A time to be silent, etc. Here is set forth the fourth variety of time, which regards the proper manner of conduct, which is considered according to the threefold alternation of acts, namely with respect to the act of the rational power, which is to speak; the concupiscible, which is to love; the irascible, whose act is to wage war; and with respect to their opposites.
(Vers. 7.). Therefore, regarding the alternation of speech, he says: A time to be silent and a time to speak, because one should not always speak nor always be silent; Ecclesiasticus 20: "A wise man will be silent until the proper time, but the frivolous and imprudent will not observe the time." For the wise man is silent and speaks at the proper time; hence Proverbs 25: "Golden apples in settings of silver, he who speaks a word in its proper time." And he places silence before speech, because one should speak deliberately: Proverbs 13: "He who guards his mouth guards his soul; but he who is heedless in speaking shall experience evils."
(Vers. 8.). Regarding the alternation of the act of the concupiscible power, he says: A time of love, when a thing possesses goodness; and a time of hatred, when it turns to wickedness; Psalm: "I have hated and abhorred iniquity"; and Romans 12: (Hating evil, cleaving to good, loving one another with fraternal charity."
As for the alternation of the act of the irascible power, he says: A time of war, against assailing adversaries: 2 Kings 11: "And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go forth to war, David sent Joab," etc. And a time of peace, when those who rise up cease: 1 Maccabees 14: "The land of Judah was quiet in the days of Simon," etc.; and Micah 4: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."
Spiritually, this fourfold variation is referred to the four states of men existing in the Church: the first with respect to the reborn; the second with respect to penitents;
the third with respect to the just; the fourth with respect to prelates. — First, therefore, among the baptized there is a time of being born and of dying, for they are born to God: John 3: "Unless one is born again of water and the Holy Spirit," etc., just as they die to the world: Romans 6: "We are buried together with him through baptism into death."
Second, there is a time of planting and a time of uprooting, because virtues are planted in them: the Psalm: "Your children are like young olive plants"; but vices are uprooted; Wisdom 4: "Adulterous plantings shall not give deep roots," because, Matthew 15, "every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up." — Third, among the baptized there is a time of killing the movement of concupiscence: Colossians 3: "Mortify your members which are upon the earth"; and there is a time of healing the power of nature: Jeremiah 30: "I will close up your scar and heal you of your wounds."
Fourth, there is a time of destroying and of building among the baptized, because the dwelling of the devil is destroyed and a dwelling of Christ is made: 1 Peter 2: "Coming to him as to a living stone, be yourselves also built up into spiritual houses"; Jeremiah 1: "I have set you over nations and kingdoms, to uproot and to destroy and to scatter and to build and to plant."
The second variety of times pertains to penitents with respect to three things: namely, contrition, confession, and satisfaction. A time of weeping and a time of laughing, in contrition, in which there is joy and sorrow: Proverbs 14: "The heart that knows the bitterness of its own soul, in its joy no stranger shall intermeddle." — A time of mourning and a time of dancing, in confession, in which one ought to confess with lamentation: Job 10: "Let me alone, that I may lament my sorrow a little." One ought to confess nakedly and openly: 2 Kings 6: "David danced girded before the ark."
There is a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, in satisfaction. Stones of offense are occasions of sin: Ecclesiasticus 21: "The way of the wicked is paved with stones, and at their end are the netherworld and darkness and punishments." These are gathered in consideration and scattered in cautious avoidance and mortification of the flesh. From these occasions few are freed, except those who are guarded by the Lord: Psalm: "In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone."
The third variety regards the just with respect to their twofold state, namely that of actives and contemplatives. As to contemplatives: A time to embrace and a time to be far from embraces, because they ought to attend now to action, now to contemplation. Concerning which embrace, Proverbs 4: "You shall be glorified by her, when you have embraced her." They ought to be far from the embraces of the flesh, concerning which, Proverbs 7: "Come, let us be inebriated with desired embraces." - As to actives, who ought to be exercised in works of piety, he adds: A time to acquire and a time to lose, that is, to distribute what has been acquired through almsgiving: Ecclesiasticus 29: "Lose your money for the sake of a brother and friend, and do not hide it under a stone." - This is said of perfect justice; but it is a work of supererogation to give everything, and with respect to this it is said: A time to keep and a time to cast away, as if to relinquish everything: Matthew 19: "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor."
