Great Britains Salomon A sermon preached at the magnificent funerall, of the most high and mighty king, Iames, the late King of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. At the Collegiat Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, the seuenth of May 1625. By the Right Honorable, and Right Reuerend Father in God, Iohn, Lord Bishop of Lincolne, Lord Keeper of the Great Seale of England, &c.

I Must no otherwise paint Salomon this day, then as Apelles was wont to doe King Antigonus, which was d 1.1 ima∣gine lusca, halfe-fac't, and of one side onely, to conceale the want of an eye, which hee had on the other. For if I should set him out in the full proporti∣on,

and leaue not so much as a wart, or a mole vndescribed, he would proue, but a foile, and a shadow, and not (as I de∣sire he should) a liuely image, and reprae∣sentation to decke, and adorn these prae∣sent Funerals. His Vices can be no ble∣mish to that King, that resembled him onely in his choisest Vertues. The Rule in Scripture doth differ much from that in the Painters shop. For here Coppies doe many times exceede the Originals. Salo∣mon was a Type of Christ himselfe, and by consequence a Paterne for any Chri∣stian. I doe therefore in these three Verses obserue three parts, the Happy Life, the Happy Raigne, and the Happy End of this great King Salomon. For the first part, his Life was happy in foure res∣pects. First, for his Sayings, The rest of the Words. Secondly, for his Doings; And all that hee did. Thirdly, for his Wise∣dome; And his Wisedome. And fourthly, for the Eternitie, and preseruation of all these, In a Booke of Annals of the Acts of Salomon; And the rest of the words of

Salomon, &c. For the second part, his Raigne was Happy for three Circum∣stances. First for a great Capitall Ci∣tie, wherein hee resided, which was Hierusalem; Hee raigned in Hierusalem. Secondly, for a great Circuit of Ground in which he commanded, which was, all Israel; ouer all Israel. Thirdly, and lastly, for a great Space of time, wherein he flourished, which was forty yeares; And the time which Salomon raigned in Ierusalem ouer all Israel, was forty yeares. For the third part, his End was Happie in a threefold Circumstance. First, in re∣gard of his death, which was not a sud∣den, and violent dying, but an affected, and premeditated kinde of Sleeping; And Salomon slept. Secondly, in regard of his Soule at the time of his death, the which (a 1.2 how euer wanton, and vnru∣ly wits haue made their disputes) went to no other place, then the receptacle of his Fathers; And Salomon slept with his Fathers. Thirdly, and lastly, in regard of his Body after his death, which was

no way despised, or neglected, but so∣lemnely interred in the Sepulchers of the Kings, in the Tower of Sion, and the Citie of Dauid his Father; And Salomon slept with his Fathers, and was buried in the Citie of Dauid his Father.

Nor doth this Text hang together like a rope of sands, but the parts there∣of are chained, and linked very fast, in a mutuall cohaerence one with another. For first, a 1.3 Nullus magnam potentiam sine Eloquentia est consecutus, saith Tacitus, No glorious King, but was a b 1.4 Kinde of Speaker, and therefore here are Words; Reliquum verborum, as Saint Hierome reades it, the rest of the Words. Secondly, because they are not Words, but c 1.5 Actions, that aeternize a King, here are Actions likewise; Quae fecit, All that hee did. Thirdly, because Actions from without are of small continuance, without a Well from within for a new supply, here is a Pond to feed them from time to time; Sapientia eius, His vnderstan∣ding, and wisedome; And his wisedome.

Fourthly, because this Wisdome would be soone forgotten (a 1.6 as M. Aurelius was wont to complaine) without a Histo∣rie, here is a Historie prouided of the Acts of Salomon; The Booke of the Acts of Salomon. Fiftly, because a Historie written in an obscure place, of a little Countrey, and but a short time, is of no esteeme, and reputation, here are all things fitted for Fame, and aeternitie, A great Citie, to wit, Hierusalem; He raig∣ned in Hierusalem. A great Empire, the twelue Tribes of Israel; ouer all Israel. A great, and a long raigne, for the space of forty yeares; The time that he raigned ouer all Israel was forty yeares. Sixthly, because such a long, and glorious life would be crown'd (b 1.7 as Augustus was wont to say) with a faire, and an easie death, here is a dying compar'd to a slee∣ping; Dormiuit{que} Salomon, And Salomon slept. Seuenthly, because the Soule, which cannot sleepe, must be prouided for, as well, as the Body, it is disposed of to his hearts desire, In the Societie of

