Ecclesiastes 4 commentary

It grieved Solomon to see might prevail against right. Wherever we turn, we see melancholy proofs of the wickedness and misery of mankind, who try to create trouble to themselves and to each other. Being thus hardly used, men are tempted to hate and despise life. But a good man, though badly off while in this world, cannot have cause to wish he had never been born, since he is glorifying the Lord, even in the fires, and will be happy at last, for ever happy. Ungodly men have most cause to wish the continuance of life with all its vexations, as a far more miserable condition awaits them if they die in their sins. If human and worldly things were our chief good, not to exist would be preferable to life, considering the various oppressions here below.

Solomon notices the sources of trouble peculiar to well-doers, and includes all who labour with diligence, and whose efforts are crowned with success. They often become great and prosperous, but this excites envy and opposition. Others, seeing the vexations of an active course, foolishly expect more satisfaction in sloth and idleness. But idleness is a sin that is its own punishment. Let us by honest industry lay hold on the handful, that we may not want necessaries, but not grasp at both hands full, which would only create vexation of spirit. Moderate pains and gains do best.

Frequently, the more men have, the more they would have; and on this they are so intent, that they get no enjoyment from what they have. Selfishness is the cause of this evil. A selfish man cares for nobody; there is none to take care of but himself, yet he will scarcely allow necessary rest to himself, and the people he employs. He never thinks he has enough. He has enough for his calling, for his family, but he has not enough for his eyes. Many are so set upon the world, that in pursuit of it they bereave themselves, not only of the favour of God and eternal life, but of the pleasures of this life. The distant relations or strangers who inherit such a man's wealth, never thank him. Covetousness gathers strength by time and habit; men tottering on the brink of the grave, grow more grasping and griping. Alas, and how often do we see men professing to be followers of Him, who, "though he was rich, for our sakes became poor," anxiously scraping money together and holding it fast, excusing themselves by common-place talking about the necessity of care, and the danger of extravagance!

Surely he has more satisfaction in life, who labours hard to maintain those he loves, than the miser has in his toil. In all things union tends to success and safety, but above all, the union of Christians. They assist each other by encouragement, or friendly reproof. They warm each other's hearts while they converse together of the love of Christ, or join in singing his praises. Then let us improve our opportunities of Christian fellowship. In these things all is not vanity, though there will be some alloy as long as we are under the sun. Where two are closely joined in holy love and fellowship, Christ will by his Spirit come to them; then there is a threefold cord.

People are never long easy and satisfied; they are fond of changes. This is no new thing. Princes see themselves slighted by those they have studied to oblige; this is vanity and vexation of spirit. But the willing servants of the Lord Jesus, our King, rejoice in him alone, and they will love Him more and more to all eternity.

CHAPTER 4

Ec 4:1-16.

1. returned--namely, to the thought set forth (Ec 3:16; Job 35:9).

power--Maurer, not so well, "violence."

no comforter--twice said to express continued suffering without any to give comfort (Is 53:7).

2. A profane sentiment if severed from its connection; but just in its bearing on Solomon's scope. If religion were not taken into account (Ec 3:17, 19), to die as soon as possible would be desirable, so as not to suffer or witness "oppressions"; and still more so, not to be born at all (Ec 7:1). Job (Job 3:12; 21:7), David (Psa 73:3, &c.), Jeremiah (Jr 12:1), Habakkuk (Ha 1:13), all passed through the same perplexity, until they went into the sanctuary, and looked beyond the present to the "judgment" (Psa 73:17; Ha 2:20; 3:17, 18). Then they saw the need of delay, before completely punishing the wicked, to give space for repentance, or else for accumulation of wrath (Ro 2:15); and before completely rewarding the godly, to give room for faith and perseverance in tribulation (Psa 92:7-12). Earnests, however, are often even now given, by partial judgments of the future, to assure us, in spite of difficulties, that God governs the earth.

3. not seen--nor experienced.

4. right--rather, "prosperous" (see on Ec 2:21). Prosperity, which men so much covet, is the very source of provoking oppression (Ec 4:1) and "envy," so far is it from constituting the chief good.

5. Still the

fool (the wicked oppressor) is not to be envied even in this life, who "folds his hands together" in idleness (Pr 6:10; 24:33), living on the means he wrongfully wrests from others; for such a one

eateth his own flesh--that is, is a self-tormentor, never satisfied, his spirit preying on itself (Is 9:20; 49:26).

6. Hebrew; "One open hand (palm) full of quietness, than both closed hands full of travail." "Quietness" (mental tranquillity flowing from honest labor), opposed to "eating one's own flesh" (Ec 4:5), also opposed to anxious labor to gain (Ec 4:8; Pr 15:16, 17; 16:8).

7. A vanity described in Ec 4:8.

8. not a second--no partner.

child--"son or brother," put for any heir (De 25:5-10).

eye--(Ec 1:8). The miser would not be able to give an account of his infatuation.

9. Two--opposed to "one" (Ec 4:8). Ties of union, marriage, friendship, religious communion, are better than the selfish solitariness of the miser (Ge 2:18).

reward--Advantage accrues from their efforts being conjoined. The Talmud says, "A man without a companion is like a left hand without the right.

10. if they fall--if the one or other fall, as may happen to both, namely, into any distress of body, mind, or soul.

11. (See on 1Ki 1:1). The image is taken from man and wife, but applies universally to the warm sympathy derived from social ties. So Christian ties (Lu 24:32; Ac 28:15).

12. one--enemy.

threefold cord--proverbial for a combination of many--for example, husband, wife, and children (Pr 11:14); so Christians (Lu 10:1; Col 2:2, 19). Untwist the cord, and the separate threads are easily "broken."

13. The "threefold cord" [Ec 4:12] of social ties suggests the subject of civil government. In this case too, he concludes that kingly power confers no lasting happiness. The "wise" child, though a supposed case of Solomon, answers, in the event foreseen by the Holy Ghost, to Jeroboam, then a poor but valiant youth, once a "servant" of Solomon, and (1Ki 11:26-40) appointed by God through the prophet Ahijah to be heir of the kingdom of the ten tribes about to be rent from Rehoboam. The "old and foolish king" answers to Solomon himself, who had lost his wisdom, when, in defiance of two warnings of God (1Ki 3:14; 9:2-9), he forsook God.

will no more be admonished--knows not yet how to take warning (see Margin) God had by Ahijah already intimated the judgment coming on Solomon (1Ki 11:11-13).

14. out of prison--Solomon uses this phrase of a supposed case; for example, Joseph raised from a dungeon to be lord of Egypt. His words are at the same time so framed by the Holy Ghost that they answer virtually to Jeroboam, who fled to escape a "prison" and death from Solomon, to Shishak of Egypt (1Ki 11:40). This unconscious presaging of his own doom, and that of Rehoboam, constitutes the irony. David's elevation from poverty and exile, under Saul (which may have been before Solomon's mind), had so far their counterpart in that of Jeroboam.

whereas ... becometh poor--rather, "though he (the youth) was born poor in his kingdom" (in the land where afterwards he was to reign).

15. "I considered all the living," the present generation, in relation to ("with") the "second youth" (the "legitimate successor" of the "old king," as opposed to the "poor youth," the one first spoken of, about to be raised from poverty to a throne), that is, Rehoboam.

in his stead--the old king's.

16. Notwithstanding their now worshipping the rising sun, the heir-apparent, I reflected that "there were no bounds, no stability (2Sa 15:6; 20:1), no check on the love of innovation, of all that have been before them," that is, the past generation; so

also they that come after--that is, the next generation,

shall not rejoice in him--namely, Rehoboam. The parallel, "shall not rejoice," fixes the sense of "no bounds," no permanent adherence, though now men rejoice in him.

Considered all the oppressions - עשקים ashukim signifies any kind of injury which a man can receive in his person, his property, or his good fame.

On the side of their oppressors there was power - And, therefore, neither protection nor comfort for the oppressed.

Wherefore I praised the dead - I considered those happy who had escaped from the pilgrimage of life to the place where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary are at rest.

Which hath not yet been - Better never to have been born into the world, than to have seen and suffered so many miseries.

For this a man is envied - It is not by injustice and wrong only that men suffer, but through envy also. For if a man act uprightly and properly in the world, he soon becomes the object of his neighbor's envy and calumny too. Therefore the encouragement to do good, to act an upright part, is very little. This constitutes a part of the vain and empty system of human life.

The fool foldeth his hands - After all, without labor and industry no man can get any comfort in life; and he who gives way to idleness is the veriest of fools.

Better is a handful with quietness - These may be the words of the slothful man, and spoken in vindication of his idleness; as if he had said, "Every man who labors and amasses property is the object of envy, and is marked by the oppressor as a subject for spoil; better, therefore, to act as I do; gain little, and have little, and enjoy my handful with quietness." Or the words may contain Solomon's reflection on the subject.

There is one alone, and there is not a second - Here covetousness and avarice are characterized. The man who is the center of his own existence; has neither wife, child, nor legal heir; and yet is as intent on getting money as if he had the largest family to provide for; nor does he only labor with intense application, but he even refuses himself the comforts of life out of his own gains! This is not only vanity, the excess of foolishness, but it is also sore travail.

Two are better than one - Married life is infinitely to be preferred to this kind of life, for the very reasons alleged below, and which require no explanation.

Better is a poor and a wise child - The Targum applies this to Abraham. "Abraham was a poor child of only three years of age; but he had the spirit of prophecy, and he refused to worship the idols which the old foolish king - Nimrod - had set up; therefore Nimrod cast him into a furnace of fire. But the Lord worked a miracle and delivered him. Yet here was no knowledge in Nimrod, and he would not be admonished." The Targum proceeds:

For out of prison he cometh to reign - "Then Abraham left the country of the idolaters, where he had been imprisoned, and came and reigned over the land of Canaan; and Nimrod became poor in this world." This is the fact to which the ancient rabbins supposed Solomon to allude.

With the second child that shall stand up - The Targum applies this to the case of Jeroboam and Rehoboam. History affords many instances of mean persons raised to sovereign authority, and of kings being reduced to the meanest offices, and to a morsel of bread. Agrippa himself ascended the throne of Israel after having been long in prison. See Josephus, Ant. lib. 18: c. 8. This the heathens attributed to fortune.

Si fortuna volet, fies de rhetore consul;

Si volet haec eadem, fies de consule rhetor.

Juv. Sat. vii., ver. 197.

