much the rather that long life and all the comforts of it if they be not sanctified and well improven are as empty of true Satisfaction as they are ineffectual in order to procuring true Happiness being but vanity ver 8. And 2. He doth more particularly press home this exhortation of tymous and serious preparation for Death on young men who ordinarly mind nothing less and are violent in pursuit of their lusts and pleasures ver 9.10 Where He offers to these young men 1. His Council spoken by an Irony which is a figure in a Holy manner mocking their sinful jovialty incident to youth ver 9. 2. He gives them a sad check to stay their sinful mirth by perswading them of the certainty Severity Strickness and Terribleness of a day of Judgement which allarum he gâ—ves them very hoâ—e and particular by Thou and Thee ver 9. And Thirdly He draweth a Conclusion from all ver 10. Wherein he presses the exhortation from several motives That in the end the neglect of it will be grief to the Heart hurtful to the Body and an evidence of great vanity intimating that as neglect of duty and sinful courses tho' pleasant will be grief to the Soul and trouble to the Body so youth is a very slippery time and obnoxious to many vain and foolish courses CHAP. XI Ver. 1. Cast thy Bread upon the Waters for thou shalt find it after many days 2. Give a portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the Earth IN the first part of this Chapter Solomon presseth the duty of Charity or Liberality to the Poor as one step of the way to true Felicity And this he doth First in borrowed Terms Cast thy Bread upon the waters whether we take the Metaphor or Similitude made use of in the words for clearing of the Duty to be borrowed from Merchants who adventure their Estates upon the Waters or the Sea expecting a rich In-come Isa 23.3 Or from the Husbandman who casts his Seed upon the Land so well watered that he seems to cast it upon the Water Deut. 11.10 11. Isa 32.20 in hope of a good Crop or Harvest under which Metaphor Charity is frequently prest in Scripture 2 Cor. 9.6 Gal. 6.8 Or by Waters understand the Poor because what is given to them seems to be lost as if it were cast into the Sea and we are to look upon them as Waters that pass away and never return to give us Thanks for our Charity it is all one as to the purpose in hand For it is clear that Charity and Beneficence to the Poor is the Duty here prest and the supply to be given them is called Bread because in Scripture all that is necessary for humane Life is ordinarly comprehended under that name Mic. 7.12 Mat. 6.11 And because Bread is most necessary for the Poor and most common among all to be distribute and this Bread must be properly their own who give it The First Reason whereby this Duty is pressed is taken from the gracious Reward promised to the Performers of it For saith he after many days thou shalt find it not as if the same very thing which is given in Charity would return again to the Giver but as the Husband-man is said to get his Seed again though he get not the same Grains which he did sow So the Lord doth assure liberal persons that they shall not be Losers by their Liberality but shall get their own with Increase either in the same kind if He see it fit to bring them to poverty or in a better seing they have lent to Him He will repay though He do not presently give the Harvest after the Seed time Ver. 1. Next He presseth the same Duty in more proper terms Give a portion to seven and also to eight where a definit number is put for an indefinit which is a form of Expression frequent in Scripture Job 5.19 Mica 5.5 and the meaning is that we must not be wearied out of our Charity by the multitude of the Poor while the Lord continues His Liberality to us only he calls it a Portion because it ought to be proportioned to the number of these that call for our Charity And he gives a second Reason to press the same Duty taken from the uncertainty of what Calamities may come Thou knowest not what evil may be upon the Earth The meaning whereof is thou knowest not how soon thou mayest be deprived of Ability or Opportunity to do good with what thou hast and put to live thy self upon the Charity of others Hence Learn 1. Though our Charity or Liberality to the Poor cannot merit any thing from the Lord seing we can only give what He hath first freely given to us 1 Chron. 29.16 Luk. 17.10 yet the same is a step of the way to Felicity wherein the Lord will have His People to walk And therefore he who would use the outward Blessings of this Life so as his true Happiness may be promoved thereby must not only have a Heart to use them liberally and cheerfully so far as may consist with Sobriety and Holiness for his incouragement in his Masters service but he must also have a Heart to give out a part thereof to others in necessity For Solomon having frequently prest the former in order to Mans Happiness he comes here to press the latter in order to the same end as is clear by referring this to his general Scope which is to direct miserable Man in the right way to his true Felicity Cast thy Bread upon the Waters 2. Though the Lords People have the only true Riches consisting in Knowledge Wisdom and the like