Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ecclesiastes · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Verſ. 1. Who is as the Wiſe man?]
Velut inter ſtellas Luna minoresQUa. dic. Hee is a matchleſs man, a peerleſs Paragon, out-ſhining others, as much as the Moon doth the leſſer Stars. Plato could ſay, that no Gold or Precious ſtone doth gliſter ſo gloriouſly, foreign, as the prudent ſpirit of a good man.Gen. 41.38 Thou art a Prince of God amongſt us, ſaid the Hittites to Abraham. Can wee finde ſuch a man as this Joſeph, in whom the Spirit of God is, ſaid Pharaoh to his Counſellors? Haſt thou conſidered my ſervant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, &c? Job 1.8. My ſervant Moſes is not ſo, who is faithful in all my houſe, and ſhall bee of my Cabinet-Counſel, Numb. 12.7. To him God ſaid, Tu verò hic ſta mecum, But do thou ſtand here by mee, Exod. 34.5. Sapiens Dei comes eſt, ſaith Philo. Look how Kings have their Favourites whom they call Comites, their Couſins and Companions, ſo hath God. Nay, the righteous are Princes in all Lands, Pſal. 45.16. Kings in righteouſneſs, (compare Mat. 13.17. with Luk. 10.24.) the excellent Ones of the Earth, Pſal. 16.3. the Worthies of the world,Hom. 55. in Matth. Heb. 11.5. fitter to bee ſet as Stars in Heaven, and to bee continually before the Throne of God. Chryſoſtome calls ſome holy men of his time, foreign, Earthly Angels: and ſpeaking of Babylas the Martyr, hee ſaith of him, Magnus at que admirabilis vir, hee was an excellent and an admirable man,Orat. contra Gentiles. &c. And Tertullian writing to ſome of the Martyrs, ſayes, Non tantus ſum ut vos alloquar, I am not good enough to ſpeak unto you. Oh that my life and a thouſand ſuch wretches more might go for yours! Oh why doth God ſuffer mee and other ſuch Caterpillars to live (ſaith John Careleſs Martyr, in a letter to that Angel of God Mr. Bradford, as Dr. Taylor called him) that can do nothing but conſume the alms of the Church, and take away you ſo worthy a workman and labourer in the Lords Vineyard,Acts and Mon. 1744. &c?
And who knoweth the interpretation of a thing?] Wiſe a man may bee, and yet not ſo apt and able to wiſe others. Thoſe wiſe ones that can wiſe others, ſo as to turn them to righteouſneſs, ſhall ſhine as the brightneſs of the firmament, yea as the Stars, Dan. 12.3. they do ſo whilſt upon earth; Wiſdome makes their very faces to ſhine,Acts 6 15. as St. Stephens did, and as Holy Jobs, whiles hee was in a proſperous condition, Chap. 29.8, 9, 10. Jobab hee was then the ſame (ſome think) that is mentioned, Gen. 36.33.) as when in diſtreſs his name was contracted into Job. And then (though himſelf were otherwiſe wiſe) hee might want an Interpreter, One of a thouſand (for ſuch are rare, every man cannot ſell us this precious oyl Matth. 25.9.) to ſhew unto him his uprightneſs that is the righteouſneſs of his own experience, how himſelf hath been helped and comforted in like caſe, or, to clear up to an afflicted Job his ſpiritual eſtate, and to ſhew him his Evangelical Righteouſneſs. Oh how beautiful are the feet of ſuch an Interpreter! I have ſeen thy face, (ſaith the poor ſoul to ſuch) as though I had ſeen the face of God, Gen. 33.10.
