A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verse 25 – Verses 58
Eccleſ. 10.11.
But wiſedome is profitable to direct.
11 Surely the ſerpent will bite without enchantment, and a babler is no better.
BUt wiſdome is profitable [or excellent] to direct, If the Serpent doe bite without enchantment, there is no profit to the Maſter of the tongue. In the former verſe Solomon had obſerved ſundry vanities (as it were indeed flyes) found in men of Reputation for Wiſdome and Honour. And here before he proceeds to declare any more of theſe dead flies, he interſerteth a remedy to prevent ſuch miſcarriages, which is wiſedome.
But wiſdome (ſaith he) is profitable to direct, as an Antidote againſt all the former dead flies; which he proveth; 1. By the unprofitableneſs of words, when hurt is done: If the Serpent bite without enchantment, in vaine are all great words, ſweet words, afterwards, v. 11.2. By the effect of wiſedome, and the words thereof: The words of a wiſe man are grace, v. 12. But the lips of a foole, Firſt, they ſwallow up the Speaker, v. 12. Secondly, They breath, 1. In the beginning fooliſhneſſe. 2. In the end miſchievous madneſſe, v. 13. Thirdly, They multiply many matters; for ſo the word ſignifieth many projects, and thoſe ſuch as leave men doubtfull and in ſuſpence what will be the end or iſſue of all, v. 14. Fourthly, They weary themſelves and one another in their undue courſes and projects. And this amplified by the cauſe thereof, their ignorance of the principles or high way-road (broad way) of Government, expreſſed in a Proverbial ſpeech, becauſe he knoweth not (that is none of them knoweth) the way to the City, v. 16.
The 11th verſe I turne, If the Serpens bite without enchantment, there is no profit to the Maſter of the tongue. For ſo the words properly ſignifie, and are ſo tranſlated, Eccleſ. 2.11. There is no profit. And the Maſter of the Tongue is a man skilful in ſpeech, able and powerful in ſpeech; as the Maſter of dreames, (Gen. 37.19.) is a man skilful in dreames: A Maſter of wing (Prov. 1.17.) is skilfull in flying: A Maſter of hornes, Dan. 8.6. is powerful in his hornes. [And ſo Mr. Perkins tranſlateth this verſe in his Diſcourſe of Witchcraft, Chap. 4. Sect. 1.
Doct. Wiſedome is profitable to direct to the right avoydance of all ſuch dead flies as are uſually found dangerous in Stateſmen of Reputation. Or, Wiſedome is of excellent uſe (or profitable) &c. For the word ſignifieth Excellency as well as Profit; and ſo it is tranſlated, Eccleſ. 7.12. Hence Solomon prayed for this gift of all other, as moſt requiſite for Government, 1 Kings 3, 9.
Reaſon. 1. Wiſedome diſcerneth and chooſeth the right end of Government, which is, The puniſhment of evill doers, The praiſe of the good, Rom. 13.4. 1 Tim. 2.2. I ſay, diſcerneth and chooſeth; for Wiſedome is not in the head onelyonly, as diſcerning, but in the heart, as chooſing the beſt good. Elſe, he that diſcerneth good, but chooſeth it not, is ſtill a foole.
Reaſon. 2. Wiſedome diſcerneth and chooſeth the beſt meanes tending and leading to thoſe ends: As 1. Righteous Lawes, Deut. 4.6, 8. 2. Wiſe Counſellours, 1 Kings 12.6. 3. Juſt Judges, 2 Chron. 19.5, 6, 7. Pſalm 82.2, 5. 4. Valiant Souldiers, 1 Sam. 16.18. 1 Chron. 12.8. 1 Sam. 14.52. 5. Diligent Improvement. Firſt, of Earth by Husbandry, Eccleſ. 5.9. Prov. 14.4. 2. Of Sea by Merchandiſe, 1 Kings 10.22, 23, 28, 29. Both which are wrapped up in the cunning Artificer or Artiſt, Eſay 3.3.
Reaſon 3. Wiſedome conſidereth the eſtate of the people, what it will willingly bear, and what it is able to bear, 1 Kings 12.7. Neh. 5.18.
Reaſon 4. Wiſedome deriveth all its light and ſtrength from the Prince of wiſedome, who is wiſedome it ſelf, the wiſedome of the Father, Prov. 8.12, 15. and ſo denyeth it ſelfe, Prov. 3.5, 6, 7.
Ʋſe 1. To teach Magiſtrates to lay aſide all falſe guides in ſteering the courſe of Government. It is not wit that is profitable to direct, Eccleſ. 4.13. but wifedome. Nor favour to Favourites unfit for Government, Eccleſ. 10.6, 7. Nor ſtrength, Eccleſ. 9.16.
Ʋſe 2. To teach Magiſtrates to improve their wiſdome in all the former particulars mentioned in the Reaſons.
