be and the greater their pains after a farther measure thereof For Solomon did not satisfie himself with that very measure which God gave him 1 King 4.29 But gave his heart to seek and search one by wisdom 9. There is nothing which God hath made or doth neither any thing which he ordereth or permitteth to be done but it deserveth Mans serious thoughts as that from whence he may learn something for his profit the study of the Creatures will not only instruct him what is for the preserving or recovering of his natural health but also proclaim to him the glorious Properties of his Maker Ps 19.1 Rom. 1.20 The study of humane Affairs may teach him what is for the advantage of his worldly Estate yea even the greatest miscarriages in the World may afford him either matter of caution to beware of the like 1 Cor. 10 6. or of Praise that Men are restrained from miscarrying further Ps 76.10 or of Comfort that God is bringing good of it Isai 10.7 12. For Solomon did give his heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under the Sun 10. That the Children of the Lord may be the better content with their Portion the more taken up with their Happiness in fellowship with him and may be the more able to convince others of their folly and madness in seeking Happiness elsewhere they may lay out their wit sometimes in considering what Happiness the Creatures and humane Endeavours about them can yeild still putting the same in the Ballance with what is to be had in Communion with the Lord that so comparing Christ the true Apple-tree with the Trees of the Wood His Fruit may be the sweeter to their taste and comparing the excellent knowledge of him with what may be known and injoyed of other things these other things may become Dross and Dung in their esteem For we may safely consider Solomon here expressing himself to have laid out his Wit and Pains to see what Happiness is to be had in the Creatures that so he might the more heartily cleave unto that better Part which he had chosen and the more effectually convince all others of their folly in troubling themselves about many other things I gave my heart to seek and to search out concerning all things under the Sun c. And behold All is Vanity to wit in comparison of that solid Happiness which is in fellowship with the Lord. 11. Fallen Man cannot recover the least degree of his lost Perfection without exceeding great toil and labour and this the Lord hath imposed upon him to make him the more sensible of the greatness of that Ruine that is come upon him especially his understanding by the Fall Eph. 4.18 to correct him for his folly in imploying his wit about things needless or sinful Luk. 10 41. and to make him long for that state wherein the study of things truly Excellent shall be his delight and satisfaction Ps 17.15 For now the study of Knowledge is a sore travel which God hath given to or imposed upon the Sons of Men. 12. Whensoever Man finds pain and travel in seeking after the knowledge of these things which he is called to study he should mind what is Gods great End in so disposing even to exercise him by putting him to humble wrestling with himself in Fasting and Prayer for so the word sometimes signifies Est. 8.21 Dan. 10 12. As the best way for him to be rid of Anxiety while his Study is painful and his Success seems small and so to work his Heart to submission as the same word is rendred Gen. 16 9 and so likewayes to fit him for Gods answering of his pains which is also in the signification of the word Exod. 15.21 with a further degree of light as the fruit and blessing of his pains and stir him up to answer the Lord with thankfulness for any measure of assistance he hath For saith he this sore travel hath God given to the Sons of Men to be exercised or to be humbled thereby or answered therein 13. However Man looking only upon a part of the works that are done under the Sun as for example his own prosperous times and imaginary delights and not upon the miseries incident to him and the Lords frequent crossing and disappointing of him in his designes he may have golden Dreams of some piece of Happiness in his earthly Delights and so forget his sheding with them as he is ready to do Deut. 32.29 yet upon a full and serious Survey of the whole together so far as they may be seen he may be brought to see All Vanity and himself the greatest Vanity of all others in that he mistakes the right way to his true Happiness For when Solomon had seen all things under the Sun he concluded All is Vanity 14. If Men had only disappointment of their hopes to look for while they neglect the New and Living Way to Felicity and seek their Happiness in vain and sinful Courses their Misery were the less but beside this they shall find the Issue of their course to be an eating up and gnawing away of their Spirit and that they have been feeding upon the wind while delighting in Things earthly as their best portion For so much is clearly held forth in the signification of the Orinal words All is Vanity and Vexation or gnawing away of the Spirit or feeding upon the wind Verse XV. That which is crooked cannot be made streight and that which is wanting cannot be numbred THese words contain the eighth Argument to prove that Happiness cannot be had in Things earthly and particularly that Mens natural Wit stretched to the outmost in the study of all things under the Sun for attaining thereto can bring him nothing but Disappointment and Vexation The Argument is taken from the impotency and insufficiency of all the Creatures and of all humane endeavours about them to restore Man to that primitive Integrity of his Nature and Actions which he enjoyed before his fall and to restore to him these Perfections which he lost by it while he saith That which is crooked cannot be made streight c. And this the Preacher sets forth in two expressions the first is that which is crooked cannot be made straight the meaning of which is that that original perversness and contrariety to the mind and will of God which is in Mans nature and appeareth in all his Actions cannot by all the vertue and force that is in the Creatures or the wit of Man unrenewed employed about them be rectified or ordered as the Word made streight signifies according to the right Rule the will of the Creator The second is that which is wanting cannot be Numbred the meaning of it is that these spiritual defects or privations as the Word wanting signifies which are come upon Man by his fall cannot be so much as known to Man by his natural wit or Numbred out to God who only can
be seen 1 Kings 7.1 2. c. and chap. 9 15. c. 2. His plantations of all sorts whence he might have Meat Drink Medicines and variety of Fruits for profit or pleasure so that his dwelling seemed another Eden or Paradise as the word translated Orchards is in the Original Verse 4 5.3 His ponds or pools of water both to contain Fish for Pleasure and Food for the words translated Pools of water is rendered Fish pools Cant. 7.2 And likewise to water his various inflosures which for largeness he calls a Wood or Forrest ver 6.4 His numerous train of attendants of both Sexes and of these some strangers which he get to himself that is either bought with Money or took in war or hyred from abroad from whom the best of the Custumes in forreign places might be learned and some borne in his house who in some case according to the Law were his own for ever Exod 21.6 And would love his Family as their own native soil and so the more faithfully manage his affairs 5. His great store ãâã of all sorts of Cattel about which these Servants of his might be employed and whereof he had greater abundance than any of his Predecessors ver 7.6 His great plenty of the best sorts of Mony Jewels and other precious things and these out of the Treasures of neighbouring Princes and Countries who were either subdued by him or from their reverence and respect to him or for fear of him did send the best of their Riches in Gifts and presents to him 1 King 4.21 24. And. 7. For banishing of sad thoughts which might be intermixed with all these injoyments he had variety of excellent Musick both Vocal and that both of Men and Women and Instrumental called the delights of the sons of men because therewith Men use to be much ravished All which seven might seem to make up the most perfect earthly Happiness that Man can attain unto and may be conceived to be here reckoned out so particularly for two causes mainly First that his sad Censure which he passeth afterward upon all these as insufficient for satisfying the Soul and unworthy to be chosen and delighted in as the Happiness of a Reasonable creature may have the more weight and be the better believed seeing he doth not under value that whereof he had not Experience himself and so might he suspected to envy in others but what himself had long and in a full measure enjoyed And Secondly that by reflecting upon the Lords liberality to him in these injoyments he might the more aggravate his own ingratitude and promove his Repentance having made such defection from the Lord after all these ingagements and however the use of the things themselves be not simply sinfull nor business about them be to be absolutly condemned especially in such a man as he yet considering the event his fearfull falling from God and what himself intimats in the following words of the excess of his delight in these things ver 10. And what the Lord seems sharply to insinuate to him immediatly after the finishing of these great workes not only of Hazard but of an inclination in him to abuse all 1 Kin. 9 6. It is not unsafe to think that his estrangement and defection from the Lord had its rise from the excess of his delight in the things here mentioned and that while he was imployed about them as he here relates his defection hath been already begun upon his Spirit as was hinted before Hence Learn 1. There is in the best such imperfection of love to God and such strength of love to themselves that though they stand in need of frequent Exhortations incouragments and threatnings to put them to that work which concerns Gods Glory and their own spiritual good yet will they freely and of their own accord without these sett about other works for their own pleasure and satisfaction which will take them longer time more pains and Expences for even Solomon behoved to be prest by frequent charges and manifold incouragments to the worke of building of the Temple 1 Chron. 22 6.11.16 For which many materials and workmen also were provided to his hand and yet without any of these he is of his own accord forward enough to make great workes for himself one whereof to wit his own house did take him much more time and probably much more expences than the building of the house of the Lord and this his forwardness in these works that were for himself only and his eying of himself too much in making of them is insinuate in this word to me so oft repeated in the Original I made to me great Works and I built to me houses c. 2. The Lord hath wisely hedged about earthly pleasures with much toil and pains and hath made the attaining of them very difficult so that a man shall spend a great part of his time and strength before he come to injoy that measure of them wherein with any shew of Reason he can expect the least satisfaction and this he hath done that man who can promise but little time to himself or strength to pursue these Earthly delights may despair of finding satisfaction in them and so may be moved to inquire whether there be not a shorter cutt to happiness and may betake himself to the study of Reconciliation with God in Christ and fellowship with him wherein he may be sure to find true pleasure and may come at the same sooner and with less pains for Solomon who had as much use of his wit as any that shall come after him Eccl. 2 12. having proposed pleasure to himself he tells here what he had to do before he attained to it how many things were necessary for it and yet that all came short of giving him satisfaction I made me great works I builded I planted c. 3. Fallen man may read his Misery by sin upon his outward condition in the World upon all the Creatures and his endeavours about them for happiness while he builds houses he may consider that the open air is hurtfull to him wherein he could have lived in innocency without cloathing and that now there is not a Commodious habitation for Man exiled out of Paradice till he be at the pains to make it while he plants he should remember the Curse upon the Earth for his fake that it will not yeild him what is comfortable and usefull for him till he sweat for it and while he makes Pools for water he should remember that the Sea and Clouds are not so willing as sometime they were to serve him who is now become so prone to abuse his fellow Creatures for upon these things and mans endeavours about them and disappointment of satisfaction in them Solomon reads Vanity and vexation of Spirit and reckons them out here as things he is to pass that sentence upon ver 11. I made me great works I built I planted I made me Pools c. And
all is Vanity 4. The Lord hath not as in justice he might wholly deprived man of his Dominion over the Creatures but hath left in them some inclination to be subject to him and upon his pains and labour about them serviceable and comfortable to him that when the Earth yeilds him fruit or any other Creature serves him he may acknowledge the Mercy of his makes who hath not altogether for faulted those to him and thereby may be brought to consider how sweet that Estate was whence he is fallen to seek Reparation of it in Christ and so to be the more ingaged to his Obedience For here Solomon with Labour and pains hath the best of the Creatures serving him yeilding him matter of Comfort and Praise and ingaging him to his makers Obedience and all this abundance he reckons out as for other Reasons so for this that he may commend Gods Goodness in vouchasing that upon him which he did abuse I made me great works I planted I builded I made me pools and I got me men Servants c. 5. The Lord who hath made of one Blood all nations of men Act. 17.26 and doth not respect outward differences in offering and bestowing his Grace Gal 3.28 hath so ranked men as to their outward State and Condition that some of them should be Servants to others and others should be Masters and have many under them that his indifferent offering of his Grace to both sorts and bestowing it often upon the meanest may the more commend the freedome thereof that these whom his providence hath subjected outwardly unto others may seek true spiritual freedome and to be equal sharers with their Masters of spiritual priviledges and these who have many others under them may be the more ingaged to serve him and if they do not he may have the moe witnesses against them for so doth providence dispose here that Solomon hath servants and maids and servants born in his house 6. The observation of the Lords Liberality even in the most common and ordinary proofs thereof were it but in the bestowing of cattel the increase and preservation of them should not be thought an Exercise unsutable for the greatest Spirits and the most eminent Persons who stand in need of these things for their cloathing nourishment and delight Men prove themselves brutish in their disposition who being served by the beasts do not take notice of the Lords bounty and how far he proves his Liberality to them in that and things of that nature beyond others for here this penitent man reflects upon this and relates it as a proof of the Lords bounty toward him and that with grief considering it had been abused by him that he had great possessions of great and small cattel above all that were before him in Jerusalem 7. Were men never so great and eminent in the World they should not keep an idle train of Servants and attendants meerly for the maintaining of their Grandure much less for serving of their Lusts they should keept none but these for whom they have both maintainance and Imployment for Solomon hath many Servants but he hath much Work for them he hath great buildings to make Vinyards to dress Cattel great and small c which require many hands and much service and therefore he hath servants and maids and servants born in his house 8. The Lord is absolute owner and disposer of all the Riches and Treasures in the World he can direct men to the Bowels of the Earth where Riches ly and can take away the Treasures of Kings and Provinces from them who have them and Inrich others with them at his pleasure they that want such things should depend upon him for their supply who can if he think it fit bring them to their hand and these that have them should imploy them for his Glory who can strip them of them when he will for so Solomon acknowledges I got me silver and gold and the peculiar Treasure of Kings and Provinces 9. The Lord may cast plenty of outward things to the hands of men who he knows will abuse them which dispensation of his is Holy seeing he withholds only that influence for the right improving of them which he is not bound to give and in the Issue proves Gracious to his own discovering their corruption in their abuse of these things for their humbling and commending his Mercy in pardoning of them the consideration whereof should make these who want such things Submissive and construct well of the Lord us intending their good thereby and these who have them in abundance suspicious of themselves least they abuse them and fearfull of snares to their Souls in them for it is clear that all these great houses buildings c. were abused by Solomon 1 King 11 7.8 And yet after he was corrected and humbled Mercy was manifested to him 10. So empty are all the Creatures and unable to give satisfaction that when man hath his eye fullest of the most delectable sights that they can afford him his taste and smell refreshed with the most delicious of them and hath under his hand abundance of all sorts of Riches to provide him with things necessary for the time to come his heart will readily be frequented with sad thoughts in the midst of all and many cares and fears will readily mix themselves with all his injoyments Therefore after Solomon hath all the former he must provide Singing men and singing women and musical Instruments of all sorts to divert his heart from sad thoughts incident to him in the midst of his pleasures 11. The Children of men as such are prone to place their cheif delight in these things that satisfy their outward senses only the Children of the Lord having the presence of his Spirit can delight themselves in him and make his Praises and spiritual Exercises their Recreation for Solomon speaking of this Musick of the voice and Instruments made use of to sweeten the forementioned comforts he calls it the The delights of the sons of men Verse 9. So I was great and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem also my wisdom remained with me HAving at large branched out his earthly injoyments he comes now to shew what Observations after serious reflecting he made upon himself and his courses The First is concerning his outward estate and condition in the World and this he expresses 1. Positivly that by the abundance of these outward injoyments formerly mentioned he was Great the word signifies both to be brought to a very high pitch of Worldly Excellency and Dignity of any sort and likwise to have a great deal of esteem and weight in the mindes of others in the World 2. He expresses the same Comparativly that he had more of both these added to him than any of his Predecessors and that through the blessing of God upon him and his affaires in Reference to which this word increased is usually taken in Scripture Ps
will rather desire not to be at all or to be in another World though they want not their own fears that it shall not fare well with them there than to be disappointed of what they have designed as a piece of Happiness to themselves in this World whereof among Wicked Men Achitophel is an instance and among the Godly beside others Solomon here who now with grief relates what was the sinful frame of his Spirit while the Lords Spirit was withdrawn upon occasion of the disappointment of his sinful desires which was of it self a great Mercy to him I hated life saith he because the work that is done under the Sun is grievous to me 6. Even these who have the Seeds of saving Grace in them and have had great familiarity with the Lord while the special operations of his Spirit are suspended will readily run from one extream to another From excess of Sinful Delight to excess of Anxiety and Sinful Vexation and this rather because of Disappointment of their Sinful Desires than because of Gods being Dishonoured by them For thus was it with Solomon in such a case who should have hated his sinful courses But saith he I hated Life because the work that is wrought under the Sun was grievous to me 7. The nearer Communion with the Lord and the greater sweetness therein sinners have had and have undervalued and the more they have been thereafter ravished with Sinful Delights they may expect to have their Spirits the more imbittered and all their former Delights made so much the more grievous to them before they attain to their wonted sweetness in Communion with God See Psal 32.4 Cant. 5.7 For so was it with Solomon here who hated his Life and found all the works wrought under the Sun grievous to him 8. When the Lord makes the Life of any of his People bitter to them and other things grievous while they are living at a distance from him they should be so far from taking it as a token of his wrath and purpose to destroy them that upon the contrary they should take it for an evidence of his preparing them for a renewed manifestation of his favour after he hath humbled them And upon the other hand when they find their Hearts ravished with delight in any thing under the Sun more than with delight in God they should take that for a clear sign of his displeasure and should fear to be given up to rejoice in their way till they perish For Solomon sets down this effect which his disappointment of desired satisfaction in other things had upon him as that which was become a mean of his second conversion and so spoke Love and mercy in God to him even this That He hated life because the works wrought under the sun were grievous to him 9. How bitter soever the lives of Gods People may be and how grievous soever all things under the Sun may seem to them yet the Lord still keeps them from the hight and outmost of despare and doth undoubtedly make all of them Repent of any motion or interprise that way and doth bring some of them who have been far on toward despair back again to proclaime their own sin for the warning of others and his mercy in reclaiming them to his praise For here Solomon is not left to destroy his Life though he hated it but is preserved and reclaimed to show how sad and sinful a case he was in while his Conscience was awake to tell him of his disappointment of desired satisfaction and he as yet not restored to his wonted peace and Familiarity with God I hated life because all the works under the sun were grievous for all is vanity and vexation of spirit 10 While men are at a distance from the Lord and his Spirit withdrawn from them they will readily draw Poison from these very same considerations which have been of excellent use to them while they were near him and had the gracious presence of his spirit For this makes Solomon estranged from God hate his life that all things are vanity and vexation of spirit and yet the same makes him while he is near to him put on and commend to others a better purpose Eccles 12.13 I hated life for all is vanity 11. The Children of the Lord will not weary to view often these Truths whereof they have found the benefit or comfort in their own experience nor will it be grievous to them to speak again and again of them see Philip. 3.1 knowing that they may yet prove profitable or comfortable to themselves and others For which cause it is that Solomon repeats here what he hath often asserted before only here he brings it in as a ground formerly mistaken by him whereupon he hated his life and so makes use of it now to increase his Humiliation for all is vanity and vexation of spirit Verse 18. Yea I hated all my labour which I had taken under the Sun because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me 19. And who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured and wherein I have shewed my self wise under the Sun This is also vanity THese words contain First The third effect of Solomons disappointment of his desired satisfaction by all his Courses during his estrangement from the Lord and that is The hatred of all his labour which is not to be understood of that Holy Indignation 2 Cor. 7.11 which no doubt Solomon now being a penitent had at the sinfulness of his former ways seeing this hatred flowed from such grounds as are here expressed and is Censured by him as Vanity Nor is his hating of his labour set down to condemn mens diligence in any lawful calling which every man should love 2 Thess 3.10 but to show what a sinful frame of spirit he had while he thought upon his disappointment of contentment in his earthly delights and wanted as yet the wonted presence of the Lords Spirit which he had when he wrote this Book and to show how justly the Lord correctâ the Spirits of his own People with Hatred or Loathing as the word signifies of these things wherein they have sought Contentment beside himself Next There are in the Words the causes or grounds which were in his heart at that time prevalent to produce that sinful Distemper As 1. He considered that he behoved to part with all these things 2. That he behoved to leave them to some other ver 18. 3. That it was not allowed him to know whether his Heir should prove Wise or Foolish 4. That whatever he were he should be absolute Master of all that he had 5. He considered that he had taken exceeding much pains And 6. That he had manifested much Prudence and Skill in conquishing and managing those great things all which considerations did highten this sinful Distemper the hatred of his Labour Whereupon
Original in the night his heart lyeth not down but is abroad and vigilant sometimes flying from his own fears and sometimes earnestly pursuing these shadows of earthly delights which fly swiftly from him and this course also he censures to be Vanity to wit that ãâã should so torture himself for that which cannot comfort him especially that he should deprive hiâ self of the rest and comfort he might have for that which ãâã cannot have This also is Vanity Hence learn 1. It is altogether impossible for any reasonable creature to condescend upon any true advantage or comfort thââ men have by all their pains about things earthly as their portiââ though deluded Souls ravished with delight in serving thââ Idols apprehend that real comfort and gaââ is only to be hââ in their way Hosea 12.18 yet cannot the wisest of them gââ accompt of any such thing as deserves that name For this ãâã question which no man seeking his Happiness in the creatures ãâã answer Affirmatively by shewing what he hath beside toil and vexation what hath a man of all his Labour and the vexation of his heart 2. Men that would promove the work of Mortification is in their own hearts must often put their hearts to consider what profit or comfort they have as the result of so great pains as they have taken about their Idols And have need also to have their Consciences often prest by Christs Ministers to make answer to this or the like question which Solomon having put in substance before Chap. 1.3 he puts here again to his own heart and to others also what hath a man of all his labour c. 3. So earnest are men who make not the Lord his favoââ and fellowship their chief delight in the persuit of their Idols that they not only spend their bodies with toil and wearisoâ business as the word here translated Labour signifies but they suffer their Spirits also to be eaten up or gnawn away with cares and fears about these Idols as the word Vexation signifies Thus doth the Lord justly correct men for slighting of him by suffering them to render themselves in some measure incapable of that sweetness they so much thirst after in things beside him How much better were it for them to bestow their pains in seeking and serving the Lord whose way is pleasantness Prov. 3.27 Peaââ Rom. â 6 and Strength Prov. 10.29 to all them that ãâã therein So much is implyed in the question what hath a man of all his labour and âf the vexation of his heart c. 4. Till men be in a reconciled estate and injoy fellowship with God in Christ they will never have a joyful day nor a comfortable business All their days will be sorrows and their travel grief any joyful days they apprehend themselves to have are but like the fancies of one that dreams he eats and hath nothing Isai 29 8. Their Carâal joy hath often a mixture of sorrow with it and alwââe ends in heaviness Prov. 14.13 For the spirit of God is in this to be believed rather than the delusions of Satan and mens corrupt hearts All his days are sorrows and his travel grief 5. The more earnestly men persue rest and satisfaction in any thing earthly they take the nearer way to their own Vexation For of the man who is spending himself in the pârsuit of the things of the earth is this spoken yoâ he takes no ãâã in the night 6. Though the Lord who when he pleases will give his beloved People rest even in their bodies and that in the midst of greatest outward hazards Act. 12.6 may for their Humiliation deprive them of it Psal 77.4 And his People ought sometimes to withhold from themselves the nights rest for Spiritual Exercises such as Humiliation and Simpathy in the time of some great Calamity â Sam. 11.15 Praise and Thââsgiving in the time of some great delivery Psal â9 62 Yet when excess of Cares and Fears about things Earthly goes between men and their nights rest or other allowed refreshments of that nature it is not only a clear evidence of their own Vanity and sinfulness in seeking Happiness in these things but ãâã of Gods just displeasure who hath put such vanity upon these false Gods that they alwise disquiet their Worshipers For so doth the spirit of God censure this excess of Worldly cares or delights in the Worldâing Yea he taketh no rest in the ââght This also iâ vanity Verse 24. There in nothing better for a man then that he should eat and drink and that he should make his soul injoy good in his Labour This also I saw that it was from the hand of God 25. For who can eat or who else can hasten hereunto more then I LEast the Preachers former Doctrine concerning the Vanity of things Earthly in order to the satisfying of a mans Soul might be mistaken as if the intent thereof were to deprive men of the comfortable use of Gods good Creatures before he prosecute it further he doth here open up a little the nature of that wherein true Happiness doth consist which he doth more fully clear afterward And so in few words clearly determines what is that good for the Sons of Men in this Life which he said he was so inquisitive about in the third verse of this chapter And this he doth in such a way as may be most prevalent with men ravished with earthly delights And for this end he doth First show that that Happiness which is attainable in this World consists in the conjunction of these two The 1. relating to the outward man is the Holy Sober and Cheerful use of all lawful creature Comforts which the Scripture comprehends under the Name of our daily Bread and he calls Eating and Drinking for thus must the Eating and Drinking here commended be understood and not of a mans giving up himself to the excessive use of sensual Delights considering that Solomon hath so much condemned this before as unworthy to be chosen for a mans portion and that the same is altogether inconsistent with the good of the Soul The 2. relating to the Inner-Man to which the former must be subservient is that he make his Soul enjoy good which must be understood of some good suteable and satisfactory to the Soul as no sensual Delight can be And therefore it must be that sweet Fellowship which reconciled Souls have with the Lord while they walk in his Fear and Obedience which he presses in the close of this Book and this is to be intended by man as the good of all his Labour or pains he takes in this World the end of his Eating Drinking and using all the lawful comforts of this life Next He doth confim that this Good consists in the conjunction of these two from his own certain knowledge and experience he saw viz. by the light of the Word and the Spirit of God now present with him and by his own observation
that all this to wit all lawful creature comforts the power to make use of them and find sweetness in them and especially the Grace to use them so as the Souls good may be thereby promoved All this was from the hand of God whereby is meant his liberality inlarged toward man in allowing these Comforts upon him and his powerful Blessing causing him so to use them see Psal 104.28 And Thirdly to gain weight to his testimony concerning this matter he shows he was inferior to none for plenty of creature Comforts and opportunity to make use of them speedily without much labour to him and therefore was to be believed in this That Happiness was not in the injoyment of outward Comforts alone but only in such a Holy and Chearful use of them as might be subservient to the Souls good which consists in Fellowship with the Lord. Hence Learn 1. Though the publick Ministers of Christ ought to deliver the whole Counsel of God to the People as they have ability and opportunity Act 20.20 27. Yet is it Wisdom in them while they have to do with these that are strangers to Communion with the Lord especially such of these as are ravished with Earthly Delights to bring forth in the first place such Truths as may probably be most taking prevalent and have best acceptance with them such as these are that do concern the Lords large allowance of as much comfort even in outward things as men can in reason desire That Soul-ravishing sweetness is only to be found in Spiritual Exercises which will make all sinful Delights loathsome and refine the lawful Sweetness that is in the Creatures And so that Religion is a friend both to the Bodies and Spirits of men For this is Solomon's method here who without doubt is directed to frame this Book mainly for the convincing and gaining of Men who are in the way that he himself was in before his recovery from his defection He doth not at the first deliver the ââlictest of these Precepts which afterward he presseth in order to Happiness but speaks as if he conceded much to men concerning the use of sensual Delights only minding them of their Souls good which they could not in reason slight while he saith There is nothing better for a man then that he should Eat and Drink and make his Soul injoy good of his Labour 2. It is dangerous to leave men under Convictions of the evil of their Courses and Apprehensions of certain misery abiding them except there be also some intimation of a probable way for them to be made Happy and the same in some measure cleared up to them least they either return to their wonted sinful Delights as Israel would have gone back to Egypt or choice to die in Despair not daring to go back and not knowing how to go forward Therefore Solomon having spoken somewhat concerning the Insufficiency of the most plausible and promising courses which men destitute of the Lords Spirit can take for satisfaction before he proceed further he inserts here some discovery of true Happiness that men may have the clearer thoughts of it while he saith There is nothing better for a man then that he should Eat and Drink and make his Soul injoy good of his Labour 3. As it is to be acknowledged for a great Blessing of God to have plenty of Creature Comforts and withall Power to make use of them and find Sweetness in them and not to be hindered therein either by inward exercise of Spirit Job 33.19.20 such as the Lords withdrawing of his wonted comfortable Presence Psal 102.9 and 42.3 by outward Crosses imbittering the Spirit 1 Sam. 30.26.27 by excessive fears of outward Hazards Psal 107.18 by groundless scruples of Conscience Act. 10.13.14 or by miserable Sparingness c. So it is to be looked upon but as the smallest part of our Happiness and as no part of it at all unless in the use of these things the Soul be injoying good sutable for it for as Solomon commends Eating and Drinking in the sense formerly mentioned so he doth not commend it alone but as it ushers in and promoves some true good to be injoyed by the Soul of man There is nothing better then that a man Eat and Drink and make his Soul injoy Good 4. Ministers when they confute the abuse of things Lawful and the Excess of Mens Affection to them should withall assert and clear the lawful liberty of Christians lest Hearers who are ready to run from one sinful extream to another from making provision for the Flesh in the excess or pampering of it to fulfill the Lusts thereof unto a neglecting of the Body to the prejudice of the Spirit may apprehend Religion to be an Enemy to their Bodily Health and to the true Cheerfulness of their Natural Spirit contrary to Prov. 3.8 Or may be without ground challenged for taking what is the Lords Allowance to them Thereforefore Solomon after he hath condemned the excess of sensual Delights doth here commend the right use of them which is consistent with and subservient to the Souls injoying of its true good in Fellowship with the Lord. There is nothing better then that a man should Eat and Drink and make his Soul injoy Good c. 5 The outmost of that Happiness which is attainable in this Life by the Children of the Lord wants not its own Imperfection and mixture of Trouble and Toil with it The Lord so disposeth that men may long for that State where their Happiness may be full and unmixed In Heaven there shall be no use of the Creatures for Eating Drinking and the like Rev. 7.16 which take a great part of a mans time to provide and use so frequently But in this Life There is no better of it than to be at the pains of Eating and Drinking and that way to keep up our selves that our Souls may injoy good of our Labour 6. The right use of Creature Comforts such as Meat Drink and the like is not only consistent with but subservient to the Souls injoying of that true Spiritual good which is suitable to it when we are by the use of these things led to think upon and long for better and when the strength we receive thereby is imployed in the Praise and Service of the Lord for this Eating and Drinking here commended carries along with it and promoves the Souls injoying of Good and if man Eat and Drink and neglect to make his Soul enjoy good he is worse than the Beasts that perish There is nothing better then to Eat and Drink and make the Soul injoy Good 7. Though the Soul and the matters of it should be first and principally cared for Mat. 6 33. yet it is not the Lords mind that our seeking the good of our Souls should make us careless of our Bodies but rather that we should out of respect to our Souls and the good thereof respect the good of our Bodies in a Sober
