Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

1. That he had seen] That is, diligently heeded, and fully understood, as to the issue of this inquiry, all the works done under the Sun, Exod. 3.3. Eccles. 2.13, 14.

all the things] That is, the several kinds of them, 1 Reg. 4.33. He had gotten as large and as intuitive a knowledge as humane curiosity or industry, with all manner of furtherances could attain unto. Which appears not to be an arrogant boast, but a true account of the fruit of his studies, the Holy Ghost testifying the same thing of him, 1 Reg. 4. 29—34. & 10.23.

2. That he found all to be vanity and vexation of spirit.] Not only vain and ineffectual to confer Happiness, but which is worse, apt to bring much affliction and trouble upon the heart of him who is too earnestly ⟨p. 41⟩conversant about them. From several original Roots, there are by Interpreters given several explications of this word, Evil, or Affliction of Spirit. Breach, contrition, torment of Spirit; feeding upon, or consuming of the spirit; or vanity and feeding upon wind, as fruitless labour is expressed, Hos. 12.1. 1 Cor. 9.26. Thus he applies his general conclusion particularly unto all kind of knowledge, Natural and Moral. There is sore travel in the getting, danger of forgetting it again, discovery thereby of more Ignorance then a man observed in himself before▪ insufficiency and impossibility of perfecting the understanding, and satiating the desires thereof. Such and many other Considerations make Knowledge it self, as to the procuring of true Happiness, altogether Vain.

2. That he found all to be vanity and vexation of spirit.] Not only vain and ineffectual to confer Happiness, but which is worse, apt to bring much affliction and tro•ble upon the heart of him who is too earnestly ⟨p. 41⟩conversant about them. From several original Roots, there are by Interpreters given several explications of this word, Evil, or Affliction of Spirit. Breach, contrition, torment of Spirit; feeding upon, or consuming of the spirit; or vanity and feeding upon wind, as fruitless labour is expressed, Hos. 12.1. 1 Cor. 9.26. Thus he applyes his general conclusion particularly unto all kind of knowledge, Natural and Moral. There is sore travel in the getting, danger of forgeting it again, discovery thereby of more Ignorance then a man observed in himself before▪ insufficiency and impossibility of perfecting the understanding, and satiating the desires thereof. Such and many other Considerations make Knowledge it self, as to the procuring of true Happiness, altogether Vain.

The words may be understood two ways; 1. In relation to Knowledge it self, to show ⟨p. 42⟩the vanity and vexation thereof: For, 1. Much of it is exceeding tortuous, intricate, and abstruse, there are many knots and difficulties, Dan. 5.12. So it cannot be clearly and plainly demonstrated, but in the inquiries thereinto the mind will be left dark and unsatisfied; there are [Greek or Hebrew], not only in the Scripture, 2 Pet. 3.16. but in the book of nature too, Job. 28.20, 21. & 37.14, 15, 16. & 38.16-23.2. the defects of this kind are innumerable, the things which a man knoweth not, are infinitely more then those which he knoweth, Job 11.6.—9.

The words may be understood two wayes; 1. In relation to Knowledge it self, to shew ⟨p. 42⟩the vanity and vexation thereof: For, 1. Much of it is exceeding tortuous, intricate, and abstruse, there are many knots and difficulties, Dan. 5.12. So it cannot be clearly and plainly demo•strated, but in the inquiries thereinto the mind will be left dark and unsatisfied; there are 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, not only in the Scripture, 2 Pet. 3.16. but in the book of nature too, Job. 28.20, 21. & 37.14, 15, 16. & 38.16-23

2. In relation unto the efficacy of knowledge. The heart and life of man is naturally crooked and perverse, very tortuous, wicked, and deceitful, Jer. 17.9. Psal. 12▪5.5. and it is exceeding defective both in principles, and in power to do good as it ought, Rom. 3.23. 2. Cor. 3.5. Now all the most exquisite natural knowledge is not able to rectify these things, either to restore man to his original integrity, or supply his manifold defects. Such knowledge will puff up, 1. Cor. 8.1. but it will not sanctify, Rom. 1. 20, 21, 32. Jude. vers. 20. The Lord indeed by his grace and spirit doth both, Luk. 3.5. Psal. 84.11. 1 Thess. 3.10. Eph. 3.19. 1 Cor. 1.5. but no natural or acquired knowledge is able to do it.

