Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

2. By the Instability of all other Creatures, They come and presently they go, and are never in a fixed condition: If coming, they make happy; then departing, they leave miserable again. By which instability of the creatures, being themselves continually unsatisfied, is implied, 1. Their weakness to minister satisfaction to so noble a creature as man, vers. 5, 6, 7. 2. The restless and fruitless Labour which is taken in seeking satisfaction from things which only affect the senses, since the Eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing, vers. 8.

2. By the Instability of all other Creatures, They come and presently they go, and are never in a fixed condition: If comeing, they make happy; then departing, they leave miserable again. By which imstability of the creatures, being themselves continually unsatisfied, is implyed, 1. Their weaknesse to minister satisfaction to so noble a creature as man, vers. 5, 6, 7. 2. The restlesse and fruitlesse Labour which is taken in seeking satisfaction f•om things which only affect the sences, since the Eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing, vers. 8.

3. By the continual Vicissitudes and returns of the same things, which having failed once, yea often before, are never likely to afford further supplies, then already they have done (which indeed are none) towards the happiness of a man. And therefore except they can minister some new matter •f satisfaction to the soul, which was never found in them before, and which indeed they will never do; impossible it is, but the ⟨p. 8⟩same disappointment which others have met with, must likewise befall those, who shall from the same things seek for that, which the wisest of men heretofore were never able to extract from them, vers. 9, 10, 11.

3. By the continual Vicissitudes and returns of the same things, which having failed once, yea often before, are never likely to afford further supplyes, then already they have done (which indeed are none) towards the happinesse of a man. And therefore except they can minister some new matter •f satisfact•on to the soul, which was never found in them before, and which indeed they will never do; impossible it is, but the ⟨p. 8⟩same disappointment which others have met with, must likewise befall those, who shall from the same things seek for that, which the wisest of men heretofore were never able to extract from them, vers. 9, 10, 11.

4. By Solomons own experience, who by the dignity of his place, by t•e inclination of his heart, by the greatness of his wisdom and learning, and by the abundance of his wealth, was able to go as far as any other man could in this enquiry after true happiness; and when he had set himself to make a most Critical and Accurate search into all things here below, doth conclude of them all in general, and of the most excellent of them all in particular, namely of wisdom and knowledge, That they are not only Vanity, and so unable to satisfy the Soul, but are further Vexation of spirit, as causing much grief and sorrow to that heart which is immoderately conversant about them.

4. By Solomons own experience, who by the dignity of his place, by t•e inclination of his heart, by the greatness of his wisdome and learning, and by the abundance of his wealth, was able to go as far as any other man could in this enquiry after true happinesse; and when he had set himself to make a most Critical and Accurate search into all things here below, doth conclude of them all in general, and of the most excellent of them all in particular, namely of wisdome and knowledge, That they are not onely Vanity, and so unable to satisfie the Soul, but are further Vexation of spirit, as causing much grief and sorrow to that heart which is immoderately conversant about them.

The words of the Preacher] Some read it as a proper name, the words of Koheleth son of David, and so would have it to be one of the names of Solomon, as Jedidiah, 2 Sam. 12.25. Lemuel, Prov. 31.1. It is usually out of the Greek rendered Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher: as if Solomon had publicly delivered it to the Congregation, (as we find sometimes Kings and extraordinary persons have spoken to the people in their Church assemblies, 1 Reg. 8.1.12.) But it seemeth chiefly to signify Solomons repentance, and re-uniting himself to the congregation of Gods people, from whence by his idolatries and other apostasies he had departed: and so the sense is, The words of the soul, or person congregated or gathered unto the Church, or congregation of Saints, Ps. 89.6. viz. of the son of David, King in Jerusalem. Some were not to be admitted into the congregation at all, Deut. 23.3. Nehem. 13.1. and others by idolatry and apostasy, did shut out themselves from the assemblies of the Saints, by joining themselves to other gods. Now here Solomon doth by solemn and serious repentance return into the bosom of that congregation, from which by his idolatry he had departed, and turned his heart from the Lord God of Israel, 1 King. 11.9. And doth therein, and thereunto declare the ⟨p. 11⟩vanity of all other ways, save only the fear and worship of the Lord, unto true happiness. And herein he imitateth his father David, whose name is haply here for that cause mentioned, that as David being converted did publish his repentance unto the Church, in that solemn penitential Psalm, Psal. 51. So his son, having fallen from his integrity, did take the same course to give glory to God in the great congregation, Psal. 40.10. and to make known his repentance to all the Church, that thereby he might glorify God, and strengthen his brethren. Whence he frequently in this book giveth himself this title, as of a penitent convert, Chap. 1.12. & 7.29. & 12.8, 9, 10. The word is a Participle or Adjective of the feminine gender, yet joined here to a verb masculine, as elsewhere to a verb feminine, Chap. 7.27. There, because of the grammatical congruity, Here, with relation to the person thereby signified. They use to supply the sense with the word nephesh, soul, which is mentioned presently after it, Chap. 7.27, 28. and so that word is elsewhere supplied,

