John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 12:5

Verſ. 5. Alſo when they ſhall bee afraid of that which is high] Hillocks or little ſtones ſtanding up, whereat they may ſtumble; as being unſteddy and unweildy. High aſcents alſo they ſhun, as being ſhort-winded; neither can they look down without danger of falling: their heads being as weak as their hamms. Let them therefore pray for a guard of Angels, putting that promiſe into ſuit, Pſal. 91. Let them alſo keep within Gods precincts, as ever they expect his protection; and then, though old Eli fell, and never roſe again, yet when they fall, they ſhall ariſe, for the Lord puts under his hand, Pſal. 37.24. Contrition may bee in their way, but attrition ſhall not. Let them fear God, and they need not fear any other perſon or thing whatſoever.

And the Almond-tree ſhall flouriſh] The hair ſhall grow hoary, thoſe Churchyard-flowers ſhall put forth.Plin. lib. 16. cap. 25. The Almond-tree bloſſomes in January, while it is yet winter; and the fruit is ripe in March. Old age ſhall ſnow white hairs upon their heads. Let them ſee that they bee found in the way of Righteouſneſs.

And the Graſhopper ſhall bee a burden] Every light matter ſhall oppreſs them, who are already a burden to themſelves, being full of Gowt, and other ſwellings of the leggs, which the Septuagint and Vulgar point at here, when they render it impinguabitur locusta, The Locuſts ſhall bee made fat. Let them wait upon the Lord (as that old Diſciple Mnaſon did) and then they ſhall renew their ſtrength,Act. 11. mount up as Eagles, run, and not bee weary, walk, and not faint, even then, when the youth ſhall faint and bee weary, and the young men utterly fall, Iſa. 40.30, 31.

And deſire ſhall fail] The luſt of the fleſh, the luſt of the eye, and the pride of life.1 John 2.15 And this Tully reckons among the commodities and benefits of old age, quod hominem a libidinis eſtu, velut a tyranno quodem liberet, that it frees a man from the fire of luſt. [non-Latin text not transcribed] a [non-Latin text not transcribed]. It ſhould bee ſo, doubtleſs; an old Letcher being little leſs than a Monſter: What ſo monſtrous as to behold green Apples on a tree in winter? and what ſo indecent, as to ſee the ſins of youth prevailing in times of age among old decrepit Goats? that they ſhould bee capering after capparis, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. the fruit of Capers, as the Septuagint and Vulgar render it here.

Becauſe man goeth to his long home] Heb. to his old home, ſcil. to the duſt from whence hee was taken. Or to the houſe of his eternity, that is, the grave (that houſe of all living) where hee ſhall lye long, till the Reſurrection. Tremellius renders it, in domum ſaeculi ſui, to the houſe of his generation, where hee and all his contemporaries meet. Cajetan, in domum mundi ſui, into the houſe of his world, that which the world provides for him: as nature at firſt provided for him the houſe of the womb. Toward this home of his, the old man is now on gate, having one foot in the grave already: Hee ſits and ſings with Job, My ſpirit is ſpent, my daies are extinct, the graves are ready for mee, Job 17.1.

And the mourners go about the ſtreets] The proverb is, Senex [illegible: 1 letter]os non lugetur, An old man dies unlamented. But not ſo the good old man. Great moan was made for old Jacob, Moſes, Aaron, Samuel. The Romans took the death of old Auguſtus ſo heavily, that they wiſhed hee had either never been born, or never died. Thoſe indeed that live wickedly, dye wiſhedly. But godly men are worthily lamented, and ought to bee ſo, Iſa. 57.1. This is one of the dues of the dead, ſo it bee done aright. But they were hard beſtead that were fain to hire mourners; that as Midwives brought their friends into the world, ſo thoſe widows ſhould carry them out of it. See Job 3.8. Jer. 9.17.