Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 6
The ſixt Chapiter.
This is alſo an euill vnderunder the Sun, and much vſed among men: A mā to whom God hath geeuen ryches and treaſures, and honour, & wanteth nothing for his ſoule of all that he deſireth, and yet God ſuffereth him not to eate thereof, but a ſtraunge man ſhall eate it vp. This is a vayne thing and a miſerable.
Of what rich and couetous mā Salomon here ſpeaketh.AFter this doctrine and exhortation intermedled, he returneth to his rolle of the diuers deuiſes of mans lyfe, wherin vanitie and miſery raigneth. It ſéemeth lyke that he ſayd before of the rich man. But here he ſpeaketh of ſuch a rich mā as kéepeth much riches about hym, and a great family, liuing in reſt without loſſe of his goods, and yet in the middeſt of his honor and riches, is greeued, and can not enioye them, becauſe eyther he falleth ſicke, or is vexed with hatred & care how to kéepe and encreaſe his goods. So with that he hath he is moleſted, and periſheth. If he hauehave a ſonne, then cōmeth another care, how he may leaue hym a rich man, whē he is of age. For as the prouerbe ſayth: for a ſmal childe there is but a ſmal care, for a great childe, great care. They gather for their childrē, they deſire to leaue them rich, to bring them to great honor. Theſe are the wiſhes and deſires of all mē, which yet are moſt vaine. For what is it for a mā in his life to hauehave al things, and yet to vſe nothing, but alwayes to gape after more, and that he hath not, not regarding that he hath?
He deſcribeth therfore ſuch a rich man as wanteth nothing to liue welthely and mearely with, and yet doth not ſo.What maner of riche man he deſcribeth in this place. Looke vpō many of our noble men which might liue commodiouſly vponupon their owne, hauing aboundaunce of goods vppon theyr landes, yet not contented therewith, get them to Princes Courtes, and looke ſtill for more, lyuing moſt miſerablye. The lyke we may ſée in riche men and Marchaunts, who being able to lyue at home quietly, with great daunger of their life, and loſſe of their goods, make great vyages both by land and Sea. Is not this a vayne and miſerable trade? Therefore it followeth:
If he beget an hundreth children, and yet liue many yeares, and hauehave great riches al the dayes of his life, & yet his ſoule is not ſatiſfied with goods, and his body not buryed: I ſay that an vntymely fruite is better then he. For he commeth into vanitie, and goeth into darkenes, and his name ſhall be couered with darkenes.
The miſerable ſtate of couetous men.HE amplifieth ye miſery of a couetous rich man. Let no mā (ſaith he) thinke by ſparing, to enriche his heyres. For riches are the gift of God, and come not of our labour: for many labour carefully to get riches, & yet can not attayne to them. Againe many waxe riche, and hauehave takē no great payne for them, that a man may know riches are ye gyft of God. Neyther is it in thy power to leaue this or ye heyre riche: It is ment that poore men ſhal not be rich. Doe what thou wilt, thou ſhalt not enriche him whom God will hauehave to be poore. Furthermore it may come to paſſe, that this couetous rich man may dye, when he hath loſt all hys goods before.
And may want buryall.
HE holdeth on in exaggerating of hys myſery, that is, he may be forſakē of all his frendes, or dye in an other countrye, and not at home.
I ſay that an vntymely fruite is better then ſuch an one.
THat is, it were better he were not at all, then to be ſuch a miſerable man, and in ſuch great ſtore of goods, a begger. This is true without godlynes. Compare the lyfe of a couetous rich man, and a wretch with him that is not yet borne, and thou ſhalt perceaue it. And Salomō ſpeaketh not as fooles vſe to ſpeake, as ſome ſay of this place, but ſetteth out the lyfe of fooles, in the outward body. There it is better not to be borne then to liue in ſuch ſort: that is to ſay, to hauehave ryches, glory, children, long lyfe, and yet not to enioye them.
