Prosperity frequently B. C. 977. ECCLESIASTES. A. M. 3027. 3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. 4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. 5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. f John iii. 8. - Psa. cxxxix. 14, 15. estate or provisions. He alludes to the ancient custom, whereby the master of the feast distributed several parts to each guest, and withal sent portions to the poor. And also to eight-To as many as thou art able. For thou knowest not what evil shall be,|| &c.-Great calamities may come, whereby thou mayest be brought to poverty, and so disabled from doing good. And moreover thou mayest possibly hereafter need the charity of others, which thou wilt have good reason to expect, through the powerful providence of God disposing men's hearts to pity and help thee, if thou hast been kind and merciful to others; whereas, on the contrary, they can expect no mercy from God or men, who have showed no mercy to others. Verse 3. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves, &c.-Learn, O man, the practice of liberality from the very lifeless creatures, from the clouds; which, when they are filled with water, do not hoard it up, but plentifully pour it forth, for the refreshment both of the fruitful field and the barren wilderness. And if the tree fall, &c.-As if he had said, Therefore, let us just now bring forth the fruits of righteousness, because death will shortly cut us down, and we shall then be determined to unchange- || able happiness or misery, according as our works have been. Verse 4. He that observeth the wind, shall not sow, &c.-He who neglects the necessary works of sowing and reaping, because the weather is not exactly suitable to his desires, will lose his harvest. || Whereby he intimates, that men will never do good here, which is expressed by sowing, and consequently not receive good hereafter, which is called reaping, if they be discouraged from it by every doubt and difficulty. succeeded by adversity. B. C. 977. 6 In the morning sow thy seed, and A. M. 3027. in the evening withhold not thy hand : for thou knowest not whether 2 shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. trails, bones, flesh, and skin, are gradually formed, nourished, increased, and brought to perfection: even so thou knowest not the works of God-What God is doing, and will do with thee or others; the counsels and methods of his providence in the future time of thy life, what evil God will send upon the earth, how he will chastise or punish mankind for their sins, or how long he will continue thy life, or preserve to thee the enjoyment of thy property; or how soon he will call thee to an account. Therefore use the present opportunity, and commit thyself and all thy affairs to him in well doing. Verse 6. In the morning-Early and late, in all seasons, and on all occasions; do it speedily and continually be not weary of it. Sow thy seed-Do all good works, especially that of alms-giving, as sowing means, 2 Cor. ix. 6; Gal. vi. 7. In the evening withhold not thy hand-From working, or giving. For thou knowest not whether shall prosper -Which shall prosper most; which shall best answer thine end, or do most good to others; or which shall tend most to the comfort of thy great and final account. For thy morning alms may possibly be given to an unworthy person, or to one who did not need them, and will abuse them; and thy evening alms may fall upon a person of eminent worth, or upon one in extreme necessity, who might possibly have perished, both in soul and body, if thou hadst not relieved and comforted him. Besides, at one time thou mayest give with a more pure intention, and a more single eye to the glory of God, and with more tender compassion to thy distressed fellow-creature, than at another time, and so the one will be more right and acceptable to God than the other. Or whether they shall be both alike good-Equally successful to the receiver or to the Verse 5. As thou knowest not the way of the spirit || giver. -Of the soul of man, how it comes into the child in the womb; or how it is united with the body; or how, and whether it goes out of the body. Nor how the bones do grow-That is, the whole body, which is elsewhere signified by the bones, because they are a principal part, and the very foundation and support of the body; that is, thou knowest not how, from small and unpromising beginnings, the various parts of the body, as nerves, arteries, veins, sinews, en-| Verses 7,8. Truly, the light is sweet-It cannot be denied, that this present life is in itself a great blessing, and desirable; but it is not perpetual nor satisfactory: for, if a man live many years— Which is a privilege granted but to few persons comparatively; and rejoice in them all-Enjoy all the comforts, and escape all the imbitterness of human life all his days; yet let him remember the days of darkness-Of death, or the state of the Exhortation to seek God in youth, A. M. 3027. B. C. 977. CHAPTER XII. ment. enforced from the calamities of age. B. C. 977. 9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy || God will bring thee into judg- A. M. 3027. youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things i Num. xv. 39.- Chap. xii. 14; Rom. ii. 6-11. dead, often expressed by darkness, as Job x. 21;|| Psalm lxxxviii. 