Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9
The nineth Chapiter.
All theſe thinges I caſt in mine hart to vnderſtand. There are righteous men and wiſe, whoſe ſeruaunts are in the hand of God, and yet no mā knoweth the louelove or the hatred of that that is before him.
How thys ſaying, (mā knoweth not whether he is worthy of louelove or hatred) is corrupted.HEre we muſt well remember the argument, that we geeue not eare to them which drawe this texte to the worthynes of the hatred or louelove of God, and teach men wickedly that no man can be certayne of the fauour of God. &c. Where Salomon ſpeaketh onelyonly of thinges done vnderunder yt Sunne, that is, among men, gouernance of ciuile lyfe. Sée (ſayth he) what vntowardnes & crookednes is in this worlde: where I finde there are mē that gouerne iuſtly and wiſely, whoſe ſeruauntes and ſubiectes yet are in the hand of God, and are proſpered and defended, lyke Salomon and Dauid.
And yet no man knoweth whether he is loued or hated.
An admonition yt we iudge not of gods prouidēce, according to proſperity or aduerſitie.I Take bothe theſe wordes actiuely: that is to ſay, men are ſo vntowarde, that they acknowledge not the iuſt and wyſe men, whoſe ſeruauntes they ſee God proſpereth and gouerneth, for theyr benefactours, or their louelove or hatred. They forget nothing ſo ſoone as benefites. Salomō gouerned wiſely, in peace, in great plenty: As ſoone as he was dead, they complaine how he yoked thē. There they remembred none of his benefites.
What ſtate or condition the worlde was euer in, it could not away with it. We may ſee by Italy, which whether it be at peace or at warre, it can away with neither. In tyme of peace, they procure wars: in time of warre, they would faine hauehave peace. So Germany is alwayes newfāgled. In ye beginning of ye Goſpell all men gredilye ranne to heare it: when it had ſpread it ſelfe abrode, eueryevery where they lothed it, forgetting the benefytes that enſue and follow it. Now many men take parte with the Sectaries: and when they ſhall hauehave cōtinued their time they ſhall be diſdained, and men will deſyre other thinges. To be ſhorte, ye world cā not ſuffer neither good nor bad gouernment: He whom the Lord aydeth not in his gouernement, can not lyue one daye without daunger.
Therefore he yt will ſerue this worlde either by wiſdom, iuſtice, or whatſoeuer: other good qualities, muſt looke for nothing but all maner of extremitie. Thus Dauid, & Salomō very good kings, loued ye good & hated ye bad, but ye people acknowledged not their louelove, forgetting all their benefits & good turnes.The world is geuen to naughtines. Therfore S. Iohn truely, wrote, that the world was geuen to naughtines, becauſe their is nothing but diſquietnes and all kinde of euell in it. Who therefore can lyke this lyfe, where men liue in ſo great daungers and vnquietnes all the dayes of their lyfe.
They hauehave both lyke ſucceſſe. For it happeneth to the righteous euen as to the wicked, to the good & cleane as to the vncleane, to him that offreth, as to him that offreth not. As it happeneth to the vertuous, euen ſo to the ſinners: to him that forſweareth, as to him that feareth an othe. This is the woorſte of all thinges that are donne vnderunder the Sunne, that it happeneth to all men alyke. Whereby the hart of man is fylled with wickednes, and fooliſhnes remaineth in their harts, all the dayes of their lyfe.
THis is againe a copiouſnes of Salomon, as though he ſhould ſaye:The vnkind world remembreth no benefites. The worlde is all together vnquyet, and vnkinde, there is as ſmall remembraunce of good men as of euell. This is to be vnderſtanded on the worldes behalfe, not on Gods. The righteous men, that lyue are conteyned of the world, and in the world: But with God they ſtand in good caſe as he ſayd before, He that feareth the Lord it ſhall goe well with him. The worlde rewardeth the good and the bad alyke.
This is the woorſt of all things that are donne vnderunder the Sunne.
THat is, mans hart is to weake to heare this peruerſenes. They that hauehave not the feare of God, can not patiētly ſuffer this ingratitude, and that there ſhould be no difference betwéene good mē and euill, but that it ſhould happen to both alyke.
