John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 12:4

Verſ. 4. And the doors ſhall bee ſhut in the ſtreets] The ears ſhall grow deaf, the hearing weak; which hearing is cauſed by two bones within the inſide of the ear; whereof one ſtands ſtill, and the other moves, like the two ſtones of a Mill.

And hee ſhall riſe up at the voice of the Bird] Being awakened by every ſmall noiſe; and this proceeds not from the quickneſs of the hearing, but from the badneſs of ſleeping. For as Hierome ſpeaketh, Frigeſcente jam ſanguine, &c. Hieron. in hunc verſ. The blood now growing cold, and the moiſture being dried up, by which matters ſleep ſhould bee nouriſhed, the old man awakeneth with a little ſound, and at midnight when the Cock croweth, hee riſeth ſpeedily; [non-Latin text not transcribed] dicitur, quia nos a lecto exſuſcitat. being not able often to turn his members in his bed. Thus hee. Cocks crowing (ſaith another) unto old men, is the ſcholars bell, that calls them to think of the things that are in Gods Book every morning.

And all the daughters of muſick ſhall bee brought low] Old men, as they cannot ſing tunably,Nam quae cantante voluptas? Juvenal. but creak or ſcream (whence Homer compares them to Graſhoppers, propter raucam vocem, for their unpleaſant voice) ſo they can take no delight in the melodious notes of others, as old Barzillai confeſſeth, 2 Sam. 19.35. they diſcern not the harmony or diſtinction of ſounds, neither are affected with muſick. They muſt therefore labour to become Temples of the Holy Ghoſt, (in whoſe Temple there never wants muſick) and ſing Pſalms with grace in their hearts: for, Non vox, ſed votum; non muſica chordula, ſed Cor; Non clamans, ſed amans, pſ[illegible: 1 letter]llit in aure Dei.