hearts from excess of delight in Worldly things For this lesson makes to Solomons Scope and so is intended by these instances There is a time to gather stones and a time to cast them away 3. The Lord hath His Own times set for Embracing of or manifesting His favour to His People by His spirit clearing to them the work of His Grace 1 Cor. 2.12 Strengthening their faith to Embrace the promises Heb. 11.13 And so filling them with joy unspeakable and full of Glory 1 Pet 1.8 Which seasons though they be absolutely in His own Power and particularly known to Him alone yet doth His People ordinarly meet with them when they are most deeply humbled in the sense of their sins Isai 61.3 when they are under saddest sufferings especially for His name Act. 16.25 And when they have been at the sorest battel to maintain the faith of His love while they wanted the sense of it Jer. 21.18.20 For in reference to the Lords Dispensations with His People may this be understood There is a time to embrace 4. Though the Lord never cease to love His own Joh. 13 1· yet doth he see it fit sometimes to restrain Himself from the manifestations and expressions of His love that they may be corrected and humbled for undervaluing the same and incited to greater diligence in seeking after new manifestations thereof Cant. 5.3.6 For with the Lord also There is a time to refrain from embracing of His People 5. As there are seasons to be observed and made use of for expressing of our affection to others such as the time of their distress and deep affliction 1 Sam. 23.16 and when they are ready to be discouraged by Jealousies of our affection to them Gal. 4.19 So upon the other hand there are times of refraining from and keeping up these expressions even when love it self is intertained as when our refraining serves to humble others for their former unkindness to us or when we have ground to think they will make a bad use of the expressions of our respect Gen. 43.31 In which and the like cases There is a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing Ver. 6. A time to get and a time to lose a time to keep and a time to cast away IT is clear that these Four Instances are mainly to be understood of things Temporal and of an earthly concernment seeing things Spiritual and Heavenly being once gotten can never be lost Rom. 11.29 Nor is there any time wherein men ought to think of parting with them Prov. 23.23 so that the time of getting is both the time which God hath foreappointed and which men ought to observe and make use of for purchasing such a measure of things Worldly as He hath allotted for them Next The Time of Losing is that which God hath foreordained wherein men shall be necessitate to lose these things and which men should not desire but expect and prepare for Thirdly the Time of Keeping is not to be understood as if there were any time wherein men should give out nothing for holy uses which were contrary to Psal 37 26. and other Scriptures but of that Time which Providence hath alloted men for enjoying things earthly and wherein they ought to leave no lawful means unessayed for retaining of them And lastly The Time of Casting away is not to be understood as if men at any time should take on voluntary Poverty but that there is a Time fixed wherein Gods Providence calls men not only to submit to lose but voluntarily and chearfully to part with all they have in the cases afterward mentioned Hence Learn 1. As it is lawful and necessary for men to make use of opportunities of getting or purchasing things Worldly providing they seek no more than a competency Prov. 30.8 that they seek things heavenly in the first place Matt. 6.33 And that they take the time and means approven for that end 2 Kings 5.26 So ought they even when they are so getting or purchasing to depend upon the Lord as having the season thereof in His hand and who can easily dissappoint them when they have most promising opportunities of getting gain Jam. 4.13 For both of the time appointed by the Lord and of the time which men ought to observe is this instance to be understood There is a time get 2. As the Lord hath Times appointed for exercising His People with Worldly losses that they may see the vanity of Earthly things and no more choice them for their portion but seek after a better and more durable substance So even while men have prosperous times of Getting they ought to think upon Times of Losing these things and so loose their hearts from them For as There is a time to get so there is a time to lose 3. As the Lord hath appointed the time wherein men shall Keep what they have during which time all the plots and purposes of men to impoverish them shall prove ineffectual So there is a Time wherein men ought to endeavour the Keep-of what they have by the use of all lawful means defending their Worldly enjoyments and estates 2 Sam. 10.12 That they may employ the same for Gods honour the supply of the poor and benefite of their posterity so long as they may with a good Conscience get them keeped For There is a time to keep c. 4. The Lord hath times set wherein He calls His People not only to be submissive to loss their goods and Worldly Estates but also voluntarily to part with them and sometimes actively to put them away from them especially when His Providence puts them under a necessity either of parting with His Truth or these things Heb. 10.34 When His Cause or People cannot otherwise be upheld Act. 4.34 Or when their own lives are in such hazard that they must cast them from them as a mean of Preservation thereof Act. 28.38 In which and the like cases There is a time to cast away Ver. 7. A time to rent and a time to sew a time to keep silence and a time to speak THe first Two of these Instances concerning the times of Renting and Sewing are mainly to be understood in reference to these Dispensations of the Lord whereby at one time which He hath set and fixed He testifies His just displeasure against men by marring their peace and Union among themselves or by Renting them from their Enjoyments And at another time fore-appointed by Him He heals these divisions again and that because the word Renting is frequently used in scripture in this sense but never to express any thing of mans Duty and the Metaphore or similitude which is in it from the Renting of a Garment is made use of in Scripture expresly to set forth such a Dispensation 1 Sam. 15.27 Both which viz. The inflicting of these Rents as a punishment and the Sewing or Healing of them as a favour are here asserted to be in Gods Hand for the Timing of
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
AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical OBSERVATIONS UPON THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES Written by Mr. ALEXANDER NISBET Minister of the Gospel at Irwin EDINBVRGH Printed by George Mosman and are to be Sold at his Shop in the Parliament Closs MDCXCIV To the much Honoured WILLIAM NISBET OF DIRLETON SIR THE Author of this Exposition having Named Sir John Nisbet of Dirleton for Patron of it as a Person of great worth whose Friendship had been very useful to him Upon the decease of that Eminent Lawyer That Title designed for him cannot with more Equity be Addressed to any than to you upon whom he hath entailed his opulent Estate And your having received a great part of your Education under him and that sincerely Devout Lady now his Relick a genuine Scion of a Noble and Religious Stock with the Evidences you have given of answering their expectation by an early Inclination to a Sober and Vertuous Life and a magnanimous Contempt of vain and sinful Pleasures These assure me you will intertain this New Heir-ship not as an idle Ornament to your Closet but as a notable Antidote against the Snares and Charms of these Honours to which your Vertue and the affluence of your Fortune seem to pave the way To prepare you for a cautious Encounter with these you have here an accurat Map of all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory thereof drawn originally by the Divinely-inspired Pen of Solomon a Wise King and a Judicious Preacher The Author only illustrates it with Doctrines and Uses Here you may survey these unfortunat Islands of Honour Wealth and Pleasure upon which many have made Shipwrack of their most Holy Faith And when you find this inferiour World too low a Situation for true Paradise and too barren a Soil to produce satisfaction to a Heaven-born Soul lift up your panting Heart to the undiscovered Glories of the higher House the Habitation of Angels and the Saints everlasting Rest where you will not need Commentaries upon a vain World and a deceitful Heart to Arm you against Mistakes and Disappointments For there the Preacher will turn Praiser Annotations will be silenced with Allelujahs and Vanity and Vexation of Spirit swallowed up in fulness of Joy and Pleasures at Gods Right Hand for ever That these may be your never-fading Inheritance after ye have tasted the greatest Happiness this World can afford is the unfeigned Prayer of SIR Your sincerely devoted Servant Ja Nisbet To the READER CHRISTIAN READER IF thou hast perused the former Labours of the Author of this ensuing Treatise thou wilt readily be convinced that this Peice of his needs no Letters of Recommendation these former Labours of his having been so universally acceptable and to my certain knowledge now much desiderat both at Home among our selves and also in our Neighbouring Nation And no wonder for whoever have seen and diligently perused these his Labours have therein had a proof of the Author 's great Judgement and singular dexterity in Opening and Expounding the Scriptute Yet Custom hath made an Epistle of this nature some way necessary and those concerned in the Publication have laid it upon me because for the present I labour in the same part of the Lord's Vineyard where the Reverend Author now with the Lord formerly laboured Therefore though I have had no small Aversation from this Undertaking partly from my own Unfitness and want of Qualifications sutable and partly from the sense I have how litle my Testimony can add to the Esteem of the Works of such a Man and partly also because such an Appearance is contrary to my own Genius and Inclination yet I have been necessitat to overcome this Aversation And my great Encouragement thereto is what I have already mentioned that the Author does not need my Recommendation his own Works Praise him in the Gate and his Praise is in all the Churches so far as his Works are known That therefore which I have mainly to do is to assure thee that the following Treatise is the genuine Work of the same Learned and Pious Mr. Alexander Nisbet who wrote the Exposition of the two Epistles of Peter And except the Arguments to the several Chapters was periected and made ready for the Press before his Death And had long since come abroad into the World if it had not been for some Assertions the Author hath upon Chap. 8.4 Concerning Obedience to supreme Powers which did not relish with the late Times wherein Supremacy and Absolute Power were screwed up to the greatest height And it may rationally be supposed that this Peice of his is not less Elaborat consequently will not be less Acceptable than the former seing it is his Second Essay of this nature and we usually say Secundae Cogitationes meliores And as Solomon is with good ground judged to have Writt this Book in his Old Age when he had taken a more serious View of his past Life so it is certain the Reverend Author wrote this his Exposition thereof in his Old Age at least in the latter part of his Days when he had taken a Review of his by past Life as he was indeed a very serious Observer both of his own Life and of the Passages of God's Providence about him yea and a recorder of both though he did this in a Character at that time known to none but himself And it is not improbable that his pains and labours upon this Subject through the Blessing of God did contribute not a little to that weanedness from the World and all its vain Pleasures and Delights to which in agreat measure the Author attained And which did so notably fit and prepare him for his great Change and made his passage from this Life to a better sweet easy and comfortable that I remember I have several times heard that eminently worthy and Pious Minister Mr. Gabriel Cunningham speak of it both with delight and admiration I do therefore perswade my self Reader that if thou be a person who wouldst gladly have thy Heart weaned from the World and be above the vain pleasures thereof and have thy Conversation in Heaven as a Stranger and Pilgrim in this Earth the consideration of this will have that influence upon thee as to make thee carefully peruse this piece and look to the Lord for his Blessing therewith that it may have the same effect with thee I am sure the Subject treated of is not only useful but highly necessary especially at such a time when notwithstanding of all that is through the whole Scriptures and particularly in the Book of Ecclesiastes held forth of the vanity and vexation of Spirit that is in all sublunary Contentments and delights And notwithstanding of all the pains of the Lords Servants in their Expositions on the Scripture and by Preaching to Rivet this Truth upon the Hearts of Men And notwithstanding of all the Experiences and Convictions Men have of this Truth by the many disappointments they meet with from the Creatures Yet
so few have their Hearts and affections raised to savour the things that are above But on the contrary many alace very many proclaim as it were upon the House tops that their portion is in this Life and that this World is their God And as it was the design of the Spirit of God in the enditing of this Portion of Scripture to take Men off from this that they might not spend their Money for that which is not Bread and their Labour for that which satisfieth not nor digg up to themselves broken Cisterns that can hold no Water nor weary themselves as in the Fire for very Vanity but set their affections upon the things above and upon God himself as their all sufficient Portion So I am perswaded the same was also the design of the Author of this Exposition And I am not without hope that through the Blessing of God this may be as to some the Fruits of his Labours therein But beside what thou hast heard that may make this Treatise acceptable to thee from the Author himself I must farther acquaint thee that this piece of his was both seen and approven as very worthy of the press by some Ministers of great Eminency and Note viz. Mr. James Fergusson his next neighbour and dear and intimat Brother with whom he usually communicat all his Labours of this kind and who also did the like with him And also Mr. Ralph Roger two so great names that they are above all Encomiums from me And a third who is also of great Judgement and discerning in such matters but because yet alive I both forbear any farther commendation of him and also the mentioning of his name who if he were not now at too great a distance might have been fitter for this task than I. There is only one thing that may seem to plead against the necessity and expediency of this piece's coming to light at this time which is there are so many Learned and elaborat Expositions and Commentaries upon this place of Scripture As Broughtoun Cartwright Beza Thomas Granger Mihael Jermin Joseph Hall William Thomson William Pemble Thomas Pitt John Cotton Edward Leigh Arthur Jackson Pools Annotations and those whom he makes use of in his Synopsis and many otherforreign Divines of all perswasions besides the former English Annotations which if they had been as well done upon all the rest of the Scripture as upon it might in my humble Judgement have saved the Learned Pool and his Continuators the pains of emitting their new Annotations This part is so well done that it hath been thought worthy to be Printed a part by it self And indeed worthy to be purchased by any who are not willing or are not able to purchase all the rest For though the * Dr. Heynolds Author was afterward a Bishop and I am no Friend to that office as it hath been and still is by some enhanced yet this doth not weaken the esteem I have for this and his other both Pious and Learned Works especially seing I understand that he never was a Persecuter but a person of great Moderation But to take off this Objection let it be considered that the worthy and Reverend Author of this ensuing Exposition as he had the benefite of most of all these expositions so he had through the grace of God the Judgement Sagacity and Dexterity to choose out of them what was most apposite and most consistent with the Analogy of Faith And even a Dwarf standing upon the head of a Gyant will see farther than the Gyant himself Consider likwise that the Lord hath given great Diversities of Gifts to his Servants and amongst others the gift and talent of Some lyes especially in the Richness of their invention Others in making more plain and intelligible the things which are invented by Others And whether the Author had not his share in both I leave it to the Reader to Judge upon perusal as likewise whether he had not considerable advantage beyond many for opening Scripture from his rare skill in the original Languages especially in the Hebrew wherein he greatly excelled Again it would be considered that the Authors Exposition of this part of Scripture as of the other he formerly expounded is in a way and method peculiar to himself with the rest of his Countrey men who went before him therein which is plainly and succinctly to open the words and then to raise Practical Observations from them and these for the most part very comprehensive having oftentimes both Explanations Cautions and Reasons and sometimes uses couched under them Lastly let it be considered that the Scriptures of God are so great a depth that they cannot be exhausted and when many have drawn there is still more for others to draw after them And so Rich a Mine that when many have digged there are still Pearles and these precious Pearles to be found after them Reader If thou be one that hast a real Hunger after thy Souls Food thou wilt not cast at it because it comes not to thee in a Lordly Dish but if otherwise I shall make use of the words of a Learned Writter in the like case and apply them to thee If thy Stomach be nice and squeezie and nothing will relish with thee but what is spurce and elegant there is store of such Composures in the World upon which thou mayest even surfeit thy curious fancy in the mean time there will be found some who will bless God for what thou despisest and make many a sweet Meal upon what thou loathest And now Reader I believe I have tempted thy patience long enough forgive me for this once and I dare almost promise that I shall not in haste do it again in this sort I have only one sute and requeist to make unto thee and I have done if thou doest peruse this piece and hast perused the Authors other Labours and Mr. Dickson and Mr. Hutchesons Labours of the same kind and remembrest that all these were Ministers of the Gospel in Irvin thou wilt from thence easily perceive that they in that place have had very burning and shinning Lights among them And indeed beside those they have had many other eminently Learned and Pious Men and great Preachers of the Gospel whose Memory is precious and Honourable viz. Mr. Scrimseour Mr. Hugh Mckail Mr. Thomas Garven the last two both afterward Ministers of Edinburgh Mr. Alexander Dunlop afterward Minister at Paisly Mr. John Park afterward Minister at Stranraer Mr. John Stirling before that Minister at Edinburgh and Mr. John Grant and it is like some others whose names have not come to my knowledge beside many other Learned grave and Pious Ministers who in our suffering times being put from their own charges came and resided in this place especially during the time of Mr. Hutcheson and Mr. Stirlings Ministry here By all which it appears that the people of this place have had a long and clear day of the Gospel among
them If therefore thou be one that livest near God I beg thy Prayers in their behalf that their fruit may be answerable least if otherwise because of their Barrenness the Kingdom of God should be taken from them and the things which belong to their peace hid from their eyes Pray likewise for a poor unworthy Instrument and Labourer for a while in the same part of Gods Vineyard who now hath succeeded and during his time must endeavour to follow so many great Men and Patterns though alace He doth it non passibus aequis Pray for him that though his Talent be not so great as theirs yet he may be Faithful to lay it out for his Masters use and that God may strengthen his hands bless prosper and give success to his Labours As he also Prayeth that the Lord may Bless the following Treatise for thy Souls good and comfort as being at least desiring to be A Servant of Christ and thine for his sake Pa Warner Irvin Sept. 14. 1693. AN EXPOSITION ON ECCLESIASTES CHAP. I. The ARGUMENT THE great scope of the Spirit of GOD in this Book being to point out to miserable fallen Man the right way to recover his lest Happiness of Favour and Fellowship with GOD and to convince him of the Vanity of seeking it in earthly things The Holy and Wise Solomon by divine Inspiration in this Chapter after the inscription of the whole Boââ ver 1. Bearing a description of the Pân-man from his Ecclesiastick-Office natural Descent and civil Dignity for conciliating the more reverence and attention to the subiect doth shew â Negatively wherein true Happinest is not to be found to wit not in worldly Things or any endeavours about or succese in them And in order to this âe first layes down this Position to be made out all is Vanity Veâs 2 And secondly Provââ it by so many Arguments taken 1 from the unprofitableness of a Mânâ pains about these outward things vers 3. 2. From the frailty of Man himself who though these things could profit him yet ãâã sâay long with them which he asserââ vers 4. and illustrates it comparing Mans frail ââition with other ãâ¦ã Creatures as the Faith Sun Wind and Waters vers 4 5 6 7. 3. From the wearisome told and labour that Maâ hath in the pursuit of outward things before he attain unto them vers 8. 4. From the emptiness of Satisfaction in these things when injoyed even to the outward âensââ of Saâing and ãâ¦ã sought Happiness to them vers 8. 5. From the Determination of GOD that iâ shall ãâã better with them who afterward shall take the same course who shall find âs nâw thing in these delights vers 9 10 6. From the transitory and evanishing condition both of these things in themselves and of their remembrance with Men vers 11. 7. From Solomon's own experience after serious search of the Disappointment Vanity and Vexation of all things under Heaven vers 12 13 14. 8 From the impotency and insufficiency of all the Creatures and all humane Endeavours about them to restore Man to his lost Happiness vers 15. 9 From the short reach and uncomfortable issue of the most sedulous exercise of the wit of Man about Natural and Moral things without the Light of the Word and Spirit of GOD notwithstanding all the Advantages he may have for that study vers 16 17 And 10 From the sad increase of Grief and Sorrow as the fruit of all the Pains and witty Contrivances of Men about these things while they neglect the study of Reconciliation and Fellowship with GOD which is their true Happiness vers 18 From all which it is evidently proven that was proposed vers 2 That all earthly Things are Vanity in order to the making of a Man truely Happy and that Man is vain in seeking Happiness in them neglecting the study of Reconciliation and Fellowship with GOD in His Son Christ Jesus Ecclesiastes Chap 1 Vers 1 The Words of the Preacher the Son of David King in Jerusalem THIS Verse contains the Inscription of the whole Book wherein the Pen-man labours to gain Reverence and Attention to the following Purpose by holding forth several considerations of himself As First His Ecclesiastick Office whence he is called the Preacher or Ecclesiastes a Stile as it is here expressed in the Original only given to Solomon no where found in Scripture but in this Book and doth signifie 1. One that hath a Calling to assemble the Church and declare the mind of GOD to Her And so it agrees well to Solomon as a Prophet 2. One Reconciled or Re-united to the Church and thus also it agrees to him who by his grievous defection from the Lord had separate himself from that Blessed Society 1 King 11.5.9 Now being restored again he is Ecclesiastes a penitent Soul preaching his Repentance to the Church the Word is of such a Form as necessarly requires something of this kind to be added to it for making it plain in our Language and sutable to the Original we find the like added in the Translation Psal 16.2 Secondly He describes himself from his Parentage or descent according to the Flesh He is the Son of David a Man in high esteem with GOD Act. 13.22 and with his Church 2 Sam 23 1 a Type of Jesus Christ Psal 89 20. and his Progenitor according to the flesh Acts 13 23 Solomon doth design himself thus not to make any ostentation of his Royal Birth but rather to raise our minds to expect much good from him as the answer of many Prayers put up for him Ps 72.1 c. The Fruit of a Holy Education Prov. 31.1 And many wholesome counsels given him by his Father 1 King 2.2 And to call the Church to mind of the Messiah the true Solomon who was known to the Church of the Jews by this stile the Son of David Mat. 22.42 compared with Ps 89.35 36. and is now speaking to the same in this Book by his Type Thirdly He describes himself from his civil place and Dignity that he was a King and so had many advantages whereby he might abound in Knowledge and a King in such a place as Jerusalem then the imperial Seat of Judea and Israel afterward divided into two Kingdoms the prime publick Residence of GOD in His Ordinances with the only visible Church He had in the World And so he had many occasions of being acquaint with the Wayes of GOD with His Church and People All which calls for Attention to the ensuing Purpose of this Book Hence Learn 1. Whatever a publick Messenger of GOD may have to commend Him and gain acceptance to His Message yet a Calling from GOD to Preach Truth in His Name ought to be his chief incouragement to undertake any part of his imployment and should also add more weight to his Message in the minds of People than any consideration of him they can have even though he were a King For Solomon before any other stilâ
mentions this and often afterwards this alone as holding forth the chief consideration of Him that should gain Reverence and Acceptance to his Message and encourage himself in his Duty The Words of the Preacher 2. As these who have been very eminent for Office Grace and the like Qualifications may when the Lord is provocked to withdraw fall into such gross Abominations as might make them justly to be secluded from the Society of the Church So when the Lord vouchsafes Repentance upon them they will esteem their Reconciliation with the Church a great benefit and will be content to Preach their Sin and sorrow for Sin that GOD may be honoured and others waiââed in which case they ought to be welcome to the Church again and the Lords Message sent by them received with no less respect than ever For Solomon in testimony of his grief that ever he separat from the Church and of his joy that he is admitted again to that sweet Society he calls himself here Ecclesiastes which according to the signification of the Word touched in the Exposition is as much as to say a penitent Soul reconciled to the Church called to Preach this penitential Sermon to the same and so was to be received not only as a Member thereof but a publick Preacher The Words of the Preacher 3. Although descent from wicked or obscure Parents ought to be no just ground of prejudice against their Godly Children who are by Faith served Heirs to the Father of the Faithful Gal. 3.7 Yet descent from Godly Parents is such an advantage to Godly Children as may be very comfortable to them in so far as it cleareth their right to such Promises as are made to the seed of the Upright Ps 37.26 And as it ought to be a strong motive to them to imitate their Parents and unto others also to accept the more heartily any message that such have from the Lord to them For which causes beside others mentioned in the Exposition we may judge Solomon here to commend the purpose of this Book from this that he was the Son of David 4. The Lord hath seen it fit to imploy some of all ranks of Men to be the Preachers and Pen-men of His Holy Word some obscure persons as Herd-men Amos 1.1 Fishers Mat. 4 8. and of other imployments Acts 18.3 That the glory of His Power and Grace may be the more conspicuous some Noble as Solomon Isaiah and others that Men may see his Truth worthy to take up the Spirits of the greatest and both sorts are chosen that all ranks of Men may meet with something in the stile of his Word sutable for them For here is a Book of Scripture written by the Son of David King in Jerusalem 5. The Greatest on Earth should think it no dispiragement to them nor inconsistent with the managing of the weightiest civil Affairs to spend some of their time and pains in using all means competent for them in their place to propogate the knowledge of the Truth and advance true Piety this being the best policy they can use for establishing their just power and making People dutiful to them Prov. 16.12 For though Solomon wrote this Book as an extraordinary Man yet in his study to edifie the Church and in his pains for acquiring much of that experimental knowledge communicate to the Church in it he acted as an ordinary Man and therein is a precedent to all especially Christian Magistrates painfully to improve their time and gifts by Writing or other wayes for the spiritual advantage of the Church and People of GOD The words of the Preacher King in Jerusalem 6. Although the Truth of GOD he worthy of all acceptation for its own excellency and usefulness Ps 119 97 98. even though it were delivered by Shepherds Luk. 2 17 18. yet these whom the Lord imployes as his Embassadors to carry his mind to the Church may make use of any external priviledge they have to make way for the more hearty acceptance of their Message among the People who are hardly moved to receive the Truth upon more pure and spiritual considerations providing the advantage of the Truth and not their own Vain-glory be their end in so doing For though Solomon's Calling to be a Preacher was alone sufficient to gain acceptance to his Message yet to add the more weight unto it he mentions also his Royal Birth and Dignity and this in a modest may omiting many other Titles of Honour which vain-glorious Men for inferiour to him delight to multiply to themselves The words of the Preacher the Son of David King in Jerusalem VERSE II. Vanity of Vanities saith the Preacher Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity THE scope of the spirit of GOD by this divine Preacher being to point out to miserable fallen Man the way to recover his lost Happiness he doth first proceed negatively to convince him wherein it cannot be found and for this end he propounds to be proven that All is Vanity whereby is meant that all the Creatures and all humane Endeavours about them are insufficient for yeilding any true contentment to Men or as the word signifies All is Nothing or empty of any vertue as to the forementioned effect and so this Expression All is Vanity is not to be understood of any thing that GOD hath made in respect of the Being of it all things that way considered being very good Gen. 1 13. nor of Mans right use and enjoyment of the Creatures so as to be led by them to his Maker and engaged to his fear and obedience for so all things are holy and good to the User Tit. 1.15 1 Tim. 4.4 Neither yet of a Mans lawful diligence and pains in his lawful Calling and Imployment as if that were Vain 1 Tim. 5.8 But it is to be understood first Of all created delights such as Riches Honours worldly Pleasures particularly instanced afterward as they are abused and subjected to Vanity Rom. 8.20 by Man seeking his chief Good and placing his Happiness in them neglecting withal the stupy of Reconciliation with GOD and of living in his Fear and Obedience recommended to him as the only way to true happiness Eccl. 12.23 And Next It is to be understood of all the pains a Man can take by vertue of any humane power or skill to make himself happy or contented whether in the contemplation or enjoyment of created things which is also instanced and proven to be vain in the following purpose All things of this nature he doth proclaim to be Vain in this sense unable to afford to Man any thing but disappointment and that in the highest degree for by this form of speech vanity of vanities the Hebrews use to express the superlative degree Gen. 9.25 Cant. 1.1 And to make this Truth take the deeper impression he propounds it by way of exclamation as it were wondering at and pitying the madness of the Children of Men who are so ravished with the apprehension of
