heart so that he sinned and fell grieuously He was reproued of God for it as we read 1. Kings 11. He made this booke to remayne as a publike record of his returne and therfore he is Koheleth a person or a soule reconciled to God and to his Church In this sence we may call him Ecclesiastes I know it will be replied by some that the word of God doth not any where testifie that Solomon euer repented after his great fall but leaueth it in doubt and to proue his repentance by this one title by which hee doeth name himselfe is but a weake reason For let the signification of the name be certaine yet is it vncertaine whether he wrote this booke after his fall To this I answere that he did write it after the long triall and experience which he had made in all things vnder the sunne and no doubt after his fall For touching his repentance although it be not said any where in these expresse words Solomon repented yet may it bée proued by necessarie consequence out of the scriptures that he did vnfaynedly repent I reason thus He was one of Gods elect therefore he returned to his God by true repentance séeing it is vnpossible that the elect should perish Math. 24. To proue that he was Gods elect I first alledge that which was said to Dauid at his birth 2. Sam. 12. which Nehemiah doeth speake of him Chap. 13. Nathan the Prophet was sent to Dauid from the Lord willing him to call his name Iedediah tendring this cause that God loued him Nehemiah speaking of the fall of Solomon saith yet he was beloued of his God grounding vpon those wordes of Nathan What a spéech were this to say hée was beloued of his God if he were not gods elect Doeth the Scripture euer speake so of any reprobate God saith by the prophet Malachie Chap. 1. Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated Saint Paul hereupon doeth argue Rom. 9. and proue that God hath chosen Iacob And why may we not reason thus vpon these words the Lorde loueth him hée was beloued of his God therfore he was Gods elect Then the Scripture leaueth not his repentance in doubt I will not stand vpon this that hée was a figure of Christ Psal 45. That hee was an excellent Prophet opening high misteries of Christ and his Church but I will come to that which is written of him 1. Chro. 17. where God saith to Dauid I will be his father and he shall be my sonne and I will not take away my mercie from him as I did from him that was before thée Some wil say this is spokeÌ„ of Christ for the title is too high for any Angell Heb. 1. I answere that God said of Dauid thou art my sonne but yet as he was the Figure of Christ Psal 2. and so herâ— of Solomon For this caÌ„not be denied that the Lord speaketh it of that sonne of Dauid which should build the materiall Temple which Dauid had in purpose for to build and God said of this man I will be his father and he shall be my sonne and I will not take my mercie from him If God did not take his mercie from him then he repented When heir Solomon was dead his way is ioyned with the way of Dauid his father For RehoboaÌ„ his sonne did wel thrée yeres and those thrée yeres he is saide to haue walked in the way of Dauid and Solomon 2. Chron. 11. Solomons beginning was good and so was his ende or els hee shoulde not be coupled with Dauid And thus we sée he was Gods elect and therefore repented and became Koheleth So that we hold for certaintie that this name which he geueth himself and this booke are for publike note and record of his repentance and reconciliation to God and his Church Thus much of the Anthor of this booke and for what cause he calleth himselfe by this vnusuall name Now we must obserue to what end he made it or what was his chiefe purpose and intent in writing which in few wordes I may say was this euen to instruct men how to come vnto the true blessednesse A worthy worke and most profitable vnto al that thirst and long for saluation The whole worke consisteth of two partes For he draweth men first froÌ„ the wrong way Those that set their hearts vpon the riches the honors the pleasures and the wisdome vnder the sunne to séeke any felicitie or good in them are in a wrong way From this he persuadeth then he setteth forth the right way vnto blessednesse which is in the true worship and feare of God Hereunto he mooueth very carefully We must note that he beginneth with the vanitie and miserie of all thinges vnder the Sunne because no man can worship God a right or feare him in truth vntil he haue learned to renounce the world Marke well what our Lord saith No man can serue two Masters ye can not serue God and Mammon Math. 6. No man can loue God which loueth the world For thus it is plainely said Loue not the worldâ— neither the things of the worlde if any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him For whatsoeuer is in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eies