this counsell As the people said to the blind man Arise he calleth thee Mark 10.49 so here God accepteth the first ripe fruits Micah 7.1 He taketh it then so kindly that he wil after pass by many backslidings Jer. 2.2 with ch 3 1 2 3. It is the ornament of youth of young men of maids Jer. 2.32 Means by which God useth to heale such First attention to the word Psal 119.9 Prov. 8.34 Secondly mourning for stubbornness and prayer for converting grace Jer. 31.18 19. Thirdly abandoning of bad company Psal 119.115 Fourthly Reforming known evils upon reproofe Prov. 1.23 Eccles 12. part of v. 1. While the evil dayes come not nor the yeers draw nigh wherein thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them THese words begin a description first of the wearisom evils of old age from the latter part of this verse to the end of the sixt Secondly of death v. 7. And both of them brought in as a double strong motive to urge young men in their youth to remember their Creator This former Reason is taken from the support and remedy which the remembrance of our Creator in the daies of our youth will give to the evils of old age v. 1 to 6. The latter from our dissolution and return to God in death v. 7. Doctr. The decayes of old age are evil and unpleasant times and old age it selfe will so acknowledge it 2 Sam. 19.35 and yet he was of the better sort of old men and very well provided of all helps v. 32. and as then but 80. yeers old Gen. 47.9 Psalm 90.10 The evils of old age are partly 1. Naturall First in the estate The losse of dearest friends and acquaintance Gen. 37.34 35. 42.36 And contempt of younger people Job 30.1 12 13. Secondly in the body Dimnesse and decay of all the senses 2 Sam. 19.34 35. And manifold pains and aches and diseases incident to that age 2. Morall first seeking wealth greedily yet loth to use it Secondly slow and cold in proceedings yea timorous and fearfull yet chasing at others backwardness Thirdly hard to be pleased himselfe and as hard to please others Fourthly complaining of present times but praising former daies of old which the old men of those daies as much complained of as he of these 3. Spirituall First Ignorance Secondly uncapablenesse ' and untractableness to be taught or admonished Eccles 4.13 Thirdly pride of spirit Fourthly deceitfulnesse Fifthly impenitency through custome and hardning in sinne and self-conceit Reason 1. From sins of youth Job 20.11 Reason 2. From the vanity of all creature-comforts which must fade Isai 40.6 Reason 3. From the necessity of ripening in that age either for hell or heaven Job 5.26 in the autumne of our age Reason of old mens acknowledgement of it From their querulous and discontented spirit Doctr. 3. The remembrance of God in the daies of youth is a comfortable Preservative against the evil and unplesant times of age For as an antidote against this evil Solomon prescribeth this Hence the age of Abraham and David are called a good old age Gen. 25.8 1 Chron. 20 28 Reason 1. From the blessing of good old age removing and healing the contrary evils 1. Naturall first in the estate Friends not lost but gone before and we haste after them A Crown of glory instead of contempt Prov. 16.31 Secondly in the body The power and life of faith to put strength in weaknesse health in sikness ease in pain Hebr. 11.34 Josh 14.10 The benefit of Gods feare Prov. 3.7 8. 2. Morall and spirituall Corruptions now more mortified then ever 2 Tim. 4.7 Grace more lively powerfull and fruitfull Psalm 92.14 2 Cor. 4.16 Heaven as an haven in view seasoning and sweetning all 2 Tim. 4.8 Reason 2. From the gracious and powerfull presence of God to support them in age whom he hath guided in youth Esay 46.3 4. Vse 1. To set on Solomons counsell upon young men to be the more mindfull of their Creator in the daies of their youth to finde the evils of old age either more fully removed or more easily borne If young men neglect this duty in their best times they will be far more indisposed in their evil daies Vse 2. To provoke such as are entring upon old age to be more sollicitous of remembring God and themselves seeing they are hasting fast into these evils It is a just reproofe to such as take no notice of decayes of nature See the simile Hos 7.9 Vse 3. To enforce carnall old men to redeem the opportunities that are lost The evil of the times Paul maketh a motive to this duty Ephes 5.15 16. Eccles 12.2 to 7. 