Though I have given what the Jews suppose to be the allusion in these verses, yet the reader may doubt whether the reference be correct. There is a case implied, whether from fact or assumption I cannot say; but it seems to be this:

A king who had abused the authority vested in him by oppressing the people, had a son whose prudent conduct promised much comfort to the nation, when he should come to the throne. The father, seeing the popular wish, and becoming jealous of his son, shut him up in prison. In the interim the old king either dies or is deposed, and the son is brought out of prison, and placed on the throne. Then (Ecc 4:15, Ecc 4:16) multitudes of the people flock to him, and begin to walk under the sun; i.e., the prosperous state to which the nation is raised by its redemption from the former tyranny. However, the wise man insinuates that this sunshine will not last long. The young king, feeling the reins in his own hands, and being surrounded by those whose interest it was to flatter in order to obtain and continue in court favor, he also becomes corrupted so that those who come after shall have no cause of rejoicing in him. This appears to be the case; and similar cases have frequently occurred, not only in Asiatic, but also in European history, I have, in another place, referred to the case of Rushn Achter, who was brought out of prison and set upon the throne of Hindoostan. This is expressed in the following elegant Persian couplet, where his fortune is represented as similar to that of the patriarch Joseph: - "The bright star is now become a moon:

Joseph is taken out of prison, and become a king."

Rushn Achter signifies a bright or splendid star.

There is no end of all the people - This is supposed to refer to the multitudes of people who hail the advent and accession of a new sovereign; for, as Suetonius remarks, A plerisque adorari solem orientem, "Most people adore the rising sun." But when the new king becomes old, very few regard him; and perhaps he lives long enough to be as much despised by the very persons who before were ready to worship him. This is also a miserable vanity. Thus the blooming heir: - "Shall feel the sad reverse: honored awhile;

Then, like his sire, contemn'd, abhorr'd, forgot."

C.

I returned - I considered again. Oppressions - Whether by princes, magistrates, or other potent persons. No comforter - None afforded them pity or succour. But they, &c. - No comfort therein.

I praised - I judged them less miserable. For this is certain, that setting aside the future life, which Solomon doth not meddle with in the present debate; and considering the uncertainty, and vanity, and manifold calamities of the present life, a wise man would not account it worth his while to live.

Better is he - Who was never born. Not seen - Not felt: for as seeing good is put for enjoying it, so seeing evil is put for suffering it.

Right work - All the worthy designs of virtuous men. Envied - Instead of honour, he meets with envy and obloquy.

The fool - Is careless and idle: perceiving that diligence is attended with envy, he runs into the other extreme. Eateth - Wastes his substance, and brings himself to poverty, whereby his very flesh pines away for want of bread.

Better - These are the words of the sluggard, making this apology for his idleness, That his little with ease, is better than great riches got with much trouble.

Alone - Who has none but himself to care for. Brother - To whom he may leave his vast estate. Yet - He lives in perpetual restlessness and toil. For whom - Having no kindred to enjoy it. And bereave - Deny myself those comforts and conveniences which God hath allowed me? A sore travel - A dreadful judgment, as well as a great sin.

Two - Who live together in any kind of society. Because - Both have great benefit by such conjunction, whereby they support, encourage, and strengthen one another.

They - One of them. Fall - Into any mistake, or sin, or danger.

Prevail - Against either of them.

Better - More happy. Now he proceeds to another vanity, That of honour and power. Than a king - Who hath neither wisdom to govern himself, nor to receive the counsels of wiser men.

For he - The poor and wise child is often advanced to the highest dignity. Whereas - That old king is deprived of his kingdom.

I considered - The general disposition of common people, in all kingdoms, that they are fickle and inconstant. With the second child - This may be understood of the king's child, or son and heir, called second, in respect of his father, whose successor he is. Stand up - Arise to reign.

No end - This humour of the common people hath no end, but passes from one generation to another. Before them - Before the present generation. And so here are three generations of people noted, the authors of the present change, and their parents, and their children; and all are observed to have the same inclinations. In him - They shall be as weary of the successor, though a wise and worthy prince, as their parents were of his foolish predecessor.

1 SO I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun ; and behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter : and on the side of their oppressors there was power , but they had no comforter .

I considered again more seriously.

Whether by Supreme Magistrates or Judges, of which he spake, Ch. 3. 16. or by any other potent Persons.

None afforded them either pity or succour, either out of a selfish and barbarous disposition, or for fear of exposing themselves thereby to the same injuries.

Both in themselves, and because most men were ready to joyn with the strongest and safest fide. So they were utterly unable to deliver themselves, and, as it follows, none else could or would do it.

Which is repeated as an argument both of the great inhumanity of men towards others in calamity, and of the extream misery of oppressed Persons.

Marginal references: Ch. 5. 8, &c.; Heb. band. [illegible: 1 word] 140. 4.

2 Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead , more than the living which are yet alive .

I judged them more happy or less miserable. Which he seems to deliver not onely as the judgment of the flesh, or of the sense, or of men in misery, as this is commonly understood, but as his own Judgment. For this is most true and certain, that setting aside the advantage which this life gives him for the concerns of the future life, which Solomon doth not meddle with in the present debate, and considering the uncertainty, and vanity, and manifold vexations of mind, and outward calamities of the present life, a wise Man would not account it worth his while to live, and would choose death rather than life.

Those which are quite dead; who possibly are here opposed to them that in respect of their deplorable and desperate condition are even whilst they live called dead men, Isa. 26. 19. and said to die daily, 1 Cor. 15. 31.

Which languish under their pressures, of whom we can onely say, as we use to speak of dying men, They are alive, and that is all.

Marginal references: Job 3. [illegible: 1+ letters]7, &c. Ch. 6. 3.

3 Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been , who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

Who was never Born. How this is true, see on the foregoing Verse.

i. e. Not felt: for as seeing good is put for enjoying it, Ch. 2. 24. so seeing evil is put for suffering it, as hath been more than once observed.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word], 3. 11, [illegible: 1 word], 21.

4 Again I considered all travel, and every right work , that for this a man is envied of his neighbour . This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

All the worthy designs and compleat works of wise and vertuous men.

Instead of that honour and recompence which he deserves, he meets with nothing but envy and obloquy, and many evil fruits thereof.

Marginal references: Heb. all the rightness of work.; Heb. this is the [illegible: 1 word] of a Man from his Neighbour.

5 The fool foldeth his hands together , and eateth his own flesh .

Is careless and idle, which is the signification of this gesture, Prov. 6. 10. & 19. 24. & 26. 13. Perceiving that diligence is attended with envy, v. 4. he, like a fool, runs into the other extream.

Wasteth his substance and bringeth himself to poverty, whereby his very flesh pineth away for want of Bread, and he is reduced to Skin and Bone, and if he have any Flesh left, he is ready to eat it through extremity of hunger.

Marginal references: Pro. 6. 10. & 24. 33.

6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travel and vexation of spirit .

These are the words, either 1. of the Sluggard making this Apology for his idleness, That his little with ease, is better than great Riches got with much trouble. Or 2. of Solomon, who elsewhere speaks to the same purpose, as Prov. 15. 16, 17. & 17 1. and here proposeth it as a good Antidote against the vanity of immoderate cares and labours for worldly goods, against which he industriously directs his speeches in divers places of this Book, and particularly as a seasonable precaution against the sin of covetousness, of which he speaks in the following passage.

Marginal references: Prov. 15. 16, 17. & 16. 8.

8 There is one alone , and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother : yet is there no end of all his labour , neither is his eye satisfied with riches, neither saith he , For whom do I labour , and bereave my soul of good ? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travel .

Either 1. who lives by himself, as grudging that any other should partake of his Provisions. Or rather 2. who hath none but himself to care and labour for, as the next words explain it.

To whom he may leave his vast Estate.

He lives in perpetual restlesness and excessive toils.

i. e. His covetous mind or desire fitly expressed by the Eye, partly because that is the incentive of this, sin, Ios. 7. 21. and partly because he hath no good by his Riches, saving the beholding of them with his Eyes, as it is affirmed, Eccles 5. 11. Comp. 2. 10. 1 Ioh. 2. 16.

Within himself: he considers nothing but how he may get more and more.

Having no Posterity nor Kindred to enjoy it, as was now said. Shall I take all this pains for a Stranger, possibly for an Enemy, who will reap the fruit of all my labours?

Deny my self those comforts and conveniences which God hath allowed unto me?

A dreadful judgment and misery as well as a great sin.

Marginal references: Ps. 39. 6.

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour .

Who live together in any kind of Society, and joyn their powers together in any Enterprizes. Which he opposeth to that humour of the covetous Man who desired to live alone, as was now said.

Both have great benefit by such combinations and conjunctions of their counsels and abilities, whereby they do exceedingly support, and encourage, and strengthen one another, and effect many things which neither of them alone could do.

10 For if they fall , the one will lift up his fellow: but wo to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

One of them, the plural being put for the singular, as Ionah 1. 5. Matt. 21. 7. 1 Tim. 2. 15. Or, both of them successively.

In any kind, into any mistakes and errors, or sins, or dangers and distresses.

Hold him up if he be falling, or raise him up if he be fallen.

11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat , but how can one be warm alone .

They will be soonet warm in a cold Bed, and cold Season.

Not so soon nor so throughly.

12 And if one prevail against him , two shall withstand him; and a [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] no quickly broken .

Against either of them.

If a Man have not onely one, but two or more Friends, he is so much the safer and the happier.

13 Better is a poor and a wise child , than an old and foolish king , who will no more be admonished .

More happy. Now he proceeds to another vanity, even that of Honour, and Power, and of the highest places.

Who is doubly contemptible, both for his Age, and for his Poverty.

Venerable both for his Age and Gravity, and for his Royal Dignity. So that the comparison is made with the greatest disadvantage that may be.

Who hath neither Wisdom to govern himself, nor to receive the counsels or admonitions of wiser men, but is foolish and willful and incorrigible.

Marginal references: Heb. who knoweth not to be admonished.

14 For out of prison he cometh to reign , whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor .

Into which he was cast for his Poverty and Debt.

The poor and wise Child.

Is oft-times advanced by his wisdom to the highest Power and Dignity: which was the case of Ioseph, and Mordecai, and many others.

That old King who was born of the Royal Race, and had possessed his Kingdom for a long time.

Is deprived of his Kingdom, either by the rebellion of his Subjects provoked by his folly, or by the power of some other and wiser Prince.

15 I considered all the living which walk under the sun , with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.

The general disposition or humour of common People in all Kingdoms, that they are fickle and unconstant, weary of their old Governours, and desirous of changes.

This is a Periphrasis or Description of living and mortal men, like that, Eccles. 7. 11. that see the Sun.

These words may be joyned, either 1. with those, which walk, or, that they walk under the Sun (i. e. upon the Earth) with the second Child, i. e. follow, and favour, and worship him as the rising Sun, upon whom the eyes and hopes of most People are fixed. Or 2. with the first words, I considered all the living which walk under the Sun, i. e. the temper of all Subjects or People, together with the condition of the second Child. Which may be understood either, 1. in general, of a Kings Child, or Son and Heir, who is called Second, in respect of his Father, whose Successor he is to be. Or 2. that wise and poor Child mentioned, v. 13. who is said to come to Reign, v. 14. and may well be called the Second to the old and foolish King who became poor, v. 15. being deposed from his Kingdom, whom he succeeds, being put in his place either by the humour of the People, or by some higher Power.

i. e. Arise to Reign, as that Phrase signifies, Dan. 8. 22, 23. & 11. 2, 3, 7, 20, 21.

