Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

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.

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,

V. 10. I have seen the travel] Chap. 1.13. men might be apt to think when they see so many turns and changes in the world, that all things are carried by a blind and rash disorder, casually and uncertainly, as it falls out, without any beauty or order in them. To this he answers, That it is God who hath given unto men this travel to exercise themselves in various and contrary employments, passions, events, and that he doth, though we do not suddenly observe it, direct them all unto a beautiful issue: all these contraries work together for good, Rom. 8.28. Again, men might think on the other hand, If man have indeed no profit of all his labour, but when all is done, God alone orders the Event, then to what end should he weary himself in so fruitless an employment? To this also there is an answer in these words; God hath given to man his work, which he is to undertake in obedience to Gods command: and God doth usually dispense his mercies unto us in the use of means, and by a blessing on our labours, Prov. 10.4, 22. Joh. 21.3, 6. Act. 27.22, 31. And though Labour do not effect what we expected from it, but Gods providence ⟨p. 103⟩should (as sometimes it doth) act contrary to, or diversly from our endeavours, yet this good there is in honest Labour alone, and this End God hath in requiring it of us, we are Exercised therein, and so kept from idleness, and the evil effects which would follow thereupon. Labour is not only a duty, but in this respect beneficial, (even when it miscarrieth as to the principal end aimed at in it) that the heart is thereby kept in that station and order wherein God did originally set it, Gen. 3.17, 18, 19.

V. 10. I have seen the travel] Chap. 1.13. men might be apt to think when they see so many turns and changes in the world, that all things are carried by a blind and rash disorder, casually and uncertainly, as it falls out, without any beauty or order in them. To this he answers, That it is God who hath given unto men this travel to exercise themselves in various and contrary imployments, passions, events, and that he doth, though we do not suddenly observe it, direct them all unto a beautifull issue: all these contraries work together for good,

V. 11. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time, or in the time and proper season thereof.] This is a further commendation of the wise providence of God in the government of the world, and all the events which happen in it, to the end that men may with more quietness and contentment acquiesce therein. We might be apt to stumble and be offended at the seeming confusions which are in the world, and the great uncertainty of affairs therein. But howsoever it seem so unto us, who are not able to put together all the pieces of Gods providence, nor to foresee that frame and feature which he will form them unto at the last, yet this is certain, that as in the work of Creation all things were very good, Gen. 1.31. So in the work of Gubernation and ⟨p. 104⟩Providence, All things will at last appear to be very beautiful, and those things which seemed but as confused heaps when they lay asunder, will when Gods whole work is done, (Isa. 10.12.) and they are all put together, appear to have been full of order, and decorum: as beauty in the body ariseth out of an equal temperament of contraries together, and so in a curious piece of hanging various colours wisely mixed, make an elegant piece: and letters which in the Printers boxes seem all confused, and signify nothing: yet being set together by an exquisite Copy, they afford us a learned and elaborate work; as we see in the History of Joseph and his brethren, of Davids troubles and Kingdom: of Mordecai, Esther, and Haman, of the Jews crucifying of Christ, &c.

V. 11. He hath made every thing beautifull in his time, or in the time and proper season thereof.] This is a further commendation of the wise providence of God in the government of the world, and all the events which happen in it, to the end that men may with more quietness and contentment acquiesce therein. We might be apt to stumble and be offended at the seeming confusions which are in the world, and the great uncertainty of affairs therein. But howsoever it seem so unto us, who are not able to put together all the pieces of Gods providence, nor to foresee that frame and feature which he will form them unto at the last, yet this is certain, that as in the w•rk of Creation all things were very good,

Again, God hath made every thing beautiful in its time] As cold, and frost, are as orderly, as necessary, as useful in the winter, the season for them, as fruits, and flowers, and other delights are in the summer. Sorrow and Affliction is in the season of it as useful and needful for men, and in its kind as beautiful, as mirth and joy in another season, 1 Pet. 1.6, 7. Jam. 1.2, 3. & 5.7, 11. Eccles. 7.13, 14. Ps. 104.24.