A mans wiſdome maketh his face to ſhine] Godlineſs is venerable and reverend. Holy and Reverend is his name, Pſal. 112. Gods Image is amiable and admirable: Natural conſcience cannot but ſtoop and do obeyſance to it: What a deal of reſpect did Nebuchadnezzar and Darius put upon Daniel? Alexander the Great upon Jaddus the High-Prieſt? Theodoſius upon Ambroſe? Conſtantine upon Paphnutius, kiſſing that eye of his that was bored out for the cauſe of Chriſt, &c? Godly men have a daunting preſence, as Athanaſius had, and Baſil: to whom when Valens the Arrian Emperour came, whiles hee was in holy exerciſes, it ſtruck ſuch a terrour into him,Greg. Orat. de lande Baſilii. that hee reeled and had fallen, had hee not been upheld by thoſe that were with him. Henry the ſecond of France being preſent at the Martyrdome of a certain Taylor, burnt by him for Religion, was ſo terrified by the boldneſs of his countenance,Epit. hiſt. Gall. 82. and the conſtancy of his ſufferings, that hee ſwore at his going away, that hee would never any more bee preſent at ſuch a ſight.
And the boldneſs of his face ſhall bee changed] Or, doubled: his conſcience bearing him out, and making him undaunted, as it did David, Pſal. 3. and the Dutch Martyr Colonus, who calling to the Judge that had ſentenced him to death, deſired him to lay his hand upon his heart, and then asked him whoſe heart did moſt beat, his or the Judges? By this boldneſs Jonathan and his Armour-bearer ſet upon the Garriſon of the Philiſtims; David upon Goliah their Champion. The Black-Prince was ſo called, not of his colour,Speed. 688. but of his valour and dreaded acts in battel.
Verſ. 2. To keep the Kings commandement] Heb. Mouth, i. e. The expreſs word of command: go not here by gueſs, or good intention, leſt you ſpeed as that Scotch Captain did, who, not expecting Orders from his Superiours, took an advantage offered him of taking a Fort of the Enemies:Speed. for which good ſervice hee was knighted in the morning, but hanged in the after-noon of the ſame day for acting without order.
And that in regard of the Oath of God] Thine Oath of Allegiance to thy Prince: This Papiſts make nothing of.foreign. Paſcenius ſcoffs King James for the invention of it. They can ſwear with their mouths, and keep their hearts unſworn, as ſhee in the Comedy. Mercatorum eſt ſtare juramentis, ſay they at Rome. They can aſſoil men of their allegiance at pleaſure, and ſlip their ſolemn Oaths, as eaſily as Monkies do their Collars. And I would this were the ſin of Papiſts onelyonly; and that there were not thoſe found even amongſt us, that keep no oaths further than makes for their own turn: like as the Jews keep none, unleſs they ſwear upon their own Torah, Weems.brought out of their Synagogues.
Verſ. 3. Bee not haſty to go out of his ſight] Turn not thy back diſcontentedly; fling not away in a chaſe; for this will be conſtrued for a contempt: As it was in the Earl of Eſſex, Anno 1598. Diſſention falling out between the Queen and him about a fit man for Governour of Ireland, hee forgetting himſelf, and neglecting his duty, uncivilly turned his back, with a ſcornful countenance. Shee waxing impatient, gave him a cuff on the ear, bidding him bee gone with a vengeance. Hee laid his hand upon his ſword, the Lord Admiral interpoſing himſelf, hee ſwore a great oath,Camd. Eliſch. fol. 494. that hee neither could, nor would ſwallow ſo great an indignity, nor would have born it at King Henry the Eighths hands, and in great diſcontentment haſted from the Court. But within a while after, hee became ſubmiſs, and was received again into favour by the Queen, who alwaies thought it more juſt to offend a man, than to hate him.Blunts voyage pag. 97. The very Turks are ſaid to receive humiliation with all ſweetneſs; but to bee remorſeleſs to thoſe that bear up.
Verſ. 4. Where the word of a King is, there is power] Ibi dominatio. Hee hath long hands, and can reach thee at a great diſtance; as Mithridates did when with one letter he ſlew fourſcore thouſand Citizens of Rome, Val. Max. lib. 9that were ſcattered up and down his Kingdome for Trading-ſake. So Selimus the Great Turk, Turk. hist. fol. 885in revenge of the loſs received at the battel of Lepanto, was once in a minde to have put to death all the Chriſtians in his Dominions, in number infinite. Charls the Ninth of France, is reported to have been the death of thirty thouſand of his Proteſtant Subjects in one years ſpace, Anno 1572. See Dan. 5.19.
