J: yen + all the days of their lite =». | numbe” _— and + my fleſh with delicious meats and drinks, the days Synecdochicall expreſſed by Wine here, as alſo Prov: g: 2: Cante 2: their 4; &c, 3s olſiry food is by Bread, Amos 7: 12: compared with 8: | 11. & Yer reſolving to uſemy Wiſdom.cither 7. To ſet bounds to my pleaſures. Or rather 2. That I might try wherher I could not arrive at Satisfa&ion, : uſcing Wine toſweeten and allay the Toils of Wiſdom, &Wildom to revent that Deſtru&tion which many bring upon themſelves by in- tmpirate Pleaſures whilſt they ſeek for SatisfaQtion, that ſo I might MB have the comfort, without the danger and miſchief of Pleaſures, ] | To purſue and addi& my ſelf to carnal Pleaſures, which was my Folly. m Till by trying ſeveral methods I might find our the true way to Contentment and Satisfa&tion,during this mortal Life: I made me great works», I built me houles o, I
ted me vineyards p. | : | pn one mo for - honovr and gelighti o Of which
ſce 1 King: 6: 1, &c. & 9: 15, &c- þ See Cant 8:11. EX 5 I made me gardens 9 and orchards,and I planted
s in them of all kindof fruit 7. "Heb. Paradifes,or Gardens of Pleaſure: r Mixing Pleaſure and
Profit rogether. ' 6 I made me pools of water s, to water therewith
that bringeth forth trees 7. _ _ the Rain == fell but ſeldom. * The nurſeries of | young Trees newly planted in the Orchards, which for the multi- | tude of them werelike a Wood or Forrcit. THeb: ſem; . > ] porter ſervants and maidens, and had f ſervants ef myhouſe: porn in my houſe #; alſo I had great poſſeflions of
great.and ſmall cattel, above all that were in Jeruſalem
.- 2: before me. ; ,-*u Of my Bond-ſervants, whichtherefore were a part of my poſ-
Ex. > ſeſhons, See 1 King: 1© 1: Exzr8: 2: 55e *rKin:'9: 8 * [gathered me alſo ſilver and gold, and the pe- £ culiar treaſure of kings #, and of the provinces y: I gat = hs memen-ſingers and women: ſingers 2, and the delights '+ Heb:me- of the ſons of men 4, as | muſical inſtruments and that Fol in-- of all ſorts. | | Framents, x Eicher 1; Vaſt Riches, anſwerable to the State ofa King. Or - or 8 choice , Th. greateſt Jewels and rarities of other Kings, which they gave ro. mecither as a Tribute,or by way of Preſent; of which ſee 1 King:
: 28: & 9: 11: & 10:2, 10+: y Which were impoſed upon or preſen- ted by all the Provinces of wy Dontmons. z Whoſe voices were | more ſweet than Mens. # Either 1- All other delightful chings. Or F _=_ cup- That in which men generally delight, to wit, muſical inflirument:, Te as it follows . | 9 Sol was great b, and increaſed more than all that
were beforeme inJeruſalem ; alſo my wiſdom remained
with me c.
b In Riches, and Power, and Glory. c AsyetT was not wholly beſotted and ſeduced from God by theſe things, as I was afterwards Y ill had the uſe of my Reaſon, whereby I was capable of ſearching after and finding fatisfaQtion, :if it was to be had in thoſe things.
x0 And whatſover mineeyes defireds, I kept not
| choice wo- men, Gr, en
a Chiyzv2' for my heart rejoyced in all my labour g, and ® this : -— & was my portion of my labour 54. ag 4 Whatfoever was grateful to my Senſes, or my Heart deſired. > He aſcribes Defire tothe Eyes, becauſe the Sight'of the Eyes is the uſual and powerful Incentive of Deſires ; of which ſee 5o': 7: 21: Job 31:1; Mat: 5: 28» elI denicd my felfnothing, at leaſt of Jaw- Ful Delights, but went to the very utmoſt bounds of theme which was the occaſion of his falling afterwards into ſinful Pleaſures. f As my Heart was vehemently ſet upon Pleaſure, ſo I'did nct reſiſt or curb it therein, but made a!l poſſible Proviſions to gratifie it, g I had the Comfort of all my Labours, and was not hindred from the free and full Enjoyment of them by Sickneſs or War, or any other calamitous occurent. þ This preſent and Temporary Enjoyment of them, was all the Benefit which I could expeC or receive from all my Labours. So that I made the beſt of them, I had an{keart to uf them, which many men through Covetouſneſs bave nor, and ] taſted the ſweetneſs of them, which many others cannot do; and _— ifany man could arrive at Happineſs by this means, I had one it; | 1x ThenT looked onall the works that my hands had wrought, and onthe Jabourthat I had laboured to
4 Chev do5: and behold, all was * vanity and vexation of ſpi- 7O- +». Tit k, and there was no|| profic ] under;the ſun. eabency #I-made a ſerious Review of my former Works and Labours,and
; conſidered whether Thad obtained that SatisfaQtion in them which I deſigned and expe&ed. KI found my ſelf ſuddenly diſappointed
| *Cha3:
and wholly diſſatisfied in this courſe. 1 The Pleaſure was paſt and 4 & 7: 25: one, and I was never the better for it, but as empty asbefore, and 4 Or, in d rothing left but ſorrowful Refleftions vpen yr. |
1 im thing; 12 And I turned my ſelfto behold wiidom, * and — ae? ©av* madneſs, and folly m: for. what can the man do » that
; _—_— cometh after the king o ? [| eves that which hath been
already Gone p.
ECCLESIASTES:
by mixing Wine and Wiſdom together, by”
” «VT 4 "a 4 3,F>, d - - [f = . ' SERIS v, So "> -v
| we "3d. ” ”
C hap. 17.
» Of which ſee Chap: 1: 15.Beingfruſtrated of my hopes in plea» ſure, - I returned ro a ſecond and more ſerious Conſideration of my firſt choice,to ſee whether there was not more Satisfaction to be gt ten from Wiſdom, than what diſcovered at my firſt view. » To find out the.truth in this matter,to diſcover the utmoſt Satisfaction wich was pcflibly to be found in Pleaſures: So this is added as a Reaſon why he gave over the Thoughts of Plcaſures, and directed them to another object, and why he ſo confident)]y aſſerted their Vanity from his own particular Boa omg becauſe he had made the beſt of them,” and it was a vain thing for any private man to expect that from them which could not be found by a King, and ſuch a King, who had ſo much Wiſdom to invent, and ſuch vaſt Riches ro purſue and enjoy all imaginable Delights, and who had made't his Deſign and Buſineſs to ſearch this to the bottom. oThatr ſucceeds me in this Enquiry. p As by others in former times, ſo eſpecially by my ſelf, They can make no new Diſcoveries as to this point.
13 Then I ſaw q + that wiſdom excelleth folly x, as t Heb.
far as lightexcelleth darkneſs s. That there