Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

There is an evil] Another evil, or a common evil; an evil under the Sun, in humane affairs.

as an error] Which is indeed an error: It is here Caph veritatis, not a note of comparison, or similitude, but of truth; as Judg. 13.23. Neh. 7.2. Hos. 4.4. & 5.10. Luke 22.44. By error, is noted a fault committed ignorantly and through inadvertency; as Levit. 4.2. Numb. 15.24. Whereby we are taught to put the fairest construction upon the faults of Superiors, in the case of misgovernment; it being so easy a thing for them, who must see much with other mens eyes, and cannot possibly have a clear knowledge of the worth of all persons whom they advance, but may easily be carried into mistakes by the flatteries, or plausible pretences of those that serve them, to be deceived in their opinions, of the fitness of persons for those places of trust, wherein they do employ them.

as an errour] Which is indeed an errour: It is here Caph veritatis, not a note of comparison, or similitude, but of truth; as Judg. 13.23. Neh. 7.2. Hos. 4.4. & 5.10. Luke 22.44. By errour, is noted a fault committed ignorantly and through inadvertency; as Levit. 4.2. Numb. 15.24. Whereby we are taught to put the fairest construction upon the faults of Superiours, in the case of misgovernment; it being so easie a thing for them, who must see much with other mens eyes, and cannot possibly have a clear knowledg of the worth of all persons whom they advance, but may easily be carried into mistakes by the flatteries, or plausible pretences of those that serve them, to be deceived in their opinions, of the fitnesse of persons for those places of trust, wherein they do imploy them.

Folly is set in great dignity; and the rich sit in low places] Fools are very highly advanced: ⟨p. 322⟩The abstract for the concrete, to denote men extremely foolish and wicked; as Psal. 5.9. 1 Cor. 2.14. Phil. 3.2. Cant. 5.16. This is matter of much grief and trouble to good men, when power is put into the hands of men, as Vice-gerents for God, who yet will use it all against him. When the great interests of States and Churches, shall be entrusted in the hands of those, who have neither skill nor hearts to promote the good of them, Psal. 12.8. Prov. 28.28. & 29.2. Esth. 3.1—15. This the Lord is often pleased in his providence to permit, sometimes for the punishment of a wicked people, Job 34 30. Isa. 19.4. Hos. 13.11. Zach. 11.6. Prov. 28.2. Judg. 9.23, 24. and sometimes for the trial of his faithful servants, and to stir up in them earnest prayer for those who are in authority, that according to their duty they may be friends to those that are pure of heart, 1 Tim. 2.1, 2. Prov 22.11.

V. 7. I have seen servants upon horses, and Princes walking as servants upon the earth] By servants, he meaneth men of a low and base condition, fitter to be the tail then the head, Gen. 9.27. Lam. 5.8. which is a thing extremely preposterous and absurd, when servants do bear rule, men of slavish condition are advanced above those that are free, noble, and pious, Prov. 19.10. & 30.21, 22. Deut. 28.43, 44.

V. 7. I have seen servants upon horses, and Princes walking as servants upon the earth] By servants, he meaneth men of a low and base condition, fitter to be the tail then the head, Gen. 9.27. Lam. 5.8. which is a thing extreamly preposterous and absurd, when servants do bear rule, men of slavish condition are advanced above those that are free, noble, and pious, Prov. 19.10. & 30.21, 22. Deut. 28.43, 44.

upon horses] This is a note of honour and dignity, Esth. 6.8, 9. Jer. 17.25. Ezek. 23.23. Hereby he meaneth, That abject and vile persons, who ought to be under government, were exalted unto the Throne, and unto places of trust and honour. Such an one was Athenion in Greece, who of a poor and mean person, grew up to be a proud and potent tyrant; laid aside wise Counsellors, spoiled Temples and Cities, wasted men of their estates, and filled pits with treasure; as Athenaeus, lib. 5. reporteth. And the like, Zenophon relateth, lib. 2. Hellenic [Greek or Hebrew]

upon horses] This is a note of honour and dignity, Esth. 6.8, 9. Jer. 17.25. Ezek. 23.23. Hereby he meaneth, That abject and vile persons, who ought to be under government, were exalted unto the Throne, and unto places of trust and honour. Such an one was Athenion in Greece, who of a poor and mean person, grew up to be a proud and potent tyrant; laid aside wise Counsellors, spoiled Temples and Cities, wasted men of their estates, and filled pits with treasure; as Athenaeus, lib. 5. reporteth. And the like, Zenophon relateth, lib. 2. Hellenic 〈non-Latin alphabet〉

and Princes walking as servants upon the earth] As David seemeth to have walked ⟨p. 324⟩when he fled from Absalom, 2 Sam. 15.30.

and Princes walking as servants upon the earth] As David seemeth to have walked ⟨p. 324⟩when he fled from Absolom, 2 Sam. 15.30.

