reliqum est that which remains as is the result of all this inquiry is this That since the Preacher was wise and faithful to seek out such acceptable words words of truth consonant to the doctrine of other wise men effectual as goads and nails delivered from the great and chief shepherd of the flock That I say which hereupon remains is this That thou my son be admonished by these words Others begin the ninth Verse thus And rather because the Preacher was wise c. and then here repeat it And rather I say by these be admonished rather by these doctrines of mine then by any other humane and vain writings Amplius his cave quaeras so Vatablus and quod plus est istis cave ab isto so Cajetan Whatever others say If they speak not according unto these words there is no wisdom in them and therefore no heed to be given unto them Isa. 8.20 These are the most excellent Monitors thou canst have from these thou maist most richly be informed and warned how to live Psal. 19.11 of making many books there is no end c. An argument to enforce the exhortation from the fruitlessness and vanity of other studies First There is no end of writing them one refutes what another wrote another vindicates what his adversary disliked If happiness were to be sought for in humane writings The Volums are so infinite the opinions so endless and various that it would be impossible for any man to find it out of them when a man had with much curiosity and continual reading wearied himself and pined his flesh away he would find it all an unprofitable and impertinent labour weariness to the body without any satisfaction to the mind Therefore let these words so few and yet so full be thy counsellors He that will not be admonished by those shall never be satisfied with any others He that refuseth the Wheat will be but choaked with the Chaff Well may we say unto this one Shepherd as Peter did Lord to whom shall we go Thou hast the words of eternal life Joh. 6.68 These only are the Writings which make us wise unto salvation and do furnish us throughly unto all good works 2 Tim. 3.15 17. others are usefull in their order These only are the Rule of faith and life V. 13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his commandements for this is the whole duty of a man Or the whole end of the matter or the Summe and substance of the whole matter is heard The discourse of mans happiness which in this Book I have undertaken is at an end no more need be said of it The summe of all is comprized in these two words Fear God keep his Commandements this is all man needs to lead an happy life Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter This is an Exordium to stir up attention I will in two words give you an Abridgement of all that can be said therefore take special heed to remember them The Verse begins with a great Letter in the Original which is as Buxtorf in his Tiberius notes to excite the more heed and attention the whole sum of the duty of man being contained in this short saying wherein he observeth the right order for first he begins with the internal root of all obedience and worship which is a filial reverend awful and loving fear of God and his goodness in the heart Hos. 3.5 Prov. 1.7 Secondly He proceedeth unto the fruit which groweth out of this root of filial fear love shed abroad in the heart which is an equal uniform constant universal observing of his Commandements of all of them without partiality of all of them as his in obedience to his authority in the acknowledgement of His Holiness in them and of his Dominion and Soveraignty over us keep His Commandements out of fear to displease him out of conscience to approve your selves unto him out of care to bring glory to his Name to testifie your thankfulness for his mercies and your conformity to his Will Thus to fear God and to keep his Commandements is the whole of man About this should he spend all the strength of his thoughts and cares This is the summe of all which man can after all his writing reading studying inquiring in order unto happiness attain unto This is the whole happiness of man or all the means which man can use to come unto happiness at the last This is the basis and bottom of all that perfection which man is capable of It is the whole duty of man and the duty of all men that will be happy Job 28.28 This necessarily takes in the Doctrine of faith in Christ because without him we can do nothing by faith in him the heart is purified to fear and love God and by that fear and love it is inclined to obey his Commandements 1 Joh. 3.5 Joh. 14.22 V. 14. For God shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil This is a strong motive unto fear and obedience If the Excellency of the Doctrine do not perswade let the Terrour of Gods Judgement drive unto duty Because he hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness Act. 17.31 2 Cor. 5.9 10. Rom. 2.16 14.10 with every secret thing It is the day of the Revelation of Gods righteous Judgement Hypocrisie shall be disclosed Sincerity shall be rewarded because nothing is hidden from him Heb. 4.13 All other things are vain but it is not vain to fear the Lord. They that do good their works will follow them into Heaven and they that do evil their works will hunt and pursue them into Hell FINIS
