Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

and also that he have no burial] Either through cruelty of murderers & spoilers, or through neglect of heirs and successors, who deny him an honourable interment. It is a part of humane misery to be without burial, Deut. 28.26. 1 Re•. 14.11, 13. 2 Reg. 9.37. Isai. 14 20. Jer. 8.2 & 16.4. & 22.19. 2 Chron. 21.19.

and also that he have no burial] Either through cruelty of mur•herers & spoylers, or through neglect of heirs and successors, who deny him an honourable interment. It is a part of humane misery to be without burial, Deut. 28.26. 1 Re•. 14.11, 13. 2 Reg. 9.37. Isai. 14 20. Jer. 8.2 & 16.4. & 22.19. 2 Chron. 21.19.

I say, that an untimely birth is better then he] In regard of outward respects, never to have felt good or evil, not to be born at all, or to be born and die at once, then to live long in misery, and then dye without love or honour from any. Hereby is noted the base condition of such a person, who is worse then an untimely birth, which hath not had the ordinary comfort of the meanest living creatures, to see the Sun, Job 3.10, 11, 12, 16. Psal. 58.8.

V. 4. For he cometh in with vanity] (i.) He is born, Job 1.21. Josh. 1.9. To no purpose. That which never comes to perfection, but melteth and vanisheth away as soon as it is born, is born in vain.

his name shall be covered with darkness] (i.) Shall utterly be forgotten; there shall never be any mention of him.

his name shall be covered with darknesse] (i.) Shall utterly be forgotten; there shall never be any mention of him.

V. 5. hath not seen the Sun] Job 3.16. Hath not felt any worldly delight, and therefore is not affected with the loss o• it.

nor known] Hath had no use, either o• sense or reason, and so cannot compare the evil of loss with the good of fruition.

this hath more rest then the other] For he rests immediately from the womb, whereas a covetous man lives a toilsome and unquiet life, and then parts with all, unwillingly, into the condition of the abortive.

this hath more rest then the other] For he rests immediately from the wom•, whereas a covetous man lives a toylsome and unquiet life, and then parts with all, unwillingly, into the condition of the abortive.

V. 6. Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told] Whereas it might be objected, that the one hath lived a long life, and that alone is a blessing; and therefore in that respect, he is to be preferred before an untimely birth. He answereth, That long life, without seeing good, doth but lengthen out misery; It is not the life, but the good, which makes a solid difference, Psal. 34.12. else the evil of the day, Matth. 6.34. makes day and life it self undesirable, Job 3.20—23 & 7.1, 2.

Do not all go to one place] As well he that lives longest, as he that never saw the Sun: and though one never saw the Sun, yet if the other never saw good, but only wearies himself with sorrows and vanity, and goes to the same dust; what difference is there between them?

Do not all go to one place] As well he that lives longest, as he that never saw the Sun: and though one never saw the Sun, yet if the other never saw good, but only wea•ies himself with sorrowes and vanity, and goes to the same dust; what difference is there between them?

V. 7. All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled] For his mouth; For his bodily sustenance, and the services of life. Here is first a Metonymy of the subject, the mouth for the nourishment which is put into it: and then a Synecdoche, ⟨p. 192⟩of the part for the whole; food being, though the principal, yet but one part of mans necessary provision; all which the Apostle compriseth in food and raiment, 1 Tim. 6.8. All the real fruit which any man can reap of all his worldly labours, is to have his daily bread, the bread of his allowance, or food convenient for him, Prov. 30.8. Things simply necessary for life, and things secondarily necessary for the decency of his condition, and proportion of his quality and degree in the world.

V. 7. All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled] For his mouth; For his bodily sustenance, and the services of life. Here is first a Metonymie of the subject, the mouth for the nour•shment which is put into it: and then a Synecdoche, ⟨p. 192⟩of the part for the whole; food being, though the principal, yet but one part of mans necessary provision; all which the Apostle comprizeth in food and rayment, 1 Tim. 6.8. All the real fruit which any man can reap of all his worldly labours, is to have his daily bread, the bread of his allowance, or food convenient for him, Prov. 30.8. Things simply necessary for life, and things secundarily necessary for the decency of his condition, and proportion of his quality and degree in the world.

yet the appetite is not filled] (i.) Either the covetous desires of a worldling remain still insatiable, he is not contented with his own portion, he cannot contain his heart within the limits of reason or religion; but though he have abundantly sufficient for all his wants, yet he toileth still as if he had nothing, Chap. 4.8. Or else, The Soul is not filled; riches may benefit the body, and feed, and clothe, and comfort that, but to the nobler part of man, they can afford no satisfaction, they do not bear any proportion at all. They cannot hold the soul, Luk. 12.19, 20. They cannot help the Soul in a day of trouble, Prov. 11.4. Zeph. 1.18. They cannot follow it into another World, Psal. 49.17. They have no suitableness, either in excellency or duration unto it.

