The Book of Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon Paraphrased, Text and paraphrase 1 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
ARGUMENT.
In this Chapter the Wiſe man purſues the deſign of the former. Wherein he having given ſeveral Advices, as a proper remedy for the vanity and trouble we find in all things (the principal of which are ſeriouſneſs, mindfulneſs of our mortality, integrity, meekneſs, patience, prudence, in not exaſperating men when we can avoid it, caution in converſation with Women) he now adds ſeveral other of no leſs moment; which have reſpect not only to private, but alſo to publick perſons. And they amount to this (that I may give as ſhort a Summary as I can of the Chapter) to ſhow how happy we all ſhould be, if both Subjects, and Princes alſo would be adviſed and conſiderate. But if they be not, good men ſhould make themſelves leſs miſerable, by not being either too much diſturbed at it, or giving any publick diſturbance; much leſs by diſbelieving Providence, though they do not ſee the World governed, as they would have it, to the encouragement of the good, and the puniſhment of the bad: but to enjoy what they can honeſtly, in the preſent condition wherein they are: and be contented and ſubmit to the Divine Government (though we do not underſtand it) when any alteration comes: and not add this affliction unto all the rest, anxiouſly to enquire into thoſe things, of which we are not able to give an account.
1. WHO is as the wiſe man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a mans wiſdom maketh his face to ſhine, and the boldneſs of his face ſhall be changed.
1. THere is no man ſo happy, as he that is wiſe enough to underſtand, and to live by theſe Rules: But let that man remember alſo, that as true Wiſdom gives the greateſt comfort, confidence and courage to himſelf, ſo it is apt to make him kind and gentle unto others; And therefore let no man pretend unto it, unleſs it diſpoſe him unto ſuch Vertues: For the deeper inſight he hath into men, and buſineſs, and things, and the better able he is to ſolve all doubts and difficult Caſes, and thereby ſatisfie both himſelf and other men; the more friendly, courteous and affable ſhould he be to all; and the more humble, meek and gentle alſo: Which is far more Majeſtical, and will gain him greater reverence, than auſterity, ſurlineſs, and pride. See Annot. [a].
2. I counſel thee to keep the kings commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
2. And let no man think I have reſpect merely to my ſelf, in what follows, becauſe I am a King; but look upon this as a principal Point of Wiſdom, both for his own, and for the publick ſafety; to live in dutiful Obedience to the Kings Edicts, and Commands, which do not thwart the Laws of God: and that, not merely for fear of his diſpleaſure, and the penalty of the Law, if it be broken or neglected; but out of reſpect to God, whoſe Miniſter he is; and whom his Subjects called to witneſs unto the ſincerity of their hearts, when they ſwore true faith and allegiance to him. See Annot. [b].
3. Be not haſty to go out of his ſight: ſtand not in an evil thing, for he doeth whatſoever pleaſeth him.
3. Let not thy paſſion tranſport thee to ſhow the leaſt diſreſpect to him, much leſs to refuſe his Commands unmannerly, or to do any thing that may throw thee out of his favour; but, if thou haſt offended him, let thy next care be not to perſiſt obſtinately in thy errour, but to humble thy ſelf and beg his pardon: not imagining thou canſt flee ſo faſt from his anger that it ſhall not reach thee; for his power is ſo large, that it will, one time or other, lay hold on thee and puniſh thee. See Annot. [c].
4. Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may ſay unto him, What doeſt thou?
4. For the Kings Commands are backt with Power; ſo that, if he give Sentence againſt thee, his Officers are ready to do Execution immediately: never examining whether it be right or wrong; but holding themſelves obliged to do as he bids them. And indeed who may queſtion him, or call him to an account, that hath no Superior? Or who can controul him, that hath all the power of the Kingdom in his hands? See Annot [d].
