Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

2. That it is the height of impiety, to fetch power and advantage from any ordinance of God, to commit it, Isa. 5.20. 1. Sam. 2.17. Jer. 23.25, 38. Jer. 14.14, 15. 1 Reg. 22.11, 12, 24. Joh. 19.10. Isa. 36.10. Mal. 2.8.

3. That wickedness is many times grossly aggravated by the circumstance of place where it is committed, Hos. 6.8. Ezek. 8.6, 9, 17. Isa. 27.10. Mal. 1.7. Matth. 21.12, 13.

3. That wickedness is many times grosly aggravated by the circumstance of place where it is committed, Hos. 6.8. Ezek. 8.6, 9, 17. Isa. 27.10. Mal. 1.7. Matth. 21.12, 13.

and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there] This is the same thing repeated, as the use of that tongue, and of the Scripture is, whereby may be signified, How usual a thing it was in places of Judgement, here and there, one as well as another, to find this corruption, Jer. 5.5. Isa. 5.7.

I said in mine heart] I comforted my heart against this vanity by the consideration of the righteous Judgement of God.

God will judge the righteous] By a sentence of absolution.

and the wicked] By a sentence of condemnation.

for there is a time there] (i. e.) With God, in the judgement to come. The antecedent is to be understood in the relative, as Num. 7.89. Him, for, God, Esth. 9.25. She, for Esther, Psal. 114.2. His Sanctuary, for, Gods Sanctuary, Job 1.2•. naked shall I return thither; namely to the earth.

Here we see, 1. That faith can look on the pride and power of wicked men as a very vain thing, even when they are in the height of their greatness, Job. 5.3. Psal. 92. ⟨p. 115⟩7. & 39.5, 37. & 10.20. & 35.36. Habak. 2.7. Luk. 12.20.

Here we see, 1. That faith can look on the pride and power of wicked men as a very vain thing, even when they are in the height of their greatness, Job. 5.3. Psal. 92. ⟨p. 115⟩7. & 39.5, 37. & 10.20. & 35.36. Habbak. 2.7. Luk. 12.20.

2. That it is matter of comfort to men oppressed, that the Lord will judge their cause over again, and right them against their oppressors. Therefore they ought patiently to wait on him, and to expect what issue he will give them out of their troubles, Eccles. 5.8. Jam. 5.7. Psal. 7.6, 7, 8, 9, 11. & 9.4, 9.

2. That it is matter of comfort to men oppressed, that the Lord will judge their cause over again, and right them against their oppressours. Therefore they ought patiently to wait on him, and to expect what issue he will give them out of their troubles, Eccles. 5.8. Jam. 5.7. Psal. 7.6, 7, 8, 9, 11. & 9.4, 9.

3. There is a prefixed time beyond which God will no longer suffer innocency to be oppressed, nor tyranny to prevail, and we are patiently to wait for Gods time, who will certainly come when wicked men have filled up their measure, Act. 17.31. Jam. 5.7, 8. Job. 21.30. Psal. 37.13. Habak. 2.3. Zach. 5.5—7.

3. There is a prefixed time beyond which God will no longer suffer innocency to be oppressed, nor tyranny to prevail, and we are patiently to wait for Gods time, who will certainly come when wicked men have filled up their measure, Act. 17.31. Jam. 5.7, 8. Job. 21.30. Psal. 37.13. Habbak. 2.3. Zach. 5.5—7.

V. 18. I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men] The order, condition, manner of men, or concerning men themselves, as Psal. 110.4. Eccles. 8.2. or concerning the degrees of men, superiors and inferiors.

V. 18. I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men] The order, condition, manner of men, or concerning men themselves, as Psal. 110.4. Eccles. 8.2. or concerning the degrees of men, superiours and inferiours.

