destitut of Saving Wisdom considering their ignorance of the time thereof their unwillingness to and unpreparedness for it and having nothing to uphold their Hearts against it which ought strongly to disswade them from inconsiderat throwing themselves upon the Sword of the Magistrat and for that end move them to perform their duty towards them since no Man hath power to retain his Soul in his Body whe◠God by the sentence of the Magistrate or any other way calleth for it or to 〈◊〉 any thing at that time either to resist or shift Death And that continued i◠wickedness shall not make their escape from it ver 8. And in closing this pa◠of the Chapter he confirms his former Doctrine anent the Happiness of them th◠were indued with Spiritual Wisdom and the Misery of them that were destitute of it from his own experience of the truth of both obtained partly by his own observation of and diligent search into the Works of God's Providence that were within the reach of his elevated Understanding And partly by the Illumination and Inspiration of the Lord's Spirit for communicating thereof unto the Church ver 9. In the Second part of this Chapter the Wise Man by so many Arguments proveth the Vanity of worldly Greatness especially where it is accompanied with the want of Heavenly Wisdom and a constant course of Sin tending to prevent the stumbling of the Saints and to encourage them under their Sufferings from such Men. The First is taken from his own observation of the Misery of some that have been highly advanced in the World while by the abuse of their power they not only prejudge others but often brings Temporal and always if not by Repentance prevented Eternal Wrath upon themselves ver 9. II. He evidenceth this That notwithstanding the high advancement of such Men in their frequenting the places of and concernment in publick Judicatories and Religious Worship yet they should be buried and put under the Earth wherein they placed their Happiness and their Memories which they designed to perpetual after Death shall be forgotten among Men. ver 10. Which he amplifies by giving the Reason why such Men are so bent upon their sinful Courses and oppressing ways namely because the declared Threatnings in Scripture are not presently after their committing Sin put to execution against them ver 11. III. That he may farther shew the Vanity of worldly Greatness without Saving Knowledge and that sinful Courses are not sure ways to preserve from Evil and to guard the Hearts of Saints from stumbling at such Mens Greatness and encourage them under their Oppressions by them he publisheth to the terrour of all such wicked Men especially oppressing Rulers That notwithstanding their fancying that by their long Life affluence of outward Comforts and their multiplied Transgressions they should escape the Judgement of God ver 12. Yet tho he certainly concludeth the Welfare of them that sincerely Fear God and His Goodness for which wicked Men did persecute and oppress them ver 12. he in a powerful and pathetick way denounceth Wrath against them both in general That it shall not be well with them where more is meaned than expressed and in particular That tho' he may have a long Life compared with others yet shall he not prolong his days either to that length he desired or to an Eternity of Happiness ver 13. Which he amplifies First By a description of the Life of such wicked Men that it is but a shadow not so much for the brevity of it as that it is driven on without that substantial and solid Life of Grace and Comfort and as last shall totally as a shadow evanish And Secondly By setting down the cause of all the Wrath that comes upon those wicked Men which also is the Mother of their other Sins to be the want of a Filial Fear of God ver 13. As also he amplifieth the former consolation given to the Godly First By setting down the ground of their discouragement to be That ordinarily tho' the Reason of it be not generally obvious to Men it falleth out in providence not without the Fore-knowledge wise Ordering and Permission of God that the Godly are dealt with in the World as to their outward lot no better than the worst of Men and the wicked as if they were the best of Men in the World which he censureth as a Vanity not as reflecting on the Wise and Holy Providence of God but as it is the fruit of Mens corruption especially wicked Rulers who are instrumental in it and as it proves the Vanity of any earthly condition for affording Men true Happiness ver 14. And Secondly He affordeth a Remedy against discouragement from and stumbling at these Dispensations namely the exercise of Spiritual not Carnal Mirth or Rejoicing ver 15. Which he commendeth partly from the advantage of it that it is the best of it in this Life even under sad Dispensations to be cheerful in the lawful and sober use of the outward Comforts be they great or small which God allows upon them ver 15. And partly from the security of it to them as being God's constant allowance upon them the sometimes through their own default they may be without it which if they will in the way of Duty seek after and improve they shall not be deprived of as much at least of it as may occasion their Joy in Him during the whole time of their Pilgrimage under the Sun ver 15. IV. And Lastly That he may humble the greatest Searchers into Wisdom and various Providences He giveth a modest account 1. Of his serious and extraordinary care and diligence experimentally and affectionatly to know the Affairs both Humane Business and Divine Dispensations upon Earth ver 16 17. Then 2. Of his success in that Study that even the Godly much less the Natural Man with all his Gifts notwithstanding all their pains and advantages of the Word and Spirit Opportunities Abilities Resolutions and strong Endeavours to reach it cannot attain to the full and satisfying Knowledge of the Reasons of God's various Dispensations on the Earth but must sit down and Admire and Adore the depth of His Wisdom in and be humbled under the sense of his ignorance of them ver 17. CHAP. VIII Ver. 1. Who is as the Wise Man and who knows the intepretation of a thing a Mans Wisdom maketh his Face to shine and the boldness of his Face shall be changed SOlomon being in the first part of this Chapter to give several Directions for the manifesting of Heavenly Wisdom in a Christians Conversation in order to the true Peace and Tranquility of his Mind He doth in this Verse First commend the person indued with that Knowledge Who is as the Wise Man The Question may be explained by a Negation There is none to be compared with the Man that hath that excellent Knowledge which Paul commends Phil. 3.8 there is not his Match or Peer in all the
out the humane Body which hath a Fountain of natural Life and Spirits within it and so many excellent Instruments to convoy and impart the same to the several parts of the Body all which at Death will be loosed and broken to peices And though this general Sense might be satisfactory and useful as to the Scope which is to stirr up Men to Remember their Creator before these noble Parts be decayed and it may be thought safe to enquire no farther anent the Particulars intended by every part of the Similitude considering that it seems now to be very uncertain by what Names these noble Parts of the Body the Heart Brain Liver and the like were called and distinguished one from another among the Hebrews in Solomon's time and by what Similitudes they were set out which make great diversity among Interpreters in expounding and applying of them And considering also that there are several of these Parts which may be represented by diverse parts of this Similitude yet we shall mention what is most universally agreed upon to be pointed at by the particulars of the Allegory here made use of And First By the silver Cord is meant the Marrow of the Back-bone compared to a silver Cord because much of the strength of the Body lyeth in it in so much as without it Men would creep upon the Earth as Worms do and because in colour it resembles a silver Cord the loosing of it is the weakening of it when the Spirits withdraw from it it becomes cold and loses the force of it The Similitude may also signify some of the prime Arteries or Strings of the Heart which thence convey the Vital Spirits to the Liver and other parts of the Body Secondly The golden Bowl is taken from that yellow thin Skin containing the Brain within the Skull which is broken when the Pores of it are much opened to let in the Air as falls out near the time of Death Thirdly The Pitcher at the Fountain is thought to point out a great hollow Vein somewhat in form or figure like a Pitcher which doth receive from the Liver here called the Cistren Nutriment now turned by the Liver into Blood to be conveyed to the rest of the Members and this is broken when it is obstructed or the operation and office of it impeded near the time of Death Fourthly By the Wheel at the Cistren are meant the Lungs the prime Instruments of the Breath and Voice which are set out by this Similitude because like the Wheel of a Fountain they are still in motion drawing down and sending up the Breath again as the Wheel is still sending down or drawing up the Bucket This Wheel is broken at the Cistren when thorow the abundance of watry Humours or Phlegm filling the Stomach they cease from their motion and operation and so brings Death Now the first Words of the Chapter are to be knit with this as with all the former to this purpose Remember thy Creator before this Case come and timously make Peace with Him that thou mayest have peace in this day Doct. 1. Men should not despise humane Learning and the knowledge or science of natural Things were it for no more but to help them to understand the Fabrick of their own Bodies And although every Man's Gift is not to be laid aside as to the publick imploying thereof because he wants such and such a measure of humane Learning seing the Lord hath made eminent use of some who wanted it Act. 4.13 as he hath done also of others who have been eminently endued therewith Act. 7.22 and 22.3 yet every Mans short-sightedness therein should humble him and move him to bestow some of his time for attaining to it especially considering that Mans Body is so wonderful a peice of Artifice that without the help of these Sciences which describe the same hardly can such Scriptures as this be made clear Ere the silver Cord be loosed c. 2. The Lord hath wisely ordered that Death should assault and take down this Tabernacle of our Body by degrees and loose at leasure the several Pinns thereof first weakening the out-works and then setting upon the inward that every Stroak and Assault may be a Warning for a farther and that when Men find their Hands trembling or their Legs enfeebled their Eyes dim or their Ears dull of Hearing they may prepare for an Assault upon the Heart and other noble Parts For after Solomon hath described the dissolution of several other parts of the Body he comes here to the inmost and most noble parts thereof that Men may be stirred up to Remember their Creator at least Ere the silver Cord be loosed or the golden Bowl be broken 3. All the Organs of the Body especially the more noble parts thereof are very excellent pieces of Work and to be so esteemed of not so much for the substance of them as for the Divine Art which is manifested in the framing of them and the excellent uses they serve for And therefore both these and the Powers and Faculties of the Soul which reside in and act by these are to be used holily Mans strength here mainly held out by the silver Cord should be esteemed more precious than to be spent upon his Lusts he should beware of filling this golden Bowl his Brain wherein these excellent Faculties his Imagination and Memory have their prime Residence with unclean ambitious revengeful Speculations and such like Immoralities and by Intemperance and Excess to spoil this Pitcher corrupt this Cistren and break this Wheel his Liver Lungs and other parts which may be signified by these Similitudes and so do what he can to be his own Destroyer Therefore are these parts of the Body set out here by such elegant Metaphors or Similitudes borrowed from very precious things The silver Cord the golden Bowl c. 4. These parts of the Body which are most excellent and durable are to be looked upon as very brittle and fading and therefore a House not made with Hands to be ensured and this frail Body only so far respected and cared for as it may be the more instrumental in doing the Lord Service while we have it Therefore are the most noble Parts of the Body here represented by A golden Bowl a Pitcher and a Wheel 5. While Men have some measure of Health and Strength they should consider that it will be no fit time for making their Peace and Acquaintance with God in Christ when Death shall be loosing the last Pinns of their Tabernacle these Powers and Faculties of the Soul which are mainly active in Knowing Believing Loving and Praising the Lord being then a decaying And therefore they should think it their true Wisdom timously to remember their Creator in the days of their Youth and strength ere the silver Cord be loosed c. or the Wheel broken at the Cistren Ver. 7. Then shall the Dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto
