name of silver cord. For instance, in respect of the colour, not only because that most precious and deep-coloured liquor of life is abundantly contained in the vessels of this membrane, but chicfly because the membrane itself is somewhat of a yel. lowish colour, and tends more towards that of gold, than any other part whatsoever doth. But especially, in respect of its excellency and universal use; for it being the instrument that doth depurate the best of blood, clarifies and exalts the vital spirits, and so prepares them for animality, (as they speak), to what should it be likened, but to that most perfect, best concocted, and most exalted mineral of gold?

Now, the breaking of this bowl is its losing its us?, not being able to retain its liquors, (as a bowl is useless when it is broken); or, as Dr Smith explains it, in the extremity of extreme old age, it can no longer continue its continuity, but by reason either of its natural dryness, shrivelling into itself, or of preternatural moisture, imbibing excrementitious humours, till it be over-full, it oft-times snaps asunder, and so recurs (i. e. runs back, as the Hebrew word signifies) into itself, from whence the brain must necessarily subside, and all the parts serving unto animal motion, be suddenly and irrecoverably dashed in pieces. So Avenarius judiciously translates this passage, "That yellow membrane which contains the brain, be trodden down."

The third step is, the "breaking of the pitcher at the fountain." Which is variously interpreted; some understanding hereby, the inability of the bladder to retain the urine; others by fountain understand the liver, and by the pitcher the bladder of gall, or the veins, which is the most common opinion. But Dr Smith rather takes it for the heart; which is indeed the fountain of life, and hath two distinct cavities, the right and the left; out of which proceed those veins and those arteries, which carry the blood through the whole body, and bring it back again to the heart, in a perpetual circulation. And if by pitcher we understand the veins, which are the receptacle of the blood, (and the Hebrew word signifies any containing vessel, particularly the widow's barrel in which was her meal, 1 Kings, xvii. 14. 16. as well as a barrel of water in the next chapter, xviii. 33.), then by the fountain must be peculiarly understood the right ventricle of the heart, which is the original from whence the veins. have their rise. For so the Hebrew word significs not only a fountain, but a spring, from which wa ters bubble up and burst forth (as we translate it, Isa. xxxv. 7. xlix. 10.) in a running stream; and therefore is so to be translated here, the spring or original, viz. of the veins, which proceed from thence. Which induced commentators to take the fountain here for the liver; which they would not have done, had they understood, as we do now, that the veins do not arise from thence as their first original, but from the right ventricle of the Leart. And they are spoken of in the singular

And so I proceed to the last thing, the wheel broken at the cistern." Where by the wheel some understand the lungs, which, by their continual mction, do thrust out the breath from them, and draw it in again to them; resembling the wheel of a well, now drawing up the bucket to itself, anon letting it down again into the well. Melancthor, by cistern understanding the stomach, (the word signifying, saith he, a profound cavity), takes the wheel for the guts adjoining thereunto; which are wrapt about one another, in a kind of circular form, and make the mesentery look like a wheel. Which Grotius seems also to have had in his mind. But, taking it for granted that a wheel, being an instrument of circulation, is the hieroglyphic of something that goes, and makes a round in us, I think Dr Smith's conjecture is most probable, that hereby is meant the great artery, with all its branches; which is the great instrument of rotation or circulation in the body of man, and so evidently thrusts the blood forward, that we perceive its pulses, forcing the blood along its cavity, in the wrists, the temples, and other parts of the body. Without which instrument to compel it, the blocd that naturally tends home to the heart, would go no farther.

For

And then the cistern from whence this wheel forces the liquor, and conveys it through all the parts, is the left ventricle of the heart; to which this great artery is annexed, and from whence it ariseth. a cistern is a vessel made on purpose to receive a due proportion of water, and to keep it till the time of use, and then conveniently to pass it into vessels that are prepared to receive it from thence. And such is the left ventricle of the heart; which in its diastole, as they call it, receives the blood that is brought into it from the lungs; and then, keeping it there a little, doth in its systole pass due proportions thereof into the great artery, to be dispensed, as was said before. And, for this end, there are little valves or falling doors placed, at the entrance and at the out-going of this cistern; which are like cocks to let in, and to let out, and by their opening or shutting, give convenient passage or stoppage to the liquor, which continually runs that way.

