c To wit, the time of his death, or of ſome other ſore diſtreſs which God is bringing upon him. Which is oppoſed to the time of ſucceſs mentioned 1n the foregoing Verſe, and man is faid tobe ignoran* both of the one and of the other. 4 That whilft they are ſporting and feeding themſelves, are ſuddenly and ungxpettedly enſnared to thejr ruine, e When they are moſt careleſs and ſecure!
13 This wiſdom have I ſeen falſo under the ſun,and 1t ſeemed great unto me g.
f I have obſerved this among many other inſtances and effeQs of Wiſdom, Which he ſeems toaild for the commendation of Wiſ- dom,notwithſtanding its inſufficiency for Mans ſafery and happineſs without Gods bleſling. g I judged it very praiſeeworthy, though o- thers deſpiſed it, as ir follows. oe
14 There was a little city b,and few men within it;and there came a great king againſt it,and beſieged-it, and built great bulwarks againit it :
h It matters not whether it was a real Hiſtory,or only a patable to reprenſent the common praCtices of men in ſuch caſes.
Is Now chers was found in it a poor wile on : 16
* Ch:2:10,
{ Hel if deat
f Heb:
bare,
"Protes'
be by his wiſdom delivered the city; yer no man re-| | membred that ſame poor man 7- ; £2 | ; He was ſoonneglected and his great ſervice ſo far from being re- . compenſed according to its merit, that both ir and he were quite forgotten. Which may be nored as another great vanity»
16 * Then ſaid I, wiſdom 3s better than ftrengrth & :
neverthelets the poor man's wiſdom 3s deſpiſed /; and
his words are not heard. ; k As was manifeſt in the foregoing inſtance. 7 Becauſe men are gen=rally vain and fooliſh,and have a greater value for outward Or-
naments than for true worth. | | ; : 17 The words of wiſe men m are heard in quiet 0,
more than the cry p of him that ruleth among fools q.
m Though poor, as may be gathered both from the foregoing relation,and becaule he is oppoſed to the ruling fool inthe next clauſe. nTo wit, bywiſe men:or ſhould be heara,as ſuch words are ofc known as Mal. 1: 6; and elſewhere, For that they were not always aC- tually heard he declared in the laſt words of the foregoing Verſe. o Uttered with 2 modeſt and low voice, to which the tollowing cry is oppoſed. p The clamorous and ſenflel[s diſcourſes. q Of a rich and potent, but foliſh Man; who hath ſome influence upon fools, like himfelf, bur is juſtly neglected and his words diſregarded by wiſe men.
18 Wiſdom 3s beter than weapons of war r : but one
I ASTES. 6 Folly is ſer in great dignity p, ahd the rich q ſit in
low place 7. |
Chap
p Fooliſh and unworthy Perſons are ſrequently advanced by the favour or humour of Princes into places of Higheſt Truſt and Dig: nity which is a great reproach and miſchief ro the Prince, and 2 ſore calamity to all People. q Wiſe and worthy men, as is evi- dent, becauſ theſe are oppoſed to foo!sin the former clauſe : ſuch as are rich in endowments of miend « The ground of the expreflion may be this, rhar rich men are Capable of all the advantages of men or Books for the artzinment of Wiſdom, and therefore are ſuppoſed to be wiſe in ſome meaſure. »r NegleRted and diſpiſed, or removed from thoſe High places to which their merits had raiſed them. ES. Gs
7 I hays feen ſervants s * upon horſes :, and walking as ſervants upon Earth «.
s Men ofa ſervie condition and diſpoſition, who are altogether unfit for places of Dignity. £ Riding upon Horſes, as a Badge of their Dignity, as Eff: 6: 8, 9g. Jer. 17: 25. Ezek: 23; 23- s Which was the cafe of his own Father, 2 Sam: 15: 39» - ' ©;
8 * He that diggeth a. pit x ſhall fall into ity ; and whoſo breaketh an hedge Za ſerpent aſball bite him. '
x With chis deſign that another may unwares fall into it. y Shall through Gods juſt Judgment be deſtroyed by his own wicked dee vices. z Whereby anorher mans Fields, or Vineyards, or Orchards, are diſtinguiſhed and fenced, that he may. either enter upon them
ſinner 5 deſtroyeth much good r. |
+ Than armed power, 5s A wicked fool. By which expreſſion and oppoſition of a Sinner to a Wiſe Man he gives us a Key to underſtand his meaning in divers places of his Books, that by Wiſdom he means true Piety. and by folly, wickedneſs: and withal ſhewerh that fin as it is the greateſt folly,ſoit is more pernicious to men than meer folly | properly {o called. £ By his wicked counſels and courles brings | much damage and miſchief both to himſclf and others,
CHAP. L |
Obſervations on Wiſdom and Folly, 1——3, Of Rulers, 4 — 7.0f Wrong and Injuſtice, 8, = Io, Of Talkativeneſs; Imprudence, and its Miſ= chiefs, 11 15: Kings, hurtful, and deffrable,16, 17. Of Slochy 18. Feaſts 19; The King miſt not be Curſed, 20,
f Ead flies « cauſe the ointment of the apothecary { Heb: files D to ſend forth a ſtinking ſavour: ſo deth a little ! death, folly him that is in reputation for wiſdom and honourb. a Falling into it and abiding and being putrifed in it, eſpecially 3n thoſe Countries, where there were more filthy and 'venemous Flies. and where the Oyntments were more pure,and where the Air was more hot than in theſe parts 6 Which comes to paſs, partly becauſe all the Actions, and conſequently the tollies, of ſuch men are moſt diligently obſerved and ſooneſt diſcerned and tofſed abour in the mouths of men,whereas Fools 8 all their carriages are gene- rally diſregarded ; and partly becauſe of that envious and malicious diſpoſition of mens minds which makes them quick ſighted to diſ- cover, and glad to hear and forward to declare the faults of ſuch as
by their greater eminency did our-ſhine and obſcure them,
2 A wiſe man's heart c 5s at his right hand 4; but a
fools heart is at his left e.
ci, e. His underſtanding or wiſdom. @ Is always preſent with him and ready to dire& him in all hisaQtions, He manageth all his affairs prudently and piouſly. He mentions the right hand becauſe
that is the chief and moſt common inſtrument of ations, which by moſt men are done with more ſtrength and expedition and orderli- nefs and comelineſs by their right hand than by their left. e His inderſtanding and knowledge ſerves him only for idle ſpeculation and vain Oftentation, bur is net at all uſeful or effeQual to govern his affe&ions and aftions. He acts prepoſterouſly and fooliſhly,like one without heart, as it follows
3 Yeaalſo when he that is a fool walketh by the way f, | his wiſdom faileth him g, and he faith to every
one that he is a fool þ.