Ecclesiastes 1

After the inscription or title of the book, we have here (1) The vanity of all created things strongly asserted; 2, 3. (2) The general proofs of this, drawn from 1. The shortness of human life, and the multitudes of births and burials; 4

Ecclesiastes 1:2

From the perpetual changes and revolutions of creatures; as the sun, wind, water; 5, 6, 7

Ecclesiastes 1:3

From the great toil which man has in getting them, and the small pleasure in keeping them; 8

Ecclesiastes 1:4

From the repeated returns of the same things; 9, 10, 5. From their being so quickly forgotten

Ecclesiastes 1:11

(3) Human learning and knowledge are particularly tried, and found to be vanity, because of the labour necessary in acquiring them; the little good that can be done with them, and the little satisfaction, nay, much sorrow, attending them; 12—18. • Ver. 12, ch 7, 27 & 12, 8—10. Pror. 25, 1. THE words of ^(a) the preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem. • Ps. 39, 5, 6, & 62, 9, 10, & 144, 4, ch. 10, P. & 2, 11, 15, 17, 19, 21, 26. Rom. 8, 20. 2 ^(b) Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. • Ch. 2, 22, & 5, 15, & 3, 9. Hab. 2, 13. Pror. 23, 5. ^(c) What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? • Ps. 89, 47, 48, & 90, 10. Job 14, 2, 20. Zech. 1, 5. 4 ^(d) One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: ^(e) but the earth abideth for ever. • Ps. 104, 5, & 113, 90. 2 Prt. 3, 10—13. ver. 9. 5 ^(f) The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and ^(g) hasteth to his place where he arose. • Ps. 19, 5, 6. 6 ^(g) The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. • Heb. panteth. 7 ^(h) All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. • John 3, 8. Job 37, 9, 17, & 38, 24. Acts 27, 13, 14. • Job 38, 10. Ps. 104, 8, 9, & 107, 26, 35. 8 ‘All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. Before Christ clr. 975. 9 ¶ The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Ver. 9, 10. ch. ii. iii. vi. with 1 Cor. 2. 9. Phil. 3. 8— 14. & 4. 11, 12. 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? ‘it hath been already of old time, which was before us. Ch. 3. 14, 15. & 6. 10. with 2 Cor. 5

Ecclesiastes 1:17

Rev. 21. 4, 5. 11 “There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after. Ver. 9. Mat. 5. 12. & 23. 32. Luke 1. 26—30. Acts 7. 51. 12 ¶ “I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem: ch. 2. 16. 13 “And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: ’this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man ‡to be exercised therewith. See ver. 1. 1 Kin. 4. 1, 21. Prov. 1. 1. & 25. 1. 14 “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Prov. 2. 3, 4. & 4. 7. 15 ‘That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. Gen. 3. 19. ch. 3. 10. ‡ Or to afflict them. 16 ‘I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and Acts 4. 28. ver. 17, 18. ch. 2. 11, 17, 26. 1 Kin. 4. 29—31

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. I.—How feelingly a true penitent, from his own experience, preaches that vanity and vexation which attend created enjoyments! All things indeed in nature concur to manifest this bumbling truth, though it is very hard to convince most men of it. for, notwithstanding the perpetual flux, returns, and oblivion, with which created things are marked, we are too apt to be resting on them. Neither our own observation nor experience, nor the dictates of the Spirit of God, are credited by us. Take heed, my soul, never more to esteem or desire them as God; never more depend on, or delight in, them as thy God. If, by all my labours for human knowledge, I can neither satisfy my mind, rectify my nature or lot, nor amend the world, let me study to know Christ and him crucified: thus shall I be changed into the same image, from glory to glory. And let this knowledge, which is eternal life, be the chief object of my pursuit