Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

V. 9. Rejoice O young man in thy youth, and let thine heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: But know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement.] Since all that cometh is vanity, as well youth as age, both which he showeth here and in the next Chapter: And since the days of life and jollity here, how long soever, are very short and inconsiderable, in comparison of the days of darkness which follow after them, he therefore persuadeth those who are most subject to be transported with the pleasures of life, to remember death and judgement, and thereby to restrain their inordinate desires. A young Epicure, who is scornful and impatient of such cooling and chill doctrines as those of death and judgement, might be apt to say; if the days of darkness be so many, let us not make them more then they are by denying our selves the pleasures ⟨p. 370⟩of light, but let us freely indulge to our selves all our delights, and live to the length of our desires, 1 Cor. 15.32. whereunto Solomon answereth in these words, 1. By way of Concession, 2. By way of sad and severe premonition. The Concession some would have to be real and serious, as if he had said, I would not discourage thee from the use of lawful pleasures, nor debar thee such contents as the flower of thine age do call for: only I would have thee careful not to exceed the bounds of temperance and moderation, but by the vanity of things present, and certainty of future judgement, to compose thy mind to sobriety in enjoying, and to a readiness to depart from these vain delights, as Gal. 5.13. 1 Pet. 2.16. enjoy pleasures, but be not drowned in them; use honest delights, but be not a slave unto them: Thou seest that all here is Vanity, that the fashion of this world, the power, wealth, honour, pleasures, strength, health, beauties thereof, all vanish and pass away, & that all of us must be brought before Gods tribunal; and all our actions undergo a severe trial: therefore let it be thy chiefest care to provide for that account. But the place is much more Emphatical, if we understand the Concession Ironically; as 1 Reg. 18.27. & 22.15. Ezek. 28.3, 4. Matth. 26.45. Since thou ⟨p. 371⟩

or, because thou art young, strong, healthful, and thy bones full of marrow, Job 21.23, 24.

or, because thou art young, strong, healthfull, and thy bones full of marrow, Job 21.23, 24.

And let thine heart cheer thee] Symmachus, [Greek or Hebrew], Let it be wholly in good, or in delights.

And let thine heart cheer thee] Symmachus, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Let it be wholly in good, or in delights.

But know thou] Though thou Endeavour to blind thine own eyes with sensual delights, to smother thy conscience, and to baffle those principles of fear and restraint which God hath planted in thee; Though thou wouldst not see, yet thou shalt see and know to thy cost, Isa. 26.11. 1 Reg. 22.25. 2 Pet. 3.5.

that for All these things] For all the sins, ⟨p. 372⟩vanities, and excesses of thy youth, for all those things which are now so grateful to thy senses, though they please thine eye, they will gnaw and sting thy conscience, Job. 13.26. Psal. 25.7. God, whose Word and fear thou now despisest, from whose eye thou canst not hide thy sins, from whose Tribunal thou canst not withdraw thy conscience; will bring thee] Perforce whether thou wilt or no, when thou shalt in vain call to Mountains and Rocks to hide thee, Rev. 6.16. Luk. 23.30.

that for All these things] For all the sins, ⟨p. 372⟩vanities, and excesses of thy youth, for all those things which are now so gratefull to thy senses, though they please thine eye, they will gnaw and sting thy conscience, Job. 13.26. Psal. 25.7. God, whose Word and fear thou now despisest, from whose eye thou canst not hide thy sins, from whose Tribunal thou canst not withdraw thy conscience; will bring thee] Perforce whether thou wilt or no, when thou shalt in vain call to Mountains and Rocks to hide thee, Rev. 6.16. Luk. 23.30.

into judgement] The Judgement of the great day, Jude vers. 6. called the Terror of the Lord, 2 Cor. 5.10. Act. 17.30. the consideration whereof should abate the heat of lust, and cause the heart of young men to tremble at the wrath to come.

into judgement] The Judgement of the great day, Jude vers. 6. called the Terrour of the Lord, 2 Cor. 5.10. Act. 17.30. the consideration whereof should abate the heat of lust, and cause the heart of young men to tremble at the wrath to come.

V. 10. Therefore remove sorrow from thine heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity] This is not to be understood Ironically, as the former words of the verse foregoing, nor in that sense; but seriously, as a seasonable precept unto young men, who are of all other men, by reason of the heat of their blood, subject unto passions,, and unto pleasures; the one seated in the heart, the other in the flesh• ; from both which, he doth here forewarn them.

Remove sorrow, or anger and indignation ⟨p. 373⟩from thine heart] If we read it sorrow, then hereby is meant all those sinful pleasures which though the deceitful heart look on as matter of joy, yet will certainly fill the heart with sorrow at the last, Prov. 14.13. If Anger, or Indignation, then the meaning is, that he should restrain all Inordinate passions and perturbations of mind, especially take heed of swelling or storming at the will and ways of God, or at any serious advice minding him thereof, James 1.19. Job 6.24.