more to wean their hearts from them and not please themselves with general acknowledgments of the Vanity and fading nature of all things For the Wise man makes this general consideration a proof of that Particular that both the Wise and the Fool shall be forgoteen Seeing that which now is in the dayes to come shall all be forgotten 4. Though temporal Death abides the Godly as well as the Wicked Heb. 9.27 yet there is a great difference between the manner or qualities of the Death of the One and the Other The Death of the Godly wants the Sting Cor. 15.55 It is their perfect liberation from Sin Death and Misery Philip. 1.23 their entrance into rest Isa 57.2 and their Coronation day 2 Tim. 4.8 But the Death of the Wicked is the day of their Execution Psal 49 14. and of their entrance into eternal Torments Prov. 7.22.27 For as if it were not to be questioned but that there is a vast difference between the Death of the Godly and the Wicked Solomon here only equals the Death of one Wicked Man with the Death of another while he saith How dies the wise man as the fool 5. How great difference soever there may be among wicâ—â—â— men for outward respects during their Life and at their Deatâ— also for the Circumstances thereof 2 Gen. 9 33.34 〈◊〉 Laâ— 16.22 yet Death shall equal them all for the extremity of theâ— Misery The thoughts whereof should provoke men to make it their great business how to difference themselves in â—â—me from the Wicked by the serious study of Reconciliation with God 〈◊〉 Christ and living in his Fear and Obedience for doubtle◠〈◊〉 equality of theirs in reference to Death is to be looked upon the commom Port whereby both the Wise and Fools here spoken of enter into hell How dies the Wise Man as the Fool. Vers 17. Therefore I hated life because the work that is wrought under the Sun is grievous to me For all is Vanity and vexation of Spirit THis Verse contains another effect which Solomon's disappointment of satisfaction by his Study of Natural and Moral Wisdom and his heaping up of all earthly Delights had upon his Heart while it was yet destitute of that special presence of the Spirit which sometimes he had and the same is also the effect of his observing the equality of events which befall the Wise and Foolish formerly mentioned to wit that he hated or as the Word signifies Loathed and Despised Life The Word translated Life is Plural in the Original Importing that he hated all sorts or ways of living imaginable in this World Which is not to be understood of his hating his natural Life so far as to be willing to lay it down for God when he should call for it nor of his undervaluing of it comparatively in respect of that better Life which made Paul long to be dissolved Philip. 1.21 both which are commendable But this hatred of his Life is to be taken for some such sinful Distemper of Spirit as hath been found in some of the Saints such as Elija 1. King 19.4 Joâ— 3.3 and Jonah 4.3 which the Lord made use of to correct and humble his Spirit And that this hatred of his Life is thus to be taken will appear by considering the reasons which were prevalent with him for producing of it The First is That all the Works under the Sun were grievous to him so did the Lord imbitter these things reckoned out toward the beginning of the Chapter wherein he too much delighted that he might bring him to Repentance If he had not taken too much pleasure in these Works they had not now been so grievous to him nor would he have hated his Life Because they were so The Second which is also the cause of the former is That he found emptiness of satisfaction and nothing but a gnawing of Spirit to be the result of all these courses in order to Happiness which he had taken during his estrangement from the Lord. From this we may learn 1. How soon and easily the Lord who only hath dominion over the Spirits of men can make a change upon them and make him who lately had a pleasant Life and rejoyced in all his Works hate his Life and find all his Works grievous to him For Solomon who in the 10 ver of this Chapter saith He rejoyced in all his labour Is now brought to say I hated life because the work that is wrought under the Sun is grievous to me 2. So hardly are the dearest of Gods Saints reclaimed from persuing Earthly Delights when once they have given up themselves thereunto that neither the voice of the Word which Solomon wanted not all his time nor the voice of Conscience together with the sweet motions and suggestions of the Spirit of God which is vouchsafed sometimes upon the Saints under their deep Security Cant. 5.2 are sufficient to awake them or reclaim them until the Lord send bitterness upon their Spirits and upon all their Idols wherein they delight with which also the work of His Spirit must concur Hos 2.14 For before Solomon be brought to Repentance his Life must be made bitter to him and all the Works under the Sun grievous that he may think of turning to his first Love that he may loath to feed on Husks and long for Bread in his Fathers House I hated Life because the work that is wrought under the Sun is grievous to me 3. So dangerous a thing is it for them that have once been near God to suffer themselves to be divorced from him for any other Lover that they who do so will readily upon a very small occasion hate that which they did most esteem yea even their Own Life For Solomon having forsaken the Lord for base and unworthy Delights finds them all grievous to him and his Own Life a burden also and this is occasioned mainly by his considering the equality of events befalling the Wise and the Fool formerly mentioned Therefore I hated Life c. 4. As it is ordinary for the Children of the Lord under their more moderate and gentle exercises to loath and weary of one sort of Life in the World apprehending in the mean time another desirable and such as would give them ease Psal 55.6 So the dearest of them may be so hardly exercised for their humbling and reclaiming that all imaginable ways of living in this World will be hateful and all works that can be thought upon grievous to them for the Word here translated Life is in the Original in the Plural Number and the work that is wrought indefinitly exprest importing every kind of Work grievous and every way of Living Hateful Therefore I hated Life because the work that is wrought under the Sun is grievous to me 5. So wedded are all men naturally to their Own Will and and especially men of greatest Spirits that while Christs sanctifying Spirit is not swaying their Will to the right art they
in a special way present with them while they are Oppressed and suffering for Righteousness sake 1 Pet. 4.14 Yet in their sad condition they have often few or none among Men to be comfortable to them even of these whose Relations and Ingagements tye them most strictly thereunto Which flows from the want of the Fear of the Lord that puts Man to these Duties which Mans Law presseth not Job 6.14 Such as this is of sympathie and fellow-feeling and the expressions thereof and from the fear of Oppressours least respect to the Oppressed may bring themselves to their condition 1 Sam. 23.11 12. And likewise from the Lords Gracious purpose to try His own compleatly and make them seek after and set a great value upon Divine Consolations For to the mourning Oppressed there was no Comforter to wit among Men. 5. It is not only the duty of these that are Fellow-sufferers to sympathize with and be comfortable to one another but also and especially of those who are in Tranquillity to sympathize with these that are under Oppression and incite others to do the same For Solomon who was in much prosperity the most part of his time and while he was writting this Book Eccles 2.25 speaks here as a tender hearted Sympa hizer with the Oppressed and calls upon others to look on them with pity and to be comfortable to them while he saith Behold the tears of the oppressed and they had no Comforter and again They had no Comforter 6. The Lord is pleased not only to suffer cruel Oppressours to have external force at their Command and abundance of Furniture for accomplishing their cruel Designs but likewise to have strength of Body and vigour of natural Spirits for that end until His Work about His People be perfected by them and the Cup of their Iniquity be full For all these are in the signification of this Word Power which he saith Is on the side or in the hand as that other Word is of their Oppressours And upon the part of their Oppressours was Power 7. The consideration of all the Oppressions and Power of Oppressours under the Sun and the sad and comfortless case of the Oppressed which is the ordinary lot of the Church ought to wean Mens hearts from this Earth make them die to the delights thereof and banish the apprehension of finding Happiness in it where such usage is ordinary and make them long for that Morning when they shall have dominion over their Oppressours Ps 49.14 For that Country where Righteousness only dwells 2 Pet. 3.13 For the New Heavens where all Tears shall be wiped from their Eyes Rev. 7.17.21 4. And for the heavenly Canaan where none of a cursed kind can be For in order to these ends Solomon describes the ordinary Tragedies that are acted upon the Stage of this World to alienat Mens hearts from the imagination of Happiness in it I considered all the oppressions under the sun and behold the tears of the Oppressed c. Verse II. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive III. Yea better is he than both they which hath not yet been who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the Sun THE Preacher here shews what effects the consideration of those grievous Oppressions mentioned in the former Words had upon him As 1. That he commended the state of them who have by Death escaped the sight of such Dishonour to God and the feeling of such Miseries as much to be preferred to their state who are pyning away under them and exposed to manifold Temptations of whom no better can be said than that they live and that is All. Yea 2. He preferred the state of him who is not yet born both to the state of them who have wrestled thorow these Miseries and them that are yet in their passage because such a one hath not seen or as the force of the Word is hath not felt the miseries nor been exposed to the Temptations that are in this World This seems to be the literal and safest sense of the Words and according to it these Objections which may arise from the Expressions may be easily answered As 1. If it be enquired How doth Solomon's praising of the Dead more than the Living agree with the Saints praising of the Living more than the Dead Isai 38.18 19 Ps 6.5 The Answer is In these places the state of the Dead as wanting opportunity of Praising and Glorifying God is compared with the state of the Living who have it and so this is preferred to that Here the state of the Dead considered as setting man above the reach of temporal Miseries and Temptations is compared with the state of the Living exposing them to both and so the preference may be contrary And 2. If it be again urged how can the state of him that is not yet born be preferred to the state of those that are Dead seing the Godly that are in Blessedness have escaped these Miseries and Temptations which he that is to be born is to be exercised with The Answer is the same in substance that he compares the state of not being at all with the state of being Miserable and exposed to Temptations abstracting as it were from the future and eternal state of Men that thereby he may express the holy Indignation and Grief he had at the sight of Gods dishonour and His Peoples Misery Doctr. 1. Although it cannot consist with right Reason much less with true Piety to desire Death or undervalue Life because of the Miserie 's incident to it seing a rational Life is one of the greatest of meer outward Blessings whereunto all the rest are subservient Mat. 6.25 and which may compense by the worth and good use which may be made of it all the Miserie 's incident to it Lam. 3.39 yet in order to the escaping of these great Evils the sight of God's Dishonour and His Peoples Misery the hazard of being assaulted and overcome with these Temptations which are worse than Death and in order to the obtaining of perfect freedom not only from Misery but from Sin and Temptations and of the full enjoyment of God's presence Phil. 1.22 Natural Life may be safely undervalued and Death praised and preferred to it In which sense we may safely conceive Solomon here to speak thus Wherefore I praised the Dead which are already Dead more than the Living c. 2. Mans life for the most part in regard of the Miserie 's incident to it and the sad Spectacles that are in it is but a begun Death a languishing and pining away a continual moâ—â—n toward Death so should living men look upon themselves that they may mind the certainty of Death and prepare for it For Solomon so compares the Dead and the Living as if the Living were a Dying I praised the Dead who are already Dead more than the Living who are yet alive And that is all 3.
