Ecc 7:1-9 | Clarke | STEP | The value of a good name, . Advantages of sorrow and correction, . The emptiness of a fool's joy, . Of oppression, . The end better than the beginning, . Against hastiness of spirit, . Comparison of former and present times, . Excellence of wisdom, , . Of the dispensations of Providence, . Against extremes, . The strength of wisdom, . Man is ever liable to sin and mistake, . We should guard our words, , . Difficulty of obtaining wisdom, , A bad woman dangerous, . There are few who are really upright, . Verse 1 A good name - Unsatisfactory as all sublunary things are, yet still there are some which are of great consequence, and among them a good name. The place is well paraphrased in the following verses: "A spotless name, By virtuous deeds acquired, is sweeter far Than fragant balms, whose odors round diffused Regale the invited guests. Well may such men Rejoice at death's approach, and bless the hours That end their toilsome pilgrimage; assured That till the race of life is finish'd none Can be completely blest."

Ecclesiastes 7:1-9

Introduction

The value of a good name, Ecc 7:1. Advantages of sorrow and correction, Ecc 7:2-5. The emptiness of a fool's joy, Ecc 7:6. Of oppression, Ecc 7:7. The end better than the beginning, Ecc 7:8. Against hastiness of spirit, Ecc 7:9. Comparison of former and present times, Ecc 7:10. Excellence of wisdom, Ecc 7:11, Ecc 7:12. Of the dispensations of Providence, Ecc 7:13-15. Against extremes, Ecc 7:16-18. The strength of wisdom, Ecc 7:19. Man is ever liable to sin and mistake, Ecc 7:20. We should guard our words, Ecc 7:21, Ecc 7:22. Difficulty of obtaining wisdom, Ecc 7:23-25, A bad woman dangerous, Ecc 7:26. There are few who are really upright, Ecc 7:27-29.

Verse 1

A good name - Unsatisfactory as all sublunary things are, yet still there are some which are of great consequence, and among them a good name. The place is well paraphrased in the following verses: "A spotless name,

By virtuous deeds acquired, is sweeter far

Than fragant balms, whose odors round diffused

Regale the invited guests. Well may such men

Rejoice at death's approach, and bless the hours

That end their toilsome pilgrimage; assured

That till the race of life is finish'd none

Can be completely blest." Verse 2

It is better to go to the house of mourning - Birthdays were generally kept with great festivity, and to these the wise man most probably refers; but according to his maxim, the miseries of life were so many and so oppressive that the day of a man's death was to be preferred to the day of his birth. But, in dependently of the allusion, it is much more profitable to visit the house of mourning for the dead than the house of festivity. In the former we find occasion for serious and deeply edifying thoughts and reflections; from the latter we seldom return with one profitable thought or one solid impression. Verse 3

Sorrow is better than laughter - The reason is immediately given; for by the sorrow of the countenance - the grief of heart that shows itself in the countenance: -

The heart is made better - In such cases, most men try themselves at the tribunal of their own consciences, and resolve on amendment of life. Verse 4

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning - A wise man loves those occasions from which he can derive spiritual advantage; and therefore prefers visiting the sick, and sympathizing with those who have suffered privations by death. But the fool - the gay, thoughtless, and giddy - prefers places and times of diversion and amusement. Here he is prevented from seriously considering either himself or his latter end. The grand fault and misfortune of youth. Verse 6

For as the crackling of thorns - They make a great noise, a great blaze; and are extinguished in a few moments. Such indeed, comparatively, are the joys of life; they are noisy, flashy, and transitory. Verse 7

Oppression maketh a wise man mad - This has been translated with good show of reason, "Surely oppression shall give lustre to a wise man: but a gift corrupteth the heart."

The chief difference here is in the word יהולל yeholel, which, from the root הלל halal, signiffes to glister, irradiate, as well as to move briskly, to be mad, furious, in a rage; and certainly the former meaning suits this place best. We cannot think that the wise man - he that is truly religious, (for this is its meaning in the language of Solomon), can be made mad by any kind of oppression; but as he trusts in God, so in patience he possesses his soul. Verse 8

Better is the end - We can then judge of the whole, and especially if the matter relate to the conduct of Divine Providence. At the beginning we are often apt to make very rash conjectures, and often suppose that such and such things are against us; and that every thing is going wrong. Dr. Byrom gives good advice on such a subject: - "With patient mind thy course of duty run:

God nothing does, nor suffers to be done,

But thou wouldst do thyself, couldst thou but see

The and of all events, as well as He."

I may add, in the words of our paraphrast: - "Wait the result, nor ask with frantic rage

Why God permits such things. His ways, though now

Involved in clouds and darkness, will appear

All right, when from thine eyes the mist is cleared.

Till then, to learn submission to his will

More wisdom shows, than vainly thus to attempt

Exploring what thou canst not comprehend,

And God for wisest ends thinks fit to hide."

C. Verse 9

Anger resteth in the bosom of fools - A wise man, off his guard, may feel it for a moment: but in him it cannot rest: it is a fire which he immediately casts out of his breast. But the fool - the man who is under the dominion of his own tempers, harbors and fosters it, till it takes the form of malice, and then excites him to seek full revenge on those whom he deems enemies. Hence that class of dangerous and empty fools called duellists.