Ecclesiastes 9 commentary

We are not to think our searching into the word or works of God useless, because we cannot explain all difficulties. We may learn many things good for ourselves and useful to others. But man cannot always decide who are objects of God's special love, or under his wrath; and God will certainly put a difference between the precious and the vile, in the other world. The difference as to present happiness, arises from the inward supports and consolations the righteous enjoy, and the benefit they derive from varied trials and mercies. As far as the sons of men are left to themselves, their hearts are full of evil; and prosperity in sin, causes them even to set God at defiance by daring wickedness. Though, on this side death, the righteous and the wicked may often seem to fare alike, on the other side there will be a vast difference between them.

The most despicable living man's state, is preferable to that of the most noble who have died impenitent. Solomon exhorts the wise and pious to cheerful confidence in God, whatever their condition in life. The meanest morsel, coming from their Father's love, in answer to prayer, will have a peculiar relish. Not that we may set our hearts upon the delights of sense, but what God has given us we may use with wisdom. The joy here described, is the gladness of heart that springs from a sense of the Divine favour. This is the world of service, that to come is the world of recompence. All in their stations, may find some work to do. And above all, sinners have the salvation of their souls to seek after, believers have to prove their faith, adorn the gospel, glorify God, and serve their generation.

Men's success seldom equals their expectations. We must use means, but not trust to them: if we succeed, we must give God the praise; if crossed, we must submit to his will. Those who put off the great concerns of their souls, are caught in Satan's net, which he baits with some worldly object, for which they reject or neglect the gospel, and go on in sin till they suddenly fall into destruction.

A man may, by his wisdom, bring to pass that which he could never do by his strength. If God be for us, who can be against us, or stand before us? Solomon observes the power of wisdom, though it may labour under outward disadvantages. How forcible are right words! But wise and good men must often content themselves with the satisfaction of having done good, or, at least, endeavoured to do it, when they cannot do the good they would, nor have the praise they should. How many of the good gifts, both of nature and Providence, does one sinner destroy and make waste! He who destroys his own soul destroys much good. One sinner may draw many into his destroying ways. See who are the friends and enemies of a kingdom or a family, if one saint does much good, and one sinner destroys much good.

CHAPTER 9

Ec 9:1-18.

1. declare--rather, explore; the result of my exploring is this, that "the righteous, &c., are in the hand of God. No man knoweth either the love or hatred (of God to them) by all that is before them," that is, by what is outwardly seen in His present dealings (Ec 8:14, 17). However, from the sense of the same words, in Ec 9:6, "love and hatred" seem to be the feelings of the wicked towards the righteous, whereby they caused to the latter comfort or sorrow. Translate: "Even the love and hatred" (exhibited towards the righteous, are in God's hand) (Psa 76:10; Pr 16:7). "No man knoweth all that is before them."

2. All things ... alike--not universally; but as to death. Ec 9:2-10 are made by Holden the objection of a skeptical sensualist. However, they may be explained as Solomon's language. He repeats the sentiment already implied in Ec 2:14; 3:20; 8:14.

one event--not eternally; but death is common to all.

good--morally.

clean--ceremonially.

sacrificeth--alike to Josiah who sacrificed to God, and to Ahab who made sacrifice to Him cease.

sweareth--rashly and falsely.

3. Translate, "There is an evil above all (evils) that are done," &c., namely, that not only "there is one event to all," but "also the heart of the sons of men" makes this fact a reason for "madly" persisting in "evil while they live, and after that," &c., sin is "madness."

the dead--(Pr 2:18; 9:18).

4. For--rather, "Nevertheless." English Version rightly reads as the Margin, Hebrew, "that is joined," instead of the text, "who is to be chosen?"

hope--not of mere temporal good (Job 14:7); but of yet repenting and being saved.

dog--metaphor for the vilest persons (1Sa 24:14).

lion--the noblest of animals (Pr 30:30).

better--as to hope of salvation; the noblest who die unconverted have no hope; the vilest, so long as they have life, have hope.

5. know that they shall die--and may thereby be led "so to number their days, that they may apply their hearts to wisdom" (Ec 7:1-4; Psa 90:12).

dead know not anything--that is, so far as their bodily senses and worldly affairs are concerned (Job 14:21; Is 63:16); also, they know no door of repentance open to them, such as is to all on earth.

neither ... reward--no advantage from their worldly labors (Ec 2:18-22; 4:9).

memory--not of the righteous (Psa 112:6; Mal 3:16), but the wicked, who with all the pains to perpetuate their names (Psa 49:11) are soon "forgotten" (Ec 8:10).

6. love, and ... hatred, &c.--(referring to Ec 9:1; see on Ec 9:1). Not that these cease in a future world absolutely (Eze 32:27; Re 22:11); but as the end of this verse shows, relatively to persons and things in this world. Man's love and hatred can no longer be exercised for good or evil in the same way as here; but the fruits of them remain. What he is at death he remains for ever. "Envy," too, marks the wicked as referred to, since it was therewith that they assailed the righteous (see on Ec 9:1).

portion--Their "portion" was "in this life" (Psa 17:14), that they now "cannot have any more."

7. Addressed to the "righteous wise," spoken of in Ec 9:1. Being "in the hand of God," who now accepteth "thy works" in His service, as He has previously accepted thy person (Ge 4:4), thou mayest "eat ... with a cheerful (not sensually 'merry') heart" (Ec 3:13; 5:18; Ac 2:46).

8. white--in token of joy (Is 61:3). Solomon was clad in white (Josephus, Antiquities, 8:7,3); hence his attire is compared to the "lilies" (Mt 6:29), typical of the spotless righteousness of Jesus Christ, which the redeemed shall wear (Re 3:18; 7:14).

ointment--(Psa 23:5), opposed to a gloomy exterior (2Sa 14:2; Psa 45:7; Mt 6:17); typical, also (Ec 7:1; So 1:3).

9. wife ... lovest--godly and true love, opposed to the "snares" of the "thousand" concubines (Ec 7:26, 28), "among" whom Solomon could not find the true love which joins one man to one woman (Pr 5:15, 18, 19; 18:22; 19:14).

10. Whatsoever--namely, in the service of God. This and last verse plainly are the language of Solomon, not of a skeptic, as Holden would explain it.

hand, &c.--(Le 12:8, Margin; 1Sa 10:7, Margin).

thy might--diligence (De 6:5; Jr 48:10, Margin).

no work ... in the grave--(Joh 9:4; Re 14:13). "The soul's play-day is Satan's work-day; the idler the man the busier the tempter" [South].

11. This verse qualifies the sentiment, Ec 9:7-9. Earthly "enjoyments," however lawful in their place (Ec 3:1), are to give way when any work to be done for God requires it. Reverting to the sentiment (Ec 8:17), we ought, therefore, not only to work God's work "with might" (Ec 9:10), but also with the feeling that the event is wholly "in God's hand" (Ec 9:1).

race ... not to the swift--(2Sa 18:23); spiritually (Zep 3:19; Ro 9:16).

nor ... battle to ... strong--(1Sa 17:47; 2Ch 14:9, 11, 15; Psa 33:16).

bread--livelihood.

favour--of the great.

chance--seemingly, really Providence. But as man cannot "find it out" (Ec 3:11), he needs "with all might" to use opportunities. Duties are ours; events, God's.

12. his time--namely, of death (Ec 7:15; Is 13:22). Hence the danger of delay in doing the work of God, as one knows not when his opportunity will end (Ec 9:10).

evil net--fatal to them. The unexpected suddenness of the capture is the point of comparison. So the second coming of Jesus Christ, "as a snare" (Lu 21:35).

evil time--as an "evil net," fatal to them.

13. Rather, "I have seen wisdom of this kind also," that is, exhibited in the way which is described in what follows [Maurer].

14-15. (2Sa 20:16-22).

bulwarks--military works of besiegers.

16. Resuming the sentiment (Ec 7:19; Pr 21:22; 24:5).

poor man's wisdom is despised--not the poor man mentioned in Ec 9:15; for his wisdom could not have saved the city, had "his words not been heard"; but poor men in general. So Paul (Ac 27:11).

17. The words of wise, &c.--Though generally the poor wise man is not heard (Ec 9:16), yet "the words of wise men, when heard in quiet (when calmly given heed to, as in Ec 9:15), are more serviceable than," &c.

ruleth--as the "great king" (Ec 9:14). Solomon reverts to "the rulers to their own hurt" (Ec 8:9).

18. one sinner, &c.--(Jos 7:1, 11, 12). Though wisdom excels folly (Ec 9:16; 7:19), yet a "little folly (equivalent to sin) can destroy much good," both in himself (Ec 10:1; Jas 2:10) and in others. "Wisdom" must, from the antithesis to "sinner," mean religion. Thus typically, the "little city" may be applied to the Church (Lu 12:32; He 12:22); the great king to Satan (Joh 12:31); the despised poor wise man, Jesus Christ (Is 53:2, 3; Mr 6:3; 2Co 8:9; Ep 1:7, 8; Col 2:3).

The righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God - This is a continuation of the preceding subject; and here the wise man draws a conclusion from what he had seen, and from the well-known character of God, that the righteous, the wise, and their conduct, were all in the hand of God, protected by his power, and safe in his approbation: but we cannot judge from the occurrences which take place in life who are the objects of God's love or displeasure.

All things come alike to all - This is very generally true; but God often makes a difference and his faithful followers witness many interventions of Divine Providence in their behalf. But there are general blessings, and general natural evils, that equally affect the just and the unjust. But in this all is right; the evils that are in nature are the effects of the Fall of man; and God will not suspend general laws, or alter them, to favor individual cases. Nor does he design that his approbation or disapprobation shall be shown by any of these occurrences. Every holy man has a testimony of God's approbation in his own heart; and this makes him truly happy, let outward things be as they may. And, in general, what the wicked suffer is the fruit of their own doings. But the general state of nature as to what are called natural evils, is just as it ought to be. There is evil enough to show that man has fallen from God, and good enough to show that God deals with him in mercy. I cannot see that there is any rational cause for me to stumble at the dispensations of Divine Providence on these accounts.

The heart of the sons of men is full of evil - No wonder then that the curse of God should be frequent in the earth.

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope - While a man lives he hopes to amend, and he hopes to have a better lot; and thus life is spent, hoping to grow better, and hoping to get more. The Vulgate has, "There is none that shall live always, nor has any hope of such a thing." Perhaps the best translation is the following: "What, therefore, is to be chosen? In him that is living there is hope." Then choose that eternal life which thou hopest to possess.

A living dog is better than a dead lion - I suppose this was a proverb. The smallest measure of animal existence is better than the largest of dead matter. The poorest living peasant is infinitely above Alexander the Great.

The living know that they shall die - This is so self-evident that none can doubt it; and therefore all that have this conviction should prepare for death and eternal blessedness.

But the dead know not any thing - Cut off from life, they know nothing of what passes under the sun. Their day of probation is ended, and therefore they can have no farther reward in living a holy life; nor can they be liable to any farther punishment for crimes in a state of probation, that being ended.

Also their love, and their hatred - It is evident that he speaks here of the ignorance, want of power, etc., of the dead, in reference only to this life. And though they have no more a portion under the sun, yet he does not intimate that they have none anywhere else. A man threatens to conquer kingdoms, etc. He dies; what are his threats?

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy - Do not vex and perplex yourselves with the dispensations and mysteries of Providence; enjoy the blessings which God has given you, and live to his glory; and then God will accept your works.

Let thy garments be always white - The Jews wore white garments on festal occasions, as emblems of joy and innocence. Be always pure, and always happy. The inhabitants of India are all dressed in clean white cotton, and to this is the allusion in the text.

The Targum says: "At all times let thy garments be washed and pure from the stain of sin. Acquire a good name, which is likened to the oil of anointing, that blessings may be called down up thy head, and goodness not forsake thee."

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest - Marry prudently, keep faithfully attached to the wife thou hast chosen, and rejoice in the labor of thy hands.

Some understand this as the words of the libertine objector: "Live joyfully with the woman whom thou lovest best." But this does not comport so well with the scope of the place.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do - Examine here the What the How, and the Why.

I. What is necessary to be done in this life, in reference to another?

1. Turn from sin.

2. Repent.

3. Frequent the ordinances of God, and associate with the upright.

4. Read the Scriptures.

5. Pray for pardon.

6. Believe on the Lord Jesus, that thou mayest obtain it.

7. Look for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

8. Bring forth in their seasons the fruits of it - (1) Repentance, (2) Faith; and (3) The Holy Spirit.

9. Live to get good.

10. And to do good.

11. And refer every purpose and act to the eternal world.

II. How should these be done? With thy might.

1. Be fully convinced of the necessity of these things.

2. Be determined to act according to this conviction.

3. Then act with all thy strength; put forth all thy power in avoiding evil, repenting of sin, etc., etc.

III. Why should this be done?

1. Because thou art a dying man.

2. Thou art going into the grave.

3. When thou leavest this life, thy state of probation, with all its advantages, is eternally ended.

4. If thou die in sin, where God is thou shalt never come. For,

1. There is no work by which thou mayest profit;

2. No device by which thou mayest escape punishment;

3. No knowledge of any means of help; and,

4. No wisdom - restoration of the soul to the favor and image of God, in that grave whither thou goest. Therefore, work while it is called to-day.

My old MS. Bible translates this nervously: Whatever thinge may thin hond don, besily wirch: for nouther were, ne resoun, ne wisdom, ne keennyng schuln be a nentis hell, whither thou gost. Properly speaking, every sinner is going to hell, and the wisdom of God calls upon him to turn and live.

The race is not to the swift - It is not by swiftness, nor by strength and valor, that races are gained and battles won. God causes the lame often to take the prey, the prize; and so works that the weak overthrow the strong; therefore, no man should confide in himself. All things are under the government, and at the disposal of God.

But time and chance - עת eth, time or opportunity, and פגע pega, incident or occurrence: -

Happeneth to them all - Every man has what may be called time and space to act in, and opportunity to do a particular work. But in this Time and Opportunity there is Incident, what may fall in; and Occurrence, what may meet and frustrate an attempt. These things should be wisely weighed, and seriously balanced; for those four things belong to every human action. While you have Time, seek an Opportunity to do what is right; but calculate on hinderances and oppositions, because time and opportunity have their Incident and Occurrence. Coverdale translates this verse well: "I sawe that in runnynge, it helpeth not to be swift; in batayll, it helpeth not to be stronge; to fedynge, it helpeth not to be wyse; to riches, it helpeth not to be sutyll; to be had in favoure, it helpeth not to be connynge; but that all lyeth in time and fortune."

As the birds that are caught - Man acts so heedlessly, notwithstanding all his wisdom, and all his warnings, that he is often taken, as a fish is, by the baited hook; and the bird by the baited snare. And thus, an evil time, like the snare, gin, trap, hook, falleth suddenly upon them; and they are taken in a moment, and have no means of escaping. How frequently do we see these comparisons illustrated!

There was a little city, and few men within it - Here is another proof of the vanity of sublunary things; the ingratitude of men, and the little compensation that genuine merit receives. The little history mentioned here may have either been a fact, or intended as an instructive fable. A little city, with few to defend it, being besieged by a great king and a powerful army, was delivered by the cunning and address on a poor wise man; and afterwards his townsmen forgot their obligation to him.

Those who spiritualize this passage, making the little city the Church, the few men the Apostles, the great king the Devil, and the poor wise man Jesus Christ, abuse the text.