be busie in observing what may be known of God that may draw their Affections to Him and engage them to His Service and after disappointment of desired success and darkness remaining must renew their endeavours in the use of one commanded mean after another For so was it with Solomon I applied my Heart or as the Original may be rendred I and my Heart went about together to search and seek out Wisdom what he could not find out by Searching he sought out which is one endeavour after another 7 They that would judge aright of the Lord's Dispensations must labour to see by the light of the Word and Spirit what Reasons there may be for them As for Example why the Lord suffers His people to be brought so low in the World even that He may humble them and prove them and do them good in the latter end Deut. 8.16 And why He suffers wicked Men to prosper even that if they will not by His Goodness be led to Repentance they may be the riper for Destruction Rom. 2.4 Ps 92.7 that so we may satisfie our own minds and be able to give a Reason to others of what we profess to know For this was one thing that Solomon made his study To know the reason of things 8 That which is truly good is more clearly seen when we consider the evil that is contrary to it The Beauty of Holiness and excellency of Saving Knowledge is illustrat and best seen when the deformity of Sin the madness and unreasonableness of these Courses which natural Men take to come at their imaginary Happiness are compared therewith For Solomon took this way He gave his Heart to know Wisdom and to know the wickedness of Folly even of Foolishness and Madness 9. As every Man who is not indued with Saving Wisdom is desperat in Wickedness and extremely Mad in following the course that will be his ruine So there is such a height of wickedness and perversity in his way that it is not easy to express the same For Solomon multiplies words to that purpose as if it had been difficult for him to express it while he calls it The wickedness of Folly even of Foolishness and Madness 10. The knowledge of the evil of Sin the madness and Folly that is in Sinners way the desperat wickedness that is in their Hearts while they are in pursuit of their Lusts is one part of Saving Wisdom which all should study that would be truly happy For this is it which Solomon endeavoured to know The wickedness of Folly even of Foolishness and Madness Ver. 26. And I find more bitter than Death the Woman whose Heart is Snares and Nets and her Hands as Bands whose pleaseth God shall escape from her but the Sinner shall be taken by her THis Wise Man having regrated the imperfection of his Knowledge notwithstanding of his most serious inquiry after it formerly mentioned he doth here and in the following words give instances of some success he had of his pains The First is concerning the Evil of sinful Pleasures particularly the satisfying of the Lusts of the Flesh And in setting forth this he doth First describe a Whorish Woman from two things The 1. is That her Heart is Snares and Nets the meaning whereof is That her Heart being under the power of her Lusts doth catch every Temptation to that Sin of Uncleanness which is explained by that Expression Ps 41.6 The Heart gathers iniquity to it self And likeways that her Heart is full of subtile Plots and Insinuations to insnare Men and draw them to her desires as Fowlers and Fishers have their Nets and Baits to entangle Birds and Fishes which are the Metaphores in the Words 2. That her Hands are as Bands whereby are meant her powerful Stratagems to hold Men fast Slaves to her and their own Lusts Next He giveth some Arguments to deterr the Hearts of all from being entangled with Temptations of this sort 1. That he himself had found in his own experience and did in part yet feel the bitterness of giving way to that Sin of Impurity which is so Bitter that Temporal Death is to be preferred to the base Slavery of it By which it seems very clear not only that Solomon was a true Penitent but that this Book hath been written after and in testimony of his Repentance seing at the writting hereof his Uncleanness was so bitter to him that he cannot express it but by calling it more grievous than Death it self to wit Temporal Death which only deprives Men of their Natural Life and the Comforts of it but these sinful Pleasures deprive them of Spiritual Life and the Comforts of Communion with God 2. That the Man who is Favoured of God in a special way shall escape such Temptations that is either he shall not be entangled with them or shall be mercifully rescued from them and consequently as himself expresses this same purpose Prov. 22 14. they must be Abhorred of God who are given up to them 3. That this Sin of Uncleanness is often the punishment of other Sins The Sinner saith he shall be taken by her By the Sinner is not meant every one that deserves that Name for then all should be taken but by the Sinner as is usual in Scripture when that Name is opposed to the Godly or the upright Person is meant One given up or giving himself up to Sin and making a Trade of living in it such a Man is justly left to fall into this most bitter and abominable Sin of Uncleanness Hence Learn 1. Whatever dissatisfaction sincere Students of Saving Knowledge may have with their measure they shall be sure to find success in that which tends most to their true Happiness and to the preventing of their Eternal Ruine For Solomon having regrated his short-coming in the study of Wisdom before cannot but acknowledge that he was not altogether unsuccesful And I find more bitter c. 2. To feel experimentally the bitterness of Sin and to have a lively representation of the hazard of living in it is not the least part of the success of Mens pains for Saving Knowledge For without this they can know nothing Savingly Therefore this is one Instance which Solomon expresseth as a Blessed Fruit of his pains that he found sinful Pleasures More bitter than Death 3. However Sinners apprehend much pleasure in Sin when they commit it yet there is a woful Sting afterward and much Bitterness in the latter end of it every Penitent finds it in mercy so Bitter to him when his Conscience is wakened that he would rather venture upon Temporal Death than enjoy his sinful Pleasures again And impenitent Sinners find it so in Wrath here sometimes by the Stings of an accusing Conscience especially while Poverty Disgrace and loathsome Diseases making their Lives Bitter are upon them Prov. 5.11 and always at Death and after it to Eternity Eccles 12.1 c. So that all that ever took pleasure in Sin shall be
Affairs as these are under the dominion of Providence seing most of the instances he gives in this Book are of that nature Thirdly He enters upon the second part of the Chapter to prove the Vanity of Worldly greatness and doth particularly confirm what he spake concerning the misery of them that are void of Saving Knowledge and that Wickedness will not deliver them that are given to it in the former words by giving an instance in his own Observation of that Dispensation which the Godly are most apt to stumble at to wit the Advancement of Wicked men to greatness and power in the World And proves them miserable notwithstanding that the hearts of the Godly may be guarded against envying of them while he saith one Man Rules over another to his Hurt he means their abuse of of their power and greatness draws on often temporal and always if they Repent not Eternal misery upon them Beside what hath been observed before from his commending his Doctrine from his own Experience and from his pains in acquiring the knowledge thereof Learn 1. Dispensations are never so dark but spiritual Discerners may see the Blessedness of the Godly and the misery of the Wicked even when they are sadest to the Godly and seem most favourable to the Wicked they that have the Heavenly Wisdom may see the Godly feeling no evil thing and the Wicked injoying their Prosperity to their hurt For the Scope of the words before and after implyes the time here spoken of to be very sad and yet Solomon saith he saw these sweet effects of Heavenly Wisdom and the woful case of them that want it which are formerly mentioned All this have I Seen 2. Even those who have attained to the greatest measure of the Knowledge of God and His Ways are not exeemed from streatching their Wit and strength to the outmost for growth and progress therein that which is to be known of God in any of His Dispensations being a Depth that none can sound For even Solomon who had before an extraordinary measure of Wisdom saith I applied my Heart to every work 3. They that would judge aright of any one of the Lord's Dispensations must be careful Students of them all they must not slight any work of his because all though they be many to us make up but one intire Work in God's Hand and every part of that work is a commentary clearing the nature and use of the whole and God's intent therein Therefore did Solomon apply his Heart to every work under the Sun 4. As the Lord doth for wise Ends permit wicked Men to come to Authority over others in the World so hath He the time when they shall come to it fixed and how long they shall have it For it is clear by the consequence of this Ruling to the person who hath it that he speaks of wicked Men and the word Time signifies a set and fixed season wherein One Man rules over another 5. As wicked Mens power tends always to the hurt of these over whom they are set Eccl. 10.16 So it is especially for their own hurt giving them fairer opportunity to shew the latent wickedness of their Heart than they had before whereby they procure to themselves Temporal and Eternal Wrath from the Lord. There is a time when one Man rules over another to his own hurt 6. This Hurt which is incident to men of Place and Power in the World should wean mens Hearts from affecting worldly Greatness as any part of their Happiness For we may look upon this as a proof of the Vanity of such Greatness that it is often found One Man rules over another to his own hurt Ver. 10. And so I saw the Wicked buried who had come and gone from the place of the Holy and they were forgotten in the City where they had so done this is also Vanity HE doth farther illustrat the Misery of Men void of saving Knowledge how great soever they may be in the World And this he doth for the Comfort of the Godly who are opprest by them There are three things wherein such Men place much of their Happiness namely in an Honourable Burial when they are Dead a great Esteem among Men while they live and in the preservation of their Memory after they are Dead As for the First Solomon saith he observed them to have it I saw the Wicked Buried it seems he means a sumptuous and Honourable Burial like the Rich Mans Luk. 16.22 even such an one as so great a Man as himself hath countenanced For the Second they may have that also they may Come and go from the place of the Holy By the place of the Holy may be safely understood both the place of publick Judicaturâ— where the Holy God is said to stand and Judge Ps 82.1 And likewise the place of publick Religious Worship where the same Holy One is in a special way present and his Saints or Holy Ones meet together for his service Isai 64.11 By Coming and Going he means their frequenting and conversing in both these places mainly for upholding their Credit and Worldly interest and it is probable this expression the place of the Holy is so framed as may comprehend both these because meer Politicians and corrupt States-men doe ordinarily make both Justice and Religion a Cloak for their Wickedness And for the Third the Esteem of themselves which they desired should be kept up after they were gone he denies them to have gotten that as to his Observation they were Forgotten among Men not as if it were of it self a Misery to be forgotten among the most part of Men seing it is incident to the Best Eccles 9.15 But he speaks of it as a proof their Misery because they place a great part of their Happiness in perpetuating their Memory as is clear from Psal 49 11. and so the mentioning of their being Forgotten may serve to make them see the Vanity of their temper And this affectation of Worldly greatness and a name among Men which hath this consequent and all the pains Men take to obtain the same he pronounces to be Vanity in the close of the verse this is Vanity saith he which cannot be applyed to their being Forgotten seing it is clear he speaks of such as can leave nothing behind them Savoury or worthy to be remembred Hence Learn 1. The Lord may long spare Wicked men in their Sinful Courses and may not only along their Life heap upon them more eminent proofs of common favour than upon the Godly Psal 73.5 But likwise may suffer that respect to be shewn to their Bodies while their Souls are in the Pit which is sometimes denied to the Bodies of his dearest Saints Psal 79.2 For saith he I saw the Wicked Buried 2. This is the best that can be said of many Wicked men after their Death that they are now put under the Earth the things whereof they sought for their Happiness and this may put