12; and here opposed to the foregoing light: for they shall be many-Far more than the days of this short life, especially if, to the days of the body's lying in the dark grave, be added that greater and utter darkness reserved for impenitent sinners, which is everlasting. And this is added, for the caution of mankind, that they may not rejoice excessively in, nor content themselves with, the happiness of the present life, but may seek a life more durable and satisfactory. All that cometh is vanity -All things which befall any man belonging only to this life, whether they be comfortable or vexatious, are but vain and inconsiderable, because they are short and transitory. Verse 9. Rejoice, &c.-This is an ironical conces sion, like many which occur in the Scriptures, (see 1 Kings xviii. 27, and xxii. 15; Ezek. xxviii. 3, 4; Matt. xxvi. 45,) and in other authors: O young man, in thy youth--He speaks to young men particularly, because they have both the greatest ability and the strongest inclination to pursue sensual pleasure, and are most impatient, either of restraint or admonition, Let thy heart cheer thee, &c.—Indulge thy humour. and take thy fill of delights. And walk in the way m 10 Therefore remove 3 sorrow from thy heart, and 'put away evil from thy flesh for childhood and youth are vanity. of thy heart, &c.-Whatsoever thine eye or heart lusteth after, deny it not to them. But know thou -But in the midst of thy feasting, jollity, and mirth, consider thy reckoning, and whether thou dost not purchase thy delights at too high a price: that for all these things-For all thy sinful lusts and follies; God will bring thee to judgment—Will force thee to appear before his judgment-seat, to account for all thy forgetfulness of him, and neglect of his service, thy misemployment of thy time and talents, and of all the gifts of his providence and grace, and for all thy carnal mirth, sensual pleasures, and the extravagances and exorbitances of thy youthful days, as well as of thy riper years. Verse 10. Therefore remove sorrow-Sensual and disorderly lusts, which he elegantly calls sorrow, to intimate, that although such practices at present gratify men's senses, yet they will shortly bring them to intolerable sorrows. And put away evil from thy flesh-All evil desires, though now they seem good to thee. For childhood and youth are vanity -Most vain. The time of youth is vanishing and transitory, and old age and death will speedily come, against which every wise man will take care to lay in solid provisions and comforts. CHAPTER XII An exhortation to remember God in youth, enforced from the calamities of old age, and the change which death will make, 1-7. The conclusion, all is vanity, 8. The preacher's end in this book, 9-12. The sum of all, to fear God and keep his commandments, in consideration of the judgment to come, 13, 14. NOTES ON CHAPTER XII. Verse 1. Remember-Namely, practically, so as to fear, love, and faithfully serve him, which, when men do not, they are said to forget him: thy Creator-The first author and continual preserver of thy life and being, and of all the endowments and enjoyments which accompany it; to whom thou art under the highest and strongest obligations; and upon whom thou art constantly and necessarily dependant, and therefore to forget him is most unnatural and disingenuous. Now in the days of thy youth-For now thou art most able to do it; and it will be most acceptable to God, and most comfortable to thyself, as being the best evidence of thy sincerity, and the|| best provision for old age and death. While the evil days come not-The time of old age, which is evil; that is, burdensome and calamitous in itself, and far more grievous when it is loaded with the sad remembrance of youthful follies, and with the dreadful prospect of approaching death and judgment. When thou shalt say, I have no pleasure-My life is now bitter and burdensome to me: which is frequently the condition of old age. Verse 2. While the sun, or the light, &c.-Heb. While the sun, and the light, and the moon, &c. That clause, and the light, seems to be added to signify, that he speaks of the darkening of the sun, and moon, and stars, not in themselves, but only in respect of that light which they afford to men. And therefore the same clause which is expressed after the sun, Striking description of the feebleness B. C. 977. B. C. 977. A. M. 3027. the stars, be not darkened, nor the || shall rise up at the voice of the bird, A. M. 3027 clouds return after the rain; and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; 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 windows be darkened, 4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he 1Or, the grinders fail, because they grind little. is to be understood after the moon and stars. And 5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond-tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets : c2 Sam. xix. 35.-d Job xvii. 13. Jer. ix. 17. coats of the eyes, which are the chief instruments by which we see. Verse 4. And the doors be shut in the streets-Or toward the streets: which lead into the street. This may be understood, either of the outward senses, which, as doors, let in outward objects to the soul; or, rather, of the mouth, or the two lips, here expressed by a word of the dual number, which, like a door, open or shut the way that leads into the streets or common passages of the body, as the gullet, stomach, and all the bowels; as also the wind-pipe and lungs, which also are principal instruments both of speaking and eating. And these are said to be shut, not absolutely, as if men did never eat, or drink, or speak, but comparatively, because men, in old age, grow dull and listless, having little appetite to eat, and are very frequently indisposed for discourse. When the sound of the grinding is low— When the teeth are loose and few, whereby both his speech is low, and the noise which he makes in eating is but small. And he shall rise-From his bed, being weary with lying, and unable to get sleep. At the voice of the bird-As soon as the birds begin to chirp, which is early in the morning, whereas young men can lie and sleep long. And all the daughters of music-All those senses or parts of the body, which are employed in music, shall be brought low-Shall be cast down from their former excellence, and become incapable either of making music, or of delighting in it. Verse 5. When they shall be afraid, &c.