And so the breaking or shaking in pieces (as Forsterus translates the word) of this wheel, is the ceasing of the pulse; so he in another place translates it trod

den down, i. e. suppressed by the decay of the instruments of pulsation, which can no longer perform that work. Which being absolutely necessary for the preservation of life, the ceasing of it is death.

[g] Ver. 7.] And so the body, made of a mouldering substance, being no longer, a fit habitation for the spirit, (and therefore deserted by it), which held the parts of it together, shall crumble again into the earth out of which it originally came, according to that sentence passed upon Adam in the beginning, "Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return,'

Gen. iii. 19. This body was no better in its first principles; and though now we are very fond of it, as if it were some goodly thing, yet when the spirit leaves it, it will appear to be indeed but

dust.

But the spirit, the nobler part of man, being of an higher original, shall return to God who sent it into the body, to be disposed of by him, according to the sentence that he should pass upon it. For the Chaldee Paraphrase's explication of the latter part of this verse is very apposite, "It shall return, that it may stand in judgement before God." For Elobim (the word here for God) in the Hebrew language signifies a judge, as in the place abovementioned, Sam. xxviii. 9. There is a sentence not much unlike this, I have observed in Plutarch's Consolatory Discourse to Apollonius upon the death of his son, where he alledges, amongst a great many others, this saying of Epicharmus, Συνεκρίθη καὶ διακρίθη, καὶ ἀπῆλθεν όθεν ἦλθε πάλιν, γῆ μὲν εἰς γὰν, πνεῦμα δ ̓ ἄνω.

[h] Ver. 8.] And now, having thus demonstrated his first propofition, he elegantly repeats the exordium or entrance of his book, as is here observed by St Hierom; whose words are so significant, that I cannot but translate them, as an excellent gloss upon this verse: "For since all the labour of mortal man (of which Solomon hath disputed in his whole book) amounts to this, that the dust returns to its earth, and the soul returns thither from whence it was taken; it is an excess of vanity to labour for this world, and to gather nothing for the future," where he is to live for ever, and to be judged according to his behaviour here.

This only may be added, that here he enters upon the conclusion of his discourse, and divides it into two parts, as he had done the foregoing book. First, He sums up what he had said in the six first chapters concerning the false ways men take to happiness, in this verse, which he backs by several serious considerations in those that follow, unto verse 13. Where, secondly, He sums up what he had said in chap. vii, to this place, concerning the true way to happiness, which lies only in a due regard to God

and his commandments.

[i] Ver. 9.] The first word of this verse is variously translated; and the whole verse applied by interpreters, either to confirm what was said before concerning the false methods men take to happiness,

(as if he had said, I have done when I have told you, that you may believe me, who am sufficiently able to inform you, and not think to meet with bet ter information from other men's writings, or from your own experience), or as an introduction to what he intends to say, ver. 13. 14. concerning the right method to be happy. Which he prepares the reader to attend unto, and receive into his mind: first, by asserting his own great authority in this verse, (who the wiser he was, the more desirous he was both to teach and to learn); and then, the weighty doctrine which he taught, ver. 10. And the great usefulness of it, ver. 1. The like to which they would find no where else, ver. 12. It is not very material which of these ways we take, but I have had respect to both in my paraphrase; where I have 'expressed the sense so fully, that I cannot think fit to enlarge any farther upon this verse; but only note, that Luther, and he alone, I think, expounds the first words thus, (not absurdly, nor disagreeing with the Hebrew text)," There remained nothing to the preacher, but that he was wise," &c. He understood and taught aright, and took a great deal of pains, which was a great satisfaction to himself; but he saw little or no success of it in others, who would not be governed by his advice, &c.