This is the cauſe therefore that mēs hartes are fylled with wyckednes:
THat is to ſay, with indignation Intollerable ſorow. Becauſe they hauehave not vnderſtanding,An admonition againſt the offence of vnkindnes. nor can not frame them ſelues to doe as God doth, which ſendeth rayne to the good and euyll alyke. I ſuppoſe that the Philoſophers, & Monkes are here quipped, which becauſe they could not beare with theſe thinges forſooke the worlde. They would not ſerue in ſuch an vnkinde worlde. But Salomon will hauehave vsus to be buſyed in the worlde, and to know the worlde, and not to be feared with the ingratitude thereof from doing, but to follow our heauenly father which letteh his ſunne to ariſe vppon the good and euill. Math. v.
And fooliſhnes remayneth in their hartes vntill they dye.
They that are offended with ſome mens vnkindnes wil benefite no man.THat is, they die without hauing done any worke, euen as though they had neuer lyued. They are lyke a ſhadow in this lyfe, profitable to no body. None enioyeth any part of their ſeruice or goodnes. And that they hope after, is preuented by death. So their ende is nothing but death: they leaue no goodnes for poſteritie. But doe thou ſo order thy lyfe, that thou ſéeke to be meary, and to doe good vntounto others.
For among all men lyuing, hope is choſen, for a lyuing dogge is better then a dead Lyon.
BY this place Salomon prepareth an exhortation for vsus to doe good whyle we are able,He exhorteth vsus that we will not ceaſe to doe good, though men hauehave vſed vsus ingratefully. that we be nothing mooued with the ingratitude of the worlde, but that we holde on in doing our dutye, and hauehave a good hope and truſt. Becauſe there is hope in all men as long as they lyue, as if he ſhould ſay: Doe not ſo contemne or deſpiſe this lyfe, that thou eyther deſpayre or forſake the felloſhip of men, for hope or truſt is the beſt thing yt is among men. For as long as men are lyuing, there is hope. Therfore we muſt doe as much as we are able. For becauſe of the remnaunt, we muſt ſerue ye whole.
Thus a good miniſter of the worde of God, for the good Citizēs ſake,We muſt goe thorow in our vocation, euen for a fewes ſake that be good. preacheth the worde of God, although many blame the ſame. So if a good ſchoolemaſter hauehave two good ſchollers, he muſt take paynes for their ſakes, although he hauehave twenty other naughty diſpoſed and hopeloftes. Thus muſt ech magiſtrate alſo doe, if he can not bring the whole City to doe their dutie, yet he ſhal perhaps finde ſome one or two whom he ſhall bring to good paſſe. &c. This is it therefore that Salomon ſayth: Let vsus not be diſcouraged through diſpayre, nor yet preſume or take ſo much vponupon vsus. For we muſt not ſo deſpayre of the lyuing as we doe of ye dead, of whome, there is no hope. We muſt beare with the importunities of men, and not deſpayre of all men, although many be wicked and vngratious.
For a lyuing dogge is better then a dead Lyon.
If thou cauſt not be a lyon be a whelp in thine office.HE enter laceth a prouerbe, meanyng thus: It ſuffiſeth to correcte & redreſſe ſomething in the worlde, as a lyue dog, although he be a beaſt of no great accompt; yet is he better then the great carcaſſe of ye ſtrōgeſt Lyon. This we ſpeakē and vtter in this wyſe. Better is a Sparrow ſure in hand, then a Crane in doubt. Againe, in the Dutch toung: The childe muſt not be poured out with the water that it hath beene bathed in.
For the lyuing know that they ſhall die, but the dead know nothing at all, neyther hauehave they any more a rewarde: for their remembraunce is forgotten. Alſo their louelove and their hatred and their enuy is now periſhed, and they hauehave no more portion for euer in all that is done vnderunder the Sunne.