16 There is no end of all the people , even of all that have been before them ; they also that come after shall not rejoyce in him : Surely, this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

The sense is either, 1. The People which have this humour are without end, or innumerable, as this Phrase signifies, Iob 22. 5. Isa. 2. 7. & 9. 6. Or 2. This humour of the common People hath no end, but passeth from one Generation to another, they ever were, and are, and will be unstable and restless, and given to change: Which sense the following words seem to favour.

Either 1. before the two Kings abovementioned, the Father and the Son, or the Predecessor and Successor. All those who stood or desired to stand in their presence, and waited upon them, as this Phrase is used, 2 Sam. 16. 19. 1 Kings 10. 8. Or rather 2. before the present Generation of Subjects who earnestly desired and promoted the change of Government here expressed: for these are evidently opposed to them that come after, which all Interpreters understand of the People, not of the Kings. And so here are three Generations of People noted, the Authors of the present change, and their Parents, and their Children, and all are observed to have the same inclinations in these matters

They shall be as weary of the Successor, though a wise and worthy Prince, as their Parents were of his foolish Predecessor. The reason whereof is partly from that itch of novelty and curiosity which is natural and common to Mankind, and partly from their vain and foolish hopes of advantage from such changes.

Marginal references: Ch. 2. 16.

Ecc 4:1 “And again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold there the tears of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and from the hand of their oppressors goeth forth violence; and they have no comforter.” Incorrectly Hahn: And anew I saw, - the observation is different from that of Ecc 3:16, though cognate. Thus: And again I saw, - the expression follows the syntactic scheme of Gen 26:18; regarding the fut. consec. brought into view here and at Ecc 4:7. The second העשׁ is part. pass.; the first, as at Job 35:9, and also at Amo 3:9, is abstract (i.e., bringing the many separate instances under one general idea) pluraletantum (cf. פּדוּיי, redemti, Isa 35:10; and redemtio, pretium redemtionis, Num 3:46); the plur. נע אשׁר need not appear strange, since even חיּים is connected with the plur. of the pred., e.g., Psa 31:11; Psa 88:4. דּמעת has, as at Isa 25:8 (cf. Rev 21:4, πᾶν δάκρυον), a collective sense. The expression כּח ... וּמיּד is singular. According to the most natural impression, it seems to signify: “and from the hand of their oppressors no power of deliverance” (carrying forward אין); but the parallelism of the palindromically constructed verse (as at Ecc 1:6; Ecc 2:10; Ecc 3:16) excludes this meaning. Thus כּח is here once-nowhere else-used, like the Greek βία, in the sense of violence; Luzzatto prefers the reading וּביד, by which the expression would be in conformity with the linguistic usage; but also מיד is explained: the force which they have in their hands is, in going forth from their hands, thought of as abused, and, as taking the form of שׁד or חזקה. In view of this sorrow which men bring upon their fellow-men, life for Koheleth lost all its worth and attraction.

Ecc 4:2-3 “And I praised the dead who were long ago dead, more than the living who are yet in life; and as happier than both, him who has not yet come into existence, who hath not seen the evil work which is done under the sun.” ושׁבּח is hardly thought of as part., like יוּקשׁים = מיקּשׁים, Ecc 9:12; the m of the part. Pih. is not usually thrown away, only מהר, Zep 1:14, is perhaps = ממהר, but for the same reason as בּית־אל, 2Ki 2:3, is = בּבית - אל. Thus ושׁבּח, like ונתון, Ecc 8:9, is inf. absol., which is used to continue, in an adverbially subord. manner, the preceding finite with the same subject,Also 1Ch 5:20, the subject remains virtually the same: et ita quidem ut exaudirentur.

Gen 41:43; Lev 25:14; Jdg 7:19, etc.; cf. especially Exo 8:11 : “Pharaoh saw ... and hardened (והכבּד) his heart;” just in the same manner as ושׁבּח here connects itself with ושׁ אני וא. Only the annexed designation of the subject is peculiar; the syntactic possibility of this connection is established by Psa 15:5, Job 40:2, and, in the second rank, by Gen 17:10; Eze 5:14. Yet אני might well enough have been omitted had וש אני וא not stood too remote. Regarding עדנהThus punctuated with Segol under Daleth, and ,נ raphatum, in F. H. J. P. Thus also Kimchi in W.B. under עד. and עדן. The circumstantial form of the expression: prae vivis qui vivi sunt adhuc, is intentional: they who are as yet living must be witnesses of the manifold and comfortless human miseries.

It is a question whether Ecc 4:3 begins a new clause (lxx, Syr., and Venet.) or not. That את, like the Arab. aiya, sometimes serves to give prominence to the subject, cannot be denied (vid., Böttcher, §516, and Mühlau’s remarks thereto). The Mishnic expressions היּום אותו, that day, הארץ אותהּ, that land, and the like (Geiger, §14. 2), presuppose a certain preparation in the older language; and we might, with Weiss (Stud. ueber d. Spr. der Mishna, p. 112), interpret אשׁר את in the sense of אותי אשר, is qui. But the accus. rendering is more natural. Certainly the expression טוב שׁבּח, “to praise,” “to pronounce happy,” is not used; but to טוב it is natural to suppose וקראתי added. Jerome accordingly translates: et feliciorem utroque judicavi qui necdum natus est. הרע has the double Kametz, as is generally the case, except at Psa 54:7 and Mic 7:3.Vid., Heidenheim, Meor Enajim, under Deu 17:7.

Better than he who is born is the unborn, who does not become conscious of the wicked actions that are done under the sun. A similar thought, with many variations in its expression, is found in Greek writers; see regarding these shrill discordances, which run through all the joy of the beauty and splendour of Hellenic life, my Apologetick, p. 116. Buddhism accordingly gives to nirvâna the place of the highest good. That we find Koheleth on the same path (cf. Ecc 6:3; Ecc 7:1), has its reason in this, that so long as the central point of man’s existence lies in the present life, and this is not viewed as the fore-court of eternity, there is no enduring consolation to lift us above the miseries of this present world.

Ecc 4:4 “And I saw all the labour and all the skill of business, that it is an envious surpassing of the one by the other: also this is vain and windy effort.” The היא refers to this exertion of vigorous effort and skill. The Graec. Venet., by rendering here and at Ecc 2:24 כּשׁרון, by καθαρότης, betrays himself as a Jew. With כּי, quod, that which forms the pred. follows the object. the min in mere'ehu is as in amatz min, Psa 18:18, and the like - the same as the compar.: aemulatio qua unus prae altero eminere studet. All this expenditure of strength and art has covetousness and envy, with which one seeks to surpass another, as its poisoned sting.

Ecc 4:5

There ought certainly to be activity according to our calling; indolence is self-destruction: “The fool foldeth his hands, and eateth his own flesh.” He layeth his hands together (Prov 6:10-24:33), - placeth them in his bosom, instead of using them in working, - and thereby he eateth himself up, i.e., bringeth ruin upon himself (Psa 27:2; Mic 3:3; Isa 49:26); for instead of nourishing himself by the labour of his hands, he feeds on his own flesh, and thus wasteth away. The emphasis does not lie on the subject (the fool, and only the fool), but on the pred.

Ecc 4:6

The fifth verse stands in a relation of contrast to this which follows: “Better is one hand full of quietness, than both fists full of labour and windy effort.” Mendelssohn and others interpret Ecc 4:5 as the objection of the industrious, and Ecc 4:6 as the reply of the slothful. Zöckler agrees with Hitz., and lapses into the hypothesis of a dialogue otherwise rejected by him. As everywhere, so also here it preserves the unity of the combination of thoughts. נחת signifies here, as little as it does anywhere else, the rest of sloth; but rest, in contrast to such activity in labour as robs a man of himself, to the hunting after gain and honour which never has enough, to the rivalry which places its goal always higher and higher, and seeks to be before others - it is rest connected with well-being (Ecc 6:5), gentle quietness (Ecc 9:17), resting from self-activity (Isa 30:15); cf. the post-bibl. רוּח נחת, satisfaction, contentment, comfort. In a word, nahath has not here the sense of being idle or lazy. The sequence of the thoughts is this: The fool in idleness consumes his own life-strength; but, on the other hand, a little of true rest is better than the labour of windy effort, urged on by rivalry yielding no rest. כּף is the open hollow hand, and חפן (Assyr. ḥupunnu) the hand closed like a ball, the first. “Rest” and “labour and windy effort” are the accusatives of that to which the designation of measure refers (Gesen. §118. 3); the accus. connection lay here so much the nearer, as מלא is connected with the accus. of that with which anything is full. In “and windy effort” lies the reason for the judgment pronounced. The striving of a man who laboriously seeks only himself and loses himself in restlessness, is truly a striving which has wind for its object, and has the property of wind.

Ecc 4:7-8 “There is one without a second, also son and brother he has not; and there is no end of his labour; his eyes nevertheless are not satisfied with riches: For whom do I labour, then, and deny all good to my soul? Also this is vain, and it is a sore trouble.” That ואין, as in Psa 104:25; Psa 105:34, has the meaning of בּאין, absque, Nolde has already observed in his Partik.-Concordanz: a solitarius, without one standing by his side, a second standing near him, i.e., without wife and without friend; also, as the words following show, without son and brother. Regarding ואח, for which, with the connect. accus., ואח might be expected (cf. also Ecc 2:7, וצאן with Mahpach; and, on the other hand, Ecc 2:23, וכעס with Pashta), vid., under Psa 55:10. Gam may be interpreted in the sense of “also” as well as of “nevertheless” (Ewald, 354a); the latter is to be preferred, since the endless labour includes in itself a restless striving after an increase of possession. The Kerî<, in an awkward way, changes עיניו into עינו; the taking together the two eyes as one would here be unnatural, since the avaricious man devours gold, silver, and precious things really with both his eyes, and yet, however great be his wealth, still more does he wish to see in his possession; the sing. of the pred. is as at 1Sa 4:15; Mic 4:11.