also he hath set the world in their heart c. These words are in this place very difficult and variously both rendred and understood Some read them thus Quamdiu seculum est as long as the world or worldly things continue the Lord doth put into the mind of man the work which God doth from the beginning to the end excepting only that which man cannot find out or attain unto and so the sense to be That God hath in the book of the world and of his providence in the Government of all things therein so legibly represented to the mind of man his righteous and beautifull ordering of them all that man may if he set himself about it easily discover Gods wonderfull wisdom therein as Act. 14.17 Rom. 1.19 20. onely indeed some things are unsearchable to humane reason which he is to admire and adore waiting till the time of the revelation of Gods righteous Judgements for the full and distinct understanding of them Rom. 11.33 34. Job 9.10 11.7 8 9. Others by putting the world in mens hearts understand according to one of the usual acceptions of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a desire implanted in man of eternity and perpetuity and so the sense to be That albeit God doth make every thing good and beautifull yet the heart of man is so set upon immortality that he cannot provide amongst any of Gods works here which have a beginning and an end or are measured by time any thing wherein his heart may fully and finally rest But that which seems most agreeable to the scope of the place and grammar of the words is this God hath indeed made every thing beautifull in his time and thereupon men ought with quiet and cheerfull hearts to observe Gods providence in all things and therein to rest without anxiety or discruciating care but man cannot find out the work of God nor observe the beauty thereof so exactly as he should which is the reason that he doth not so patiently aquiesce therein Of this defect he giveth two reasons 1. That they have the world in their hearts they are so taken up with the thoughts and cares of worldly things and are so exercised in the sore travel belonging unto them that they do not naturally look up to the wise and holy disposition of God so as to rest therein This duty is the remedy of such cares Matth. 6.26 30 32. and such cares as are the hindrance of this duty 2. They cannot find out the work which God doth from the beginning to the end Man being of short continuance doth not many times live to observe a full point in the works of God Their beginning may be in one age and their end in another That part which I see in my dayes may appear to me full of disorder and confusion as heaps of stone and lime and other provisions towards a goodly building whereas if I did live to see the end of God in such works it would appear that in their time or maturity they would be full of beauty that fruit which is most sweet and delicate in its season is sour and unpleasant while it is yet green It is the End of Gods work which sets forth its beauty Works of Providence as works of Creation may begin in a Chaos and seem without form and void Gen. 1.2 but they end in admirable order and beauty Chap. 8.17 Psal. 37.37 38. Jam. 5.11 Hab. 2.3 So here is the doctrine of the excellent beauty which is in Gods Providence The reason why man is not thereby perswaded unto contentment and patience in all estates namely his natural impotency to observe the same The grounds of that Impotency 1. His worldly-mindedness 2. His short continuance yet he ought by faith and by the evidence of Gods dealings in other ages to rectifie this defect and upon that ground to build his cheerfull enjoyment of blessing while God bestows them upon him So it follows V. 12. I know that there is no good in them but for c. I know by my tryal and experience that there is no good in or for them i. e. for men but only with contentment of heart to rejoyce in Gods blessings and to do good in his life i. e. to live in the fear of God as Chap. 2.24 25. or to do good unto themselves in a liberal enjoyment of their life and labours as Psal. 49.18 or to do good to others in the time of their joy as Neh. 8.10 12. V. 13. And also that every man should eat c. Here are the parts of this contentment to eat drink enjoy our labours and to rejoyce in them Whereby is meant not a gluttonous luxurious and intemperate use of these things as they 1 Cor. 15.32 Matth. 