Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

CHAP. VI.

First, By the good things which he hath; 1. Riches in abundance, riches and wealth. 2. Honour, and both to the uttermost of his desires, vers. 2. 3. Many Children. 4. Many years, a great old age, vers. 3, 6.

Secondly, By his misery, which makes all that vain unto him. 1. God gives him not power to enjoy it. 2. A stranger eateth it. 3. His Soul is not filled with good. 4. He hath no burial, vers. 2, 3.

Thirdly, the censure of all this: 1. Absolutely, 2. Comparatively. Absolutely; It is first, an evil; secondly, a common evil; ⟨p. 184⟩thirdly, a vanity; fourthly, a disease, vers. 1, 2. Comparatively, an untimely birth, o• abortive is better; For, 1. He is born dead, and so free from sense of miseries, which the other discruciated himself withal. 2. He departs in darkness, without the loss of light and comfort, which the other denies unto himself. 3. His name is covered in darkness, the others name is odious, vers. 4. 4. He hath not seen the Sun, nor known any thing: the other hath indeed seen the Sun, but hath seen no good, nor known any thing but sorrow and vexation, and at last goes to the same place, vers. 5, 6. This vanity he furthers opens:

First, By the narrow use of Riches, and all the labour conversant about them; it terminates in the body; it cannot satiate the mind nor appetite; that is, if evil and covetous, insatiable; if wise and prudent, above satisfaction by these things, vers. 7. That they cannot satisfy the mind, appears, because then wise men might find out some more good in them then fools; but the wisest can have no more out of them, then for their mouths, and so have fools, and the poorest men that know how to live, as well as the richest, vers. 8.

First, By the narrow use of Riches, and all the labour conversant about them; it terminates in the body; it cannot satiate the minde nor appetite; that is, if evil and covetous, insatiable; if wise and prudent, above satisfaction by these things, vers. 7. That they cannot satisfie the minde, appears, because then wise men might find out some more good in them then fools; but the wisest can have no more out of them, then for their mouths, and so have fools, and the poorest men that know how to live, as well as the richest, vers. 8.

Secondly, By the vanity of wandering and endless desires; the wise, the foolish, the ⟨p. 185⟩rich, the poor have things present and necessary, so long as they live, they have enough to that use; and this is a real fruit, much better, then to let the heart wander and weary it self in endless desires, vers. 9.

Secondly, By the vanity of wandring and endlesse desires; the wise, the foolish, the ⟨p. 185⟩rich, the poor have things present and necessary, so long as they live, they have enough to that use; and this is a real fruit, much better, then to let the heart wander and weary it self in endless desires, vers. 9.

Thirdly, By the impossibility of mending a mans condition by these things, or of raising him above the state of mortality and infirmity. A man will be but a man how rich soever he be, and all his wealth will not guard him against the evils incident to humanity, vers. 10. He will be still never the better by such things, as do but increase vanity, vers. 11.

Fourthly, By the ignorance of man to make the best use of things, and to resolve himself, whether a great, or a moderate estate be better for him; especially considering the shortness of his life, and the ignorance of what will become of his Estate or Family after he is gone, vers. 12. Thus we may connex the two last Verses, with the Argument of those before: or rather we may take them for a general conclusion of all the precedent vanities, since so many things there are which increase vanity, what is man the better for them, vers. 11. For first, amongst them all, he can hardly know what is good for himself. 2. If he do, he can enjoy that good but a little while, his very life (the best outward ⟨p. 186⟩blessing he hath) is vain, and but a shadow 3. When his life is over, he shall be never the better for any thing which comes after him. 4. Neither can he please himself with the fore-sight of what shall be after him, because he cannot tell it to himself, neither can any man else declare it to him.

