A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verses 65
Eccleſ. 12.2. to 7.
2 While the ſun, or the light, or the moon, or the ſtars be not darkened, nor the clouds return not after the rain:
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 window be darkened:
4 And the doors ſhall be ſhut in the ſtreets, when the ſound of the grinding is low, ane he ſhall riſe up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of muſick ſhall be brought low.
5 Alſo when they ſhall be afraid of that which is high, and feare ſhall be in the way, and the almond tree ſhall flouriſh, and the graſhopper ſhall be a burden, and deſire ſhall faile: becauſe man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the ſtreets.
6 Or ever the ſilver cord be looſed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the Pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheele broken at the ciſtern.
SOlomon having ſtiled old age an evil and unpleaſant time, v. 1. he now proceedeth to deſcribe more particularly the decayes and infirmities of nature in old men, which make their daies evil and unpleaſant; which are of three ſorts: Firſt ſome ſuch as befall the former part of old age, whilſt as yet they are able to goe abroad, verſe 2. to part of the fifth. Secondly, ſome of decrepit old age, when death is very neer approaching, and themſelves drawing on faſt to it. Latter part of v. 5. with v. 6, 7. Thirdly, Death it ſelfe, v. 7.
The decayes and infirmities of old age; whilſt as yet they are able to walk abroad, be
Firſt, the darkneſſe of the lights about them, whether naturall as Sunne, light (of the day when the Sunne is under a cloud) Moon, Stars: or artificiall lights, as Candles, Torches, &c. This darkneſs commeth not from the decay of thoſe lights, but from the dimneſs of our ſight, whence need of ſpectacles. I doe not underſtand this to be a deſcription of adverſity; for though darkneſſe be often put for adverſity, and light for proſperity, yet we read not of the Sunne, Moon and Stars put together for proſperity; nor the darkneſſe of them put for adverſity.
Secondly, The returning of the clouds after rain] is an alluſion to the winterly ſtate of old age. In Summer after rain the clouds break up, and fair weather followeth; but in winter ſeaſon after rain clouds ſtill remain, and return. So, though in youth, after weeping and coughs, and rheumes dried up, the braine is clearer and drier: yet in old age, after colds, and coughs, and rheumes, and Pozes, there ſtill remain and return clouds, and vapors, and ſumes in the brain, through the ſtore of ſuperfluous and excrementitious moiſture of old bodies.
Thirdly, When the keepers of the houſe tremble] verſ. 3. Some take thoſe keepers of the houſe to be the five ſenſes, which are indeed the keepers of the body; but their decay is not fitly called trembling. And beſides, of their decay he ſpeaketh expreſly in the ſequel. The keepers of the houſe] are therfore the hands and arms which in young men are ſteady and ſtrong, and doe alſo keep both the body and houſe by repulſing annoyances, and providing uſefull things, food, rayment, &c. Theſe tremble, grow feeble, and ſhake in old age.
Fourthly, The ſtrong men bow themſelves] when the thighs and legs, which in young men went ſtreight and ſtrong, now buckle, and ſtoop, that an old man ſtandeth in need of a ſtaffe to ſupport him.
Fifthly, The grinders ceaſe, becauſe they are few] when the teeth ceaſe to chew meat, many of them being worn out. Teeth come not with us into the world, and they commonly leave old men (at leaſt many of them) before they leave the world.
Sixthly, Thoſe that look out at the windows are darkned] when the eyes grow ſo dim that we cannot ſee well with ſpectacles, which is a further degree of dimneſſe of ſight then was mentioned in verſ. 2.
Seventhly, The doors are ſhut without, when (or becauſe) the ſound of the grinding is low] verſ. 4. that is, the lips (which are the doores, Pſalm 141.3.) are ſhut together, when for want of teeth to grind the meat, the meat is rolled and chavelled in the mouth, and had need of ſhut lips to keep it from falling out of the mouth:
Eighthly, He ſhall riſe up at the ſound of the hird] the leaſt noiſe of a Swallow or other bird, will waken an old man, through the naturall drineſſe of his brain, and through the wearineſſe of any poſture; in the day time he is weary of ſitting, and ſoon goeth to bed with the Lamb; in the night he is weary of lying, and ſoon riſeth with the Lark.
Ninthly, The daughters of muſick are abaſed] when either Inſtruments of ſpeech faile which make muſick, or Inſtruments of hearing faile which receive muſick. Speech and hearing both faile, as in Barzillai, 2 Sam. 19.35. Which is the more obſervable, that old men whoſe hearing is ſo quick as to be wakened with the ſound of a bird, and yet the exquiſiteneſs of the ſenſe of hearing (to delight in the ſound of muſick) is quite gone.
Tenthly, They ſhall be afraid of that which is high, and feare ſhall be in the way] verſe 5. becauſe old men are afraid of climbing in regard of the ſtiffeneſſe of their joynts, and unweildineſſe of their bodies. They feare any ſtumbling ſtone in the way, leaſt it give them a fall, or any thing that meeteth them, leaſt it throw them downe.
Eleventhly, The Almond Tree flouriſheth] When his head groweth gray and hoary, which is a floutiſhing Ornament, Prov. 16.31. but an evident decay of due moyſture to nouriſh the haire of the head and Beard. The Almond Tree is the firſt that flouriſheth in the ſpring, Jer. 1.11, 12. and hath his name from early bloſſoming; it is here a reſemblance of an hoary head, yet with this difference, 1. The Almond Tree flouriſheth in the Spring, the hoary head in the winter of our Age. 2. The Tree flouriſheth before fruit, but the head flouriſheth after it: And yet it may indeed be ſaid, that the hoary head is the flouriſhing of the old man in the ſpring of another world of Immortality.
