Ecclesiastes 10

Ecclesiastes 10:1-3

This chapter informs us that it is our wisdom. 1. To preserve our reputation in managing our affairs deservedly, ver. 1—3. 2. To be subsequent to our suppliers, if at any time we have offended them, ver. 4. 3. To live quiet and peaceable lives, because of the folly and danger of disloyal and turbulent practices, ver. 8, 9, 10, 11. 4. To govern our tongues well, ver. 12—15. 5. To be diligent in our business, and provide well for our families, ver. 18, 19. 6. Not to speak ill of our rulers, no act in secret, ver. 20. 7. That rulers should be careful whom they prefer to places of trust and power, ver. 5, 6, 7. 8. Let them manage themselves dislopathy, be generous, and not chastely; temperate, and not luxurious, ver. 10, 17. And happy the nation when princes and people make unfeasible of their duty according to these rules.

1. 2. DEAD flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a flinking favour: so doth a little roily him that is in reputation for wisdom and ho-

court. 2. A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart is at his left. 3. Yes, also when he stout in a fool walketh by the way, & his wisdom feileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

The purest which the yourself receives a fall; therefore,

1. They who have the reputation of wisdom, and make the highest provisions of religion, should be the most exact and careful in their conduct, seeing the eyes of men are upon them, ready to discern, and willing to expect, their foothold usurances. As dead flies give the fowceth owenour into which they fall in ill favour, so doth a little folly, an inadvertent step, an unguarded word, or a useful compliance, expose him to reproach, that is in reputation for wisdom and honour; the world will make no allowances for human infirmity, or the force of temptation, but looking with envy on superior excellence, are happy to seize every shadow of abuse, to degrade them to their own leash, and triumph that they are no better than themselves. May it make us, therefore, more circumspect in our words and words, when so many wait for our halting!

2. The wise are desirous in the management of their affairs, their heart is at their right hand; in difficulties, they have presence of mind to extricate themselves, and in all their transactions, execute with vigour what they join with prudence: but a fool’s heart is at his left, he is awkward in his business, absurd in his contrivances, and if put a fizz out of his way, confused and at a loss: nay, he hath not sense enough to conceal his folly; it appears in his very gait, in his conversation, in all his transactions; and whoever makes the most cursory remarks upon his conduct, must be convinced that he is a fool.

3. If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place: for yielding pardeth great offences. 5. There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler. 6. Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich set in low place. 7. I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth. 8. He that digeth a pit, shall fall into it; and whoever breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. 9. Which removeth thence, shall be hurt therewith: and he that cleaveth wood, shall be endangered thereby. 10. If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, shea must be put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

Ecclesiastes 10:4-10

They who would learn to rule, or to obey, must hear these lessons of instruction.

1. Let subjects passively submit. If the spirit of a ruler rise up against thee, whether through any real provocation given, or misrepresentation made by others, leave not thy place; quit not his service in passion, nor throw up the employments in ill mind, much less renounce allegiance and loyalty, but wait a while, and the storm will blow over; or an opportunity be afforded to vindicate injured innocence, for yielding pardeth great offences; and gives time for wrath to subside, which anger and opposition would but exasperate, and render more implacable.

2. Let rulers take heed whom they prefer to places of trust and honour; for it is a great evil, yet a common error, their favour, recommendation, or partiality, without considering the qualifications of the persons, to put those in office who are most unfit to govern. Folly is set in high dignity; men who are weak; and unable to discharge the duties of their station; or wicked, and disposed to abuse their power and influence: and the rule, men of character and fortune, who were removed by their circumstances from the temptation of doing a mean thing, or men of grace and power, so in less place neglected and slighted. I have seen servants upon horses, those of a mercenary spirit and low extraction, exalted, as the tools of an unspurious administration; and princes walking as servants upon the earth, degraded and inflicted by these upstart minions of power.

