〈◊〉 1 Reg. 3.9.11 2. To have increased it 3. To have carried it into his heart it was inward and experimental knowledge 4. To have delighted in it gone seriously with full pupose about it gave my heart See vers 13. The more wise any man is the more he laboureth to grow in wisdom to know wisdom and to know madness and folly Chap. 7.25 Hereby he understands moral political and practical knowledge in order to its better government to observe the difference between wise and vertuous and between foolish and wicked actions the word rendred folly is in this onely place written with the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin in all others with the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Samech and so may be here rendred either folly or prudence And this he found to be vexation of spirit or feeding on wind observing how short men came of the one and how much the other did abound Or finding by his own experience that neither the perfection of moral wisdome so far as it is acquirable by humane diligence nor yet the pleasures and delights of vitious and foolish could quiet and settle the heart of man 1 Cor. 1.20 Eccles. 11.8 9. A bare speculative knowledge of good and an experimental presumptuous knowledge of evil such as Adams was in eating the forbidden fruit are so far from making men happy that they increase their misery But here Solomon may seem to have committed an errour against the moral wisdome which he here professed to enquire after namely in speaking of much so his own eminency in gifts beyond other men Joh. 8.13 He doth it not falsly arrogantly nor proudly and vain-gloriously to magnifie himself but humbly in acknowledging Gods gifts and necessarily to discover thereby the truth of that doctrine he was now teaching the Church by his own experience and so it is lawful to make mention of Gods gifts and graces bestowed on us as the Apostle doth 1 Cor. 14.18 15.10 2 Cor. 11 5 6. V. 18. in much wisdome Or in the abundance of wisdome as Psal. 72.7 51.1 Prov. 20.6 15. Hos. 8.12 Or in the man who is much in wisdome or who hath much wisdome Job 11.2 The sense is every way the same is much grief Or anger or indignation Whence the Chaldee Paraphrase The more knowledge any man hath without repentance the more wrath is upon him from the Lord as Luke 12.47 But the meaning according to the scope of the context is That abundance of wisdome is alwaies accompanied with a proportion of trouble and perturbation of mind as indignation to see how little fruit and how much disappointment a man doth meet with in it and how little accompt is made of it in the World as Eccles. 9. Grief and discontent when the more wisdom a man hath the more ignorance he doth discover in himself and the more pains he must take to go on unto more knowledge yet unattained and yet still find his crookedness of mind and manifold defects uncorrected unsupplyed fear of losing and forgetting what with so great pains had been gotten Some begin the next Chapter with these words and so make them a transition to the next endeavour of Solomon to finde out happiness in some other thing and so the sense runs thus Forasmuch as in much wisdome there is much grief c. and this was not the way to attain true happinesse and content to toyl and weary out my self with pain sorrow of mind and body in the attaining of wisdome Therefore I said in my heart Go to now I will prove thee with mirth c. Yet the purpose of the Wise man is not to deter men from so noble a labour as the study of wisdome and learning but to raise up to the study of heavenly Wisdome and the fear of God whereby their other knowledge would be sanctified sweetned and made excellently useful and comfortable to them CHAP. II. BEing disappointed in his expectation from the knowledge of the Creature he now resolveth to search what good may be found in the use and fruition of it and so sets himself to try what content either sensual or rational pleasures could bring to the heart which he doth from vers 1. to ver 12. and finding that he had changed for the worse he goes back again to the consideration of wisdome and madnesse and finding as much disappointment the second time as he had done the first vers 12 23. He concludeth that there is no comfort nor tranquility to be found in the use of Creatures till by the favour of God it be sweetned unto us Vers. 24 25 26. Vers. 1. I Said in my heart I purposed Within my self and did resolve with intimate affection to try what pleasures would do Chap. 1.16 Luke 12.19 Go to now It is an adverbial form of exhorting and quickening his heart unto such a course I will prove thee with mirth Or by mirth as by the instrument of enquiring after happinesse Judg. 6.39 1 King 10.1 I will make tryal another way whether pleasures will content thee Psal. 26.2 the word being deriveable from another root admits of another sense but to the same purpose I will pour out my self