ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 1 All is vanity; our labour great and unprofitable, ECCLESIASTES 1:1 . The whole course of things is always going and returning, ECCLESIASTES 1:4 . Nothing in nature is satisfied, ECCLESIASTES 1:8 . Nothing new; old things are forgot, ECCLESIASTES 1:9 . The search after wisdom... [ Continue Reading ]
VANITY OF VANITIES; not only vain, but vanity in the abstract, which notes extreme vanity, especially where the word is thus doubled; as _a king of kings_ is the chief of kings, and a servant of servants is the vilest of servants, and a song of songs is a most excellent song. SAITH THE PREACHER, upo... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT PROFIT? or, as others render it, _What remainder_ ? What real and abiding benefit hath a man by it? None at all. All is unprofitable, as to the attainment of that happiness which Solomon here is, and all men in the world are, inquiring after. HIS LABOUR, Heb. HIS TOILSOME LABOUR, both of body a... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE GENERATION PASSETH AWAY, AND ANOTHER GENERATION COMETH: men continue but for one, and that a short age, and then they leave all their possessions to the succeeding age; and therefore they cannot be happy here, because happiness must needs be unchangeable and eternal; or else the perpetual fear a... [ Continue Reading ]
The sun is in perpetual motion, sometimes arising, and sometimes setting, and then arising again, and so constantly repeating its courses in all succeeding days, and years, and ages; and the like he observes concerning the winds and rivers, ECCLESIASTES 1:6,7. And the design of these similitudes see... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WIND GOETH TOWARD THE SOUTH, AND TURNETH ABOUT UNTO THE NORTH; the wind also sometimes blows from one quarter of the world, and sometimes from another; all of them being synecdochically comprehended under these two eminent quarters. But because this word, the _wind_, is not expressed in the Hebr... [ Continue Reading ]
IS NOT FULL, to wit, to the brink, or so as to overflow the earth, which might be expected from such vast accessions to it; whereby also he intimates the emptiness and dissatisfaction of men's minds, not withstanding all the abundance of creature-comforts. UNTO THE PLACE FROM WHENCE THE RIVERS COME;... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THINGS, not only the sun, and winds, and rivers, which I have mentioned, but all other creatures, _are full of labour_; both subjectively, as they are in continual restlessness and change, never abiding in the same state or place; and efficiently, as they cause great and sore labour to men, in g... [ Continue Reading ]
There is nothing in the world but a continued and tiresome repetition of the same things. The nature and course of the beings and affairs of the world, and the tempers of men's minds, are generally the same that they ever were and shall ever be; and therefore because no man ever yet received satisfa... [ Continue Reading ]
For the proof hereof I appeal to the consciences and experiences of all men. It hath been already of old thee; the same things have been said and done before, though possibly we did not know it.... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS NO REMEMBRANCE OF FORMER THINGS: this seems to be added to prevent this objection, There are many new inventions and enjoyments unknown to former ages. To this he answers, This objection is grounded only upon our ignorance of ancient times and things, which is very great, and which if we di... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse is a preface to the following discourse, that by the consideration of the quality of the speaker they might be induced to give more attention and respect to his words. Having asserted the vanity of all things in the general, he now comes to prove his assertion in all those particulars whe... [ Continue Reading ]
I GAVE MY HEART, which phrase notes his serious and fixed purpose, his great industry and alacrity in it, TO SEEK AND SEARCH OUT, to seek diligently and accurately, by wisdom, wisely, or by the help of that wisdom wherewith God had endowed me, concerning all things that are done under heaven; _conce... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE SEEN, i.e. diligently observed, and in great measure understood. BEHOLD; for it was a great surprise to me, and therefore may seem strange to you. ALL IS VANITY AND VEXATION OF SPIRIT; and not only unsatisfying, but also troublesome, and an affliction or breaking to a man's spirit or mind. Or... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WHICH IS CROOKED CANNOT BE MADE STRAIGHT; all our knowledge serves only to discover our diseases and miseries, but is oft itself utterly insufficient to heal or remove them; it cannot rectify those confusions and disorders which are either in our own hearts and lives, or in the men and things o... [ Continue Reading ]
I COMMUNED WITH MINE OWN HEART; I considered within myself in what condition I was, and what degrees of knowledge I had gained, and whether it was not my ignorance that made me unable to rectify those errors, and supply those wants, and wiser men could do it, though I could not. I AM COME TO GREAT E... [ Continue Reading ]
I GAVE MY HEART TO KNOW WISDOM, AND TO KNOW MADNESS AND FOLLY, that I might thoroughly understand the nature and difference of truth and error, of virtue and vice, all things being best understood by contraries, and might discern if there were any opinion or practice amongst men which would give him... [ Continue Reading ]
GRIEF, or _indignation_, or displeasure within himself, and against his present condition. INCREASETH SORROW; which he doth many ways, partly, because he gets his knowledge with hard and wearisome labour, both of mind and body, with the consumption of his spirits, and shortening and embitterment of... [ Continue Reading ]