John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 7:4

Verſ. 4. The heart of the wiſe is in the houſe of mourning] Hee gladly makes uſe of all good means of minding his mortality; and holds it an high point of heavenly wiſdome, ſo to do. Hence hee frequents funerals, mingles with mourners,Monimenta quaſi mentem momentia. hears etiam muta clamare cadavera, makes every tomb a teacher, every Monument a Monitor, laies him down in his bed, as in his grave, looks upon his ſheets, as his winding-ſheet. Ut ſomnus mortis, ſic lectus imago ſepulchri. If hee hears but the clock ſtrike, ſees the glaſs run out, it is as a Death-head to preach Momento mori to him; hee remembers the daies of darkneſs, as Solomon bids, Eccleſ. 11.8. acts death aforehand, takes up many ſad and ſerious thoughts of it, and makes it his continual practice ſo to do, as Job and David did. The wiſer Jews digged their graves long before, as that old Prophet, 1 King. 13.30. Joſeph of Arimathea had his in his garden, to ſeaſon his delights. John Patriarch of Alexandria, (ſirnamed Eleemoſynarius for his bounty to the poor) having his tomb in building, gave his people charge it ſhould bee left unfiniſhed, and that every day one ſhould put him in minde to perfect it, that hee might remember his mortality. The Chriſtians in ſome part of the Primitive Church, took the Sacrament every day, becauſe they looked to dye every day. Auſtin would not for the gain of a million of worlds bee an Atheiſt for half an hour,Quid hic facio? Aug. Deſcript. of the Iſle of Man abbridg. Ariſt. becauſe hee had no certainty of his life for ſo ſhort a time. His Mother Monica was heard oft to ſay, How is it that I am here ſtill? The women of the Iſle of Man (ſaith Speed) whenſoever they go out of their doors, gird themſelves about with the winding ſheet that they purpoſe to bee buried in, to ſhew themſelves mindful of their mortality. The Philoſopher affirms, that man is therefore the wiſeſt of creatures, becauſe hee alone can number. Bruta non numerant: this is an eſſential difference;Pſal. 90.12 but eſpecially in that divine Arithmetick of ſo numbring his daies, as to apply his heart to wiſdome. This ſpeaks him wiſe indeed, right in his judgement, right alſo in his affections: This will render him right in his practice too;Pauperes de Lugduno. as it did Waldus the Merchant of Lions; who ſeeing one ſuddenly fall down dead before him, became a new man, and chief of thoſe old Proteſtants, the poor men of Lions, called alſo Waldenſes from this Waldus.

Prov. But the heart of fools is in the houſe of mirth] See the Note one verſe 3. As the heart of the wicked is light, and little worth, ſo it is their trade to hunt after lying vanities (as the childe doth after Butter-flies) to rejoyce in a thing of nothing, Amos 6.13. hee wilders away his time, either in weaving ſpiders webs, or hatching Cockatrice eggs, Iſa. 59.5. froth or filth ([non-Latin text not transcribed], Mark 7.22.) is their recreation. Sad and ſerious thoughts they baniſh; and therefore love not to bee alone. They hate to hear of that terrible word Death: as Lewis the eleventh of France commanded his ſervants not once to mention it to him, though hee lay upon his death-bed. They live and laugh, as if they were out of the reach of Gods Rod, or as if their lives were rivetted upon eternity. They can ſee death in other mens brows and viſages, not feel it in their own bowels and boſomes. When they behold any laid in their graves, they can ſhake their heads and ſay, This is it wee muſt all come to; but after a while all is forgotten: As water ſtirred with a ſtone caſt in to it, hath circle upon circle on the ſurface for preſent, but by and by all is ſmooth as before. As chickens in a ſtorm haſte to bee under the Hens wing; but, when that is a little over, they lye duſting themſelves again in the ſunſhine: So it is here. Good thoughts fall upon evil hearts, as ſparks upon wet tinder: or if they kindle there, fools bring their buckets to quench them, run into merry company to drink, or otherwiſe drive away thoſe troubleſome heart-qualms and melancholy dumps (as they call them.) This is to excel in madneſs, &c. See the Note on Prov. 10.23.