yet the Lord sees it fit that many of them be very poor as to the World and destitute of outward Injoyments not having so much of their own often times as Bread to eat or Raiment to put on that He may try others Charity and respect to His Commands the faith and patience of his own and may evidence that these outward things are not his best Gifts For it is supposed in this Exhortation that there will be many very poor among His dearest people whose supply He mainly calls for here and promises largely to Reward while he saith Cast thy Bread upon the Waters and give a portion to seven and also to eight 3. The Lord doth not make all His people alike Poor at once in things worldly but while some want Bread and other Necessaries comprehended under it there are others who have the same and may spare some of it for the supply of others as is likeways supposed in this Exhortation Cast thy Bread upon the Waters 4. Though humane Laws do not ordinarly injoin Charity and so do not punish for neglect of it yet Gods holy Law doth such is His respect to His Poor that He pleads for them with the Rich and consequently will plead in displeasure against the Rich if they respect not this Command
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
sound Truths in the general but they must also take pains to reckon out and insist upon particular instances wherein the Truth of what they deliver is verified that so the Lords People by the ordinary occurences of His Providence and Dispensations with them may be minded of what they have heard and in these may see the Truth of the same For here this Divine Preacher worthy to be imitate by all Ministers being guided by the Spirit of the Lord doth not think it enough to hold out that Truth That there is a season and set time for every thing and purpose and so leave it to People to apply the same to the particular passages of Gods providence along their life but for their help He condescends upon twenty eight particular Dispensations the Times and Seasons whereof are set and fixed There is a time to be born and a time to dy a time to plant c. 2. As their will still be variety of Changes and a mixture of Sour and Sweet in the Lords Dispensations with the Children of men in this Life it being proper for the other Life to be without any change or mixture so the consideration of the better and worse thereof ought to be joined in our thoughts and the one set against the other that what is comfortable may be possest humbly thankfully and with preparation for a change and what is sad may be submitted unto since we have had sweeter and may have hope of a change to the better again Therefore are these pairs or couples of instances made up of sadder and sweeter Dispensations as that which is the Lot of men in this Life and which ought jointly to be considered for our use There is a time to be born and a time to dy a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted 3. These Events which are most certain to us as to the ordinary time of their existence and these also which being altogether uncertain for the particular time of them and are yet certainly known to fall out are ordinarly most slighted by us as to the consideration of the Lords timing of them and yet would be most usef â— for us to consider For here the time of Birth which ordinarly after the Conception is certainly known and the time of Death which though it be unknown is most certainly known as to the futurition of it are first condescended upon as things we do most readily slight and things most useful to be considered as they fall under the determination of Providence for the time of them There is a time to be born and a time to dy 4. The particular time of every ones entry into the World hath been from Eternity fixed and condescended upon by the Lord and the same ought to be seriously considered by all that are born of Women both in Reference to their own Birth and others especially these who are Born to them that they may look upon all the comfortable passages of Providence which they come to understand as encouragments to serve the Lord and upon all the sad passages they have met with as these whereunto they are Born and which therefore they should indure patiently Job 14.1 That they may be thankful to Him who preserved them or theirs in the Womb Psal 139 13. And brought them safely thence Psal 22.9 with the right proportion Psal 139.15 16. And did not make the Womb their Grave that these who have none Born unto them may reverence him who gives and withholds the fruit of the Womb as he thinks fit Psal 127.3 For such considerations of the Time of Birth are useful to that which is Solomons Scoâ—â— There is a time to be born c. 5. As it is appointed for all Men once to Dy Heb. 9.27 So the period of every mans Life and consequently the manner of his Death is fore-determined by the Lord The consideration thereof as it ought not to make any careless of the use of lawful means for prolonging their Life that they may do God Service in their Generation so it ought to be seriously minded by the Godly for guarding their hearts against the fear of Death from men who seek their Life for their fidelity to Christ Psal â—1 15 for stirring them up to live in