My glory be not thou united unto their assembly; the Noun is masculine, the verb feminine, to signify that by glory, the same was to be understood in that clause, which was expressed ⟨p. 12⟩by the feminine Noun, the soul, in the former clause: and so glory seems elsewhere to signify the soul of a man, Ps. 30.12. If it be inquired what may be the cause why Solomon doth not prefix his proper name to this Book, as to the other two of the Proverbs and Canticles: Though it be not necessary to be curious in questions of this nature, yet this may be inoffensively conjectured; 1. That he seems hereby to intimate, That by his former sins he had as it were forfeited his name of Peace, and so we find that by reason of those his sins, God stirred up adversaries against him, 1 King. 11.14, 23. 2. To note his sincerity, who now chose to be known rather by the name of a penitent convert, than of a peaceable Prince, as if he who had troubled Israel by his sins, did no longer deserve his name of peace, as the prodigal said to his father, I am no more worthy to be called thy son. So in Scripture, men have taken new names suitable to a new condition, Gen. 52.28. Ruth. 1.20. Mar. 3.16, 17. Nehem. 9.7. The other additions likewise to his name of penitence may seem to be looked on by him as aggravations of his sins. 1. That he was the son of David, a godly father, who had given him such holy education, who had provided him materials to build Gods house, and greatly encouraged ⟨p. 13⟩him to advance the worship of the Lord, who had been an example to him to take heed of falling into gross sins, that the son of such a father should fall so solely. 2. That he was a King on his fathers throne, and that not by right of inheritance, but by special designation from the Lord, who had singled him out above his brethren, and had appeared unto him twice, & gave him wisdom and princely endowments for so great a place, that he should defile the throne whereunto he had been so graciously advanced, and from thence give to all the people so sad an example of sensuality and apostasy. 3. That he was a King in Jerusalem, an holy City, where was Gods throne as well as the thrones of the house of David, that he should defile the Lords land, and his dwelling place: These were considerations worthy for such a penitent to have his eyes on, for his greater humiliation. Thereby teaching us, 1.

That the sins of the child are greatly aggravated by the godliness of the parent, Jer. 22.15, 16, 17. 2. That the sins of the child are greatly aggravated by the falls and miscarriages of the parent, Dan. 5.18—23. 3. That sins are greatly aggravated by the dignities and privileges of those that commit them, 2 Sam. 12.7, 8, 9. Deut. 32.12—19. Amos 2.9—13.3.2. 4. That the greater the ⟨p. 14⟩person is that sinneth, whereby the scandal to the Church is likewise the greater, the more solemn ought his repentance to be, Numb. 12.14, 15, 16. 2 Chron. 33.12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19. 5. That the power of grace is exceeding great, which can subdue the hearts of the greatest men unto the heaviest yoke of public and solemn repentance, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5, 6. And further, from the description of the person, and his writing of this book, we may observe, 1. That eminency of wisdom without the continued assistance of grace, cannot keep a man from gross and foul lapses. Never a wiser man than Solomon, and never any Saint fell into more foolish lusts. God is pleased sometimes to suffer men to fall into such sins, the contrary graces whereunto they had most eminently been adorned withal. As David, a most spiritual man, into fleshly l•st; Lot, whose righteous soul had been vexed at the filthy conversation of the Sodomites, into another sort of unnatural impurity by incest of his daughters: Job, into impatience; Moses, the meekest man alive, into great passion of mind, Numb. 20.10. Peter, the boldest Disciple, into base fear and cowardice of spirit in denying his Master. 2. That height of honour, and abundance of wealth, are sore snares and temptations, even to the

