A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verse 21 – Verse 22
Eccleſ. 9.11.
11. I returned and ſaw under the Sun, that the race is not to the ſwift, nor battell to the ſtrong, neither yet bread to the wiſe, nor yet riches to men of underſtanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
IN the former Chapter Solomon had obſerved this vanity, that it often befalleth the righteous according to the worke of the wicked, and to the wicked according to the worke of the righteous, verſe 14. This vanity Solomon hath amplified in the latter end of the former Chapter, and in the former part of this Chapter by ſundry arguments. Amongſt other arguments he amplified it with this obſervation, that all events fall alike to all, to the good, and to the evil, cleane and uncleane, holy and prophane. And leaſt it ſhould be ſaid that godlineſſe or holineſſe and uncleanneſſe make no great difference in mens actions, but as Rabſhakeh ſaid, wiſdome and ſtrength are for the warre, (Iſai. 36.5.) ſo events fall out, as wiſdome and ſtrength, ſwiftneſſe (or ſpeed) skill (or knowledge) doe direct them, Solomon here denyeth that, and telleth us it is not in the power of the likelyeſt meanes to attaine their ends, or to effect their worke. And this he ſheweth us in five inſtances. 1. The Race is not to the ſwift. 2. The Battel is not to the ſtrong. 3. Bread is not to the wiſe. 4. Riches are not to men of underſtanding. 5. Favour (either of Princes or people) is not to men of knowledge. And beſides he proveth it, Firſt, By a reaſon or cauſe thereof in God, taken from the over-ruling power of the higher cauſe or Agent, Gods diſpoſing of time and chance; for ſaith he, Time, or Chance, or Occurrence commeth to all theſe. The word tranſlated Chance, here, is tranſlated Occurrent (or occurrence) 1 Kings 5.8, 4. Secondly, By a reaſon or cauſe in man, his ignorance of his time: which is amplified by the calamity or miſery following it, verſe 12.
Doctr. 1. Men of the beſt abilities and ſufficiencies for any worke, doe often meet with the like events and diſappointments, as they doe that want them. Swifteſt men and horſes are ableſt, and moſt ſufficient and moſt fit for the Race: yet the Race is not to the ſwift; why then it is to them that want ſwiftneſſe; it is to the ſlow. The ſtrong are beſt able to win the Battel, yet the Battel is not to them; why then it is to the weake: men of wiſdome are moſt like to caſt about for meanes of ſubſiſtance for bread: Prov. 21.20. yet bread is not to the wiſe: and then it is to ſimple people. Men of underſtanding are moſt likely to attaine riches; yet riches is not to them, but to ſhallower heads. Men of knowledge are moſt likely to win favour from high and low: yet favour is not to men of knowledge, but to ignorant men, Pſal. 33.16, 17. Amos 2.14, 15, 16. 1 Sam. 17.50. 2 Cor. 11.27.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe chance (or occurrence) commeth to all theſe, that is, ſome occurrence which Gods providence caſteth in by the way, that diſappointeth all the moſt likely meanes and abilities. As the ſtone that was caſt out of Davids ſling, chanced by Gods providence to fall and to ſinke into Goliahs forehead, 1 Sam. 17.49.
Reaſons why God doth caſt in ſuch Occurrences. 1. From his own Soveraign prerogative, in diſpoſing of all events, and effecting all workes, Epheſ. 4.11. To make a thing be, is the act and name of Jehovah, which he will not communicate to the creature, Iſai. 42.8. Lament. 3.37. Hence in a mans own ſtrength no man prevaileth, 1 Sam. 2.9.
Reaſon 2. From the creatures abuſe of his talents; Firſt, Either by confidence in them without God, Iſai. 10.12, to 29. Ajax thought it was for cowards and weaklings to call upon God for ſuccour, not for him, whence he was foiled. Secondly, Or by arming them and uſing them againſt God, Amos 2.12, to 16.
Reaſon 2. From the time that God hath ſet to all a mans ſucceſſes and changes. Time is ſometime put for the variety of conditions and changes of good or evil that befal men, as Pſal. 31.15. ſo here. Now when theſe times or changes come, no meanes that the creature can uſe can prevail to withſtand, Jer. 46.17.
