power to leave the works of his hands, when he must himself no longer enjoy them, unto such as are most likely to improve or preserve them: but be he what he will, wise or foolish, he must have not only the fruition of my labours, but the dominion over them. (Psalm xxix. 6) And this is a great vanity, to know a man's self how to get great things, and to know how to preserve, and to enjoy them; but not to know what will become of them at the last. A wise man (it may be) will alter all; a fool will scatter and dissipate all: and so all the father's wisdom may quickly come to nought by the son's folly. (Psalm xxxix. 7)

Wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise.] "Which by my labour and by my wisdom I have gotten." He understandeth human wisdom in managing worldly affairs to the best improvement. (Isai. x. 13. Ezek. xxxviii. 4, 5) These are the two great principles of human actions, Wisdom, to direct; Labour, to execute: wisdom, by counsel, guideth labour; and labour, through experience, increaseth wisdom. That wisdom is fruitless, which doth not produce labour; and that labour is useless, which is not managed by wisdom. Some conceive, that Solomon here did foresee, at least, that Rehoboam by his folly might scatter many of those great works, and lose much of that ample power and wealth which his father by his wisdom had gotten. (1 Kings xii. 13, 15)

Ver. 20. Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour, &c.] I went about, or, I circled. The meaning is, "Having turned hither and thither to take a view of all human actions, and every where discovering notable vanity in them all; I found myself, after I was wearied in this round, brought at last to utter despair and despondency of spirit, being without hope of ever finding out that, in any of my labours, for which I had undertaken them. When I found, after all my labour, this sad uncertainty attending on them, that it was out of my power to dispose them for the future so, but that they might fall into the hands of a fool that would demolish and dissipate them all; who by his folly, would extinguish the monuments of my wisdom; and by his luxury, the fruits of my labour;-then I bestirred myself to make my heart despair, to call it wholly off from all my labours." The word importeth a desisting from a purpose

or work undertaken, a changing of a man's counsel, finding the attempt to be fruitless or unfeasible. (Isai. lvii. 10. Jer. ii. 25, and xviii. 12) There is a rational despair, when a man, having erroneously sought for some good from that which is wholly unable to afford it, doth thereupon give over so fruitless an inquiry, land betake himself to that which is more effectual. (Isai. lv. 2) And there is a passionate despair proceeding from that frowardness of heart, which such a disappointment is apt to produce in carnal minds; when, because a man cannot enjoy that good from a thing which he expected, he will therefore wholly fall out with it, though it be otherwise good in its degree, and doth bring such comfortable fruit as God appointed it for. This is a sinful despair: for the Lord hath made many promises unto the labour which we take about outward things; (Prov. xii. 24, and xiii. 11, and xxxi. 31. Psalm cxxviii. 1, 2) and hath a word of blessing ever proportionable to those ends and uses, for which he hath appointed them. (Deut. xxviii. 2-8 Matth. iv. 4) If Solomon mean here the former despair; then it was an effect of his wisdom, dictating unto him not to place his hopes upon vain things, which would delude and abuse him, but to take off his heart from the inordinate love of empty things. If the latter; then it was a corrupt and froward aversion from things good in their degree, because the providence of God might haply dispose otherwise of them than he desired. Duty and labour about outward things, belongs unto us; but the disposition of them into what hands he pleaseth, belongeth unto God. In the mean time, it is a good argument to draw off the heart from anxious and inordinate toil about worldly things: and rather to employ our thoughts about the education of our children, lest much wealth in the hands of a foolish son, prove an argument of our folly whereas a little estate, with principles of wisdom and piety instilled into him that must enjoy it, will be a greater blessing unto him, and an evidence of more wisdom in ourselves.

Ver. 21. For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, &c.] i. e. Who, 1. By his habitual skill and faculty of contrivance. 2. By his experimental and improved knowledge; and 3, By his just, honest, and righteous dealing; concurring all 4. With diligent labour, (unto which kind of

principles so attempered, the blessing of God is usually annexed,) doth get a fair and full estate: and when he hath all done, must leave it to another who never took thought about it, nor stirred hand or foot towards the gathering of it. This is a third reason of the wise man's weariness of his life and labours, namely, That he should be a very drudge for another man, and should use all his skill and pains, and suffer so much anxiety and disquiet only to purchase rest and idleness for his successor. And this is a great and sore evil, that the labour should be one man's, and the fruit thereof another's, and is often threatened as a punishment. (Job v. 5. Hos. vii. 9, and viii. 7. Deut. xxviii. 30, 31, 32, 33. Psalm xxxix. 6. Prov. xiii. 22)

Shall he give it for his portion?] Or, shall he give his portion? That which, in all reason, after so much labour, should have been the portion of him who laboured for it, he is compelled by death to give or leave it to another man, and so to make it that other man's portion.

