within the limits either of the labors, wiſdom or deuiſes of the ſons of men: ſo now in like ſort, he proueth by thoſe his words, yt the ſame is neither foūd nor indeed conſiſteth in the pleaſures & delights of thoſe ſons of men, the wc are ſuch pleaſures & delights as are throughly pondered with wickednes and many lewd luſts, that often ouerwhelme men in perdition. Therefore all men are to beware (the rather by the Kings example) how they follow after their owne luſts in the waies of their ſinfull affections. And their are to reſpect this, that the thoughts of their hearts and deſires conſent with the ſpirit and worde of God,The true contempt of the world. the which wil neither deceiue them nor occaſion them to repent the ſame. And this is the true contempt of the worlde when being guided by Gods ſpirit they abſtaine from proſecuting and effecting their owne luſts, pleaſures and delights.Solomons veyne in his luſts But to draw more neere to the obiection: The time was (and that lately) when the king would excéede beyond his boundes, and ſo he abuſed thoſe good thinges, which he might hauehave vſed for his ſolace and recreation: for hee ſaide to his ſoule I will prove thee with ioy and gladnes: or (as it may be ſaide) J will ſwimme in thoſe delights, I will dedicate my ſelfe to thoſe pleaſures, nor will I deſiſt, or omit any occaſion whatſoeuer, vntill I hauehave fulfilled my deſire: yea I will wholy regard how I may liue in ye world moſt pleaſantly, & prouide, that nothing may bee interpoſed to hinder thoſe my luſtfull delights. This was (indeede) his purpoſe in that fleſhly conceit of his: but he ſaw,No contentation in worldly pleaſures. that this was alſo a vaine deuiſe: for in the preparing of thoſe pleaſures, there was more coſt then comlines, much more labor then profit, and (to be briefe) he found that in all thoſe delights (when the iuſt reckoning was taken) there was more paine then p…eaſure, and no contentation at all: for one labour brought in another, one ſtudy and deuiſe another; one pleaſure required another, and for the moſt part determined in ſorrow and griefe. Now this is that which the King here condēneth and not that honeſt and lawful ioy and recreation which is either incident to mans nature, whereof he is called a riſible creature, or proper to the Saintes of GOD in this life, wherein they reioice in the LORD and praiſe him for his benefites (as David vſed with inſtrumentes of muſique: Howbeit, as in the former, ſo neither in this is contained mans higheſt felicitie which is not founde in this life: But the worde which the King vſeth, noteth (as yee well knowe) rather a lightneſſe of the mind, and an immoderate and vnmeaſurable laughter to expreſſe the ſame, then that pleaſure or mirth which is proper to mans nature. And ſuch perſons as are light minded, and exceſſiue and vnmeaſurable in their ſportes and laughters, hee might worthily call madde perſons or fooles: For as they are prophane and fooliſh indeede, ſo they bewray themſelues eſpecially to the wiſe and contrite in heart, as madde and moſt vnwiſe. For by this, they vnfolde the leuitie of their carnall minds, they hinder in themſelues and others the ſtudies of thinges profitable, they ſhut out from their heartes the feare of God they forget their owne condition in this life, they be made meere vnfit for true repentance: and to bee ſhort, they commonly finiſh thoſe kinde of ſportes and laughters in payne, ſorrow and lamentation.Pleaſures are pronoſtications of future paines. For it is often ſéene that ſuch vnmeaſurable ſportes and pleaſures are pronoſtications of imminent troubles and great afflictions, the which beſides dayly and ordinary experience, is taught and ſignified by many examples and argumentes aſwell of the bruite Creatures, as of others ſo worthy conſideration. The Delphins in the Sea will ſometimes play and leape ſo high, as they will ſkippe ouer the hulls and bodies of Shippes ſayling in the ſame: But ſoone after that will follow a great tempeſt, wherein their pleaſure is recompenced with deadly payne. Thus our Fathers the Iſraelites plaied and ſported in the wildernes and leapt and danced before the Calfe which Aaron had made: but within a whiles after followed on them a great ſlaughter:Exo. 32.27. for every man ſlew his brother, eueryevery man his companion, and eueryevery man his neighbor. Thus the young men played in the time of David, in the preſence of Abner and Ioab, 2. Sam. 2.14.and thereof many men fell and periſhed: Thus the Philiſtines laughed and played with Sampſon, Iudg. 15.and they were deſtroyed in their ſporte. Thus the children of Iob feaſted and ſported and the houſe fell on them and killed them all.*Here ſhould wee learne to ſettle our minds and laughters in things that be more profitable, and not to excéed in pleaſures of thoſe vanities. And truly if a man did duly conſider & remēber frō whence he came, what he is in this world & whether he is to go frō hence, he wold rather lament his condition & miſery with abūdance of tears then to ſeek to ſatiſfy himſelfe in thoſe vain delights: according to yt wc is framed out of Moſes ſong in yt part. Oh if thou waighest frō whence thou art, how placed in dāgers deepe, And finally whereto aſſignde:Deut. 32.29. thou wouldſt not laugh but weepe In the like meaning the king hath ſpoken of Wine. For hee condemneth not the vſe of the creature, which in it nature is to be taken and vſed as other the creatures appointed for man.The vſe of wine and ſtrong drinke. But he reproueth and condemneth that immoderate drinking and quaffing, whereby men be made drunken and inſolent, and that kind of life which they accuſtome to lead with delight, in wine and pleaſures of the fleſh. This was the ſame which the Kings mother diſliked chiefly in a king, when ſchooling him (yet but a child) ſhe ſaid:pro. 31.4. It is not for kings O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drinke wine, nor for princes ſtrong drinke: and