Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Title page – To the reader
AN EXPOSITION OF SAlomons Booke, called Eccleſiaſtes or the Preacher.
☞ Seetle and allowed.
AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye, dwellyng ouer Alderſgate.
An. 1573.
¶ Cum gratia & Priuilegio Regia Maieſtatis.
❧ An admonition to the Reader.
DAuid that notable king and excellēt Prophet, feeling in the courſe of this life, the comfort and direction of the eternall word of almightie God, profeſſeth openly in that his Octonary Pſalme theſe wordes.Pſal. 119. Nun. Lucerna pedibus meis verbum tuum (O Domine) & lumen ſemitis meis. Thy word (O Lord) is a lanterne to my feete, and a light vntounto my pathes. Dauid well perceiuyng the corruptiō of his nature, the blindnes of his vnderſtandyng, could not but acknowledge in that his long meditation, the neceſſitie that he eſpied in the Scripture of God, for where he ſawe his wyt to weake to compriſe the merueylous workes of God aſwell in his creation, as in his redemption, (which he ſaw in ſpirit before,) could not well atteyne the life that he moſt ioyed in, in this trāſitory world, except his vnderſtandyng ſhould be illightened, and his whole ſtate of life truely gouerned by the lanterne and light of Gods word. He was no phantaſticall reader of his word, he ioyed not rather to be a ſtudent or a talker, then a worker, but effectually framed all his ſenſes to ſauour and knowe the will of God, and to folow the ſame. His ſpirit was altogither ſet to vertue, which entent whoſoeuer doth not folow,Iames. 1. he doth as a man by the teſtimony of S. Iames, which delighteth to behold his naturall countenaunce in the glaſſe, and is not carefull ſo to impreſſe the ſame in his remembraunce, thereby to wype away the ſpottes of his face: for whoſoeuer doth not thus earneſtly tary in the lawe of perfect libertie,Iames. 1. he deceiueth him ſelf, & endeth in vanitie. For it is he onelyonly that is bleſſed in his act that doth perſiſt in his law, applying the vnderſtandyng therof to heale his owne infirmities, and to be able to be a light vntounto others, as we hauehave great cauſe to thāke the goodnes of almighty God, for deuiſing of ſuch a rule of Scripture to be lead by, and as we be bounde to magnifie almighty God by his holy ſpirit to rayſe vp ſuch his welbeloued ſeruaūtes to call vponupon vsus, and to bryng vsus to the knowledge of hym ſelfe, whereby we might be thākefull: ſo is the daūger very great to all ſuch as couer this his light vnderunder a buſhell, that deteyne this precious iewell vnderunder vnrighteouſneſſe of life. The worlde was neuer more full of the certaine knowledge of God, then it is at this day, but almighty God was neuer more diſhonoured then he is at this day, by many that profeſſe by theyr knowledge to be leaders to the blind, inſtructours of the ignoraunt, hauyng the fourme of right vnderſtandyng by the law of God.
Why therfore doeſt thou ſayth S. Paule: Teach other and teacheſt not thy ſelfe, and ſo blaſphemeſt the worde of almighty God before them that know not the power therof, whoſe condemnation (if they repent not) ſhalbe the greater. We hauehave much delight now a dayes to know many thynges, but litle luſt we hauehave to lyue after our knowledge, it is not he that heareth the worde of God that ſhall be partaker of Chriſtes bleſſing, but he that doth the word, not he that hath right vnderſtandyng of his will, but he that is earneſtly giuen to expreſſe his will in his ſecret thought betwixt God and hym ſelfe, in his wordes and deedes of lyfe to the inſtitution and example of others. It ſhal not be aſked at that dreadful day when we ſhall come to make our aunſwere to almighty God, how much we hauehave learned, how oft we hauehave read, how much we do know, but how well we hauehave liued, what workes we hauehave expreſſed to teſtifie with vsus of our inwarde regeneration, of our inwarde fayth, that he might be thereby glorified. And for this intent that we ſhould be inſtructed in our true dueties to god and our neighbour, amōgeſt many workes & bookes to teach vsus the ſame, none is more apt then this booke of Salomon which we hauehave in hand none is more fit then this, which ſetteth out the vanitie of our corrupt affections, no author more liuely, no writer is more apt to teach all maner of perſons, aſwell publike as priuate to rule thēſelue a right in this miſerable vale of our corruptible lyfe, thē is the author of this doctrine cōteined in this booke. For whoſoeuer will endeuour hym ſelfe to apply his wyt and his vnderſtandyng to the counſell of this worke, ſhall ſoone perceyue the corruption of this world, and the vanitie of their owne nature, and in all his trauayles what ſoeuer ſtate of lyfe hee leades ſhall ſee by this lanterne, how to ſtep forth frōm fayth to fayth, frō vertue to vertue, frō charitie to charitie, & in cōcluſion ſhal finde all thynges mere vayne and vanitie, nothing permanent, nothyng durable, nothyng allowable, but the knowledge of almighty God, and the feare of his holy name: to whom be all honour and glorye for euermore.
Amen.