2. In relation unto the efficacy of knowledge. The heart and life of man is naturally crooked and perverse, very tortuous, wicked, and deceitfull, Jer. 17.9. Psal. 12▪5.5. and it is exceeding defective both in principles, and in power to do good as it ought,

3. As it cannot rectify that which is amiss in man, so neither in any other thing. Sin hath brought much disorder, corruption, confusion upon the whole Creation, Rom. 8.20. infinite are the defects and failings every where. And none of this can all the wisdom of man be able to correct, but he must still leave it as he found it, vain and imperfect. So it will be till the time of the restitution of all things, when God will make a new earth and a new heaven, and deliver the Creature from the bondage of corruption, into a glorious liberty, Act. 1.21. 2 Pet. 3.13. And all this he affirms of the most excellent natural knowledge; how much more vain and unprofitable are the perverse and impertinent studies of many men, which have nothing of solidity or usefulness in them, Col. 2.8. 1 Tim. 6.4, 5. Rom. 1.22. 1 Cor. 1.20.

3. As it cannot rectifie that which is amiss in man, so neither in any other thing. Sin hath brought much disorder, corruption, confusion upon the whole Creation, Rom. 8.20. infinite are the defects and failings every where. And none of this can all the wisdom of man be able to correct, but he must still leave it as he found it, vain and imperfect. So it will be till the time of the restitution of all things, when God will make a new earth and a new heaven, and deliver the Creature from the bondage of corruption, into a glorious liberty, Act. 1.21. 2 Pet. 3.13. And all this he affirms of the most excellent natural knowledge; how much more vain and unprofitable are the perverse and impertinent studies of many men, which have nothing of solidity or usefullness in them,

V. 16, 17. I communed with mine own, &c.] This is a Prolepsis wherein he meeteth with an objection, viz. That the knowledge of the creatures might make a man happy, though he had not attained unto it, not for any defect in them, but in the narrowness of his own understanding. To which he answereth, That if any man could have found it out in them, he should, in regard of the greatness of his parts, and exquisite industry; as Chap. 2.12.

I communed with my heart] I cast up my accounts, and exactly viewed the fruit and sum of all my labours in getting knowledge. I did seriously deliberate, and take a view of mine own heart, Psal. 4.5. True wisdom makes a man thoughtful and discursive within himself.

I communed with my heart] I cast up my accounts, and exactly viewed the fruit and sum of all my lab•urs in getting knowledge. I did seriously deliberate, and take a view of mine own heart, Psal. 4.5. True wisdome makes a man thoughtfull and discursive within himself.

I am come to great estate, and have gotten, or added, more wisdom] Or, I have gotten great estate and wisdom, and a•ded to it, I have exceeded and increased in wisdom. So the word seems elsewhere to import, 1 Sam. 20▪ 41. Isaiah 9.3. Amos 8.5. Or, I have come to be a great man, Joel 2.20. to do great things. [Greek or Hebrew].

I am come to great estate, and have gotten, or added, more wisdome] Or, I have gotten great estate and wisdome, and a•ded to it, I have exceeded and increased in wisdome. So the word seems elsewhere to import, 1 Sam. 20▪ 41. Esay 9.3. Amos 8.5. Or, I have come to be a great man, Joel 2.20. to do great things. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉.

then all they that have been before me] 1 King. 4.30. & 10.27. yea all that come after him too, Christ only excepted, 1 King. 3.12.

in Jerusalem] Where the study of wisdom was, more then in other places.

in Ierusalem] Where the study of wisdom was, more then in other places.