the Disposition of such he supposes that God will at last execut Sentence upon them because their Hearts are fully set in them to do Evil. 7. It is the proper mark of an unregenerat Man void of Saving Knowlege and Grace to have his Heart fully set in him without reluctancy or remorse to do Evil. The regenerat have another principle within them opposing their Sinful Motions Gal. 5.17 Checking and wounding them and bringing them to remorse for Sin Rom. 7.24 For it is the unregenerat whose temper he here describes The Hearts of the Children of Men are fully set in them to do Evil. Ver. 12. Though a Sinner do Evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God which fear before him 13. But it shall not be well with the Wicked neither shall he prolong his days which are as a shadow because he feareth not before God HE Labours here to terrify such Wicked Men as are long spared in their Sins and to guard and comfort the Hearts of the Godly who are apt to stumble at their being spared and their own sufferings from them And for this end He First supposes two things which make Wicked Men dream of immunity from Judgement 1. Their multiplying of their Transgressions which he expresses by putting a definite number for an indefinite and such a number as points at the multitude of them and may signify that God hath them all numbred exactly how many so ever they be 2 He supposes that while they are multiplying their Transgressions they have their Days and likways many other outward favours multiplied upon them For the Original of this second clause is no more but that it be Prolonged or Multiplied to him which may comprehend both his Life and other Comforts And Next before he denounce or assert the certainty of approaching Judgement upon such Wicked Men he doth as it were hasten forth a word of Comfort to the Godly apt to be discouraged by the frequent oppressions and multiplied Injuries of oppressing Persecutors which are here supposed And this he propounds with much confidence and certainty Surely I know it shall be well with them whom he describes from that divine quality which is stamped upon their Heart a Holy filial fear of offending God which makes them obnoxious to hard sufferings from Men And the sincerity of this fear is set out by the Object of it they Fear before him the words in the Original are that fear before his face importing that they have their eye upon the Terrour and Goodness of God which two properties of his are mainly signified by his Face in Scripture Psal 34.15.16 more than upon all the Terrour of flesh And Thirdly He denunceth Judgement against the Wicked with all importing it to be so great that positive termes cannot be had to set it out therefore he expresses it 1. In general negatively it shall not be well with him and next more particularly he shall not prolong his Days He supposed him before to prolong his Days and here threatens he shall not both agree he may have many Days comparing him with others even with the Godly whom he may cut off and hasten to their Happiness and yet he shall neither prolong his Days to that length which he desires which would be for ever in this Life nor shall he prolong them to Eternity of Blessedness being made victorious over Death as this expression of Prolonging the Days imports sometimes in Scripture Isai 53.10 Fourthly He describes the Wicked Mans Life his Days are but a Shadow not so much for the shortness of them being compared with Eternity in which sense the Godlies Days also are as a Shadow as in regard he hath nothing of that substantial Life of Communion with God which the Godly Man hath and that his Life in regard of any Comfort totally perishes and is cut off as a Shadow when the Sun of Gods favourable Dispensations sets upon him at his Death or when Judgements come upon him in this Life And lastly He sets down the cause of the Wicked Mans Judgement which is also the fountain of all other Sins and that is the want of the fear of God Hence Learn 1. Men that give up their Hearts to commit Wickedness with full bensel of purpose and delight are justly given up of God to become unwearied in the frequent commission thereof For he did formerly describe the disposition of all unregenerat Men that their Hearts are fully set in them to do Evil and here he describes their common Practice in this supposition that they do Evil an Hundred times 2. While Men are multiplying their provocations the Lord may in much displeasure to them draw out their Life in length and multiply their outward Comforts which they do abuse and turn in fewel to their Lusts For the same whom he supposes to do Evil an Hundred times he supposes also to have his Days or any other outward and common favours Prolonged or multiplied to him and his Days or and it be Prolonged 3. While Wicked Men are spared and prosperous in their Sins grievous Temptations are ready to assault the Hearts of the Godly amounting to no less than the questioning of a reward for Godliness at all seing divine Dispensations seem to say that the Lord respects Ungodly Men by heaping favours on them and slights them that are better For to prevent the prevalency of such a temptation Solomon before he shew what shall become of the Wicked assures the Godly of the contrary of what they are ready to apprehend Surely I know it shall be well with them that fear God 4. Although the Lords forbearance of Wicked Men while they are multiplying Transgressions against him cannot but occasion much inward Grief of Heart to the Godly Psal 119.158 And doth often occasion much outward Trouble to them from the Wicked Psal 12 8. yet neither of these can either marr or diminish the Happiness of the truly Godly For saith he though a Sinner do Evil an Hundred times c. yet it shall be well with them that fear God 5. The Lord in denuncing Judgments against Wicked Men hath a special eye to the comfort of the Godly they are so neer his Heart that even as it were in the midst of his expressing his displeasure against the Wicked he reacheth forth Comfort to them and in a manner delays it not till he end his speech to the Wicked as here may be seen Though a Sinner do Evil an Hundred times and his Days be prolonged before he perfect this speech concerning the Wicked he must comfort the Godly yet shall it be well with them that fear God 6. It is not easie to make the Hearts of poor Believers especially when they are under Oppressions and multiplied injuries from the World to rest upon the bare word of Gods promise and comfort themselves concerning the sweet issue of their pains and the Gracious Reward
to our apprehension the Godly should be we ought thereby to be led to the believing consideration of this that God would have us taking other grounds whereupon to conclude his Love and favour or his displeasure and indignation toward us For as a proof of that that neither Love nor Hatred can be known by the things before us this is given All things come alike to all there is one event c. 8. So excellent is a reconciled state in regard of the many priviledges they have who are in it and the many divine qualifications wherewith they are endued that they have many Stiles and Titles of honour wherein they comfort themselves against all sad Events and against the community of their lot here with that of the worst of men For here several of their Stiles are reckoned out by Solomon Righteous Good Clean such as Sacrifice and fear Oaths 9. So woful is the case of unreconciled Souls and so many are the parts of their perversness that few words cannot express the same therefore Solomon here makes use of many to design them that are not beloved of God They are Wicked Unclean Sinners such as Sacrifice not Swearers 10. The Lord looks upon them whom he Loves as they are in Christ and reckons them by their better part and according to what he intends to make them at last Though they be in themselves Unrighteous Unclean Wicked Slighters of his Worship and Prophaners of his Name yet because they are considered in their Cautioner they get all the contrary Names Righteous Clean Good c. 11. Only those who have fled to Christs Righteousness and so are made Righteous are the persons who may conclude themselves favoured of God and all that have done so are made in some measure conform to their Heavenly Father in goodness they are also made to purify themselves even as he is pure they are tender and conscientious of his Worship especially his publick Ordinances and so are they of any lawful ingagement they have taken on for these go all together and by the contrary those have no ground to think otherwise of themselves than as in an unreconciled state or of their way as hateful to God who are restless in the course of their Sin as the word Wicked signifies who are living under unrepented of guilt and daily defiling themselves farther by serving their Lusts who neglect or slight the Worship of God and prophane his Name For these and the like are the marks whereby men may judge and be able to discern whether they be in a state of favour or not For Solmon having denied Love or Hatred to be known by outward events which come alike to good and bad he doth with all give such a description of them that are beloved and them that are abhorred of God as all may know their state and be able to judge of it while he saith There is one event to the Righteous and to the Wicked to the Good and to the Clean and to the Vnclean c. Ver. 3. This is an Evil among all things that are done under the Sun that there is one event unto all yea also the heart of the Sons of men is full of evil and madness is in their heart while they live and after that they goe to the Dead HEre is the Fourth observation which the Lord Spirit taught Solomon to make upon his Dispensations and mens disposition and carriage in order thereunto and according to his professed purpose in the first words of the Chapter to make clear to others and it is concerning the ordinary effect which the equality of Events spoken of in the Third Observation hath upon the most part of men There is an Evil saith he among all things that are done under the Sun that there is one Event c. Which cannot be understood as if he were censuring the holy and wise providence of God in permitting and ordering it to be thus that outward Events should be common to good and bad But the meaning is that as Afflictions to the Godly are of themselves Evil grievous and bitter to their flesh and often corrections for their Sins and upon the other hand Prosperity is an Evil to the Wicked as it is a heaping of Coals of fire upon their head So mainly this equality of Events to Good and Bad is Evil in regard of the bad use that most men by Reason of their corruption make of it especially Wicked Men who therefore shake off all care of Piety and wax bold in their Sins seing they prosper so much in them and in so far as Corruption is unmortified in the Godly the sight of this equality of