Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

but in the day of adversity, or, in the day of evil consider, or, see] Times of trouble and affliction are called evil days, Amos 5.13. Eph. 5.16. Eccl. 12.1. Consider; he doth not say, Be thou in evil, or do thou droop and languish under thine affliction; but consider the righteous providence of God, behave thy self wisely, and suitably to his visitation; see from what hand it comes, to what issue it tends; be not fretful; use not sinful means to extricate thy self out of trouble; look on it as the work of God, which though it seem crooked unto thee, yet thou canst not make straight, vers. 13. nor by murmuring, or wrestling, mend thy self. Therefore in the day of evil, see to thy self, take heed of any undecent and unbeseeming behaviour of heart; so much the word seeing sometimes doth import, Mar. 12.38. & 13.9. 1 Cor. 10.12. as also serious observing of what is proposed unto us, 1 Sam. 24.11. and accurate perpending and attendance upon it, that we may learn something ⟨p. 227⟩by it, So should we behave our selves in the time of trouble, Mic. 6.9. Psal. 94.12. & 119.71. Isaiah 26.11. & 42.25.

but in the day of adversity, or, in the day of evil consider, or, see] Times of trouble and affliction are called evil dayes, Amos 5.13. Eph. 5.16.

God also hath set the one over against the other] Hath so ordered and tempered the life of man, that good and evil should be, as it were, interwoven with one another, that the vicissitude of them should take of the heart, either from surfeiting on prosperity, or desponding in adversity; as God hath set Winter and Summer, Day and Night over against one another, Gen. 8.22. Psal. 74.16, 17. so good and evil in the life of man, Lam. 3.38. Isa. 45.7. that in prosperity, a man might not say, He shall never be moved; nor in adversity, He shall never be delivered; but that in the one, he might learn moderation; and in the other, might exercise faith and hope, and might thankfully receive both good and evil at Gods hand, Job. 1.21. & 2.10. Habet has vices conditio mortaliu• ut adversa ex secundis, ex adversis secunda, nascantur. As in a curious and well proportioned building, one side doth exactly answer unto that which is over-right it, Ezek. 40.21. as in a balance, the weight in the one side, doth poise and answer to the wares in the other; so doth God measure forth good and evil in the lives of men, and proportion ⟨p. 228⟩them to one another, so as may be best fitted for humane frailty, and most conduce unto the spiritual good of his servants, 1 Cor. 10.13. Psal. 90.15. & 103.9, 14. 2 Cor. 1.4, 5, 9, 10.

to the end that man should find nothing after him] Or, To the end, that man should not be able to find out, or to foresee any thing that is to befall him afterwards; that it being impossible for him, by his providence or prudence, to prevent that order and vicissitude of events, which God hath foreordained, he may thereupon resolve patiently to submit to the will of the Lord, (which must obtain notwithstanding all our unquietness) and to adore the wisdom and goodness of God, who as he doth by his Sovereign authority, whatsoever it pleaseth both in heaven and earth, so doth he by his admirable wisdom, and Fatherly goodness, so dispose of things, and so temper them together for the good of his servants, that none, who comes after him, can mend his work, be able to order things better to his own advantage then God hath done; and hereupon since no man can find out any thing superfluous, any thing defective, any thing irregular in the work of God, any thing which if he had been, ⟨p. 229⟩consulted, might have been better done; every man therefore ought to take heed of fretting or complaining, or finding fault with the providence of God towards him, and believe, that what the Lord doth, is best done, and accordingly acquiesce in it, and with silence and submission yield unto it, 1 Sam. 3.18. 2 Sam. 15.25, 26. & 16.10. Ps. 39.9. Acts 11.17, 18. Isa. 39.8. Rom. 8.28. Job 9.22.13, 14, 15, 32. Mic. 7.9. Lam. 3.26—39. Job 40.4

there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness] Is oppressed and ruined, being innocent; or, for his righteousness; as Naboth, 1 Reg. 21. Hab. 1.13. In, sometimes is as much as for; as Gen. 29.18. Hos. 12.13. Gen. 18.28. Jon. 1.14. Matth. 6.7. Act 7.29.