THe lyuing (ſayth he) know they ſhal die,Be beneficiall to other, becauſe thou knoweſt thou ſhalt dye. & therfore in their life they hauehave this hope. Let them not therefore put of frō day to day to worke and to doe well, lyke fooles & maycockes, which alwayes looke on other mens examples, and wyll neuer geue any onſet by themſelues, before they ſee other beginne to doe well.
The dead know nothing at all, neither are they rewarded any more.
SAint Hierome wreſted this place fooliſhly,A place to be noted againſt the inuocation of Saintes daparted. to the rewarde of the dead which were in purgatory. For Salomō ſéemeth to thinke that the deap are without all manner of féeling. And I thinke there is not a place in the ſcripture of more force for the dead that are fallen in ſléepe, vnderſtanding naught of our ſtate and condition, againſt the inuocation of Saintes and fiction of Purgatory. It is an Hebrew phraſe:
They hauehave no more any rewarde.
WHich we thus expreſſe in ye Dutch ſpeach: It is all in vaine with thē that be dead, All they can doe is of no auayle, they now can doe nothing that may profite them, lyke as is ſayd other wheres: thy worke ſhall be rewarded. And as Paule ſayth: your trauell ſhall not be in vayne.
¶ Their louelove their hatred. &c.
VNderſtand all theſe thinges actiuely as before, that is to ſay: the benefits they did by louing, by obeying. &c. are forgotten:An errour of Saint Hierome. And where as Saint. Hierome caueleth, that although they know not what is donne in ye worlde, yet they know the thinges that are donne in heauen, it is an error, and a folly.
¶ Moreouer they hauehave no parte or portion in this worde.
THat is, they hauehave nothing to doe wt vsus. He deſcribeth the dead, as lyke to ſenſles Carkaſſes. He will therfore hauehave vsus vſe this lyfe while we may, and to labour all yt we are able. We are compelled to leaue the greater parte of the world vntounto Satan, we can ſcarce bring ye thouſandth parte vntounto God. Therefore if the Lyon dye: kyll not the Dogg alſo.
Goe therefore and eate thy breade with ioy, and drinke thy wine wyth a cherefull hart. For now thy works pleaſe God.
AS Salomon is wont after a reherſal of vanitie in this worlde to ioyne immediately ſome comfort and exhortation for vsus to be meary, and of good cheere:Comfort often repeated. euē ſo doth he in this place, as though he ſhould ſay: Seing we are conſtrayned to lyue in this peruerſitie it ſhall be beſt for vsus, to be meary, and quyet. For we can not chaunge theſe thinges, neyther ſhall we any thinge preuayle, though we take neuer ſo much care there about. He calleth it thy breade and thy wyne, that thou haſt gotten through the bleſſing of God. So Eſay. 4. We will eate our breade. And Paule to the Theſſalonians: Let eueryevery one eate his owne breade.
¶ For thy workes pleaſe God.
The workes of the godly pleaſe God, ergo man knoweth & ought to beleeue ye God loueth him.THis exhortation belongeth to ye Godly, that feare God, as if he ſhoulde ſaye. Thou that art Godly, doo that thou canſt, foraſmuch as thou knoweſt, thy woorkes ſhall pleaſe God. And this is the greateſt wiſedome that can be, to knowe that God will be mercifull to vsus and that our workes and labours pleaſe him: as Paule ſayth to the Romaynes the viij. The ſpirit beareth witnes to our ſpirit, that we are the children of God. For oneleſſe our hart place and ſettle it ſelf in the good will and pleaſure of God, it can neuer ſwéeten the bitternes thereof. The harte remayneth euer bitter vnleſſe it be thus filled alway with the good will of God. This place ought to hauehave béene inough to hauehave confuted thoſe, which of the wordes ſet before, but manyfeſtly tranſlated: Man knoweth not whether he be worthy of louelove or hatred &c. would goe about to make men doubtfull and vncertaine, of Gods good will, and fauour towardes them.
At all tymes let thy garmentes bee white, and let thyne heade be anoynted with oyle.
