Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

V. 13. Better is a poor and wise child, &c.] From this verse to the end of the Chapter, Solomon proceedeth to set forth the vanity of the Highest and most eminent condition amongst men, namely, of Kingly dignity, which he showeth both in foolish and wilful Princes, who refuse to be counselled, and in all other, be they never so circumspect. To manifest the former, he taketh first one of the most contemptible persons one could think on, and compares him with one of the most honourable, a child to an aged man, a poor child to a potent King. Childhood is alone very contemptible, and exposed to neglect and scorn; looked on as rash, heady, unstayed, without judgement or experience, Isa. 3, 4, 5. 1 Reg. 3.7. 1 Cor. 14.20. Eph. 4.14. 2 Chron. 13.7. Hereunto poverty being added, will make such an one much more neglected, Eccles. 9.15. Jam. 2.3, 6. Prov. 14.20. 1 Tim. 5.12. on the other side, old age alone is venerable, though but in an ordinary person, Lev. 19.32. Isa. 3.2, 3. Grey hairs alone are a Crown, and beauty, Prov. 16.31. how much more honourable, when they are joined with a Crown; yet this poor child being wise, is preferred before that aged King ⟨p. 138⟩being foolish and intractable; as Prov. 19.1. The wisdom of such a child here, is his knowledge of God in his word, whereby a young man is instructed how to order his ways, as that of Timothy, 2 Tim. 3.15.

Here we see, 1. That wisdom makes the meanest person honourable, maketh the face shine, Chap. 8.1.

Here we see, 1. That wisdome makes the meanest person honourable, maketh the face shine, Chap. 8.1.

2. That the fear of God teacheth children wisdom, 2 Tim. 3.15. 1 Sam. 16.18. & 18.5. Ps. 119.98, 100. Dan. 1.20.

2. That the fear of God teacheth children wisdome, 2 Tim. 3.15. 1 Sam. 16.18. & 18.5. Ps. 119.98, 100. Dan. 1.20.

4 That old age, and power, without a corrective of wisdom, are very likely to render ⟨p. 139⟩men wilful, and opinionative, Job 32.9.

4 That old age, and power, without a corrective of wisdome, are very likely to render ⟨p. 139⟩men wilful, and opinionative, Job 32.9.

V. 14. For out of prison he cometh to reign] Out of the house of men bound, Judg. 16.21. Gen. 40.3, 7. Isa. 14.17. from the midst of bonds and fetters. He cometh] Namely, the poor and the wise child: For these words are a confirmation of those before, from the event which happeneth to both, The wisdom of the child advanceth him from a prison to a throne, from chains to a Crown. The obstinacy and folly of the other, hurrieth him from power to poverty; from honour to contempt. Out of prison he cometh to reign i. e. from the lowest and most obscure condition, Job 5.11. Ps. 113.7, 8. Gen. 41.14, 39—44. 2 Sam. 7.8. Dan. 2.25, 48. & 3.26, 30. & 6.3.

V. 14. For out of prison he cometh to reign] Out of the house of men bound, Judg. 16.21. Gen. 40.3, 7. Isa. 14.17. from the midst of bonds and fetters. He cometh] Namely, the poor and the wise child: For these words are a confirmation of those before, from the event which hapneth to both, The wisdome of the child advanceth him from a prison to a throne, from chains to a Crown. The obstinacy and folly of the other, hurrieth him from power to poverty; from honour to contempt. Out of prison he cometh to reign i. e. from the lowest and most obscure condition,

whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor] Or, whereas he in his kingdom is born poor, i. e. is made poor. So passing from one condition to another, is a kind of birth: but the other sense is more emphatical, he who from his childhood was a King, and in actual possession of his Throne, becometh poor, Ps. 149.8. Job 12.19, 20, 21. 2 Chron. 33.11. & 36.3, 4, 6. 2 Reg. 25.6, 7. Dan. 4.30—33.

V. 15. I considered all the living, which walk under the Sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead] These two ⟨p. 140⟩verses set forth another vanity attending upon Kingly power, not for the fault of the person, but through the inconstant and fickle disposition of the people, who ever have, and ever will be given to changes, worship the rising Sun, and grow weary of him who is likely soonest to leave them.

all the living] That is, all the present generation of men living under a present Prince or Government. He speaks of the generality of men, and therefore expresseth them under a general notion of living men, Job. 30.23. Dan. 4.17. And withal, to intimate a ground in them of what he here considered, when the father is going away, and the son ready to succeed, they think that they must live and be preserved by the living, and not by the dead, and accordingly worship him under whom they expect protection and preservation of life; for, for that end was Government instituted, 1 Tim. 2.2.

which walk under the sun] Elsewhere, which see the sun, Chap. 7.11. another expression intimating this to be the popular humour of the generality of men, o• the vulgar people, who go up and down the streets; as the vulgar are distinguished from the greater and nobler sort, Jer. 5.1, 4, 5. or walking may be joined with the following words, viz.

which walk under the sun] Elsewhere, which see the sun, Chap. 7.11. another expression intimating this to be the popular humour of the generality of men, o• the vulgar people, who go up and down the streets; as the vulgar are distinguished from the greater and nobler sort, Jer. 5.1, 4, 5. or walking may be joyned with the following words, viz.

with the second child] I observe that the generality of people walk with the second child, join themselves unto him, and flatter and crouch to him, forsaking in their affections and behaviours the father, because he is about to forsake them.

with the second child] I observe that the generality of people walk with the second child, joyn themselves unto him, and flatter and crouch to him, forsaking in their affections and behaviours the father, because he is about to forsake them.