5. Whoſo keepeth the commandment ſhall feel no evil thing: and a wiſe mans heart diſcerneth both time and judgment.
5. Therefore, not only for Conſcience ſake, but, for thy own ſafety and ſecurity yield obedience to the Kings Commandment; for ſo thou ſhalt avoid the trouble both of thy mind and of thy body: And if thou pretendeſt to Wiſdom, ſhow it, not in oppoſing him and contending with him but, in a prudent declining what thou canſt not honeſtly do; and in obſerving and taking the fitteſt Seaſon, and in the moſt inoffenſive and winning manner, to inſinuate good advice, when the King commits an errour. See Annot. [e].
6. ¶ Becauſe to every purpoſe there is time, and judgment; therefore the miſery of man is great upon him.
6. For want of which ſort of prudence men ſuffer very much: becauſe there is a certain ſeaſon for, and a certain manner of, doing every thing; which if it be not underſtood (and it requires no ſmall pains to be able to diſcern it) or not embraced, it is not only impoſſible to be done, but many and great inconveniences inſue upon that overſight, or neglect. See Annot. [f].
7. For he knoweth not that which ſhall be: for who can tell him when it ſhall be?
7. For no man can be ſure that the like opportunity will return again: future things being ſo much in the dark, that neither he, nor any one elſe can inform him what ſhall be hereafter; or when that will come, which in the courſe of things may probably be expected. See Annot. [g].
8. There is no man that hath power over the ſpirit to retain the ſpirit: neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no diſcharge in that war, neither ſhall wickedneſs deliver thoſe that are given to it.
8. But let no Prince, though never ſo great, preſume hereupon to abuſe his Power to Tyranny, becauſe he hath no Superiour to controul him; but remember theſe things following. Firſt, that though he command over mens bodies, yet he hath no dominion over their minds and ſpirits; nor can he hinder them from thinking what they pleaſe, no more than he can the Wind, from blowing where it liſteth: and next, that he cannot command them long; for Death will come, and irreſiſtibly ſeize on him, as well as on the meaneſt man: nay, he cannot rule the Chances of War, nor promiſe himſelf certain Victory in the day of Battel: or if he have had a great while good ſucceſs, yet neither his policy, nor his power, ſhall be able always to defend him from the vengeance that will be taken, of the injuſtice, cruelty, and impiety which he exerciſes in his Government. See Annot. [h].
9. All this have I ſeen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the ſun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.
9. There is no reaſon therefore to be ſo much as ambitious of great power; for in the view I have taken of all manner of things in this World, which I have weighed alſo and conſidered duly, I have obſerved that ſometime unlimited power breaks it ſelf in pieces: and the Dominion to which a man is promoted, ends in his own ruine, as well as theirs whom he pillages and tyrannically governs. See Annot. [i].
10. And ſo I ſaw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had ſo done: this is alſo vanity.
10. And, among other things, I alſo obſerved ſuch wicked men carried to their Graves, who had been honoured as gods while they lived, becauſe they were God's Miniſters, and ſate in the Judgment-Seat, in that very place where He himſelf is preſent; but were no ſooner gone, but they were forgotten, in that very City where they had enjoyed ſuch high Authority: ſo vain is the Pomp wherein Great Men live, and wherein they are buried; which vaniſhes together with them, and, if they were not good in their place, is no more remembred. See Annot. [k].
11. Becauſe ſentence againſt an evil work is not executed ſpeedily; therefore the heart of the ſons of men is fully ſet in them to do evil.
11. But theſe Obſervations move not vain men, who look no further than their preſent proſperity. For though God hath pronounced a dreadful doom againſt all wicked men, and eſpecially thoſe that abuſe their Power unto tyranny over others; yet becauſe execution is not preſently done upon them, but they live in all earthly ſplendor, both they, and others alſo, by their example, grow more audaciouſly preſumptuous in their wickedneſs; and think of nothing but doing miſchief, by rapine, and all manner of iniquity in the World. See Annot. [l].
