A briefe exposition with practicall observations upon the whole book of Ecclesiastes by that late pious and worthy divine, Mr. John Cotton ... ; published by Anthony Tuckney ...

Eccles. 9.7, to 10.

• 7. Goe thy way eat thy bread with joy, and drinke thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy workes.
• 8. Let thy garments be alwayes white, and let thy head lacke no ointment.
• 9. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the dayes of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the Sun, all the dayes of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the Sun.
• 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to doe, doe it with thy might: for there is no worke, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest.

SOlomon having in the former verses declared four observa∣tions which he gathered from Gods dispensing like events to all: He now giveth some practical directions from the same ground: First, That a man should take all the good which the providence of God putteth into his hand, verse 7.8, 9. Secondly, That he should doe all the good which God putteth into his hand to doe, verse 10.

1. The good which he directeth a man to take, is in the enjoyment of the comfortable use of all the blessings which God giveth him in this life. Which blessings are chiefly five: First, Meat or Bread, It to be eaten with joy, verse 7. Secondly, Wine, It to be drunken with a cheerful heart, verse 7. Thirdly, Garments, and they to be alwayes white. Fourthly, Oyntments, and they not to be lacking to the head, verse 8. Fifthly, The wife beloved, and she to be joy∣fully lived withall, all the dayes of thy vanity, verse. 9.

Reason 1. From Gods acceptance of our worke, verse 7.

Reason 2. From the portion allotted to us of God, verse 9. especially in the joyful fellowship of his wife.

2. The good that we are any way able to doe, he exhor∣teth

to doe, by a Reason from the vacancy and cessation of all employment and businesse of minde, and hand in the grave; and the grave described by our Adjunct, Act, or walking to it, verse 10. Solomon here speaketh not in the per∣son of an Epicure, but in the name of the holy Ghost.

Reason 1. From the like speeches in the like sense spoken often before in his own person, Chap. 2.24, & 3, 12, 13, 22, & 5, 18, 19, & 8, 15.

Reason 2. Epicures are not wont to speake so Religiously, First, Of life as vanity; which Solomon here doth feelingly, verse 9. Secondly, Of the dayes of our life as Gods gift, verse 9. Thirdly, Of the course of our life, as a journey to the grave, verse 10. Fourthly, Of our love to our wives, and fellowship with them constantly, avoyding strange lusts, verse 9.

Object. But garments alwayes white, and wife alwayes joyed in it, seemeth to deny fasts at any time.

Answ. Solomon speaketh not of extraordinary times, and duties, but of ordinary course.

Doctr. 1. The uncertainty of outward events calleth all men to take all the good, and to doe all the good that God putteth into their hand all the dayes of their life. Of the former part now. Eccles. 3.12, 13, 22. & 5, 18, 19. Acts 2.46. & 14, 17. [à minore] yet it holdeth in heathens also, Psal. 104.15. The Jewes in cheerfulnesse used white garments, Luke 16.19. Prov. 5.19. for joyful love of wife. Times of humiliation are not ordinary, so also times of Apostacy are excepted, Hos. 9.1.

Reasons of the former part of the Doctrine, 1. From the contrary walking of wicked men, fretting and vexing them∣selves with the promiscuous dispensation of outward events, and filling their hearts with wickednesse and madnesse, up∣on that occasion, verse 3. to 6.

Reason 2. From Gods acceptance of our worke herein It is acceptable to God, that we should use cheerfully what God giveth freely and cheerfully, Psal. 145.16, Deut. 26.14. for First, It is an improvement and use of the creature to that end God gave them, Psal. 104.15, And so a fulfilling of one part of the third Commandement. Secondly, The contrary is a wearinesse to God, not to accept and use the gifts he offereth, Isai. 7.10, to 13. In which respects not only godly men, but all men are bound to cheerful accep∣tance

of Gods goodnesse, without sadnesse and mourning.

Reason 3. From the portion which God giveth us in this life for our outward man (as his grace for the inner man,) 2 Cor. 12.9. First, it is Gods gift, and admeasurement, Eccles. 5.18. His talents are to be employed. Secondly, It is our substance, supplying our wants and losses, Acts 20.24. He is a poor man in the midst of abundance, that wanteth this, Eccles. 5.19, 20. Thirdly, it is that by occupying of which we encrease our estates, Neh. 9.15. In speciall manner, this to be a mans portion, is attributed to a mans joyfull life with his wife, v. 9. As who should say: The best portion a man can have with a wife, is a joyfull life with her all his daies; as if he had no portion without this, whatsoever wealth, or friends, or beauty, or parts, he had with her; without this joyfulnesse with her, it were no portion at all, Prov. 5.18. It is a portion, first, as given of God, Eccles. 9.19. [Prov. 19.14.] Secondly, for a stay and support of his life, Gen. 2.18. Thirdly, to imploy for his further advantage, Prov. 31.11, 12.

Reason 4. From the wearisome vanity of this life, without making use of the comforts of it, v. 9. Psalm 78.33. Vanity first of brevity, Psalm 39.5, Secondly, of vanity or empti∣nesse, Psalm 39.6. Esay 55.2. Thirdly, of disappoint∣ment or frustration, Esay 49.4. Fourthly, Corruption, Rom. 8.20, 21.

Reason 5. From the necessary support of a man in his la∣bours, v. 9. This comfortable use of the creatures, is as Oyle to the wheeles, Neh. 8.10.

Reason 6. From the gift of every day of our life to us from Gods hand, v. 9. Job 14.5, Psalm 31.15. Acts 17.26. There∣fore every day some refreshing.

Ʋse 1. To teach the children of God to take Solomons counsel here; for to them it is chiefly given, whose work God accepteth; In seeking reconcilement with God, and fellowship in his Christ and Kingdom, Matth. 6.33. 1 Tim. 4.3. Tit. 1.15. Hos. 9.1.

Rules to doe it safely: Observe, First, two Rules of piety: Prayer before, 1 Tim. 4.4, 5. and Thanksgiving after, Deut. 8.10. Secondly, a Rule of justice; thine own, not the bread of Idleness, Oppression, Deceit, Prov, 31.27. & 4.17. & 20.17. 2 Kings 4.7. Thirdly, a Rule of sobriety, Luke 21.34. Fourthly, a Rule of wisdom, 1. Regarding the end of meat

and drink, which is strength and chearfulnesse, Eccles. 10.17. Of Apparrel, is beside, 1 Necessiy. 2 Comliness. 3 Ador∣ning the inner man of the heart, 1 Pet. 3.3, 4. 2 Regarding future times and posterity, Prov. 21.20. 3 In frugality, saving remnants, John 6.12. Fifthly, a Rule of charity and mercy, in ministring part to others that want necessaries, Neh. 8.10.

Ʋse 2. To stir up Christian yoke-fellows especially to this duty. Means. First, uprightnesse of heart, Job 20.5. Secondly, care of mutual pleasing, 1 Cor. 7.33, 34.

Ʋse 3. To take heed of grieving Gods spirit, which taketh such care for our refreshing, Ephes 4.30.

Ʋse 4. To stir up to a Christian state and course; It is not a way of melancholy, but seasonable chearfulness.

Ʋse 5. To teach us to look at this life as vanity, and all the daies of it; and therefore to lay up an enduring sub∣stance, in the life to come, Hebr. 10.34. and patiently to bear many disappointments in this life.

Ʋse 6. To look at every day as a gift from God, Lam. 3.23▪ and therefore to employ it to his advantage.