With ulmi ani, Koheleth puts himself in the place of such a friendless, childless man; yet this change of the description into a self-confession may be occasioned by this, that the author in his old age was really thus isolated, and stood alone. Regarding חסּר with the accus. of the person, to whom, and min of the matter, in respect of which there is want, vid., under Psa 8:6. That the author stands in sympathy with the sorrowful condition here exposed, may also be remarked from the fact that he now proceeds to show the value of companionship and the miseries of isolation:

Ecc 4:9 “Better are two together than one, seeing they have a good reward in their labour.” By hashshenaim, the author refers to such a pair; haehhad is one such as is just described. The good reward consists in this, that each one of the two has the pleasant consciousness of doing good to the other by his labour, and especially of being helpful to him. In this latter general sense is grounded the idea of the reward of faithful fellowship:

Ecc 4:10 “For if they fall, the one can raise up his fellow: but woe to the one who falleth, and there is not a second there to lift him up.” Only the Targ., which Grätz follows, confounds אילוWith Munach and Rebia in one word, which, according to the masora, occurs in only four other places. Vid., Mas. magna under this passage, and Mishpete hateamin 26 a. with אילוּ; it is equivalent to אוי לו, Isa 3:9, or הוי לו, Eze 13:18. Haehhad is appos. connecting itself to the pronominal suff., as, e.g., in a far more inappropriate manner, Psa 86:2; the prep. is not in appos. usually repeated, Gen 2:19; Gen 9:4 (exceptions: Ps. 18:51; Psa 74:14). Whether we translate שׁיּפּל by qui ceciderit (Ecc 11:3), or by quum ceciderit (Jerome), is all one. יקים is potential: it is possible and probable that it will be done, provided he is a טוב חבר, i.e., a true friend (Pirke aboth, ii. 13).

Ecc 4:11 “Moreover, if two lie together, then there is heat to them: but how can it be warm with one who is alone?” The marriage relation is not excluded, but it remains in the background; the author has two friends in his eye, who, lying in a cold night under one covering (Exo 22:26; Isa 28:20), cherish one another, and impart mutual warmth. Also in Aboth de-Rabbi Nathan, c. 8, the sleeping of two together is spoken of as an evidence of friendship. The vav in vehham is that of the consequent; it is wanting 10 a, according to rule, in haehhad, because it commonly comes into use with the verb, seldom (e.g., Gen 22:1) with the preceding subj.

Ecc 4:12 “And if one shall violently assail him who is alone, two shall withstand him; and (finally) a threefold cord is not quickly broken asunder.” The form yithqepho for yithqephehu, Job 15:24, is like hirdepho, Hos 8:3 = hirdephehu, Jdg 9:40. If we take תקף in the sense of to overpower, then the meaning is: If one can overpower him who is alone, then, on the contrary, two can maintain their ground against him (Herzf.); but the two אם, Ecc 4:10, Ecc 4:11, which are equivalent to ἐάν, exclude such a pure logical εἰ. And why should תקף, if it can mean overpowering, not also mean doing violence to by means of a sudden attack? In the Mishnic and Arab. it signifies to seize, to lay hold of; in the Aram. אתקף = החזיק, and also at Job 14:20; Job 15:24 (vid., Comm.), it may be understood of a violent assault, as well as of a completed subjugation; as נשׂא means to lift up and carry; עמד, to tread and to stand. But whether it be understood inchoat. or not, in any case האחד is not the assailant, who is much rather the unnamed subj. in יתקפי, but the one (the solitarius) who, if he is alone, must succumb; the construction of hithqepho haehhad follows the scheme of Exo 2:6, “she saw it, the child.” To the assault expressed by תקף, there stands opposed the expression נגד עמד, which means to withstand any one with success; as עמד לפני, 2Ki 10:4; Psa 147:17; Dan 8:7, means to maintain one’s ground. Of three who hold together, 12 a says nothing; the advance from two to three is thus made in the manner of a numerical proverb (vid., Proverbs, vol. I p. 13). If two hold together, that is seen to be good; but if there be three, this threefold bond is likened to a cord formed of three threads, which cannot easily be broken. Instead of the definite specific art. הח הם, we make use of the indefinite. Funiculus triplex difficile rumpitur is one of the winged expressions used by Koheleth.

Ecc 4:13 “Better is a youth poor and wise, than a king old and foolish, who no longer understands how to be warned,” - i.e., who increases his folly by this, that he is “wise in his own eyes,” Pro 26:12; earlier, as עוד denotes, he was, in some measure, accessible to the instruction of others in respect of what was wanting to him; but now in his advanced age he is hardened in his folly, bids defiance to all warning counsel, and undermines his throne. The connection of the verb ידע with ל and the inf. (for which elsewhere only the inf. is used) is a favourite form with the author; it means to know anything well, Ecc 5:1; Ecc 6:8; Ecc 10:15; here is meant an understanding resting on the knowledge of oneself and on the knowledge of men. נזהר is here and at Ecc 12:12, Psa 19:12, a Niph. tolerativum, such as the synon. נוסר, Psa 2:10 : to let oneself be cleared up, made wiser, enlightened, warned. After this contrast, the idea connected with חכם also defines itself. A young man (ילד, as at Dan 1:4, but also Gen 4:23) is meant who (vid., above, p. 639, under misken) yet excels the old imbecile and childish king, in that he perceives the necessity of a fundamental change in the present state of public matters, and knows how to master the situation to such a degree that he raises himself to the place of ruler over the neglected community.

Ecc 4:14 “For out of the prison-house he goeth forth to reign as king, although he was born as a poor man in his kingdom.” With כּי the properties of poverty and wisdom attributed to the young man are verified, - wisdom in this, that he knew how to find the way from a prison to a throne. As harammim, 2Ch 22:5 = haarammim, 2Ki 8:28, so hasurim = haasurim (cf. masoreth = maasoreth, Eze 20:37); beth haasirim (Kerı̂; haasurim), Jdg 16:21, Jdg 16:25, and beth haesur, Jer 38:15, designate the prison; cf. Moëd katan, Ecc 3:1. The modern form of the language prefers this elision of the א, e.g., אפלּוּ = אף אלּוּ, אלתּר = אל־אתר, בּתר post = בּאתר contra, etc. The perf. יחא is also thought of as having reached the throne, and having pre-eminence assigned to him as such. He has come forth from the prison to become king, רשׁ ... כּי. Zöckler translates: “Whereas also he that was born in his kingdom was poor,” and adds the remark: “גם כי, after the כי of the preceding clause, does not so much introduce a verification of it, as much rather an intensification; by which is expressed, that the prisoner has not merely transitorily fallen into such misery, but that he was born in poor and lowly circumstances, and that in his own kingdom בּם, i.e., in the same land which he should afterwards rule as king.” But גם כי is nowhere used by Koheleth in the sense of “ja auch” (= whereas also); and also where it is thus to be translated, as at Jer 14:18; Jer 23:11, it is used in the sense of “denn auch” (= for also), assigning proof. The fact is, that this group of particles, according as כי is thought of as demonst. or relat., means either “denn auch,” Ecc 4:16; Ecc 7:22; Ecc 8:16, or “wenn auch” = ἐὰν καί, as here and at Ecc 8:12. In the latter case, it is related to כּי גּם (sometimes also merely גּם, Psa 95:9; Mal 3:15), as ἐὰν (εἰ) καί, although, notwithstanding, is to καὶ ἐάν (εἰ), even although.That the accentuation separates the two words גם־ כי is to be judged from this, that it almost everywhere prefers אם־ כי (vid., under Comm. to Psa 1:2).

Thus 14 b, connecting itself with למלך, is to be translated: “although he was born (נולד,not נולד) in his kingdom as a poor man.”נולד רש cannot mean “to become poor.” Grätz appeals to the Mishnic language; but no intelligent linguist will use נולד רשׁ of a man in any other sense than that he is originally poor.

We cannot also concur with Zöckler in the view that the suff. of : b refers to the young upstart: in the kingdom which should afterwards become his; for this reason, that the suff. of תח, Ecc 4:16, refers to the old king, and thus also that this designation may be mediated, בם must refer to him. מלכות signifies kingdom, reign, realm; here, the realm, as at Neh 9:35, Dan 5:11; 6:29. Grätz thinks Ecc 4:13-16 ought to drive expositors to despair. But hitherto we have found no room for despair in obtaining a meaning from them. What follows also does not perplex us. The author describes how all the world hails the entrance of the new youthful king on his government, and gathers together under his sceptre.

Ecc 4:15-16 “I saw all the living which walk under the sun on the side of the youth, the second who shall enter upon the place of the former: no end of all the people, all those at whose head he stands.” The author, by the expression “I saw,” places himself back in the time of the change of government. If we suppose that he represents this to himself in a lively manner, then the words are to be translated: of the second who shall be his successor; but if we suppose that he seeks to express from the standpoint of the past that which, lying farther back in the past, was now for the first time future, then the future represents the time to come in the past, as at 2Ki 3:27; Psa 78:6; Job 15:28 (Hitz.): of the second who should enter on his place (עמד, to step to, to step forth, of the new king, Dan 8:23; Dan 11:2.; cf. קוּם, 1Ki 8:20). The designation of the crowd which, as the pregnant עם expresses, gathered by the side of the young successor to the old king, by “all the living, those walking under the sun (המה, perhaps intentionally the pathetic word for הלכים, Isa 42; 5),),” would remain a hyperbole, even although the throne of the Asiatic world-ruler had been intended; still the expression, so absolute in its universality, would in that case be more natural (vid., the conjectural reference to Cyrus and Astygates). השּׁני, Ewald refers to the successor to the king, the second after the king, and translates: “to the second man who should reign in his stead;” but the second man in this sense has certainly never been the child of fortune; one must then think of Joseph, who, however, remains the second man. Hitzig rightly: “The youth is the second שׁני, not אחר, in contrast to the king, who, as his predecessor, is the first.” “Yet,” he continues, “הילד should be the appos. and השׁני the principal word,” i.e., instead of: with the second youth, was to be expected: with the second, the youth. It is true, we may either translate: with the second youth, or: with the second, the youth - the  form of expression has in its something incorrect, for it has the appearance as if it treated of two youths. But similar are the expressions, Mat 8:21, ἓτερος κ.τ.λ., “another, and that, too, one of His disciples;” and Luk 23:32, ἤγοντο κ.τ.λ All the world ranks itself by the side (thus we may also express it) of the second youthful king, so that he comes to stand at the head of an endless multitude. The lxx, Jerome, and the Venet. render incorrectly the all (the multitude) as the subject of the relative clause, which Luther, after the Syr., corrects by reading לפניו for לפניהם: of the people that went for him there was no end. Rightly the Targ.: at whose head (= בּרישׁיהון) he had the direction, לפני, as with יצא ובא, 1Sa 18:16; 2Ch 1:10; Psa 68:8, etc. All the world congregates about him, follows his leadership; but his history thus splendidly begun, viewed backwards, is a history of hopes falsified. “And yet they who come after do not rejoice in him: for that also is vain, and a grasping after the wind.” For all that, and in spite of that (gam has here this meaning, as at Ecc 6:7; Jer 6:15; Psa 129:2; Ewald, §354 a), posterity (הא, as at Ecc 1:11; cf. Isa 41:4) has no joy in this king, - the hopes which his contemporaries placed in the young king, who had seized the throne and conquered their hearts, afterwards proved to be delusions; and also this history, at first so beautiful, and afterwards so hateful, contributed finally to the confirmation of the truth, that all under the sun is vain. As to the historical reminiscence from the time of the Ptolemies, in conformity with which Hitzig (in his Comm.) thinks this figure is constructed; Grätz here, as always, rocks himself in Herodian dreams. In his Comm., Hitz. guesses first of Jeroboam, along with Rehoboam the שׁני ילד, who rebelled against King Solomon, who in his old age had become foolish. In an essay, “Zur Exeg. u. Kritik des B. Koheleth,” in Hilgenfeld’s Zeitschr. XIV 566ff., Saul, on the contrary, appears to him to be the old and foolish king, and David the poor wise youth who rose to the throne, and took possession of the whole kingdom, but in his latter days experienced desertion and adversities; for those who came after (the younger men) had no delight in him, but rebelled against him. But in relation to Saul, who came from the plough to be king, David, who was called from being a shepherd, is not נולד רשׁ; and to Jewish history this Saul, whose nobler self is darkened by melancholy, but again brightens forth, and who to his death maintained the dignity of a king of Israel, never at any time appears as וכסיל ... מלך. Moreover, by both combinations of that which is related with the הסורים בּית (for which הסּ is written) of the history of the old Israelitish kings, a meaning contrary to the usage of the language must be extracted. It is true that סוּר, as the so-called particip. perfecti, may mean “gone aside (to a distance),” Isa 49:21; Jer 17:13; and we may, at any rate, by סורים, think on that poor rabble which at first gathered around David, 1Sa 22:2, regarded as outcasts from honourable society. But בית will not accord therewith. That David came forth from the house (home) of the estranged or separated, is and remains historically an awkward expression, linguistically obscure, and not in accordance with the style of Koheleth. In order to avoid this incongruity, Böttcher regards Antiochus the Great as the original of the ילד. He was the second son of his father, who died 225. When a hopeful youth of fifteen years of age, he was recalled to the throne from a voluntary banishment into Farther Asia, very soon gained against his old cousin and rival Achaeus, who was supported by Egypt, a large party, and remained for several years esteemed as a prince and captain; he disappointed, however, at a later time, the confidence which was reposed in him. But granting that the voluntary exile of Antiochus might be designated as האס בית, he was yet not a poor man, born poor, but was the son of King Seleucus Callincus; and his older relative and rival Achaeus wished indeed to become king, but never attained unto it. Hence השׁני is not the youth as second son of his father, but as second on the throne, in relation to the dethroned king reckoned as the first. Thus, far from making it probable that the Book of Koheleth originated in the time of the Diadochs, this combination of Böttcher’s also stands on a feeble foundation, and falls in ruins when assailed.