yet the appetite is not filled] (i.) Either the covetous desires of a worldling remain still insatiable, he is not contented with his own portion, he cannot contain his heart within the limits of reason or religion; but though he have abundantly sufficient for all his wants, yet he toyleth still as if he had nothing, Chap. 4.8. Or else, The Soul is not filled; riches may benefit the body, and feed, and cloath, and comfort that, but to the nobler part of man, they can afford no satisfaction, they do not bear any proportion at all. They cannot hold the soul, Luk. 12.19, 20. They cannot help the Soul in a day of trouble, Prov. 11.4. Zeph. 1.18. They cannot follow it into another World, Psal. 49.17. They have no suteableness, either in excellency or duration unto it.

V. 8. F•r what hath the wise more then the fool, &c.] This question is a denial, The Wise man hath nothing more then the fool. Internal excellency there is in wisdom above folly, Chap. 2.13. But here he speaketh with relation to wealth, and the outward events of things, in which regard, the Wise man hath no peculiar prerogative above the fool. The one fares as deliciously, is clothed as richly, hath Lands and Revenues left him by his Ancestors, as well as the other. The wisest man can but provide for back and belly, and such other conveniences, as outward things are proper to supply; and so much may he do who hath Wealth without Wit. Outward things promiscuously happen unto all, and beyond their own use, they are not able to supply a wise man more then a fool.

V. 8. F•r what hath the wise more then the fool, &c.] This question is a denyal, The Wise man hath nothing more then the fool. Internal excellency there is in wisdom above folly, Chap. 2.13. But here he speaketh with relation to wealth, and the outward events of things, in which regard, the Wise man hath no peculiar prerogative above the fool. The one fares as deliciously, is cloathed as richly, hath Lands and Revenues left him by his Ancestors, as well as the other. The wisest man can but provide for back and belly, and such other conveniences, as outward things are proper to supply; and so much may he do who hath Wealth without Wit. Outward things promiscuously happen unto all, and beyond their own use, they are not able to supply a wise man more then a fool.

what hath the poor which knoweth to walk before the living?] A poor man that lives, hath the substantial benefit of outward things as well as the richest or the wisest. What hath he less then the rich? he knows how to get his living, and walk through his short time of life, as well as the other. Or, what hath the poor wise man, who by his industry and prudent conversing amongst men doth ⟨p. 194⟩maintain himself, more then the poor foolish man, who makes a shift to live as well as the other?

what hath the poor which knoweth to walk before the living?] A poor man that lives, hath the substantial benefit of outward things as well as the richest or the wisest. What hath he lesse then the rich? he knowes how to get his living, and walk through his short time of life, as well as the other. Or, what hath the poor wise man, who by his industry and prudent conversing amongst men doth ⟨p. 194⟩maintain himself, more then the poor foolish man, who makes a shift to live as well as the other?

to walk before the living] That is, to live decently and discreetly amongst men, Chap. 4.15. Isa. 42.5. Psal. 56.13. Chap. 7.12.

V. 9. Better is the sight of the eyes, then the wandering of the Desire] By the sight of the Eyes, he meaneth things present, and in possession, which we have before us, in our eye, and in hand: by the wandering or walking of the Soul, he meaneth an insatiable and endless pursuit of the heart after thing• which we have not, and cannot easily overtake. So sight is opposed by the Apostle to Faith, Because Sight looketh on things in possession; Faith, on things in expectation, 2 Cor. 5.7. and so property or possession is before called the seeing of things with the eye, Eccles. 5.11. And on the other side, unsatisfied desires are expressed by wandering of the heart up and down, Isa. 57.10. Jer. 2.25. & 14.10. when the mind is not stayed and fixed with contentment in its present condition, but like a Bee flieth from flower to flower, from creature to creature, to gather more. This then is the plain meaning of these words, It is better for a man quietly ⟨p. 195⟩and contentedly to enjoy the things which he hath in present possession, then to rove up and down, and weary himself with anxious and unsatisfied desires after things which he hath not: since the poor man hath as much the substantial and principal benefit of outward things, as the Rich, namely life and health, and food convenient: since the wisest man that is, can fetch no more real good out of wealth, then fools themselves do enjoy from it, It is much more comfortable to enjoy what we have, then endlessly to weary our selves in hoarding and hunting after more, Matth. 6.25—31. This is the same in sense with that, Chap. 4.6. but spoken here by Solomon as a remedy against covetous desires; there, by the sluggard, as an apology for his laziness. Though some would have it here understood in the person of a covetous Rich man. As if he would answer Solomons question: What good hath one more then another, the wise then the fools, the rich then the poor? yes saith the covetous rich man, he hath an Estate to look on, the other is continually vexed with want and desires: and it is much better to be in possession of a good Estate, then to languish under poverty, and be ever in a craving condition. But the former sense is more genuine.