Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3
The third Chapter.
To all thinges there is an appointed tyme, and a tyme to eueryevery purpoſe vnderunder the heauen.
ANd here Salomon (as hath béene declared before) ſpeaketh of mās workes, that is to ſay,All the workes of man hauehave a tyme to be begon, to be done, & to be finiſhed in. ſuch as are taken in hand of mans wiſdome and counſell. This the interpreters not marking, thinke that he ſpeaketh in this place of the corruptyng of Gods creatures. Thus therefore vnderſtand, that all mans workes and deuiſes hauehave their certaine and appointed ſeaſon of doing, beginning and endyng, beyond mans power & habilitie, ſo that he ſpeaketh againſt frée will, becauſe it is not in our power, to appoint ye tyme, the meane, and the effect of our affayres, and that our enterpriſes and endeuours herein are vtterly fruſtrated, but that all thinges goe and come when God appointeth. This he proueth by the examples of mens workes, which are ordred beſide and aboue mans appointment, ſo that hereof he concludeth, that men are troubled in vaine with their owne deuiſes, and can bring nothing to paſſe, for all they can doe, vntill that time & houre commeth, that God appointeth. Hereto belongeth that ſaying in the Goſpell: The houre is not yet come. Agayne: A woman while ſhe is in trauell hath paine and ſorrow, becauſe her houre is come. Thus the power of God comprehendeth all thinges vnderunder their appointed houres and ſeaſons, ſo that no man can let or hinder them.
How we be rulers & Lordes of Gods creatures.But thou wilt ſay. How then is man made ruler ouer all thinges Gene. 2. if he be not able to gouerne them at his pleaſure, and to vſe them accordyng to his deſier? I aunſwere: we be ſo made gouerners of theſe creatures, as to vſe thē for the tyme preſent. But we are not able to rule them with our cares and trauels. No man with all his deuiſes, can compaſſe any thing for the time to come. For he that is vncertaine of thinges to come, how can he take order for thinges to come. Therfore God will hauehave vsus to vſe his creatures fréely, as he geueth thē, without preſcribing of tyme, meane, or houre. For theſe thinges are in ye hand of God, ſo that we muſt not thinke it is in our power, to vſe thinges when wee will, vnles he graunt it. For this cauſe Ieſus the ſonne of Sirach ſayth: God left man in the hand of his counſell, but he gaue him preceptes and commaundementes, whereby to moderate his deuiſes and doinges. &c.
All thinges hauehave their tyme.
THat is, their appointed houre and ſeaſon, which if man paſſe and goe beyond, and will bring all thinges about after his owne wayes and deuiſes, hée ſhall reape nought but vanitie thereof. Many men labour to waxe riche, but they preuaile not. Other are enriched, yea without any labour. Becauſe God hath appointed that houre, for the one, and not for the other.
And eueryevery purpoſe. &c.
IN the Hebrew it is Hephetz, which commonly is tranſlated pleaſure, or deſire. Me thinketh it may handſomely be tranſlated delight, as in the 2. Pſalm: his delight is in the law of the Lord. For Hephetz ſignifieth, that which a mā doth apply himſelfe vntounto, & deliteth in. That deſire that a man hath to fulfil the law. But euen herein alſo, all ye things that men wiſhe and deſier, they labour and would faine hauehave thē, but they vexe thēſelues onelyonly, becauſe they can not attaine to that houre & ſeaſon, which they goe about to preuent, and therefore they get nothing. Therefore thinges muſt ſimply and plainely be committed vntounto God, and we muſt vſe thinges preſent, and abſteine from deſier of thinges to come. And if we deale otherwiſe, wee ſhall reape nothing but labour & trauell.
There is a tyme to be borne, and a tyme to dye.