2 While the sun or the light or the moon or the stars be not darkened nor the clouds return not after the rain 3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble and the strong men shall bow themselves and the grinders cease because they are few and those that look out of the window be darkened 4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets when the sound of the grinding is low ane he shall rise up at the voice of the bird and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low 5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high and feare shall be in the way and the almond tree shall flourish and the grashopper shall be a burden and desire shall faile because man goeth to his long home and the mourners go about the streets 6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed or the golden bowl be broken or the Pitcher be broken at the fountain or the wheele broken at the cistern SOlomon having stiled old age an evil and unpleasant time v. 1. he now proceedeth to describe more particularly the decayes and infirmities of nature in old men which make their daies evil and unpleasant which are of three sorts First some such as befall the former part of old age whilst as yet they are able to goe abroad verse 2. to part of the fifth Secondly some of decrepit old age when death is very neer approaching and themselves drawing on fast to it Latter part of v. 5. with v. 6 7. Thirdly Death it selfe v. 7. The decayes and infirmities of old age whilst as yet they are able to walk abroad be First the darknesse of the lights about them whether naturall as Sunne light of the day when the Sunne is under a cloud Moon Stars or artificiall lights as Candles Torches c. This darkness commeth not from the decay of those lights but from the dimness of our sight whence need of spectacles I doe not understand this to be a description of adversity for though darknesse be often put for adversity and light for prosperity yet we read not of the Sunne Moon and Stars put together for prosperity nor the darknesse of them put for adversity Secondly The returning of the clouds after rain is an allusion to the winterly state of old age In Summer
out And yet whilest there is life in the body both water and sand passe through little veines into the bladder So by the like secret passages doth the Cisterne of the Stomacke convey phlegme to the Lungs even to the stifling of them And upon this stoppage of the Lungs with phlegme that the wheele cannot turne the Aire or breath up and downe in and out followeth rutling in the Throat breaking off the motion of the Lungs and so death suddenly followeth Doctr 1. The wisdome of God would have young men to take particular and special notice of the decayes and infirmities of old age and by all and every of them to be stirred up to the remembrance of their Creator in the dayes of their youth Solomon the eldest son of wisdome reckoneth up these infirmities of Age not to shew his skill but to teach us to discerne these and to provoke us by every one of them and much more by all together to remember our Creator early Reason 1. From our backwardnesse to take notice of these decayes in our selves much lesse in others and most of all in our young time when there are no cords in our death Hos 7.9 Reason 2. From the unlistinesse and undisposednesse of old age to attend spiritual duties in the midst of bodily infirmities As in Aaron in like bitternesse Levit. 10.19 And in the Israelites in anguish Exod. 6.9 Reason 3. From the unsupportable wearisomnesse of these evils unto old age when it is not eased and supported by grace Vse 1. To shew us the many bitter fruits of the sin of our first Parents even to our bodies 1. Death 2. Strong cords to Death Vse 2. To teach us both the lessons Solomon here calleth upon us to learne 1. The remembrance of these infirmities 2. The remembrance of our Creator by them and that in our youth before they befal us in age Object But what can these crosses and the remembrance of them doe to a kindly worke of conversion They are all but punishments of sin and so sanctions of the law and the law maketh nothing perfect Heb. 7.19 Answ First Yet no commandement of God is vaine when the spirit coworketh Secondly These infirmities as the law it selfe drive us to Christ Gal. 3.24 And he 1. Taketh away our sins John 1.29 2. Beareth our infirmities Matth. 8.17 Psal 103.3 and he supporteth us in them Isai 46.4 40 28. to 31. 3. He reneweth the inner man with proportionable strength and comfort 2 Cor. 4.16 Vse 3. To comfort godly old men in that God taketh particular notice of all our decayes and infirmities Eccles 12.7 7. Then shall the dust returne to the Earth as it was and the spirit shall returne unto God who gave it COherence see in verse 2. In these words are set forth First The first and last condition of the body in regard of its material cause Dust returneth to the Earth out of which it was taken Secondly The first and last condition of the soul in regard of the efficient cause and disposing hand The spitit returneth to God that gave it Meaning Dust By a Metonimy of the material cause for the effect Dust for mans body made of Dust Gen. 2.7 Returne to the Earth First By burial in the Earth after the manner of the Jewes Though in burning and drowning it finally returneth to Dust to Earth also Secondly By rotting in the Grave and dissolving to Earth at last Spirit Soule as being here opposed to the body Returturneth to God Not every soul to dwell with him for here the speech is of all men but to be disposed of by him for his final estate That gave it First By breathing it into his face at the first Creation Secondly By forming every soul of a sinful matter of the soules of the Parents or of the spirituous part of their seed Zach. 12.1 Doctr. 