The Providence of God]

10 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 goest.

11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that, the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

12 For man also knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of

CHAP. IX.

[elucidated. men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:

14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength; nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good. (I)

(1) The Providence of God elucidated. This chapter opens with this important doctrine, that though all the concerns of good men are in the hands of God, yet neither can they, nor others, judge whether they are, or are not, the subjects of his favour, by any of the outward circumstances of life." The reason of this is, that "one event happeneth to the righteous and the wicked;" that is, as stated in the preceding chapter, the wicked often prosper in the present world, while the righteous are persecuted and afflicted. This is "an evil" that admits of no remedy, a difficulty that admits of no solution, but in the doctrine of a future state, into which the Preacher, in the close of the book, resolves it; "God will bring every work into judgment," &c.

When it is said, that "the dead know not any thing," it is not to be understood as denying the doctrine of a future state, which is all along supposed; but as it is

here afterwards explained, (ver. 6.) that they have no more portion for ever in any thing that is done beneath the sun."

The advice following, (ver. 7, &c.) appears to us not to imply either libertinism or infidelity, and is nothing more than a repetition, in varied language, of the advice before given, to enjoy with cheerfulness and gratitude the blessings of Providence; and whatever good our hands may find to do, (for it cannot refer to evil) to do it with alacrity and cheerfulness, and trust in God's mercy to be accepted by him. To be good and to do good, are the great ends of life.

What is said of "time and chance" happening to all, is thus explained by Mr. Holden: "By time I understand the seasons of prosperous and adverse fortune; and by chance, events seemingly casual. This by no means excludes a divine power and agency in human affairs," which may seem casual and fortuitous," though "in reality ordered according to the deter

Ver. 9. Live joyfully.-Heb. "Enjoy life." Those bly, in our view, enjoy life, who are duly sensible whence their enjoyments come, and who improve them to a proper end.

Ver. 12. Man knoweth not his time-either of affiction or of death, by which he is often taken as suddenly as the ashes in the fisher's net.

Ver. 16. His words are not heard.-To hear, rezard, and to obey, are, in Scripture, often terms synonymous. That his advice was heard and reCarded at the time, is evident from the effect-the

city was delivered: but the sense seems to be, that afterwards, his words and his deeds were alike forgotten and disregarded.

Ver. 18. One sinner destroyeth much good.—If this be connected with the preceding verse, the sense will be, that when such noisy declaimers prevail, they often defeat the wisest counsels; but some critics (as Desvoeux) translate error, instead of sinner; and it is equally true, that one error often counteracts and ruins the best concerted plans.

DE

CHAP. X.

EAD flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

2 A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.

3 Yea, also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.

5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:

[on wisdom, folly, &c.

6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.

7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

9 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.

12 The words of a wise man's mouth

minate counsel and foreknowledge of God." Whether the incident mentioned, ver. 13-15, be considered as a fact or a parable, it is equally instructive, and we have many such examples on record. Luther mentions the fate of Themistocles, and it would be easy to name others in the history of every civilized country.

The following verses seem to state a case very distinct from the preceding. The words of wise men are heard in the calm and peaceful council, and their wisdom is adjudged "better than weapons of war:" but often, in the public assemblies, such words are disregarded; and a noisy demagogue, who is "a ruler among fools,' gains the ascendancy, and defeats the wisdom of better men.

The concluding remark will apply to

other subjects besides politics. How often have the counsels and labours of many wise and good men been disconcerted by the wickedness of one bad man! And if we take the other translation, "error," instead of "sinner," (see Note) how often has one baneful error, introduced into a church, produced its ruin! So, in a theological system, one error may corrupt and disorganize the whole; just as a dead fly may spoil a pot of the choicest ointment. Such an error we conceive to be Antinomianism, by which we understand the principle, that Christians are released from moral obligation: an error that, by connecting itself with some of the choicest truths of Christianity, poisons the whole system, and gives it the most unsavoury odour.

CHAP. X. Ver. 1. Dead flies Heb. "Flies of death" by which Bp. Patrick and others understand, "deadly flies," poisonous insects. with deadly stings, as most of the dies of the East are.

Ver. 3. His wisdom (Heb. "his heart "faileth kim-that is, in the common affairs of life he is so perplexed and embarrassed, as to discover to eve y one that he is a fool. See ver. 15.

Ver. 4. Leave not thy place-Lord Bacon, like a trae courtier, explains this to mean, "resign not office:" but we suppose the simple meaning to be, discover no resentiment, of which, rising up and leaving the council chamber, would be a plain indiention.

Ver. 5. From the ruler-Heb. " From before the ruler."

Ver. 6. In great dignity-Heb. "In great heights;" i.. on the highest seats, above the more wealthy and respected citizens.

Ver. 7. Servants upon horses.-This is no strange thing with us; but in Solomon's time it was a mark of rank and wealth. See Harmer, vol. ii. p. 104. Ver. 8. Breaketh an hedge-or wall of stones, ra

ther, (such as may be seen in some parts of our own country.) See Num. xxii. 24. In these, serpents might be easily concealed. The general meaning is, that persons who do wrong and foolish things, may expect to be punished by their own folly.