events becomes an evil to them discouraging them in their Duty and often inclining their hearts to side with Wicked Men in their course as appears by Psal 73.10 c. And this he calls an Evil among all things or as the words may be rendered an Evil above all things to point out the frequency or rather the hainousness of this abuse of the Lords Dispensations for so the Hebrews do sometimes express the Superlative degree Prov. 30.30 Next He explains how this is an Evil to Wicked men in two expressions their hearts are full of Evil which may be either taken for the cause why they make a bad use of their Prosperity even because they are void of the Grace of God and full of contrary Evils or rather for the effect of their injoying Prosperity and observing the afflictions of the Godly they give up themselves to all sorts of Wickedness as if God were not displeased with their way or would never be wroth with them seing he seems so in his Dispensations to favour them And this he inlarges by another expression Madness saith he is in their Heart c. Or as the word Madness signifies Boasting Pride and Insolency in their Sins take up their Hearts all along their Life And Lastly He shews what shall be the end of their course after that saith he they go to the Dead which is not simply to be understood of their going to the state of the Dead abstracting from their future and eternal state seing that is common both to the Wicked and Godly but the Death he speaks of is that which is the wages of Sin to the Wicked that is temporal Death puting a period to their Prosperity and sinful courses and making them enter into Eternity of torment which is the second Death And this is spoken to deterr them from their sinful Courses Hence Learn 1. These favourable and prosperous Dispensations which wicked men meet with and which they should take for invitations to Repent for former abuse of Gods goodness and as engagements to his service and obedience who deals so liberally with them are turned by them into occasions of Sinning made fewel to their Pride Hos 13.6 and contempt of the threatnings of the word Psal 73.9 so do they heap upon themselves by their abuse of these
things Wrath against the day of Wrath For he speaks mainly in reference to Wicked Mens abusing this Dispensation that they prosper as much yea often more than the Godly while he saith There is an Evil among all things that are done under the Sun that there is one Event c. also the Hearts of the Sons of men are full of Evil c 2. Mens abusing of outward success and Prosperity to imbolden themselves the more in Sinning against God it common among all that are unrenewed and is a most hainous crime being a Sin against the goodness and long suffering of God and the occasion of many other Sins for both the commonness and hainousness of it are imported in this expression There is an Evil among all things done under the Sun 3. Though it be an ordinary delusion among men to think their Hearts good were their way never so vile yet not only are the Hearts of all men naturally altogether void of any thing that is good and that is the cause why they abuse to licentiousness the goodness of God manifested in his Dispensations but likwise the more of his Goodness they meet with their Wickedness grows the more their vitious habits contempt of God love to their Lusts hardness of Heart and spiritual security grow upon them for this may be either taken for the cause why they abuse their Prosperity to grow thereby Mad in their Sins or for the effect of their abusing of it The hearts of the Sons of men are full of Evil. 4. As unrenewed men especially in Prosperity do ordinarly go Mad in their Sins violently prosecuting their Lusts boasting and Glorying in their sinful ways as if there were no account to be given thereof as the word Madness signifies So what ever use of their wit they may have to plot mischief to execute their purposes and carry on their Plots closely they are really Mad incapable of any wholsome counsel destroying their own Souls and taking pleasure in so doing like Mad Men For saith he Madness is in their Heart 5. While Men abuse the Lords Dispensations by flattering themselves in their Sins and perswading themselves of his love and favour notwithstanding of their Wickedness because they prosper there is a spiritual distemper and Madness upon their Spirits For it is mainly in reference to the mis-judging of the Lords Dispensations and making this wrong use of them that he saith Madness is in their Heart 6. Men void of Saving Grace never weary of their Mad and sinful Courses while Life or Strength continues after they have along their Life abused their prosperity by Pride Insolence Oppression and Slighting of God even when Death draws near they but grow yet more Mad in Sin repining against God and his Providence because they cannot longer enjoy their sinful Pleasures and so they carry their Sins to the very Gates of Death with them For saith he Madness is in their Heart while they live and after that they go to the Dead he speaks of their sinful Courses as having an immediat connexion with their very Death 7. As Temporal Death shall put an end to the sinful Pleasures of Wicked Men so eternal Death shall then begin to seize upon them whereof the Servants of Christ should often put Mad Sinners in mind whether they will believe or not For there is more in this last Expression than a simple minding Men of Natural Death which is common to all And after that they go down to the Dead Ver. 4. For to him that it joined to all the Diving there is hope for a living Dog is better than a dead Lyon 5. For the Living know that they shall dye but the Dead know not any thing neither have they any more a Reward for the memory of them is forgotten 6. Also their love and their hatred and their envy is now perished neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the Sun THe Preacher giveth here two Considerations serving to work the Hearts of the Godly to a cheerful Submission under an hard Lot in the World and to stir up all to use their Life and the Comforts of it well that so they may prepare for Death The One is That the meanest or most afflicted Life hath some Advantages with it which being improven may make Men digest the Afflictions attending it The Other is That they who have the most prosperous state in this World must part with all the Comforts of it at Death And so the Words may be also looked upon as containing the Reason of Mens madness in abusing the Lord's Dispensations as is exprest in the former Words namely their inconsideration of the Advantages of Life and the necessity of parting with all the Comforts of it at Death In setting out the First he commends the state of natural Life while he saith To him that is joined to all the Living which is a kind of description of any Living Man and commendation of his state 1. From the Social temper which he ought to have and the Advantage he hath thereby There is hope how sad soever his Condition be he may have hope that it may be better or there is ground of hope to him if he make use of his Life that he may get all the troubles mitigate and sanctified and so may prepare for a better and this he doth illustrat by a common Proverb A living Dog is better than a dead Lyon which is a Speech applicable to many Purposes and according to the matter in hand the meaning of it is that a Living Man who hath the most abject and contemptible Life for such a Man useth to be set out by the name of a Dog in Scripture as 2 King 8.13 is Better that is he may be more useful for himself and others than the Greatest Man now being Dead Here it would be considered for clearing of the following purpose that while he compares the Living and the Dead and preferrs the Former to the Latter he doth not speak of the Dead considered as to their future Eternal State for so they are beyond all comparison either better or worse but abstracting from that considers them simply as by Death deprived of Natural Life and the Advantages thereof 2. The Second Thing that commends Life is That the Living know that they shall Die That which none can be altogether ignorant of who have the use of Reason and which all should actually consider he speaks of as agreeing to all and this is a great Advantage if it be improven that Men knowing this may while they have opportunity prepare for Death loose their Hearts from their earthly Enjoyments from which Death at last will separat them use their Allowance cheerfully for their incouragement in God's Service and comforting of themselves against the Afflictions of their Life which is the Scope Now in opposition to these Advantages of Life he comes in the next place to point out the
attaining to what is prest in the former namely the removal of Sorrow from the Heart And put away evil from thy Heart 10. Men will never rightly reform the Ills of their practice especially Sins of their Youth till they be sensible of their Original Pollution which doth encline them to sinful Courses even from the very Morning of their Life or as the Word translated Youth signifies the breaking of the Day of their being in the World For Original Sinfulness is held forth in this Expression which is brought in as a Reason why Men should be serious in reforming their actual Transgressions For Childhood and Youth are vanity 11. The sinful Delights of Youth are transitory and those hot furious Motions of Passion Lust and the like will soon evanish the consideration whereof should move Men to the study of Mortification timously that they may leave their Lust ere their Lusts leave them For the Vanity here spoken of is mainly to be understood of the transitoriness and speedy evanishing of youthly Pleasures and the same is brought as an Argument for the study of Reformation For Childhood and Youth are vanity CHAP. XII THE ARGUMENT IN the First Part of this Chapter contained to the 8 Verse the Preacher continueth his purpose begun in the end of the last Chapter which is to stirr up Men to a serious and timous preparation for Death and Judgement And in order thereto doth 1 press the exercise of a Duty very fit and necessary for that end to Remember their Creator c. ver 1. where 1 we have the Duty it self which is to Remember a Word importing a clear up-taking of God and His Attributes an affectionat and cordial Trusting in Him and an Engagement to the Duties of New Obedience ver 1. 2. The season fittest for discharge of that Duty not only the present Now but the time of Youth ver 1. And 3. The Argument whereby he presseth this Duty taken from the sad Condition that every Man is to expect under Old Age with reference to the Trouble and Afflictions incident to it and the continuance of these Afflictions upon him and the Language that such will have at such a time far different from what they had in their Youth ver 1. 2. He doth negatively describe the fittest Opportunities for the performance of these Duties necessary in order to the preparing for Death as that it should not be deferred till the Miseriei of Old Age creep on nor till the frequent Returns of outward afflictions especially Diseases ver 2. In the dimness of the bodily Eyes the usefulness of external Lights and the fatling of the Reason held forthly the Allegories of the Sun Moon and Stars being darkned and in the continual succession as one Cloud or Shower after another cometh in time of Winter of one Trouble after another ver 2. 3. The Preacher positively evinceth the time of Old Age not to be so fit an Opportunity for making peace with God in order to preparation for Death as the time of Youth and Health an old Mans Body being so beset with Death as a beseiged Castle that the Arms and Hands called the Keepers of the House do shake the Legs and Thighs the strong Men grow feeble the Teeth the Grinders turn few loose and unfit for preparing Meat for the Stomach and the Eyes which took out at their Holes as Windows grow dim and weak ver 3. 