Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 5 · Ecclesiastes · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
THe righteous and the wise, their works are in the hands of God, no man knoweth love or hatred, by all that is before them, The Vulg. every thing Vers. 1.to come is kept uncertaine; or all things are kept uncertaine till afterwards, and hence it is gathered by our adversaries of the Church of Rome, that no man can be certaine, whilst he liveth here of his salvation; but the words Hebrew are foreign all that is before their faces, and the plaine meaning is, all that which they see befalling one or another here, sheweth not, whether this man be elect, or that man reprobate, as both may be gathered by that which went before, chap. 8. 14. It befalleth the righteous as the wicked, &c. and by that which followeth after, v. 2. All things fall out alike unto all. It is meant then, that as all men are at Gods disposing, so it is the part of wise and righteous men, whose workes are good, to rest herein satisfied and contented with the estates wherein they are, whether adverse or prosperous in this world, seeing to be in prosperity is no signe of his love, wherein our everlasting happinesse consisteth, neither to be in adversity any signe of his hatred, wherein stands everlasting miserie. He may be beloved of God, as Jacob was, that liveth in exile and servitude a long time, when as he that liveth as a Prince, as Esau, and is the father of Dukes, as he was, is hated, according to that, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated. The Vulg. latine then is here intolerably corrupted, because that upon it so grosse an errour is raised touching every mans uncertainty, in respect of election, and reprobation for his own particular, for the like is no where taught in all the word of God, but the contrary, as where it is said, Now we know that we are the sons of God, &c. and we have received the Spirit of God, whereby wee know things that are given us of 1 Joh: 3. 3. 1 Cor. 2. 12.God: although I grant, that touching one another, this cannot be knowne to man in this life, seeing the Ministers of Satan can transforme themselves into Angels of light, and he that is now a persecutor may be turned, and become a preacher, yea, many deceive themselves, thinking that they know they are elected, when they are, Reprobates, for which the Apostle saith, Try your selves, prove your selves, 2 Cor. 13. 5.know you not that Christ is in you, unlesse ye be Reprobates? And to this tendeth Revel. 2. 17.that saying of the Spirit of a white stone, given to a man overcomming, with a new name written upon it, which no man knoweth, but he that hath it, therefore it is only knowne to a mans selfe, whether he hath a name written in Heaven or no, and hereby many are deceived in themselves, for that they know it not by the Spirit of God, but only it is a conception of their owne, and by this Spirit they know it not, because they have not received it; and that they have not received it, appeareth, because as the flesh, so the Spirit hath its fruits, love, joy, peace, &c. which they have not, love, the mother of the rest, being such a fruit, as that he, who hath true Gal. 5▪ 22. 1 Cor. 1. 3.love, cannot be deceived, when as one going by faith, knowledge, Almes-deeds, tongues, and patience to suffer a most cruell death, may, because the Devill and his Ministers can doe all other things, but love they cannot, He that loveth dwelleth in God, and God in him, For the next words, There is one event to the righteous, 1. Joh. 4. 8. 12 Vers. 2.and to the wicked, &c. here he doth only dilate further upon the argument begun, All is alike before their faces; all come alike to all, but hereby we are taught, that the wicked are uncleane, and they are such as serve not God, but are common swearers, and prophane persons; And by this falling out alike of all things, to all men, they are incouraged in all evill, and mad wayes, thus living, and thus Vers. 3.dying, and therefore certainly dying eternally.
