Ecclesiastes 7:14

In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. IN THE DAY OF PROSPERITY (literally, good) BE JOYFUL - literally, be in good. IN THE DAY OF ADVERSITY CONSIDER. Resumed from . "Consider," i:e., regard it as "the work of God;" GOD ALSO HATH SET THE ONE OVER AGAINST THE OTHER - `God has made (Hebrew for 'set) this (adversity) also as well as the other' (prosperity). "Adversity" is one of the things which "God has made crooked," and which man cannot "make straight." He ought therefore to be "patient" (). 'A bird caught in a snare, the more it struggles to get free, the more tightly it i...

11-22 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, yea better. It shelters from the storms and scorching heat of trouble. Wealth will not lengthen out the natural life; but true wisdom will give spiritual life, and strengthen men for services under their sufferings. Let us look upon the disposal of our condition as the work of God, and at last all will appear to have been for the best. In acts of righteousness, be not carried into heats or passions, no, not by a zeal for God. Be not conceited of thine own abilities; nor find fault with every thing, nor busy thyself in other men's matters. Many who will not be wrought upon by the fear of God, and the dread of hell, will avoid sins which ruin their health and estate, and expose to public justice. But those that truly fear God, have but one end to serve, therefore act steadily. If we say we have not sinned, we deceive ourselves. Every true believe...

Verse 14. _IN THE DAY OF PROSPERITY BE JOYFUL_] When ye receive these temporal gifts from God, enjoy them, and be thankful to the Giver: but remember, this sunshine will not _always_ last. God has balanced _prosperity_ and _adversity_ against each other; and were it not so, how many would put the former in the place of God himself!...

Good and prosperous days are in God’s design special times of comfort and rejoicing: the days of affliction and trouble, are in God’s design the proper seasons of recollection and serious consideration. The Providence of God hath so contrived it, that our good and evil days should be intermingled each with the other. This mixture of good and evil days is by the Divine Providence so proportioned, that it sufficiently justifies the dealings of God toward the sons of men, and obviates all their discontent and complaints against Him. SET THE ONE OVER AGAINST THE OTHER - Rather, made this as well as that, i. e., the day of adversity, as well as the day of prosperity. The seeming imitation of this passage in Ecclesiasticus (Ecclesiasticus 36:13-15) affords a strong presumption that this book was written before the days of the son of Sirach. TO THE END ... - God hath consti

EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 7:1 Ecclesiastes 12:8.—Division II. DEDUCTIONS FROM THE ABOVE-MENTIONED EXPERIENCES IN THE WAY OF WARNINGS AND RULES OF LIFE. ECCLESIASTES 7:1 Section 1. Though no man knows for certain what is best, yet there are _some practical rules for the conduct of life which wisdom gives_._ _Some of these Koheleth sets forward in the prov

IN THE DAY OF PROSPERITY BE JOYFUL,.... Or, "in a good day" q. When things go well in the commonwealth, in a man's family, and with himself, health, peace, and plenty, are enjoyed, a man's circumstances are thriving and flourishing; it becomes him to be thankful to God, freely and cheerfully to enjoy what is bestowed on him, and do good with it: or, "be in good" r; in good heart, in good spirits, cheerful and lively; or, "enjoy good", as the Vulgate Latin version; for what God gives to men is given them richly to enjoy, to make use of themselves, and be beneficial unto others; so the Targum, "in the day the Lord does well to thee be thou also in goodness, and do good to all the world;'' see Galatians 6:10; Jarchi's paraphrase is, "when it is in thine hand to do good, be among those that do good;'' but in the day of adversity consider

PART II. CHAPTER S 7-12 1. The Good Advice of the Natural Man, Discouragement and Failure CHAPTER 7 _ 1. The better things (Ecclesiastes 7:1)_ 2. The anomalies (Ecclesiastes 7:15) 3. The strength of wisdom, yet none perfect (Ecclesiastes 7:19) 4. The worst thing he found (Ecclesiastes 7:23) Ecclesiastes 7:1. All had been tested by the royal searcher; all was found out to be vanity and vexation of spirit. Darkness, discouragement, uncertainty and despai

PROVERBS AND REFLECTIONS. After asking, What is good for man in life? (Ecclesiastes 6:12), Qoheleth gives us advice as to what a man may do by way of mitigating his worries. First of all it is advisable for him to cultivate seriousness rather than levity (Ecclesiastes 7:1). The curious remark that a (good) name is better than precious ointment (_cf._ Ca. Ecclesiastes 1:3 *) is in the Heb. a play on the words _shem_ and _shemen;_ ointment is highly esteemed in the East. Ecclesiastes 7:1_ b_ reminds us of the Thracian tribe mentioned by Herodotus ...

FIND. discover....

_In the day of prosperity be joyful_ Literally, IN THE DAY OF GOOD, BE IN GOOD, _i.e._use it as it should be used. True wisdom, the teacher urges, is found in a man's enjoying whatever good actually comes to him. The warning is against the temper which "taking thought for the morrow," is "over exquisite To cast the fashion of uncertain evils." And on the other hand he adds IN THE DAY OF EVIL, LOOK WELL, _i.e._consider why it comes, and what may be gained from it. _God also hath set the one over against the other_ The words assert what we should call the doctrine of averages in the distribution of outward good and evil. GOD HAS MADE ONE LIKE (or parallel with) THE OTHER, balances this against that and this IN ORDER THAT MAN MAY FIND NOTHING AT ALL AFTER HIM. The last words may mean either (1) that man may have nothing more to learn or discover in his own hereafter; or (2) that man may...