possess the same and then to leave them to others again as the former did so that none of them can long enjoy these things Secondly He doth illustrat this frail and transitory condition of Man by comparing it with the more permanent condition of other Creatures of which he giveth four Instances with every one whereof Mans frailty is to be compared that it may take the deeper impression The first is of the Earth The Earth saith he abideth for ever which is not to be understood as if this World were eternal as Atheists desire 2 Pet. 3.3 4. For the Scripture is clear to the contrary Mat 24.35 2 Pet. 3.11 But it is said to abide for ever because it shall remain fixed for a long time as the Original word translated for ever doth often signifie in Scripture Deut. 15.17 1 Sam. 13.13 even so long as time lasts that it may be an abiding Stage for Generations to go and come upon which duration of the Earth is a kind of Eternity in comparison of Mans short abode upon it the consideration whereof may serve to diswade Man from seeking his Happiness in the Earth For however the Earth abideth very long yet Mans abode upon the Earth is very short v. 4 The second Instance to illustrat this frailty of Man is of the Sun who keeps a constant orderly and swift motion toward the place of his rising and setting and he is said to haste toward or pant aftor as the word signifies the Orient or place of his rising because however his motion be no less swift toward the Occident or place of his setting yet his rising is most desired and remarked by Men but as for Man when he is once gone down to Death he shall rise no more to the enjoyment of his earthly Contentments Job 14.7.12 and therefore these are not to be sought after as his chief Happiness Verse 5. The third Instance for the clearing the same purpose is of the Winds whose motions although to us they are most uncertain yet in all their changes they do constantly observe their Circuits or Rounds which are appointed them by him who bringeth them out of his Treasures Psal 135.7 Ordering all their motions at his pleasure Job 37 12. And in some places of the World makes them to keep such an uniform course as Men may know whence they will blow at such and such Seasons But as for frail and unconstant Man he is like a Wind that passeth away and returneth not again to his place in the World Job 7.7 10. Ps 78.37 Verse 6. The fourth Instance is of the Waters which keep their constant course the Rivers runing toward the Sea and yet the Sea never full because the Waters are either drawn up thence into Vapours and Clouds to distill down upon the Earth to water it and fill the Rivers again or else conveyed throw secret passages of the Earth and Rocks to the Fountains and Lakes whence Rivers do arise but as for frail Man he is carried away as with a Flood Ps 90.5 and never returns again to the enjoyment of his earthly Contentments Ver. 7. Now that which is here spoken of the permanency of the Earth and constancy of other Creatures in their motions is to be understood of them in their ordinary course For the Lord hath given proof of his Soveraignity in changing their course making the Earth to tremble Job 9 6. the Sun to stand still in Joshua's time Josh 10.12 and go back in Hezekiahs time Isai 38 8. The Rivers to run backward from the Sea Ps 114 5. and the Winds to blow as it were out of all Arts at once Job 1 19. And however many excellent and useful Observations concerning the Power Wisdom Goodness and other Properties of GOD may be drawn from all these Instances considered in themselves and by the help of other Scriptures where they are made use of as from the firmness of the Earth established upon nothing Job 26.27 to admire the marvelous power of GOD and be helped thereby to believe the most unlikely thing that he hath promised Isai 45 18 c. from the constant motion of that glorious Lamp of Heaven the Sun to be helped to believe the constant faithfulness of GOD in keeping the promises of his Covenant to his People Jer. 31 33 36. and 33.10 his Bounty Ps 84.11 and his speedy helping his People in straits Mal. 4.2 And from his ordering the motions of the Winds and Waters to be moved to believe how easie it is with him to restrain and punish his Enemies Ps 65.7 Amos 9.6 yet these things are not to be here considered as intended in these Instances which are only brought in to illustrate Mans frail and fading Condition as being much more vain uncertain and inconstant than that of the rest of the Creatures and we may be the more confirmed that this is the intent of the LORDS Spirit in setting down these Instances by considering that the Scripture doth frequently illustrate Mans frailty by these and the like similitudes Job 14.7 10. and 16.22 Doctr. 1. The whole company of Men and Women that are upon the face of the Earth are in a continual motion toward Death and Eternity whatever they be doing their course that way is never interrupted And therefore as every Man in particular should look upon himself as being shortly to bid fare-well to all his earthly Contentments never to meet with them again that thereby his heart may be weaned from delighting in them as his Portion that he may be moved to seek after that which will abide with him when he is gone out of this World Luk. 12 23. And in so doing may have true Comfort considering that neither his Sufferings in this World can be long 2 Cor 4.17 nor his Combat with his spiritual Enemies Rom. 16 20 nor shall he be long holden from the possession of his Blessedness Rev. 3.11 So likewayes should every one look upon another as passing away whether they be his nearest Friends or Relations in whom he hath most comfort that he may not idolize them 1 Cor 7 31. or his Enemies that he may neither envy their prosperity Ps 37.2 nor by fear of them be hindered in his Duty Isai 51.12 13. seing himself and they also shall so soon pass away For to convince Men of the Vanity and Insufficiency of all earthly Delights in order to their true Happiness the Spirit of the LORD doth here by a word of the present time represent the whole company of Men that live together at any one time upon the Earth as in a continual motion travelling away to another place to make way for others who are to come up in their stead One Generation passeth away and another cometh 2. There will be a continual succession of one Generation to another while the Earth and Time doth last that CHRIST may alwayes have a Bride and a Seed to serve him in the World the thoughts whereof as they
and the subject of his Communing with his Heart was the same with that spoken of in the Scriptures cited as will appear by comparing them with the present purpose I Communed with my Heart saying Lo I am come to great Estate c. 3. As there are some of the Lords dearly Beloved People upon whom a very small Portion of the things of this present Life is allowed that they may esteem the more of better things and may be taught to trust God with their daily Provision Luk. 16.20 So it pleaseth him to multiply and make exceeding great as the Original Word here signifies the outward Estate of others dear to him that all may know what he can do to his own and would do to all of them if it were for their true good Ps 84.11 For here Solomon acknowledgeth he was come to a great Estate 4. However Mens proud Reflections upon and vain Boastings of their receipts and gifts attributing all to their own Wit be a detestable Sin and often a Fore-runner of their being deprived in Wrath of these things Dan 4.30 Yet it is both Lawful and necessary for the Children and Servants of the Lord to reflect upon and sometimes to reckon out to others what His Grace hath bestowed upon them when their so doing serves to encrease an humble and thankful frame of spirit 2 Sam. 7 18. c. And to commend any Message which the Lord hath to deliver by them to others 1 Cor. 15 10 For here Solomon reflecting upon his outward greatness and his inward qualifications doth it in modesty not rekoning out all that he might he doth it to show what ingadged him to his study specified in the following verse and he doth it to gain the more weight to this usefull Experience which here he holds forth to others Lo I am come to great Estate and have gotten more Wisdome c. 5 No Worldly Estate how great soever should satisfie the owner unless he have therewith the Addition of Heavenly Wisdome which Teaches him how to improve it for his spiritual and Eternal Advantage and without which he cannot but abuse it and turn it into a snare to his Soul Therefore while Solomon Relates that he was come to a great Estate he adds further and have gotten or as the Word is in the Hebrew I have added more Wisdom c. 6. As it is necessary for the Children of the Lord to compare themselves with others in Sin and Wickedness that they may see how matchless they are for that and so their Hearts may be humbled and free Grace commended 1 Tim 1.15 16 17. So it is sometimes no less necessary for them to compare themselves with and preferr themselves to others in respect of the Gifts and Graces of God bestowed upon them especially when they do it not to gain esteem to themselves but acceptance to the truths of God which they are called to deliver to others for for this end mainly doth Solomon here compare himself with and preferr himself to all that were before him in Jerusalem and his Modesty appears in this that the Lord having said to him that there had been none before him like him for Wisdome neither should any after him be like him 1 Kings 3 12. He saith only I have gotten more wisedom than all that have been before me and this only to commend the truth of God which he here delivereth to the Church 7. The Lords People should not satisfy themselves with the simple notional knowledge of the truth unless they have also the experimental Knowledge thereof which consists in our discerning evidently the things we know in the causes thereof and by their effects upon our selves or others as also when we feel our Hearts sutably affected and our practise suteably ordered to what we know for this rising of the speach in the latter part of verse 6. Yea my heart had great experience of Wisdom and knowledge imports the experience of Wisdome a greater Blessing than Wisdom it self and the signification of the words in the original leads to the description given of experimental knowledge 8 These to whom the Lord gives this Heavenly and experimental Wisdome he maâes them give their Hearts away to the Study of every kinde of knowledge that may contribute to the encrease of it and that upon the clear apprehension of the worth and Excellency of it Philip. 3 9. And the great Usefulness thereof to them Job 28.16 That so the Heart being applyed to that Study the whole Man may be subservient to it and all pains taken in it may be the sweeter For so was it with Solomon I gave my Heart to know W sdom 9. The moe outward Advantages and Accomodations men have for acquiring Knowledge and the greater Inward qualifications fitting them for the same the Lord hath bestowed upon them the more should their heart be set upon Inriching themselves therewith otherwise the Lord will Challenge them sadly for abusing his Gifts contrary to the end for which he gave them Prov. 17.16 For Solomon speaks of his giving his Heart to the study of more Wisdom as that whereunto his great Estate and former Wisdom and Experience did ingage him while he saith I communed with my Heart saying Lo I am come to great Estate and have gotten more Wisdom And I gave my heart to know Wisdom 10. They that would convince unrenewed Men of the Vanity and Insufficiency of all the courses they can take for attaining to true Contentment and Happiness must bend their study much to find out both the utmost that natural Wit or Power can reach in things which are of themselves good in order to that end and likewise in what vile and abominable Courses in themselves such Men will readily place their Happiness that so they may make clear to them how far short both are of giving them the least degree of true Happiness for these are the subject of Solomon's Study here mentioned namely to know where about the wit of the best of unrenewed men is imployed which he calls Wisdom and to know how base and vile courses which he calls Madness and Folly others of them follow and so to make known that in both Men fall alike short of their fancied Happiness I gave my Heart to know Wisdom and to know Madness and Folly 11. However there be several sorts of these who pursue their Happiness in the Earth and several courses which they take for attaining to the same some of them being taken up with the study of moral Virtues here called Wisdom others of them giving themselves up to their sensual Pleasures and of these some glorying and boasting in their Wickedness as if it were their Renown as the word translated Madness signifies others again Brutish and Stupid having no respect at all to their Credit providing they may satisfy their Lusts as the word Folly signifies yet all of them shall come alike short of the Happiness they think to find and the
heart to despair of ever finding Happiness in them ver 20. Especially considering that men of the greatest parts behoved to leave all their Purchase to others that never took pains about it ver 21. Which course he censures also as Vanity and as a great evil both of sin and punishment ver 21. Of which censure he gives this reason that man by all his outward pains and inward vexation about earthly things is so far from any real profit or true comfort that on the contrary he shall have sorrow and grief and by his violence in this pursuit bereave himself of his nights rest ver 22 23. And this also he censures to be vanity that a man should thus torment himself in so hotly persuing after that which can hardly be overtaken and if overtaken cannot give him comfort but really grieve him And 7. In the last 3 verses of this chapter to clear that the intent of this Doctrine concerning the vanity of earthly things in order to true Happiness was not to deprive men of the lawful use and comfort of the creatures he doth before he proceed further in that subject give a short sum of the true Happiness which is attainable in this life Where 1. He discovers somewhat of the nature of that true Happiness attainable in this life about which he had ver 3. inquired so much being afterward to give a fuller description of it to wit That it consists much in a sweet conjunction of these two the one ãâã relation to the Body is the sober and cheerful use of all lawful earthly delights The other relating to the inner man is that the soul injoy some Good suteable and satisfactory to it which can be no other that the chief good ver 24. Which he confirms from his own knowledge ver 24. And from the advantages he had as of injoying creature comforts so of opportunities to seek and improve them beyond many others ver 25. 2. The more to conciliate mens respect to and endeavours after this true Happiness he describes both the blessed condition of them that search after it ver 26. And the miserable condition of them that neglect it ver 26. By all which it is evident which is the scope of the Chapter How insufficient the persuit and injoyment of earthly Delights is to afford that true Happiness which is needful for man Ecclesiastes Chap. II. Verse I I said in mine heart Go to now I will prove thee with Mirth therefore enjoy pleasure and behold this also is Vanity II. I said of Laughter It is mad and of Mirth what doth it SOLOMON having proven from his own Experience the insufficiency of the natural Mans understanding improven to the outmost in the contemplation of all Created things and humane endeavours about them for producing the least degree of true Peace and Happiness to him while he remains a stranger to fellowship with God he doth here give a further instance from his own Experience also to prove how far short the use and enjoyment of the choicest of created delights is to bring him any nearer to that Happiness which he seeks after And for this end he doth First relate with how much deliberation and with what bensill of Spirit he had pursued sensual delights and by repeated commands had prest his own Heart as if it had been too slow in the pursuit to try the outmost that creature comforts could do for satisfying of him Go to now saith he I will prove thee with Mirth therefore enjoy pleasure whereby cannot be meant his provocking of his Soul to spiritual Mirth and pleasure in Communion with God and in his Praises which was the Exercise he should have been upon as his Father had been often before him for that would have had a sweeter Issue and more comfortable effects than he found this to have in his own Experience therefore by this Language of his to his Heart is signified his giving up of himself to the excess of Earthly and sensual delights which now he is relateing with grief And this Communing with his Heart seems most fitly to be referred to the beginning of his defection from God as being that frame of Spirit whence his more grievous falls had their rise whilst he was neither enjoying that spritual Soul-ravishing pleasure and Mirth which sometimes he had in fellowship with God especially when he Wrote that excellent Song of Songs for then he could not have perswaded his Heart to seek pleasures of another nature nor yet was come to that hight of Wickedness which he was left unto before his recovery as appears by comparing this verse with the third where he saith that he was acquainting his heart with Wisdom his Heart was only beginning to be Inflamed with the love of sensual delights and his defection from the Lord fast growing Secondly That all who read this may take it for a penitents relation of his former sinful frame of Spirit and so may be affraied of falling into the like before he inlarge it further he subjoyns his Censure of it inviting all to consider that the Issue of this dangerous resolution of his to pursue Carnal pleasures had proven to him in his sad Experience nothing but emptiness or disappointment of any true satisfaction Verse 1. And Thirdly He inlarges that censure which he past when he came to himself as a true penitent upon his former sinful frame considering it both as it did break out visibly in the expressions and gestures of the outward Man here called Laughter and as it did affect his heart within while he delighted himself in sinful speculations which he calleth Mirth pronouncing the former to be Madness or as the word signifies vain Glorious Boasting of that which is matter of shame to any endued with the Exercise of Holy Reason and the Latter to be of no worth or doing nothing at all for bringing to Man any true satisfaction but rather much to the contrary And that Men transported with their pleasures may be made apprehensive that this will be the Issue of their course he useth a very moving strain of Speach directing the same to that Idol Pleasure and that by Interrogation what doth it or what doest thou Thereby as it were giving a challenge to the Conscience of all sinful Men to condescend if they be able and the expression imports they are not upon any true profite they have by their way Hence Learn 1. As the Lord hath given this preeminence to Man above all other Creatures in the World that he can reflect on by his by past temper and Actions and Commune with his own heart for the Future which he should make use of for restraining himself from sin Neh 6 11. For reclaiming himself therefrom when he is fallen into it Jer 8 6. For encourageing his heart in duty Ps 42 5. Especially to trusting in God Ps 16.2 And to praise him Ps 103.1 In which and the like places there are Holy Soliloquies of a
Christian with himself so when the Lord is provocked to withdraw His Gracious presence Man can do nothing but abuse this priviledge to the blowing up of his own corruptions and encouraging his Heart to Courses destructive to his own Peace and comfort and which will prove bitterness to him in the Latter end for thus was it with Solomon at the time to which he here Relates while the Lords Spirit was withdrawn and he was entering upon a course of defection from the Lord I said in my heart go to now I will prove thee with Mirth therefore enjoy Pleasure 2. Even these whose Souls have been sometimes ravished with spiritual Mirth and delight in God and have very long enjoyed those pleasures that are Heavenly even they by their falling lazie and secure Cant 5.2 Or waxing proud because of it 2 Cor 12 7. May provocke the Lord to withdraw so far that they will lose the impression of that sweetness they have formerly found and apprehend pleasure only to be had in Earthly delights and be so eager in the pursuit of these as if there were no better to be had So that these who have gotten much of their Youth and a great part of their Elder Dayes past over in the fear of the Lord and Fellowship with Him have Reason even unto gray Hairs and Death to be working out their Salvation in Fear and Trembling least these sparkles of unmortifyed Corruptions which have been long keept at under and are not quite extinct in the best may break out in a flame even in their old Age for this Man of whom we have Ground to conclude that much of his Youth and the great part of his Life was spent in fellowship with God is notwithstanding at this toward the evening of his dayes I said in my heart go to now I will prove thee with Mirth therefore injoy pleasure 3. What ever opposition there be in the Hearts of Men to sinful Temptations as somewhat of that sort may be found in the unregenerate from the clearness of their light apprehending the hazard of their sinful wayes Rom 2 15 Act 24.25 And much more must be in the regenerate in whom the seeds of Grace alwayes remain 1 John 3 9. Yet while the special Influences of the Lords Spirit which powerfully divert the heart from sinful speculations Ps 119 36.37 and actuate his Grace Cant 4.16 are suspended the corrupt part will so uncessantly incite and so imperiously command the whole Man to go over the Belly of that opposition that even a renewed Child of God is in hazard not only to be overtaken by the surpriseall of temptations and suddain motions of his Corruptions but deliberately to go after these especially such as promise to him much sensual pleasure How desperate is the Wickedness of the best Mans heart And how great that Mercy and Love of God that follows after him in such Courses and powerfully reclaims him For here Solomon setting forth that sinful frame of Spirit whence his gross defection had the rise represents himself speaking to his own Heart as if it had been slow in the pursuit of sinful pleasures and no wonder considering his great Light and former Experiences of much sweetness in Religious Exercises and urging it to go over all opposition for attaining to these I said in my heart go to now I will prove thee with Mirth therefore injoy pleasure 4. A true penitent will not only with grief call to mind his gross External Sins but also with what Bensil of Spirit he hath been carried on to them and will make Language of his sinful purposes that he may make himself more vile in his own Eyes and will not stand to publish the same when his so doing may restrain or reclame others from the like or prevent the despair of wakned Sinners affrighted at the sight of their own vileness and the disappointment of that satisfaction which they expected from their Idols for for these and the like ends doth this penitent Preacher reflect upon his own sinful temper and relate the Language of his heart in pursuing his Carnal pleasures concluding with all and calling others to consider that the Issue of such Courses is nothing but Vanity I said in my heart go to now I will prove thee with Mirth therefore enjoy pleasure and behold this also is Vanity 5. What ever use of corrupt Wit and Reason Men may have for accomplishing their sinful pleasures and increasing their delight in them the same is nothing else but Madness in Gods sight seeing they are but shareing of the beasts Happiness and while they express most Joy in the satisfaction of their Lusts they are but Laughing at their own Fetters whereby they are held Captives to the Devil and but like mad Men gathering fewel to that Fire wherein for their Carnal pleasures here called Laughter they shall for ever weep and gnash their Teeth I said of Laughter it is Mad. 6. As these who do most madly pursue their Sinfull pleasures cannot possibly condescend upon any profit they have by their so doing and yet are very hardly brought to consider that it is so so it is a prevailing way for Ministers to deal with People and for People to deal with themselves to put their Conscience by questions to condescend upon the Advantage they have by their way and sometimes to direct their speach to these Idols they serve as their God and as it were Examine them as Men do Theeves or Spyes that haunt their houses to see if they can show men which is impossible for them to do what profit they bring to them that serve them for as this question may be taken as put to Mirth it self or to the Conscience of the voluptuous Man concerning it what doth it Or as it may be read from the original what dost thou Imports that Mens sinful pleasures contribute nothing to their Happiness and true satisfaction but much every way to the contrary exprest before by Vexation of Spirit So it imports an impossibility of getting an answer condescending upon any true Advantage Men have by their sinful pleasures And this forme of Speach is used by Solomon to rouse the Consciences of Men that serve their pleasures and to convince them of their Madness in so doing I said of Laughter it is Mad and of Mirth what doth it Verse 3. I sought in my heart to give my self unto Wine yet acquainting mine heart unto Wisdom and to lay hold on Folly till I might see what was that good for the sons of Men which they should do under Heaven all the days of their Life SOlomon having given a summe of his sinful Resolution to pursue his pleasures which was in his heart when he first began to make defection from God with his sad censure thereof now being a penitent in the former verses He doth here give particular instances of the Courses he took for attaining to the same and First he doth further inlarge his pursuit
after them in two Expressions The one is that he sought in his heart or as the word signifies he did deliberate and search into every art how he might give himself or as the word is draw out his Flesh or lay out himself to the full unto Wine under which is comprehended all delicats which are satisfying to the natural appetite The other is that he sought in his heart to lay hold on Folly for the first words of the verse are to be constructed with these which follow after the Parenthesis in the text by this Laying hold he means his apprehending with all his might and the outmost intention of his strength of minde and Body and so bringing into his possession as the Original Word signifies And by this Folly whereof he thus tooke hold is meant those sensual pleasures which he now being a penitent judgeth to be nothing else but Folly though he looked otherwise upon them before Now this his expression of giving himself unto Wine it not to be understood as if he had given up himself to that Excessive use of the Creatures whereunto Drunkards and Belly-Gods addict themselves for though we read of many vile practises of his under his defection yet we find nothing of that sort beside what is here said of his giving himself unto Wine neither yet can this be understood of the moderate and Holy use of the Creatures because it is ordinary with him when he speaks of that as he doth frequently in this Book to commend it as Gods gift and allowance to his own while as he doth condemn this as Folly and as producing Vexation of Spirit Verse 11. Therefore this seems to be understood of a middle way betwixt these which he studied to wit that he would so far give up himself to sensible delights that he might know the outmost of the sweetness and comfort that was in them and yet might not turn altogether sensual and Butishly excessive in the use of these things And next to confirme that it was this middle way which he then minded to follow he doth with the mentioning of it intermix as it were in a Parenthesis another Study which he intended to temper with this namely his acquainting of his heart with Wisdom whereby is meant especially his skill of Governing his Royal Affairs for at his worst there is no ground to think that he did grosly miscarry as Drunkards do and consequently he hath Studied how to restrain himself from such excesses as might stain his Reputation and for that end to carry himself at the beginning of his defection at least in the externals of Religion as he might hide from the Eyes of his Subjects and others his begun defection from the Lord. And Thirdly he shows what was his end in this Study of his which was indeed a singular on to make a Mixture of these two to give up himself to a very full injoyment of sensual delights and to carry on withall the Exercise and reputation of his great Wisdome and that was that he might see or experimentally know as the Word is translated Eccl 1 16. what was that chief good which mortal Men should endeavour to obtain and may come to the injoyment of along their few and numbered dayes as the original is that they have to live in this World whereby it appears that he doth here relate what frame of Spirit he had under his begun defection and estrangement from the Lord seeing the chief good is now a seeking with him and is sought after by him in such things as are exprest in this verse in Wine and other things of that nature which he now calls Folly Hence Learn 1. A true penitent will not satisfy himself with general Confessions of his former sinfull course as if he had been but in a common Transgression whereof few are free and so had no other matter of shame than other Men but will condescend upon particulars both what unworthy idols he hath served and how much his wit and strength have been imployed in serving of them that so he may be the more vile in his own Eyes and may make clear to others the way of the prevailing of temptations that they may be restrained or reclaimed from giving way to the like for after a general Confession of his sinful purpose to pursue his pleasures he doth now instance the particulars that carried his heart away from God and how much he was taken up with them I sought in my heart to give my self unto Wine 2. There are Snares and Temptations wherewith the Godly are readily overtaken not only in and about things of themselves sinful but likewise and most ordinarly in and about these things which are in their use lawful and necessary Satan knows that we least suspect and so are most easily insnared by Temptations in these things for it is imported here that Solomon found a Snare and Temptation even in these things which such a Man as he might Lawfully have made use of in greater Variety and plenty than many other Men I sought in my heart to give my self unto Wine 3. When the Serious Exercise of a Mans Wit is to lay out himself in taking the outmost of the comfort which any created thing can yeild unto him though the same were never so lawful in the moderate use of it then it becomes his sin and his Idol for so doth Solomon descrive the sin that was in his course that he sought in his heart which signifies his most Serious Deliberation to give himself or as it is in the Original to draw out his Flesh by which is meant his outward Man and the Actions thereof unto Wine 4. When the Children of the Lord are not seeking in their heart to give themselves away to his Service and Obedience that so they may have more near Communion with himself which should be their most serious Study Isai 26.9 they will be then seeking in their heart how to give themselves away to these base and unworthy things which God hath given to them to serve and cheir them in serving him for here Solomon now begun to be estranged from the Lord is giving himself away to that which God hath given Man to preserve his Health 1 Tim 5 23. And to cheir his heart in the Praises of his Maker Ps 104.15 I sought in my heart to give my self unto Wine 5. How much use of Wit and Reason soever Men may have in the persuance of Earthly delights yet while they are seeking in their hearts to give themselves away to these things they are but taking hold of Folly and though the Foolish sinner do not so look upon his way while he is pursuing his Idols yet when God awakes him whether in Wrath or in Mercy he will see and be forced to say that he hath been doing nothing but taking hold of Folly for Solomon saith he Exercised his Wit how to give himself unto Wine whereby is meant all these pleasures that estranged
