ing itself in the things which I had prepared ; and esteemed this my portion, to make use of my own labour. And when I turned myself to all the works which my hands had wrought, and to the labours wherein I had laboured in vain, I saw in all things vanity and vexation of mind, and that nothing was lasting under the sun. I passed further to behold wisdom and errors, and folly (What is man, said I, that he can follow the King his master ?).* And I saw that wisdom excelled folly, as much as light differeth from darkness. The eyes of a wise man are in his head : the fool walketh in darkness: and I learned that they were to die both alike. And I said in my heart: If the death of the fool and mine shall be one, what doth it avail me, that I have applied myself more to the study of wisdom? And speaking with my own mind, I perceived that this also was vanity.t For there shall be no remembrance of the wise no more than of the fool for ever, and the times to come shall cover all things together with oblivion the learned dieth in like manner as the unlearned. And therefore I was weary of my life, when I saw that all things under the sun are evil, and all vanity and vexation of spirit. Again I hated all my application wherewith I had earnestly laboured under the sun, being like to have an heir after me, whom I know not whether he will be a wise man or a fool, and he shall have rule over all my labours with which I have laboured and been solicitous and is there any thing so vain ? Wherefore I left off and my heart renounced labouring any more under the sun. For when a man laboureth in wisdom, and knowledge, and carefulness, he leaveth what he hath gotten to an idle man: so this also is vanity and a great evil. For what profit shall a man have of all his labour and vexation of spirit, with which he hath been tormented under the sun? All his days are full of sorrows and miseries, even in the night he doth not rest in mind: and is not this vanity? Is it not better to eat and drink, and to show his soul good things of his labours? and this is from the hand of God. Who shall so feast and abound with delights as I? God hath given to a man that is good in His sight wisdom and knowledge and joy: but to the sinner He hath given vexa *This is explained to mean that, in examining into what was wisdom and what was folly, what could he know in comparison with the knowledge of God his king? + No amount of wisdom or knowledge will enable man to escape from death. S. Jerome explains this to mean that it is better to enjoy the good things that God has given us than to weary ourselves with vain pursuits. DD Eccles. XII. tion, and superfluous care to heap up and to gather together, and to give to him that hath pleased God: but this also is vanity, and a fruitless solicitude of the mind. SECT. CXXXVII. THE TRUE WISDOM, SINCE DEATH MUST COME, IS TO FEAR REMEMBER thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the 1-14. time of affliction come, and the years draw nigh of which thou shalt say: They please me not: before sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall stagger, and the grinders shall be idle in a small number, and they that look through the holes shall be darkened.* And they shall shut the doors in the street when the grinder's voice shall be low, and they shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall grow deaf. And they shall fear high things, and they shall be afraid in the way: the almond-tree shall flourish, the locust shall be made fat, and the caper-tree destroyed: because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall go round about in the street. Before the silver cord be broken, and the golden fillet shrink back, and the pitcher be crushed at the fountain, and the wheel be broken upon the cistern, and the dust return into its earth, from whence it was, and the spirit return to God, who gave it. Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all things are vanity. And whereas Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people and declared the things that he had done: and seeking out, he set forth many parables. He sought profitable words, and wrote words most right and full of truth. The words of the wise are as goads and as nails deeply fastened in,† which by the counsel of masters are given from one shepherd. More than these, my son, require not. Of making many books there is no end and much study is an affliction of the flesh. : Let us all hear together the conclusion of the discourse. Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is all man. And all things that are done,‡ God will bring into judgment for every error, whether it be good or evil. *This is a figurative description of the human body, the keepers being the arms, the strong men the feet and legs, and so forth. KENRICK, † As goads to urge on, and as nails that have fast hold of the mind. Every hidden thing. THE BOOK OF WISDOM. This book is so called because it treats of wisdom, its excellence, its happy fruits, and of the means of obtaining it. It is commonly ascribed to Solomon, and is written in his name; but from the times of the Fathers, who repeatedly quote it, the better informed believed that it was not his work. It was written in Greek, and perhaps at the time of the Macchabees. It has been received into the number of canonical books from very early times by the Church. SECT. CXXXVIII. AN EXHORTATION TO LOVE GOD, WHO CANNOT BE LOVE justice, you that are the judges of the earth. Think of Wisdom 1. the Lord in goodness, and seek Him in simplicity of heart. : For He is found by them that tempt Him not: and He showeth Himself to them that have faith in Him. For perverse thoughts separate from God and His power, when it is tried, reproveth the unwise for wisdom will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins. For the holy spirit of discipline will flee from the deceitful, and will withdraw from senseless thoughts, and will not abide when iniquity cometh in. For the spirit of wisdom is benevolent, and will not acquit by his lips the evil speaker; for God is witness of his reins, and is a true searcher of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue. For the Spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole world: and that which containeth all things hath knowledge of the voice.