than the Lion they have no power to flye from him Kings have long hands strong clutches Good therefore is the wise mans counsel Eccles 8.2 3 4. See the Note on Chap. 16.14 15. Vers 13. A foolish Son is the calamity of his Father Children are certain cares but uncertain comforts Let them prove never so towardly yet there is somewhat to do to breed them up and bring them to good But if they answer not expectation the Parents grief is unexpressible See the Note on Chap. 10.1 and 15.20 How many an unhappy Father is tempted to wish with Augustus O utinam caelebs vixissem orbusque perissem And the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping Like as a man that hath met with hard usage abroad thinks to mend himself at home but is no sooner sate down there but the rain dropping thorow the roof upon his head drives him out of doors again Conjugium Conjurgium De discordi conjugio Theomistocles dixit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such is the case of him that hath a contentious wife a far greater cross than that of ungracious children which yet are the Fathers calamities and heart-breaks Augustus had been happy if hee had had no children Sylla if hee had had no wife All evils as elements are most troublesome when out of their proper place as impiety in Professours injustice in Judges discomfort in a wife This is like a tempest in the Haven most troublesome most dangerous Vers 14. House and riches are the inheritance of the Fathers Viz. More immediately God gives them to the Parents and they leave them to their children being moved thereto by God Though a carnal heart looks no higher than Parents cares not so hee may have it whence hee hath it It is Dos non Deus that maketh marriages with them good enough if goods enough mony is the greatest medlet and drives the bargain and business to an upsho◠Mostly such matches prove unhappy and uncomfortable How can it bee otherwise sith Hic Deus nihil fecit God indeed had a hand in it but for their just punishment that so followed after lying vanities and so forsook their own mercies But a prudent wife is of the Lord Nature makes a Woman Election a Wife but to bee prudent wise and virtuous is of the Lord. A good wife was one of the first real and royal gifts bestowed on Adam God set all the creatures before him ere hee gave him a wife that seeing no other fit help hee might prize such a gift not a gift of industry but of destiny as one saith for Marriages are made in Heaven as the common sort can say and as very Heathens acknowledge The Governour of Eskichisar hearing Othoman the Great Turk his relation of a fair Lady whom hee was in love with and had highly commended for her virtues seemed greatly to like of his choice saying that shee was by the divine providence appointed onely for him to have Turk Hist fol. 136. Vers 15. Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep Sloth bringeth sleep and sleep poverty See this excellently set forth Chap. 6.9 10 11. See the Notes there and on chap. 10.4 Vers 16. Hee that keepeth the Commandement keepeth his own soul This is the first fruit of shaking off sloth and sleepiness Hee that stirs up himself to take hold of God Isa 64.7 and to take hold of his Covenant Isa 56.4 to love the name of the Lord and to bee his servant vers 6. to love him and keep his Commandements Exod. 20.6 to do that little hee does out of love if it bee no more than to think upon his Commandements to do them Psal 103.18 this mans soul shall bee bound up in the bundle of life hee shall finde his name written in the book of life For in vitae libro scribuntur omnes qui quod possunt faciunt etsi quod debeut non possunt saith Bernard Their names are written in Heaven who do what they can though they cannot do what they ought If there bee a willing mind 2 Cor. 8.12 God accepts according to what a man hath not according to what hee hath not Aug. Exchir cap. 32. And here also Nolentem praevenit Deus ut velit volentem subsequitur ne frustrà velit God that gives both to will and to do causeth his people to keep his Commandements Ezek. 36. Isa 26. and worketh all their works in them and for them Lex jubet gratia juvat petamus ut det quod ut habeamus jubet Aug. in Exod. quast 55. The Law commandeth but Grace helpeth let us beg that God would make us to be what hee requires us to be But hee that despiseth his waies That is Gods waies chalked out in his word See the Note on chap. 13.13 Or Hee that despiseth his own waies Aut mentem aut restim comparandum Chrysip lives carelesly and at randome walks at all adventures with God cui vita est incomposita possimè morata contra gnomonem canonem Decalogi a loose and lawless person hee shall dye not a natural death onely as all do but spiritual and eternal There is but an inch betwixt him and hell which already gapes for him and will certainly swallow him up