4. He by several other Metaphors describeth the dissolution of this House of Clay or earthly Tabernacle as by the Shutting of the Doors in the Street importing the unfitness of the Mouth and Lips to speak or Throat which are the Doors of the Tabernacle to let down Meat By the low sounding of the Grinders holding out the small noise Old Men throw want or weakness of their Teeth make in their Eating by his rising at the Voice of the Bird thereby signifying the unsoundness of his Sleep and by the Daughters of Musick brought low thereby discovering the weakness of all these Organs of the Body made use of either in uttering or receiving of melodious Sounds ver 4. By Old and Dying Men their being afraid of that which is high and their Fears in the way insinuating their want of Strength and Courage by the flourishing of the Almond Tree holding forth the increase of Gray Hairs as a sore-runner of Death by the Grashoppers being a Burden shewing their Weakness to be such as that the weight of a Flie shall be a trouble to them And by the failing of the Desire both after lawful and unlawful Objects ver 5. The ground of all which is because Man is going to his unchangable Estate ver 5. and his Friends have given him over for dead and begun their mourning for him ver 5. By the loosing of the Silver Cord holding forth the decay of the natural Life and Spirits or Marrow of the Back-bone and Arteries of the Heart which thence convoy the Spirits to other places of the Body By the breaking of the Golden Bowl whereby is meant the Skin containing the Brain which having the Pores of it much opened to admit of what is prejudicial fortokeneth a Decay of the Body in old age By the Breaking of the Pitcher at the Fountain by which is meaned the obstruction of a Vein in the form of a Pitcher coming from the Liver here called the Fountain betokening Decay and Death ver 6. and by the Wheel broken at the Cistren by which is meant the Lungs which as a Wheel are in continual motion till by watry Humours and Flegm falling down in the Stomach they be impeded and so brings Decay and Death ver 6. All which drives the Preachers Scope in the ver 1. to prepare for Death in time before these things fall out by remembring their Creator in the days of Youth And 5. This First part of the Chapter is shut up in giving a short sum the Tabernacle being dissolved as is before described of Mans future state both as to the Body that it being Dust in its first original returns thereto till the Resurrection and also as to the Soul called here the Spirit because of their immaterial substance and resemblance to God that it shall return to God to be disposed of eternally by Him Which also may perswade to the Duty of preparing for Death ver 7. In the Second Part of this Chapter from ver 8. to the end the Preacher sums up this purpose and the whole Book wherein 1. He asserts as the substance of this Book the vanity and insufficiency of all humane Things for directing Man to true Happiness ver 8. 2. He commends the purpose contained in this Book 1. From the Preacher himself and his qualification of Wisdom ver 9. As from the Improvement he made of this for the good of the Church ver 9. As from his Diligence and Assiduity in his Work ver 9. As from his not resting in any measure attained but seeking out carefully
peace and comfort in their Spirits to make up the loss of any comfort they can renounce for his sake Isai 57.18.19 for which and the like reasons we may conceive the Lord as Creator recommended to the remembrance of Men who have strongest Lusts unsubdued and apprehend greatest difficulty in renouncing the pleasures of them Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth 3. It is not possible to get the Heart drawn from Earthly delights and so ingaged to the fear and obedience of the Lord unless it be stayed upon him and replenished with frequent thoughts of his properties which will bring in so much Holy aw of him and such apprehensions of sweetness to be bad in him that sinful pleasures will appear to be but Husks or Swins food in comparison thereof and the Soul will not dare to feed upon these Husks if it have clear and frequent thoughts of the soveraignity and power of God the Creator for having disswaded from carnal pleasures in the close of the former Chapter and being afterward in this to recommend to the study of living in the fear of obedience of the Lord as the only way to true Happiness he doth here press this Remember thy Creator as the best way to divert the Heart from the one and ingage it to the other 4. The time of Youth is the fittest time for the study of Reconciliation with God and walking in his fear and obedience then the wit and memory are ripest and the affections most vigorous and therefore should be spent in that study which only is worthy of them especially considering that it is but just with God to reject Men though they should offer themselves to him when they have given the flower of their time Wit Strength and affections to the service of Satan and their Lusts and that if he should accept of them the remembrance of their mis-spent Youth will be extreamly heavy and will readily occasion in the best fears of off-casting in old age compare Ps 25.7 with Ps 71.18 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy Youth 5. As there is a natural propensitie in all to forget God and to shift serious thoughts of him and therefore all Men have need of a Remembrancer to mind them often of this great duty prest in the Text so of all others Young men are most apt to forget God and put off serious thoughts of him and their own Souls their Lusts being strongest and their Hearts most capable of the sweetness of Earthly delights so that the Ministers of Christ though they have often least hope of success in dealing with Wanton Proud Insolent and furious Youth yet must they press this Duty upon them and urge them in the name of the Lord to make use of the present opportunity for it Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy Youth 6. However days of affliction Old Age and Infirmity be good Days to those who have made their Peace with God Hab. 3.17 Rom. 8 2â— yet are they evil Days in themselves and will prove no better than a begun Hell to them who still defer the study of making their Peace with God For so the Preacher describes the times of Affliction which befall Men especially toward Death calling the same evil Days while the evil days come not 7. While Men have Health and Strength and immunity from Trouble they should be forecasting evil Days and unpleasant years that so in the Summer and Harvest of Youth and Strength they may be making Provision for the Stormy Winter of Affliction and Old Age Prov. 10.9 by ensuring the pardon of their Sins thorow the Blood of Christ which else will readily compass them about as unpardoned in such times Psal 49.5 And so making clear their interest in God which is the only Consolation in Evil Days Hab. 3.17 For Solomon supposes here every Young Man to have Evil Days and Years of Trouble before him which he should forecast and thereby be moved to prepare timously for them Remember c. while the Evil Days come not and the Years c. 8. The Lord will once make Earthly Delights tastless and loathsome to Men before they go out of this Life he doth it to the Godly 2 Sam. 19.34.35 that divine Consolations may relish the better with them and they may long for the pleasures that are at his right hand And to the Wicked also Dan. 5 5.6 that they may see their Folly in satisfying themselves with these things only which cannot give them any comfort when they have most need of it And so often gains a Testimony from both good and bad that Earthly Delights are unworthy to be delighted in For Solomon supposes here that there is a time for every Man wherein he shall say I have no Pleasure in them 9. Christs Ministers should be so well acquainted with the Language of dying Men both by their daily observing of the case of such and their study of the Scriptures which will inform them of it Prov 5.11 1 Thes 5.3 that they may be able to inform Men who have least mind of Death what sentence they will pass in their own Conscience and what Language they shall readily utter to others concerning their sinful pleasures when they shall be drawing near to the Gates of Death that so they may the more effectually prevail with them to renounce in time these Sinful Pleasures For Solomon here represents to the voluptuous Young Man who is cheering up his Heart in his Sins and banishing the thoughts of Death what he shall say of his Youthly Pleasures when Sickness comes and Death draws near Thou shall say I have no Pleasure in them Ver. 2. While the Sun or the Light or the Moon or the Stars be not darkened nor the Clouds return after the Rain THe Preacher doth here farther describe negatively the fittest opportunity for the study of Reconciliation and Peace with God and withal doth more particularly describe the Miserie 's incident to Old Age as to the loss of outward Comforts and frequent returns of Diseases at that time This being clear and generally agreed upon by Interpreters to be the Scope of this place we need not be very anxious concerning the particular application of the Allegories here made use of to set forth this purpose First By the Darkening of the Sun the Light the Moon and Stars may be safely understood the ecclipsing or withdrawing of all earthly Comforts seing the Scripture sets out a comfortless state this way and it may comprehend particularly 1. The darkening of the dying Mans bodily Eyes And so 2. Of all external Lights to him as to any Comfort he may reap from them As also 3. The decaying of his Reason and such Faculties of his Soul as are in a manner answerable to the Celestial Lights And likewayes 4. The failing of all outward Comforts both greater and lesser It is clear the loss of all these accompanies dying Men and so they may be
hath The Teeth for Grinders to prepare the Food for it And the Eyes as Watches to espy Hazards that they may be prevented This House should be kept out for Christ's use the Temple of whose Spirit it is and not rendered up to be a Habitation for Satan and these Armies of unclean Lusts which are Souldiers under him All the Members should be made use of as Weapons of Righteousness to keep it out against Temptations as well as against outward Hazards For so doth the wise Man here set out this humane Body under the Similitude of a stately House or fortified Castle while he saith The Keepers of the House shall tremble and the strong Men shall bow c. 2. Death the King of Terrours will give such a sore Assault to this House of the Body that let Men defend and supply it as they will it must be at last surrendered to Worms and Corruption to dwell in they are happy who timously make sure a House not made with Hands for their better part For they shall get this House again in a more glorious and durable condition For it is here clearly held forth that when Death approaches all the Officers and Servants of this great House shall be put from their Imployments In the day when the Keepers of the House shall tremble and the strong Men shall bow themselves 3. Men that are now acting Wickedness with both their Hands greedily making them Weapons of Unrighteousness whether to serve their own Lusts in Gluttony Drunkenness and other carnal ways or to wrong others by Oppression shedding of Innocent Blood and the like in which the hands are mainly Instrumental ought to be put in mind of this that there is a day certainly abiding them and swiftly coming upon them wherein these hands shall not be able to act after that manner nay not so much as to hold a Drink to their own Head for Trembling that by these and the like considerations they may be moved to make better use of them to stretch them often out in Works of Charity to lift them often up in Prayer and Praise and imploy them in such other lawful Exercises as may be comfortable to them in Death For every Branch of this description of the Decay of Mens Bodies ought to be improven for pressing the main use of preparation