The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 5 · Section 15 – Section 16
SECT. XV.
HItherto we have ſeen the ſingular piety, the extraordinary wiſdom, and the wonderful proſperity and glory of King Solomon, who might well be call'd Jedidjah, the beloved of God, 2 Sam. 12.15. But alas! we come now to ſpeak of that which is ſtrange and wonderful to be found in Solomon, viz. his revolt from God in the latter part of his life, and after he had received ſo many ſignal and extraordinary favours from him, the Lord was pleaſed to permit him to fall (a)Labi Deus eum voluit ne prudentiae humanae nimium tribueretur. Anonym.that all poſterity might learn how frail man is, (even the wiſeſt of men) when left to himſelf, and if God withdraw his ſupporting hand from him. The occaſion of his fall was his inordinate loving of many ſtrange women (beſides the daughter of Pharaoh) women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites. So that he ſinned firſt in having ſo many wives contrary to the Law, Deut. 17.17. Neither ſhall he multiply wives to himſelf.
2ly. In that his wives and concubines were ſtrange women (not Iſraelites) and of Idolatrous Nations, and ſuch as God had charged the Iſraelites not to mix in marriage with, leſt they ſhould turn their hearts from him to their Idols, Exod: 34.16. David had but ſix wives, [ſee 2 Sam. 3.] but Solomon had ſuch a prodigious number as ſcarce ever was heard of. The Text ſays 700 wives, and 300 concubines. In Cant. 6.8. he mentions only threeſcore Queens, and fourſcore Concubines, and Virgins without number. So that poſſibly he had but threeſcore wives or Queens (whom by marrying he had made Princeſſes if they were not ſo before) and the reſt (that made up the number 700) were young maidens and virgins that attended on them. He had alſo fourſcore Concubines (b)Uxores hae erant ſecundariae ac legitima., or wives of an inferiour degree, and they had maidens to attend them that made up their number 300.
3ly. He loved them too inordinately (c)Diſce hinc carnis affectus non obſequendo ſed potius reluctando & obtundendo imminui: nam cum eis quis ceſſerit indies majores & vehementiores illos experitur. P. Martyr., and (which is ſtrange) in his old age (d)Solomon in ſenectate otio marceſcens, inſanis amoribus operam dabat., when thoſe affections uſe to languiſh in others, it ſeems they were ſtrong in him.
4ly. He permitted them to worſhip Idols; they by their cunning and ſubtilty (taking advantage of his weakneſs in his old age) won upon him to give way to their Idolatry. Not that he was ever brought to eſteem their Idols as Gods, or that he himſelf did worſhip them; (for if he had done ſo, 'tis like he would have brought them into the Temple) but he gave way to the open and publick Idolatrous worſhip of his wives, yea furthered it, by ſuffering them to build Temples for their Idols; and thus his Idolatrous wives turned his heart from the Commandments of God, which enjoin'd him to root out Idolatry; but (it ſeems) his carnal love to them devouring his zeal for God; he was ſo far from rooting it out that he permitted it, and thereupon is ſaid to have followed *Dicitur ſequutus Deos alienos quod eorum cultum non repulcrit. Debuit quatenus vir ab Idololatria uxores reprimere, quatenus vero Rex ditionem ſuam in vero Dei cultu retinere. Horum neutrum praeſtitit, ſed uxorum blanditiis dilinitus, Templa & Fana extruxit, & impenſas ad Sacrificia & Sacerdotes ſuppeditavit.after Aſhtaroth (e)See Judg. 2.13.the Goddeſs of the Zidonians, and Milcom (f)Levit. 18.21.or Molech the Abomination of the Ammonites, namely becauſe he connived at the worſhip of theſe Idols. And (to the great aggravation of his guilt) he permitted(g)V. 7. Aedificavit, ſcil. permiſit ut uxores aedificarent. Non increpavit eas. a Temple or an Image, or both to be built for Chemoſh (h)Numb. 21.29.(the Abomination of Moab) and for Molech on Mount Olivet (i)And there it ſeems they continued till Joſiahs days, 2 King. 23.13.nigh unto Jeruſalem, even in the very face and as it were to affront the Temple of the living God. And though at firſt poſſibly he granted this favour but only to two or three of his Idolatrous wives, yet the reſt by degrees ſo far wrought upon him that he was fain to gratifie all of them that ſought to him for it, and undoubtedly many of the people were hereby enſnar'd. And thus he ſhewed that his heart was not ſo upright with God as his Father Davids was. For though David was guilty of many groſs ſins, yet he never yielded to any Idolatry, but kept the worſhip and ſervice of God pure all his days. And a great aggravation of Solomon's guilt it was that he turned from obſerving the Commandments of the Lord who