Vers 17. Hee that hath pitty upon the poor lendeth c. This is a second fruit of shaking off sloth and working with the hands the thing that is good Ephes 4.28 that one may have to give to him that needeth Hee doth not give it but lend it God accepts it both as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a gift and a Loue saith Basil Nay Orat. de Eleemos he lends it upon usury Faeneratur Domino and that to the Lord who both binds himself to repay and gives us security for it under his own hand here Hee will pay him again to bee sure of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Piel hee will fully and abundantly repay him mostly in this world but infallibly in the world to come Evagrius in Cedrenus bequeathed three hundred pounds to the poor in his Will but took a bond before-hand of Synesius the Bishop for the repayment of it in another life And the very next night saith the history after his departure appearing to him in his shape delivered in the bond cancelled and fully discharged Vers 18. Chasten thy Son while there is hope See the Note on chap. 13.24 Vers 19. A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment Hee that laies the reynes in the neck and sets no bounds to his wrath whether in chastising his childe or otherwise shall bee sure to smart for it shall bring himself and his friends into great trouble Such therefore as are cholerick should pray much and prevent all occasions of wrath as Callius and Cotis because they would not bee stirred up to anger burned their enemies letters before they were read The like did Pompey to the Letters of Sertorius and Casar to Pompey's Letters
Licitis perimus omnes We generally most of all over-shoot our selves in the use of things lawfull as those recusant guests did Matth. 22. and the old world Luke 17.26.27 Hebraei ponunt rarum pro caâ—o ut 1 Sam. 3. Vers 17. Withdraw thy foot from thy Neighbours house This is an honey that thou mayest surfeit on therefore make thy foot precious or rare so the Original hath it at thy Neighbours house by too-oft frequenting whereof thou maiest become cheap nay burdensome At first thou mayest be Oreach as the Hebrew proverb hath it i. e. welcome as a Traveller that stays for a day At length thou wilt be Toreach a charge a burden And lastly by long tarrying thou shalt be Boreach an out-cast hunted out of the house that thou hast so immodestly haunted It is a very great fault among many saith one that when they have found a kind and sweet friend they care not how they overlay him or abuse his courtesie But as we say in our common proverb it is not good to take too much of a frank horse Vers 18. Is a Maul and a Sword and a sharp Arrow A Maul Hammer or Club to knock out his brains and make them fly about the room as the Hebrew word imports A Sword or Murthering weapon Psal 42.10 and 57.5 to run him thorow and let out his bowels And a sharp Arrow to pierce his flesh and strike thorow his very heart Loe here the mischief of an evil tongue thin broad and long like a Sword to let out the Life-bloud of the poor innocent nay to destroy his soul too as seducers doe that bear false witnesse against the truth of God and by their cunning lyes deceive the hearts of the simple Vers 19. Confidence in an unfaithful man c. In a Prevaricator a Covenant-breaker a perfidious Person such as Ahitophel was to David Jobs miserable comforters to him He compares them to the brooks of Tema chap. 6.16 17. in a moysture they swelled in a drought they failed Egypt to Israel a staff or broken reed whereon if a man lean it will goe into his hand and pierce it Isa 36.6 the Roman Senate to Julius Caesar whom they killed in the Council-chamber with twenty three wounds and this was done à pluribus amicis quam inimicis quorum non expleverat spes inexplebiles saith Seneca by most of his pretended friends whose unreasonable hopes he had not satisfied Sen. li. 3. de ira How good is it therefore to try before we trust yea to trust none that are not true to God David durst not repose upon Sauls fair promises whom he knew to be moody and slippery The French say in their Proverb When the Spaniard comes to parl of peace then double-bolt the door The Hollanders make no conditions with the Spaniard whom they know to hold that Machiavellian heresie Fides tam diù servanda est quamdiú expediat but such as are made at Sea and sealed with great Ordnance Calvin and other Protestant Divines were called to the Council of Trent but durst not venture thither quia me vestigia terrent as the Fox in the Fable said they had not forgot how John Hus and Hierome of Prague sped at the Council of Constance although they had the Emperours safe conduct They knew that Turks and Papists concur in this as they doe in many other Tenets That there is no faith to be kept with doggs that is with Christians as Turks understand it with Hereticks as Papists Vers 20. As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather Musick in mourning is held most unseasonable that was an Heathenish custom that the Jewes had taken up Matth. 