But the Targum is not less whimsical: "The little city is the human body; few men in it, few good affections to work righteousness; the great king, evil concupiscence, which, like a strong and powerful king, enters into the body to oppress it, and besieges the heart so as to cause it to err; built great bulwarks against it - evil concupiscence builds his throne in it wheresoever he wills, and causes it to decline from the ways that are right before God; that it may be taken in the greatest nets of hell, that he may burn it seven times, because of its sins. But there is found in it a poor wise man - a good, wise, and holy affection, which prevails over the evil principle, and snatches the body from the judgment of hell, by the strength of its wisdom. Yet, after this deliverance, the man did not remember what the good principle had done for him; but said in his heart, I am innocent," etc.

What a wonderful text has this been in the hands of many a modern Targumist; and with what force have the Keachonians preached Christ crucified from it!

Such a passage as this receives a fine illustration from the case of Archimedes saving the city of Syracuse from all the Roman forces besieging it by sea ana land. He destroyed their ships by his burning-glasses, lifted up their galleys out of the water by his machines, dashing some to pieces, and sinking others. One man's wisdom here prevailed for a long time against the most powerful exertions of a mighty nation. In this case, wisdom far exceeded strength. But was not Syracuse taken, notwithstanding the exertions of this poor wise man? No. But it was betrayed by the baseness of Mericus, a Spaniard, one of the Syracusan generals. He delivered the whole district he commanded into the hands of Marcellus, the Roman consul, Archimedes having defeated every attempt made by the Romans, either by sea or land: yet he commanded no company of men, made no sorties, but confounded and destroyed them by his machines. This happened about 208 years before Christ, and nearly about the time in which those who do not consider Solomon as the author suppose this book to have been written. This wise man was not remembered; he was slain by a Roman soldier while deeply engaged in demonstrating a new problem, in order to his farther operations against the enemies of his country. See Plutarch, and the historians of this Syracusan war.

When Alexander the Great was about to destroy the city Lampsacus, his old master Anaximenes came out to meet him. Alexander, suspecting his design, that he would intercede for the city, being determined to destroy it, swore that he would not grant him any thing he should ask. Then said Anaximenes, "I desire that you will destroy this city." Alexander respected his oath, and the city was spared. Thus, says Valerius Mancimus, the narrator, (lib. 7: c. iii., No. 4. Extern)., by this sudden turn of sagacity, this ancient and noble city was preserved from the destruction by which it was threatened. "Haec velocitas sagacitatis oppidum vetusta nobilitate inclytum exitio, cui destinatum erat, subtraxit."

A stratagem of Jaddua, the high priest, was the means of preserving Jerusalem from being destroyed by Alexander, who, incensed because they had assisted the inhabitants of Gaza when he besieged it, as soon as he had reduced it, marched against Jerusalem, with the determination to raze it to the ground; but Jaddua and his priests in their sacerdotal robes, meeting him on the way, he was so struck with their appearance that he not only prostrated himself before the high priest, and spared the city, but also granted it some remarkable privileges. But the case of Archimedes and Syracuse is the most striking and appropriate in all its parts. That of Anaximenes and Lampsacus is also highly illustrative of the maxim of the wise man: "Wisdom is better than strength."

The poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard - I cannot help pursuing this illustration a little farther. The soldier who found Archimedes busily employed in drawing figures upon the sand, put to him some impertinent question, withal rudely obtruding himself on his operations. To whom this wonderful mathematician replied, "Stand off, soldier, and do not spoil my diagram;" on which the bloody savage struck him dead!

The words of wise men are heard in quiet - In the tumult of war the words of Archimedes were not heard; and his life was lost.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war - So proved in the case of Archimedes.

But one sinner - Such as the Roman butcher above mentioned.

Destroyeth much good - Such as were the life and skill of the Syracusan mathematician. One sinner has often injured the work of God; one stumbling-block has sometimes destroyed a revival of religion. Sin acts like a ferment; whatever comes in contact with it, it assimilates to itself.

Their works - All events which befal them are governed by his providence, and therefore although we cannot fully understand the reasons of all, yet we may be assured they are done righteously. No man - No man can judge by their present outward condition, whether God loves or hates them; for whom he loves he chastens, and permits those whom he hates to prosper in the world.

All things - The good and evil things of the world equally happen to good and bad men.

An evil - A great trouble to a good man. Is full - Of wickedness. Madness - They go on madly and desperately in evil courses. They go - After all, they die in the same manner as the best men do.

Joined - That continues with living men. Hope - He hath not only some comfort for the present, but also hopes of further happiness in this world. Better - Much happier as to the comforts of this world.

Die - Whereby they are taught to improve life. Any thing - Of the actions and events of this world. Reward - The fruit of their labours in this world, are utterly lost as to them. Forgotten - Even in those places where they had lived in great power and glory.

Also - They neither love, nor hate, nor envy any thing in this world, but are unconcerned in what is done under the sun.

White - The eastern people of the best sort, used white garments, especially in times of rejoicing. Ointment - Which upon joyful occasions was poured upon mens heads.

Vanity - Of this vain and frail life.

Whatsoever - Whatever thou hast opportunity and ability to do, do it with unwearied diligence, and vigour and expedition. For - Thou canst neither design nor act any thing there tending to thy own comfort or advantage.

But time - There are times or seasons, casual to men, but known by God, in which alone he will give men success.

His time - The time of his death, or other distress which God is bringing upon him. Are taken - While they are sporting and feeding themselves. When - When they are most careless and secure.

This wisdom - I have observed this among many other instances of wisdom. Which he adds for the commendation of wisdom, notwithstanding its insufficiency for man's happiness without God's blessing.

Yet - He was soon neglected and his great service forgotten.

Of wise men - Though poor. In quiet - Uttered with a modest and low voice. The cry - The clamorous discourses of a rich and potent, but foolish man.

1 FOr all this I considered in my heart, even to declare all this e, that the righteous, and the wi[illegible: 1+ letters]e , and their works are in the hand of God : no man knoweth either love, or hatred, by all that is before them .

Or, Therefore, as the Seventy Interpreters render it.

All that I have said concerning the Methods of Divine Providence towards good and bad men.

Whom he mentions not exclusively, as if wicked men were not in God's hand, for the next clause relates both to good and bad men, but eminently, because by the course of God's Providence towards them, they might seem to be quite neglected and forsaken by God,

Either efficiently, all their actions and employments; or objectively, all things done to them, all events which befal them.

Are subject to his power and governed by his Providence, as this Phrase is used, Prov. 21. 1. Io[illegible: 1+ letters]. 3. 35. compared with Mat. 28. 18. And therefore although we cannot fully understand the reasons of all God's works, as he now said, Ch. 8. 17. yet because they are done by his unerring hand, we may be assured that they are done both righteously and justly, and that no Man hath cause to murmur at the Prosperity of the wicked, or at the calamities of good men.

No Man can judge by their present and outward conditions or dispensations of God's Providence, whether God loves or hates them, for whom he loves he chastens and permitteth those whom he hates to prosper in the World. And this Translation and Interpretation agreeth well with the following Verse. But I must confess it differs from almost all other both ancient and modern Translations. And these words with the foregoing clause are translated otherwise, and that word for word according to the Hebrew, The righteous, and the wise, and their works are in the hand of God, also love and hatred: (understand out of the foregoing clause. are in God's hand. And this may be meant, either 1. of God's love and hatred which he disposeth when, and to whom, and in what manner he pleaseth. Or 2. of mens love and hatred also their love▪ and their hatred, the Pronoun their being repeated out of the former clause as is frequent in Scripture. And so the sense is, That not onely mens works, as he now said, but even their inward passions or affections, which seem to be most in their own power, are as much in God's disposal as their outward actions. Then follows the last clause in the same order in which the words lie in the Hebrew Text.) No Man knoweth all, or, any thing which is before him. Which I thus understand, Whereas all men and all their affections, and actions, and the events of them are perfectly known to God and disposed by him, men know nothing, no not such things as are most plain and easie and familiar to them, and can neither foresee the plainest things, nor dispose of the smallest things as they please but all things are wholly order ed and over-ruled by God's Providence, not as men imagine or desire, but as he sees fit.

c To make this evident first to my self and then others, as occasion required.

Marginal references: Heb. I ga[illegible: 1+ letters], or, set to my Heart.

2 All things come alike to all : there is one eve[illegible: 1+ letters]t to the righteous and the wicked; to the good and [illegible: 1 word] the clean ; and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth , and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good so is the sinner , and he that sweareth m as he that feareth an oath .

The good and evil things of this World do equally, happen to good and bad men.

Either 1. morally clean, or holy men: Or, 2. legally, who made Conscience of keeping himself pure from all legal defilements, according to the Law then in force, and consequently from all other sins upon the same ground.

That worshippeth God sincerely, though it be to his cost.

As to all outward things, to wit, customarily and unnecessarily, rashly, without due consideration and reverence, or falsly and wickedly. For otherwise that some swearing was then allowed, and in some cases required, none do or can deny.

Who is afraid of offending God, or abusing his Name by vain, or rash, or false Oaths

Marginal references: Ps. 73. 3, 12, 13. Mal. 3. 15.

3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil , and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead .

A great trouble and temptation to a considerate and good Man.

Of wicked men, such as the generality of Mankind are.

Either 1. of grief, upon this occasion. Or rather 2. of wickedness, as appears from the next clause, and by comparing this place with Eccles. 8. 11.

Upon this account they go on madly and desperately in evil courses without any fear of an after-reckoning.

After all their mad and wicked pranks in the whole course of their life, they die in the same manner as the best men do. So hitherto there is no difference. For Solomon here forbears the consideration of the future life. Onely he seems to intimate that as the madness, so the happiness of the wicked is ended by Death, which is more fully expressed in the following words.

Marginal references: Ch. 2. 14, 15, 16.

4 For to him that is joyned to all the living , there is hope : for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

That continueth in the Land and Society of Living men. Or, according to the reading of the Hebrew Text That is chosen or allotted to Life, whom God hath appointed yet to live in the World, when he hath appointed that many others shall die, or who are written among the Living, as the Phrase is, Isa. 4. 3. which is borrowed from the custom of Cities, where men are first chosen, and then inrolled Citizens.

He hath not onely some comfort for the present, but also hopes of further and greater happiness in this World, which men are very prone to entertain and cherish in themselves. Yea, they may have the hopes of a better life, if they improve their opportunities. But he seems to confine himself here to the present life.

i. e. Much happier, as to the comforts and priviledges of this World, though in other respects Death be better than Life, as was said, Eccles. 7. 1.

5 For the living know that they shall die : but the dead know not any thing , neither have they any more a reward , for the memory of them is forgotten .

Whereby they are taught to improve Life, whilest they have it, to their greatest comfort and advantage.

To wit, of the actions and events in this World, as this is limited in the end of the next Verse. Compare Io[illegible: 1+ letters] 14. 21. Isa. 63. 16.

The reward or fruit of their labours in this World, which is utterly lost as to them, and enjoyed by others. See Eccles. 2. 21. For otherwise, that there are future rewards after death, is asserted by Solomon elsewhere, as we have seen and shall hereafter see.

To wit, amongst living men, and even in those places where they had lived in great power and glory; as was noted, Ch. 8. 10.

6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy is now perished ; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun .

They neither love, nor hate, nor envy any Person, or thing in this World, but are now altogether unconcerned in all things done under the Sun.

In any worldly thing. By which limitation he sufficiently insinuates his belief of their portion in the other World.

7 Go thy way , eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart : for God now accepteth thy works .

Make this use of what I have said.

Thine own, the fruit of thy own labours, not what thou takest unjustly from others.

Necessary and convenient food. By which he excludes excess.

Chearfully and thankfully enjoy thy comforts, avoiding all distracting care and grief for the occurrences of this World.

Is gracious to thee, hath blessed thy labours with success, and alloweth thee a comfortable enjoyment of his blessings.

Marginal references: Ch. 8. 1[illegible: 1+ letters].

8 Let thy garments be always white ; and let thy head lack no ointment .

In all convenient times and circumstances; for there are times of mourning, Eccles. 3. 4. & 7. 2. Compare Prov. 5. 19.

Decent, and splendid, as far as is suitable to thy condition. The Eastern People of the best sort used white Garments, especially in times of rejoycing, as Esth 8. 15. Compare Revel. 3 4, 5. & 6. 11. But by this whiteness of Garments he understands a pleasant, and chearful conversation.

Which upon joyful occasions was poured upon men Heads, Amos. 6. 6. Luk. 7. 46. Ioh. 12. 3.

9 Live joyfully with the wise whom thou lovest , all the days of the life of thy vanity , which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life , and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

So he limits him to lawful delights. Whereby it is evident that Solomon doth not speak this in the Person of an Epicure, as some understand it.

Of this vain and frail life. Which expression he industriously useth to moderate mens affections even towards lawful pleasures▪ and to mind them of their duty and interest in making sure of a better life, and more solid comforts.

Allowed to thee by God, and the best part of worldly enjoyments.

By which addition he is again admonishing him of seeking another portion in the future life.

Marginal references: Heb. see, or enjoy life.; Ch. 2. 10. 24. & 3. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. & 5. 18.

10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do , do it with all thy might ; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest.

What thou hast opportunity and ability to do in the duties of thy calling, and in order to thy comfort and benefit.

With unwearied diligence, and vigour, and expedition. Whereby he again discovers that he doth not persuademen to an idle and sensual life, but onely to a sober enjoyment of his comforts in God's fear and with an industrious prosecution of his vocation.

Thou canst neither design nor act any thing there tending to thy own comfort or advantage. Therefore slip not thine onely season.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word]. So Gr.

11 I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding , nor yet favour to men of skill , but time and chance happeneth to them all .

This may have some respect to the foregoing Verse. For having pressed men to labour with all their might, he now adds by way of caution, that yet they must not be confident of their own strength, as if they were sure of success by it, but in all, and above all to look up to God for his blessing without which all their endeavours will be vain. But it seems chiefly to be added, either 1. as another instance of the liberty and power of God's Providence in the disposal of humane affairs, of which he spake above, v. 1, 2, 3. Or 2. as another of the vanities of this present life.

Either ability to run, or success and victory in running.

The victory in Battle.

Who yet are most likely both to get and to keep riches.

Good acceptance and love from men.

Who know how to manage themselves and all affairs, whereby they are necessary and serviceable to others, and therefore most likely to find favour in their eyes.

There are some times or seasons, unknown and casual to men, but certain and determined by God, in which alone he will give men success.

12 For man also knoweth not his time ; as the fishes that are taken in an evil net , and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them .

To wit, the time of his death, or of some other sore distress which God is bringing upon him. Which is opposed to the time of success mentioned in the foregoing Verse, and man is said to be ignorant both of the one and of the other.

That whilst they are sporting and feeding themselves are suddenly and unexpectedly ensnared to their ruine.

When they are most careless and secure.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 29. 6. [illegible: 1 word], 12. 20,

13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me .

I have observed this among many other instances and effects of Wisdom. Which he seems to add for the commendation of Wisdom, notwithstanding its insufficiency for Man's safety and happiness without God's blessing.

I judged it very praise-worthy, though others despised it, as it follows.

14 There was a little city , and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

It matters not whether this was a real History, or onely a parable to represent the common practices of men in such cases.

15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembred that same poor man .

He was soon neglected and his great service so far from being recompenced according to its merit, that both it and he were quite forgotten. Which may be noted as another great vanity.