"What

Ver. 22. For what hath man of all his labour? &c.] is there unto man of all his labour?" (Nehem. vi. 6) viz. "What profit, comfort, advantage, can a man have of such labour wherein all the pain is his, and all the fruit and benefit another man's?" (Chap i. 3. and iii. 9. Psalm xxxix. 6)

Vexation of his heart.] Hereby are noted those discruciating, disquieting, careful thoughts, whereby he doth project and contrive within himself all ways of gain, and how to increase and preserve a great estate. (Psalm xlix. 11. Hab. ii. 5, 6. 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10) This may refer to all the three reasons before given; 1. What hath man left to himself of all his labour and vexation when he is dead and gone? all the world is then gone to him. (Job i. 21. 1 Tim. vi. 7. Psalm xlix. 17) 2. What good hath he by all that pains, which was taken for another man; who, if he were wise, would be able to take the pains for himself; and if foolish, will be likely to make all another man's pains fruitless, which he took to provide for him? (Job xxvii. 16, 17) 3. What hath he of all his labour more than the other man who sate still, and lived quietly, and saw him toil and drudge to get him an estate who laboured not for it? nothing at all more as to contentment and fruition; much more, as to weariness and vexation.

Ver. 23. For all his days are sorrows, and his travel grief, &c.] These words are very emphatical, to set forth the pain and trouble of such a man who toils for others: and the Wise man closeth this disquisition as he did the first: (Chap. i. 18) only this is expressed with greater emphasis, as being the greater evil of the two; as ver. 21. 1. The words are many, to shew the greatness of the trouble. 2. The word translated sorrows, signifieth a very painful and cruciating grief, the grief of some sore wound; (Gen. xxxiv. 25. Jer. li. 8) and used in the case of Israel's sorrow in their bondage in Egypt, (Exod. iii. 7) and in Babylon; (Lam. i. 12) and to express the sorrows of Christ. (Isai. liii. 3, 4. see Job xxxiii. 19. Prov. xiv. 13) 3. The abstract is used for the concrete; it is not said, "all his days are sorrowful, but very sorrow itself;" which addeth much force to the sense. (as Gen. ini. 6. Psalm v. 9, and xxxix. 5. Hag. ii. 8. Gen. xii. 2. Cant. v. 16) 4. The word is in the plural number, "all his days are sorrows," (i. e.) full of sorrow, great sorrow, and variety of sorrow. (as Isai. Ixiii. 6. 2 Pet. iii. 11) So it is said, that the Sodomites were smitten with blindness. (Gen. xix. 11. 2 Cor. i. 3. Eccles. v. 6)

And his travel (or "anxious and careful labour") grief.] Or, "indignation :" his wearisome employments, full of disquietness, and of continual solicitude, meeting withal with many miscarriages and disappointments, do stir up much grief and displeasure of heart.

Hereby is noted the exceeding great trouble of heart, which ariseth out of an inordinate conversing about worldly things, and apprehension of parting with them. For the less measure there is in the labour of getting them, the more trouble there is in the thoughts of parting with them. If the life of the best men be full of evil and labour; (Gen. xlvii. 9. Psalm xc. 10. Job xiv. 1, and v. 7) if our mother brings us forth in sorrow, and unto sorrow; much more unquiet must be the life of those who labour in the fire, and for very vanity. ( Habb. ii. 13)

Yea, his heart taketh no rest in the night] The night was appointed by God for man to rest in, as the day to labour; (Psalm civ. 23, and cxxvii. 2. Job iv. 13) but such a man depriveth himself of that blessing, which God by the very season offers him. (Job vii. 3, 4, 13, 14. Eccles. v. 12, 13.

Prov. iii. 24) Or, if such a man's body, through labour and weariness, do sleep, yet his heart is still taken up with unquiet thoughts and cares: for the heart may be awake, when the body sleeps. (Cant. v. 2)

Ver. 24. There is nothing better for a man, than to eat, &c.] In this verse, and so to the end of the chapter, is contained that which is the whole sum and subject of this book, which is to shew, wherein the only good which a man can attain unto in his labour about worldly things, doth consist, and the happiness of this present life; which is, to get the heart seasoned with the fear of God, and to be good in his sight, or approved of him; and then in the assurance and joy of his favour, to make use of all outward good things with quiet contentment, with freedom, cheerfulness, and delight, which is a special blessing which the Lord gives unto his own servants. The apostle puts all this into two words, godliness and contentment. (1 Tim. vi. 6)

no

The words admit of a several reading, though all run to the same issue. There is nothing better for a man, thanso our version. The word (than) according to the reading is to be supplied, it not being in the original. And so interpreters agree, that such a word as nisi, or tantum, may be understood, as it is necessarily to be supplied elsewhere; as Isai. i. 6, where, in the original, the words run in this manner, There is no soundness in it, wounds and bruises, &c. where the word but, or only, is necessarily to be supplied; soundness, (but) wounds or bruises." So here, "There is not good for a man that he eat:" the word but is to be supplied; "There is not, or it is not good for a man but that he eat:"it is expressed, Chap. iii. 12. Others read the words with an interrogation, Is it not good for a man that he eat, &c.? (i. e.) "It is good." Others read thus, This good is not in a man, (i. e.) in the power of a man, that he eat and drink, &e. As he cannot help it, but he must in time leave his outward things, which with so much labour he hath gotten, and that to such as, it may be, will not dispose of them to his desire; so even while he doth actually possess them himself, it is not in his power to use them, much less to enjoy with delight and pleasure, without the special gift of God.--All amounts to the same issue; which is this: "Since there is in all the studies, labours, affairs of men so much vanity and vexation, as hath