Works of Joseph Hall, Book 1
SALOMONS ETHICKS, OR GOVERNMENT OF Behauiour and Manners. THE FIRST BOOKE. FELICITY.
§ 1. Of Ethicks in common.
The deſcription.
The chiefe end, which is Felicitie.
ETHICKS is a Doctrine of wiſdome and knowledge to liue well, Ec. 1.17. Ec. 7.…7.and of the madneſſe and fooliſhneſſe of vice: or inſtruction to doe wiſely by iuſtice, and iudgement, and equity, and to doe good in our life.Pr. 1.3. The end whereof is, to ſee and attaine that chiefe goodneſſe of the children of men,Ec. 3.12. Ec. 3.2. which they enioy vnderunder the Sunne, the whole number of the daies of their life.
§ 2. Wherein Felicity is not.
Not in pleaſure,
Not in wealth: for herein is
1 No ſatisfaction.
2 Increaſed expence.
3 Reſtleſneſſe.
4 Want of fruition.
5 Vncertaintie.
6 Neceſsitie of leauing it.
WHich conſiſts not in pleaſure; for I ſaid in mine heart, Goe to now,Ec. 2.1. I will proue thee with ioy, therefore take thou pleaſure in pleaſant things; yea, I with-drew not my heart from any ioy:Ec. 2.10. Ec. 2.25. Ec. 2.1. for my heart reioyced in all my labour: and who could eat, and who could haſte to outward things more than I? and behold, this alſo is vanitie.
Not in riches. 1. For he that loueth ſiluer, ſhall not be ſatisfied with ſiluer,Ec. 5.9. and he that loueth riches, ſhall be without the fruit of them: this alſo is vanitie.
2. When riches increaſe, they are increaſed that eat them:Ec. 5.10. Ec. 5.11. and what good commeth to the owners thereof, but the beholding thereof with their eies? yea much euill; for whereas the ſleepe of him that trauelleth is ſweet, whether hee eat little or much;Ec. 5.12. contrarily, The ſatietie of the rich will not ſuffer him to ſleepe; ſo there is an euill ſicknes, which I hauehave ſeene vnderunder the ſunne, riches reſerued to the owners thereof, for their euill, and ofter, not for their good: for there is another euill,Ec. 6.1. Ec. 6.2. which I hauehave ſeene vnderunder the Sunne, and it is frequent among men; A man to whom God hath giuen riches, and treaſures, and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his ſoule, of all it deſireth; but God giueth him no power thereof;Pr. 27.24. Pr. 23.5. Ec. 5.14. and if hee hauehave that, yet how long? Riches remaine not alwaies, but taketh her to her wings as an Eagle, and flyeth to the heauens. And for their owner, As he came forth of his mothers belly, hee ſhall returne naked, to goe as he came, and ſhall beare away nothing of his labour, which he cauſed to paſſe by his hand: And this is alſo an euill ſickneſſe,Ec. 5.15. that in all points as he came, ſo ſhall he goe: and what profit hath he, that he hath trauelled for the wind?
§. 3. Not in magnificence
of eſtate,
Royalty,
great attendance,
of works,
planting,
gathering Treaſures,
building, &c.
Ec. 1.12. Ec. 1.16. Ec. 2.9. Ec. 2.4. Ec. 2.5.NOt in honour and magnificence. I the Preacher hauehave beene King ouer Iſrael in Ieruſalem, and I was great, and increaſed aboue all that were before me in Ieruſalem, which alſo I ſhewed in effect; for I made me great works, I built mee houſes, I planted me Vineyards, I made mee Gardens and Orchards, and planted in them Trees of all fruits;Ec. 2.6. Ec. 2.7. I made me Ponds of water, to water therewith the woods that grow with trees; I got men ſeruants, and maids, and had children borne in the houſe; alſo I had great poſſeſſions of beeues, and ſheepe, aboue all that were before me in Ieruſalem; I gathered to me alſo ſiluer and gold,Ec. 2.8. and the chiefe treaſures of Kings and Prouinces; I prouided Men-ſingers, and Women-ſingers, and the delights of the ſonnes of men, muſicall conſorts of all kindes.Can. 3.9. Can. 3.10. Yea, I King Salomon made my ſelfe a Palace of the trees of Lebanon; I made the pillars thereof of ſiluer, and the pauement thereof of gold; the hangings thereof of purple, whoſe mids was paued with the louelove of the daughters of Iſrael:Ec. 2.11. Ec. 2.12. Then I looked on all my workes that my hands had wrought, (as who is the man that will compare with the King in things which men now hauehave done?) and on the trauell that I laboured to doe;Ec. 2.11. and behold, all is vanity, and vexation of ſpirit; and there is no profit vnderunder the Sunne.
