ry There isa fit way and ſeaſon for the happy 'accompliſhment of very buſineſs which a man defigneth or undertaketh to do, which 'S known tro God, but for the moſt parr hidden from man, as is1m+ alyed and may be gathered from the following words.See the Notes on Ch: 3. 1. 5 Becauſe there are very few who have that Wiſdom
» hich isneceſlary to diſcern this, as was now ſaid, v: 5. and moſt men do by their ignorance&loſs of opportunities deprive themſelves
of many adyantages, and expoſe themſelves to manifold _—_ _
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7 For * he knoweth not that which ſhal be z : for
who can tell him « || when it (bal be ?
: Men are generally ignorant of all future events, and of the ſuc- ceſs of their endeavours, and therefore their minds are greatly dif- quieted,and their expeQations frequently diſappointed, and they fall into many miſtakes and miſcarriages, which they could and would prevent if they did foreſee the iſſues of things, # No wiſe Man,no Aſtroioger or other Artiſt can diſcover this. ;
8 Th:re i* no man that hathpower * over the ſpirit x to retain the ſpirit y;neither hath he power in the day v of death:and rhere is no || diſcharge @ in that war b,neither
ſhal wickedneſs deliver thoſe that are given to ite.
x i: e. The Soul of Man, which is ofr called a Spirit, as Job 7. 7+ & 10; 12. Pſal; 78; 39+ & 140; 29, &c. y To keep it in the Body beyond the rime whicaGod hath allotted to it. This is added avano- tacr evidence of Mans miſerys z Or, againſt the day, i.e. to avoid or delay that day. # As there is in other Wars, when Soldiers ei- ther are Cifmiſſed from the ſervice,or eſcape by flight or otherwiſe. b Tn that fa:al conflict between Life and Death,between Nature and the Diſeaſe, when a Ma is ſtruggling with Death, though ro no purpoſe, for Death ſhall always be Conqueror. c And although wicked men, wizo molt fear Death, uſe all poſſible means, whether good or bad, to free themſelves from this deadly blow, yet they 1ha!l not eſcape it.
s All this 4I have ſeen, and applied my heart unto every work e that is done under the fun : there is a time
wherein one man ruleth overanother e to hisown hurt.
d Ail theſe things before mentioned. e I have been a diligent obſerver of all a&ions and evenrs. There are ſome Kings who ule their power tyra:nically and wicked!y, whereby they do not only oppreſs their Pcopie,but hurt themielves,by bringing the vengeance of God and en upon their own heads. Which is here noted partly for tae terrour of Tyrants,and partly for the caution and comfort of Suvje&s groaning under thoſe heavy preſſures which they are not able to remove,thar they may forbear un'awful or rebel1ious courſes and quietly commit themſelves and their cauſe roGod, who juadgeth righte-uſly,and who both can and will call the greareſt Monarchs to a {ad account for all their impious and unrighreous courſes.
10 And {of Ifaw the wicked g buried þb, who had. come | and gone z from the place of the holy &, and they were forgotten /in the city wkere theyhad fo done 7: this is alſo vanity .
f In 'ike manner, or ſuch another vanity or diſorder. g Wicked Princes orRulers as the next clauſe limits this.þ Die quierly in their Beds and afcerward be buried with ſtare and pomp.whereas in truth they d-ſerved an untimely end,«no other than the burial of anAlſs. ; Who had adminiftred publick Juſtice and Government, which is frequently ſignified by the Phraſe of :omn7g in and gormg out before the People, as Numb. 27; 17. Deut: 31: 2. The LXX Jewilh Interpreters, whom ſome others follow,render the word,thcy were praiſed, applaud- ed and adored by the variation of one Letter in the Hebrew word, which alſo is very like that Lerter which is in the Text. k By which he underſtands e:ther 1. the Holy City Jeruſalem, or the Holy Land witere Iſrael dwelt; which may be added to aggravate the wicked- neſs of ſuch Perſons from the OQbligations,and Counſels,and Exam= ples which they had to do better rhings. Or, 2. the ſear of Mzjeſty, and Judgment, which may well be called :he place, or ſeat of the Hoe ly, i; e. of God, who is called the Holy ove, Habak. 3: 3. and off elſewhere, who is in a ſpecial manner pre'enrt in, and preſident cver thoſe places, whoſe work, and for whom, and in whoie Name and Stead Magiſtrates a&,who therefore are called gods; of all which ſee Exod: 22: 28, Deut, 1. 17,1 Chron: 29: 23. Plal: 82:1, &c. And the Throne orT ribunal ſeems to be ſo called here,to aggravate their wic- kedneſs,who beingSacred Perſons and advanced by God into fo High and Sacred a place,betrayed fo great a rruſr, and both praQtiſed and encouraged rhat wickedneſs which by theirOffice they were obliged to ſupprets and puniſh. 1 Whereas they deſigned to ſpread and per- petuate their Names and Memories toſucceeding Ages, Pſal; 49:11, 9 i:e, Come to and go from the place of the Holy ; where they lived in great ſplendor, and were buried with great magnificence: which might have kept up their remembrance at leaſt in chat place. 2 That men ſhould ſo earneftly thirſt after & pleaſe themſelveswith worldly greatneſs and glory, which is ſo ſoon exti:Q,and the very memory of it quickly worn out of the minds of men.
1 1*Becauſc fentence agsinFt an evil work o1s not exe- cuted ſpeedily,therefore p the heartof the ſons of men
is fully ſet qin them to do evil,
o Or, the Decree, &c, Gods determinate counſel or ſentence for the puniſhment of Tyrants andall evil doers, p Becauſe Gods for= bearance makes them preſumptuous and ſecure,and confident of ims punity. 9 Heb, is filled, is carried on with full fail, as the Scuenry underſtand it, like a Ship with a ſtrong and violent wind + or, is bold or preſumptuous, as the ſame Phrale is underſtood, Eſther 7; Fe As 5. 3. : :
12. Thougha finner do evil an hundred times r, and his days s be prolonged, yet ſurely I know that * itſhall
be well with them chat fear God 7, which fear before
Ikzuo,i, him «, *