Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a good (i.) a merry heart] As a sad heart is called an evil heart, Neh. 2.2. 1 Reg. 21.7. Ruth. 3.7. Eccles. 7.3. Enjoy the fruit of thine own labours; as Chap. 3.22. When he saith, Thy bread, wine, &c. he showeth, that our comforts and delights must be bounded within our own labours and possessions; though stolen waters, and bread of deceit may be sweet, yet it hath gravel and bitterness in it at the last, Prov. 9.17, 18. 1 Thess. 3.12. And also, that our delights must be proportioned to the decency of our condition; we must eat, panem statuti, our proper portion and dimensum, and not either luxuriously exceed, or sordidly live beneath our own estate and condition, Prov. 30.8.

eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a good (i.) a merry heart] As a sad heart is called an evil heart, Neh. 2.2. 1 Reg. 21.7. Ruth. 3.7. Eccles. 7.3. Enjoy the fruit of thine own labours; as Chap. 3.22. When he saith, Thy bread, wine, &c. he sheweth, that our comforts and delights must be bounded within our own labours and possessions; though stollen waters, and bread of deceit may be sweet, yet it hath gravel and bitterness in it at the last, Prov. 9.17, 18. 1 Thess. 3.12. And also, that our delights must be proportioned to the decency of our condition; we must eat, panem statuti, our proper portion and dimensum, and not either luxuriously exceed, or sordidly live beneath our own estate and condition,

for God now accepteth thy works] It is pleasing unto God, that when thou hast, in the fear of his Name, and in obedience to ⟨p. 292⟩his Ordinance, laboured, and by his blessing, gotten thee thine appointed portion, then thou shouldest, after an honest, cheerful, decent, and liberal manner, without further anxiety, or solicitousness enjoy the same. This is the principal boundary of our outward pleasures and delights, still to keep our selves within such rules of piety and moderation, as that our ways may be pleasing unto God; And this shows us the true way to find sweetness in the creature, and to feel joy in the fruition thereof, namely, when our persons and our ways are pleasing unto God; for piety doth not exclude, but only moderate earthly delights, and so moderate them, that though they be not so excessive as the luxurious and sensual pleasures of foolish Epicures, yet they are far more pure, sweet, and satisfactory, as having no guilt, no gall, no curse, nor inward sorrow and terrors attending on them, Nehem. 8.10.

for God now accepteth thy works] It is pleasing unto God, that when thou hast, in the fear of his Name, and in obedience to ⟨p. 292⟩his Ordinance, laboured, and by his blessing, gotten thee thine appointed portion, then thou shouldest, after an honest, cheerful, decent, and liberal manner, without further anxiety, or sollicitousness enjoy the same. This is the principal boundary of our outward pleasures and delights, still to keep our selves within such rules of piety and moderation, as that our waies may be pleasing unto God; And this shews us the true way to find sweetness in the creature, and to feel joy in the fruition thereof, namely, when our persons and our waies are pleasing unto God; for piety doth not exclude, but only moderate earthly delights, and so moderate them, that though they be not so excessive as the luxurious and sensual pleasures of foolish Epicures, yet they are far more pure, sweet, and satisfactory, as having no guilt, no gall, no curse, nor inward sorrow and terrors attending on them, Nehem. 8.10.

V. 8. Let thy garments be always white] Food and raiment are the substantials of outward blessings, 1 Tim. 6.8. Having directed unto cheerfulness in the one, he here directs unto decency and comeliness in the other. Whiteness was anciently an expression of things pleasing and delightful. Albosque dies h•rasque Serenas, in Silius Italiens. Candidus & felix proximus […] eri•, ⟨p. 293⟩in Ovid. So the white stone of absolution, is called a white stone, Rev. 2.17. the Asses on which persons of Honour did ride, were white Asses, Judg. 5.10. In like manner they did use in the Eastern Countries to use white garments, as expressions of dignity and honour, Esth. 8.15. Therefore our Saviour showing his glory to Peter, and James, and John, in the Mount, had his garments white as light, Matth. 12.2. And the glory of the Saints in Heaven, is expressed by white Robes, Rev. 3.4, 5, 18. & 6.11. & 19.8. Here it is used as a Symbol of joy and cheerfulness; as on the other side, Blackness is the colour of grief and sorrow, Jer. 14.2. They were wont to use white garments at feasts and joyful solemnities: when he saith, let them be always white, as it is to be understood not absolutely, as if they were never to mourn, Chap. 7.2. this was the sin of the rich Glutton, Luke 16.19. but with restriction to the rules of seasonableness and decency, Prov. 5.19

V. 9. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest] See Life, or enjoy life. So Symmachus, [Greek or Hebrew]; as 1 Pet. 3.10. Eccl. 2.1, 24.

