John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 9:9

Verſ. 9. Live joyfully with the Wife whom thou loveſt] As Iſaac (the moſt loving Husband in Scripture) did with his Rebecca, whom he loved, (Gen. 24.67.) not only as his Country-woman, Kinſ-woman, a good Woman, &c. but as his Woman: not with an ordinary or Chriſtian love only, but with a conjugal love, which indeed is that which will make marriage a merry-age, ſweeten all croſſes, ſeaſon all comforts. She is called the Wife of a mans boſome, becauſe ſhe ſhould be loved as well as the heart in his boſome. God took one of mans ribs, and having built it into a Wife, laid it again in his boſome: ſo that ſhe is fleſh of his fleſh, yea ſhe is himſelf, as the Apoſtle argues, and therehence enforceth this duty of love, Epheſ. 5. Neither doth he ſatisfie himſelf in this argument, but addes there blow to blow, ſo to drive this nayl up to the head, the better to beat this duty into the heads and hearts of Huſbands.

All the dayes of the life of thy vanity] Love and live comfortably together, as well in age as in youth, as well, in the fading as in the freſhneſſe of beauty.

Which he hath given thee] i. e. The Wife (not the Life) which hee hath given thee. For marriages are made in Heaven, as the Heathens alſo held. God as he brought Eve to Adam at firſt, ſo ſtill he is the Paranymph that makes the match, Prov. 18.22 and unites their affections. A prudent Wife is of the Lord, for a comfort, as a froward is for a ſcourge.

All the dayes of thy vanity] i. e. Of thy vain vexatious life; the miſeries whereof to mitigate, God hath given thee a meet-mate to compaſſionate and communicate with thee, and to bee a principal remedy: for Optimum ſolatium ſodalitium, no comfort in miſery can be comparable to good company, that will ſympathize and ſhare with us.

For that is thy portion] And a very good one too, if ſhe prove good. As if otherwiſe,Ariſt in Rhetor. Ariſtotle ſaith right, he that is unhappy in a Wife, hath loſt the one half at leaſt of his happineſſe on earth.

And in thy labour which thou takeſt, &c.] They that will marry ſhall have trouble in the fleſh, 1 Cor. 7.28. let them look for it, and labour to make a vertue of neceſſity. As there is rejoycing in marriage, ſo there is a deal of labour, i. e. of care, coſt, and cumber: Is it not good therefore to have a Partner, ſuch an one, as Sarah was to Abraham, a Peece ſo juſt cut for him, as anſwered him right in every joynt?