Again, as to actives: A time to rend and a time to sew, and this with respect to clothing: Job 31: "If I have let the poor go without covering, and if his sides have not blessed me."
The fourth variety is considered with respect to prelates, first in teaching, when he says: A time to be silent and a time to teach, because one must first learn and afterward teach; Ecclesiasticus 18: "Before you speak, learn"; Ecclesiasticus 32: "Listen in silence."
A time of love and a time of hatred, in the correction of the wicked, which consists in hating vice and in loving nature: 2 Thessalonians, last chapter: "Do not esteem him as an enemy, but correct him as a brother"; and Psalm: "With a perfect hatred I hated them."
A time of war and a time of peace: of war, toward the incorrigible, who are to be struck with the sword of excommunication: Ecclesiasticus 7: "Do not seek to become a judge, unless you have the strength to break through iniquities." Of peace, toward those who return: Luke 10: "If there be a son of peace in that house, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you."
Question.
The question concerns the number of these times. For it seems that he has insufficiently set forth the diversities of the variations of times, because there are many which are not reduced to these, such as the time for eating and fasting and similar things. — If you say that these are by way of example, then they are superfluous, because far fewer would have sufficed.
I respond: it must be said that, as Augustine says, although any change in the universe considered in itself is of imperfection, nevertheless in the whole of the universe there results a perfect song. Because therefore Solomon wished to narrate the variety in such a way as to show imperfection in individual things and perfection in the whole, he did so in such a number as comprehends universality and perfection. And therefore he enumerates twenty-eight times and fourteen variations: because twenty-eight is a perfect number and comprehends the sevenfold, which is the universality of time. Although the number six is perfect, it does not however comprehend the sevenfold: therefore he set down this many, not fewer, lest universality be lacking; not more, because one must stand in perfection and universality.
Art. 2. Our curiosity is reproved in two ways.
What more has man, etc. He showed above the variety of things according to diverse times; here secondly from this he reproves human curiosity: and he does this indeed in this order. First he suggests the uselessness of curiosity; second, in detestation of it, he commends present pleasure.
The uselessness of curiosity is suggested, and present pleasure is commended.
(Vers. 9. 10. 11.). He reproves our curiosity on account of its uselessness, whence he says: What more has man? supply: except mutability and variety, and through this, affliction.
And he shows that there is affliction: I have seen the affliction which God has given to the sons of men, that they may be occupied in it: he gave, that is, he permitted to be given, according to that passage in Romans 1: "God gave them over to a reprobate mind"; to the sons of men, that is, to sinners: above in chapter 2: "But to the sinner God has given affliction and superfluous care." That they may be occupied, namely with various cares; wherefore Ecclesiasticus 11: "My son, let not your occupations be in many things." And he explains what that affliction is, namely of consideration; whence he says: He has made all things good in their time; whence Ecclesiasticus 39: "All the works of the Lord are good, and in its hour he will supply every work. It is not to be said, this is worse than that: for all things in their time shall be approved." And although he made good things, nevertheless he did not give knowledge of these, but gave the capacity for inquiry; whence he says: And he has delivered the world to their disputation, namely for inquiring: Ecclesiasticus 17: "He gave them counsel and a tongue and eyes and ears and a heart for thinking," not for arriving at the answer; whence he adds: So that man may not find out the work that God has wrought, that is, so that he may not come to perfect knowledge: and this on account of doubt. From the beginning to the end, namely of his life: Job 36: "Remember that you are ignorant of his work, of which men have sung"; and below in chapter 8: "I understood that of the works of God I could find no reason."
(Verses 12-13). And I knew etc. Here secondly
, he commends present pleasure, and this in order to reprove curiosity; whence he says: And I knew that there was nothing better, supply: among these transitory goods, than to rejoice and to do good in one's life, namely to rejoice, in heart, to do good, in work.