meaner men Let not thy pitcher and thy wheel take thee off from minding the things of another and a better life Others carry on the Allegory making these things figurative and elegant expressions of death and of those evils which immediately forego it to wit the dissolution of those parts which are most vital for death as in the storming or battering of a Garrison doth first break and weaken the out-works the bodily limbs and outward senses and and after that sets upon the in-works and the Vitals He here compareth Life unto a Fountain or Well out of which men draw water with a Cord a bowl or bucket a pitcher and a wheel And as when these are broken we can draw water no more so when the Vital parts are decayed there is no hope longer to draw life into the body which is the Cistern This Life he compares for the pretiousness of it unto silver and gold for the weakness and fragility of it unto a pitcher and for the inâ—â—ability and unsetledness of it unto a wheel Now besides this general proportion between life and these things as the figures of it Interpreters do make the particulars here mentioned to answer unto some particulars in the vital parts of the body 1. By the silver Cord they understand the marrow or pith of the back continued from the brain as it were in a cord or string unto the bottom of the back-bones and for the white colour of it compared unto silver It may also be applyed unto all the other Sinews and Ligaments of the body which from the head as the Fountain convey sense and motion upon the other parts Hereby also may not unfitly be understood the chain and sweet harmony of the Elements and humors in the body which being preserved in its due proportion the body doth receive life from the Soul which is the Spring thereof but being once dissolved life presently faileth 2. By the Golden bowl they understand the Meninx or skin wherein the brain and vital powers thereof are contained as in a bowl Others understand the blood which is in the heart as in the pretious Fountain of life Schindler rendreth it Scaturigo Auri or aurea would have us thereby to understand the Law of God which is compared unto Gold but the word is elsewhere used to signifie a vessel Zach. 4.2 3. 3. By the fountain we may understand those principal parts from whence vital supplyes are drawn into the body as from the Head Sense and motion from the Heart spirits and heat from the liver blood 4. By the pitchâ—r and the wheel those Instrumental and subservient parts which from these convey those supplyes into the several vessels of the body as into a Cistern as the veins blood from the Liver the arteries spirits from the heart the Sinews motion and sense from the brain By all which we should learn to draw water of life out of the Wells of Salvation that out of our belly may flow rivers of living water through the continual supplyes of the Spirit of grace that all our springs may be in Christ and our life hidden with him in God Isa. 14.3 66.11 12. Zach. 13. 1. John 4.14 7.38 39. In the second Chapter Solomon had shewed us The many choice varieties of pleasure riches and other excellent outward blessings in which he had sought for contentment and in this Chapter he hath in a most elegant Allegory shewed us how quickly old age doth break them all and take away the comfort of them V. 7. Then shall the Dust return to the Earth as it was and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it The Dust that is The body to shew the Original of it Gen. 2.7 The weakness of it dust is the weakest part of earth Ps. 103.14 The baseness and vileness of it Job 4.19 Phil. 3.21 Gen. 18.17 Job 30.19 Our Original from the dust Our Return unto the dust should humble us and make us vile in our own eyes and should warn us to make haste to secure a better life before this be ended and not to put off the endeavours towards it unto old age which haply we may never attain unto and if we do will bring it self work enough for us to do Death is swift and uncertain Sin the longer lived in doth the more harden Repentance is not in our Call or command when we please and it is a work of the whole man and the vvhole life The vvork deferred vvill be greater the time to do it in vvill be shorter the strength to do it by vvill be less bodily infirmities vvill disable spiritual actions God vvill have less honour and service from us and vve shall have more sorrovv and less comfort Therefore remember thy Creator before the Dust return to the Earth vvhence it came And the spirit shall return unto God who gave it The Soul is called a Spirit to note the Immaterial substance of it and its original It came from him who is the Father of Spirits Heb. 12.9 Gen. 2.7 shall return unto God that gave it Ut stet Iudicio ante Deum That it may appear before his Tribunal to be judged as the Chaldee well paraphraseth the place As certainly as the body goes unto the dust so certainly the Soul returneth unto God to be judged The godly are translated into Paradise into Abrahams bosome into the condition of Just men made perfect Luke 16.22 and 23.34 Heb. 12.23 The wicked into the prison of disobedient spirits reserved there in Hell unto the Judgement of the great day Luke 16.23 1 Pet. 3.19 V. 8. Vanity of Vanities saith the Preacher All is Vanity As Mathematicians having made their demonstration do then resume their principal conclusion with a quod erat demonstrandum so here the Wise man having made a large and distinct demonstration That the Happiness of man doth not stand in Any or in All the Contents which the World can afford both in regard of their disproportion unto him and their discontinuance with him He doth hereby conclude his discourse 1. With a confident affirming what he had in the beginning undertaken to prove 2. With a strong and solid vindication thereof from any Cavils which might yet arise in the minds of men against it 3. With a positive Conclusion containing the sum of the whole Book and the right means unto true Happiness indeed V. 9. And moreover because the Preacher was wise he still taught the people knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs V. 10. The Preacher sought to find out Acceptable words and that which was written was upright even words of truth Here Solomon commendeth the doctrine taught in this Book 1. Because it was the doctrine of a penitent Convert for Repentance is an excellent means to discern and acknowledge spiritual truth 2 Tim. 2.25 James 1.21 2. Because he was indued with wisdome from God so that they came and sent from remote
wholly fruitless and without any profit at all vers 2 3. 3. The proof of this general Proposition 1. By mans mortality whereby he is quickly removed from the fruition of them whereas that which makes a man happy ought for ever to abide with him vers 4. 2. By the Instability of all other Creatures They come and presently they go and are never in a fixed condition If comeing they make happy then departing they leave miserable again By which imstability of the creatures being themselves continually unsatisfied is implyed 1. Their weaknesse to minister satisfaction to so noble a creature as man vers 5 6 7. 2. The restlesse and fruitlesse Labour which is taken in seeking satisfaction fâ—om things which only affect the sences since the Eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear with hearing vers 8. 3. By the continual Vicissitudes and returns of the same things which having failed once yea often before are never likely to afford further supplyes then already they have done which indeed are none towards the happinesse of a man And therefore except they can minister some new matter â—f satisfactâ—on to the soul which was never found in them before and which indeed they will never do impossible it is but the same disappointment which others have met with must likewise befall those who shall from the same things seek for that which the wisest of men heretofore were never able to extract from them vers 9 10 11. 4. By Solomons own experience who by the dignity of his place by tâ—e inclination of his heart by the greatness of his wisdome and learning and by the abundance of his wealth was able to go as far as any other man could in this enquiry after true happinesse and when he had set himself to make a most Critical and Accurate search into all things here below doth conclude of them all in general and of the most excellent of them all in particular namely of wisdome and knowledge That they are not onely Vanity and so unable to satisfie the Soul but are further Vexation of spirit as causing much grief and sorrow to that heart which is immoderately conversant about them Vers. 1. THe words of the Preacher the son of David King in Ierusalem These words are the Inscription of thâ—s Book setting down the Author thereof by his Parentage dignity and design in this writing The Author is prefixed as owning and avowing the doctrine therein contained His dignity is added to set on the drift and scope of the Book the better A King Such a King the son of David so piously educated 1 Reg. 2.2 3. 1 Chron. 28.9 Prov. 31.1 so solemnly by God selected and separated to that Honour 2 Sam. 7.12 15. 2 Chron. 1.1 so admirably endowed with inward wisdome whereby he was fitted as in special for the work of Government 1 Reg. 3.12 28. so likewise for all natural and moral inquiries 1 Reg. 10.3 1 Reg. 4.29 34. So rightly furnished with all outward means to further such an inquiry 2 Chron. 9.22 so fixed and wholly taken up with it sometimes vitiously taking his fill of outward pleasures 1 Reg. 11.1 sometimes critically purposely setting himself to extract the quintessence of all sublunary perfections Eccles. 1.17 and lastly being instructed by God an inspired person and called out to publish this as a Preacher of so necessary a truth to Gods people In all these respects there is much Authority added to what the Wise man delivers in this Book and he doâ—â— hereby excite the attention of the people thereunto as unto the words of a penitent Convert and of a wise holy and potent Prince The words of the Preacher Some read it as a proper name the words of Koheleth son of David and so would have it to be one of the names of Solomon as Jedidiah 2 Sam. 12.25 Lemuel Prov. 31.1 It is usually out of the Greek rendred Ecclesiastes or the Preacher as if Solomon had publickly delivered it to the Congregation as we find sometimes Kings and extraordinary persons have spoken to the people in their Church assemblies 1 Reg. 8.1.12 But it seemeth chiefly to signifie Solomons repentance and re-uniting himself to the congregation of Gods people from whence by his idolatries and other apostasies he had departed and so the sense is The words of the soul or person congregated or gathered unto the Church or congregation of Saints Ps. 89.6 viz. of the son of David King in Jerusalem Some were not to be admitted into the congregation at all Deut. 23.3 Nehem. 