Ecclesiastes 12

God is [in non-Latin alphabet], a super-excellent Spirit, the Father of Spirits (Hebrews 12:9). 2. The soul is a spirit (Ecclesiastes 12:7). The spirit shall return to God that gave it.

Jeroboam's wife disguised herself that the prophet should not know her, but he discerned her (1 Kings 14:6). Why do you feign yourself to be another. The hypocrite thinks to prevaricate and juggle with God, but God will unmask him; (Ecclesiastes 12:14). God shall bring every wor…

3. When the bodies of the saints are in the sepulchre, their souls are in Paradise. The soul does not sleep in the body, but returns to God that gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7). The soul immediately partakes of those joys the blessed angels do: when the body returns to dust, the sou…

How happy was the reign of Numa Pompilius, when the swords were beaten into plowshares, and the bees made their hives of the soldiers' helmets! Secondly, there is the grave, ancient father, who is venerable for old age; whose grey hairs are resembled to the white flowers of the…

4. The time we have to make sure of the heavenly kingdom is very short and uncertain; take heed it does not slip away before you have prepared for the kingdom. Time passes on apace, Cito pede praeterita vita: It will not be long before the silver cord be loosed, and the golden b…

What a grief is it to give the devil his young years, the strength of his body and wit, and to bring his withered old age unto God? Nay, be sure, God will not accept your rotten sacrifice of old age, but rather give you up to the devil, that he may have you altogether which has…

We must therefore spare these sharp and unsavoury censures, which some unadvisedly cast upon such men; for charity thinks not evil, 1 Corinthians 13, where it may think or suppose any possibility of good: But contrariwise, pray for them, and hope of their conversions, because we…

Seek it in this world, and it will fail us; but seek it in the sincere worship of God, and that will minister such comfort in this life, and such glory in heaven, as has a foundation, and will never fail us. Further, this must put us in mind of the holy King's advice; which is,…

Give to charitable uses in time of health and prosperity. Distribute your silver and gold to the poor before the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, Ecclesiastes 12. 6. Qui cito dat bis dat.

Naked soul comes before naked God. Ecclesiastes 12:7 — "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return to God that gave it" — it is put out of house and home, and turned upon its Father again. This as to the soul's condition.

O, let it never be heard for shame, that ever any of them shall find the least sweetness in that accursed thing that was so bitter to him; that ever any of them shall be found to dally with, or to hug that serpent and viper in their bosom, that so cruelly stung him to death. But…

I conceive God has laid a covering over the hearts of Men and Angels, from his own free and wise will, and reserved that secret to himself: for God gave speech to men, and a way how Angels should communicate their thoughts to Angels, and Men, which is Angel-speaking; and this gi…

A word fitly spoken, Hebrew, a word spoken on his wheels, is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Surely Christ's words to a sinner ripe for conversion move on wheels, that is, in such order, as two wheels in one cart, they answer most friendly one to another in their moti…

Well then, anticipate that sad severe judgment, by judging yourselves, and deprecating his righteous judgment: I may say to you, Soul, as Solomon bespeaks Shimei, You know all the wickedness which your heart is privy to: and where are your prayers, and tears, and groanings in se…

Answer. The precepts of the moral law. The sayings of the wise are as nails or stakes fastened to range men in the compass of their own duties (Ecclesiastes 12:11). Again, the peace of God, or the assurance of our reconciliation with God, is a guard, to keep our hearts and sense…

The Apostle proceeds and says, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirits. For the better understanding of which phrase, we are to know, that man consists of two essential parts, of soul, and body (Ecclesiastes 12:7): Dust (that is, the body) returns to the earth, w…

1 Peter 1:17. The Judge at the Day of Judgment, will not (for the Conviction of Men's own Consciences, and to manifest them to the World) go about to examine Men, as to the Method of their Experiences, or set every Man to tell his Story of the Manner of his Conversion; but his W…

Though perfect love cast out tormenting fear (1 John 4:18), yet perfect love calls in obeying fear. Hear the conclusion of all, says the Preacher (Ecclesiastes 12:13), Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man, or this is whole man. Fear is all duty,…

1. A man's way in the series of his carriage and deportment, as ordinarily his life is called a walk: so, (Ecclesiastes 5:1) Take heed to your feet, that is, to your carriage; hence the iniquities of the heels are spoken of (Psalm 49:5) to set out men's defects, that cleave to t…

We shall not stand to prove the authority of it: it carries a divine style in its bosom; nor is there need to inquire who was the penman of it, it being clear that Solomon, who was furnished with wisdom and understanding, as never a king before or since was, is honored to be the…

Fear is a most excellent preservative from sin; and a strong fence that God has set about his law, to keep us from breaking those bounds which he has prescribed us. And therefore the wise man gives us this advice (Ecclesiastes 12:13): Fear God and keep his commandments. And the…

Tribulation, anguish and wrath, to every soul of man that does evil; but glory, honor and peace, to every man that works good (Romans 2:9-10). Then it will appear what seed we sowed, what lives we lived; for God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whet…

There is (says another) such curious workmanship in the eye, that upon the first sight of it some Atheists have been forced to acknowledge a God; especially that fifth Muscle in the eye is wonderful, whereby (as a learned Author observes) Man differs from all other Creatures, wh…

But in the close finds it in this: the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil, that is understanding. Under this fear is comprehended all religion, the inward and outward of it, all his worship and service, and all the observance of his commandments which is t…

They do not run in the channel of carnal generation, or fleshly descent; but they are immediately created by God. And it is said (Ecclesiastes 12:7): "The spirit returns to God which gave it." Well then, you see how in a general sense, and with what good reason God may be called…

What Fear is meant here? 1. Negatively; It is not meant (1) of a natural Fear, which is a tremor or palpitation of Heart, occasioned by the approach of some imminent danger, Ecclesiastes 12:5. Fears shall be in the way.

