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

❧ An admonition to the Reader.

David that notable king and excellent Prophet, feeling in the course of this life, the comfort and direction of the eternal word of almighty God, professeth openly in that his Octonary Psalm these words.¹ Lucerna pedibus meis verbum tuum (O Domine) & lumen semitis meis. Thy word (O Lord) is a lantern to my feet, and a light unto my paths. David well perceiving the corruption of his nature, the blindness of his understanding, could not but acknowledge in that his long meditation, the necessity that he espied in the Scripture of God, for where he saw his wit to weak to comprise the marvellous works of God aswell in his creation, as in his redemption, (which he saw in spirit before,) could not well attain the life that he most joyed in, in this transitory world, except his understanding should be enlightened, and his whole state of life truly governed by the lantern and light of Gods word. He was no fantastical reader of his word, he joyed not rather to be a student or a talker, then a worker, but effectually framed all his senses to savour and know the will of God, and to follow the same. His spirit was altogether set to virtue, which intent whosoever ⟨image 4⟩doth not follow,² he doth as a man by the testimony of S. James, which delighteth to behold his natural countenance in the glass, and is not careful so to impress the same in his remembrance, thereby to wipe away the spots of his face: for whosoever doth not thus earnestly tarry in the law of perfect liberty,³ he deceiveth him self, & endeth in vanity. For it is he only that is blessed in his act that doth persist in his law, applying the understanding thereof to heal his own infirmities, and to be able to be a light unto others, as we have great cause to thank the goodness of almighty God, for devising of such a rule of Scripture to be lead by, and as we be bound to magnify almighty God by his holy spirit to raise up such his well beloved servants to call upon us, and to bring us to the knowledge of him self, whereby we might be thankful: so is the danger very great to all such as cover this his light under a bushel, that detain this precious jewel under unrighteousness of life.