for Death and hath its own peculiar influence for that end so might Men have Peace and Comfort In the day when the keepers of the house shall Tremble 4. While Men are able to stand or walk it concerns them to look how they use their Legs that they be not Proud of their Strength while they have it that they imploy it not in walking after their Lusts but in running the way of Gods Commands And that they often bow their strong Men to God in Prayer for strength to other Duties so may they make sure to themselves that they shall have below them the everlasting Arms of him whose Legs are as Pillars of Marble and his Rod and Staff to support them in the Day that the strong Men how themselves For this part of the description to wit the decay of the Strength of the Legs requires some suitable preparation for it 5. As the Wisdom and goodness of God should be much acknowledged in giving Men such durable and fit instruments as their Teeth for grinding and preparing their Food and these same not be used in making Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof but in Eating for Strength to serve the Giver of them so while Men have the use of these they should look upon them as fading and consider that as they brought them not with them into the World so it is likely they should carry few of them hence if so be they live to Old Age And while these Grinders are able to Exerce their office Men should be careful to feed upon Jesus Christ the Bread of Life which their ordinary Food should represent and mind them of For this will be the true preparation for this Day When the Grinders cease because they are few 6. As Mens Bodily Eyes are to be highly prysed and Holily used in Reading the Word and beholding the Works of God for bringing into their Souls matter of His Praise and not to be made Emissaries for bringing in Temptations and fewel to Mens Lusts 1 Pet. 2.14 So while we injoy them we should often remember the time when we shall be deprived of them and by the thoughts thereof be moved to use them well considering that the abuse of them will make the want of them very grievous For the Preacher doth here mind Men of the Darkening of them as a motive to prepare for Death by the right use of them and to study to get the second sight which is Faith beholding him that is invisible reconciled thorow Christ so shall there be true Comfort In the Day when those that look out at the Windows shall be darkned Ver. 4. And the door shall be shut in the streets when the sound of the grinding is low and he shall rise up at the voice of the Bird and all the Daughters of Musick shall be brought low HE goes on to describe farther the dissolution of the Earthly House of our Tabernacle in several particulars whereof four are in this verse The First is The Shutting of the Doors in the Streets in which words there seems to be a Metaphore taken from the Custome of these Houses where sick persons are they keep the Doors which open toward the Streets closs that the Sick be not desturbed by any going out or coming in And it may signify this much in general that while Death is drawing near correspondence between the dying Man and the World is now given up as Men shut their Doors at night when they are making toward their rest and so the words have a truth literally in regard that visits become ordinarly a burden to Dying Men. The Doors also may be taken Metaphorically for these Organs or Instruments of the Body such as the Mouth Lips Throat and the like whereby Speech is conveyed to others and Meat passeth down to the Stomach These Doors are shut when the Dying Man becomes unable to put forth Speech or to make use of Meat and Drink As for the next expression when the sound of the Grinding is low There is in it also a Metaphore taken from the decay of the sound of Milns when the Water fails and it is most clear to understand this as holding forth the consequent of the ceasing of the Grinders spoken of in the former verse because the Teeth are few they make no such sound in breaking the Food as they were wont to do when the Man had Health and Strength And this according to the construction of the words in our translation hath connexion with the former as the cause of it the Doors formerly explained are shut where there is no power in the Teeth to prepare Food for
God who gave it SOlomon having at length described the Dissolution of the earthly House of our Tabernacle after Death He giveth here a summ of Mans future State after Death in reference to the two principal parts whereof he is made up And First For his Body which he calls Dust because it was Formed out of the Dust Gen. 2.7 and being separat from the Soul is the most vile and loathsome piece of Dust of any other he saith it returns to the Dust because it is ordinarly laid there to remain till the Resurrection and because it is in effect the same substance with it And Next For his more noble Part his Soul called here the Spirit because of the immaterial substance thereof and its Resemblance to God the Father of Spirits it returns to him who gave it There is no Ground to think he speaks only of the Souls of the Godly but rather of the common state of the Spirits of all Men after Death neither is there any necessity to think that therefore every Soul must go to Heaven seing the Scripture is so clear to the contrary But every Soul is said to return to God because in the very moment of its separation from the Body it must sist it self before him the Supream Judge to be eternally disposed of according to his pleasure who will sentence it according to the state it shall be found in at Death And these considerations also have great influence in exciting Men timously to make their peace with God that he may favourablie intertain their Spirits at Death and they may lay down their Bodies in the dust in hope of a Glorious Resurrection And this is the reference which this verse hath to the Scope exprest in the first words of the Chapter Hence Learn 1. Although our Bodies have some Beauty and Majesty imprinted on them while the Soul resides in them and they are acted by it for which cause they were set out by these excellent similitudes formerly mentioned yet of themselves they are but Dust and will appear when the Soul is separat from them to be very loathsome Clay the thought whereof should keep Men from being Proud of their Bodily Strength or Beauty Jer. 9.23 it should make them admire the Lords condescending to have correspondence with such Dust Gen 28.27 his Marvelous Art and Power in framing so Beautiful a piece of Work as our Bodies of the Dust Ps 139.24 especially his assuming so frail a Being as a human Body in a personal union with the Diety Ps 8.4 c. It should be made use of as a ground of Confidence to obtain pity and help from him to frail Dust Ps 103.14 And of submission to hardest Dispensations Isai 45.9 it should make us careful to get the Ornament of his Grace which makes base Dust truly Beautiful 1 Pet. 3.4 It should banish the fear of all flesh which is but Dust like our selves Isai 51.7.8 and shoul make us long for the time wherein Christ shall change our vile Bodies and make them like his Glorious Body Philip. 3.21 all which are the uses the Scripture makes of this consideration that we are Dust the Dust c. 2. The Bodies of Men at Death go not as their Spirits to that state wherein they must be Eternally but as they were at first taken out of the Earth so they must go thither for a time the Lord hath so ordered that whereby he may prove and Exercise his peoples Faith concerning the Resurrection For saith he The dust shall return to the Earth as it was 3. The Souls of Men die not nor go to Corruption as their Bodies do but subsist after their separation from the Body which should make Men careful to see to the Eternal well-being of them for Solomon here supposing the body or Dust to be gone to the Earth he speaks of the Soul or Spirit as now subsisting whereby it appears that the immortality of the Soul hath been Preached to the ancient Churches The Spirit returns to God who gave it 4. Men receive not their Souls from their Parents as they do their Bodies nor are they formed of any preexistent matter as the Spirits are which Beasts have Gen. 1.20 but are Created of nothing and immediatly infused into the Body by the Lord For saith the Preacher the Spirit shall return to God who gave it 5. Our Spirits are Gods free gift and therefore all the powers and faculties thereof ought to be imployed to the Honour of the Giver Rom. 11.26 He is to be depended on and acknowledged for the preservation of them Job 10 12. And all Crosses upon Body or Spirit to be submitted unto Heb. 12.9 For saith he The Spirit returns to God who gave it 6. As the Spirits of Men even the greatest on Earth are in Gods hand to be moved by him while they are in the Body as he pleases Prov. 21.1 So when they go out of the Body they must sist themselves before him to be disposed of at his pleasure who will throw the Spirits of the Wicked into the Lake that flames with Fire and Brimstone and will bind up the Spirits of the Godly as his Jewels in the bundle of Life for in reference to both this is verified The Spirit shall return to God who give it Ver. 8. Vanity of Vanities saith the Preacher all is Vanty IN this and the following Verses is contained the last part of the Chapter and the close of the whole Book wherein the Preacher doth briefly Summ up and by several Arguments commend the purpose contained in it which for Methods cause we may take up in four Articles or Heads of Doctrine The first which is in this Verse contains the Summ of the first Principal part of the Book namely that all Created things and human endeavours about them are vain or insufficient for leading a Man to his true Happiness And this having been frequently held out before is here necessarly Repeated that all may assent unto it as a Truth now abundantly proven and which the Preacher himself loved to meditate upon and writ again and again and with this Repeating of it he mentions his calling to be a Preacher as that which should gain weight to every Truth delivered by him and to this in particular Beside what hath been observed from this purpose before We may Learn 1. Necessary Truths must not be cast by after they are clear to us and sufficiently proven to be Truths by many Arguments neither will they become loathsome to a Holy Mind but ought to be intertained and meditate upon till we find motions sutable thereunto wakened in our Hearts and some Fruits in our practice answerable to them which may evidence we do truly know and believe them and the more clear such Truths are to a Gracious Sool the sweeter they will grow and the more delight will the Soul have to dwell upon them Therefore doth Solomon after he hath fully proven and cleared this Truth and
