Ecclesiastes 8

Ecclesiastes 8:1

Who is as the wise man] None like him, a matchlesse man, such as Abraham, Joseph, Job, Moses, Gen. XXIII. 6. and chap. XLI. 38. Job I. 8. Num. XII. 7. as those excellent ones of the earth, Psal. XVI. 3. the Worthies of the world, Heb. XI. 5.

and who knoweth] Such are rare, one of a thousand.

the interpretation of a thing?] Rightly to discerne in all affairs, what in every case is to be done or left undone.

face to shine] As did the face of Moses, of Stephen. The wisdome of Piety is reverend and venerable. Natural Conscience cannot but stoop and do obeysance to it. Some thus; A mans wisdome shines in his face.

and the boldnesse] Shall be changed to the better, shall be doubled; as bold as a Lion, Prov. XXVIII. 1. Dan. III. 16, 17, 18. Psal. III. 6. and XXVII. 3. and XLVI. 3. Job XI. 15. Luke XXI. 28. Prov. IV. 18. Some thus, And wisdome will change the boldnesse of his face to more modesty.

Ecclesiastes 8:2

The Kings commandment] Obedience in the Lord, and for the Lord, Acts V. 29.

the oath of God] Whereby thou hast sworne allegeance to thy Prince, 1 Pet. II. 13. See Ezek. XVII. 15,—21. So as this is both a limitation, and an enforcement of this duty. Papists can slight this oath; And some other too.

Ecclesiastes 8:3

to go out of his sight] Turne not thy back to him discontentedly; fling not away in a chafe. But forbear and submit, Prov. XXV. 15. and chap. XXX. 32. If thou hast offended him, provoke him not more, by persisting in it.

Ecclesiastes 8:4

What dost thou?] Prov. XXX. 31. Job XXXIV. 18. Yet he may be admonished, and altered, as 1 Sam. XIV. 45. as Elias, Micaiah, Nathan, and other Prophets did, he is not absolute, as God is, Job IX. 12. And as the Pope would be, as the Canonists make him.

Whatsoever pleaseth him] Such was their power, specialy in the Eastern Empires.

Ecclesiastes 8:5

the Commandment] Of God, and the King.

shall feele] Know experimentaly.

no evil] No danger of punishment, ver. 3. But being morigerous, and obedient, shall finde good, and encouragement rather, Rom. XIII. 3, 4. Ephes. VI. 8. 1 Tim. II. 2.

a wise mans heart] Yeelds not blinde obedience; But discernes when; and how, both the season, and the meanes and manner of obeying; so to apply himself to the King, as to prevent his displeasure, to gaine his favour; and yet to preserve his conscience and allegeance to the King of Kings. See 1 Chron. XII. 32.

Ecclesiastes 8:6

time] A well chosen season, which is the greatest advantage to any enterprize and action, Prov. XV. 23. Amos V. 13. Acts XXII. 25, —29. and chap. XXIII. 6, 7.

miserie of man] Is great, for not knowing and observing that point of time, that proper season to every action; as the next expresseth.

Ecclesiastes 8:7

For he knoweth not] Jer. VIII. 7. Luke XIX. 42, 44. Man cannot foresee, to prevent the miserie. He is in the dark in regard of future events; He cannot so much as fore-appoint his own actions for the future, much lesse foresee the consequences & issues which would follow thereupon. Prov. XXVII. 1. James IV. 14. Therefore his misery is great upon him, not knowing that point of time and exact season only fit for transacting and dispatching his great affairs, which way is but one; And he so having a thousand wayes to misse the mark, and but one to hit it. Difficult then is this; though not alwayes altogether impossible, Prov. XXII. 3. and XXVII. 12.

Ecclesiastes 8:8

Power over the spirit] To retaine breath and life, to keep it from going away, to prolong it, or to adjourne and proroge death, Psalme XLIX. 7,—10. Heb. IX. 27. no man, no King can do it. The syth of death mowes down as well the Lilies of the Crowne, as the grasse of the field.

no discharge in that warre] No weapon againstit, no dismission from it, no vacation, or exauctoration. Some apply this to the power of a King over the life of a man; and that there is no power in a man to withstand it and escape it, Prov. XVI. 14.

neither shall wickednesse] Sinfull shifts avoid it; though they turne every way, move every stone, make a Covenant with death and hell, Esay XXVIII. 15, 18.