him from God and now being a penitent he judges his so doing to be nothing else but a taking hold of Folly I sought in my heart c. to lay hold on Folly 6. As Mens corrupt hearts left destitute of the special presence of Gods Spirit will incline them in some respects to the study of Wisdom while they are pursuing their Idols that they may manage their outward Affairs so as they may be the fitter to possess the sweetness they aim at in the injoyment of these Idols that they may be the more able to defend their way with shew of Reason to hide from others their defection from God and to keep their Reputation unstained So may the Lord vouchafe upon them even then the Exercise of Wit and Reason that he may make use of them to do somthing for his publick Honour before the World while they are doing him much dishonour privately and that he may ingage them the more when they come to themselves to employ their Wit for him For Solomon now estranged from the Lord while he was giving himself unto Wine and so laying hold on Folly was notwithstanding acquainting his heart with wisdome 7. Satan doth not at the first tempt Men to that hight of Wickedness which he intends to have them at afterward he will not only permit but incite them unto such a wise ordering of their carriage both in Civil and Religious performances as may hide from others the tendency of their way and silence for a time their own Conscience See 2 Sam 15.7 Prov 7.14 Counting it sufficient at first to get their Zeal in Religions duties abated and the delight of the heart drawen toward these things which may prove an inlet and occasion to further Temptations for thus was it with Solomon at the beginning of his defection from the Lord he sought in his heart to give himself unto Wine yet so as he acquainted his heart with Wisdom which may be understood both of his wise Managing the Affairs of his Kingdome and his visible respect to Religious Ordinances which afterward he shook off when he Established Idolatry 1 King 11.7.8 It is a great guilt in Men to allow themselves in every way of using lawful comforts which doth not desturb their Reason or make them incapable of manageing their civil Affairs and of ordering their External Cariage in Religious duties while in the mean time the bent of their heart is after their sensual satisfaction in the use of any Earthly delight though never so lawful for there is no ground to think that Solomon did so give himself to Wine that he turned a Drunkard or indisposed himself for managing his affairs Civil or Ecclesiastick in a prudent manner yea the contrary is intimated here while he saith that when he gave himself to Wine He was acquainting his heart with Wisdom and yet he saith now being a penitent that he was even then taking hold of Folly 9. A true penitent reclaimed from sin should impartially reflect upon and relate as is needful both how far he hath given up himself to pursue his Idols and what proofs of undeserved respect from the Lord he hath had continued with him and hath abused in the time of his defection that so he may be the more vile in his own Eyes the more thankfull to the Lord and ingaged now to imploy his wit and parts for him for Solomon being now a penitent relates both how far he gave up himself to his pleasures and how far the restraining Grace of God was imployed for him at that time not suffering him altogether to lose the Exercise of his Wisdome I gave my heart to Wine yet acquainting my heart with Wisdom 10. So easily are the sparkles of unmortified Corruption inflamed even with the very mentioning of sinful courses especially such as have much sensual pleasure in them that there is need with the mentioning of them to mention also the Folly Bitterness and hazard of them Therefore doth Solomon in the former words immediately subjoyn his Censure of his course as Madness to his expressing of his purpose to pursue his pleasures and here while he speaks of his giving himself unto Wine he calls it a taking hold of Folly 11. As there is some chief good to be attained in this life which every Man should seek after and do something every day of his Life for attaining to so nothing is to be esteemed that good but only that which Men may enjoy all their Days and which may be able to yeild them true comfort in all the variety of Conditions they can be in and this only the favour of God and fellowship with him in Christ by the Spirit is able to do Ps 34.12 c. For here Solomon supposes such a good to be and to be sought after while he saith till I might see what is that Good for the Sones of Men which they should do under Heaven all the dayes of their Life 12. Even these who have not only been determined and clear concerning that wherein Mans cheif good doth consist but have been long in posession and injoyment of it may be for a time so earnest in the pursuit of their sensual pleasures and so forgetful of what they have formerly found in fellowship with God that their chief good may be a seeking to them and any apprehensions they have of it may be that it is in these things that are most contrary to it For here Solomon expressing the end of his forementioned course speaks as a Man in the mist concerning that true good and as apprehending it to be in sinful delights such as Wine to which he saith he gave up himself while he saith till I might see what was that good for the Sones of Men which they shoud do all the dayes of their Life Verse IV. I made me great Works I builded me ãâã I planted me Vineyards V I made me Gardens and Orchards and I planted Trees in them of all kind of Fruits VI. I made we Pools of Waters in water therewith the wood that bringeth forth Trees VII I got me servants and maidens and had servants been in my house also I had great possessions of great and small cattel above all that were in Jerusalem before me VIII I gathered me also silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of Kings and of the provinces I got me men singers and Women singers and the ââights of the sones of men as musical instruments and that of all sorts THis penitent Preacher having with grief related his former sinful purpose to pursue his pleasures he doth here reckon out what fair Advantages he had ââtting him for injoying as much thereof as any Man could expect to find or the choice and flower of all the Inferiour Creatures could yeeld unto him As. 1. His stately buildings of all Sorts which might serve not only for Commodious Habitation but for strengths against his Enemies and monuments of his power and greatness as may
115. 14. Whereby it appears be doth now take notice of that greatness as a performance of the Lords promise to him 1 King 3.13 The next thing he observed of himself and the Lords dispensation with him relates to the inward Disposition and fraââe of his Spirit under all these injoyments and that is that his wisdom remained with him or as the word signifies was his constant Servant and attendant Now though it cannot be denyed but that under his greatest defection from the Lord His saving Wisdome for the habit of it did remain with him that being the seed of God which abideth 1 John 3.9 and one of these gifts which are without Repentance Rom 11 29. Yet it seems most agreable to the purpose in hand to take this Wisdom for that singular gift of knowledge of things natural which Solomon had and for his civill Wisdom or moral prudence for managing his affaires and keeping up his Reputation considering that even that would readily be suspected to be blasted under so great injoyment of sensuall pleasures and especially that he passes censure afterward upon all the courses which by the conduct of this Wisdom he followed as Vanity and vexation of Spirit Hence Learn 1. The Lord who sees it fit to keep some of the dearest of his People very low and despised for their outward condition Ps 119.141 deals very liberally with others of them in things of that nature so as to gain them much reverence and respect in the mindes of the men of this World who ordinarily bestow their esteem upon the accompt of these things that such of his People may have the fairer opportunity to do good to the Souls of others for so liberally did he deal with Solomon in the particulars forementioned that this was the result thereof mainly in the mindes of others which he here expresses so I was great or as the word signifies Honourably thought of 2. Whatever outward greatness and esteem in the World the Lord vouchsafe upon any of his Children they ought carefully to observe and acknowledge the same that so they may the better see how great their Obligation is to Thankfulness to the Lord and how great their guilt is in not walking answerably to it and so be the more humbled for so doth Solomon and doubtless now being a Penitent for such causes reflect upon and acknowledge that greatness which Gods goodness had advanced him to So I was great and increased c. 3. It is lawful for the Godly to compare themselves with and prefer themselves to others in reference to the Lords Bounty and Liberality toward them when this is not done to highten their own conceit of themselves Dan. 4 30. when nothing is attributed to their own worth as the procuring cause thereof Deut. 8.17 nor That Goodness made an occasion to despise others who possibly have not received so much Luke 18.11 But to make themselves the more Humble and Ashamed considering that they have as far exceeded others in Ingratitude as in Receipts and to ingage them to excel others as far in Humble and Thankful walking afterward as they have done in Mercies formerly bestowed For which causes it is that Solomon here sets out his greatnèss comparatively I was great and Increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem 4. The Lord may continue with men the exercise of common Wisdom and Prudence in managing their visible Conversation before others even when they being estranged from him have lost the exercise of Heavenly Wisdom and are not following the conduct thereof and so deserve to be deprived of that other also that he may even in that case make use of them for doing him some Service prevent his further Dishonour by them and manifest his Mercy by covering in part their nakedness which would be shamefully seen if he should when he is provoked withdraw even the exercise of that wit which they abuse for this last clause of the Verse cannot but be understood so as to relate to the time of Solomon's Defection when he wanted at least in a great measure the exercise of Spiritual Wisdom seeing it comprehends the whole time of his prosperous condition which continued even under his defection 1 Kings 10 28. 11.1 c. Even then when He was great and Increased his Wisdom remained with him 5. So prone are men enjoying plenty of outward Delights to lose even the Exercise of common Prudence and Reason and to give up themselves as Beasts to the leading of their sensual Appetites 2 Pet. 2.12 that it is a Mercy much to be marked and acknowledged for a man to have any measure of the exercise thereof continued in that Case For Solomon speaks of this as a remarkable thing which hardly would be expected by many that he having all the Delights of the Sons of Men being so great and increased more than all that had been before him might yet truly say this Also my Wisdom remained with me Vers 10. And whatsoever mine Eyes desired I kept not from them I withheld not my Heart from any joy for my Heart rejoyced in all my Labour and this was my Portion of all my Labour 11. Then I looked on all the Works that my Hands had wrought and on the Labour that I had Laboured to do and behold all was Vanity and vexation of Spirit and there was no profit under the Sun SOlomon goes on to describe further the frame of Spirit he had under his Estrangement from the Lord and the Sense he had thereof being now a Penitent And First he returns again to show how fully bent he was to pursue his sensual Pleasures and this he holds forth in two Expressions The one is That whatever his Eyes desired he did not keep from them By his Eyes he means mainly the Affections of his Soul which are usually so exprest in Scripture especially when Lust or Desire is attributed to them 1 Joh. 2.16 Because these take in Objects to the Affections Job 31.1 And do in some sort bewray the tendency of the Affections toward these Objects 2 Pet 2.14 And so the Eyes of the Body are here also comprehended These he confesses he did not separate or put far away from as the Word signifies these Objects to which they were of themselves strongly inclined as he should have done Job 31.1 By the exercise of holy reason and Grace which he had in the habit The other expression is That he with-held not his Heart from any joy Which adds to the former that as he did not separate his Eyes or Affections from the Objects which proved a snare to him so he did not put a Bridle or Restraint as the Word translated With-held signifies of the Fear of God and Thoughts of his Love upon his Affections nor did he prohibite them which is the chief signification of the Word by his reason to ingage deeply in the Love of these Delights however lawful in themselves Now these expressions cannot be understood
as holding forth no more than the use of his lawful Liberty in injoying his allowed Comforts seeing the plain and literal Sense of them is so far from what is commended of that sort in other Scriptures such as the making a Covenant with the Eyes as Job did and praying to turn them away from beholding Vanity as David did Psal 119.37 And so unlike to that command which doubtless had been oft prest upon Solomon to rejoyce in trembling Besides if what he took had been allowed liberty and joy of the right stamp whereof he here speaks he could not have past such a censure as he doth in the following words upon his persuit thereof And therefore must be understood of the sinful excess of his Affections pouring themselves out upon creature Comforts Secondly He giveth two reasons why he took this Liberty to himself which then had been prevalent with him but now did increase his Grief that they should have been so The 1. is That his Heart rejoyced in his Labour The meaning whereof is because he found such strength of Body and of his natural Spirit that his very pains and toil as the word Labour signifies were pleasant to him therefore he took this Liberty The 2. is That this was his Portion which is not to be understood as if God had allowed him to satisfy himself with these earthly injoyments without Fellowship with himself but that he did satisfy himself too much with the same during the time of his distance from the Lord as if they had been his Portion which he might indeed have taken as a Portion sufficient to encourage him in seeking a better ver 10. Thirdly He passeth Censure upon the whole to wit all his earthly Injoyments and his Delight in them as hath been explained and that his censure may have the more weight he showes it was past after he had turned his Face about as the Word signifies that is after serious reflection as a Penitent both upon all the Works he had done and upon what he intended to do but got not accomplished And this he doth in three Branches 1. That he had met with nothing but emptiness or disappointment of any true satisfaction which is Vanity 2. That his Spirit was eaten up or gnawn away with the tormenting challenges of his Conscience for pouring out his delight so much upon these things This is the vexation he speaks of And 3. That there was no profit in all these things or his Delight in them the Original bears he found nothing remaining over and above that is nothing besides disappointment and vexation Hence we may Learn 1. When the Lord is not made the Prime Delight of the Souls of men as he alone deserves to be Cant. 2.3 there is nothing that can be represented to them as desirable or pleasant but they are ready to give up themselves to it so that they have his restraining Grace to thank that they are keept back from the most hainous Wickedness for now while Solomon is not delighting in keeping Fellowship with God his affections are let loose and not kept back from any thing they incline to and his Heart is not with-held by him from any thing he apprehended would make him joyful And therefore he had not himself to thank that he fell not though his falls were very hainous to Witchcraft and Persecution as Manasseh did seeing he speaks this truly of himself Whatsoever my Eyes desired I kept not from them I withheld not my heart from any joy 2. A true Penitent will not only reflect with grief upon his former practices in themselves sinful but likewise and mainly upon the excess and impetuous violence of his Heart and Affections going after things in themselves lawful not only will he so look upon what he hath given his Heart to and fix'd his Eyes upon but also upon what he did not keep his Eyes nor with-held his Heart from though otherwayes he hath been hindered and will mourn for the same for so doth Solomon regrate here as the ground of the vexation of his heart that Whatever his Eyes desired he kept not from them nor with-held his Heart from any joy Though it is very probable that there were some things his Eyes desired that were kept from them and some Joyes from which his Heart was with-held 3. So strong is the baiss of a mans heart estranged from God after sensual Delights and so assiduous and importunate Suiters of them are his Affections that except these things that are sinful or may prove occasions of sin to him be either separate from him and so put without his reach or the forcible restraint of Love to Christ vouchsafed in that case come in upon his Heart and sweeten it more than it can apprehend any delight beside could do 2 Cor. 5.14 Or the powerful apprehension of Terror from the Lord if he should medle with sinful pleasures Job 31.23 the Heart and Affections will run forth excessively upon them so that whoever would be kept from sin must carefully watch against all occasions of sining For Solomon here regrats that he did not separate these Delights from his Eyes and that he did not bridle his Heart from them as the Word signifies importing hereby what he should have done if so be he would have kept himself free of these things which afterward proved vexation of Spirit to him and Whatever mine eyes desired I kept not from them I with-held not my Heart from any joy 4. The wise Lord who measures out to some of his Children that are dearest to him such a bitter cup that they have seldom or never sensible Pleasure in what they do or enjoy in this World and this even while they are walking with him and far from delighting in things sinful Job 21.25 Psal 88.15 sees it fit to let others of his people while they are presuing things sinful or things lawful in a sinful way taste largely of Joy and Contentment and have their Hearts up in their way not because he thinks little of their Sins But that by his Indulgence he may hasten their Repentance or if they do not make this use thereof increase the bitterness of their exercise afterward for their further Humiliation for so was it with Solomon while he was giving his Heart and Affections their own sway in the pursuance of these Delights which afterward proved vexation to him I with-held not my Heart from any joy and even then saith he my Heart rejoyced in all my Labour 5. So strong is the delusion of that Heart which is left destitute of the gracious and lively Operations of the Spirit of Christ and is pursuing earthly delights that even these exercises and courses for attaining its Idols which are really painful and spending both of Body and Spirit will seem joyful and pleasant to it How may this condemn them who account any pains in Christ's Service which is true Pleasure Prov. 3.17 a weariness Mal 1.13 for Solomon
sinfully pursuing earthly delights saith My Heart rejoyced in all my Labour the Word signifies Toil and Pains even unto weariness 6. Though men oftentimes think it a good enough Warrand to hold on in their sinful way that their Heart prompts them so to do and that they can take joy in their way yet when the Lord awakes the Conscience it will appear to be so far from a Warrand of their way that it will increase their grief that they should not only have followed their sinful wayes but likewise should have had Hearts to rejoyce so much in them for Solomon gives this for a reason prevailing with him under his distance from the Lord to give up himself to his earthly Pleasures but now aggravating his guilt and his grief That his Heart rejoced in all his Labour 7 Although there be nothing less allowed to Believers for their Portion than the Lord himself his Favour and Fellowship which alone is able to satisfy them Psal 16.5 6. yet when his Spirit is withdrawn from them they will seek after and satisfy themselves with the perishing delights of this earth as their portion for the time which will exceedingly augment their grief when the Lord reclaims them for this other reason is a part of that which Solomon found now to be vexation of Spirit to him that he had looked upon his earthly injoyments and his joy in them as his portion And this saith he was my Portion of all my Labour 8. As men deserted of God go on in their own wayes and never turn their face seriously to reflect upon what they have done so when his Spirit whom they have grieved is pleased to return again they will make it their exercise to look back upon what they have done comparing it with the Rule that they may find matter of Humiliation from it for so is it here with this penitent then I looked or as the Word is in the Original I turned my face importing he had before this time gone on and never looked back upon all the Works that my hands had wrought 9. When a Prodigal Child of God is come to himself he will see and be very desirous that others should see that every thing he hath sought after as his Portion hath been empty and void of any true satisfaction that every thing he hath poured out the delight of his Heart upon beside the Lord and Fellowship with him hath but eaten up his Spirit and left him nothing there but the gnawing worm of an accusing Conscience so that he hath nothing of true profit remaining nay nothing at all beside that disappointment and vexation And if it be thus with men pursuing excessively pleasures in themselves lawful how much more with these who pursue things sinful For this is penitent Solomon's Censure and Judgement past upon all his earthly Pleasures which he calls all to consider Behold all is vanity and vexation of Spirit and there is no profit under the Sun Verse 12. And I turned my self to behold Wisdom and Madness and Folly for what can the man do that cometh after the King Even that which hath been already done THis Penitent Preacher having with Grief related and censured the principal courses which he followed during his distance from the Lord for attaining to Happiness Namely the contemplation and study of all created things and the plentiful injoyment of creature Comforts He doth now compare both together and shows first how serious he was in so doing he turned his face from other things to contemplate Wisdom whereby is meant mainly the knowledge of things Natural and Moral or whatever mans wit without the special conduct of the Lords Spirit can find out for attaining to Happiness And Madness and Folly by which he means all these sensual Delights formerly mentioned wherein men place their Happiness As he had looked upon both apart so now he considers both joyntly and cannot pass from his former Sentence of both And next because he did foresee that many Inferior to him would presume to find Happiness where he had been disappointed therefore he put this question to them What can the Man do that cometh after the King Which hath the force of a denyal as appears by the answer here subjoyned viz. That no man after Solomon himself should ever be able to do any thing to lead him nearer an earthly Felicity by trying the like courses than he had done And the ground of this is supposed that none can expect to have more advantages and helps to make them profit in such a study and successful in such an attempt And this is both a Reason of his painful study taken from his fitness and many advantages for it and likwise an Argument to make his Judgment and Censure past upon such courses have the more weight And so to draw others from essaying to seek Happiness in the like way Besides what was observed from some expressions Chap. 1 17. We may learn 1. While the Heart of man is not fixed upon the Lord and taken up with that sweetness which is to be had in his Fellowship and Service it will be still wandring from mountain to hill forgetting its resting place which proves to some a just correction in displeasure for their folly and to others a merciful exercise to make them return to their first Husband For Thus doth Solomon beginning to be reclaimed from his defection represent himself as one frequently turning himself about Having said in the former verse He turned his face he saith here again and I turned my self to behold c. 2. They that would attain to any degree of sound knowledge and right apprehension of things which may be profitable for themselves and others they must not only have their Hearts diverted from other unprofitable things and be frequent and serious in their thoughts of these that may profit but after they have looked upon every one of them apart they must consider them joyntly and compare one of them with another For here Solomon that he might root this experimental knowledge in his own Heart concerning the insufficiency of all the Creatures humane endeavours about them and the fullest injoyment of them for bringing about mans true Happiness after he had considered all his Courses for that end apart he turns his face again importing his seriousness to consider them jointly I turned my self to behold Wisdom and Madness and Folly 3. The utmost of Comfort that Creatures can yeild when Happiness and Contentment is sought in them may soon be attained It is no such depth but that it may be sounded by these who will put it to the tryal which yet they shall do to their great grief and vexation One man may in a short time find out so much thereof as that he may defy others after him to find more Whence appears a manifest difference between Heavenly and Earthly Consolations the Heavenly being still upon the growing hand and incomprehensible by any of the Saints
till in Heaven they be filled with all the fulness of God Eph. 3. 19. 1 Cor. 2.9 For here Solomon at the direction of the Spirit of God professeth himself to have been at the bottom of earthly delights so as none after him could go deeper What can the man do that cometh after the King 4. The Lord hath not only assured us by his Word that if we seek Happiness in any thing beside himself we shall meet with disappointment and vexation but also hath given us experimental Testimonies thereof under the hand of these who to their grief have essayed it whose Testimony we cannot in reason question seeing we cannot rationally imagine to equal much less to excel them in advantages for attaining to that Happiness For here is the Testimony of one who excelled all meer men in Wisdom and many other things also giving us in the Lords Name warning that it shall be folly for us to make a new essay of finding Happiness where he was disappointed What can the man do that cometh after the King even that which hath been already done 5. So bent are the Hearts of men naturally upon an Earthly Happiness Psal 4.6 and so strongly conceited of their own ability to attain it Job 11.12 that though they hear the persuit of it condemned as vain and vexatious by these who wanted nothing to gain credit to their Testimony yet will they still except the Lord change their Heart intertain hopes of attaining it and presume to do something more for that end than any others have done before them For this Question is to check mens vain hopes and presumption of doing some new thing and more effectual than what hath been done before for attaining to Happiness in things Earthly What can the man do that cometh after the King even that which hath been already done 6. As it is no sinful arrogancy nor violation of Christian modesty to commend our selves when the same may commend the Truth and is done for that end so when it is necessary for men to speak any thing may savour of their own praise or preference to others they should not only be sure that they speak truly and have a good Warrand for what they say but likewise should evidence their Modesty and Humility in so doing by keeping within the bounds they might surpass in commending themselves For Solomon here as he doth to the advantage of the Truth commend himself so he doth not say all that he might have said upon the Warrand of Gods promise to him and testimony concerning him 1 King 3.11 but modestly imports that others should find nothing more in this matter than he had found What can the man do that cometh after the King even that which hath been already done 7. The more fit qualifications and advantages the Lord hath given men for attaining to the knowledge of the Truth as they should be the more diligent in improving them and that they may provoke themselves thereto should be the more frequent in humble reflecting upon any thing wherein the Lord hath made them to excel others so should the same gain the more weight in the minds of People to the message they carry for this question may safely be taken both for a reason why Solomon was so serious in the study of the way to Happiness and likewise why his Doctrine should have weight with all that hear it I turned my self to behold and what can the man do that cometh after the King even that which hath been already done 8. It is the Lords way who searches and knows the Hearts of men to meet with the most secret motions and inclinations thereof by his Word and therefore it should be the study of all his Ministers so to apply his Truth as the same may discover the hidden wickedness of Peoples Heart Isaiah 58.1 And so should it be the great desire of people to have the secrets of their Heart discovered to them by the Word 1 Cor. 15.25 For Solomon here clearly meets with that deceiving fancy of mens Hearts which makes them think that albeit he had missed Happiness in his way yet possibly they might come after him and find it out while he saith What can the man do that cometh after the King even that which hath been already âine Verse 13. Then I saw that Wisdom excelleth Folly as far as Light excelleth Darkness 14. The wise mans Eyes are in his Head but the Fool walketh in Darkness And I my self perceived also that one event happeneth to them all SOlomon having compared together these two principal wayes wherein the most part of men seek to attain Happiness and whereof Himself had tryed the outmost and having declared them equally insufficient for that end least he might be thought to undervalue the one viz. the study of Natural Wisdom or Moral Prudence in all other respects as he had done in order to its leading the Students of it to true Happiness He doth here commend it as a good Gift of God fit to be a handmaid to saving knowledge and mainly as it serves for the advantage of humane Society and prefers the study of it to the other viz. The voluptuous or sensual Life which is spent in Carnal pleasures which he calls Folly because it doth much darken mens reason and turn them Sottish who give up themselves to it And this preference of the one to the other He illustrats by the similitude of Light which far excels Darkness vers 13. And proves the same by Reason taken from the effects of both to wit That the man indued even with this common sort of Wisdom hath his Eyes in his Head The meaning whereof is that he is by it much enabled to foresee the hazards and advantages of his Civil Conversation to guard himself against the one and provide for the other and so in some measure to walk equitably and soberly for the good of humane Society while as on the contrary the Sensual man who hath drowned his wit in his Pleasures is as if his Eyes were in the soles of his feet and so he walks inconsiderately and is ready to run into many hazards unawares as one that is walking in the dark Now though all that is here said to the commendation of this Wisdom doth truly and far more ominently agree to saving knowledge yet by what he spoke of this Wisdom Chap. 1. ver 17.18 and by what he speaks afterward of the woful effects of it in this Chapter it doth clearly appear that he intends not a commendation of that Heavenly Wisdom And having shown wherein the one of these courses doth excel the other he comes to show in the next place wherein they both agree whereby he proves the vanity and weakness of that Wisdom for leading man to Happiness which he had commended before in other respects The first thing wherein they agree is That the same events are common to these that are Wise and to these that are Foolish in
Thirdly he sets down his Censure That all this is Vanity which is not to be applyed to the necessity of mens leaving their Substance behind them at death to an Heir unknown for his future Disposition and Carriage seeing that is an ordinary event of Providence but it is to be applyed to the whole case here mentioned to wit His hatred of his Labour upon such grounds as are here exprest and to mens placing Happiness in such things as they must leave behind them As if he had said this is a vain or sinful frame of Spirit and unsuteable for a truly wise Child of God to hate his Labour or vex his Spirit upon such a ground Hence Learn 1. When men excessively love and delight in any Created thing The Lord is thereby justly provoked to turn that Love into hatred and indignation and in much Wisdom and Mercy doth he so seeing they will not take off their affections from these things till they be made odious to them nor will they till then place them where they should be For Solomon who doubtless was sinfully taken up with delight in his Labours during his distance from the Lord saith now Yea I hated all my labour 2. It is not the unworthiness of earthly Delights in comparison of Heavenly and Spiritual which doth ordinarly at the first draw mens hearts from them and make them have indignation at them but rather the consideration of a necessity of parting with them whereof the Lord in Wisdom and Mercy makes good use First to disingage mens hearts from them because they see they must leave them and then to move them to seek after better and that upon more spiritual and approven grounds For therefore Solomon hates all his labour because he sees he must eave it Yea I hated all my labour because I should leave it 3. While men are hotly persuing their Idols these considerations which are most common and obvious to men will be hid from them or not so considered by them as to have any sutable effect upon them For this consideration That he should leave all to one after him is a thing that ordinarly none are ignorant of and yet Solomon hath not thought upon it while he was so much delighted with his Enjoyments And therefore when he thinks seriously of it It not only marrs his delight but makes him hate all these things he loved before I hated all my labour because I should leave it to the man that shall be after me 4. There is so much self-love in all men naturally and so little love to the Glory of God and the good of others that if the Heart be left to its own perverseness it would rather choice that any gift it hath formerly received from God and found sweetness and comfort in and now misses it should perish and go to nothing than that others should enjoy it or themselves have no Comfort of it For this even Solomon declares to have been a part of the ground of this sinful distemper of his spirit That he hated all his Labour because saith he I should leave it to the man that shall be after me 5. Even these who have greatest insight in all sorts of Science cannot know what their nearest Relations their Children Heirs or Successors will prove There may be fair and promising appearance of good in some while they are under good Education and Example and wânt the free use of what they have a right unto who may afterward prove very bad 2 King 12 2. And in others theâe may be great appearance of much Mischief whom notwithstanding Gods powerful Grace may change Act â â c. And the Lord sees it fit to hide from men the future disposition and carriage of those who shall be after them that their Children or apparent Heirs may be the daily remembrancers of their Ignorance and that they may be incited to the moâe Painâ ãâã Dââty toward such and be the more earnest with God for his direction how to dispose of what they have to leave behind them For here Solomon a very sharp-sighted man in other things could not know and supposes others to know no more than He what his Heir or Successor should be while he saith He must leave his labour to the man that shall be after him and who knows whether he shall be a Wise man or a fool 6. Great Estates lawfully Conquest and wisely managed may fall into the hands of these who will foolishly and sinfully dispose of them Whereupon all men should read the vanity of things earthly and never feed themselves with fancies that what they leave shall be wisely managed after them which though they were sure of it could give them no true comfort except they use what they have well for their own time For Solomon supposes here that his great Estate might fall into the hands of a fool as indeed it fell out for one part of it went to Rehoboam another to Jeroboam and a few years after his Death the great part of his Treasures and Riches to Sââshak all of whom were foolâ in Gods sight whatever they were in the Eyes of the World Who knows saith he whether he shall be a wise man or a fool 7. So ready is every man naturally to Idolize his own wit that what One hath never so wisely contrived and framed anotheâ will affect to put in a new Mouââ that it may be said to be his and he may have the praise of it And the other who framed it wisely at first will readily vex himself to think that whât he hath shown so much wit about should be disposed otherwise than he designed For here Solomon now being a Penitâââ confesseâ hiâself to have ãâã while he was âstrangââ from the Lord vexed to think that after hiâ Death ânother shoââd put his wise Contrivances in a âow ãâã and likewise supposes his Successor whatever he should be ready to do the same I hated all my Labour because I should leave it to hiâ thââ shall be after me and who knâws c. and ãâã âe shall have ãâ¦ã as the word is Mastery ãâã all my lâ ãâ¦ã disposâ of it as his pleasure 8. The clearer grounds men have that these who are to be their Heirs or Successors shall prove truly wise and so improve what they leave to them for the honour of God the more willingly and chearfully should they part with what they have And this should make these who are apparent Heirs or in expectation to succeed to others in great possessions so to carry themselves as they may be a Comfort not a Vexation to these dying persons from whom they are to receive some Worldly portion For Solomons indignation at all his Labour because he knew not whether he should be a wise man ãâã a fool who should injoy the fruit of it Imports that if he had known he should prove wise he had not been so much vexed to think of leaving all to him 9.