in delights or I will abound in delights Pleasures do melt and pour out the soul hence Reuben is said to be unstable as waters Gen. 49.4 Ezek. 16.15 Lusts have a greediness and excess in them Eph. 4.19 I will wholly give my self my heart shall flow forth into delights I will fully gratifie my senses and indulge my fancy in all pleasing things therefore enjoy pleasure Or see good To see is to enjoy Isa. 53.11 Psal. 34.8 4.6 Live plentifully indulge to thy self all delights restrain not thy self from any desire of thine eyes V. 2. I said of laughter By laughter he meaneth any excess of joy and merriment when the heart is so full that it cannot contain its delight within but it breaketh forth into the face voice and outward behaviour Gen. 21.6 Psal. 126.2 Luke 6.21 or I said to laughter Thou art mad By a Prosopopoeia Excess of joy transporteth the mind and as it were displaceth reason argues much levity vanity incomposedness of judgment True joy is a severe and serious thing keeps the heart alwayes in a stayed and fixed condition but the joy which breaks forth into laughter is like the crackling of thorns Eccl. 7.6 and hath a sorrow at the bottom of it as a mad-man the more merry he is is the more miserable Prov. 14.13 Jam. 4.9 and of mirth what doth it What good or profit bringeth it with it Job 35.6 7. Matth. 20.32 The interrogation bids a challenge to all the masters of mirth that were to produce any one satisfactory fruit which it affordeth Thus we see by the example of Solomon that the heart cannot stay long on any one enquiry wherein it meeteth with dis-satisfaction but it quickly hasteneth unto another as a Bee flyeth from flower to flower when
8. 2. By vindicating the truth of his doctrine therein and in other his Writings by arguments 1. From the Pen-man of them His Piety he was a penitent Convert His wisdome His fidelity in teaching the people His diligence in seeking out choyce matter to teach them His success in composing many excellent and profitable Sentences for their furtherance in Piety Vertue and Prudence vers 9. 2. From the Quality of the doctrine which he taught which he commendeth 1. Absolutely and for it self in regard 1. Of the pleasantness 2. The uprightness 3. The truth of it vers 10. 4. The Efficacy of it set forth by two similitudes of goads and of nailes 5. The Authority of it 1. In regard of the office of those who dispence it they are Masters of the Assemblies 2. In regard of the great Shepherd of the sheep by whose Spirit it was revealed vers 11. 2. He commendeth it Comparatively from the Vanity of all other studies and learning without this All other Books are made without end or number and read without Satisfaction or Content by these a man may be admonished by others he can be onely wearied vers 12. And having thus demonstrated the Doctrine he had in this book delivered he closeth the whole with a most grave and solemn conclusion containing 1. A summary abridgment of the means of perfect Happiness and Tranquility of mind in two words fear and obedience fear of God in the heart as the root Obedience to his Will in the life as the fruit of that holy fear vers 13. 2. A strong Motive thereunto drawn from the future Judgment upon which and that final sentence of Absolution or Condemnation then to be pronounced the everlasting Happiness or Misery of Man standeth vers 14. He will bring every work to Judgment therefore keep his Commandements He will bring every secret thing to judgment therefore fear him and sanctifie him in your hearts Vers. 1. REmember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evil dayes come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them Remember We are naturally apt to forget God and not to retain him in our knowledg but to live as it were without him Psal. 10.4 5. Ephes. 2.12 and this most of all when Earthly and Sensual objects draw the heart with a stronger attraction therefore the Wise man having disswaded young men from youthful lusts doth here exhort them as a necessary means thereunto to Remember their Creator To set the Lord alwayes before their eyes Psal. 16.8 to be in his fear all the day long Prov. 23.17 To compose themselves unto his service to keep in memory to hold fast to ponder and stir up the thoughts of him and desires towards him in their hearts 1 Cor. 15.2 Tit. 1.9 Prov. 4.4 Luke 8.15 Deut. 11.18 Psal. 119.11 Luke 2.51 This Remembrance imports love desire obedience Verba notitiae connotant affectus Psal. 119.55 Isa. 26.8 9. We find Two Psalms amongst Davids with this Inscription To bring to Remembrance so careful was he not to forget the dealings of God with him Psal. 38.1 70.1 for this purpose were Sacraments instituted Exod. 12.42 1 Cor. 11.24 Feastivals ordained to keep alive the memory of mercies Esth. 9.27 28. Stones and Monuments erected for â—he remembring of Gods goodnesse Josh. 4.6 7. the Law wrâ—tten on door-posts fringes frontlets to be kept ever in mind Deut. 6.7 8 9. for this purpose God hath appointed his Ordinances and given his Spirit to his Church to put them in remembrance 2 Pet. 1.12 1 Tim. 4.6 Joh. 14.26 thy Creator This word includeth many reasons why God ought to be remembred and served by us 1. He made us and not we our selves and we owe our service to him from whom we receive our Being Psal. 100.2 3. Remember he made all things for himself we are of him therefore we must live to him Prov. 16.4 Isa. 43.21 Rom. 11.36 14.7 8. 