7 Seing then all ations and events in the world are out of mans power, and no man can at any time door enjoy any thing at his pleaſure, bur only what and when God pleaſeth,as hath been now ſthewed in many particulars,& it is as true and certain in all others, hence it follows,that all mens labours, of themſelves, and without Gods help and bleſſing, are unprofitable, and utterly inſufficient to make them aPPY- |
Lo I have ſeen sthe travel : which God hath given to the ſons of men «, to be exerciſed in it x :
5 I have diligently obſerved and conſidered upon this occaſion. t Or, the occupation or buſineſs, mens various employments, and the differing ſacceſſes of them. u Either 1. Which God hath impoſed upon Men as their duty : and therefore Men muſt labour,although it brings them no profit, as was now ſaid, Or 2, Which God hath inflittcd upon Mankind as a juſt puniſhment for their fingto which cherefore Men ought quietly to ſubmit. « That hereby they might have conſtant matter of exerciſe for their diligence,and patience,and ſubmiſſion to Gods Will and videnen and, for all other Graces. Or, that they might be affliFed or humbled therewith ; as the ſame Phraſe is rendred by diverſe, Eccl: 1: 13.
11 He hath made everything beautiful in his tine 7: * Ch:$:i9: alſo he batb ſec the world in their heartz, ſo that * no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end a:
3 This ſeems to be added as an Apology for Gods Providence; notwithſtanding all the contrary events and confuſions which are in the world. He ( 1. ex God, expreſſed in the laſt Clauſe of the verſe } hath made ( or doth make or do, by his Providence in the government of the world)everything ( which he doth either imme. diately, or by the miniſtry of Men, or other Creatures, for God worketh inand with all his Creatures in all their aftions,as is agreed by Divines and Philoſophers) beauriful( decently and conveniently, ſo that, all-things conſidered,it could not have been done better) ; his time, in the time which he had appointed,or which he ſaw moſt proper and fit for it 3 or in its rime or ſeaſon, when it was moſt fit to be done. Many events ſeem to mens ſhallow and perverſe judgs ments, at leaſt for a time, to be very irregular and unbecoming as when wicked men proſper in their impious and unrighteous Enters prizes, and good men are ſorely oppreſſed and afflicted, and thar. tor righteouineſs ſake;but when men ſhall come throughly to under. ſtand Gods works, and the whole frame and contexture of them, and to fee the end of them, they will then fay, thatall things were done moſt wiſely and moſt ſeaſonably ; whereof we have eminenr inſtances in Joſeph, and David, and Mordecai, and the Jews of his time. Zz1, e. In the Hearrs of men, as the following words ſhew, where Man is expreſſed, The ſenſe is either 11 Although all Gods works are beautiful,yet men do not diſcern the beauty of them,be- cauſe the World is in their Hearts; their minds are fo buſied and diſtracted with the thoughts,and cares,andlove, and bufineſs of this World, that they have neither leiſure, nor heart, ſeriouſly to ſtudy Gods works. | But this inordinate Love of the preſent World comes. from Mans own Corruption, and not from God, and therefore it eems harth to impure it to God,and improbable that Solomon would
t:3
have phraſed it rhus, that God hath ſet or put cheWorld, i. e, world ly Luſts in mens Hearts. Or 2. As Gods Works are beautiful-in themſelves, ſo Men are capable of diſcerning the. Beauty of them, becauſe God hath ſet the World in mens Hearts, he hath expoſed the- World, and all his Diſpenſationsin the World, unto the view of mens minds;borh becaufe he hath wrought his Works ſo evidently, and publickly,thar Men mighr eaſily obſerve. them 3 and becauſe he hath given Men Reaton whereby they may diſcover the. Wiſdom, and Beauty of all Gods works, if they diligently apply themſelves to the ſtudy ofthem. @ So thisis another Reaſon why Mendo not. diſcern the Beauty of Gods works, becauſe they do not ſee the whole Frame or Courſe of them from 'the Beginning to the End, bur only ſome ſmall Parcels or Fragments of them, the eminerr;
Txod: 21: 13z or by the ſeritence of the Magiſtrate, or by the hands Murderers., f When he who ſeemed ro be mortally wounded | it be heatcÞ$ and reffored g When honles ſhall be demoliſhed
works of God: being oft begun in one Age, and finiſhed in another,
Or yet ſo that,8&c. Orexcept that (as this Phraſe properly ſignifies,
and is elſewhere uſed”) no Aon can find out, &e, Thus ic 1s an. Exe, | 5 L2 ception
lap. I
Ob 7: 7: } 34:12
away).
4 Ver; I;
|} Or, that” they might _ clear God
A
| " and Fenjoy the good ofall his labour, it 3s the gift of Heb: ſee, God g. all curn to duſt again &,
+ Heb: . , . EE which is to be, hath already been /, and God requireth yz PrafQtical Knowledge, as ſuch words aremoſt commonly uſed. Who s driven that which is paſt ». \ ; "_
15 ſuch a difference, which alſo is known and believed by wiſe and
_ allother places.
and ſee;Scc. | # Andfarther I conſidered with my ſelf. b Concerning their con- | Ce.0 514, So they were utterly unable to deliver themſelves,and
- ther, devouring and deſtroying one another; Or 2, in their © as 4 No ae to deliver not only as theJudgment of theFlefh,or of theSenſe or of
Il. TT SSSELESIAUSTES Chap 1y
ception to the next foregoing Clauſe,and the Senſe is,It is true God reſpe the other life. F : hath put the World into Mens Hearts,or made them capable of ob- , both theſe re wg gl dry rms rs ming op 9 —_— 280 rs all —_— _— E God = _ World;but this | followings Verſes. argely in the _ to be underſtood with a Limitation becauſe there are ſome more I9 * For that which befalleth the " Plc 99:12 myſterious works of God, which no man can fully underſtand, be- | 5 "_” of the lons of men be- 20; cauſe he cannot ſearch them out through or from the Beginning to 'alleth beafts E, EVEN ONE thing befalleth them : "as the Ch: 2: 16; one dieth, fo dieth the other f; yea, they have all one f F*>: .
the End. 12 I know þ that there is no good c in them d, but | | breath g, ſo thata man hath ns preemin ; Stivit, ' for man to rejoyce, and to do good e in his life. [ beaſt hb: for all ;s vanity. P ence above a