Rivers return to their former place and ftate, bur Man when once he dies, he never returns again, to this life ; of which compariſon ſee Job 143 7, 12+ Or, 3. to ſhew the vanity of all worldly things, and that Man's mind can never be ſatisfied with them, becauſe there is nothing in the Wo11d bura conſtant repetition cf the ſame things which is ſo irkſom a thing,thar the ou armog thereof hath made ſome Perſons weary of their lives ; and there is no new thing under the Sten, as is added in the foor of the account, v.g. which ſeemsto me to be gtven us as a Key ro underſtand the meaning of the foregoing paſſages. And this is manifeſt and certain from experience that the things of this Wor'd are ſo narrow,and the mind of Man ſo vaſt, that there muſt be ſomething new to ſarisfie'rhe'Mind,and even de- I;ghtfel thingsby too frequent repetition or long continnance, are - far from yielding fatisfaQtion,that they grow tedious and trouble- ome. £ Re” | 6 The wind goeth toward the ſouth, and turneth
about unto the north » ; it whirlegh about continually,
and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
nTheWind alſo ſometimes blows. from the oneQuarter oftheWorld
and ſometimes from another 3 all of them being Synecdochically
comprehended under theſe twoeminent quarters. Bur becauſe this
Word, the Wind, is not exprefled in the Hebrew, but is only bor=
rowed or underſtood from the latter C'auſe of the Verſe, this firſt
Clauſe is by other judicious Interprerers underſtood of the Sun, of whom he laſt ſpake;the words being thus rendred according to the
Hebrew, He ( the Sun) gcerh towards the Seurh ( which he doth one
half cf the Year ) and turneth about unto the North, which he doth the
other half, And ſo here is the whole motion ofthe Suntowards the four quarters of the Wcr'd particularly defcr.bed;his daily morion from Eaſt tro Weſt, and back agair,' v. 5, and his yearly motion from North to South, between the - Signs of Cancer and Capricorn, o This Clauſe is by all underſtood'of the Wind, which firly mentie
oned immediately after the Sun, becarſe it hath its riſe from the Sun
who is therefore called the Father of Winds, and the Winds do uf-
ually riſe with the Sun, ard are laid when he ſets. Bur then ir is
rendred thus, and that very agreeable to the Hebrew, the Wind goerh
continually whirling or compaſſing about, and he r:turneth again to his cir= cults, being ſometimes in one, and ſometimes in ancther quarter, and ſucefſively returning tothe ſame quarters 1R Which he had for- merly been. > See
7 * All the rivers run into the ſea, yet the ſea is not *
full p:F unto the place from whence the rivers come 9, !
o ” P thither they return again. Þ To wit, to the brink, or
Job 38: Oy {: 104;
8.9. ſo as to overflow the Earth, which } eb. ,
might be expetted from ſuch vaſt Accefſiogs ro it» Whereby alſo yy the be 1ntimat<cs che emprineſs and diflarticfattion ef mens minds, not- glacethat
proper Chanaels,and then,as it is expreſſed, rk:ther (7.e. into the ;þ
ey 76curn
Sea ) they return again. Or 2. unto their Springs or Fountains, t0;,py,
which the Waters retvra by ſecret Paſſages of the Farth,as is mani= feſt from the Caſpian Sea, and re:ſonably {uppoſed in other places. Or rather, 3. unto' rhe Eartb in general,from whence they come or flow into rhe Sez, and'to which they return again by the Reflux of the Sea. For he ſcerns to ſpeak of the viſible and conflantmocion of the Waters, both to the Sca and from ir, and then to it again in which agrees beſt with the former Si- militudes, vr. 5: 6. |
8 All things r ere full of Iabours ; man cannot utter itt : theeye is nor ſatisfied with ſecing,nor the ear fil- led with hearing #. |
rNot only the Sun, and Winds, and Rivers,which I kave men- tioned, but all other Creatures. s Both ſubjettively, as they are in continual Reitleſneſs and C ange,never abiding in the-ſame flare or place ; and efficiently, as they cauſe great and fore Labour to
men, in gerting, and keeping, and enjoying of them, Yea even in ; Tbe Labour is inexpreſ-
Mens 'Sehits and Minds, acceptable to them ſome longer
Coitinls
World troublefome ahd vexatious ro ſoeven thoſe'things which are comfortable and
| Or, t 0 4fh8 they
@ds Keo#S a FF ITY a... dd fs
&o
p
PF chap. 1.
* Ch:3.155 | f Heb: ; what 157
' that hath heen [4 the fame that ſal be,
Continuance or fuller Enjoyment. of them, or variety in them, and they never fay, It isenough, I defire no more. The Eye and Ear are here ſynecdochically put for all the Senſes, becauſe theſe are moſt ſpiritual and refined, moſt curious and inquiſitive,moſt capable of receiving SatisfaQtion, becauſe they are exerciſed with more Eaſe and Pleaſure than the other Senſes, whoſe SatisfaQions are oft at» tended with greater Wearineſs, and manifold Dangersand Inconve- niencies.
9 * + The thing thar hath been, it is that which ſhall be ; and that which isdone,zs that which ſhal be done:
and.x there is no new thing y under the ſun.
x There is nothing in the World but a continued and tireſome Re- petition of the ſame things. The Nature and Courſe of the Beings and affairs of the World,and the Temp?rs of Mens Minds,are gene- rally the ſame that they ever were and ſhall ever be; and therefore becauſe no Man ever yet received ſatisfa&tion from any worldly things,it is a vain and fooliſh thing ſor any Perſon hereafrer to exp-& it. y To wit, ia the natnre of things, which might give us hopes of attaining that ſatisfation which things have not hitherto afforded. For otherwiſe this doth nor reſtrain the God of Nature who hath frequently done and ftill can do, new and miraculons works,and who can and doth diſcover to particular Perſons new in- ventions, when it pleaſeth hint.
1o Is there any thing whereof it may be ſaid See,
this is new 22 it hath been already of old time «,which
was before us.
z For the proof hereof appeal to the Conſciences and Experien- ces of all men. 4 The ſame things have been ſaid and done before, though poſſivly we did nat know it, ; :
' 11 There is no remembrance of former things b ; nei- therſhall there be any remembrance of :hings that are to
come, with thoſe that ſhall comeafter c.