2. He made us after his own Image to know him and to have special interest in him and acquaintance with him and being made like him we are the more obliged unto his service Eph. 4.23 24. 3. By that Power which created us we are continually preserved if he withdraw it we presently perish In him we live and move and have our being The more vigour and strength we have the more sensible we should be of that Divine supportance which continueth it unto us Act. 17.27 30. Psal. 104.28 29. 4. He who hath power to create hath power to destroy and he will shew the same Almighty power in destroying those who live not suteably to the ends of their Creation 1 Sam. 2.6 8. 2 Thess. 1.9 This creating power of God should teach us to fear him Jer. 5.22 in the dayes of thy youth The choicest time of thy life Lam. 3.27 Prov. 22.6 2 Chron. 34.1 2 3. 2 Tim. 3.15 Psal. 119.9 therefore God required that the first ripe fruits should be dedicated unto him Exod. 23.19 and the first born Exod. 22.29 And his sacrifices he would have to be young Exod. 12.5 29.1 Lev. 4.3 We enjoy mercies in our youth therefore we should do duty in our youth we expect eternal life from God therefore we should not withdraw any part of our temporal life from him He requireth to be served with all our strength therefore we may not put him off till our strength is gone before the evil dayes come c. If thou wilt have God to pity and help thee in thy evil dayes thou must serve him in thy good dayes The dayes of old age are called evil dayes aetas mala in Plautus because they bring many pains and troubles along with them vitae hyems the Wâ—nter of our life as Solon called it nam res plurimas pessimas cum advenit affert As the dayes of youth are called aetas bona in Cicero and aetas optima in Seneca Because then nature is strong and vigorous and doth most fully enjoy it self Thine old age will bring evils enough of its own Do not thou bring upon it the bitterness and burden of all thy youthful follies repentance is a hard work when thy sins are fewer and thy strength greater When infirmities bend thy back do not keep thine iniquities to break it Since the dayes of old age will be evil dayes Lay up as many graces as thou canst to sweeten it as many comforts as thou canst to strengthen thine heart against the evils of it Gather in Summer against such a Winter as this Prov. 10.5 That old age may not be to thee an evil age but as it was to Abraham a good old age Gen. 25.8 And the years wherein thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them This seems to be added as an aggravation of the evil of those evil dayes that if they be lengthened into years yet all that while a man can finde no matter of pleasure or content whole years together shall
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
order of excellent use to set forth the glory power wisdome and goodness of God and of necessary service for the use of man 1 Tim. 4.4 5. Yet withal vain in other respects 1. Comparatively vain when put in the ballance with God and heavenly things Job 15.15 Isa. 40.15 16 17. 2. Vain by that superinduced vanity whereunto they are subjected by the sin of man Rom. 8.20 3. Vain in order unto happiness the full possession the most vigorous fruition of them cannot bring real satisfaction to the soul of a man Man himself the noblest of them all and that at his best estate being altogether vanity Psal. 39.5 6 11. Psal. 62.9 144.3 4. They are vain 1. In regard of their unprofitableness unto such an use Jer. 16.19 2. In regard of their falseness and deceitfulness to those who lean upon them Job 15 20. Ps. 31.7 62.10 Jon. 2.8 3. In regard of their instability and impermanency as being under the bondage of corruption Rom. 8.20 1 Cor. 7.30 31. Ps. 39.11 2 Cor. 4.18 And in all these respects useless unto happiness for that which makes a man happy must bear a thorow proportion to all the wants desires and capacities of the soul and must withal be of an equal duration and continuance therewith neither of which is to be found in any worldly thing saith the Preacher Both by inspiration as a Pen-man of the holy Ghost and by experience as one who had learned it dearly and to his cost He sets his name as in the inscription to the whole book so here a second time to this which is the sum of the whole book confidently owning the truth thereof as sometimes the Apostle addeth his name emphatically to set on what he affirmeth or desireth 2 Cor. 10.1 Gal. 5.2 Philem. ver 9 19. So 1 Pet. 5.1 1 Joh. 1.1 3. They who speak to the Church should do it experimentally and from demonstration of the truth to their own hearts that they may be confidently able to own and to avow what they say V. 3. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun Or what remaineth and abideth with a man of all his labour What is added to him or what more hath he by it of all his labour The word imports toylsome and troublesome labour and so rendred by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under the sun This may relate to either passage of the verse either what remaineth to a man under the Sun that is nothing under the Sun will tarry or abide with him Or of all the labour which he hath laboured under the Sun or in relation to worldly matters here below There is a conversation and a labour in order to things above the Sun which will remain with a man and profit him Phil. 3.20 Col. 3.1 2. Joh. 6.27 But labour in earthly things will not do so We are said to labour under the Sun because earthly labour is done by the light of the Sun Psal. 104.22 23. Joh. 9.4 and because by that light we are more comforted in the fruition of them as Eccles. 11.7 and because the benefit we expect from our labours is wrought instrumentally by the warmth and influence of the Sun Deut. 33 14. Here then the wise man proveth his general proposition Whatsoever is unprofitable and perishing is very vanity All things under the Sun about which the anxious and toylsome labour of man is conversant are unprofitable and perishing for nothing of them will remain unto him or abide with him Therefore they are all vain And this he propoundeth by way of interrogation which makes the negative more unquestionable as appealing to the conscience of every man and challenging any man to disprove it The Scripture usually denies more emphatically by way of interrogation as Gen. 30.2 2 Sam. 7.5 compared with 1 Chron. 17.4 Matth. 16.26 Zech. 1.5 And he further insisteth on this point as certain and necessary Chap. 2.11 3.9 5.15 The Sum is this 1. Whatever fruit we have from worldly things we get it with very hard and toylsome labour either of the mind or body Gen. 3.17 19. Job 5.7 2. However that labour be useful and subservient to our temporal condition yet it is wholly unprofitable in order unto happiness 3. The foundation of this unprofitableness is 1. It doth not cause a man to excel it adds nothing of real worth unto him at all Jam. 2.1 6. Eccl. 9.14 16. Ps. 49.12 13 20. 2. It doth not abide with him all the comfort it brings is dying comfort it stops at the grave and goes no further Now nothing is profitable to a man which he cannot transport beyond the grave which he doth not carry with him into another world Job 1.21 21.21 Psal. 49.14 17. Joâ— 6.27 1 Tim. 6.7 Those works are benâ—â—icial which follow a man Rev. 14.13 therefore we must lay out our labour upon a life that abides and abounds Joh. 10.10 Isa. 55.2 and not labour in the fire and for every vanity Hab. 2.13 Luk. 12.6 Matth. 24.38 39. V. 4. One generation goeth and another generation cometh but the earth abideth for ever By Generation is meant the time wherein a Body of men do live and continue together so we read of this or that Generation Luk. 21.32 Heb. 3.10 the second third tenth generation or ages of men yet to come Deut. 23.2 3 8. A mans own generation or ages of men yet to come Deut. 23.2 3 8. A mans own generation or the age wherein he liveth Acts 12.36 There is a constant succession of men to one another a fixed time as the daies of an hireling Job 7.1 10. 14.14 The inward principles of change and mortality are alwaies working and life is like a shepherds tent which doth not continue in one place or stay Isa. 68.12 But the earth abideth or standeth for ever Continueth much longer than the men that are upon it for ever noteth often a long time so long as the present course and order of nature is to continue Ps. 119.90 so long as such or such an administration lasteth Gen. 9.12 1 Sam. 2.30 1 Sam. 13.13 otherwise we know the earth is to be changed and in some sense at the least to pass away as now the inhabitants thereof do Matth. 24.35 Psal. 102.25 27. There seems to be a double sense in the words both Consonant to the present argument 1. That man cannot be happy by any thing which is here below in regard of his transitory condition fathers going and children succeeding a mans labour haply may enrich him or bring him to honour but it cannot lengthen out his daies beyond one generation and then he and all his acquirements must part and in this respect the earth on which he treads is in a condition better than himself for it abideth to the end 2. Man seeking happiness from the earth and earthly things must needs be disappointed