13.1 and others by idolatry and apostacy did shut out themselves from the assemblies of the Saints by joyning themselves to other gods Now here Solomon doth by solemn and serious repentance return into the bosome of that congregation from which by his idolatry he had departed and turned his heart from the Lord God of Israel 1 King 11.9 And doth therein and thereunto declare the vanity of all other waies save only the fear and worship of the Lord unto true happiness And herein he imitateth his father David whose name is haply here for that cause mentioned that as David being converted did publish his repentance unto the Church in that solemn penitential Psalm Psal. 51. So his son having fallen from his integrity did take the same course to give glory to God in the great congregation Psal. 40.10 and to make known his repentance to all the Church that thereby he might glorifie God and strengthen his brethren Whence he frequently in this book giveth himself this title as of a penitent convert Chap. 1.12 7.29 12.8 9 10. The word is a Participle or Adjective of the feminine gender yet joyned here to a verb masculine as elsewhere to a verb feminine Chap. 7.27 There because of the grammatical congruity Here with relation to the person thereby signified They use to supply the sense with the word nephesh soul which is mentioned presently after it Chap. 7.27 28. and so that word is elsewhere supplyed 2 Sam. 13.29 so where it is said Gen. 49.6 My glory be not thou united unto their assembly the Noun is masculine the verb feminine to signifie that by glory the same was to be understood in that clause which was expressed by the feminine Noun the soul in the former clause and so glory seems elsewhere to signifie the soul of a man Ps. 30.12 If it be inquired what may be the cause why Solomon doth not prefix his proper name to this Book as to the other two of the Proverbs and Canticles Though it be not necessary to be curious in questions of this nature yet this may be inoffensively conjectured 1. That he seems hereby to intimate That by his former sins he had as it were forfeited his name of Peace and so we find that by reason of those his sins God stirred up adversaries against him 1 King 11.14 23. 2. To note his sincerity who now chose to be known rather by the name of
13.31 14.12 12. It is the will of God that even our honourable and our necessary imployments should be accompanied with sore travel that we may be kept humble in our selves weaned from the creature and made the more thankfull for any assistance the Lord giveth us in our Labours and for any blessing upon them Job 5.7 Gen. 3.19 13. The study of the Creatures is of excellent use to lead us to the knowledge of the Creator Rom. 1.19 Ps. 111.2 V. 14. I have seen all the works that are done under the Sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit The former words shewed the exactness of Solomons search into natural and humane things That it was the labour of an aged Convert for Solomon was drawn away from God in his old age 1 Reg. 11.4 of a wise King furnished with all Helps for such an inquiry That it was an accurate and deep search not loose or superficial That it was undertaken with great impulsion of heart and with a special Call of God and now after all this he concludes 1. That he had seen That is diligently heeded and fully understood as to the issue of this inquiry all the works done under the Sun Exod. 3.3 Eccles. 2.13 14. all the things That is the several kinds of them 1 Reg. 4.33 He had gotten as large and as intuitive a knowledge as humane curiosity or industry with all manner of furtherances could attain unto Which appears not to be an arrogant boast but a true account of the fruit of his studies the Holy Ghost testifying the same thing of him 1 Reg. 4. 29 34. 10.23 2. That he found all to be vanity and vexation of spirit Not only vain and ineffectual to confer Happiness but which is worse apt to bring much affliction and troâ—ble upon the heart of him who is too earnestly conversant about them From several original Roots there are by Interpreters given several explications of this word Evil or Affliction of Spirit Breach contrition torment of Spirit feeding upon or consuming of the spirit or vanity and feeding upon wind as fruitless labour is expressed Hos. 12.1 1 Cor. 9.26 Thus he applyes his general conclusion particularly unto all kind of knowledge Natural and Moral There is sore travel in the getting danger of forgeting it again discovery thereby of more Ignorance then a man observed in himself before insufficiency and impossibility of perfecting the understanding and satiating the desires thereof Such and many other Considerations make Knowledge it self as to the procuring of true Happiness altogether Vain V. 15. That which is crooked cannot be made strait This is the Reason of the vanity of Knowledge because it cannot rectifie any thing in us which is amiss nor supply any thing which we want to make us happy Eccles. 7.13 The wisest and wealthiest King with all his power and knowledge was not able to remedy all the evils which he saw or to supply all the defects which he could discover The words may be understood two wayes 1. In relation to Knowledge it self to shew the vanity and vexation thereof For 1. Much of it is exceeding tortuous intricate and abstruse there are many knots and difficulties Dan. 5.12 So it cannot be clearly and plainly demoâ—strated but in the inquiries thereinto the mind will be left dark and unsatisfied there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only in the Scripture 2 Pet. 3.16 but in the book of nature too Job 28.20 21. 37.14 15 16. 38 16-23.2 the defects of this kind are innumerable the things which a man knoweth not are infinitely more then those which he knoweth Job 11.6 9. 2. In relation unto the efficacy of knowledge The heart and life of man is naturally crooked and perverse very tortuous wicked and deceitfull Jer. 17.9 Psal. 12 5.5 and it is exceeding defective both in principles and in power to do good as it ought Rom. 3.23 2. Cor. 3.5 Now all the most exquisite natural knowledge is not able to rectifie these things either to restore man to his original integrity or supply his manifold defects Such knowledge will puff up 1. Cor. 8.1 but it will not sanctifie Rom. 1. 20 21 32. Jude vers 20. The Lord indeed by his grace and spirit doth both Luk. 3.5 Psal. 84.11 1 Thess. 3.10 Eph. 3.19 1 Cor. 1.5 but no natural or acquired knowledge is able to do it 3. As it cannot rectifie that which is amiss in man so neither in any other thing Sin hath brought much disorder corruption confusion upon the whole Creation Rom. 8.20 infinite are the defects and failings every where And none of this can all the wisdom of man be able to correct but he must still leave it as he found it vain and imperfect So it will be till the time of the restitution of all things when God will make a new earth and a new heaven and deliver the Creature from the bondage of corruption into a glorious liberty Act. 1.21 2 Pet. 3.13 And all this he affirms of the most excellent natural knowledge how much more vain and unprofitable are the perverse and impertinent studies of many men which have nothing of solidity or usefullness in them Col. 2.8 1 Tim. 6.4 5. Rom. 1.22 1 Cor. 1.20 V. 16 17. I communed with mine own c. This is a Prolepsis wherein he meeteth with an objection viz. That the knowledge of the creatures might make a man happy though he had not attained unto it not for any defect in them but in the narrowness of his own understanding To which he answereth That if any man could have found it out in them he should in regard of the greatness of his parts and exquisite industry as Chap. 2.12 I communed with my heart I cast up my accounts and exactly viewed the fruit and sum of all my labâ—urs in getting knowledge I did seriously deliberate and take a view of mine own heart Psal. 4.5 True wisdome makes a man thoughtfull and discursive within himself I am come to great estate and have gotten or added more wisdome Or I have gotten great estate and wisdome and aâ—ded to it I have exceeded and increased in wisdome So the word seems elsewhere to import 1 Sam. 20 41. Esay 9.3 Amos 8.5 Or I have come to be a great man Joel 2.20 to do great things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then all they that have been before me 1 King 4.30 10.27 yea all that come after him too Christ only excepted 1 King 3.12 in Ierusalem Where the study of wisdom was more then in other places my heart had great experience Had seen much wisdome and knowledge Wisdome seems to note the general knowledge of things Divine and humane Knowledge the experimental or wisdom the Habit and instrument knowledge the acquired perfection gotten by the help of that habitual wisdome Here 1. He seems to have magnified wisdom in his choice which also may be implyed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
there is not enough in one to satiate it as a sick man that removes from one bed couch chamber unto another for ease and finds none Esay 57.10 Jer. 2.23 36. 2. That in such kind of changes usually the heart goeth from better to worse 〈◊〉 here Solomon from wisdome to pleasureâ— 3. Here is observable the nature of sensuaâ— mirth it tends towards excess and so towards undecency and madness for here is not condemned moderate but excessive pleasure when a man gives up his heart to it and makes it the business of his life V. 3. I sought in my heart Upon serious deliberation and further exploration of that good which men may in this life attain unto finding that neither wisdome alone nor pleasures alone could bring me unto it I purposed to temper them together and since I found that wisdome and knowledge was accompanied with grief and sorrow I intended to mitigate those griefs with bodily delights and yet so as that my wisdom might restrain those delights from any excess and from disabling me in the duties which I owed to God or men to give my self unto wine To draw my flesh with wine Or to draw forth my flesh unto wine Abstinence doth shrink and contract the body and keep it under 1. Cor. 9.27 Dan. 1.10 feasting and mirth doth draw it forth Psal. 73.7 That leannesse or wasting of body which by hard studies I had contracted I now purposed by more delicacy of living and indulgence to draw forth into freshness fulness and beauty again Or to draw with wine to spend more time in feasting banqueting and delights then formerly I had done So drawing signifies sometimes continuance and prolongation of a business Psal. 85.5 Isai. 13.22 Ezek. 12.28 So the glutton Luk. 16.19 unto wine i. e. By a Synecdoche unto all kind of delicates in eating and drinking in banqueting and feasting As bread signifies all necessaries Amos 7.12 with 6.11 so wine all delicates Prov. 9.2 Cant. 8.2 2.4 yet acquainting mine heart with wisdome Or leading my heart by wisdom resolving to keep such a temper as to carry my self not licentiously but wisely in the use of pleasures to keep my self from being captivated unto or swallowed up of these carnal delights as using them not