constant expectation of Death Job 14.14 and Readiness for it 1. Cor. 15.31 And should make them look upon all their Earthly Enjoyments as things from which Death will separate them For both to work the hearts of the Godly to contentment with thier Lot and to wean all hearts from seeking things earthly as their portion is this as also the rest of the Instances here given There is a time to dy 6. The Lord hath in His hand the planting of Countreys and Kingdoms whether formerly not inhabited or by His Judgements wasted and depopular and likewise of planting Churches in these with Faithful Ministers and Ordinances and the Time is set wherein he will do so The thoughts whereof ought not to hinder mens indeavours but to cherish their hopes did the case seem never so desperat and move them to follow their Duty with dependance upon Him who hath from Eternity fixed a Time to plant 7. Though all the works of the Lord be perfect as to the end intended by Him Deut. 32.4 Yet He may for wise ends interrupt and overturn for a time his begun work which He doth according as He did from Eternity resolve and only at that time which He himself had fixed The consideration whereof as it may guard the hearts of His Own against mens fury and threatnings who cannot pluck up what he hath planted till He order them to do so So it should make them use well their injoyments of what sort soever they be beware beware of these sins which may provock Him to exercise them with so sad a Dispensation and when He doth it to search out and mourn for the procuring causes thereof and not to cross His purpose manifested in that Dispensation by seeking great things for themselves Jer. 45.4 For There is a time to pluck up that which is planted Verse 3. A time to kill and a time to heal a time to break down and a time to build up HEre are other Four Instances of those Dispensations of the Lord which being considered as under the dominion of His Providence especially for the timing of them serve much to quiet the Hearts of the Godly under all changes of their condition and to wean the Hearts of all from seeking Happipiness in this earth where so many changes are which is Solomons Scope here still to be remembred and applyed to all these Instances The first Two may be taken in reference to mens persons and the other to their outward Estates and injoyments whatsoever And so the Killing here spoken of is to be understood of such sad corrections as the Lord sees fit should be inflicted upon the bodies or Spirits of men such as seem
going about it The other doth in some measure know both as Solomon asserted in the close of the former Verse For that which he called Judgement before he calls now that which shall be which according to the Hebrew Dialect is put for that which should be and makes the ignorance of this peculiar to the Man destitute of Saving Knowledge as the cause of much Misery upon him The misery of Man is great upon him for he knows not what shall be 5. It is the misery of Man void of Saving Knowledge that being ignorant of what shall be he hath nothing to give him true Comfort against what may be and against what he is apt to apprehend shall be and so must vex himself with his own Apprehensions And it is the comfortable Priviledge and Happiness of the Man indued with Saving Wisdom that though he be ignorant of future Events yet he doth in some measure know what is his Duty under and what is his sutable Consolation against the worst that can fall out For it is here set down as the cause of much Misery peculiar to the Man destitut of Saving Knowledge that He knows not what shall be which cannot be taken simply for his ignorance of future Events seing the Godly Man is ignorant of these but that he knows not what is his Duty and that he is so ignorant of what shall be as that he hath no sutable Comfort against what may be and what he apprehends shall fall out His misery is great upon him for he knows not what shall be 6. The Man that is not taught of God and makes not Saving Knowledge from the Word and Spirit of God his study is one that no Man can inform all the Men in the World are to him as if they were ignorant as himself For this last Question Who can tell him when it shall be is not as if there were none that could inform him of Times and Seasons so far as is fit for him to know for there are such to be found but because he himself is void of Saving Knowledge and doth not imploy Christ to open his blind Eyes and because he cannot receive instruction from any therefore he speaks of him as if there were none to tell him that which might prevent his Misery And who can tell him when it shall be Ver. 8. There is no Man that hath power over the Spirit to retain the Spirit neither hath he power in the day of Death and there is no discharge in that war neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it THe Preacher giveth here a farther Argument for the study of Heavenly Wisdom and proveth the Misery of them that are destitut of it The Argument is taken from the necessity of the Death of all Men which though it be true of both good and bad yet it is here spoken of as a peculiar Misery upon those that are destitut of saving knowledge they being both unwilling to