Ecclesiastes 6

Ecclesiastes 6:1

THere is] He declares what he said before, that the sweet enjoyment and fruition of goods, doth not depend upon them, nor upon mans owne will, but comes from Gods meere grace.

Ecclesiastes 6:3

And his soule] If he hath not the fruition of them in his life time, with an honest content That he have no] Namely, if hee dyes some violent or infamous death, which deprives him of the honour of buriall, Is better,] in respect of the world, and of sence, an untimely or abortive birth, which never felt good nor evill, hath an advantage of him who hath had goods, and hath lost them, and hath besides endured much griefe and trouble.

Ecclesiastes 6:4

For he commeth] Namely, that untimely birth, whose first framing seemes to be unprofitable, seeing it never comes to the perfection of being an human creature.

Ecclesiastes 6:5

More rest] Having never felt any evill.

Ecclesiastes 6:6

Yea though hee] The happinesse doth not consist simply in the life, but in the goods which one enjoyeth in it. Wherefore if one have no good, during life, it is burthensome and troublesome, and death once comming, makes them which have not been, equall with those which have been, in regard of the goods of this life.

Ecclesiastes 6:7

All the labour] man hath no other fruit of all his labours in this world, but only the supplying of his wanes, and of those things which are usefull for him: yet he cannot bound his labours and desires within these termes, and his understanding being thus corrupted, he can never have any true content of minde, unlesse it be granted him by Gods grace.

Ecclesiastes 6:8

For what] He proves the absurdity of this unreasonable care which man takes. For of all the care and industry he useth, in preserving his goods, if he hath any, or to get some if he hath none, he hath no other benefit but the maintenance of his life.

Ecclesiastes 6:9

Better is] The true good a man can have in this life, is to enjoy that which he hath in peace and rest; and not to wander with straying and unsatisfied desires after that which he hath not This is] namely, this extreame desire and anxiety to be alwayes getting.

Ecclesiastes 6:10

Already] The name of Adam, that is to say, terrestriall, which God gave man at his first ereation, sufficiently sheweth the imperfection of his being, if he be not in Gods favour; namely, that he hath his heart alwayes fixed upon the earth from which he came: wherewith his soule being not satisfied, by reason that it is of a divine originall, he labours endlessely for new experiences, and for to heape up goods of the same nature Neither may he] For all this it is not lawfull for man to contend with God. But he ought with all humility to desire of him the assistance of his Spirit and grace.

Ecclesiastes 6:11

Seeing there be many things that] the Italian, When there is abundance of things they] This sue of covetousnesse: is not beaten downe nor put out, through the abundance of goods, no more then fire i quenched with the abundance of wood, but waxeth greater and greater: therefore true content cannot consist in that abundance.

Ecclesiastes 6:12

For who knoweth] The chiefe cause of this error, nemely, of gathering together without any end is mans ignorance, which will not suffer him to limit his desires, within the bounds of the shortnesse of his life; but causeth his thoughts to range after the infinitenesse of time to come, which he having no knowledge of it is a folly in him to seek to provide〈…〉 it As a shadow]which hath no substance and van〈…〉 in 〈◊〉〈◊〉; leaving no signe where it hath been.