Importance of character,]

CHAP. VII.

A GOOD name is better than pre

cious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool this also is vanity.

7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.

8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.

12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence? but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

16 Be not righteous over-much; neither make thyself over-wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself.

17 Be not over-much wicked, neither be thou foolish? why shouldest thou die before thy time.

18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this

in our Introduction, we much doubt whether Solomon designed any such division.

The sentiment of the last verse seems to be, since the world is full of vanity and disappointment, who can ascertain what is best, or the chief good for man, while he remains below? "Thoughtful people," says Mr. Henry, are careful to do every thing for the best, if they know it; but as it is an instance of our depravity, that we are apt to desire that as good for us which is really hurtful, (as children cry for

knives, which would cut their fingers) so it is an instance of the vanity of this world, that what seems to be for the best, often proves otherwise; such is our short-sightedness concerning the issues and events of things; and such broken reeds are all our creature confidences. We know not how to advise others for the best, nor how to act ourselves, because that which we apprehend likely to be for our welfare, may become a suare.

CHAP. VII. Ver.1. A good name. — Compare Prov. xxii. 1. where the adjective "good," is supplied by the translators; and by ointment," in the Scriptures, is always, as in this place, to be understood perfume.

Ver. 3. Sorrow-Marg." Anger;" the word means both, but the first sense is here intended.

Ver. 6. As the crackling-Heb. "Sound," noise. Ver. 10. Wisely-Heb." from wisdom;" i. e. from a wise principle.

Ver. 11. Wisdom is good with-Marg. "As good s an inheritance, yea better." Boothroyd, "Wis

dom is better than an inheritance, and more useful to them," &c.

Ver. 12. A defence-Heb. " A shadow," shade, or shelter; namely, from the sun-beams." It giveth life." Compare Prov. iii. 18.

Ver. 14. Find nothing after him-Dr. Hodgson, "That raan should be uncertain what next may be fal him." So Boothroyd.

Ver. 16. Destroy thyself?-Heb. "Be desolate;" i. e. waste thy talents, strength, and even life, to no purpose.

Ver. 18. Take hold-i, e. notice this, and fear no!.

The sum of the]

withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.

19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.

20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth

not.

21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:

22 For oftentimes. also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? 25 I applied mine heart to know,

CHAP. VII.

[Preacher's knowledge.

and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

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.

29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. (G)

A

(G) Importance of character, of seriousness, of prudence, and of wisdom. good name," a fair reputation, an honest fame, is "better than precious ointment;" more fragrant, and more diffusive. Death seals the character beyond revocation, and therefore is the day of a man's death better than that of his birth, or before his character is formed and for forming this character," the house of mourning is a far better school than the house of festivity and joy. The latter is full of dissipation and folly; but the former, of reflection and consideration. "In the day of adversity" men "consider," and consideration is the first step to reformation and religion. A man's character is decided by his affections. "The heart of fools is in the house of mirth;" but that of the wise, in the house of mourning. In the latter they may meet with rebuke, and a check to their sinful enjoyments; but "the rebuke of the wise" is better than "the song of fools," or the noisy mirth by which it is applauded. For "the laughter of fools" is momentary, like "the crack

"

ling of thorns' on fire, while the consideration of the wise, leads to solid and permanent enjoyment.

Oppression may make a wise man rash and impetuous; or a bribe may blind the understanding; but better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and time and patience will cool the temper, and clear the judgment. Rulers, therefore, should not be hasty in their decisions; nor act under the influence of passion; for anger, though it may visit wise men, dwells only with fools. Neither should we be querulous, or murmuring, at the character of the present time, as worse than any preceding period; since human nature is in every age the same, aud the same Providence rules the world. Though bad men are oftentimes suffered to gain the ascendency, in this they are fulfilling the purposes of heaven; and however they may be suffered for a time, to tyrannize and oppress, they shall not finally prevail.

"Wisdom," true wisdom," is as good as an inheritance, and even better (more profitable) to them that see the sun," that is, to all who are exposed to the heat of its

mankind. Whoso pleaseth God-Marg. " Is good before God."

