Contemplations. LrB.XVII. NowisS<IIIPIDnthe fecond rime crowned King of l!rad, and now in his owne A right (as formerly in his fathers) lits J?eaceably upo~ the Thron: of the Lord 1 His awe and power come on fafter then h1s yeares; Env1e and ambmon where it is once kindled, may fooncr be hid in the afhes,theo quite pot out ; AdMij•h yet bangs afcer his old hopes;He remembers how fwcet he found the name ofa King,and now bath laid a new plot for the fctting up of his crackt title: He would make the bed a ftep to the throne;His old c6pliesare fure cnough:His part would gathermuch £\rengtb ifhemightenjoy Abifb•tthe relcllofhis!atlier, to wife; Ifitwer<notthelewifu fa01ion (as is pretended) that a Kings widow fhould marrv none but a King1 ytt certainly the power both ol the alliance, and friend1hip of a Q!een muft needs not a little advance his purpofe: The crafty rivall dare not dther move the fuit ro S•l•mon, ore!fell the mariage without him; but would cunningly undermine the fon by the B {uit of that mother, whofe fuit had undermined him. The weaker velfcls are coli)• monly ufed in the moft dangerous fuggeftions ofevill. ll<lhjbeb• was fo wife a woman that Comeof her counfclsare canonized for divine, yet fhe faw not the depth of this drift ofAd•nij•h;therefore a1e both entettaines the fuit, and moves it:But what ever were the intent of thefuiter, could 01o choofe but fee the unlawfulne!fe of fo inceftuous a match~ It is nor Ion~ lince 01e f.1w her late husbandD<vidabominating the bedofthofe his Concubines,~hat had b<en touched by his fonne Abfol•m; and can fhe hold itlawfull that his fon Admijah 010uld climb up to the bed of his fathers wife? Sometimes even the be(! eyes are dimme and di(- cern not thofe things which are obvious to weaker lights: orwhether did not Bath- /lub• well fee the foalenelfe of the fuit, and yet in compailion of Ad•ni]abs late re• C pulfe(wherein !he was the chiefe agent) and in a delire to make him amends for the lolfe ofthe Kingdome, fhe yeelds even thus togratifie him. Itis an inju1iou< weaknelfe to be drawne upon any by·refpells to the furtherance of faul(y fuits, of unlaw· full attions. No fooner doth BAih/bthA come in place, then S•l•mon her fonne rifes from his chaire ofState,and meets her and bowes to her,and fets her on his right hand;as not foremembring himfelfe to be a King, that he fhould forget he was a fonne.No outward dignity can take away the rights and obligations ofnature; Hld BAthft~tb• been as m<ane as S•l•mm was mighty, fhe had caried away this honour from a gracious fonne: Yet for all thefe due complements Bathjbtb< goes awaywith adenial!;Reverence lhe 1hall have, fhe fhall not have a condefcenc. D In theails ofMagiftracie, all regards ofnaturall relations muft give way; That which fhe propounded as a fmall requeft, is now, after a generall and confufed ingagement,rejeGled as unreafonable. It were pity wee lhould bee heard in all our fuits. lJAthfbcb• makes a petition againft her ftlfe, and knowes it not1her fafety and life depends upon s.loml!fs reigne, yet fl1e unwittingly moves for the advancement of.Adonij•h. S•IDmln was too dutifull to check his roother,and too wifetoyeeld to her: In unfit fupplications we are moft heard when we are repelled. Thus dothour God many times anfwer our prayers wirh mercifulldenialls: and moft blelfeth us in crolling our delires. Wife S•lomon doch not finde himfelfeperplexed with the fcruple ofhis promife; E he that had faid,Ask •n,fir I ••ill nDI fay 1h" nay, can now fweare, G•ddo fo ID"" Ami mm •l(o, if Adonij•h h<vt nDI ffoktlf tt.ilword•g•in{l his own lift .His promife was ac· carding to his fuppolition; his fuppolition was ofno other then ofa fuir,honeft,reafonabk,expedient;now he holds himfelffree from that grant, whereintherewas at once both lin and danger: No man can be intangled with generall words againft his owne juft and honeft intentions. The policies ofwicked men befaole them at !aft; this inrerccllion hath undone lldonij•h and in ft<ad of the Throne haftens his grave:The fword of Bmu•h puts an end to th~t dangerous rlvality. I ~ab and Abi<th.r ftill held Champerty. with v! Jo. nij<h; Their hand was both in the claime of his Kingdome,andinthe flllt of Abtjb<g; There are crimes wherein there are no accelfories, fuch is this oftreafon. vf. bi•lh•r may
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=