and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life] Lives impunely in a wicked way without control, and that many times, because he is wicked, Job 21.7. Jer. 12.1, 2. The Lord hereby teaching us, that there is a day to come wherein he hath appointed to ⟨p. 230⟩judge the world in righteousness, called the day of the revelation of his righteous judgements, Acts 17.31. Rom. 2.5. He is most just and righteous now in all his ways of providence, but many times in them he hideth himself, Isa. 45.15. that he may exercise the faith and patience of his servants, and that the perdition of wicked men at the last, may by his long suffering and patience towards them, be the more conspicuous.

and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life] Lives impunely in a wicked way without controul, and that many times, because he is wicked, Job 21.7. Jer. 12.1, 2. The Lord hereby teaching us, that there is a day to come wherein he hath appointed to ⟨p. 230⟩judge the world in righteousness, called the day of the revelation of his righteous judgements, Acts 17.31. Rom. 2.5. He is most just and righteous now in all his waies of providence, but many times in them he hideth himself, Isa. 45.15. that he may exercise the faith and patience of his servants, and that the perdition of wicked men at the last, may by his long suffering and patience towards them, be the more conspicuous.

V. 16. Be not righteous over much] Some would have this spoken in the name, and according to the judgement of carnal Reason, as a politic precept unto neutrality and indifferency in good courses, seeing piety and righteousness doth so often expose men unto danger, be not therefore over-forward and religious, over-wise and scrupulous; be not so inflexible upon grounds of conscience, remit a little of thy strictness, and accommodate thy self to the exigence of times and circumstances, slacken thy hand, strike sail, loosen the rudder bonds in a tempest. Why shouldest thou unnecessarily expose thy self unto danger? But I rather conceive that the name of the mean is here given to the extreme, for a man may many times do a thing conscientiously, and upon an opinion of duty, and thereby involve himself in much trouble and danger, when indeed there was no ⟨p. 231⟩necessity so to do. 1 Sam. 15.21. 2 Sam. 21.1, 2. Joh. 13.8. Rom. 10.2, 3. Phil. 3.6. Act. 26.9. Joh. 16.2. Col. 2.18. 1 Tim. 5.23. and in this sense the meaning is, be not righteous over-much, be not too much bent on a thing, just in thine own opinion, but temper thy zeal with godly wisdom, advise with others, lean not on thine own understanding; make not thy self over-wise, as if thine own private judgement were ground enough to regulate all thy behaviours by, flatter not thy self in any opinionative confidence of thine own ability to judge of all that is fit to be done, but think soberly of thy self, Rom. 12.3. The more humble thou art, the more wary and circumspect thou wilt be, and the more wary, the more safe. Some apply this against too much rigour and severity in censuring of men for unjust, when we see them perish, or for righteous when we see them prosper, grounded upon the doctrine of the former verse. But I rather take it for a Caution and direction to moderate our zeal with prudence, least it bring upon us the fore-mentioned danger

V. 17. Be not over-much wicked, neither ⟨p. 232⟩be thou foolish, &c.] Though there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness, do not thou thereupon take courage to let loose the reins to all lust, or to make the impunity of others an encouragement to any excess of wickedness in thy self, for this is folly and madness to run against a rock, because some one or other hath escaped shipwreck. He doth not here allow any degree of wickedness, but because in many things we sin all, and no man by his greatest vigilancy can preserve himself wholly from miscarriage, therefore he warneth us to beware above all, of breaking forth into presumptuous sins, and superfluity of naughtiness, Jam. 1.21. Excess and profuseness of evil, 1 Pet. 4.3. greediness of lust, Eph. 4.19. Jer. 6, 7. & 2 23, 24. & 8.6. Hos. 4.2. Mic. 7.3.