16 Then said I wisdom is better than strength : nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised , and his words are not heard.

As was manifest in the foregoing instance.

Because men are generally vain and foolish, and have a greater value for outward Ornaments than for true worth.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. 22. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1+ letters]. [illegible: 1 word] ▪ 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. 19.

17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet, more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools .

Though poor, as may be gathered both from the foregoing relation, and because he is opposed to the ruling fool in the next clause.

To wit, by wise men: or should be heard, as such words are oft taken, as Mal. 1. 6. and elsewhere. For that they were not always actually heard he declared in the last words of the foregoing Verse.

The clamorous and sensles discourses.

Of a rich and potent, but foolish Man, who hath some influence upon fools, like himself, but is justly neglected and his words disregarded by wise men.

o Uttered with a modest and low voice, to which the following cry is opposed.

18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war : but one sinner destroyeth much good .

Than armed power.

A wicked fool. By which expression and opposition of a Sinner to a wise Man he gives us a Key to understand his meaning in divers places of his Books, that by Wisdom he means true Piety, and by folly, wickedness: and withal sheweth that sin as it is the greatest folly, so it is more pernicious to men than meer [illegible: 1+ letters]olly properly so called.

By his wicked counsels and courses brings much damage and mischief both to himself and others.

Ecc 9:1 “For all this I brought to my consciousness, and all this I sought to make clear to me, that the righteous, and the wise, and their deeds, are in God’s hands: neither love nor hatred stands in the knowledge of man, all lies before them.” With ki follows the verification of what is said in Ecc 8:17, “is unable to find out,” from the fact of men, even the best and the wisest of men, being on all sides conditioned. This conditioning is a fact which he layeth to his heart (Ecc 7:2), or (since he here presents himself less as a feeling than as a thinking man, and the heart as reflecting) which he has brought to his consciousness, and which he has sought to bring out into clearness. ולבוּל has here not the force of an inf. absol., so that it subordinates itself in an adverbial manner (et ventilando quidem) - for it nowhere stands in the same rank with the inf. absol.; but the inf. with ל (ל) has the force of an intentional (with a tendency) fut., since the governing הייתי, as at Ecc 3:15, היה, and at Hab 1:17, יהיה, is to be supplied (vid., comm. on these passages, and under Isa 44:14): operam dedi ut ventilarem (excuterem), or shorter: ventilaturus fui. Regarding the form לבוּר, which is metapl. for לבר, and the double idea of sifting (particularly winnowing, ventilare) of the R. בר, vid., under Ecc 3:18. In the post-bibl. Heb. the words להעמיד על בוריו would denote the very same as is here expressed by the brief significant word לבוּר; a matter in the clearness of its actual condition is called בוריו דבר על (from לברי, after the form חלי, purity, vid., Buxtorf’s Lex. Talm. col. 366). The lxx and Syr. have read ראה ולבי instead of ולבור, apparently because they could not see their way with it: “And my heart has seen all this.” The expression “all this” refers both times to what follows; asher is, as at Ecc 8:12, relat. conj., in the sense of ὃτι, quod, and introduces, as at Ecc 7:29, cf. Ecc 8:14, the unfolding of the זה - an unfolding, viz., of the conditioning of man, which Ecc 8:17 declared on one side of it, and whose further verification is here placed in view with ki, Ecc 9:1. The righteous, and the wise, and their doings, are in God’s hand, i.e., power (Psa 31:16; Pro 21:1; Job 12:10, etc.); as well their persons as their actions, in respect of their last cause, are conditioned by God, the Governor of the world and the Former of history; also the righteous and the wise learn to feel this dependence, not only in their being and in what befalls them, but also in their conduct; also this is not fully attained, לאל ידם, they are also therein not sufficient of themselves. Regarding 'avadēhěm, corresponding to the Aram. 'ovadēhon, vid., 'avad.

The expression now following cannot mean that man does not know whether he will experience the love or hatred of God, i.e., providences of a happy nature proceeding from the love of God, or of an unhappy nature proceeding from the hatred of God (J. D. Michaelis, Knobel, Vaih., Hengst., Zöckl.), for אהבה and שׂן are too general for this, - man is thus, as the expression denotes, not the obj., but the subj. to both. Rightly, Hitz., as also Ewald: “Since man has not his actions in his own power, he knows not whether he will love or hate.” Certainly this sounds deterministic; but is it not true that personal sympathies and antipathies, from which love and hatred unfold themselves, come within the sphere of man, not only as to their objects, in consequence of the divine arrangement, but also in themselves anticipate the knowledge and the will of man? and is it less true that the love which he now cherishes toward another man changes itself, without his previous knowledge, by means of unexpected causes, into hatred, and, on the other hand, the hatred into love? Neither love nor hatred is the product of a man’s self-determination; but self-determination, and with it the function of freedom, begins for the first time over against those already present, in their beginnings. In הכּל לף, “by all that is before him,” that is brought to a general expression, in which לפני has not the ethical meaning proceeding from the local: before them, prae = penes eos (vid., Song, under Sol 8:12), but the purely local meaning, and referred to time: love, hatred, and generally all things, stand before man; God causes them to meet him (cf. the use of הקרה); they belong to the future, which is beyond his power. Thus the Targ., Symm., and most modern interpreters; on the contrary, Luther: “neither the love nor the hatred of any one which he has for himself,” which is, linguistically, purely impossible; Kleinert: “Neither the love nor the hatred of things does man see through, nor anything else which is before his eyes,” for which we ought at least to have had the words לפניו גם הכל אשׁר; and Tyler: “Men discern neither love nor hatred in all that is before them,” as if the text were אשׁר בכל. The future can, it is true, be designated by אחרית, and the past by לפנים, but according to the most natural way of representation (vid., Orelli’s Synon. der Zeit, p. 14) the future is that which lies before a man, and the past that which is behind him. The question is of importance, which of the two words לף הכל has the accent. If the accent be on לף, then the meaning is, that all lies before men deprived of their freedom; if the accent be on הכל, then the meaning is, that all things, events of all kinds, lie before them, and that God determines which shall happen to them. The latter is more accordant with the order of words lying before us, and shows itself to be that which is intended by the further progress of the thoughts. Every possible thing may befall a man - what actually meets him is the determination and providence of God. The determination is not according to the moral condition of a man, so that the one can guide to no certain conclusion as to the other.

Ecc 9:2 “All is the same which comes to all: one event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the pure and the impure; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as with the good, so is it with the sinner; with him that sweareth, as with him that feareth an oath.” Hitzig translates: “All are alike, one fate comes on all,” adding the remark, that to make מקרה אחד at the same time pred. to הכל and subm. to כאשר לכל was, for the punctator, too much. This translation is indeed in matter, as well as in point of syntax, difficult to be comprehended. Rather, with Ewald, translate: All is as if all had one fate (death) but why then this useless hevel haasher, only darkening the thought? But certainly, since in הכּלThe lxx, Syr., and Aq. have read together the end of Ecc 9:1 and the beginning of Ecc 9:2. Here Jerome also is dependent on this mode of reading: sed omnia in futurum servantur incerta (הבל). the past is again resumed, it is to be supposed that it does not mean personally, omnes, but neut., omnia; and לכּל, on the contrary, manifestly refers (as at Ecc 10:3) to persons. Herein agreeing with Ewald, and, besides, with Knobel, Zöckl., and others, we accept the interpunction as it lies before us. The apparently meaningless clause, omnia sicut omnibus, gives, if we separate sicut into sic and ut, the brief but pregnant thought: All is (thus) as it happens to all, i.e., there is no distinction of their experiences nor of their persons; all of every sort happens in the same way to all men of every sort. The thought, written in cyphers in this manner, is then illustrated; the lameds following leave no doubt as to the meaning of לכל. Men are classified according to their different kinds. The good and the pure stand opposite the impure; טמא is thus the defiled, Hos 5:3, cf. Eze 36:25, in body and soul. That the author has here in his mind the precepts of the law regarding the pure and the impure, is to be concluded from the following contrast: he who offers sacrifice, and he who does not offer sacrifice, i.e., he who not only does not bring free-will offerings, but not even the sacrifices that are obligatory. Finally, he who swears, and he who is afraid of an oath, are distinguished. Thus, Zec 5:3, he who swears stands along with him who steals. In itself, certainly, swearing an oath is not a sin; in certain circumstances (vid., Ecc 8:2) it is a necessary solemn act (Isa 65:16). But here, in the passage from Zechariah, swearing of an unrighteous kind is meant, i.e., wanton swearing, a calling upon God when it is not necessary, and, it may be, even to confirm an untruth, Exo 20:7. Compare Mat 5:34. The order of the words יר שׁב (cf. as to the expression, the Mishnic חטא ירא) is as at Nah 3:1; Isa 22:2; cf. above, Ecc 5:8. One event befalls all these men of different characters, by which here not death exclusively is meant (as at Ecc 3:19; Ecc 2:14), but this only chiefly as the same end of these experiences which are not determined according to the moral condition of men. In the expression of the equality, there is an example of stylistic refinement in a threefold change; כּטוב כּח denotes that the experience of the good is the experience of the sinner, and may be translated, “wie der Gute so der Sünder” as the good, so the sinner, as well as “so der Gute wie der Sünder” so the good as the sinner (cf. Köhler, under Hag 2:3). This sameness of fate, in which we perceive the want of the inter-connection of the physical and moral order of the world, is in itself and in its influence an evil matter.

Ecc 9:3 “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that one event happeneth to all: and also the heart of the children of men is full of evil; and madness possesseth their heart during their life, and after it they go to the dead.” As זה, Ecc 9:1, points to the asher following, in which it unfolds itself, so here to the ki following. We do not translate: This is the worst thing (Jerome: hoc est pessimum), which, after Jos 14:15; Jdg 6:15; Sol 1:8, would have required the words בכל הרע - the author does not designate the equality of fate as the greatest evil, but as an evil mixed with all earthly events. It is an evil in itself, as being a contradiction to the moral order of the world; and it is such also on account of its demoralizing influences. The author here repeats what he had already, Ecc 8:11, said in a more special reference, that because evil is not in this world visibly punished, men become confident and bold in sinning. Vegam (referable to the whole clause, at the beginning of which it is placed) stands beside zeh ra', connecting with that which is evil in itself its evil influences. מלא might be an adj., for this (only once, Jer 6:11), like the verb, is connected with the accus., e.. Deu 33:23. But, since not a statement but a factum had to be uttered, it is finite, as at Ecc 8:11. Thus Jerome, after Symm.: sed et cor filiorum hominum repletur malitia et procacitate juxta cor eorum in vita sua. Keeping out of view the false sed, this translation corresponds to the accenting which gives the conjunctive Kadma to רע. But without doubt an independent substantival clause begins with והו: and madness is in their heart (vid., Ecc 1:17) their life long; for, without taking heed to God’s will and to what is pleasing to God, or seeking after instruction, they think only of the satisfaction of their inclinations and lusts. “And after that they go to the dead” - they who had so given themselves up to evil, and revelled in fleshly lusts with security, go the way of all flesh, as do the righteous, and the wise, and just, because they know that they go beyond all restraining bounds. Most modern interpreters (Hitz., Ew., etc.) render aharav, after Jer 51:46, adverbially, with the suffix understood neut.: afterwards (Jerome, post haec). but at Ecc 3:22; Ecc 6:12; Ecc 7:14, the suffix refers to man: after him, him who liveth here = after he has laid down his life. Why should it not be thus understood also here? It is true בּחיּ precedes it; but in the reverse say, sing. and plur. also interchange in Ecc 9:1; cf. Ecc 3:12. Rightly the Targ., as with Kleinert and others, we also explain: after their (his) lifetime. A man’s life finally falls into the past, it lies behind him, and he goes forth to the dead; and along with self-consciousness, all the pleasures and joy of life at the same time come to an end.

Ecc 9:4 “For (to him) who shall be always joined to all the living, there is hope: for even a living dog is better than a dead lion.” The interrog. אשׁר מי, quis est qui, acquires the force of a relative, quisquis (quicunque), and may be interpreted, Exo 32:33; 2Sa 20:12, just as here (cf. the simple mi, Ecc 5:9), in both ways; particularly the latter passage (2Sa 20:11) is also analogous to the one before us in the formation of the apodosis. The Chethı̂b יבחר does not admit of any tenable meaning. In conformity with the usus loq., Elster reads מי אשר יבחר, “who has a choice?” But this rendering has no connection with what follows; the sequence of thoughts fails. Most interpreters, in opposition to the usus loq., by pointing יבחר or יבּחר, render: Who is (more correctly: will be) excepted? or also: Who is it that is to be preferred (the living or the dead)? The verb בּחר signifies to choose, to select; and the choice may be connected with an exception, a preference; but in itself the verb means neither excipere nor praeferre.Luther translates, “for to all the living there is that which is desired, namely, hope,” as if the text were יבחר מה אשׁר.

All the old translators, with right, follow the Kerı̂, and the Syr. renders it correctly, word for word: to every one who is joined (שותף, Aram. = Heb. חבר) to all the living there is hope; and this translation is more probable than that on which Symm. (“who shall always continue to live?”) and Jerome (nemo est qui semper vivat et qui hujus rei habeat fiduciam) proceed: Who is he that is joined to the whole? i.e., to the absolute life; or as Hitzig: Who is he who would join himself to all the living (like the saying, “The everlasting Jew”)? The expression ישׁ בּטּ does not connect itself so easily and directly with these two latter renderings as with that we have adopted, in which, as also in the other two, a different accentuation of the half-verse is to be adopted as follows: כּי מי אשׁר יחבּר אל־כּל־החיּים ישׁ בּטּחון

The accentuation lying before us in the text, which gives a great disjunctive to יבחר as well as to הח, appears to warrant the Chethı̂b (cf. Hitzig under Eze 22:24), by which it is possible to interpret יב ... מי as in itself an interrog. clause. The Kerı̂ יח does not admit of this, for Dachselt’s quis associabit se (sc.,, mortius? = nemo socius mortuorum fieri vult) is a linguistic impossibility; the reflex may be used for the pass., but not the pass. for the reflex., which is also an argument against Ewald’s translation: Who is joined to the living has hope. Also the Targ. and Rashi, although explaining according to the Midrash, cannot forbear connecting אל כל־חה with יח, and thus dividing the verse at חה instead of at יח. It is not, however, to be supposed that the accentuation refers to the Chethı̂b; it proceeds on some interpretation, contrary to the connection, such as this: he who is received into God’s fellowship has to hope for the full life (in eternity). The true meaning, according to the connection, is this: that whoever (quicunque) is only always joined (whether by birth or the preservation of life) to all the living, i.e., to living beings, be they who they may, has full confidence, hope, and joy; for in respect to a living dog, this is even better than a dead lion. Symmachus translates: κυνὶ ζῶντι βέλτιόν ἐστιν ἤ λέοντι τεθνηκότι, which Rosenm., Herzf., and Grätz approve of. But apart from the obliquity of the comparison, that with a living dog it is better than with a dead lion, since with the latter is neither good nor evil (vid., however, Ecc 6:5), for such a meaning the words ought to have been: chělěv hai tov lo min ha'aryēh hammeth.

