Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 5 · Ecclesiastes · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
VVHo is as the wise man, and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing, Vers. 1.mans wisdome maketh his face to shine, and the boldnesse of his face shall be changed. Salomon having spoken much before of his study to get wisdome, and most highly commended it to others, now he breaketh out into this commendation hereof, that no man, of what estate or degree soever, is comparable to the wise man, and to prove this, he saith, that Wisdome hath these two effects;Lavater.
1 It makes the face to shine, the wise man lowreth not, as discontented and angry fooles doe at every crosse, or losse, but lookes cheerfully in tribulation, through Rom 5.the joy that is in his heart by faith.
2 Although he be wiser then others, yet he thinketh not so of himselfe, neither doth he shew it by a bold and proud looke, but the more wise and learned he is, the more demisse and lowly he is in his countenance, according to the saying, Quanto doctior es, tantò te geras submissius, the more learned, the more lowly carry thy selfe; and as his countenance is not now proud, nor fierce, no more are his manners, but gentle, and milde, according to that of Ovid; Faithfully to have Ovid. Didicisse fideliter artes, emollit mores, nec sinit esse feros.learned the Arts, mollifieth the manners, and suffereth not to be rough, or harsh, as fooles are.
And it is to be noted here, that wisdome is said to be the knowledge of the interpretation of a thing, and if so, then of the interpretation of the holy Scriptures, Note. which should make us all to study after this, and to read for this end that which is written conducing to this knowledge.
Some render foreign strength, and so expound it of his changing, when he cometh Cajetan.to have strength and power, saying, that even wise men, when they are invested with power, are changed, looking now more disdainfully upon others; but I rather prefer the former, for as foreign signifieth strength, so it also signifieth hardnesse, and pertinacy, and so understood, it agreeth better with the words before going, somewhat more being said here for the further commendation of wisdome, and not any way a detracting from the wise coming to power, for if he had meant so, he would not have joyned it with the former by a conjunction copulative, as he doth, but instead of and, he would have said, but strength changeth: yet it were better rendred hardnesse, or harshnesse, then boldnesse, because boldnesse is elsewhereby Salomon spoken of in a good sence, the righteous is bold as a Lion.Prov. 28. 1. Vers. 2.
I counsell thee to keep the Kings commandement, and that in regard of the Oath of God. After the commendation of wisdome, he teacheth men how to doe wisely in their carriage towards their King, or supreame Magistrates, to give allegeance to whom they are bound by Oath. This is the same with that of the Apostle, Let every soule be subject to the higher powers.Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 13. Vers. 3.
Be not hasty to goe out of his sight, stand not in an evill thing, for he will doe whatoever pleaseth him; That is, when thou art displeased at that which hee commandeth thee, set him not light, thinking by going away, so that he may not see thee, to escape his wrath, for a King hath many eyes, and eares, and long hands, to fetch thee againe wheresoever thou art; stand not in an evill thing, attempt not by joyning forces to thee to rebell, although the King be evill, for this course shall never be long prospered, as we may see in manifeld examples; and justly it may be expected, that that it should be so, because to rebell is a great evill, it is to resist Gods Ordinance, and to breake the Oath before spoken of, the fruit whereof shall be damnation in the end, as the Apostle teacheth; and to disswade from standing in such an evil, he saith, The King will doe whatsoever pleaseth him; yet not meaning that he may doe so, but he hath strength enough to subdue rebels, and will quell them at his pleasure, or such as offend against his Lawes; for that Kings may not doe what they please without rule, appeareth, where it is commanded, That the King should read in the Booke of the Law continually, that Deut. 17.he might learne to judge rightly; and if he goeth here-from, in commanding ought, the precept of vers, 2. holdeth not, Obey his commandement; but we must rather follow the example of the Apostles, who said, We ought rather to Acts 4.obey God, then you.
Where the word of a King is, there is power, and who may say to him, What Vers. 4.dost thou? Hereby is not meant, that he may not be reproved, for John the Baptist reproved Herod, Elijah Ahab, and so also did Michaiah, and Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other Prophets, other Kings, and Ambrose, Theodosius: but who shall be so hardy as to oppose him, and his power, being provoked to wrath, and in his wrath to punish the misdemeanours of his Subjects? yea, although he rageth unjustly against any of them, who can call him in question for it, but God only, unlesse it be in such a Kingdome, as wherein the King comes in by election, or is made upon conditions? otherwise subjects can doe no more lawfully with him, but by petitioning, and perswadingly seek to win him, or crying to God to reforme him, or rid them soone of such a Tyrant.
