Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

A time to be born, or to bear nd bri•• forth] Called the hour of a woman, Jo•• 16.21.

and a time to die] Called the […] wherein a man must depart, Joh. 13.1. […] though the sentence of death hath sometim•• been revoked, Isa. 38.1, 5. yet the pred••terminate time fore-fixed in the purpose God was not altered.

and a time to die] Called the 〈…〉 wherein a man must depart, Joh. 13.1. 〈…〉 though the sentence of death hath sometim•• been revoked, Isa. 38.1, 5. yet the pred••terminate time fore-fixed in the purpose God was not altered.

V. 3. A time to kill] There is a pro•• •dence ⟨p. 99⟩of God in the violent deaths of men, directing actions either sinful or fortuitous, as it pleaseth him, 2 Reg. 10.30. compared with Hos. 1.4. Exod. 21.13. 1 Reg. 22.34. Hos. 6.1. 1 Sam. 2.6. Job. 30.26.

V. 3. A time to kill] There is a pro•• •dence ⟨p. 99⟩of God in the violent deaths of men, directing actions either sinfull or fortuitous, as it pleaseth him, 2 Reg. 10.30. compared with Hos. 1.4. Exod. 21.13. 1 Reg. 22.34. Hos. 6.1. 1 Sam. 2.6. Job. 30.26.

V. 4. A time to weep] viz. From the Lord; for he speaketh all along of the providence of God, in whose hand all our times both of sorrow and of joy are, Psal. 80.5. Ruth 1.20, 21.

and a time to laugh] Psal. 126.1.2. Gen. 21.6.

to mourn] As in Funerals and public calamities, Chap. 12.5.

to mourn] As in Funerals and publick calamities, Chap. 12.5.

to dance] i. e. greatly to rejoice, and express joy in the outward behaviour, 2 Sam. 6.14. Act. 3.8.

to daunce] i. e. greatly to rejoyce, and express joy in the outward behaviour, 2 Sam. 6.14. Act. 3.8.

5. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather them together] Some by this, understand the erecting of trophies over conquered enemies, as Josh. 8.29. 2 Sam. 18.17, 18. Zach. 9.16. Others, the demolishing or erecting of buildings, all ordered by Gods providence, Luke 13.4. Judg. 9.53. Lam. 2.2, 5, 7, 8, 9. & 4.1. Zach. 5.4. Mic. 1.6. 2 Reg. 3.25. Mar. 13.1, 2.

to embrace, and to abstain from embracing] 1 Cor. 7.5.

V. 6. to get] Prov. 10.6.

to cast away] Either out of necessity, as Jon. 1.5. Act. 27.18, 38. or out of charity, Prov. 11.24. Eccles. 11.1. or out of special duty to God, Heb. 10.34. Matth. 10.37.38, 39. and 19.29.

V. 7. To rent] As the custom was in mourning, Job. 1.20. Joel 2 19.

V. 7. To rent] As the custome was in mourning, Job. 1.20. Joel 2 19.

to speak, to keep silence] According to difference of seasons, Prov. 26.4, 5. & 25.11. Amos 5.13.

V. 8. A time of war] 2 Sam. 11.1.

Thus Solomon by an Induction of divers particulars, and those very various, and each by way of Antithesis with his contrary joined to him, some natural actions, some civil, some domestical, some vicious, some virtuous, some serious and solemn, others light and ludicrous, some wise, some passionate; by all these he assureth us, that there is a holy and wise work of God in predefining, ordering, limiting, tempering, disposing of all these and the like affairs of men, and so qualifying in the life of a man one contrary with another, and balancing prosperity and adversity by each other, that in every condition a good man may find cause of praising God, and of trusting in him, and of exercising this tranquility and contentment of mind, even in contrary conditions because ⟨p. 101⟩the holy hand of God is in the one, as well as in the other, Job. 1.21. Phil. 4.11, 12.

Thus Solomon by an Induction of divers particulars, and those very various, and each by way of Antithesis with his contrary joyned to him, some natural actions, some civil, some domestical, some vitious, some vertuous, some serious and solemn, others light and ludicrous, some wise, some passionate; by all these he assureth us, that there is a holy and wise work of God in predefining, ordering, limiting, tempering, disposing of all these and the like affairs of men, and so qualifying in the life of a man one contrary with another, and ballancing prosperity and adversity by each other, that in every condition a good man may find cause of praising God, and of trusting in him, and of exercising this tranquility and contentment of mind, even in contrary conditions because ⟨p. 101⟩the holy hand of God is in the one, as well as in the other, Job. 1.21. Phil. 4.11, 12.