had in ſo extraordinary a manner twice appeared to him, viz. once at Gibeon, [Ch. 3.5.] and a ſecond time at Jeruſalem, [Ch. 9.2.] and had commanded him particularly to take heed of this thing, namely not to go after other Gods. The Lord therefore had juſt cauſe to be angry with him for this, and accordingly he ſent Ahiah the Shilonite or ſome other Prophet to him to ſpeak to him after this manner: Thus ſaith the Lord, Foraſmuch as thou haſt done this, and haſt not kept my Covenant (a)A Covenant when applied to God ſignifies a Law appointed or enjoyned to be kept, and that with promiſe of reward to them that keep it, and of penalty to ſuch as tranſgreſs it. Deut. 29.9, 25., and my ſtatutes which I commanded thee, I will ſurely rend the greateſt part of thy Kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy ſervant. But I will not do it in thy days becauſe of my promiſe to David thy Father, [2 Sam. 7. from v. 12, to 16.] but I will rend it out of the hand of thy Son, and ſo thou ſhalt be puniſhed(b)Monentur hinc Parentes ut ſancte vivant ne filiis poenas intempeſtive attrahant. in him. Yet I will not rend away the whole Kingdom from him, but will give him one (c)He ſpeaks here of one of the Tribes that belonged to the Kingdom of Iſrael conſidered as ſeparate from the Kingdom of Judah, which in regard of its eminency was reckoned apart from the reſt of the Tribes. See 1 Sam. 11.8. So much alſo of Simeon as lay within Judah was compriſed under Judah. See Joſh. 19. from 1, to 9.of the Tribes of Iſrael (viz. Benjamin) beſides the Tribe of Judah. [See 2 Chron. 11.12.] And this I will do for David my ſervants ſake, and for Jeruſalem's ſake which I have choſen for the place of my publick worſhip, and the ſeat of the Kings from whom the Meſſiah (who I have promiſed) is to come.
1 King. 11. from v. 1, to 14.
SECT. XVI.
SOlomon (as 'tis conceived) was ſo terrified with this threatning that he repented of his ſin, and as an evidence of his repentance wrote his Book call'd Eccleſiaſtes, in which he publiſheth to the world his remorſe for his former ſins and follies, and the vanities to which he had been too intemperately addicted.*Eccleſiaſtes, or the Preaching Soul, truly penitent, gathering it ſelf to the Church, and by wholſome admonitions gathering others alſo that were going aſtray after vanity. In this Book he reflects upon the honours, pleaſures and wealth he had ſo abundantly enjoyed; the errors and miſcarriages he had fallen into; the obſervations he had made of things Natural, Moral, Domeſtical, Civil, Senſual and Divine; and the curious enquiry he had made after true happineſs. And in the firſt ſix Chapters he ſhews wherein it doth not conſiſt, and in the ſix laſt wherein it doth.
And firſt, he ſhews it doth not conſiſt in knowledg, either Natural or Moral.
2. Not in pleaſures or ſenſual delights.
3. Not in honour, greatneſs and power, which is ſo far from making men happy that without the fear of God to correct and temper it, it is ordinarily the occaſion of much wickedneſs in them that have it, and of much miſery to others.
4. Not in an outward formal religiouſneſs.
5. Not in riches and great poſſeſſions which are often ſnares and occaſions of much hurt to the poſſeſſours, who muſt leave them, and many times they know not to whom.
Then he ſhews wherein mans happineſs doth conſiſt: 1. In contentation of mind, and the free and regular, and joyful fruition of Gods bleſſings and the comforts he gives us with humility, moderation and thankfulneſs.
2. In a quiet and humble acquieſcence in the will of God.
3. In ſincerity of heart in the worſhip of God, and in a due care that we offend not in vows, prayers, and addreſſes unto him.
4. In patience of ſpirit under all oppreſſions.
5. In a compoſed preparedneſs of mind to undergo afflictions.
6. In a pious and prudent behaviour towards all men, that ſo we may preſerve our names from calumny, and our perſons from danger.
7. In meekneſs, charity and patience towards ſuch as offend us, conſidering humane frailty.
8. In a due deportment of our ſelves towards our Superiours, that our lives may not be made uncomfortable to us by their diſpeaſure.
9. In a practical prudence or wiſdom rightly to judg and diſcern of times wherein things are to be done.
10. In ſubmiſſion to the holy and invincible Providence of God, admiring his works, and adoring his judgments.
11. In a conſcionable induſtriouſneſs in our particular Callings.
And laſtly, he concludes that in old age (elegantly deſcribed by him) and at death it will appear that to fear the Lord and keep his commandments is both the duty and the happineſs of man, and the chief thing wherein it conſiſts.
And ſo much of the Book of Eccleſiaſtes.