And who may ſay unto him, What doſt thou] viz. Without danger. What ſafety can there bee in taking a Bear by the tooth, or a Lion by the beard? I dare not diſpute (ſaid the Philoſopher to the Emperour Adrian) with him that hath thirty Legions at his command, Neque in cum ſcribere, qui poteſt proſcribere, Praeſcus praeſentem Pontiſicem redarguit, & Polycraticon conſcripſit. Jac. Rev. 145.nor write againſt him that can as eaſily undo mee, as bid it to be done. How be it Elias, Micaiah, John Baptiſt, and other holy Prophets and Miniſters have dealt plainly with great Princes, and God hath ſecured them. John Biſhop of Salisbury reproved the Pope to his face: and yet the Canoniſts ſay, that although the Pope ſhould draw millions of ſouls to Hell with him, none may dare to ſay unto him, What doſt thou? But Philip the Fair made bold with his Holineſs, when hee began his letter to him with Sciat Fatuitas Tua, &c. So did the Barons of England in King John's daies,Marcidi Ribaldi. Walſing. Epit. hiſt. Gallic. p. 30. Godw. Catal. when declaring againſt the Pope and his Conclave (by whom they were excommunicated) they cried out thus in their Remonſtrance, Fy on ſuch raſcal ribals, &c. Adelmelect Biſhop of Sherborn, Anno 705. reproved Pope Sergius ſharply to his face, for his Adultery. So did Biſhop Lambert reprehend King Pepin for the ſame fault, Anno 798. And Archbiſhop Odo, King Edwin; burning his Concubines in the fore-head with an hot Iron, and baniſhing them into Ireland. Father Latimer dealt no leſs faithfully with King Henry the Eighth in his Sermons at Court. And being asked by the King how hee durſt bee ſo bold to preach after that manner? hee anſwered, that duty to God, and to his Prince had enforced him to it: and now that hee had diſcharged his conſcience, his life was in his Majeſties hands, &c. Truth muſt bee ſpoken however it be taken. If Gods Meſſengers muſt be mannerly in the form, yet in the matter of their meſſage to Great ones they muſt bee reſolute. It is probable that Joſeph uſed ſome kinde of Preface to Pharaoh's Baker in reading him that hard deſtiny,Dan. 4.19 Gen. 40.19. Such likely as was that of Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar, My Lord, the Dream bee to them that hate thee, &c. or as Philo brings him in with an Utinam tale ſomnium non vidiſſes, &c. But for the matter, hee gives him a ſound, though ſharp interpretation.
Verſ. 5. Whoſo keepeth the commandement] ſcil. The Kings commandement. Hee that is morigerous, and goes as far as hee can with a good conſcience in his obedience to the commands of his Superiours, Shall feel no evil, i. e. hee ſhall lack no good encouragement, Rom. 13.3, 4. Or if men ſlight him, God will ſee to him, Epheſ. 6.7, 8. as hee did to the poor Iſraelites in Egypt, and to David under Saul. Mordecai loſt nothing at length by his love and loyalty to God and the King. Sir Ralph Percy (ſlain upon Hegely-Moor in Northumberland by the Lord Montacute, General for Edward the Fourth) hee would no waies depart the field, though defeated; but in dying, ſaid, I have ſaved the bird in my breaſt, Speed. 869.meaning his oath to King Henry the Sixth, for whom hee fought.
And a wiſe mans heart diſcerneth both time and judgement] ſcil. When and how to obey Kings commands, the time, the means and manner thereof, diſpatching them without offence to God or man. And this a wiſe mans heart diſcerneth, ſaith the Preacher: it being the opinion of the Hebrews, that in the heart eſpecially the ſoul did keep her Court, and exerciſe her noble operations of the underſtanding, invention, judgement, &c. Ariſtotle ſaith, Sine calore cordis anima in corpore nihil efficit, Without the heat of the heart, the ſoul does nothing in the body. The Scripture alſo makes the heart the Monarch of this Iſle of Man.