V. 8, 9. He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it, and who so breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. Who so removeth stones, shall be hurt therewith: and he that cleaveth wood, shall be endangered thereby] These are four Proverbial similitudes, tending all unto one end, viz. to show, that evil usually returneth on the heads of those who were authors of it; [Greek or Hebrew]. Psal. 7.15, 16. & 9.15, 16. Job 5.13. Prov. 11.5, 6. & 26.27. Esth. 7.10. 2 Sam. 17.23. Exod. 14.28. & 18.11. Obad. ver. 15. Isa. 33.1. Judg. 1.6, 7. Quod quisque ••lieno excogitavit supplicio, excipit suo. He that made the fetters for another, doth many times wear them himself.

V. 8, 9. He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it, and who so breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. Who so removeth stones, shall be hurt therewith: and he that cleaveth wood, shall be endangered thereby] These are four Proverbial similitudes, tending all unto one end, viz. to shew, that evil usually returneth on the heads of those who were authors of it; 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Psal. 7.15, 16. & 9.15, 16

The application of this general, in the present case, is, First, against Princes, who do so advance unworthy men, and depress the well deserving; such disorders in Government do, many times, redound unto their own sufferings, and while they oppress the people, they do supplant their own Thrones, Prov. 16.12. & 25.5. 2 Reg. 8.8.15.

The application of this general, in the present case, is, First, against Princes, who do so advance unworthy men, and depresse the well deserving; such disorders in Government do, many times, redound unto their own sufferings, and while they oppress the people, they do supplant their own Thrones, Prov. 16.12. & 25.5. 2 Reg. 8.8.15.

Secondly, against such as attempt to alter the long established, and wholesome Constitutions of Nations and People, and do rashly ⟨p. 325⟩over-turn the foundations of Laws and Customs; such changes are usually mortiferous to the undertakers of them, Prov. 22.28. & 24.21, 22.

Secondly, against such as attempt to alter the long established, and wholsom Constitutions of Nations and People, and do rashly ⟨p. 325⟩over-turn the foundations of Lawes and Customs; such changes are usually mortiferous to the undertakers of them, Prov. 22.28. & 24.21, 22.

Thirdly, against the undutiful and rebellious carriages of people towards their Princes and Rulers, which commonly are pernicious unto the authors thereof, as we find in the examples of Absalom, Sheba, and others, 2 Sam. 18.14. & 20.22. 2 Chron. 23.15. & 25.3. & 33.24, 25. Esth. 2.21, 22, 23.

Thirdly, against the undutiful and rebellious carriages of people towards their Princes and Rulers, which commonly are pernicious unto the authors thereof, as we finde in the examples of Absolom, Sheba, and others, 2 Sam. 18.14. & 20.22. 2 Chron. 23.15. & 25.3. & 33.24, 25. Esth. 2.21, 22, 23.

he that diggeth a pit shall fall into it] It is a similitude drawn from Huntsmen, who dig pits, and then cover them over again, as if they were firm ground, by which means the beasts passing on them, fall in and are taken. Many times in the digging of such a pit, the earth falls on him that openeth it. It is used Metaphorically, for an attempting of evil to ensnare another man, Job 6.27. in the which snare many times a man is taken himself, Psal. 10.2. & 9.15. Prov. 5.22. Dan. 6.24.

and who so breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him] Serpents and Adders use to harbour in old walls and hedges, so that without much caution, he that rashly removeth them, is in danger of being slung by them, Act. 28.3. Now as hedges do enclose ⟨p. 326⟩grounds, and distinguish the property of one man from another; so the Lord hath set an hedge about his own ordinance of Magistracy, which he will not have violated by any disloyal attempts, as the phrase is used in another case, Job 1.10. Ezr. 9.9. And all traitorous attempts against the Ordinance of God, is a breaking of that mound, and an encroaching upon that authority, which seldom escapeth some mischief or other, which the contrivers thereof did not foresee, nor were wise enough to prevent. It is a dangerous thing to confound rule and subjection, and to break down the partition wall between the one and the other. They who are impatient of rule over them, have ruin very near them.