Man is no Lord, but a bayliue of his lyfe.HE prooueth the thing he hath ſpoken by examples of mans deuiſes and occurrencies. Our birth hath his tyme, ſayth he, and likewiſe our death. And euen as we hauehave not our birthes in our power, no more hauehave we our deathes, and yet nothing is more ours then our lyfe, and all our members, but onelyonly to vſe them. But wee hauehave no power or Lordſhip geuen vsus ouer thē, not for one minutes ſpace, and therfore in vayne we ſeeke to preſcribe them rules or lawes. The infant is in the hand of God, & can not be borne before his houre commeth. The women labour and are very carefull about the byrth of it, and tell when it will come, but there is no certainty in their ſaying. No more can we die, be we in neuer ſo extreame daunger and deſperation, but when our houre is come. Why then feare we death? Thou canſt liue no lōger then God hath appointed, nor dye any ſooner then he appointeth. For thus ſayth Iob. 14. Mās time is determined, and the number of hys monthes is with thee: thou haſt appointed hym his boundes, which he can not paſſe.
But thou wilt ſay,EueryEvery mā is apointed his certein houre to dye in. many peariſhe wilfully, and through their owne temeritie, which might otherwiſe liue lōger. Some breake their owne neckes. &c. Could they not hauehave ſaued their lyues? I aunſwere, No. God appointed that houre, thoſe meanes, and that kynde of death, as dayly experience teacheth vsus. Some are deadly wounded, and are eaſely healed and liue, ſome other are ſcarſly ſcratched, and yet dye of it. The Aſtrologers aſcribe theſe thinges to the Planets, other attribute it to fortune. But the holy Scripture aſcribeth it vntounto god, in whoſe handes are layde vp all the minutes of our liues and deathes, wyth whom it is all one, whether thou dye of a greuous wounde, or of a litle ſcratch, becauſe he will cōfound all mās wiſdom & deuiſes. But to ye true Chriſtians this is a great comfort, becauſe they know death is not in the power of Tyrauntes, nor of any creature, & becauſe they ſhuld not bee ouer carefull about death, but ſhould dye like children whē God ſo appointeth. Therfore as he pronounceth of the condition of our byrth and dyeng: euen ſo may we ſay of all other affaires of men, as it foloweth:
A tyme to plant, and a tyme to plucke vp.
THeſe be workes of mās lyfe, and yet no more in our power, then our lyfe it ſelfe. In the ſpring, we plant and ſet, in harueſt we pull vp againe. All things are to be done as God hath appointed & ordeined, and none otherwiſe.
A tyme to ſlea, and a time to heale: a time to breake downe, & a time to buylde, a tyme to weepe, and a tyme to laughe: a time to mourne, and a tyme to daunce: a tyme to caſt away ſtones, and a tyme to gather ſtones: a tyme to embrace, & a tyme to abſteine frō embracyng: a time to ſeeke, and a tyme to loſe: a tyme to keepe, and a tyme to caſt away: a tyme to reape, and a tyme to ſow: a tyme to keepe ſilence, and a tyme to ſpeake: a tyme to louelove, & a time to hate: a time of warre, and a tyme of peace.
TO this roll belongeth experiēce to be applied to the whole courſe of mans life. For here it cōmeth to paſſe,We muſt vſe ye goods that God hath geuen vsus. that one ſoweth, another reapeth, one gathereth together, an other waſteth and ſpēdeth. To be brief. EueryEvery worke of mans lyfe hath his appointed ſeaſon out of ye which what ſoeuer man doth, hee laboureth in vayne & preuaileth not. There is a time to wéepe, & a tyme to laugh. Many times it chaunceth that when we meane to be meryeſt, ſome great trouble marreth all. Therfore myrth hath alſo her tyme and ſeaſon. Experience teacheth vsus all theſe things, that we (I ſay) can do nothing accordyng to our appointementes, but as time ſerueth vsus to do them. Therfore let vsus not trouble our ſelues about thinges to come, but vſe thinges preſent.
What profite hath he that worketh of the thyng wherin he trauelleth?
THat is to ſay, vnles times and oportunitie ſerue him, he ſhal do no good. The maker of a thing hath nothing but his time and ſeaſon. Till this commeth, he can do nothing. If the houre be hit ſo doth he likewiſe hit it.
I hauehave ſeene the trauell that God hath geuen the ſonnes of men, to humble them therby.
