Ecclesiastes 11

This sight of God will be very glorious: As when a king on his coronation day, shows himself in all his royalty and magnificence. 2. We shall corporeally behold the glorified body of Jesus Christ: And if it be a pleasant thing to behold the sun (Ecclesiastes 11:7), then how bles…

Why Nilus should overflow in summer, when by the course of nature the waters are lowest. How the bones grow in the womb (Ecclesiastes 11:5). If these things pose us, how may the infinite mystery of the deity transcend our most raised intellectuals.

Resp. Two ways. 1. By the suffrage of Scripture (Ecclesiastes 11:9, 12:14): For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing (Psalm 96:13). For he comes, for he comes to judge the earth.

This kingdom of heaven is adorned and bespangled with light (1 Timothy 6:16). Light is the glory of the creation (Ecclesiastes 11:7). The light is sweet: Hell is a dark dungeon (Matthew 22:13).

The sword of God's justice hangs over a sinner; and when the slender thread of life is cut asunder, the sword falls upon him. Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth (Ecclesiastes 11:9). But know you for all these things God wi…

As on the contrary, light, because it is so pleasant a thing to behold, is put for comfort. And that so it is taken here is evident by that which is opposed in the next verse: 'Walk you in your light, yet you shall lie down in sorrow' (Ecclesiastes 11:7). But fourthly, of what k…

And this is not for a moment or a few years, but forever. You who spend your days in pleasure here and rejoice in them all — 'Remember the days of darkness, for they are many,' says Solomon (Ecclesiastes 11:8) — many indeed, days of eternal night that shall know no end, which no…

Partly because though God's call be not discerned in the acts of it, yet it may be discerned in the effects of it: conversion is evident, if not in feeling, yet in fruit. Many works of nature are for the convoy of them insensible, but the effects appear (Ecclesiastes 11:5). We k…

Those who openly wear Sin's Livery, may well be esteemed to be Sin's servants; and they shall not fail to receive Sin's wages. Let them at present bear it never so high, and despise all manner of convictions, they will find it bitterness in the latter end (Isaiah 50:11; Ecclesia…

Oh! let the Saints get a price upon the actions of righteousness, though there be much evil mingled, yet there's a great deal of the glory of God in every action. If we were but grounded in this principle it would make us abound in the work of the Lord; so in the morning and in…

This implies these two things, 1. A distinct aggravating of sin, when a man not only looks on himself as a sinner, but looks on his sin by reason of several aggravating circumstances as being above and beyond the sin of others, and abhors and loathes himself as the chief of sinn…

Assertion 1. The particular exact knowledge of the Lord's manner of drawing of sinners, may be unknown to many that are drawn. 1. In the very works of nature, the growing of bones in the womb, is a mystery; far more the way of the Spirit (Ecclesiastes 11:5). Do you know the bala…

3. Will you not read bloody justice pursuing sin on the blue stripes and scarlet wounds, on innocent Jesus' back and sides, his head and hands and feet? Will you, young men (Ecclesiastes 11:9), laugh and sin, and must Christ weep and shout and cry for pain, when he suffers for s…

The First End of them is to give light upon the earth, (v. 15.) that men may see how to dispatch their affairs with ease and cheerfulness. An ineffable blessing certainly! and such as the wisest man takes particular notice of, when he says, Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasa…

For though we imagine that we labor in vain, and spend our strength in vain (as the Prophet speaks) yet our work is with the Lord, and our labor with our God (Isaiah 49:4). And albeit we may seem to ourselves and others to cast away our goods in being beneficial to some, and (as…

The Manner of the Spirit's proceeding in them that are born of the Spirit, is very often exceeding mysterious and unsearchable: We, as it were, hear the Sound of it, the Effect of it is discernable; but no Man can tell whence it came, or whither it went. And 'tis oftentimes as d…

And this was the case of Job, chap. 6:11 he had given up all expectation of better days, and yet this man lived to see a resurrection of all his lost comforts with an advantage. Think how that change and unexpected turn of Providence affected his soul: it is with our hopes and p…

And be not discouraged, that you know not the direct season of deliverance. In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening, withhold not your hand, for you know not which shall prosper, this or that, or whether they shall be both alike good (Ecclesiastes 11:6). But proceed we…

4. The testimony of the Lord Jesus, witnessing what is done in this kind, to be done to himself (Matthew 25:35, 36, 37). 5. The promise annexed to it (Ecclesiastes 11:1; Proverbs 19:17; Deuteronomy 15:10; Matthew 10:4, 2). The way whereby it is to be done, is by appointing some…

If one, or two, or three, or many means we use, fail, we ought to try still, never despair of the end while the work is good and the means are fair; In the morning sow your seed (says the Preacher) and in the evening withhold not your hand: for you know not whether shall prosper…

Youth is oftentimes a time of great vanity and unmindfulness of God; many stains and spots are therein usually brought upon the consciences of men. Childhood and youth are vanity, Ecclesiastes 11:10. Not because they soon pass away, but because they are usually spent in vanity,…

1. They are bushy, or curled, not such as old men have, hairs here and there, but his are bushy, thick and handsome, such as young men in the flower and vigor of their youth use to have. 2. They are black; and that, 3. as a raven: black hair in these times and places was comely…

Now, what a check would such reflections as these are, throughly believed, and fixedly entertained, give to the mad youngster, in the midst of all his frolics, and mar all the mirth of his greedy lusts, turning it into bitterness? God therefore offers such a memento as this is t…

Wind fetches wind here, and fire begets fire, as cold flint creates hot fire: so the Atheists, let them pray that can pray; I am no Minister; but it has this, I am ready to pray, but the blame of my not praying, is to be laid on the Spirit, for the wind blows not; but this is bu…

God seeks of no man above that he has, or according to what he has not: and if you fail in what you have, what can you say for what you have not. The formal cause of the charity, is the pouring or drawing out of the soul to the hungry (Isaiah 58:10), in faith, in lending to God,…

The king's daughter that is espoused to Christ is all glorious within (Psalm 45:13). The working of grace in the soul is often represented as a regeneration, or being begotten again; and perhaps when this good work is called the hidden man of the heart, there may be some allusio…

(1.) To enlighten and direct us. Light is pleasant, says Solomon; it's a good thing to behold the Sun with our eyes (Ecclesiastes 11:7). If light natural be pleasant, what is light spiritual?