§. 4. Long life and iſſue reiected, for
certaine end,
vnperfect ſatisfaction,
remembrance and continuance of darkneſſe.
Ec. 6.3.NOt in long life, and plenteous iſſue: for If a man beget an hundred children, and liue many yeeres, and the dayes of his yeeres be multiplied, and his ſoule bee not ſatisfied with good things, and hee be not buried, I ſay, that an vntimely fruit is better than he. For he commeth into vanity, and goeth into darkneſſe, and his name ſhall be couered with darkneſſe:Ec. 6.4. Ec. 6.5. Alſo, he hath not ſeene the Sunne, nor knowne it; therefore this hath more reſt than the other: And if he had liued a thouſand yeeres twiſe told, and had ſeene no good; ſhall not all goe to one place? and howſoeuer, the light ſurely is a pleaſant thing,Ec. 6.6. and it is good for the eies to ſee the Sunne; yet though a man liue many yeeres,Ec. 11.7. Ec. 11.8. and in them all he reioyce; if he ſhall remember the dayes of darkneſſe, becauſe they are many, all that commeth, is Vanity.
§. 5. Knowledge.
Though better than folly;
yet reiected vponupon
experience,
indifferency of euents,
imperfection.
NOt in learning, and humane knowledge. I hauehave giuen my heart to ſearch and finde out wiſdome, in all things that are done vnderunder the heauen,Eccl. 1.13. (this ſore trauell hath God giuen the ſonnes of men to humble them thereby) yea, I thought in mine heart and ſaid, Behold, I hauehave amplified and increaſed wiſdome, aboue all them that hauehave beene before mee, in the Court and Vniuerſity of Ieruſalem,Eccl. 1.16. and mine heart hath ſeene much wiſdome and knowledge:Ec. 2.9. for (when I was at the wildeſt) my wiſdome remained with me: Then I ſaw indeed, that there is profit in wiſdome more than in folly, as the light is more excellent than darkneſſe: For the wiſe mans eyes are in his head,Ec. 2.13. but the foole walketh in darkneſſe: but yet,Ec. 2.14. I know that the ſame condition falleth to them all. Then I thought in mine heart, It befalleth to mee as it befalleth to the foole;Ec. 2.15. why therefore doe I labour to be more wiſe? For what hath the Wiſe-man more than the foole? There ſhall be no remembrance of the wiſe, nor of the foole for euer:Ec. 6.8. Ec. 2.16. for that that now is, in the daies to come ſhall be forgotten; and how dieth the Wiſe-man? as doth the foole: Beſides the imperfection of the beſt knowledge; for the eye is not ſatisfied with ſeeing, nor the eare filled with hearing: I thought I would be wiſe,Ec. 1.8. Ec. 7.25. but it went far from me; it is farre off, what may it be? and it is a profound deepneſſe, who can finde it? yea, ſo farre is it from giuing contentment, Ec. 1.18.that in the multitude of wiſdome is much griefe, and he that increaſeth knowledge, increaſeth ſorrow.
Laſtly, not in any humane thing: Ec. 1.14.for I hauehave conſidered all the workes that are done vnderunder the Sunne; and behold, all is vanity and vexation of ſpirit.
§. 6. Wherein Felicitie is, i. In approuing our ſelues to God. From hence
Life,
Bleſsing,
Fauour,
Ioy,
Preſeruation,
Proſperitie,
Long life, &c.
WHerein then doth it conſiſt? Let vsus heare the end of all, Feare God,Ec. 12.13. and keep his Commandements; for this is the whole of Man, the whole duty, Pr. 12 24. Pr. 11 19.the whole ſcope, the whole happineſſe; for Life is in the way of righteouſnes, and in that path there is no death; and attending thereon, Pr. 20.6. Pr. 12.2.all Bleſſings are vponupon the head of the righteous. Wouldſt thou hauehave fauour? A good man getteth fauour of the Lord. Ioy? The righteous ſhall ſing and reioyce; and ſurely to a man that is good in his ſight,Pr. 29.6. Ec. 2.26. God giueth wiſdome and knowledge and ioy; ſo that the light of the righteous reioyceth, but the candle of the wicked ſhall bee put out. Preſeruation and deliuerance? Lo,Pr. 13.9. Pr. 10.25. Pr. 10.29. Pr. 10.30. Pr. 11.4. Pr. 12.13. Pr. 11.8. Pr. 13.6. Pr. 15.6. Pr. 14.11. Pr. 10.27. Pr. 12.7. Ec. 8.12. Pr. 10.24. Pr. 29.18. the righteous is an euerlaſting foundation; for the way of the Lord is ſtrength to the vpright man, ſo as the righteous ſhall neuer be remoued; and if he be in trouble; Riches auaile not in the day of wrath, but righteouſneſſe deliuereth from death; ſo the righteous ſhall come out of aduerſitie, and eſcape out of trouble, and the wicked ſhall come in his ſtead; thus eueryevery way Righteouſneſſe preſerueth the vpright in heart. Proſperity and wealth? The houſe of the righteous ſhall hauehave much treaſure, and his tabernacle ſhall flouriſh. Long life? The feare of the Lord increaſeth the daies; and not onelyonly himſelfe, but his houſe ſhall ſtand. And though a ſinner doe euill an hundred times, and God prolong his daies, yet know I that it ſhall be well to them that feare the Lord, and doe reuerence before him. And laſtly, whatſoeuer good? God will grant the deſire of the righteous, and he that keepeth the Law, is bleſſed.
