A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verse 26
Eccleſ. 10. v. 20.
20 Curſe not the king, no not in thy thought, and curſe not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the aier ſhall carrie the voice, and that which hath wings, ſhall tell the matter.
SOlomon having declared many vanities (like dead flies) found in Princes and Stateſ-men; He now directeth wiſe ſubjects to ſome ſuch Chriſtian duties as are fit to be practiſed at all times; but moſt needfull and ſeaſonable to be attended to in evil and dangerous times, in this and the whole Context of the next Chapter. As firſt, To beware of curſing Princes and Stateſmen, however corrupt their government be, v. 20. Secondly, To beſtow our Talents liberally whilſt time ſerveth, before evil come upon the earth, chap. 11.1, 2, &c. Thirdly, to be diligent in our callings early and late, v. 4, 5, 6.
Parts two: Firſt, a commandement, forbidding to curſe the King; or rich and great men, his Princes and Officers. And this prohibition amplified by the ſtrictneſs of it, forbidding the curſing of them; where it might be ſuppoſed to be done with greateſt ſecrecy and ſafety: not the King, in thy thought; the rich, in thy bed-chamber. Secondly, a Reaſon, from the danger of diſcovery of it, by ſpeedy and unlikely means: for the birds of the ayre, the maſter of wings wil declare the word or matter.
Doctr. Though the King ſhould be childiſh, and Princes intemperate and ſloathful, and both of them ſuffer the State to fall to decay, yet it is neither lawful nor ſafe for private men to revile or curſe either of them; no, not in the greateſt, Exod. 22.28. where the prohibition is general without reſtraint to good Magiſtrates.
For opening of the point to be ſhewn; Firſt, How farre a private ſubject may goe in ſuch a caſe. Secondly, How, farre he may not goe. A private Subject may, Firſt, Conceive of a King as he ſeeth him plainly to be, and ſo of other Stateſmen. And accordingly (as his calling requireth it) he may reprove them all to their faces, 2 Sam. 12.9. 1 Sam. 13.13, 14. 1 Kings 18.18, & 21, 20. 2 Chron. 19.2. Ezek. 21.25. This is not to villifie or curſe him, but to reſtore and heale them, or at leaſt to leave them without excuſe. Secondly, He may complaine of their wickedneſſe to God and confeſſe it, Dan. 9.8. Thirdly, He may ſpeake of it to Subjects ſo farre as to prevent the corrupting of them by the authority or example of their Governours, 2 Kings 6.32. Hoſ. 5.11, & 7, 3, 5. Publike perſons and the whole people may reſiſt them in evil, 2 Chron. 26.17, 18. 1 Sam. 14.44.45: But none may, Firſt, Deſpiſe their callings or governments which are of God, Jude 8. Secondly, They may not revile them, nor make them worſe then they be; foreign is to make light, as mettals by clipping or waſhing, 2 Sam. 16.7, 8. David was no ſon of Belial, nor bloudy to the houſe of Saul, though ſo to Ʋriah. Thirdly, Imprecate or wiſh evil to them, Matth. 5.44. a fortiori.
Object. Did not Paul revile Ananias? Acts 23.3.
Anſw. He knew him to be a Judge (verſe 2. Sitteſt thou to judgement? &c.) though he knew him, not to be the high Prieſt. But he did not revile him but reproved him gravely for his Hypocriſie, a whited wall; and Iniquity, commanding him to be ſmitten againſt Law: And propheſied his deſtruction. Nor doth he ſay he would not have ſaid ſo much to him, if he had known him to be the high Prieſt, for Jeremy did ſay ſo much to Paſhur, Jer. 20.1. to 6. Though the high Prieſthood was then accompliſhed in Chriſt: yet while the Temple ſtood, the ſhadowes were to be buried with honour, but this was no diſhonour to his place to reprore him juſtly.
Reaſon 1. They are by their place Fathers of the Countrey, Iſai. 49.23. and Fathers (though wicked) are not to be deſpiſed nor curſed. Exod. 21.17. Prov. 30.17.
Reaſon 2. They beare the name, and place, and Image of Gods ſoveraignty and authority, Exod. 22.28. Pſal: 82.6.
Reaſon 3. They are heads of the whole body of the State, 1 Sam. 15.17. And ſo in curſing them we curſe our ſelves and the whole State.
Reaſon 4. From the danger which will redound to our ſelves by diſcovery of our words. Princes have long eares, and quicſighted eyes [Birds of the Aire] are put hyperbollically for unlikely meanes, not ſo fitly expounded Angels: for we doe not read of their Miniſtry in that kinde, though a ſpirit of prophecy hath done as much, 2 Kings 6.11, 12. Nor Divels though they be called Foules of the Aire, Matth. 13, 4, 19. But if they had a commiſſion ſo to doe, it would diſturbe all States. But the ſaying is verified, Firſt, Sometimes in Birds occaſionally diſcovering ſecrets, as the Swallow revealed Beſrus his murther of his Father: who as he ſat by the fire with his neighbours, the ſwallowes chirping and ſinging above in the chimney, he proked them downe and killed them; and when they that ſat by him found fault with him for it, as an unnatural cruelty, he excuſed himſelfe, that the burden of their ſong was a burden to him, which was, Beſrus hath ſlaine his Father, whence he being apprehended and brought before the Magiſtrates, confeſſed the murther and was executed. So Ibici Grues diſcovered the murther of the Poet Ibicus; whence the Proverb, Ibici Grues. Secondly, Sometimes in words flying like winged Foules; flying in the mouthes of idle talkers or indiſcret ſpeakers; Of ſpyes or promooters: And of faithful Subjects, Eſth. 2.21, 22, 23.
Ʋſe 1. To obſerve the divine authority of Gods word and the ſpiritual Soveraignty thereof, putting a law upon our very thoughts, which no law of man can doe, 2 Cor. 10.4.
Ʋſe 2. To teach Magiſtrates to be the more careful of preſerving Gods honour, ſince he is careful of preſerving theirs, even in the ſecret Cloſſets of their Subjects. What a fearful ingratitude were it in a Prince to curſe and ſweare and blaſpheme the name of God, who would have them not curſed, no not in ſecret.
Ʋſe 3. To teach us to obſerve Gods care of our ſafety, who doth prevent us with ſuch wary cautions, leaſt we fall into danger unexpectly. We therefore ought to be the more regardful of the ſafety of his honour, and of his Ordinances.
Ʋſe 4. To take up this leſſon and Counſel of Solomon, not to meddle out of our callings in State matters to the provocation of Princes. Yea, to bridle our Tongues, though Princes be not ſuch publick bleſſings as were to be wiſhed. How much more ought we to be farre off from reviling or villifying good Magiſtrates? God took it ill at Mirians hand and Aarons, Numb. 12.1, 2, 8, 9. and worſe at the hands of Corah, and his company: Numb. 16.3, to 33.