the Heart, but ſuffer it to ſtand Nill and cool within them, whence comes thar coldneſs of the outward parts,which is a near forerunner of Death. And the wheel may be ſaid to be broken at the ciſtern, when the -grear Arteries do not perform their Office of conveying the Bload into the left Ventricle of the Heart, and of thruſting it out thence into the leſſer Arteries, whence comes that ceaſing of the pulſe which is a certain ſign of approaching Death. | ;
7 * Then thall che duſty return to the Earth as it was h:
and the ſpirit ; ſhall return uaco God & * who gave
z The Body called duſt,both for its origitial which was from the and to fignifie"its vile and corruptible Nature,7ob 4: 19:8c30:19: h whence it was firſt taken« He alludes to that paſ-
eb. 12: 9. | ; - EE Vanity of vanities,faith the preacher,all ;s vanity.
-m This ſentence wherewith he began this Book he here repeat- eth in the end of it, partly as that which he had proved in all the foregoing diſcourſe, and partly as that,Flich naturally and neccfla- cily followed trom both the branches d. ;;he aſſertion nuw. laid down Ver. 7. | 5 And | moreover,becauſe the preacher was wiſe =,
he ftill taught the people knowledge o, yea, he gave
tepreacker good heed p, and fought out q, and * {et in order r ma-
roverbs 5. _ * EE:
"* Fhick he affirmeth not out of vajn oftentationg*; but partly to procure the more credit and acceptance to his Doltrion id CHOng here delivered ; and partly to declare his Repenrance for his former follies, and Gods grear Mercy in reſtoring his ' Wiſdom to him! 0 As God gave him this Wiſdom, that he might be a tezcher of others, ſo he uſed ir to thar end. Therefore deſpiſe not his Counſel, p He did not raſhly and fooliſhly utrer whatſoever came into his mind,or mouth, bur ſeriouſly pondered both his matter and werds., q Borh by the exerciſe of his own mind, aud by reading and learning from others. r Or,d:reFed or fitted. He felefed ſuch as were moſt uſeful, 5 Excellent and wiſe ſay:ngs, which are ofc called Proverbs, as was noted before upon the Book of Proverbs.
io Fae F gs ſought to find out f acceptable thi" words - _ _ ords of truth 7. | : | pr of wh Heb. defireable - delightful, worthy of all acceptation, ſuch as ſight, would minifter comfort and profit to the Hearers or Readers. u By
the Preacher in this and his archer -Books, x Heb. right or ſtreight, |
he Mind or Will of God, which is the rule of right, —— perverſe. » Not fables cunningly deviſed to deceive che ſimple,butrrue andcertain Dottrines which mend t! to mens own Confciences or Reaſons ; wholſom and edifying Coun- ſels. ws 11 The words of the wiſe z are as goads, and as
nails a faſtened b by the maſters of aflemblies c, which are given from one ſhepherd 4.
ECCLESIASTES.
|
commend themſelves Or
wiſe and holy men of God ; of which, and not of the former, this waole context treats. a Piercing into mens dy1] Mir de, ard hard Hearts, and. quigkning and provoking them to the practice of al} their duties. 6 Which do not only amuſe and fartle mer for the preſent 2s the wile and grave Counſels of moral Philoſophers frequently do, out make powerful and abiding impreſſions in-them : which is the peculiar effeft of Gods Word, c By the rezchers of Gods Chureh and People, whether Prophets or oiher?, appointed by God for thar work: 4 From God,or from Jeſus Cirift, the great Shepherd and Teacher of the Church in all Ages,by whoſe Spirit the ancient Pros phets, as well as other ſucceeding Teacl.ers were inſpired and taughr, Fer. 3:15: 1 Pet: 1,11: & 2 P:t;1: 21, And this claute ſeems to be ads ded partly as the reaſon of that admireble Harmony and Agreement which isamongſt all the men of God in all ages and places, becauſe they are all caught. by one Maſter, and guided by the fame Hand ard partly to oblidge us to the greater Attention and Reverence to all their DoEtrines and Counſels, which we are to reccive as the word of God, and not of men only, as it is ſaid, 1 Theſ. 2, 13.
x72 And further, by theſe e, my ſon, be admoniſhs edf : of making many books there js no end g, and much || ſtudy 45a wearinefs to the fleſh z.
e By theſe Wiſe M ſpake in the foregoing verſe. f Take your Inftructions from them for their words are right and true, as ke ſaid v. 10: whereas the words of other men are falſe,or at beſt doubtful. g I could eaſily write ma« ny Books and large Volumes vpon theſe matters, bir that were. an endleſs and needJets work;ſeing things neceſſary to be known&done, lie in a litt!e compaſs, as he informs us in the next verſe,. þ The reading of many Books written by learned Philoſophers about theſe things ; which it is morethan probable were then extant, though fince Joſt, which alſo Solomon, being fo curious atd inquiſitive a PEIſ= ſon, would in all likelihood procure and peruſe as fac as he had op» portunity, . : It waſteth a mans ſtrength and Spirirs,and yet (which is implied ) doth not fatisfiethe Mind, nor ſufficiently recompenſe the 24 Ir and inconvenience to which man is expoſed by it-
T3 terk, * FearGod/ this is the whole duty n of man. |
& The ſum and ſubſtance of all that hath been
wiſe men,ſo far as it is neceſſary for us to know, dochically pur here,
ſaid or written by I Which is Synec- at it is very frequently in Scripture, for all the
Devotedneſs of Heart toſerve and pleaſe God, and a Lotkneſs to of- fend him, and-an Aptneſs to tremble at his Word and Judgements. '-- This is fitly added as a neceſſiry effe& and certain Evidence of the Fear of God. MakeConſcience of prattiſing whatſoever God. re»
that which was WTIitten un was upright X,even quires, how coſty,or troubleſome,or dangerous,ſcever it be. n In
the Hebrew it is only, the whole : it is his whole work and . buſineſs, his whole perfeQion and Happineſs, it is the ſum of what he need
either know, or do, or enjoy.
,and keep his commandments m:; for ad
PY HY
Ler us hear the concluſion of the whole mat- || Or,
Chap. Y |
Were 2s * (Or,reads en and their Words or Writings, of which he #ns- |
v3
. ) pf Fj LES)
of the | matier, 0 wen all ; that hath / been hear®y inward Worſhip of God, Reverence, and Love, and Truſt, . and A Mp9 ah 3 '
x4 For * God ſhall bring every work into judgment *Rem: 2; |
0, with every every ſecret thingp, whether is be good, whether zt beevil.