The section Eccl 1:12-4:16, to which we have prefixed the superscription, “Koheleth’s Experiences and their Results,” has now reached its termination, and here for the first time we meet with a characteristic peculiarity in the composition of the book: the narrative sections, in which Koheleth, on the ground of his own experiences and observations, registers the vanities of earthly life, terminate in series of proverbs in which the I of the preacher retires behind the objectivity of the exhortations, rules, and principles obtained from experience, here recorded. The first of these series of proverbs which here follows is the briefest, but also the most complete in internal connection.

The Prevalence of Oppression.

1 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. 2 Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive. 3 Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

Solomon had a large soul (1 Kings iv. 29) and it appeared by this, among other things, that he had a very tender concern for the miserable part of mankind and took cognizance of the afflictions of the afflicted. He had taken the oppressors to task (ch. iii. 16, 17) and put them in mind of the judgment to come, to be a curb to their insolence; now here he observes the oppressed. This he did, no doubt, as a prince, to do them justice and avenge them of their adversaries, for he both feared God and regarded men; but here he does it as a preacher, and shows,

I. The troubles of their condition (v. 1); of these he speaks very feelingly and with compassion. It grieved him, 1. To see might prevailing against right, to see so much oppression done under the sun, to see servants, and labourers, and poor workmen, oppressed by their masters, who take advantage of their necessity to impose what terms they please upon them, debtors oppressed by cruel creditors and creditors too by fraudulent debtors, tenants oppressed by hard landlords and orphans by treacherous guardians, and, worst of all, subjects oppressed by arbitrary princes and unjust judges. Such oppressions are done under the sun; above the sun righteousness reigns for ever. Wise men will consider these oppressions, and contrive to do something for the relief of those that are oppressed. Blessed is he that considers the poor. 2. To see how those that were wronged laid to heart the wrongs that were done them. He beheld the tears of such as were oppressed, and perhaps could not forbear weeping with them. The world is a place of weepers; look which way we will, we have a melancholy scene presented to us, the tears of those that are oppressed with one trouble or other. They find it is to no purpose to complain, and therefore mourn in secret (as Job, ch. xvi. 20; xxx. 28); but Blessed are those that mourn. 3. To see how unable they were to help themselves: On the side of their oppressors there was power, when they had done wrong, to stand to it and make good what they had done, so that the poor were borne down with a strong hand and had no way to obtain redress. It is sad to see power misplaced, and that which was given men to enable them to do good perverted to support them in doing wrong. 4. To see how they and their calamities were slighted by all about them. They wept and needed comfort, but there was none to do that friendly office: They had no comforter; their oppressors were powerful and threatening, and therefore they had no comforter; those that should have comforted them durst not, for fear of displeasing the oppressors and being made their companions for offering to be their comforters. It is sad to see so little humanity among men.

II. The temptations of their condition. Being thus hardly used, they are tempted to hate and despise life, and to envy those that are dead and in their graves, and to wish they had never been born (v. 2, 3); and Solomon is ready to agree with them, for it serves to prove that all is vanity and vexation, since life itself is often so; and if we disregard it, in comparison with the favour and fruition of God (as St. Paul, Acts xx. 24, Phil. i. 23), it is our praise, but, if (as here) only for the sake of the miseries that attend it, it is our infirmity, and we judge therein after the flesh, as Job and Elijah did. 1. He here thinks those happy who have ended this miserable life, have done their part and quitted the stage; "I praised the dead that are already dead, slain outright, or that had a speedy passage through the world, made a short cut over the ocean of life, dead already, before they had well begun to live; I was pleased with their lot, and, had it been in their own choice, should have praised their wisdom for but looking into the world and then retiring, as not liking it. I concluded that it is better with them than with the living that are yet alive and that is all, dragging the long and heavy chain of life, and wearing out its tedious minutes." This may be compared not with Job iii. 20, 21, but with Rev. xiv. 13, where, in times of persecution (and such Solomon is here describing), it is not the passion of man, but the Spirit of God, that says, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth. Note, The condition of the saints that are dead, and gone to rest with God, is upon many accounts better and more desirable than the condition of living saints that are yet continued in their work and warfare. 2. He thinks those happy who never began this miserable life; nay, they are happiest of all: He that has not been is happier than both they. Better never to have been born than be born to see the evil work that is done under the sun, to see so much wickedness committed, so much wrong done, and not only to be in no capacity to mend the matter, but to suffer ill for doing well. A good man, how calamitous a condition soever he is in in this world, cannot have cause to wish he had never been born, since he is glorifying the Lord even in the fires, and will be happy at last, for ever happy. Nor ought any to wish so while they are alive, for while there is life there is hope; a man is never undone till he is in hell.

The Prevalence of Oppression.

4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. 5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. 6 Better is a handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.

Here Solomon returns to the observation and consideration of the vanity and vexation of spirit that attend the business of this world, which he had spoken of before, ch. ii. 11.

I. If a man be acute, and dexterous, and successful in his business, he gets the ill-will of his neighbours, v. 4. Though he takes a great deal of pains, and goes through all travail, does not get his estate easily, but it costs him a great deal of hard labour, nor does he get it dishonestly, he wrongs no man, defrauds no man, but by every right work, by applying himself to his own proper business, and managing it by all the rules of equity and fair dealing, yet for this he is envied of his neighbour, and the more for the reputation he has got by his honesty. This shows, 1. What little conscience most men have, that they will bear a grudge to a neighbour, give him an ill word and do him an ill turn, only because he is more ingenious and industrious than themselves, and has more of the blessing of heaven. Cain envied Abel, Esau Jacob, and Saul David, and all for their right works. This is downright diabolism. 2. What little comfort wise and useful men must expect to have in this world. Let them behave themselves ever so cautiously, they cannot escape being envied; and who can stand before envy? Prov. xxvii. 4. Those that excel in virtue will always be an eye-sore to those that exceed in vice, which should not discourage us from any right work, but drive us to expect the praise of it, not from men, but from God, and not to count upon satisfaction and happiness in the creature; for, if right works prove vanity and vexation of spirit, no works under the sun can prove otherwise. But for every right work a man shall be accepted of his God, and then he needs not mind though he be envied of his neighbour, only it may make him love the world the less.

II. If a man be stupid, and dull, and blundering in his business, he does ill for himself (v. 5): The fool that goes about his work as if his hands were muffled and folded together, that does every thing awkwardly, the sluggard (for he is a fool) that loves his ease and folds his hands together to keep them warm, because they refuse to labour, he eats his own flesh, is a cannibal to himself, brings himself into such a poor condition that he has nothing to eat but his own flesh, into such a desperate condition that he is ready to eat his own flesh for vexation. He has a dog's life—hunger and ease. Because he sees active men that thrive in the world envied, he runs into the other extreme; and, lest he should be envied for his right works, he does every thing wrong, and does not deserve to be pitied. Note, Idleness is a sin that is its own punishment. The following words (v. 6), Better is a handful with quietness than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit, may be taken either, 1. As the sluggard's argument for the excuse of himself in his idleness. He folds his hands together, and abuses and misapplies a good truth for his justification, as if, because a little with quietness is better than abundance with strife, therefore a little with idleness is better than abundance with honest labour: thus wise in his own conceit is he, Prov. xxvi. 16. But, 2. I rather take it as Solomon's advice to keep the mean between that travail which will make a man envied and that slothfulness which will make a man eat his own flesh. Let us by honest industry lay hold on the handful, that we may not want necessaries, but not grasp at both the hands full, which will but create us vexation of spirit. Moderate pains and moderate gains will do best. A man may have but a handful of the world, and yet may enjoy it and himself with a great deal of quietness, with content of mind, peace of conscience, and the love and good-will of his neighbours, while many that have both their hands full, have more than heart could wish, have a great deal of travail and vexation with it. Those that cannot live on a little, it is to be feared, would not live as they should if they had ever so much.

The Vanity of Human Wishes.