sensually with a bruitish excesse but critically and rationally to finde out what real content they do afford unto the heart of an intelligent man I did so give my flesh unto wine as though I kept my heart for wisdom still and to lay hold on folly By folly he meaneth those pleasures the laying hold on which he found in the event to be nothing but folly Thus to lay hold on them is fully to possess a mans self with them and to embrace and apprehend them with all oneâ— strength Isa. 56.4 1 Tim. 6.19 Phil. 3.12 13. It may likewise seem to intimate thus much That he held folly from mixing with his pleasures or coming into his heart along with them to hold it as a man holds an enemy from doing him any hurt Judg. 12.6 16.21 till I might see what was that good for the sons of men This was the end of his enquiring it was not to drown himself in sensuality but to discover what kind of course was that which would render this present mortal life more comfortable to a man He did it not vitiously but to make an experiment only Solomon found in himself emptiness and indigency he felt strong opposition after some good which might supply those wants and he had active principles of reason to enquire what that good was which Nature did so much want and so greatly desire And this reason and habitual wisdome he imployed to the uttermost to discover that good under heaven which might most perfectly satisfie the wants and desires of the reasonable soul. under 〈◊〉 As before under the Sun He was not ignorant but that in the Heavens there was a supreme and infinite good which the glorified soul should enjoy unto endlesse satisfaction but he speaketh â—here of that good under the Sun which may most sweeten the mortal life of man all the dayes of their life That is time good which is durable and commensurate to the Soul that feeds on it Now most of the things he here recounteth are onely for some seasons of life as painful studies vigorous pleasures active negotiations when age and and infirmities come they forsake him and so these good things dye before the man that should enjoy them 2 Sam. 19.35 Psal. 90.10 Eccl. 1â— 3 4 5. Therefore in this enquiry the duration of the good is as requisite to be considered as the quality of it whether it will continue with a man as a stay and comfort to him all the dayes of his life Nothing will do this but godliness Psal. 92.13 14. There can be no time no condition in a mans life wherein the fear of God will not be comfortable unto him Here we observe 1. That in all these inquiries Solomon begins with his heart thereby noting unto us That the good which must satisfie a man must bear proportion to his heart and to his inward man 2. That he tempers his pleasures and 〈◊〉 pains in seeking knowledge together teaching thereby that the right use of pleasures is not to take up the whole man but to mitigate the bitterness and pains of severer studies thereby 3. That a man hath never greater need of the bridle of wisdom then when he is in pursuance of carnall delights 4. That pleasures and folly are very near of kin and a very hard thing it is to hold folly so fast in but that it will get loose and immixe it self in carnal delights 5. That a free and full indulgence unto pleasures though not upon sensual but critical and more curious aims will by degrees steal away the heart much abate more spiritual and heavenly delights corruption ever creeping in with curiosity Prov. 20.1 23.3 6. It is a noble and high frame of spirit to look out in every thing which a man undertakes after that which is truly and principally good for his heart in the use of that thing 7. That the comfort of a mans life under heaven is to be doing of that good which God hath given him his strength and life for 8. That nothing is truely the good of a mans life which is not commensurate in duration and continuance thereunto and which will not properly minister comfort unto him into whatsoever various conditions of life as sickness poverty bondage disfavour old age c. he may be cast into V. 4. Having upon further deliberation declared his purpose to search for good amongst pleasures and bodily delights he now sheweth what magnificent and royal provisions he made in order to that design sumptuoâ—s diet stately buildings vineyards gardens orchards forests parks fish-ponds honourable retinue of servants possessions of all sorts of cattel treasures of gold silver and all precious things musick vocal instrumental and
event not answerable to our follies but to his love 5. That we cannot judge of the wisdom or folly the goodness or badness of men by outward events because these happen alike to all Chap. 8.14 9.11 V. 16. There is no remembrance c. What he observed in the general before he now maketh good in two particulars viz oblivion and death which are both alike common to wise men and to fools Wise men may seem to secure at least their names though they cannot their bodies from mortality by such magnificent works as Solomon here wrought and by such noble contemplations as he was conversant in but he assures us here the contrary and elsewhere that Piety onely keepeth the name from rotting with the body Prov. 10.7 Psal. 112.6 Psal. 49.11 12. Jer. 17.13 Time will eat out all the monuments of wisdom or though they continue yet the renown of a wise man doth him no good at all he is not after death sensible of it or comforted with it so Chap. 1.11 new wise men that arise in after Ages will darken and eclipse the honour of those that went before them and so will it be done to them in the Ages that follow To be sure no mere wise or great mans honour separated from Piety will hold pace with his being at the last day there will so much shameful matter be discovered against the wisest of wicked men as they shall the â—â—se all their renown and shall appear to be vessels of dishonour and shame for evermore 1 Cor. 4.5 2 Tim. 2.20 And how dieth the wise man as the foâ—l The second fate common to both Thâ—s how is a passionate interrogation noting grief that it is so wonder that it is no otherwise and indignation or disdain that thingâ— so exceeding different in their worth should both of them perish alike Thus there is a Quomodo dolentis of grieving Lam. 1.1 admirantis of wondring Acts 2.7 8. Indignantis or objurgantis of chiding and disdain Joh. 5.44 Matth. 23.33 And because it may be objected That this Argument may as well disable Piety from making a man happy as wisdom Since the same question may be framed of them as well as of these How dieth the just man as the unjust 〈◊〉 must remember that Piety followes a manâ— and so abides with him after death which no other acquired excellencies do either as ornaments or as comforts Rev. 14.13 Death doth not cut off their spiritual life and union with Christ which was that which made them happy here Wicked men are dead being alive 1 Tim. 5.6 and good men livâ— in death Joh. 11.25 26. Mat. 22.32 therefore the Jews called their burying place domus viventium the houses of the living Therefore there is no durable Life or Honouâ— but in the fear of the Lord. V. 17. Therefore I hated life c. Thiâ— is the effect which this great vanity of thâ— most excellent humane endowment wrougth in the heart of Solomon made him weary of living to so little purpose as to dye at last like the basest of men He saw no loveliness or desireableness in life it self though â—he chiefest outward blessing all the course â—hereof being full of evil grievous cruciaâ—ing disquieting labour all which at last â—uns down like the waters of Jordan into the same lake of death with the other refuse of men Many mens poverty pains sickness worldly troubles have caused them to complain of their life but here is one who had health peace honour abundance of all the contents which the world could afford not murmuringly but as it were judiciously and critically making the same complaints The greatnesse of his wisdom being such as that all the comforts of life were too narrow to satisfie the inquiries of it he saw little valuable or desireable in it Here observe 1. That life it self is too mean a thing to bring full content to the soul of man It must be something better then life which must do it Psal. 63.3 2. That in the greatest confluence of worldly things the life of a man may be full of grievous labour and he weary of it not onely out of anguish of spirit but of natural wisdom observing the vanity thereof 3. That the wisdom of man without making use of the grace of God is very apt to undervalue the greatest outward blessing which humane nature is capable of as Solomon here doth life There is â—aturally so much distemper in the heart of man that except all things answer his own desires and expectations he will fall out with his very life and pick quarrels with the choycest blessings that God here affords him As a little cloud hides the light of the whole Sun from the eye so amidst a multitude of enjoyments a little labour or trouble which comes along with them doth darken the beauty and remove the content of them all Gen. 30.1 Psal. 59.15 Esth. 5.13 4. Concerning this point of being weary of Life or hating it as an unlovely and undesireable thing we may note 1. That Life is the choycest and principal outward blessing which God here affords us and that unto the comfort and preservation thereof all other outward blessings are directed Mâ—tth 6.25 2. That though in a way of obedience we are to undervalue it at the command of God when he calls on us to lay it down Luke 14.26 Act. 20.24 1 Joh. 3.16 Joh. 12.25 and in comparison of a better life we may groan for a deliverance from it and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 yet it is a great fault out of passion murmuring outward troubles nay out of largeness of heart as here Solomon doth to dis-esteem and wax weary of so great a blessing Gen. 27.46 Numb 14.2 Job 10.1 36.20 Jon. 4.3 8. V. 18. Yea I hated all my labour c. All those magnificent and excellent works which with so much labour I had wrought They were all so far from ministring unto my heart any solid contentment that I grew wholly out of love with them had no regard nor respect at all unto them If by hatred here and in the former verse be meant only an abatement of that love and delight which his heart might over-sensually take in them then this was a very commendable fruit of the vanity which he discovered in them according to the counsel of the Apostle upon the same ground 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the world that seems to be a worldly and secular life or Temporal Being nor the things of the world that is the provisions and materials which are the fuel of lust in the world and so hatred sometimes signifies an abatement and moderation of love Matth. 10.37 compared with Luke 14.26 Joh. 12.25 Gen. 29.30 31. But if by Hatred is meant a detestation and abhorrency of them so as to leave off all care of duty to be exercised in wordly things according to the travel which God hath appointed for the sons of men Chap.