That the Saints, after some great offence given by their falls to the Church, make it their business, upon their repentance, to do some more notable and eminent service to the Church: as Peter who had been most fearful in denying Christ, was after most forward in preaching him, and most bold in the profession of him, Act. 1.15. & 2.14. & 3.12. & 4.8. & 5.29.

V. 2. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities, All is vanity.] The scope of the wise man is, to direct us in the right way to true happiness. And this he ⟨p. 16⟩doth, first negatively, assuring us that it is not to be found in any thing under the sun. Secondly, affirmatively, that it is to be found only in God and his service. For the former, this is the last issue and result of all that curious inquiry which Solomon made into the utmost excellencies of creatures here below. He was furnished above all other men with all variety of requisites for such a work, set himself critically about it, to dissect as it were, and take a thorough view of the creature, and having so done, this is the upshot, that All is nothing but very vanity. And this he doth in a vehement and pathetical manner, that it may be the more observed. He doth not say, All is vain; but in the abstract, (which is much more emphatical) All is vanity: Not vanity only, but vanity of vanities, that is, extreme vanity. The Genitive case of the Noun, according to the use of that tongue, supplying an Adjective of the superlative degree, Gen. 9.25. Cant. 1.1. Hos. 10.15. 1 Tim. 6.15. And this proposition he doubleth and repeateth again; thereby intimating, 1. The unquestionable certainty of it, Gen. 40.32. Isa. 8.9▪ 2. The great consequence of it, as being a truth necessary to be inculcated, that it might make the deeper impression on the heart, Ezek. 21.27. Psal. 62.11. Rev. 18.2. 3. The natural ⟨p. 17⟩unaptness which is in us to give credit to it, or to take notice of it, except it be thus inculcated upon us,

And because it might be thought to be true only of some things, and that some other things which Solomon had not looked so narrowly into, might haply have more excellency in them, therefore he addeth, to prevent this objection, that All is vanity. All, not simply, but with limitation to the subject matter of which he treateth in this Book; Every thing severally, all things jointly. Not any one thing alone, not all things collectively and together are able to satisfy the soul, and to make it happy. It is true, the works of God are all good and excellent, sought out of all those that have pleasure in them. But good in their kind and order; of excellent use to set forth the glory, power, wisdom and goodness of God, and of necessary service for the use of man. 1 Tim. 4.4, 5. Yet withal vain in other respects; 1. Comparatively vain, when put in the balance ⟨p. 18⟩with God, and heavenly things, Job 15.15. Isa. 40.15, 16, 17. 2. Vain by that superinduced vanity, whereunto they are subjected by the sin of man, Rom. 8.20. 3. Vain in order unto happiness, the full possession, the most vigorous fruition of them, cannot bring real satisfaction to the soul of a man; Man himself, the noblest of them all, and that at his best estate, being altogether vanity, Psal. 39.5, 6, 11. Psal. 62.9. & 144.3, 4. They are vain. 1. In regard of their unprofitableness unto such an use, Jer. 16.19. 2. In regard of their falseness and deceitfulness to those who lean upon them, Job 15—20. Ps. 31.7. & 62.10

saith the Preacher] Both by inspiration, as a Pen-man of the holy Ghost: and by experience, as one who had learned it dearly, and to his cost. He sets his name as in the ⟨p. 19⟩inscription to the whole book, so here, a second time to this, which is the sum of the whole book, confidently owning the truth thereof; as sometimes the Apostle addeth his name emphatically, to set on what he affirmeth or desireth, 2 Cor. 10.1. Gal. 5.2. Philem. ver. 9, 19. So 1 Pet. 5.1. 1 Joh. 1.1, 3. They who speak to the Church, should do it experimentally, and from demonstration of the truth to their own hearts, that they may be confidently able to own, and to avow what they say.