Again, God hath made every thing beautifull in its time] As cold, and frost, are as orderly, as necessary, as usefull in the winter, the season for them, as fruits, and flowers, and other delights are in the summer. Sorrow and Affliction is in the season of it as usefull and needfull for men, and in its kind as beautifull, as mirth and joy in another season, 1 Pet. 1.6, 7. Jam. 1.2, 3. & 5.7, 11. Eccles. 7.13, 14. Ps. 104.24.

also he hath set the world in their heart, &c.] These words are in this place very ⟨p. 105⟩difficult, and variously both rendered, and understood. Some read them thus, Quamdiu seculum est, as long as the world, or worldly things continue, the Lord doth put into the mind of man the work which God doth from the beginning to the end, excepting only that which man cannot find out, or attain unto: and so the sense to be, That God hath in the book of the world, and of his providence in the Government of all things therein, so legibly represented to the mind of man his righteous and beautiful ordering of them all, that man may if he set himself about it, easily discover Gods wonderful wisdom therein; as Act. 14.17. Rom. 1.19, 20. only indeed some things are unsearchable to humane reason, which he is to admire and adore, waiting till the time of the revelation of Gods righteous Judgements for the full and distinct understanding of them, Rom. 11.33, 34. Job. 9.10. & 11.7, 8, 9. Others, by putting the world in mens hearts, understand according to one of the usual acceptions of the word, [Greek or Hebrew], a desire implanted in man of eternity and perpetuity, and so the sense to be, That albeit God doth make every thing good and beautiful, yet the heart of man is so set upon immortality, that he cannot provide amongst any of Gods works here which have a beginning ⟨p. 106⟩and an end, or are measured by time, any thing wherein his heart may fully and finally rest.

also he hath set the world in their heart, &c.] These words are in this place very ⟨p. 105⟩difficult, and variously both rendred, and understood. Some read them thus, Quamdiu seculum est, as long as the world, or worldly things continue, the Lord doth put into the mind of man the work which God doth from the beginning to the end, excepting only that which man cannot find out, or attain unto: and so the sense to be, That God hath in the book of the world, and of his providence in the Government of all things therein, so legibly represented to the mind of man his righteous and beautifull ordering of them all, that man may if he set himself about it, easily discover Gods wonderfull wisdom therein; as

But that which seems most agreeable to the scope of the place, and grammar of the words, is this; God hath indeed made every thing beautiful in his time, and thereupon men ought with quiet and cheerful hearts to observe Gods providence in all things, and therein to rest, without anxiety or discruciating care: but man cannot find out the work of God, nor observe the beauty thereof so exactly as he should, which is the reason that he doth not so patiently acquiesce therein. Of this defect he giveth two reasons:

But that which seems most agreeable to the scope of the place, and grammar of the words, is this; God hath indeed made every thing beautifull in his time, and thereupon men ought with quiet and cheerfull hearts to observe Gods providence in all things, and therein to rest, without anxiety or discruciating care: but man cannot find out the work of God, nor observe the beauty thereof so exactly as he should, which is the reason that he doth not so patiently aquiesce therein. Of this defect he giveth two reasons:

1. That they have the world in their hearts, they are so taken up with the thoughts and cares of worldly things, and are so exercised in the sore travel belonging unto them, that they do not naturally look up to the wise and holy disposition of God, so as to rest therein. This duty is the remedy of such cares, Matth. 6.26, 30, 32. and such cares as are the hindrance of this duty.

2. They cannot find out the work which God doth from the beginning to the end] Man being of short continuance doth not many times live to observe a full point in the works of God. Their beginning may be in ⟨p. 107⟩one age, and their end in another. That part which I see in my days, may appear to me full of disorder and confusion, as heaps of stone and lime, and other provisions towards a goodly building: whereas if I did live to see the end of God in such works, it would appear, that in their time, or maturity they would be full of beauty: that fruit which is most sweet and delicate in its season, is sour and unpleasant while it is yet green. It is the End of Gods work which sets forth its beauty. Works of Providence, as works of Creation, may begin in a Chaos, and seem without form and void, Gen. 1.2. but they end in admirable order and beauty, Chap. 8.17. Psal. 37.37, 38. Jam. 5.11. Hab. 2.3. So here is the doctrine of the excellent beauty which is in Gods Providence. The reason why man is not thereby persuaded unto contentment and patience in all estates, namely, his natural impotency to observe the same. The grounds of that Impotency, 1. His worldly-mindedness. 2. His short continuance: yet he ought by faith, and by the evidence of Gods dealings in other ages, to rectify this defect, and upon that ground to build his cheerful enjoyment of blessing while God bestows them upon him. So it follows,

2. They cannot find out the work which God doth from the beginning to the end] Man being of short continuance doth not many times live to observe a full point in the works of God. Their beginning may be in ⟨p. 107⟩one age, and their end in another. That part which I see in my dayes, may appear to me full of disorder and confusion, as heaps of stone and lime, and other provisions towards a goodly building: whereas if I did live to see the end of God in such works, it would appear, that in their time, or maturity they would be full of beauty: that fruit which is most sweet and delicate in its season, is sour and unpleasant while it is yet green. It is the End of Gods work which sets forth its beauty. Works of Providence, as works of Creation, may begin in a Chaos, and seem without form and void,