of the former of oppression and misgovernment under which men usually are discouraged from all ingenious and usefull undertakings from all noble enterprizes of any sort by reason of the envy and danger which partly through the jealousies of superiours partly through the malignancy and evil eye of equals or inferiours they are by their eminency and industry exposed unto By every right work we are to understand not so much works done in integrity towards God as the ingenious and accurate works of humane issue done by the wisdom and practick cunning of Artificers in any kind such as the wisdom of Bezaleel Exod. 31.3 4. and Hiram 1 Reg. 7.14 that for this a man is envied of his neighbour That the more he deserves for his industry and ingeniousness of invention the more he is exposed to envie and danger envie being like those moths and cankers which usually feed on the richest garments as we see in many examples Gen. 4.5 Numb 11.27 29. 1 Sam. 18.7 8. Gen. 26.12 14. 37.8 1 Sam. 17.28 Dan. 6.3 4 c. And this is a great vanity and disappointment when that from whence a man might have expected credit and thanks from the world shall procure him hatred and danger and must needs thereupon be a great disquieting of heart and discouragement against so fruitless endeavours Prov. 37.4 Psal. 73.12 13. V. 5. The fool foldeth his hands together and eateth his own flesh This is one fruit of this danger and envie taken up by foolish and sloathfull men they refuse to take pains and rather chuse to be poor then to be envied Here is the character of an idle person 1. He is a fool to make so absurd an inference that for fear of envie and trouble will not only neglect duty but undo himself 2. He foldeth his hands puts himself into a posture of idleness composeth himself to do nothing Labour requireth the stretching forth of the hands Prov. 31.19 Laziness wraps them up in one another Prov. 6.9 10. 26.14 19.24 3. He eateth his own flesh bringeth himself to extreme poverty contracteth weakness in his body enfeebleth his mind wasteth his stock consumeth his family bringeth the curse of beggary upon himself and his For as the diligent hand maketh rich Prov. 13.11 So the slack hand maketh poor Prov. 10.4 He thinks it a part of wisdom to spare his pains and sit quiet and because he cannot attain so much dexterity and skill as a other man therefore enviously to sit down and gnaw his own flesh either with hunger or indignation Prov. 26.16 Whereas indeed he is a fool i. e. 1. A wicked man in neglecting the duty of labour which he oweth to himself to his family to his generation and whereunto by the ordinance of God he is appointed Gen. 3.19 Tit. 3.14 1 Thess. 3.10 11. 2. An absurd man to reason himself into contempt and beggary and to be cruel to himself because he is fretted at other men Prov. 11.17 Ps. 27.2 For as he had before touched the vanity which ariseth from others so here that which ariseth from a mans own self V. 6. Better is an handful with quietness than both the hands full with trouble and vexation of spirit This may be here taken either as Solmons own words and then to import a seasonable remedy against the evils here spoken of viz. envy idleness and covetousness namely sweet contentment with a competent estate rather than vexation with a greater Prov. 15.16 17. 17.1 Ps. 37.16 Luk. 12.15 Or rather as the words of the sluggard and then they are his apology for his laziness If he strive to excel in his profession he shall many waies disquiet himself he cannot do it without much travel nor after all that travel be free from much envy danger And therefore he rather chuseth a smaller portion with more ease and contentment In which there is a great deal of false arguing 1. It is false when he calleth his slothful and idle way of living rest or quietness For true tranquility of mind is the consequent of a fruitful conversation Ps. 119.165 bodily rest a fruit of honest labour Ps. 127.2 Eccl. 5.12.2 It is false when he calleth industry in a mans course of life vexation of spirit whereas honest labour taketh off the heart from many vain thoughts and desires which would more sorely vex it 3. It is a great prophaness to palliate his own sin under the name of rest and quietness of spirit and under the protection of Gods own truth to find an hiding place for his bruitishness and sensuality as Saul pretended sacrifice to excuse rebellion 1 Sam. 15.15 2 Sam. 15.7 8. Prov. 7.14 15. Hos. 12.8 1 Reg. 21.9 4. It is alike prophaness to give ear to the wisdome of the flesh against the duties of our calling and to argue from inconveniences which we fear to discourage our selves from those labours which God hath promised to bless God saith to encourage us unto duty That his light shall shine on our waies he will comfort and bless us in them and his angel shall keep us in our waies Ps. 91.11 but the sluggard saith to discourage himself There is a Lion in the way Prov. 22.13 as if Lions were more terrible to affright than Angels to protect 5. It is a vain conceit to think contentment is tied unto a small estate and vexation to a greater whereas true content knows as well how to abound as how to want Phil. 4.11 12. and discontent will make men as anxious as froward as impatient under a small estate as craving hoarding coveting under a greater Prov. 30.9 Ps. 59.15 The words of this verse are proverbial the former part by the word handful expressing a little estate as Ps. 72.16 Ezek. 13.19 The other by hands full a greater and more plentiful gotten with all the strength and labour of the whole man Mic. 7.3 V. 7. vanity under the Sun Another vanity and quite contrary to the former as fools when they avoid one extreme fall into the other V. 8. There is one alone c. One i. e. one by himself as Gen. 19.9 and not a second that is either no companion or member in his family to provide for or no heir to succeed him in his estate none for whom he can say It is this man for whom I labour See v. 15. neither child nor brother His labour is not founded in any natural love of those for whom he is bound to provide 1 Tim. 5.8 Gen. 47.12 Prov. 17.17 but meerly on the inordinate love of riches themselves This covetous wretch is here described 1. By his solitariness he lives all alone he cannot endure two months in a house 2. By his excessive labour there is no end of all his labour He toyls infinitely and without measure Isa. 2.7 Job 22.5 Some by labour understand wealth gotten by labour He hath a vast estate and yet is as greedy as if he had nothing 3. By his insatiable desires
or worthy but grow weary of him and joyn themselves unto his Successor even of all those that have been before them Namely before the father and the son or successor which was second unto him The word before may signifie either in the presence of them i. e. who have been officers under them or done service and born allegiance to them 2 Sam. 16.19 1 Reg. 10.8 or else an antecedence in time unto them They who were before them did thus languish in their affections to the father and apply themselves unto the son They also that come after shall not rejoice in him i. e. In the son unto whom now they seem so zealously and with so much loyalty to joyn themselves not rejoyce That is they will be weary of him troubled with him wish themselves freed from him The verb negative by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to import the Affirmative contrary unto it as is usual in Scripture Exod. 20.7 Prov. 17.21 Zach. 8. â—7 Rom. 4.19 This then is Hereditary to all people There is no End of it they can never be setled or contented with the present estate as they before did dislike the father in expectation of the son so they after will cast off the son in expectation of the grandchild and so it will be in all generations This is vanity and vexation of spirit This must needs be matter of indignation grief to Princes to see so much falseness and inconstancy in their people to see their Honour grow old decrepit with their bodies CHAP. V. THe Wise man having spoken of the vanity which attendeth on the very highest condition of men here below seems here to make a kind of digression and to go yet higher unto the consideration of that which principally concerns man in this Life to wit The worship of God This is the supreme Remedy of all the other Vanities and may seem here to be subjoyned as also it is in the end of the Book to that purpose to shew that though neither knowledge nor pleasures nor honours nor crowns can make men happy though it be beyond the sphere and activity of any Creature to administer compleat tranquility to the heart of a man yet even in this life a man may be happy by worshipping of God and Communion with him As if he should have said We have gone through the World and sought high there for satisfaction as ever any man could arrive even to Crowns and Thrones and yet have missed of it It remains therefore that we go higher yet before we can be truly happy and that is from the World to the Sanctuary from the Thrones of Princes to the Thrones of Grace from the Creature to God In whose service alone there is compleat felicity But besides this I take it the scope of the wise man is by way of Prolepsis or answer to a tacite objection to discover yet a higher and a stranger vanity than any he had spoken of before namely vanity in the worship of God not as it is in it self but as it is performed by vain foolish men They might say we do easily agree with you in all that you have said we know we must look above the Creatures if ever we intend to arrive at true Happiness Therefore what pains soever we take about things under the Sun yet we seek for our Happiness no where but in God and in his service Solomon now acknowledging the truth of this in the Thesis That the Worship of God is the true felicity of man in this life doth withall assure these men that they may put vanity in the very Worship of God and render that by their foolish and carnal performance wholly unprofitable to any such end yea there may be therein divers vanities vers 7. for discovery and avoiding whereof he prescribeth a solemn caveat to those who being convinced of vanity in the Creatures do go to God in his Worship to mend themselves This is 1. General relating to all parts of Gods Worship which is in our Approacheâ— unto God to look to our affections and to prepare our hearts to meet with him not resting in outward sacrifices which are but the oblations of fools who think they do well when in truth they do the contrary vers 1. 