other. They which went before, did so, so do these now, and so will they do which follow. 3. By no end,' may be meant no satisfaction to desires, no thorough and fixed acquiescency of heart in the people towards their princes; they will still entertain expectations of new men, and new events to satisfy their desires. So the word end,' is used for that wherein the heart may acquiesce, and look no further for something else. (Prov. xxiii. 18) They do not terminate and fix their affections in one man, be he never so wise or worthy; but grow weary of him, and join themselves unto his successor.

Even of all those that have been before them.] Namely, before the father and the son, or successor which was second unto him. The word before may signify either in the presence of them, i. e. who have been officers under them, or done service, and borne allegiance to them; (2 Sam. xvi. 19. 1 Kings x. 8) or else an antecedence in time unto them. They who were before them, did thus languish in their affections to the father, and apply themselves unto the son.

They also that come after, shall not rejoice in him.] i. e. In the son, unto whom now they seem so zealously, and with so much loyalty to join themselves.

Not rejoice.] That is, they will be weary of him, troubled with him, wish themselves freed from him. The verb negative, by a μelwors, seems to import the affirmative contrary unto it, as is usual in Scripture. (Exod. xx. 7. Prov. xvii. 21. Zach. viii. 17. Rom. iv. 19) This then is hereditary to all people, there is no end of it, they can never be settled or contented with the present estate; as they before did dislike the father in expectation of the son, so they after will cast off the son in expectation of the grandchild; and so it will be in all generations.

This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.] This must needs be matter of indignation and grief to princes, to see so much falseness and inconstancy in their people, to see their honour grow old and decrepit with their bodies.

CHAPTER V.

The Wise man, having spoken of the vanity which attendeth on the very highest condition of men here below, seems here to make a kind of digression, and to go yet higher unto the consideration of that which principally concerns man in this life, to wit, the worship of God. This is the supreme remedy of all the other vanities, and may seem here to be subjoined (as also it is in the end of the book) to that purpose, to shew, that though neither knowledge, nor pleasures, nor honours, nor crowns, can make men happy; though it be beyond the sphere and activity of any creature to administer complete tranquillity to the heart of a man; yet even in this life a man may be happy by worshipping of God, and communion with him; as if he should have said, 'We have gone through the world, and sought high there for satisfaction, as ever any man could arrive, even to crowns and thrones, and yet have missed of it. It remains therefore that we go higher yet, before we can be truly happy; and that is, from the world to the sanctuary, from the thrones of princes to the thrones of grace, from the creature to God, in whose service alone there is complete felicity."

But besides this I take it, the scope of the Wise man is, by way of prolepsis or answer to a tacit objection, to discover yet a higher and a stranger vanity than any he had spoken of before, namely, vanity in the worship of God, not as it is in itself, but as it is performed by vain and foolish men. They might say, 'We do easily agree with you in all that you have said; we know we must look above the creatures, if ever we intend to arrive at true happiness: therefore what pains soever we take about things under the sun, yet we seek for our happiness no where but in God, and in his service.' Solomon now, acknowledging the truth of this in the thesis, That the worship of God is the true felicity of man in this life, doth withal assure these men, that they may put vanity in the very worship of God, and render that, by their foolish and carnal performance, wholly unprofitable to any such end; yea there may be therein divers vanities,

(verse 7), for discovery and avoiding whereof, he prescribeth a solemn caveat to those who, being convinced of vanity in the creatures, do go to God in his worship to mend themselves.

This is, 1. General, relating to all parts of God's worship: which is, in our approaches unto God, to look to our affections, and to prepare our hearts to meet with him, not resting in outward sacrifices, which are but the oblations of fools, who think they do well, when in truth they do the contrary. (verse 1)

2. Particular, in some species of worship:

1. In hearing, which (he saith) must be done with readiness, with a docile and tractable spirit, yielding up itself to the whole counsel of God. (verse 1)

2. In prayer and speaking unto God; where is first condemned a double vanity, rashness of tongue, hastiness of heart, both enforced by consideration of God's greatness, and of our own vileness. (verse 2) Secondly, is prescribed fewness of words, without vain and unnecessary babbling, and that because of God's majesty, and the folly of so doing. (verse 3)

3. In vows, which, being once made, are to be performed, and that cheerfully, without grudging or delay; which doctrine he doth, 1. prove, 2. vindicate from shiftings and excuses. He proveth it, 1. By the folly of the contrary course; it argues a levity of spirit to dally, and to be off and on with God, who as he is constant himself in all his promises, so he expecteth constancy from us in all ours. 2. By God's dislike of such folly and falseness. (verse 4)

Next he vindicateth it from a double excuse which men are apt to make:

1. 'It was free for me to vow; the thing was in mine own power; therefore it is not so heinous a thing though I do fail, because I was not bound to what I vowed, till I had vowed it.' This he answereth, that it had been better to have kept this liberty still, and not to have vowed, than, after vows, to resume liberty when it is too late. (verse 5.)