V. 3. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?] Or, what remaineth and abideth with a man of all his labour? What is added to him, or what more hath he by it?

of all his labour] The word imports toilsome and troublesome labour, and so rendered by the Septuagint, [Greek or Hebrew]; and by Aquila, [Greek or Hebrew].

of all his labour] The word imports toylsome and troublesome labour, and so rendred by the Septuagint, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉; and by Aquila, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉.

under the sun] This may relate to either passage of the verse, either, what remaineth to a man under the Sun; that is, nothing under the Sun will tarry or abide with him. Or, of all the labour which he hath laboured under the Sun; or in relation to worldly matters here below. There is a conversation and a labour in order to things above the Sun, which will remain with a man, and profit him, ⟨p. 20⟩Phil. 3.20. Col. 3.1, 2. Joh. 6.27. But labour in earthly things will not do so. We are said to labour under the Sun, because earthly labour is done by the light of the Sun, Psal. 104.22, 23. Joh. 9.4. and because by that light we are more comforted in the fruition of them, as Eccles. 11.7. and because the benefit we expect from our labours, is wrought instrumentally by the warmth and influence of the Sun, Deut. 33, 14. Here then the wise man proveth his general proposition. Whatsoever is unprofitable and perishing, is very vanity: All things under the Sun, about which the anxious and toilsome labour of man is conversant, are unprofitable and perishing, for nothing of them will remain unto him, or abide with him. Therefore they are all vain. And this he propoundeth by way of interrogation, which makes the negative more unquestionable, as appealing to the conscience of every man, and challenging any man to disprove it. The Scripture usually denies more emphatically by way of interrogation; as Gen. 30.2. 2 Sam. 7.5. compared with 1 Chron. 17.4. Matth. 16.26

Those works are beneficial which follow a man, Rev. 14.13. therefore we must lay out our labour upon a life that abides and abounds, Joh. 10.10. Isa. 55.2. and not labour in the fire, and for every vanity, Hab. 2.13. Luk. 12.6. Matth. 24.38, 39.

Those works are ben••icial which follow a man, Rev. 14.13. therefore we must lay out our labour upon a life that abides and abounds, Joh. 10.10. Isa. 55.2. and not labour in the fire, and for every vanity, Hab. 2.13. Luk. 12.6. Matth. 24.38, 39.

V. 4. One generation goeth, and another generation cometh, but the earth abideth for ever] By Generation is meant the time wherein a Body of men do live and continue together, so we read of this or that Generation, Luk. 21.32. Heb. 3.10. the second, third, tenth generation or ages of men yet to come, Deut. 23.2, 3, 8. A mans own generation, ⟨p. 22⟩or ages of men yet to come, Deut. 23.2, 3, 8. A mans own generation, or the age wherein he liveth, Acts 12.36. There is a constant succession of men to one another, a fixed time, as the days of an hireling, Job 7.1.—10. & 14.14. The inward principles of change and mortality are always working, and life is like a shepherds tent, which doth not continue in one place or stay, Isa. 68.12.

V. 4. One generation goeth, and another generation cometh, but the earth abideth for ever] By Generation is meant the time wherein a Body of men do live and continue together, so we read of this or that Generation, Luk. 21.32. Heb. 3.10. the second, third, tenth generation or ages of men yet to come, Deut. 23.2, 3, 8. A mans own generation, ⟨p. 22⟩or ages of men yet to come, Deut. 23.2, 3, 8. A mans own generation, or the age wherein he liveth, Acts 12.36. There is a constant succession of men to one another, a fixed time, as the daies of an hireling, Job 7.1