2. Particular in some species of worship 1. In Hearing which he saith must be done with Readiness with a docile and tractable spirit yielding up it self to the whole counsel of God vers 1. 2. In Prayer and speaking unto God where is first condemned a double Vanity Rashnesse of tongue Hastinesse of heart both enforced by consideration of Gods Greatnesse and of our own Vilenesse vers 2. Secondly prescribed fewness of words without vain and unnecessary babling and that because of Gods Majesty and the folly of so doing vers 3. 3. In Vowes which being once made are to be performed and that cheerfully without grudging or delay which doctrine he doth 1. prove 2. vindicate from shiftings and excuses He proveth it 1. By the the folly of the contrary course it argues a levity of spirit to dally and to be off and on with God who as he is constant himself in all his Promises so he expecteth constancy from us in all ours 2. By Gods dislike of such folly and falseness vers 4. Next he vindicateth it from a double excuse which men are apt to make 1. It was free for me to vow the thing was in mine own power therefore it is not so hainous a thing though I do fail because I was not bound to what I vowed till I had vowed it This he answereth That it had been better to have kept this Liberty still and not to have vowed then after vowes to resume Liberty when it is too late vers 5. 2. But I was mistaken there was an Errour in my Vow To this he gives a double answer and sets it on with weighty considerations First Look well before thou vow that thou do not bring a bond of sin upon thy self Suffer not thy mouth to cause thee to sin Secondly Take heed of pretending errour and oversight out of unwillingnesse to do what thou hast promised Say not that it was an errour For consider 1. Thou art in the presence of the Angel 2. Thou provokest Gods anger 3. The damage which by that anger thou wilt suffer he will destroy the work of thy hands disappoint thee in that benefit the preservation whereof thou didst aym at in excusing thy Vow 4. The folly of such vain excuses There is a vanity in all parts of Worship when undertaken by fools or wicked men the fools sacrifice vers 1. the fooles voyce vers 3. the fooles vow vers 4. Divers vanities in all this vers 7. Now having shewed the vanities in the carnal performance of Divine Worship he doth as he had done formerly in the other Vanities which he spake of before prescribe a Remedy of this also viz. The inward principle of all Right
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
else The Soul is not filled riches may benefit the body and feed and cloath and comfort that but to the nobler part of man they can afford no satisfaction they do not bear any proportion at all They cannot hold the soul Luk. 12.19 20. They cannot help the Soul in a day of trouble Prov. 11.4 Zeph. 1.18 They cannot follow it into another World Psal. 49.17 They have no suteableness either in excellency or duration unto it V. 8. Fâ—r what hath the wise more then the fool c. This question is a denyal The Wise man hath nothing more then the fool Internal excellency there is in wisdom above folly Chap. 2.13 But here he speaketh with relation to wealth and the outward events of things in which regard the Wise man hath no peculiar prerogative above the fool The one fares as deliciously is cloathed as richly hath Lands and Revenues left him by his Ancestors as well as the other The wisest man can but provide for back and belly and such other conveniences as outward things are proper to supply and so much may he do who hath Wealth without Wit Outward things promiscuously happen unto all and beyond their own use they are not able to supply a wise man more then a fool what hath the poor which knoweth to walk before the living A poor man that lives hath the substantial benefit of outward things as well as the richest or the wisest What hath he lesse then the rich he knowes how to get his living and walk through his short time of life as well as the other Or what hath the poor wise man who by his industry and prudent conversing amongst men doth maintain himself more then the poor foolish man who makes a shift to live as well as the other to walk before the living That is to live decently and discreetly amongst men Chap. 4.15 Isa. 42.5 Psal. 56.13 Chap. 7.12 V. 9. Better is the sight of the eyes then the wandring of the Desire By the sight of the Eyes he meaneth things present and in possession which we have before us in our eye and in hand by the wandring or walking of the Soul he meaneth an insatiable and endlesse pursuit of the heart after thingâ— which we have not and cannot easily overtake So sight is opposed by the Apostle to Faith Because Sight looketh on things in possession Faith on things in expectation 2 Cor. 5.7 and so property or possession is before called the seeing of things with the eye Eccles. 5.11 And on the other side unsatisfied desires are expressed by wandring of the heart up and down Isa. 57.10 Jer. 2.25 14.10 when the minde is not stayed and fixed with contentment in its present condition but like a Bee flyeth from flower to flower from creature to creature to gather more This then is the plain meaning of these words It is better for a man quietly and contentedly to enjoy the things which he hath in present possession then to rove up and down and weary himself with anxious and unsatisfied desires after things which he hath not since the poor man hath as much the substantial and principal benefit of outward things as the Rich namely life and health and food convenient since the wisest man that is can fetch no more real good out of wealth then fools themselves do enjoy from it It is much more comfortable to enjoy what we have then endlesly to weary our selves in hoarding and hunting after more Matth. 6.25 31. This is the same in sense with that Chap. 4.6 but spoken here by Solomon as a remedy against covetous desires there by the sluggard as an apology for his laziness Though some would have it here understood in the person of a covetous Rich man As if he would answer Solomons question What good hath one more then another the wise then the fools the rich then the poor yes saith the covetous rich man he hath an Estate to look on the other is continually vexed with want and desires and it is much better to be in possession of a good Estate then to languish under poverty and be ever in a craving condition But the former sense is more genuine This also is vanity and vexation of spirit That is in the later sense It is a vain and troublesome thing to possess good things only to look on them and not to use them Or rather in the former sense the wandring of the fool up and down after new gain and denying it self the comfortable fruition of present contentments is vanity because much can do a man no more real good then a little cheerfully used and vexation of spirit because insatiable desires bring perpetual disquiet upon the heart of a man V. 10. That which hath been is namelâ— already He sheweth the vanity of wandriâ—â— desires and greedy endeavours after greâ—â—ter things then God hath yet afforded a maâ— for whatever things have been or are whâ—â—ther a man be rich or poor noble or 〈◊〉 his condition comes not unto him by chancâ— but is prae-assigned him in the purpose anâ— decree of God and therefore much bettâ—â— is it for him contentedly to enjoy what Goâ— gives then with a vain and ineffectual ambâ—â—tion to strive for things without his reaâ—â— Especially since no things acquireable 〈◊〉 humane industry can exempt or protect man from the evils or common miseriâ— which mankind is exposed unto Let 〈◊〉 grow as Rich as potent as Honourable the world can make him A man he was 〈◊〉 and he will be but a man still from earth he came and to earth he will go he lies under a decree of mortality and infirmity which by the help of no worldly wealth or greatness he is able to break through That which hath been The name of it is called already That is Its state quality order condition every thing belonging to the nature and being of it every thing externally happening unto it is all pre-ordained in the counsel and decree of God He by his immutable and irresistible providence hath assigned unto every one his order and doth 〈◊〉 his wisdome dispose of all things belongâ—ng unto men They are under his care and â—llowance and therefore ought not anxiâ—usly and sollicitously to insist upon proviâ—â—ons for the future but rather comfortably to â—â—joy things present and in a conscionable â—â—scharge of duty to wait for a like blessing 〈◊〉 providence of God for hereafter as ever â—â—fore they have had experience of Psal. â— 11 31 14 15. 1 Sam. 2.7 8. Act. 2. â— 4.28 and it is known that it is man Be his â—â—alth or honours what they will yet a frail â—â—rtal mutable earthly creature he is still â—he was before And though men have 〈◊〉 so dementated with worldly greatness 〈◊〉 take Divine honour to themselves and to think themselves lawless and exempted from the bonds of other men yet it is known and visible that they remain men still and so God will at last make them known