the garment but another wears it This also is vanity viz. for a wicked man to labour for others whom he loves not nor ever intended his labour for Here we see 1. Goodness consists in approving a mans self to God 2. That sweet and perfect contentment is peculiar unto good men 3. That wisdome or skill to get riches is the gift of God Deut. 8.18 4. That knowledge to use them being gotten is likewise Gods gift as vers 24. 5. That good men only are the proper subject of true joy Gal. 5.22 6. That amongst other curses God doth many times punish wicked men with giving them up to the insatiable desires of their covetous hearts to weary themselves in gathering wealth to no purpose of their own of Eccl. 4.8 7. Gods providences that many times disposeth the labours of wicked men for the use and good of the godly CHAP. III. IN this Chapter the wise man proceedeth in discovering the vanity of worldly things and of all mens toil and labour about them in regard of the total uncertainty of future events as having their whole dependance on the predeterminate purpose of God not at all on the anxious care and thoughts of man And that therefore since man is not able to alter the series and contexture of events fore-ordained by God he ought with contentment of heart to enjoy his condition and to fear the Lord depend on his providence which is not possible for him by all his own sollicitude to prevent or escape And therefore though he may cheerfully enjoy present blessings yet he must not have his heart glued to them nor build his chiefest hope on them in regard they are so variable and subject to unavoidable changes and uncertainties So that the doctrine of the ten first verses of this Chapter seems to be 1. An argument enforcing the former counsel of the wise man Chap. 2.24 That since there is a set and prefixed season for all even the most contingent events and that it is out of the power of man by all his thoughts counsels cares to break through the limits of Gods providence in the guidance of them therefore our wisest way is to yield our selves unto God to depend on his counsel and provision to rest contented in that which he gives and not to disquiet our selves with the cares fears hopes of such things as are wholly without the order of our wisdome or power 2. A caveat in the use of outward comforts still to remember that they are changeable subject to time and providence to wear them out deprive us of them and therefore not to be offended if we have not alwaies our desires nor enjoy them so long and in so constant a tenor of success as we could wish our selves 3. A further observation of vanity in outward things in the various actions of other men as he had before discovered in his own labours V. 1. To every thing there is a season A predeterminate and an appointed time So it is used Esth. 9.31 Ezra 10.14 Nehem. 13.31 to every purpose To voluntary and contingent things which seem most in a mans own power yet these are over-ruled for their beginning duration and ending by the providence of God To every purposed business Where note 1. That all events in the world both natural and contingent voluntary or fortuitous are all of them limited and bounded for their beginning duration and ending by the providence of God Psal. 31.15 Job 14.14 Acts 17.26 So we read of a time for wrath Psal. 37.13 Ezek. 7.7 Hos. 5.7 Isa. 40.2 A time of love Ezec. 16.8 2 Cor. 6.2 A time to work in Joh. 2.4 A time to suffer in Joh. 7.30 8.20 13.1 17.1 It is great wisdom for men to observe the providences of God in this point that they may accordingly behave themselves towards him 1 Chron. 12.32 Luk. 19.42 Eccles. 9.12 Jer. 8.7 2. That whatever are the thoughts or cares of men yet the purposes of God must stand no man can by his anxious fears or contrivances mend or alter his condition Means we must use in obedience unto God and expectation of his promised blessing but events and successes we must wholly leave to him Isa. 46.10 Prov. 19.21 Psal. 33.10 11. Matth. 6.27 Jer. 10.23 3. That all things under the Sun are subject to continual Changes there are various revolutions and vicissitudes of events now one thing and anon the contrary to the intent that men should neither be wanton in prosperity nor desperate in adversity but should alwayes fear before the Lord and seek for a kingdome which cannot be shaken 1 Cor. 7.29 31. Prov. 27.1 Jam. 4.13 14. Dan. 2.21 V. 2. The Wise man subjoyneth an Induction of several particulars obvious to every mans experience whereby he demonstrateth the truth of this general Proposition Some of these particulars are things natural and wholly out of the power of man others humane and voluntary such as are done and directed by the Skill of man To teach us that all the most free and contingent actions are under the Law of Gods providence directed and limited thereby as well as those which are most natural and necessary 1 Reg. 22.24 Isa. 10.5 6 7. Act. 4 27 28. Some again begin with pleasant instances and end in sad ones Others begin with sadness and end with delight The Lord as he pleaseth ordering the affairs of men so as that sometimes they have their good dayes first and afterwards sorrow sometimes evil first and after deliverance Luke 16.25 Job 42.12 Joh. 21.18 Another thing to be remembred here is That the Lord doth not by every one of these particulars signifie what is good or lawfull to be done but only teach us that not only the good actions of men but their sins not only their serious actions but those which are most Ludicrous and vain are all of them under the decrees and over-ruling counsels oâ— God directing of them and their seasons aâ— it pleaseth him Matth. 