7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. 8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. 9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Here Solomon fastens upon another instance of the vanity of this world, that frequently the more men have of it the more they would have; and on this they are so intent that they have no enjoyment of what they have. Now Solomon here shows,

I. That selfishness is the cause of this evil (v. 7, 8): There is one alone, that minds none but himself, cares for nobody, but would, if he could, be placed alone in the midst of the earth; there is not a second, nor does he desire there should be: one mouth he thinks enough in a house, and grudges every thing that goes beside him. See how this covetous muckworm is here described. 1. He makes himself a mere slave to his business. Though he has no charge, neither child nor brother, none to take care of but himself, none to hang upon him, or draw from him, no poor relations, nor dares he marry, for fear of the expense of a family, yet is there no end of his labour; he is at it night and day, early and late, and will scarcely allow necessary rest to himself and those he employs. He does not confine himself within the bounds of his own calling, but is for having a hand in any thing that he can get by. See Ps. cxxvii. 2. 2. He never thinks he has enough: His eye is not satisfied with riches. Covetousness is called the lust of the eye (1 John ii. 16) because the beholding of it with his eyes is all that the worldling seems to covet, Eccl. v. 11. He has enough for his back (as bishop Reynolds observes), for his belly, for his calling, for his family, for his living decently in the world, but he has not enough for his eyes. Though he can but see it, can but count his money, and not find in his heart to use it, yet he is not easy because he has not more to regale his eyes with. 3. He denies himself the comfort of what he has: he bereaves his soul of good. If our souls are bereaved of good, it is we ourselves that do bereave them. Others may bereave us of outward good, but cannot rob us of our graces and comforts, our spiritual good things. It is our own fault if we do not enjoy ourselves. Yet many are so set upon the world that, in pursuit of it, they bereave their souls of good here and for ever, make shipwreck of faith and of a good conscience, bereave themselves not only of the favour of God and eternal life, but of the pleasures of this world too and this present life. Worldly people, pretending to be wise for themselves, are really enemies to themselves. 4. He has no excuse for doing this: He has neither child nor brother, none that he is bound to, on whom he may lay out what he has to his satisfaction while he lives, none that he has a kindness for, for whom he may lay it up to his satisfaction and to whom he may leave it when he dies, none that are poor or dear to him. 5. He has not consideration enough to show himself the folly of this. He never puts this question to himself, "For whom do I labour thus? Do I labour, as I should, for the glory of God, and that I may have to give to those that need? Do I consider that it is but for the body that I am labouring, a dying body; it is for others, and I know not for whom—perhaps for a fool, that will scatter it as fast as I have gathered it—perhaps for a foe, that will be ungrateful to my memory?" Note, It is wisdom for those that take pains about this world to consider whom they take all this pains for, and whether it be really worth while to bereave themselves of good that they may bestow it on a stranger. If men do not consider this, it is vanity, and a sore travail; they shame and vex themselves to no purpose.

II. That sociableness is the cure of this evil. Men are thus sordid because they are all for themselves. Now Solomon shows here, by divers instances, that it is not good for man to be alone (Gen. ii. 18); he designs hereby to recommend to us both marriage and friendship, two things which covetous misers decline, because of the charge of them; but such are the comfort and advantage of them both, if prudently contracted, that they will very well quit cost. Man, in paradise itself, could not be happy without a mate, and therefore is no sooner made than matched. 1. Solomon lays this down for a truth, That two are better than one, and more happy jointly than either of them could be separately, more pleased in one another than they could be in themselves only, mutually serviceable to each other's welfare, and by a united strength more likely to do good to others: They have a good reward of their labour; whatever service they do, it is returned to them another way. He that serves himself only has himself only for his paymaster, and commonly proves more unjust and ungrateful to himself than his friend, if he should serve him, would be to him; witness him that labours endlessly and yet bereaves his soul of good; he has no reward of his labour. But he that is kind to another has a good reward; the pleasure and advantage of holy love will be an abundant recompence for all the work and labour of love. Hence Solomon infers the mischief of solitude: Woe to him that is alone. He lies exposed to many temptations which good company and friendship would prevent and help him to guard against; he wants that advantage which a man has by the countenance of his friend, as iron has of being sharpened by iron. A monastic life then was surely never intended for a state of perfection, nor should those be reckoned the greatest lovers of God who cannot find in their hearts to love any one else. 2. He proves it by divers instances of the benefit of friendship and good conversation. (1.) Occasional succour in an exigency. It is good for two to travel together, for if one happen to fall, he may be lost for want of a little help. If a man fall into sin, his friend will help to restore him with the spirit of meekness; if he fall into trouble, his friend will help to comfort him and assuage his grief. (2.) Mutual warmth. As a fellow-traveller is of use (amicus pro vehiculo—a friend is a good substitute for a carriage) so is a bedfellow: If two lie together, they have heat. So virtuous and gracious affections are excited by good society, and Christians warm one another by provoking one another to love and to good works. (3.) United strength. If an enemy find a man alone, he is likely to prevail against him; with his own single strength he cannot make his part good, but, if he have a second, he may do well enough: two shall withstand him. "You shall help me against my enemy, and I will help you against yours;" according to the agreement between Joab and Abishai (2 Sam. x. 11), and so both are conquerors; whereas, acting separately, both would have been conquered; as was said of the ancient Britons, when the Romans invaded them, Dum singuli pugnant, universi vincuntur—While they fight in detached parties, they sacrifice the general cause. In our spiritual warfare we may be helpful to one another as well as in our spiritual work; next to the comfort of communion with God, is that of the communion of saints. He concludes with this proverb, A threefold cord is not easily broken, any more than a bundle of arrows, though each single thread, and each single arrow, is. Two together he compares to a threefold cord; for where two are closely joined in holy love and fellowship, Christ will by his Spirit come to them, and make the third, as he joined himself to the two disciples going to Emmaus, and then there is a threefold cord that can never be broken. They that dwell in love, dwell in God, and God in them.

The Advantages of Society.

13 Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. 14 For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor. 15 I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead. 16 There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Solomon was himself a king, and therefore may be allowed to speak more freely than another concerning the vanity of kingly state and dignity, which he shows here to be an uncertain thing; he had before said so (Prov. xxvii. 24, The crown doth not endure to every generation), and his son found it so. Nothing is more slippery than the highest post of honour without wisdom and the people's love.

I. A king is not happy unless he have wisdom, v. 13, 14. He that is truly wise, prudent, and pious, though he be poor in the world, and very young, and upon both accounts despised and little taken notice of, is better, more truly valuable and worthy of respect, is likely to do better for himself and to be a greater blessing to his generation, than a king, than an old king, and therefore venerable both for his gravity and for his dignity, if he be foolish, and knows not how to manage public affairs himself nor will be admonished and advised by others—who knows not to be admonished, that is, will not suffer any counsel or admonition to be given him (no one about him dares contradict him) or will not hearken to the counsel and admonition that are given him. It is so far from being any part of the honour of kings that it is the greatest dishonour to them that can be not to be admonished. Folly and wilfulness commonly go together, and those that most need admonition can worst bear it; but neither age nor titles will secure men respect if they have not true wisdom and virtue to recommend them; while wisdom and virtue will gain men honour even under the disadvantages of youth and poverty. To prove the wise child better than the foolish king he shows what each of them comes to, v. 14. 1. A poor man by his wisdom comes to be preferred, as Joseph, who, when he was but young, was brought out of prison to be the second man in the kingdom, to which story Solomon seems here to refer. Providence sometimes raises the poor out of the dust, to set them among princes, Ps. cxiii. 7, 8. Wisdom has wrought not only the liberty of men, but their dignity, raised them from the dunghill, from the dungeon, to the throne. 2. A king by his folly and wilfulness comes to be impoverished. Though he was born in his kingdom, came to it by inheritance, though he has lived to be old in it and has had time to fill his treasures, yet if he take ill courses, and will no more be admonished as he has been, thinking, because he is old, he is past it, he becomes poor; his treasure is exhausted, and perhaps he is forced to resign his crown and retire into privacy.

II. A king is not likely to continue if he have not a confirmed interest in the affections of the people; this is intimated, but somewhat obscurely, in the last two verses. 1. He that is king must have a successor, a second, a child that shall stand up in his stead, his own, suppose, or perhaps that poor and wise child spoken of, v. 13. Kings, when they grow old, must have the mortification of seeing those that are to jostle them out and stand up in their stead. 2. It is common with the people to adore the rising sun: All the living who walk under the sun are with the second child, are in his interests, are conversant with him, and make their court to him more than to the father, whom they look upon as going off, and despise because his best days are past. Solomon considered this; he saw this to be the disposition of his own people, which appeared immediately after his death, in their complaints of his government and their affectation of a change. 3. People are never long easy and satisfied: There is no end, no rest, of all the people; they are continually fond of changes, and know not what they would have. 4. This is no new thing, but it has been the way of all that have been before them; there have been instances of this in every age: even Samuel and David could not always please. 5. As it has been, so it is likely to be still: Those that come after will be of the same spirit, and shall not long rejoice in him whom at first they seemed extremely fond of. To-day, Hosanna—tomorrow, Crucify. 6. It cannot but be a great grief to princes to see themselves thus slighted by those they have studied to oblige and have depended upon; there is no faith in man, no stedfastness. This is vanity and vexation of spirit.

CHAP. IV. Verſ. 1. So I returned, and conſidered.

HEre's a ſecond inſtance of corruption in civil State, added to that, chap. 3.16. to fill up the neſt of vanities.

And behold the tears of ſuch, &c.] Heb. Tear; as if they had wept their utmoſt,Expletur Iachrymis egeriturque dolor. Ovid. Et vix unicam lachrymulam extorquere poſſent, and could hardly ſqueeze out one poor tear more, for their own eaſe. For as Hindes by calving, ſo men by weeping caſt out their ſorrows. Job 39.3. Now tears are of many ſorts: Lachrymas anguſtiae exprimit crux: Alſted. lachrymas poenitentiae, peccatum: lachrymas ſympathia, affectus: lachrymas letitiae, excellentia gandii: denique lachrymas nequitiae, vel hypocriſis vel vindictae cupiditas. Oppreſſion draws tears of grief: Sin, tears of repentance: affection, tears of compaſſion: good ſucceſs, tears of joy: hypocriſy, or ſpite, tears of wickedneſs.

And they had no comforter] This was Jobs doleful caſe, and Davids, Pſal. 69.21. and the Churches in the Lamentations, chap. 1.2. Affert ſolatium lugentibus ſuſpiriorum ſocietas, ſaith Baſil. Pitty allays miſery: but incompaſſionateneſs of others, increaſeth it. This was one of Sodoms ſinnes, Ezek. 16.49. and of thoſe Epicures in Amos, chap. 6.6. The King and Haman ſate drinking in the gate; but the whole City of Suſan was in heavineſs, Eſth. 3.15.

And on the ſide of their oppreſſours, &c.] The oppreſſed Romans ſighed out to Pompey, Noſtra miſeria tu es Magnus. The world hath almoſt as many wild Beaſts and Monſters, as it hath Landlords, in divers places. It is a woful thing, ſurely, to ſee how great ones quaff the tears of the oppreſſed, and to hear them make muſick of ſhricks.