Fourthly, By the ignorance of man to make the best use of things, and to resolve himself, whether a great, or a moderate estate be better for him; especially considering the shortnesse of his life, and the ignorance of what will become of his Estate or Family after he is gone, vers. 12. Thus we may connex the two last Verses, with the Argument of those before: or rather we may take them for a general conclusion of all the precedent vanities, since so many things there are which increase vanity, what is man the better for them, vers. 11. For first, amongst them all, he can hardly know what is good for himself. 2. If he do, he can enjoy that good but a little while, his very life (the best outward ⟨p. 186⟩blessing he hath) is vain, and but a shadow 3. When his life is over, he shall be never the better for any thing which comes after him. 4. Neither can he please himself with the fore-sight of what shall be after him, because he cannot tell it to himself, neither can any man else declare it to him.

Vers. 1. There is an evil which I have seen under the Sun] He shows the misery of a discontented covetous disposition, and that it is a special gift of God to bestow upon a man the sweet enjoyment of outward blessings, which when he hath, he is apt enough to deny unto himself.

Vers. 1. THere is an evil which I have seen under the Sun] He shews the misery of a discontented covetous disposition, and that it is a special gift of God to bestow upon a man the sweet enjoyment of outward blessings, which when he hath, he is apt enough to deny unto himself.

and it is common amongst men] Or much and great. Covetousness is both a great sin, and yet a very usual and frequent sin, that it is to be met with, in all parts of the habitable world, where ever the Sun riseth and setteth. The commonness of sin, doth not at all extenuate the greatness of it, but rather aggravate the same, Psal. 14.2.3. Jer. 5.1.5.

and it is common amongst men] Or much and great. Covetousness is both a great sin, and yet a very usual and frequent sin, that it is to be met with, in all parts of the habitable world, where ever the Sun riseth and setteth. The commonness of sin, doth not at all extenuate the greatnesse of it, but rather aggravate the same, Psal. 14.2.3. Jer. 5.1.5.

V. 2. A man to whom God hath given, &c.] There is a man, who hath all things that heart can desire, not only riches, but substance of all sorts, lands, moveables, with honour and great place, 2 Chron. 1.11, 12.

V. 2. A man to whom God hath given, &c.] There is a man, who hath all things that heart can desire, not onely riches, but substance of all sorts, lands, moveables, with honour and great place, 2 Chron. 1.11, 12.

so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth] He is not defective, or ⟨p. 187⟩destitute of any thing which his soul can wish for; his substance extends to all just and large desires; it cannot be exhausted or worn out, Deut. 8.9. Isa. 51.14. 1 Reg. 17.16. He speaketh not of the boundless desires of covetous men, which are never satisfied; but of the just desires, which a man of dignity and honour could have, in order to the decency of his estate, and to the quality of his place. He cannot rationally wish for any thing towards the satisfaction of his just desires, which his estate will not plentifully afford him, Psal. 73.7. Luk. 12.17, 18. Job 21.7—13. Psal. 17.14. All this a covetous wretch is said to have from God, not in a way of blessing, as if God did prosper and approve of his sordid, or sinful ways of gain; but in a way only of providence, his Sun shining on the just and unjust, Matth. 5.45.

so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth] He is not defective, or ⟨p. 187⟩destitute of any thing which his soul can wish for; his substance extends to all just and large desires; it cannot be exhausted or worn out, Deut. 8.9. Isa. 51.14. 1 Reg. 17.16. He speaketh not of the boundless desires of covetous men, which are never satisfied; but of the just desires, which a man of dignity and honour could have, in order to the decency of his estate, and to the quality of his place. He cannot rationally wish for any thing towards the satisfaction of his just desires, which his estate will not plentifully afford him,

yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof] Chap. 5.18, 19. To eat of them, importeth a moderate and prudent use of them, for necessity and delight, taking a mans own portion; this is a special curse and judgement of God, when a man hath not an heart to enjoy the blessings which God bestoweth on him: as the contrary is a blessing from God, Chap. 5.19.

yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof] Chap. 5.18, 19. To eat of them, importeth a moderate and prudent use of them, for necessity and delight, taking a mans own portion; this is a special curse and judgement of God, when a man hath not an heart to enjoy the blessi•gs which God bestoweth on him: as the contrary is a blessing from God, Chap. 5.19.