Who so keepeth the Commandement, that is, of the King, whereof we spake before, Vers. 5.shall feele no evill thing, and a wise mans heart discerneth both time and judgement; for, wouldest not thou feare, saith Paul? Doe no evill; breake not the Kings Lawes, for he beareth not the sword in vaine, but for the punishment Rom. 13.of evill doers. If it be said, we may suffer evill enough and that too long under a Tyrant, if we doe nothing for our deliverance, but seeke to please him by submitting in all things to his will; he answereth, If thou beest of a wise heart, thou knowest, that the time of his tyranizing will not last alwayes, God will not suffer him but for a time, and then shall come his Judgement, and thou shalt be delivered.
Because to every purpose there is time, and judgement, therefore the misery Vers. 6. Vers. 7.of man is great upon him. For he knoweth not that, which shall be, and who can tell him when it shall be? The wise in heart, as he said before, discerneth both time and judgement. Now he addeth further, that there is to every purpose time and judgement; the word foreign rendred purpose, signifieth either institution, purpose, or will, or complacency, but being taken either of these wayes, how is it hereupon inferred, that the misery of man is great upon him?
Sol. Great is the misery even of Kings, that tyranize over their Subjects, they shall doe thus, and please themselves in so doing for a time, but then their judgement shall come, and for their exorbitancies, through pride, and covetousnesse, wherein they have lived, they shall perish miserably, according to that which is said, Tophet is wide and large, it is prepared for the King, &c.Esa. 30. ult.
Againe, the miseries of poore Subjects living under such Kings, who have not wisdome to know, as was aforesaid, are great, because they know not that their sufferings are but for a time, and then judgement shall rid them of such Tyrants, and for want of this knowledge are impatient, and rebell, and so make their sufferings greater, when by their puissance they are sharply castigated.
There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retaine the spirit, neither Vers. 8.hath he power in the day of death, there is no discharge in that warre, neither shall wickednesse deliver those that are given to it. Here by spirit the life of man is to be understood, as is plaine, in saying. He hath no power in the day of death; he goeth on in the argument in hand, viz. the Time, and Judgement before spoken of, which the wise discerne to be coming upon Kings that tyranize, and doe what they lust in oppressing their Subjects, and therefore patiently beareth all things, for now to prove that judgement shall come upon such, notwithstanding their great power, he saith, that the King hath no more power to resist, when death cometh, which is the time of his judgement, then the poore man, there is no discharge in that warre: in warre that he makes against his Subjects unjustly, to bring both them and their goods into Vassalage, who were free before, he may haply come safely off, and put them to the worst; but Death coming with his dart, to peirce him to the heart, he must needs before this all-conquering Champion fall, neither shall his wickednesse deliver him; That is, his wicked arming of himselfe thus, to subjugate his faithfull and innocent Subjects, although he giveth himselfe with all his might to proceed this way.
And according to this the Poet saith well, Pale Death knocks alike at the Gates Pallila mors aequopede pulsa… pauperum tabernas regum{que} turres.of Kings, and the doores of poore men. And this is not so spoken of Kings, as if it concerned them alone, becoming Tyrants, whereby Salomons Sonne Rehoboam might have taken warning; but concerneth all others, that have wealth, and power and abuse it to oppression of the poore, as is commonly done, the time of every such mans judgement shall come, and then he shall meet with his match, as we say, Death, that will hold him up, though his poore neighbours could not, and overthrow Note. him. Be wise now therefore O yee Kings, and great men, be learned, O Psal. 2.yee Judges of the earth; as David that pious King exhorteth you; also in saying, that wickednesse shall not deliver, he hath reference to verse 15. a wicked mans prolonging his life hereby.
All this have I seene, and applied my heart to every worke that is done under Vers. 9.the Sunne, there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his owne hurt. It being so, as was before said, it followeth, that some, even Kings have no great cause of joying in their supremacies, their dominion being at length tumed into their ruine, as hath unhappily often faln out in this our Nation, and of late more then ever; to say nothing of Saul, Amaziah, Joash, and Athaliah, Ahab, and Jezabel, with many more recorded in sacred History, or of Julius Caesar, or other Roman Emperours in the Roman History. For his saying, that he applied his heart to every worke done under the Sunne, he spake in like manner before, Chap. 7. 25.