44.49 but a free and comfortable use without anxious thoughts for the future moderated by the fear of God as before Chap. 2.24 V. 14. I know that whatsoever God doth it shall be for ever c. Here from the unchangeableness of Gods providence the permanent and irrecoverable course of his counsels the Absolute perfection of his works wherein there is nothing defective which requires addition nothing superfluous or to be taken from them he doth further teach us with willingness and contentment to submit to God whose Counsels we are noâ—able by all our cares to alter or disanul shall be for ever The wâ—â—â—s themselves may alter and vanish but the Counsel of God is constant and immutable and he doth in a stable and fixed way dispose of all things to holy ends beyond the power of any Creature either to alter or evade it Mal. 3.6 His decrees are like chariots proceeding out of mountains of brass to note firmitude and immutability Zach. 6.1.2 which no power can shake or remove Isa. 38.10 Job 38.31 35. 40.8 42.2 Job 9.12 Isa. 14.27 46.10 and God doth it that men should fear before him Gods decrees and immutable providence should not drive us either into despair and a wilfull neglect of all means in the use whereof God expecteth that we should wait upon him and in which as in the way of his providence he useth to work good for his people nor do they allow us to lean on our own wisdome and to deifie our own councels or burn incense to our own nets but by them we are taught in consideration of the Soveraignty power and wisdom of God in all things to stand in awe of him to submit unto him in blessings to be thankfull in sufferings to be patient because still it is the Lord that decrees orders disposeth and over-ruleth all Job 1.21 1 Sam. 3.18 2 Sam. 15.25 26. Psal. 37.5 7. V. 15. That which hath been is now and that which is to c. Chap. 1.9 This is an explication of what was last said V. 14. to shew how what God doth is for ever The things themselves pass and others succeed in their places but this series of things is carried on
Mich. 6.6 7 8. for they consider not know not that they do evil Some would have the word But to be supplyed They know not but to do evil They can onely do evil even when they worship God as Isa. 1.6 See Chap. 2.24 Others thus non attendunt ad facere malum or ad factionem malt which is to the sense of our Version They are here called fools and that is further expressed by want of knowledge They know not and that doth further appear by doing of evil Isa. 1.3 4. Jer. 8.9 The most natural sense is as we render it They know not that they do evil when they do evil they consider it not they understand it not the like phrase 1 Joh. 2.6 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that saith to abide i. that he abideth He that saith to be in the light i. that he is in the light So here They know not to do evil i. that they are doing of evil And hereby is meant by an Auxesis they think they do very good service So when the Lord is said not to command a thing the meaning is that he doth forbid it Lev. 10.1 He will not hold them guiltless that take his Name in vain i. he will hold them very guilty Exod. 20.7 He will withhold no good thing from them that walk upright i. He will largely supply them Psal. 84.12 He will not break a bruized reed i. he will bind them up and strengthen them Isa. 42.3 Abraham was not weak in faith i. he was strong Rom. 4.19 Men may think they do God good service when they do greatly offend him Isa. 66.5 Prov. 14.12 Isa. 58.2 3. Hos. 8.2 3. Joh. 16.2 Act. 26.9 These things are here observable 1. That in Gods Worship we do in a speciall manner draw nigh unto him 2. That when we do so we ought to prepare and compose our hearts and affections by faith and humility to appear before God 3. That a prepared heart brings purposes of obedience and to hear God in all that he shall say unto it 4. That mere outward service without the heart prepared obediently to serve the Lord is but a sacrifice of Fools a mere formal and ceremonial worship 5. That Hypocrites may think they please God when indeed they provoke him and know not that they do evil Joh. 4.22 V. 2. Be not rash with thy mouth Having spoken in general of the due preparation of the heart unto Gods service he now giveth direction in the particulars of prayer and vowes Be not rash Go not about Gods Worship as men that in a fright or terrour being amazed flye hastily they know not whither Do not precipitate thy words nor speak any thing hastily unadvisedly according to the dictate of carnal and hasty desires before God or in his house and presence We know not what to ask as we ought Rom. 8.26 and are very apt to put our own greedy and sudden passions into prayers complaints deprecations to think God deals not well with us if we be not answered according to our wills and in our own time Psal. 31.22 116.11 Job 10.2 3 18. Jer. 15.18 Jon. 4.2 3. Matth. 20.20 21. Psal. 77.7 10. and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Matth. 