V. 17. Be not over-much wicked, neither ⟨p. 232⟩be thou foolish, &c.] Though there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness, do not thou thereupon take courage to let loose the reins to all lust, or to make the impunity of others an encouragement to any excess of wickedness in thy self, for this is folly and madness to run against a rock, because some one or other hath escaped shipwrack. He doth not here allow any degree of wickedness, but because in many things we sin all, and no man by his greatest vigilancy can preserve himself wholly from miscarriage, therefore he warneth us to beware above all, of breaking forth into presumptuous sins, and superfluity of naughtiness, Jam. 1.21. Excess and profuseness of evil, 1 Pet. 4.3

why shouldest thou dye before thy time?] why shouldest thou by excess of sin consume thy body, waste thy strength, cast thy self into the danger of civil justice, or under the curse threatened against desperate sinners, Ps. 55.23. Prov. 10.27. Job. 15.32.

why shouldest thou dye before thy time?] why shouldest thou by excess of sin consume thy body, waste thy strength, cast thy self into the danger of civil justice, or under the curse threatned against desperate sinners, Ps. 55.23. Prov. 10.27. Job. 15.32.

V. 18. It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this, &c.] Take hold, that is, firmly and constantly keep to it, and never let it go, Isa. 56.4. Job 17.9. Prov. 4 13.

of this] Meaning either that which he ⟨p. 233⟩speaks of in the present verse, the fear of God, whereby the heart will be preserved from vicious and imprudent extremes, and the dangers ensuing thereupon. Or else, the mediocrity he before spake of, it is good that thou hold fast this counsel, to follow the middle and safe way, sincerely keeping unto duty, and yet wisely declining danger, and then the clauses [of this] and [from this] must relate unto the two former precepts, it is good that thou take hold of this, namely, that thou be not over-much wicked, and withal that thou with-draw not thine hand from that, namely, that thou be not righteous over-much.

of this] Meaning either that which he ⟨p. 233⟩speaks of in the present verse, the fear of God, whereby the heart will be preserved from vitious and imprudent extremes, and the dangers ensuing thereupon. Or else, the mediocrity he before spake of, it is good that thou hold fast this counsel, to follow the middle and safe way, sincerely keeping unto duty, and yet wisely declining danger, and then the clauses [of this] and [from this] must relate unto the two former precepts, it is good that thou take hold of this, namely, that thou be not over-much wicked, and withal that thou with-draw not thine hand from that, namely, that thou be not righteous over-much.

for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all] Of all those dangers, which extremes are likely to draw men into. He that ordereth his ways in the fear of God, turneth aside neither to the right hand, nor to the left, but doth observe one precept, as that he departeth not from another, shall thereby be preserved from the dangers which lye on either hand, Ps. 34.9—16. shall have comfort in trouble, and deliverance out of it; for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, he doth teach them how they may walk without offence, Ps. 25.12, 14. Job 22.28. Ps. 32.7, 8.

for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all] Of all those dangers, which extremes are likely to draw men into. He that ordereth his waies in the fear of God, turneth aside neither to the right hand, nor to the left, but doth observe one precept, as that he departeth not from another, shall thereby be preserved from the dangers which lye on either hand, Ps. 34.9—16. shall have comfort in trouble, and deliverance out of it; for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome, he doth teach them how they may walk without offence, Ps. 25.12, 14. Job 22.28. Ps. 32.7, 8.

V. 19. Wisdom strengtheneth the wise, ⟨p. 234⟩more than ten mighty men that are in the City] By wisdom he meaneth that wisdom which he advised in the three preceding verses, that fear of God, whereby men are taught to keep an holy moderation, and to avoid all unnecessary and imprudent extremes in evil times, this wisdom will keep a man from the dangers mentioned vers. 15. more than ten, that is, many mighty men, or principal commanders can preserve a city. A godly man, who hath God for his friend, and his Angels pitching their tents about him, is thereby much safer from dangers, than a city is by the power of many Dynastae or Potentates, who are entrusted with the defence of it, 2 Reg. 6.16. Eccles. 9.16. Isa. 8.10. 2 Sam. 20.16—22. Prov. 24.3, 4, 5. Zach. 2.5. Ps. 34 7. Prov. 3.21—26. & 4.12, 13.

