Remedies against vanity. ECCLESIASTES.-CHAP. VIII., IX. Rulers are to be respected wisdom. i or, as good as an inhe ritance, yea, better too. I shadow. k Pr.8.35. 1 Is. 14.27. m made. n Jn. 16.33. Ac. 14.22. o c.8.14. Jn. 16.2. Ac. 7.59. p Is. 65.20. q Ro.10.2 r be desolate. 8 c. 12.12. Pa55.23. │u not in. v c.8.12,13. Mal. 4.2. w 2Ch.6.36. 1 J. 1.8. x give not thy heart. 14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath m set the one over against "the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. 15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. 16 Be not righteous over much; neithery Is.29.21. make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou z Ro1.22 * destroy thyself? r 8 17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die "before thy time? 18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. 19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. W 20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. 21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: 1 Co.1.20. a Pr.1.5,6. 22 For oftentimes also thine own heart know-b strength. eth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others. 25 TI applied my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: 26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. 27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the ac c Ro. 13.1.. 6. There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath ke power in the day of death: and there is no J discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. 9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt. 10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity. 11 ¶ Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, "therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12 Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well P with them that fear God, which fear before him: 13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God. 14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity. г 15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for i Pe.3.13. that shall abide with him of his labour the how. days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. i Ps. 49.6. or casting Weapons. of 16 T When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:) 17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it. CHAPTER IX. 1 Like things happen to good and bad. 4 There is a necessity of death unto men. 7 Comfort is all their portion in this life. 11 God's providence ruleth over all. 13 Wis dom is better than strength. considered in my heart even all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred agare, or, by all that is before them. Job 5.9 set to. b c. 12.9,10. © 0.8. 14. 2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to d Mal.3.18. the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean Wisdom better than strength. ECCLESIASTES.-CHAP. X., XI. Of wisdom, folly, riot, &c. leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. Je. 17.9. to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacri- e Ge. 6.5. е Is. 63.16. g Job 7.8.. 3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men ish Ex.1.8. full of evil, and madness is in their heart while Mat.2.0. they live, and after that they go to the dead..8.15. 4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope for a living dog is better than a 1 Re. 16.15 dead lion. m Mat.6.17. see, or, 5 For the living know that they shall dien but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Álso their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. 7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. 8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. m 9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: P for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. c.10.19. enjoy life. o Pr.5.15.. P c.5.18. 5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: h 6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place. 7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth. 8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him. 9 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. 10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet Co.9.24.. the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to 1 direct. 26. r Job 14.7.. c. 11.3. P75.6,7. Je.9.23 15. t Lu.21.34. 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth u 28a. 20.16. is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. v Pr. 21.22. Ma.6.2,3. x Pr.28.23. y Jos.7.1, &c. a flies of 10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor de- Mat. 5. 13. vice, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. г c heart. d Pr.13.16. @ c.8.3. 14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? 15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. 16 Wo to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! 17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness ! 18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the 11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that 12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16 Then said I, wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17 The words of wise men are heard in * quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good. CHAPTER X. 1 Observations of wisdom and folly. 16 Of riot, 18 slothfulness, 19 and money. 20 Men's thoughts of kings ought to be reverent. P Pr. 18.7. CAST thy bread upon the waters: for 2 Give a portion to a seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. thou shalt find it after many days. q mouth. ■ I.3.4,12. 3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the Ex 22.28 place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. 4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not x Lu. 19.40. reap. Ac. 23.5. w or, con- a Is. 32.20. b upon the De 15.10 Ps. 41.1,2 d Mi.5.5. e Jn.3.8. f På 139.15. g 1 Co.3.7. h be right. e 5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. 6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. 7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun : 8 But if a man live many years, and rejoice 4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, JD.12.35. in them all; yet let him remember the days The fear of God is the ECCLESIASTES.-CHAP. XII. of darkness; for they i shall be many. All that | Job 14.10. cometh is vanity. Nu.15.39 De 29.19, 9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into 'judgment. 10 Therefore remove" sorrow from thy heart, and put away " evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. n CHAPTER XII. 1 The Creator is to be remembered in dne time. 8 The preacher's care to edify. 13 The fear of God is the chief antidote of vanity. RE EMEMBER now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; 2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: C 20. I c.12.14. m or, anger. n 2 Ti.2.22 a Is. 26.8. b 28a. 19.35. e or, fail chief antidote of vanity almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshop per shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: 6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. 7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. 8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; they grind all is vanity. little. d Ge.3.19. e Is.57.16. was. 9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. 