As 1. That it teacheth men by what tenure to hold and by what Rule on what occasions to improve their Worldly Inheritances And is that without which all outward Injoyments are but a Snare and a Curse to men and giveth them fair Opportunities and putteth them in a good Capacity of doing God Service in the World ver 11. 2. That by it Rich Incomes to the Soul from the Lord which truly deserve the name of profit do redound to the person indued with this Wisdom ver 11. 3. That it is a shelter from many evils and dangers especially Spiritual far above Money which is but a defence against outward dangers and that in some Cases only ver 12. And 4 Least by attributing to Money the like effect of being a defence with saving Wisdom he should seem to derogate from this saving Knowledge he shews that it excelleth Money and all other things in this That it is the means of conveying increasing and preserving Spiritual Life and the beginning and pledge of Eternal Life ver 12. VI. As a sixth Remedy against that anxiety and trouble of Spirit arising from the violence of Oppression the great hinderance of Mans true Happiness He doth direct to the right Improvement of the Lords Dispensations ver 12 to 21. Which he recommends to be done 1. By serious Consideration and pondering of them especially since what works God brings about contrary to Mans will and designs of obtaining Happiness in them cannot by Mans wit and power be altered or winded about to serve his fancied end of reaching a true Felicity in the Creatures ver 13. 2. By being suitably affected with the Lords various Dispensations in Prosperity to rejoyce with Thanksgiving in Adversity to consider seriously the procuring Causes of it Gods Mind and Ends in it and our Duty under it Especially since the Lord had ordered such a mixture and succession of these lots unto Man That though he had been called to the Council of it he could not have found out a better and nearer way to advance the Glory of God and carry on his own Happiness than these various Dispensations and his own right Improvement of them ver 14. 3. That since in his own short and sinful Life he had considerable Experience of these changes of Dispensations as ordinarily are most stumbling such as just Men falling before the wicked for Righteousness sake and wicked Men prospering in their sinful courses ver 15. He dehorteth from two Extremities incident to corrupt Nature upon occasion of these various ways of God The One is That Men would not affect or arrogate to themselves such a superlative Righteousness and Wisdom as to Censure these Works of God as not Wisely and Equitably carried on and as if they could manage them to better advantage And so by this affecting to be more Righteous and Wise than God bring Destruction upon themselves both by inward vexation when things fall out otherwayes than they imagine they should And by outward strokes from a provoked God for such insolent Censuring of his Dispensations ver 16. The Other is That upon the wicked prospering in his Wickedness they would not discover so much folly and want of saving Knowledge as to give or sell themselves to such a height of Impiety as ordinarily upon that occasion unrenewed Men run into And that because such a course may hasten their Death sooner than that time to which in humane probability by the course of Nature they might have attained ver 17. And 4. since the former Directions for the right use making of the Lords various Dispensations are the way to Fellowship with God in which a mans chief Good doth consist he exhorts that they would readily imbrace the Opportunities and continue in the practice them And that the rather because those who are Principled with the true Fear of God shall have a sure and sweet outgate even tho they fall before the Wicked as to their outward Concerns from all their Sufferings and Temptations ver 18. And upon this Occasion he falls again upon the commendation of Spiritual Wisdom partly from the Blessed effect thereof that it satisfies the person against the Trials and Temptations formerly mentioned beyond any humane help or strength ver 19. And partly from the readiness of men though both imputatively and inherently just even in their best Actions to miscarry without this saving Wisdom ver 20 And VII As the last Remedy against that anxiety of Mind by which true Content and Happiness is Impeded He recommends that People would not be very curious to hear or know much less revengefully resent what evil others rashly or passionatly speak of them ver 21. And that because as such curious Inquiries and revengeful Resentments may readily meet with undesired and unexpected Railings and Revilings from their own Domesticks and Relations ver 21 So men may be Conscious to themselves that even they themselves have spoken rashly and passionatly against others ver 22. The Second part of the Chapter from ver 23. to the end contains in it I A commendation of the former purpose concerning right judging and improving of Gods various Dispensations at deserving Consideration and Belief and that on the account 1 That it was his own Experience after serious Trial and Exercise of Spiritual Wisdom ver 23 3. That though he had been very desirous of and at great pains to get saving Knowledge yet had he not received that measure of it which was desired or attainable by him ver 23. 3. That the Providence of God in governing the World is so deep a Mystery that the shallow capacity of the Wisest of Men cannot comprehend it But must look on it as a Pearle lying in the bottom of the Sea or a precious thing at the outmost end of the Earth ver 24. And 4. That it may not be thought that his Ignorance in these deep Mysteries of Providence was affected He shews what earnest desires and diligent endeavours he had used not only to attain to the understanding of Gods mind in his Dispensations And to know not only the natural causes of things and the Lords holy Ends and Wise Reasons in the operations of his hands Put also to know the madness and folly of these sinful courses whereby most men think to attain to Happiness ver 25. Then II In this part of the Chapter having lamented his Short sightedness in these Mysterious ways of God notwithstanding his serious and diligent inquiry into them He giveth an account of some degrees of success he had of his pains As 1. That he had sadly found the evil of fulfilling the Lust of the Flesh Which he manifests Both by de cribing a Whoorish Woman from the Subtile and prevailing ways that she hath in alluring and detaining men Slaves to her Lusts And by affording some Arguments to deterr the hearts of all from yeelding to that sin of Uncleaness as being more grievous in its nature and effects then temporal Death as
being a sin which those that are in a singular way favoured of God and who delight in and study to please him either do not ordinarily fall in or being intangled do mercifully recover from And as being the woful punishment of other sins or Mens habituating themselves to and making a Trade of Sin and so deserving the name of Sinners in a high degree ver 26 2. That his calling of being a Preacher both fitting and obliging him to a particular survey and scrutiny into the several cases and conditions of persons that had made Provision for the Flesh to fulfil its Lusts he had by sad experience found very few examples in the Male sexe whereof himself was but one that were mercifully delivered out of that snare and of the Female sexe of all these Thousand Whorish Women 1 King 11.3 that had stollen away his heart or of all these tempting and enticing Women formerly described he had observed none of them what ever might be in the knowlege of God or others to be true penitents and brought out of that Snare of the Devil ver 27.28 And 3 That he had upon farther serious search found that as God had at first made man after his own Image indued with knowledge and Original Righteousness and so perfect or straight So also that all Adam's posterity naturally give themselves now to nothing so much as to use engines and artifices how to commit and palliat Sin to dishonour God and render themselves Miserable ver 29. CHAP. VII Ver. 1. A good name is better than precious Oyntment and the day of Death than the Day of ones Birth THE main scope of the Preacher in this Chapter being to discover more of the way to true Happiness and Contentment and to point out some Remedies of these Vexations incident to Men in this Life That all may be in Love with the Directions he is to give for these Ends he doth First commend a Good Name as that which is only attained by these who walk in the way afterward pointed out And Next he commends the Death of such as desirable also This Good Name here commended is not Credit among the Men of the World which is founded upon outward Excellencies Riches Honour and the like the Vanity whereof hath been formerly manifested and whereof those that are truly Blest are often deprived But it is an esteem with God founded upon his free Favour for so a good Name is explained by another Expression in a place parallel to this in this Preachers Writings Prov. 21.1 Where loving Favour which signifies the free good Will of God is put as Exegetick of a good Name And this carries along with it a deserved esteem in the minds of Spiritual Discerners founded upon Gods Grace evidenced in a Holy Life so that the Good Name here commended is that only which those have who are Christians indeed or the Anointed ones of the Lord who are Perfumed with the Graces of his Spirit appearing in their Humility Patience Heavenly Wisdom and other Exercises after mentioned And this he commends as better than the most Precious things in the World wherein worldly Men seek their Happiness of which one of the sweetest and most useful is here named for the rest And so in effect he commends Piety by commending the Sign or temporary reward of it and that in these terms which may be most taking with those who are most taken up with things worldly among which Credit or a Name is one of the chief Next He commends The day of Death namely the Death of such an one as is thus in esteem with God and deserves esteem among men as far to be preferred to the Day of ones Birth He mentions not the Reasons of this preference supposing the Advantages that the Godly have by the one and the Disadvantages that all have by the other to be easily condescended upon some whereof are touched in the Doctrines Hence Learn 1. This Heavenly Policy is necessary in a Minister of Christ who would ingage mens Hearts to fall in Love with the way to true Happiness to commend what is to be found in that way under the Names of these things which Carnal men are most in Love with And this may be safely done seing what ever it be that any are in Love with the same may be truly found in Fellowship with God If it be Riches men seek in him and his Fellowship they may find Durable Riches and Righteousness Prov. 8.18 If Pleasure they may Drink of the River of his Pleasures Psal 36.8 And if it be Credit they may have A Name better than Oyntment For so doth Solomon here commend the way of Holiness by commending the temporary Reward of it under the name of that which naturally Men most affect A good Name is better than c. 2. Although all that take themselves to the way of Holiness may expect Reproach and Disgrace for their so doing from the profane World 1 Pet. 4.4 Yet they may be sure of a Name and Esteem with God and with such as are truly Wise For Solomon here commends a Good Name as that which all shall have who take them to the way pointed out afterward A good Name is better than c. 3. Although the Godly should die to their worldly Credit and not haunt after vain Glory Gal. 5.26 Yet such a Name or Esteem even among Men as is obtained by evidencing the Graces of God Heb. 11.2 By an humble and holy Walking and such as may keep them in Capacity to do Service to God and Good to Others Prov. 22.4 May be desired and sought after for such a Name is here commended as desirable A good Name is better than c. 4. To have such a Name or Esteem with God and to have his Grace so lively in our Hearts as we may be refreshful to Others and fitted for Healing of their Wounds and Distempers is a Case more to be prized and sought after than the most Precious things in the World such a Name will never rot though the Savour of it may be held in for a time it will still break through the thickest cloud of Calumnies and Reproaches For this comparative way of commending a good Name by preferring it to Precious Oyntment imports it to have a resemblance thereunto in respect of the Fragrancy and Medicinal Vertue thereof and to have something above it which is mainly the perpetuity of it A good Name is better than precious Oyntment 5. A good Name or esteem among men is not to be sought so much for what our selves have by it as because it makes us Savoury and Refreshful to others and particularly because it makes us the more fit for healing of their Spiritual Distempers as is imported in Solomons preferring it to Precious Ointment which must be taken in reference to the proportional effects of both A good Name is better than precious Ointment 6. Only those have a Good Name deservedly so called