a All things are full of Labour, Man cannot utter it. And fore is the Travel which God hath given to the Sons of Man, to be exercis'd therewith.

b The whole Creation groaneth and travelleth in Pain together until now; and we our selves groan within our selves, waiting for the Redemption of our Body: For we are not yet come to the Rest, and to the Inheritance which the Lord our God giveth us.

The VANITY of HUMANE CONDITION.

• Who knoweth what is good for Man in this Life, all the Days of his vain Life which he spendeth as a Shadow.

d Surely every Man walketh in a vain shew; furely they are disquieted in vain.

• Men of low degree are Vanity, and Men of high degree are a Lye. Verily, every Man, at his best State, is altogether Vanity.

The Thoughts of Men are Vanity. & Our Conversation, received by Tradition from our Fathers, is vain.

bAnd what Profit hath a Man of all his Labour which he taketh, and of the Vexation of his Heart, wherein he hath labour'd under the Sun ?

i He laboureth in vain, he spendeth his Strength for nought.

Rom. 8. 22, 23. Deut. 12. 9.

Eccl. 1. 8, 13.

Eccl. 6. 12.

d Pf. 39.. 6.

* Pf. 62. 9.

Pf. 94. 11.

a Tho we have made us great Works, and built us Houses, and planted Vineyards, and made Gardens and Orchards, and planted Trees in them, of all kind of Fruits: And the we have gotten great Poffeffions of great and small Cattel; and have gather'd also Silver and Gold, and the peculiar Treasure of Kings, and of Provinces; and, have gotten Men-Singers, and Women-fingers, and the Delights of the Sons of Men, as Musical Instruments, and that of all forts: And tho, whatsoever oun Eyes desired, we have not kept from them; and have not with-held our Heart from any Joy: yet, when we look on all the Works, that our Hands have wrought,. and on the Labour that we have laboured to do, behold all is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit, and there is no profit under the Sun..

b And if we prove our Hearts with Mirth, and fay to them enjoy Pleasure; we shall say of Laughter, it is mad, and of Mirth, what doth it?

c If we apply our Hearts to know Wisdom, and to fee the business, that is done upon the Earth; we shall perceive that this also is Vexa tion of Spirit: For, In much Wisdom is much Grief; and he that increaseth Knowledge, ine creaseth Sorrow.

d. Neither, can a Man find out the Work, that is done under the Sun: Because, tho' a Man labour to seek it out, yet, he shall not find it; yea, tho' a Wife Man think to know it, yet, fhall he not be able to find it.

e Moreover, of making many Books there is no end: And much Study is a weariness to the And, how dieth the Wiseman? as the Fool: For, there is no Remembrance of the Wife Man more than of the Fool, for ever. a Riches are not for ever; neither doth the Crown endure to every Generation.

b If a Man beget an hundred Children, and live many Years, and his Labour is in Wisdom, and in Knowledge, and in Equity; who knoweth, whether the Man that shall be after him, unto whom he shall leave all his Labour, which he hath taken, shall be a Wife Man, or a Fool? yet shall he have rule over all the Labour, wherein he hath laboured, and wherein he hath shewed himself Wife under the Sun: This is also Vanity.

• Wisdom excelleth Folly, as far as Light excelleth Darkness; yet is Folly oftentimes fet in great Dignity, and the Rich set in low place.

d Wisdom is better than Strength; nevertheless, the Poor Man's Wisdom is despised, and his Words are not heard.

e Again, I considered all Travel, and every right Work; that, for this, a Man is envied of his Neighbour: This is also Vanity, and Vexation of Spirit.

Labour not to be rich: for Riches certainly make themselves Wings, and fly away: Why then shouldst thou set thine Eyes upon that which is not? For the Sun is no fooner risen, with a burning Heat, but it withereth the Grass, and the Flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the Fashion of it perisheth: So also shall the Rich Man fade away in his Ways.

b When Goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and, what good is there to the Owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their Eyes?

c Sometimes, Riches are kept, for the Owners thereof to their hurt: For, those Riches perish by evil Travel; and he begetteth a Son, and there is nothing in his Hand. All his Days, alfo, he eateth in Darkness, and, he hath much Sorrow and Wrath in his Sickness.

d There is an Evil common among Men; namely, a Man to whom God giveth Riches, Wealth, and Honour; so that he wanteth nothing for his Soul, of all that he defireth; yet, God giveth him not power to eat thereof; but, a Stranger eateth it. This is Vanity, and it is an evil Disease.

e There is one, who hath neither Child, nor Brother: yet is there no end of all his Labour; neither is his Eye fatisfied with Riches; neither faith he for whom do I labour, and bereave my Soul of Good? This is also Vanity; yea, it is a fore Travel.

f There be Just Men, unto whom it happeneth, according to the work of the Wicked: Again, there be wicked Men, to whom it happeneth, according to the work of the Righteous. This also is Vanity.

& Sometimes likewise, it so happens that Servants are seen upon Horses, and Princes walking as Servants upon the Earth.

a For, this is an Evil, among all things that are done under the Sun, that there is one Event unto all; and no Man knoweth either Love or Hatred, by all that is before them.

& The Eye is not satisfied with feeing, nor the Ear filled with hearing. All the Labour of Man is for the Mouth; and yet, the Appetite is not filled. He that loveth Silver, is not fatisfied with Silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with Increase: For, that which is wanting cannot be numbred.

• The Wandring of the Defire: This is also Vanity and Vexation of Spirit.

d Favour is de deceitful, and Beauty is vain. • In the multitude of Dreams, and many words, there are also divers Vanities.

f Seeing then, there be many things that increase Vanity, what is Man the better?

& Man, whose Breath is in his Nostrils, wherein is he to be accounted of? As he came forth of his Mother's Womb, naked shall he return, to go as he came; and shall take nothing of his Labour, which he may carry away, in his Hand; in all points, as he came so shall he go: And what profit hath he, that hath laboured for the Wind?

h He heapeth up Riches, and knoweth not who shall gather thein; his Sons come to Honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, But he perceiveth it not of them.