diict.arge of that great truſt;and whoſe Royal Palace and abode was in Feruſalem, where were the Houſe of God and the moſt wiſe and learned of the Priefts attending upon it, and the Seats of Juſtice, and Colledges or Aſſemblies of the wiſeſt Men of their Nation of which ſee 2 Kings 22:. 14: 1 Chron: 25: 8, &c. Pſa: 122: 5. All which helps concurring together in him, which very rarely do in any other Men, makes the Argument drawn from his Experience more
convincing and undeniable, *'
13 And 1gave my hearc e toſeek and ſearch outf by wiſdom g concerning all things that are done under hea- ven: this fore travel 3 hath God given tothe ſons of man &, || to be exerciſed therewith /. pe e Whick Phraſe notes his ſerious and fixed purpoſe, his great
Induſtry and Alacri:y in it.. f To ſeek diligently and accurately- g Wiſely, or by the help of that. Wiſdom wherewith God had en-
IOr, ts offi the.
dowed me: h Concerning a'!l the works of God and Men in this |
lower World ; ths works of Nature,and their Cauſes, Effefs, Pro- perties, and Operations ; the works of Divine Providence,and God's Courſels and Ends in them ; the work and depths of humane Policy in the condu& of Perſonal, and Domeſtical, and Publick affairs. ; This difficult «nd toilſome work of ſearching opt theſe things, & God hath inflited this as a juſt puniftinent upon Man for his eat- ing of the” Tree of Knowledge, that inſtead of that. ſweer-and Perfe& Knowledge which God had freely infuſed into Man at his firſt Crea- tion, he ſhculd now grope after ſome ſmall Parcels or Fragments of it, and thoſe roo not te be-gorten withour the Swear of his Brows and Brains: | To employ themſelves. in the painful ſtndie of thoſe things, which now is both their Duty and their Puniſhment. Or, as it is rendred in the Margin, and by many others, zo «ffi them in or by ic, to Chaſtife their former Curioſity, and to give them matrer of continual Humiliation and: Vexation. . And therefore Knowledge is ſo far from' making Men happy,that it expoſerk them ro Trowble and Infelicity F Br
done under
14 I haveſcen mall tho works that are the ſun, and behold », all is vanity and vexation of ſpirir 0;
mi, e. Diligently obſerved, and in great meaſure underſtood. 1 Fer it wass greatfurpriſe ro me, and therefore may ſeem ſtrange
are unobſerved by lefs knowing perſons, and which poſſibly neves happenz partly becauſehe. hath the clearer proſpect into, and. quic= ker ſevſe ofhis own Ignorance, and Infirmities,and Diſorders, and withal how vain &ineffectual all his Knowledge is for the prevenri. on or removal of them;and partly becauſe hisKnowledge is very im= perfect and unſarisfying,yer increafing his thirſt after more Know -" ledge, and conſequently efter more Diſſatisfact ion, becauſe inſtead of that juft Honour, and Delighr, and Advanrage which he experts from it, he meets with nothing but Envy,and Oppolicion,and Cone tempt, becauſe his Knowledge quickly fades and- dies with him,and then leaves him in no better,and poſlib'y in a much worſe Condition than the meaneſt and moſt 245 8 Man itz the World. X | oP - I . | 7 Pleaſure and Mirth alſe Vanity, 1, 2. Whether in Wine, or Buildings, and Gardens, or Servants, or Cattel, or Siluer and Gold, - or Muſick, 3— $8. This the preacher ſearched out and found,and none need try after hizs, 9g ==—=12. Wiſdom excelleth Folly, 13, 14. but tht like Event is 80 both, and b0th are forgotten ; therefore is Wiſdom alſo Vanity, and Life hateful, 15 ——— 17; Men labour they know not for whom, but the Fool enjoyeth the Wiſeman's dains % this rendred bis Tv'l wrkiame ; that he reaped no frut, ana yer 118 days were 1rave: ana Grief,, 18 ——23« There us nothing better than to enjoy contentealy what God giuedh is ; . and this alſo is of God, who giveth travel to the Sinner 24 —2= 26. - Said in mine heart «, Go to.now, I will prove thee I 6 with mirth c, therefore enjoy pleaſure-4; and. behold this alfo is vanity e., © + : IEEE
4
; # Being difapppointed of my hopes from Knowledge, I reſblved in my own Mind to try another courſe. b O'my+ Soul T will try | whether I cannot make , thee happy. c By: aMowing to my felF the free enjoyment of the preſent and ſenſible Delights. of human Lite. , d Taks thy fill of pleaſure: and expect fatisfacrian thence. e Is vain: . and unable to make men happy, becauſe AE Derive a meant and\unſuitable tothe nobleand heaven-born Soul of Man,ahd'if MY ceflively uſed, apter to cloy and glut meti, than to ſatisfie. them, and. arg frequently. mixed with,and moſt commonly end' in bitterneſs,as being the great inſtruments and occafions of fin, and of all irs fatal conſequences: +: - - 2 I ſaid of laughter Wikk doe SEELEY Lois : f OF exceſſive Mirth, which diſcovers it ſelf by immoderate Laughter, and other outward geſtnres. * g vhis is anact and'ſign of . s L - madneſs *
f, & «mad 2: and of mirth,
A”
——_
a Ds II. ;
| madneſs, more fit for fools who know nothing, than for wiſe men at leaſt in this ſinful,and dangerous,and &eplorable ſtate of mankind, which calls for ſeriouſneſs and ſorrow from all conſiderate perſons, in which caſe it isJike the laughter of one in a phrenzy. And none bug a Fool, or mad Man, can take fatisfaQtion in ſuch light and fro- thy Pleaſures, or expeC happineſs from theme þ What good doth it 2'Or how can it make men happy? I challenge all the Epicures 1t: the World to give me aſolid and ſatis aftory Anſwer. k:itr7; 3 * I ſought in mineheart Þ ro give my ſelf unto wine eb: co ;, ( yet acquainting my heart with wiſdom & ) and to ”7 1ay hold on folly 1, till I might ſee what was that good -_ for the ſons of men, which they ſhould do under the