To the Law, to the Testimony. 3. He who Fears God keeps his commandments, Ecclesiastes 12:13. Fear God, and keep his commandments.

And it concerns every one, as soon as he comes to the use of reason, presently to mind his work both in regard of God and himself. 1. In regard of God, that he may not be kept out of his right too long (Ecclesiastes 12:1): Remember your Creator in the days of your youth. He is o…

For God does not judge of us by the lump, or by a general intention. It is not enough to plead at the day of judgment, you had a good scope, and a good meaning; for every action must be brought to judgment, whether it be good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14). When we reckon with our…

What is this way? God's commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13): Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. That was the result of Solomon's careful search in and about the ways of true happiness; he found that a constant, uniform, universal obedience, was…

3. That he may spend his youth in pleasure, and safely put off repentance till age. But (Ecclesiastes 12:1) we are told to remember our creator in the days of youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw near, when you shall say, I have no pleasure in them. And (Luke…

The mortality of the body, and the immortality of the soul shows that we are all strangers here: for if here we do not live for ever, and yet we have souls that will live for ever, there must be some other place to which we are tending. The body is dust in its composition and re…

Truths lose their efficacy when not remembered. On the other side, remembering God is made to be the immediate and next cause of our duty (Ecclesiastes 12:1): Remember your Creator in the days of your youth. Youth would not miscarry so shamefully, if they did more often remember…

Your favor is better than life, better than all comforts, better in itself, for this is that which we are never weary of. A man may be weary of all outward comforts: days may come wherein there is no pleasure (Ecclesiastes 12). At that time the soul abhors dainty food (Job 33).

But: 1. Who made you? (Ecclesiastes 12:1) Remember your Creator in the days of your youth. It is a great advantage to call to mind whose creatures we are; for this will shame us that we have done no more than we have done for him, from whom we have all that we have, and this in…

3. Consider how unfit we shall be for God's service if we delay a little longer, when our strength is spent, and vigor of youth exhausted; when our ears grow deaf, eyes dim, understanding dull, affections spent, memory lost — is this a time to begin with God, and to look after t…

3. All our actions — they are sentenced in the Word. God has declared his mind concerning them (Ecclesiastes 12:14): God will bring every work into judgment: things will not be huddled up in that day. God will not accept of a general bill of account by lump, but every action he…

So secretly and curiously was the matter framed in passing through all the changes in the womb till it came to a perfect formation. Then for the soul, God infuses that (Ecclesiastes 12:7): "Then shall our dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit to God that gave it." G…

Natural life only gives us a capacity to enjoy the comforts of sense, which are base, dreggy and corruptive; but the special favor of God lets us into such consolations, as perfect the soul, and affects it with a greater pleasure than our natural faculties are capable of; life n…

1. He is a benefactor to all men; he has given them an immortal spirit, that shall abide forevermore. (Ecclesiastes 12:7) The dust shall return to the earth as it was, and the spirit to God that gave it. There is an immortal soul, that dwells in a mortal body.

Oh how did Solomon seek and search this and that, to the tiring and vexing of himself, till the true light guided him into the true way? How did he grope after happiness, but felt none, till he came to fear God, etc. (Ecclesiastes 12:13). 2 Man's darkness is evident by this, Tha…

Sin is the Devil's image; as when God made man, he made him in his own image; so when the Devil made man sin, he thereby made him his own image and likeness: and so I conceive the Devil meant that phrase, "You shall be like Gods, Elohim" (Genesis 3:5). He did not say, nor mean,…

So the father saw the prodigal, while yet afar off, while but thinking to return: indeed, he does search and try the heart to this very end, that he may give to every man according to his way (Jeremiah 17:9-10). God will judge righteous judgment (not according to appearance, as…

We cannot be too soon nor too much religious, but the sooner (and more) the better. If ever you mean to be religious, there is no time more proper than now, the present now, no day like today (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Remember now your Creator (as the word is, namely, God in Christ,…

And you, says Saint Peter of believers (1 Peter 2:9), are a chosen generation, a Royal Priesthood, and (which is more glorious) a holy Nation: Oh therefore abstain from fleshly lusts, therefore show forth the virtues (and by them the praises) of him who has called you out of you…

To darken knowledge therefore, is to cross God's honor, our own callings, the comforts of the people over whom we are set, and to be concealers of God's mind, not interpreters and revealers of his will. [illegible] is only one plea here objected, that carries any appearance of l…

When you have neither time [illegible] strength to relieve yourself, the Lord notwithstanding at the last hour, and when you do least expect it, and have least deserved it, who knows but yet he may call you into his vineyard — listen therefore to his voice, make haste to answer…

1. That God will direct them what to preach, that he will cut out their work for them (Jonah 3:2): Go preach the preaching that I bid you. It is a great matter to preach suitable truths; these are acceptable words (Ecclesiastes 12:10). 2. Pray that God will go forth with their l…

Third, these comforts God gives his mourners are sweet. Ecclesiastes 12:7: Truly the light is sweet; so is the light of God's countenance. How sweet are those comforts which bring the Comforter along with them (John 14:16)?

2. Give to those who may probably be more serviceable; though we bestow cost and dressing upon a weak plant, yet not upon a dead plant; breed up such as may help to build the house of Israel (Ruth 4:11), that may be pillars in church and state, not caterpillars, making your char…