This therfore is truely vnderſtanded of a miſerable riche man,A rich man couecous is a miſer. who hath the thinges pertayning to felicitie, and yet hys wretched mynde will not ſuffer hym to vſe them. Surely a poore man that taketh his condition in good part, is better then a rich: for the wayfaring man with neuer a penny in his purſſe, will ſing as he goeth by the way: but the rich man is afrayde of eueryevery buſhe, and in great felicitie is a very begger. Therfore ye world is altogether ruled by opinions, but God ruleth in déedes. We are vexed with opinions, and loſe the things their ſelues, lyke to that dogge of Aeſops that we ſpake of.
For he commeth into vanitie, and goeth into darkenes.
THat is, naked, deſtitute of all thinges and néedy he came into the worlde, ſo he lyueth, and ſo he dyeth: becauſe he enioyeth not his goods, but onelyonly is troubled with care and deſire of more. Thys is nought els, but to hauehave nothing, and to be bare and beggerly.
And his name ſhall be couered in darkenes.
THat is, he doth nothyng worthy of name, or commendable in his houſe, but onelyonly it is ſayde of him, he was neyther his owne frende, nor other mens. Such a miſerable man, as no man would deſire to follow.
Alſo he hath not ſeene the Sunne nor can be quiet in any place.
THis is an hebrewe phraſe,What this phraſe meaneth to looke on ye Sunne. to ſee the Sunne, to enioy & reioyce in thinges. For this corporall lyfe eſtéemeth yt … as a certain holy and ſacred power, very neceſſary for man, without the which all thinges appeare and be ſad and lumpiſh as Chriſt alſo ſayth: He that walketh in the darke wotteth not whether he goeth: But he that walketh in the daye, ſtumbleth not, becauſe he ſeeth the light of this worlde. &c. It is a moſt ioyfull ſight therefore to hauehave the ſonne to ſhyne, but the couetous mā looketh not on the ſonne, conſidereth not the ſonne, that is, he thinketh not how good a thing the ſonne is, nor any other creature to vſe and enioy it well. For wt him all conſideration of the benefites and creatures of God is loſt, by reaſon of …uetous deſires, he neuer ſeeth home goodly a gift of god yt ſun riſing eueryevery day is. He myndeth nothing, he regardeth nothing, he ſigheth after nothing but money. So the ambitious man looketh after nothing but honours. The louer looketh not vponupon his owne wyfe, but alwayes vponupon an other mans. That is, they vſe not Gods preſent goodes and creatures. Thus the vngodly beginne their hell in this lyfe, wherein they are depriued of ye vſe of all the creatures and giftes of god, ſo that they neuer ſee ye ſunne which yet we hauehave dayly before our eyes. &c. that i…, they reioyce not in Gods giftes, but ſtill ſéeke after their owne deſires.
Yea though he lyued two thowſād yeares, yet hath he no good lyfe. Come not all to one place.
The miſerie of a couetous man.SEe how he amplifieth this miſery of the couetous man: that is, he ſhall get nothing, but the …nger he lyueth ye more his myſeryes and comunities are diſcreaſed. This is the lyfe of man, more vanitie and myſery, eyther ſuch as thou … be… thy ſelf, or … others. For euen the godly although they liue not after ye fleſh, yet the fleſhe …oubleth …, and they are compelled to féele the … of the fleſhe.
Doo not all thinges goe. &c.
HE repeateth that he ſayd before in the firſt chapter, The ſonne ryſeth and ſetteth, and draweth to his place where he riſeth.All things that hauehave beginning ſhall decay. The Ryuers returne to ye place from whence they flowed. One generation paſſeth away &c. All thinges returne whence they came. At length all thinges periſh. Mans lyfe, kingdomes, and whatſoeuer els belongeth to man, returneth from whence it came, from ye earth to the earth, euen as the winde bloweth to and fro, and as the ſonne returneth to ye place where he aroſe. This therefore is Salomons meaning, yt we muſt let go care and thought for thinges to come, and enioye the thinges preſent. Therefore he goeth on.