V. 19. Wisdome strengtheneth the wise, ⟨p. 234⟩more than ten mighty men that are in the City] By wisdome he meaneth that wisdome which he advised in the three preceding verses, that fear of God, whereby men are taught to keep an holy moderation, and to avoid all unnecessary and imprudent extremes in evil times, this wisdome will keep a man from the dangers mentioned vers. 15. more than ten, that is, many mighty men, or principal commanders can preserve a city. A godly man, who hath God for his friend, and his Angels pitching their tents about him, is thereby much safer from dangers, than a city is by the power of many Dynastae or Potentates, who are intrusted with the defence of it, 2 Reg. 6.16.

V. 20. for there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not] Though some conceive these words to have no relation or connection to the words going before, or following after, yet they seem to have a very fair aspect both ways. 1. To the former words; there is no man so just, but he will sometimes be overtaken with sin, which will easily expose him unto danger, if he have not spiritual wisdom to behave himself, in a fair accommodation towards other. 2. To the following words, there is no man ⟨p. 235⟩so just, who doth not sometimes fall into sin, and therefore he ought to bear with the errors and failings of others. The common corruption of the best men requireth of them, both wisdom toward themselves to prevent danger, and charity towards their brethren to forgive offences: wisdom towards themselves, that they give not occasion to any to reproach and speak evil of the ways of God, Col. 4.5, 6. 1 Thess. 4.11, 12. Eph. 5.13, 16. 2 Cor. 11.12. 1 Pet. 2.12.15, 16. Charity towards others, when they are overtaken with a fault, as considering themselves, who are without Gods continued assistance, equally obnoxious to the same miscarriages, Gal. 6.1. Col. 3.13.

V. 20. for there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not] Though some conceive these words to have no relation or connexion to the words going before, or following after, yet they seem to have a very fair aspect both waies. 1. To the former words; there is no man so just, but he will sometimes be overtaken with sin, which will easily expose him unto danger, if he have not spiritual wisdome to behave himself, in a fair accommodation towards other. 2. To the following words, there is no man ⟨p. 235⟩

not a just man upon earth] For the Saints in heaven are made perfect, they sin no more, Heb. 12.23. The words in their absolute sense are a full testimony of the imperfection of our inherent Righteousness in this Life, and that even justified persons come very short of that exact and perfect obedience which the Law requireth, Ps. 103.3, 4. & 143.2. 1 Reg. 8.46. Isa. 64.6. Prov. 20.9. 1 Joh. 1.8, 10. Rom. 7.14—23.

V. 21. Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.] Set not thine heart upon all words that men speak, or all things that they ⟨p. 236⟩do unto thee: set not thine heart overcuriously to know them: when thou dost know them, lay them not to heart, be not troubled at them, do not set thy self to revenge them, let them not disquiet thy mind, see them, and see them not, 1 Sam. 9.20. 2 Sam. 13.20. 1 Sam. 25.25. & 1 Sam. 10.27. Prov. 19.11. & 20.3. It is a great point of wisdom to dissemble injuries, to connive at them, to take no notice of them, to pass them by with meekness and neglect, 2 Sam. 16.10, 11. This meekness he requireth to be showed even towards mean and abject persons, or towards the poorest servant in a mans family, who doth sometimes, it may be, through our own provocation, utter some hard and undutiful speeches against us, Joh. 31.13, 14.

V. 21. Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.] Set not thine heart upon all words that men speak, or all things that they ⟨p. 236⟩do unto thee: set not thine heart overcuriously to know them: when thou dost know them, lay them not to heart, be not troubled at them, do not set thy self to revenge them, let them not disquiet thy mind, see them, and see them not, 1 Sam. 9.20. 2 Sam. 13.20.