John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 11:2

Verſ. 2. Give a portion to ſeven, and alſo to eight] A portion, i. e. a good deal, a fair proportion to a good many; as B. Hooper did to his board of beggers, whom hee fed every day by courſe, ſerving them by four at a meſs,Act. and Mon. f. 13 c 8. with whole and wholeſome meats. Or give a portion, i. e. a part, ſuch as thou canſt well part with, not ſtretching beyond the ſtaple, leſt yee mar all, whiles others are eaſed, and you burthened, but by an equality, &c. 2 Cor. 8.13, 14.Luk. 6 Give to him that asketh, ſaith our Saviour, ſcil. according to his neceſſity, and thine ability; Give with diſcretion, Pſal. 112. have a ſpecial reſpect to the family of faith, Gal. 6. thoſe excellent ones of the earth,Pſal. 16.3 in whom was Davids delight. The Jews from this Text grounded a cuſtome of giving alms to ſeven poor people every day, or to eight at utmoſt, if they ſaw cauſe. But here is a finite number put for an infinite, as when Chriſt bade Peter forgive his brother ſeventy times ſeven times, and as Micah 5.5. ſeven Shepheards, and eight principal men, ſignifie ſo many Shepheards, both Teachers and Rulers, as ſhall ſufficiently feed the flock of Chriſt, and defend it from enemies.

For thou knoweſt not what evil ſhall bee upon the earth] Therefore lay in luſtily; or rather, lay out liberally, and ſo lay up for a rainy day; thou mayeſt bee ſoon ſhred of thy goods, and as much need other mens mercy as they now need thine. Sow therefore whilſt thou haſt it, that thou mayeſt reap again in due ſeaſon. Water, that thou mayeſt bee watered again, Prov. 11.25. lay up for thy ſelf a good foundation againſt the time to come, 1 Tim. 6.18. Lay out thy talent; work whiles the tool is in thine hand. Make friends with thy Mammon. Say not as one rich churl did, when requeſted to do ſomewhat toward his Miniſters maintenance; The more I give, the leſs I have: Another anſwered, that hee knew how to beſtow his mony better: A third old man ſaid, I ſee the fore-end of my life, but I ſee not my latter, I may come to want that which I now give. Thou mayeſt do ſo, ſaith Solomon here, and by thy tenacity thou art very likely to do ſo; but wilt thou know O man, how thou mayeſt prevent this miſery, and not feel what thou feareſt? Give a portion to ſeven, &c. part therefore freely with that which thou art not ſure to keep, that thou mayeſt gain that which thou art ſure never to loſe. Hee that giveth to the poor ſhall not lack, Prov. 28.27.