12.34 Therefore the remedy of rashness in our words is to compose our thoughts and affections aright to let our heart guide our tongue not to bring raw tumultuary indigested thoughts into Gods presence but to get a collected heart to pray with understanding with spirit with judgment and according to Gods Will as David found his heart to pray to God 2 Sam. 7.27 and call'd together his scattered affections that he might fix them upon God Psal. 103.1 Dan. 9.2 3. Rom. 8.26 27. 1 Cor. 14.15 1 Joh. 5.14 We may likewise understand the Caveat as directed against that carnal pride and contradiction of spirit whereby the heart is apt to rise against God and his Word when we hear of more spiritual service required by God then our foolish sacrifices do amount unto or our carnal hearts are able to perform Jam. 1.19 20. Rom. 10.21 Acts 13.45 28.19 before the Lord That is in his House or Sanctuary Therefore they who sin here are said to provoke the Lord to his very face and to do evil before his eys Isa. 65.3 66.3 4. for God is in heaven and thou on the earth These are two Arguments to enforce this Caveat upon us the one drawn from Gods greatness the other from our vilenesse Mean persons behave themselves with all honour reverence when they supplicate unto men of honour and eminency Much more should men do so unto God So Christ teacheth us in prayer to come unto God as with confidence and comfort because he is a Father so with reverence and fear because he is a Father in Heaven Matth. 6.9 His being in Heaven denotes 1. His dominion over us as Lord and Master Eph. 6.9 2. His glory and majesty above us 1 Reg. 8.27 that we might learn to fear before him Mal. 1.6 Deut. 28.58 Heb. 12.18 29. 3. His holinesse and purity Deut. 26.15 Isal. 57.15 63.15 Hereby to raise us unto heavenly mindednesse in our approaches unto him Col. 3.1 2. Lam. 3.40 41. 4. Hâ—s power to answer us and to do for us according to our desires 2 Chron. 20.6 7. Psal. 115.3 Matth. 5.45 7.11 5. His omniscience he looketh down on us and seeth how we behave our selves in his presence Matth. 6.32 Psal. 11.4 33.13 14. 6. His justice and displeasure against evil doers Psal. 14.2 3. Rom. 1.18 In all which respects we ought to take heed of all hasty rash and unadvised frame of heart in Gods presence Mans being on earth signifieth his baseness and vile condition his great distance from God and by reason of corruption his great dissimilitude unto him He is of the earth earthly 1 Cor. 15.47 Psal. 10.18 This consideration of our natural and sinful vileness should greatly humble us in our approaches unto God Job 4.19 25. 4.5 6. 40.4 Gen. 18.17 Isa. 6.5 therefore let thy words be few First use not rash and vain babling and empty heartless repetitions as the heathen Mat. 6.7 but weigh and choose out words to speak unto him Job 9.14 Eccles. 12.10 He speaketh not against all length in prayer for Christ prayed whole nights nor against all repetition when it proceedeth from zeal love and holy fervency as that of Daniel Ch. 9.16 18 19. but of that which is a clamorous and vain ingeminating of the same thing without faith or wisdom 1 Reg. 18.26 Secondly let thy words be few i. e. Let not thy vowes be more then thou mayest comfortably perform V. 3. For a dream cometh through the multitude of businesse and a fools voice is known by multitude of words i. e. As multitude of business produceth dreams so multitude of words discovereth
but according unto the prescript of the Law for the Law is the mouth of the Magistrate This is one special part of prudence in order unto tranquillity of life to be faithful and obedient towards Magistrates and not to make our selves wiser then the Law and that in regard of the oath of God These words are both an enforcement and a limitation of the duty prescribed 1. An enforcement It is necessary to yield obedience unto Magistrates not onely out of fear towards them because of their sword but out of conscience towards God and because of his vowes that are upon us Rom. 13.5 and so it seems to relate unto some covenant and oath of fidelity which was taken by them towards their Princes We read of the covenant between the king and the people made before the Lord 1 Chr. 11.3 and a promise or league made in the presence of God was likely to be by the intervention of an oath as the covenant between Abimelech and Abraham Gen. 21.23 24. See Gen. 26.28 29. 31.44 53. And this may seem to be intimated in that phrase of Giving the hand under Solomon which we render By submitting themselves unto him 1 Chron. 29.24 A like Ceremony whereunto Abrahams servant used when he sware faithfulness unto him Gen. 24.2 3. 47.29 So giving the hand was a ceremonial confirmation of some sworn covenant or promise Ezra 10.19 Ezek. 17.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iliad 2. And hence some here by Iuramentum Elohim understand the Oath of the Magistrates who are sometimes in Scripture so called Exod. 22.28 Psal. 82.1 6. Josh. 10.34 Thereby to teach them to rule for God not by their own lust but by his Law and for the good of his people But I rather understand by the Oath of God an oath sworn unto God Isa. 19.18 44.4 2 Chron. 