Verſ. 6. Becauſe to every purpoſe there is time] Therefore the wiſe man ſeeketh after that nick of time, that punctilio of judgement, that hee may do every thing well, and order his affairs with diſcretion. A well-choſen ſeaſon is the greateſt advantage of any action, which, as it is ſeldome found in haſte, ſo it is too often loſt in delay.
Therefore the miſery of man is great upon him] Becauſe hee diſcerns not, apprehends not his fitteſt opportunity: hence hee creates himſelf a great deal of miſery. When Saul had taken upon him to ſacrifice, God intimates to him by Samuel, that if hee had diſcerned his time, hee might have ſaved his Kingdome. So might many a man his life, his livelihood, nay his ſoul. The men of Iſſachar in Davids daies are famous for this, that they had underſtanding of the times, to know what Iſrael ought to do, 1 Chron. 12.32. their poſterity are ſet below Stork and Swallow, for want of this skill, Jer. 8.7. and deeply doomed, Luke 19.44.
Verſ. 7. For hee knoweth not that which ſhall bee] Mans miſery is the greater, becauſe hee cannot fore-ſee to prevent it; but hee is ſuddenly ſurprized and hit, many times on the blinde ſide, as wee ſay.
Neſcia mens hominum fati ſortiſque futurae.
Men are in the dark in regard of future events. God onelyonly knows them, and is thereby oft in Iſaiah diſtinguiſhed from the dung-hill-deities of the Heathens. In his mercy to his people hee gave them Prophets to tell How long: and when theſe failed, the Church heavily bewails it, Pſal. 74.9. Howbeit a prudent man fore-ſeeth an evil, and hideth himſelf,Amb. de Offic. l. 1. cap. 38. Prov. 22.3. See the Note there. By the ſtrength of his mind, ſaith Ambroſe, hee preſageth what will follow, and can define what in ſuch or ſuch a caſe hee ought to do. Sometimes hee turns over two or three things in his mind together, of which conjecturing, that either all may come to paſs jointly, or this or that ſeverally, or whether they fall out jointly or ſeverally, hee can by his underſtanding ſo order his actions, as that they ſhall bee profitable to him.
Verſ. 8. There is no man that hath power, &c.] Death, man is ſure to meet with, whatſoever hee miſs of; but when, hee knows not neither. Of Doomsday there are ſigns affirmative and negative, not ſo of death. Every one hath his own Balſam within him, ſay ſome Chymicks:Greg. Moral. his own bane it is ſure hee hath. Ipſa ſuis augmentis vita ad detrimenta impellitur, Every day wee yeeld ſomewhat to death. Stat ſua cuique dies. Our laſt day ſtands, the reſt run.Virg. Ancid. Nulli cedo. Death is this onelyonly King, againſt whom there is no riſing up, Prov. 30. The mortal Sithe is Maſter of the Royal Scepter, and it mows down the Lillies of the Crown, as well as the graſs of the field, ſaith a Reverend Writer:Mr. Ley, his Monitor of Mortality. And again, Death ſuddenly ſnatcheth away Phyſicians oft, as it were in ſcorn and contempt of medicines, when they are applying their preſervatives or reſtoratives to others: as it is ſtoried of Caius Julius a Surgeon, who dreſſing a ſoreeye, as hee drew the Inſtrument over it, was ſtruck with an Inſtrument of death in the act and place where hee did it. Beſides diſeaſes, many, by miſchances, are taken as a bird with a bolt, whiles hee gazeth at the bow.
There is no diſcharge in war] Heb. No ſending, either of Forces to withſtand death, or of meſſages to make peace with him. The world and wee muſt part; and whether wee bee unſtitcht by parcels, or torn aſunder at once, the difference is not great. Happy is hee that after due preparation, is paſſed thorow the gates of death ere hee bee aware, ſaith one. Whether my death bee a burnt-offering (of Martyrdome) or a Peace-off…ring (of a natural death) I deſire it may bee a Free-will-offering, a ſweet ſacrifice to the Lord, ſaith another.
