not resulting from the misconduct of the sore. reign, but from the inconstant and fickle disposition of the people, who are perpetually fond of changes, worship the rising sun, and grow weary of him who is likely soon to leave. them." I considered all the living;" that is, the present generation, subject to the present prince or government. He speaks of the generality of men, and, therefore, describes them under the general term of the living, Job xxx.

Dan. iv. 17: and also to intimate the reason of their conduct, as thinking, that when the father is just about to depart, and the son ready to succeed him, they must be preserved by the living, and not by the dead; accordingly they pay their homage to him from whom they expect protection and encouragement, that being the end for which government was instituted, 1 Tim. ii. 2.-" Which walk under the sun," elsewhere, which see the sun, ch. vii, 11: another expression, intimating this to be the popular humour of the generality of men, or of the common people, who go up and down the streets; as the vulgar are distinguished from the great and noble, Jer. v. 1, 4, 5: or walking may be joined with the following words,-" with the second child," i. e. I observe that the generality of people walk with the second child, join themselves to him, and

flatter and fawn upon him; forsaking the father in their affections and dutiful behaviour, because he is about to leave them." Which shall stand up in his stead;" namely, in the father's or predecessor's stead. By standing up, is meant rising to the throne, Dan. xi. 2: they look on the existing monarch as falling, sinking, lying down, stooping towards the grave, and, therefore, apply to his heir and successor. Here is strongly marked, both the unhappiness of princes, who, if they live long, see their glory die before themselves; and the fickleness of the generality of the people, who honour not their rulers, as they ought, for their office sake, being bound to reverence them in the same proportion as they have experienced happiness under their government, Rom. xiii. 1-5; 1 Pet. ii. 13, 14, 15; but who honour them only from self-interest, not so much considering present duty, as future advantage. There is, ordinarily, in the minds of the people, a weariness of being long under one prince, a querulousness and repining at every thing that pinches them, which leads to a desire of changing him for the next in succession; not from any choice or assurance that he will be a better sovereign, but from natural levity and inconstancy: as sick persons change their beds, chambers, or couches, but, alas! re

tain their disease, loving changes for the very change sake, 1 Sam. viii. 5, 18, 19, 20. and xii. 12, 13; 2 Sam. xv. 12; 1 Kings ii. 15; 2 Sam. xx. 2; Prov. xiv. 21.

16. There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely, this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

By "all the people," he means the giddy and inconstant multitude, whose levity and discontent with their present state is the cause that they desire continual changes, and reject him to day whom they adored yesterday.—“ There is no end of all the people," or "to all the people:" there are immense numbers in every age and generation who are thus affected; it is not a contingent or unusual, but very common disposition; it is not a vanity which princes sometimes experience in a few persons, but it is the general disease of the common people. This phrase, "there is no end," is used in other places to express a great or indefinite number, Isai. ii. 7; ver. 8. supra; Job xxii. 5; Nahum. iii. 3. According to the other reading, "there is no end to all the people," the sense is, The people never

put a stop or termination to this vanity, but it passes from one generation to another. Further, by "no end" may be meant no satisfaction equal to the desires, no fixed or thorough acquiescence of affection in the people towards their princes; they will still entertain expectations of new governors and of new events to gratify their wishes. So the word end is taken for any thing in which the heart may acquiesce, without looking farther for some other gratification, Prov. xxiii. 18. They do not fix their affections on one man, let him be ever so wise and good, but grow weary of him, and unite themselves to his successor." Even of all those that have been before them;" namely, before the father, and the son, or successor, which was next to him. The word before may either signify in the presence of them, i. e. such as have been officers under them, or performed service for them, and borne allegiance to them, 2 Sam. xvi. 19; 1 Kings x. 8; or else antecedently to them in point of time. They who lived before them thus languished in their attachment to the father, and courted the favour of the son." They also that come after shall not rejoice in him ;" i. e. in the son, to whom they so zealously and loyally now join themselves. They shall not rejoice; no, they will soon be weary of him, troubled

by him, and wish to be freed from his authōrity. The negative verb, by a meosis, imports the contrary affirmative, as is usual in Scripture, Exod. xx. 7; Prov. xvii. 21; Zech. viii. 17; Rom. iv. 19. This evil then is hereditary to all the people; there is no end of it; they can never be settled or contented with the present state: for, as before, they disliked the father in expectation of the son, so afterwards they will cast off the son in expectation of his successor; and thus it will continue through all generations." This is vanity and vexation of spirit." It must be the cause of indignation and grief in princes, to experience so much unfaithfulness and inconstancy in their subjects, and to see their honour decay with their bodies.