wicked will rot Prov. 10.7 So to be a man of name is meant an eminent person renowned in his generation Gen. 6.4 1 Chron. 5.24 and names of men Rev. 11.3 3.4 may seem to note special persons of honour and renown better then sweet oyntment So the name of Christ which signifieth his gratious doctrine Act. 9.15 is compared unto sweet oyntment Cant. 1.3 called the sweet savour of Christ 2 Cor. 2.14 15. Pretious Aromatical oyntments were things greatly in use and esteem amongst the Israelites and a special part of their treasures appointed by God to anoint the holy vessels of the Tabernacle Exod. 30.22 33 used in the consecration of persons to offices of honour and eminency Exod. 28.41 1 Sam. 16.13 Psal. 89.20 called therefore the oyl of gladness Heb. 1.9 Isa. 61.3 used likewise in Feasts great entertainments and expressions of joy Amos 6.6 Esther 2.12 Psal. 23.5 Luk. 7.46 Reckoned amongst the special blessings of God and treasures of that people Psal. 92.10 Job 29.6 Deut. 33.24 Prov. 21.20 Isa. 39.2 whence some would have it here taken synecdochically to signifie all kind of riches before which Solomon doth here prefer a good name as also Prov. 22.1 and the day of death then the day of ones birth Some understand here a note of similitude to joyn the two clauses together As a good name is better then sweet oyntment so is the day of death then the day of Birth Others repeat the former clause in the later unto such a man who hath a good name better is the day of death then of birth And the clauses seem to have Cognation with one another for the day of Birth is a time of festivity and rejoycing and accordingly used to be celebrated Gen. 40.20 Mar. 6.21 22. in which kind of solemnities they used to anoint themselves with sweet oyntments as on the other side in dayes of sorrow they abstained from them 2 Sam. 14.2 Dan. 10.23 On the other side The day of Death removes a man wholly out of this world and leaves nothing of him behind but only his Name and Memory which the Lord threatneth wicked men to blot out and cause it to rot Deut. 29.20 32.26 Prov 10.7 Job 18.17 But the name of good men remains behind them as the sweet savour of a pretious perfume when the substance of the perfume it self is consumed with the fire or as spices when they are broken and dissolved leave an excellent scent behind them And so the meaning is That although the day of birth be a day of feasting and joy and the day of death a day of sorrow and mourning yet unto a good man this is much better then the other and the memorial which he leaves behind him is much sweeter then that of spices or perfumes If we take the later clause alone without connexion to the former then they relate unto the many vanities and vexations which the life of man is exposed unto in which consideration That day which delivers a man from them is better then that day which lets him into the possession of them for man is born unto much trouble and sorrow Job 5.7 14.1 but a godly mans death puts a period to all his sins to all his sorrows Rom. 7.24 Rev. 14.13 2 Cor. 5 6 7 8. Phil. 1.23 V. 2. It is better to go to the house of mourning c. As to a good man the day of his death is better then the day of his birth because it puts an end unto all those sorrows and vanities which he was born unto so for those that remain alive it is better to go to a funeral the house of mourning then to a feast or a birth-day solemnity the house of jollity and rejoycing for that is the end of all men Or in the which is the end of all men In which house of sorrow a man is minded of the common end of all men A man seeth his own end in the end of another man and is admonished of his frailty and mortality for it is the way of the whole earth Josh. 23.14 Heb. 9.27 and the living will lay it to heart Or will put it up and fasten it to his heart will be seriously and sadly affected with it and have deep impressions thereby made upon his spirit of the greatneâ—s and power God who draweth away our breath and we perish Psal. 104 29. and of his own vanity and baseness even in his best estate Psal. 39.5 putting in the heart noteth diligent attendance on a thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 11.18 Isa. 42.25 Luk. 21.14 whereas feasting and jollity is very likely to draw off the remembrance of God Job 1.5 Deut. 8.12 14. Isa. 22.13 Amos 6.3 6. Deut. 32.15 Isa. 5.11 12. V. 3. Sorrow is better then laughter That sorrow which ariseth from the meditation of death a sad sober and composed temper of spirit whereby a man is rendred capable of instruction and sensible of serious things which concern his peace is better and doth a man much more good then laughter and the jollity which belongeth unto Feastings The word signifieth anger and so by some is the sense rendred that charitable and wholsome Anger which reproveth men for their faults and so maketh them sorrowfull is better then the flattery of Parasites which feedeth their foolish lusts with laughter and vain mirth and so tendeih unto ruine for by the sadness of the countenance Heb. by the illness or badness of the countenance Neh. 2.2 badness of heart 1 Sam. 17.28 The heart is made better Vain lusts and foolish exorbitant light affections are check'â— and suppressed as the outward man is grieved the inward man is amended Prov. 2â— 30. 2 Cor. 4.16 7.9 10. whereas oâ— the other side empty mirth doth dissolvâ— the heart and let it out unto more vanity Chap. 2.2 3. Hos. 4.11 Esther 1.10 Sam. 25.36 V. 4. The heart of the wise is in the houâ—â— of mourning He proveth sorrow to be beâ—â—ter wholsomer for the soul then laughteâ— by the judgement and choyce of wise meâ— and of fools That which wise men prefer is indeed better then that which fools make choyce of but wise men prefer spectacleâ— places occasions of sorrow fools make choyce of the contrary ergo that is betteâ— then this Wise men consider the end of things and chuse the most proper means untâ— the best ends whereas fools look only on things present and before their eyes By the house of mourning we understand any placâ— or object which occasioneth mourning 〈◊〉 the grave is called domus seculi the house 〈◊〉 ages or a mans long home Eccles. 12.5 So a trench is called a house of measures 1 Reg. 18.32 Isa. 3.21 The heart of the wise When his body is elsewhere yet his thoughts and heart are thinking on the evil day which wicked men thrust far from them Amos 6.3 So Job in prosperity did with a religious fear forecast evil Job 3.25 Neh. 2.2 5. Psal.
life and sweetly to pass over the time of his pilgrimage here All things come alike to All Omnia sicut omnibus So Symmachus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All alike unto All. This is the reason why we cannot judge of love or hatred by outward things for albeit good things are promised unto good men and evil things threatned unto evil men yet God doth so proceed in the execution of these promises and threatnings as that faith only can discover the difference all things outwardly and to the eye of sense appearing alike to all As if the Lord had subjected all things to the domination of Fortune rather than of Justice and that the events of the world were all rather casual and contingent than either predetermined by the counsel or governed by the providence of God one event to the righteous and to the wicked c. Moses dyes in the wilderness as well as those that murmured Josiah in the wars as well as Ahab Is Abraham rich so is Nabal Is Solomon wise so is Achitophel Is Joseph honoured by Pharoah so is Doeg by Saul And usually as to outward things the advantage is on the side of the worst men Ps. 73.12 13. Mal. 3.15 to the righteous and the wicked In regard of their spiritual state and condition towards God Not that any man is perfectly righteous in this life Chap. 7 2◠but inchoatly by the first fruits of the Spirit Comparatively in opposition to the wicked Evangelically by sincere dispositions of heart and by the ordinary prevalency and dominion of grace to the clean and unclean Between whom great difference was to be made Ezek. 22.26 to him that sacrificeth and him that sacrificeth not That carefully observeth or prophanely neglecteth the worship of God as we see in the examples of Jeroboam and Jehu as is the good so is the sinner The doubling of the prefix Caph noteth an equal comparison and absolute similitude between the things compared Gen. 18.25 44.18 Isa. 24.2 1 Reg. 22.4 and he that sweareth Namely falsly or rashly without truth or judgement or righteousness as he that feareth an oath The character of a godly man who doth so reverence the great name of God Deut. 28.58 that by the fear thereof he is kept from swearing rashly by it and when he is called to swear doth it with an awful regard towards that glorious and fearful Name V. 3. This is an evil amongst all things that are done c. When I consider the course of providence I found this to be one of the most grievous things which hapneth under the Sun That all things the same equal events both in life death do happen not only to the just and the unjust but even to the maddest and most desperate of sinners who all their life long do give up themselves unto all excess of wickedness This is an evil among all things It is not evil in regard of God who doth all in a most wise and holy manner but evil that is grievous and troublesome unto man to behold a great temptation unto him to consider that just and wise men should be exposed to the self-same miseries with fools and ungodly an evil amongst all things Or above all other evils So some render it hoc pessimum this is the worst of evils As the Superlative is often expressed by an Adjective governing an Ablative case with the Preposition Caph Examples whereof the Learned give in 1 Sam. 17.12 Prov. 30.30 Cant. 1.8 Luke 1.28 Jer. 49.15 yea also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil c. Yea also That upon occasion hereof when men see that it is all one whether men be good or bad as to any outward difference in things here below they judge it vain to serve the Lord they despise all threats they undervalue all promises they let loose the reins and run headlong unto all kind of wickedness and madness all sort of furious headstrong and desperate excess with boldness and presumption See Chap. 8.11 and after that they go to the dead After a life spent in madness and sensuality then they dye Or Their later end is to go to the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Symmachus Others After that i. Following their own heart running after their own lusts they do at last fall into the pit The end of all their madness is death Rom. 6.21 V. 4. For to him that is joyned to all the living there is hope In the written Text it is Who shall be chosen but the Masoreths direct the reading to be instead of chosen joyned by a transposition of the Original letter◠This correction some Learned men have conceived unnecessary Some rendring it thus For what or which shall be chosen Thereby meaning how difficult it is to resolve which state or condition to chuse that of the living or of the dead Yet quickly passing a judgement on the side of the living in regard of the hope a man may have while he lives of bettering his condition Others annexing these words unto the last of the former verse thus After all mens madness their end is to dye Who shall be chosen out or exempted from that comon condition Since therefore all men without any choice or exemption must dye most miserable is the condition of those mad men whose hearts are full of wickedness even till death overtake them For while men live there is some ground of hope but the mightiest of sinners when once dead are past hope and in a worse condition than the meanest men who are yet alive Others retaining the marginal reading render it thus by an interrogation For who will be joyned to wit with the dead Who will chuse a dead man for his companion since that is of all the most hopeless condition But this is a forced sense herein therefore Interpreters do most agree As for him that is joyned to or is a companion of the living He hath hope While life remains what evils ever befall a man he is in hope to break through and to mend his condition some good things however he doth yet injoy But as to the good things of this world after death there is no hope Symmachus whom the vulgar followeth rendreth it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who shall alwaies continue alive Unto such a man there would be hope Pagnum Montanus keep the reading in the Text and render it thus Whosoever is chosen unto or amongst the living unto him there is hope The Septuagint renders it differently from all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who is there that communicateth with or towards all the living They seem to follow not the written Text but the reading and so by communicating mean joyning in fellowship with the living Who is there that shall have the society and communion of all the living Surely none According to the sense of Symmachus and Hierom. Marinus Brixianus offereth two other senses 1. By reading the word actively with a different punctation thus