which shall stand up in his stead] Namely, in the fathers or predecessors stead. By standing up, he meaneth, rising to the Throne, Dan. 11.2. they look on the predecessor as falling, sinking, lying down, stooping towards the grave, and therefore apply themselves to his heir. Whereby he noteth as the unhappiness of Princes, who if they live long, live to see their glory dye before themselves; so the fickleness of the generality of the people, who do not honour Rulers for their office sake, as they ought to do; and especially should reverence it the more, by how much the more experience they have had of happiness under it, Rom. 13.1—5. 1 Pet. 2.13, 14, 15. but honour them merely out of interest and self-respect, not considering so much present duty, as future advantage. There is naturally in the minds of the people a weariness of being long under one Prince, a querulousness and repining at every thing which pincheth them, and thereupon a desire to change him for the next, not so much out of choice or assurance that he will ⟨p. 142⟩be better, but out of natural levity and inconstancy; as sick men change beds, chambers, couches, but carry their disease with them, they love changes for the very change sake, 1 Sam. 8.5, 18, 19, 20. and 12.12, 13. 2 Sam. 15.12. 1 Reg. 2.15. 2 Sam. 20.2. Prov. 14.21.

which shall stand up in his stead] Namely, in the fathers or predecessors stead. By standing up, he meaneth, rising to the Throne, Dan. 11.2. they look on the predecessor as falling, sinking, lying down, stooping towards the grave, and therefore apply themselves to his heir. Whereby he noteth as the unhappiness of Princes, who if they live long, live to see their glory dye before themselves; so the fickleness of the generality of the people, who do not honour Rulers for their office sake, as they ought to do; and especially should reverence it the more, by how much the more experience they have had of happiness under it,

V. 16. There is no end of all the people, &c.] By all the people, he meaneth the giddy and inconstant multitude, whose levity and discontent with their present estate, is the cause that they thus desire continual changes, and reject to day whom yesterday they adored. There is no end of all the people, or to all the people] There are infinite numbers of people in every age and generation who stand thus affected: it is not a contingent or unusual thing, but very common. It is not a vanity which Princes have experience of only sometimes, as in some few persons; but it is the general disease of the vulgar, to stand thus variously affected towards their Princes in all ages. So this phrase, There is no end, is used to express a great or infinite number, Isa. 2.7. supra, vers. 8. Job 22.5. Nahum. 3.3. Again, There is no end to all the people] The people never put an end or a stop to this vanity, but it passeth on, from one generation to another. They which went before did so, so do these now, and so will they do which follow. 3. By ⟨p. 143⟩no end, may be meant no satisfaction to desires, no through and fixed acquiescence of heart in the people towards their Princes, they will still entertain expectations of new men, and new events to satisfy their desires. So the word End, is used for that wherein the heart may acquiesce, and look no further for something else, Prov. 23.18. They do not terminate and fix their affections in one man, be he never so wise or worthy, but grow weary of him, and join themselves unto his Successor.

V. 16. There is no end of all the people, &c.] By all the people, he meaneth the giddy and inconstant multitude, whose levity and discontent with their present estate, is the cause that they thus desire continual changes, and reject to day whom yesterday they adored. There is no end of all the people, or to all the people] There are infinite numbers of people in every age and generation who stand thus affected: it is not a contingent or unusual thing, but very common. It is not a vanity which Princes have experience of only sometimes, as in some few persons; but it is the general disease of the vulgar, to stand thus variously affected towards their Princes in all ages. So this phrase, There is no end, is used to express a great or infinite number,

even of all those that have been before them] Namely, before the father and the son, or successor which was second unto him. The word [before] may signify either in the presence of them, i. e. who have been officers under them, or done service, and born allegiance to them, 2 Sam. 16.19. 1 Reg. 10.8. or else an antecedence in time unto them. They who were before them, did thus languish in their affections to the father, and apply themselves unto the son.

even of all those that have been before them] Namely, before the father and the son, or successor which was second unto him. The word [before] may signifie either in the presence of them, i. e. who have been officers under them, or done service, and born allegiance to them, 2 Sam. 16.19. 1 Reg. 10.8. or else an antecedence in time unto them. They who were before them, did thus languish in their affections to the father, and apply themselves unto the son.

They also that come after shall not rejoice in him] i. e. In the son, unto whom now they seem so zealously, and with so much loyalty to join themselves.

They also that come after shall not rejoice in him] i. e. In the son, unto whom now they seem so zealously, and with so much loyalty to joyn themselves.

not rejoice] That is, they will be weary of him, troubled with him, wish themselves freed from him. The verb negative ⟨p. 144⟩by a [Greek or Hebrew], seems to import the Affirmative contrary unto it, as is usual in Scripture, Exod. 20.7. Prov. 17.21. Zach. 8.•7. Rom. 4.19. This then is Hereditary to all people, There is no End of it, they can never be settled or contented with the present estate, as they before did dislike the father in expectation of the son, so they after will cast off the son in expectation of the grandchild, and so it will be in all generations.

not rejoyce] That is, they will be weary of him, troubled with him, wish themselves freed from him. The verb negative ⟨p. 144⟩by a 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, seems to import the Affirmative contrary unto it, as is usual in Scripture, Exod. 20.7. Prov. 17.21. Zach. 8.•7. Rom. 4.19. This then is Hereditary to all people, There is no End of it, they can never be setled or contented with the present estate, as they before did dislike the father in expectation of the son, so they after will cast off the son in expectation of the grandchild, and so it will be in all generations.