dy and unprepared for Death and having nothing to comfort them against it as the Godly have The words may be looked upon as one special instance of these Events spoken off in the words immediatly preceeding whereof no Man can know the time and may be taken with a special Reference to the foregoing purpose as an Argument to disswade Men from Rashness in hazarding themselves under the stroak of humane Justice from Magistrates and to move them for that end to keep themselves within the bounds of their Duty toward them seing as he hath shewn before they have power to reach Men easily that provoke them and being once apprehended and Sentence past against them there is no power in them to retain their Life But it seems most agreeable the Scope to take the words more largely as an Argument to evidence Heavenly Wisdom by timeous preparing for Death because of the necessity of it and this he sets forth in three Expressions The First that man hath no power over the Spirit to retain it may be understood of mans Impotency to retain his Soul or Breath as the word Spirit is in the Original which is often held out in Scripture by this name Jam 2.22 And that relating to the moment when Gods time is come to call for it no Man then hath power to keep it longer in the Prison as the word Retain signifies The Second Neither hath he power in the day of Death may be understood of Mans Inability about the time of his Death not only to resist Death but to do any necessar Duty he hath ordinarily no power for any Action toward that time The meaning of the Third There is no Discharge in that War is that Man can Discharge no Weapons to weaken the force of Death for the word Discharge signifies Emission or sending forth as it is used Ps 78.49 as Men casts Darts or discharge Musquets or the like Engines of War they have no Arrows to shoot at Death Or there is no Dimission of this charge no forelose as the common word is to shift this Combate which Men must have with Death Thus he sets out the necessity of it and Mens Impotency to shift it And because wicked Men who by many sinful shifts put by hazards yea Death it self for a time which as they think would have come if they had not followed these Courses do think themselves in a manner in Covenant with Death that it must spare them while the Godly perisheth in his uprightness as Solomons expression is before therefore that he may terrify and reclaim such he doth assure all whether Magistrats or Subjects that none of their wicked Courses wherein they are restless and whereunto they have wedded themselves shall be able to prevent their Death or prolong their Life as the last words of the verse signifie Doct. 1. All the Prudence Power and Policy of Men all the Creature Comforts the Cordials and preservatives of Life that Men may provide and use cannot keep in the Immortal Soul in the Body a moment longer then Gods time is come to call for it Man hath some power over his Spirit to turn it while his Life lasts to restrain it from many things he lets it out upon and to put it upon many better things but he hath no power to keep it beyond the Moment fixed by the Lord for taking his Spirit into his hand to dispose of it eternally as he pleases For saith he no Man hath power over the Spirit to retain the Spirit 2. Man should so exercise his witt in the study of Reconciliation with God while he hath any power over the Motions of his own Spirit and should so spend his affections the desires and delights of his Soul upon things of a spiritual and eternal concernment for the Glory of God and the good of his own Soul that he may be every Moment ready to let his Spirit go willingly and to resign it into the hands of the Father of Spirits who gave it
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
for more as from his Watchfulness and giving good heed ver 9. As from his orderly digesting of his matter ver 9. so from his dexterity in reducing Purposes to short and grave Sentences or Proverbs ver 9. 2. From the Qualities of the Doctrine by him delivered ver 10. viz. The desirableness of the words and matter ver 10. The approvableness and uprightness of the purpose ver 10. And the firmness and truth thereof ver 10. All which commend his Doctrine as being Desirable to move the Affection Upright to reform and direct the Practice and True to inform the Judgement and perswade Belief And 3. He commends the purpose of this Book 1. From the Efficacy of it with reference not only to the Doctrine revealed in this Book but to all Truth in general ver 11. As being powerful to excite as a Goad people to their Duty ver 11 and to establish and fix Men as Nails in the ways of God ver 11. And 2. From the authority of it as being given by and derived from Christ Jesus the one Shepherd ver 11. And 3. In the conclusion of this Book and Purpose he exhorteth to the right Improvement of it and the purposes therein ver 12. Wherein 1. He giveth his Readers a loving compellation of a Son thereby to insinuat upon their affections ver 12. 