A57129:160
Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes
London: printed by J. Streater, 1669
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
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.
5. Honest labour whereby a mans bread is his own, is the proper object of our comfortable fruition. Then only we can rejoice ⟨p. 91⟩in our eating and drinking, and other outward delights, when in them we taste the sweet of our righteous labours, Prov. 16.8. Eph. 5.28. 2 Thes. 3.12.
5. Honest labour whereby a mans bread is his own, is the proper object of our comfortable fruition. Then only we can rejoyce ⟨p. 91⟩in our eating and drinking, and other outward delights, when in them we taste the sweet of our righteous labours, Prov. 16.8. Eph. 5.28. 2 Thes. 3.12.
V. 25. for who can eat, or who else can hasten thereunto more than I?] He proveth what he had said, that it is the gift of God; because he so wise, so wealthy a Prince, who had so great variety to hold up his delight, could of himself find nothing in all his great estate, but matter of vexation. What power can others have to enjoy them, when he could not; or else it may refer to the former part of the fore-going verse. There is nothing for a m•n then to eat and drink and enjoy good in his labour: this he proveth by his own experience. As by his own experience, he hath all along proved the vanity and vexation of the creatures in other respects; so here by his own experience he proveth, that the only tranquility is, having made sure of the favour of God, to eat and drink with cheerfulness. He doth not mean sensual Epicure-like surfeiting on the creatures, but a quiet and free contented use of them; who is fit to eat of my estate, and to make haste so to do, i. e. readily and cheerfully to do it, then I my self who laboured it? and I unto whom God hath given such plenty, and such readiness of heart to use it, ⟨p. 92⟩can by my own taste of Gods goodness give to others a judgement and assurance hereof. So vers. 10, 12.
who else can hasten thereunto more than I?] This noteth a special promptitude and cheerfulness of heart, which Solomon did put forth in the fruition of the good things he had gathered, as Job 20.2. others read it, who hath taken more care thereunto, to abound in delights and contents then I? Others, who hath quicker senses to discern the comforts of them, then I? but the first sense seemeth more genuine; for as in the former verse, he spake, 1. Of eating and drinking, or of the free using of Gods blessings. 2. Of making the heart to enjoy them: So here he telleth us that his practise, was suitable, who can eat? that relates to the former; and who can hasten more than I, that relates to the later.
who else can hasten thereunto more than I?] This noteth a special promptitude and cheerfulness of heart, which Solomon did put forth in the fruition of the good things he had gathered, as Job 20.2. others read it, who hath taken more care thereunto, to abound in delights and contents then I? Others, who hath quicker senses to discern the comforts of them, then I? but the first sense seemeth more genuine; for as in the former verse, he spake, 1. Of eating and drinking, or of the free using of Gods blessings. 2. Of making the heart to enjoy them: So here he telleth us that his practise, was suteable, who can eat? that relates to the former; and who can hasten more than I, that relates to the later.
V. 26. for God giveth to a man that is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy, &c.] Having commended this free and comfortable use of Gods blessings with Godliness and contentment by the author of it, it is the gift of God: He here further commends it by the subject of it, unto whom God doth afford so excellent a gift: many gifts of God are common to good and bad men, Matth. 5.45. 1 Cor. 13.1, 3. but this ⟨p. 93⟩is a peculiar blessing which he bestows on his beloved, Ps. 127.2. the subject of it is a good man; the Character of that good man, he is good in his sight, good in the judgement of God, who trieth the heart, Gen. 17.1. 1 Cor. 10.18. Rom. 12.1, 2. 1 Tim. 2.3. Heb. 13.21. The gift of God to this man. 1. Wisdom to get, 2 Knowledge to use, 3. Joy to use cheerfully and comfortably all outward blessings, and this is illustrated by an Antithesis.
V. 26. for God giveth to a man that is good in his sight, wisdome, and knowledge, and joy, &c.] Having commended this free and comfortable use of Gods blessings with Godliness and contentment by the author of it, it is the gift of God: He here further commends it by the subject of it, unto whom God doth afford so excellent a gift: many gifts of God are common to good and bad men, Matth. 5.45. 1 Cor. 13.1, 3. but this ⟨p. 93⟩is a peculiar blessing which he bestows on his beloved,