All the labour a man taketh is for him …elfe, and yet his ſoule is neuer ſatiſfied acording to her deſire
IN the Hebrew it is, all the labour of man is for his mouth,A mouth wyth the Hebrewes ſignifieth a kynde of meaſure. by a a certen, phraſe peculiar to yt people. So Moſes, vſeth this worde mouth, for a quantitie or meaſure. Geneſ. 47. ſpeaking of Ioſeph. And he fedde them, and all his fathers houſe, geuing thē all meate, where in the hebrew it is: he had a care for eueryevery mouth of them, that is, he prouided all his fathers houſe of meate, as it had been litle children, which hauehave their meate geuen them and labour not. And in the 12. of Exod. You ſhall eate the Paſſeouer, according to the mouth of eueryevery one, that is, according to the number of them that can eate a Lambe. So ſpeaketh Salomon here. EueryEvery mans labor is according to his mouth, that is according to the meaſure and taſke of him, yt is, eueryevery mā hath his certein labor. God graunteth to eueryevery man his labour, according to his power, and according to his vocation, which we expreſſe in the Dutch toūg thus. EueryEvery one hath ſoch parte as is appointed for hym. God hath meaſured to eueryevery mā his portion. A childe muſt labour after one ſort, a mā after an other. A magiſtrate in one kind, a pryuate man in another. He will hauehave thee lyke an infant, exerciſed in infants doinges, and a Prince in highe & weighty affayres. Hereof commeth this Prouerbe. Such perſon, ſuch ſloppe or breeche.
EueryEvery mā muſt apply his vocatiō.Thus he calleth vsus frō ſtraunge cares to our owne vocation, not forbidding vsus to labour, but declaring we muſt labour, willing vsus to goe chearefully forward wt our buſines, according to our taſke, and leaue other mens doings to themſelues. He will hauehave vsus to take pleaſure, but in God, that we runne not at ryot with the vngodly, when we are in our pleaſure, nor he greued when pleaſure is wanting but to take all thing in good part. Reioice (ſayth he) in thy mynde, & take paine in body, ſo yet that yu kéepe wtin thy cōpaſſe, not lyke an enuious man, which ſéeketh after ye which is other mens. The marchaūt prayſeth the Souldier, ye Souldier recounteth his infelicitie & prayſeth the marchaunt. Olde men commend youth, we turne our eyes from ye pleaſures we hauehave of our owne, and with greate miſery, looke on other mens.Be content with thine owne eſtate No man can cō ſider his owne goodes nor lyue content wt his eſtate, for if they coulde ſo doo, they would not couet after other mens as they doo. For if olde men coſidered the daungers that are in youth, they would not wiſhe for youth. Agayne, if younge men ſawe the manifolde incommodities of age, they would beare their owne incōmodities the more willingly, & would not enuy old mē for their cōmodities. &c.
Who lyketh an others eſtate, hateth his owne.But thus we can not doo, but looke alwayes vponupon other mens commodities, & deſpiſe our owne. So the couetous rych man hath an eye & deſire to that he hath not, and that he hath he neglecteth. For the ſoule is not filled, that is, abydeth not within his compaſſe. No man contēteth him with his condition. A beholder of an Interlude, thinketh he could play better then thoſe that playe. When I heare another preach I thinke I could farre paſſe him. The ſeruaunt likewiſe thinketh, if I were a kinge, I would gouerne all thinges prudentlie. So that fellow that is in Terence ſayth: I ſhould hauehave ben made a kinge. And yet if hee had had a kingdome, none would hauehave ſhewed him ſelfe a more foole then hee. It is cō monly ſayde: a morraine to him that doth better then he can. But the mind forgetteth his owne worke and is moſt buſie in another bodies, ſo doth he neither of bothe wel. For he that looketh not well to his owne charge, he will very ill looke to anothers. God hath geuen me occaſion to be occupied vponupon mine owne, and in I leaue myne owne occupation, and buſye my ſelfe wt other mens. This is truely … that he ſayd before. The eye is not ſatiſfied with ſeeing. &c. Euen ſo the ſoule or the harte, is not ſatiſfied with coueting, but is alway inconſtant and chaungeable.