10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. 3 In the day when the keepers of the house 11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, 4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, i or, the end and much study is a weariness of the flesh. when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; 5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the CHAPTER I. 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandheard, is ments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into * judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be 2 Co.5.10 good, or whether it be evil. J De. 10.12. THE SONG OF SOLOMON. A. M. 2990. a 1 Ki.4.32 b Ps.2.12. o loves. d Pr.27.9. e Ps. 45.17. 3 Because of the savour of thy good dointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, f Jn.6.44. therefore do the virgins love thee. 4 Draw f me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we I will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. g Ep.2.6. h they love i Mat.10.22 J Pa. 23.2,3. ed. 5¶ I am black, but comely, O ye daughters k or, is veilof Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. 6 Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. 7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? 2 As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. 3 As the apple-tree among the trees of the n Eze. 16.11 Wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. 4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. o or cypress por, com panion. ries. a Jn. 15.1. b Mat. 10.16 ed and h e 5 Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. 6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. 7 I charge you, O ye daughters of JerusaIdelight lem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the sat down field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, d Re221,2 till he please. e palate. f house of g Jn. 15.9.. 9 ¶ I have compared thee, O my love, to ma company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots. 10 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. 11 ¶ We will make thee borders of gold with i c.8.3.5. studs of silver. 12¶ While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. h streto me. Sadjure. k flourish 1 Lu. 24.35. 8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. 9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, showing himself through the lattice. 10 k My beloved spake, and said unto me, The church's victory, &c. SOLOMON'S SONG.-CHAP. III..V. Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. 11 For, lo, the winter is m past, the rain is over and gone ;. 12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land: 13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. 14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice: for sweet" is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. 15 Take us the foxes, the little • foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. m Ep.5.8. n Pr.15.8. Re.5.8. o Eze. 13.4. P Pa. 63.1. 1Co.3.23. r 2 Pe. 1.19. a c.814. tor, division. a Is.26.9. b Job 23.8,9. © c.5.7. Eze 3.17. d c.6.12. e Is 45.19. Je. 29, 12, 13 f Re.3.11,12 g c.27. 8.4,5. 16 My beloved is mine, and I am his: heh Mi.4.8. feedeth among the lilies. i De.8.2. IB. 43. 19. Re.5.8. 17 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou Ph.4.18. like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether. CHAPTER III. 1 The church's fight and victory in temptation. 6 The church glorieth in Christ. BY k 2 Ki.6. 17. He. 1.14. 1 Pa. 45.3. m Is. 27.3. nor, bed. a Y night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I him not. found o Re.1.7. P He.2.9. The graces of the church. whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them. с 3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. 4 Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. 5 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies. 6 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. 7 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. h 8 Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards. 9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. 10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! 11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell 1 of Lebanon. 12 A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; " camphire, with spikenard, 14 Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cin namon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: 2 TI sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. 3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? 4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. 5 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet-smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. 6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave Christ's love to the church. SOLOMON'S SONG.-CHAP. VI..VIII. The church's love to Chris!: i Re.7.9. 16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is al- h Ps.45.14. together lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. J Re. 21.10, 11. k Ps. 14.5. ver.4. 1 Jn. 15. 16. mc.7.12. n I knew TOL. o or, set me on the of my 7 This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. 8 I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples; 9 And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak. 1 10 ¶ I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. 11 Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages. 12 Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if. the vine flourish, whether the tender grape "appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves. 13 The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up P for thee, O my gor, Maha beloved. p Ga. 5.17. naim Ge. 32.2. a Ep.6.15. b Ps. 45.10, 13. mixture. d c.4.5. e crimson. 135.2 Mi. 7.14. g bound. 7 As a piece of a pomegranate are thy tem-h ples within thy locks. h 8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. 9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. 10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners? P.68.24. i Ep.4.13. straightly. k or, the ancient. 1 c.2.16. 6.3. m Ps. 45.11. n open. o Ex. 25.22 Ps. 122. 5. He. 4. 16. p 1 Co. 2.9. a He.2.11, 12. 11 I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whe-b they ther the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded. should not despise me. CHAPTER VIII. 1 The love of the church to Christ. 6 The vehemency of love. 8 The calling of the Gentiles. 14 The church prayeth for Christ's coming. a THAT thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised. 2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate. 3 His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me. 4I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, d that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please. 5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth; there she brought thee forth that bare thee. 6 Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. 7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. 8 We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? 9 If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar. 10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found i fa vour. 11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; |