That God might manifest them] I saw that man being in power, did not, could not rightly consider his own frail condition, and therefore that God must manifest them, in his righteous judgement, or by his word unto themselves, and make them know their ⟨p. 116⟩own natural vileness, and that they are, as to outward respects, but as the beasts that perish, Psal. 49.20. as Psal. 82.6, 7. ye are Gods by office, but ye shall die like men; so here, men by reason, by power, by dignity, But ye shall die like beasts. Others thus, That they might clear, or purge God when he judgeth them, and shall make them see that they lived like beasts, Psal. 51.4. Others, that God indeed hath chosen and advanced them to dignity, but by what is seen, and doth outwardly appear of them, they are by their cruelty and injustice, no better then beasts; as Mic. 3.3. Zeph. 3.3.

That they themselves are Beasts] Heb. A Beast. Or that these are as a Beast to those, or as a beast to one another; the singular number is put collectively, they act the part of all kind of hurtful beasts one towards another: so Christ called Herod a fox, Luk. 13.32. and the hypocritical Jews, vipers. Luk. 3.7. See Psal. 22.12, 16. & 10. & 57.4. 2 Tim. 4.17. Ps. 80.13. Ezek. 22.27. Jer. 5.6. Psal. 68.30. Amos 4.1. Mat. 7.6. 2 Pet. 2.22. Ezek. 2.6.

Some render these words [Greek or Hebrew] by Secundum rationem humanam; and thence infer, that Solomon speaketh here according to the judgment of carnal and corrupt reason, and under a Prosopopoeia, doth deliver the judgment of Atheists and Epicures, ⟨p. 117⟩touching the mortality of the Soul, and the total parity of condition between men & beasts in regard of mortality, who thence allow themselves in all kinds of violence, oppression and luxury: and so they understand all that follows to the end of this Chapter, to be spoken as in the person of an Epicure and Atheist: The same events happen to man and beast, their end the same, their original and matter the same, their senses, breath, notions the same, their soul alike earthly, for who knows that mans goes upward more then a beasts, and therefore it is equal, that they should live sensually, without fear or care for the future, as beasts do.

Some render these words 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 by Secundum rationem humanam; and thence infer, that Solomon speaketh here according to the judgment of carnal and corrupt reason, and under a Prosopopoeia, doth deliver the judgment of Atheists and Epicures, ⟨p. 117⟩touching the mortality of the Soul, and the total parity of condition between men & beasts in regard of mortality, who thence allow themselves in all kinds of violence, oppression and luxury: and so they understand all that follows to the end of this Chapter, to be spoken as in the person of an Epicure and Atheist: The same events happen to man and beast, their end the same, their original and matter the same, their senses, breath, notions the same, their soul alike earthly, for who knows that mans goes upward more then a beasts, and therefore it is equal, that they should live sensually, without fear or care for the future, as beasts do.

But the necessity of such a sense doth not appear, since the wise mans purpose here seemeth to be no other but to humble the highest of men, as in the former words, by consideration of Gods Judgement over them; so in these to the 21. verse, by the consideration of their own mortal and earthly condition; wherein as to many particulars they agree with the brute beasts: for he speaks not here of mans immortal or heavenly Condition; but throughout this Book the Scope is to show the vanity of earthly things, and of humane actions in order unto things under the Sun; which vanity is by no means to be remedied, but only by the fear of God. The ⟨p. 118⟩vanity of all the honours and labours of this life, he here discovereth by the equal condition in mere outward respects between men and beasts.

But the necessity of such a sense doth not appear, since the wise mans purpose here seemeth to be no other but to humble the highest of men, as in the former words, by consideration of Gods Judgement over them; so in these to the 21. verse, by the consideration of their own mortal and earthly condition; wherein as to many particulars they agree with the brute beasts: for he speaks not here of mans immortal or heavenly Condition; but throughout this Book the Scope is to shew the vanity of earthly things, and of humane actions in order unto things under the Sun; which vanity is by no means to be remedied, but only by the fear of God. The ⟨p. 118⟩vanity of all the honours and labours of this life, he here discovereth by the equal condition in mere outward respects between men and beasts.