ance in the attack of spiritual enemies; and the body of Christ will be edified, while the members are knit together in love.

5. We learn, that to be unwilling to be admonished, is one of the worst and most contemptible of characters. A wise child, an humble, teachable person, is much more worthy and honourable than a conceited obstinate old king, with all the dignity that his crown and age could give him. This is often the case of the rich and great; it is often the case of the aged; they think themselves above admonition, especially if those who give it are poorer or younger than themselves. Those who need admonition most, bear it worst. But let us show that we are wise (at least not incorrigible fools) by receiving admonition calmly and thankfully, and setting ourselves to correct our errors, and go on to perfection.

CHAP. V.

Solomon having described the vanity of the world in many instances, and hinted that religion was the only antidote against it, here proceeds to caution against those errors in religion into which men are ready to fall; and then returns to the vanity of power and wealth.

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EEP thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; consider what thou art going about, and behave in the most reverent manner; do not run hastily and rashly into the divine presence ;* and be more ready to hear, to be instructed in his will, and to obey it, than to give the sacrifice of fools, such sacrifices as wicked men frequently offer: for they consider not that they do evil; they do not consider that while they go on in wicked courses,. or worship in an indecent manner, they are adding to their guilt. 2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to tter [any] thing before God by way of prayer or vow: for God [is] in heaven, and thou upon earth, he is highly exalted above thee therefore let thy words be few, that is, well considered. 3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice [is known] by multitude of words; as a multitude of business occasions confused dreams, so in multitudes of words. men are led to say vain and foolish things before they are aware. 4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for [he hath] no pleasure in fools; he is highly displeased with them: pay that which thou hast vowed, for God is not to be jested with, 5 Better [is it] that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay; the one being only a neglect, the other a direct 6 contempt of the divine majesty. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; do not entangle thyself with a needless vow, which the frailty of human nature may lead thee to break ;† nei

Here is an allusion to the eastern custom of putting off the shoe in token of reverence; as putting off the hat, and uncovering the head is among us.

+ Absolute vows against marriage, certain food, or recreations, are to be avoided; for by breaking the vow those things may become sinful which in their own nature are indifferent

ther say thou before the angel, to the priest, when thou bringest a sacrifice, or the angels that are present at divine worship, that it [was] an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? This is offensive to God, 7 and tends to bring a curse on what thou doest. For in the multitude of dreams and many words [there are] also [divers] vanities; many words uttered in a solemn manner without due consideration, as vows or prayers, are as vain as dreams: but fear thou God; reverence his presence and majesty, and do not offend him by thy rashness.

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter for [he that is] higher than the highest regardeth; and [there be] higher than they; there is one higher than the oppressors, who will punish them for it.

Moreover the profit of the earth is for all; another reason against covetousness; the necessaries of life are easily obtained; vegetable nature supplies the whole animal world, and all men, even the greatest, yea, the king [himself] is served by the field. 10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; he will never think he has enough; nor he that loveth abundance with 11 increase this [is] also vanity. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; there is a larger family and retinue, and therefore more expense; and others enjoy his wealth as much as he and what good [is there] to the owners thereof, saving 12 the beholding [of them] with their eyes. The sleep of a labouring man [is] sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep; it brings cares which counterbalance the satisfaction it affords, and which 13 often prevent his repose. There is a sore evil [which] I have seen under the sun, [namely,] riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt; the rich are sometimes marked out as objects of oppression and ruin in arbitrary countries, and anxiety often de14 stroys their health, their peace, and their souls. But those riches perish by evil travail, by extravagance and imprudence: and be begetteth a son, and [there is] nothing in his hand; he leaves his family impoverished, which is so much the worse, as his son was educated with the hope of a fortune, so that he is reduced to pec15 liar calamity. As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand; if no other accident deprives him of his wealth, yet death will strip him of all. 16 And this also [is] a sore evil, [that] in all points as he came, so shall he go and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? who hath taken abundance of pains for that which he can no 17 more hold than he can the wind? All his days also ne eateth in darkness, either does not allow himself the conveniences of life, or is disturbed by irregular passions, so that he has no comfort in his enjoyments; and [he hath] much sorrow and wrath with his sickness; sickness and confinement are feculiarly grievous to him,

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because they take him off from his favourite pursuits, and are likely to end in death, when he must leave all his possessions behind him. Behold [that] which I have seen: [it is] good and comely [for one] to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it [is] his portion, all that falls to his share 19 of the enjoyments and possessions of life. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this [is] the gift of God; it ought to be acknowledged as 20 a singular fruit of his bounty. For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth [him] in the joy of his heart; he shall not think life tedious and long, nor be too much concerned at the evils that befall him, because God gives him inward tranquillity, the pleasures of religion, communion with himself, and the hope of a glorious immortality; these amply compensate all his trouble and sorrow.

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REFLECTIONS.