[k] Ver. 10.] This verse runs thus, word for word, in the Hebrew: "The preacher carefully sought to meet with desirable words, and the writing of uprightness, and the words of truth." Where writing may refer both to what he read in others, whether divine or human authors, and to what he wrote himself, (and so I have expounded it in the paraphrase); which he commends from three heads, pleasure, or delight, usefulness, and certainty. Some fancy that Solomon wrote a book called Catub Jascher, (the writing of uprightness), or Jascher dibre emeth, (the upright words of truth); of which. as there is no certainty, so I see no probable grounds to assert it. Only we know he wrote a great many more books than we have, 1 Kings, iv. 32. 33. 2 Chron. xxxv. 4. And see Josephus, 1. viii. Antiq. c. 2.

And

[1] Ver. 11.] Some connect this with the foregoing verse, in this manner : "The Preacher sought to find out the words of the wise," &c. so the words run exactly in the Hebrew. But we may take this verse by itself, supplying the word are, as we do in our translation, and look upon it as a commendation of these wise words, which doth not in the least alter the sense, I have had respect to both, and comprehended also in my paraphrase two of the interpretations which one difficult phrase is capable of, viz. masters of the assemblies. Which may be translated divers ways more literally out of the Hebrew than we do, who add the word by before them, which is not in the original.

For

the last words, which we translate masters of assemblies, may be attributed to nails, in this manner: "As nails fastened, whereby things are joined together," (nails being the instruments of gathering

or bringing those things together which were separate); or thus, retaining the words of our translation, the masters of assemblies are as fixed nails, or the masters of collections, such judicious authors as make excellent collections of apophthegms and smart sayings, stick in the mind as nails do in planks. Or the principal, the choice collections, viz. of wise men (mentioned in the beginning of the verse) are as, &c.; or it may, in the same sense, be connected (not with nails, but) with the words following: the "masters or authors that collect wise and pithy sayings, have their gifts from one and the same shepherd."

So ungrounded is the fancy of Grotius, who from hence conjectures, that there were several persons appointed by Zerobabel (whom he takes from this one pastor) to collect the sentences of this book, and put them out under the name of Solomon. Who himself may rather be thought to be this one pastor or king, who employed (if we interpret the words this way) many persons to make collections, of which he afterwards made use as he saw

cause.

This seems to be certain, that he here gives the reason of this concise and sententious way of writing, because such acute sayings not only stir up and quicken slothful minds for the present, (as a goad stimulates the dull ox to labour), but penetrate deep, and stick fast in the memory; collecting also the thoughts, affections, and resolutions, to one certain point or scope, and gathering together a great deal of sense into a few words. As those words, baale a syppoth, masters of assemblies, or authors of collections, may, I have sometimes thought, be understood. Such a collector was that great man Julius Cæsar, who gathered a book of Apophthegms, and shewed by that, he thought it more honourable unto him, if he changed himself, as it were, into tables and codicils, in which the prudent and grave sayings of others were registered, than to have his own words hallowed like oracles, as some vain princes, corrupted by flattery, have affected. Though divers of his own speeches, as the Lord Bacon observes, (1. i. de Augm. Scient. c. 7.), are truly such as those which Solomon here describes, full of vigour and efficacy; insomuch, that by one word alone he appeased a mutiny in his army.

But, after all that may be said on this subject, since I find not only the Vulgar, but the LXX. making out the sense by adding the word per and raga (as we do the word by in our translation) before masters of assemblies, I have, in the paraphrase, followed that interpretation also.

[m] Ver. 12.] And in this verse have adhered to the same translation, which understands the first words as if he had said, Beyond these things do not trouble thyself. For so they may be translated exactly, "and what is above, or more than them, (that is, the words of the wise before-mentioned), my son, be warned, or be enlightened;" observe these well, and trouble thyself no further. Be content with a

few good precepts of the wise, and do not involve thyself in many books. For what is necessary may be learnt without much labour, out of a short book; if men will be wiser than they need, they will but trouble themselves to no purpose. There being no certainty of most things; no satisfaction when we go beyond the known or acknowledged principle and precepts of virtue; but what one man asserts, another confutes; and when we think we have written excellently, another writer starts up, and discovers abundance of errors; and so volumes are multiplied without end; and we are led into long disquisitions, without any satisfaction to the mind, but with much weariness to the body, and great loss of precious time, which had better been spent in digesting and practising such short, useful, and necessary instructions as these.