1. As our bodies being made of Dust doe in Death reture to Dust so our soules being given us of God returne againe to God Gen. 2.7 The body is made not of the heart of the Earth that is rich in mettals nor of the soyle of the Earth that is rich in fruits nor of the sand of the Earth which is profitable for Ballast for houre-glasses or for a Sea bound Jer. 5.22 but of the dust of the Earth which of all the rest is most unprofitable like unsavoury Salt Matth. 5.13 Stones are firme matter Clay tough but dust easily dislipated and scattered with every blast of winde Object But is not our body mixt of the foure Elements Answ Yes Reason 1. For all these are found in us our spirits are fiery our breath is airy our bloud and humours watery our flesh and bones muscles and sinewes have much Earthly matter in them Reason 2. We are nourished by all these Elements Reason 3 We are dissolved into all these Elements But yet God first tooke dust then wetted it and made Clay of it and fashioned it into the forme of humane body hence Job 4.19 The first foundation and matter was dust clay made of it and our bodies of clay Dust only is expressed as being first and predominant Vse 1. For instruction to all men First To behold Gods wonderful power wisdome and goodnesse who out of a dust-heap hath formed such a curious and glorious worke Psal 139.14 All the Divels in hell cannot suddenly make a Louse of dust Exod. 8.18 19. and Moses and Aaron did make but Lice of dust verse 17. Secondly To be lowly and humble-minded especially when we come in Gods presence Gen. 18.27 Isai 45.9 1 Kings 8.27 Secondly To be mindful of our mortality Gen. 3.19 every blast of Gods displeasure scattereth our dusty Tabernacle even of great men Isaiâ— 40.15 23 24. And therefore to remember our Creator and prepare for a change Eccles 12.1 7. Vse 2. For comfort to the godly First He will not deal with us after our sinnes Psal 103.13 14. Secondly To encourage us against the feare of men whom the moth shall chavel to dust Isai 51.7 8. To strengthen our faith in Gods power to raise us 1. Out of outward abasement 1 Sam. 2.8 2. Out of inward abasement Psal 119.25 And 3. out of the grave Dan. 12.2 Our bodies shall returne to dust that is they shall dye corrupt and returne to dust Gen. 3.19 hence Job 17.13 14 21 26 24 20. It so falleth out to great men Psal 82.7 and meane wise men and fooles Psal 49.10 rich men and poore Psal 49.10 16 17. good men and bad Psal 30.9 and all men Job 30 23. Isai 40.6 7. except onely Christ who saw no corruption and so no dust Acts 2 31. and such as remaine alive at the last day 1 Cor. 15.51 1 Thes 4.17 Reason 1. From the wages of sin Rom. 15.12 c. Reason 2. To root out the root of sin Rom. 6.7 Original sin is fitly compared by Epiphanius to a wilde Fig Tree rooted in the joynts of the stone-wall of
are comming after this life ended are many Secondly That all the future time and work wil be but vanity v. 8. The light is sweet and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to behold the Sunne light is a Periphrasis of this naturall life Job 3.20 so here As who should say life is sweet and so they that behold the Sun are put for men living in this world Eccles 7.11 And here both are put in opposition to the daies of darkness after this life ended which are daies of death and buriall Doctr. Though life be sweet and to some men long yea and comfortable all their daies yet let them remember that the daies which are comming are many both of darknesse and vanity The sweetnesse of death is argued by even Peters lothness to die even when an aged Christian and the cause of death is honourable and gratefull John 21.18 Daies of death and buriall are daies of darkness Job 10.21 22. And in hell the darkness is extream and everlasting the darkness is outward or extream Matth. 22.13 notwithstanding the fire Matth. 