Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 11
The eleuenth Chapiter.
Curſe not the king in thy thought, nor the rich in thy bed chamber. for the ſoules of heauen ſhall carry thy voice, & they which hauehave wings ſhall bewraye it.
An exhortation to good workes.THe Chapiter going before was a kynde of inuectiue agaynſt fooles, and a diſcription of the kingdome of this worlde, what a kynde of thyng it is, ſo that whoſoeuer beareth office, may know he hath a troubleſome adminiſtration. And to knowe that the kingdome of this worlde is ſo troubleſome and incorrigible, is the greateſt wiſedome that can be. Now this chapiter exhorteth to good workes: for whē men are taught how vniuſt the kingdom of this world is, then their hartes begin to waxe weary, and they deuiſe how to geue vp all kinde of adminiſtration, and to forſake the world, being ouercommed with the malice of men, as was declared heretofore. But Salomon teacheth, that the more vnhappye and vngracious the worlde is, the more we ſhould trauel and indeuour to doe ſome good.
And firſt he beginneth with honoring of the magiſtrate,A cōmaundement to honour the magiſtrate. for the magiſtrate is an ordinaūce of God, and the better part of the worlde vnderunder the Sunne: and by this ordinaunce God doth all thyngs that are done vnderunder the Sunne. But the wicked beginnes with cōtemning of the magiſtrates, becauſe they heare in the ſcripture that God reprehendeth them: but it is Gods office to rebuke & reprooue magiſtrates: and where thou heareſt God thus doe, thou muſt not follow him therin, for thou art not God, or any ordayner or reſtorer of godly ordinaunce: but as God reprooueth thē, euē ſo reprooueth he thée alſo in his ſcriptures, that thou alſo mighteſt doe thy duety, but thou forgetting the beame in thine owne eye, begynneſt to eſpye a moate in an other mans eye, and reprehendeſt thy ſuperiours, of whom thou oughtſt rather to be reprehē ded. For if thou wert in their office, thou wouldſt commit farre more faultes then they, and wouldſt not performe ſo much as they doe: let vsus therefore heare how God rebuketh the magiſtrate, but not follow him in ſo doing.
Euen euyll magiſtrates are to be honoured.This therfore is his meaning, I hauehave ſayd many things of of Princes how they deſtroy ye world: but doe not thou ſpeake euill of the king within thy ſelf, or in thy hart, nor of ye rich mā in thy ſecret chamber, yt is to ſay, men yt are in authority, muſt be reuerenced becauſe it is no mās ordinaūce, but Gods. For although Peter call the magiſtrate an ordinaunce of man, becauſe they are taken from among men, yet is their power of God. And although they be euill men, yet are they to be honoured becauſe of Gods ordinaūce. Why therefore wilt thou ſpeake euill of thē which are troubled wt ſo many cares & trauailes for thy weale, if they be good men, and if they be euill men, their wickedneſſe is, and bringeth them euils inough. Beare with them therefore, but thus we doe not, yea the worlde doth the contrary, it rendereth vnkyndneſſe to the good, it ſpeaketh euill of others, it commendeth fooles, and maketh good men out of the way.
Men alwayes impatient and diſcontent.To conclude we can ſuffer neyther our ſelues, ne yet others, neither proſperitie, no yet aduerſitie. If God try vsus with a litle affliction, with ſickneſſe, or pouerty, we become impatient and accuſe God, if he geue vsus ouer to our owne deſiers, neyther can we be ſo cōtent. It is a great patience of God that can beare with vsus in ſo great vnthankfulnes. Let vsus ceaſe therfore to ſpeake euill of ye magiſtrates, but geue them honour, whether they be good or bad, geue God thanks for them, if they be good: if they be euill, lament it and beare with them. And let the preachers rebuke them, and not the commōs.
For the foules of heauen ſhall carry thy voyce, and they which hauehave winges ſhall bewray it.
THe Hebrwes call a birde or foule, a man of wings or huſband of feathers, or one that hath feathers. This he meaneth, if thou ſpeake euill of the kyng, it ſhal not lie hidden but commeth to light, and ſo thou ſhalt be puniſhed. For the wrath of ye king is death, but his louing fauour is as the euening dewe.
Caſt thy breade vponupon the waters, for after many dayes thou ſhalt finde it.
THis agayne is an Hebrew phraſe, as Salomō aboundeth in ſuch figures.A cōmaundement to be liberall. This is it he would ſay: Be liberall to eueryevery man while thou mayſt, vſe thy riches eueryevery where, by pleaſuring eueryevery man. And he ioyneth a promiſe thereto: For if thou liue long, thou ſhalt receaue an hū dred folde. So in his prouerbes: He that hath pitie on the poore, lendeth vntounto the Lord. So Chriſt alſo: Geue and it ſhall be geuen vntounto you. And Paule: God loueth a chearefull geuer. He yt will be a begger, let him geue nothing to other men. He ſayth therefore, Caſt thy bread, that is, diſtribute & deale of that liuing which God hath geuen thée: vponupon the waters, that is, geue boūtifully, and with a ſingle eye, although it ſéeme to thée thine almes periſh, and thy bread be throwen in the water. For Salomon vſeth a metaphore, whereby he ſignifieth that thou being a man ſhouldſt féede and nouriſhe man.