my heart had great experience. Had seen much wisdom and knowledge] Wisdom seems to note the general knowledge of things Divine and humane; Knowledge, the experimental: or wisdom the Habit and instrument; knowledge, the acquired perfection gotten by the help of that habitual wisdom. Here, 1. He seems to have magnified ⟨p. 45⟩wisdom in his choice, which also may be implied in the word [Greek or Hebrew], 1 Reg. 3.9.11. 2. To have increased it. 3. To have carried it into his heart, it was inward and experimental knowledge. 4. To have delighted in it, & gone seriously & with full purpose about it.

my heart had great experience. Had seen much wisdome and knowledge] Wisdome seems to note the general knowledge of things Divine and humane; Knowledge, the experimental: or wisdom the Habit and instrument; knowledge, the acquired perfection gotten by the help of that habitual wisdome. Here, 1. He seems to have magnified ⟨p. 45⟩wisdom in his choice, which also may be implyed in the word 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, 1 Reg. 3.9.11. 2. To have increased it. 3. To have carried it into his heart, it was inward and experimental knowledge. 4. To have delighted in it, & gone seriously & with full pupose about it.

gave my heart] See vers. 13. The more wise any man is, the more he laboureth to grow in wisdom.

to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly] Chap. 7.25. Hereby he understands moral, political, and practical knowledge, in order to its better government, to observe the difference between wise and virtuous, and between foolish and wicked actions: the word rendered folly, is in this only place written with the letter [Greek or Hebrew] Sin, in all others with the letter [Greek or Hebrew] Samech, and so may be here rendered either folly, or prudence. And this he found to be vexation of spirit, or feeding on wind; observing how short men came of the one, and how much the other did abound. Or finding by his own experience, that neither the perfection of moral wisdom, so far as it is acquirable by humane diligence, nor yet the pleasures and delights of vicious and foolish could quiet and settle the heart of man, 1 Cor. 1.20. Eccles. 11.8, 9. A bare speculative knowledge of good, and an experimental ⟨p. 46⟩presumptuous knowledge of evil, such as Adams was in eating the forbidden fruit, are so far from making men happy, that they increase their misery.

to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly] Chap. 7.25. Hereby he understands moral, political, and practical knowledge, in order to its better government, to observe the difference between wise and vertuous, and between foolish and wicked actions: the word rendred folly, is in this onely place written with the letter 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Sin, in all others with the letter 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Samech, and so may be here rendred either folly, or prudence. And this he found to be vexation of spirit, or feeding on wind; observing how short men came of the one, and how much the other did abound. Or finding by his own experience, that neither the perfection of moral wisdome, so far as it is acquirable by humane diligence, nor yet the pleasures and delights of vitious and foolish could quiet and settle the heart of man, 1 Cor. 1.20. Eccles. 11.8, 9. A bare speculative knowledge of good, and an experimental

But here Solomon may seem to have committed an error against the moral wisdom which he here professed to enquire after, namely, in speaking of much so his own eminency in gifts beyond other men, Joh. 8.13. He doth it not falsely, arrogantly, nor proudly and vain-gloriously, to magnify himself, but humbly, in acknowledging Gods gifts, and necessarily to discover thereby the truth of that doctrine he was now teaching the Church by his own experience: and so it is lawful to make mention of Gods gifts and graces bestowed on us, as the Apostle doth, 1 Cor. 14.18. & 15.10. 2 Cor. 11, 5, 6.

But here Solomon may seem to have committed an errour against the moral wisdome which he here professed to enquire after, namely, in speaking of much so his own eminency in gifts beyond other men, Joh. 8.13. He doth it not falsly, arrogantly, nor proudly and vain-gloriously, to magnifie himself, but humbly, in acknowledging Gods gifts, and necessarily to discover thereby the truth of that doctrine he was now teaching the Church by his own experience: and so it is lawful to make mention of Gods gifts and graces bestowed on us, as the Apostle doth, 1 Cor. 14.18. & 15.10. 2 Cor. 11, 5, 6.