THis is a declaration of the thinges gone before. In all theſe thynges ſaith hee, I hauehave ſéene that men can doe naught of them ſelues, vnles their houre be come. And they that wil preuent their houre are troubled with ſorrow & care: ſo that their own experience teacheth thē to abſteine from care for things to come, and to vſe thoſe thynges they hauehave.
For God hath made all thynges beautifull in their time and ſeaſon.
THis now is ye other part.God appointeth all men a tyme and ſeaſon. They that wayte not their time are troubled & vexed. Agayne, they that abide it, finde much comfort therein. For eueryevery thyng that God doth, and that is done by God, the gift is pleaſaunt in his ſeaſon. That is: whē the hart is voyde of cares, & then hath ſome commoditie or pleaſaunt ſight happenyng to it, that greatly delighteth it. Therefore ſuch men reape pleaſure, where other gather affliction and vexation, bycauſe they doe their things in the tyme that God appointeth.
Alſo he hath ſet the world in theyr hart, yet can not man finde out the worke that God hath wrought frō the begynnyng to the end.
Men cānot enioye the things that god geueth them.THis is a confirmation of the thynges gone before. Although (ſayth he) God hath ſet the world in their hart, yet are they not able to gouerne it through their own coūſels. This is an Hebrue phraſe, to giuegive or ſpeake to the hart, for to giuegive or ſpeake fayre or mearily. This is it he would ſay. God doth not onelyonly ſet the world in their power, wherby they may vſe the thinges preſent, but alſo ſetteth in their hart, that they may vſe it with pleaſure and ioye. That they may hauehave both ioye and pleaſure of it. And yet man knoweth not when his worke ſhall begin or end, when or how long he ſhall enioy it. Therfore man muſt be content, that hath the world in his vſe.
They that are content with their ſtate, vſe their goods preſent.Paule ſpeaketh in a like phraſe Act. 14. And ſurely he lefte not him ſelfe without witnes, in that he dyd good, and gaue vsus rayne from heauen, and frutefull ſeaſons, fillyng our hartes with foode and gladnes. And in an other place: Which miniſtreth to vsus all thinges abundantly. This ioy hath the Chriſtian and eueryevery one might hauehave it, if he could be contented with things preſent. Well ſaith S. Hierome in his Prologue vponupon the Bible.The ſaying of S. Hierome. To him that truſteth in God, all the world is in ſtede of riches. But a faithleſſe body hath neede euen of an halfe peny, accordyng to the Prouerbe: A couetous body wanteth aſwel that hee hath, as that he hath not.
¶ But man findeth not out the worke. &c.
THat is to ſay, man can not know, would he neuer ſo much vexe him ſelf there about, when God wil do him good,Thinges to come, muſt be commēded to God, & things preſent muſt be enioyed. when to begin, or when to make an end. Euen as no man is able to ſearch out, or declare ye houre when any ſhal be borne, how long they ſhall liue, or when they ſhall dye, ſtudy they neuer ſo much. We muſt therfore ſay: Lord, it is in thy power to giuegive thinges for the time to come, in the meane ſeaſon I wil reioyce in that thou haſt giuē me, and in that thing yt is preſent. Thus ye other actiōs of mās life, wherof he hath rehearſed a great many, are not in mans power. For if it were, ſome men would alway make warre, other woulde alwayes geue themſelues to gaming, other woulde alwayes bée occupied in buylding &c. Becauſe many men giuegive thē ſelues hereunto. Therfore all the world is ours, onelyonly we muſt not preſcribe God any time or manner how we will vſe them. I will not (ſaith God) be meaſured according to your deuiſes, for ſo ſhould all thinges be at your commaundement, and I alſo. He concludeth therfore as in the chapiter gone before.
And I know that there is nothyng good in them, but to reioyce and to doe good in his lyfe. And alſo that eueryevery man eateth and drinketh, and ſeeth the cōmoditie of al his labour, this is the gift of God.