Dauid, and the rest of his Fathers; Cum Patribus suis, With his Fathers. Lastly, though this be enough for a Priuate Man, yet somewhat more would bee wished in a King. That Body, a 1.8 which so repraesented God himselfe, when it was aliue, must not bee neglected now it is dead. And therefore he is buried in the Sepulchre of the Kings, and the Citie of Dauid; in Ciuitate Dauid Patris sui, In the Citie of Dauid his Father. And the rest of the words of Salomon, &c.

But you will say, All these parts re∣ferre to King Salomon, and that King IAMES is forgotten in the diuision. Most High, and Mightie, Right Ho∣nourable, and Right Dearely Beloued; Our late Soueraigne shall be remem∣bred in due time, and much to the ho∣nour of King Salomon. King Salomon in his Funeralls had a glorious Tombe in deed, as b 1.9 Iosephus describes it, but hee had no Statue at all caried before him. That was peraduenture scarce to lerable amongst the Iewes. A Tombe he proui∣ded

for himselfe, and so prophetically, as that (if wee may beleeue a 1.10 Pineda, and others) there were iust as many Cells therein, as there were to be Kings of Iuda, that is twentie one. A Statue God Almighty hath this day prouided for him. Many of these twentie one Cells being neuer filled, because the b 1.11 vn∣worthy Kings were buried elsewhere, Salomon shall lend King Iames a Tombe, and King Iames shall lend vnto him a Statue. The Tombe you may obserue in the Exposition, and the Statue in the Ap∣plication of this peece of Scripture. King IAMES shall first die in SALO∣MONS Text, and Salomon shall then arise in King IAMES his VER∣TVES▪ For as c 1.12 Herodotus reports of the Aegyptians, that by wrapping their dead in glasse, they praesent them aliue to all posteritie: so by that time I haue plated ouer the parts of this Text with the particulars of the Application, you that heare me this day, shall haue that happinesse d 1.13 of the Queene of the South,

which is not onely to haue read in a Booke, but withall to haue seene with your eies, and to haue heard with your eares all the rarities, and perfections of the wise King Salomon. You shall then perfectly remember these Sayings, these Doings, this Wisdome, this History, this great Citie, this vnited Empire, this long Life, this happie Death, this Rest with his Fathers, and these solemne Funeralls, which are the Minutes of this Text. And the rest of the words of Salomon, &c.

Notes

• d 1.1

  Plutarchus in Eu••en••.
• a 1.2

  Vid. Io. Mon∣thol. i•• Prompt. Iuris. verbo Salo∣mon.
• a 1.3

  A••nal. 1••.
• b 1.4

  For as Alexan∣der tells his ••a∣ther Philip. Such Exquisitenesse in this kinde, as he his Father ex∣pressed, is not required in euery King. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Dion. Chrys. orat. 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• c 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉▪ Pyndar. Olimp. od. •• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Nazianz. Orat. 30.
• a 1.6

  Iul. Capitol. in Antonino Philo∣sopho. & Anton. de Gueuara. in ••o∣rol. p••n••.
• b 1.7

  S••••ton. in eius 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉▪ S••b•• & suis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 pre∣〈…〉〈…〉. cap. ••9.
• a 1.8

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Anton. Monach 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Datur hoc i〈…〉〈…〉strium v••∣••orum posicrit••ti, vt ex••qu•••••• •• ••••••∣••iscua Sepultura s•••••••• e••••ur, &c. Tacit. Annal. 16.
• b 1.9

  Antiq. l. 7. c. 1••.
• a 1.10

  〈…〉〈…〉. Salom. 〈…〉〈…〉 3. •••• Serli∣〈…〉〈…〉 Ar〈…〉〈…〉. 〈…〉〈…〉
• b 1.11

  4 Reg. 21. 28▪ 2 Chron. 21. 20. 2 Chron. 24. 25.
• c 1.12

  Lib. ••.
• d 1.13

  Matth. 12. 42.