Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

V. 18. By much slothfulness the building decayeth: and through idleness of the hands, the house droppeth through.] This is a proverbial form of speech, and appliable unto all kind of businesses, showing the danger of idleness and procrastination in them. And it is here used as an illustration of what he had said vers. 16. to set forth the misery of a Land under childish and careless Government, by a Comparison drawn from the lesser to the greater, from an house to a State; for as an house being exposed to wind and weather, will in time drop through, and so endanger the rotting of the Timber, and the ruin of the whole, if the owner thereof do not by timely repairs prevent such a mischief: so the Common-wealth, being exposed to various dangers, from the subtlety and hostility of enemies abroad, and from the rebellion, sedition, and various discontents ⟨p. 343⟩of ill-affected people within it self, will be continually in danger of dissolution, if Governors, who should be the Healers, Repairers, and Builders thereof, be not exceeding vigilant upon its preservation and safety: which if he be, he will have little time left for luxury and intemperance.

V. 18. By much slothfulnesse the building decayeth: and through idlenesse of the hands, the house droppeth thorow.] This is a proverbial form of speech, and appliable unto all kind of businesses, shewing the danger of idlenesse and procrastination in them. And it is here used as an illustration of what he had said vers. 16. to set forth the misery of a Land under childish and carelesse Government, by a Comparison drawn from the lesser to the greater, from an house to a State; for as an house being exposed to wind and weather, will in time drop thorow, and so endanger the rotting of the Timber, and the ruine of the whole, if the owner thereof do not by timely repairs prevent such a mischief: so the Common-wealth, being exposed to various dangers, from the subtilty and hostility of enemies abroad, and from the rebellion, sedition, and various discontents ⟨p. 343⟩of ill-affected people within it self, will be continually in danger of dissolution, if Governours, who should be the Healers, Repairers, and Builders thereof, be not exceeding vigilant upon its preservation and safety: which if he be, he will have little time left for luxury and intemperance.

Here then, 1. A State or Kingdom, is compared to an House, as sometimes the Church is, 1 Cor. 3.9. Ephes. 2.21. & 3.15. Heb. 3.2—6. 1 Tim. 3.15. nothing more usual, then to call the Kingdom of Israel, The House of Israel, the House of Jacob, &c. Isa. 2.6. & 5.7. Luke 1.33. Obad. vers. 18.

Here then, 1. A State or Kingdome, is compared to an House, as sometimes the Church is, 1 Cor. 3.9. Ephes. 2.21. & 3.15. Heb. 3.2—6. 1 Tim. 3.15. nothing more usual, then to call the Kingdome of Israel, The House of Israel, the House of Jacob, &c. Isa. 2.6. & 5.7. Luke 1.33. Obad. vers. 18.

2. Princes are compared unto the Masters of the Family, and to those unto whom it belongeth to Heal and Repair the ruins and breaches in that great building, Isa. 3.7. Job 34.17. Isa. 58.12. & 61.4. As elsewhere to foundations, Psal. 82.5. [Greek or Hebrew] quasi [Greek or Hebrew]. to Coverings, Ezek. 28.16. to Bars, which keep a house from being broken open, Hos. 11.6. to the Coignes, or Corners in a Building, which keep the Compages of a structure together, Isa. 19.13.

2. Princes are compared unto the Masters of the Family, and to those unto whom it belongeth to Heal and Repair the ruines and breaches in that great building, Isa. 3.7. Job 34.17. Isa. 58.12. & 61.4. As elsewhere to foundations, Psal. 82.5. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 quasi 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. to Coverings, Ezek. 28.16. to Barrs, which keep a house from being broken open, Hos. 11.6. to the Coignes, or Corners in a Building, which keep the Compages of a structure together,

the house droppeth through] Which first causeth the walls and timber to rot, and so tendeth unto ruin; and secondly, causeth a mans habitation to be irksome and uncomfortable unto him, Prov. 19.13. & 27.15.

the house droppeth thorow] Which first causeth the walls and timber to rot, and so tendeth unto ruine; and secondly, causeth a mans habitation to be irksome and uncomfortable unto him, Prov. 19.13. & 27.15.