Doctr. As a Serpent biting without enchantment cannot afterwards be healed with skilful words: ſo neither can a miſchiefe befallen a Prince or People for want of wiſdome, be afterwards healed by great or ſweet words. The Scripture ſpeaketh of ſome Serpents which will not be charmed. Pſal. 58.4, 5. Jer. 8.17. But it implyeth that ſome may be, and are charmed by Enchanters, joyning ſocieties cunningly with the Divel, (as the phraſe is, Pſal. 58.5.) and when they are not charmed; then they ſting without interruption and without remedy many times. So when a Prince hath not uſed wiſdome to direct his affaires, he may be ſtrong with a mortal miſchiefe to himſelfe and the ſtate, and then skilful words will doe no good. Rehoboam neglecting to charme the peoples diſcontent before hand, 1 Kings 12.13, to 19. afterwards in vaine came Adoram, what words ſoever he gave them to gather up Tribute, verſe 18. yea, in vaine were Abijams ſavoury words afterwards, 2 Chron. 13.4, to 13.
Reaſon From the ſtrong and venemous and Malignant inflammation which harſh and fooliſh words may kindle in an underſtanding and free people. It was a Malignant inflammation which brake forth from the people incenſed when they rejected the ſeed of David, 1 Kings 12.16.
Ʋſe 1. To obſerve the power of charmers by their covenant with Satan, who hath power over Serpents [and therefore they are called the power of the enemy, Luke 10.19.] Yet this power is limited, he cannot heal after biting, at leaſt could not then, though his commiſſion may be enlarged ſince. Neither can he charme ſome Serpents, Pſal. 58.5. Jer. 8.17. How much leſſe can he charme the ſeed of the woman? without ſpecial commiſſion, and when he doth bite them, It is but the heel, Gen. 3.15.
Ʋſe 2. To ſhew us the mighty vertue and efficacy of wiſdome, that can charme malignant, and venemous minds.
Eccleſ. 10. v. 12, to 15.
12. The words of a wiſe mans mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will ſwallow up himſelfe.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is fooliſhneſs: and the end of his talk is miſchievous madneſs.
14 A foole alſo is full of words, a man cannot tell what ſhall be: and what ſhall be after him, who can tell him.
15 The labour of the fooliſh wearieth every one of them, becauſe he knoweth not how to goe to the city.
COherence ſee in verſe 10. Theſe words (The words of the wiſe man is grace) are a Reaſon of what he ſaid, verſe 10. That wiſdome is profitable to direct, taken from the grace of a wiſe mans words, which maketh the argument of force, howſoever grace be taken.
Doctr. 1. The words of the wiſe (even of wiſe Stateſmen) are grace. Of Stateſmen Solomon here ſpeaketh, from the beginning of this Chapter to the end. And he ſpeaketh of ſuch wiſdome as is profitable to direct in ſtate affaires, verſe 10. Their words may be ſaid to be grace. Firſt, As flowing from the grace and favour of God, Pſal. 45.2. Secondly, As miniſtring grace to the people, Epheſ. 4.29. 1 Kings 8, 55, to verſe 61. 1 Chron. 29.18. At leaſt expreſſing the grace and favour of God, and the Princes favour and grace to them, Pſal. 122.6, 7, 8, 9. Eſth. 10.3. ſeeking their wealth, ſpeaking peace. Thirdly, As finding acceptance with the people, Prov. 10.32. 2 Sam. 3.59. Eſth. 10.3. Accepted of the multitude of his brethren.
Doctr. 2. The words of fooles (eſpecially of fooliſh Statesmen) the beginning of them is fooliſhneſſe, the end of them is madneſſe, pernicious, and miſchievous to themſelves and others. And their wayes are variable and of doubtful event, and wearyſome even to themſelves and all men, Eſth. 3.8, 9. Hamon began his ſpeech with a fooliſh complaint againſt better men then himſelfe, accuſing them of that for a vice which was a vertue (to live a ſeparate courſe of life from the vaine world, Numb. 23.9.) but the end of his ſpeech was pernicious and miſchievous madneſſe to the Jewes, Eſth. 3.9. and to himſelfe. It ſwallowed up himſelfe, Eſth. 7 4, 5, 6, &c. 1 Kings 12.14. It was a fooliſh beginning to acknowledge his Fathers rigour, but the end of his ſpeech was miſchievous madneſſe to threaten more rigour. Variable in their projects, Jer. 2.36, 37, & verſe 23. Weariſome wayes, Habac. 2.13. Iſai. 47.13. Iſai. 57.9, 10.
Reaſon 1. From the ignorance of ſuch perſons (fooliſh Stateſmen) of the principles of civil government; implyed in that proverbial ſpeech, that they know not the way to the City, which is wont to be a broad Road way, but theſe diſcerne it not, like men that have loſt their way, Pſal. 107.4, & 40.
Reaſon 2. From Gods rejection of them, and their wayes. Pſal. 107.40. Jer. 2.37,
Ʋſe 1. To teach Magiſtrates to ſpeake words of grace.
Ʋſe 2. To ſhew the folly and danger of fooliſh Statesmen.