the heart from earthly Delights that is tyed to them as its portion A man must bestir himself in the use of all means and must busie his heart to find out motives effectual for that end for so did Solomon here as is imported in this expression I went about to cause my heart c. 3. As men destitute of the special Operations of the Lordâ Spirit may manifest much Skill Prudence Experience Ingenuity and Uprightness in their acting and yet be seeking but an earthly Happiness and never minding the great end of all their Undertakings the Glory of God their own and others Spiritual Good So the more of these Gifts or Virtues men do exercise and manifest in their interprises if they seek no further the more will their anxiety and vexation be increased were it but upon this ground that they cannot dispose of all their Purchase to men after them according to their own inclination and pleasure for Solomon here speaks with a main eye to himself and his own Disposition and Carriage while he was at a distance from the Lord and so acting as a natural man may do while he saith There is a man whose Labour is in Wisdom and Knowledge and Equity and yet to a man that hath not Laboured therein shall he leave it This is a great evil 4 While these prime Motives which should prevail to alienate mens hearts from sinful courses are either not minded or have no Power for that effect the Lord can and sometimes doth make use of common and more inferior Motives for bringing about the same and therefore every frame of Spirit is not to be looked upon as bad because it hath been wrought by some Considerations which are common and have in them a mixture of Ignorance and Corruption For Solomon should have caused his heart to despair of Happiness in the Creature because he was created for injoying a Felicity of a higher nature than all the Creatures could afford and because true Happiness is only to be had in Reconciliation and Fellowship with God but he doth not attain at this time whereunto he here relates to these thoughts and yet this more inferior Consideration is blessed to bring his heart to this frame that There is a man whose Labour is in Wisdom and Knowledge and Equity and yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave all c. 5 Men are naturally more prone to be anxious what shall become of their possessions after them and afraid that they be not imployed according to their mind than they are now to improve them in their own time for the best advantage the honour of God their own good and the good of others Which is as if a servant should be more solicitous how his Master should dispose of the fruits of his Labour and afraid least they fall into the hands of some evil servant after him than he is how to improve his pains in the mean time to his Masters best advantage For Solomon was much troubled with this that a man who hath laboured in wisdom should leave all to him that hath not laboueed therein Which cannot be justified seeing the Lord cannot but dispose well of all things into whose hand soever they fall and how bad use soever men make of them 6. The Lord in his wise Providence sees it fit that great things of the World should fall for a portion to men who have neither Wit nor Experience for purchasing or improving of them that all may be convinced that these things are not infallible signs of his love Eccles 9.1 and that men who get them may be allured to their duty by them or the more severely punished when he reckons with them Rom. 2 45. For there is a man whose labour âs in wisdom and knowledge and equity and yet to a man who hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion 7. It is both the sin and misery of men to spend their time and abilities in seeking their Happiness in things which they must leave to others not knowing how they shall be used nothing but disappointment vexation and torment of Conscience when God awakes it can be the result of a mans forgetting his one thing needful and Labouring though in wisdom and knowledge and equity for things earthly as his Happiness which he must leave to another that hath not Laboured therein For this is the thing that Solomon here pronounceth Vanity and a great evil Verse 22. For what hath man of all his labour and of the vexation of his heart wherein he hath laboured under the Sun 23. For all his days are sorrows and his travel grief yet his heart taketh not rest in the night This is also vanity SOlomon here giveth the Reasons of his censure past in the former words upon mens pains for an earthly Happiness The 1. is that man hath no real advantage or true comfort by all his toil of Body and vexation of spirit about things earthly Which is not spoken to the prejudice of any lawful diligence about humane affairs for the right end but only to convince natural men of the fruitlesness of all their pains in order to the true âatisfaction of their souls And this reason he doth propound by way of interrogation that he may the more effectually rouse up himself and others to consider the vanity of seeking Happiness in âhe creatures and by it also he doth as it were challenge all who âeglect to seek their Soul-satisfaction in Reconciliation and felâowship with God in Christ to condescend if they can and with all supposes that they cannot upon any advantage they have by all their toil and pains The question hath the force of a negative as was cleared from the like Chap. 1. ver 3. Whence that which is here understood may be thus supplyed what profit hath a man of all his Labour The 2. Reason is that whoever choises any earthly thing for his portion shall be so far from any true profit or satisfaction that may compense his Pains that by the contrary all his days shall be sorrows and his travel grief which is mainly to be understood of men of greatest Spirit and Parts who take most pains for Happiness in things earthly not as if such men might not have many days of Carnal pleasure and joy but that they have no good days no days but such as yeild them matter of sorrow no imployment but what affords them matter of grief and such Sorrow and grief as is not easily exprest therefore he useth several words here to the same purpose and these in the abstract and in the plural Number The 3. Reason which may be taken for an instance or illustration of the former iâ that even in the time which God hath appointed for the rest of mens Bodies and Spirits such men are often so hot in the pursuit of their Idols of Riches Honour or pleasure that they cannot get rest or as it is in the
utterly to undoe them And therefore are set forth by this word Killing and the Healing of the Lords applying medicines or proving himself a Physician as the Word signifies for so doth the Scripture use the like expressions Deut. 32.39 compared with 2 Kings 5.7 The time of both these is in Gods hand being from Eternity set and fixed by Him So likewise the Breaking down here spoken of is to be understood of these Breaches which the Lord makes upon mens outward Enjoyments whether Worldly or Spiritual and the Building up or the repairing of mens formerly broken Estates and their recovering of them as the like expressions in Scripture ordinarly signify Lam. 2 13. Isai 58.12 and 30.26 And these also are Dispensations in a special way to be marked as timed and seasoned by the Lord. Hence Learn 1. As the Lord is pleased sometimes to manifest His Justice against the Sons of Men in cutting them off the Earth by violent Deaths Now by His own more immediat Hand Lev. 10.2 1 Sam 2.25 And then making use of humane Justice for that effect Est. 9.13 c. And sometimes again to manifest His Mercy to His Own By suffering them to be killed unjustly by men and so hasting them home to Himself Mark 6.19 Act. 12.2 So the particular time of all such sad events as these hath been wisely resolved upon by the Lord from all Eternity and no creature can bring them on sooner or hold them off longer then He hath determined None can Kill before and none can escape the stroake after His set times comes for in reference to the Lords fixing of the Season of such Dispensations here signified by Killing is this Instance to be understood There is a time to kill 2. Sometimes the Lord is pleased to deal in such severity with the Children of men as to their own sense their case is as desperat as if He were killing and slaying them Exod. 4.24 and to the apprehension of others as if they were really Killed Psal 44.22 while yet He intends not to destroy or make an end of them but to restore them to their former condition For this Killing may be taken both in reference to these that are Healed and to others There is a time to kill and a time to heal 3. Times of Healing whether of Bleeding and sick Nations of rent and distempered Churches or wounded Spirits are in Gods Hand and till His time come all essays of other Physicians for Healing are in vain and therefore He is to be humbly employed and depended upon for that end considering that however times of Healing be fixed with Him yet the importunity of penitents is ordinarly a comfortable fore-runner of their being healed 2 Chron 7.14 Hos 6.1 For with Him There is a time to heal 4. The Lord uses to manifest most of His skill about these diseases which the wisest Physicians among men would think incurable He can not only Heal after wounding but after Killing by giving a better life and health than hath been taken away especially when it is for His sake Matt. 10.39 There is a time to kill and a time to heal 5. The thoughts of this that the Lord hath the Times of Killing and Healing in His hand may bring much quietness and contentment of Spirit under all changes of Dispensations to these who seek their Happiness in His favour and fellowship considering that whatever be the power or malice of men they cannot Kill when they please and though they should be permitted to Kill he hath a time for Healing again And the same may serve also to divorce mens Hearts from these things wherein they seek their Happiness beside the Lord if they consider that He can easily Kill and Destroy all that go a Whoreing from Him For it is safe and useful to referr all these Instances which the Spirit of the Lord enumerats to the Scope in hand which is both to guard the Hearts of the Godly against Vexation under sad and terrible Dispensations and to deterre all from excess of delight in things earthly There is a time to kill and a time to heal 6. No mans outward Estate or Worldly Enjoyments of what sort soever they be are so firmly setled but the Lord can easily when He pleases break all down and therefore men should look upon their Buildings whether for their Credit Pleasure or Worldly profit as unworthy to have their heart seeing the Lord hath a time sixed to break them down and the whole universe also and should seek to have themselves Built upon the Rock which no storme can overthrow There is a time to break down 7. The Lord hath His own time set and fixed for Building and repairing ruined Nations and Churches Jer. 31 4. As also of mens outward estates Exod. 1.21 and of their inward and spiritual Conditions Jer. 33.7 8. For to all these may this be applyed There is a time to build up Verse 4. A time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance WE have here the effects of the former Dispensations upon the Spirits and carriage of men the timing whereof is asserted to be in the hand of God no less than the Dispensations themselves And for the understanding of these and the time of them it would be considered first That this Weeping and mourning here spoken of cannot be understood of Worldly Sorrow which causeth Death 2 Cor. 7 10. And consequently the Laughter here spoken of is not to be understood of Carnal Mirth or the expressions thereof which the Lord hath threatned with much woe Luk. 6.25 Especially when His Dispensations call to Mourning Isai 22.13.14 Nor is this Dancing meant of the the lascivious carriage of men at Feasts Mark 6.22 Or Idolatrous Worship Exod. 32 19. For though the Lord give up men to the former as a sad punishment of their sins Amos 5.16 And leave them to the other as a forerunner of further Judgment Amos 6.5 Yet there is no time allowed in the Word of God for such things And therefore they are mainly to be understood of moderate grief and and Godly sorrow with the expressions thereof suitable to the Dispensations of Killing breaking down c. formerly mentioned and of lawful Mirth and spiritual rejoycing suitable to the Dispensations of Healing and Building up Next That the difference between the first two Instances and the last is only according to the force of the Words in in the Original in measure and degree for though all of them signifie the outward expression of these passions of grief and joy yet Weeping is that which is more moderate expressed by sighs and tears Mourning again according to the signification of the Word is that degree of grief which hath higher expressions than the former such as smiting of the breast and the like The Laughter here spoken of is joy appearing in the countenance and voice only And Dancing is that which is exprest by the whole
to others ought to be much in the observation of His way with themselves and others that they may see in His Dispensations His truths verified and so may avow their own experience when the same may tend to the advantage of the truth For here Solomon holds out this as experimentally known to himself I have seen the travel which God hath given 7. Gods great End in all the various Changes of Dispensations from Comforts to Crosses and on the contrary is to keep man in exercise that under the sweetest he may think it his Duty to be exercised in Praise and in preparation for sadder And under the saddest to be exercised in Prayer and the use of other means for support direction and comfort and so may be alwise busie For if men were still under sad Dispensations they would sink in discouragement Isai 57.16 And if still under prosperous and comfortable Dispensations they would fall a sleep in deep security Psal 30.6 Therefore This travel God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it 8. All the various Dispensations of the Lord with the Children of men and the Exercises which these Dispensations call them to aim at their further Humiliation Sweet and comfortable Dispensations are to humble them in the sense of their unworthiness of them and inability to Praise for or walk suteable to them Sad Dispensations are for their humbling in the sense of their sins procuring these and deserving worse and the Exercises to which these call them should also humble them considering their inability to go about them for one Word signifies To be Exercised and to be humbled importing That as all His Dispensations tend to the Exercising of men so both Dispensations and Exercises suitable to them should produce more and more Humiliation This travel hath God given to the sons of men to be exercised in it or as the Words may be rendered To be humbled by it Ver. 11. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time also he hath set the world in their heart so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end THe Fifth Consideration serving to work the hearts of men to contentment under various changes of Dispensations is That God hath made every thing beautiful in its season Though this have a truth as to the Works of Creation every one whereof hath its own beauty Gen. 1.13 And likewise as these actions which are most deformed in the hands of men seeing even these as they are in Gods hand and ordered by His Providence have their own beauty Gen. 50.20 Yet it is mainly to be understood of these Divine Dispensations or Works of Providence formerly mentioned not only these of them which are most desirable to men such as Planting building up healing peace c. But plucking up breaking down killing war c. have a beauty in them to a spiritual discerner who can find out by the light of the Word and Spirit the Mind of God in these and see them brought to pass by His Providence in the seasons fittest for attaining His ends and can read these attributes of His Wisdom Power Love and the like which are written upon them and so they are worthy to draw mens hearts to delight in the consideration of them and chearfully to submit to them And if it be inquired how it comes to pass that the most part of men do not see this beauty and so do not willingly submit unto but vex themselves and repine at these sad Dispensations of His The Preacher giveth Two Reasons hereof 1. The Lord hath set the World in their heart that is He hath justly left their hearts to be wholly taken up with their gain Glory and pleasure Worldly seeing they choise these things for their portion And hence it comes which is the Second reason that they cannot find out His work that is His mind in His Dispensations by comparing one of them with another and looking upon them all as one intire piece of work in His hand Therefore they see not the beauty of them and do not chearfully submit unto them Hence Learn 1. Not only the Works of Creation have a lustre and beauty in them in so far as the Glorious Wisdom Power Goodness and other Attributes of the Creator shine in them Psal 19.1 Rom. 1.20 But even these Works of Providence which seem blackest unto men have a great deal of ravishing beauty Josephs being sold Job spoiled and plagued Daniel in the Lyons Den Christ betrayed and nailed upon the Cross These and the like although being looked upon as in the hand of instruments they seem to have nothing but deformity in them yet being looked upon as Gods Workes and according to His intent and the result of them they have a ravishing beauty in them and many of His fair Attributes written upon them For saith the Wise man He hath made every thing beautiful in his time However we would have our tryals delayed longer and our deliverances coming sooner than they do yet these and all other Dispensations of the Lord fall out in their appointed time and in the season which is fittest for them and the observing of them as wisely timed and trifted with the fittest opportunity they could have fallen out in doth serve much to discover the lustre and Beauty of them For He hath made everything beautiful in his time 3. It is the sight of the beauty that is in Divine Dispensations and the Observation of the fitness of the season wherein they fall out that makes men chearfully submit to them so that when we murmure at and weary of Dispensations it is because we see not the beauty that is in them or do not look upon them as falling out in the season fittest for them For this is a consideration held out to quiet and comfort the hearts of men under sad Dispensations That he hath made every thing beautiful in his time 4. Although the Lord be free of mens sin and doth nothing to induce them to any thing contrary to His Will Jam. 1.13 yet when men contrary to His revealed Will and their own light choise the things of this earth for their portion He doth justly give them up to serve their idols arid though they do not injoy them yet to pour out their desires and affections upon them for it is of Gods Judicial giving up of men to serve their Worldly lusts who have chosen the same for their Portion that Solomon here speaks while he saith He hath see the World in their hearts 5. Men that are excessivly in love with Mammon or any thing Worldly whose prime desire is to obtain their fears to lose and delights to enjoy the same they can never discern the beauty that is in the Lords Dispensations they are so bent upon the service of their idols that they have neither leasure nor pleasure to study His mind in His working for after the Preacher hath asserted
every thing that God doth to be beautiful in his time he giveth this for a reason why men see not that beauty The World is set in their heart 6 The Beauty of Divine Dispensations which makes them lovely and makes men submit unto and chearfully undergo them cannot be seen till one part of Gods working be compared with another and the whole so far as mans mind can reach viewed at once by going back in his mind as far as he can toward Eternity to consider the Lords foreknowledge of these things His Holy purposes and ends in them so far as the Word manifests these Act. 15.18 And comparing therewith these fair properties of God His Wisdom Power Justice and Mercy which are legibly writen upon them in time by the help of the Scriptures Psal 111.2 3 4. And by the same help looking foreward to Eternity and considering what shall be the issue and result of all these Dispensations even Glory to Himself in the manifestation of His Terrour to the wicked of his mercy and love to His Own Rom. 11.36 For this is a Second Reason why the Beauty of Dispensations is not seen man finds not out his work from the beginning to the end 7. Though an unrenewed man may sometimes see further into Gods mind and consequently into the beauty of some of His Dispensations than a renewed Child of God while he is under a Cloud of Temptations can do 2 Sam. 24.3 And however the best of men can never in this life comprehensively find out any of Gods Works or know what may be known of them yet these that are most mortified to the World and whose hearts are most free of cares and delights about the things thereof they are fittest to see furthest into Gods Works For if the World set in mens hearts be the cause why they cannot find out the Work of God from the beginning to the end although they may see something in some particular Work of His than they that have it not in their heart must have a fair advantage of them for finding out the same from the beginning to the end Ver. 12. I know that there is no good in them but for a man to rejoice and to do good in his life 13. And also that every man should eat and drink and injoy the good of all his labour it is the gift of God THe Sixth Consideration serving to wean mens hearts from the best condition they can be in in this World as their Chief Good is That the most favourable of the Lords outward Dispensations have no further good in them to man than to incourage him in following of his Duty to his Maker and so fit him for a better life The Reason why we take Solomon here to speak especially of favourable Dispensations is that the Duties here commended are mainly suitable to these and men living under these are in the fittest Capacity for such Duties The first of them is That from the Lords bounty and goodness manifested in his favourable Dispensations men should draw matter of spiritual Joy and chear up his heart in God I know saith he that there is no good in them but for a man to rejoyce 2. That he should express the same by his activity in following commanded Duties and what is well pleasing in the sight of God and persevere in the same while he hath any being This is To do good in his life And 3. That in order to the former Two he should freely use the lawful outward comforts of this life comprehended under Eating and Drinking Whereby must be meant only the Sober and Holy Use of the Creatures seeing that only is consistent with and subservient to spiritual Joy and doing good formerly prest and this Use of favourable Dispensations he presses by Two Reasons First Because so man shall injoy the good of his Labour that is he shall have a temporary reward of all his pains and toil in his Duty even that which is truely good in order to a higher the injoying of fellowship with God while he is making those Uses formerly exprest of the Lords favourable Dispensations And Secondly Because this to wit the Power and Grace to use these outward comforts chearfully and as incouragements in serving the giver is a free gift of God over and above the favours themselves Hence Learn 1. While the Lord deals favourably with men in His outward Dispensations they are very prone to mistake the good that is in their condition and to apprehend some greater Happiness therein than they have ground by taking their present sweetness for their chief good and the outmost that is to be desired Psal 4.6 And rejoicing more in the same than in the Giver Deut. 8.14 Therefore the Wise-man doth not positively and simply assert the right use of these favourable Dispensations but finds it necessary to deny that there is any other good deservedly so called in things of that nature than what is here pointed at and confirms the same by opposing his own certain Knowledge and Experience to other mens Fancies I know that there is no good in them but for a man to rejoice 2. However the Lords People want not matter of rejoicing in their saddest condition 1 Pet. 1.6 Nor of Humiliation in their best in this life Psal 2.11 Yet when the Lord is dealing bountifully with them even in His outward Dispensations they are then in a special manner called to spiritual Joy whereby they comfort themselves in Him as theirs more than in His favours Psal 118.13.14 And go chearfully about His service Isai 64.5 This being the end of all His Liberality Psal 30.10.11 And that which is mainly expected from them by others of His People Psal 142.7 For Spiritual Joy as the principal Duty of one living under favourable Dispensations is here recommended There is no good in them but for a man to rejoice c. 3. All the chearfulness and recreation of spirit that men get by the comfortable Passages of Gods Providence toward them should incite them to well-doing especially to Duties relating to the Lords publick Work in the World 2 Chron. 24.16 Duties of Equity and Righteousness in their dealings with men that when their hearts are cheared and lifted up with favourable Providences they turn not to injustice and oppression Mat. 5.44 And Duties of Charity and Beneficence to the poor and afflicted that are not so well dealt with 1 Tim. 6.18 All which the Scriptures cited make clear to be that doing good in Gods sight which is here recommended as that whereby spiritual rejoicing and chearfulness ought to be evidenced There is no good in them but for a man to rejoice and do good in his life 4. None can do any thing which is truely good in Gods sight unless he have first some measure of spiritual Joy in God flowing from the faith of acceptation with Him thorow Christ which only begets true Joy Rom. 5.1.2 And this Joy becomes the Souls strength
is past is subservient to the Scope and clearing of the former consideration if it be understood of the Lords calling back former Dispensations sometimes the same Crosses for substance to exercise the present Generation with which have been in the former and at other times restoring their wonted comforts again which should make men submissive to sad and use aright sweet Dispensations yet it seems most agreeable to the scope and especially to the purpose immediatly subjoined in the following verse to understand this Clause as hath been formerly explained Hence Learn 1. Men have ordinarily so litle acquaintance with the Scriptures and the Lords way of dealing with others so litle sense of their own deservings and so much self-love that they are apt to apprehend their Crosses singular and such as never any before have met with For this is the mistake which the Spirit of the Lord here contradicts while he saith That which hath been is now 2. One great ground of mens vexation and want of submissiââ under the tryals wherewith the Lord Exercises them is that they look upon them as singular and without a parallel in former times For as this is supposed to be mens apprehension so the same is supposed to be also removed and contradicted as the groââed of their vexation and want of submission under tryals That which hath been is now 3. However the sad Dispensations of the present time may vary for some circumstances and for the instruments of inflicting of them from these that have been before yet for the substance of them the prime efficient of them and their being at His disposal for their weight mitigation continuance or removal and the like they are still one and the same And the Lords intention in Exercising men with them the same also in which sense it is here asserted concerning them That which hath been is now 4. It serves much for quieting mens hearts and working them to submission under sad Dispensations to look upon them as nothing singular but as common to men and such as others like our selves have wrestled thorow considering that in these others the Lord hath given proof of His Power faithfulness and love in sustaining and delivering them And these same properties are ingaged to be yet forthcoming for all that wait upon Him in straits For as a ground of quietness and submission is this held out That which hath been is now 5. As men are very apt under the cross not only to vex themselves with their own misapprehensions as if the like had not been ãâã lot of others before but likewise when they have overcome that to renew their own vexation with the groundless and fearful apprehensions of some such singular tryal abiding them for the future as neither themselves nor others have had the like before so it is the Lords gracious way in his Word not only to rectify and confute their present mistakes which may vex them but to guard them also against their fears of future events if they will observe His Word and take pleasure to study and make use of it For so doth he here by holding out what they may expect as the Lords ordinary way That which hath been is now and that which is to be hath already been 6. Though the Lord may set the wrongâ and sufferings of His People pass for a time unpunished till they be humbled and His and their enemies ripened for a streak Isai 10.12 Yet he will surely call the instruments of His peoples trouble to an accompt and will reduce all their unjust Decreits which they have paââ and put in Execution against His people For saith he God requireth that which is past 7. Though the Lords People may not desire a woful day even upon their Pesecutors Jer 17.16 Nor rejoice when they see it as at their Misery Job 31.29 but ought to prevent the same so far as their Prayers and pains for their Repentance and reclaiming may do Psal 35.13.14 Yet the consideration of the certainty of Gods vindicating their wrongs and reckoning with their unjust Oppressors as it is the illustration of His Justice and Faithfulness and the Testimony of His marvelous Love to His own it ought to be considered by them and should quiet their hearts under all that they can suffer unjustly from men For thiâ is an Argument for Submission especially under such sad Dispensations as wicked men are instrumental in the inflicting of that God requireth that which is past Ver. 16. And moreover I saw under the sun the placâ ãâã judgment that wickedness was there And thââpace of righteousness that iniquity was there 17. I said in mine heart God shall judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work BEcause Oppression under pretence of Justice is one of the saddest Dispensations where with the Godly are Exercised in the World Therefore to work their hearts ãâã quietness under this Solomon doth first propose this grievous Dispensation as a thing that himself had seen both by his own observation of affairs in former times and by the light of the spirit of Prophesy revealing to him what was to be expected ordinarily to fall out to wit that in Courts of Justice and Judgement Seats where Natures light Gods Word and Poor peoples Case call for Justice and Righteousness and that sentence should be past against wickedness and injustice and in favours of Piety and Equity even there nothing but the quit contrary oftentimes is to be found and to signify the greatness of this evil and the frequency or generality of it he useth two expressions to the same purpose for setting it out Ver. 16. Next he holds forth to others that consideration which guarded his heart against the vexation which such a sight doth readily work And this makes the Twelfth in number to wit that God will pass righteous Judgement both upon the Righteous or them that have a good cause by absolving them and avenging their wrongs And upon the wicked by reversing their unjust sentences and punishing them for passing of them And thridly to make this consideration the more effectual he inlarges it by showing that there is a set or fixed time as the Word signifies there to wit with God or at the day of Judgement for Judging men as well for their wicked purposes and intentions as for their wicked Actions So that the one verse serves to wean mens hearts from leeking Happiness in this World seeing injustice and oppression is so ordinary in it And the other serves to comfort these who seek their Happiness else where against all their unjust sufferings here from this that all their causes unjustly judged by men shall be Judged over again From ver 16. Observe 1. As it is the pleasure of the only wise God to permit men void of true piety to have have Power and Authority in the World that all may know there is no True Happiness in things of that
nature and that they are not proofs of His love so such men when they get power and high places do ordinarily abuse the same to injustice and oppression for to signifie that it is generally thus Solomon useth Two expressions to one purpose I saw under the sun the place of Judgment that wickedness was there c. 2 It is a great aggravation of mens sins to be directly contrary to the prime Duties of their calling and committed in the place where the Graces or Duties to which those sins are contrary ought to be exercised For as an aggravation of this sin of injustice Solomon points at the place where it was committed and consequently the prime Duty of their calling to which it was contrary I saw under the sun the place of Judgment that wickedness was there and the place of righteousness that iniquity was there 3. The advancement of men to places of power and trust in the World who abuse the same to the oppression of Piety and Equity and the promoting of ungodliness and injustice is a Dispensation that of any other the Lords people had most need to be guarded against stumbling at and taught how to Judge aright of seeing Satan takes occasion from thence to tempt the corruption of the best to Atheism or Denyal of a Providence Isai 40.27 and to join with such men in their sinful ways Psal 73.10.13 Therefore doth the Wise-man here fore-warn all following Generations of it as ordinarily to be expected and holds out that which may guard the hearts of the Godly against it I saw under the sun the place of Judgment that iniquity was there c. And I said in my heart God shall Judge c. 4. It is the Duty of those who have a publick calling to clear the mind of God to others not only to discover and threaten the known sins of inferiors and privat Persons but likewise of Publick Judicatories and Persons in Eminency that they may be convinced and reclaimed âor so doth the Preacher here and in so doing acts as an ordinary Minister of Christ 1 Tim. 5.20 I saw under the sun the place of Judgment that iniquity was there c. 5. The Lords Ministers ought not only to hold out such general grounds of comfort to the Godly as may reach all their sad cases but they ought to instance their particular tryals especially such as prove most vexing and occasion greatest Temptations to them and guard them against these Temptations and apply suitable consolations to these tryals as here the Preacher doth I saw under the sun the place of Judgment that iniquity was there I said in my heart God shall Judge c. 6. The consideration of that injustice and oppression which is ordinarily to be seen in the best ordered Kingdoms and Common-wealths under the sun should wean the hearts of men from seeking Happiness in this earth and make them long for and seek after Happiness in that Kingdom above the sun where only Righteousness dwels 2 Pet. 3.13 For to this end also is this Observation of oppression and injustice here related I saw under the sun the place of Judgment that iniquity was there c. From ver 17. Learn 1. As the Lords Messengers ought to digest with themselves and as it were first speak in their own hearts every truth before they deliver it to others so especially the consolations which they hold out to the afflicted that they may speak because they believe considering that even they may stand in need of these consolations as well as others For so doth Solomon here I said in my heart God shall Judge 2. God will undoubtedly Judge over again all causes that have been iniquously Judged in the World and with this consideration the believing Soul should comfort it self against Injustice from men as here Solomon doth and teaches others by his example to do the same I said in my heart God shall Judge the righteous and the wicked 3. Though the particular time of the last Judgment be unknown to men and Angels Math. 24.36 Yet it is known to God and fixed with him For there is a time the Word signifies a determinat and fixed time There to wit with Him for every purpose 4. Though there be no ground in Scripture to think that the last Judgment shall take long time yet this is sure that nothing shall be past by for want of leisure to cognosce upon it For saith he There is a time there fore every purpose and for every work 5. The secret purposes and intentions of mens hearts shall no less come to be Judged in the day of Gods last reckoning with men than their Actions For There is a time there for every purpose as well as for every work 6. The Lord allows His People especially when they are opprest by men to comfort themselves in the believing consideration of this last day of His reckoning when He shall get the Glory of His Justice in the condemnation of His and His Peoples enemies and of His Justice and Mercy both in the absolution of His own whom they have condemned For as a ground of comfort to the Godly against the oppression and Injustice of men this is here held out God shall Judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work Ver. 18. I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sones of men that God might manifest them and they might see that they themselves are beasts 19. For that which befalleth the sones of men befalleth beasts even one thing befalleth them as the one dyeth so dyeth the other yea they have all one breath so that a man hath no preeminency above a beast for all is vanity 20. All go unto one place all are of the dust and all turn to dust again THat men in Eminency abusing their power may be humbled and reclaimed from their sinful course and the hearts of the Godly guarded against the Temptations arising from their discerning of the perverting of Justice and oppression of Innocents Solomon holds out a further consideration the Thirteenth in number concerning Gods purpose in disposing so that such men should come up to places of power and trust in the World I said in my heart c while he was meditating upon the State or as the Word signifies the Order which God hath established among men setting some upon Judgment seats to pass Sentence upon others And how they did abuse the same by their Injustice and how others that complained to them of oppression were opprest by them he came at last to consider Gods holy purpose in this Dispensation expressed in two Branches One is That God might manifest them that is that He might make known to Onlookers how perverse Men are when they have opportunity by being in Eminency and power over others to show what is in them The other is That they themselves might see that they are Beasts In so far
Vanity in the Envyers and a penal Vanity of Disappointment and Unsatisfaction in the Envyed and a thing that will work vexation of Spirit in both while the one hath his Spirit eaten up with Hatred and the other missing that encouragement he expects from Men to the following of his duty and not satisfied with the Approbation of God is filled with Anxiety and Vexation ver 4. Which he enlargeth by shewing 1. What effect the Worlds Envy and Hatred against Well-doing had upon those who being void of Saving Knowledge the true Fear of God are by the Spirit of God reckoned Fools even to make them give up themselves to negligence discouragement in following both their particular Callings Religious Duties rather than to be exposed unto the Worlds Hatred and Envy by following the same Thereby proving cruel to themselves and their Relations as if they did eat their own Flesh ver 5. And 2. The more to quiet the Hearts of the Godly under the Malice and Oppression of the Wicked for Well-doing he sheweth that the little that is left to the oppressed Saints is more profitable and useful in regard of the Blessing and Peace of Conscience they have with it than the Plenty and Abundance enjoyed by their wicked Oppressours who want neither Toil of Body nor Anxiety of Spirit in getting and keeping their unjust Gain ver 6. 3. That in turning his thoughts from the slothful Man to the covetous Oppressour whose great business is to heap up Riches and adore them as his God he found that even such are but in a woful and miserable condition ver 7. Which he evidenceth 1. By a description of the covetous Man who serveth Mammon as his God 1. From his Solitariness or want of Succession either in a direct or collateral line to enjoy his purchase after him ver 8. 2. From his endless and excessive pains about the World notwithstanding of his wanting Relations to whom he might leave it ver 8. 3. From his unquenchable desires after more notwithstanding the abundance he enjoyeth ver 8. And 4. From his being bound up by his excessive care about the World from the improvement of these rational Considerations that might serve to divert his so eager a Pursuit after uncertain Riches never considering with himself the uncertainty for whom he is taking so much pains and the grievous Loss of the true good of his Soul fellowship with God and the comfortable enjoyment of the Creatures which by this inordinate Pursuit of the World he certainly sustains ver 8. And then passeth Sentence upon such a Mans way that as it is his Sin and a Proof of his Vanity so it is is his punishment and a part of his sore Travel ver 8. And 2. He evidenceth the woful condition of the solitary covetous Wretch by commending the comfort and advantage of Society whether Civil or and especially Religious through which mutual good and assistance are communicated And that in opposition to that affected or inflicted solitariness of these World-worshippers whereby none are admitted to share with them in their Riches CHAP. IV. Ver. I. So I returned and considered all the oppressions that are under the Sun And behold the tears of such as were oppressed and they had no Comforter and on the side of their Oppressours there was power but they had no Comforter THE first Motive serving to promove Mortification and to wean the hearts of Men from any Happiness imaginable in this Earth and work them to submission under Affliction is That he observed it ordinary in the World that proud Oppressours are prosperous and the Godly are in a sad condition under them And this he saith he Returned and Considered Whereby is meant that he turned his thoughts again upon this subject having in the former Chapter ver 16. considered that oppression that was in Judgement Seats he here views all other sorts of oppression that were under the Sun so far as his knowledge and information which was very large could reach or rather that he had all the several kinds of oppressions which are very many and whereof no place under the Sun where sinful Men are is free represented to him by the Spirit of the Lord. Concerning which he calls all to consider Three things that much affect his own heart First The mournful case of the oppressed set out by the sign thereof their Tears Secondly The great power of their Oppressours wanting nothing that might serve for execution of their cruel designs Thirdly That the Oppressed had no Comforter to wit among Men And because this was the bitterest Ingredient in this case and called most for sympathie therefore he repeats it twice that They had no Comforter Hence Learn 1. They that would work their own hearts to a mortified frame must not be slight and superficial in meditating upon any subject that may be blest for that end but frequent and serious in pondering it and careful to find out more Considerations that may increase the same For Solomon having been upon this Consideration before returns again to it and dyves farther in it I returned and considered all the oppressions c. 2. As Oppression is a very general Evil in so much as no place under the Sun is usually free of it So this Sin is a Monster with many Heads and there are very many ways that Men become guilty of it not onely by making their power a sufficient Title to other Mens Estates Ezek. 18.18 Judg. 4.2 3. By perverting of Justice and Law for Bribes or Respect to Persons Hos 5.11 Or by detaining that which is due to Inferiours as Wages from the Hireling Mal. 3.3 Which are the more open and gross ways of Oppression ordinary among Men But also by taking advantage of the straits of others to draw their Consent to what is unjust and prejudicial to them as is ordinary under pretence of fair Merchandice Lev. 25.14 Blasting the deserved esteem of others by Slanders Ps 55.3 Yea and the with-holding of Charity from the Poor when God calls for it Prov. 14.31 All which the Scriptures cited make clear to be in Gods Account plain Oppression and undoubtedly have been Considered by Solomon as common in all places of the World while he saith I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the Sun 3. As the Lords People are not insensible of the Injuries they receive from their Oppressours seing Grace doth not remove but rectify their natural Passions and Affections So they are often that low that they have nothing left them whereby to ease their hearts but to mourn before God and to pour forth Prayers and Tears to Him who puts their Tears in His Bottle For Solomon hath a main Eye upon the Oppression of the Godly while he saith And behold the Tears of the Oppressed As if they had no more that they could do for their ease 4. Although the Lords People do never want that Blessed Comforter Joh. 14.16 Who is
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 moâân 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.