SAlomon ſpeaketh here according to the vſage of that Countrey. The Romanes & Gréekes commende purple and ſcarlet. But the Nations eaſtward and ſpecially ye Iewes cōmende whyte apparell becauſe they may be waſhed, and by reaſon of cleanlynes and puritye which they earneſtly profeſſed euē as the Turk vſeth lynnen garmentes, for the moſt gorgious. And we in the tyme of Popery at great feaſtes vſed Albes. This is it he meaneth. Be meary alwayes & vſe ſuch raymēt as thou art accuſtomed at feaſtes and banquetting.
And anoynt thy hed with oyle.
THat is,Whom Salomon exhorteth to be meary. vſe alſo the oyles which God hath geuen thée. Againe he ſpeaketh according to the maner of the countreye, who ſet great pryce and delight in their oyntmentes. This it is he ſayth▪ Thou lyueſt in the myddeſt of vanitie: Enioye therefore thy lyfe, and deſtroy not thy ſelfe with indignation, put away ſorrow out of thy mynde. Thou canſt not better mocke and ge…ke ye worlde, then to laugh when it is angrye. Let this be ſufficient to thée that God is mercyfull to thée. For what is the malice of this worlde to be compared with the pleaſauntnes that is in God. Neyther doth he here perſwade vsus to any voluptuous lyfe, or to ſuch royetouſnes, as they vſe which perceiue not this vanity (for that were to add oyle vntounto fyre) but ſpeaketh of the godly, which féele and hauehave experience of the vexations and gréefes of this worlde. Theſe mens hartes goeth he about to chéere and reare vp. Theſe men counſelleth he to be meary, not ye frowarde and vngodly, which otherwiſe lyue in all maner of ſenſualitie and voluptuouſnes. The ſame he meaneth where he ſayth:
Reioyce with the wife whom thou haſt loued all the dayes of the lyfe of thy vanitie, which God hath geuen thee vnderunder the Sunne, all the dayes of thy vanitie. For this is thy portion in the lyfe, and in thy trauell wherein thou laboureſt vnderunder the Sunne.
AS though he ſhould ſay: Thou ſhalt carry no more with thee. So Paul in the firſt to Tymothy the 6. Hauyng foode and rayment, let vsus therewyth be content. For they that be not contēt herewith, but couet after other thynges, and afflicte their ſelues with indignation and cares, adde ſorow vntounto ſorow, vanitie vntounto vanitie, & at once depriue themſelues of all goodnes.
All that thyne hand ſhall finde to doe, doe wyth all thy power: for there is neyther worke, nor inuention, nor knowledge, nor wiſdome in the graue whether thou goeſt.
THis is the other part of his exhortation which he obiecteth to thoſe idle perſons,Diligence & continuance in labour commaunded. who becauſe they ſée the worlde vnkinde and greuous, ceaſe of from labour, and will doe no more good. He cō maundeth vsus therfore to doe both, namely to be meary, and yet not ſo yt we loyter, but labour according as God hath commaūded. Gen▪ 3. Let vsus take labour vntounto vsus, but put cares of mynde from vsus, and be content with the preſent eſtate: adde a third thing, vexe not thyne harte, becauſe thou ſéeſt the worlde is ingratefull. It is notable that he ſayth, ſhall finde, that is, follow not thyne owne counſell, but doe thinges as they fal out, that which God commaundeth, & offreth taking no care for ought to come. Wheras he ſayth, with all thy power, thereby he requireth induſtry and diligence.
For in the graue there is no worke.
Againſt inuocation of Saintes.AN other place, prouing that the dead hauehave no perſeueraunce or féeling. There is (ſaith he) no deuiſe, no ſcience, no knowledge, no wiſedome there. Salomon iudgeth that the dead are a ſleepe, and féele nothing at all. For the dead lye there accompting neyther dayes nor yeares, but when they are awaked, they ſhall ſéeme to hauehave ſlept ſcarce one minute.