For to him that is joyned to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better Vers. 4.then a dead Lyon. Thus the wicked say, Let us, whilst we live, gather wealth, and make merry herewith, hoping still to come one day to greater matters, and tell me not of the baseness of the wicked, and the excellencie of the righteous, and in what happinesse they are in, when they dye; so the Lyon is the King of Beasts, but when he is dead, the dogge still living, which is so much despised, is better then he; Let them all speak, what they will, against us, we injoying good things here, and they being in miserie, but pleasing themselves in this, that they are justified, in respect of the good that shall come after death, are in a better case then they. For, we know, that wee shall one day dye, Oh! that wee never might, although wee live but as dogs, or other vilest beasts, as I have heard some wicked men have said, and because we know that we shal dy, we wil be merry whilst we live, as not making account, but that death coming, putteth an end for ever to all contents and joyes, to all knowledge, Vers. 6.and good or ill affections of love or hatred towards one another. Therefore he Sardanapalus-like saith, eate, drinke, play, and sleepe, after death there is no Ede, bibe, lude, post mortem nulla voluptas. Isa. 22. 12.pleasure: and as the wicked are brought in speaking by the Prophet Isay, Let us eate and drinke, for to morrow we shall dye. But although in death, there is an end of a man, in respect of doing or injoying any thing in this world any more, for which it is added, he hath no more portion for ever in any thing, that is done under the Sun, yet there is a judgement, to which these carelesse wicked ones shall be Note. brought, when for all their mirth, they shall have sorrow without end, as followeth, chap. 11. 7. and 12. 14.
Goe thy way, eate thy bread with joy, and drinke thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works. Here he goeth on still, saith Lavater, to speak Vers. 7. Lavater.in the person of the wicked sensual man, that placeth al his felicity in carnal things, and the pleasure which he hath in this life, as making none account of any happinesse or miserie to come after death, either to the righteous or the wicked. And because he enjoyeth prosperity now, he gathereth, that God accepteth of his doings, as well as of theirs, who live in his feare continually. And this is more at large expressed, Wisd. 2. 7. where he is brought in, speaking against the righteous, and deriding them as fools, for their impugning of them in their ways. Jun. also saith the same, & that Salomon speaketh thus ironically. Jerom is somtimes for this sense, & somtime Junius.for another, that it is spoken to comfort the righteous although here it fals out unto him, as to the wicked, as was said before, yet in regard of Gods accepting of his work, Hieron.he hath no cause, for all his worldly miseries, to be discouraged, but to eat and drink chearfully & to put on the garments of rejoycing, which is meant by white, as black, is a sign of mourning. And according to this is the saying of James, Count all things joy, when ye fall into sundrie temptations, and to this agreeth the Chald. paraph. Jam. 1. 2.but Olympiodorus expoundeth it spiritually, of eating and drinking of spiritual things, as upon chap. 8. 15. but let the judicious Reader follow whether he pleaseth, for Olympiodorus.my part, that which is spoken of his rejoycing with his wife alwaies, seemeth to me not to agree, if it be taken as spoken in the person of the wicked: for his pleasure in the dayes of his vanity, is not so restreined, as that it should be only in his wife, for his lusts carry him more after Harlots; therefore I preferre that of Jerom. and the Chald. joyning that of Olymp. hereunto, Be chearfull thou righteous man in thy ordinary eating and drinking, and take thy lawfull pleasure, being nothing dismayed at thy sufferings; but most of all, eate that bread, and drinke that wine, in receiving which thy soule is fed to eternall life, and then that which followeth.
Whatsoever thy hand finds to doe, doe it with thy might, for there is no device, &c. agreeth very well, for so much as righteousnesse consisteth in doing good Vers. 10.and not believing alone, put thy hand diligently to this, whilst thou hast time, for if death commeth, the time of doing is over, as our Lord speaketh, the night commeth when no man can worke, that is death, therefore now doe all acts of love and Joh. 9. 4.charity to thy power, and worke out thy salvation, doing whatsoever perteineth to love, and to the feeding of thy soule, both in respect of the word, and worthy often receiving of this Lords supper, in regard of which last, I can but admire, and condemne the stupiditie, and remissnesse of many Christians now a dayes, that passe over yeare after yeare, under I know not what pretences, without celebrating or receiving Note. this holy feast. Doth the Spirit of God bid thee do whatsoever is to be done for the good of thy soule instantly, before death commeth, and dost thou acknowledge this to be one maine good thing to be done, and deaths striking thee uncertaine, when it will be too late to doe, Oh then repent of this thy remissnesse! and so doe what else is good, as not to neglect this any longer.