9.23 Cantabat moestis tibia funeribus saith Ovid. Fast lib. 4. Wee should rejoyce with those that rejoyce and weep with those that weep Nabla lyra lugentibus ingrata saith Plutarch Musick and mourning agree like Harp and Harrow like thin cloathing and cold weather or like Nitre and Vinegar saith Salomon There are that read the words otherwise and accordingly sense them Thus As he that putteth on a garment in the cold season or Vinegar on Nitre so is he that singeth songs to a sad heart That is Junius Tristitiam dissolvit cantus ut vestes discutiunt frigus acetum dissolvit nitrum As a garment warmeth the body and Vinegar dissolveth Nitre so a sweet singer by his delightsome ditty cheareth up the pensive soul and driveth sorrow out of it See 1 Sam. 16.24 2 King 3.15 Dan. 6.19 Vers 21. If thine enemy be hungry Elisha did so he feasted his Persecutours 2 King 6. by a noble revenge and provided a table for those who had provided a grave for him Those Syrians came to Dothan full of bloudy purposes to Elisha he sends them from Samaria full of good chear and jollity Thus Dr. Hall's contempt thus should a Christian punish his pursuers no vengeance but this is Heroical and fit for imitation Vers 22. For thou shalt heap coals of fire By heaping courtesies upon him thou shalt win him over to thy self as the King of Israel did those Syrians hee feasted They came no more after that by way of ambush or incursion into the bounds of Israel In doing some good to our enemies wee doe most to our selves And the Lord shall reward thee However men deal with thee It may bee they may prove dross that will not bee melted dirt that will not bee mollified but moulter to nothing crumble to crattle as stones c. as having no metal of ingenuity or good nature in them But desist not despond not God will reward thee and his retributions are more than bountiful Or as the words may be read God will pacifie for thee as he did Saul for David Never did a charitable act goe away without a blessing God cannot but love in us this imitation of his mercy who bids his Sun to shine upon the evil and unthankful and that love is never fruitless Caecias nubes attrahit Vers 23. The North-wind drives away raine Hence Homer calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fair-weather-maker and Hierom the ayres Beesome There is a Southerly wind that attracts clouds and ingenders rain So doth an angry countenance a back-biting tongue The ready way to be rid of Tale-bearers is to brow-beat them for like Whelps if we stroke them they leap upon us and defile us with fawning but give them a rap and they are gone so here Carry therefore in this case a severe rebuke in thy countenance as God doth Psal 80.16 Be not a re-setter to these privie Theeves a receptacle for these mures nominis as one calls them the Tale-hearer is as blame-worthy as the Tale-bearer and he that loves a lye as he that makes it Revel 22. See Psal 15.3 Rom. 1.31 Vers 24. It is better to dwell c. See the note on chap. 21.9 and 19.13 Vers 25. As cold waters to a thirsty soul
Hist pros med 771. quoties scilicet lis ei ab aliquo Ordinum imperii movetur the Palsgrave hath power to judge and pass sentence upon the Emperour himself when any of the States of Germany do sue him at the Law the same and more hath God and his Angels over the mightiest Magnificoes in the world Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one i. e. by an Angel as some interpret it Isa 10.34 Vers 9. Moreover the profit of the Earth is for all viz. For all sorts of men and for all kind of uses Alma mater Terra ferax Then shall the Earth yeeld her increase and therein God even our own God shall bless us Psal 67.6 Can any of the Vanities of the Heathens give rain or grain no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither Jer. 14.22 Can the Earth bring forth fruit of her self So indeed our Saviour seems to say first the Blade then the Ear after that the full Corn in the Ear Mark 4.28 but then it is after the good husband hath sowed it and God by his blessing given the increase The drift of the Preacher here is to set forth the excellency of tillage first and then to shew the vanity of it Tillage is the life and blood of a Common-wealth it is beyond all pecuniary possessions Jacob had mony and other fruits of the Earth Gen. 43. and yet if Aegypt the worlds Granary as one calls it had not supplyed them with Corn hee and his might have perished The King himself is served by the field Not the Lyon Dragon Unicorn Rex agro fit servus Ar. Montan c. But the Plough and the Ship are the supporters of a Crown Some read it thus Rex agro servit The King is a servant to the field It concerns him to have care of tillage plantation of fruits breeding of Cattel c. or else all will soon run to wrack and ruine King Uzziah loved husbandry and used it much 2 Chron. 