The Lord doth wisely make use of sad Dispensations to loose mens hearts from the too great esteem they have of their natural Life and being in this World And to allay the abhorrency they have at Death which should make the Lords people submissive to such Dispensations and labour to find this effect thereof upon themselves which Solomon here expresses to have been produced upon him by them Wherefore I praised the Dead which are already Dead more than the Living c. 4. So tender are truly Gracious Hearts of Gods Honour and so desirous to see the rest of His people well in the World that with submission to His good will they could forfeit their natural Life and all the comforts of it rather than see Him dishonoured and His people in Misery For such a frame of spirit may this express to us produced in Solomon by the former sad sights I praised the Dead c. Yea better is he that is not yet Born c. 5. No Being at all is in reason much to be preferred to a Being in sin and Misery see Matth 26.24 For it is simplie not Being at all that Solomon compares with and preferres to a Being exposed to Miserie and Temptations occasioned thereby while he saith Yea better is he that is not Born than both they who hath not seen the evil Work that is done under the Sun Ver. 4. Again I considered all travel and every Right work that for this a man is envied of his neighbour this is also Vanity and Vexation of Spirit HEre is the second Observation which Solomon holds forth to wean mens hearts from seeking Happiness in this Earth And it is upon the entertainment that mens industry and pains in well doing doth ordinarly meet with in the World and the effect which that Entertainment hath ordinarlie upon men Again saith he I considered all travel and every Right work c. By these he doth not mean any different subjects which he took to consideration but one and the same to wit that toilsome Labour or painful Industrie as the Word Travel signifies which men take about that which is Right or Approven as the Word signifies to wit in Gods sight And this appears by his speaking of both as one while he expresseth what Entertainment this sort of work hath in the World For This saith he a man is envied The better a mans actions be the more is he hated by them that cannot do the like even by his most intimat familiar Friend as the Word Neighbour signifies And this he Censureth as Vanity both a sinful Vanity upon the part of the envious who are grieved at what they ought to rejoice in to wit others well-doing and likewise a disappointing unsatisfying Vanity upon the part of the envied who often look for other Entertainment to their Right Works And then he shews what is the ordinary effect which this bad Entertainment of good Actions hath upon men it eats up with anxiety the Spirits especially of those who cannot comfort themselves in Gods approbation against mens envy And seing all men in the World are subject to this Vanity either to envy others for doing well or being envied by others for well-doing to vex their own Spirits it is mans wisdom to seek his Happiness elsewhere Hence Learn 1. There is so much opposition from without and so much indisposition within every man to what is right and approven in Gods sight that a man may expect his duty and every part of it shall cost him some toil and pains of Body and mind so that he will not get his heart engaged to it nor holden on in it except the love of Christ constrain him 2 Cor. 5.14 For this Word which expresses the quality of a Right Work signifies toilsome and painful labour I considered all Travel and every Right work 2. Only these Works are Right and as the Word signifies Approven to wit in Gods sight which are sincerely intended to be conform to the Right rule the revealed mind of God Psal 119.128 which are gone about with dependance upon God for strength and direction Prov. 3.6 and with a single and direct aim at the Glory and pleasure of God in the doing of them Prov. 4.25 For all these which do at least in part describe a Right Work are in the signification of the Word translated Right as the places cited where the same word is used make clear I considered every Right Work 3. The uprightness of mens Actions will be so far from giving them the approbation and applause of the wicked World that by the contrary it may be expected that men shall be because of this the object of their Envy whom mind Gods Glory so little and are so greedy of vain Glory to themselves that they are grieved to see others made instrumental in Glorifying him John 3.26.27 For while Solomon considers every Right Work he findes that for this a man is envyed of his neighbour 4. Envy is such an evil as not only makes men grieve at the good of Strangers and Enemies but it vents it self mainly against a mans own Companions or Equals as being most suspicious that those intercept the applause which the envious hunt after For so saith Solomon here For this to wit a Right work a man is envied of his neighbour The Word signifies mans Equal his inthâat familiar Friend and Companion 5. As it is the sin of men and a proof that they are infected with that Vanity which the Fall hath brought upon Mankind to envy others for their good Actions so it is a just punishment inflicted upon those who look for mens applause and approbation as their great Encouragement in their work that they should meet with disappointment herein and with mens envy in stead of their applause For this sentence of Solomon past upon the envying of Right Works may be both taken as it is the sin of the envyous and as it is the disappointment and so the punishment of the envyed who expected mens approbation as their reward For this also is Vanity 6. Men do naturally over value the applause of others and study so little to draw their Encouragement from Gods approbation that when they meet with envy instead of applause which they expected their Spirits are ready to be eaten up with Anxiety For That a mans Right Work should be envyed of his Neighbour This saith Solomon proves not only Vanity or disappointment of his expectation but also Vexation of Spirit Ver. 5. The Fool foldeth his hands together and eateth his own flesh 6. Bâââer is an handful with quietness than both the hands ful with travel and vexation of Spirit SOlomon having shown that Well-doing is ordinarily Entertained with the Worlds Envy and that the ordinary effect of the discerning hereof is the Vexation of mens Spirits He doth here shew First a further effect which the same hath upon these that are void of the saving knowledge and fear of the Lord who
with God which is the true Good of the Souls of Men. 2 Pet. 3.10 And Lastly he passeth sentence upon this Mans Course as upon the former that it is the Man's Sin or a proof of his Vanity and it is also a sore Affliction or a part of his Punishment Hence Learn 1. As the vain and sinful Courses which Men take for Happiness in this Earth are so many and various that let a diligent Observer turn himself never so often to what hand he will he shall always see more and more of them So those who would promove the Work of Mortification in their own hearts ought to search them all out and study the Vanity of one of them after another For so doth Solomon here after he hath made many Observations upon the Vanity that Men are subject to he saith I returned again and saw Vanity under the Sun 2. The Lord 's publick Messengers must not only point out the Way to true Blessedness and the Priviledges of those who take themselves to it but must trace the several ways that Satan and Mens Corruption do put them upon to their own Misery and Ruine and in their Doctrine discover the Vanity of these in particular For so doth Solomon after he hath before pointed at the Way to true Happiness and Contentment he goes from one of Mens vain Courses to another and demonstrates the Vanity thereof Then I returned and saw vanity under the Sun There is One alone c. 3. All the vain and sinful Courses which Men take for Happiness in this Earth though they lead all to one Black End yet are they very farr different one from another some of them being upon one extreme some upon another so that Men have no ground to please themselves if they be out of God's Way though they be not walking in the Way that others are in as they are ready to do Luk. 18.11 seing there are moe ways to Hell than one or two For in the former Words Solomon described one Man going to Hell with his hands folded and doing nothing here he describes another going the same way with great activity and much business There is One alone c. and there is no end of his labour 4. Although the multitude of those for whom Men are bound to provide can never warrand their neglect of the main Business that concerns their Souls Prov. 31.26 30. Yet the greater Mens charge of that sort be the more careful and diligent in lawful pains they ought to be and more than those who have fewer to provide For while the Sin of the Covetous Man is aggravated by this that he hath neither Child nor Brother and yet there is no end of all his labour It is imported that if he had had these Relations he had been less guilty than now while he hath neither Child c. and yet there is no end of all his labour 5. When the Lord in His Providence so ordereth that Men of great Substance and Riches in the World have few or none of near Relation to them to whom they may leave the same it should much abate their earnestness in the pursuit of these things and make them bestow more of their time and labour about things Spiritual and Heavenly and think of imploying their Wealth for the Poor and other Pious Uses For he makes it an Aggravation of Man's guilt that having neither Child nor Brother there should be no end of his labour 6. Though Men be ready to cloak their excessive care and pains about things worldly with their love to Posterity and respect to those of near relation to them yet the truth is that excessive Care of theirs flows not so much from any true love to those as from the innordinate love of Riches themselves and so is to be Fathered upon Mens Corruption For the Spirit of God to point out that which is natural to all who are not seeking the true Riches Doth bring in the example of One alone who hath neither Child nor Brother and yet there is no end of his labour 7. Natural Men who soon weary of any exercise that concerns their Souls good Amos 8.5 will end their Time Spirits and Strength before they make an end of their excessive pains for Trifles For so saith the Spirit of God here There is no end of his labour 8. So large is the capacity and appetite of a rational Soul and so great emptiness is there in the Creatures that not only the greatest things they can enjoy cannot satisfy them but all that their Eyes can see cannot do it how foolish are Men who spend not their labour for that which can satisfy even the Graces and Consolations of Gods Spirit Ps 36.8 For while Man seeks other things as his portion His Eye is not satisfied with riches 9. When Men have given up themselves to the Slavery of any worldly Lust their thoughts are so taken up with it that not only the matters of their Souls are neglected but even these thoughts which are most obvious and common are banished For there is nothing more ordinary among Men than to consider for whom they are taking pains yet when a Man hath once given up himself to the service of that Idol Mammon he hath not so much leasure as to say to his own heart For whom do I labour 10. Although Men that are acquiring and encreasing a great worldly Estate cannot know certainly who shall be their Heirs yet it is fit they should seriously consider what sort of persons they are like to prove who probably will succeed to them that if they have small ground to think they will improve what they get to advantage they may abate their pains or dispose of their purchase some better way For it is here given as a proof of their Vanity and Folly that they say not for whom do I labour 11. As the inordinat love and earnest pursuit of things worldly deprives Men of the comfortable use of the Creatures and of the true good of Communion with God so the consideration of this their loss is a powerful mean to abate the eagerness of their love to and pursuit of these things as is imported in this consideration which they neglect here suggested unto them Neither saith he for whom do I labour and bereave my Soul of good 12. The cause why Men are so mad in the pursuit of worldly things as their Happiness and for them neglect their Souls is that they never retire within themselves as it were to commune with their own Hearts and put Questions to their own Consciences concerning all the fruit of their pains and the loss they sustain by the same For this may be taken for the cause of the Covetous Mans endless labour He saith not for whom do I labour and bereave my Soul of good 13. It is both Mens great Guilt and their sore Affliction to choise and pursue earthly things as their Happiness and to neglect Righteousness the
who is the Principal Efficient of preserving his own from falling and restoring them after their falls Psal 145.14 Yet he makes use of some of his people as instruments in his hand to restore others fallen beside them For if they fall the One will lift up his fellow 5. It is mens sense of their being prone to Fall and unable to recover themselves without help when they fall which makes them of Uniting and Sociable tempers as is implyed in this advantage commending Christian Society if they fall the One will lift up his fellow 6 Athough the Children of the Lord are never left all alone having his presence even under their falls Heb. 13.5 And so cannot but be blest even when they want human help yet ought they to look upon their being deserted of others of his people as a great disadvantage For to them especially is this here spoken that thereby they may be stirred up to make sure his favourable presence with them and make use of the help of others when they may have it Woe to him that is alone 7. It is a Woe indeed and a sad Judgement upon wicked men to be left alone under their falls when they have rejected profitable Society in the day of their prosperity or carried themselves so basely that the Godly abhorr their Company or provocked the Lord not only to leave them destitute of his own presence but to take away from others all pity toward them for of them especially is this verified Woe to him that iâ alone c. 8. The Children of the Lord should so entertain his Spirit and labour to have his Graces Love Fear and the like in such vigour in their hearts even under the sadest condition they can be in that they may impart heat and warmth unto others for it is here implyed that if they be together they should warm one another if Two lye together then they have heat 9. Although the Lord may and ordinarly doth quicken the hearts of his people by keeping his Graces lively in them and giving them much comfort in their solitary and afflicting condition which he carves out for their Exercise and Trial Psal 63.1 3. Yet if they neglect to make use of Christian Society when they have it and when he allows them to draw comfort and encouragement therefrom they may expect their condition shall be very sad when they are deprived of it But how can One be warm alone 10. As the Children of the Lord may expect many assaults in their Christian courses and may be also sometimes prevailed against so those who have any strength are bound to imploy it for the relief of others who are in Combat and like to be foiled and ought not to desert their Fellow-souldiers being ingaged in a good quarrel though they prove weak whether they be assaulted or prevailed against by outward enemies 2 Sam. 10 11. or Spiritual Gal. 6.1 For their being assaulted and prevailed against is here supposed and the Duty of others to withstand the Evil One or any of his instruments is also held forth as the advantage to be expected by Christian Society if One prevail against him Two shall withstand 11. As the Union of the Children of the Lord among themselves should be so strict as their Adversaries may lose hopes of breaking one of them except they break all so when the Lord doth unite them and keep them so it will be no easy matter for their most powerful enemies to prevail against them For this proverbial speech holding forth the advantage of Christian Unity and Society contains a benefite larger than the former and prior to it A threefold cord is not easily broken Ver. 13. Better is a poor and a wise Child than an old and foolish King who will no more be admonished 14. For out of prison he cometh to reign whereas also he that is born in his Kingdom becometh poor HEre is a fourth consideration offered to men to wean their hearts from the apprehension of any Happiness in this Earth and it is concerning that Vanity which ordinarly attends Worldly Greatness wherein the men of this World often place their greatest Happiness And this he sets forth by comparing a Poor and Wise-Child with an Old and foolish King By the Poor and Wise Child is meant any one of a mean and contemptible outward condition who yet is endued with Wisdom from above and so is subject to the Counsels and admonitions of the Lord in his word And by the Old and Foolish King is meant any one advanced to Eminency and Worldly Greatness who being destitute of saving Knowledge and long spared in an evil course is now become incorrigible and will not be Counselled or admonished by others The former to wit the Mean and contemptible One Solomon preferrs to the latter and commends him as in a far more happy condition than the other for all his Greatness And this he proves by the Lords Dispensations about the one and the other which are sometimes found to differ As for the Poor and Wise Child his wisdom is blest to advance him from an abject and miserable outward Condition whereunto such an one is often brought under wicked Rulers even to Dignity and Greatness in the World And for the Old and Foolish King who was born in his own Kingdom and so born Heir of a Crown by his Folly and Obstinacy he is in Gods displeasure brought to Misery Now these events are not to be understood as if they did always so fall out to persons so qualified seing it is clear that many of the Godly may remain in a despicable and afflicted condition so long as they are in the World and many wicked men in Eminency may carry their Riches and Greatness to their end with them But the meaning is that there are in Scripture and have been in all ages frequent instances of such Dispensations as is clear in the example of Joseph a Poor and Wise Child brought out of Prison to Reign and of Pharaoh Jehojakim Zedekiah and others Old and Foolish Kings who would not be admonished brought down from their Dignity to great Misery And it may be Solomon hath here an Eye to the Lords different Dispensations with his own Father and with Saul to both of whom the Descriptions here do in some sort agree which proves sufficiently that Happiness is not to be placed in Worldly Greatness by reason of the Vanity both of Sin and Misery incident to the same Hence Learn 1. Although youth be ordinarily Rash and Inconsiderat 1 Cor. 14.20 Inconstant Eph. 4.14 And easily led away by bad Counsell 2 Chron. 13.7 All which are contrary to true Wisdom Yet may the Lord be pleased to Communicate his Wisdom to them in a greater measure than he doth to Aged and Experienced men who are not therefore to intertain such a suspicion of young mens rashness and folly as to expect no good Counsel from them For Solomon supposeth that the Lord may
and sometimes doth Communicate much Wisdom even to a Child while he saith Better is a Poor and Wise Child than an Old and Foolish King 2. As those who are in a poor and contemptible outward condition in the World may be indued with inward qualifications of excellent use and therefore the evidences thereof in such are to be carefully marked and highly esteemed of such Pearles are not to be slighted though in the dust seing God will lift them up afterward so there is such excellency in Wisdom especially the saving knowledge of God and his will that it makes the persons indued with it were they never so mean otherwise worthy of more esteem than the greatest on earth that want it what ever advantages of Age or Place they may have beside to raise their esteem in peoples minds For saith the spirit of God Better is a Poor and Wise Child than an Old and Foolish King 3. Although Eminency in place and Length of days should teach men Wisdom yet nothing of that sort without Gods special blessing can make men truly wise Wisdom is neither tyed to Age nor Place but is Gods free Gift for here an Aged One and a King and yet Fo lish 4 As no mans Dignity or Eminency in place in the World doth exeem him from the necessity of Admonition or from the Duty of subjecting to it nor others though inferior to him from giving it seasonably and according to their calling So it is ordinarly found that when wicked men are advanced to high places and especially when they are long spared even to Old Age in their evil courses they give no place to Admonition their Ears are kept so throng with hearing of Flatterers Hos 7.3 And these stamp such bad impressions upon the Minds of Rulers and so misrepresent those who have a calling to admonish them Amos 7.10 that they will not suffer any of their Admonition For Here is an Old and Foolish King who will not be admonished 5. The word of God spares no man in his Wickedness because of his greatness but without respect of persons for Eminency or Age doth impartially discover mens evil courses and those that would handle it faithfully should do the same For so doth this Preacher here who is in this a pattern for all faithfull Preachers while he publisheth this Better is a Poor and Wise Child than an Old and Foolish King 6. It is a special mark of saving Wisdom to subject those that are indued with it to admonition it makes them sensible of their own folly Prov. 3.2 And therefore not only Admonitions but reproofs are sweet to them Psal 141.5 And on the contrary it is a special mark of one destitut of saving Wisdom to be so puft up with the conceit of their own wit as not to submit to so much as an Admonition concerning the evil of their way For in this the condition of the Old and Foolish King is debased below the condition of a Poor and Wise Child that the one manifests his folly in this the contrary whereof is to be understood of the other that he will not be admonished 7. When wicked men bear Rule ordinarily those who for their parts and qualifications deserve most esteem and respect are most hardly dealt with those who ought to be preferred are imprisoned for the Poor and Wise Child or any one represented by him is here supposed to have been in a sad and mean condition while it is said he cometh out of Prison 8. The Lord may have a design of much good toward men with whom his Dispensations are such for the time as speak to sense aâd carnal reason rather their ruine and his displeasure than any good to them he will have them tried humbled and ingaged to him for their deliverance For the Poor and Wise Child may seem undone when he goeth to Prison and yet Out of prison he cometh to Reign 9. Though the Lord would not have his people promise nor desire to themselves great things in this World Jer. 45.5 Yet sometimes he gives visible proofs of his respect to Piety by conferring Worldly Honour and Greatness upon some of them that are endued with it And though there be but few that have this in a literal sense made good to them yet it is a sufficiânt incouragement to all of them that this shall be at last truely said of every one of them at death and the resurrection Out of Prison he cometh to Reign 10. When singular Gifts and qualifications especially of Wisdom bud forth early in young Ones it is a promising evidence and ought so to be Cherished of some eminent imployment or Service that God hath for them though the same may also prognosticat trials from the Malice and Envy of the World for it is the Poor and Wise Child or such as are signified by him who cometh Out of Prison to Reign 11. Although the Lord may suffer wicked men to prosper in their sinful course even to the close of their time yet sometimes he doth in time give proofs of his displeasure with them and smites the Hoary Scalp of them that go on to Old Age in their Wickedness For here the Old and Foolish King Born in his Kingdom becometh poor 12. Oppression of the poor Godly and rejecting of Admonition are oftentimes Forerunners of sad stroaks even in this life for this Old King representing any in Greatness hardned by long forbearance having rejected Admonition and Imprisoned the Wise Child is now though Born in his Kingdom become poor 13. The longer men continue in their sins the more unwilling they are to take with Admonition because they think the less of their faults the longer they be spared For though it be supposed that this King never made use of Admonition seing he is become Old in his Folly yet he is set forth as at a greater height of Wickedness in his Age than he had been in his youth that whereas before he would have heard men speak as they pleased and he would have done as he pleased yet now he will not so much as hear He will be no more Admonished Ver. XV. I considered all the Living which walk under the Sun with the Second Child that shall stand up in his stead XVI There is no end of all the People even of all that have been before them they also that come after shall not rejoice in him surely this also is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit THE last Observation holds forth another Vanity attending worldly Greatness which floweth not from the fault of persons in power as the former but from the inconstancy of peoples Affections who soon fall off from the present Ruler and become fond upon the succeeding of whom likewise they will as soon weary The consideration whereof may wean the hearts of Men from placing their Happiness in worldly Dignity or Applause And in expressing this Observation the Preacher shews First What a large view he took of all
the people in the World he considered all the Living that walk under the Sun to wit as Subjects under some one Magistrat or other not as if he could have had every individual person subjected to his thoughts but that his vast and comprehensive wit enlarged and assisted by the Spirit of the Lord reached so far as he might understand the ordinary temper of all Men in reference to their Magistrats 2. He joined with this the consideration of the Second Child or did consider jointly all the people and this Second Child Now whether we take this Second Child for the Son of the Poor and Wise Child formerly mentioned who was brought out of Prison to Reign or for that Child himself as coming to the Government called Second in reference to his Predecessor the Old and Foolish King it is all one as to the purpose in hand By him we may understand any person coming to his Predecessours Government who is now to stand up or as the expression in Scripture signifies Dan. 11.2 to come to the power of Government in the stead of that other who is now looked upon as sitting down or falling by from it And 3. He shews what he found remarkable and useful to his scope in this consideration And 1. He found that There was no end of all the People whereby is meant That their Affectation of changes in Government is Boundless and their fondness upon the newly advanced or advancing person all of them following him and Adoring the Rising Sun is Endless even as the people that lived before them were wont to do to him whom they within a little forsook So that though the generation of their Fathers be gone yet this perverse humour of doating upon Men at their first advancement to Power is not at an end but lives yet in them that come after 2. He forsees how those who are to live within a little time after will change in their affections toward the Man upon whom those who live now are so fond They shall not rejoice in him In which words there is more implyed than is exprest even the contrary affirmative as is clear by the Scripture explaining it self in such Expressions Prov. 27.21 The Father of a Fool hath no joy is there explained he hath much sorrow And Rom. 4.19 20. Abraham was not weak in the Faith is there also explained he was strong in the âaith So by this They shall not rejoice in him is implyed they shall be much wearied with him within a little Or by these that come after may be understood those same who are now so fond upon the Second Child called Those that come after in respect of those that were before them within a little time they shall not rejoice in him And lastly He passeth a Censure upon this disposition of people and the lot of Magistrats that it is Vanity or a proof of the emptiness of Humane Courses to give Men true satisfaction and proves to them who seek it in them a Vexation or eating up of their Spirit Hence Learn 1. They that would promove the work of Mortification in their hearts must not soon weary of searching out farther and farther Considerations which may be blest for that end even the best after some measure of that frame is wrought in them are ready to be again intangled with the love of things earthly and to doate upon them as if some piece of Happiness were to be found in them and therefore they had need to store their hearts with plenty of such Observations as may at last perswade them that there is nothing but Vanity and Disappointment in these things and that there is not an Instance to be found in all the World to the contrary for which cause Solomon after many Considerations to this purpose adds this I considered all the Living that walk under the Sun 2. While Men in Power and Authority in the World have the people flocking about them honouring and acknowledging them they should be taken up with thoughts of a Change and consider the people that are so doing as walking with the Man that is to come up in their stead courting him and themselves as shortly to fall one way or other and not to walk any more with others under the Sun For so Solomon here represents this Change to himself and to all others of One falling down or sitting by and Another as standing up or coming to the Government in his stead and the generality of the people joining themselves to him Courting and Flattering him I considered all the Living who walk with the Second Child c. 3. As people are generally led by example to applaud and cry up Men especially such as are rising to preferment so that a few will carry an innumerable multitude with them 2 Sam. 15.6 So are they excessive and in a manner boundless in their respect while it lasts and yet very inconstant in the same For the multitude of people that join themeselves to this Second Child or advancing Ruler and the boundlesness of their fond respect for a time as also the certainty of the change of it may be safely according to the scope taken to be held forth in this expression There is no end of all the People 4. There is such proneness in succeeding Generations to follow the corrupt customs of the preceeding corrupt Nature being every natural Man's Guide that one begins where another leaves off so that ordinarly the temper of those who lived before may be read in the temper of those who live after For Solomon brings in the present Generation tracing the steps of those who were before them in their fond adhering to and crying up of a new Heir or Successour to the Crown to wit for a little time but there will soon be a Change as there was in those who lived before as is clear while he saith There is no end of all the People even of all that were before them 5. When people follow these who have before them in their foolish and sinful Courses the Lord ordinarly blasts their Expectations and gives them no matter of Rejoicing where they promised most of it to themselves For when they are fond upon the rising Ruler as their Ancestors were in the like case the Lord passeth the sentence upon them They shall not long Rejoice in him 6. Those who are most Overjoyed with new Rulers when first they are advanced to their Dignities are readiest to be the greatest Leathers of them Peoples affections can scarcely abide any considerable time in the height or extremity For here it is set out as the general temper of people that they are very much taken with men rising to Honour and Power over them the one day and the next day they loath them For saith the Preacher I considered all the Living under the Sun that walk with the Second Child that they shall not rejoice in him 7. Peoples affection and respect to their Rulers is