I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battaile to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, Vers. 11.nor favour to men of skill, but time and chance happeneth to them all. Here he further inlargeth himselfe in the argument, which hee had in hand before, of all things falling out alike unto all, by propounding cases, wherein greatest probability is of a desired event, but yet it proveth not as is expected. For who lookes not that the swift should overcome in running, the strong in battaile, and that the wise, intelligent, and skilfull should, if any get necessaries for this life, yea, riches and estimation amongst all men, but it oftentimes falleth out to the contrary, and therefore to men all things are contingent, but it is not from hence to be inferred, but that it commeth thus to passe by Gods providence, to whom nothing is casuall, that the strong man might not glory in his strength, nor the rich man in his riches, nor the wise in his wisedome, but ascribe all things, happening wel or ill, to God, wee acknowledging the indowments, which wee have in us to be nothing, to the attaining of this or that, but that God is all in all, to feare alwayes before him, and to be humble, and not to sacrifice either to our owne nets, or to fortune, as the Heathen have done. And in matters perteining to the soule, neither to be remisse nor carelesse, because God doth all, but put on what wee can towards the attaining of salvation, as was before commanded, Doe it with thy might, neither when wee have done and prevailed, ascribe any thing to our selves, but all the praise unto God, who giveth successe to our indeavours.
Some expound it as relating to verse 10. where death is spoken of, after the Thaumaturgus.stroake whereof there is no device, or wisdome any more; the swift that have run, cannot now runne away from death, nor the strong make his part good against this mighty warrier, or the intelligent have bread now any longer to susteine his life, nor the wise, who by his wisedome hath gathered riches in abundance can herewith wage him to forbeare, nor the skilfull find favour to be spared.
And with this, verse 12. agreeth well, where men are compared to fishes and Vers. 12.birds, that are taken upon the sudden, and then their swiftnesse will not help them in that evill day; of the evill day comming upon men as a snare, Christ speaketh, Luke 21. 35.saying, It shall come as a snare upon all the Inhabitants of the earth, and as a Matth. 24. 2 Pet. 3.Theife in the night.
This wisedome also have I seen under the Sun, and it seemed great unto me: There was a little City, and a few men in it, and there came a great King against Vers. 13. Vers. 14, 15.it &c. Jerom saith, that his Hebrew Master was wont to expound this place thus unto him, man is this little City, the great King comming against him, the Devil, the few men in this City, the little strength that fleshly man hath to resist his Hieron.temptations, whereby he tempteth him to sinne to his destruction, if there were nothing in him, but the sensuall part, which inclineth him to pleasure, and worldly profit, but there is a wise poor man, that is, understanding, or the inner intellectuall part, whereby he is delivered, or else he is destroyed without remedy, yet this by most men is not regarded, they being much more taken up with that, which is sensuall, and so although some few, that hearken to reason be delivered, the farre greatest part are not.
But he by the poore wise man understandeth Christ, the wisedome of God, and so the greatest wisedome, as Salomon saith, verse. 13. and by the little City the Church, which is as a City set upon an hill; and he calleth it little in comparison of the rest of the men of the world; by the great King the Devil, that fighteth continually Matth. 5. Ephes. 6. 12. Heb. 2. 15.against us, and is called for his mighty forces Principalities, this City Christ yet delivereth by destroying him through his death, but the wicked of the world regard him not for all this.
But Salomon hereupon inferreth, that, Wisdome is better then strength; although Vers. 16.his words that is most wise, if he be poore, be not hearkened to by the wicked world, for Christ was poore, and although he were most wise, yet the wicked Jewes for his poverty despised him.