3. Consider the cursed issue of these things, of letting loose your eye and heart to vanity. When you please the eye you wound the heart, and make you unfit for your great account (Ecclesiastes 11:9). Rejoice O young man in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of…

Men are wicked because they are inconsiderate; there are arguments enough against sin, if they would but pause and weigh them seriously; but we do not think of heaven, and hell, and therefore they do not work upon us. Remember that for all these things God will bring you to judg…

Avoid the sins proper to this age (2 Timothy 2:22), flee youthful lusts, or the lusts of youth; there are some lusts almost peculiar to youth, as, 1. Ambition, vain glory, pride (1 Peter 5:5), which much appears in their odd, fantastic garbs and flaunting behaviors (as that text…

Even in laughter the heart is sad, it is not only at the end of laughter, but in it, while at it (Proverbs 14:13). While men are taking the pleasures of sin, they hear a "But remember you must die, and go to judgment," which chills and cools their heat (Ecclesiastes 11:9). We li…

This seems to be clear enough; yet because truths are seldom well improved till they be believed and are seldom believed till they are well proved, I shall therefore make this out more fully, that sin is worse than suffering, first by this argument in general: because sin is all…

Alas, what is it to have religion in your Bible, in your head and tongue, and yet have none in your heart and life! Do but think what you will say or do when you come to judgment, as Solomon tells the young man (Ecclesiastes 11:9). Take the course which you can own, and justify…

Remember that you shall then have no vizard, no disguise to cover you, but all men and angels must hear truly what you are. It was the warning in Ecclesiastes 11:9 — know you, that God will bring you to judgment. Even so know you, that you cannot avoid the day when God shall bri…

The time will come when He will reckon with us about all our time. It is said in (Ecclesiastes 11:9), O young man walk in the ways of your heart; but know you that for all these things, God will bring you into judgement. In like sort, let me say, Come, squander away your time, e…

Solemn Advice to Young Men. Ecclesiastes 11:9. Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know you, that for all these things, God will bring you into judgmen…

Thus the secure sinner counted the Lord's patience a kind of connivance, and allowance of him in ungodly ways: I held my tongue and you thought wickedly that I was such a one as yourself, that God could wink at wickedness, look aside at the slips and swervings of the ungodly, an…

There is (a good pleasure, as the original has it) a season for every thing (Ecclesiastes 2:1), and this seems to be the fittest time for this work whether we respect man or God. A man at this age has better materials, as I may so say, wherein, or whereupon the frame of conversi…

Oh! that we [illegible] wise to consider these things, and because our [illegible] is short, and passes away, we would take hold [illegible] the opportunity present. But the young man replies: it is a good thing [reconstructed: for] the eye to behold the sun (Ecclesiastes 11:7).…

As we do not know that we shall prevail with them, when we have done all; but that they may continue in their impenitency; so on the other hand, we do not know but that we may be instrumental of doing them good, that which carnal reason takes discouragement from, that grace enco…

Fourth, consider how quickly the balance of Providence may turn; we ourselves may be brought to poverty, and then it will be no small comfort that we relieved others while we were in a capacity to do it. Ecclesiastes 11:2: Give a portion to seven, and also to eight, for you do n…

How the bones grow in the womb? Ecclesiastes 11.5. What is the reason of all occult qualities?

I saw the dead small and great stand before God; and the books were opened, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works (Revelation 22:12). Whoever you are, God will have you to judgment (Ecclesiastes 11:9). Know you, Go…

Why Nilus should overflow in summer, when by the course of nature waters are lowest; why the lodestone should incline to the pole star; why the Sea should be higher than the earth, yet not drown it. How the bones grow in the womb, Ecclesiastes 11. 5. Many of these things are rid…

Solomon saith truly the light is sweet. Ecclesiastes 11:7. But we can say, truly the Word is sweet, We have tasted Christ in a Promise, the Word hath caused an exuberancy of joy, Psalm 19:8.

It is kept all the year long. It bears the name of Vanity Fair, because the town where it is kept is lighter than vanity (Psalm 62:9); and also because all that is there sold, or that comes there, is vanity; as is the saying of the wise, “All that comes is vanity” (Ecclesiastes…

Thirdly, that hereby the uncertainty and instability of riches is corrected and fixed — the unstable turned into the stable. Fourthly, whereas worldly riches are only for the present time, they will not descend after a man when he dies; being put into good works, they are return…

2. The Law of God is a light that shines in a dark place, 2 Peter 1.19. It is our pole-star to guide us to heaven; it was David's candle and lantern to walk with, Psalm 119.105 now, light is sweet, Ecclesiastes 11.7. It is sad to want this light; those heathen who have not the k…

Oh be persuaded therefore to remember your sins past, and to consider of your ways now. All the profaneness of your heart, and life, all the vanity of your youth (Ecclesiastes 11:9), all your secret sins, all your sins against light and love, checks and vows; all that time where…

Godliness: Young man, believe me, those pleasures and delights which your heart is so much set upon, are brutish and very hateful to God, and do also debase your noble soul, which is of a sublime extraction. In fact, furthermore hear what wise Solomon says, Rejoice, O young man,…