Verſ. 2. Wherefore I praiſed the dead] Becauſe they are out of the reach of wrong-doers; and if dead in the Lord, they have entred into peace, they doe reſt in their beds, each one walking in his uprightneſſe, Iſa. 57.2. But if otherwiſe, men had better doe any thing, ſuffer any thing here, than dye: ſith by death (as by a trap-do[illegible: 1 letter]e) they enter into thoſe terrors and torments that ſhall never either mend or end. Men, (like ſilly fiſhes) ſee one another caught and jerkt out of the Pond of life; but they ſee not (alas) the fire and pan into the which they are caſt, that dye in their ſins. Oh! it had been better (ſurely) for ſuch; if they had never been born, as Chriſt ſaid of Judas; than thus to be brought forth to the murtherer, (to that old Man-ſlayer,) to be hurled into Hell,Hoſ. 4. there to ſuffer ſuch things, as they ſhall never be able to avoyd or abide.

Verſ. 3. Yea better is he than both they] The Heathen could ſay, Optimum non naſci: proximum mori. Life is certainly a bleſſing of God, though never ſo calamitous. Why is living man ſorrowful? ſaith the Prophet:Lam. 3.39 and it is as if he ſhould ſay; Man, if alive, hath ſome cauſe of comfort, amidſt all his miſeries: if he may ſcape though but with the skin of his teeth, and have his life for a prey, he ſhould ſee matter of thankfulneſs, and ſay,Job 19.20 Lam. 3. It is the Lords mercy that I am not conſumed, that I am yet on this ſide hell. But thoſe that have ſet their hearts upon earthly things, if ever they loſe them, they are filled almoſt with unmedicinable ſorrows; ſo as they will praiſe the dead above the living, and wiſh they had never been born. Theſe are they whom Solomon in this ſentence is by ſome thought to perſonate.

Verſ. 4. That for this a man is envied of his neighbour] This is another peece of lifes vanity; that as greater men will lye heavie upon you and oppreſſe you, ſo meaner men will be envying at you, and oppoſe you; as Cain did Abel, Sauls Courtiers did David, the Peers of Perſia, Daniel; the Scribes and Phariſees, our Saviour: Every Zopyrus ſhall be ſure to have his Zoilus. The garment of righteouſneſſe, party-coloured with all variety of graces, is a great eye-ſore to the wicked, and makes the Saints maligned. See Prov. 27.4. with the note there.

Verſ. 5. The fool foldeth his hands together] A graphical and lively deſcription of a Sluggard, fitly called a fool, [non-Latin text not transcribed], a naughty perſon. Thou idle and evil ſervant, Matth. 25.26. God puts no difference betwixt Nequaquam and Nequam, a drone and a naughty-pack, ſeem he never ſo wiſe in his own eyes, Prov. 26.16. and have he never ſo much reaſon to alledge for himſelf (as in the verſe here next following) a fool he is, and ſo he will ſoon prove himſelf. For, he folds up his hands, and hides them in his own boſome, Prov. 26.15. A great many chares hee is likely to doe the while. See the Note on Prov. 19.24. And as (Neque mola, neque farina, nothing doe, nothing have) hee cateth hit own fleſh, he maketh many an hungry meal, he hath a Doggs life, as we ſay; Eaſe ſlayeth this fool, Prov. 1.32. poverty comes upon him as an armed man. Grief alſo ſlayes him, Prov. 21.25. envie conſumes his fleſh, and he is vexed at the plenty of painful perſons; and becauſe he cannot come at, or rather pull out their hearts, he feeds upon his own.

Verſ. 6. Better is an handful with quietneſſe] This is the ſluggards plea; whereby hee boulſtereth himſelf up in his wickedneſs, and would make you beleeve that he did, non ſine ratione inſanire, not play the Mad-man without good reaſon. To what end (ſaith he) ſhould a man toyl and tire out himſelf with hard labour to compaſſe commodity, making a drudge and a beaſt of himſelf for a little pelf; ſith he knows not who ſhall have the ſpending of it, and he is ſure to be either ſqueezed by his Superiours, as verſ. 1. of this Chapter, or elſe envied by his neighbours, as verſ. 4? Is not a little with [illegible: 1 letter]aſe better? a penny by begging better than two pence by true labour? It is well obſerved by an Interpreter, that this ſentence uttered by the ſluggard, is in its true meaning, not much different from that of the Wiſe-man, Prov. 17.1. but ill applyed by him. Good words are not alwayes to be truſted, from ill men eſpecially.

Verſ. 7. Then I returned, and ſaw vanity, &c.] i. e. another extream of vanity, viſible where-ever the Sun is ſeen. Dum vitant ſtulti vitium, in contrariae currant: Fools whiles they ſhun the ſands, ruſh upon the rocks; as Herod would needs prevent perjury by murther. The ſluggard here, ſeeing thoſe that doe beſt to be envied of others, reſolves to doe juſt nothing. Again, the covetous Miſer, ſeeing the ſluggard lye under ſo much infamy for doing nothing, ſe laboribus conficit, undoes himſelf with over-doing. Sed nemo ita perplexus tenetur inter duo vitia, quinexitus pateat, abſque tertio, ſaith an Ancient: But no man is ſo held hampered betwixt two vices, but that hee may well get off, without falling into a third. What need Eutyches fall into the other extream of Neſtorius? or Stancarus of Oſiander? or Illyricus of Strigelius? but that they were for their pride juſtly given up to a ſpirit of giddineſſe.

Verſ. 8. There is one alone, and there is not a ſecond] A matchleſſe Miſer, a fellow that hardly hath a fellow, a ſolivagant or ſolitary vagrant, that dare not marry for fear of a numerous off-ſpring. Child he hath none to ſucceed him, nor brother to ſhare with him, and yet there is no end of all his labour: he takes unceſſant pains, and works like an horſe, neither is his eye ſatisfied with riches, that luſt of the eye (as St. John calls covetouſneſſe) is as a bottomleſſe gulf,1 Joh. 2.15 as an unquenchable fire, as Leviathan that wanteth room in the main Ocean, or as Behemoth, (Job 40.23.) that truſteth that hee can draw up Jordan into his mouth.

Neither ſaith he, for whom doe I labour and bereave] Si haec duo tecum verba reputaſſes, Orat. pro Quintio. Quid ago? reſpiraſſet cupiditas & avaritia panlulum, ſaith Cicero to Nevius. If thou wouldſt but take up thoſe two words, and ſay to thy ſelf, What doe I? thy luſt and covetouſneſſe would bee ſomewhat rebated thereby. But luſt is inconſiderate and headlong: neither is any thing more irrational than irreligion. The rich glutton bethought himſelf of his ſtore, and reſolved to take part of it.Luk. 12.17 1 Cor. 9 So did Nabal; but this wretch here hath not a ſecond: he plants a Vineyard, and eats not of the fruit, &c.

And bereave my ſoul of good) i. e. deprive my ſelf of neceſſary conveniencies and comforts, and defraud my Genius of that which God hath given me richly to enjoy, 1 Tim. 6. Or, bereave my ſoul of good, of God, of grace, of heaven, never thinking of eternity,1 Tim. 6.18 of laying up for my ſelf a good foundation, that I may lay hold upon eternal life: but by low ends, even in religious duties, making earth my throne, and heaven my footstool. This is vanity in the abſtract; this is a ſore travel, becauſe Nulla emolumenta laborum, no good to be gotten by it, no pay for a mans pains. But as the Bird that ſitteth on the Serpents eggs, by breaking and hatching them brings forth a perillous brood, to her own deſtruction; ſo doe thoſe that ſit abrood on the worlds vanities.

Verſ. 9. Two are better than one] Friendly ſociety is farre beyond that wretched aloneneſſe of the covetous Caitiff, verſ. 8. Hee joyns houſe to houſe, and land to land, that he may live alone in the earth, Eſay 5.8. Horat.Quin fine rivali ſe que & ſua ſolus amato. Let him enjoy his moping ſolitarineſſe, if he can. It is not good for man to bee alone, Gen. 2. Ariſtot. Polis. 1. ſaith God. And he that loves to be alone, is either a beaſt or a god, ſaith the Philoſopher. Man is [non-Latin text not transcribed], a ſociable creature, he is Natures good-fellow, and holds this for a Rule, Optimum ſolatium ſodalitium, There is great comfort in good company: next to communion with God is the communion of Saints. Chriſt ſent out his Apoſtles by two and two, Mar. 6.7. He himſelf came from Heaven to converſe with us; and ſhall we like Stoicks, ſty up our ſelves, and not daily run into good company? The evil ſpirit is for ſolitarineſſe, God is for ſociety. He dwels in the Aſſembly of his Saints; yea,Dupla & compaginata pleraque fecit Deus, ut coelum & terram, ſolem & lunam, marem & foeminam. Orig. in Gen. 1 Vid E[illegible: 2 letters]ſm. in Adagio [non-Latin text not transcribed]. there he hath a delight to dwell, calling the Church his Chepht ſibah, Eſay 62.4. and the Saints were Davids Chaphtfibam, his delight, Pſal. 16.2. Neither doth God nor good men take pleaſure in a ſtern froward auſterity, or wild retiredneſſe: but in a mild affableneſſe and amiable converſation.

Verſ. 10. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow] Provided, that they hold together, and be both of a mind. That which is ſtronger ſhoreth up that which is weaker. While Latimer and Ridley lived, they kept up Cranmer by intercourſe of Letters and otherwiſe, from entertaining counſels of revolt. Biſhop Ridley being Priſoner in the Tower, had the liberty of the ſame; to prove, belike, whether he would goe to Maſs or no: which once he did. And Mr. Bradford being there Priſoner, and hearing thereof,Act. & Mon. fol. 1930. wrote an effectual Letter to perſwade him from the ſame, which did Mr. Ridley no little good; for he repented, &c. Biſhop Farrar alſo being in the Kings-bench Priſoner, was travelled withall by the Papiſts in the end of Lent, to receive the Sacrament at Eaſter in one kind; who after much perſwading, yeelded to them, and promiſed ſo to doe. But, by Gods good providence, the Eaſter-even, the day before he ſhould have done it, was Bradford brought to the ſame Priſon, Ib. 1457. where, the Lord making him his inſtrument, Bradford only was the means that the ſaid Biſhop revoked his promiſe, and would never after yeeld to bee ſpotted with that Papiſtical pitch.Ibid. Dr. Taylor for like cauſe rejoyced that ever he came into priſon there to be acquainted with that Angel of God, John Bradford: ſo he called him, for the good he received from him. One man may bee an Angel to another in regard of counſel and comfort: nay, a God to another, as Moſes was to Aaron. Though he fall he ſhall ariſe, for the Lord puts under his hand, Pſal. 37.24.

But woe to him that is alone] Becauſe Satan is readieſt to aſſault, when none is by to aſſiſt: Solitarineſſe therefore is not to be affected, becauſe it is the hour of temptation.