Ecclesiastes 8:9

Ruleth over another to his own hurt] Through his tyrannical rule, and evil government he comes to hurt, punishment and destruction, Esay X. 12. and chap. XIV. 4. 23. 1 Kings XV. 30. Thus he proceeds to another vanity, verse 10.

Ecclesiastes 8:10

The wicked buried] Such wicked Rulers buried magnificently.

who had come and gone] In the administration of Government, as the phrase elsewhere is, to go in and out, Numb. XXVII. 17.

from the place of the holy] Seat of judicature: Where the Holy one sits among the Judges and Rulers, as Lord Paramount.

were forgotten] Their names perished, even in the places where they had so domineered, and been flattered, and been buried, Psalme XXXVII. 9, 10, 35, 36. Prov. X. 7.

Ecclesiastes 8:11

Because sentence] Psal. XXXVII. and Psal. LXXIII. God is patient, willing men should repent, 2 Pet. II. 9. Rom. II. 4. Esay XLVIII. 2. But men abuse this patience of God unto presumption, Fsay V. 19. Ier. XVII. 15. 2. Pet. III. 4. Matth. XXIV. 48, 49. Ezek. XII. 22.

therefore the heart] Therefore wicked Rulers go on more boldly, and other wicked men abuse this patience of God unto presumption. But yet Gods forbearance is no acquittance. If he be slow, yet he is sure; the deeper he draweth his arrow, the soarer it woundeth; his delay abused doubles the blow when it cometh.

Ecclesiastes 8:12

Though a sinner] Yea though he commit the same sinne an hundred times over.

and his dayes be prolonged] In prosperity, and his punishment be delayed.

yet surely I know] Here he answereth that Tentation, whereby the godly are offended, and the wicked hardened.

well with them] Psal. LXXIII. 1. Esay III. 10. He inverts the order, to begin with the remuneration of good men, to strengthen their faith, and comfort them against this tentation, that they may neither fret nor murmur; but go on to hold fast their integrity.

Ecclesiastes 8:13

not be well with the wicked] But very ill, Esay III. 11. Num XXXII. 23. Psal. XI. 6. Nay even his prosperity shall slay him; and this Sunshine ripen them to ruine.

Neither shall he prolong his dayes] Unlesse it be for a curse. And all that while living, he is truly dead; dead in sinne, dead in Law, Mat. VIII. 22. 1 Tim. V. 6. Col. II. 13. Luke XV. 24. Rom. VII. 9. Ephes. II. 5, 7.

Ecclesiastes 8:14

That there be just men] This vanitie and vexation he doth more then once insist upon. It hath gravelled great Divines, and Heathen wise moral men. But all this is done, and falls out here upon the earth; as it is in the words of the Text. The wicked live in pleasure, and receive their good things here, James V. 5. Luke XVI. 25. And the godly receive their rods; Physick and Surgery here. Yet this Solomon speaketh, not to censure the Providence of God, in this distribution of things, but according to judgment of flesh and blood; and thereby to shew the vanity of these earthly things; using an argument against them, like to that argument used against Idolatry, Deut. IV. 19.

Ecclesiastes 8:15

Then I commended mirth] Some make this a sensual and carnal deduction from the former passage and observation. But it seemes rather to accord with that sense formerly expressed, chap. II. 24. and III. 12, 13, 22. and V. 18. That is all that can be reaped from all our labours in earthly things. And that will make our comforts to be much more comfortable; and our troubles to be farre lesse troublesome. Whereas the contrary puts us under the reigne of continual unthankfulnesse, and indisposeth us to all duties of active and passive obedience, takes off the wheeles of the soul, makes it as a limb out of joynt, that can do nothing without paine and deformity.