V. 19. A feast is made for laughter, and nine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.] These words, if taken absolutely and alone, are to show the dominion of money in humane affairs above all other things; other common things, even the best of them, Bread and Wine, (whereby the Scripture useth to express most outward contents) have a definite and limited use, proper to themselves, distinct from others. They tend to make men laugh and be merry, but money is the measure of all things; It will feed, and clothe, and harbour, and purchase, and extend as a civill Instrument unto all secular provisions. But they seem rather to bear Relation to what went before; slothful men intend not the supportance of their houses, families, or estates, but they spend their whole time in feasting and luxury, and all that, not out of any store which by their provident labours they had laid up, but by the constant expense of treasure, and emptying of their bags, whereby at last their houses, families, estates, are wholly brought to ruin.

V. 19. A feast is made for laughter, and nine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.] These words, if taken absolutely and alone, are to shew the dominion of money in humane affairs above all other things; other common things, even the best of them, Bread and Wine, (whereby the Scripture useth to expresse most outward contents) have a definite and limited use, proper to themselves, distinct from others. They tend to make men laugh and be merry, but money is the measure of all things; It will feed, and cloath, and harbour, and purchase, and extend as a civill Instrument unto all secular provisions. But they seem rather to bear Relation to what went before; slothful men intend not the supportance of their houses, families, or estates, but they spend their whole time in feasting and luxury, and all that, not out of any store which by their provident labours they had laid up, but by the constant expence of treasure, and emptying of their baggs, whereby at last their houses, families, estates, are wholly brought to ruine.

Some join the words unto the former, thus; Through idleness of the hands of th•se ⟨p. 346⟩men the house droppeth through, who make feasts for laughter, and prepare wine to make their life merry, and whose money doth readily answer all these greedy lusts and desires of theirs, and doth bring in supplies and fuel into them. So this Verse looketh back to verse 16. showing the Cause of the Woe there pronounced against a Land whose Princes were luxurious, and by whose slothfulness in regard of public service, the House of the State was ready to decay and drop through; for by riot and excess, which cannot be maintained without vast proportion of treasure to answer all the exigences of them, such Princes are constrained to crush and oppress the poor people, and to squeeze them with heavy exactions, Jer. 22.13— 19. which is unto the hearts of the people as a continual dropping in a ruinous house, causeth them either through sadness of spirit to fall and despond, and so to become an abject and low conditioned Nation, Ezek. 17.13.14. 2. Reg. 15.20. or else stirreth them unto more resolute practises, to shake off the yoke which they are not willing nor able any longer to bear, 1 Reg. 12.14, 15, 16.

Some joyn the words unto the former, thus; Through idlenesse of the hands of th•se ⟨p. 346⟩men the house droppeth thorow, who make feasts for laughter, and prepare wine to make their life merry, and whose money doth readily answer all these greedy lusts and desires of theirs, and doth bring in supplyes and fuel into them. So this Verse looketh back to verse 16. shewing the Cause of the Woe there pronounced against a Land whose Princes were luxurious, and by whose slothfulnes in regard of publick service, the House of the State was ready to decay and drop thorow; for by riot and excess, which cannot be maintained without vast proportion of treasure to answer all the exigences of them, such Princes are constrained to crush and oppress the poor people, and to squeeze them with heavy exactions,

They make a feast for laughter,] So facere ⟨p. 347⟩panem, vitulum, agnam, are expressions used for dressing of such things towards a feast or entertainment, Dan. 5.1. Gen. 18.7, 8. 2 Sam. 12.4.

and wine maketh merry] Laetificat vitam, maketh a mans life merry, as elsewhere Laetificat Cor, giveth him a merry heart, Ps. 104.15.

But money answereth all things] LXX. [Greek or Hebrew]. Whereunto agreeth the Vulgar, pecuniae obediunt omnia, Money can command all things, to wit, which are measurable thereby. It being the Instrument and element of Commerce, as the Philosopher calleth it. Symmachus, [Greek or Hebrew]. Is profitable for all things, which may be bought therewith: or Exaudit omnia, It heareth the desires of men, when men desire such things as they outwardly want; If they have money, that ordinarily can answer this desire, and procure those things for them: a like expression we find, Hos. 2.21, 22.

But money answereth all things] LXX. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Whereunto agreeth the Vulgar, pecuniae obediunt omnia, Money can command all things, to wit, which are measurable thereby. It being the Instrument and element of Commerce, as the Philosopher calleth it. Symmachus, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Is profitable for all things, which may be bought therewith: or Exaudit omnia, It heareth the desires of men, when men desire such things as they outwardly want; If they have money, that ordinarily can answer this desire, and procure those things for them: a like expression we find, Hos. 2.21, 22.

