The Soul's Conflict with Itself

Of all men Solomon was the fittest to judge of this, because 1. he had a large heart able to comprehend the variety of things, and 2. (being a mighty King) had advantages of procuring all outward things that might give him satisfaction, and 3. he had a desire answerable, to search out and extract what ever good the creature could yield; and yet upon the trial of all, he passeth this verdict upon all, that they are but vanity; ¹whilst he laboured to find that which he sought for in them, he had like to have lost himself; and seeking too much to strengthen himself by foreign combination, he weakened himself the more thereby, until he came to know where the whole of man consists. ²So that now we need not try further ⟨p. 324⟩conclusions after the peremptory sentence of so wise a man.

Of all men Solomon was the fittest to judge of this, because 1. hee had a large heart able to comprehend the variety of things, and 2. (being a mighty King) had advantages of procuring all outward things that might give him satisfaction, and 3. he had a desire answerable, to search out and extract what ever good the creature could yeeld; and yet upon the tryall of all, hee passeth this verdict upon all, that they are but vanity; ¹whilest he laboured to find that which he sought for in them, hee had like to have lost himselfe; and seeking too much to strengthen himselfe by forreine combination, hee weakned himselfe the more thereby, untill he came to know where the whole of man consists. ²So that now wee need not try further ⟨p. 324⟩conclusions after the peremptory sentence of so wise a man.

1. 1Eccles. 1. 2.
2. 2