So wond'rous in his ways? What mortal eye
Can pierce the dark mysterious labyrinth?
How blest the Man, with wisdom from above
Endow'd, and taught to practise what he knows!
Such wisdom, through perplex'd affairs of life,
Shall with distinguish'd lustre guide his steps,
Make him rever'd, and yet abate his pride.

here more particularly so denominated, as knowing how to bring good out of so much evil, which human Wisdom is incapable of do ing. We have therefore not only followed the Vulgate, which concludes the discourse with these words, but also the Translation of Junius and Tremellius, who insert this whole verse at the end of the seventh chapter.

[V. 1. If we read the latter clause as in our present Heb. copies, and as the LXX. translators did, we may render, But he that hath an impudent face shall be hated. Comp. Prov. vii. 13. But ma ny MSS. instead of * shall be hated, have now shall be changed, doubled. So our Translators evidently read. And the boldness of his countenance shall be changed, or doubled. Might not this receive illustration by Acts vi. 10, 15? ED.]

END OF THE SECOND BOOK.

BOOK III..

b As I have taught thee what thou ow'st to Heav'n,
And how thy pray'rs may God's acceptance find,
So let me warn thee to discharge the debt
To his Vicegerent due: for surely none

Can rev'rence God, who honour not their King.
If then to piety thou hast regard,

To thy own safety, or the public weal;
Be ever mindful of thy solemn oath,

And his commands, whom Heav'n has o'er thee plac'd,
With duteous care attend. Let nought induce
Rashly to quit his service, nor persist,
When thou his just displeasure hast incurr'd,
Obdurate in thy crime: d for royal hands
Are arm'd with pow'r resistless, far can stretch,
Nor hold the sword in vain. Who then shall dare
To rise against his Sov'reign, or presume

To call him to account? *

e

By these sage rules b [2] I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. [3] Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. d [4] Where the word of a king is, there is power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou ?* e [5] Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.

Though it may be gathered from these expressions, that Solomon had very high notions of Kingly Government, as all the Eastern Princes had, yet nothing can from hence be inferred, in favour of arbitrary power and tyranny. For it ought to be observed, that

He that his conduct steers, will sure escape
Such storms as rashness overwhelm. The Wise
With patience suffer what they can't amend,
Judge candidly, and wait the season fit
Such errors to rebuke, which oft disgrace
Best-order'd States: f but Fools disturb the world
With their intemp'rate zeal, raise civil broils,
Discord foment, endless confusion breed,

And thus themselves and others, wretched make.
Blind to the present, what can Fools discern
of future? All events to them are wrapt
In thickest gloom: and who, though wise, can tell,

f [6] Because to every purpose there is time and judgment; therefore the misery of man is great upon him. 8 [7] For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

the obedience he claimed, was no more than what the Jewish Polity allowed, and always built on the supposition, as the words themselves evidently imply, that he commanded nothing repugnant to the fundamental laws of the country, or inconsistent with the laws of God; in which case, he had an undoubted right to the obedience of his subjects, who very probably, about this time, were forming conspiracies against him, and greatly disturbed the public tranquillity. There might indeed have been some grievances under his administration, as there ever will be under the best of Governments. But this is not so great an evil as Faction, Anarchy, and Rebellion, and therefore to be borne with, until a seasonable opportunity of redress offers.

[V. 5-7. More literally, He who keepeth the command (of the king, v. 2. lit. king's mouth) shall not experience an evil thing (his displeasure.) The heart of the wise, will discern both opportunity and manner. Because to every purpose (prop. inclination, will) there is opportunity and manner, therefore the evil (care, anxiety) of man is great upon him. For he discerneth not that which shall come to pass (futurity;) for who shall tell him when (or how) it shall come to pass?

Instead of misery (Eng. vers. v. 6.) the LXX. read knowledge. ED.]

What shall hereafter be? But let no Prince

Howe'er so mighty, uncontroul'd his sway,

That pow'r abuse which Heav'n has lent, to right
Th' oppress'd, who to protection have just claim.
Not guards nor spies can reach the lab'ring mind
Of such as groan beneath his iron yoke,
Nor curb their secret murmurs, which at length
Burst out to rage, and overturn a throne.
Though long he reign, yet when the fatal hour
Is come, and vengeance, due to tyrants, near,
What will avail his armies? He alone
Must, like the meanest of his vassals, stand
The dreadful conflict; nor will force or fraud
One moment from the King of Terrors shield
The proud Oppressor. Oft have I survey'd
The various scenes of life, all things observ'd
With sharp attentive eye, and none have found

h [8] There is no man that hath power over the spirit, to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. i [9] All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

[V. 8. The Chaldee has,―There is no man who can rule over the spirit of the breath, so as to prevent the animal life from leaving the body of man. Others translate to this sense, "No man hath power over the wind, to restrain the wind; and none has power over death, to restrain him: and when a man engages as a soldier, he cannot be discharged from the war till it is ended; and by wickedness no man shall be delivered from any evil." Taking it in this way, these are maxims which contain self-evident truths. Others suppose the verse to refer to the king who tyrannizes over and oppresses his people. He also shall account to God for his actions: The shall die, and he cannot prevent it: and when he is judged, his wickedness cannot deliver him. Dr. A. Clarke in loco. ED.]

More vain than lust of arbitrary sway.
Behold Ambition's never-ceasing toil!
When to the summit of its wish arriv'd,

What has it gain'd? Heart-gnawing care, distrust,
The people's hate, and dread of sudden fall:
Tott'ring at length, headlong it rushes down
With its own weight, beneath the pond'rous load
Crush'd and redue'd to nothing. Nor mine eyes
Have those unrighteous Ministers escap'd,

Who, on the Judgment seat exalted high,

Were honour'd once as gods. What fun'ral pomp
Attends their obsequies! How soon forgot!

Their glory with them to the grave descends:
There everlasting darkness blots their names,
As they had never been: so vain a thing
Is human grandeur! Impious men are apt

k [10] And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where there they had so done. This is also vanity,† ! [11], Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

[V. 10. Instead of mon and they were forgotten, (Eng. Trans.) many of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. have many have been praised, soothed with praises. The LXX. follows the latter reading. We would therefore propose to translate the passage thus, which we think the context also favours: And in like manner have I observed the unjust (ministers or judges, with pomp) entombed; and even from the holy place have they come; (see ch. iii. v. 16.) they have departed praised in the city where they so acted. This is also vanity. For burying-places of the kings, &c., among the Hebrews, see II Chron. 32. 33. Isaiah 22. 16. ED.]

The three preceding verses, especially the last, are not without their obscurity, as appears from the different versions and variety of interpretations. Solomon, no doubt, would intimate, that power is