For what hath the wyſe man more then the foole, or what profyteth it the poore, that he knoweth how to walke before the Lyuing.
THat is, couetouſnes,Of what wiſe men & fooles Salomō ſpeaketh. to hauehave more thē is appointed vsus, troubleſh aſwell the wiſe men, as the fooles, & wyſe men herein doe nothing differ frō fooles. For both of them couet to much, and both of them couet that that other men hauehave. He vnderſtandeth ſuch men as be not wyſe in déede, but thoſe that be wyſe after a worldely ſorte. And by fooles, he meaneth wycked and vngodly men. The ſubtill craftie and reacheleſſe people.
Both of them (ſayth he) hauehave theyr trauel and labour appointed, beyond the which they ſhall be able to doo no good. The one will bring it as farre as the other. For one may thinke or ſay thus▪ if I were in office or auctoritie, I would doe many things, but if he were in deede in office, he would doo as ly…le, as he y• is in office alreadye.
Or what profiteth it the poore?
HE vnderſtandeth by the lyuing, thoſe he ſpake of before: not onelyonly thoſe yt hauehave lyfe, but thoſe that enioy the lyfe: that is, thoſe which liue welthely & well. He ſayth therefore yt it is a folyſh thing for priuate men, to preſcribe other how to order & gouerne all things, dreaming that they could doo all things better then other, where in déede there is nothinge donne, but that that ought to be.
The ſight of the eye is better then to walke after luſtes. This is alſo a vanitie and vexation of Spirite.
A looking glaſſe.ALl this is an Hebraicall kinde of ſpeech to vsus vtterly vnknowē. The Hebrue worde properly ſignifieth a looking glaſſe, yt is a thing comming toward our eyes or ſyght. For thus we reade in Exodus. 38. He made the Lauer of braſſe, and the foote of it of braſſe, of the looking glaſſes of the womē, that watched at the doore of the Tabernacle. This ſhould thus be tranſlated in the hebrewe. He made a lauer &c. in the ſighte of thoſe that watched before the doore of the Tabernacle of wytneſſe. For this people had certen women votaries, which contynued in prayers and ſupplication, watching and ſeruyng God day & night, as we reade in the firſt of kynges, and ſecond of Luke, that Anna watched. Of this watching,Women watching in ye temple of the lord. the women were called the hoaſt of the Lord, watching before the doore of the tabernacle of witneſſe. Afterward in proceſſe of time, the religion decayed, and as Iudas ſaith, was turned into wātonnes. So of Rachel ye wyfe of Iacob it is ſayd, ſhee was comly to the glaſſe, that is, to ſight, or to looke vponupon: ſhée was fayre or pleaſaunt in ſight. The meaning therefore is:We muſt enioy thinges preſēt, & not ſeeke. after things away. It is better to enioye ye things in ſight, & before our eyes, thē to wāder after our luſtes and deſiers, that is, vſe the thynges thou haſt, and let not thy witte wander about coueting of that, lyke Aeſops dogge, who catching at the ſhadow, loſt the meate in his mouth. That which God hath ſet as it were before thée, that vſe and be content, and follow not the deſire of thine hart, which can not be ſatiſfied, as he ſayd before. Vnderſtand therfore by the ſight of the eyes, not ſuch as thine eyes make to thée, but ſuch as is made to them of other thinges, a paſſiue ſight: that is, vſe that that God for the time preſent geueth thee. Thus of God it is ſayd in the firſt of Gen. God ſawe all that he had made. &c. that is, he reioyſed in his workes, he ſtucke vntounto them, he ſawe them, they pleaſed him, they were very good.
