Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

(e) All things are full of labour, man cannot utter it. And sore is the travail which God hath given to the sons of men, to beexercised therewith.

(f) The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now; and we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the redemp-tion of our body: for we are not yet come to the rest, and to the inheritance which the Lord our God giveth us.

The VANITY of HUMAN CONDITION.

(g) Who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life, which he spendeth as a shadow?

(b) Surely every man walketh in a vain shew; surely they are disquieted in vain.

(i) Men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie. Verily, every man at his best state is altogether vanity..

(4) The thoughts of men are vanity.

(1) Our conversation received by tradition from, our fathers is vain.

(m) And what profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh, and of the vexation of his heart wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

(n) He laboureth in vain, he spendeth his strength for nought.

(e) Eccles. 1. 8, 13.

(g) Eccles. 6. 12.

39.5.

I. 3.

(f) Rom. 8. 22, 23.

Deut. 12.9.

(b) Psal. 39. 6. (i) Psal. 62. 9. Psal. (4) Psal. 94. 11. (4) Pet. 1. 18. Eccles 2.22 (7) ¶ Isa. 49-4.

(m) Eccles.

Though

(0) Though we have made us great works, and built us houses, and planted vineyards, and made gardens and orchards, and planted trees in them of all kind of fruit: and though we have gotten great possessions of great and small cattle; and have gathered also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of provinces, and have gotton men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. And though whatsoever our eyes desired we have not kept from them, and have not withheld our hearts from any joy; yet when we look on all the works that our hands have wrought, and on the labour that we have laboured to do, behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no profit under the sun.

(p) And if we prove our hearts with mirth, and say to them, enjoy pleasure; we shall say of laughter, it is mad; and of mirth, what doth it?

(9) If we apply our hearts to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth; we shall perceive that this also is vexation of spirit: for in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow.

(r) Neither can a man find out the work that is done under the sun. Because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.

(s) Moreover of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness to the flesh.

[blocks in formation]

(t) And how dieth the wise man? As the fool. For there is no remembrance of the wise man more than of the fool for ever.

(u) If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, and his labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; who knoweth whether the man that shall be after him, unto whom he shall leave all his labour which he hath taken, shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet shall he have rule over all the labour wherein he hath laboured, and wherein he hath shewed himself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

(w) Wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness; yet is folly oftentimes set in great dignity, and the rich set in low place..

() Wisdom is better than strength; nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard..

(y) Again, I considered all travail, and every right work; that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

(x) Labour not to be rich; for riches certainly. make themselves wings, and fly away. Why then shouldst thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For the sun is no sooner risen with a. burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof faileth, and the grace of the

(t) Eccles. 2. 16.

(u) Eccles. 6. 3. Eccles. 2. 21, 19. 18. (z) Eccles. 2. 13. Eccles. 10. 6. (*) Eccles. 9. 16. () Eccles.

4. 4.

(z) Prov, 23. 4, 5

James I. 11.

fashion

fashion of it perisheth; so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

(a) Riches are not for ever; neither doth the crown endure to every generation.

(b) When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

(c) Sometimes riches are kept for the owners thereof to their hurt: For those riches perish by` evil travail; and he begetteth a son, and there is' nothing in his hand. All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath in his sickness.

(d) There is an evil common among men; namely, a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour; so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

(e) There is one who hath neither child nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labour neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity; yea, it is a sore travail.

(f) There be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked. Again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. This is also vanity.

James I. II,

(6) Eccles. 5. II. (e) Eccles.

(a) Prov. 27. 24.
(d) Eccles. 6. 1, 2.

Sometimes

(c) Eccles. 5. 13, 14, 17.
4.8.
(ƒ) Eccles. 8. 14.

(g) Sometimes likewise it so happens that ser.. vants are seen upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

(b) For this is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all; and no man knoweth either love or hatred, by all that is before them.

(1) The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. All the labour of man is for the mouth; and yet the appetite is not filled. He that loveth 'silver, is not satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: For that which is wanting cannot be

numbered.

(4) The wandering of the desire. This is al so vanity and vexation of spirit.

1

Favour is deceitful, a beauty is veme am (m). In the multitude of dreams and many words,. there are also divers vanities.

(n) Seeing then there be many things that in crease vanity, what is man the better?

(o) Man, whose breath isin hisnostrils, wherein is he to be accounted of? As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return, to go as he came; and shall take nothing of his labour which he may carry away in his hand; in all points as he came, so shall he go And what pro

fit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?

(g) Eccles. 10. 7. Eccles 6.-7. Eccles. 5. to Eccles. I. 15.

Prov. 31. 30. (m) Eccles. 5. 7. (") Eccles. 6. 11.

2. 22.

Eccles. 5. 15, 16.

(b) Eccles. 9. 3, I.

(i) Eccles. 1. 8. (4) Eccles. 6. 9, (0) Isa.

He

« AnteriorContinuar »