in this chapter, manifold fenfual pleafures; and the up fhot of all is ftill, All is vanity.' No true pleasure shall we ever find but in Chrift; "Wisdom's ways are pleaf. antnefs; and all her paths are peace," Prov. iii. 17.

2. All the honours and grandeurs of the world are va nity; "I made me great works, I builded me houses, I planted me vineyards, I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruits; I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bring. eth forth trees. I gathered me all filver and gold, and the peculiar treafure of kings, and of provinces: I gat me men-fingers and women-fingers, and the delights of the fons of men, as mufical inftruments and that of all forts: So I was great, and increased more than all the men that were before me in Jerufalem; my wildom alfo remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes defired, I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced in all my labour, and this was my portion of all my labour," Eccl. ii. 5,-1o. Well, what was the upfhot of all this worldly grandeur? Why, it was all vanity, ver. II. "I looked upon all the works that my hands had wrought; and, behold! all was vanity and vexation of fpirit." Where is true honour to be had? It is only in Chrift; "Riches and honours are with him." They who get in to Chrift, they become kings and priests unto their God; and this is the honour of all the faints.

4. All the wisdom and policy of the world is vanity; yea, even the moral endowments of the mind, and the knowledge of arts and fciences. So long as a man is deftitute of spiritual wisdom, let him have the knowledge of all that is knowable in time; let him have the ut most skill of mathematics, philofophy, aftrology, aftronomy; "All is vanity." Solomon laboured to acquire wisdom, and actually attained a vaft deal of it; and we have his verdict of the whole matter: "I gave my heart to feek and search out by wisdom, concerning all things that are done under heaven; I have feen all the works that are under the fun: and, behold! all is vanity and vexation of fpirit. And I gave my heart to know wisdom; I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit: for in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increafeth knowledge,

I

increaseth forrow," Eccl. i. 13, 14. 17, 18. Where will a man get true wildom? Way, it is in Chrift; he only can make you wife unto falvation, becaufe he is made of God unto us wifdom, 1 Cor. i. 30. "In him are hid all the treasures of wifdom and knowledge," Col. ii. 3. Solomon had no fmall fhare of wifdom, being indeed the wifeft of all men; but he gives this for the motto of all worldly wildom, VANITY. Well then, "Let not the wife man glory in his wifdom," Jer. ix. 23.

5. All the ftrength and power of the world is vanity; "Let not the ftrong man glory in his ftrength." Let not either kings or fubjects glory in their ftrength, in the strength of their armies or allies. What fays Solomon of this?"The race is not to the fwift, nor the battle to the ftrong," Eccl. ix. 11. Where is that to be had that deferves the name of ftrength? It is only in Chrift; "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, Eph. vi. 10. I can do all things through Chrift ftrengthening me. He is the ftrength of Ifrael: and his name is a ftrong tower to which the righteous run and are safe," Prov. xviii. 10.

6. All the beauty and bravery of the world is vanity; Beauty is vain, faith Solomon, Prov. xxxi. 30. " When God with rebukes doth correct man for his iniquity, he maketh his beauty to confume as a moth: furely every man is vanity," Pfal. xxxix. II. Solomon was famous for the beauty and bravery of his court, and the splen. dour of his government; but he faw all to be vanity: and Chrift preferred even the beauty of a pile of grass to his; for he faith of the lillies of the field, that Solomon and all his glory is not like one of thefe, Luke xii. 27. Such, indeed, is the fading beauty of men, so much thought of by many, that it is but fkin-deep, and fades. like a flower. If you would be a true, fpiritual, and durable beauty, it is to be had in Chrift, whofe Spirit and grace makes a man beautiful, and all glorious within, Pfal. xlv. 13. "Thou waft beautiful through my comelinefs put upon thee," Ezek. xvi. 14.

7. All the righteousness and feigned falfe religion of the world is vanity. There is much unrighteous righteoufnefs in the world, much irreligious religion, much gracelefs grace, and faithlefs faith; " Except your righte

VOL. I.

U

oufnefs

oufnefs exceed the righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, (faith Chrifl) ye can in no wife enter into the kingdom of God, Mat. v. 20. Neither circumcifion nor uncircumcifion availeth any thing, but faith that worketh by love, Gal. v. 6. And again, Neither circumcifion nor uncircumcifion availeth any thing, but a new creature, Gal. vi. 15. For, Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God," John iii. 3. The natural religion that the world hath, is but vanity. If the righteoufnefs even of the godly, be but filthy rags, and cannot avail him for juftification; what account fhall be made of the righteoufnefs of thofe who are yet out of Chrift, and are nothing but mere moralifts, formalifts, and hypocrites? If you would have righteousness, you muft have it in and from Chrift; he is the Lord our righteousness, and made of God to us wisdom, righteoufnels, and fanctification. He has to give you both an imputed righteousness, for justifying you; and an imparted righteousness, for fan&tifying you.

