15

16

ed, oppreffed, and perfecuted, and the wicked live in ease, affluence, and fplendour: I faid that this alfo [is] vanity. Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the fun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that fhall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the fun; it is better to enjoy the good things of life in the fear of God, than to torment ourselves with the fear of lofing them, or to pretend to account for many difpenfations of providence.

When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for alfo [there is that] neither day nor night feeth fleep with his eyes;) to expound this mystery of providence, I was as diligent and folicitous as thofe men are to get wealth, who 17 allow no fleep to their eyes: Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the fun: because though a man labour to feek [it] out, yet he fhall not find [it;] yea further; though a wife [man] think to know [it,] yet fhall he not be able to find [it;] therefore let us not difquiet ourfelves about it, but cheerfully acquiefce in the divine govern

ment.

I.

IF

REFLECTION S.

F we defire to be easy and happy, we must honour the king, obferve the laws of our country, and not unneceffarily blame the administration. No argument can be drawn from this charge, for paffive obedience, tho' many commentators have attempted it. We are many of us under the obligation of the oath of God, and all are obliged to allegiance, as being born fubjects of the kingdom, and enjoying the protection of the government. Let us then be fubject not for wrath only, but for confcience fake and if we would not be afraid of the power, let us do that which is good.

2. It is a point of great wisdom in every circumftance and ftation of life, to attend to times and seasons, and embrace proper opportunities for doing good. This is an

important

important maxim, not only for courtiers, but for all of us. Whence is it that man's mifery is fo great upon him, but because he is rafh and thoughtless, will not look before him, and watch opportunities of honeftly mending his circumstances and retrieving his errors; but thro' giddiness or dulness suffers them to flip? Hence also it is that men fall into great and endless mifery in the other world; because they will not hear God's voice to-day, and redeem their time. Let us then mind this wisdom, because time is fhort, death is at the door, and there is no difcharge in that war.

3. How fad is it to abuse the patience and goodness of God! What Solomon fays of wicked princes, is true of other wicked men, v. 11. They know God has paffed sentence upon them for their iniquities; but becaufe his patience bears long with them, they grow hardened, and fin the more. Yet the fentence will be executed; and tho' they live ever fo long and profperously it shall be ill with them. May the goodness of God then lead us to repentance, and his long-fuffering be to us falvation.

4. We are here taught our duty amidst the mysterious conduct of providence. We fee good men afflicted, and wicked men profperous; we should not therefore fret or difquiet ourselves about it, but enjoy the good things of life with thankfulness, cheerfulness, and charity. Let us not puzzle ourselves in endeavouring to account for this, for the attempt will be vain; it is God's ordering, who is infinitely wife and good, and the juftice, beauty, and propriety of these feeming irregularities will appear at laft. difficulties therefore occur which we cannot folve, let us always remember, abide by, and act upon this thought, Surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him, v. 12.

When

CHA P. IX.

Solomon having in a former chapter made fome obfervations on the unequal diftribution of good and evil, he here directs us what our conduct should be amidst these mysteries of providence.

OR all this I confidered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wife, and their works, [are] in the hand of God; are under his conduct and protection, he orders their affairs in the wifeft and kindest manner; therefore we should not complain, but cheerfully refer events to his difpofal: nevertheless no man knoweth either love or hatred [by] all [that] is] before them; it does not appear at prefent whether 2 God loves or hates them. All [things come] alike to all: [there is] one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that facrificeth, and to him that facrificeth not: as [is] the good, fo [is] the finner; [and] 3 he that fweareth, as [he] that feareth an oath. This

[is] an evil among all [things] that are done under the fun, that [there is] one event unto all; this has been a great perplexity to my mind, and a strong temptation: yea, alfo the heart of the fons of men is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead; they encourage themselves in 4 a courfe of wickedness, and fo haften their own death. For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope that they may be recovered from their calamitous ftate; for a living dog is better than a dead lion; a living man, in the lowest circumstances, is more ferviceable to the world 5 than the greateft prince when dead. For the living know that they shall die, are capable of confidering and improving the thoughts of death: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten; they are incapable of any 6 thing, and foon forgotten. Alfo their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perifhed; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any [thing] that is done under the fun; no one feeks their favour, or fears 7 their difpleafure: therefore Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for

God

Some fuppofe the following verfes to be the obfervations of an epicure, who took occafion to declare his disbelief of a future flate; but I take them to be Solomon's words, fpeaking only of the prefent life.

God now accepteth thy works: as far as this mortal life is in question, instead of indulging anxiety, and puzzling thyfelf with intricate questions, endeavour to live in a cheerful manner; for if thou art one that feareth God, he ac8 cepteth thee, and would have thee be joyful. Let thy garments be always white, neither be fordid nor fad; and let thy head lack no ointment; let thy appearance be as 9 pleasant as it innocently may. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou loveft, all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the fun, all the days of thy vanity; this is repeated, to remind us that we are not to expect complete fatisfaction, but to make the most we can of every relation, to fweeten the troubles of life: for that [is] thy portion in [this] life, and in thy labour which thou takeft under the fun; yet indulge not in pleafures fo far as to become flothful and diffolute, but attend to 10 the proper business of life. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goeft; do not prefume too much on your own wisdom, industry, and power, nor yet neglect every proper exertion of them.

11 I returned, and faw under the fun, that the race [is] not to the swift, nor the battle to the ftrong, neither yet bread to the wife, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour, or preferment, to men of skill; but time and chance, or occurrences, (1 Kings v. 4.) happeneth to them all; fudden accidents ftart up in which all a man's cunning, valour, firength, and influence, are in12 effectual. For man alfo knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the fnare; fo [are] the fons of men fnared in an evil time, when it falleth fuddenly upon them; they do not foresee the evils that may come, or the day of their death; both may come fuddenly: yet we are not to neglect prudent precautions.

13 This wisdom have I seen alfo under the fun, and it 14 [feemed] great unto me: [There was] a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and befieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

K 3

15 Now

15 Now there was found in it a poor wife man, and he by his wisdom, by fome wife counsel or stratagem, delivered the city; yet no man remembered that fame poor man. 16 Then faid I, Wisdom [is] better than ftrength: nevertheless, the poor man's wifdom [is] defpifed, and his words are not heard; fuch is the folly and ingratitude of men, that they pay more regard to external appearances than to wisdom; yet this inftance fhows that wisdom is the 17 principal thing, for The words of wife [men are] heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools; his words, delivered calmly and without oftentation, are more regarded than the noife of an infolent, overbearing 18 man. Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war: but one finner destroyeth much good; one foolish obftinate man, by his perverfenefs often puzzles and ruins a good caufe, and defeats the endeavours of the wifeft of men.

Į.

W

REFLECTION S.

E are here taught not to judge of men by their outward condition, or the events that happen to them. Tho' we are so often exhorted to this in fcripture, yet we are ready to forget it. God's love and hatred to men is not to be estimated by their external circumstances; but tho' the fame events may happen to both, yet the defign and end of them may be widely different.

2. We fee what kind of provifion the word of God. makes for our living comfortably. How frequently are we admonished to enjoy the good things of life, and confult our own comfort, under the limitation of fobriety and wif dom. God certainly never gave us fo many good things to be fnares and temptations to us. It is pleafing to him that we should rejoice in his favours, and how the cheerfulness of our minds by our dress, diet, and converse with others. It especially becomes those to rejoice in God's good creatures whofe works he accepts. Innocent mirth becomes none fo well as those that are good. There is no religion in a flovenly drefs, a meagre diet, or a gloomy fpirit. God would have all his fervants cheerful, and thus fhow that their mafter is good, and their work pleasant.