-The passion of fear is observed to be most incident to old men, of which divers reasons may be given. Of that which is high-Of high things, lest they should fall upon them; or of high places, as of going up hills or stairs, which is very irksome to them, because of their weakness, weariness, giddiness, and danger, or dread of falling. And fears shall be in the way Verse 3. When the keepers of the house-The body, which is often and fitly compared to a house; whose keepers are the hands and arms, which are man's best instruments to defend his body from the assaults of men or beasts, and which, in a special manner, are subject to this trembling. And the strong men shall bow themselves-Either the back, or the thighs and legs, in which the main strength of the body consists, and which, in old men, are very feeble. And the grinders-The teeth, those-Lest, as they are walking, they should stumble, or especially which are commonly so called, because they grind the meat which we eat; cease-To perform their office; because they are few-Hebrew, , because they are diminished, either in strength, or in number, being only here one, and there another, and neither united together, nor one directly opposite to another, and consequently unfit for their work. And those that look out of the win- || dows be darkened-The eyes. By windows he understands, either the eye-lids, which, like windows, are either opened or shut: or, those humours and fall, or be thrust down, or some infirmity or evil should befall them. And the almond-tree shall flourish―Their heads shall be as full of gray hairs as the almond-tree is of white flowers. And the grasshopper shall be a burden—If it accidentally light upon them. They cannot endure the least burden, being indeed a burden to themselves. And desire shall fail-Of meats, and drinks, and music, and other delights, which are vehemently desired by men in their youth. Because man goeth-Is travelling toward it, and every day nearer to it. To || B. C. 977. 9 And 2 moreover, because the prea- A. M. 3027. cher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge: yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. 10 The preacher sought to find out 3 acceptable words: and that which was written, was upright, even words of truth. 11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, xii. 1. Psa. lxii. 9; Chap. i. 2.- - Or, the more wise the preacher was.k 1 Kings iv. 32.3 Heb. words of delight. his long home-From this place of his pilgrimage its branches dispersed into all the parts of the body. into the grave, from whence he must never return And the cistern is the left ventricle of the heart, and into this world, and into the state of the future life, the wheel seems to be the great artery, which is which is unchangeable and everlasting. And fitly so called, because it is the great instrument of mourners go about the streets-Accompany the this circulation. The pitcher may be said to be corpse through the streets to the grave. broken at the fountain, when the veins do not return the blood to the heart, but suffer it to stand still and cool, whence comes that coldness of the outward parts, which is a near forerunner of death. And the wheel may be said to be broken at the cistern, when the great arteries do not perform their office of conveying the blood into the left ventricle of the heart, and of thrusting it out thence into the lesser arteries, whence comes that ceasing of the pulse, which is a certain sign of approaching death. Verse 7. Then shall the dust-The body, called dust, both on account of its original, which was from the dust, and to signify its vile and corruptible nature. As it was-Whence it was first taken. He alludes to Gen. iii. 19. And the spirit—The soul of man, so called, because of its spiritual or immaterial nature; shall return unto God-Into his presence, and before his tribunal, that it may there be sentenced to its everlasting habitation, either to abide with God forever, if approved by him, or otherwise, to be eternally shut out from his presence and favour. Who gave it-Namely, in a peculiar manner; by his creating power: whence he is called, the Father of spirits, Heb. xii. 9. Verse 6. Or ever the silver cord be loosed-By the silver cord he seems to understand the spinal marrow, which comes from the brain, and goes down to the lowest end of the back-bone. And this is aptly compared to a cord, both for its figure, which is long and round, and for its use, which is to draw and move the parts of the body; and to silver, both for its excellence and colour, which is white and bright, in a dead, much more in a living body. This may properly be said to be loosed, or dissolved, because it is relaxed, or otherwise disabled for its proper service. And answerably hereto, by the golden bowl we may understand the membranes of the brain, and especially that inmost membrane which insinuates itself into all the parts of it, following it in its various windings, keeping each parcel of it in its proper place, and dividing one from another, to prevent disorder. This is not