Worldly projects and with a sickness of Soul through cares and fears which sometimes distemper also his body especially while he denieth himself the comfortable use of the creatures ver 17. III. And in the Third part of the Chapter least the former Reasons disswading from Covetousness should be misimproven as setting men upon a mârose severe and comfortless way of living The Wise-man doth from this ver 18 to the end highly commend a holy sober and chearful use of the comforts which God in his providence bestows upon men in this life And in order to this he doth 1 ãâ¦ã all to ponder what he in his experience had found To wit That it is a mans subordinate and inferior good as it fits him for enjoying the chief Happiness and a considerable Ornament both to his own deportment and to the way of Godliness That a man should tho' not in sensuality and excess yet in moderation and sobriety take his free and chearful use of the Creatures which God blesses him with for keeping up of the outward man in the better capacity to do him service This being thâ not his chief and best yet his temporary portion and reward of his Labour ver 18. 2 He shews That all these outward comforts the power of health and heart to make use of them for strength to doe God Service wisdom to take their own due portion of them suitable to their rank and employment neither defrauding themselves nor any whom they are bound to maintain of the comfortable use of them and the Grace to partake of them with joy and chearfulness in following of duty are all the special Gifts of God ver 19. And â He giveth the Reason why men should endeavour this holy and chearful use-making of the Creatures Because thereby as he shall be diverted from the vexing remembrance of his by-past sorrows so shall he be kept from the solicitous fears of his future miseries in the days of his life Whilst the Lord makes him rejoice in his enjoyment of these things not so much as the fruit of his lawful diligence as the sweet and seasonable return of his Prayers ver 20. CHAP. V. Ver. 1. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God and be more ready to hear then to give the Sacrifice of Foolâ for they consider not that they do evil SOlomon having discovered the Vanity of the principal Courses which Men take for Happiness in the Earth and held forth several Considerations to divert Mens hearts from them He cometh now in the first part of this Chapter to give directions for attaining to that true Peace and Quietness which is attainable in this Life The first Direction is Concerning the right way of going about the Worship of God especially in publick where most ordinarly Communion with the Lord is to be had and this he holds forth in two Branches The First is That Men should Watch over as the Word translated Keep signifies their Feet which are the Affections of the Soul whereby they Act and Move in Spiritual Performances especially when they come to the publick Ordinances that these may be kept free of sinful Distempers which marr Communion with God in Ordinances The Second is concerning the hearty receiving of the Mind of God delivered in the publick Assemblies of His People that Men should be ready to Hear or as the Word signifies Draw near to Hear not only the Voice of Ministers but of the Lord Himself speaking to them with dependance upon Him for His Blessing upon the Truth And this he presseth as that which should take up people more than the external performance of Duties which being separat from internal Worship consisting in the Right ordering of the Affections and hearty receiving of the Word is nothing else but the Sacrifice of Fools The external part of Worship is exprest by Sacrifice because that was in Solomon's time a principal part of publick Worship comprehending all the rest Now to rest upon that without looking to Christ the true Sacrifice and to the Internal and Spiritual Worship was but Folly in Gods account and this he disswades from by a reason taken from the disposition of formal Hypocrites who if they perform the External Duties never lay to heart how much Sin is in their service that so they might be chafed to Christ the true Sacrifice Hence Learn 1. Although the Infinit God cannot be contained in any place no not in the Heaven of Heavens much less in a house made with hands 1 King 8.27 Act. 7.48 And though He have not now under the Gospel so tyed His publick Worship to any one place more than another as he did of old Joh. 4.21 23 yet it is His Mind that there be always a Place set apart for the meeting of His People together about His publick Worship that thereby His Glory as King of the Church may be upheld Jer. 3.17 His People may solemnly testifie their subjection to Him and chear up one another in His Service Ps 95.6 Any place may be safely called His House where He doth in a special way manifest His presence Exod. 20.29 where He feasts His people with His Truth spiritual Comforts conveyed thereby Cant. 2.4 For Solomon speaks here to all the Members of the Church in whatsoever age thereof supposing them to have such meeting places to resort to while he saith Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God 2 They that would have that true Peace and Contentment which cannot be had in all the Pleasures and Delights of this Earth must frequent these places where the Lord 's publick Ordinances are seing it is there especially that He solves the perplexing Doubts of his own which marr their Contentment Ps 73.16 17. removes their Discouragements and makes them truely joyful Isai 56.7 and communicates his strength for bearing them through their Duties and Difficulties Ps 96.2.6 For it is here supposed according to the scope that they who would have that true Contentment and Satisfaction which they have sought and been disappointed of in many things must now come and seek it in the House of God 3. They that would go about Ordinances so as they may attain to the end of them which is Communion with the Lord and so peace and quietness of Spirit must keep a very strict watch over their Affections labouring to have them cleansed from the filth of their by-past sinfulness which cleaves to them in every step of their Course by Repentance and Application of the Blood of Christ Joh. 13.10 to lay aside their Carnal Passions which was darkly signified of old by putting off their Shoes Exod. 3.5 and is more plainly exprest in the New Testament 1. Pet. 2.1.2 Jam. 1.21 to have their hearts stamped with Holy Reverence toward God Ps 89.7 and all their Affections composed and fixed upon him Ps 86 11 For this is in substance the duty which is here and in the Scriptures cited prest in order to the
prevent the evil disswaded from in the former And let not thy Heart be hasty to utter any thing before the Lord. 4. We cannot but speak Rashly to God or of Him and form in our Hearts Thoughts and Desires that will displease Him unless we do by Faith apprehend Him a present God and our selves before His Face and our Heart-language no less plain to Him than our Words For to enforce the former Disswasives He calls us to mind that whatever we utter with our Mouth or Heart is before Him or as it is in the Original Before the Face of God 5. The Greatness Soveraignity Excellency Power Omniscience and such other Perfections of God as His Glorious Palace whereof we think we see the out-side serves to mind us of Ps 19.1 and ought to be much in the Hearts of His People who have most filial Confidence toward Him in Prayer that the same may be qualified with Reverence and they may be kept from these Evils presently disswaded from For to this end it is said For God is in Heaven 6. Our own natural Baseness and Weakness whereof we should be minded by the place of our residence here below upon this Earth under the view of the Lord's Eye and under the stroak of His Hand Who is exalted so high above us should likewise stamp our hearts with much reverence to Him and make us who are but Earth-Worms creeping about His Foot-stool very attentive what we speak or think of such an Exalted Lord For this is another Motive to that purpose Thou art upon Earth 7. Although the Lord understand our hearts desires and motions as well as our words and tho' our speech to Him in Prayer be not to make Him understand what He knew not before yet He will have Words and Expressions used in Prayer for the better staying of our hearts upon the purpose we express and the more effectual moving of our Affections with the sense of our Need by hearing our selves make our moan to Him and for the strengthening of our Confidence by hearing our selves repeat to Him the grounds of Confidence to be heard and helped which He hath given us This is implyed in the first and last Words of the Verse Be not rash with thy Mouth and let thy Words be Few 8. Although it be sometimes safe yea necessary to continue long in Prayer and speak many words to the Lord especially when our own or the Churches Straits are urgent and our strength and assistance great Luk 6.12 and to speak few words to God may be a great guilt when either our Laziness or Unbelief restrains our Prayer yet considering how prone the best are to offend in Prayer by speaking Words without Sense or Affection so as they scarcely hear or understand what themselves speak through reason of Security Darkness and Confusion and by vain Repetitions through penury of Matter and Rash adventuring upon the duty it is ordinarly safest in a few words from Faith and Affection to express our Wants and Desires to God according to this Direction Let thy Words be Few Ver. 3. For a Dream cometh through the multitude of business and a fools voice is known by multitude of words SOlomon giveth here some farther Reasons to disswade from Rash and Inconsiderat speaking to God in Prayer and from idle multiplying of Words in that Duty and these he expresses in two proverbial Speeches or Similitudes taken from things common among Men the Application whereof to the purpose may be easily gathered from what goes immediately before The First is That Dreams come from the multitude of business The meaning whereof according to the Scope is That as multitude of distracting Businesses in the Day occasions many confused Fancies in the Night So Men being excessively taken up with the things of this Earth and having their Hearts which should be kept in a praying frame what ever they do drowned in Wordly Employments they must needs if they speak any thing to God speak it very Inconcernedly and Rashly seing they take no leasure to prepare their hearts for such a Duty So that this first similitude or proverb presseth the former disswasive from rash and inconsiderat speaking to God by discovering the cause of it namely mens Distraction with the multiplicity of Worldly affairs and so consequently points at the remedy thereof The Second is that a Fools Voice is known by the multitude of Words The meaning whereof is That as men discover their want of prudence even in common things by their much speaking so vain Babling and a multitude of words unadvisedly uttered to God in Prayer doth bewray a man to be destitut of the clear knowledge of Gods excellency and of his own Baseness whereof Solomon spake before And this second proverbial speech doth also hold forth the effect of that Rashness to wit that it doth but discover men to be Fools Hence Learn 1. So much should the Lords servants and people be taken up with things spiritual especially with the intertaning of correspondence and fellowship with God in Prayer that the most ordinary and common occurrences should furnish them with some profitable considerations which may enforce the right manner of going about that Duty and may be held forth to others for their instruction therein For here the wise man presseth upon himself and others the former direction by such Observations of common occurrences as few are unacquainted with a Dream cometh through the multitude of Business and a Fools Voice is c. 2. It is the multitude of worldly affaires wherewith men do excessively and often without necessity take up their time and the distraction of their hearts with these that makes much rashness and inadvertance in speaking to God while men take upon them in one day the Business and Toil of many days they have no leasure to commune with their own hearts concerning their own case and Gods dealing with them and this makes them that if they speak to God at all they cannot but speak rashly for so much is held forth in the application of this similitude or Proverb which is to be made according to the scope thus As Dreams come from the multitude of Business So rash and inconsiderate Expressions in Prayer often come from the toil and spending of Mens Spirits about things Worldly as the word Business in the Original signifies 3. Although the Lord in His Providence put many Imployments upon some of His People at once giving them the charge and over-sight not only of their own Estates but of the Persons and Estates of others in which case they may go about their Affairs relating thereto with a good Conscience providing the same be done as Duty to God Ps 119.4 with acknowledgement of Him Prov. 3.6 and the heart always as it may and ought to be in the greatest variety of Imployment kept in a disposition for duty Neh. 2.4 Ps 119.23 Yet when Men suffer their Thoughts to be distracted with these things so as they
do not at all watch to Prayer nor prepare for that Duty they provoke the Lord to take the use of their Reason and Memory from them when they go about it that though they could speak as an Oracle in other things they shall speak as Men in a Dream when they go to Prayer And though some things spoken Rashly by them in Prayer may fall out to be pertinent yet is the whole no more regarded by the Lord than Mens Dreams use to be though sometimes the Event may fall out according to the Dream For that Truth which this proverbial Speech or Similitude leads to according to the Scope amounts to this That Mens Rashness in their Prayers which are in effect but their Dreams flows from the Multitude of their worldly Affairs and the distraction of their Minds with them A Dream cometh through the multitude of business 4. They that would have their Sleep sanctified and so would be preserved from sinful or affrighting Dreams should watch over themselves in the day time and take good heed what Business they intangle themselves with For readily their Dreams in the Night will have something of the prevalent temper of their Spirits along the Day stamped upon them as is imported in the truth that the Similitude holds forth in it self Dreams come through the multitude of business 5. Even when the Lord did extraordinarly manifest Himself to His Servants through Dreams and Visions these were not otherways looked upon in ordinary Men than as the result of multitude of business or some such natural Cause much less when the Lord takes not that way Therefore Solomon to whom the Lord appeared extraordinarly by Dreams 1 King 3.5 holds forth this to others that they should look no otherways upon their Dreams than As coming from the multitude of business 6. As much Discourse even in common things argues much folly so especially in the Matters of God and particularly in Prayer to Him wherein though Men think they kyth much Wit even so much as to prevail with God by their much speaking Mat 6.7 yet multitude of words in that Duty doth often betray Mens great Ignorance and Darkness concerning most necessary Truths especially the Excellency and Greatness of God and their own Baseness and Unworthiness For this proverbial Speech hath a Truth in the literal meaning of it and also in reference to the Scope both which belong to the Doctrine A Fools voice is known by the multitude of words Ver. 4. When thou vowest a Vow unto God defer not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in Fools pay that which thou hast vowed 5. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow than that thou shouldest vow and not pay HEre is the Third Direction for attaining to that true spiritual Peace and Contentment of Spirit wherein much of Mans Happiness attainable in this Life doth consist and it is concerning the conscionable and speedy performance of Vows made to God because at publick Ordinances and secret Prayer Men are often ingaged to that Duty Therefore Solomon after he hath taught the right way of going about the Former now presses the performance of the Latter When thou vowest a Vow c. he doth not speak of any Rash or Unlawful Vow whereby men ingage themselves it may be to things in themselves Lawful but either rashly or without consideration of what may fall out such as was Jephtha's Vow or for some wicked end as was Absalom's pretended Vow in Hebron much less of Vows concerning things simply sinful as that of the Men who vowed to kill Paul Act. 23.14 seing such Vows being made ought not to be payed at all Neither doth he speak of these general Vows and Engagements whereby all within the Church that are capable ought expresly to devot and consecrat themselves wholly to the Lord His obedience and to renunce the Service of Satan the World and their own Lusts Seing these are absolutely necessary by vertue of Divine Precepts Ps 76.12 Isa 19.21 and to refuse the taking of such Vows is one of the highest Sins whereof a Man can be guilty And the last Reason whereby he presseth the performance of the Vows here spoken of agrees not to Vows of that sort Therefore he must be understood to speak of Vows engaging to things lawful but for the particular time and other circumstances of them Arbitrary and in our own power As for Example when the Lord's People under some great trouble oblige themselves to Thankfulness for a delivery and to express the same in such a manner and at such a time as is not particularly determined in the Word of the Lord Ps 116.13 14. Or when they engage to abstain from lawful Delights in such a measure and at such particular occasions for promoving of Mortification or better discharging of Duties Ps 132.2 to consecrat so much of their time or substance to some pious Use Gen. 28.20 Or when they engage themselves to the practice or forbearance of things indifferent in their own nature as necessary for attaining some good end as Paul took on the Vow of a Nazarite for the more effectual gaining of the Jews Act. 21.23 though the thing was left for that time indifferent Now the conscionable and speedy performance of such ingagements the Wise Man presseth here by two Reasons The First is That God hath no pleasure in yea as the expression imports he doth extremely detest and abhor such Fools as slight their engagements thinking to please him with empty promises whereupon he presses the duty again Pay or as the word signifies Perfect and Accomplish that which thou hast Vowed ver 4. The Second Reason is that it were better not to come under ingagements in such cases than to slight the same being taken on by which Reason it appears he speaks of Vows about such things as are in a mans own power at least such as for the circumstances of them might without sin have been otherwise resolved upon but being now determined and ingaged unto ought to be conscionably and speedily performed see Deut. 23 21.22 Doct. 1. It is lawful for the Children of the Lord to tye themselves by their express promise to him for the performing of Duties at such times or with such other circumstances as are not particularly determined in the word and which without sin might have been otherwise condescended upon providing always they neither tye themselves to any thing in confidence of their own strength nor to any thing that is impossible or may be prejudicial to any other necessary duty which may be for the circumstances of it more particularly determined but only to such things as Christian prudence walking by the general Rules of the word and waiting for the promised Spirit to lead them in all Truth may direct them unto that so they may be the more incited to Duty and may thereby declare their hearty Approbation of and Desire to be at their Duty Psal 119 62-106 For of such
such fiery trials yet so little are his Forewarnings minded by the best Heb. 12.5 so apt are they to promise ease and prosperity to themselves Psal 30.6 And so little acquainted with his Wise and Gracious Ends in sad Dispensations Psal 36.6 that they are ready to admire excessively to be astonished and perplexed at the sight of such Dispensations not knowing what to do For their proneness to be so affected with sad Dispensations is imported in this disswasive If thou seest Oppression c. Marvel not at the matter 3. They that would possess true Peace and quietness of Spirit must resolve to follow their Duty through variety of grievous injuries from the World for their so doing and must learn to furnish themselves with such considerations of Gods greatness and respect to his people as may make them digest all their sufferings and not marvel at them And consequently they that would direct people how to intertain true contentment must not only press their Duty upon them but also guard their hearts with suitable grounds of incouragement against such Opposition as they may meet with in the World as here Solomon doth Marvel not at the matter for he that is Higher then the Highest regardeth 4. Patient bearing of wrongs in the way of wel-doing reverencing the Lord and acquiescing in his Gracious purpose concerning these without perturbation or Marveling at them is a mark of a right Worshipper of God and of one that is principled with the fear of His Name For after Solomon hath prest right Worship in publick and secret and the fear of God as the right fountain thereof he presseth this as the evidence or mark of those If thou seest Oppression c. Marvel not at the matter 5. Poor opprest People especially the Godly are not Unregarded by the Lord as they are apt in that condition to apprehend Isai 49 14. But he doth carefully Watch over as the word here translated Regard signifies all their wrongs to rectify them Psal 10.17.18 Over their Oppressours to restrain and punish them Psal 76.10 And over their patient continuance in wel-doing under sufferings Graciously to reward it in due time Rev. 3.10 c. For this is one Reason why they should not Marvel at such hard dealing Because he who is Higher than the Highest regardeth 6. As the Lord is incomparably eminent in all his perfections his Power Wisdom and the like which may be comfortable to his People and formidable to their Enemies considering that he hath the Highest on earth under His feet as Grass-hoppers Isai 40.22.23 And can easily confound and crush them with a look so as they shall no more trouble His people Exod. 14.24 So the consideration of his Highness and the lowness of the greatest on earth being compared with him should hold up the hearts of them that know him from sinking under discouragement and fainting for fear of trouble from the greatest especially seing this High and Lofty One hath humbled Himself to become theirs by Covenant For thus is he set forth to guard against the fear of flesh He that is Higher then the Highest c. 7. The Lords publick Ministers should make use of these grounds of Comfort for guarding the hearts of His people against Temptations and Discouragements in their way wherewith themselves have been comforted by God see 2 Cor. 1.4 For this Ground taken from the Lord's Greatness and Regard to his suffering people which Solomon here holds forth to others for quieting their hearts under trouble is the same which he had made use of himself in the like case Eccles 3.16.17 Marvel not at the matter for he that is Higher c. 8. Whensoever the Lord's People are troubled and amazed at the sight or feeling of Oppression and hard usage in the World they do not believingly consider God's Highness and Respect to His People as they ought For the consideration of both is here presented to guard them that they marvel not at this matter importing them ready to forget or not believingly to consider the same and their so doing to be the cause of that Distemper Marvel not at the matter for he that is Higher than the Highest regardeth 9. Though the Lord stand not in need of help from Creatures for the Protection of His Church and Destruction of His Enemies yet He hath made to Himself great Hosts whom He imployes for these Ends that He may honour these Instruments and help His Peoples Confidence by the consideration of the number and power of these Glorious and Blessed Angels of His who are His principal Hosts of whom this last Clause may be safely understood which is given as a farther at least as an inlargement of the former ground of quieting the Hearts of the oppressed Godly And there be Higher than they to wit than the Oppressours Ver. 9. Morover the profit of the earth is for all the King himself is served by the Field THis Verse contains Two Arguments to disswade from Oppression against which the Preacher hath guarded these hearts of the Oppressed in the former The First is That the Profit or Increase as the Word signifies of the Earth which it yields to Man over and above his own Subsistence for his Labour is for All the meaning is it is the Lord's Allowance to All to the Poor as well as the Rich And therefore great Ones should not by Oppression suck all the Profit of the Earth from the Poor as if it belonged to them only The Second Reason is That the greatest on Earth are furnished by the Field or by the Fruits of the Earth yielding Necessaries to them and to their Beasts which serve them for Food and Cloathing And this Furniture coming to their hands through the Pains and Industry of the Poor they ought not to be Oppressed by the Great Hence Learn 1. The Lord hath so far mitigate the Curse inflicted upon the Earth for Man's first Sin in eating the Forbidden Fruit thereof that it will yield Increase and Profit to the Labourer for his pains wherein his Mercy is to be acknowledged For saith Solomon There is profit of the Earth to wit to the Labourer 2. The Earth is alike obedient and liberal to All that cultivat it whatever their Qualifications be the Lord will not have the Godly and the Wicked differenced by the different success of their Labours in the Earth that is common to both For the profit of the Earth is for all 3. When Great Men that are exeemed from Labouring of the Ground see that the Earth doth answer the poor Labourer as readily as it would do the King if he should put his hand to the Plough or Spade it should bring them to consider that the Profit of the poor Man's Labour is the Lord's Allowance to him and so should deterr them from robbing him of it by Oppression For this may be taken as an Argument to disswade from Oppression The profit of the Earth is for all 4. When poor
fit Objects upon whom to imploy it But to the Covetous Worldling it is a Vexation to see the number growing to whom he ought to give and from whom he cannot with a good Conscience withhold and yet cannot get an heart to give as is imported in this Reason of his unsatisfaction with his Increase that when Goods increase they are increased that eat them 9. God doth never give a man Riches and abundance of things Worldly to hoard up beside him but when soever his Providence brings in to him Abundantly of these things the same Providence affords Objects upon whom he is bound to lay out a part thereof Either his Children are multiplyed or the number of his Servants and Followers is increased or the Poor run and flock about him or some occurrences of Providence meet him that will if he do as he ought eat up a considerable part of his increase for this is a general truth as Goods increase they are increased that eat them 10. Beside what men make use of for their subsistence and that which they are bound to give out to others or imploy for necessary uses there is no true pleasure or profit by all that men have in the World yea they have nothing but the naked sight of them which signifies little the consideration whereof should make men see their Vanity in seeking these things as their chief Happiness For this is the last Reason to this purpose what is there to wit beside what is necessary for a mans subsistence and to bestow upon approven uses To the Owner beside the beholding of them with his Eyes Ver. 12. The sleep of a Labouring man is sweet whether he eat little or much but the abundance of the Rich will not suffer him to Sleep HEre are two farther Arguments to disswade from the immoderate love of things earthly The one is taken from the advantage of moderate diligence about these things The Sleep of a Labouring man is sweet saith he By the Labouring man here spoken of is meant mainly 1. Such an one as for all his Labour hath but little of the World among his hands as appears by this that he is opposed to the Rich who hath Abundance Yet 2. He is such an one as is supposed to be Labouring also for the true Riches otherwise if he were a Covetous Wretch his want and care to get would make him as unquiet as the others Abundance but being moderate in diligence about his outward calling and serious in seeking the true Riches he hath sweet Sleep and Rest both to Body and Spirit and this he hath though he have but a light Supper his painful Labour and his good Conscience makes his Sleep refreshful and if he eat more the Blessing of God upon his Healthy constitution makes digestion easie and so however it be with him his Sleep is Sweet The other Argument is taken from that Anxiety which ordinarily attends the Abundance of things Worldly in those who seek them as their best portion But the Abundance of the Rich saith Solomon will not suffer him to Sleep By the Rich must be understood not simply every man who hath Abundance for Godly Rich men such as Abraham and Job were have rest to Body and Spirit allowed upon them But the Covetous Rich who thorow excessive love to the World cares and Anxieties about keeping and fears of losing deprive themselves of the Lords allowance to men And both the expressions in this verse are to be understood of what doth Ordinarily fall out seing the Lord may correct and exercise his own dearest people with unquietness and may and doth sometimes plague the Rich with false peace and rest of Body and Spirit Hence Learn 1. Oftimes these who doth most painfully and honestly Labour in their Callings remain Poor in things Worldly not only because such are often preyed upon by Oppressours but because the Lord having provided better things for them will have them by the want of these outward things stirred up to seek for better and to depend upon him for their daily Bread For Solomon opposeth the honest Labourer to the Rich who hath Abundance as if the Poor and Labourer were one as ordinarily they are The sleep of the Labouring man c. But the Abundance of the Rich c. 2. Natural rest or sound Sleep not interrupted by Distempers of Body or Soul is a sweet Mercy of God whereby men are separat from the sight and feeling of the Miseries of this life And the same being sanctified they are by it refreshed and recreated in Body and Spirit for the farther service of the Lord For as a Sweet Blessing to the poor Labourer that fears God it is here spoken of The Sleep of the Labouring man is sweet 3. The busier men be in honest and moderat Labour in their Callings the Sweeter ordinarily is their Rest and Sleep which God vouchafes upon them their diligence disposes their Bodies for Rest and their moderation and honest Labour prevents challenges which Conscience might suggest to marr their Rest The consideration whereof should make men digest the pains of lawful diligence and make them beware to take a surfet of it or to marr the peace of their Conscience which may marr the Sweetness of their Rest and Sleep which God allows upon them For it is of him who Labours painfully and moderatly that Solomon here saith The Sleep of a Labouring man is Sweet 4. As any man especially a Labourer ought sometimes to take a more sparing measure of the creatures as when providence orders their success to be less then ordinary or calls them to distribute a part of their allowance to some others of his poor people so may they at other times make use of them more liberally always keeping themselves within the bounds of Sobriety as when the Lord Blesses their Labour with greater success and in his providence carves out more work for them for which their Bodies must be proportionally upheld and strengthned by the Creatures For Solomon here supposes the Labourer upon good Grounds to eat sometimes More sometimes Less while he saith his Sleep is sweet whether he eat little or much 5. The Lord can make it go as well with the Bodies of his poor Labouring people and with their Spirits also when they have little to eat or find themselves obliged to eat more sparingly as at othertimes when they have Much and may eat more liberally so that their Rest and quietness of Spirit is to be attributed not to the things they make use of but to his Blessing the light of whose Countenance makes their Sleep sweet and sound Psal 4.8 For the sleep of a Labouring man is sweet whether he eat little or much 6. Beside eternal Torment and Unrest abiding men who have chosen their portion in this World they have oft the earnest of that everlasting unquietness given them in this life many unquiet nights and vexing thoughts about the keeping and increasing of what