26.10 and Amos 7.1 wee read of the Kings mowings And Pliny hath observed that Corn was never so plentifull and good-cheap at Rome as when the same men tilled the Land that ruled the Common-wealth Quasi gauderet terra laureato vomere scilicet aratore triumphali Vers 10. Hee that loveth silver shall not bee satisfied with silver As hee cannot fill his belly nor cloath his back with it so neither can hee satisfie his inordinate appetite and desire after it though hee had heaped and horded it up as the great Calyph of Babylon had that covetous caytiff starved to death by Haalon brother to Mango the great Cham of Cataia in the midst of his gold silver and precious stones whereof till then hee could never have enough Auri nempe fames parto fit major ab auro Turk hist. Prudentius A man may as soon fill a chest with grace as an heart with wealth As a circle cannot fill a triangle so neither can the whole world if it could bee compassed possibly fill the heart of man Animarationalis caeteris omnibus occupari potest impleri non potest Bern. The reasonable soul may bee busied about other things but it cannot bee filled with them Non plus satiatur cor auro quam corpus aura As ayr fills not the body so neither doth mony the minde It cannot therefore bee Mans chiefest good as Mammonists make it sith it doth not terminate his appetite but that although hee hath never so much of it yet is hee as hungry after more as if hee were not worth an half-peny Theocritus brings in the covetous person first wishing Mille meis errent in montibus agni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ardere Hinc ardens appetitus That hee had a thousand sheep in his flock And this when hee hath gotten then Pauperis est numerare pecus Hee would have Cattel without number The Greeks derive their word for Desire from a root that signifieth to burn Now if one should heap never so much fuel upon a fire it would not quench it but kindle it the more So here Surely as a Ship may bee overladen with silver even unto sinking and yet have compass and sides enough to hold ten times more so a covetous wretch though hee hath enough to sink him Salust yet never hath hee enough to satisfie him Cataline was ever alieni appetens sui profusus not more prodigal of his own than desirous after other mens estates Vers 11. When goods increase they are increased that eat them Servants friends flatterers trencher-men pensioners and other hang-bies that will flock to a rich man as Crows do to a dead carcass not to defend but to devour it Caesar perished in the midst of his friends whose boundless hopes and expectations hee was not able to satisfie The King of Spain were it not for the West-India Fleet were never able to subsist though hee bee by far the greatest Prince in Christendom Camden gives for his Motto Totus non sufficit orbis and hath his Empire so far extended that hee may truly say Sol mihi semper lucet The Sun ever shines upon my Dominions The Duke of Bavaria's house is so pestered with Fryers and Jesuits that notwithstanding the greatness of his Revenue Heylin hee is very poor as spending all his estate on those Popish flesh-flies those inutiles ribaldi Lyra's words upon this text useless needless ribaldry fellows Saving the beholding of them with his eyes To see such a large retinue such a numerous family as Job who had a very great houshold chap. 1.3 and Abraham who had a Trained band in his family but especially as Solomon who had thousands of servants and work-folk Whereunto I may adde Cardinal Wolsey his pompous family consisting of one Earl nine Barons Knights and Esquires very many Chaplains and other servants besides retainers at bed and board Toto corpore aliquandiu volutatus Sueton. no fewer than four hundred Or to see so much wealth and to tumble in it as Caligula the Emperour was wont to do contrectandae pecuniae cupidine incensus loving to handle his mony to walk upon it with his bare feet and to rowl amongst it with his whole body as Suetonius relateth The like is reported of Heliogabalus who also besides what hee did eat is said to have provided himself in case hee should bee in danger to bee surprized by his enemies silken halters to hang himself withall ponds of sweet water to drown himself gilded poysons to poyson himself with c. Vers 12. The sleep of a labouring man is sweet Sleep is the nurse of nature the wages that shee pays the poor man for his uncessant pains Somni finis est salus animantis Magir. His fare is not so high his care is not so great but that without distemper or distraction hee can hug his rest most sweetly and feel no disturbance untill the due time of rising awakeneth him These labouring men are as