10 rect a complaining temper. Say not thou, What is [the caufe] that the former days were better than these? for thou doft not enquire wifely concerning this; we do not know that they were better; there have been good and bad in all ages. We read much of the best and little of the worst; God has wife reasons for the prefent ftate of things; there is no age fo bad but we may be good in it, and thofe that are most free in their complaints, may be fure that there are fome perfons not fo good as they should be, that is, themselves, or II elfe they would not complain. Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance: and [by it there is] profit to them that fee the fun; otherwife a rich man is only more ridiculous, 12 wicked, and mischievous. For wisdom [is] a defence, [and] money [is] a defence; both are useful in their place: but the excellency of knowledge [is, that] wifdom giveth life to them that have it; religious knowledge Supports under the troubles of life, gives prefent peace, and fecures everlasting felicity. Another way to happiness is to accommodate our felves to the different conduct of providence. 13 Confider the work of God: for who can make [that] straight, which he hath made crooked? God will pro14 ceed in his own way and we cannot alter his purpofe. In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adverfity confider: God alfo hath fet the one over against the other, to the end that man fhould find nothing after him. God hath fo chequered human life, that we cannot from the prefent prognofticate what will be hereafter, or find any thing upon the whole to complain of, or order for the bet15 ter. All [things] have I feen in the days of my vanity: there is a juft [man] that perifheth in his righteousness, or rather, notwithstanding his righteousness, yea, upon account of it; and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his life] in his wickedness; a wicked man fometimes enjoys 16 great and long profperity. Be not righteous over much; neither make thyfelf over wife: why shouldst thou deftroy thyself? Do not expose yourselves to calamity by imprudence, excessive rigour, or intemperate zeal, which may bring upon you contempt and perfecution. On the other hand, 17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldst thou die before thy time? The greatest danger

danger lies on the other fide, of bringing mischief upon yourfelves by criminal indulgences, by the hand of a magiftrate, or of God. These two verses are fimilar to our Lord's ex18 hortation, Be wife as ferpents and harmless as doves.' [It is] good that thou shouldft take hold of this; yea, alfo from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God fhall come forth of them all: it is good to take care in both thefe refpects; a truly pious, confcientious man will prudently decline dangers, and faithfully perform his duty. 19 Wisdom ftrengtheneth the wife more than ten mighty [men] which are in the city, in particular by leading them to avoid extremes. It is not to be expected it will be fo diligently purfued and regarded, as to preferve men from all 20 error and mifery; For, or rather furely, [there is] not a juft man upon earth, that doeth good, and finneth not, therefore they have more need of my inftructions; and par21 ticularly, Alfo take no heed unto all words that are spoken; left thou hear thy fervant curse thee; be not fevere in cenfuring private injuries; if you have a regard to your own peace, do not hearken to tatlers and talebearers, nor be too inquifitive what people fay or think of you; elfe you will meet with vexatious reports from fome who are your inferiors, who depend upon you and are obliged to you. To fee and not to fee, to hear and not to hear, is a fecret which 22 will be very useful to a man in his journey thro' life. For oftentimes alfo thine own heart knoweth that thou thyfelf likewife haft cursed others, who have been equally thy fuperiors, and treated the reputation of others as unkindly as thy own is treated; learn therefore to make candid allowances, and confider the weakness and depravity of human

23

nature.

All this have I proved by wisdom: I faid, I will be wife; but it [was] far from me; I found great difficulty in getting wisdom, and did not keep to my own good refolu 24 tion. That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? The compass is fo large, and temptations fo many, that both my knowledge and virtue had their im25 perfections. I applied mine heart to know, and to fearch, and to feek out wisdom, and the reafon [of things,] and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolish

nefs

nefs [and] madness, what was the greatest folly and mad26 nejs a man could be chargeable with. And I find more bitter than death the woman, whofe heart [is] fnares and nets, [and] her hands [as] bands: whofo pleaseth God fhall escape from her; but the finner fhall be taken by her. I found nothing more puzzling to the human understanding and dangerous to virtue than the arts of a wicked woman; the groffer fnares and a fondness for meats and drinks, a watchful, pious man may escape; but she is fo great a plague, that God often gives a man up to her, as a 27 punishment for his former fins. Behold, this have I found, faith the preacher, [counting] one by one, to find out 28 the account: Which yet my foul feeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all thofe have I not found. He diligently obferved the characters of all about him, and found very few men worthy of friendship and throughly to be trusted, whofe real fentiments and difpofitions he could find out; and fewer women that were fo; he had generally found more wisdom, goodness, true friendship, and lefs artifice among men than 29 women; but this is not to be charged upon God: Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have fought out many inventions; they have perverted their own ways, corrupted their original integrity, and devifed many excufes for neglecting their duty. chapter is fo practical that we need not enter upon any particular reflections. Let it be seriously reviewed, that we may learn from it to cultivate a ferious, prudent, humble, patient Spirit; let the concluding part especially teach young men to be exceeding watchful against bad women, and exceeding cautious in the choice of wives; and younger women to be ambitious to retrieve the honour of their fex, and cultivate integrity, openness, and honour, which will be pleafing to God, and will render them amiable and useful in the world.

This

CHAP.

CHAP. VIII.

Solomon proceeds to fome prudential directions which will conduct a man to true happiness; beginning with a general encomium upon wisdom.

I

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5

HO [is] as the wife [man?] who is fo excellent

WE

as he? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? understands things himself, and is useful to others? a man's wisdom maketh his face to fhine, and the boldnefs of his face fhall be changed; it gives him an agreeable countenance, takes away every thing morofe, four, and forbidding, and gains him refpect and esteem.

2 I [counfel thee] to keep the king's commandment in all lawful things, and [that] in regard of the oath of God; not merely to avoid his difpleasure, but out of a 3 principle of confcience and a regard to God. Be not hafty to go out of his fight, to leave his prefence or fervice thro' paffion and difcontent: ftand not in an evil thing; if thou haft in any respect offended, tho' thou mayeft efcape him for a while, he will find an opportunity to punish thee; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. Where the word of a king [is, there is] power to execute his commands: and who may fay unto him, What doest thou? who fball call him to an account without extreme hazard? Whofo keepeth the commandment, continues dutiful and loyal, fhall feel no evil thing: and a wife man's heart discern. eth both time and judgment; how to withdraw from publick affairs without offending the prince, and when and how 6 to give him humble advice. Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the mifery of man [is] great upon him; men fuffer much for want of prudence in not obferving and feizing fit times, efpecially in For he knoweth not that which fhall be: for 7 courts. who can tell him when it fhall be? he neither knows nor can any one tell him when the like opportunity will return. 8 [There is] no man that hath power over the fpirit to retain the fpirit; neither [hath he] power in the day of death: and [there is no difcharge in [that] war; meither fhall wickedness deliver those that are given to

it. Probably this is faid with particular reference to princes; let them confider, that there is no giving law to men's thoughts; and likewife, that death is haftening towards them, when they must give an account of all their tyranny 9 and oppreffion. All this have I feen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the fun: [there is] a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt, yea, fometimes is dethroned and ruined in 10 this world. And fo 1 faw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the Holy, that is, the feat of judgment, which is God's place, and they were forgotten in the city where they had fo done; their pomp vanished with them, and could not fo much as fecure them an honourable remembrance: this [is] alfo vanity.

God has denounced a righteous fentence upon them, but II Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the fons of men is fully fet in them to do evil; they grow licentious by the delay, and think of nothing but doing mischief.

12

d

Though a finner do evil an hundred times, and his [days] be prolonged, yet furely I know that it fhall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him; who, notwithstanding all the oppreffions they fuffer, continue 13 obedient to him and their governors: But it fhall not be well with the wicked, neither fhall he prolong [his] days, [which are] as a fhadow; because he feareth not before God: plainly implying that there is a happiness int referve for every good man; in comparison with which, a hundred years of profperity enjoyed by a finner, are not worth mentioning: but they fee not this diftinction made at 14 prefent. There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be juft [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; just men aserreproach VOL. V.

2

K

פיי

3 ed, 4 As eastern executions were done fpeedily, perhaps this may intimate, that if God's judgments were as fpeedy as their's, they would not dare to act as they do.