The Book of Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon Paraphrased, Text and paraphrase 1 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
ARGUMENT.
As Obedience to Governours, and patience under ill Government are the means (he ſhows in the foregoing Chapters) to preſerve peace and quietneſs; which are the great bleſſings of humane life: ſo in peaceable, quiet and eaſie times nothing contributes more to our happy living, than the constant exerciſe of Charity, in Works of Mercy; which make us beloved both of God and man. Upon which therefore the Wiſe man here inſists largely; in the ſix first Verſes of this Chapter: and then preſſes men to it by the conſideration, that there is no pleaſure like this, while they live; and that as they cannot keep what they have long, but Death will rob them of all: ſo they must give an account of what they have enjoyed; and therefore had best make ſuch an uſe of it, as will stand them in stead at that time. This I take to be the ſumm of this Chapter.
1. CAST thy bread upon the waters: for thou ſhalt find it after many days.
1. NOW, having ſhown how thou oughteſt to behave thy ſelf towards thoſe above thee, look down a little upon thoſe below thee; and believe that nothing is more profitable (though the World think otherways) as well as obliging, than to be kind and charitable unto all men; but eſpecially, to the poor, miſerable people, though they be not ſo good, perhaps, as they ought to be; but will ungratefully forget all thy benefits, and never think of them more; or, at leaſt, are never likely to make thee any return, no more than if thou didſt ſow thy Seed on the Sand or in the Sea: let not that diſcourage thee; for when thou thinkeſt not of it, God will requite thee, either in this World, or in the next; nay, there may come a time, when ſome of thoſe who have been relieved by thee, may do thee ſervice. See Annot. [a].
2. Give a portion to ſeven, and alſo to eight: for thou knowest not what evil ſhall be upon the earth.
2. Give therefore unto others ſome part of the good things, which God hath given thee; and give very liberally, and be not weary neither of well-doing; but though there be a great many Suitors that ſolicite thy Charity extend thy bounty to them, rather above than beneath thy ability: for thou knoweſt not how calamitous the times may ſhortly be, and then the good thou haſt done, will ſtand thee in greater ſtead than all the Goods thou enjoyeſt: which perhaps may be taken from thee, and leave thee nothing to do good withal; but make thee an Object of other mens Charity; which no perſon hath greater reaſon to expect, than he who, when he had wherewithal, hath been kind to others in that condition. See Annot. [b].
3. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themſelves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the ſouth, or toward the north; in the place where the tree falleth, there it ſhall be.
3. Look up to the Heavens, and imitate the Clouds; which are not filled with moiſture for themſelves; but pour it down freely and plentifully upon the thirſty Earth; even upon the barren as well as upon the fertile Soil, without any difference: and look upon the Earth and learn from the Trees to be fruitful in good Works, while thou art alive; for then thou art dead, none can raiſe thee up again to exerciſe that Charity which now thou neglecteſt; no more than a Tree can be made to bear when it is cut down, but which way ſoever it falls, whether to a cold or to a warmer Quarter, there it remains for ever, without ſo much as Leaves. See Annot. [c].
4. He that obſerveth the wind, ſhall not ſow: and he that regardeth the clouds, ſhall not reap.
4. And do not put off thy Charity till another time; under a pretence that now the times are hard, or thou ſhalt be better able hereafter, or mayſt find fitter Objects for it, and do more good with it: For as he that will not ſow till the Wind blow from a favourable Quarter, may let the Seeds time paſs over; and he that will not reap, becauſe he is afraid of every Cloud that threatens Rain, may loſe his Harveſt; ſo they that will do no good, till the times be juſt as they would have them, or till they find objects againſt whom there lies no exception, will never want reaſons to excuſe their Duty, and defer it till they have no opportunity for it. See Annot. [d].
5. As thou knowest not what is the way of the ſpirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even ſo thou knowest not the works of God, who maketh all.