But the words of the wise are heard more in quiet, then the cry of him, that Vers. 17.ruleth amongst fooles; That is, although the wicked world, of whom the Prophet Isaiah saith, There is no quiet to the wicked, heareth not the voyce of wisdome, Esa. 57.yet such as are ordained to life, in whom the clamours, that were made by the wicked, saying of Christ, Crucifie him, are stilled; or those that were made against 1.his servant Paul, when some cryed out one thing against him, some another; and they being reverently silent, doe heare the discreet Preachers of the Word, and are ruled by them, more then the loud and earnest crying out of a Prince upon his rebellious people that are foolish, and obstinate, is heard by them. Herein the soft and still voyce spoken of, 1 King. 19. is pointed at, and that which is said of Christ, that he should not cry, not lift up his voyce in the streets, because all being whist and quiet, a moderate voyce is more heard, then a loud cry, where fooles are together, who are tumultuous, and make a noyse; and herein that commendable silence, that is used in our Congregations, is praised, as making the Auditors more capable of hearing and learning wisdome.
And they are also commended that are so docible, as that without striving, or crying, are readily made obedient; or we may take it thus, The words of the wise Lavater.quietly and gravely uttered, with a moderate voyce are heard, and they prevaile more with the Hearers, if they be likewise of a quiet, and not of a turbulent spirit then the cry of a mighty man, or ruler, amongst fooles, of whom he is one; so that the word quiet hath reference both to Speaker, and Hearers, and likewise the word fooles; and so it is confirmed here which was said before, at some times men finde, that the wisdome of men, though poore, is worth the hearkening to, how ever most commonly it is neglected, and that only is regarded, which was spoken by the rich and mighty.
This was verified in poore Joseph, who was brought out of prison to speake unto King Pharaoh, and to counsell him; and he with great silence, and attention heard him, and followed his counsell, to Josephs great honour; and in Daniel a poore Captive, that stood before Nebuchadnezzar to tell him his Dreame, and the interpretation thereof, and was heard with the like silence and attention; wherefore it is worth the while even for poore men, to get wisdome, for it may so fall out, that they may be sought unto, and then hereby attaine great preferment. In briefe then take the sence thus; The words of the wise poor man are heard, when men being in danger, have their hearts through fear humbled, because then they are willing to heare good counsell from any man, although poore and despicable before; and that more then fools, who feare nothing, will the voyce of a Prince, although he extends it to the uttermost, by charging and threatning them, in case they be not obedient; and because words are here opposed to crying; it is rather meant, that the loudnesse of the voyce, and vehement pressing of things, prevaile not so much as words fortified with reason, although not in so loud a tone, so that they be spoke loud enough for others to heare; and therefore they are compared to sharp Goads, and Nailes, Chap. 12. 11. which enter without any great noyse.
But nearest unto the History here related cometh that, which befell the City of Abel, wherein there was a wise woman, that when Joab besieged it, saved it by 2 Sam. 20.her wisdome.
Lavater also understandeth that of the poore wise man, delivering the City, according to the Letter only, bringing examples of those, that have wrought great deliverances for a people, but have not be enregarded for it; as David was not, a while after his killing of Goliah, and delivering Israel from his feare, for there were few that stood for him after this, against the fury of Saul, that unjustly sought to murther him. But as it is true according to the Letter, so it is according to the Mystery before going.
Wisdome is better then weapons of warre, but one sinner destroyeth much Vers. 18.good. For the former words here, they are to the same effect with those, vers. 16. for the latter the meaning is, That as by a poore wise man a City is delivered, so by a King, who is but one, if he be wicked and foolish, warres come to be raised, and many good things are by this meanes destroyed, as woefull experience teacheth, when Civil warres, through discontent of the Subjects are made in any Land: yea, one other man, or a few sometimes bring destruction upon the people, amongst whom they live; as Achan upon the Host of Israel, and those few men, that abused the Levites Concubine to the death in Gibeah, the whole City, and almost the whole Tribe of Benjamin were brought to destruction hereby; and sometime a City being in danger, one treacherous person therein lets in the Enemy, and it is destroyed.