For he hath not a ſecond to help him up] As Elizabeth Cowper the Martyr in Queen Maries dayes had, who being condemned, and at the ſtake with Simon Miller, when the fire came unto her, ſhe a little ſhrank thereat, crying once Ha; when Simon heard the ſame, he put his hand behind him toward her, and willed her to be ſtrong and of good chear: for, Good Siſter, ſaid he, Ib. 1981. we ſhall ſoon have a joyful and ſweet ſupper: it is but winking a little and you are in heaven. With theſe, and the like ſpeeches ſhe being ſtrengthned ſtood ſtill and quiet, as one moſt glad to finiſh that good work. It was therefore a devilliſh policy in Julian and other Heathen Perſecutors, to baniſh Chriſtians into farre Countries one from another, and to confine them to Iſles and Mines, where they could not have acceſſe one to another.

Verſ. 11. Again, if two lye together, then they have heat] Heat of zeal and good affection. Did not our hearts burn within us, ſaid thoſe two Diſciples,Luke 24. when Chriſt once made the third with them, and by holy conference kindled them? So when Silas and Timotheus came from Macedonia, Paul was preſſed in ſpirit, Acts 18.5. Warm he was before, but now all of a light fire, as it were. Thoſe dull daughters of Jeruſalem, by hearing the Spouſe deſcribe her beloved, as ſhee doth from top to toe, were fired up with deſire to joyn with her in ſeeking after him whom her ſoul loved. The lying together of the dead body of one with the bones of Eliſha, gave life to it: ſo doth good company give life to thoſe that are dead in ſin. Let two cold flints bee ſmitten together, and fire will come forth: So let two dull Chriſtians conferre and communicate their ſoul-ſecrets, and it ſhall not repent them, they ſhall find the benefit of it. Canſt thou bind the ſweet influences of the Pleiades? ſaith God to Job, chap. 38.31. Theſe Pleiades be the ſeven Stars, that have all one name, becauſe they all help one another in their work; which is to bring the Spring; and like ſeven Siſters, ſo are they joyned together in one conſtellation, and in one company. Wee ſee that God will have the ſweeteſt works in Nature to bee performed with mutual help. The beſt time of the year, the ſweeteſt warmth cometh with theſe Pleiades; and the beſt time of our life cometh when wee lye together in true love and fellowſhip. No ſooner had the Philippians received the Goſpel, but they were in fellowſhip to a day, Phil. 1.5. They knew, that as ſincerity is the life of Religion, ſo is ſociety the life of ſincerity.

Verſ. 12. And if one prevail againſt him, &c.] Vis unita fortior. God bade Gideon to go down to the Camp of the Midianites: and if he feared to go, then to take with him his ſervant Phurah. 1 Sam. 26 Jonathan will not goe without his armor-bearer, David without Abiſhai. Chriſt, when to begin his Paſſion in the Garden, took Peter, James, and John with him, for the benefit of their prayers and company,Pſal. 122.3 Cant. 7. Matth. 16. though they ſerved him but ſorrily. My dove is but one, Cant. 6.9. Jeruſalem is a City compact together. The Church is terrible as an Army with banners: the gates of Hell cannot prevail againſt her. Unity hath victory, but diviſion breeds diſſolution, as it did once in this Iſland when Caeſar firſt entred it. Dum ſinguli pugnant univerſi vincuntur, ſaith Tacitus of the ancient Britans. The Turks pray daily, that the differences amongſt us Chriſtians may be heightned,Camer. medit. Hiſt. cen. 2. cap 23. Rich. Axiom. Polit. p. 86 for that will ſooneſt undoe us. And one of their Emperours, when his Council diſſwaded him from a Warre againſt the Germans, becauſe of their multitude, ſaid, that he feared them not, becauſe ſooner would his fingers be all of one length, than their Princes all of one mind.

And a three-fold cord is not eaſily broken] A proverbial confirmation well interpreted by Lyra; Quanto plures & boni in amicitia conjuncti ſunt, tanto ſtatus corum melioratur. The more they are that unite, ſo they bee good, the better it is with them. See 2 Sam. 10.9, 10, 11, 12. We loſe much of our ſtrength in the loſſe of friends; our cable is as it were untwiſted. Hence David ſo bemoans the loſs of Jonathan, 2 Sam. 1. and made him an Epitaph. Hence St. Paul counted it a ſpecial mercy to him that Epaphroditus recovered, Phil. 1.27.

Verſ. 13. Better is a poor and wiſe childe] Such as was Joſeph, David, Daniel, and his three Camerades, &c. apt to learn, ready to receive inſtruction, and as careful to follow it. And well doth the Preacher joyn poverty with wiſdome; for, Neſcio quomodo bonae mentis ſoror eſt paupertas, ſaith he in Petronius: and, Paupertas eſt Philoſophiae vernacula, Poverty is the proper language of Philoſophy; and wiſdome is undervalued and little ſet by. Thoſe wiſeſt of the Greeks were very poor,Alian. l. 2 Ariſtides, Phocion, Pelopidas, Epaminondas, Socrates, Ephialtes. So were thoſe Worthies of whom the world was not worthy, Heb. 11.38. They wandred about in Sheep-skins, and Goat-skins, being deſtitute, &c. Sweet-ſmelling Smyrna was the pooreſt of all the ſeven Churches, Revel. 3. yet hath the richeſt price ſet upon it. Lactantius dyed miſerable poor, ſo did Theodorus Gaza that learned Greek. Of Archimedes thus ſings Silius, Sil. lib. 14 Nudus opum, ſed cui coelum terraeque patebant.

But I am fully of Aeneas Sylvius his judgement; that Popular men ſhould eſteem wiſdome as ſilver, Noble-men as gold, Princes as pearls. Of Queen Elizabeth (that peerleſſe Princeſſe) it is ſaid,Camb. Eliz. that ſhe hated no leſſe than did Mithridates, ſuch as deſpiſed vertue forſaken of fortune:

Eraſm. Than an old and fooliſh King] Brabanti quo magis ſeneſcunt, eo magis ſtulteſcunt. So doe many men of quality, Monarchs and others, weak and yet wilful, ſhort-witted, and yet ſelf-conceited; ſuch as were Saul, Rehoboam, Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar, our Henry the third, called Regni dilapidator, and that James that reigned in Scotland in our Edward the fourths time;Daniels Hiſt. of whom it is ſtoried, that hee was ſo much wedded to his own opinion, that hee could not endure any mans advice (how good ſoever) that hee fancied not;Ibid. hee would ſeldom ask counſel, but never follow any. Xerxes in his expedition againſt Greece, Val. Max. lib. 9 cap. 5. is reported to have called his Princes together, and thus to have ſpoken to them; Leſt I ſhould ſeem to follow mine own counſel, I have aſſembled you: and now do you remember, that it becomes you rather to obey than to adviſe.

Verſ. 14. For out of priſon hee commeth to reign] As Valentinian the Emperour, Sultan Muſtapha the great Turk,Daniels hiſt. fol 480. Anno Dom. 1622. Our Henry the fourth, who was crowned the very ſame day, that the year before hee had been baniſhed the realm. As on the other ſide, Henry the ſixth was ſent again priſoner to the Tower the ſame day that hee had been carried through the City as it were in triumph, and had heard the ſhouts of the commons in every ſtreet, crying, God ſave King HENRY: Loe, Hee that had been the moſt potent Monarch for Dominions (ſaith the Chronicler) that ever England had, Speed. 881. was not now the maſter of a mole-hill, nor owner of his own liberty. So that in him it appeared, that mortality was but the ſtage of mutability; when a man born in his Kingdome, yea born to a Kingdome, became thus miſerably poor. Furthermore, Henry Holland Duke of Exceſter, grand-childe to John of Gaunt, may ſerve as a fit inſtance and example to all, how uncertain Adams ſonnes are of any continuing greatneſs. For, (ſaith Phil. Commines) I once ſaw him run on foot bare-legged after the Duke of Burgundies train,Date obolum Belliſario. begging his bread for Gods ſake: but hee uttered not his name, Speed. 887. hee being the neareſt of the houſe of Lancaſter, and brother in Law unto King Edward the fourth, from whom hee fled. And being known what hee was, Burgundy gave him a ſmall penſion to maintain his eſtate.

Verſ. 15. I conſidered all the living, &c.] Hee means the multitude (that ſhallow-brain'd, but great and many-headed beaſt) making defection from their old Prince, though never ſo prudent; and ſetting up his own ſonne againſt him (as they dealt by David more than once) meerly out of an itch of inſtability,Omnes Solem orientem adorant, contenmunt occidentem. Macro, expirante Tiberio, Caium fovebat Cui Tiberius, Tu recte, inquit, Macro, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Dio. and affectation of novelty. Now as this is to others, ſo to Kings alſo a vexation, to ſee already the common aſpect of their people bent upon another object before the time; to behold them worſhipping the riſing ſunne, as the Proverb is, and themſelves laid aſide, in a manner, as broken veſſels out of requeſt, in compariſon. Crowns have their cares and croſſes, and high ſeats are never but uneaſy. O vilis pannus! O baſe clout! ſaid one King concerning his diadem: were it but known how many moleſtations and miſeries do attend thee, Nemo foret qui te tollere vellet humo, no man would deign to take thee up lying at his feet. Antoninus the Philoſopher ſaid often, that the Empire was Malorum Oceanus, an ocean of miſchiefs: and another cauſed it to bee written upon his tombe, Felix ſi non imperitaſſem, Happy had I been if I had never reigned. It is ſeldome ſeen (as before hath been obſerved) that God allows unto the greateſt darlings of the world a perfect contentment, be they never ſo well deſerving. Something they muſt have to complain of, that ſhall give an unſavory verdure to their ſweeteſt morſells, and make their very felicity miſerable.

Verſ. 16. There is no end of all the people] i. e. They are infinitely diſcontented and reſtleſs in their deſires after a new and another Governour. [non-Latin text not transcribed], as Thucydides long ſince obſerved, the preſent government be it never ſo good, is always grievous. O that I were made Judge in the Land, 2 Sam. 15.4. ſaid Abſolom. O that thou wert, ſaid the people, who yet had ſoon enough of him. And ſo had they of their new King Saul, whom contra gentes, they would needleſly have, after the manner of all other nations, 1 Sam. 8.6, 7. How ſoon did the Baptiſt grow ſtale to the Jews (that had lately heard him gladly) and was no more ſet by than a reed ſhaken with the wind? John 5. Mat. 11. How ſuddenly did they change their note concerning Chriſt, from Hoſanna to Crucifige? The common people are like to children (ſaith an Interpreter) that reſt not contented with any School-maſter: & like to ſervants that love to change every year their maſters. People are deſirous to hear new Preachers, as Feaſters to hear new Songs, and new Inſtruments, Ezek. 33.32.