What is moſt pleaſaunt to a man.THeſe thinges are well inough vnderſtode by the premiſſes. For this hee meaneth to ſay. There is nothing better for a man in theſe miſerable caſes, then to enioye the thinges preſent, and to be mery at his hart, without care and ſtudy of thinges to come. But this is the gift of God that a man can ſo doe. I am able (ſaith he) to teach ye what to do, but to do it my ſelfe, or to giuegive the power to do it, I am not able. He ſheweth both what is to be done, & where yt we muſt doe is to be receaued. He declareth that our cares doe onelyonly vexe and moleſt vsus, but he teacheth vsus that we muſt call vponupon God, to remoue away theſe cares, and to giuegive vsus good ſucceſſe and peace of minde.
I know that whatſoeuer God ſhall doe, ſhall be for euer: to it can no man adde, and from it cā none diminiſh. For God hath done it, that they ſhould feare before him.
THis is to ſay,Gods workes are ſtable, but mans fraile & vnſure. I ſaw that all thinges that God doth, endure for euer. As for our workes, they be vaine and vncertaine. And this antitheſis or coūterpoint is to be wel marked. God only (ſaith he) can bring his purpoſe to paſſe, & appoint them in their tymes. Looke to whom he giueth the gift to enioy thinges preſent, he hath it. He is faithfull and ſure. That he geueth, no man can take away. If he giuegive life, no man can bereue vsus of it, although the world and Sathan rage and raue. For he is ſure and euerlaſting. If he giuegive me good eyes, I ſhall kéepe them notwithſtanding Sathan would throwe all the duſt of the earth into them. If he wil graunt me ſtrong, and whole armes and legges, no man ſhall be able to take them from mee. All our workes hauehave their tyme and houre ordeyned, which we can not appointe. Who then? God himſelfe appointeth the houre, and not fortune and deſtinie, as ye Philoſophers ſuppoſe. When he ſuffreth the houre to come which ordeyned it, then it cōmeth.
Therefore will God hauehave the workes of men to be vncertaine, becauſe, he he will be feared.Why then doth he ſo trouble mē with this vaine cogitatiō, reſeruing all times and ſeaſons to himſelfe? Therfore (ſaith Salomon) becauſe he would be feared, becauſe we ſhoulde not be raſhe in our buſineſſes, nor attempt any thing proudly and preſumptuouſly as of our ſelues, as Paule alſo teacheth vsus: Walkyng in feare, knowing that it is not in mans will and endeuour, becauſe it is hee that worketh both the will and perfourmaunce. Hee that beléeueth theſe thinges, that is, that our affayres lye not in our owne power, hee doth nothing raſhely. He attributeth all to God that worketh it, and looketh for it at his hād. If he graunt it, he enioyeth it, if not, hée can be contented to lacke it. If he take it from him, he beareth it. Thus remaineth the glory of God, the humbling of our ſelues, and the true worſhip of God in vsus. For this is the feare of God, to ſet God in our ſight, to know that he is the beholder of all our workes, and the author of all proſperitie and aduerſitie.
That that hath beene, is alſo nowe, and that that ſhall be, hath beene already, and God requireth the thinges that are paſt.
BEfore in the firſt Chapiter, he ſayde:The difference betweene the workes of God, and man. What is that that hath beene? that that is to come. &c. Becauſe in that place, he ſpake of mens workes and doinges, here in this place, he ſpeaketh of Gods. Mans mynde can not content it ſelfe with the thinges it hath, but ſtill wiſheth for the thinges to come. And when thoſe thinges are come that it wiſheth, it is not contented neither, but againe deſireth other thinges, ſo that it is neuer ſatiſfied. For this is the condition of the hart of man, alwayes to gape after future thinges, and neuer to bee filled. But God procéedeth after a cōtrary ſort and maner. For that that hath béene with him, is yet ſtill: that is to ſay: bee turneth him not to thinges to come. For thus ſaith the Scripture of him. He behelde all the thinges he made, & they were very good. God reſteth in the worke that he maketh, and doth not ſo hop and leape to the deſier of thynges to come, as mans mynde doth. And they ye walke according to Gods appointment, doe euen lyke: their heades ſtretch not to future thinges, conteining things preſent. The godly perſon laboureth & worketh after a conſtant ſort, and conſtantly enioyeth the thing that God ſendeth.
