xvii. 40.-" And to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness;" or the foolishness of madness, according to the apostle's expression, aμzerwa dμagrix, a sinning sin, Rom. viii. 13; so here the wise man expresses the desperate wickedness and folly of corrupt hearts, by wickedness of folly, and foolishness of madness, to signify the vast and deep corruption and deceit which is in the heart of man. This knowledge was the particular object of his investigation, that he might be better qualified to convince and to dissect the consciences of others, 1 Cor. xiv. 24, 25; Heb. iv. 12'; Ezek. xiv. 5; Isai. xlix. 2; Ps. xlv. 5; Rev. i. 16; and he seems to have studied in this order: first, he searches and seeks out wisdom as an antidote to the danger of his succeeding studies, to discover the wickedness, folly, and madness of sensual pleasures: and therefore we shall observe, that in the particular wickedness which he specifies in the next verse, he often premises the commendation of wisdom, and recommends the study of it, as an effectual preventive of this evil, Prov. ii. 10-19; v. 1, 2, 3; vi. 20— 24; vii. 4, 5. and ix. 10-13.

26. And I find more bitter than death, the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God

R

shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her.

He here shews the discovery he had made by his study, of the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness, in the instance of the wiles and subtilties of harlots, which it was necessary for him to add to the former catalogue of vanities, that he might demonstrate to the visible church, and leave a record to posterity of his sincere repentance of those gross miscarriages into which by this means he had been drawn. And first, the character of a wanton woman is described, first, by her subtilty; her heart is snares and nets; her cunning devices to deceive and entangle sensual persons, are as gins laid to catch silly creatures, who are enticed with the bait, but discern not the danger, see Prov. ii. 16; vi. 24, 26; vii. 5; ix. 16, 17. and xxii. 14: secondly, by her power; her hands, with which she catches, holds, and embraces them, are as strong cords to hale simple fools like an ox to the slaughter, Prov. vii. 13, 21, 22; Jud. xvi. 15-19. Secondly, the great danger of these nets and bands to the souls of men, is represented. They are "more bitter than death;” ¿.e. more pernicious, and bring heavier miseries with them. We read of the bitterness of death 1 Sam. xv. 32. but this is a

worse bitterness: the end of a strange woman is bitter as wormwood, and her steps take hold on hell, Prov. v. 4, 5. Death may be sweetened and sanctified, made welcome and desirable to a believer, 1 Cor. xv. 55; Phil. i. 23; Luke ii. 29, 30; but the bitterness of hell is incurable. Death may be honourable, as to die in a good cause, in a good old age, to go to the grave in peace, lamented, desired, with the sweet savour of a holy life, and many good works to follow us, Rev. xiv. 13; Ps. cxvi. 15 : but to consume and putrify alive under a consumption of impure lusts; to perish, as Tiberius did at Capreæ, quotidie perire me sentio; to make shipwreck of his honour, to ruin his estate, shorten his years, consume his flesh, put a hell into his conscience, bury his name, his substance, his soul, his carcase in the bosom of an harlot; this is a bitterness beyond that of death, Prov. v. 9, 10, 11; vi. 26, 33; and ix. 16, 17, 18.-"Whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her." The great wrath of God is here intimated against this sin. It is a sin, to the practice of which he frequently gives over reprobates, and those who are the peculiar objects of his hatred; a sin of which few repent, to take hold again of the paths of life, Prov. ii. 19. and xxii. 14; Amos vii. 17; Rom. i. 24-28;

Ephes. iv. 18, 19. A man is not preserved from the power of this temptation by his own wisdom and strength, but only by the supernatural grace of God.

27. Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

28. Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.

"Behold, this have I found," &c. this of which he had spoken, ver. 26. or which follows, ver. 28.-"Saith the preacher." This is added, first, to give credit from his wisdom and experience to what he here affirms; especially having made so distinct and accurate an enquiry, weighing and comparing "one by one, to find out the account," and to form a clear and determinate judgment of the case, in order to obtain a certain conclusion. Secondly, to testify to the church his repentance, This have I found, says the soul, that by sound repentance is returned to the congregation of saints, after having been insnared in the nets and bands of seducing women, and that as the

result of serious and sad recollected thoughts which I have not yet given over, still pursuing the same penitent enquiry." One man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found." The intention of Solomon is not to condemn one sex rather than the other, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, Rom. iii. 23. and he had known good and wise women as well as men, Prov. xviii. 22; xix. 14; xii. 4; and xxxi. 10 -30; but he speaks of his observation of wanton women, which seems to be the reason of the number here mentioned: for Solomon had a thousand wives and concubines, all strange women of the neighbouring wicked nations, who turned away his heart from the Lord to idols; and among all this thousand he had not found one that was good, 1 Kings xi. 1–9. Or his meaning may be, that the subtle counsels of one man amongst many may more easily be discerned than those of any harlot, because their flatteries and dalliances steal away the heart, put out the eyes, and blind the judgment, and so infatuate a man, that he can look no further than to the present delights by which he is deceived and entangled, Hos. iv. 11; Judg. xvi. 17-21; Prov. vii. 21, 22. and

v. 6.

29, Lo, this only have I found, that God