Remove sorrow, or anger and indignation ⟨p. 373⟩from thine heart] If we read it sorrow, then hereby is meant all those sinfull pleasures which though the deceitfull heart look on as matter of joy, yet will certainly fill the heart with sorrow at the last, Prov. 14.13. If Anger, or Indignation, then the meaning is, that he should restrain all Inordinate passions and perturbations of mind, especially take heed of swelling or storming at the will and wayes of God, or at any serious advice minding him thereof, James 1.19. Job 6.24.

and put away evil, sinful lusts, from thy flesh] From thy bodily members, Rom. 6.13. 1 Cor. 6.15. 2 Cor. 7.1. 1 Pet. 2.11. 2 Tim. 2.22. and so some understand the word flesh, in the sense as it is used, Ezek. 16.26. & 23.20. 2 Pet. 2.10. Jude vers. 23.

and put away evil, sinfull lusts, from thy flesh] From thy bodily members, Rom. 6.13. 1 Cor. 6.15. 2 Cor. 7.1. 1 Pet. 2.11. 2 Tim. 2.22. and so some understand the word flesh, in the sense as it is used, Ezek. 16.26. & 23.20. 2 Pet. 2.10. Jude vers. 23.

for childhood and youth are vanity.] The reason of this advice, drawn from the vanishing condition of youth, and the pleasures thereof: Youth is but as the Aurora or early morning of a day quickly gone, from thence to noon, and from noon to night, therefore care should be used to spend it in such a manner, as that we may have an abiding fruit, and pleasure which will not vanish with the years which were consumed in the pursuance of it.

CHAP. XII.

IN this Chapter the Wise man proceedeth to demonstrate this Vanity of youth and old age, which quickly run into Death, And then concludeth the whole Book.

He had before by an Emphatical Irony, deterred Young men from those inordinate passions, and sensual pleasures, which that slippery age is most subject unto, and that by the Consideration of that dreadful account which in the last Judgement God will require of them. And because that age of of all other is most apt to put the evil day far from them, and to look on Death and Judgement as at a great distance, (as evil men use to do, Ezek. 12.27. 2 Pet. 3.3, 4. Amos 6.3.) therefore he doth by a Prolepsis prevent that shift; Young men might be apt to say, the things you press us unto are good, but we shall have time enough before Judgement come, to think of them, old age will be a fit season to draw off from the world, and to draw nigh to God. Solomon here persuades from so dangerous a Resolution, showing the necessity of seeking and serving God in our youth, in regard old age will be very unfit to begin so great a work in.

He had before by an Emphatical Ironie, deterred Young men from those inordinate passions, and sensual pleasures, which that slippery age is most subject unto, and that by the Consideration of that dreadfull account which in the last Judgement God will require of them. And because that age of of all other is most apt to put the evil day far from them, and to look on Death and Judgement as at a great distance, (as evil men use to do, Ezek. 12.27. 2 Pet. 3.3, 4. Amos 6.3.) therefore he doth by a Prolepsis prevent that shift; Young men might be apt to say, the things you press us unto are good, but we shall have time enough before Judgement come, to think of them, old age will be a fit season to draw off from the world, and to draw nigh to God. Solomon here perswades from so dangerous a Resolution, shewing the necessity of seeking and serving God in our youth, in regard old age will be very unfit to begin so great a work in.

Whereupon he showeth, 1. The Vanity ⟨p. 375⟩of Old age, setting it forth by a large and an elegant Allegory, and by other expressions, Vers. 2 —6.

Whereupon he sheweth, 1. The Vanity ⟨p. 375⟩of Old age, setting it forth by a large and an elegant Allegory, and by other expressions, Vers. 2 —6.

2. He presseth the same duty by another argument: from the approach of death, which taketh away all means of Repentance and conversion, vers. 7. And having thus by an Induction of many particulars showed the Vanity both of the Creatures here below, and of the Condition of man under the Sun, who, were they never so excellent, could not long enjoy them; He doth conclude the whole book, 1. With resuming his first conclusion, vers. 8. 2. By vindicating the truth of his doctrine therein, and in other his Writings, by arguments; 1. From the Pen-man of them, His Piety, he was a penitent Convert; His wisdom: His fidelity in teaching the people: His diligence, in seeking out choice matter to teach them: His success in composing many excellent and profitable Sentences for their furtherance in Piety, Virtue, and Prudence, vers. 9.

2. He presseth the same duty by another argument: from the approach of death, which taketh away all means of Repentance and conversion, vers. 7. And having thus by an Induction of many particulars shewed the Vanity both of the Creatures here below, and of the Condition of man under the Sun, who, were they never so excellent, could not long enjoy them; He doth conclude the whole book, 1. With resuming his first conclusion, vers. 8. 2. By vindicating the truth of his doctrine therein, and in other his Writings, by arguments; 1. From the Pen-man of them, His Piety, he was a penitent Convert; His wisdome: His fidelity in teaching the people: His diligence, in seeking out choyce matter to teach them: His success in composing many excellent and profitable Sentences for their furtherance in Piety, Vertue, and Prudence, vers. 9.