8. All the favour and friendship of the world is vanity; "Favour is deceitful," Prov. xxxi. 30. They who put confidence in the favour and friendfhip of men, they will find themfelves deceived: therefore, faith the prophet Micah," Trust ye not in a friend; put ye no confidence in a guide: the best of them is as a brier: the most upright is fharper than a thorn hedge," Mic. vii. 4, 5. Where will you get a true friend? O feek to have Chrift to be your friend: He is a friend that fticketh closer than a brother. His friendship doth not vary like those friends that love you to-day, and hate you to-morrow.

9. All the fashions and customs of the world are vanity; they whirl about like the wind, as Solomon fpeaks, Eccl. i. 6.; and the vain eye is never fatisfied with feeing them, ver. 8. There are many vain fafhions of bodily geftures, vain fafhions of apparel, vain artifices of the world; whereof, and of all other worldly vices, the apostle faith, “Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds," Rom.xii.2. The best fashion and conformity that ever a foul studied, is conformity to the Son of God: this ftudy would be an evidence of election from eternity; "Whom he did

fore

foreknow, them he did predeftinate to be conformed to the image of his Son," Rom. viii. 29. Whereas all other fashions, and fond ftudying of conformity to the world, is but a mark of vanity.

10. All the great and mean men of the world are vanity: this Solomon fhews in this book, when he is proving that all is vanity. And his father David faith exprefly, "Surely men of low degree are vanity; and men of high degree are a lye; to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity," Pfal. Ixii. 9. Here the prince in his robes, and the peafant in his rags, are both declared to be vanity. Surely every man in his best eftate, is altogether vanity," Pal. xxxix. 11. What is uan to be accounted of? A piece of rotten duft. In wif dom they are vain; "The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wife, that they are vain," 1 Cor. iii. 20. In power they are vain; therefore faith the Lord, "Curfed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm," Jer. xvi. 5. In comfort they are vain; "They comfort in vain," Zech. x. 2. Let us never expect in man, what is not to be had in him: it is only in the God-man, Jefus Chrift, that we ought to place our confidence, and expect our comfort: "The true circumcifion rejoice only in Chrift Jefus, and have no confidence in the fleth," Phil. iii. 3.

In a word, all these things together are but vainity; fatisfaction is not to be had therein: "I have feen all the works that are under the fun; and behold! all is vanity," Eccl. iv. 4. The apoftle gives a fum of all the the things in the world, and writes vanity upon them; "All that is in the world, the lufts of the flesh, the lufts of the eye, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world; and the world passeth away, and the lufts thereof," 1 John ii. 16, 17. All these things are vanity.

II. The fecond thing propofed was, To enquire what is imported in its being called vain; nay, vanity itself: "All is vanity." And to enquire into the emphafis of the phrafe, "Vanity of vanities, vanity of vanities."

It, As to the first of thefe, viz. what is imported in its being called VANITY; "All is vanity." It imports, among others thefe eight following things.

U 2

1. Vanity

I. VANITY here imports the unprofitableness of all things; "What profit hath a man thereof?" Eccl i. 3. And to this purpofe, faith Chrift, "What fhall it profit a man, though he had the whole world, if he lofe his own foul?" Matth. xvi. 26. Treasures of wickedness profiteth nothing. The world is an ufelefs thing to the foul; it cannot fave the foul from hell: The redemption of the foul is precious, and ceafeth for ever, for any thing that either the world, or the things of the world can do for its recovery, Pfal. xlix. 8. As to the world, it cannot deliver a man from the fentence that fhall pass at the great day; it will rather aggravate the mifery.

2. All is vanity; the word imports emptinefs: VAIN; that is, void of fubftance, worth, and fufficiency. Thus the words of Rabíhakeh are faid to be vain words, Ifa. xxxi. 5.; that is, empty, having nothing but wind in them: even fo the world is vain, i. e. empty; it promises great things, but performeth nothing like the god of this world, that faid to Chrift, "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me," Matth. iv. 9. The world promises much, and boasts much but yet can give nothing, and do nothing.

3. All is vanity; the word imports hurtfulness, while they make the heart more and more vain; and draw the affections away from God, and heavenly things. They are hurtful; like a man lying down to reft upon a bed of thorns and briars: he fhall never find the rest there that he would be at.

4. All is vanity; the word imports unfatisfactoriness; Eccl. i. 8. "The eye is not fatisfied with feeing, nor the ear with hearing." As there is no true profit, so no true comfort therein, abftra&t from God. It is but a vain comfort that men have in that which is but vanity.

5. All is vanity; the word imports falfhood and lying; Pfal. iv. 2. "O ye fons of men, how long will ye love vanity, and follow after leafing?" And hence the things of the world are called lying vanities: "They that obferve lying vanities, forfake their own mercy," Jonah ii. 8. The world feems to be fomething; but it is a lye it is not what it appears to be.

6. All is vanity; the word imports fruftration and