10.29 30. Gen. 45 5. 50.20 Judg. 21.21 22 23. A time to be born or to bear nd briâ—â— forth Called the hour of a woman Joâ—â— 16.21 and a time to die Called the 〈◊〉 wherein a man must depart Joh. 13.1 〈◊〉 though the sentence of death hath sometimâ—â— been revoked Isa. 38.1 5. yet the predâ—â—terminate time fore-fixed in the purpose God was not altered V. 3. A time to kill There is a proâ—â—â—dence of God in the violent deaths of men directing actions either sinfull or fortuitous as it pleaseth him 2 Reg. 10.30 compared with Hos. 1.4 Exod. 21.13 1 Reg. 22.34 Hos. 6.1 1 Sam. 2.6 Job 30.26 to beat down and to build Jer. 1.10 18.7 31.28 Isa. 5.2 5. V. 4. A time to weep viz. From the Lord for he speaketh all along of the providence of God in whose hand all our times both of sorrow and of joy are Psal. 80.5 Ruth 1.20 21. and a time to laugh Psal. 126.1.2 Gen. 21.6
all words that men speak or all things that they do unto thee set not thine heart over-curiously to know them when thou dost know them lay them not to heart be not troubled at them do not set thy self to revenge them let them not disquiet thy mind see them and see them not 1 Sam. 9.20 2 Sam. 13.20 1 Sam. 25.25 1 Sam. 10.27 Prov. 19.11 20.3 It is a great point of wisdome to dissemble injuries to connive at them to take no notice of them to pass them by with meekness and neglect 2 Sam. 16.10 11. This meekness he requireth to be shewed even towards mean and abject persons or towards the poorest servant in a mans family who doth sometimes it may be through our own provocation utter some hard and undutiful speeches against us Joh. 31.13 14. V. 22. for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thy self likewise hast cursed others The order of the words seems to be inverted for the meaning is thou art conscious to thy self that thou hast oftentimes cursed or spoken evil of others The consideration of our own frequent passions and infirmities should move us patiently to suffer and willingly to pardon the oversights of our brethren Gal. 6.1 Tit. 3.3 Jam. 3.1 2. Matth. 7.1 5. The more sensible any man is of sin in himself the more meek and charitable he will be towards others Pride is the ground of contention and censoriousness Prov. 13.10 V. 23. All this have I proved by wisdome I said I will be wise but it was far from me He professeth the truth of all which he had before taught that wisdome is an excellent protection to a righteous man against his own corruptions and dangers ensuing thereupon and confirmeth it by his own experience and tryal according to that great wisdome which God had given him Yet withal he acknowledgeth how short he came of that perfection in wisdome which he promised himself by the diligent use of means to attain unto Professing the great difficulty he found therein 1. He was endued with the Spirit of God and with his fear which is ever accompanied with spiritual wisdome Ps. 119.99 100. 2. He had a personal and extraordinary promise of wisdome above any other men 1 Reg. 3.12 3. He had used all the means to increase this excellent grace of God in himself 1. He did very highly prize it Prov. 3.13 26. 8.11 12. 2. He had the benefit of a Religious education and his fathers instructions to quicken him in it Prov. 4.4 13. 3. He set his heart wholly upon it that according to the property of wise men he might be yet wiser and get more knowledge Prov. 9.9 10.14 Eccles. 1.13 4. He prayed earnestly unto God for it which is an excellent means to get wisdome Jam. 1.5 Eph. 1.17 Col. 1.9 2 Chron. 1.10 5. He had humility and a due sense of his want of wisdome which also is a fit disposition of heart to be taught of God 1 Cor. 3.18 8.2 Ps. 25.9 Matth. 11.25 1 Reg. 3.7 6. He had all outward furtherances and accommodations towards the getting of it wealth peace power authority to call in all the assistances which might be useful unto him in it Eccles. 2.9 10. 7. He had an extraordinary stock of infused wisdome to begin withal which he greatly improved by long and accurate experience 1 Reg. 4.30 Eccles. 1.16 And yet after all this he professeth That though he said he would be wise Though the purpose of his heart was wholly set upon it yet he found that it was far from him Teaching us thereby 1. The unsearchable deepness and distance of wisdome in its whole wideness from the noblest and most sublime understanding of man Job 28.12 21. 