V. 20. Curse not the King, no not in thy thought: and curse not the Rich in thy bed-chamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.] Because by occasion of such ⟨p. 348⟩sins of mis-government in evil Princes, men might be very apt through impatience of spirit, to break forth into disloyal thoughts and affection towards them, however they might haply be by fear of danger restrained from seditious speeches, or rebellious practices: He therefore concludeth this whole Argument with a strict prohibition of all hard and undutiful thoughts and risings of heart against Rulers, notwithstanding their Errors in Government, and Corruptions in living, not so much as secretly in their hearts to wrong them, both for conscience sake, and for fear of wrath, as the Apostle likewise directeth, Rom. 13.5.

V. 20. Curse not the King, no not in thy thought: and curse not the Rich in thy bed-chamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.] Because by occasion of such ⟨p. 348⟩sins of mis-government in evil Princes, men might be very apt through impatiency of spirit, to break forth into disloyal thoughts and affection towards them, however they might haply be by fear of danger restrained from seditious speeches, or rebellious practices: He therefore concludeth this whole Argument with a strict prohibition of all hard and undutiful thoughts and risings of heart against Rulers, notwithstanding their Errors in Government, and Corruptions in living, not so much as secretly in their hearts to wrong them, both for conscience sake, and for fear of wrath, as the Apostle likewise directeth, Rom. 13.5.

Even in thy thought, or in thy conscience curse not the King] Entertain not any light, vain, contemptuous or dishonourable thoughts of him, do not wish any evil to his person, crown or Government, not so much as in thy inmost and most secret retirements, Exod. 22.28. 2 Pet. 2.10. Ps. 62.4. 1 Sam. 10.27. 2 Sam. 19.21. 1 Reg. 2.8. Isa. 8.21.

Even in thy thought, or in thy conscience curse not the King] Entertain not any l•ght, vain, contemptuous or dishonourable thoughts of him, do not wish any evil to his person, crown or Government, not so much as in thy inmost and most secret retirements, Exod. 22.28. 2 Pet. 2.10. Ps. 62.4. 1 Sam. 10.27. 2 Sam. 19.21. 1 Reg. 2.8. Isa. 8.21.

The second clause, neither curse the Rich, is a re-enforcing of the same precept again, meaning by the Rich, the Governor, Isa. 53.9. In the chambers of thy bed, or, in thy most secret retirement.

The second clause, neither curse the Rich, is a re-enforcing of the same precept again, meaning by the Rich, the Governour, Isa. 53.9. In the chambers of thy bed, or, in thy most secret retirement.

And left a man should presume so to do, ⟨p. 349⟩as conceiving thoughts to be free, and far enough out of the sight of the Governor to observe or avenge, He addeth the great danger like to ensue by means which they could not so much as imagine, or suspect.

[for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter] As if he had said, Thy thoughts and secret curses are heard in Heaven, by him who will certainly punish them, however secret they are kept from men. And the Lord can easily find our ways even by brute Creatures, to bring them to light: as he did rebuke the madness of Balaam by his ass, 2 Pet. 2.16. and punish the pride of Pharaoh and Herod by frogs, lice, and worms, Exod. 8.6, 17. Act. 12.23. We read how a flight of Cranes did discover the murder done upon the Poet Ibycus: and how Bessus, who had slain his father, overthrew a nest of swallows chattering, because, saith he, they accuse me for killing my father. As our Saviour saith in another case, If these should hold their peace, the very stones would cry out, Luke 19.40. So the Lord can by even dead and inanimate Creatures, discover wickedness. The earth it self, which drank blood in, shall disclose and reveal it, Gen. 4.11. Isa. 26.21. Hab. 2.11. The Chaldee by birds of the air, understand the ⟨p. 350⟩Angels of Heaven, who like winged Eagles shall make report of secret wickedness. Others understand it of fame, which is a swift, and as it were a winged Messenger; alluding unto that which is said of Princes, [Greek or Hebrew] ▪ That Princes have many Eyes, & many Ears, and long arms, that can see, and hear, and punish offences at at a greater distance.

[for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter] As if he had said, Thy thoughts and secret curses are heard in Heaven, by him who will certainly punish them, however secret they are kept from men. And the Lord can easily find our waies even by bruit Creatures, to bring them to light: as he did rebuke the madness of Balaam by his asse,

CHAP. XI.