As the verifying clause stands before us, it is connected not with ישׁ בּטּ, but with אל כּל־ה, of that which is to be verified; the ל gives emphatic prominence (Ewald, §310 b) to the subject, to which the expression refers as at Psa 89:19; 2Ch 7:21 (cf. Jer 18:16), Isa 32:1 : A living dog is better than a dead lion, i.e., it is better to be a dog which lives, than that lion which is dead. The dog, which occurs in the Holy Scriptures only in relation to a shepherd’s dog (Job 30:1), and as for the rest, appears as a voracious filthy beast, roaming about without a master, is the proverbial emblem of that which is common, or low, or contemptible, 1Sa 17:43; cf. “dog’s head,” 2Sa 3:8; “dead dog,” 1Sa 24:15; 2Sa 9:8; 2Sa 16:9. The lion, on the other hand, is the king, or, as Agur (Pro 30:30) calls it, the hero among beasts. But if it be dead, then all is over with its dignity and its strength; the existence of a living dog is to be preferred to that of the dead lion. The art. in 'הא הם is not that denoting species (Dale), which is excluded by hammēth, but it points to the carcase of a lion which is present. The author, who elsewhere prefers death and nonentity to life, Ecc 4:2., Ecc 7:1, appears to have fallen into contradiction with himself; but there he views life pessimistically in its, for the most part, unhappy experiences, while here he regards it in itself as a good affording the possibility of enjoyment. It lies, however, in the nature of his standpoint that he should not be able to find the right medium between the sorrow of the world and the pleasure of life. Although postulating a retribution in eternity, yet in his thoughts about the future he does not rise above the comfortless idea of Hades.

Ecc 9:5-6

He sarcastically verifies his comparison in favour of a living dog. “For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, and have no more a reward; for their memory is forgotten. Their love, as well as their hatred and their envy, has long ago perished, and they have part no more for ever in all that is done under the sun.” The description of the condition of death begins sarcastically and then becomes elegiac. “They have no reward further,” viz., in this upper world, since there it is only too soon forgotten that they once existed, and that they did anything worthy of being remembered; Koheleth might here indeed, with his view shrouded in dark clouds, even suppose that God also forgot them, Job 14:13. The suff. of אהב, etc., present themselves was subjective, and there is no reason, with Knobel and Ginsburg, to render them objectively: not merely the objects of their love, and hatred, and envy, are lost to them, but these their affections and strivings themselves have ceased (Rosenm., Hitzig, Zöckl., and others), they lie (Kevar 'avadah) far behind them as absolutely gone; for the dead have no part more in the history which is unfolding itself amid the light of the upper world, and they can have no more any part therein, for the dead as not living are not only without knowledge, but also without feeling and desire. The representation of the state after death is here more comfortless than anywhere else. For elsewhere we read that those who have been living here spend in Sheol, i.e., in the deep (R. של, to be loose, to hang down, to go downwards) realm of the dead, as rephaim (Isa 14:9, etc.), lying beneath the upper world, far from the love and the praise of God (Psa 6:3; Psa 30:10), a prospectless (Job 7:7., Job 14:6-12; Job 18:11-13), dark, shadowy existence; the soul in Hades, though neither annihilated nor sleeping, finds itself in a state of death no less than does the body in the grave. But here the state of death is not even set forth over against the idea of the dissolution of life, the complete annihilation of individuality, much less that a retribution in eternity, i.e., a retribution executed, if not here, yet at some time, postulated elsewhere by the author, throws a ray of light into the night of death. The apocryphal book of the Wisdom of Solomon, which distinguishes between a state of blessedness and a state of misery measured out to men in the future following death, has in this surpassed the canonical Book of Koheleth. In vain do the Targ., Midrash, and the older Christian interpreters refer that which is said to the wicked dead; others regard Koheleth as introducing here the discourse of atheists (e.g., Oetinger), and interpret, under the influence of monstrous self-deception, Ecc 9:7 as the voice of the spirit (Hengst.) opposing the voice of the flesh. But that which Koheleth expresses here only in a particularly rugged way is the view of Hades predominating in the O.T. It is the consequence of viewing death from the side of its anger. Revelation intentionally permits this manner of viewing it to remain; but from premises which the revelation sets forth, the religious consciousness in the course of time draws always more decidedly the conclusion, that the man who is united to God will fully reach through death that which since the entrance of sin into the world cannot be reached without the loss of this present life, i.e., without death, viz., a more perfect life in fellowship with God. Yet the confusion of the O.T. representation of Hades remains; in the Book of Sirach it also still throws its deep shadows (17:22f.) into the contemplation of the future; for the first time the N.T. solution actually removes the confusion, and turns the scale in favour of the view of death on its side of light. In this history of the ideas of eternity moving forward amid many fluctuations to the N.T. goal, a significant place belongs to the Book of Koheleth; certainly the Christian interpreter ought not to have an interest in explaining away and concealing the imperfections of knowledge which made it impossible for the author spiritually to rise above his pessimism. He does not rise, in contrast to his pessimism, above an eudaemonism which is earthly, which, without knowing of a future life (not like the modern pessimism, without wishing to know of a future life), recommends a pleasant enjoyment of the present life, so far as that is morally allowable:

Ecc 9:7-10 “Go, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for long ago hath God accepted thy work. Let thy garments be always white; and let not oil be wanting to thy head. Enjoy life with a wife whom thou lovest through all the days of thy vain life, which He hath given thee under the sun - through all thy vain days: for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherewith thou weariest thyself under the sun. All that thy hand may find to do with thy might, that do; for there is not work, and calculation, and knowledge, and wisdom, in the under world, whither thou shalt go.” Hengstenberg perceives here the counterpart of the spirit; on the contrary, Oetinger, Mendelssohn, and others, discover also here, and here for the first time rightly, the utterance of an epicurean thought. But, in fact, this לך down to שׁ הולך is the most distinct personal utterance of the author, his ceterum censeo which pervades the whole book, and here forms a particularly copious conclusion of a long series of thoughts. We recapitulate this series of thoughts: One fate, at last the same final event, happens to all men, without making any distinction according to their moral condition, - an evil matter, so much the more evil, as it encourages to wickedness and light-mindedness; the way of man, without exception, leads to the dead, and all further prospect is cut off; for only he who belongs to the class of living beings has a joyful spirit, has a spirit of enterprise: even the lowest being, if it live, stands higher in worth, and is better, than the highest if it be dead; for death is the end of all knowledge and feeling, the being cut off from the living under the sun. From this, that there is only one life, one life on this side of eternity, he deduces the exhortation to enjoy the one as much as possible; God Himself, to whom we owe it, will have it so that we enjoy it, within the moral limits prescribed by Himself indeed, for this limitation is certainly given with His approbation. Incorrectly, the Targ., Rashi, Hengst. Ginsb., and Zöckl. explain: For thy moral conduct and effort have pleased Him long ago - the person addressed is some one, not a definite person, who could be thus set forth as such a witness to be commended. Rather with Grotius and others: Quia Deus favet laboribus tuis h. e. eos ita prosperavit, ut cuncta quae vitam delectant abunde tibi suppetant. The thought is wholly in the spirit of the Book of Koheleth; for the fruit of labour and the enjoyment of this fruit of labour, as at Ecc 2:24; Ecc 3:13, etc., is a gift from above; and besides, this may be said to the person addressed, since 7 a presupposes that he has at his disposal heart-strengthening bread and heart-refreshing wine. But in these two explanations the meaning of כּבר is not comprehended. It was left untranslated by the old translators, from their not understanding it. Rightly, Aben Ezra: For God wills that thou shouldst thus to [indulge in these enjoyments]; more correctly, Hitzig: Long ago God has beforehand permitted this thy conduct, so that thou hast no room for scruples about it. How significant כבר is for the thought, is indicated by the accentuation which gives to it Zakef: from aforetime God has impressed the seal of His approbation on this thy eating with joy, this thy drinking with a merry heart. - The assigning of the reason gives courage to the enjoyment, but at the same time gives to it a consecration; for it is the will of God that we should enjoy life, thus it is self-evident that we have to enjoy it as He wills it to be enjoyed.

Ecc 9:11 “Further, I came to see under the sun, that the race belongs not to the swift, and the war not to the heroes, and also not bread to the wise man, and not riches to the prudent, and not favour to men of knowledge; for time and chance happeneth to them all.” The nearest preceding רא, to which this ורב ורא suitably connects itself, is at Ecc 8:17. Instead of redii et videndo quidem = rursus vidi (cf. Ecc 8:9 and under Ecc 9:1), we had at Ecc 4:1 the simpler expression, redii et vidi. The five times repeated ל is that of property, of that, viz., by virtue of which one is master of that which is named, has power over it, disposes of it freely. The race belongs not to the swift (מרוץ, masc. to מרוּצה, only here), i.e., their fleetness is yet no guarantee that on account of it they will reach the goal. Luther freely: “To be fleet does not help in running,” i.e., running to an object or goal. “The war belongs not to the heroes,” means that much rather it belongs to the Lord, 1Sa 17:47. - God alone gives the victory (Psa 33:16). Even so the gaining of bread, riches, favour (i.e., influence, reputation), does not lie in wisdom, prudence, knowledge of themselves, as an indispensable means thereto; but the obtaining of them, or the not obtaining of them, depends on times and circumstances which lie beyond the control of man, and is thus, in the final result, conditioned by God (cf. Rom 9:16);But not Jer 9:22; this passage, referred to by Bernstein, is of a different nature. time and fate happen to all whose ability appears to warrant the issue, they both time and fate encounter them and bar to them the way; they are in an inexplicable manner dependent on both, and helplessly subject to them. As the idea of spiritual superiority is here expressed in a threefold manner by הח (whence לה of the plur., also with the art. Ecc 9:1; Exo 36:4; Est 1:13), 'הן, and היּ, so at Isa 11:2, the gifts of “wisdom,” “counsel,” and “knowledge” follow each other. 'Eth is here “time” with its special circumstances (conjunctures), and pega', “accident,” particularly as an adversity, disappointment of the word is used also without any addition (1Ki 5:18) of misfortune (cf. שיר פגעים, Psa 3:1-8; 91). The masc. יק is regulated after וף; 'eth can, however, be used in the masc., Sol 2:12; Böttch. §648, viz., “with the misapprehension of its origin” (v. Orelli).

This limitation of man in his efforts, in spite of all his capacity, has its reason in this, that he is on the whole not master of his own life:

Ecc 9:12 “For man also knoweth not his time: like the fishes which are caught in an evil net, and like the birds which are caught in the snare - like them are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it suddenly breaks in upon them.” The particles גּם כּי are here not so clearly connected as at Ecc 8:12; Ecc 4:14, where, more correctly, the pointing should be גּם כּי (ki with the conjunct. accent); ki rules the sentence; and gam, as to its meaning, belongs to etḣ'itto. The particular has its reason from the general: man is not master of his own time, his own person, and his own life, and thus not of the fruits of his capabilities and his actions, in spite of the previously favourable conditions which appear to place the result beyond a doubt; for ere the result is reached of which he appears to be able to entertain a certainty, suddenly his time may expire, and his term of life be exhausted. Jerome translate 'itto (cf. Ecc 7:17) rightly by finem suum; עת, with the gen. following, frequently (vid., under Job 24:1) means the point of time when the fate of any one is decided, - the terminus where a reckoning is made; here, directly, the terminus ad quem. The suddenness with which men are frequently overtaken with the catastrophe which puts an end to their life, is seen by comparison with the fishes which are suddenly caught in the net, and the birds which are suddenly caught in the snare. With שׁן (that are caught) there is interchanged, in two variations of expression, האחזות, which is incorrectly written, by v. d. Hooght, Norzi, and others, האחזּ.Vid., Ed. König, Gedanke, Laut u. Accent (1874), p. 72. מצו, a net, - of which the plur. form Ecc 7:26 is used, - goes back, as does the similar designation of a bulwark (Ecc 9:14), to the root-conception of searching (hunting), and receives here the epithet “evil.” Birds, צפּרים (from a ground-form with a short terminal vowel; cf. Assyr. itṣtṣur, from itṣpur), are, on account of their weakness, as at Isa 31:5, as a figure of tender love, represented in the fem.

The second half of the verse, in conformity with its structure, begins with כּהם (which more frequently occurs as כּמוהם). יוּק .)כּ is part. Pu. for מיקּשׁים (Ewald, §170d); the particip. מ is rejected, and ק is treated altogether as a guttural, the impracticable doubling of which is compensated for by the lengthening of the vowel. The use of the part. is here stranger than e.g., at Pro 11:13; Pro 15:32; the fact repeating itself is here treated as a property. Like the fish and the birds are they, such as are caught, etc. Otherwise Hitz.: Like these are they caught, during the continuance of their life in the evil time ... ; but the being snared does not, however, according to the double figure, precede the catastrophe, but is its consequence. Rightly, Ginsb.: “Like these are the sons of men ensnared in the time of misfortune.” רעה might be adj., as at Amo 5:13; Mic 2:3; but since it lies nearer to refer כּשׁתּ to ra'ah than to 'eth, thus ra'ah, like the frequently occurring yom ra'ah (Ecc 7:14; cf. Jer 17:17 with Jer 15:11), may be thought of as genit. An example of that which is here said is found in the fatal wounding of Ahab by means of an arrow which was not aimed at him, so that he died “at the time of the going down of the sun,” 2Ch 18:33-34.

Ecc 9:13 “Also this have I come to see as wisdom under the sun, and it appears great to me.” The Venet. construes falsely: “This also have I seen: wisdom under the sun;” as also Hitzig, who reads זה (neut. as at Ecc 7:27). There is no reason thus to break up the sentence which introduces the following experience. Zoh is connected with hhochmah, but not as Luther renders it: “I have also seen this wisdom,” which would have required the words הח זאת, but, as Jerome does: Hanc quoque sub sole vidi sapeintiam; this, however, since äæ־îâ, as at Ecc 5:15, cf. Ecc 9:18, is attractionally related to hhochmah as its pred., is = “also in this I saw wisdom,” as the lxx translates, or as Zöckl.: “also this have I seen - come to find out as wisdom,” - also this, viz., the following incident narrated, in which wisdom of exceeding greatness presented itself to me. As Mordecai is called “great among the Jews,” Est 10:3, so here Koheleth says that the wisdom which came to light therein appeared to him great (אלי, as elsewhere בּעיני or לפני).

Now follows an experience, which, however, has not merely a light side, but also a dark side; for wisdom, which accomplished so great a matter, reaped only ingratitude:

Ecc 9:14-15 “A little city, and men therein only a few, - to which a great king came near, and he besieged it, and erected against it high bulwarks. And he met therein a poor wise man, and who saved the city by his wisdom; and no man thought of that poor man.” What may be said as to the hist. reference of these words has already been noticed. The “great king” is probably an Asiatic monarch, and that the Persian; Jerome translates verbally: Civitas parva et pauci in ea viri, venit contra eam - the former is the subj., and the latter its pred.; the object stands first, plastically rigid, and there then follows what happened to it; the structure of the sentence is fundamentally the same as Psa 104:25. The expression אל בּוא, which may be used of any kind of coming to anything, is here, as at Gen 32:9, meant of a hostile approach. The object of a siege and a hostile attack is usually denoted by על, 2Ki 16:5; Isa 7:1. Two Codd. of de Rossi’s have the word מצורים, but that is an error of transcription; the plur. of מצור is fem., Isa 29:4. מצודים is, as at Ecc 7:26, plur. of מצוד (from צוּד, to lie in wait); here, as elsewhere, בּחן and דּיק is the siege-tower erected on the ground or on the rampart, from which to spy out the weak points of the beleaguered place so as to assail it.