Ver. 10. If the iron-rather, "If an irou tool be blunt, and he (that useth it) do not whet," &e.

Ver. 11. Surely a serpent will bitewithout enchantment--that is, without he be charmed. See Psalia Ivii. 5. and N. So Boothroyd and others, who ren der the latter clanse, "Then there will be no profit to the enchanter;"' i 'e, he will not be paid for charming Dr. Hodgson and others render it," A serpent will bite without hissing;" i. e. without giving warning. To either of these, a babbler, a talkative fool, may be compared. The Hebrew calls him "A lord of the tongue," and we read of some fools who said, "With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over ns ? Ps. xii. 4. Now these fools will often sting without warning; .. under the guise of friendship, and it is not easy to charm them into silence.

Ver. 12. Are gracious-that is, kind and conde.

are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him who can tell him?

15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he know eth not how to go to the city.

16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness !

CHAP. X.

[on wisdom, folly, &c.

18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

20 Curse not the king; no, not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. (K) CHAP. XI.

(K) Miscellaneous observations on wisdom, folly, &c. Bishop Patrick agrees with the suggestion just dropped, that the Preacher continues the subject with which the preceding chapter closed; namely, that one sinner, or one sin, may destroy much good.” In like manner he here remarks, that in a wise and good man, a little folly, a small error, compared with the faults of other men, may destroy the fragrant savour of their character, in like manner as the poisonous remains of noxious insects may destroy the odour of a rich perfume.

The remark, that " a wise man's heart is at his right hand," cannot be taken literally, for wisdom does not change the internal structure of the frame. The Chaldee paraphrase has an ingenious gloss on this: "The heart of the wise inclines to the law, which was given from God's right band; the fool, to silver and gold, which are the gifts of the left." So the Pythagoreans taught that the way to virtue and happiness was on the right hand; to vice and misery on the left: but the simple meaning probably is, that the wise man bas his kuowledge always handy, (if we may so say) ready for use, while a fool has to seek it, and seeks altogether in vain.

Here follow several detached apothegms,

which are elucidated in our Notes, and on which we shall only here offer two or three general observations. 1. Princes are rebuked for elevating to situations of rank and power persons of the lower classes, as being the more convenient tools for them to employ, while others of birth and suitable education, and therefore better qualified, are left unnoticed and unpromoted. 2. Persons are warned against doing injury to others, lest it should fall upon themselves. He that diggeth a pit to entrap others, may expect to be entrapped himself. He that breaketh down his neighbour's fence, removeth his landmark, or cutteth down his timber, may expect some judgment to overtake him. A serpent from the wall may sting him, or his own axe may laine him. 3. A woe is denounced against the land whose king is a child-not in years, so much as in capacity, and whose nobles are given to folly and intemperance. 4. A caution is given against secret treason and sedition: "Curse not the king, not even in thy thought, nor the rich in thy bed-chamber;" and that, not only for conscience sake, but from interest; for in most courts there are spies, more active to report it than a bird. Christians should bless, and curse not, in any case, much less "the powers that be ordained of God." (Rom. xiii. 1.).

scending, or "graceful;" sensible, and becoming. -But the tips of a fool will en allow up himself— that is, will become his own ruin.

Ver.14. Is full of words Heb. "Multiplieth words,"

Ver. 16. When thy king is a child-A youth. See

chap. iv. 13, and compare Isa. iii. 4.

Ver. 16. When thy princes eat in the morning. By eating, is evidently here meant, feasting, carousing. See Isa. v. 11.

Ver. 19. For laughter (Hodgson, "festivity, "') maketh merry-kieb. "Maketh glad the life."

3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

CHAP. XI.

[benevolence.

7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:

8 But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. (L)

(L) Exhortations to Charity, and to prepare for another world.-The first verse evidently recommends diffusive benevolence, by the image of scattering seed where it was most likely to vegetate. "He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he repay him again," and that with good interest. (See Deut. xv. 10; Prov. xix. 17.) The second apothegm is to the same effect-Give liberally, not to three or four only, but to "seven or eight," for thou knowest not how soon thou mayest be deprived of the means of giving. A pious merchant, remarkable for his liberality, having met with some very heavy losses in the American war, directed his confidential steward to give freely, and to all

deserving applicants; "for (said he) if the money continues to go so fast, we shall soon have none to give." He gave, and Providence speedily refunded all his losses.

A good man, while he is doing good, like the showers dispensing rain; but when he falls in death, he is like the felled tree, which can yield no more fruit. And he resembles it in another respect; death fixes his state for ever. As the tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, it will remain till it is removed: so when man dies, his doom is fixed: as death leaves him, judgment finds him.