vanity and disquietness thereupon of all outward things is healed and removed It cannot then but be a very pleasant thing to live to see the light of the Sun and to enjoy those contents which by these means we have arrived at vers 7. To this the Wise man answereth That albeit by these means life is much sweetned and the vanity thereof is much abated yet it is never throughly removed But when all is done which can be done to render our condition here comfortable yet All that cometh both life and the supplyes thereof are still Vanity and will pass away and the daies of darkness which follow will be abundantly more than the daies of light which went before And that therefore we ought by the timely remembrance of them both to moderate our delights in things present and to prepare our selves to lift up our heads with comfort in the judgement to come vers 8. And because of all others young men whose blood is fresh and spirits active are most apt to surfeit on present pleasures and to put far from them the evil day slighting such admonitions as these therefore the Wise man who had had himself as full a gale of youthful pleasures as ever any other man and had found the vanity of them all doth by an Irony deride the folly and by a solemn citation unto the Tribunal of God awaken the conscience of such a voluptuous Epicure vers 9. perswading him by the assurance of a future judgement wherein he must be called to a strict account for all the vanities and miscarriages of his youth and by the flitting condition of that age wherein he doth so glut upon them to remove far from himself those sinful excesses which would fill his heart with sorrow and his flesh with sin Vers. 1. CAst thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt find it after many daies This is a proverbial form of speech drawn from the manner of husbandmen who sow their land in expectation of a plentiful harvest after many daies Whereby the Wise man in pursuance of his principal argument touching tranquillity and comfort of life doth perswade unto liberality towards the poor that their mouths and bowels may bless us Some make it an allusion to Merchants who send their Estates in Ships upon the Sea expecting in time a return with much gain called the Harvest of the River Isa. 23.3 if the Prophet do not rather there allude to the plenty of Egypt by the over-flowing of the River whereunto possibly the Wise man may likewise allude in this place Others more generally understand it of giving alms to the poor where all we do may seem to be cast away as if it were thrown into the Sea Though thou think what is so given is all lost because given to those who can never recompence thee yet do thou lend in that manner looking for nothing again Luk. 6.35 being assured that what is thus given to the poor is lent unto the Lord Prov. 19.17 who will in his time certainly repay it with advantage unto thee But I rather take it to be an allusion unto seed which is sowed on very fertil ground which is neer a river or is made fat by the over-flowing of a river Numb 24.7 Isa. 32.20 So they used in Egypt to make their land fertil by drawing the water when the river flowed over by art unto it Deut. 11.10 11. Therefore amongst other plagues which the Lord threatneth Egypt withal this is one That their Rivers should be dried up and that which was sowed by them should wither Isa. 19.5 6 7. and so we read of the seed of Sihor Isa. 23.3 which was a River in Egypt Josh. 13.3 Jer. 2.18 By casting the bread upon the waters we understand by or neer the waters as Ps. 1.3 Gen. 41.1 because those places are the most fertil When he saith thy bread he thereby teacheth us that our charity must be out of our own estate and according to that condition wherewith God hath blessed us Eph. 4.28 for thou shalt find it after many daies The seed which a man sows seemeth to dye and perish but the husbandman waiteth patiently for many daies together and at last he reapeth a plentiful harvest Jam. 5.7 as Isaac did Gen. 26.12 Mark 4.8 And in like manner that which is sowed in the bellies and backs of the poor will be repayed as the seed is in harvest manifold into the bosoms of righteous men Prov. 19.17 2 Cor. 9.6 10. Deut. 15.10 Matth 19.22 Ps. 112.9 V. 2. Give a portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth By waters is sometimes in the Scripture meant multitudes of people as Isa. 8.7 17.12 Revel 17.15 and the Wise man here bidding us to cast our bread on the waters doth in this verse explain what he meant thereby namely that we should disperse our good works and alms-deeds unto many that we should be large hearted and open-handed unto the poor Give a portion He alludeth unto the manner of their feasts and entertainments in old times when they did use to distribute portions to their guests and to send to the poor 2 Sam. 6.19 1 Sam. 1.4 5. Gen. 43.34 Esth. 9.22 Nehem. 8.10.12 Isa. 58.7 Whereunto our Saviour haply alludeth when he saith that Mary had chosen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A good part or portion Luk. 10.42 Which custome of distributing equal portions to the guests we find in Homer and Plutarch to have been observed likewise among the Grecians as also the custome of sending portions from the Tables of greater persons to those that were absent Vide Stuck Antiq. Conviv lib. 3. cap. 3. to seven and also to eight That is to many a definite number for an indefinite 1 Sam. 2.5 Job 5.19 Mic. 5.5 So hereby is noted large and cheerful liberality to all in want according to our abilities We may not think we have done our duty when we have been charitable to one or two persons but we must disperse our bounty as seed that is sown and do good unto all men according to their need and to our condition cheerfully and incessantly The necessity of a man may require it when his person doth not deserve it Luk. 6.30 2 Cor. 9.5 10. Gal. 6.10 Isa. 2◠18 Prov. 31.20 for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth Embrace the present opportunity of doing good thou canst not fore-see how soon thou mayst be deprived of it since thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Jam. 4.14 Prov. 27.1 3.27 28. Luk. 12.20 Haply thou mayst dye and leave thy wealth to those who will shut up their bowels against the poor however what they do shall not be put on thy account Thou art a steward of thy estate no longer than for thine own life and therefore be thine own Executor and consider the wants of the poor at present therefore let not thy bounty be only future Haply God may
for such weighty affaires as are to be managed by wisdome and counsel Isa. 28.1 Hos. 4.11 7.5 V. 18. By much slothfulnesse the building decayeth and through idlenesse of the hands the house droppeth thorow This is a proverbial form of speech and appliable unto all kind of businesses shewing the danger of idlenesse and procrastination in them And it is here used as an illustration of what he had said vers 16. to set forth the misery of a Land under childish and carelesse Government by a Comparison drawn from the lesser to the greater from an house to a State for as an house being exposed to wind and weather will in time drop thorow and so endanger the rotting of the Timber and the ruine of the whole if the owner thereof do not by timely repairs prevent such a mischief so the Common-wealth being exposed to various dangers from the subtilty and hostility of enemies abroad and from the rebellion sedition and various discontents of ill-affected people within it self will be continually in danger of dissolution if Governours who should be the Healers Repairers and Builders thereof be not exceeding vigilant upon its preservation and safety which if he be he will have little time left for luxury and intemperance Here then 1. A State or Kingdome is compared to an House as sometimes the Church is 1 Cor. 3.9 Ephes. 2.21 3.15 Heb. 3.2 6. 1 Tim. 3.15 nothing more usual then to call the Kingdome of Israel The House of Israel the House of Jacob c. Isa. 2.6 5.7 Luke 1.33 Obad. vers 18. 2. Princes are compared unto the Masters of the Family and to those unto whom it belongeth to Heal and Repair the ruines and breaches in that great building Isa. 3.7 Job 34.17 Isa. 58.12 61.4 As elsewhere to foundations Psal. 82.