The words following בהּ וּמצא are rendered by the Targ., Syr., Jerome, Arab., and Luther: “and there was found in it;” most interpreters explain accordingly, as they point to Ecc 1:10, יאמר, dicat aliquis. But that מץ taht  in this sequence of thought is = ונמצא (Job 42:15), is only to be supposed if it were impossible to regard the king as the subject, which Ewald with the lxx and the Venet. does in spite of §294 b. It is true it would not be possible if, as Vaih. remarks, the finding presupposed a searching; but cf. on the contrary, e.g., Deu 24:1; Psa 116:3. We also say of one whom, contrary to expectation, a superior meets with, that he has found his match, that he has found his man. Thus it is here said of the great king, he found in the city a poor wise man - met therein with such an one, against whom his plan was shattered. חכם is the adjective of the person of the poor man designated by ish miskēn (cf. 2Ch 2:13); the accents correctly indicate this relation. Instead of וּמלּט־הוּא, the older language would use וימלּט; it does not, like the author here, use pure perfects, but makes the chief factum prominent by the fut. consec. The ē of millēt is that of limmēd before Makkeph, referred back to the original a. The making prominent of the subject contained in millat by means of hu is favourable to the supposition that umatsa' has the king as its subject; while even where no opposition (as e.g., at Jer 17:18) lies before us this pleonasm belongs to the stylistic peculiarities of the book. Instead of adam lo, the older form is ish lo; perhaps the author here wishes to avoid the repetition of ish, but at Ecc 7:20 he also uses adam instead of ish, where no such reason existed.

Threatened by a powerful assailant, with whom it could not enter into battle, the little city, deserted by its men to a small remainder capable of bearing arms (this idea one appears to be under the necessity of connecting with מעט ... ואן), found itself in the greatest straits; but when all had been given up as lost, it was saved by the wisdom of the poor man (perhaps in the same way as Abel-beth-maacha, 2 Sam 20, by the wisdom of a woman). But after this was done, the wise poor man quickly again fell into the background; no man thought of him, as he deserved to have been thought of, as the saviour of the city; he was still poor, and remained so, and pauper homo raro vifit cum nomine claro. The poor man with his wisdom, Hengst. remarks, is Israel. And Wangemann (1856), generalizing the parable: “The beleaguered city is the life of the individual; the great king who lays siege to it is death and the judgment of the Lord.” But sounder and more appropriate is the remark of Luther: Est exemplum generale, cujus in multis historiis simile reperitur; and: Sic Themistocles multa bona fecit suis civibus, sed expertus summam intratitudinem. The author narrates an actual history, in which, on the one hand, he had seen what great things wisdom can do; and from which, on the other hand, he has drawn the following lesson:

Ecc 9:16 “And I said: Better is wisdom than strength; but the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.” With the words, “I saw,” the author introduces his observations, and with “I said” his reflections. Wisdom is better than strength, since it does more for the wise man, and through him for others, than physical force, - more, as expressed in Ecc 7:19, than ten mighty men. But the respect which wisdom otherwise secures for a man, if it is the wisdom of a poor man, sinks into despect, to which his poverty exposes him, - if necessity arises, his service, as the above history shows, is valued; but as a rule his words are unheeded, for the crowd estimate the worth of him whom they willingly hear according to the outward respect in which he is held.

To the lessons gathered from experience, are now added instructive proverbs of kindred contents.

Ecc 9:17 “The words of the wise, heard in quiet, have the superiority above the cry of a ruler among fools.” Instead of tovim min, there stands here the simple min, prae, as at Ecc 5:1, to express the superiority of the one to the other. Hitzig finds in this proverb the meaning that, as that history has shown, the words of the wise, heard with tranquillity, gain the victory over the cry of a ruler over fools. But (1) the contrast of נחת and זעקת require us to attribute the tranquillity to the wise man himself, and not to his hearers; (2) מו בּךּ is not a ruler over fools, by which it would remain questionable whether he himself was not a fool (cf. Job 41:26), but a ruler among fools (cf. 2Sa 23:3, מו בּ, “a ruler among men;” and Pro 30:30, גּבּ בּ, “the hero among beasts”), i.e., one who among fools takes the place of chief. The words of the poor wise man pass by unheeded, they are not listened to, because he does not possess an imposing splendid outward appearance, in accordance with which the crowd estimate the value of a man’s words; the wise man does not seek to gain esteem by means of a pompous violent deportment; his words נשׁ בּ are heard, let themselves be heard, are to be heard (cf. e.g., Sol 2:12) in quiet (Isa 30:15); for, trusting to their own inward power of conviction, and committing the result to God, he despises vociferous pomp, and the external force of earthly expedients (cf. Isa 42:2; Mat 12:19); but the words of the wise, which are to be heard in unassuming, passionless quietness, are of more value than the vociferation with which a king among fools, an arch-fool, a non plus ultra among fools, trumpets forth his pretended wisdom and constrains his hearers.

Ecc 9:18

The following proverb also leans on the history above narrated: “Better is wisdom than weapons of war; and one sinner destroyeth much good.” The above history has shown by way of example that wisdom accomplishes more than implements of war, כּלי ק = כּלי מל (Assyr. unut tahazi)Vid., Fried. Delitzsch’s Assyr. Stud. p. 129.i.e., than all the apparatus belonging to preparation for war. But the much good which a wise man is accomplishing or has accomplished, one sinner (חוטא)The Syr. (not the Targ.) had חטא before it, and thus realized it, which appears to correspond better with the parall. חכמה. by treachery or calumny may render vain, or may even destroy, through mere malicious pleasure in evil. This is a synthetic distich whose two parts may be interpreted independently. As wisdom accomplishes something great, so a single villain may have a far-reaching influence, viz., such as destroys much good.

Mysteries in Providence.

1 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. 2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. 3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

It has been observed concerning those who have pretended to search for the philosophers' stone that, though they could never find what they sought for, yet in the search they have hit upon many other useful discoveries and experiments. Thus Solomon, when, in the close of the foregoing chapter, he applied his heart to know the work of God, and took a great deal of pains to search into it, though he despaired of finding it out, yet he found out that which abundantly recompensed him for the search, and gave him some satisfaction, which he here gives us; for therefore he considered all this in his heart, and weighed it deliberately, that he might declare it for the good of others. Note, What we are to declare we should first consider; think twice before we speak once; and what we have considered we should then declare. I believed, therefore have I spoken.

The great difficulty which Solomon met with in studying the book of providence was the little difference that is made between good men and bad in the distribution of comforts and crosses, and the disposal of events. This has perplexed the minds of many wise and contemplative men. Solomon discourses of it in these verses, and, though he does not undertake to find out this work of God, yet he says that which may prevent its being a stumbling-block to us.

I. Before he describes the temptation in its strength he lays down a great and unquestionable truth, which he resolves to adhere to, and which, if firmly believed, will be sufficient to break the force of the temptation. This has been the way of God's people in grappling with this difficulty. Job, before he discourses of this matter, lays down the doctrine of God's omniscience (Job xxiv. 1), Jeremiah the doctrine of his righteousness (Jer. xii. 1), another prophet that of his holiness (Hab. i. 13), the psalmist that of his goodness and peculiar favour to his own people (Ps. lxxiii. 1), and that is it which Solomon here fastens upon and resolves to abide by, that, though good and evil seem to be dispensed promiscuously, yet God has a particular care of and concern for his own people: The righteous and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God, under his special protection and guidance; all their affairs are managed by him for their good; all their wise and righteous actions are in his hand, to be recompensed in the other world, though not in this. They seem as if they were given up into the hand of their enemies, but it is not so. Men have no power against them but what is given them from above. The events that affect them do not come to pass by chance, but all according to the will and counsel of God, which will turn that to be for them which seemed to be most against them. Let this make us easy, whatever happens, that all God's saints are in his hand, Deut. xxxiii. 3; John x. 29; Ps. xxxi. 15.

II. He lays this down for a rule, that the love and hatred of God are not to be measured and judged of by men's outward condition. If prosperity were a certain sign of God's love, and affliction of his hatred, then it might justly be an offence to us to see the wicked and godly fare alike. But the matter is not so: No man knows either love or hatred by all that is before him in this world, by those things that are the objects of sense. These we may know by that which is within us; if we love God with all our heart, thereby we may know that he loves us, as we may know likewise that we are under his wrath if we be governed by that carnal mind which is enmity to him. These will be known by that which shall be hereafter, by men's everlasting state; it is certain that men are happy or miserable according as they are under the love or hatred of God, but not according as they are under the smiles or frowns of the world; and therefore if God loves a righteous man (as certainly he does) he is happy, though the world frown upon him; and if he hates a wicked man (as certainly he does) he is miserable, though the world smile upon him. Then the offence of this promiscuous distribution of events has ceased.

III. Having laid down these principles, he acknowledges that all things come alike to all; so it has been formerly, and therefore we are not to think it strange if it be so now, if it be so with us and our families. Some make this, and all that follows to v. 13, to be the perverse reasoning of the atheists against the doctrine of God's providence; but I rather take it to be Solomon's concession, which he might the more freely make when he had fixed those truths which are sufficient to guard against any ill use that may be made of what he grants. Observe here (v. 2),

1. The great difference that there is between the characters of the righteous and the wicked, which, in several instances, are set the one over-against the other, to show that, though all things come alike to all, yet that does not in the least confound the eternal distinction between moral good and evil, but that remains immutable. (1.) The righteous are clean, have clean hands and pure hearts; the wicked are unclean, under the dominion of unclean lusts, pure perhaps in their own eyes, but not cleansed from their filthiness, God will certainly put a difference between the clean and the unclean, the precious and the vile, in the other world, though he does not seem to do so in this. (2.) The righteous sacrifice, that is, they make conscience of worshipping God according to his will, both with inward and outward worship; the wicked sacrifice not, that is, they live in the neglect of God's worship and grudge to part with any thing for his honour. What is the Almighty, that they should serve him? (3.) The righteous are good, good in God's sight, they do good in the world; the wicked are sinners, violating the laws of God and man, and provoking to both. (4.) The wicked man swears, has no veneration for the name of God, but profanes it by swearing rashly and falsely; but the righteous man fears an oath, swears not, but is sworn, and then with great reverence; he fears to take an oath, because it is a solemn appeal to God as a witness and judge; he fears, when he has taken a oath, to break it, because God is righteous who takes vengeance.

2. The little difference there is between the conditions of the righteous and the wicked in this world: There is one event to both. Is David rich? So is Nabal. Is Joseph favoured by his prince? So is Haman. Is Ahab killed in a battle? So is Josiah. Are the bad figs carried to Babylon? So are the good, Jer. xxiv. 1. There is a vast difference between the original, the design, and the nature, of the same event to the one and to the other; the effects and issues of it are likewise vastly different; the same providence to the one is a savour of life unto life, to the other of death unto death, though, to outward appearance, it is the same.

IV. He owns this to be a very great grievance to those that are wise and good: "This is an evil, the greatest perplexity, among all things that are done under the sun (v. 3); nothing has given me more disturbance than this, that there is one event unto all." It hardens atheists, and strengthens the hands of evil-doers; for therefore it is that the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and fully set in them to do evil, ch. viii. 11. When they see that there is one event to the righteous and the wicked they wickedly infer thence that it is all one to God whether they are righteous or wicked, and therefore they stick at nothing to gratify their lusts.

V. For the further clearing of this great difficulty, as he began this discourse with the doctrine of the happiness of the righteous (whatever they may suffer, they and their works are in the hands of God, and therefore in good hands, they could not be in better), so he concludes with the doctrine of the misery of the wicked; however they may prosper, madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. Envy not the prosperity of evil-doers, for, 1. They are now madmen, and all the delights they seem to be blessed with are but like the pleasant dreams and fancies of a distracted man. They are mad upon their idols (Jer. l. 38), are mad against God's people, Acts xxvi. 11. When the prodigal repented, it is said, He came to himself (Luke xv. 17), which intimates that he had been beside himself before. 2. They will shortly be dead men. They make a mighty noise and bustle while they live, but after awhile, they go to the dead, and there is an end of all their pomp and power; they will then be reckoned with for all their madness and outrage in sin. Though, on this side death, the righteous and the wicked seem alike, on the other side death there will be a vast difference between them.

The Consequences of Death; The Proper Enjoyment of Life.

4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. 7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. 8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. 9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. 10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Solomon, in a fret, had praised the dead more than the living (ch. iv. 2); but here, considering the advantages of life to prepare for death and make sure the hope of a better life, he seems to be of another mind.

I. He shows the advantages which the living have above those that are dead, v. 4-6. 1. While there is life there is hope. Dum spiro, spero—While I breathe, I hope. It is the privilege of the living that they are joined to the living, in relation, commerce, and conversation, and, while they are so, there is hope. If a man's condition be, upon any account, bad, there is hope it will be amended. If the heart be full of evil, and madness be in it, yet while there is life there is hope that by the grace of God there may be a blessed change wrought; but after men go to the dead (v. 3) it is too late then; he that is then filthy will be filthy still, for ever filthy. If men be thrown aside as useless, yet, while they are joined to the living, there is hope that they may yet again take root and bear fruit; he that is alive is, or may be, good for something, but he that is dead, as to this world, is not capable of being any further serviceable. Therefore a living dog is better than a dead lion; the meanest beggar alive has that comfort of this world and does that service to it which the greatest prince, when he is dead, is utterly incapable of. 2. While there is life there is an opportunity of preparing for death: The living know that which the dead have no knowledge of, particularly they know that they shall die, and are, or may be, thereby influenced to prepare for that great change which will come certainly, and may come suddenly. Note, The living cannot but know that they shall die, that they must needs die. They know they are under a sentence of death; they are already taken into custody by its messengers, and feel themselves declining. This is a needful useful knowledge; for what is our business, while we live, but to get ready to die: The living know they shall die; it is a thing yet to come, and therefore provision may be made for it. The dead know they are dead, and it is too late; they are on the other side the great gulf fixed. 3. When life is gone all this world is gone with it, as to us. (1.) There is an end of all our acquaintance with this world and the things of it: The dead know not any thing of that which, while they lived, they were intimately conversant with. It does not appear that they know any thing of what is done by those they leave behind. Abraham is ignorant of us; they are removed into darkness, Job x. 22. (2.) There is an end of all our enjoyments in this world: They have no more a reward for their toils about the world, but all they got must be left to others; they have a reward for their holy actions, but not for their worldly ones. The meats and the belly will be destroyed together, John vi. 27; 1 Cor. vi. 13. It is explained v. 6. Neither have they any more a portion for ever, none of that which they imagined would be a portion for ever, of that which is done and got under the sun. The things of this world will not be a portion for the soul because they will not be a portion for ever; those that choose them, and have them for their good things, have only a portion in this life, Ps. xvii. 14. The world can only be an annuity for life, not a portion for ever. (3.) There is an end of their name. There are but few whose names survive them long; the grave is a land of forgetfulness, for the memory of those that are laid there is soon forgotten; their place knows them no more, nor the lands they called by their own names. (4.) There is an end of their affections, their friendships and enmities: Their love, and their hatred, and their envy have now perished; the good things they loved, the evil things they hated, the prosperity of others, which they envied, are now all at an end with them. Death parts those that loved one another, and puts an end to their friendship, and those that hated one another too, and puts an end to their quarrels. Actio moritur cum personâ—The person and his actions die together. There we shall be never the better for our friends (their love can do us no kindness), nor ever the worse for our enemies—their hatred and envy can do us no damage. There the wicked cease from troubling. Those things which now so affect us and fill us, which we are so concerned about and so jealous of, will there be at an end.