Becauſe God requireth the things that are paſt.
Gods workes & mans are not all one.HE compareth (as I ſayd before) gods doinges and maners togither wyth mans, by way of an Antitheſis, or coū terpointing. Our ſtudy is to neglect and ſet light of the thinges we hauehave, and to beholde and waite for the things we ſhal hauehave. But God purſueth the thyng that is, and perſeuereth in his worke, that ye thing he doth, may be ſtable and cōſtant. In lyke ſort are the ſtudies of thoſe that are godly. This is it he would ſay. Euē when man goeth about to let or hynder Gods worke, yet God ſéeketh how to defend and maintaine that worke that mā goeth about to hinder and let. &c. God appointed Dauid to be king: Abſolon perſecuted him, and went about to let it. But God agayne reſtored that that Abſolō would hauehave letted. The things that God appointeth are not ſo inconſtāt and fickle as mans deuiſes. For God doth not abhorre and lothe hys owne counſels.
Moreouer, I ſaw vnderunder the Sunne, the place of iudgemēt, where was wickednes, and the place of iuſtice wher was iniquitie. And I thought in myne hart, God will iudge the iuſt and the wicked: for there is a tyme for eueryevery worke & purpoſe.
WHat ſhould I ſpeake of the vices & vanitie of mans deuiſes,Vnrighteouſnes in common weales. where as euen in the place of iudgement, that is, where iuſtice and lawe ſhould be adminiſtred, wicked men and vngodlines doe raigne. And Salomō doth not ſo much complayne, that vngodlynes is in the place of iudgement, as that it can not in that place be amended and corrected: as though he ſhould ſay. All thinges are vtterly ſo vayne, that the care of correcting this vnrighteouſnes of officers, doth no good. When I ſaw this wickednes, I thought to correct it, but I founde that I was not able, till God would correct it. So our Prince Frederike was wont to ſay:The ſaying of Frederike Duke of Saxony. The longer I gouerne, the leſse I knowe how to gouerne. Againe: Where ſhall I at length finde him that I may trust? Sée in the courtes of all princes, how notwithſtanding there be diuers good men that wiſhe well to the common weale, and géeue good counſell thereunto, yet wyll there be alwayes ſome founde, that will daſhe and trouble all their counſels and deuiſes. Such therefore, and ſo great is the malice and naughtines of man, that man is not able to amende and correcte all men.
Salomons meaning therfore is, that if a man would breake his brayne to correct all men; he ſhould reape nothing but trauell and care of his doing. Therfore the matter muſt be committed to God, and ſuch ſtones taken and lifted vp, as we are able to reare and welde. That that will not be reared let it lye ſtill. I (ſayth he) that was a wiſe king, ouer an holy people, and a diligent ſetter forward of righteouſnes, was compelled to ſuffer wicked perſons to bée in publike office. For although I had diſplaced and put certaine of them out of office: yet alwayes would ſome other proue the like. Then how will it fall out with other Princes. Therefore it is the beſt to doe that God appointeth, and the reſt to cō mit vntounto him, which in his tyme ſhall iudge both the righteous and vnrighteous. For men will not, nor can not, although they were neuer ſo willing.
There is a tyme for eueryevery worke and purpoſe.
ALl things (ſayth he) hauehave their time. Vices can not be corrected, vntil that appointed time & ſeaſon come. In vaine therefore doe we goe about to preuent that time, by our amending of all things afore that tyme. In ſo much that my enterpriſe ſuccéeded not in myne officers. I did what I was able, I corrected as much as I could, the reſt I committed vntounto God.
I conſidered in myne hart the ſtate of the children of men, that God hath purged them: yet, to ſee to, they are in themſelues as beaſtes. For the condition of the children of mē, and the cōdition of beaſtes are euen as one. As the one dyeth: ſo dyeth the other.
