The Book of Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon Paraphrased, Text and paraphrase 1 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
ARGUMENT.
He continues his Advice to young men, (begun in the two laſt Verſes of the foregoing Chapter) wiſhing them to ſeaſon their minds with ſuch an early ſenſe of God, and of their obligations to Him, that it might govern them in all their ways; and be a comfort to them in Old Age, which (by a long deſcription of it) he ſhows will be a melancholy time at beſt. After which Diſcourſe, he concludes the Book, with a brief ſumm of the ſcope and deſign of it; inſerting ſomething concerning the Author, which might diſpoſe the Reader to attend the more heedfully, unto the concluſion of the whole matter.
1. REmember now thy Creatour in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou ſhalt ſay, I have no pleaſure in them:
1. THE beſt Counſel therefore that I can give ever man is this, That he would awaken, and preſerve in mind perpetually, an awful ſenſe of God; unto whom he is ſo deeply indebted that he received his very Being from Him; and therefore let him apply himſelf faithfully and affectionately to his ſervice, in his moſt vigorous Age, as ſoon as ever he can conſider that he is not his own, but God's, who formed him in his Mothers Womb, took him thence, and brought him up to be a man: Do not deferr this weighty buſineſs, till thou art ſick, or all thy faculties ſo broken by the infirmities of Old Age, that though it laſt ſeveral years, yet they ſhall prove flat and dull, irkſom and redious to thee: and no pleaſure at all left in them, but only the remembrance of a well-ſpent-life; without which, inſtead of thanking God, thou wilt be apt to do nothing, but complain; or groan under the weight of one evil or other that falls upon thee. See Annot. [a].
2. While the ſun, or the light, or the moon, or the ſtars be not darkned, nor the clouds return after the rain:
2. For what joy can a man have, or what miſery can he be without (and therefore what folly is it not to think of God before that time) when the natural heat and vigour is quite ſpent, and all the powers and faculties of Soul and Body in ſuch a languiſhing condition, that he is altogether unfit for the Offices of piety; particularly for the acknowledgment of God's benefits, the very remembrance of which is ſlipt out of his mind, or he hath but a dull perception of them: being no more ſenſible of the benefit of the Sun it ſelf, when it gives the brighteſt light, than he is of the Moon or the Stars; but the day is as ſad, and as full of pains and heavineſs to him, as the night: and there is no end of them, no intermiſſion; but they ſucceed one another, as the Clouds do in a rainy Seaſon, when one is no ſooner emptied, but another is gathered, and ready to diſcharge it ſelf in Showers. See Annot. [b].
3. In the day when the keepers of the houſe ſhall tremble, and the ſtrong men ſhall bow themſelves, and the grinders ceaſe becauſe they are few, and thoſe that look out of the windows be darkned.
3. Is this a proper time to be alloted to the ſervice of God, when a man cannot ſerve himſelf? his hands being ſtruck with a Palſie, and made unable either to feed or defend his Body; his feet bending under the weight of it, having loſt their power to ſupport him; his teeth likewiſe ſo rotten, or worn away, or fallen out, that they cannot thew his Meat; and the ſight of his eyes, which were wont to ſhow him things at a great diſtance, now ſo failing him, that he cannot know one man from another, though they ſtand hard by him. See Annot. [c.]
4. And the doors ſhall be ſhut in the ſtreets, when the ſound of the grinding is low, and he ſhall riſe up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of muſick ſhall be brought low;
4. Is this the time to gain acceptance with God, when he is deſpiſed by men; and excluded the publick Aſſemblies, becauſe his voice is ſo low, that no Body can hear him? Nay, his Lips look as if they were cloſed, and fall ſo inward, that he can but mumble, by reaſon of the loſs of his Teeth, the weakneſs of his Lungs, and the defect of other Inſtruments of Speech: Nor can he recruit himſelf as he was wont by reſt; for ſound ſleep departs from his eyes, and he wakes as early as the Birds, but is not pleaſed at all with their Songs: his hearing being ſo dull and flat, that he is not moved by the beſt Muſick in the World; though he liſten and incline his ears unto it, with never ſo much diligence. See Annot. [d].
5. Alſo when they ſhall be afraid of that which is high, and fears ſhall be in the way, and the almond-tree ſhall flouriſh, and the graſhopper ſhall be a burden, and deſire ſhall fail: becauſe man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the ſtreets:
5. For joy and all ſuch pleaſant paſſions being fled away, melancholy fear alone remains; which makes him ſcarce dare to tread in the Highway, much leſs, (his head is ſo giddy) to go up a Pair of Stairs; nay, he thinks himſelf unſafe in the ſtrongeſt Fortreſs: Such is the feebleneſs of Old Age, which looks venerably by its Grey Hairs, but they are an early ſign of approaching death; and are made contemptible by his crumpled Shoulders, Hips and Back: which as they are of themſelves a ſufficient Load, ſo are relieved and ſupported by no bodily pleaſures; the very deſires of which now fail him: for there is but a very ſhort ſtep between him and his Grave; unto which if he be carried with the uſual Solemnities, it is all his Friends can do for him. See Annot. [e].
6. Or ever the ſilver cord be looſed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
6. Remember therefore thy Creator, while the noble Faculties of ſenſe and motion remain intire, and are ſtrong and lively; for the time will come (and that will be very unfit for this, or indeed any other buſineſs) when they will be totally diſabled: the Nerves, for inſtance, will ſhrink up and be diſpirited; the Brain it ſelf, and all thoſe precious Veſſels wherein it is contained, be of no uſe at all unto thee: For the very Fountain of Life, the Heart, will fail, and the Veins and Arteries no longer carry the Blood round the Body; but the motion will ceaſe, by the decay of that power, which now thruſts it forward in a contitinual Circulation. See Annot. [f].
