John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 9:11

Verſ. 11. That the race is not to the ſwift] Here the Preacher proveth (what hee had found true by experience) by the event of mens indeavours (often fruſtrated) that nothing is in our power, but all carried on by a providence, which oft croſſeth our likelieſt projects, that God may have the honour of all. Let a man be as ſwift as Aſahel or Atalanta, yet hee may not get the goal, or eſcape the danger.Speed. The battel of Terwin in France (fought by our Henry 8.) was called the battel of ſpurres, becauſe many fled for their lives, who yet fell (as the men of Ai did) into the midſt of their enemies. At Muſcle-borough-field many of the Scots running away, ſo ſtrained themſelves in their race, Life of Edw. 6. by Sir John Heywood. that they fell down breathleſſe and dead, whereby they ſeemed in running from their deaths, to run to it; whereas two thouſand of them that lay all day as dead, got away ſafe in the night.

Nor the battel to the ſtrong) As we ſee in the examples of Gideon, Jonathan and his armour-bearer, David in his encounter with Goliah; Leonidas, who with ſix hundred men worſted five hundred thouſand of Xerxes hoſt, Dan. 11.34. They ſhall be holpen with a little help. And why a little? that through weaker means we may ſee Gods greater ſtrength, Zach. 4.6. Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, ſaith the Lord, This Rabſhakeh knew not, and therefore derided Hezekiah for truſting to his prayers, Eſay 36.5. What can Hezekiah ſay to embolden him to ſtand out? What? I ſay, ſaith Hezekiah, I have words of my lips, that is, Prayer, Prayer? ſaith Rabſhekah, thoſe are empty words, an aery thing: for counſel and ſtrength are for the war: ſo ſome read the words, and not in a Parentheſis, as our Tranſlation hath it.

Neither yet bread to the wiſe] To the worldly wiſe. Thoſe Young Lions doe lack and ſuffer hunger; but they that ſeek the Lord ſhall not want any good thing. Pſal. 34.10 Prov. 30.8. Panem demenſi. Their daily bread day by day, food convenient for them, they ſhall be ſure of. Dwell in the land, and doe good, and verily thou ſhalt bee fed, Pſal 37.5. by vertue of a promiſe, and not by a providence only, as the young Ravens are.

Nor yet riches to men of underſtanding] Plutus is ſaid by the Poets to bee blind,Epit. hiſt. Gallic. and Fortune to favour fools. Of Pope Clement 5. the French Chronicler ſaith, Papa hic ditior fuit quam ſapientior, This Pope was rather rich than wiſe. Ariſtides was ſo poor, that he brought a flurre upon Juſtice (ſaith Plutarch) as if ſhe were not able to maintain her followers. Phocion alſo, Pelopidas, Lamachus, Aelian. lib. 2. Ibid. l. 5. Ephialtes, Socrates, thoſe Greek Sages, were very poor. Epaminondas had but one garment, and that a ſorry one too. Lactantius had ſcarce a ſubſiſtence. Many wiſe men have been hard put to 't: Paupertas eſt Philoſophiae vernacula, ſaith Apuleius.

Rhodigin. l. 29. c. 10. Nor yet favour to men of skill] Rara ingeniorum praemia, rara item eſt merces, ſaith one, wit and skill is little ſet by: ſmall regard or reward is given to it; whereas popular men ſhould eſteem it as ſilver (ſaid Aeneas Sylvius) Noblemen as gold, Princes as pearls.

But time and chance happeneth to them all] i. e. Every thing is done in its own time, and as God by his providence ordereth it, not as men will; much leſſe by hap-hazard: for that which to us is caſual and contingent, is by God Almighty fore-appointed and effected; who muſt therefore bee ſeen and ſought unto in the uſe of means and ſecond cauſes. And if things ſucceed not to our minds, but that wee labour in the fire, yet wee muſt glorifie God in the fire, and live by faith.

Ʋivere ſpe vidi qui moriturus erat.