3. Let both prince and people beware of innovations, and keep within their due bounds; least turning prerogative into tyranny, or liberty into licentiousness, the fatal consequences should (too late) be felt and lamented. For as he that digeth a pit, is in danger of falling into it; he that breaks a hedge, of being stung by the eyes which is concealed in it, v. 8. he that removeth stones from a wall, of being crushed by its fall; and he that cleaveth wood, of being hurt by the chips that fly from the stroke, v. 9. so where princes turn oppressive and tyrannical, break in upon the liberties of the people, seek to demolish the constitution, render the government arbitrary, and employ force to put their designs in execution; they provoke the people to rise up against them, and get themselves destroyed and murdered. As on the other hand, when factious discontented spirits contrive to bring about a change in the government, would now defend among the people under pressure of zeal for liberty, would retrench the just rights of the crown, and alter the constitution, they often, by their irredenable practices, make a baler for themselves, and lawless liberty terminates in

abject 1. Chap. viii. 2. Prop. xxv. Robert Christ

371. object slavery: wisdom is therefore preferable to deceit, have both should behave in their stations; and hereby we save ourselves much trouble and damage; as when a tool is sharpened, it works easily, but when blunt, requires more violence, and the chips fly more dangerously around.

372. Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment, and a babbier is no better. 12. The words of a wife man’s mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. 13. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. 14. A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? 15. The labour of the foolish weareth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

373. 11—15. We have here,

374. The evil of a babbling tongue, v. 11. It is venomous as the poison of a serpent, it flings mortally, without enchantment, or without a whisper, or bells, and gives no warning.

375. The opposition between the words of the foolish and the wife. The words of a wife man’s mouth are gracious, he gives the most favourable character of others; speaks well of those who are in authority over him; seeks some topic of conversation that may be useful, and mindful grace to the hearers; none go from his company, without an opportunity of being the wife; and better for it: but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself; giving a look to his tongue, he speaks evil of dignities, involves himself in quarrels, and brings ruin upon himself. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; he no sooner opens his lips, than his folly is manifest to all that hear him, and the end of his talk is mischievous madness; he talks himself into a passion, grows abusive and violent, and flicks at no mischief. A fool also is full of words, never knows when to have done, and weareth the company with his nonsense; affects to understand every thing, and though utterly ignorant, engulfeth the silhouette to himself; and with endless tautologies repeats his true observations, v. 14. or vainngiously boasts of what he will do, and what he expects hereafter, when even the wield of men know not what a day may bring forth.

376. The works of the fool are as fruitless as his words. The labour of the foolish weareth every one of them; they take the wrong way, and therefore cannot but labour in vain, because he knoweth not how to go to the city; he mistakes the path, though never so obvious, and is bewildered: and this is spiritually true of the infatuated sinner, and the self-righteous, who say they are on the road to the heavenly city, but know not Christ the way; and therefore, every step they take, even their prayers, their alms, and most boasted duties, but remove them farther from the gate of heaven.

377. ¶ 1. Wo to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning. 17. Bleffed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength and not for drunkenness.

v. 16, 17. The happiness or misery of a kingdom greatly depends on the character of its governors. A prince of a weak and childish spirit, unable to guide the reins, or debauched and luxurious, who devotes his time to the service of his lusts and pleasures, neglects public affairs, and devolves them to the management of those, weak or wicked as himself, is a curse to the land over which he presides. But a light art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, ennobled by the virtues of his royal progenitors, which he imitates, as well as the blood derived from them; and thy princes eat in due season for strength, and not for drunkenness, where the subordinate magistrates are wisely chosen of the most virtuous, temperate, and sober; whose care it is continually how to discharge their office, and whom excels never disqualifies for business.

18. ¶ By much foolishness the building decayeth, and through silences of the hands the house droppeth through. 19. A feast is made for laughter, and wise maketh merry: but money answereth all things. 20. ¶ Curle not the king, no not in thy thought, and curle not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bard of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

Ecclesiastes 10:18-20

Three things are here observed.

1. The great evil of flesh. By much foolishness the building decayeth, no care being taken timely to repair the branches; and through silences of the hands the house droppeth through, smoldering fast to ruin, and falling to the ground. Thus the flake suffers under stothful magistrates, and the soul of the sinner receives hereby irreparable damage.

Vol. I.

2. A feast is made for laughter, where social mirth crowns the board, and wins maketh merry; but money answereth all things pertaining to this life, which it can procure. Particularly, it is the sinews of war, and the great resource in the exigencies of the state, and therefore not to be squandered by princes in extravagance.

3. The secret designs of treason will be detected. Curle not a king, however ill his conduct may be, as not in thy thought; and curle not the rich, the inferior magistrates, even though oppressive, in thy bedchamber; never so secretly in thy family, or in the most private club, or affliction: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, their spies are ever within hearing, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter, (with the intelligence of these secret plots) shall be conveyed, and the consequence be the destruction of the contrivers.