Ver. 27. Counting one by one-Marg. "Weighing one thing after another, to find the reason; which, &c. Ver. 28. One man-Boothroyd, “ One wise man,” supplying the word wise to both man and woman, in the same manner as "good," in Prov. xxii. I.

Ver. 29. Inventions - Hodgson and Boothroyd, "Corruptions;" Desvoeux and Gesenius," Artifices, devices,"

beams, which are not only inconvenient, but dangerous in hot countries. Wisdom is a shelter; literally, by its ingenious inventions to afford a shade, and metaphorically, by the protection if affords against oppression. Money, it is true, affords protection also, in bribing the oppressor; but the preference of wisdom is, that it not only often preserves life, when money cannot; but even in the worst extremity, it is the gate to everlasting life, when the spirit shall return to God who gave it." (Chap. xii. 7.)

It is our duty, therefore, in forming our estimate of human life, to balauce circumstances, as God doth in the government of the world. What he hath left crooked, we cannot make straight; but we should set one thing against another in our own minds, as he hath done in nature and in providence. Thus, when we meet with prosperity, we should be thankful, and rejoice in it; and when this shall be succeeded by adversity, pause and consider how it may be best improved; without perplexing ourselves with inquiries into futurity, to which we have no certain clue.

The wise man here admits, that a just man may perish (as to this life) in his integrity, and a wicked man prolong his days by artful wickedness. Instances of this he had observed in his own experience, and therefore gives a caution on the subject, which, unhappily, has been sadly misunderstood. That any mau, in the preseut life, can be either too wise er too good; too upright before men, or too holy before God, is both impossible and inconsistent with the Scriptures but it is possible there may be imprudence, even in zeal for God, when it is not "according to

knowledge;" and that by ostentation in their religion, or the affectation of superior wis dom, men may expose themselves to danger, where no valuable end is likely to be attained thereby. Therefore, when our Lord sent forth his disciples " as sheep among wolves, he cautious them to be "wise as serpents," as well as "harmless as doves." On the other hand, with respect to those who expect to prolong their lives by wickedness, let them also be cautious, lest, with all their cunning, they fall under the sentence of the law, and die before their time.

In the close of this chapter, Solomon again adverts to the character of a loose and artful woman; one wise and good man (that is, a few out of a great number) be had found, but among the women of his age, and those especially with whom he had been connected, he could find scarcely one, either wise or good. Hé gives us, however, in his last verse, the result of all his reasonings and calculations: "Lo, this only have I found, that God made man (i. e. mankind) upright; but they have sought out many inventions." So we read in the book of Genesis, "God made man" in his own image; yet, in a few centuries, the wickedness of man became great in the earth," and every ima gination, purpose, device, or desire, became corrupt, and wholly evil. (Comp. Gen. i. 27. and Expos. of ch. vi. 1-7.) In this awful picture of human nature, depraved and fallen, one circumstance should always be borne in mind; whatever is good, comes from God; whatever is evil, springs from the imaginations and devices of a depraved heart.

CHAP. VIII. Ver. 1. The boldness-Hebrew, "Strength" of his face; that is, his stern, austere countenance shall be softened to courtesy and kindness. See Holden, p. 125, N.

Ver. 5. Shall feel-Heb. "know."

Ver. 6. Therefore.-Both Hodgson and Boothroyd, in this place, render the particle (Ki) yel," as it unquestionably must be in several other places, which in great measure clears the sense.

Ver. 7. That which shall be-or, "What is future."

8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit: neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun; there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done; this is also vanity.

11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because

CHAP. VIII.

[the just and unjust.

he feareth not before God.

14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

15 Then I commended mirth, be cause a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat and to drink, and to be merry for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes :)

17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it. (H)

(H) Prudence, and obedience to civil government enforced. This first verse is, by Mr. Holden, connected with the last of the preceding chapter; but we see not with what propriety; and yet it seems to have little connexion with the following. "Who is like the wise man?" a man skilled iu interpretations, and who, like Daniel, is "well-favoured" in countenance, and fit to stand in the king's palace? (Dan. i. 4, 19.) To such, probably, the advice following was primarily directed, though much of it is of general concernment.