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E have need to be extremely cautious that our religious services be not vain and sinful. There is much excellent advice on this head in the former part of the chapter, that should be seriously recollected every sabbath. We should enter upon divine worship with a solemn pause, with great composure of spirit, and all external marks of reverence. Sensible of the infinite distance between God and us, let us attend to the words we utter, and join heartily in those which are uttered in our name. Our prayers in general ought to be short, because (if they be long) it is next to impossible to keep up a due attention and fervent affection. Let us also remember the caution here given about our vows. christians, we ought to recollect and pay them. It were a sad thing that our worship should be vain; that we should be doing evil when we think we are doing good. To imagine that God will connive at our sins, because we pay him solemn worship, is a high affront and indignity. By such services men are contracting new guilt, instead of atoning for past.

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2. We see of what admirable use the fear of God is. A sense of his presense and providence, and a reverence for his majesty and authority, will prevent our being disturbed by our own or others' dreams; it will also prevent our being astonished or dejected at the oppression, violence, or injustice that are in the earth. For we shall be sensible that God sees it all, and will reckon for it in the day of the revelation of his righteous judgment. May we then sanctify the Lord of hosts in our hearts, and make him our fear and our dread.

3. The frequent views which Solomon gives us of the vanity of riches, should engage us all to seek a better, even an enduring substance. We see Solomon's observations on the vanity, uncertainty,

and troubles attending wealth daily verified. But religion is a substantial good; it satisfies the soul; contributes to the usefulness of the day, and the repose of the night it assuredly brings true prosperity to those that possess it; and furnishes them with peace and comfort even in sickness and death. They do not regret to leave the world, as their treasure is laid up in heaven. On the whole, religion makes wealth a blessing, or turns poverty into an honourable and happy state; as it gives that joy of heart which the greatest abundance of the world can never give.

CHAP. VI.

Solomon proceeds to show the vanity of wealth and the evil of sordid covetousness. He had mentioned a heart to use what we have as a great blessing, he here observes, that it is not always to be found, and that without it a man is miserable in his greatest abundance.

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HERE is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it [is] common among men: A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it; he is a mere slave to his money, and lays up for he knows not who: this [is] vanity, 3 and it [is] an evil disease. If a man beget an hundred [children,] and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also [that] he have no burial; if a man have many children of his own, which among the Jews was reckoned a singular favour, yet grudges himself the comforts of life; or if he make no provision for his decent funeral, or his heir have such a contempt for him that he will not allow him such a funeral, I say, [that] an untimely, that is, an 4 abortive birth [is] better than he. For he, that is, the abortive child, cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his 5 name shall be covered with darkness. Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known [any thing :] this hath more rest than the other; as he hath never enjoyed the pleasures, he hath never felt the calamities of life, so that he who hath deprived himself of its comforts, and plunged himself into its sorrows, is the greater suf6 ferer. Yea, though he live a thousand years twice [told,] yet bath he seen no good: do not all go to one place? in a little time both of them shall be upon a level.

7 All the labour of man [is] for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled; the desires of the body are soon satisfied, but the 8 craving of a distempered heart never is. For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living? The wise man who knoweth how to govern his fancy, and a poor man who knoweth how to behave suitable to his condition, and restrains unreasonable desires, is more honourable VOL. V. M

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and happy than wealthy misers: or if it be taken as a question, the 9 answer follows; Better [is] the sight of the eyes, than the wandering of the desire this [is] also vanity and vexation of spirit; it is better that a man should take up with that which is before him, that is, what he can see and comfortably enjoy, than suffer his desires to wander, and plunge himself into that vanity and sorrow, which insatiable desires tend to produce: this is the advantage of the wise man above the fool.

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That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it [is] man; whatever his condition be, however honourable, he is but a man, (referring to the name of Adam, which signifies earth,) a lump of clay, subject to many accidents, and many painful events, which he cannot prevent or remove neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he, that is, almighty God, with whom none can contend with success; he hath subjected the whole human race to vanity, and it is found in every circumstance of life, though not equally in all. The conclusion of this part of my 1 subject therefore is, Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what [is] man the better for all his wealth and honour, all 12 his labours and anxieties? For who knoweth what [is] good for man in [this] life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun? Whatever his circumstances are, he must not dream of any enjoyment in mortal life that shall be free from a mixture of vanity, since it appears in so many shapes, that we hardly know what is best for us; especially considering the uncertainty of events that may arise during our lives and after our deaths.

REFLECTIONS.

YONSIDERING how differently earthly things are disNbuted by Providence, we may be sure that they are not the best things. God often gives wealth and honour, and children to the wicked; to those who have no wisdom or grace to improve them; which is a plain proof that he does not esteem them as his choicest favours: therefore let us not seek them inordinately; nor value ourselves too much upon them. Let us be content and thankful without them: especially if we have been taught to seek better blessings, and hope for substantial, everlasting good.

2. Whatever differences and distinctions there are among men, they all go to one place. The rich and the poor, the aged and the young, the wise and the foolish, go alike to the grave, the land of silence and darkness. We are all but men of the earth, and must quickly return thither again; let this thought check the risings of pride, envy, and detraction; and promote candour, meekness, and Iove.

3. How kind is God in giving us the necessaries of life so easily, and in punishing our inordinate passions with disappointment. To be contented with what nature requires, and restrain inordinate desires, is a most important branch of wisdom. God has consulted