and the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world 1. Ioh. 2. The loue of the world is enmitie against God so that he which will be a fréend of the world maketh himselfe the enemie of God Iam. 4. In the same place also wee learne that such as loue the worlde committe who redome against God for he calleth them adulterers and adulteresses It is because mans heart and soule ought to be maried to God and to be kept chast and pure vnto him for the lone now when it doth giue away y e loue vnto the world and doth imbrace it as a sweete Ladie in which it doth delight it committeth spirituall whoredome For the same cause the holy Ghost calleth the couetous man an Idolater Ephes 5. His harte should be set vpon God and it is set vpon the world he should trust in the liuing God and he doth trust in riches What is this but to set vp an Idoll The cares also of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches are thornes which choake the good séede of life Math. 13. Plow vp your fallow and so we not among the thornes saith God vnto his people Ierem. 4. By all these places we may sée how necessarie it is that before Solomon do come to teach men where they shall séeke true blessednes he emptieth their harts of the loue and care of earthly things and this is that I said â—he draweth men first from the wrong way How well he doth performe this we shall vnderstande if the Lord do giue vs eares to heare Vanitie of vanities saith Ecclesiastes vanitie of vanities
which standeth vp in his steade This is to be vnderstoode of the succession of kings and great men of the earth He spake of an olde king that is a foole he doeth in contemplation behold him thrown down from his throne and forsaken of all his subiectes He doth also behold them euen all the liuing that walke vpon the earth walking or ioyning theÌ„selues with y e newe king whom he calleth the second childe that standeth vp in steade of that olde foole cast downe He nameth him a childe because he had made the comparison betwéene an olde king that is a foole and a poore child that is wise The foole falleth from his honor the childe commeth out of prison for to raign He calleth him the second because he spake but of two What then shall the state of this second childe this wise king be ought saue vanitie Doubtles no. The sicknes of the people is such that he shall not be delighted in but for a time Those that come after will not reioyce in him He saith there is no ende of all the people that is no stop or stay they neuer come to rest in any that haue béene before theÌ„ which may be said those that haue béene rulers ouer them The people delight stil in new kings the sunne rising is honoured aboue the sunne setting and so the wise childe comming to raigne findeth nothing but vanitie and sore vexation of spirite The end of the seuenth Sermon The eight Sermon Ecclesiastes Chap. 4. TAke heede to thy feete when thou goest vnto the house of God and be readie to heare rather then to offer the sacrifice of fooles for they perceiue not that they doe euill Chapter 5. BE not rash with thy mouth neither let thy heart make hast to vtter a thing before God for God is in heauen and thou art vpon earth therefore let thy wordes be fewe 2 For as a dreame commeth foorth by the multitude of businesse so the voice of a foole by the multitude of wordes 3 When thou vowest a vow to God be not slack to pay it for he is not delighted with fooles perform that thou hast vowed 4 It is better not to vowe then that thou shouldest vowe and not performe it 5 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sinne and say not before the angell that it is an error why should God be angrie at thy voice and destroy the worke of thy handes 6 For as in the multitude of dreames there be vanities so in the multitude of wordes but feare thou God Ecclesiastes Chap. 4. 5. TAke heede to thy feet c. I did shew you beloued in Christ that the purpose of king Solomon in this book is to teach meÌ„ how to come to true blessednes I did also note that it consisteth of two partes For first he laboureth to draw men out of the wrong way that is from setting their heartes vpon any thing vnder the sunne to séeke good therein And this hath he dealt in from the beginning of the book vnto this place as we haue séene Now by way of digression cutting of that he toucheth the other that is y e right course vnto blessednesse which is in the true worship and feare of God Our miseries be many and great we féele it so here is a holesome medicine to ease and cure vs if wee take héede and applie it well There is none of vs so dull but knoweth that fâ—licitie is in god he is the fountaine of happines We haue this also engrauen in our mindes that such only are blessed as be in Gods fauor and therfore he must be worshipped and his