§. 7. In the eſtate of wickedneſſe,
our good things are accurſed.
Wealth,
Life,
Fame,
Deuotions;
Prayers,
Sacrifices.
Euill inflicted; of
Loſſe,
Paine,
Affliction,
Death,
Damnation.
Pr. 10.2. Pr. 10.3.COntrarily, there is perfect miſery in wickedneſſe. Looke on all that might ſeeme good in this eſtate, Wealth. The treaſures of the wicked profit nothing; the Lord will not famiſh the ſoule of the righteous, but he either caſteth away the ſubſtance of the wicked,Pr. 13.25. ſo that the belly of the wicked ſhall want, or elſe employeth it to the good of his: for the wicked ſhall be a ranſome for the iuſt;Pr. 21.18. Ec. 2.26. and to the ſinner God giueth paine to gather and to heape, to giuegive to him that is good before God. The wicked man may bee rich: Pr. 15.6. Pr. 10.27. Pr. 10.25. Pr. 12.7. Pr. 2.22. Ec. 8.13.but how? The reuenues of the wicked is trouble. Life; The yeeres of the wicked ſhall be diminiſhed: As the whirl-wind paſſeth, ſo is the wicked no more; for God ouerthroweth the wicked, and they are not. Whatſoeuer therefore their hope be, the wicked ſhall be cut off from the earth, and the tranſgreſſors ſhall be rotted out; It ſhall not be well to the wicked, neither ſhall he prolong his daies; hee ſhall be like to a ſhadow, becauſe he feared not God;Pr. 14.11. Pr. 10.7. yea the very houſe of the wicked ſhall be deſtroyed. Fame: Whereas the memoriall of the iuſt ſhall be bleſſed, the name of the wicked ſhall rot: yea, looke vponupon his beſt endeuours; Pr. 15.29. Pr. 28.9.his Prayers. The Lord is farre off from the wicked, but heareth the prayer of the righteous: farre off from accepting. For Hee that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law,Pr. 15.8. euen his prayer ſhall be abominable; His ſacrifice (though well intended) as all the reſt of his waies, is no better than abomination to the Lord; how much more when he brings it with a wicked minde?Pr. 15.9. Pr. 21.27. Pr. 12.26. Pr. 10.18. Pr. 13.9. Pr. 11.18. Pr. 26.10. Pr. 13.21. Pr. 5.22. Pr. 10.6. Pr. 29.6. Pr. 11.5. Pr. 13.6. Pr. 33.3. Pr. 11.31. Pr. 10.24. Pr. 5.23. And as no good, ſo much euill, whether of loſſe: The way of the wicked will deceiue them; their hope ſhall periſh, eſpecially when they die; their candle ſhall be put out, their workes ſhall proue deceitfull: Or of paine; for the Excellent that formed all things, rewardeth the foole, and the tranſgreſſor; and he hath appointed, that Affliction ſhould follow ſinners: Follow, yea ouertake them: His owne iniquity ſhall take the wicked himſelfe, and couer his mouth; and hee ſhall be holden with the cords of his owne ſinne: euen in the tranſgreſſion of the euill man is his ſnare; ſo the wicked ſhall fall in his owne wickedneſſe, for of it owne ſelfe, iniquity ouerthroweth the ſinner: But beſides that, the curſe of the Lord is in the houſe of the wicked: though hand ioyne in hand, he ſhall not be vnpuniſhed: behold the righteous ſhall be paid vponupon earth, how much more the wicked and the ſinner? That then which the wicked man feareth, ſhall come vponupon him; both, Death; Hee ſhall die for default of inſtruction,Pr. 11.19. Pr. 1….32. Pr. 15.11. Pr. 12.2. Pr. 10.29. Pr. 19.29. and that by his owne hands: for, by following euill he ſeekes his owne death; and after that damnation; The wicked ſhall bee caſt away for his malice: Hell and deſtruction are before the Lord; and a man of wicked imaginations will hee condemned; ſo both in life, in death, after it, nothing but Terrour ſhall be for the workers of iniquity: where contrarily, The feare of the Lord leadeth to life; and hee that is filled therewith, ſhall contiue, and ſhall not be viſited with euill.