Eccles. 5 Vanities in divine matters, Eccles. 5:1–7. In murmuring and repining, Eccles. 5:8. In riches and covetousness. Eccles. 5:9–10; for riches rob men of ease, Eccles. 5:11–12, procure their death, Eccles. 5:13, fly away, Eccles. 5:14, cannot be carried with them into the grave, Eccles.

Keep thy foot; the feet of thy soul, which are the thoughts and affections, by which men go to God, and walk or converse with him. Make straight steps.

Be not rash with thy mouth; speak not without good understanding and due consideration. Let not thine heart be hasty; do not give way to every sudden motion of thine heart, nor suffer it to break out of thy lips till thou hast well weighed it. To utter any thing before God; either, 1.

When men’s minds are distracted and oppressed with too much business in the day, they dream of it in the night. A fool’s voice is known; it discovers the man to be a foolish, and rash, and inconsiderate man. By multitude of words; either, 1. In prayer. Or, 2. In vowing, i.e.

A vow; which is a solemn promise, whereby a man binds himself to do something which is in his power to do. Defer not to pay it; perform it whilst the sense of thine obligation is fresh and strong upon thee, lest either thou seem to repent of thy promises, or lest delays end in denials and…

That thou shouldest not vow; for this was no sin, because men are free to make such vows, or not to make them, as they think fit. See Num. 30:3;c. Deut. 23:22, Acts 5:4. But having vowed we cannot forbear payment of them without sin.

Suffer not thy mouth, by uttering any rash or foolish vow. Thy flesh, i. e. thyself, the word flesh being oft put for the whole man, as Gen. 6:12, Isa. 40:5, Rom. 3:20;c. And it seems to have some emphasis here, and to intimate either, 1.

There is a great deal of vanity and folly, as in multitude of dreams, which for the most part are vain and insignificant, so also in many words, i.e. in making many vows, whereby a man is exposed to many snares and temptations.

Here is an account of another vanity, and a sovereign antidote against it. Marvel not, as if it were inconsistent with God’s wisdom, and justice, and truth to suffer such disorders, or a just cause for any man to throw off that fear and service of God which I have now commended to thee.

The profit of the earth, the fruits procured from the earth by the skill and labour of the husbandman, is for all; are necessary and beneficial to all men whatsoever.

The greatest treasures of silver do not satisfy the covetous possessor of it; partly because his mind is insatiable, and his desires are increased by and with gains; partly because silver of itself cannot satisfy his natural desires and necessities as the fruits of the field can do, and the…

They are increased that eat them; they require and are more commonly attended with a numerous company of servants, and friends, and retinues to consume them; which is a great torment to a covetous man, of whom he here speaks.

Is sweet; because he is free from those cares and fears, wherewith the minds of rich men are oft distracted, and their sleep disturbed. Whether he eat little, then his weariness disposeth him to sleep, or much, in which case his healthful constitution and laborious course of life prevents those…

Because they frequently are the instruments and occasions both of their present and eternal destruction, as they feed their pride or luxury, or other hurtful lusts, which waste the body, and shorten the life, and damn the soul; and as they are great temptations to tyrants or thieves, yea, sometimes…

But, or for, or or, or moreover; for this particle is so rendered by divers others, both here and in other places of Scripture. Those riches perish: if they be kept, it is to the owner’s hurt; and if not, they are lost to his grief.

Return to go into the womb or belly of the earth, the common mother of all mankind. See Poole “Job 1:21”, See Poole “Eccles. 12:7”. And return to go, is put for return and go; and going is here put for dying, as Job 16:22, Ps. 39:13.

This also, which I have last mentioned and shall now repeat. For the wind; for riches, which are empty and unsatisfying, uncertain and transitory, fleeing away swiftly and strongly, Prov. 23:5, which no man can hold or stay in its course, all which are the properties of the wind. Compare Prov.

All his days, to wit, of his life, also he eateth in darkness; he hath no comfort in his estate, but even when he eats, when other men relax their minds, and use freedom and cheerfulness, he doth it with anxiety and discontent, as grudging even at his own necessary expenses, and tormenting himself…

That which I have seen, i.e. learned by study and experience. Good and comely; good or comfortable to man’s self, and comely or amiable in the eyes of other men, as penuriousness is base and dishonourable. His portion, to wit, of worldly goods; for he hath another and a better portion in heaven.

Hath given him power, Heb. hath given him the dominion; who is the lord and master of his estate, not a slave to it. Of this and the former verse, See Poole “Eccles. 2:24”; See Poole “Eccles. 3:12”, See Poole “Eccles. 3:13”. To take his portion to his own use, to use what God hath given him.

He shall not much remember; so as to disquiet or vex himself therewith. The days; either, 1. The troubles; days being here put for evil or sad days, by a usual synecdoche, as Job 18:20, Ps. 137:7, Obad. 12, Mic. 7:4. Or, 2.