tountenance, and they disdain to look on their inferiors; do not 14 learn their haughty, senseless manners. [There is] a generation, whose teeth [are as] swords, and their jaw teeth [as] knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from [among] men; tyrannical, arbitrary people, who oppress and grind the poor; have no connection with such men as these. The next question is, What is most insatiable?

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The horseleach hath two daughters, a forked tongue, which greedily seeketh blood, [crying,] Give, give. There are three [things that] are never satisfied, [yea,] four [things] say not, 16 [It is] enough; are as insatiable: The grave, that swallows every succeeding generation; and the barren womb, that is eagerly desirous of children; the earth, particularly in hot countries, [that] is not filled with water; and the fire [that] saith not, [It is] enough, but devours all that is thrown into it. He then adds the doom of the disobedient children mentioned in the eleventh verse.

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The eye [that] mocketh at [his] father for his infirmities, and despiseth to obey [his] mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it; his body shall be exposed as a malefactor, or he shall die in some desolate place; the vengeance of God shall find him abroad, though the tenderness of his abused parents may spare him at home.

To the next question, What is most obscure and unaccountable ? 18 he answers, There be three [things which] are too wonderful for 19 me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air, that flies high and strong; the way of a serpent upon a rock, that without feet climbs up rocks; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, that sometimes sinks and sometimes rises, and moves very swiftly along; and the way of a man with a maid, the arti 20 fices of a man to gain the woman he is courting. Such [is] the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness: this is a modest way of expressing a detestable action; she puts on an artful appearance, behaves outwardly like an honest woman and a kind wife. We have then an answer to the question, What things are most intoler21 able? For three [things] the earth is disquieted, and for four 22 [which] it cannot bear: For a servant when he reigneth, when

he gets into power and authority; and a fool when he is filled with 23 meat, a petulent, rude fellow when he is drunk; For an odious [woman,] that is, a cross, ill tempered woman, when she is married, a happiness too great for her to expect, and yet which only shows her ill temper the more; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress, to whom her mistress leaves her estate, or who hath supplanted her mis.ress and married her master.

In answer to the query, What things are small and contemptible 24 in themselves, and yet wise, he replies, There be four [things which are] little upon the earth, but they [are] exceeding wise : 25 The ants [are] a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer, and thus teach us to prepare against a time of ad26 versity; The conies, or Arabian mice, [are but] a feeble folk, yet

make they their houses in the rocks, and thus teach us caution in 27 avoiding those dangers we cannot resist ; The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands, and their numbers make them terrible, which should teach us union in prosecuting good 28 designs; The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in king's palaces; and by indefatigable diligence repairs her web; which should teach us perseverance, and not to be discouraged. The question then is, What things are most stately and majestic ?

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There be three [things] which go well, yea, four are comely 30 in going: A lion [which is] strongest among beasts, and turn 31 eth not away for any; A greyhound, or horse prepared for the

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battle; an he goat also; and a king, against whom [there is} no rising up, a king that reigns in the hearts of his people, this gives him a consciousness which adds dignity to his appearance. Having thus advised his pupils to be innocent and pious in order to be happy, he adds the two last verses, upon a supposition that they should say or do any foolish things.

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, [lay] thine hand upon thy mouth; hambly acknowledge that thou hast done wrong, and make a proper apology, rather than, from an insolent temper, defend what is wrong because thou 33 hast done it. Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife; the one is not more natural than the other. He that would live peaceably and happily, and be esteemed among men, should behave himself with modesty and humility; for he that lifteth up himself, though he may think himself a wise man, does very foolishly, and all about him will despise him.

CHAP. XXXI.

HE words of king Lemuel,* the prophecy that his mother taught him. What, my son and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? An abrupt and beautiful form of speech; as if she had said, What instruction shall I give thee, how shall I express my love to thee, thou son of my womb, thou son of my vors, whom I have prayed for, and devoted to God 3 before thou wast born? Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings; do not waste the vigour of your years in effeminate, sinful pleasures, like other eastern princes; by which their constitutions are broken, and their reigns dishonoured. Happy had it been for him had he taken this advice. [It is] not for kings, O Lemuel, [it is] not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink, that is, immoderately; which 5 would not only injure themselves, but their subjects. Lest they

* I take it for granted, with the generality of commentators, that Lemuel is Solomon, a name which signifies one belonging to God; it is nearly of the same import with Jedediak. These are the divine lessons his mother Bathsheba taught him to commit to memory.

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drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine to those that be of heavy hearts; when persons are in deep dis tress, they need, and can bear cordials to support their spirits. 7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery 8 no more. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction; who are in danger of suffering 9 considerable damage either in body, credit, or estate. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy; pronounce a bold and just sentence.