A cōplaint of the confuſion of mans lyfe to the outward ſight, agaynſte which the worde of God muſt be ſet. For ther is a difference betwene the godly & vngodly.THis place is ſomewhat obſcure, not ſo much of it ſelfe, as through the default of the expoſitours, which greatly trouble themſelues, while they ſuppoſe for the moſt part that Salomō ſpeaketh in the preſence of the vngodly: but thys is but a colde inuention and ſuppoſall, although a receaued. Mée thinketh the ſence is to be taken plainely. He maketh a maner of a Sermō or collation of mās wayes and deuiſes, that they are all but vayne. At length he commeth to ye trouble and vexation, that is in officers, how they which ought to be a rule & enſample to other, are alſo vaine them ſelues. So of ſpeciall propoſitions going before, he deſcendeth to generall. What ſhall I ſay or ſpeake of ſingular eſtates, of perſons, when we be all as beaſtes? Is not this a miſerable caſe among mē? Wherin differ they from beaſtes, which hauehave no remembraunce or féeling of God? But here riſeth a queſtion. Wherefore he compareth men with beaſtes, whereas before he taught vsus there was a religion and feare of God, and a life euerlaſting after this life. Which thing hath moſt troubled the expoſitours. The aunwere is ſhorte. The interpretours doe not here marke the ſcope and drift of the booke, neyther doe they remēber (which thing yet Salomon doth often repeate) that he ſpeaketh of the things vnderunder the Sunne, which in the newe Teſtament, and more commonly is ſayd, in ye world. For this booke maketh a difference betwen a godly life, & the life that is led in the world, or vnderunder the ſunne. To hauehave a chearefull hart, and to ioye in ye things that God géeueth vsus, in the feare of god, is nothing of the worlde, but a gifte of God from heauen, and aboue the ſunne. But to be vexed with the care of worldely thynges, is a beaſtly ſtate and condition.
The ſtate (or faſhion) of the children of men.
IN the Hebrew toung this word is of a large ſignification, but as it is here vſed, it ſignifieth a faſhion, māner, order, conuerſation, as in the Pſalme. 109. Thou art a Prieſt for euer, after the order, or faſhion of Melchiſedech. I thinke it ſignifieth properly a guiſe, or manner. The Epiſtle to the Hebrewes doth notably handle this worde of the Pſalme. For euen as Melchiſedech (ſaith he) had neither father nor mother &c: euen ſo and in like ſorte &c. It commeth of this worde Dabar, whiche is a thing or cauſe. It ſignifieth therfore a faſhion, or manner, ſo that the meanyng is: I conſidered in myne hart the mā ner or faſhion of mans life. After what ſort men behaue them ſelues on earth. What ſucceſſe men hauehave in their doynges, and how they behaue them ſelues.
For the condition of the childrē of men, and of beaſtes are all as one.
THat is the like things happen to mē, as doe vntounto beaſtes. He meaneth mā paſſeth vp & down this life as the beaſtes doe, and getteth no more by his life, then doe the beaſtes.
As the beaſtes dye, ſo dye men.
HE ſpeaketh of the houre of death,The houre of death is vncertaine. not of the kinde. That is, as the houre of the beaſts death is vncerteine, ſo is the houre of mās. A beaſt knoweth not whē he ſhal fall ſicke or be whole, or when he ſhal dye, no more knoweth a man. Why therefore are we ſo proude? Since wee know no more when we ſhall dye, then doth the beaſt?
For they hauehave all one breath, and there is no excellency of mā aboue the beaſt. For all is vanitie. All goe to one place, & all was of the duſt, and all ſhall returne to the duſt.
THis place can not be wreſted to the mortalitie of the ſoule,It ſeemeth that men & beaſtes hauehave both one kinde of death, but there is yet a great difference: for ye ſoules are immortal, & the bodies of men ſhall be reuiued. becauſe he ſpeaketh of things vnderunder the ſunne. Certes the worlde can not perceaue, nor beleue that the ſoule is immortall. But if a man regarde the likenes that Salomō ſpeaketh of, man dyeth lyke as the beaſt doth, & breatheth euen as the beaſt doth. In a kynde of likenes therfore we be all one. The Philoſophers reaſoned in déede of the immortalitie of the ſoule, but ſo coldly, that they may ſéeme to hauehave done nothyng but trifle, but Ariſtotle chiefly ſo diſputeth of ye ſoule, that in all places hee taketh circumſpect héede that he reaſon not of the immortalitie therof, and would not expreſſe what his meanyng was. Plato reported rather what other men ſayd, then what him ſelfe thought. For the immortalitie therof cā be prooued by no reaſon of man, becauſe it is a thing beyond the ſunne, to beleue the ſoule is immortall. In the world it is not ſéene, nor vnderſtanded for a certeinty, that ye minde of mā is immortall.