For after many dayes thou ſhalt finde it.
THat is, if thou liue long thou ſhalt finde that bread that thou didſt caſte into the water, as though he ſhould ſay: it ſhall not be loſt that thou geueſt to others, although it ſéeme ſo, yea the Lord will geue thée bread for a long ſeaſon. Pſal. 36. The righteous is euer mercifull and lendeth. Againe: In the time of dearth they ſhall hauehave plenty. For God will not ſuffer himſelfe to be ouercommed in liberalitie, but will far paſſe and ſurmount our bounty and largeſſe.
Geue a portion to ſeuen and alſo to eight, for thou knoweſt not what euell ſhall be vponupon earth.
HEre againe he exhorteth,The commaundemēt of liberality repeated agayne. and ioyneth a threatening to his exhortatiō. Deuyde ſaith he thy breade among ſeuen or eight, that is geue plentifully. For he that ſoweth ſparingly, ſhall reape ſparinglye, He that ſoweth aboundantly ſhall reape aboundantlye. As Paule ſayth: Thinke it not to much whatſoeuer thou geueſt. And although y• ſhouldeſt giuegive all yu haſt, yet ſhouldeſt thou not want, ſo that thou haſt to geue, and gyueſt of thine owne, as Chriſt ſayth in his goſpell.
Becauſe thou knoweſt me, what euell. &c.
THat is, it may come to paſſe, that to morrow thou ſhalt dye and leaue thy goodes to vnworthy mē, or els ſome other calamity may ſuddeinly fall, & then thou repent thée that thou didſt not geue or beſtowe thy goodes, and now being willing arte not able. Geue therefore thy goodes while thou haſte them and art able: thou knoweſt not what wil afterwarde betide. For when Princes gather and maſſe vp infinite treaſures, they doe but miniſter occaſion of warres, and rich men doing ye lyke miniſter matter of lawe and contention.
¶ If the Cloudes be full, they will powre fourth rayne vpō the earth.
THeſe be meere exhortatiōs & threats. If the cloudes, that is the poore, be full, they will ſend downe rayne into ye earth. This may be vnderſtanded two wayes. Firſt thus: Doe as the cloudes doe, which when they are full, let ye raine fall: euen ſo doo thou, poure out vponupon the poore. Secondly it may be a promiſe, which I lyke better, after this ſorte. If thou haſt ſubſtaunce geue it to thē, which be like wandring cloudes, and hauehave nothing. Fill I ſay theſe cloudes, and thou ſhalt ſee thy ſelfe alſo filled. The commination followeth.
¶The tree whether it falleth to the South, or to the North, in the place that it falleth there it ſhall be.
THat is,A commination agaynſt Niggards. thou knoweſt not how longe thou ſhalt liue, and poſſeſſe thy goods. As a trée when it is cutt downe, whether it fall to the South, or to the North, remayneth there ſtill: ſo howſoeuer death taketh the, in whatſoeuer ſtate or condition, thou remayneſt in the ſame. If the Lorde finde thee in the South, that is to ſay fruitefull, and rich in good woorkes, it is happye for thée: If in the North, that is to ſay, with no good woorkes, woe to thée. Howſoeuer thou ſhalt be founde, ſo thou ſhalt be iudged, ſo thou ſhalt receiue alſo.
He that obſerueth the wynde ſhall not ſowe, and he that regardeth the Cloudes ſhall not reape.
THis alſo apperteyneth to exhortatiō.We muſt geue liberally. We in the Dutche tounge expreſſe this ſentence thus: He that is afrayde of the buſhes, muſt neuer come into the woodes or forreſt. It ſéemeth to him ye geueth, that he ſhall leaue nothinge at home, but loſe all. And this is the cauſe we geeue ſo vnwillingly. Therefore (ſayth he:) If thou wilt feare penurye & ingratitude of men, thou ſhalt neuer be beneficiall. He that regardeth ye ſubſtance he geueth, more then the woorde of ye promiſer, beleueth he ſhall not be nouriſhed in tyme to come nor hauehave inough. Therfore looke vponupon the woorde and promiſes of God: Man lyueth not by bread onelyonly. If thou wilt beléeue this woorde, he will bleſſe the in thée féelde, at home. &c.