What this worde infernus ſignifieth.Hell ſignifieth a pit or graue, but properly (as I iudge) that ſecret withdrawing place, where the dead ſléepe out of this lyfe, whence the ſoule goeth to her place (whatſoeuer it be, for corporall it is not) ſo that thou mayſt vnderſtād hell to be that place where the ſoules be kept, being a certayne graue (as it were) of ye ſoule, without this corporall worlde, as the earth is the ſepulchre of ye body. But what maner of place it is, we know not. So in the 42. and 43. of Gen: I ſhal goe downe mourning into hell. Agayne: they ſhall bring my white head wyth ſorow vntounto the graue. For they that truely are holy, goe not into hell to ſuffer any thing there.Where the ſayntes that be dead are. The dead therefore are out of all place. For whatſoeuer is out of this lyfe, is out of place. Euen as after the reſurrection, we ſhall be cleare from place and tyme.
And I turned me vntounto other things done vnderunder the ſunne, and I ſawe that in rūning, it helpeth not to be ſwifte, in battell not to be ſtrong, to get liuing, not to be carefull, to get riches not to be wiſe, to be had in fauour, it helpeth not to be cunning, but that all lyeth in tyme and fortune.
THis is the ſumme and concluſion as it were of his diſcourſe and roll of vanities, as if he ſhould ſay:Then be our enterpriſes happye, when God proſpereth them and gouerneth their ſucceſſe. It makes no matter what a mā can doe. Therefore, follow not thyne owne wayes or deuiſes, but that thyne hand findeth, that is, continue in a certayne worke appointed and commaunded by God, leauing the thinges which may hinder thée therefrō, as Samuel ſayd vntounto Saule: thou ſhalt be chaunged into an other man, and that thine hand findeth, that doe. &c. He preſcribed him no rule or lawe, but whatſoeuer thing fell, to take it in good part, and to labour therein.
We muſt goe on with our vocatiō.Thus doth Salomon teach vsus in this place. Alwayes goe forwarde with that thou haſt in hand, and belongeth to thy vocation. Thou art a preacher, or miniſter of the word of God, continue in reading the Scripture, and in teaching, be not drawen to any other trade before the Lord draw thée. For whatſoeuer ye Lord doth not ſay or commaūde profiteth not, which thing he proueth by his owne experience, ſaying: I ſawe the ſwifte preuayled not by running, and many ſtrong men, which yet loſt the victory: I ſawe alſo many notable wyſe mē hauehave litle ſucceſſe, many diligent and good gouernours which litle preuayled. It lies not in the perſon how industrious or witty ſoeuer he be.
All ſucceſſe of matters is of God.Many tymes the ſtrong are ouercōmed in warre of the weake, and many tymes great hoſtes are ſlayne by ſmall number of men, becauſe the matter conſiſteth not in ſtrength. So Troye was a moſt impregnable thing, wāting neyther ſtrēgth nor power, and yet was it ſubdued and ouerthrowen. For the tyme was come that God had ordeyned it ſhould ſo be. By the lyke reaſon, in the yeares paſſed, the Emperour tooke and vanquiſhed the kyng of Fraunce,Fraunces kyng of Fraunce takē priſoner. 1525. notwithſtanding he farre paſſed him in ſtrēgth of mē. Where he ſaith, that running helpeth not the ſwifte, it is an Hebrew phraſe, for with them to rūne, is to beare office, as Paul to the Corinthians: So runne I, not as at an vncertaine thing. Agayne: I hauehave fyniſhed my courſe.
To be had in fauour it helpeth not to be cunning.
THat is,Many notable artificers cōtemned. many are ſkilfull in artes & good learning, and yet they are not regarded, no man ſéeth to them, or taketh care for them. So with vsus the worde is plentifull, there are many good wyttes, and yet we can not bring all men to the fayth: and yet not withſtanding we muſt not leaue of from preaching the Goſpell. For God raigneth euen in weakenes, he ſhall gouerne our doinges & bring them to paſſe. The Lorde is able to kindle a greate fyer & flame, ſo we will preſerue ſparcles. We are alſo meruelouſly troubled and vexed in our myndes about getting our liuing. One becauſe he would be rich, becōmeth a Printer, and loe he conſumeth that he hath. It is not therefore ſufficient to be wiſe and induſtrious. For many ſingular wyttes, and excellent artificers, are vtterly deſpiſed. This is it he ſayth:
The Succeſſe of all thinges dependeth on fortune.