7. Then ſhall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the ſpirit ſhall return unto God who gave it.
7. And then, what remains, but that the Soul and Body being parted, they go to their ſeveral Originals? The Body, tho' now ſo fair a Fabrick, to the Earth out of which it was taken (according to that ancient Doom paſſed upon it, Duſt thou art, and unto duſt thou ſhalt return) but the Soul unto God, to be judged by him, according to what it hath done in the Body, ſince He ſent it thither. See Annot. [g].
8. ¶ Vanity of vanities, ſaith the preacher; all is vanity.
8. And if this be the Concluſion of all our labours, I have reaſon to conclude this Book as I began it, and liſten I beſeech you again, to him, who proclaims nothing to you but what he hath proved in this Diſcourſe; that there is no ſolid ſatisfaction to be found in any thing here below; where all things are both full of care and trouble, as well as uncertain and periſhing: and therefore it is the height of folly, to take great thought for this preſent life; and to lay up nothing for the life to come. See Annot. [h].
9. And moreover, becauſe the preacher was wiſe, he ſtill taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and ſought out, and ſet in order many proverbs.
9. Perhaps you may ſtill think otherwiſe; and therefore I have this now to add (and ſo ſhall ſumm up all I have ſaid) that I am as likely to judge aright, as another man; being indued with Wiſdom from above, by an extraordinary gift of God (1 Kings III. 12. IV. 30, &c.) whoſe Goodneſs alſo I have imitated, in communicating my knowledge freely unto others: Nay, (knowing that by ſloth or envy the greateſt Wiſdom may be loſt) the more I underſtood, the more diligent I was in informing others; Nor did Divine illuminations make me either neglect my own Studies, or other mens inventions, but I liſtned unto all from whom I might hope to learn any thing; and both weighed what they ſaid, and alſo made an exact ſearch into things my ſelf: of which, that not only the preſent Age, but Poſterity alſo might reap the benefit, I have gathered together, and aptly diſpoſed and fitted to all capacities, abundance of excellent pithy Sentences, for inſtruction in Wiſdom and Vertue (1 Kings IV. 32.) See Annot. [i].
10. The preacher ſought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
10. Thus I, that preach theſe things, have employed my pains, in ſeeking (with no leſs diligence than covetous men do for money) both the moſt pleaſant, and the moſt uſeful, and moſt certain Knowledge: and having found what I ſought, I may ſafely affirm that, Nothing is ſaid by me, but what ought to be moſt acceptable, being apt to give the greateſt contentment and delight: Nothing written by me, but what I found in the Divine Writings, or is ſo exactly agreeable thereunto, that it is a ſtraight and faithful Rule of life: there is nothing frivolous, or doubtful in them; but they contain the moſt ſolid Wiſdom, as ſure and true as truth it ſelf. See Annot. [k].
11. The words of the wiſe are as goads, and as nails faſtned by the maſters of aſſemblies, which are given from one ſhepherd.
11. And there is the ſame power in them (as there is wont to be in all the acute Sayings of thoſe that are wiſe and good) to excite and ſtir up the minds of ſlothful men to the practice of Vertue; that there is in a Goad to prick the dull Oxe forward, to draw the Plow: Nor do they only ſting and move the mind for the preſent; but are apt to ſtick as faſt in the memory, as Nails do when they are driven into a Board: and to collect alſo the thoughts, affections, and reſolutions unto one certain end; eſpecially when they are faſtned by the skilful hand of thoſe who rule the Aſſemblies of God's people; and are ruled themſelves by one and the ſame ſupreme Governour, whoſe Holy Spirit directs them all. See Annot. [l].
12. And further, by theſe, my ſon be admoniſhed: of makeing many books there is no end, and much ſtudy is a wearineſs of the fleſh.
12. Therefore, my Son (or whoſoever thou art that ſhall read theſe things, whoſe happineſs I wiſh as my own) be adviſed by me, and not only believe theſe things, but reſt contented with ſuch uſeful Knowledge; and do not trouble thy ſelf, either in compoſing or reading many Books: For all that is needful to inſtruct men how to be happy, may be comprized in a few wiſe Precepts, and if thou extendeſt thy deſires beyond this, thou mayſt turn over infinite Volumes, which are encreaſing continually; and ſerve only to diſtract thy mind, and tire thy ſpirits, and impair thy health; but yield little profit, after the expence of a great deal of pains and time. See Annot. [m].
13. ¶ Let us hear the concluſion of the whole matter, Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
13. Let us draw up all then, that can be ſaid in this matter, into as ſmall a compaſs as is poſſible: If thou wouldſt be happy, preſerve in thy mind ſuch an awful ſenſe of God, as to have a greater regard to Him, both as thy Creator and Governour, and as thy Judge, than to any thing in this World; and, dreading his diſpleaſure, not only worſhip Him religiouſly, but obſerve all His Commandments: For, as unto this all men are bound, ſo in this conſiſts all their Duty, and their whole happineſs; and therefore they ought to make this their main buſineſs, and employ their beſt endeavours in it. See Annot. [n].
14. For God ſhall bring every work into judgment, with every ſecret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
14. As they would with all ſeriouſneſs, did they but believe and remember, what is moſt certainly true, That, though now the wicked and the good ſometimes fare alike, yet, there will be a notorious diſtinction one day, made between them; when God (whoſe knowledge nothing can eſcape, and out of whoſe memory nothing can ſlip) will paſs an exact Sentence upon every thing we do here in this World, though never ſo ſecret and known to none but Himſelf: and then no evil thing, though only deſigned and never actually committed, ſhall go unpuniſhed; and no good thing, though only heartily intended for want of power to accompliſh it, ſhall be unrewarded. See Annot. [o].