12. ¶ Though a ſinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet ſurely I know that it ſhall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
12. Not conſidering or believing this, which I am aſſured of, as an undoubted truth, that though ſuch a powerful Sinner commit innumerable ſpoils upon his poor Subjects, and no harm befal him a long time; yet, as God will make thoſe good men an amends whoſe reverence to his Majeſty makes them chuſe rather to ſuffer than to ſin; and, notwithſtanding all their oppreſſions, maintain their integrity, and continue in awful obedience unto Him, and unto their Governours: See Annot. [m].
13. But it ſhall not be well with the wicked, neither ſhall he prolong his days, which are as a ſhadow; becauſe he feareth not before God.
13. So he will take a time to puniſh that impious Tyrant becauſe he deſpiſes God and his Providence, and fears not his Divine vengeance: Nor are we without Examples of ſuch men, who have haſtned their own ruine; and by their violence ſhortned their Reign; and vaniſhed away ſuddenly, like a ſhadow.
14. There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there be juſt men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked: again, there be wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I ſaid that this alſo is vanity.
14. Such Examples, indeed, do not deter them from wickedneſs, becauſe they ſee Inſtances on the other ſide (which is an afflicting conſideration) that vertuous men ſometimes fall into ſuch miſeries, as the wicked rather deſerve to ſuffer; and, on the contrary, thoſe impious men enjoy all the proſperity, which one would think, belongs only to the righteous: This, I have acknowledged already, is the lamentable condition of things, and a great part of the trouble of this World; to which I have given the beſt ſatisfaction I could, III. 17. V. 8. See Annot. [n].
15. Then I commended mirth. becauſe a man hath no better thing under the ſun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that ſhall abide with him of his labour, the days of his life, which God giveth him under the ſun.
15. And muſt again commend that advice wherewith I concluded one of theſe Diſcourſes (III. 22.) that this ought neither to diſcourage a man in vertuous proceedings, nor make him careful and ſolicitous about events; but only move him, in the fear of God (of which I juſt now ſpake, v. 11.) to be merry whilſt he may: For there is nothing better, than ſoberly and freely to enjoy the preſent good things, which the bounty of God beſtows upon us; with thankfulneſs to Him, and charity to others: For when a man, by his pains and labour, hath gotten a great Eſtate, this is all that he can call his; God having only lent him what he hath, for his preſent uſe, while he tarries here in this life; and then he muſt reſign it unto others, and give an account, how he hath uſed it, unto Him. See Annot. [o].
16. ¶ When I applied mine heart to know wiſdom, and to ſee the buſineſs that is done upon the earth: (for alſo there is that neither day nor night ſeeth ſleep with his eyes.)
16. In this therefore reſt ſatisfied, and do not trouble thy ſelf with curious inquiries, Why things are adminiſtred with ſuch inequality, as is beforementioned: for I have travelled, as much as any Body, in that diſquiſition, and, with great application of mind, have made a moſt diligent ſearch into the cauſes and reaſons, of the whole management of affairs here in this World (my mind being one of thoſe, that is as eager and greedy of Knowledge, as others are of Riches; for which they toil all day, and take little reſt in the night.) See Annot. [o].
17. Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the ſun: becauſe though a man labour to ſeek it out, yet he ſhall not find it; yea further, though a wiſe man think to know it, yet he ſhall not be able to find it.
17. But this was all the ſatisfaction at which I could arrive, That the Providence of God, without all doubt, governs every thing in this World; but why He ſuffers the wicked to proſper, and the vertuous to be oppreſſed by them; why he doth ſomerime ſpeedily cut off a wicked Tyrant, and ſometimes defer the execution ſo long, that he lives to do a World of miſchief, and yet goes perhaps to his Grave in peace (v. 10.) it is impoſſible to give a full account: For there is little or nothing that any man can know of the ſecrets of his counſels, or indeed of any other of his Works; which are inſcrutable by us, though a man take never ſo much pains to find them out; nay, though the wiſeſt man in the World make it his conſtant buſineſs, he will be ſtill forced to confeſs his ignorance; and the height of his knowledge will be to know, that God's ways are paſt finding out.