and a dreadful horrible day for them that decline from God, walking in their own ways; to whom, as it is written in the twenty-fifth of Matthew, is said, Ite, maledicti, in ignem eternum, "Go, ye cursed, into everlasting punishment, where shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." But unto the other he shall say; Venite, benedicti, "Come, ye blessed children of my Father, possess ye the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world;" of the which God make us all partakers. Amen.

THE

SECOND SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE KING EDWARD,

MARCH 15th.

ROMANS xv. 4.

Quæcunque scripta sunt; ad nostram doctrinam, &c.

All things that are written in God's book, in the holy Bible, they were written before our time, but yet to continue from age to age, as long as the world doth stand.

IN this book is contained doctrine for all estates, even for kings. A king herein may learn how to guide himself. I told you in my last sermon much of the duty of a king, and there is one place behind yet, and it followeth in the text: Postquam autem sederit in solio regni sui, &c., "And when the king is set in the seat of his kingdom, he shall write him out a book, and take a copy of the priests, or Levites." (Deut. xviii.) He shall have a book with him, and why? To read in it all the days of his life, to learn to fear God, and learn his laws and other things, as it followeth in the text with the appurtenances, and hangings on, that he turn not from God, neither to the right hand, nor to the left. And wherefore shall he do this?"That he may live long, he and his children.”

Hitherto goeth the text. That I may declare this the better, to the edifying of your souls and the glory of God, I shall desire you to pray, &c.

Et postquam, &c., " And when the king is set in the seat of his kingdom, &c."

Before I enter into this place, right honourable audience, to furnish it accordingly, which by the grace of God I shall do at leisure, I would repeat the place I was in last, and furnish it with an history or two, which I left out in my last sermon. I was in a matter concerning the sturdiness of the Jews, a froward and stiff-necked kind of people, much like our English

men now-a-days, that in the minority of a king, take upon them to break laws, and to go by-ways. For when God had promised them a king, when it came to the point, they refused him. These men walked by-walks; and the saying is, many by-walks, many balks; many balks, much stumbling; and where much stumbling is, there is sometimes a fall: howbeit there were some good walkers among them, that walked in the king's highway ordinarily, uprightly, plain Dunstable way; and for this purpose I would shew you an history which is written in the third of the Kings.

King David being in his childhood, an old man in his second childhood, for all old men are twice children, as the proverb is, Senex bis puer, an old man twice a child; it happened with him, as it doth oftentimes, when wicked men of a king's childhood take occasion of evil.

This King David being weak of nature, and impotent, insomuch that when he was covered with clothes, he could take no heat, was counselled of his servants to take a fair young maid to nourish him, and to keep him warm in his body; I suppose she was his wife. Howbeit he had no bodily company with her, and well she might be his wife. For though the scripture doth say, Non cognovit eam, "He knew her not," he had no carnal copulation with her, yet it saith not, Non duxit eam uxorem, "He married her not." And I cannot think that King David would have her to warm his bosom in bed, except she had been his wife; having a dispensation of God to have as many wives as he would: for God had dispensed with them to have many wives. Well, what happened to King David in his childhood, by the child of the devil? Ye shall hear: King David had a proud son whose name was Adonijah, a man full of ambition, desirous of honour, always climbing, climbing. Now whilst the time was of his father's childhood, he would depose his father, not knowing of his father's mind, saying, Ego regnabo, "I will reign, I will be king;" he was a stout stomached child, a by-walker, of an ambitious mind; he would not consent to his father's friends, but got him a chariot, and men to run before it; and divers other adherents to help him forward: worldly wise-men, such as had been before of his father's counsel, great men in the world, and some, no doubt of it, came of good-will, thinking no harm; for

VOL. I.

H

they would not think that he did it without his father's will, having such great men to set him forth; for every man cannot have access at all times to the king, to know his pleasure. Well, algates*, he would be king. He makes a great feast, and thither he called Joab the ring-leader of his father's army, a worldly wise-man, a by-walker, that would not walk the king's highway; and one Abiathar the high priest; for it is marvel if any mischief be in hand, if a priest be not at some end of it. They took him as king, and cried, Vivat rex Adonijah, “God save king Adonijah." David suffered all this, and let him alone, for he was in his childhood, a bedrid man. But see how God ordered the matter. Nathan the prophet, and Zadok a priest, and Benaiah, and the Cherithites and Pelethites, the king's guard, they were not called to the feast.

These were good men, and would not walk by-ways, therefore it was folly to break the matter to them; they were not called to counsel. Therefore Nathan, when he heard of this, he cometh to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, and saith: "Hear ye not how Adonijah the son of Haggith reigneth king, David not knowing?" And he bad her put the king in mind of his oath that he sware, that her son Solomon should be king after him. This was wise counsel according to the proverb, Qui vadit plane, vadit sane: "He that walk eth in the high plain way, walketh safely."

Upon this she went and brake the matter to David, and desired him to shew who should reign after him in Jerusalem; adding that if Adonijah were king, she and her son after his death should be destroyed: saying; Nos erimus peccatores, "We shall be sinners, we shall be taken for traitors: for though we meant no harm, but walked uprightly, yet because we went not the by-way with him, he being in authority will destroy us." And by and by cometh in Nathan, and taketh her tale by the end, and sheweth him how Adonijah was saluted king, and that he had bid to dinner the king's servants, all saving him, and Zadok, and Benaiah, and all his brethren the king's sons, save Solomon.

King David remembering himself, swore, As sure as God liveth, Solomon my son shall reign after me; and by and by

*Algates, that is, by all means.

commanded Nathan and Zadok, and his guard, the Cherethites and Pelethites, to take Solomon his son, and set him upon his mule, and anoint him king. And so they did, crying, Vivat Solomon Rex, "Long live King Solomon." Thus was Solomon throned, by the advice and will of his father: and though he were a child, yet was his will to be obeyed and fulfilled, and they ought to have known his pleasure.

Whilst this was a doing, there was such a joy and outcry of the people, for their new king, and blowing of trumpets, that Joab and the other company being in their jollity, and keeping good cheer, heard it, and suddenly asked, What is this ado? And when they perceived, that Solomon, by the advice of his father, was anointed king, by and by there was all whisht; all their good cheer was done, and all that were with Adonijah, went away, and let him reign alone, if he would: And why? He walked a by-way, and God would not prosper it.

God will not work with private authority, nor with any thing done inordinately. When Adonijah saw this, that he was left alone, he took sanctuary, and held by the horns of the altar, and sware that he would not depart thence till Solomon would swear that he should not lose his life. Here is to be noted the notable sentence, and great mercy of king Solomon.

Let him, saith he, order himself like a quiet man, and there shall not one hair fall from his head: Sed si inventum fuerit, malum in eo, "But if there shall be any evil found in him, if he hath gone about any mischief, he shall die for it." Upon this he was brought unto Solomon, and as the book saith, he did homage unto him. And Solomon said to him: Vade in domum tuam, "Get thee into thy house:" belike he meant to ward*, and there to see his wearing: as if he should say: Shew thyself without gall of ambition, to be a quiet subject, and I will pardon thee for this time: But I will see the wearing of thee. Here we may see the wonderful great mercy of Solomon, for this notorious treason that Adonijah had committed, it was a plain matter, for he suffered himself to be called king; it hung not of vehement suspicion or conjecture, nor sequel, or consequent; yet notwithstanding Solomon for that present forgave him, saying: I will not forget it utterly,

* Confinement.