He doth not absolutely condemn many books, for there are not a few of the divine writings, and about the same thing; but books about needless things, and that dilate too much upon things necessary, rather tiring, than instructing. And he cordemns the levity of those that are always reading, but never meditating; running over such a book as this presently, and then going to another not só profitable, and never returning to this again. So I take' it in short, "Content thyself with this book, and such like, and do not turn over many authors, to learn how to be happy." For goodness and truth are included in certain bounds, but wickedness and lies, sine fine sunt, are without end, as St Hierom here notes. Who observes also, that perhaps he advises us to study brevity, and to mind the sense more than the words; directly contrary to the philosophers and doctors of the world, who, to assert their false opinions, used abundance and great variety of words; but the divine scripture, brevi circulo coarctata est, is confined to a small circle, and as much contracted in words, as it is dilated in

sense.

The Hebrew word babag, which we translate study, Aben-Ezra says, in the neighbouring languages, signifies reading; and so we translate it in the margin.

[n] Ver. 13.] To teach us to contract our labours into as small a compass as we can, he sums up in a few words, the sense of his whole discourse in this book; which he calls "the conclusion or end of the matter;" of all that can be said on this subject, the whole sense of the sermon, succinctly delivered; unto which, therefore, every one should confine his endeavours. It is this, to work his soul unto such a due regard of the Divine Majesty, (standing in awe of him as his Lord, Overseer, and Judge), that he take care to observe all his commandments: Without which, all religion is vain and fruitless.

And these two things, (the fear of God, or devotion and obedience), he commends from two arguments: The first of which is in this verse, That they are things which concern all mankind, one as well as

another; of which if they be careful, they have done enough to make themselves immortally hap

py.

For those words, "this is the whole, or the all of man," may be expounded four several ways; either, this is all the duty of man, or the duty of all men, or the whole happiness of all men, or their whole business; unto which, therefore, they should devote their whole selves; that is, all their strength. For, according as St Hierom understands it, "to this man was born; that he, understanding God is his Creator, should worship him with fear, and honour, and observance of his commands." And the fear of God being implanted in our minds, we shall not fail to worship him, and call upon him, and expect all good things from him, and give him thanks for them; and, as the best expression of our thankfulness, keep his commandments, and be obedient to all his precepts; both in subduing our sinful appetites and passions, and in exercising charity towards our neighbours. Which will make us true in word and deed, faithful in all our contracts, liberal to the poor, observant of our governors; in short, make us observe all the directions of this book, in order to our happiness. [o] Ver. 14.] Here is the second argument, why we should seriously intend these things; because the Lord and Judge of the world will one day call us to an account for what we do here, and pass an impartial sentence upon every action of our life, even against every secret, (as some expound these words, al col alam), or upon all secret as well as open actions. Which are all known to him, though now he seem to take no notice of them, and shall then not only be brought to light, but with an apparent distinction between good and evil; the difference

of which shall be certainly and notoriously manifested, by the severe punishment of the one, and the bountiful remuneration of the other.

Iwill imitate therefore, (saith Melancthon), the example of Solomon, and, in the conclusion, recite the sum of this book. "He intended to assert divine providence, and to refute the objections against it; which are these, There are great confusions in human life; a vast multitude of ungodly men, and but few that acknowledge and fear God; and, which is worse, the wicked flourish in honour and riches; but the pious are afflicted, and oft-times killed by the worst of men, &c.; therefore, all things seem to be carried by chance. Unto which Solomon answers: Though, for the most part, such be the confusion of things, yet be thou ruled by God's word, and hold the opinion of his providence with a firm faith. Do not fall from God, because of these scandals, nor cast away his fear, or thy confidence in him, nor desert thy vocation; but oppose these two things to these confusions: There will come a judgement, when God will take away these confusions, and make an exact distinction; for the wicked shall be thrown into everlasting punishment; but it shall be well for ever with the righteous. And in this life also, God moderates these confusions; for he punishes heinous wickedness, supports government, preserves governors, and order, and politics in the world; nay, this is a testimony of God's presence, that when the infirmity of human nature is so great, and so many are no better than mad and furious, yet God preserves his church." And, I may add, we have such good books as these, for our direction into truth, and encouragement in piety.