displeasure must be appeased These pointes Solomon doeth not touch at all for he néeded not but how to séeke God aright and to worship him as he may accept and be pleased that is the thing For when it coÌ„meth to this men faile and are foolish they séeke him they worship him faine they would haue his anger appeased towards them and be in his fauour but they doe it so fondly that they be neuer the better but the worse Let vs therfore be taught here by Solomon how to auoyde so intollerable a mischiefe which we be all ready is run into Take heede to thy feet saith he wheÌ„ thou goest to the house of God When thou goest to séeke God oâ— to worshippe him For God did appoint a special place for his worship the Temple in Ierusalem There he did so reaâ—ale him selfe that hee was saide to dwell in it among his people it was called his house Here they were to offer gifts sacrifices vnto him This Temple and all the worship in ceremonies which was 〈…〉 vnto it are taken away For they were ordeyned but while Christ should come and finish our redemption and therefore he said to the woman at the well Iohn 4. Woman beléeue me the hower commeth and now is that neither at Ierusalem neither in this mountaine ye shall worship the father And againe he saith that the true worshippers shall worship in spirite and truth God reuealeth himselfe in all nations of the world and men are to worship him euery where But yet neuerthelesse these words do stand still vnto vs. We haue Gods house where he is chiefly to be sought and worshipped euen the publike assembly For God hath ordeyned shepeheards and teachers to call the flocke together to â—éed them Ephes 4. There is speciall promise made of a blessing in the publike assemblies Where two or thrée are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Matth. 19. The holy prophete of God did stagger when he beheld the prosperitie of the wicked and the affliction of the iust Psalm 73. He could not tell how to be satisfied vntil he went as he saith into the sanctuaries of God there God resolued him of his great doubt We must therefore goe to Gods house to séeke such blessings and to worship and praise God together No man can be a right worshipper of God in priuate that doeth not frequent the publike assemblies where God speaketh to his people We must all of vs if we be wise goe to Gods house but that is not enough marke what he giueth in precept take heed to thy feete This must néeds be a borowed spéech for wée may not be so simple as to vnderstand it of the bodily féet He doeth not set downe a charge to will men to looke how they step in the way when they goe to the Church It is to be vnderstood of the hart and mind approaching to séeke and worship God It is therfore as much as to say when thou wilt séeke God worship him take héed how thy heart and minde do come for thou mayest goe awry There is a right way and there is a wrong way if thou goe in the right way thou art blessed if thou goe in the wrong way thou doest marre all thou shalt kindle Gods wrath against thée Then
TO THE RIGHT Honourable and vertuous Lady the Lady Anne Countesse of Warwike OVr Lord master Right Honourable foretelling the state of the worlde in the latter dayes â—ith it shall bee as it was in the â—ime of Noe. They eat they draÌ„ke â—â—ey maried wiues gaue in maâ—iage vnto the day that Noe weÌ„t into the Arke and the flood came and destroyed them Likewise also as it was in the daies of Lot they eat they drancke they bought they sold they planted they builte But in the day that Lot went out of Sodome it rained fire and brimstone from Heauen and destroyed them all This prophecie must needs be fulfilled and in the one part it is already in our eies For mens harts were neuer more generally and of all sortes set vpon riches and pleasures then now towarde the comming of Christ to make the dissolution I holde it therefore the dutie of all Gods faithfull messengers most instantly to warne their Christian people to beware least they also bee carried awaye with the streame of this common infection Hereby was I moued to make speciall choyse of the Booke called Ecclesiastes for to expound the same vnto that people which I teach being wholly framed for the purpose to drawe men from the vanities of this world It was set forth by that noble king Solomon who was the wisest the richest and highest in royaltie honour vnder the Heauens He made the greatest triall and had the deepest experience in all the chiefe and moste precious things of this world He was ledde also by a higher spirite then his owne being a worthy Prophete of God After I had finished this booke and my Sermons noted by one that did write I was requested to pervse to perfect them in some better sort for the Printe Which as leasure serued I haue performed in one part If that weake measure of giftes which