and who so breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him] Serpents and Adders use to harbour in old walls and hedges, so that without much caution, he that rashly removeth them, is in danger of being slung by them, Act. 28.3. Now as hedges do inclose ⟨p. 326⟩grounds, and distinguish the property of one man from another; so the Lord hath set an hedge about his own ordinance of Magistracy, which he will not have violated by any disloyal attempts, as the phrase is used in another case, Job 1.10. Ezr. 9.9. And all trayterous attempts against the Ordinance of God, is a breaking of that mound, and an incroaching upon that authority, which seldom escapeth some mischief or other, which the contrivers thereof did not foresee, nor were wise enough to prevent. It is a dangerous thing to confound rule and subjection, and to break down the partition wall between the one and the other. They who are impatient of rule over them, have ruine very near them.

Who so removeth stones shall be hurt therewith] He that goeth about to demolish a building, and to pull the great stones out of the walls thereof, [Greek or Hebrew]; shall be put to pain and labour thereby; So the Septuagint: [Greek or Hebrew], shall be broken and torn thereby; So Aquila: [Greek or Hebrew] shall be hurt, and suffer evil thereby; So Symmachus. So dangerous is the attempt of those, who go about to unjoint, and dissolve the ligaments of Government. A-like expressions we find, Zach. 12.13. Matth▪ 21.44.

Who so removeth stones shall be hurt therewith] He that goeth about to demolish a building, and to pull the great stones out of the walls thereof, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉; shall be put to pain and labour thereby; So the Septuagint: 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, shall be broken and torn thereby; So Aquila: 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 shall be hurt, and suffer evil thereby; So Symmachus. So dangerous is the attempt of those, who go about to unjoynt, and dissolve the ligaments of Government. A-like expressions we finde, Zach. 12.13. Matth▪ 21.44.

and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby] Or, heated thereby; The Chaldee, shall be burnt thereby: Shall not do it without danger, if his Tools be blunt, as it followeth in the next verse. We find mention of danger in this employment, Deut. 19.5. 2 Reg. 6.4, 5. So all these four Proverbial Similitudes tend unto one and the same end.

and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby] Or, heated thereby; The Chaldee, shall be burnt thereby: Shall not do it without danger, if his Tools be blunt, as it followeth in the next verse. We finde mention of danger in this imployment, Deut. 19.5. 2 Reg. 6.4, 5. So all these four Proverbial Similitudes tend unto one and the same end.

V. 10. If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct] This seems to relate to the words next immediately before it. He that cleaveth wood, if the iron be blunt, shall be endangered and over-heated thereby, as being every stroke necessitated to put to more strength, and all in vain, till wisdom, by whetting the weapon do get the better of the wood. Nay, the more strength is used, when the iron is too blunt to enter, the more danger there is of its recoiling upon him that useth it. So in the present case, the more violent and froward the passions of men are against Governors, the more danger do they create unto themselves. Princes being like strong Oaks, that are not easily wrought upon by opposition: But wise, mild, and gentle behaviour may break their displeasure: as wisdom directing a man to whet his iron, will with less labour ⟨p. 328⟩cleave the strongest Timber. Like hereunto was that of Aesop to Solon, that we should speak unto Princes [Greek or Hebrew]; either very little, or that which may sweeten and please them.

V. 10. If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edg, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct] This seems to relate to the words next immediately before it. He that cleaveth wood, if the iron be blunt, shall be endangered and over-heated thereby, as being every stroke necessitated to put to more strength, and all in vain, till wisdom, by whetting the weapon do get the better of the wood. Nay, the more strength is used, when the iron is too blunt to enter, the more danger there is of its recoiling upon him that useth it. So in the present case, the more violent and froward the passions of men are against Governours, the more danger do they create unto themselves. Princes being like strong Oaks, that are not easily wrought upon by opposition: But wise, mild, and gentle behaviour may break their displeasure: as wisdom directing a man to whet his iron, will with lesse labour ⟨p. 328⟩cleave the strongest Timber. Like hereunto was that of Esop to Solon, that we should speak unto Princes 〈non-Latin alphabet〉; either very little, or that which may sweeten and please them.