I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, Vers. 10.and they were forgotten in the City, where they had so done, this also is vanity. Vulg. who whilst they yet lived, were in the holy place, and were praised, as it were in the City of just works, Hebr. They shall come, and from the holy place they shall walke; but the future tense may be taken here for the preterperfect, and the meaning is, because he had before spoken of the death and judgement of Tyrants, and Oppressours, that abuse their power, but in fine to their owne hurt; I have seene such wicked ones yet have an honourable buriall, for so had Saul, his body being by night fetcht by the men of Jabesh Gilead from the Philistims, and buried in their City. Thus they goe and passe away in an honourable manner, as worthy persons, but this honour done to them lasteth not long, for all good remembrance of them is soone buried in perpetuall oblivion in the City, where they have done so ill, there is after this no mention more made of them, as of the just, whose memory is blessed. And such are said to walke from the holy place, because Prov. 10. 7.from the most eminent in the holy City, the Kings Palace, or from the Sanctuary, which, though they were wicked, for a shew of piety they frequented; but now notwithstanding their good buriall, their fame dyeth with them, they that flattered, and praised them in their life time, to curry favour with them, are after their death all whist, and praise them no more. Therefore this is a vanity, for Kings to be praised, who are wicked, and tyrannicall, all such praise ending with their death; yea, they that durst not before, being now bold to speake of them according to their demerits, or by their going, and in the holy place walking, understand, that he observed not only that such were buried well, but also whilst they lived pretended piety, going and coming often from the holy place, but being afterwards discovered to be Hypocrites, an end is put to all their honour, and now contrariwise they are reproached.
Lavater either understands it thus, or distinguishing betwixt the wicked that Lavater.are buried, and such as goe and come from the holy place saith, that by these are meant men deserving well, being either of the Church, or Common-wealth, (for he will have the seat of Judgement as well meant by the holy place, as the Sanctuary) yet they are not spoken, or esteemed of, according to their deserts; when as the wicked have some honour done to them at their death, by being well buried, and having Monuments for a remembrance set up unto them; but for as much as worthy men are thus remembred also, for the Prophets after their death had Sepulchers built them, when in their life time they had been unworthily used, and were at last cruelly slaine, it cannot be understood, as if two sorts of men were here spoken of, but only one, as hath been said; neither doth the word forgotten agree to any, but to such as are dead and buried. I have seene also divers other expositions, but I will not trouble the Reader with any more, sith this may abundantly satisfie.
Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily, the heart of Vers. 11.the sonnes of men is wholly set in them to doe evill. Having shewed, that wicked men although never so powerfull, shall dye, and then although they may have a buriall, yet no good remembrance shall be kept of them any more; now because judgement-executing upon such is not present, but to come afterwards, he sheweth to what hardnesse of heart, and boldnesse in sinning they grow, as if Judgement should never come. But the next words shew, that quod defertur non aufertur, Tarditatem veniendi compensat gravitate poena. Vers. 12. Vers. 13.and God compensateth the slownesse of his coming with the weightinesse of his punishments.
Though a sinner sinneth an hundred times, and his dayes be prolonged, yet surely I know it shall be well with them that feare God; But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his dayes, which are as a shadow, &c. but how saith he shall not a sinner prolong his dayes, and yet they be prolonged?
Sol. The dayes of his naturall life may be prolonged, and yet not prolonged in a well being, for this is in the words to be noted, it shall not goe well with him, neither shall he prolong his dayes; they are prolonged in vanity, but not in any true comfortable being; as it is with them that feare God, be their lives short, or long, a wicked mans life is but a death, for so it is said, dead in sinnes and trespasses; Ephes. 2.neither can any man be said to live, till he be inlivened by being converted. The sinners many dayes, and long life here then, are nothing, for which they are said to be as a shadow, dead images or shadowes representing living men, out-sides of men only, but nothing within, for which they may be worthy to be called living men, or women. And this is the description of a sinner, not that he hath done Note. wickedly, or sinneth in some things still, but he feareth not before God, his feare doth not awe him to keepe him from sinning; but if there be any sinne from which he refraineth, it is either because his nature stands not towards it, or it stands not with his profit, health, or credit, or he is kept in awe for feare of men; contrariwise, the righteous feare God, and feare before him; That is, remembring that he is Psal. 139.about all their pathes and wayes, and that they can goe no whither, but they are before him; they doe as Servants in their Masters sight, not faulting in any things as neare as they can, in this regard only, though no mortall eye can see them, or wit of man finde them out, their hearts being hereby continually awed, and not their bodies, or members only, as it is with painted Hypocrites.