Such he counsels to keep the king's commandment, and that particularly from a regard to the oath of God, that is, the oath of allegiance, by which they were bound to his service, Such he admonishes, not to leave the king's presence abruptly; that is, without leave, or without due ceremony; nor to persist in an evil thing; that is, what appears so in the ruler's sight, because his power is absolute, and must not be resisted; except, indeed, when his commands are unlawful, as clashing with duty to a higher power, even the King of kings. This obedience and re

Ver. 8. Over the spirit - Dr. Boothroyd follows Mr. Descoeur and others, in here rendering ruach, "wind," which it certainly often means; but we prefer the common version. Comp. chap. iii. 21 —— No discharge. See Judges vii. 3-7. Marg. "No casting off weapons," as was common in their wars, when the defeated party often threw away their weapons, to facilitate their escape. D:s. Hodgson and Boothroyd render it, "There is no escape in (or from) that conflict.

Ver. 9. To his own hurt.-The original is equivocal, and may apply either to the hurt of the ruler or his subjects: a tyrant, who is a curse to them, is himself accursed of God.

Ver. 10. From the place of the holy-This we take to mean the temple, in the processions to and from which, princes often occupied the most conspicuous situations, as David was accustomed to do, and probably Solomon.

Ver. 14. There is a vanity, &c. Ps. lxxiii. 12-14. Ver. 15. Then I commended, &c. See ch i. 24.iii. 22.v. 18. Mr. Holden thinks these words cannot be considered as expressing the sentiments of the preacher, but as the objections of an infidel libertine: but we conceive them to be founded in truth, if properly explained. See chap. ii. 24.— iii. 12, 22.-v. 18.--ix. 7-10,

The Providence of God]

CHAP. IX.

FOR all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.

2 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 sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while

[elucidated.

they live, and after that they go to the dead.

4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 For the living know that they shall die but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

spect to the sovereign, will procure his favour and protection, and a wise man will show his wisdom in attending to this advice; for his heart discerneth both time and judgment." But though (as shown in the third chapter) there is a proper time for every work and purpose, yet the misery of man is great in this, that he cannot always ascertain it; and who can give him the knowledge of events, future and contingent?

There is a period approaching, however, when man must surrender both himself and his accounts before a higher tribunal; when his spirit must return to God," the Judge of all. An hour is coming, when the wealth of all the east cannot procure an hour's respite; neither is there any means of obtaining a discharge from this last great conflict; or any possibility, by some new act of desperate wickedness, to brave it out. Great men might, however, obtain a splendid funeral; and as they had been used to form a conspicuous

figure in the religious processions to aud from the temple, so now they might carry their pomp and splendour to the grave; but there it vanishes: -"This also is vanity!"

It is one of the most desperate evils of the human heart, that it abuses the divine mercy; and that, because God does not usually send his punishments like thunderbolts immediately from heaven, "therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." "I am struck with horror," says the eloquent Saurin, in a Sermon from this text, "when I consider this disposition in its true point of light.

Were we convinced that God had the formidable design of plunging us into the depths of hell on the first act of rebellion, who is he that would have the madness to be a rebel? Why then are we rebels? The wise man tells us, because sentence against an evil work is not exe cuted speedily."

CHAP. IX. Ver. 1. I considered (Heb. "I gave") my heart-Laid up, or treasured there. See Matt. ii. 51.

Ver. 3. This is an evil among all things-Hodgson and Boothroyd, This evil is in all that is done,” &c. Yea, also-Dr. Hodgson readers this. That thereby, or therefore, as the particle (gam) is rendered, 1 Sam. xii. 16. The meaning seems to be, because, in this world, "all things happen alike to all." and no man knoweth either the love or hatred of God from external circumstances, therefore the sons of men indulge themselves in madness and in flly, not expecting to be called to an account.

Ver. 4. But to him that is joined, &c.—The present Hebrew text reads, "Who (or what) shall be chosen? To all the living there is hope;" which affords a good sense; but all the aucient versions, the Keri, and many MSS, read as our translation, in which the sense differs not materially.-A licing dog. This a proverbial phrase, implying, that the most insignificant person living has more influence than the greatest when dead: "a living dog" is stronger than a dead lion."

Ver. 8. Let thy garments be always white.-White cotton is the dress of the Asiatics, and they pride themselves on it being always clean.