All goe to one place &c.
All thyngs liuyng ſhall returne into duſt of ye earth.THat is, vnles the Lord gaue his ſpirite vntounto man no man could ſay, that man differed any thyng from the beaſt. For man and beaſt are made both of one matter, of duſt, and returne agayne alſo into that duſt. And the returning agayne into the ſame thing or place, is an argument of likenes betwene man and beaſt. Not that it is ſo in déede, but becauſe the worlde according to the likenes falling out betwen them ſo ſuppoſeth, & can not ſuppoſe otherwiſe. Therefore to hold or beleue otherwiſe, is required an higher matter, then is the world.
Wherby he tryeth them.
THe Hebrew worde ſignifieth to purifie or chooſe. God ſayth he,Men in their miſeries are cō forted with hope of eternall lyfe. ſuffreth both man and beaſt, all after one ſorte and faſhion to come into the world, and to goe out of the worlde. But this he ſuffreth to trye whether men will onelyonly regarde theſe outward appearaunces, and be led with the argumentes of the wicked, & beleue none other thyng. The godly by theſe thinges are ſo exerciſed that their fayth is the more increaſed. They paſſe out of this world in déede, as doe the wicked and the beaſtes, but in their hart and ſpirite they are comforted and at quyet.
Who knoweth whether the ſpirite of man aſcende vpwarde, and the ſpirite of the beaſt deſcend downward vntounto the earth?
TEll me plainely (ſaith he) of one mā,The vngodly doubte of the immortalitie of the ſoule. not of the godly, but of thoſe that are vnderunder the ſunne, or in the world, which can affirme that the ſoule ſhall liue after this life, conſidering he ſéeth the lyfe of mā and beaſt to differre in nothing. For aſſoone as their breath faileth them, they dye both. This no man knoweth. But in that we know it, we know it not as mē, but as the ſonnes of God, and aboue the ſunne, as who hauehave our conuerſation in heauenly thinges, and belong vntounto heauē. In the world this knowledge is not, neither is there any peace, but all things come to paſſe as with beaſtes. There were in Gréece moſt excellent wyttes, which yet neuer vttered any ſound learning touchyng this matter. Lucian a mā of a ſharpe and pleaſaunt wyt diſputeth earneſtly hereof, but ſcoffing onelyonly at the Philoſophers opinions of the ſoule.
¶Therefore I ſee that there is nothing better, then that a mā ſhould reioyſe in his affaires, becauſe that is his portion. For who ſhall bryng him to ſee, what ſhall be after him?
The opinion of godly men which beleeue the immortalitie of the ſoule.THis is the opinion of thoſe that be godly, for they hauehave taken holde of this doctrine. The vngodly are vexed with the likenes and ſimilitude betwene vsus and beaſtes, and can finde nothing but vanity in their trauels. For this doctrine they neither know, nor beleeue, for reaſon can not perſuade it them. And by this place is all the whole heape of Philoſophers conuinced, gathering many things together touching the immortalitie of ye ſoule, which they beleue not. This therfore is the portion of the godly, to enioy the things preſēt, and not to be troubled with things to come. But this commeth not to paſſe vnderunder the ſunne. They that doe otherwiſe clogge them ſelues with double incommoditie, they enioy not the thinges preſent, nor attaine not to the thinges to come, and it happeneth vntounto them as vntounto Aeſopes dog, that ſnatched at the ſhadow, & loſt his meate. So theſe men loth the thinges preſent, and ſéeke for other thinges. Thus hetherto Salomō hath diſcourſed moſt in generalities of ye vanities of this worlde: now follow certein particulars.