John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 11:5

Verſ. 5. As thou knoweſt not what is the way of the Spirit] Or, Of the wind, as ſome render it, grounding upon the former verſe, q. d. why ſhould any ſo obſerve the wind, the nature whereof hee ſo little underſtands, John 3.8. and the inconſtancy whereof is grown to, and known by a common proverb? But by ſpirit I rather think is meant the ſoul, as by bones the body. Who can tell when and how the body is formed, the ſoul infuſed? The body is the ſouls ſheath, Dan. 7.15. an abridgement of the viſible world, as the ſoul is of the inviſible. The members of the body were made all by book, Pſal. 139.16. and curiouſly wrought in the loweſt parts of the earth, that is, in the womb: Homo eſt [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Eurip. as curious work-men, when they have ſome choice peece in hand, they perfect it in private, and then bring it forth to light, for men to gaze at. What an admirable peece of work is mans head-peece, (Gods Maſter-peece in this little world) the chief ſeat of the ſoul, that cura divini ingenii, as one calls it? There is nothing great on earth but man, nothing in man but his mind, ſaid the Philoſopher.Fav[illegible: 1 letter]rin. Many locks and keyes argue the price of the Jewel that they keep; and many papers wrapping the token within them, the worth of the token. The Tables of the Teſtament, Firſt, Laid up in the Ark; Secondly, The Ark bound about with pure gold; Thirdly, Overſhadowed with Cherubims wings; Fourthly, Incloſed with the veil of the Tabernacle; Fifthly, With the compaſs of the Tabernacle; Sixthly, With a Court about all; Seventhly, With a treble covering of Goats, Rams, and Badgers-skins above all, muſt needs bee precious Tables. So when the Almighty made mans head (the ſeat of the reaſonable ſoul) and over-laid it with hair, skin and fleſh, like the threefold covering of the Tabernacle, and then incompaſſed it with a skull of bones like boards of Cedar, and afterwards with divers skins like ſilken curtains; and laſtly, Encloſed it with the yellow skin that covers the brain (like the purple veil) which Solomon calls the golden Ewre, Eccleſ. 12.6. hee would (doubtleſs) have us to know it was made for ſome great treaſure to bee put therein. How and when the reaſonable ſoul is put into this curious Cabinet, Philoſophers diſpute many things, but can affirm nothing of a certainty: as neither how the bones do grow in the womb, how of the ſame ſubſtance, the ſeveral parts (as bones, nerves, arteries, veins, griſtles, fleſh and blood) are faſhioned there, and receive daily increaſe. This David looks at as a juſt wonder, Pſal. 139.14, 15. Mirificatus ſum mirabilibus operis tuis, Montanus. ſaith hee, I am fearfully and wonderfully made: and Galen, a prophane Philoſopher, could not but hereupon ſing an hymn to mans moſt wiſe Creator, whom yet hee knew not.

Even ſo thou knoweſt not the work of God] i. e. The reſt of his works of creation and providence, which are very various, and to us no leſs unknown, than uncertain. Do thou that which God commandeth, and let things fall out as they will;Prov. 3.5 Iſa. 58.7 there is an over-ruling hand in all for the good of thoſe that love God. Truſt therefore in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own underſtanding. Hide not thine eyes from thine own fleſh: Hee that doth ſo ſhall have many a curſe. The Apoſtle uſeth a word for liberality, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. 2 Cor. 8.2 which properly ſignifieth ſimplicity: and this hee doth in oppoſition to that crafty and witty wilineſs of the covetous, to defend themſelves from the danger (as they take it) of liberality.