Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

shall he give it for his portion] Or, shall he give his portion. That which in all reason after so much labour should have been the portion of him who laboured for it, he is compelled by death to give or leave it to another man, and so to make it that other mans portion.

V. 22. for what hath man of all his labour, &c.] What is there unto a man of all his labour? Nehem. 6.6. viz. what profit, comfort, advantage, can a man have of such labour wherein all the pain is his, and all the fruit and benefit another mans? Chap. 1.3. & 3.9. Psal. 39 6.

vexation of his heart] Hereby are noted those discruciating, disquieting, careful thoughts, whereby he doth project and contrive within himself all ways of gain, and how to increase and preserve a great estate, Psal. 49.11. Hab. 2.5, 6. 1 Tim. 6.9, 10. This may refer to all the three Reasons before given; 1. What hath man left to himself of all his labour and vexation when he is dead and gone, all the world is then gone to him, Job 1.21. 1 Tim. 6.7. Ps. 49.17.2. What good hath he by all that pains which was taken for another man, who if he were wise, would be able to take the pains for himself, and if foolish, will be likely to make all another mans pains fruitless, which he took to provide for him, Job 27.16, 17.3. What hath he of all his Labour more than the other man who sa•e still, and lived quietly, and saw him toil and drudge to get him an estate who laboured not for it? nothing at all more as to contentment and fruition, much more as to weariness and vexation.

vexation of his heart] Hereby are noted those discruciating, disquieting, careful thoughts, whereby he doth project and contrive within himself all waies of gain, and how to increase and preserve a great estate, Psal. 49.11. Hab. 2.5, 6. 1 Tim. 6.9, 10. This may refer to all the three Reasons before given; 1. What hath man left to himself of all his labour and vexation when he is dead and gone, all the world is then gone to him, Job 1.21.

and his travel [or anxious and careful labour] grief. Or, indignation, his wearisome ⟨p. 86⟩employments, full of disquietness, and of continual solicitude, meeting withal with many miscarriages and disappointments, do stir up much grief and displeasure of heart.

and his travel [or anxious and careful labour] grief. Or, indignation, his wearisome ⟨p. 86⟩imployments, full of disquietness, and of continual sollicitude, meeting withal with many miscarriages and disappointments, do stir up much grief and displeasure of heart.

Hereby is noted the exceeding great trouble of heart, which ariseth out of an inordinate conversing about worldly things, and apprehension of parting with them. For the less measure there is in the labour of getting them, the more trouble there is in the thoughts of parting with them. If the life of the best men be full of evil and labour, Gen. 47.9. Ps. 90.10. Job. 14.1. & 5.7. Our mother brings us forth in sorrow, and unto sorrow: much more unquiet must be the life of those who labour in the fire, and for very vanity, Hab. 2.13.

Hereby is noted the exceeding great trouble of heart, which ariseth out of an inordinate conversing about worldly things, and apprehension of parting with them. For the less measure there is in the labour of getting them, the more trouble there is in the thoughts of parting with them. If the life of the best men be full of evil and labour, Gen. 47.9. Ps. 90.10. Job. 14.1. & 5.7. Our mother brings us forth in sorrow, and unto sorrow: much more unquiet must be the life of those who labour in the fire, and for very vanity, Habb. 2.13.

yea, his heart taketh no rest in the night] The night was appointed by God for man to rest in, as the day to labour, Ps. 104.23. & 127.2. Job 4.13. But such a man depriveth himself of that blessing, which God by the very season offers him, Job 7.3, 4, 13, 14. Eccl. 5.12, 13. Prov. 3.24. Or, if such a mans body, through labour and weariness, do sleep, yet his heart is still taken up with unquiet thoughts and cares; for the heart may be awake when the body sleeps, Cant. 5.2.

V. 24. There is nothing better for a man, ⟨p. 87⟩than to eat, &c.] In this verse, and so to the end of the Chapter, is contained that which is the whole sum and subject of this book, which is to show, wherein the only good which a man can attain unto in his labour about worldly things, doth consist, and the happiness of this present life, which is to get the heart seasoned with the s•ar of God, and to be good in his sight, or approved of him; and then in the assurance and joy of his favour, to make use of all outward good things with quiet contentment, with freedom, cheerfulness, and delight, which is a special blessing which the Lord gives unto his own servants. The Apostle puts all this into two words, Godliness and Contentment, 1 Tim, 6.6.

V. 24. There is nothing better for a man, ⟨p. 87⟩than to eat, &c.] In this verse, and so to the end of the Chapter, is contained that which is the whole sum and subject of this book, which is to shew, wherein the only good which a man can attain unto in his labour about worldly things, doth consist, and the happiness of this present life, which is to get the heart seasoned with the s•ar of God, and to be good in his sight, or approved of him; and then in the assurance and joy of his favour, to make use of all outward good things with quiet contentment, with freedome, chearfulness, and delight, which is a special blessing which the Lord gives unto his own servants. The Apostle puts all this into two words, Godliness and Contentment, 1 Tim, 6.6.

