John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 8:12

Verſ. 12. Though a ſinner doth evil an hundred times] Commit the ſame ſin an hundred times over, which is no ſmall aggravation of his ſin, as numbers added to numbers are firſt ten times more, then an hundred, then a thouſand, &c. And truly a Sinner left to himſelf would ſin in infinitum (which may be one reaſon of the infinite torments of Hell) hee can ſet no bounds to himſelf, till he become a brat of fathomleſs perdition. The Devil commits that ſin unto death every day, and oft in the day. His Imps alſo reſemble him herein. Hence their ſins are mortal, ſaith St. John, rather immortal,1 Joh. 5. as ſaith St. Paul, Rom. 2.5.

And his dayes bee prolonged] By the long ſufferance of God: which is ſo great, that Jonah was diſpleaſed at it, chap. 4. Averroes turned Atheiſt upon it. But Micah admires it, chap. 7.18. and Moſes makes excellent uſe of it, when he prays, Exod. 34. O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, goe along with us, for it is a ſtiff-necked people. As who ſhould ſay, None but a God is able to endure this perverſe people; my patience and meekneſs is farre too ſhort: and yet Moſes, by Gods own teſtimony, was the meekeſt man upon earth. That the vileſt of men may live a long while is evident: but for no good will that God bears them; but that heaping up ſin, they may heap up wrath, and by abuſe of Divine patience, be fitted for the hotteſt fire in Hell, Rom. 9.22. as ſtubble laid out a drying, Nah. 1.10. or as Grapes let hang in the Sun-ſhine, till ripe for the Wine-preſs of wrath, Rev. 15.16. Surely as one day of mans life is to be preferred before the longeſt life of a Stagge, or a Raven: ſo one day ſpent religiouſly is farre better than an hundred years ſpent wickedly. Non refert quanta ſit vitae diuturnitas, ſed qualis ſit adminiſtratio, ſaith Vives. The buſineſſe is not, how long, but how well any man liveth. Hierom reads this verſe thus, Quia peccator facit malum centies, & elongat ei Deus, ex hoc cognoſco ego, &c. Becauſe a ſinner doth evil an hundred times, and God doth lengthen his dayes unto him, from hence I know that it ſhall bee well with them that fear God, &c. And he ſets this ſenſe upon it: Inaſmuch as God ſo long ſpares wretched ſinners, waiting their return, he will ſurely bee good to pious perſons. Symmachus, Aquila, and Theodotion read it thus: Peccans enim malus mortuus eſt, long a aetate conceſſa ei, an evil man ſinning is dead, a long age being granted to him: dead hee is in ſin, though his dayes be prolonged.

Yet ſurely I know that it ſhall be well] q. d. This ſhall not ſtagger mee, or ſhake mine aſſurance of the Divine Providence: for I know well that yet God is good to Iſrael, to the pure in heart, Pſal. 73.1. And although they dye young (as [non-Latin text not transcribed], thoſe whom God loves hee ſoon takes to himſelf) yet it may bee ſaid of them, as Ambroſe ſaith of Abraham, Mortuus eſt in bona ſenectute, eo quod in bonitate propoſiti permanſit, Hee dyed in a good old age, becauſe he dyed in a good ſound mind: Or, as Hierom ſaith of a godly young man of his time,Hier. Epiſt. that in brevi vitae ſpacio tempora virtutum multa replevit, hee lived long in a little time: for ſome men live more in a month than others doe in many years. They that dye ſoon (but in Gods fear and favour) though as Grapes they be gathered afore they bee ripe, and as Lambs ſlain before they be grown, yet (beſides the happineſſe of Heaven) they have this benefit, they are freed from the violence of the Wine-preſs that others fall into, and eſcape many ſtorms that others live to taſte of. A good man (ſaith a late Divine) prolongs his dayes though hee dye young, becauſe hee is ripe before taken from the tree:D. Preſton. hee even falls into the hand of God that gathers him.