He reprehē deth vnſtable mindes, deſirous of other mens welfare.So he that is godly, cleaueth to that is his owne, and that that God hath geuen him for that tyme preſent lyketh & pleaſeth him. The vngodly doth not ſo, but is vexed with al he ſéeth, becauſe he vſeth it not as a glas, but wandereth ſtil in his mynde. Though he hauehave money, he is not delighted therewith, he enioyeth it not, but alwayes deſireth more. He hath one wyfe, and deſireth another: he hath one kingdome, and is not content therewith. Alexander looketh and deſireth for another worlde. All thinges ought to be as a looking glaſſe vntounto vsus, to delight in them, to fixe our eyes on them, to enioye them and geue God thankes for them. Therefore he forbiddeth vsus to let our ſoule wander about, (as it is in the Hebrewe) that is to occupie our myndes in the cogitations and opinions of worldly thinges, ſo that ye concluſiō of this whole place is: vſe the thinges thou haſt, and wander not about in diuerſe cogitations. for this is a vanitie, namely to let thy mynde wander and walke about.
What is that that hath beene? The name thereof is now named, and it is knowen that it is man: and he cā not ſtriue with him, that is ſtronger then he.
BY the thinges gone before,There ſhal be alwayes vnſtable mē, couetous, & deſirous of other mens goods. this is ſufficiently vnderſtanded, for we ſpake of this phraſe before: What is that that is. &c. In all theſe wordes are Hebrewe phraſes, which thing we thus ſpeake in the Germaine toung: As it hath beene, ſo is it now: and as it is now, ſo will it be hereafter. That is, there ſhall be alwayes moſt vaine men, deſirers and wyſhers for vanities, becauſe they goe beyond the word of God, and their appointed ſtate. For they harken not to ye counſels of God. God hath made a differēce of men, & appointed to all men their boūds, when they ſhall be borne,EueryEvery mās trade of life is appointed of God. when they ſhal die, by what name they ſhall be called, & what office they ſhall beare: & when they are borne, he offreth them thinges to vſe preſētly & out of hand. But mē being not contented with the ordinaunce and counſell of God, chooſe them moſte tymes other wayes, and couet other thinges but in vayne. For none but God alone bringeth that to paſſe, that he thinketh or deuyſeth.
The meaning thereof is: What is that that is, &c. That is what is man now lyuing, or that ſhall be borne hereafter. Since that, that man is ordeyned to, is all ready appointed, & what name he ſhall hauehave. Vnderſtand here, that name, that he hath by his déedes, whereof he ſhall be called, as ye name of Caeſar is to be a Conquerour, the name of Catiline, a Murtherer of his owne Countrymen &c. Theſe names I ſay are ſo appoynted, & ſo called with God before we were borne. Euen ſo it was appoynted yt one ſhould be a ſhowmaker, one a pariſh prieſt, another a preacher &c. If therefore theſe names & offices were appointed and knowen before, why doth man wander about in his owne opinions why taketh he ſo many thinges in hande, and deſyreth ſuch exceſſe? Why meddleth he beyond his boundes and marke? For he doth nothing but trouble him ſelfe more and more.
For he can not ſtriue with him that is ſtronger then he.