25.41 as a fire of Brimstone Esay 30 33. Reason of lifes sweetnesse First from many desireable comforts which we enjoy in this life congruous and suitable to all our senses and to all our affections Secondly from the intimate union of soule and body so as they both make but one person Hence lothnesse to part we will lose any member to save head and heart or any vitall part Some men spend their daies in prosperity Job 21.13 Reason 1. From the reward of godliness Prov. 3.16 Reason 2. From the patience and bounty of God to evil men Gen. 25.17 Reasons why the daies of darknesse and vanity are many First from their continuance to the resurrection in the end of the world Joh 14.12 Secondly from the ignorance and oblivion of all things in the grave Psal 88.12 6.5 Thirdly from the disappointment of any labour all that time Eccles 9.10 Psal 30.9 This to be remembred words of sense in the Hebrew are understood with affection and action so this word Eccles 12.1 which implieth here 1. Continuall mindfull knowledge of it 2. So to be affected with care and conscience of it as that it may take deeper impression in us then all the transient cares and comforts of this naturall life whereof though the daies be many yet not so many 3. So to provide in this life as that when our bodies shall sleep in darkness yet our soules may enjoy the light and comfort of everlasting life and blessedness Reason 1. From the benefit of such remembrance In so doing we remember God Eccles 12.1 and our selves also Luke 16.4 Reason 2. From the danger and folly brutish folly of such forgetfulness Job 21.13 Ecces 3 21. Vse of lifes sweetnesse 1. For thankfulness to God who hath given us life and all the lively comforts of it Joh 10.12 For thankfulness to Christ who laid down this life for our sakes Matth. 20.28 whence we are to live to him 2 Cor. 5.15 Vse 2. To learn to behold a greater sweetnesse in the life of grace in union with Christ in the light of Gods countenance Psal 4.6 7 63 3. Vse of many dayes of darknesse and vanity and remembrance hereof 1. To warne us not to be so taken up with the sweetnesse of this life as to forget the farre longer time to come Vse 2. To teach us not to envy the many prosperous dayes of wicked men here Their lightsome dayes here are but a few to their darke dayes behinde Vse 3. To provide here for life in death and for light in darknesse and for felicity against vanity Meanes hereof First Meditation frequent and constant and serious of the shortnesse of this life and of all the comforts of it Isai 40.6 7 8. Secondly Not to rest in a state of darknesse here Eph. 5.8 1 John 1.6 Thirdly Behold Christ losing his sweet life for us and mourne over him Zach. 12.10 Fourthly Walke in his light 1 John 1.7 Eccles 11.9 10. 9 Reioyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the waies of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into iudgement 10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart and put a way evill from thy flesh for childhood and youth are vanitie FOr a fifth wholsome counsell and instruction Solomon giveth it unto young men which is twofold First To know God will bring them to judgement verse 9.10 Secondly To remember their Creator in the dayes of their youth vers 1. to 7. And both this and the former Counsels are but further motives and directions to take the counsel given verse 6.4 sowing our seed in the Morning and in the Evening not to cease Reason 1. For after this life ended many will be the dayes of darknesse and they will be dayes of vanity verse 7.8 Reason 2. For youth is the morning of our Age and so a fit time to sow good seed usually misimployed to the sowing of vanity verse 9.10 And there be three words that expresse it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie the morning of Age v. 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 youth is as the word signifieth the choyce Age of a mans life as that 1. Which is chosen to most employments of action 2. Wherein a man is to choose what course to take 3. And which a man would choose to live in alwayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is childhood which is the green flourishing bloud of Age or life Parts First An Ironical concession to children and youth to rejoyce in their dayes and wayes Rejoyce O young man c. Secondly A serious Admonition to know the judgement of God reserved for them but know that c. verse 9. Thirdly Hence an exhortation to put away and remove the passions and lusts of youth and childhood verse 10. Therefore remove the Irascible passions of the heart and evil from thy flesh that is the lusts of the flesh Fourthly a Reason of that exhortation from the vanity of childhood and youth verse 10. Doctr. 1. God is wont in an holy scorne to give up children and youth in their own dayes to take their own wayes and to rejoyce or applaud themselves in them See the like kinde of Irony or holy scorne 1 Kings 18.27 22 15. 2 Chron. 25.8 Quest But doth not God speake seriously as allowing children and youth more liberties then are meet for riper yeares as Chap. 9.7 8 9. Answ There be some lawful liberties which God doth allow to that age as Zach. 8.5 9 17. But if he had spoken of these he would have given some just ground of encouragement for it is your portion or the like but here he rather giveth a check and admonition against it from a ground that is wont to dampe not lawful but carnal delights But know