2. But I was mistaken, there was an error in my vow.' To this he gives a double answer, and sets it on with weighty considerations: first, Look well before thou vow, that thou do not bring a bond of sin upon thyself: suffer not thy

VOL. IV.

mouth to cause thee to sin. Secondly, take heed of pretending error and oversight, out of unwillingness to do what thou hast promised: say not that it was an error. For consider, 1. thou art in the presence of the angel. 2. Thou provokest God's anger. 3. The damage which by that anger thou wilt suffer he will destroy the work of thy hands, disappoint thee in that benefit, the preservation whereof thou didst aim at in excusing thy vow. 4. The folly of such vain excuses. There is a vanity in all parts of worship when undertaken by fools or wicked men: the fool's sacrifice, verse 1. the fool's voice, (verse 3.) the fool's vow, (verse 4.) divers vanities in all this. (verse 7)

Now having shewed the vanities in the carnal performance of divine worship, he doth (as he had done formerly in the other vanities which he spake of before) prescribe a remedy of this also, viz. The inward principle of all right and spiritual worship, which is to fear God. (verse 7).

And because it might be objected, that piety itself is not likely to secure a man's tranquillity and peace, inasmuch as we find poor and righteous men every where, all a province over, oppressed and persecuted by great men in high place. He removeth this objection, 1. By showing the compassion of God and his justice; he sees and regards it. 2. The greatness and power of God; that he is higher than any of those that oppress his servants. (ver. 8)

Now he proceedeth to another vanity, which is in riches and outward possessions. They are of two sorts;

1. Substantial and real wealth, in the profits and fruits of the earth, corn, cattle, &c.

2. Instrumental, in that which is, by men's agreement, made a measure to other wealth, viz. silver and gold. Concerning both which he sheweth, 1. The excellency of the former, in regard of real and general profit, before the latter. (verse 9) 2. The vanity both of the one and the other, when 1. inordinately loved. 2. Immoderately increased.

This vanity is shewed, 1. Absolutely, in that the inordinate love of them is unsatisfiable, (ver. 10) and that troubles and cares are proportionably increased in the increase of them. (ver. 11)

2. Comparatively, and that 1. in respect of any real benefit

and good in the fruition of them. The owner hath no more true profit by them, (further than that he looks on them as his own) than any of his friends and servants, who are fed and clothed by them as well as he only his cares are increased. 2. In respect of consequent rest and quietness; the servant's heart is less troubled, his body more refreshed than the owner's. (ver. 12) 3. In regard of the evil effects of riches:

1. The damage and hurt, which sometimes a man lays up with them against himself. (ver. 13)

2. The uncertainty of their abode with a man; having hurt the owners, they perish themselves. (ver. 14)

3. The certainty of parting with them; they must die, they cannot carry one handful away with them. (ver. 15, 16)

4. The sordid and uncomfortable use of them. (ver. 17) 5. Impatience and fretfulness in parting with them, or in getting of them. (ver. 17)

Lastly, he gives the remedy of this vanity and vexation, in the right use of riches, viz. In a free and cheerful enjoyment of them: which is here commended,

1. By its goodness to the owners.

2. By its comeliness and commendableness towards others. 3. By its equity: It is the fruit of a man's own labour, and provided for his own life.

4. The end of it, and his right to it; it is his portion, all that he is ever like to get by it. (ver. 18)

5. The author of it; it is a special gift of God, 1. To give riches. 2. To give an heart to enjoy them. (ver. 19)

6. Freedom hereby from the trouble of all his labours, whent himself tastes the fruit of them, and hath experience of God's special blessing, in answering the desires of his heart, and causing him comfortably to enjoy them. (ver. 20) ·

Ver. 1. Keep thy foot, when thou goest to the house of God.] He had gone up and down the world, from learning to pleasures, from pleasures to honours, from honours to thrones, to find out happiness, and had met with nothing but vanity. Now he sends us to a fitter place to find it, the house of God, whether his temple, or other synagogues, where God is present to those that serve him; here they shall find remedies against the vanity of other things, and that which will stay