II. Hence he infers that it is our wisdom to make the best use of life that we can while it does last, and manage wisely what remains of it.

1. Let us relish the comforts of life while we live, and cheerfully take our share of the enjoyments of it. Solomon, having been himself ensnared by the abuse of sensitive delights, warns others of the danger, not by a total prohibition of them, but by directing to the sober and moderate use of them; we may use the world, but must not abuse it, take what is to be had out of it, and expect no more. Here we have,

(1.) The particular instances of this cheerfulness prescribed: "Thou art drooping and melancholy, go thy way, like a fool as thou art, and get into a better temper of mind." [1.] "Let thy spirit be easy and pleasant; then let there be joy and a merry heart within," a good heart (so the word is), which distinguishes this from carnal mirth and sensual pleasure, which are the evil of the heart, both a symptom and a cause of much evil there. We must enjoy ourselves, enjoy our friends, enjoy our God, and be careful to keep a good conscience, that nothing may disturb us in these enjoyments. We must serve God with gladness, in the use of what he gives us, and be liberal in communicating it to others, and not suffer ourselves to be oppressed with inordinate care and grief about the world. We must eat our bread as Israelites, not in our mourning (Deut. xxvi. 14), as Christians, with gladness and liberality of heart, Acts ii. 46. See Deut. xxviii. 47. [2.] "Make use of the comforts and enjoyments which God has given thee: Eat thy bread, drink thy wine, thine, not another's, not the bread of deceit, nor the wine of violence, but that which is honestly got, else thou canst not eat it with any comfort nor expect a blessing upon it—thy bread and thy wine, such as are agreeable to thy place and station, not extravagantly above it nor sordidly below it; lay out what God has given thee for the ends for which thou art entrusted with it, as being but a steward." [3.] "Evidence thy cheerfulness (v. 8): Let thy garments be always white. Observe a proportion in thy expenses; reduce not thy food in order to gratify thy pride, nor thy clothing in order to gratify thy voluptuousness. Be neat, wear clean linen, and be not slovenly." Or, "Let thy garments be white in token of joy and cheerfulness," which were expressed by white raiment (Rev. iii. 4); "and as a further token of joy, let thy head lack no ointment that is fit for it." Our Saviour admitted this piece of pleasure at a feast (Matt. xxvi. 7), and David observes it among the gifts of God's bounty to him. Ps. xxiii. 5, Thou anointest my head with oil. Not that we must place our happiness in any of the delights of sense, or set our hearts upon them, but what God has given us we must make as comfortable a use of as we can afford, under the limitations of sobriety and wisdom, and not forgetting the poor. [4.] "Make thyself agreeable to thy relations: Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest. Do not engross thy delights, making much of thyself only, and not caring what becomes of those about thee, but let them share with thee and make them easy too. Have a wife; for even in paradise it was not good for man to be alone. Keep to thy wife, to one, and do not multiply wives" (Solomon had found the mischief of that); "keep to her only, and have nothing to do with any other." How can a man live joyfully with one with whom he does not live honestly? "Love thy wife; and the wife whom thou lovest thou wilt be likely to live joyfully with." When we do the duty of relations we may expect the comfort of them. See Prov. v. 19. "Live with thy wife, and delight in her society. Live joyfully with her, and be most cheerful when thou art with her. Take pleasure in thy family, thy vine and thy olive plants."

(2.) The qualifications necessary to this cheerfulness: "Rejoice and have a merry heart, if God now accepts thy works. If thou art reconciled to God, and recommended to him, then thou has reason to be cheerful, otherwise not." Rejoice not, O Israel! for joy, as other people, for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, Hos. ix. 1. Our first care must be to make our peace with God, and obtain his favour, to do that which he will accept of, and then, Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy. Note, Those whose works God has accepted have reason to be cheerful and ought to be so. 'Now that thou eatest the bread of thy sacrifices with joy, and partakest of the wine of thy drink-offerings with a merry heart, now God accepts thy works. Thy religious services, when performed with holy joy, are pleasing to God; he loves to have his servants sing at their work, it proclaims him a good Master.

(3.) The reasons for it. "Live joyfully, for," [1.] "It is all little enough to make thy passage through this world easy and comfortable: The days of thy life are the days of thy vanity; there is nothing here but trouble, and disappointment. Thou wilt have time enough for sorrow and grief when thou canst not help it, and therefore live joyfully while thou canst, and perplex not thyself with thoughts and cares about to-morrow; sufficient to the day is the evil thereof. Let a gracious serenity of mind be a powerful antidote against the vanity of the world." [2.] "It is all thou canst get from this world: That is thy portion in the things of this life. In God, and another life, thou shalt have a better portion, and a better recompence for thy labours in religion; but for thy pains which thou takest about the things under the sun this is all thou canst expect, and therefore do not deny this to thyself."

2. Let us apply ourselves to the business of life while life lasts, and so use the enjoyments of it as by them to be fitted for the employments: "Therefore eat with joy and a merry heart, not that thy soul may take its ease (as Luke xii. 19), but that thy soul may take the more pains and the joy of the Lord may be its strength and oil to its wheels," v. 10. Whatsoever thy hand finds to do do it with thy might. Observe here, (1.) There is not only something to be had, but something to be done, in this life, and the chief good we are to enquire after is the good we should do, Eccl. ii. 3. This is the world of service; that to come is the world of recompence. This is the world of probation and preparation for eternity; we are here upon business, and upon our good behaviour. (2.) Opportunity is to direct and quicken duty. That is to be done which our hand finds to do, which occasion calls for; and an active hand will always find something to do that will turn to a good account. What must be done, of necessity, our hand will here find a price in it for the doing of, Prov. xvii. 16. (3.) What good we have an opportunity of doing we must do while we have the opportunity, and do it with our might, with care, vigour, and resolution, whatever difficulties and discouragements we may meet with in it. Harvest-days are busy days; and we must make hay while the sun shines. Serving God and working out our salvation must be done with all that is within us, and all little enough. (4.) There is good reason why we should work the works of him that sent us while it is day, because the night comes, wherein no man can work, John ix. 4. We must up and be doing now with all possible diligence, because our doing-time will be done shortly and we know not how soon. But this we know that, if the work of life be not done when our time is done, we are undone for ever: "There is no work to be done, nor device to do it, no knowledge for speculation, nor wisdom for practice, in the grave whither thou goest." We are all going towards the grave; every day brings us a step nearer to it; when we are in the grave it will be too late to mend the errors of life, too late to repent and make our peace with God, too late to lay up any thing in store for eternal life; it must be done now or never. The grave is a land of darkness and silence, and therefore there is no doing any thing for our souls there; it must be done now or never, John xii. 35.

The Disappointment of Hopes.

11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. 12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

The preacher here, for a further proof of the vanity of the world, and to convince us that all our works are in the hand of God, and not in our own hand, shows the uncertainty and contingency of future events, and how often they contradict the prospects we have of them. He had exhorted us (v. 10) to do what we have to do with all our might; but here he reminds us that, when we have done all, we must leave the issue with God, and not be confident of the success.

I. We are often disappointed of the good we had great hopes of, v. 11. Solomon had himself made the observation, and so has many a one since, that events, both in public and private affairs, do not always agree even with the most rational prospects and probabilities. Nulli fortuna tam dedita est ut multa tentanti ubique respondeat—Fortune surrenders herself to no one so as to ensure him success, however numerous his undertakings. Seneca. The issue of affairs is often unaccountably cross to every one's expectation, that the highest may not presume, nor the lowest despair, but all may live in a humble dependence upon God, from whom every man's judgment proceeds.

1. He gives instances of disappointment, even where means and instruments were most encouraging and promised fair. (1.) One would think that the lightest of foot should, in running, win the prize; and yet the race is not always to the swift; some accident happens to retard them, or they are too secure, and therefore remiss, and let those that are slower get the start of them. (2.) One would think that, in fighting, the most numerous and powerful army should be always victorious, and, in single combat, that the bold and mighty champion should win the laurel; but the battle is not always to the strong; a host of Philistines was once put to flight by Jonathan and his man; one of you shall chase a thousand; the goodness of the cause has often carried the day against the most formidable power. (3.) One would think that men of sense should always be men of substance, and that those who know how to live in the world should not only have a plentiful maintenance, but get great estates; and yet it does not always prove so; even bread is not always to the wise, much less riches always to men of understanding. Many ingenious men, and men of business, who were likely to thrive in the world, have strangely gone backward and come to nothing. (4.) One would think that those who understand men, and have the art of management, should always get preferment and obtain the smiles of great men; but many ingenious men have been disappointed, and have spent their days in obscurity, nay, have fallen into disgrace, and perhaps have ruined themselves by those very methods by which they hoped to raise themselves, for favour is not always to men of skill, but fools are favoured and wise men frowned upon.

2. He resolves all these disappointments into an over-ruling power and providence, the disposals of which to us seem casual, and we call them chance, but really they are according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, here called time, in the language of this book, ch. iii. 1; Ps. xxxi. 15. Time and chance happen to them all. A sovereign Providence breaks men's measures, and blasts their hopes, and teaches them that the way of man is not in himself, but subject to the divine will. We must use means, but not trust to them; if we succeed, we must give God the praise (Ps. xliv. 3); if we be crossed, we must acquiesce in his will and take our lot.

II. We are often surprised with the evils we were in little fear of (v. 12): Man knows not his time, the time of his calamity, his fall, his death, which, in scripture, is called our day and our hour. 1. We know not what troubles are before us, which will take us off our business, and take us out of the world, what time and chance will happen to us, nor what one day, or a night, may bring forth. It is not for us to know the times, no, not our own time, when or how we shall die. God has, in wisdom, kept us in the dark, that we may be always ready. 2. Perhaps we may meet with trouble in that very thing wherein we promise ourselves the greatest satisfaction and advantage; as the fishes and the birds are drawn into the snare and net by the bait laid to allure them, which they greedily catch at, so are the sons of men often snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them, before they are aware. And these things too come alike to all. Men often find their bane where they sought their bless, and catch their death where they thought to find a prize. Let us therefore never be secure, but always ready for changes, that, though they may be sudden, they may be no surprise or terror to us.

The Advantages of Wisdom.

13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: 14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Solomon still recommends wisdom to us as necessary to the preserving of our peace and the perfecting of our business, notwithstanding the vanities and crosses which human affairs are subject to. He had said (v. 11), Bread is not always to the wise; yet he would not therefore be thought either to disparage, or to discourage, wisdom, no, he still retains his principle, that wisdom excels folly as much as light excels darkness (ch. ii. 13), and we ought to love and embrace it, and be governed by it, for the sake of its own intrinsic worth, and the capacity it gives us of being serviceable to others, though we ourselves should not get wealth and preferment by it. This wisdom, that is, this which he here describes, wisdom which enables a man to serve his country out of pure affection to its interests, when he himself gains no advantage by it, no, not so much as thanks for his pains, or the reputation of it, this is the wisdom which, Solomon says, seemed great unto him, v. 13. A public spirit, in a private sphere, is wisdom which those who understand things that differ cannot but look upon as very magnificent.

I. Solomon here gives an instance, which probably was a case in fact, in some neighbouring country, of a poor man who with his wisdom did great service in a time of public distress and danger (v. 14): There was a little city (no great prize, whoever was master of it); there were but few men within it, to defend it, and men, if men of fortitude, are the best fortifications of a city; here were few men, and, because few, feeble, fearful, and ready to give up their city as not tenable. Against this little city a great king came with a numerous army, and besieged it, either in pride, or covetousness to possess it, or in revenge for some affront given him, to chastise and destroy it. Thinking it stronger than it was, he built great bulwarks against it, from which to batter it, and doubted not but in a little time to make himself master of it. What a great deal of unjust vexation do ambitious princes give to their harmless neighbours! This great king needed not fear this little city; why then should he frighten it? It would be little profit to him; why then should he put himself to such a great expense to gain it? But as unreasonable and insatiably greedy as little people sometimes are to lay house to house, and field to field, great kings often are to lay city to city, and province to province, that they may be placed alone in the earth, Isa. v. 8. Did victory and success attend the strong? No; there was found in this little city, among the few men that were in it, one poor wise man—a wise man, and yet poor, and not preferred to any place of profit or power in the city; places of trust were not given to men according to their merit, and meetness for them, else such a wise man as this would not have been a poor man. Now, 1. Being wise, he served the city, though he was poor. In their distress they found him out (Judg. xi. 7) and begged his advice and assistance; and he by his wisdom delivered the city, either by prudent instructions given to the besieged, directing them to some unthought-of stratagem for their own security, or by a prudent treaty with the besiegers, as the woman at Abel, 2 Sam. xx. 16. He did not upbraid them with the contempt they had put upon him, in leaving him out of their council, nor tell them he was poor and had nothing to lose, and therefore cared not what became of the city; but he did his best for it, and was blessed with success. Note, Private interests and personal resentments must always be sacrificed to public good and forgotten when the common welfare is concerned. 2. Being poor, he was slighted by the city, though he was wise and had been an instrument to save them all from ruin: No man remembered that same poor man; his good services were not taken notice of, no recompence was made him, no marks of honour were put upon him, but he lived in as much poverty and obscurity as he had done before. Riches were not to this man of understanding, nor favour to this man of skill. Many who have well-merited of their prince and country have been ill-paid; such an ungrateful world do we live in. It is well that useful men have a God to trust to, who will be their bountiful rewarder; for, among men, great services are often envied and rewarded with evil for good.

II. From this instance he draws some useful inferences, looks upon it and receives instruction. 1. Hence he observes the great usefulness and excellency of wisdom, and what a blessing it makes men to their country: Wisdom is better than strength, v. 16. A prudent mind, which is the honour of a man, is to be preferred before a robust body, in which many of the brute creatures excel man. A man may by his wisdom effect that which he could never compass by his strength, and may overcome those by out-witting them who are able to overpower him. Nay, wisdom is better than weapons of war, offensive or defensive, v. 18. Wisdom, that is, religion and piety (for the wise man is here opposed to a sinner), is better than all military endowments or accoutrements, for it will engage God for us, and then we are safe in the greatest perils and successful in the greatest enterprises. If God be for us, who can be against us or stand before us? 2. Hence he observes the commanding force and power of wisdom, though it labour under external disadvantages (v. 17): The words of wise men are heard in quiet; what they speak, being spoken calmly and with deliberation (though, not being rich and in authority, they dare not speak aloud nor with any great assurance), will be hearkened to and regarded, will gain respect, nay, will gain the point, and sway with men more than the imperious clamour of him that rules among fools, who, like fools, chose him to be their ruler, for his noise and blustering, and, like fools, think he must by those methods carry the day with every body else. A few close arguments are worth a great many big words; and those will strike sail to fair reasoning who will answer those that hector and insult according to their folly. How forcible are right words! What is spoken wisely should be spoken calmly, and then it will be heard in quiet and calmly considered. But passion will lessen the force even of reason, instead of adding any force to it. 3. Hence he observes that wise and good men, notwithstanding this, must often content themselves with the satisfaction of having done good, or at least attempted it, and offered at it, when they cannot do the good they would do nor have the praise they should have. Wisdom capacitates a man to serve his neighbours, and he offers his service; but, alas! if he be poor his wisdom is despised and his words are not heard, v. 16. Many a man is buried alive in poverty and obscurity who, if he had but fit encouragement given him, might be a great blessing to the world; many a pearl is lost in its shell. But there is a day coming when wisdom and goodness shall be in honour, and the righteous shall shine forth.