The following proverb intimates that we must not be too nice in waiting for opportunities to do our duty; for they who ob serve the wind too particularly, or watch the clouds too minutely, will be afraid

CHAP. XI. Ver. 1. Cast thy bread (that is, bread, or seed corn) upon the face of the waters.-This evidently alludes to the irrigating, or flooding of grounds, in very hot and dry countries, hefore they are sown. The Egyptians used to sow after the overflowing of the Nile, and before the waters were all drained off. Rice is always sown in water.

Ver. 4. He that observeth the wind.-Though it is certainly proper to appropriate the works of husbandry to their proper seasons, yet it is possible for persons to be so tímid as to injure themselves by losing the opportunity, either to sow or to reap; and we suspect that there was also some superstitions regard paid by the ignorant and vulgar, both to the wind and clouds, as was notoriously the case with the heathen.

Ver. 5. As thou knowest not, &c.-It is difficult to connect this verse with the preceding. Some render ruach wind, instead of spirit, for the purpose of this connexion, (so Desvoeux) but then, how does nd connect with the formation of a fœtus? We ld rather consider this verse as a parenthesis,

and connect verses 5 and 7, which is easy and natural. The import of the parenthesis we take to be, that all the works of God are full of mystery. How the human spirit enters the human frame, or how that frame acquires solidity, with muscles, bones, &c. is indeed utterly inscrutable; nor is it less mysterious how Providence directs the seasons, and the works of nature: indeed all the works of God are full of mystery. Our duty is, to embrace every opportunity of doing good, and leave events to God. Ver.6. Shall prosper-Heb. "Be right," or "best." Ver. 8. Remember the days of darkness.-That is, as the sun sets at night, so the pleasures of life set at death, and leave man in the darkness of the grave, and an unknown world.

Ver. 10. Sorrow-Marg. "Anger:" the word seems to include all the bitter and malignant passions; so evil from the flesh may comprehend all the lascivious passions which entail sufferings of body.Child hood, as distinguished from youth, is "literally the dawn of life," and of intellect. See Holden's Notes, p. 160.

Youth warned against]

RE

CHAP. XII. EMEMBER now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

5 Also when they shall be afraid of

[deferring repentance.

that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grashopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.

6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. 8 Vanity of vanities, preacher; all is vanity.

saith the

9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

either to sow or reap, for fear of storms. On the other hand, the Preacher advises to embrace every possible opportunity: "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand :"

The concluding paragraph of this chapter is one of the finest specimens of benevolent irony we know; for though the satire in the former part of it is very keen and poig naut, the close is full of benevolence and kiadness. (On the use of irony in Scrip

ture, see Expos. Gen. iii. 20-24.) The tendency of this warning is, not to make young persons melancholy and wretched, but comfortable and happy. It is to put away sorrow, or rather passion, from the heart; and evil (the evil arising from criminal indulgences) from the flesh: aud who can calculate how much evil and sorrow those escape, who, by the grace of God, are enabled to mortify the lusts of the flesh, and the evil passions of the heart!

CHAP. XII. Ver. 1. Remember thy Creator.-The Hebrew is here unquestionably plural, but should not be so rendered, as it cannot be intended to imply a plurality of Creators; but a plurality of persons in that divine Being who said, "Let us make man in our image," Gen. i. 26. But it must be acknowJedged, that the ancient versions and some MSS. have the word singular. In the days of thy youth -Heb. "In thy choice days."

Ver. 2. While the sun, or, &c.-We prefer rendering the caus in this verse" and," instead of "or:" so it is done by Boothroyd, and other modern translators, and the verse may then read," While the sun and the light, and the moon and the stars be not darkened."

Ver. 3. Keepers of the house.-The human body is, in Scripture, compared to a house, and the hands are represented as its defenders. See Job iv. 19; Gen. xlix. 24.

Ver. 4. The doors of the mouth are the lips. See Ps. exli. 3.

Ver. 5. The almond tree:-According to Hasselquist, this tree bears white blossoms, or nearly so, and bears them in January. See Holden's Notes, P. 169-Shall be a burden-that is," to itself,"

the Hebrew verb being in Hithpael, which strictly implies, action upon itself, though it is not always so used. Dr. John Smith thinks the writer meant to compare the old man himself to the grasshopper, or locust, whose shape is imagined to resemble this creature: "The dry, shrunk, shrivelled, crumpling, craggy old man, his back-bone sticking out, his knees projecting forwards, his arms backwards, his head downwards, and the apophyses, or bunching parts of the bones in general enlarged, is very aptly described by that insect."

Ver. 6. The golden bowl.-Golden may only imply excellence, as containing the brain; but anatomists have observed, that the external coat of the brain is nearly of this colour. It may be remarked, too, that it is common among some barbarous nations, particularly the Indians, to make drinking vessels from the skulls of their enemies.

Ver. 9. And moreover, &c. -Marg. "The more wise the Preacher was, the more he taught, &c. So Boothroyd.

Ver. 10. Acceptable words-Heb. "Words of delight."-Upright, even words of truth-Or, “Right words of truth." Dr. Boothroyd. "The writing of uprightness, and the words of truth." Bp. Patrick.