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Coverings Ezek. 28.16 to Barrs which keep a house from being broken open Hos. 11.6 to the Coignes or Corners in a Building which keep the Compages of a structure together Isa. 19.13 3. Misgovernment is compared unto carelesness in an House-keeper or Steward that doth not in time prevent those ruines in an house which a few breaches uncured will quickly draw after them Which to shew the greatness of it is called in the duall number double slothfulness or the slothfulnesse of both hands and so the 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by slothfulnesses The Building decayeth is vitiated weakned disjoynted sinketh inclineth the 70 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is brought low a proper expression being spoken of the roof of the house and so the word is rendred Psal. 106.43 Job 24.24 And through idleness of the hands so the 70 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is through the humility abjection demission hanging down of the hands that do not put themselves forth nor lift themselves up unto labour aâ— Heb. 12.12 Exod. 17.12 The like expressions whereunto we have Psal. 76.5 74.11 Prov. 6.10 19.24 26.15 Prov. 10.4 the house droppeth thorow Which first causeth the walls and timber to rot and so tendeth unto ruine and secondly causeth a mans habitation to be irksome and uncomfortable unto him Prov. 19.13 27.15 V. 19. A feast is made for laughter and nine maketh merry but money answereth all things These words if taken absolutely and alone are to shew the dominion of money in humane affairs above all other things other common things even the best of them Bread and Wine whereby the Scripture useth to expresse most outward contents have a definite and limited use proper to themselves distinct from others They tend to make men laugh and be merry but money is the measure of all things It will feed and cloath and harbour and purchase and extend as a civill Instrument unto all secular provisions But they seem rather to bear Relation to what went before slothful men intend not the supportance of their houses families or estates but they spend their whole time in feasting and luxury and all that not out of any store which by their provident labours they had laid up but by the constant expence of treasure and emptying of their baggs whereby at last their houses families estates are wholly brought to ruine Some joyn the words unto the former thus Through idlenesse of the hands of thâ—se men the house droppeth thorow who make feasts for laughter and prepare wine to make their life merry and whose money doth readily answer all these greedy lusts and desires of theirs and doth bring in supplyes and fuel into them So this Verse looketh back to verse 16. shewing the Cause of the Woe there pronounced against a Land whose Princes were luxurious and by whose slothfulnes in regard of publick service the House of the State was ready to decay and drop thorow for by riot and excess which cannot be maintained without vast proportion of treasure to answer all the exigences of them such Princes are constrained to crush and oppress the poor people and to squeeze them with heavy exactions Jer. 22.13 19. which is unto the hearts of the people as a continual dropping in a ruinous house causeth them either through sadness of spirit to fall and despond and so to become an abject and low condition'd Nation Ezek. 17.13.14 2. Reg. 15.20 or else stirreth them unto more resolute practises to shake off the yoke which they are not willing nor able any longer to bear 1 Reg. 12.14 15 16. They make a feast for laughter So facere panem vitulum agnam are expressions used for dressing of such things towards a feast or entertainment Dan. 5.1 Gen. 18.7 8. 2 Sam. 12.4 and wine maketh merry Laetificat vitam maketh a mans life merry as elsewhere Laetificat Cor giveth him a merry heart Ps. 104.15 But money answereth all things LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whereunto agreeth the Vulgar pecuniae obediunt omnia Money can command all things to wit which are measurable thereby It being the Instrument and element of Commerce as the Philosopher calleth it Symmachus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is profitable for all things which may be bought therewith or Exaudit omnia It heareth the desires of men when men desire such things as they outwardly want If they have money that ordinarily can answer this desire and procure those things for them a like expression we find Hos. 2.21 22. V. 20. Curse not the King no not in thy thought and curse not the Rich in thy bed-chamber for a bird of the air shall carry the voice and that which hath wings shall tell the matter Because by occasion of such sins of mis-government in evil Princes men might be very apt through impatiency of spirit to break forth into disloyal thoughts and affection towards them however they might haply be by fear of danger restrained from seditious speeches or rebellious practices He therefore concludeth this whole Argument with a strict prohibition of all hard and undutiful thoughts and
risings of heart against Rulers notwithstanding their Errors in Government and Corruptions in living not so much as secretly in their hearts to wrong them both for conscience sake and for fear of wrath as the Apostle likewise directeth Rom. 13.5 Even in thy thought or in thy conscience curse not the King Entertain not any lâ—ght vain contemptuous or dishonourable thoughts of him do not wish any evil to his person crown or Government not so much as in thy inmost and most secret retirements Exod. 22.28 2 Pet. 2.10 Ps. 62.4 1 Sam. 10.27 2 Sam. 19.21 1 Reg. 2.8 Isa. 8.21 The second clause neither curse the Rich is a re-enforcing of the same precept again meaning by the Rich the Governour Isa. 53.9 In the chambers of thy bed or in thy most secret retirement And left a man should presume so to do as conceiving thoughts to be free and far enough out of the sight of the Governor to observe or avenge He addeth the great danger like to ensue by means which they could not so much as imagine or suspect for a bird of the air shall carry the voice and that which hath wings shall tell the matter As if he had said Thy thoughts and secret curses are heard in Heaven by him who will certainly punish them however secret they are kept from men And the Lord can easily find our waies even by bruit Creatures to bring them to light as he did rebuke the madness of Balaam by his asse 2 Pet. 2.16 and punish the pride of Pharaoh and Herod by frogs lice and worms Exod. 8.6 17. Act. 12.23 We read how a flight of Cranes did discover the murther done upon the Poet Ibycus and how Bessus who had slain his father overthrew a neast of swallows chattering because saith he they accuse me for killing my father As our Saviour saith in another case If these should hold their peace the very stones would cry out Luke 19.40 So the Lord can by even dead and inanimate Creatures discover wickedness The earth it self which drank blood in shall disclose and reveal it Gen. 4.11 Isa. 26.21 Hab. 2.11 The Chaldee by birds of the air understand the Angels of Heaven who like winged Eagles shall make report of secret wickedness Others understand it of fame which is a swift and as it were a winged Messenger alluding unto that which is said of Princes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Princes have many Eyes many Ears and long arms that can see and hear and punish offences at at a greater distance CHAP. XI IN the former Chapter he shewed the excellent use of true wisdome as a means of Tranquillity of mind and remedy against the vanity of outward things in ordering our behaviour aright towards Superiors for prevention of those dangers which their displeasure may subject us unto In this Chapter he further discovereth the use thereof unto the same End of comfortable living in ordering of our behaviour towards Inferiors those especially that are in want Concerning which we have First the precept it self concerning substantial and useful charity vers 1. with an effectual reason thereof both drawn from a Metaphor of sowing and reaping seed vers 1. Secondly the manner and measure of this our charity which is to abound towards all that are in want and that enforced by a reason drawn from the uncertainty of future Events now thou art able hereafter thou mayst be disabled therefore do good while thou hast means so to do and thereby provide friends to thy self against any evils which thou also mayst fall into vers 2. Thirdly Both those are illustrated by many similitudes in the which he doth by way of Prolepsis prevent such objections as the covetous hearts of men are apt to make against this duty 1. A man is apt to say That he is neerest to himself and must look after his own supplyes and leave others to look after theirs To which he answereth That as Clouds are not filled with waters to keep them to themselves but to empty them upon the Earth so Gods blessings are not deposited to men only for their own good but as Stewards they are to dispence out of them unto others vers 3. 2. It may be objected If I must relieve seven and eight take notice of the wants of many It will be seven to one if much of this bounty will not be cast away upon unworthy and ungrateful persons who will make no return either unto God or man for it To this he answereth That as it is all one to the master of a tree whether it fall North or South for either way it falls to the owners use and benefit so that good which is done to any man in want out of a desire thereby to honour God and to help our neighbour shall prove beneficial unto him that so doth it whatever the person be unto whom it is done vers 3. 3. It may be objected That it is not yet a season to be thus bountiful there are many Impediments and discouragements thereunto This charge this loss that affliction or danger or expence lyes upon me when I am gotten over these it will then be a fitter time to think on the wants of others when I am secured against mine own To this he answers by another similitude drawn from husbandry He that will not sow his seed lest the wind should blow it away nor reap his corn lest the Clouds should rain and wet it shall never want exceptions against that which yet is necessary to be done Therefore our duty is to embrace the present opportunity and leave the success for the future unto Gods blessing If we could certainly fore-see better weather and more seasonable accommodations for our businesses to morrow than to day we might haply pretend some reason for delay of duty But that is in Gods hand alone as unknown unto us as the way of the wind or of the souls coming into the body or the growing of the bones of an Embryo in the womb Therefore it is our duty to do good at present while we have opportunity and to commit the success of all for the future unto God vers 4 5. Whereupon he repeateth the Exhortation in the same Metaphor sow thy seed scatter thy charity in season and out of season in youth in age at all times on all occasions since thou knowest not which will be most succesful vers 6. And now having thus largely set down various precepts for making the life of a man comfortable and his mind quiet amidst all the vanities of the world He proceedeth to instruct him how he may provide for death and judgement and so secure happiness in another world too for a man might be apt to say when I am thus throughly fitted by these many precepts unto a secure and comfortable manner of living having the favour of great men the blessing of poor men peace within and plenty without when by godly wisdome vexation of mind and the