Ecclesiastes 12

Ecclesiastes 12:1

REmember now thy Creatour, &c.] Proverbs 22:6. Heb. Creatours. It may be spoken in respect of the Trinitie, Isaiah 54:5.

while the evil days come not] The days of old age.

Ecclesiastes 12:2

While the sun] While thy life is full of comfort, like a summer, and not full of troubles, like a dark winter full of storms. An elegant description of old age in generall: the particular discommodities of it follow.

Ecclesiastes 12:3

In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble] The hands, which keep the body, wherein the soul dwells.

the strong men shall bow themselves] The legs, which uphold the body.

the grinders cease] The teeth, that chew or grinde the meat.

the grinders cease, because they are few] Or, the grinders fail, because they grinde little.

those that look out of the windows be darkened] The eyes, that look out of their holes.

Ecclesiastes 12:4

the doors shall be shut] The two lips, that stand outward.

when the sound of the grinding is lowe] When the ears cannot hear well.

he shall rise up at the voice of the bird] When sleep departs from us.

all the daughters of musick shall be brought lowe] When the winde-pipe, and other instruments of singing, fail: or, when the ears take no pleasure in musick, 2 Samuel 19:35.

Ecclesiastes 12:5

afraid of that which is high] To climb high, because of their weaknesse: or, they stoop down, as though they were afraid that something should fall upon them.

fears shall be in the way] They shall tremble as they go, as if they were afraid of stumbling or falling.

the almond-tree shall flourish] Their head shall be as white as the blossomes of an almond-tree.

the grashopper shall be a burden] They shall be able to bear nothing.

desire shall fail] Appetite to meat, and drink, and marriage.

man goeth to his long home] To the grave, where he must lie long.

the mourners go about the streets] Friends and kinred, and others that mourn for his death, Jeremiah 9:17.

Ecclesiastes 12:6

Or ever the silver cord be loosed] The pith of the backbone, which is white, like silver.

the golden bowl be broken] The little skin that covereth the brain, which is in colour like gold.

the pitcher be broken at the fountain] The veins, which draw blood from the liver.

the wheel broken at the cistern] The head, which draws the powers of life out of the heart: or, the lungs, which breathe in and out, as a wheel draws water up and down in a cistern.

Ecclesiastes 12:7

Then shall the dust return to the earth] Genesis 3:19. Death is the night, wherein we cannot work at all; and old age the evening, wherein we can do little: and therefore it is good to serve God in the morning of youth, or, if that be neglected, in the noon of manly yeers.

Then shall the dust] Or, And the dust.

the spirit shall return unto God] Returns to God, to be disposed of in eternall weal or wo, in another world.

spirit shall return] Or, spirit return.

Ecclesiastes 12:8

Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, &c.] Chap. 1. 2.

all is vanity] Seeing man hath so much trouble in his life, and yet must lose it in the end also, he concludes, That all worldly comforts are vain, and cannot make a man happie.

Ecclesiastes 12:9

moreover, because the preacher was wise] Or, the more wise the preacher was, &c.

he gave good heed] He learned of others, and studied himself, to finde matter to teach the people.

set in order many proverbs] 1 Kings 4:32.

Ecclesiastes 12:10

to finde out acceptable words] His words were pleasing and profitable for the men of that age, and written down to instruct after-ages.

acceptable words] Heb. words of delight.

Ecclesiastes 12:11

The words of the wise are as gads] To prick us forward to our dutie.

and as nails] To keep us within our compasse, as a nailed fence.

fastened by the masters of assemblies] Well applied by the ministers, whom he calleth masters.

which are given from one shepherd] Which is God; and therefore they must be heard as his word, John 10:16.

Ecclesiastes 12:12

And further, by these, my son, be admonished] Or, And of other beside these, my son, take heed.

and much studie is a wearinesse of the flesh] It would weary me to write many books, and you to read them; therefore heed this book, and specially mark the sum of all: Forbear worldly vanities, and fear God, who will judge thee.

studie] Or, reading.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter] Or, the end of the matter, even all that hath been heard, is.

the conclusion of the whole matter] Teaching us how to get true happinesse, which is not to be gotten by worldly comforts.

the whole duty of man] Or, the duty of all men.

Ecclesiastes 12:14

God shall bring every work into judgement] Romans 2:16. and Romans 14:10. 2 Corinthians 5:10.

whether it be good, or whether it be evil] Good works kept secret by the doers, shall have their reward, and evil ones their punishment.