There be just men to whom it happeneth according to the worke of the wicked; Vers. 14.againe, there be wicked, to whom it happeneth according to the righteous mans worke. Having considered the prolonging of the dayes of the wicked, whereas oft times the righteous have but short lives, and having said yet, that it shall goe well with the righteous, whereas indeed many times the wicked live in prosperity, and they in adversity; now lest he should be mistaken, he saith, that some just men endure grievous things, so that if one should judge of them by their sufferings, he could not thinke but that they were men of wicked workes, although making a good shew before men, and so well is it with many wicked men, that either one seeing it wouldthinke that God regardeth not humane affaires, or else that he liketh not so well of those precise and strict courses of life, but rather of them that live, as wee count it, dissolutely. But it is to be noted, that he saith, it is a vanity, which I saw done upon earth, it shall not alwayes be so, but for a short time, a moment, whilst some part of this transitory life lasteth, and whilst it is thus, the righteous cannot be counted truly miserable, because they suffer so. For,
1. They acknowledge that they are not without sin enough, to bring upon them Note, whatsoever they suffer, and more also.
2. That sufferings here are tokens of Gods fatherly love, that they may not be H…b. 12. 9. 1 Cor. 11.judged with the world, they suffer a little, but are exempt from the great sufferings, which shall indure for ever.
3. That the best of Gods servants have suffered as much, if not more, yea, Christ himselfe, and that as our ransome.
4. They have a Comforter within them, by whom they have joy in tribulation, and their sufferings are so sweetned, that although they be cruel torments, to which they are put by persecutors, they are to them as things most comfortable, as appeared by the speech of one Martyr, who being in the middest of the fiery flames, said, I lye here as in a bed of downe, and others that smiled upon the Rack, and were grieved, when they were loosed therefrom againe. As for the good things for a time injoyed by the wicked, they are but common things, and flitting, and therefore there can be no solid joy in them: wherefore let not us envy them for these, nor be grieved or thinke our selves unhappy for our own crosses, which are common, as also good things are to good and bad, neither let us so much affect the goods of this world, but those good things, that bee proper to the righteous, as Augustine saith.August de civit. l. 21. c. 2.
Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun then to eat, and drink, and be merry. Divers expositors hereupon speak diversly, Vers. 15.some, that it is spiritually to be understood, seeing that in respect of worldly things, it goeth no better with the righteous then with the wicked, yea, many times worse, the best that we can doe is to eat, and drink, and rejoyce in spiritual things, as wisedome is brought in inviting us to doe, Prov. 9. Some, that Salomon speaketh thus in the person of wicked and carnall men, as chap. 3. according to the mind that he August,was of, when he lived in sensual pleasure. But Lava. who mentioneth these, followeth another, I preferred honest mirth & liberally using the things of this world, wherwith Lavater.God hath blessed a man, so farre as lawfully he may, all anxious and distracting cares being put away, for so much as hereby no man can make his estate better or worse, in respect of worldly prosperity or adversity; of all these I preferre the first, because it is counsell given to a man upon due consideration of nothing to be found here, affording any true joy to the righteous, whose case is many times worse in worldly respects, then that of the wicked. Moreover he hath before pronounced it to be better to goe into the house of mourning, then of mirth, therefore it is not probable that after this he would any more preferre worldly mirth, but spirituall and heavenly; Eccles. 7. 2.only it seemes to make against it that followeth, For that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun; but indeed it agreeth very well and confirmeth this exposition yet more, that it is substantiall and permanent mirth, which he here preferreth, and what mirth can be counted such, but the spirituall, comming by eating and drinking spiritually? and it is added, the dayes of his life under the sun, not that this mirth shall then have end, but in the dayes of this life, wherein he hath need of this joy to beare him up in the midst of all sufferings here, for who so thus rejoyceth, shall have the joy in believing, thus begun, continued to eternity, by his possessing that he hoped for. And according to this, the Psalmist biddeth us to be merry in the Lord, and the Apostle, rejoyce in the Lord alwaies; If the words be taken otherwise of lawfull mirth, in corporeal Psal. 32. 11. Phil. 4. 4.eating and drinking, how the inference therefore can be made from the words before going, I see not, shall men say therefore because it fals out to the righteous, as to the wicked in respect of worldly miseries, it is good for him to be merry? this is both against reason, and that which he said before chap. 7. 14. or because the wicked injoy prosperity, it is good for them to be merry, and this abideth by them, when as he said before, that such mirth, is as the crackling of Thornes under a pot, and that it is madnesse.
When I applyed my heart to know wisedome, and to see that which is done upon Vers. 16. Vers. 17.the earth (for there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes.) Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out, &c. This differeth little from v. 23. 24 25. of chap. 7. and therefore the exposition may be seen there, but it is here repeated againe in relation to v. 14. where Gods dealings in this world are set forth, as more harsh towards the righteous, then towards the wicked. This is a thing that man by his owne wisedome cannot find out; for the parenthesis interposed here, the meaning is, he that searcheth to find out the reason of al things, may study in the day, and break his sleep about them in the night, and yet never attain to this knowledge.