The words admit of a several reading, though all run to the same issue. There is nothing better for a man, then—so our version. The word [then] according to the reading is to be supplied, it not being in the Original. And so Interpreters agree, that such a word as nisi, or tantum, may be understood, as it is necessarily to be supplied elsewhere; as Isa. 1.6. where, in the Original, the words run in this manner, There is no soundness it, wounds and bruises, &c. where the word but, or only, is necessarily to be supplied; no soundness, [but] wounds ⟨p. 88⟩or bruises: So here, There is not good for a man that he eat; the word but is to be supplied, There is not, or it is not good for a man but that he eat: It is expressed, Chap. 3.12. Others read the words with an interrogation, Is it not good for a man that he eat, &c.? (i. e.) It is good. Others •ead thus, This good is not in a man, (i. e.) in the power of a man, that he eat and drink, &c. As he cannot help it, but he must in time leave his outward things, which with so much labour he hath gotten, and that to such as, it may be, will not dispose of them to his desire; so even while he doth actually possess them himself, it is not in his power to use them, much less to enjoy with delight and pleasure, without the special gift of God. All amounts to the same issue; which is this: Since there is in all the studies, labours, affairs of men so much vanity and vexation, as hath been here discovered, by the ablest and wisest inquirer into the creature; it remains, if we would effectually free our selves from this vanity and vexation, that giving over those anxious and disquieting labours, we betake our selves to a free, cheerful, and comfortable use of those good things which God hath blessed us withal; and that so we may do, to commend our selves by sincerity of heart unto God, from whose hand and gift ⟨p. 89⟩alone this mercy proceedeth, and not from the power or will of man.

The words admit of a several reading, though all run to the same issue. There is nothing better for a man, then—so our version. The word [then] according to the reading is to be supplyed, it not being in the Original. And so Interpreters agree, that such a word as nisi, or tantum, may be understood, as it is necessarily to be supplyed elsewhere; as

make his soul see, or enjoy good] i. e. Make himself to enjoy the good which outward blessings do afford, the like phrase making •o see good is used, Ps. 4.6. and 50.23. su•ra, vers. 1.

make his soul see, or enjoy good] i. e. Make himself to enjoy the good which outward blessings do afford, the like phrase making •o see good is •sed, Ps. 4.6. and 50.23. su•ra, vers. 1.

in his labour] 1. In the fruit of labour, •ot of idleness. 2. Of his own labour, of •hat which is righteously his own, not gotten •rom others by violence or injustice.

this also I saw that it was from the hand of God] Or the special gift of God, as vers. 26. Chap. 3.13. & 5 19. 1 Chron. 29.16. It may seem but an easy thing when man hath, with much toil and trouble, gotten provisions about him, to eat the fruit of his own labours, yet he hath no power to do it without Gods blessing.

this also I saw that it was from the hand of God] Or the special gift of God, as vers. 26. Chap. 3.13. & 5 19. 1 Chron. 29.16. It may seem but an easie thing when man hath, with much toyl and trouble, gotten provisions about him, to eat the fruit of his own labours, yet he hath no power to do it without Gods blessing.

Here we may observe. 1. That the utmost good of all worldly labours reach no further as to real benefit, then the supply of body, Eccles. 6.7. 1 Tim. 6, 7, 8.

2. That it is not in the power of man, after all his hard labour for these things, either to use them, or with cheerfulness and joy to delight at all in them, without the special hand and gift of God; to say nothing of sickness, or other distempers within, and of robbers without, which may take away the ⟨p. 90⟩taste of any sweetness in them, and consequently the desire of them, 2 Sam. 19.35. Job 33 19, 20. so that the floor and the winepress shall not feed us, Hos. 9.2. & 2.9. There is such a sordid and base cruelty in the mind of a man towards himself, as to defraud and grudge himself the fruit of his own labour, Eccl. 6.2, 4, 8. much less can a man with cheerfulness, contentment, and sweet tranquility, make use of these blessings without the special favour of God unto him therein, Prov. 10.22. Ps. 128.1.2. Nehem. 8.10, 12. 1 Chron. 29.22. Act. 14.17. Deut. 8.12—18. Phil. 4, 11, 12, 13.

2. That it is not in the power of man, after all his hard labour for these things, either to use them, or with chearfulness and joy to delight at all in them, without the special hand and gift of God; to say nothing of sickness, or other distempers within, and of robbers without, which may take away the

3. That the happiness of this life standeth in a free, cheerful and contented enjoyment of the good blessings of God, together with the sense and comfort of his fatherly love, 1 Tim. 6.4.

4. That all the sweetness of outward blessings standeth in this, that they are reached out unto us, from the hand, and sanctified by the blessing and grace of a merciful Father, Ps. 37.16. Prov. 15.16. 1 Tim. 4.5. 1 Tim. 6.17. It is the love of God which puts sweetness into all outward mercies.