15.12 14. 34.31 32. So that we are bound to be obedient unto Magistrates for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.13 17. as servants are required upon the same accompt to yield obedience to their masters Eph. 6.5 8. 2. This clause containeth a limitation by which our obedience unto men is to be bounded Keep the Kings Command yet so that thou do not violate thine oath and obedience due unto God Thy service to the one must be such as will consist with the fealty to the other for we are bound unto God and his service by oath and covenant 1 Pet. 3.21 Neh. 9.38 10.29 Psal. 119.106 and no subordinate obedience to others must make us forget our duty unto him 1 Sam. 19.1 22.17 Dan. 3.16 17 18. Act. 4.19 5.20 1 Pet. 2.17 Prov. 24.21 1 Reg. 21.3 Esth. 3.2 1 Sam. 14.45 V. 3. Be not hasty to go out of his sight c. Or Go not hastily out of his sight When two Verbs finite come together either the later is to be taken infinitively as Deut. 2.31 Esth. 8.6 Psal. 102.13 or the former adverbially as Gen. 24.18 1 Sam. 4.14 Hos. 9.9 Be not hasty to go It signifies such haste as ariseth out of terrour and perturbation of spirit in which sense the word is frequently taken Exod. 15.15 2 Sam. 4.1 Job 23.15 He sheweth the root of Rebellion namely impatience fear perturbation of spirit whereby men fling off from their Allegiance Servants are said to stand in the presence of their Lords 1 Reg. 10.8 Esth. 1.4 So that hasting out of their presence implies a declining and casting off of obedience Jon. 1.3 1 Reg. 12.16 This is one part of obedience here forbidden hastiness in taking offence discovering of choler and discontent flying away in passion either from the presence or from the Commands or from the anger of a King not remembring that Kings have many eyes can see at a great distance and long arms and can easily reach those that flye in discontent from them Obedience innocence calmness of spirit a meek and yielding disposition may secure and reconcile a man for a soft answer turneth away wrath when turbulency and unquietness will but plunge him into greater disfavour and danger Another and worser Errour is wilfully to persist in disobedience and to boyl up the former passion into habitual stubbornness Do not thou stand in an evil thing If thou have been transported with perturbation and gone out of the way cool and draw back betime do not harden thy self in thy defection but labour by forbearance and mildnesse to recover his favour again Prov. 15.1 25.15 30 32. To stand in a thing is to have a fixed and unmoved resolution upon it 1 Cor. 7.37 Ephes. 6.11 13 14. for he doth what soever pleaseth him This is not spoken to confirm or give allowance unto any revengefull and cruel Actions of Princes as if their power did serve to execute their own lusts but he sheweth besides the sinfulness of it how unsafe and how fruitless it is to resist those who have power to do what they please and who being injured and provoked can easily break in pieces those who rise up against them V. 4. Where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him What dost thou Think not that thou shalt be able to escape the wrath of a King for if he but speak the word he hath power enough to reach thee where ever thou goest Where ever the Command of a King comes it is accompanied with power enough to be avenged on any that provoke him He never wants instruments to execute his displeasure When Saul pronounced death upon the Priests there wanted not a Doeg to set upon them 1 Sam. 22.18 Dan. 5.19 and who may say unto him What dost thou This elsewhere spoken of God who worketh all things by the counsel of his own Will and doth whatsoever he pleaseth both in heaven and earth Job 9.12 But of Princes and Magistrates it cannot be absolutely and so fully spoken for being subject unto Errour and miscarriages they may with humility and wisdom be admonished 1 Sam. 14.45 46. But he speaketh here of the great power which they have against which the people dare not to mutter Prov. 30.31 and ought not without much reverence to contest withal Job 34.18 V. 5. Whoso keepeth the commandement shall know no evil This may be understood either of the Commands of God Piety and godly Wisdom will teach a man to walk so circumspectly as that he shall not provoke the wrath of the King to his own ruine or of Commandment of the King whereof he spake vers 2. he that observeth his commandement shall know no evil None of the danger before mentioned vers 3. shall live securely and quietly out of fear Rom. 13.3 4. 1 Tim. 2.2 and a wise mans heart discerneth both time and judgment This is a qualification of the precept a wise man will not for fear of danger or hope of advantage do all that is commanded him by a blind obedience but he considereth the season wherein and the manner how