Neither ſhall wickedneſs deliver] No; It is righteouſneſs onelyonly that delivereth from death. The wicked may make a covenant with death, but God will diſanul it. Shall they eſcape by iniquity? ſaith the Pſalmiſt. What? have they no better medium's? No; in thine anger caſt down the people, O God. Iſa. 28.15. Pſal. 50.7.Every man ſhould dye the ſame day that hee is born: the wages of death ſhould bee paid him preſently: but Chriſt beggs their lives for a ſeaſon. Hee is the Saviour of all men, 1 Tim. 4.10. not of eternal preſervation, but of temporal reſervation, that his Elect might lay hold on eternal life, and reprobates may have this for a bodkin at their hearts one day, I was in a fair poſſibility of being delivered.
Verſ. 9. One man ruleth over another to his own hurt] Not only to the hurt of his ſubjects, but to his own utter ruine, though after a long run haply, verſ. 12, 13. Ad generum Cereris, &c. What untimely ends came the Kings of Iſrael to, and the Roman Caeſars all (almoſt) till Conſtantine? Veſpaſianus unus accepto imperio melior factus eſt, Veſpaſian was the only one amongſt them, that became better by the Office. Whiles they were private perſons, there ſeemed to be ſome goodneſſe in them. But no ſooner advanced to the Empire, than they ran riot in wickedneſſe: liſtening to flatterers, and hating reproofs, they ran head-long to Hell, and drew a great number with them, by the inſtigation of the Devil, that old Man-ſlayer, whoſe work it was to act and agitate them, for a common miſchief.
Verſ. 10. And ſo I ſaw the wicked buried] With Pomp and great ſolemnity, funeral Orations, Statues, and Epitaphs, &c. as if he had been another Joſiah, or Theodoſius: ſo doe men over-whelm this mouſe with praiſes proper to the Elephant, as the Proverb hath it.
Who had come and gone from the place of the Holy] That is, from the place of Magiſtracy, Seat of Judicature, where the Holy God himſelf ſits as chief Preſident, and Lord Paramount. Deut. 1.17, 2 Chron. 19.6. Pſal. 82.1.
And they were forgotten in the City where they had ſo done] A great benefit to a wicked man to have his memory dye with him; which if it be preſerved, ſtinks in keeping,Pemble. and remains as a curſe and perpetual diſgrace, as one very well ſenſeth it.
Verſ. 11. Becauſe ſentence againſt an evil work, &c.] Ennarrata ſententia, a publiſhed and declared ſentence. So that it is only a reprieve of mercy, that a wicked man hath: his preſervation is but a reſervation to further evil, abuſed mercy turning into fury.Hieron. in Ierem. Aeripedes dictae ſunt Furia. Aries quo altius erigitur, hoc figit fortius. foreign. De utroque Dionyſio. Val. l. 1. cap. 2. Bucholc. Morae diſpendium fauoris duplo penſatur, ſaith Hierom, Gods forbearance is no quittance: he will finde a time to pay wicked men for the new and the old. The Lord is not ſlow, as ſome men count ſlowneſſe, 2 Pet. 3.9. Or if he be ſlow, yet he is ſure. Hee hath leaden heels, but iron hands, the farther he fetcheth his blow, or draweth his arrow, the deeper hee will wound when hee hitteth. Gods Mill may grind ſoft and ſlow, but it grindes ſure and ſmall, ſaid one Heathen. Tarditatem ſupplicii gravitate compenſat, he recompenſeth the delay of puniſhment with an eternity of extreamity, ſaith another. He hath vials of vengeance, Rev. 16.1. which are large veſſels, but narrow mouthed: they pour out ſlowly, but drench deeply, and diſtill effectually. Caveto igitur, ſaith one, ne malum dilatum fiat suplicatum. Get quickly out of Gods debt, leſt yee be forced to pay the charges of a ſute, to your pain, to your coſt. Patientia Dei quo diuturnior, eo minacior. God will not alwayes ſerve men for a ſinning-ſtock, Poena venit gravior quo mage ſera venit. Adonijah's feaſt ended in horrour: Ever, after the meal is ended, comes the reckoning.