* Therefore he that speaketh unjust things cannot be hid, neither shall the chastising judgment pass him by. For inquisition shall be made into the thoughts of the ungodly and the hearing of his words shall come to God, to the chastising of his iniquities. : For the ear of jealousy heareth all things, and the noise of murmuring shall not be hid. Keep yourselves therefore from murmuring, which profiteth nothing; and refrain your tongue from detraction; for an obscure speech shall not go for naught: and the mouth that belieth, killeth the soul. Seek not death in the error of your life, neither procure ye destruction by the works of your hands. For God made not death, neither hath He pleasure in the destruction of the living.+ For He created all things that they * That is, of every thing uttered by men. So it is said in the book of Ezechiel: As I live, saith the Lord, I desire not the death of the wicked. Chap. xxxiii. 1-16. Wisdom II. might be and He made the nations of the earth healthful :* and there is no poison of destruction in them, nor kingdom of hell upon the earth. For justice is perpetual and immortal. But the wicked with works and words have called it to them and esteeming it a friend, have fallen away, and have made a covenant with it: because they are worthy to be of the part thereof. SECT. CXXXIX. the vain REASONINGS OF THE WICKED. FOR they have said, reasoning with themselves, but not rightly: 1-25. The time of our life is short and tedious, and in the end of a man there is no remedy; and no man hath been known to have returned from hell.t : For we are born of nothing, and after this we shall be as if we had not been for the breath in our nostrils is smoke: and speech a spark in the moving of our heart, which being put out, our body shall be ashes, and our spirit shall be poured abroad as soft air; and our life shall pass away as the trace of a cloud, and shall be dispersed as a mist, which is driven away by the beams of the sun, and overpowered with the heat thereof : and our name in time shall be forgotten, and no man shall have any remembrance of our works. For our time is as the passing of a shadow, and there is no going back of our end : for it is fast sealed,‡ and no man returneth. Come therefore and let us enjoy the good things that are present, and let us speedily use the creatures as in youth. Let us fill ourselves with costly wine and ointments: and let not the flower of the time pass by us. Let us crown ourselves with roses before they be withered: let no meadow escape our riot. Let none of us go without his part in luxury: let us everywhere leave tokens of joy: for this is our portion, and this is our lot. Let us oppress the poor just man, and not spare the widow, nor honour the ancient gray hairs of the aged. But let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is feeble is found to be nothing worth. Let us therefore lie in wait for the just, because he is not for our turn, and he is contrary to our doings, and upbraideth us with transgressions of the law, and divulgeth against us the sins * Sound, full of life and vigour, with no seeds of death in them. This refers to the original state of man before the fall. KENRICK. †The place of departed souls. Allusion is made to the custom of sealing the tomb. KENRICK, of our way of life. He boasteth that he hath the knowledge of God, and calleth himself the son of God. He is become a censurer of our thoughts. He is grievous unto us, even to behold: for his life is not like other men's, and His ways are very different. We are esteemed by him as triflers, and he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness; and he preferreth the latter end of the just, and glorieth that he hath God for his father. Let us see then if his words be true; and let us prove what shall happen to him, and we shall know what his end shall be. For if he be the true son of God, He will defend him, and will deliver him from the hands of his enemies. Let us examine him by outrages and tortures, that we may know his meekness and try his patience. Let us condemn him to a most shameful death: for there shall be respect had unto him by his words.* These things they thought, and were deceived: for their own malice blinded them. And they knew not the secrets of God, nor hoped for the wages of justice, nor esteemed the honour of holy souls. For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of His own likeness He made him. But by the envy of the devil death came into the world: and they follow him that are of his side. SECT. CXL. GOD'S CARE OF THE JUST. THE REPENTANCE OF THE WICKED WHEN TOO LATE. BUT the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and the Wisdom torment of death shall not touch them. In the sight of the unIII, 1-10. wise they seemed to die: and their departure was taken for misery, and their going away from us for utter destruction: but they are in peace. And though in the sight of men they suffered torments, their hope is full of immortality. Afflicted in few things, in many they shall be well rewarded:t because God hath tried them, and found them worthy of Himself. As gold in the furnace He hath proved them, and as a victim of a holocaust He hath received them, and in time there shall be respect had to them. The just shall shine, and shall run to and fro like sparks among the reeds. They shall judge nations and rule over people, and their Lord shall reign for ever. They that trust in *This seems to mean that his death would serve to test the truth of his words, since he boasted that God would have regard to him. KENRICK. See Psalm xxi. 8. + For their faith and constancy. Reeds light quickly and burn brightly. |