A brief exposition with practical observations upon the whole book of Ecclesiastes by that…A briefe exposition with practicall observations upon the whole book of Ecclesiastes by that…

Coherence, see in verse 11, 12.

COherence, see in verse 11, 12.

Doctr. In the best times of Church and Commonwealth, a wise man may observe, there are just men that perish in their righteousness, and there are wicked men that continue long in their wickedness. By perishing, sundry understand crushing and breaking, or oppression in their righteousness, in their righteous and just cause; as Naboth in Ahab's time, 1 Kings 21.13. and Abimelech in Sauls time, I Sam. 22.16, 18, 19. But it will be hard, if not impossible, to show such an instance in Solomons time, though in Davids time Uriah so perished; but that was before Solomon was born. But he speaketh of what he had seen, in his time. By a wicked man continuing long in his wickedness, they understand prolonging his days, or his life in wickedness; But his life is not in the Text. And if that were the sense, it would cross his reason which he giveth in v. 17. why they should not continue long in wickedness: taken from the shortness of the lives of such; for why shouldest thou die before thy time? I take it therefore by a just man, is meant, such a just man as is just in his own righteousness, and at last decayeth and perisheth in it. The same word is translated void, Deut. 32, 28. void of counsel, is, perishing in their counsels. So the rich man is said to fade away and perish in his ways, as the flower perisheth and sadeth ⟨p. 138⟩in the heat of the Sun, John 1.11. Thus the Jews establishing their own righteousness, Rom. 10.3. perished in their righteousness, and did not obtain the righteousness of Christ,