Therefore the heart of the ſons of men is fully ſet] Heb. is full: So full of wickedneſſe, that there is no room for the fear of Gods wrath, till wrath come upon them to the utmoſt. Intus exiſtens prohibet alienum. God offers and affords them heart-knocking time, Rev. 3.20. but they ram up their hearts, dry their tears (as Saul) and are ſcalded in their own greaſe, ſtewed in their own broath. The ſleeping of vengeance cauſeth the over-flowing of ſin: and the over-flow of ſin cauſeth the awakning of vengeance.
Verſ. 12. Though a ſinner doth evil an hundred times] Commit the ſame ſin an hundred times over, which is no ſmall aggravation of his ſin, as numbers added to numbers are firſt ten times more, then an hundred, then a thouſand, &c. And truly a Sinner left to himſelf would ſin in infinitum (which may be one reaſon of the infinite torments of Hell) hee can ſet no bounds to himſelf, till he become a brat of fathomleſs perdition. The Devil commits that ſin unto death every day, and oft in the day. His Imps alſo reſemble him herein. Hence their ſins are mortal, ſaith St. John, rather immortal,1 Joh. 5. as ſaith St. Paul, Rom. 2.5.
And his dayes bee prolonged] By the long ſufferance of God: which is ſo great, that Jonah was diſpleaſed at it, chap. 4. Averroes turned Atheiſt upon it. But Micah admires it, chap. 7.18. and Moſes makes excellent uſe of it, when he prays, Exod. 34. O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, goe along with us, for it is a ſtiff-necked people. As who ſhould ſay, None but a God is able to endure this perverſe people; my patience and meekneſs is farre too ſhort: and yet Moſes, by Gods own teſtimony, was the meekeſt man upon earth. That the vileſt of men may live a long while is evident: but for no good will that God bears them; but that heaping up ſin, they may heap up wrath, and by abuſe of Divine patience, be fitted for the hotteſt fire in Hell, Rom. 9.22. as ſtubble laid out a drying, Nah. 1.10. or as Grapes let hang in the Sun-ſhine, till ripe for the Wine-preſs of wrath, Rev. 15.16. Surely as one day of mans life is to be preferred before the longeſt life of a Stagge, or a Raven: ſo one day ſpent religiouſly is farre better than an hundred years ſpent wickedly. Non refert quanta ſit vitae diuturnitas, ſed qualis ſit adminiſtratio, ſaith Vives. The buſineſſe is not, how long, but how well any man liveth. Hierom reads this verſe thus, Quia peccator facit malum centies, & elongat ei Deus, ex hoc cognoſco ego, &c. Becauſe a ſinner doth evil an hundred times, and God doth lengthen his dayes unto him, from hence I know that it ſhall bee well with them that fear God, &c. And he ſets this ſenſe upon it: Inaſmuch as God ſo long ſpares wretched ſinners, waiting their return, he will ſurely bee good to pious perſons. Symmachus, Aquila, and Theodotion read it thus: Peccans enim malus mortuus eſt, long a aetate conceſſa ei, an evil man ſinning is dead, a long age being granted to him: dead hee is in ſin, though his dayes be prolonged.
Yet ſurely I know that it ſhall be well] q. d. This ſhall not ſtagger mee, or ſhake mine aſſurance of the Divine Providence: for I know well that yet God is good to Iſrael, to the pure in heart, Pſal. 73.1. And although they dye young (as foreign, thoſe whom God loves hee ſoon takes to himſelf) yet it may bee ſaid of them, as Ambroſe ſaith of Abraham, Mortuus eſt in bona ſenectute, eo quod in bonitate propoſiti permanſit, Hee dyed in a good old age, becauſe he dyed in a good ſound mind: Or, as Hierom ſaith of a godly young man of his time,Hier. Epiſt. that in brevi vitae ſpacio tempora virtutum multa replevit, hee lived long in a little time: for ſome men live more in a month than others doe in many years. They that dye ſoon (but in Gods fear and favour) though as Grapes they be gathered afore they bee ripe, and as Lambs ſlain before they be grown, yet (beſides the happineſſe of Heaven) they have this benefit, they are freed from the violence of the Wine-preſs that others fall into, and eſcape many ſtorms that others live to taſte of. A good man (ſaith a late Divine) prolongs his dayes though hee dye young, becauſe hee is ripe before taken from the tree:D. Preſton. hee even falls into the hand of God that gathers him.