2 He shews the right use of these words and purposes even to be admonished by them ver 12. And 3. He presseth this by two Reasons the 1. is That if Men follow not these Directions they will be endless and fruitless as in writing many Books in their Inquiries after other things and ways And the 2 Reason is from the sad effect even to the flesh of these vain Imaginations and Enquiries ver 11. Yea 4 In this Conclusion of the Book he giveth the Scope of all this Doctrine delivered ver 13. which 1. He presseth on his own Heart and the Hearts of others ver 13. 2. He branches out the substance of his whole Doctrine in two Duties the 1. is the Fear of God The 2. is the Keeping of His Commandements ver 13. And 3. He presseth these Duties by two Arguments the first whereof is in this ver 13. As being the short summ of all that God requireth of and worketh in Man and wherewith they should be wholly imployed ver 13. The second Reason whereby the study of those great Duties is pressed is taken from the certainty terriblness and exactness of the last Judgement contained in ver last And therefore whoever design to be truly Happy should forbear the following of lying Vanities within time and give themselves to the study and exercise of â—earing God and keeping His Commandements wherein true preparation for Death and Eternity does consist CHAP. XII Ver. 1. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days come not nor the years draw neigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them THe Scope of this Heavenly Preacher in the first part of this Chapter being to stir up Men to make timous preparation for Death and Judgement he doth in this verse First press that Exercise which mainly fits Men for appearing before their Judge in these words Remember thy Creator Whereby according to the frequent use of the word in Scripture is meant that Men should labour to intertain such clear thoughts of the properties of God particularly his power and terrour Neh. 4.14 His grace and love Cant. 1.4 as use to be blest for leading Men to Repentance Ps 22.27 drawing their hearts to trust in the Lord Ps 20 7. and ingaging them to his praise Ps 97.12 and to all duties of new obedience Deut. 8.11 and while he presseth this Exercise on Men he represents the Lord to them as Creator not to exclude other considerations of him as useful to be remembred by them but because under this consideration he is naturally known to Men and the same is very effectual for moving them to live to him from whom they have their being and constantly to depend upon him from whom they have their daily preservation which is to them a continued Creation Next He points out the season fittest for the discharge of of this duty and that is the present Now and especially the days of Mens youth not as if these who have never gone about this duty till Youth be past were not here spoken to but because the time of Mens Youth is of all other the fittest for that Exercise And Thirdly He presseth the present use making of this opportunity by a reason which is much inlarged in the following words taken from the sad times which every Man may expect under Sickness and Old Age and this he sets forth in two expressions The one is while the evil days come not whereby he means the days of Affliction which are called by that name elsewhere in Scripture Ps 49.5 The other is and the years wherein thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them whereby is meant the time of the long continuance of trouble which every man should prepare for toward the evening of his Life in which neither sinful pleasures nor the most lawful earthly delight shall be sweet to men but they shall be forced to express as they shall be able their loathing of the same and therefore seing all men ought to expect such a time as this before them it is every mans Wisdom to study that which may yeild true pleasure and comfort to his heart in the worst times that can come and that is only Gods favour and fellowship to be found in the way of his fear and obedience afterward recommended Hence Learn 1. It is not the naked contemplation or bare notions of God and his properties that will prepare men rightly for Death or yeild them true comfort at that time but it is the Heart-affecting and practical meditation of him whereby men cherish such thoughts of him as draw forth their affections upon him and make them frame their walk to his Honour for that is the force of the original word both according to the propriety of the original language and the use of it in Scripture as was cleared in the Exposition Remember thy Creator 2. Though there be no consideration of God under which the Scripture holds him out which is not useful and profitable fore us yet these of his soveraignity and omnipotency which the Relation of a Creator offers to reasonable Creatures should be most frequently cherished especially by men who have strong passions and Lusts to be mortified and great discouragements to graple with in the way of their duty that so they may take him up as One able easily to subue these Lusts and make a new Creation upon their Souls or if they continue voluntary Slaves to them able to destroy them being their Creator and if they give themselves up to his obedience able to bear them thorow all difficulties 1 Pet. 4.19 and to creat
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
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