Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

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 […] though the sentence of death hath sometim•• been revoked, Isa. 38.1, 5.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 〈…〉 though the sentence of death hath sometim•• been revoked, Isa. 38.1, 5.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.

to beat down, and to build] Jer. 1.10. & 18.7. & 31.28. Isa. 5.2, 5.

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.

V. 9. What profit hath he that worketh, in that wherein he laboureth? As Chap. 1.3. Matth. 6.27. In vain is it for a man by any anxious toil to go about to effect any thing according to his own will, if the counsel and providence of God be against it. When he builds, God may pull down, or put in some accident and casual event which shall divert, or undo all: Yet he doth not intend to restrain men from needful Labour in their Callings; but from trusting in or building on their Labours, and fretting if such fruits follow not thereupon as they intended and expected; but patiently to submit to the holy Will of God, unto whom it belongeth to dispose of our persons, of our liberties as it pleaseth him. Whence observe, That carking and caring is indeed a striving with the irresistible providence of God, which no labour of ours can alter, or bend to our wills, Isa. 45.9. Jon. 4.1, 8, 9. as on the other side, glorying of our own strength and wisdom, is a robbing him of his honour, Deut. 8.17, 18. Habak, 1.16. Labour is subordinate unto providence, but must never strive with it. There is no profit to any m•n in his Labour, without Gods blessing, ⟨p. 102⟩which therefore he must pray for, and rejoice in, without fruitless anxiety for the future.

V. 9. What profit hath he that worketh, in that wherein he laboureth? As Chap. 1.3. Matth. 6.27. In vain is it for a man by any anxious toyl to go about to effect any thing according to his own will, if the counsel and providence of God be against it. When he builds, God may pull down, or put in some accident and casual event which shall divert, or undo all: Yet he doth not intend to restrain men from needfull Labour in their Callings; but from trusting in or building on their Labours, and fretting if such fruits follow not thereupon as they intended and expected; but patiently to submit to the holy Will of God, unto whom it belongeth to dispose of our persons, of our liberties as it pleaseth him. Whence observe, That carking and caring is indeed a striving with the irresistable providence of God, which no labour of ours can alter, or bend to our wills,