Verſ. 13. But it ſhall not be well with the wicked] Not alwayes well,foreign. Nemo culpam gerit in pectore qui non idem Neme fin in tergo. Iſa. 3.12. for ſin will be ſure to finde him out, Numb. 32.23. and hee that hath guilt in his boſome, hath vengeance at his back. Where iniquity breaks faſt, calamity will be ſure to dine, and to ſup where it dines and to lodge where it ſups. When iniquity is once ripe in the field, God will not let it ſhed to grow again: but cuts it up by a juſt and ſeaſonable vengeance. 2 Not at all well; ſith proſperity ſlayeth theſe fools; and, as Sun-ſhine ripens their ſin, and ſo fits them for ruine. Hence Bernard calls it, Miſericordiam omni indignatione crudeliorem. Poyſon in Wine works more furiouſly. The fatter the Oxe, the ſooner to the ſlaughter.
Neither ſhall he prolong his dayes] Pſal. 55.23. Jer. 17.11. hee dyes tempore non ſuo, Eccleſ. 7.17. though hee lives long: hee dyes before hee deſires, and when it were better for him to doe any thing than to dye; ſith hee hath walked in a vain ſhew diſq…ieting himſelf in vain, Pſal. 39.6. tumbling his tub to no purpoſe, lengthening out his dayes as a ſhadow: the longer the ſhade, the nearer the Sun is to ſetting. His Sun alſo ſets in the burning Lake, and it haſteneth to the deſcent: An end is come, is come, is come; ſee Ezek. 7.6, 7.
Becauſe he feareth not before God] But in Hypocriſie, before men, whoſe faces he feareth, and would bee much aſhamed, that they ſhould ſee what hee doth in ſecret, Epheſ. 5.12. But what ſaith the honeſt Heathen? Si ſcirem homines ignoraturos & Deos ignoſcituros, tamen propter peccati turpitudinem, peccare non vellem. Aug. de civ. Dei. l. 6. c. 10A good reſolution ſurely, if as well put in execution. Sed libertas affuit ſcribenti, non viventi, ſaith Austine of this Author, Hee was a better ſpeaker than liver. That of David was ſpoken from his heart, I foreſee the Lord alwayes before my face, I ſet him at my right hand, &c. Pſal. 16.8. with Act. 2.25. Bee thou in the fear of the Lord all day long, Prov. 23.17.
Verſ. 14. There is a vanity which is done upon the earth] Symmachus reads it thus: Eſt difficile cognitu quod fit ſuper terram, There is that done upon the Earth that is hard to be underſtood. It hath gravelled great Divines (as David, Jeremy, Pſal. 73. Jer. 12. Habbak. 2. Lam. 3.33.Habbakkuk,) to ſee good men ſuffer, bad men proſper. But it is but upon the earth, that this befalls: here God muſt meet with his people, or no where, and it is Non niſi coactus, (as that Emperour ſaid of himſelf) that he doth any thing to their grief: Ille dolet quoties cogitur eſſe ferox.
Crudelem medicum intemperans aeger facit. Mimus.An unruly Patient makes a cruel Phyſician. And as for the wicked, it is but upon earth, that they live in pleaſure, and lye melting in ſenſual and ſinful delights, nouriſhing their hearts as in a day of ſlaughter, Jam. 5.5. Once they ſhall hear with horror, Son, remember that thou in thy life time receivedſt thy good things, and likewiſe Lazarus evil things: But now hee is comforted, and thou art tormented, Luke 16.25. The meditation of Eternity would much mitigate this vanity.Dr. Hall's Remedy of Prophaneneſſe, p. 114. What is that to the infinite? ſaid the old Lord Brook to a friend of his, diſcourſing of an incident matter very conſiderable, but was taken off with this quick interrogation of that wiſe and Noble perſon.
