rd

Ecclesiastes 12

1 To think on God in youth and not to differ til age. 7 The soul returneth to God 11 Wisdom is the gift of God and consisteth in fearing him and keeping his commandments.
1.Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, whiles the evil days come not, nor the years approach, wherein thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them:
2.Whiles the sun is not dark, nor the light, nor the moon, nor the stars, nor the aclouds return after the rain:
3.When the bkeepers of the house shal tremble, and the cstrong men shal bow them selves, & the dgrinders shal cease, because they are few, and they wax dark that elook out by the windows:
4.And the fdoors shal be shut without by the base sound of the ggrinding, and he shal rise up at the voice of the hbird: and all the idaughters of singing shalbe abased.
5.Also they shalbe afraid of the khigh thing, and fear shalbe in lthe way, and the almond tree shal mflorish and the ngrasshopper shalbe a burden, and concupiscence shalbe driven away, for man goeth to the house of his age, and the mourners go about in the street.
6.Whiles the osilver cord is not lengthened, nor the golden pewer broken, nor the qpitcher broken at the rwell, nor the swheel broken at the tcistern.
7.And dust return to the earth as it was, and the uspirit return to God that gave it.
8.Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, all is vanity.
9.And the more wise the Preacher was, the more he taught the people knowledge, and caused them to hear, and searched forth, and prepare many parables.
10.The Preacher sought to find out pleasant words, and an upright writing, even then words of truth.
11.The words of the wise are like goads, & like nails xfastened by the masters of the assemblies, which are given by one ypastor.
12.And of other things besides these, my son, take thou heed, for there is none end in making many zbooks, and much reading is a weariness of the flesh.
13.Let us hear the end of all: fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14.For God wil bring every work unto judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil.

Notes

2-a.
Before you come to continual misery for when the clouds remain after the rain, man’s grief is increased.
3-b.
The hands, which keep the body.
3-c.
The legs.
3-d.
The teeth.
3-e.
The eyes.
4-f.
The lips or mouth.
4-g.
When the jaws shall scarce open and not be able to chew nomore.
4-h.
He shall not be able to sleep.
4-i.
That is, the wind pipes, or the ears shall be deaf and not able to hear singing.
5-k.
To climb high because of their weakness, or they stoop down, as though they were afraid lest any thing should hit them.
5-l.
They should tremble as they go, as though they were afraid.
5-m.
Their head shall be as white as the blossoms of an almond tree.
5-n.
They shall be able to bear nothing.
6-o.
Meaning the marrow of the backbone and the sinews.
6-p.
The little skin that covers the brain, which is in colour like gold.
6-q.
That is, the veins.
6-r.
Meaning, the liver.
6-s.
Which is the head.
6-t.
That is, the heart, out of the which the head draws the powers of life.
7-u.
The soul incontinently either goes to joy or torment, and sleeps not as the wicked imagine.
11-x.
Which are well applied by the ministers whom he calls masters.
11-y.
That is, by God.
12-z.
These things can not be comprehended in books, or learned by study, but God must instruct the heart that you may only know that wisdom is the true felicity, and the way thereunto is to fear God.