5. Truſt God for all ſuch things as thoſe, and do not rely upon thy own underſtanding, which comprehends very little of what is before thee; for inſtance, whence the Wind comes: what makes it blow and ceaſe; how the Soul comes into the Body and departs out of it; how the Body it ſelf is formed in the Womb; by what power; and how it goes to work, hardning ſome part of the Matter into Bones, and ſoftning others into Fleſh, &c. And therefore much leſs art thou able to comprehend the Providence of God, who diſpoſeth all things; and know for inſtance, whether it will be a dear Year or a cheap; whether thou and thy Heirs, ſhall live or die; loſe or keep an Eſtate; particularly, what ſtrange ways God hath to blaſt, or to bleſs all thy Deſigns; making thy Eſtate dwindle by ſaving, and grow wonderfully by giving away bountifully: Which ſeems to diminiſh; but, by means as ſecret as the growth of a Child in the Womb, encreaſe and enlarge it. See Annot. [e]
6. In the morning ſow thy ſeed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knoweſt not whether ſhall proſper, either this or that, or whether they both ſhall be alike good.
6. Let nothing therefore diſcourage thee, from taking all opportunities, to give thy Alms inceſſantly; early and late; when thou art young, and when thou art old; when things ſmile upon thee, and thou art in a declining condition; for thou knoweſt not which will hit to do the moſt good unto others, and to bring the greateſt Bleſſing back upon thy ſelf; or whether all may prove alike beneficial unto both. See Annot. [f].
7. ¶ Truly the light is ſweet, and a pleaſant thing it is for the eyes to behold the ſun.
7. Let no live of thy own pleaſure, make thee regardleſs what becomes of other men: for though, it is true, life is full of delight when we are in a proſperous eſtate, and we are entertained with great variety of pleaſure, when we look about us, and behold all the good things, the Sun ſhows the bounty of Heaven hath provided for us; yet, believe it, there is no ſatisfaction comparable to that of having done abundance of good, with that which he beſtows upon us. See Annot. [g].
8. But if a man live many years, and rejoyce in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkneſs, for they ſhall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
8. If God therefore ſhould bleſs a man with an healthful Body and a very long life, I do not forbid him to take the comfort of it; but adviſe him rather, (as I have done often) with a mind free from ſolicitude and carefulneſs, to enjoy all the innocent pleaſures it can afford him: only let them be tempered with theſe two reflections. Firſt, that as the faireſt Sun that ever ſhone will ſet, and the Night follow it; ſo the moſt merry life will have an end, and then we muſt lie down in our Graves, longer than we have lived, without the leaſt glimpſe of theſe joys: and ſecondly, that while we live, nothing which we expect hereafter can give us more contentment, than what we enjoy at preſent; and will ſlide away alſo as faſt, and leave us altogether unſatisfied, unleſs we have done ſome good with it. See Annot. [h].
9. ¶ Rejoyce, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart chear thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the ſight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all theſe things God will bring thee into judgment.
9. And there is one thing, above all other, which if the moſt Childiſh Youth would conſider, and alway carry in mind, I might give him full liberty, to be as jocund and merry as his frolick Age enclines him; to baniſh melancholy thoughts; and, while he hath the briskeſt taſte of them to invent all manner of pleaſures for his entertainment; denying himſelf nothing that he deſires, and gratifying all his ſenſes: It is this, that he muſt give a ſtrict account of all his actions unto God; who will deal well with him, if he have kept himſelf within his Bounds, and enjoyed only lawful pleaſures, with thankful acknowledgments unto Him, but will puniſh him for all his extravagances, and forgetfulneſs of Him, with torments infinitely greater than all his ſinful delights. And this, be it known to thee, whoſoever thou art that readeſt this, is a certain truth. See Annot. [i].
10. Therefore remove ſorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy fleſh; for childhood and youth are vanity.
10. And therefore by the thoughts of this, I adviſe thee alſo, to ſuppreſs and baniſh that fierceneſs, rage, ſadneſs, fretting and vexation, with all ſuch like perturbations of mind, unto which, in the heat of thy blood, thou art ſubject, when any thing croſſes thee (ſuppoſe when thou art only reproved for thy faults) and let no filthy deſires, which then are ſtrong, and would plunge thee in all wickedneſs, ſtay with thee: For, if ſuch care as this be not taken to lay reſtraints upon him, there is nothing more ſenſeleſlly fooliſh, raſh, inconſtant and forward to ruine it ſelf, than Man in his Childiſh Youth: when he is in the dawning, as we call it, of his days, and comes firſt acquainted with the pleaſures of this World. See Annot. [k].