V. 9. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest] See Life, or enjoy life. So Symmachus, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉; as 1 Pet. 3.10. Eccl. 2.1, 24.

with the wife whom thou lovest] Therefore he speaketh not in the person of an Epicure, to whom stolen waters are sweet, Prov. 9.17. but of a lawful and chaste love; as Prov. 5.15—19.

with the wife whom thou lovest] Therefore he speaketh not in the person of an Epicure, to whom stollen waters are sweet, Prov. 9.17. but of a lawful and chast love; as Prov. 5.15—19.

whom thou lovest] This is the character of a wife, and the duty of the husband, that which makes their communion comfortable, Ezek. 24.16, 18. Eph. 5.25, 28, 29. therefore the husband is called the friend of his wife, Jer. 3.20. There is a special freeness of delight and liberty of love which is allowed in this relation, though still within the bounds of honour and sobriety, Prov. 5.19. ⟨p. 295⟩Gen. 26.8. It noteth also the difference between conjugal and adulterous love, that is, a love wherein a man may live joyfully, or may sweetly enjoy his life with comfort; whereas the pleasures of the other lead unto death, Prov. 2.18. & 5.3—11. & 6.26, 32, 33. & 7.23.

all the days of the life of thy vanity] As Chap. 6.12. This is repeated again, to mind us in the midst of all our earthly contentments, that they are perishing and Temporary things. This living joyfully All our days, is to be understood as the Always, in the former verse, with restriction to the duties of piety and humiliation, 1 Cor. 7.5. and also it intimateth the duty of cohabitation, that they should not depart one from the other, 1 Cor. 7.10.

all the daies of the life of thy vanity] As Chap. 6.12. This is repeated again, to mind us in the midst of all our earthly contentments, that they are perishing and Temporary things. This living joyfully All our daies, is to be understood as the Alwaies, in the former verse, with restriction to the duties of piety and humiliation, 1 Cor. 7.5. and also it intimateth the duty of cohabitation, that they should not depart one from the other, 1 Cor. 7.10.

which •e hath given thee] That may refer either to the wife, which Solomon elsewhere tells us, is the gift of God, Prov. 19.14. or to the days of the life of our vanity, which also are the gift of God, Job. 10.12. Act. 17.25. Ps. 31.15.

which •e hath given thee] That may refer either to the wife, which Solomon elsewhere tells us, is the gift of God, Prov. 19.14. or to the daies of the life of our vanity, which also are the gift of God, Job. 10.12. Act. 17.25. Ps. 31.15.

this is thy portion in this life] As Chap. 2.24. & 3.13. & 5.18, 19▪ & 8.15. when thou dyest, thou shalt carry none of these comforts away with thee; in the next world there is no enjoyment of these kind of blessings, Ps. 49.17. Matth. 22.30.

V. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might] Having instanced in the principal outward comforts of life, food, raiment, marriage, he concludeth with a general precept, that in all things else wherein the Tranquillity and comfort of life did consist, they should freely and cheerfully make use of them, before they go into their graves, where, as they shall have none of these outward materials to work upon, so neither, if they had them, should they have any wisdom or skill to make use of them, or to reap delight from them.

V. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might] Having instanced in the principal outward comforts of life, food, rayment, marriage, he concludeth with a general precept, that in all things else wherein the Tranquillity and comfort of life did consist, they should freely and cheerfully make use of them, before they go into their graves, where, as they shall have none of these outward materials to work upon, so neither, if they had them, should they have any wisdome or skill to make use of them, or to reap delight from them.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do] Whatsoever is within thy power, and thy abilities can reach unto, whatever works in thy Calling do belong unto thee, or whatsoever state and condition the providence of God shall put thee in, Gen. 32.13. Lev. 5.7. & 12.8. Num. 6.21. Judg. 9.33. whatsoever just occasion of honest cheerfulness doth offer it self unto thee, embrace it.

do it with thy might] Vigorously, industriously, instantly, do not slack time, nor defer it till it be too late, Rom. 12.11. 2 Thess. 3.8. Tit. 3.8, 14.

for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest] In this life thou hast opportunities of ⟨p. 297⟩doing good, of delighting thy self in the studies of knowledge and wisdom, of improving thy strength and invention to pleasure thy self and others, Therefore work while it is day, and while thou hast yet an opportunity, Joh. 9.4. & 12.35. Gal. 6.10. while there is strength in your hand, while there is wisdom in your head, while the vigour of your faculties last: for in the Grave, or in the state of death, whither thou art every moment hastening, there is no place for any of these things, that is not saculum operis, but mercedis. If thou wilt be rewarded then, thou must work now. Carpe diem, quam minimum cr•dulus postero. Jam te promet nox. Though this be appliable unto all duties of piety and charity, yet the scope of the place aims principally at the enjoyment of the comforts and commodities of this present life, which we are cheerfully while they are put into our hands, to enjoy, and not put them off till death, when we shall have neither skill nor strength to use them. Here also we may observe what manner of delights he alloweth them, namely, such as arise from honest labours, and are guided and moderated by art, knowledge, and wisdom. Our delights must not be sensual, but rational and industrious.

for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest] In this life thou hast opportunities of ⟨p. 297⟩doing good, of delighting thy self in the studies of knowledge and wisdome, of improving thy strength and invention to pleasure thy self and others, Therefore work while it is day, and while thou hast yet an opportunity, Joh. 9.4. & 12.35. Gal. 6.10. while there is strength in your hand, while there is wisdome in your head, while the vigour of your faculties last: for in the Grave, or in the state of death, whither thou art every moment hastening, there is no place for any of these things, that is not saculum operis, but mercedis. If thou wilt be rewarded then, thou must work now. Carpe diem, quam minimum crdulus postero. Iam te promet nox. Though this be appliable unto all duties of piety and charity, yet the scope of the place aims principally at the enjoyment of the comforts and commodities of this present life, which we are cheerfully while they are put into our hands, to enjoy, and not put them off till death, when we shall have neither skill nor strength to use them. Here also we may observe what manner of delights he alloweth them, namely, such as arise from honest labours, and are guided and moderated by art, knowledge, and wisdome. Our delights must not be sensual, but raional and industrious.

V. 11. I returned and saw under the Sun, ⟨p. 298⟩that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, &c.] These words some make to be the observation of another Vanity under the Sun, to wit, That Events and Successes do sometimes fall out quite otherwise then the preparation or probability of second causes do seem to promise: That things are so done usually in the world, as that no reason can at all be given of them. Others make them a kind of corrective to the former precept of living joyfully in the use of all outward blessings; Though it were to be wished that man could thus evenly and comfortably pass over his days, yet when I further considered, I found, That no man can ever enjoy a stable and constant Delight in this world, in regard that future events do oftentimes quite vary from those principles and preparations which went before them. The words seem to have relation both to the general scope of the Chapter before, Touching the powerful and unsearchable providence of God, Chap. 8.16, 17, & 9.1, 2. & also to the words immediately preceding: for whereas he had advised, That whatever our hand findeth to do, we should do it with our might: Lest any man should thereupon presume, that things must needs fall out according to those abilities which he bringeth unto the effecting of them, He here directeth ⟨p. 299⟩us to look up in all our works, above second causes, not to trust in our own gifts, nor to attribute any thing to our own strength, to remember, that it is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but in God who showeth mercy, Rom. 9.16. and accordingly to implore his assistance and blessing in all our labours, who worketh all our works for us, Isa. 26.12▪ Psal. 127.1, 2. Deut. 8.17, 18. Prov. 10.22. Jer. 9.23. And having done our duty, and used such good means as God affordeth, then quietly to refer the success unto God, in whose hand are all the ways of the children of men, and upon whose good pleasure do all the issues of things depend.

I returned and To see] The Infinitive Mood is put for the Indicative; as Jer. 14.5. Zach. 12.10.