37.15 23. 38. per totum Rom. 11.33 34. 2. That the most perfect Saints are the most sensible of their imperfection as the more delicate the senses are the more sharply are they affected with what offends them Rom. 7.14 24. 12.3 1 Cor. 15.9 10. 13.9 10. 3. That it is the nature of spiritual wisdome to discover spiritual wants and the more the soul knows of God the greater doth it discern and bewail its distance from him as things neerest the Center make more haste unto it Exod. 33.11 18. V. 24. That which is far off and exceeding deep who can find it out Or that which hath been is far off and exceeding deep the word is doubled to note the superlative degree as Prov. 20.14 He sheweth the cause why he was far from wisdome because the works of God whether of Creation Redemption or Providence are very profound abstruse and mysterious greatly distant from the eye and beyond the comprehension of the weak and narrow reason of man Prov. 2.4 Job 11.6 10. Ps. 139.6 V. 25. I applyed mine heart to know and to search and to seek out wisdome c. Or I and my heart turned every way left no means unattempted exactly to discover wisdome c. The using of many words unto one purpose implyes the exquisite and curious search which Solomon made in this inquiry as Deut. 13.14 See Chap. 1.13 17. 2.3 12. Solomon was not so much discouraged by the difficulty as provoked by the excellency of wisdome and made no other use of the profoundness and abstruseness thereof than to multiply his endeavours in searching after it to seek out wisdome and the reason of things The curious art and subtil contrivances of things the same word is used vers 27 29. Chap. 9.10 2 Chron. 26.15 whereby we are taught in the disquisition of knowledge especially that which is spiritual not to content our selves with a superficial shew but to get rooted and grounded principles that we may be able with full assurance to give a reason of the hope which is in us 1 Pet. 3.15 and to have a distinct comprehension of the truth that we may be rooted and fixed on it Eph. 3.16 17 18. 4.14 and give a clear and deliberate Judgement upon it I and my heart That is I did heartily and seriously seek out The copulative Vau doth either import a preposition I with my heart did search as 1 Sam. 14.19 or a more clear explication I that is my heart so the learned conceive that copula many times to signifie as much as That is as Gen. 35.12 1 Chron. 21.12 2 Sam. 17.12 1 Sam. 17.40 28.3 And to know the wickedness of folly even of foolishness and madness Or the foolishness of madness as the Apostles expression is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sinning sin Rom. 7.13 so here the Wise man expresseth the desperate wickedness and folly of corrupt hearts by wickedness of folly and foolishness of madness thereby signifying the vast and deep corruption and deceit which is in the heart of man The knowledge whereof he did search after that he might be the better able to convince and to dissect the consciences of others 1 Cor. 14.24 25. Heb.
man may not onely recover the favour but prevent and preserve his Prince from many offences Some render the woâ—ds vir sanans an healer pacifieth great offences and so the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that by gentle behaviour seeketh to heal the wound and breach between him and his Soveraign shall pacifie great offences Or as a man in a course of Physick will abstain from those things which are hurtful unto him so a wise man will leave off all those sins whereby the anger of the Ruler may be stirred up against him Wisdom is of an healing nature Prov. 12.18 16.24 as we see in the carriage of Abigail to David 1 Sam. 25. and of the Woman of Abel to Joab 2 Sam. 20. others rendring it by mollities or remissio yielâ—â—ng or fainting give a double sense of it First That a mans yielding to temptations and passions of disloyalty doth cause many offences to rest on him doth bring with it many other sins through fainting in the day of adversity Prov. 24.10 Secondly that yielding for a while unto the tempest doth break the force of it and cause the heart of a man to relent and to melt towards those who do with calmnesse and humility endeavour to divert it Prov. 15.1 25.15 As a tempest which breaketh strong Oaks that resist it doth no hurt unto the weak Corn which yields unto it Or as Wooll or mud doth more abate the force of a Canon bullet then walls of stone that stand stubbornly against it See Judg. 8.1 2 3. Gen. 32.13 20. 33.4 1 Sam. 24.16 19. 