\\INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 7\\

The wise man having exposed the many vanities to which men are subject
in this life, and showed that there is no real happiness in all outward
enjoyments under the sun; proceeds to observe what are remedies against
them, of which he had interspersed some few hints before, as the fear
and worship of God, and the free and, moderate use of the creatures;
and here suggests more, and such as will protect from them, or support
under them, or teach and instruct how to behave while attended with
them, and to direct to what are proper and necessary in the pursuit of
true and real happiness; such as care of a good name and reputation,
\\#Ec 7:1\\; frequent meditation on mortality, \\#Ec 7:2-4\\; listening to
the rebukes of the wise, which are preferable to the songs and mirth of
fools, \\#Ec 7:5,6\\; avoiding oppression and bribery, which are very
pernicious, \\#Ec 7:7\\; patience under provocations, and present bad
times, as thought to be, \\#Ec 7:8-10\\; a pursuit of that wisdom and
knowledge which has life annexed to it, \\#Ec 7:11,12\\; submission to the
will of God, and contentment in every state, \\#Ec 7:13,14\\; shunning
extremes in righteousness and sin, the best antidote against which is
the fear of God, \\#Ec 7:15-18\\; such wisdom as not to be offended with
everything that is done, or word that is spoken, considering the
imperfection of the best of men, the weakness of others, and our own,
\\#Ec 7:19-22\\; and then the wise man acknowledges the imperfection of his
own wisdom and knowledge, notwithstanding the pains he had taken,
\\#Ec 7:23-25\\; and laments his sin and folly in being drawn aside by
women, \\#Ec 7:26-28\\; and opens the cause of the depravity of human
nature, removes it from God, who made man upright, and ascribes it to
man, the inventor of evil things, \\#Ec 7:29\\.