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Who can find a virtuous woman, prudent, good natured, and religious for her price [is] far above rubies; above all things advising him to take heed in the choice of a wife; or rather, it may 11 refer to the character of a good wife in general. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, in her chastity, prudence, and fidelity; he has no jealousy, nor uneasy apprehensions; so that he shall have no need of spoil; he shall have no need of spoiling others to enrich himself, and no fear of being plundered, as some 12 are by their wives. She shall do him good and not evil all the days of her life; she will take the greatest care to engage and keep his affections, study to oblige and please him; and this, not 13 only in sudden fits of good humour, but all her days. She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands; she provides employment for her servants, and sets them a good example. 14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from 15 afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, before break of day, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens ; she giveth food to those that go abroad to work, and to her maidens 16 at home: she rises early to attend to her domestic cares. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard; by the commodities spun and woven in 17 the family, she buys land and plants vineyards. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms; she does not make little difficulties an excuse for indolence, but acts resolutely. 18 She perceiveth that her merchandize [is] good: her candle goeth not out by night; she takes as much of the night as can 19 conveniently be spared from necessary sleep. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. Ladies of the highest quality in the east were thus employed, as we find from many passages in Homer, and other heathen writers; and a much 20 better employment it was than most modern ones. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy; she is not such a housewife as to lay up every thing, 21 but relieves the poor. She is not afraid of the snow for her house

hold for all her household [are] clothed with scarlet, or double 22 garments. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing [is] silk and purple; the more glorious because her own work. 23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land, who congratulate him upon his happiness in havVOL. V.

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ing so prudent a wife; and her wise conversation increaseth his 24 wisdom, and makes him more fit to advise others. She maketh fine linen, and selleth [it ;] and delivereth girdles unto the mer25 chant. Strength and honour [are] her clothing; she has a great deal of courage and resolution, and laughs at those difficulties by which others are discouraged; and she shall rejoice in time to come; maintain a cheerful spirit even in old age and death. She openeth her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue [is] the law of kindness; she discourses prudently and judiciously on the most serious and important subjects; avoids a pettish way of speaking; there is kindness, softness, and tenderness in every thing she says, which is obliging, like a law; one of the most essential quali27 fications of a good wife. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness; she examines the conduct of her servants, and how they perform their duty: she neither suffers them to gad abroad, or to be idle at home; she sees that her children be well educated and behave themselves aright, and sets them all an example of diligence and in consequence of 28 this, Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband

[also,] and he praiseth her: they set themselves to commend her, 29 and say, Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou surely 30 excellest them all. Favour [is] deceitful, and beauty [is] vain; a graceful behaviour and beautiful features are trifling in themselves, have often covered some ill qualities, and quickly decay; [but] a woman [that] feareth the LORD, she shall be praised; she will receive sincere and warm commendations from all that 31 know her. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates; while others have the praise of nobility, fortune, or beauty, she will be commended in the most nu→ merous assemblies, for qualities and endowments infinitely more excellent and useful. Upon the whole, this is a most amiable description: it shows the women what wives they should be, and the men what wives they should choose. We have reason to lament that the general method of female education, and the manners of so many women are so contrary to this description; and that there is so little domestic virtue in many modern wives. Those whom Providence has favoured with wives that answer to this description in the most important branches of it, can never be sufficiently thankful.

ECCLESIASTES,

Or, The PREACHER.

INTRODUCTION.

THE design of this book is to show men wherein true happiness consists, and to guard them against seeking it in those things in which it is not to be found: it is generally supposed to have been written by Solomon in his old age. Some parts of it are rather obscure; and it is difficult to enter into his reasoning, though his general scheme and practical design are very apparent.

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CHAP. I.

HE words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all [is] vanity, that is, all that relates only to this life. This is the text of his sermon, and the issue of his large inquiry; it is absolutely vain; he could not express it more emphatically than hy saying, it is vainer than vanity itself; utterly insufficient 3 to procure solid satisfaction and durable happiness. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? he can find very little true satisfaction in all his pains about earthly things; and none at all considered in themselves. He argues

this from the shortness of human life in general, which he illustrates by the continual changes which we behold in the natural world. 4 [One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever, or, as some would render it, for 5 an uncertain indeterminate time. The sun also ariseth, and the 6 sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again ac7 cording to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea [is] not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again; and thus do the generations of men revolve with very little variety, and never rest in a settled condition, but gradually wear away and vanish. But though life 8 should be long there would be little satisfaction in it, for All things [are] full of labour; man cannot utter [it,] cannot sufficiently express how tedious life is the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing; man's desires are bundless, sti seeking after new objects, and yet not heartily acquiescing in ar