We muſt trauell, and leaue all ſucceſſe vntounto God.THat is, I cā not determine or apoint what ſucceſſe I ſhall hauehave, when I hauehave donne all I can. Doo thou onelyonly yt is thy duetye. God ſhall finde a tyme to vſe thy labour. We cā not iudge of theſe thinges, we muſt labour, but appointe no ende and effect of our woorking.
Man knoweth not his tyme, but as the fyſhes which are takē with the angle, & as birdes that are catched with ſpringeſſe, ſo are they ſnared in the perelous tyme, when it cometh ſvddenly vponupon them.
VNderſtand, this tyme to be not onelyonly the very end of life, but eueryevery hower, and occaſion, as if he ſhould ſay: Thou muſt labour, although thou know not what will followe thereof. Therfore applie thy ſelfe to learning, and if God ſo appoint, he will giuegive thy ſtudy fruite and ſucceſſe. The lyke we muſt do in all other trades & exerciſes of lyfe labouring and commytting all ſucceſſe vntounto God. For the tyme of ſucceſſe is not reuealed to vsus.
And as fiſhes. &c.
WYth two feate ſimilitudes,All aduerſities cā not be foreſeene he proueth that moſt tymes matters fall out cōtrary to our deuiſes and wéening: the fiſhe is deſirous of meate, & deuoureth the hooke. The byrdes lykewiſe without all feare goe on féeding, and thinke no thing of the grynne, and ſodenly they are caught: So we when we hauehave choſen and hoped for that we thinke good, are deceaued. And when we thinke euil is toward, then goodnes is at hand, And we ruſhe in to thoſe thinges, which afterwarde we can not get out of, in ſuch a wyſe, as we perceaue not, how we be circumuented. And all this commeth to paſſe, becauſe we knowe not the tyme and hower. So that experience teacheth vsus, how thinges are not ordered by our deuiſes, but moſt tymes againſt them. And hence procedeth ye ſaying of miſfortunat folke: I thought not it would hauehave ſo fallen out.
This wiſdome alſo hauehave I ſeene vnvnder the Sunne, and me thought it a great thinge. There was a lyttle Citie, and a fewe men within it: So there came a great kinge and beſeeged it, & made great fortes againſt it: and in the Citie there was found a pore mā, but wiſe, which through his wiſdōe deliuered the Citie: Yet was there no body that had any reſpecte vntounto ſuch a ſimple man. Then ſayde I, wyſedome is better then ſtrength. Neuertheles a poore mās wyſdome is deſpiſed, & his wordes are not heard.
Fooliſhnes & vnkyndnes of the people reprehended.I ſuppoſe yt this is ſet after his cōcluſion in ſtead of an example, whereby he declareth all that he hath ſayde before. It is a generall example, the lyke whereof is foūde in many hiſtories. For thus in the ix. Chapter of the Iudges, a woman deliuered the Citie ſaying Abimelech the king, with a peece of a mylſtone. He calleth it great wyſedome, becauſe indeede that wiſedome of gouernaunce is very greate that delyuereth a litle Citie, of ſmall force, frō valyaunt enemyes. But to forget this wiſedome, and ſo great benefites, as moſt times it happeneth, is greate vnthankfulnes.Themiſtocles. Thus Themiſtocles employed many benefites vponupon his Countrey men but he founde greate ingratitude for the ſame. Thus Dauid benifited all Iſraell, ſo did Salomon. But afterward forgetting ſo great benefites, tenne of the Trybes forſooke the houſe of Dauid, Wherefore to pleaſure and benefit ye worlde, is nought els, but to loſe our benefites, and to caſt golde into durt and Pearles before hogges. The beſt is therefore to be mery, and to labour for ye tyme preſent, caſting of all care of things to come. For it were better that my benefites periſhed, then I to periſh with my benefit alſo, as ſayth Phaedria, in the comedye entituled Eunuchus.
And no man remembred the man.
IN déede the wyſe mans wordes were duplicate page duplicate page heard, while he gaue good counſell, but that done, he was by and by forgotten.