Verſ. 15. Then I commended mirth] A lawful lightſomeneſſe, and chearfulneſs of heart, which maketh comforts to be much more comfortable, and troubles to be farre leſſe troubleſome.Bucholc. Beſides, acceptior eſt Deo grata laetitia quam diuturna quaſi querula triſtitia. Cheerfulneſſe is better pleaſing to God, than ſowreneſſe and ſullenneſſe: this provokes him to anger, Deut. 28.47. as that which puts a man under the reign of continual unthankfulneſſe (Is any man merry? let him ſing, Jam. 5.13.) makes him exceeding liable to temptations and perplexities, diſableth him to make benefit of Ordinances, indiſpoſeth and unfitteth him for duties of active or paſſive obedience, takes off the wheels of the ſoul, and it makes as awkward, as a limb out of joynt, that can do nothing without deformity and pain.
Than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry] Although it bee the bread of ſorrow that thou eateſt, and the cup of affliction that thou drinkeſt, eat it, and drink it merrily. The Epicures held that a man might bee cheerful amidſt the moſt exquiſite torments. 1 In conſideration of his honeſty and fidelity, that hee ſuffered for. 2 In conſideration of thoſe pleaſures and delights that formerly he had enjoyed, and now cheered up himſelf with the remembrance of. How much better may Chriſtians doe it in conſideration of thoſe unutterable joyes and delights that they expect and hope for? Mendicato pane hic vivamus, &c. ſaith Luther. Wee may well bee content, nay merry though wee ſhould beg our bread here, to think that we ſhall one day feaſt with Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Verſ. 16. When I applied mine heart to know wiſdome] i. e. The wiſdome and other excellencies of God ſhining plainly and plentifully in ruling the affairs, and ordering the diſorders of the world to his own glory.
For alſo there is that neither day nor night ſeeth, &c.] i. e. Perdius & pernox, by day and by night, I buſied my ſelf in this ſearch, ſo that a little ſleep ſerved my turn all the while. Nullus mihi per otium exiit dies, partem etiam noctium ſtudiis vendico, ſaith Seneca, I ſtudied day and night, and followed it with all poſſible eagerneſſe. Thuanus tells of a Country-man of his, whom he called Franciſcus Vieta Fontenejus, a very learned man, that hee was ſo ſet upon his ſtudy, that for three daies together ſometimes hee would ſit cloſe at it, ſine cibo & ſomno, niſi quem cubito innixus, nec ſe loco movens, capiebat, without meat or ſleep, more than what for meer neceſſity of nature, hee took leaning upon his Elbow. Solomon ſeems by this text to have been as ſharp ſet for the finding out the way of Divine Adminiſtration, and the true reaſon of Divine diſpenſations. But hee got little, further than to ſee that it far exceeded all humane capacity and apprehenſion. Majores majora noverunt, & Deus det vobis plus ſapere quam dico, ſaith a Father, when hee ſaid what hee could to ſome one of Gods works of wonder, i. e. They who are more learned know: and God grant you may underſtand more than I ſay.
Verſ. 17. That a man cannot finde out the work] No not the wiſeſt that is; the very beſt Empirick in this kinde cannot. Let him labour never ſo much to finde it, hee ſhall but bee toſſed in a Labyrinth, or as a wayfaring man in a deſert.Granger. If a man cannot define any thing becauſe the forms of things are unknown, if hee know not the creatures themſelves, ab imo ad ſummum, from the loweſt to the higheſt, neither ſhall hee know the reaſons and manner of them. As a man may look on a Trade, and never ſee the myſtery of it, hee may look on artificial things, pictures, watches, &c. and yet not ſee the Art whereby they are made: As a man may look on the letter, and never underſtand the ſenſe: So it is here, and wee muſt content our ſelves with a learned ignorance. Si nos non intelligimus quid quare fiat, Aug. in Pſal. 148.debeamus hoc providentiae quod non fiat ſine cauſa. If wee underſtand not why any thing is done, let us owe this duty to Providence, to bee aſſured that it is not done without cauſe.