25.32 33. V. 5 6. There is an evil which I have sâ—â—n under the Sun as an errour which proceedeth from the Ruler c. Here is intimated another cause of defection and rebellion against Princes namely misgovernment when through their errour and inadvertency unworthy persons are exalted and men of eminency and desert depressed There is an evil Another evil or a common evil an evil under the Sun in humane affairs as an errour Which is indeed an errour It is here Caph veritatis not a note of comparison or similitude but of truth as Judg. 13.23 Neh. 7.2 Hos. 4.4 5.10 Luke 22.44 By errour is noted a fault committed ignorantly and through inadvertency as Levit. 4.2 Numb 15.24 Whereby we are taught to put the fairest construction upon the faults of Superiours in the case of misgovernment it being so easie a thing for them who must see much with other mens eyes and cannot possibly have a clear knowledg of the worth of all persons whom they advance but may easily be carried into mistakes by the flatteries or plausible pretences of those that serve them to be deceived in their opinions of the fitnesse of persons for those places of trust wherein they do imploy them Folly is set in great dignity and the rich sit in low places Fools are very highly advanced The abstract for the concrete to denote men extreamly foolish and wicked as Psal. 5.9 1 Cor. 2.14 Phil. 3.2 Cant. 5.16 This is matter of much grief and trouble to good men when power is put into the hands of men as Vice-gerents for God who yet will use it all against him When the great interests of States and Churches shall be intrusted in the hands of those who have neither skill nor hearts to promote the good of them Psal. 12.8 Prov. 28.28 29.2 Esth. 3.1 15. This the Lord is often pleased in his providence to permit sometimes for the punishment of a wicked people Job 34 30. Isa. 19.4 Hos. 13.11 Zach. 11.6 Prov. 28.2 Judg. 9.23 24. and sometimes for the triall of his faithful servants and to stir up in them earnest prayer for those who are in authority that according to their duty they may be friends to those that are pure of heart 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Prov 22.11 Psal. 101.6 7 8. And sometimes to shew the greatness of his power in destroying tyrants Exod. 9.16 and the rich sit in low place This is to be understood in opposition to the former and so by rich is meant men of noble endowments for wisdom and goodnesse Psal. 45.12 To sit in low place or in an abject and despised condition is noted here as a posture of mourning and great sorrow as Jer. 13.18 Humble your selves or make your selves low sit So Isai. 47.1 Ezek. 26.16 V. 7. I have seen servants upon horses and Princes walking as servants upon the earth By servants he meaneth men of a low and base condition fitter to be the tail then the head Gen. 9.27 Lam. 5.8 which is a thing extreamly preposterous and absurd when servants do bear rule men of slavish condition are advanced above those that are free noble and pious Prov. 19.10 30.21 22. Deut. 28.43 44. upon horses This is a note of honour and dignity Esth. 6.8 9. Jer. 17.25 Ezek. 23.23 Hereby he meaneth That abject and vile persons who ought to be under government were exalted unto the Throne and unto places of trust and honour Such an one was Athenion in Greece who of a poor and mean person grew up to be a proud and potent tyrant laid aside wise Counsellors spoiled Temples and Cities wasted men of their estates and filled pits with treasure as Athenaeus lib. 5. reporteth And the like Zenophon relateth lib. 2. Hellenic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Princes walking as servants upon the earth As David seemeth to have walked when he fled from Absolom 2 Sam. 15.30 V. 8 9. He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it and who so breaketh an hedge a serpent shall bite him Who so removeth stones shall be hurt therewith and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby These are four Proverbial similitudes tending all unto one end viz. to shew that evil usually returneth on the heads of those who were authors of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 7.15 16. 9.15 16. Job 5.13 Prov. 11.5 6. 26.27 Esth. 7.10 2 Sam. 17.23 Exod. 14.28 18.11 Obad. ver 15. Isa. 33.1 Judg. 1.6 7. Quod quisque â—â—lieno excogitavit supplicio excipit suo He that made the fetters for another doth many times wear them himself The application of this general in the present case is First against Princes who do so advance unworthy men and depresse the well deserving such disorders in Government do many times redound unto their own sufferings and while they oppress the people they do supplant their own Thrones Prov. 16.12 25.5 2 Reg. 8.8.15 Secondly against such as attempt to alter the long established and wholsom Constitutions of Nations and People and do rashly over-turn the foundations of Lawes and Customs such changes are usually mortiferous to the undertakers of them Prov. 22.28 24.21 22. Thirdly against the undutiful and rebellious carriages of people towards their Princes and Rulers which commonly are pernicious unto the authors thereof as we finde in the examples of Absolom Sheba and others 2 Sam. 18.14