Title page of An exposition of Solomons book called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seen and allowed, London, 1573

A06504:160

An exposition of Solomons book called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seen and allowedAn exposition of Salomons booke called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seene and allowed

Name: An exposition of Solomons book called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seen and allowed
Author: Martin Luther

An exposition of Solomons book called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seen and allowed.An exposition of Salomons booke called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seene and allowed.

Martin Luther 1483–1546London: printed by John Daye, 1573London: printed by Iohn Daye, 1573

181 [i.e. 187] leaves · 71k words · STC 16979 · ESTC S105591

Title page typeset from the transcription.

Chapter 2 › And I was weary of all my labour which I had taken under the sun,…: And I was weary of all my labour which I had taken under the sun, because I should be…Chapter 2 › And I was weary of all my labour which I had takē vnder the sunne,…: And I was weary of all my labour which I had takē vnder the sunne, because I should be…

Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.

[ Earlier:160–172 of 797

:160p. 45

And I was weary of all my labour which I had taken under the sun, because I should be fain to leave them to an other man that cometh ⟨image 47⟩after me, who whether he shall be a wise man or a fool I know not. And yet shall he be Lord of all my labours.

And I was weary of all my labour which I had takē vnder the sunne, because I should be fayne to leaue them to an other man that commeth ⟨image 47⟩after me, who whether hee shal be a wise mā or a foole I know not. And yet shall he be Lord of all my labours.

:161p. 46

¹This sentence is all one with that above. Solomon floweth in words, & copiously treateth of this place. Thus (saith he) I am weary of my life: for albeit I have ordered all things after the best way that can be devised, yet know I not whether mine heir shall be wise or foolish. If he happen to be wise, he will set light by that I have done, and invent an other thing, seeing I my self many times mislike mine own doings, & am desirous of other. If he be a fool, he will destroy that I have done, and take as much pains in pulling down, as I took in setting up, according to the Proverb, One buildeth, another pulleth down. So Octavius Caesar beautified the City of Rome, Nero defaced it. Pompey brought great masses of money into the treasure house, meaning it should serve for the benefit of the common weal. Caesar after that took it away, and it became rather a destruction then any benefit to the common weal. Therefore whether ⟨p. 46⟩mine heir shall be wise or foolish, in vain have I travelled, and spent my life in vain cares, having an eye to things to come, and not using things present, and therefore he addeth:

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The book

Title as printed

An exposition of Solomons book called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seen and allowed.An exposition of Salomons booke called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seene and allowed.

Author

Martin Luther 1483–1546

Place

London

Printer

John DayeIohn Daye

Year

1573

Size

181 [i.e. 187] leaves

Words

71,187

Catalogue

STC 16979 · ESTC S105591

Text

EEBO-TCP A06504

Passages

797

Sections

334

Title page

An exposition of Solomons book called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seen and allowedAn exposition of Salomons booke called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seene and allowed

And I was weary of all my labour which I had taken under the sun, because I should be fain to leave them to an other man that cometh ⟨image 47⟩after me, who whether he shall be a wise man or a fool I know not. And yet shall he be Lord of all my labours.

And I was weary of all my labour which I had takē vnder the sunne, because I should be fayne to leaue them to an other man that commeth ⟨image 47⟩after me, who whether hee shal be a wise mā or a foole I know not. And yet shall he be Lord of all my labours.

For when a man hath wearied him self, with wisdom, understanding, and diligence &c.

For when a man hath wearied him selfe, with wisedome, vnderstandyng, and diligence &c.

For what getteth a man of all his travel &c. This is but copy &c. Nor can rest in the night.

For what getteth a man of all hys trauell &c. This is but copy &c. Nor can rest in the night.

Is it not better therefore for a man to eat and drink, and his soul to be merry in his labour?

Is it not better therefore for a man to eate and drinke, and his soule to be mery in his labour?

I saw that this was a gift of God.

For who hath eaten, or done more things abroad then I?

For who hath eaten, or done more thinges abroad then I?

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

And I was weary of all my labour which I had taken under the sun, because I should be fain to leave them to an other man that cometh ⟨image 47⟩after me, who whether he shall be a wise man or a fool I know not. And yet shall he be Lord of all my labours.

And I was weary of all my labour which I had takē vnder the sunne, because I should be fayne to leaue them to an other man that commeth ⟨image 47⟩after me, who whether hee shal be a wise mā or a foole I know not. And yet shall he be Lord of all my labours.

For when a man hath wearied him self, with wisdom, understanding, and diligence &c.

For when a man hath wearied him selfe, with wisedome, vnderstandyng, and diligence &c.

For what getteth a man of all his travel &c. This is but copy &c. Nor can rest in the night.

For what getteth a man of all hys trauell &c. This is but copy &c. Nor can rest in the night.

Is it not better therefore for a man to eat and drink, and his soul to be merry in his labour?

Is it not better therefore for a man to eate and drinke, and his soule to be mery in his labour?

I saw that this was a gift of God.

For who hath eaten, or done more things abroad then I?

For who hath eaten, or done more thinges abroad then I?