ſhe addeth the reaſon leſt he drinke and forget the decree and the iudgement of all the children of affliction. Otherwiſe it is not vnlawfull for kings and for princes to drinke wine in the true vſe thereof, and ſtrong drinke may be taken moderately, as other the creatures. Therfore ſhe ſaid againe to him: Give the strong drinke vntounto him that is ready to perriſh and wine vntounto them that hauehave griefe of heart. Let him drinke that he may forget his povertie and remember his affliction no more: It was lawfull for righteous Noah to drinke of wine to comfort his heart after his trauailes on the ſtood: but it was not lawful for him to be drunken therwith: the like may be reſolued of Lot and of Solomon our K. Therefore in his godly confeſſion he ſaid not, I wil drinke, or vſe wine: but that he ſaide as vntounto his heart, I wil power thee out in wine, yt is, I wil apply my ſelfe to the luſt of wine,Iudg. 9.13. & ſwim or abounde exceſſiuely therein. This is yt which the K. condēneth in himſelfe as vnlawful & not the true vſe of the creatures, which cheareth God & man, as lotham ſaid. But this one thing I may remember wt the former, yt the K. found by his experiēce (as he cōfeſſed) that impoſſible it was for him to lead that kind of life,pietie and voluptuouſnes may not concurre. & neuertheles retaine the diuine feare within his heart. For as GOD would not permit, that one and the ſame altar ſhoulde ſerue for himſelfe and for ye Idol Dagon too, ſo wil he not, that voluptuouſneſſe and ſinne ſhoulde bee ſet to bee adored there where his Spirite inhabiteth, for hee is a iealous God. Therefore as there is placed a diuiſion betweene light and darkeneſſe: ſo is there ſet a great difference and ſpace betweene wiſedome and wine in that abuſe, between godlines and carnal pleaſures, betweene pietie and impietie, righteouſnes and ſinne. Neither let any man imagine, that together with the one hee may holde or retayne the other no more then our fathers could reliſh both Manna and Egypt fare in the deſert, yee hauehave then anſwered ſufficiently to this obiection, moſt reuerend Father. Obiection. It is further obiected that the King condemneth diuers other the delights and workes of Kinges, yea all the pleaſures of the children of men, which in commō eſtimation are not only pleaſant but profitable too: as namely the effecting of mighty workes, the building of great houſes, the planting of fruitfull vineyardes, the making of pleaſant Paradiſes and faire gardens, the framing of Ceſternes of water to water the woods that grow, with the trées, the multiplying of ſeruants and maides, and of children to be borne in his houſe: to procure great ſtore of Beefes and ſheepe to gather ſiluer and gold, & the chiefe treaſures of Kings and prouinces: to get men-ſingers, and women-ſingers,Eccles. 2.4.11 and the delights of the ſonnes of men &c. For hee hath ſaide, when he looked on all thoſe thinges: Beholde, I hauehave found all vanitie, and there is no profit vnderunder the ſunne. To this anſwered Zadoke: As I hauehave ſaid before of the true vſe of Gods creatures: ſo ſay I in this, that lawfull it is not onelyonly for kinges and princes: but alſo for other men (after their power and place to hauehave and vſe all thoſe thinges: but the limited boundes being tranſgreſſed, the vanity thereof appeareth, and that indéed not ſeldome, ſeeing there be very few, who hauing them at full can meaſure their appetites, and be contained within the limits of their vocation. Hereof we know, that it is not enough for men to hauehave riches, wealth, honours, pleaſures and ſuch like: except that they alſo meaſure themſelues well, and apply the thinges to their right ends. For God hath giuen and diſpoſed his giftes diuerſly to diuers perſons, to this end, that they glorifie him in the vſe of them, doe good therewith one to another, and diſcharge their proper duties in their places.A cooling carde for worldly men, who ſeke felicity of theſe things Laſtly, the King hauing learned the leſſon of true conſideration, did in the end confeſſe, that in al thoſe things he could find no contentation, & ſo neither felicitie: but that indeed he found great vanitie and vexation of his ſpirite. Alas then what ſhoulde other men hope to finde? Might not this ſtoppe the mouths of them, who ſay, that then they ſhoulde bee happy had they the wealth, the riches, the power, the honors, and the pleaſures of glorious king Solomon? as if, forſooth that in thoſe terrene and tranſitorie thinges the true happines of man conſiſted. But truly as they bewray their corrupt iudgement and error in and about this chiefe principle: ſo if (by the will and pleaſure of God) they had therein their deſire, it is not only poſſible, but moſt certain, that they woulde tranſgreſſe and offend farre beyond the tranſgreſſions and offences of King Solomon: and wanting that wiſedome which he had to guide and direct them, they would quickly declare themſelues the greateſt fooles in the worlde. For man beeing in honor, without vnderſtanding, is compared to the Beaſts which periſh, as King David ſaid, when he beheld both the vpriſing, and downe falling of many ſuch perſons, as hauing the things of this worlde at will, could neither vſe the ſame to their own good, nor with the ſame defend and preſerue themſelues from euill, albeit, (eſtéeming the ſame aboue God and all goodneſſe) they placed therein their higheſt and chiefe felicitie. In regarde whereof, the pleaſures, honors, glory and proſperity of this world are compared to a ſhining candle, which for the time it burneth giueth a glorious light, but the ſubſtance whereof it is maintained beeing conſumed, the ſame commeth all to ſmoke and ſtinche: for the time will come when thou ſhalt grant and confeſſe with the King, that all theſe thinges are vanitie, and vexation of the ſoule, & that not ſo much in regarde of the thinges themſelues, as of thine owne abuſe and erronious thoughts in and concerning the ſame.