He ſhall neuer be liberall that is voyde of fayth and feareth pouertie.Therefore he ſoweth not ye regardeth the windes, nor reapeth, that obſerueth the raine. For in the harueſt raine is not good, but men looke for fayre wether, and reape not till that be come. I would geue gladly (ſay ſome) if I knew I ſhould not lacke my ſelfe. Thou wilt geue onelye yt whereof thou haſt no néede. But thou muſt know that the poore muſt eate with thée, ſo that thou ſhouldeſt rather ſomewhat defraude thy ſelfe, then he ſhoulde lacke. But he that beleueth not the Lord will doo no good. He that omitteth his worde, will omitt his worke alſo.
As thou knoweſt not which is the waye of the Spirites, nor how the bones doe growe in the wombe of her that is with Childe: So thou knoweſt not the worde of God that worketh all.
SAlomon vſeth this copiouſnes of exhortation,Becauſe our life is vncerteine, we muſt be liberall. to awake and ſtyrre vp our ſlouthfulnes: Euen (ſayth he) as thou knoweſt not the waye of the winde, and how the bones are ioyned together &c: euen ſo thou knoweſt not the worke that God doth eueryevery where or in all mē. Thou knoweſt not what God will determine of thy ſelfe, or of any other, whether thou ſhalt lyue or dye to morrowe, whether thou ſhalt be ſicke, or hauehave any other myſhapp. If God would hauehave prolonged our lyfe and our dayes, ſo that we might hauehave knowē how long, we woulde hauehave beene the woorſt Creatures on the earth. But now know we not whether we ſhall lyue one hower, and yet we wil not ceaſe our euill doing. This ſimilitude Chriſt vſeth in the thirde of Saynte Iohn: Thou heareſt the blowing of the wynde, and yet thou knoweſt not whēce it cōmeth, nor whether it will, and no more knoweſt thou whether thou ſhalte goe. As therefore thou feeleſt the wynde preſent, ſo vſe thou thy preſent goodes.
And how the bones be ioyned together.
The workes of God be vnknowen to vsus.LIkewiſe (ſaith he) are beaſtes and men made in their mothers wombe, thou knoweſt not how. Pſal. 38. My bones are not bid from thee though … be made ſecretly. & in all that Pſalme of Domine probaſti. &c. And though the wombe were opened,He that made thee, will feede thee. yet could we not ſée how theſe thinges came to paſſe. For we all ſée that trées doe growe, and yet we ſée not how the bowes, leaues and fruites of them doe grow, neither can we ſhewe any reaſon thereof. Euen ſo other men ſée that we growe. Seing therefore we vnderſtand not thinges preſent and before our eies, how ſhall we vnderſtand things to come. To cōclude, Gods works are to vsus vnknowen, and ſo are thoſe things that are to come.
In the morning ſowe thy ſeede, and in the euening let not thine hand reſt: For thou knoweſt not whether ſhall proſper this or that, or whether both ſhall be alyke good.
HE ſpeaketh not this of tyllage onelyonly,He repeateth his former exhortations and comfortes. but generally of all the woorkes of man, and chiefly of doing good workes as Paule ſayth: Let vsus doo good while we hauehave time. In the morning, that is, betimes or alway. The reaſon is, becauſe yu knoweſt not which will ſooneſt grow. Caſt thou thy ſéede in ye ground, and doe that thou oughteſt, and then commit all thy labour & ſucceſſe hereof to God. Doe wel vntounto all men, marke not the windes, nor care not for that is to come. Thus muſt we doe our good works, & not looke for our thankes here. If the world doth giuegive no thankes, God thanketh, if both cometh to paſſe ſo much is it the better. And if Daungers enſue, receiue them thankfully.
We ſée therefore in all this booke that Salomon teacheth vsus to vſe the thinges preſent that God ſendeth, and armeth vsus againſt daūgers and calamities to come, that when they light we take them not as ſtraunge. That that followeth is a kinde of wiſh or prayer ſuch as we vſe in our ſermons and exhortations, in Dutch on this wyſe: woulde to God it went ſo to woorke.
Light is ſweet, and a pleaſant thing it is for the eyes, to ſee the Sunne.
THis is an allegory, he meaneth if were a pleaſant thing, if a mā would expreſſe this doctrine in lyfe: If the Princes and people would folow this doctrine which I hauehave taught & doe teach in this booke.
Though a man lyue many yeares, and in them all reioyce, yet he ſhall remember the dayes of darkenes, becauſe they are many, all that commeth is vanitie.
A man ſhal ſcarce finde one yt hath liued mearyly all the dayes of his lyfe.THis is a very comprecation or prayer as I ſayd, lyke as he ſhould ſaye: that age would I faine ſee that had obſerued the contentes of this booke, the ſame were an excellēt man. Looke how pleaſaunt & ioyfull the Sun & light is, ſo pleaſaunt a thing it is to ſée a man many yeares inured with the experience of theſe matters, & yet meary at his hart, and conteyning all worldy Daungers. He ſhould ſée in déede much darkenes, yt is, myſeries of this worlde. But this ſhould delight him, that he could ſet them lighter, as one knowing and perceiuing long before, that this were the ſtate and trade of the worlde.