4. From what he had observed of the great good which one wise and virtuous man may do he infers what a great deal of mischief one wicked man may do, and what a great deal of good he may be the hindrance of: One sinner destroyeth much good. (1.) As to himself, a sinful condition is a wasteful condition. How many of the good gifts both of nature and Providence does one sinner destroy and make waste of—good sense, good parts, good learning, a good disposition, a good estate, good meat, good drink, and abundance of God's good creatures, all made use of in the service of sin, and so destroyed and lost, and the end of giving them frustrated and perverted! He who destroys his own soul destroys much good. (2.) As to others, what a great deal of mischief may one wicked man do in a town or country! One sinner, who makes it his business to debauch others, may defeat and frustrate the intentions of a great many good laws and a great deal of good preaching, and draw many into his pernicious ways; one sinner may be the ruin of a town, as one Achan troubled the whole camp of Israel. The wise man who delivered the city would have had his due respect and recompence for it but that some one sinner hindered it, and invidiously diminished the service. And many a good project, well laid for the public welfare, had been destroyed by some one subtle adversary to it. The wisdom of some would have healed the nation, but, through the wickedness of a few, it would not be healed. See who are a kingdom's friends and enemies, if one saint does much good, and one sinner destroys much good.

CHAP. IX. Verſ. 1. For all this I conſidered in mine heart.]

HEE that will rightly conſider of any thing, had need to conſider of many things: all that do concern it, all that do give light unto it, had need to bee looked into, or elſe wee fall too ſhort.

Sis ideo in partes circumſpectiſſimus omnes.

Even to declare all this] Or, To clear up all this to my ſelf. Symmachus rendred it, Ut ventilarem haec univerſa, that I might ſift and ſearch out all theſe things by much toſſing and turning of the thoughts. Truth lies low and cloſe, and muſt with much induſtry bee drawn into the open light.

That the righteous and the wiſe] Theſe are terms convertible. The worlds wiſards ſhall one day cry out, Nos inſenſati, Wee fools counted their lives madneſs, &c.

And their works] Or, Their ſervices, actions, imployments; all which together with themſelves are in the hand of God, who knows them by name, and exerciſeth a ſingular providence over them; ſo that they are kept by the power of God through Faith unto ſalvation. The enemy ſhall not exact upon him, nor the ſon of wickedneſs afflict him, Pſal. 89.22. What a ſweet providence was it, that when all the Males of Iſrael appeared thrice in the year before the Lord at Jeruſalem, none of their neighbour-Nations (though profeſſed enemies to Iſrael) ſhould ſo much as deſire their Land, Exod. 34.24? And again, that after the ſlaughter of Gedaliah, ſo pleaſant a Country (left utterly deſtitute of inhabitants, and compaſſed about with ſuch warlike Nations, as the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, Philiſtims, &c.) was not invaded nor replanted by forreiners for ſeventy years ſpace, but the room kept empty, till the return of the Naturals?

No man knows either love or hatred, &c.] That is, the thing hee either loves or hates (ſay ſome Interpreters) by reaſon of the fickleneſs of his eaſily alterable affections. How ſoon was Amnons heart eſtranged from his Thamar, and Ahaſhueroſh from his Minion Haman, the Jews from John Baptiſt, the Galatians from Paul, &c? But I rather approve of thoſe that refer this love and hatred unto God (underſtanding them, [non-Latin text not transcribed], in a divine manner) and make the meaning to bee, that by the things of this life, which come alike to all (as the next verſe hath it) no man can make judgement of Gods love or hatred towards him. The ſun of proſperity ſhines as well upon brambles of the wilderneſs, as fruit-trees of the Orchard; the ſnow and hail of adverſity lights upon the beſt gardens, as well as upon the wilde waſte. Ahab's and Joſia's ends concur in the very circumſtances. Saul and Jonathan, though different in their deportments, yet in their deaths they were not divided, 2 Sam. 1.23. How far wide then is the Church of Rome, that borrows her marks, from the market, plenty or cheapneſs? &c. And what an odde kinde of reaſoning was that of her Champions with Marſh the Martyr, whom they would have perſwaded to leave his opinions,Acts and Mon. fol. 1411. becauſe all the bringers up, and favourers of that Religion (as the Dukes of Northumberland and Suffolk for inſtance) had evil luck, and were either put to death, or in priſon, and in danger of life. Again, the favourers of the Religion then uſed had wondrous good luck, and proſperity in all things, &c.

Verſ. 2. All things come alike to all] See the Note on verſ. 1. Health, Wealth, Honours, &c. are caſt upon good men and bad men promiſcuouſly. God makes a ſcatter of them as it were; good men gather them, bad men ſcramble for them.Nihil eſt niſi mica panis. The whole Turkiſh Empire, ſaith Luther, is nothing elſe but a cruſt caſt by Heavens great Houſe-keeper to his Doggs.

And hee that ſweareth, as hee that feareth an oath] No ſurer ſign of a prophane perſon, than common and cuſtomary ſwearing. Neither any ſo good an evidence of a gracious heart, as not onely to forbear it (for ſo one may do by education, and civil converſation) but to fear an oath out of an awful regard to the divine Majeſty. Plato and other Heathens ſhall riſe up and condemn our common ſwearers: for they, when they would ſwear, ſaid no more but Ex animi ſententia, Suidas. or if they would ſwear by their Jupiter, out of the meer dread and reverence of his name, they forbare to mention him. Clinias the Pythagorean, out of this regard, would rather undergo a mulct of three talents,Acts and Mon. 865. than ſwear. The Merindolians, thoſe antient French Proteſtants, were known by this through all the Country of Province, that they would not ſwear, nor eaſily bee brought to take an oath, except it were in judgement, or making ſome ſolemn covenant.

Verſ. 3. This is an evil] Hoc eſt peſſimum (ſo Hierome, the Vulgar, and Tremellius renders it) this is the worſt evil, this is wickedneſs with a witneſs: ſcil, that ſith there is one event to all, graceleſs men ſhould therehence conclude, that ſith there is one event to all, graceleſs men ſhould therehence conclude, that it is a bootleſs buſineſs, a courſe of no profit to ſerve God. Hence they walk about the world with hearts as full as hell, of lewd and lawleſs luſts. Hence they run a madding after the pleaſures of ſin, which with a reſtleſſe giddineſs they earneſtly purſue: yea, they live and die in ſo doing, ſaith the Wiſe-man here, noting their final impenitency, that hate of Heaven, and gate to Hell.

Ex primis per [non-Latin text not transcribed] eorum ſermones. Lav. Joh. 24. Sic Benedic. 9. Alexand. 6. & Leo. 10. Verſ. 4. For to him that is joyned to all the living there is hope] Theſe are the words of thoſe wicked ones, whoſe lives and hopes end together, whoſe ſong is, Poſt mortem nulla voluptas, when life ends, there is an end of all. (Is there not ſuch language in ſome mens hearts? who knows whether there bee any ſuch thing as a life to come? &c. Now I ſhall know, ſaid that dying Pope, whether the ſoul of man bee immortal, yea or no: and whether that tale concerning Chriſt have any truth in it. Oh wretch!

So a living Dogg is better than a dead Lion] But ſo is not a living ſinner better that a dead Saint; for the righteous hath hope in his death; and they that dye in the Lord are bleſſed, Rev. 14.13. how much more if they alſo dye for the Lord? theſe love not their lives unto the death, Rev. 12.11. but go as willingly to dye, as ever they did to dine: being as glad to leave the world, (for a better eſpecially) as men are wont to bee to riſe from the board, when they have eaten their fill, to take poſſeſſion of a Lordſhip.

Cur non ut plenus vitae conviva recedis?Lucret.

Verſ. 5. For the living know that they ſhall dye] Hence that Proverb amongſt us, As ſure as death. Howbeit, that they think little of it to any good purpoſe, appears by that other Proverb, I thought no more of it, than of my dying-day.

But the dead know not any thing] So it ſeemeth to thoſe Atheiſts that deny the immortality of the ſoul, but they ſhall know at death that there is another life beyond this, wherein the righteous ſhall bee comforted,Luk. 16.25 and their knowledge perfected, but the wicked tormented; and with nothing more, than to know that ſuch and ſuch poor ſouls as they would have diſdained to have ſet with the Doggs of their flocks, are now ſitting down with Abraham, Job 30.1 Luk. 13.28 Iſaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of God, and themſelves thruſt out into utter darkneſs,Auguſtin. in tenebras extenebris infeliciter excluſi, infelicius excludendi.

Neither have they any more a reward] What?Pſal. 58.11 not a reward for the righteous? Not a certain fearful looking for of judgement, and fiery indignation which ſhall devour evil-doers? That were ſtrange.Heb. 10.27 But wicked men would fain perſwade themſelves ſo; ut liberius peccent, libenter ignorant, Bern 2 Pet. 2.5. Of theſe things they are willingly ignorant.

For the memory of them is forgotten] This is true in part, but not altogether. Joſeph was forgotten in Egypt, Gideon in Iſrael. Exod. 1 Judg. 9 Joaſh remembred not the kindneſs which Jehoiadah had done to him, but ſlew his ſon, 2 Chron. 24.22. Nevertheleſs, the foundation of God ſtands firm, having this ſeal, the Lord knoweth them that are his;2 Tim. 2 Mal. 3.16. Luk. 10.20 and there is a book of remembrance written before him, for them that fear the Lord, their names are written in Heaven, and the memory of the juſt is bleſſed, Proverbs 10.7. See the Note there.

Verſ. 6. Alſo their love and their hatred, &c.] Here is lie upon lie. The Atheiſt, as hee had denyed knowledge to the dead, ſo here hee denies affections, as love, hatred, envy or zeal, as Hierome renders it. But it is certain, that thoſe that are dead in Jeſus, do very dearly love God, and hate evil with a perfect hatred. The wicked on the other ſide continue in that other world, to hate God and goodneſs, to love ſuch as themſelves are, to ſtomach the happineſs of thoſe in Heaven, &c.

Verſ. 7. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy] Vade, juste, Go thy way thou righteous man, live in cheerfulneſs of mind, proceeding from the teſtimony of a good conſcience: ſo Lyra ſenſeth the words. Gods grace and favour turned brown bread and water into manchet and wine to the Martyrs in priſon. Rejoyce not thou, O Iſrael, for joy, as other people, for thou haſt gone a whoring from thy God, Hoſ. 9.1. Thou eateſt thy bane, thou drinkeſt thy poiſon, becauſe to the impure all things are impure, and without faith it is impoſſible to pleaſe God.Prov. 29.6 In the tranſgreſſion of an evil man there is a ſnare (or a cord to ſtrangle his joy with) but the righteous doth ſing and rejoyce. Hee may do ſo, hee muſt do ſo; what ſhould hinder him? hee hath made his peace with God, and is rectus in curia, let him bee merry at his meals, lightſome and ſpruiſe in his cloaths, cheerful with his wife and children, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Jam. 5.13 &c. Is any man merry at heart? ſaith St. James, is hee right ſet, and hath hee a right frame of ſoul? is all well within? let him ſing Pſalms; yea as a traveller rides on merrily, and wears out the rediouſneſſe of the way, by ſinging ſweet ſongs unto himſelf: ſo ſhould the Saints, Thy ſtatutes have been my ſongs in the houſe of my pilgrimage, Pſal. 119.54.

Verſ. 8. Let thy garments bee alwayes white] i. e. Neat, ſpruſe, cleanly, comely. Or by a metaphor it may ſignifie, Be merry in good manner: for they uſed to wear white clothing on Feſtivals,Devita theoretica Stuckius in Antiq. conviv. Anton. Margarit. and at Weddings, as Philo witneſſeth: At this day alſo the Jewes come to their Synagogues in white rayment the day before the Calends of September, which is their New-years-tide. Purple was affected by the Romans, white by the Jewes, (ſee Jam. 2.2.) Hence Pilate clad Chriſt in purple, Matth. 27.28. Herod in white, Luke 23.11. Herod himſelf, Acts 12.21. was arrayed in royal apparrel, that is, in cloth of ſilver, ſaith Joſephus; which being beaten upon by the Sun-beams, dazeled the peoples eyes, and drew from them that blaſphemous acclamation, The voyce of God, and not of man.

And let thine head lack no oyntment] That thou mayſt look ſmooth and handſome. See Matth. 6.16, 17. Oyntments were much uſed with thoſe Eaſtern people in Banquetings, Bathings, and at other times, Luk. 7.46. Mat. 26.7. By garments here ſome underſtand the affections (as Col. 3.8 — 12) which muſt alwayes be white, i. e. cheerful, even in times of perſecution, when thy garments haply are ſtained with thine own bloud. By the head they underſtand the thoughts, which muſt alſo be kept lithe and lightſome, as anoynted with the oyl of gladneſſe. Crucem multi abominantur, crucem videntes, ſed non videntes unctionem: Crux enim inuncta eſt, ſaith Bernard. Many men hate the Croſſe, becauſe they ſee the Croſſe only; but ſee not the Oyntment that is upon it: For the Croſſe is anoynted, and by the grace of Gods holy Spirit helping our infirmities, it becomes not only light, but ſweet; not only not troubleſome,Aug. but even deſirable and delectable. Martyr etiam in catena gaudet. Paul gloried in his ſufferings, his ſpirit was cheered up by the thoughts of them, as by ſome fragrant oyntment.

Verſ. 9. Live joyfully with the Wife whom thou loveſt] As Iſaac (the moſt loving Husband in Scripture) did with his Rebecca, whom he loved, (Gen. 24.67.) not only as his Country-woman, Kinſ-woman, a good Woman, &c. but as his Woman: not with an ordinary or Chriſtian love only, but with a conjugal love, which indeed is that which will make marriage a merry-age, ſweeten all croſſes, ſeaſon all comforts. She is called the Wife of a mans boſome, becauſe ſhe ſhould be loved as well as the heart in his boſome. God took one of mans ribs, and having built it into a Wife, laid it again in his boſome: ſo that ſhe is fleſh of his fleſh, yea ſhe is himſelf, as the Apoſtle argues, and therehence enforceth this duty of love, Epheſ. 5. Neither doth he ſatisfie himſelf in this argument, but addes there blow to blow, ſo to drive this nayl up to the head, the better to beat this duty into the heads and hearts of Huſbands.

All the dayes of the life of thy vanity] Love and live comfortably together, as well in age as in youth, as well, in the fading as in the freſhneſſe of beauty.

Which he hath given thee] i. e. The Wife (not the Life) which hee hath given thee. For marriages are made in Heaven, as the Heathens alſo held. God as he brought Eve to Adam at firſt, ſo ſtill he is the Paranymph that makes the match, Prov. 18.22 and unites their affections. A prudent Wife is of the Lord, for a comfort, as a froward is for a ſcourge.

All the dayes of thy vanity] i. e. Of thy vain vexatious life; the miſeries whereof to mitigate, God hath given thee a meet-mate to compaſſionate and communicate with thee, and to bee a principal remedy: for Optimum ſolatium ſodalitium, no comfort in miſery can be comparable to good company, that will ſympathize and ſhare with us.

For that is thy portion] And a very good one too, if ſhe prove good. As if otherwiſe,Ariſt in Rhetor. Ariſtotle ſaith right, he that is unhappy in a Wife, hath loſt the one half at leaſt of his happineſſe on earth.