unfitly called a bowl, because it is round, and contains in it all the substance of the brain; and a golden bowl, partly for its great preciousness and usefulness; partly for its ductility, being drawn out into a great thinness or fineness; and partly for its colour, which is somewhat yellow, and comes nearer to that of gold than any other part of the body does. And this, upon the approach of death, is commonly shrivelled up, and many times broken. And as these clauses concern the brain, and the animal powers, so the two following respect the spring of the vital powers, and of the blood, the great instru- Verses 9-12. He still taught the people knowment whereof is the heart. And so Solomon here ledge-As God gave him this wisdom, that he describes the chief organs appointed for the produc- might be a teacher of others, so he used it to that tion, distribution, and circulation of the blood. For end. Gave heed-He did not utter whatever came though the circulation of the blood has been hid for into his mind, but seriously pondered both his matmany generations, yet it was well known to Solo- ter and his words. Therefore despise not his counmon. According to this notion, the fountain is the sel. The preacher sought to find out acceptable right ventricle of the heart, which is now acknow-words-Hebrew, on 27, words of desire, or, of ledged to be the spring of life; and the pitcher is delight: worthy of all acceptation, such as would the arteries which convey the blood from it to other minister comfort or profit to the hearers or readers. parts, and especially that arterious vein, by which || And that which was written-By the preacher, in it is transmitted to the lungs, and thence to the left || this and his other books; was upright--Hebrew, '07, ventricle, where it is better elaborated, and then right, or, straight, agreeable to the mind or will of thrust out into the great artery, called aorta, and by || God, which is the rule of right, not crooked or per Verse 8. Vanity of vanities-This sentence, wherewith he began this book, he here repeats in the end of it, as that which he had proved in all the foregoing discourse, and that which naturally followed from both the branches of the assertion laid down, verse 7. God will bring the actions and ECCLESIASTES. thoughts of all men into judgment. B. C. 977. B. C. 977. A. M. 3027. which are given from one shepherd. || matter: "Fear God, and keep his com- A. M. 3027. 12 And further, by these, my son, mandments: for this is the whole be admonished: of making many books there duty of man. is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be 13 ¶ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole good, or whether it be evil. writing of them; is a weariness to the flesh| Wasteth a man's strength and spirits, and yet does not give satisfaction to his mind, nor sufficiently recompense the trouble and inconvenience to which man is exposed by it. verse; even words of truth-Not fables, cunningly devised to deceive the simple; but true and certain doctrines, which commend themselves to men's reason and consciences; wholesome and edifying counsels. The words of the wise-Of spiritually wise and holy men of God; are as goads and as nails— Verses 13, 14. Let us hear the conclusion, &c.— Piercing into men's dull minds, and quickening and The sum of all that hath been said or written by exciting them to the practice of all duties; fastened wise men. Fear God-Which is put here for all by the masters of assemblies-Fixed in men's me- the inward worship of God, reverence, and love, mories and hearts, in which they make powerful and trust, and a devotedness of heart to serve and and abiding impressions, by the ministry of the please him; and keep his commandments—This is teachers of God's church and people, whether pro- properly added, as a necessary effect, and certain phets or others, appointed by God for that work; evidence of the true and genuine fear of God. Make which are given from one shepherd-From God, or conscience of practising whatever God enjoins, how from Christ, the great Shepherd and Teacher of the costly, or troublesome, or dangerous soever it may church in all ages, by whose Spirit the ancient pro- be. For this is the whole duty of man-Hebrew, phets, as well as other succeeding teachers, were The whole of man, or all the man: it is his whole inspired and taught, Jer. iii. 15; 1 Pet. i. 11; and work and business: his whole wisdom, honour, per2 Pet. i. 21. And further, by these-By these wise fection, and happiness: it is the sum of what he men, and their words or writings; be admonished need either know, or do, or enjoy. This makes him -Take your instructions from them; for their words a man indeed, worthy of the name, and by this, are right and true, as he said, verse 10; whereas the and by this alone, he answers the end of his creawords of other men are often false, or at best, doubt- || tion, and of all the divine dispensations toward him. ful. Of making many books there is no end—As if For God shall bring every work into judgment— he had said, I could easily write many and large || All men must give an account to God of all their books upon these matters; but that would be an works, and this alone will enable them to do that endless and needless work; seeing things necessary with joy. With every secret thing—Not only outto be known and done lie in a little compass, as he || ward and visible actions, but even inward and secret informs us, verse 13. And much study-The read- thoughts. Reader, think of this, and prepare to ing and considering of many books, as well as the || meet thy God! 38 3 |