Ʋſe. 1. To diſcourage us from confidence and boaſting in our gifts and parts, Jer. 9.23, & 17, 5, 6. 2 Chron. 25.8. God can eaſily diſappoint us, Firſt, Either by taking away our power to uſe our parts, Amos 2.14, 15. Secondly, Or by taking away our will to uſe them, 2 Sam. 3.18, 21, 23. Thirdly, Or by giving greater parts, (at leaſt for the preſent) to our adverſaries, Iſai. 30.16. Fourthly, Or by caſting in ſome caſual event, 1 Kings 22.34. Fifthly, Or by ſending ſome unſeen Angels to croſſe us, and to help our adverſaries, Joſh. 5.13.14. It is a like vanity to boaſt in our gifts and parts (aſcribing our good ſucceſſes to them) after Atchievement of our ends and deſires, as in confidence in them before hand Amos 6.13. Pſal. 44.3, 5; 6, 7, 8.
Ʋſe 2. To prevent the diſcouragement of ſuch as want gifts and parts or meanes, 2 Chron. 14.11. 2 Cor. 12.9. It may moderate our feares in times of ſtrong and formidable aſſaults againſt us, Iſai. 51.12, 13. It is a forgetfulneſſe of God to feare creatures; It may ſupport us alſo in our weake proviſions and ſtrength againſt winter journeyes, huge ſtormes and tempeſt, &c. Pſal. 46.1, 3, & 93, 3, 4. The ſafety of Mariners and Paſſengers lives and eſtates, lyeth not on Ropes or Gables, Anchors or Ships, Guns or Weapons, but in the name and hand of the Lord, he ſwadleth and ruleth the Sea, Job 38 9, 10, 11.
Ʋſe 3. To remove the vulgar conceit of fortune and chance out of this place. It is nothing but Gods diſpoſing of occaſions and events caſual to us, but counſels to him; what is chance to others, is the Lord to Job, Job 1.21. chances are as much in Gods hand as times, Pſal. 91.10. And therefore to beare all chances that befal us, as befalling us from the wiſe hand and providence of the Lord.
Eccleſ. 9.12.
12. For man alſo knoweth not his time, as the fiſhes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the ſnare, ſo are the ſons of men ſnared in an evil time, when it falleth ſuddenly upon them.
SOlomon had ſaid in the former verſe, that it is not in men to attain the ends which they are beſt furniſhed with ſufficiency of abilities to attain, v. 11.
A double reaſon or cauſe he giveth thereof: Firſt, one in God; Times and chances are in the hand of God, and he cauſeth them to fall upon men, in all their waies, v. 11. Secondly the other in man; his ignorance of his time, the time that he ſhould take for every action, though he be fitted with ability to perform it, v. 12. [But this was formerly ſpoken to by Solomon in Chap. 8.6.] Therefore this verſe may rather be taken as an amplification of the reaſon given in the former verſe. There it was ſaid, Men are often diſappointed, becauſe time and chance befell all their actions, and affaires: and that he amplifieth by an argument of equals; Time alſo falleth upon man himſelfe, and chance therewith; and this ſet forth by the adjunct, ignorance of man, of what times ſhall befall him; And that amplified by the miſery which thereby falleth ſuddenly upon man; and that ſudden miſery is ſet forth by a twofold compariſon, firſt, of Fiſhes taken in an evil Net; ſecondly, of Birds taken in a ſnare.
Doctr. The ſonnes of men are commonly ignorant and uncertain of the times that doe befall them, Gen. 27.2. Acts 20.22. James 4.14. Prov. 27.1. Eccleſ. 11.2, 6.
Reaſon 1. From the Lords pleaſure to reſerve this as a ſoveraign prerogative in his own power, Acts 1.7.
Reaſon 2. To train up his ſervants to a childlike dependence on Gods wil, James 4.14, 15. alſo to a watchfull preparation for ſudden changes, Mark 13.35, 36. Luke 12.35, to 40. Likewiſe to fruitfulneſſe in doing all the good we can finde to doe for the preſent, Eccleſ. 9.10. & Chap. 11.2, 6. Beſides, to the obedience of faith, and to follow God blindfold. Foreknowledge of croſſe events hindreth obedience; Jonah 4.2. foreknowledge of good events maketh obedience mercenary, as John 6.26.
Reaſon 3. To ſurpriſe wicked men with ſudden judgements; as Birds in an evil ſnare, and Fiſhes in a net, Pſal. 37.13. & 73.18, 19. Dan. 5.5, 6.
Ʋſe 1. For a ſad warning to wicked men, not to continue in ſuch an eſtate; they know not what ſhall befall them, what times ſhal come upon them: but what evil doth come, wil be ſudden calamity, Job 21.13. 1 Theſ 5.2, 3.
Ʋſe 2. To reprove the vanity and impiety of ſuch as conſult with witches about the events of things, and the times that ſhould come over them; What got Saul by the witch of Endor? or Haman by ſorcery? or Balack by Balaam?
Ʋſe 3. To learn us an holy uſe of our ignorance of our times, according to Gods ends mentioned in the ſecond Reaſon.