THat is with the thing that is aboue his reach.All thinges ordeyned & appointed of God. For all thinges hauehave their foundation vponupon Gods lawe and ordynaunce. The very heathens ſawe that thinge were not gouerned by the counſell of the wyſe, but attributed the doing to deſteny, or to fortune, and not to God. So Salomon in this place hath an eye to the courſe of this world. As thinges doe paſſe in the world. There he ſéeth, that mē can not compaſſe & bring to paſſe that they deſyre & take in hand. The reaſon is, becauſe the ſelfe ſame things withſtād them. They will not be in ſubiection nor be ruled by our coūſels, As if one would ſtriue to hauehave his owne deuyſe to goe forward he preuayleth not, the thing wythſtandeth hym, God ſtoppeth him. In vayne therefore we wince agaynſt the prick, to as ſmall purpoſe as if we would runne through a wall with our head. For that that is ſtronger then he, and aboue him withſtādeth his deuiſe, as Anthony would hauehave braſt through his enemies, when he came into Italy, and made his two ſonnes kinges, one of the Eaſt, the other of the Weſt, but he was diſapointed thereof. Sée how Caeſar was put by his cogitations and deuiſe. Neyther hath the Popes enterpriſes ſuccéeded: becauſe their names were geuen them before and apointed, they went beyond their boundes. So they ſtraue agaynſt a ſtronger then they, and ſo gat nothing therby, but care, ſorrow, and calamitie.
Be content wyth thine eſtate.Becauſe therefore thou ſéeſt that all thinges are appointed by a lawe and ordinaunce, both thy name and office, and yet not contented therewith, ſtriueſt againſt it, thou roweſt againſt ye ſtreame, & ſhalt not preuaile, although thou counfell and dooſt many things neuer ſo wiſely, but onelyonly multiplieſt words: nothing more will come of it ſauing that it may he talked of. Thus Plato wrott many thinges, ſo did Ariſtotle lykewiſe touching the ordering & gouerning of common weales &c. but they are but mere words, and remayne wordes whereof nothyng followeth. Afterwarde when they ſawe they could not preuaile, they were deſirous to helpe ye matter with other lawes and deuiſes, and ſayd, would to God we had taken this way firſt, beyng wyſe too late.
Therefore the ſtories aſwel of ye Gentiles as of the Iewes teach vsus, that men beyond their appointed ſtente & boundes can doo nothing,The doctrine comming by hiſtories. whether they be wiſe or fooliſhe, but the ſtories of ye Iewes were donne in the worde of God, and teach vsus that all thinges are donne by Gods ordinance, and therefore it is good for vsus to ſticke to them. Otherwiſe the ſtoryes of the Gentiles are as great and wonderful as they, but donne beſide ye word of God.
For who knoweth what is good for mā liuing in the dayes of his vaine lyfe, which is but a ſhadow? Or who will tell a man, what ſhall happen after him vnderunder the Sonne?
THat is, no mā knoweth what is good for him in this lyfe. They know not how to enioye their goodes,No man knoweth what is expedient for him in thys lyfe. nor howe to ſettle and quiet their mynde. Mens deuiſes are variable. One ſéeketh for rule, another for riches, and yet they know not, whether they ſhal hauehave. They enioy neither the thinges they hauehave, nor thoſe they wiſhe. Onelye they deſyre that cōmoditie and felicitie, that they neyther hauehave nor ſée. This is a generall concluſion vponupon al men. None knoweth what is méete and conuenient for him. So Cicero and Demoſthenes, whē they had written much of a common weale, and would hauehave ſet ye ſame forward with their deuiſes, they moſt vnluckelie gouerned the ſame. The monkes alſo and Papiſtes would rule al the worlde, & lo they ſeduce it, & drowne it in greuous daungers & déepe darknes.
Or who ſhall tell a man what ſhall happen. &c.
The ſucceſſe of thinges is not in our power.HE ſpeaketh not of that that ſhal happen after this lyfe, but what is lyke ſhortly after to follow the vſe of thinges preſent. There no man knoweth what is to come, whether Antony ſhall lyue or not, whether Brutus and Callius ſhal hauehave the victorie or not, whē Iulius came to be Emperour, he deuiſed how to eſtabliſh and make ſure the kingdome to him and his, but he periſhed in the myddeſt of his cogitations, why then ſo trouble we our ſelues with ſuch thoughtes, ſeing thinges to come be at no tyme in our appointing and power? Let vsus therefore be content with things preſent, and commit our ſelues to the handes of God, who alone hath knowen, and doth knowe to rule and gouerne both things paſſed, and thinges to come.