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

A06504:57

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 1 › The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing.Chapter 1 › The eye is not satisfied with seyng, nor the eare with hearyng.

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:57–69 of 797

:57p. 17

The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing.

The eye is not satisfied with seyng, nor the eare with hearyng.

:58p. 17

That is to say mans eyes and senses have never any rest.¹ If I should go about to declare but only the pleasures we conceive by seeing and hearing, I should take an endless labour in hand. If the eye be not satisfied with seeing, how shall I be able to utter all the vanity of man. To be short, naught and unsearchable is the hart of man. Such is the diversity ⟨image 19⟩of mans affections and desires, that that the eyes have never seen enough. Now they desire to see one thing, now an other, & when they have their wish, yet is not their mind contented. The hart is a gulf always gaping, it coveteth all things, and though it have all it desireth, yet still seeketh it for more.² Consider Alexander Magnus, who being Lord almost of the whole world, yet when he heard there were innumerable worlds, sighed, saying, and I have not yet vanquished one world. Thus in his hart he coveted infinite worlds. What man is so eloquent, that he can express this most vain affection of the hart? This vanity and greediness of mans hart can not be expressed. That which he hath doth not like him, and wisheth for that which he hath not. The eye is not satisfied with seeing: understand this generally, not as they have expounded it: It is not satisfied with beholding of heaven.

THat is to say mans eyes and senses haue neuer any rest.¹

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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

The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing.

The eye is not satisfied with seyng, nor the eare with hearyng.

What is that that hath been?

There is no new thing under the Sun, neither any thing whereof it may be said, lo, this is new.

There is no new thing vnder the Sunne, neither any thing whereof it may be sayd, loe, this is new.

There is no remembrance of things passed.

There is no remembraunce of thinges passed.

I my self the preacher was a king of Israel at Jerusalem, and did apply my mind to seek & search out the knowledge of all things that are under heaven.

I my selfe the preacher was a kyng of Israell at Hierusalem, and dyd apply my mynde to seeke & search out the knowledge of all thinges that are vnder heauen.

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing.

The eye is not satisfied with seyng, nor the eare with hearyng.

What is that that hath been?

There is no new thing under the Sun, neither any thing whereof it may be said, lo, this is new.

There is no new thing vnder the Sunne, neither any thing whereof it may be sayd, loe, this is new.

There is no remembrance of things passed.

There is no remembraunce of thinges passed.

I my self the preacher was a king of Israel at Jerusalem, and did apply my mind to seek & search out the knowledge of all things that are under heaven.

I my selfe the preacher was a kyng of Israell at Hierusalem, and dyd apply my mynde to seeke & search out the knowledge of all thinges that are vnder heauen.