John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 11:7

Verſ. 7. Truly the light is ſweet] The light of life, of a lightſome life eſpecially. Any life is ſweet; which made the Gibeonites make ſuch an hard ſhift to live, though it were but to bee hewers of wood, and drawers of water. I pray thee let mee live, live upon any terms, ſaid Benhadad in his ſubmiſſive meſſage to that merciful Non-ſuch, 1 King. 20.32. If I have found favour in thy ſight, O King, and if it pleaſe the King, let my life bee given mee at my petition,Sic de Aſpaſia Mileſia Cyri concubina Aelian lib. 12. cap. 1. var. hiſt. ſaid that [non-Latin text not transcribed], that paragon of her time, Q. Eſther. cap. 7.3. Ebedmelech is promiſed his life for a prey, Jer. 39.18. And ſo is Baruc, as a ſufficient reward of that good ſervice hee had done in reading the Roll, for the which hee expected ſome great preferment, Jer. 45.5. compared with chap. 36.1, 2. The Prophet chides him, and tells him hee might bee glad of his life in thoſe dear years of time, when the arrows of death had ſo oft come whisking by him, and hee had ſo oft ſtradled over the grave, as it were, and yet was not fallen into it. To maintain our radical humour, that feeds the lamp of life, is as great a miracle (ſaith One) as the oyl in the widows cruiſe, that failed her not. To deliver us from ſo many deaths and dangers, as wee are daily and hourly ſubject unto, is a mercy that calls for continual praiſes to the Preſerver of mankind: But more, when men do not onely live, but live proſperouſly, as Nabal did, 1 Sam. 25.6. Thus (ſaid David to his meſſengers) ſhall yee ſay to him that liveth, viz. in proſperity. Which ſuch a man as Nabal reckons the onely life. The Iriſh uſe to ask what ſuch a man meant to dye? And ſome good Interpreters are of opinion, that the Preacher in this verſe brings in the carnal carl objecting, or replying for himſelf againſt the former perſwaſions to acts of charity: Ah! ſaith hee, but, for all that, to live at the full, to have a goodly inheritance in a fertile ſoil, in a wholeſome air, near to the River, not far from the Town; to bee free from all troubles and cares that poverty bringeth, to live in a conſtant ſun-ſhine of proſperity, abundance, honour and delight, to have all that heart can wiſh, or need require, what an heavenly life is this? what a lovely and deſirable condition? &c.Pſal. 34.12 What man is hee that deſireth life, and loveth many daies that hee may ſee good? ſaith David. I do, ſaith one, and I, ſaith another, and I, a third, &c. as St. Auſtin frames the anſwer. It is that which all worldlings covet, and hold it no policy to part with what they have to the poor, for uncertainties in another world. In anſwer to whom, and for a cooler to their inordinate love of life, the Preacher ſubjoyns,