Twelfthly, The Graſhopper or Locuſt ſhall be a burden] Whether by his noiſe (but of that before in the voyce of a Bird, verſe 4.) or (by an Hyperbole) by his weight, an old man cannot beare the lighteſt burden; but moſt fitly his ſlowneſſe of digeſtion. Though the locuſt be a cleane and wholſome food, and much uſed in thoſe Countreyes (eſpecially of the poorer ſort) Levit. 11.22. Matth. 3.4. yet it is heavy and burdenſome to an old mans ſtomack,
Thirteenthly, Deſire faileth] Or appetite; either to meat or drinke, or eſpecially to marriage fellowſhip.
The latter ſort of particular infirmities accompanying old Age, are ſuch decayes of nature in old men, as are found in their decrepit Age, when they are drawing on to death, and mourners goe about the Streets; for they are not called till death, or till enterance into the gates of it.
Firſt, When man goeth to his long home] That is, to the houſe of his age, the grave where he ſhall reſt whilſt the world ſtandeth, Job. 14.12.
Secondly, The mourners goe about the Streets] To wit, the women skilful in mourning for the dead, and that with ſuch affection and geſture, and lamentation, as to ſtirre up mourning in a whole company, Amos 5.16. Jer. 22.18.
Thirdly, Or ever the ſilver cord be looſed] That is, the marrow of the backe bone, which runneth from the Braine through the necke, to the bottome of the back through 24 joynts, and takes in therewith all the ſinewes: whence followeth a ſhaking and trembling of all the joynts, and utter feebleneſs to uſe any limbe without helpe, v. 6. Or rather the ſinewes well, are the ligaments of all the members, and looſned by cold humours and Palſey diſtempers.
Fourthly, The Golden Boul is broken] When the Scull is parted in the ſutures or ſeames of it, whence the Chaps fall, the Almonds of the eares are ſtopped, part lifting up againe. For the Hebrew is the ſame with Golgotha which ſignifieth a Scull, 2 Kings 9.35. Matth. 27.33. It is a Bowle becauſe it is round, and golden both for the colour, and for the pretious uſe of it to containe and preſerve the Braine.
Fourthly, The Pitcher broken at the Spring] That is, the bladder is broken at the ſpring of water, the Iſſuing forth of the water or the retentive faculty of the muſcle at the neck of the bladder being broken, ſo that water (urine) iſſueth from him inſenſibly, without ſtay.
Fifthly, The wheele broken at the Ciſterne] Is the Lungs broken off from their motion of inſpiration and reſpiration by phlegme from the ſtomacke, which is as the Ciſterne from all the body. The Lungs are as a wheele tranſmitting the Aire in and out, up and downe: But though there be no open paſſage between the Stomacke and the Lungs (and therefore is no ordinary purging of the Lungs but upwards by ſpitting and coughing) yet when the Stomacke is ſurcharged with phlegme, it diſtilleth it into the Lungs and ſtoppeth them; look as when a man or beaſt is dead, there ſeemeth no way of enterance into the bladder for water, no not for Aire (for if you blow it full of winde, none will iſſue out:) And yet whileſt there is life in the body, both water and ſand paſſe through little veines into the bladder. So by the like ſecret paſſages doth the Ciſterne of the Stomacke convey phlegme to the Lungs, even to the ſtifling of them. And upon this ſtoppage of the Lungs with phlegme, that the wheele cannot turne the Aire (or breath) up and downe, in and out, followeth rutling in the Throat, breaking off the motion of the Lungs, and ſo death ſuddenly followeth.
Doctr, 1. The wiſdome of God would have young men to take particular and ſpecial notice of the decayes and infirmities of old age, and by all and every of them to be ſtirred up to the remembrance of their Creator in the dayes of their youth. Solomon the eldeſt ſon of wiſdome reckoneth up theſe infirmities of Age, not to ſhew his skill, but to teach us to diſcerne theſe, and to provoke us by every one of them, and much more by all together, to remember our Creator early.
Reaſon 1. From our backwardneſſe to take notice of theſe decayes in our ſelves, much leſſe in others, and moſt of all in our young time, when there are no cords in our death, Hoſ. 7.9.
Reaſon 2. From the unliſtineſſe and undiſpoſedneſſe of old age to attend ſpiritual duties in the midſt of bodily infirmities. (As in Aaron in like bitterneſſe, Levit. 10.19. And in the Iſraelites in anguiſh, Exod. 6.9.)
Reaſon 3. From the unſupportable weariſomneſſe of theſe evils unto old age, when it is not eaſed and ſupported by grace.
Ʋſe 1. To ſhew us the many bitter fruits of the ſin of our firſt Parents, even to our bodies, 1. Death. 2. Strong cords to Death.
Ʋſe 2. To teach us both the leſſons Solomon here calleth upon us to learne, 1. The remembrance of theſe infirmities. 2. The remembrance of our Creator by them, and that in our youth, before they befal us in age.
Object. But what can theſe croſſes and the remembrance of them doe to a kindly worke of converſion? They are all but puniſhments of ſin, and ſo ſanctions of the law, and the law maketh nothing perfect, Heb. 7.19.
Anſw. Firſt, Yet no commandement of God is vaine when the ſpirit coworketh. Secondly, Theſe infirmities as the law it ſelfe, drive us to Chriſt, Gal. 3.24. And he, 1. Taketh away our ſins, John 1.29. 2. Beareth our infirmities, Matth. 8.17. Pſal. 103.3. and he ſupporteth us in them, Iſai. 46.4, & 40, 28. to 31. 3. He reneweth the inner man with proportionable ſtrength and comfort, 2 Cor. 4.16.
Ʋſe 3. To comfort godly old men, in that God taketh particular notice of all our decayes and infirmities.