the Lord hath bestowed vpon me bring any good by this trauaile vnto the Churche I shall be glad and ready to bestow some paines if it please God about the rest I am bold to offer this vnto your Ladyship as a token of a dutifull and thankefull minde for so honorable fauours as I haue receyued froÌ„ the right Honourable my Lord the Earle of Warwike and from your Honour I am also encouraged herevnto with this that your Ladyship hath long time continued an earnest louer and zealous professor of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ My earnest prayer is that God will continue and increase the same with all heauenly giftes and vertues of his holy spirite to the glory of his most holy name the good of his Church and your owne eternall ioye Amen Your H. most dutifull to commaund George Gyffard The first Sermon Ecclesiastes Chap. 1. THe wordes of Ecclesiastes the sonne of Dauid king in Ierusalem 2 Vanitie of vanities saith Ecclesiastes vanitie of vanities all is â—…itie 3 What profit remayneth to a man all his labour in which he laboureth â—…der the sunne 4 One generation passeth away and other commeth but the earth abiâ—…th for euer 5 The Sunne ariseth the Sunne goâ—… downe and hasteth againe to the â—ace where it did rise 6 The wind goeth toward the South compasseth about toward the North. Compassing compassing goeth the winde and the winde returneth by his circuites 7 All flouds runne into the sea yet the sea is not filled whether the flouds runne from thence they speedelie returne to goe 8 All things are weary man is not able to vtter it the eye is not satisfied with seeing neither is the care filled with hearing 9 That which hath been is the same that shalbe and that which hath beene done is the same that shall be done neither is there any thing new vnder the sunne 10 Is there any thing of which it is said behold this this is new it hath been in the ages that were before vs. 11 There is no remembrance of former things also of later thinges which shall be there shall be no remembrance with those that come after Ecclesiastes Chap. 1. THe wordes of Ecclesiastes c. This Inscription of the booke sheweth whose doing it was when it is said they be the words of Ecclesiastes the sonne of Dauid king in Ierusalem this was king Solomon They be his wordes and his writing Hée set it foorth for an instruction of Gods people in all ages If any will obiect that here is no proper name mentioned and all the kinges of Iuda were the sons of Dauid why might not this Ecclesiastes bée Ezechia Iehosaphat or some other of the godly kinges before or after them I answere that the sonne of Dauid which wrote this booke was he that did excell in wisedome all that were before him in Ierusalem as it is expressed in the 16. versâ— of this Chapter and therefore could bâ— no other but Solomon For of him God saith 2. Chro. 1. Because thou hast asked wisdome wisdome is granted vnto thée and riches and honour so that there hath not béene the like among the kinges thaâ— haue béene before thée neither after thée shall there be the like It may be demaunded why he doeth not as in the Prouerbes in the Song of Songes which hée made of Christ and his Church call himselfe by his vsualâ— name Solomon by which hee was beâ— knowen but doeth take a strange name not vsed elswhere in all the Scriptures For through this booke hée calleth himselfe in Hebrewe Koheleth In déed this is somewhat to be stood vpon and I will briefly shewe you the reason of it which is to be gathered from the signification oâ— the word The Gréekes did translate this word Koheleth Ecclesiastes and that is in ouâ— English tongue a Preacher and therefore we say in our translation the words â—f the Preacher and so it should be the â—ame of an office or function if we take â—t in that sence But we neuer finde any Prophet Priest or Teacher in all the whole Bible called Koheleth doubtâ—esse if he had meant to call himselfe a â—reacher he would haue said The words â—f Kohel rather than Koheleth which is â—n the Feminine gender Kahal is an assemblie congregation of people or the Church Koheleth might â—ery well carie this signification to be one that doeth gather the same together or that doeth speake in the assemblie but that he vseth as I said the Feminine gender and therefore it carieth the most â—itte sence that he calleth himselfe an Ecclesiasticall person not as we call them Ecclesiasticall which beare office in the Church-matters but a person that is of the Church or a soule vnited to y e church or speaking in the church Whereby we may perceiue that this name is a nots for euer of his repentance how that hée forsooke the euil into which he had fallen and turned againe to the Lord his God For the holie Scripture doth testifie that Solomon did marrie outlandish women which were Idolaters they drew away his