And in thy labour which thou takeſt, &c.] They that will marry ſhall have trouble in the fleſh, 1 Cor. 7.28. let them look for it, and labour to make a vertue of neceſſity. As there is rejoycing in marriage, ſo there is a deal of labour, i. e. of care, coſt, and cumber: Is it not good therefore to have a Partner, ſuch an one, as Sarah was to Abraham, a Peece ſo juſt cut for him, as anſwered him right in every joynt?

Verſ. 10. Whatſoever thy hand findes to doe, doe it with thy might] Wee were made and ſet here to be doing of ſomething that may doe us good a thouſand years hence, our time is ſhort our task is long, our Maſter urgent, an anſtere man, &c. work therefore while the day laſteth, yea work hard, as afraid to be taken with your task undone. The night of death comes when none can work. That's a time not of doing work, but of receiving wages: Up therefore and be doing, that the Lord may be with you, Praecipita tempus; mors atra impendet agenti.Silius. Caſtigemus ergo mores & moras. The Devil is therefore more miſchievous becauſe hee knowes he hath but a ſhort time,Rev. 12.12 and makes all the haſte he can to out work the children of light, in a quick diſpatch of deeds of darkneſſe. O learn for ſhame of the Devil (as Latimer ſaid once in another caſe) therefore to doe your utmoſt, becauſe the time is ſhort, or rolled up, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. 1 Cor 7.29 as ſayls uſe to bee when the ſhip drawes nigh to the harbour. This argument prevailed much with St. Peter to beſtirre him in ſtirring up thoſe hee wrote unto, becauſe hee knew that hee muſt ſhortly put off his tabernacle, 2 Pet. 1.13, 14. The life of man is the lamp of God, ſaith Solomon. God hath ſet up our lives as Alexander, when hee ſate down before a City, did uſe to ſet up a light; to give thoſe within to underſtand, that if they came forth to him whiles that light laſted, they might have quarter: as if otherwiſe, no mercy was to be expected.

Verſ. 11. That the race is not to the ſwift] Here the Preacher proveth (what hee had found true by experience) by the event of mens indeavours (often fruſtrated) that nothing is in our power, but all carried on by a providence, which oft croſſeth our likelieſt projects, that God may have the honour of all. Let a man be as ſwift as Aſahel or Atalanta, yet hee may not get the goal, or eſcape the danger.Speed. The battel of Terwin in France (fought by our Henry 8.) was called the battel of ſpurres, becauſe many fled for their lives, who yet fell (as the men of Ai did) into the midſt of their enemies. At Muſcle-borough-field many of the Scots running away, ſo ſtrained themſelves in their race, Life of Edw. 6. by Sir John Heywood. that they fell down breathleſſe and dead, whereby they ſeemed in running from their deaths, to run to it; whereas two thouſand of them that lay all day as dead, got away ſafe in the night.

Nor the battel to the ſtrong) As we ſee in the examples of Gideon, Jonathan and his armour-bearer, David in his encounter with Goliah; Leonidas, who with ſix hundred men worſted five hundred thouſand of Xerxes hoſt, Dan. 11.34. They ſhall be holpen with a little help. And why a little? that through weaker means we may ſee Gods greater ſtrength, Zach. 4.6. Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, ſaith the Lord, This Rabſhakeh knew not, and therefore derided Hezekiah for truſting to his prayers, Eſay 36.5. What can Hezekiah ſay to embolden him to ſtand out? What? I ſay, ſaith Hezekiah, I have words of my lips, that is, Prayer, Prayer? ſaith Rabſhekah, thoſe are empty words, an aery thing: for counſel and ſtrength are for the war: ſo ſome read the words, and not in a Parentheſis, as our Tranſlation hath it.

Neither yet bread to the wiſe] To the worldly wiſe. Thoſe Young Lions doe lack and ſuffer hunger; but they that ſeek the Lord ſhall not want any good thing. Pſal. 34.10 Prov. 30.8. Panem demenſi. Their daily bread day by day, food convenient for them, they ſhall be ſure of. Dwell in the land, and doe good, and verily thou ſhalt bee fed, Pſal 37.5. by vertue of a promiſe, and not by a providence only, as the young Ravens are.

Nor yet riches to men of underſtanding] Plutus is ſaid by the Poets to bee blind,Epit. hiſt. Gallic. and Fortune to favour fools. Of Pope Clement 5. the French Chronicler ſaith, Papa hic ditior fuit quam ſapientior, This Pope was rather rich than wiſe. Ariſtides was ſo poor, that he brought a flurre upon Juſtice (ſaith Plutarch) as if ſhe were not able to maintain her followers. Phocion alſo, Pelopidas, Lamachus, Aelian. lib. 2. Ibid. l. 5. Ephialtes, Socrates, thoſe Greek Sages, were very poor. Epaminondas had but one garment, and that a ſorry one too. Lactantius had ſcarce a ſubſiſtence. Many wiſe men have been hard put to 't: Paupertas eſt Philoſophiae vernacula, ſaith Apuleius.

Rhodigin. l. 29. c. 10. Nor yet favour to men of skill] Rara ingeniorum praemia, rara item eſt merces, ſaith one, wit and skill is little ſet by: ſmall regard or reward is given to it; whereas popular men ſhould eſteem it as ſilver (ſaid Aeneas Sylvius) Noblemen as gold, Princes as pearls.

But time and chance happeneth to them all] i. e. Every thing is done in its own time, and as God by his providence ordereth it, not as men will; much leſſe by hap-hazard: for that which to us is caſual and contingent, is by God Almighty fore-appointed and effected; who muſt therefore bee ſeen and ſought unto in the uſe of means and ſecond cauſes. And if things ſucceed not to our minds, but that wee labour in the fire, yet wee muſt glorifie God in the fire, and live by faith.

Ʋivere ſpe vidi qui moriturus erat.

Verſ. 12. For man alſo knoweth not his time] His end, ſay the Septuagint and Vulgar: What may befall him in after time, ſay others.

Flebile principium melior fortuna ſequatur, Accidit in puncto quod non ſperatur in anno.

So are the Sons of men ſnared in an evil time] This is the reddition of the former propoſition. As the fiſhes are taken, &c. So are graceleſſe men ſnared, &c. Security uſhers in their calamity: when they ſay peace and ſafety, then ſudden deſtruction breaks in upon them, as travel upon a woman with child, and they ſhall not eſcape.1 Theſ. 5.3 God made fair weather before Pharaoh till hee was in the heart of the red ſea. The old World, Sodom, Amnon, Belſhazzar, Herod, the rich Fool, were all ſuddenly ſurprized in the ruff of their jolity. Jeruſalem had three years of extraordinary great plenty,Joſeph. before her laſt utter deſtruction. Philoſophers tell us, that before a Snow the weather will bee warmiſh; when the wind lyes, the great rain falls, and the air is moſt quiet, when ſuddenly there will be an Earth-quake.

Verſ. 13. This wiſdome alſo have I ſeen] i. e. This fruit and effect of wiſdome have I obſerved, that through the iniquity of the times, it is ſlighted and left unrewarded, if joyned with a mean condition.

And it ſeemed great unto me] Though not unto the Many, who value not wiſdome if meanly habited) according to its worth, conſider not, that Saepe ſub attrita latitat ſapientia veſte, that within that leathern purſe may be a pearl of great price, and in thoſe earthen pots abundance of golden treaſure. I know thy poverty, but thou art rich, Revel. 2. The Cock on the dung-hil underſtands not this: That which ſeems great to a Solomon, Multis pro vili ſub pedibuſque jacet. Stultorum enim plena ſunt omnia.

Verſ. 14. There was a little City] Such as was Lampſacum beſieged by Alexander, and ſaved by Anaximenes; Rhodes beſieged by the Great Turk, Rochel by the French King, Geneva by the Duke of Savoy. This laſt a little City, a ſmall people environed with enemies, and barred out from all ayd of neighbour Cities and Churches,Brightman. yet is ſtrangely upheld. Well may they write as they doe on the one ſide of their coyn,Scultet. Deus noſter pugnat pro nobis, Our God fights for us.

Verſ. 15. Now there was found in it a poor wiſe man] Such as was Anaximener at Lampſacum, and Archimides at Syracuſe, Vat. Max. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Plut. lib. 14. of whoſe wiſdome Plutarch teſtifieth, that it was above the ordinary poſſibility of a man, it was divine: And of whoſe poverty Silius aſſures us, that hee was Nadus opum, ſed cui coelum terraeque paterent.

By his warlike deviſes and engines hee ſo defended his City againſt Marcelius the Roman General, that the ſouldiers called him Briareus and Centimanus, a Giant invincible, there was no taking of the Town, as Livy relates it. The City of Abel was delivered by a wiſe woman that was in it, 2 Sam. 20. The City of Coccinum in the Iſle of Lemnos, See Judges 9.35 Turk. hiſt. 413. by Marulla a Maiden of that City. Hippo could not bee taken whiles Auguſtine was in it; not Heidelberg, whiles Pareus lived. Eliſha preſerved Samaria from the Syrians; and the Prophet Iſaiah Jeruſalem from the Aſſyrians. They ſhall not ſhoot an arrow there, nor come before it with ſhields, nor caſt a bank againſt it, ſaith the Lord, Iſa. 37.33. Jeremy had preſerved it longer, but that his counſel was ſlighted. Indeed hee was a Phyſician to a dying State, Tunc etenim docta plus valet arte malum.

Yet no man remembred that ſame poor man] Had hee been ſome Demetrius Phalareus, or ſuch like Magnifico, hee ſhould have had an hundred ſtatues ſet up in honour of his good ſervice. Hee ſhould have heard Saviour, Saviour, as Flaminius the Roman General did, or Father, Father, as Huniades after hee had defeated Meſites the Turk. But being poor, hee is ſoon ſet aſide, and neither ſuccoured nor honoured. This is Merces mundi, the worlds wages. The Dutch have a Proverb, that a man ſhould bow to the tree that hath ſheltered him in a ſtorm. But many well-deſerving perſons,Sed reſtituta ſerenitate abeuntes vellicarent. have cauſe to complain as Elias did when hee ſate under the Juniper; or as Themiſtocles did, when hee compared himſelf to a Plane-tree, whereunto his Country-men in a tempeſt would run for refuge; but when once took up, they would not onely leave him, but pull the leaves from him. Are you weary, ſaid hee once to them, of receiving ſo many good turns from one man?

Verſ. 16. Then ſaid I, wiſdome is better, &c.] This hee had ſaid before, chap. 7.19. Prov. 21.22. (See the Notes there) but now upon this new occaſion, Nunquam ſatis dicitur, quod nunquam ſatis diſcitur. Sen.

Nevertheleſs the poor mans wiſdome is deſpiſed] Hierome reads it thus, Et ſapientia pauporis quae despecta eſt, & verba ejus quae non ſunt audita; that is. And the wiſdome of the poor man which is deſpiſed, and his words which are not heard. According to which reading, the ſenſe is, wiſdome is better than ſtrength, yea even the deſpiſed wiſdome of the poor man, &c. The Septuagint and Vulgar Latine read it. Quomodo ergo ſapientia pauperis contempta eſt & verba ejus non audita! How therefore is the wiſdome of the wiſe man deſpiſed, and his words not heard! As making a wonder and a ſtrange thing of it. Too often it befalls Gods poor Miniſters, either to bee rejected with ſcorn, or if heard, yet not regarded, much leſs rewarded, unleſs it bee as Micaiah was by Ahab, and Jeremiah by his Country-men of Anathoth, Jeſus Chriſt by the proud Phariſees, John 7.14, 15, 27. St. Paul by the ungrateful Corinthians; 2 Cor. 4.7 His bodily preſence, ſaid they, is weak, his Sermons without Philoſophy and Rhetorick.

Verſ. 17. The words of wiſe men are heard in quiet] The ſubmiſs words of a poor man ſpeaking with good underſtanding, are rather heard than the big and boiſterous words of proud fools. Fuit Neſtorius homo indoctus, ſuperbus, audax & magnae loquentia, ſaith Zanchy. Zanch Miſcel. Neſtorius the Heretick was an ignorant, proud, bold, big-ſpoken man, and prevailed very much thereby with ſome ſilly-ſimples. How much better Chryſoſtome, of whom it is ſaid, that hee was graviter ſuavis, & ſuaviter gravis; gravely ſweet, and ſweetly grave, and hee was much admired for it? Gentle ſhowers and dews that diſtill leaſurely comfort the earth; when daſhing ſtorms drown the ſeed. The words of wiſe men are by one well compared to the River Indus, Indus fluvius, & ſerere Orientem dicitur & rigare. Minut. Felix in Octav. which is ſaid both to ſow the Eaſt, and to water it; for ſo it may bee ſaid of the words of the wiſe, that they are both ſemina & flumina, both ſeeds and rivers: ſeeds, becauſe they ſow goodneſs in their hearers; rivers, becauſe they water that which is ſown to make it to grow in them. But the cry of fools is like a violent torrent, which waſheth away that which it ſoweth, and doth not ſuffer it to continue in the ground.

More than the cry of him that ruleth among fools] Tremellius reads it, cum ſtolidis ſuis, with his fools; i, e. cum ſuo ſtulto ſenatu, with his fooliſh Counſellors, who do commonly comply with him, to obtrude with great authority his unreaſonable and tyrannical edicts and mandates.

Verſ. 18. Wiſdome is better than weapons of war] As David found it in his encounter with Goliah, Gideon in his ſtratagem againſt the Midianites, and our renowned Drake in diſſipating that invincible Armado, which being three years in preparing with incredible coſt, was by his wiſdome within a month overthrown, and confounded with the loſſe of one Engliſh Ship onely, and not an hundred perſons. Romani ſedendo vincunt. This was the glory of the Romans, that they conquered the world by wiſdome, not by weapons.

Ʋnus homo nobis cunctando reſtituit rem.

Plutarch.Not Achilles, but Ʋlyſſes is termed [non-Latin text not transcribed], the ſacker of Cities; Cyneas took more Towns by his policy, than Pyrrhus by his proweſſe.

But one ſinner deſtroyeth much good] Hee may bee as an Achan in the Army, as a Jonas in the Ship, a trouble-town, a common miſchief, a traitor to the State; eſpecially if hee bee an eminent man; as Jeroboam (that ring-leader of rebellion) and Manaſſeh, who made Judah alſo to ſin, 2 King. 21.11. and ſo brought ſuch evil upon them, that whoſoever heard of it, both his ears tingled, verſ. 12. Great mens ſins do more hurt, 1 By Imitation, for Regis ad exemplum, &c. 2 By Imputation, for plectuntur Achivi, the poor people pay for ſuch mens faults, as they did for Davids, 2 Sam. 24. I ſhall cloſe up this Chapter with that memorable paſſage of a Reverend Writer, yet alive; If Englands fears were greater, thy Reformation may ſave it, Jer. 5.1. If our hopes were greater, thy ſin and ſecurity might undo it, Eccleſ. 9.18. One ſinner deſtroies much good. I onely add, how much more a rabble of rebels, conſpiring to provoke God? Sure I am, wee have great cauſe to wiſh for our Country, as Ferus did for the Romiſh Synagogue; I would wee had ſome Moſes, ſaid hee, to take away the evils: Non enim unum tantum vitulum, ſed multos habemus, for wee have not onely one golden Calf, but many amongſt us.