they have which are so many Messengers to warn them of their Folly in choosing such a God to serve as cannot give his Worshippers a sound and sweet Sleep and in neglecting to serve him who will give his Beloved Sleep when it may be good for them For saith Solomon the abundance of the Rich will not suffer him to Sleep 7. When mens hearts are so distracted with cares and fears about things Worldly that they are thereby deprived of the ordinary Rest and Refreshment which God allows to the Sons of men in the night time then it is evident Mammon is their Idol and their Abundance is a curse and snare to them For Solomon gives it for a mark of the Covetous his Abundance will not suffer him to Sleep Ver. 13. There is a sore evil which I have seen under the Sun namely Riches kept for the Owners thereof to their hurt THe sixth Argument serving to alienat the hearts of men from the excessive love of things Worldly is that they prove often hurtful to the Owners exposing them to many hazards from others and being occasion of much sin to themselves as shall be shewn in the Doctrines And this Solomon regrates as a woful evil and yet evident to him and very ordinary among men that they do pursue these things which prove Hurtful to them as if their chief Happiness were in the injoyment of them Hence Learn 1. The Lords Ministers should be much in the Observation of the event of mens sinful courses that none of the Lords disappointments of men therein may escape them that so they may hold out his truth as verified in their own Experience So will they have the more confidence in speaking and their Doctrine will have the more weight with people For so did the Preacher who is in many things of this sort a pattern for ordinary Preachers he holds forth the danger of Covetousness as a thing which he had observed ordinary among men There is a sore evil which I have seen namely Riches kept to the Owners thereof for their hurt 2. A spiritual Discerner will look upon mens sinful Courses which tend to their Ruine not with pleasure as the sinners themselves do but with grief and compassion They will look upon sinners as men pining away under some grievous sickness while they are with full delight serving their Idols For so doth Solomon This is a sore evil or as the word signifies a deadly Disease or sorrowful Evil Which I have seen under the Sun namely Riches kept for the Owners thereof to their hurt 3. Though sometimes the Lord blasts Worldly mens substance and possessions by a secret Moth Hos 5.12 And sometimes by sending Spoilers at noonday upon them Jer. 15.8 to testifie his displeasure with their placing Happiness in so base things and preferring them to his favour and fellowship Yet at other times he doth suffer them to injoy their Idols safely and even then is not the less displeased with them for so had Solomon observed Riches kept for the Owners thereof to their hurt 4. Though wicked men have not a sanctified title to their possessions seing nothing is given them from special love yet they may be called the True Owners of them both by human or Civil Right and by a Divine also so that none may take their Estates from them except Magistrates in the Execution of Just Laws under the pain of Gods displeasure Job 9.24 Hab. 2.6 Nor is it suitable to Scripture Language to deny all wicked men to have any true Title to their possessions and to look upon them as belonging to the Saints for the Spirit of God speaks of them as the Masters and Owners of these things I have seen Riches kept for the Owners thereof c. 5. That which wicked Men account their chief Good namely the keeping of their Possessions and Riches is truly their great Hurt not only in so far as these things expose them to be the Objects of others Malice and Envy which may befal the best 1 King 21.6 7 8. But mainly because they prove Snares to their Souls occasioning many Temptations to them 1 Tim. 6.9 and particularly marring their love to and profiting by the Word Mat. 13.22 The consideration whereof should guard Mens Hearts against the immoderate love of these things For it is here brought as an Argument to that purpose I have seen Riches kept for the Owners thereof to their Hurt Ver. 14. But these Riches perish by evil travel and be begetteth a Son and there is nothing in his hand SOlomon having reasoned against Covetousness from the Hurt that Worldlings sustain by their Riches while they enjoy them he giveth here a Seventh Argument against the same from the hazard of losing these things which they have kept for a long time he speaks of what frequently falls out and that by evil Travel that is the Lord either blasts them by some sore Judgement for the Word Travel is often Translated Affliction or leaves the Person that hath long kept them foolishly and sinfully to waste them Unto which and many other Casualities Riches being subject they are not to be sought after as a Man's Happiness And this Argument he illustrates by shewing the consequence of the Perishing of these Riches after this manner namely that the Son of this Covetous Wretch hath nothing to wit of Patrimony which his Father with the hazard of his Soul did conqueise in his hand that is in his Power and Possession as the Expression frequently signifies in Scripture Dan. 2.38 seing all is now supposed to be perished by evil Travel So that this Expression He begets a Son and there is nothing in his hand cannot be understood of the ordinary case and condition wherein all Children are born of which he speaks as a new Argument in the following Words but of the poor Case that the Son of the Covetous is oft in after his Fathers Riches are Perished and this as an Argument to disswade from Covetousness seing thereby Men take the nearest Way not only to Hurt their own Souls but to lose their Estates and make their Posterity miserable Hence Learn 1. They who immoderatly love the things of this Earth do not only hurt their own Souls by their so doing but likewise they take the most effectual Course they can to destroy that which they would most gladly keep and so to impoverish themselves and their Off-spring for even these Riches which Solomon had observed to have been for a long time kept to the Owners hurt he here asserts to be subject to Perish by evil Travel 2. The sinful Courses that Men take to preserve their Estates such as Oppression Isa 5 8. Lying and Dissimulation Act. 5.1 2. c. Serving the time by making Ship-wrack of a good Conscience 1 Tim. 6.10 Do often prove in Gods Righteous Judgement a Mean to make all they have Perish The observation whereof may make Men who love their Estates best hate to take
White the Lords Ministers are opening up his sweet and comfortable Allowance to his People they should not forget to mention the Misery of them that are by their Sins depriving themselves of it but should with Pitie and Compassion regrate the same in their Hearing that thereby such may be moved to resent the wofulness of their own Condition For this Heavenly Preacher who is in this a Pattern to all others having in the close of the former Chapter commended the Lords comfortable Allowance to his own he here as it were regrates the Sin and Misery of others while he saith There is an Evil which I have seen under the Sun c. 2. Ministers must not only study to know what things are Sinful and what Judgements are due to them in the general that from the word they may clearly discover both but likewise they ought to be much in the Observation of the particular Sins that reign and prevail most among Men in their time and of the particular Judgements whereby God testifies his displeasure against them that from their own experimental Observation of both they may discover them to People For it is mainly of Solomon's own Observation and experimental knowledge of this Evil which comprehends both that particular Sin of Mens seeking things Earthly for their Portion and that particular Judgement of God whereby he deprives them of comfort of these things that he here speaks while he saith There is an Evil which I have seen under the Sun 3. There are many Sins frequently committed by Men and many Plagues frequently inflicted by the Lord upon them for these Sins which sinners themselves do not see nor consider and therefore Christs Ministers should especially discover these Sins and Judgements which they do not see or do not esteem to be such for Men stand in need of the Spirits Information that there is such an Evil as this common among Men to wit their excessive love of the World which is their Sin and Gods depriving them of the comfort of it even while they have it which is their Plague And therefore it is here given them There is an Evil which I have seen under the Sun and it is common among Men. 4. The Lord may multiply outward Favours of all sorts upon them whom he Favours not he may bring to their hand All that their Hearts can desire And in so doing be raining snares upon them And surely it is so when Men desire these things as their chief good and when Saving Grace is not given with them and wisdom to use them aright for Solomon speaks here of the Covetous whom the Lord abhorreth Psal 10 3. And yet he is A man to whom God hath given Riches Wealth Honour and what his Soul desireth 5. When the Lord hath given to Men great Variety of outward Blessings even answerable to their own desires he hath it in his own hand whether he will give or withhold the Comfort and Sweetness of the Injoyment of these things And this he doth often withhold sometimes by leaving them to their own Covetous Disposition which binds up their Hands that they cannot use what they have had they never so much for fear of want afterward And sometimes by striking them with his Terrour and Wrath in the midst of their Injoyments Dan. 5.4 5. Psal 78.30 31. So that after the greatest variety of most desirable Blessings is obtained the Power to use them should be sought and that being also obtained should be thankfully acknowledged as a new and more excellent Mercy than all the rest For saith Solomon There is a man to whom God hath given Riches Wealth and Honour so that he wants nothing that his Soul desires and yet he giveth him not Power to Eat thereof 6. The Lord often strikes wicked men sorest in these things and at these Seasons that they least expect They apprehend all the difficulty in the way to their Happiness to be in the attainings to things Earthly and yet the disappointment is after all is gotten that their Soul desired For there is a man to whom God hath given Riches Wealth and Honour so that he wanteth nothing of all that his Soul desireth and yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof 7. When Mens Hearts are estranged from God and wholly taken up with earthly Delights it is but just with Him to make Strangers consume their Idols which they have set up in His room So that when Men do immoderately love and seek after these things they take the nearest course not only to deprive themselves of the Comfort of them but their Posterity also whose provision they have preferred to the Favour of God and the good of their own Souls For this is another way whereby God testifies His Displeasure against the Sin of Covetousness A Stranger eats it 8. It is a vain thing for Men to place Happiness in these things which when they are given the Power to use them or take comfort in them may be with-held And it is Wisdom to seek after the true Riches and Honour Reconciliation with God His Grace and Favour which being bestowed the Power to feell the sweetness of and take comfort in them will not be altogether with-held For so doth Solomon censure Mens seeking Wealth Riches and Honour as their Portion which being had they may want Power to take Comfort in them This is Vanity 9. Men in love with the World as their Happiness are in a dreadful Distemper of Spirit and should look upon themselves as infected with some loathsome and deadly Disease even such an one as they cannot be sensible of till it be past Remedy except a Miracle of Grace be wrought upon them For this is another part of Solomon's Censure of the Covetous Mans case It is an evil Disease 10. The observation of this Vanity Disappointment and Vexation incident to Mammon-worshipers should elevat the Hearts of Men above the Sun and make them long to be where the true Riches and Honour are and where the Power to take the Comfort thereof is never with-held nor interrupted in the exercise of it For this Evil is only observed under the Sun that a Man may have Wealth Riches and Honour and no power to eat thereof and is here held forth to alienat Mens Hearts from this Earth which is one principal part of the scope of this Book Ver. 3. If a Man beget an hundred Children and live many years so that the days of his years be many and his Soul be not filled with Good and also that he have no Burial I say that an untimely Birth is bettter then he 4. For he cometh in with Vanity and departeth in darkness and his name shall be covered with darkness 5. Moreover he hath not seen the Sun nor known any thing this hath more rest then the other 6. Yea though he live a thousand years twice told yet hath he seen no good do not at all go to one place SOlomon doth
farther illustrate the Sin and Misery of the Covetous Worldling whose Portion is in this present Life And for this end he First supposes such an one to have yet two farther Degrees of his fancied Happiness The 1. is A numerous Off-spring to possess what he hath gathered If a Man saith he beget an hundred Children he puts a definit number for an indefinit an Hundred for many according to an ordinary way of speaking in Scripture 1 Cor. 14.13 And by supposing him to be in a case which is not possible he labours to awake him out of his Dream of finding Happiness in a case far inferiour to that which is supposed The 2. is a long Life If he live saith he many years so that the days of his years be many by doubling the Expression he supposes his days and years to be as many as ever any had or can have So he supposes him to have these things which he pretends as a Defence of his eager pursuit and sparing use of things worldly to wit many Children to leave these things to and Old Age to provide for Next He supposes the Covetous Man to want other two things 1. That his Soul injoys no good that is He neither hath the comfortable use of his Riches nor doth he make sure any Spiritual or Eternal Good to himself And 2. That he hath no Burial He supposes him to want Burial not as if all Covetous Wretches were deprived of this favour Luk. 16.22 Nor as if the having of it could in the least contribute to their Happiness but because Covetous and Ambitious Men do oft make more preparation for a sumptuous Burial than for their Eternal Wel-being Isai 22.16 And because none of them can be certain if ever they shall have Burial seing the Lord sometimes in displeasure deprives the Wicked thereof Jer. 22.19 Therefore he supposes them to want it Thirdly Upon supposition that he have the former and want the latter priviledge he doth assert v. 3 and set forth his Misery by comparing with and preferring to his case the case of an untimely Birth as Better in outward Respects specified afterward for of the future eternal state of the Abortive he speaks nothing though the worst that can be supposed thereof must be more tolerable than the Covetous Mans. Fourthly He shews particularly wherein the Misery of the Covetous is greater then the Ab ortives As for the Covetous 1. He comes into the World with Vanity that is to no good purpose for himself or rather he comes in with a load of original Guilt which is not to be understood as if there were any who are not born in the same case but because it is charged upon him now going out of the World therefore he speaks of it as peculiar to him Then 2. His Death here called Departure is comfortless and an entrance into utter Darkness And 3. For his Reputation or Name in the perpetuating whereof he placed one part of his Earthly Happiness that shall not be Remembred with God or good Men for any advantage to him ver 4. And for the Abortive who hath not had the most common Benefits of this Life to see the Sun or to have the Exercise of Reason and so is not guilty of Abusing these and the like Favours as the Covetous is this hath more rest than the Covetous Not as if properly such an one could be said to have any rest in this World or as if the Covetous could have the least degree of true Rest as the comparing of them would seem to import but that this untimely Birth is never vexed with such distracting Cares and Fears as the Covetous Worldling is tormented with Fifthly He inlarges the Supposition of the Covetous mans long Life by supposing that which is impossible to wit that he should have a Thousand years twice told superadded to all his other Earthly advantages of Riches Honour numerous Off-spring and the like and this he doth that he may drive him from the apprehension of Happiness in any thing that he can attain to in this World And Lastly he proves by several Reasons that notwithstanding of this long Life with all the forementioned advantages of it he is still a miserable man providing he seek not Happiness of a higher nature than can be had in things Earthly The First Reason is that he remains all his time a Stranger to the sweetness of fellowship with God It is safe to understand Solomon so here while he saith he hath seen no good seing he had learned of his Father that mans true good consists in that Fellowship Psal 4.6 The Second is that this man supposed to be so near his imaginary Happiness must go to the same Place with the Abortive or those he Judges most miserable he must meet with them in the Grave or State of the Dead which is here called that One Place whether All men go And so what ever it be belonging to this Life only that differenceth one man from another that cannot make him a happy Man ver 6. Hence Learn 1. Men destitute of saving Wisdom are very Ingenious to find out pretences and seeming Excuses for their sinful Courses and therefore they that would reclaim such must trace them thorow these and discover the Vanity of them For Solomon here supposeth the Covetous Worldling swelling in Riches to cover his excessive love to the World and his depriving himself of lawful comforts with the pretence of providing for his numerous Off-spring and his Old Age and proves that neither of these doth lessen his Sin or his Misery For saith he Though he have an hundred Children and live many years c. Yet he is but a miserable Caitif 2. The Lord may manifest his Bounty to wicked men by heaping upon them the choice of outward Blessings and may draw out his long suffering patience toward them in great length by giving them many Days and Years while they are walking contrary to him that by his so doing he may reclaim some of them and make the rest the more inexcusable For having before supposed the Covetous man to have abundance of all sorts of Riches he here supposes him to have many Children and to live many Years so that the days of his Years be many 3. As those may have variety of outward Blessings who yet Injoy nothing that is truely Good for their Souls so mans happiness is only to be estimat according to his Souls injoying of that Good which is sutable to it namely the favour of God his Grace and a right to everlasting Blessedness all other things are but Good to his Body and in some sort common to man with other Creatures inferior to him For Solomon supposeth here that a man may have a Numerous Off-spring and a long Life beside his Riches and yet be a miserable Man if so be his Soul injoy no Good 4. Though Man be bound to esteem it a Blessing of God to have many Children Begotten in
have spent a long Life in seeking Happiness in the Earth will notwithstanding of all former disaââointments still apprehend they would find it if they had longer time to seek it and yet they are but deluded Fools in so thinking For if they should live Methusalem's days twice told and more they will never see any Good in things worldly nor can they see Good till they get Christ's Eye-salve Though he live a thousand years twice told yet hath he seen no Good 17. Though length of days should teach Men Wisdom to prepare for Death and Eternity yet Men who have it without saving Grace make a contrary use of it even to banish the thoughts of Death in so much that they who have lived longest and so are nearest to their Death are often most forgetful of it never considering that they are shortly to meet with those who have been early taken away Therefore doth the Wise Man here put this Question to them to move them to meditate upon Death Do not all go to one place 18. The consideration of this That within a little time we shall all meet in one Place namely the Grave or the state of the Dead should keep Men from magnifying themselves for these temporary things wherein they excel others and when Men account others for the want of these things miserable in comparison of themselves they forget the Meeting Place Death which will equal all For Solomon gives this for a Reason why Men should not account themselves happy because of these things or more happy than others who want them Do not all Go to one place Ver. 7. All the labour of Man is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not filled 8. For what hath the Wise more than the Fool what hath the Poor that knoweth to walk before the Living SOlomon giveth here some farther Reasons of the misery of the Covetous Worldling notwithstanding of his long Life and other Advantages formerly supposed The Third in order is Because the end of all the Undertakings of such a Man and the effect of all his pains is very bale it is for his outward Man only one part whereof the Mouth is here pât for the whole How can he then be Happy suppose he have Riches Honour Posterity and long Life seing he neglects his better part the Soul The Fourth is Because all he hath doth not Sa isfie his desires and therefore being still a dissatisfied Man he must be still in so far a miserable Man till he take another course for his Happiness And the Last is Because the Wisest in the World without saving Knowledge hath no more have what he will that brings him any nearer to true Happiness than the Fool who hath not that Wisdom But lest the Poor in the World hearing so much spoken to prove the Misery of the Covetous Rich Worldling might account themselves happy especially if they have any measure of Prudence to walk right among Men for of saving Wisdom he speaks not but only of that which teaches how to Walk in an approven way before Men Living in this World Therefore he puts the question concerning these What hath the Poor that knoweth how to walk before the Living Importing that these also if they be destitute of saving Wisdom and the Fear of the most High are not the nearer to true Happiness that they want the Temptations of Riches Honour and the like which others have nor yet that they have the advantage of humane Wisdom or Prudence which many that have Riches Honour and other things of that sort want So that the Summ of these Verses as also of the former seems to be That whatever outward Advantages or Excellencies one Man hath above another whatever Rank or Degree Men be of whether they love long or not whether they be Rich or Poor Honourable or Despised Wise or Foolish and so forth If they be void of saving Knowledge they are all alike far distant from true Happiness and Satisfaction Hence Learn 1. However some unrenewed Men may seem to have more Pure and Refined Designs than others 2 King 10.16 and to be much taken up about things of a higher nature than what relates to their Bodies Luk. 18.10 Isai 58.2 yet neither their designs nor pains can reach higher than their outward Man and Estate in this Word They cannot be for their Souls or the true Good thereof For of all such Men Solomon saith All the labour of Man is for his Mouth 2. They are strangely deluded who think if they had more of things worldly their desires would be then satisfied Till the Soul of Man close with and rest upon that infinit Soul-satisfying Good God reconciled to them in Christ give it never so much of other things the Appetite will still cry Give Give the consideration whereof should convince Men that they are miserable who seek Satisfaction in these things wherein it is impossible to find it For saith he The Appetite is not filled 3. Though common Wisdom or humane Prudence may be instrumental in gaining Men great Riches Honours and the like wherein often Men who have that Wisdom excel those who want it yet he that hath most of that sort of Wisdom being destitute of that which is from Above remains as far distant from true Happiness as he that hath least of it The consideration whereof should make Men long for that excellent Knowledge Phil. 3.8 and not account any other Wisdom their chief Good For it is in reference to the attaining of true Happiness that this Question is put What hath the Wise Man more than the Fool 4. As the Lord dispenses common Gifts variously as well as Spiritual giving to some a greater measure of humane Wisdom and Prudence to whom he gives less Riches than to others So those who have that sort of Wisdom without worldly Riches when they hear much spoken against the Vanity of such Riches and of the misery of the Covetous they are ready to pronounce themselves happy and so to be proud of their poverty For here is a poor Man supposed to have Wisdom to Walk aright before Men and yet to put him off the opinion of his being happy without the saving Knowledge of God in Christ this Question is put concerning him What hath the Poor that knows how to walk before the Living to wit nothing to make him happy except he know the way of Reconciliation with God and how to Walk aright before Him in the Land of the Living 5. Though Men be ready to conclude themselves very happy if they can Walk so before those among whom they live as nothing can be blamed in their carriage and so as they may gain their approbation yet unless they know also how to Walk with and before the Living God in His Favour Fear and Obedience they are not the nearer to a state of true Happiness For this Question imports that such Men apprehend themselves very happy and that is but an apprehension
Knowledge For Anger rests in the bosome of Fools 6. When Passion is raised in the Heart of the Best it is not soon laid again if it once get admittance it will readily Rest and settle at least for a time For Solomon gives it as a Reason to the Wise or Godly why they should not be hasty in their Spirits to be angry because Anger Rests in the bosome of Fools If there were not a possibility and hazard that it might have some Rest and settling in their Heart also the reasoning were not so cogent 7. Although it be the duty of the Lord's People to search out the sinful causes which provoke the Lord to change times to the worse and the Wise Reasons which He hath for so doing and to bewail that after-times are far degenerate from the Purity and Holiness of former as was proven in the Exposition yet it is a great Sin to quarrel with Providence or to Inquire concerning this matter with Fretting and Mal-contentment of Spirit as if it were not well ordered by Divine Providence that we should not have as much Peace and Prosperity and as great freedom from outward trouble as those who were before us have had For this is the Evil here disswaded from Say not thou what is the cause that the former times were better than these 8. To Frett and Repine that the present times are worse than the former argues Men in so far void of Heavenly Wisdom which teaches those who have it to adore the Righteousness of God in all His Dispensations though they see not the particular Reasons of them Jer. 12.1 and often leads them to satisfying Reasons clearly held forth in Scripture namely that God in Wisdom takes some times to discover Mens perversity which at other times He sees fit to restrain and to promove by sore Trials the Faith Patience and other Graces of His People which He doth at other times promove without such Trials Dan. 12.10 So that this quarelling with the Lord argues great presumption in Men flowing from their Ignorance both of the true estate of the present and former times which makes them that they do not consider the Good of the present times which often doth as far exceed that of the former as the Evils and Troubles of the same do these of the former For saith Solomon Thou doest not inquire Wisely or as it is in the Original by Wisdom concerning this matter The Expression intends more then is exprest Ver. 11. Wisdom is good with an Inheritance and by it there is profit to them that see the Sun 12. For Wisdom is a defence and money is a defence but the excellency of Knowledge is that Wisdom giveth life to them that have it IN the Fifth place Solomon commends Heavenly and Saving Wisdom for of this he speaks as is clear by the effects attributed to it and the Advantages they have who are indued with it as an excellent Remedy of these sinful Distempers incident to Men which marr their true Happiness The Effects or Advantages of it whence he doth commend it are Four The First is That it is good with an Inheritance which cannot be understood as if this Wisdom were not good without any worldly Inheritance because Men have been happy with it who have had no Inheritance of that sort as Lazarus but the meaning is That Saving Wisdom is a Good which men should labour for as that without which the greatest Inheritance is but a Snare and fewel to mens Lusts 1 Tim. 6.9 and as that whereby men who have a worldly Inheritance have fairer opportunity to improve the same than these who are poor The Second Advantage is That by it there is profit to them that see the Sun he doth not here mean the Inheritance but Wisdom by It saith he namely Wisdom there is profit importing that whatever true Advantage a Man have who hath both Wisdom and an Inheritance the same is to be attributed to Wisdom rather than to Riches The Third is That it proves a Defence or a Shadow as the Word is to wit from many hazards and dangers especially Spiritual and this he illustrate by asserting some like Advantage to be had by Riches Money saith he is a Defence to wit from outward hazards in some cases Or this may be taken for a proof of the first Advantage that Wisdom is good with an Inheritance because he who hath both hath a double Defence Wisdom for one and Money or an Inheritance for another And Fourthly Lest he might seem to debase this Wisdom while he attributes the like effect to it and to Money he shews wherein it excells The excellency of Knowledge is that Wisdom giveth Life by which change of the words it appears that they are used indifferently in Scripture whereby is meant that this Wisdom is the mean of conveying to Men Spiritual and of leading them to Eternal Life And therefore is to be studied by all that would be truely Happy Hence Learn 1. Though heavenly Wisdom be often bestowed upon those who have little or no Inheritance worldy 1 Cor. 1.26 yet those who have Saving Wisdom and withal great things in the World should look upon the concurrence of these two as a special Blessing of God putting them in a fair capacity to prove themselves rich in Good Works for the Glory of God and the Good of Others Isa 60.9 Prov. 3.9 and to lay up for themselves good store of Provision for the time to come in which respects Wisdom is good with an Inheritance and better than without it 2. Let Men have never so great an Inheritance worldly they ought not to satisfy themselves therewith unless they have also Wisdom to use it for the Glory of God and good of others Phil. 4.12 to lay it out when God calls them so to do Ps 112.9 and to keep it when they cannot with a good Conscience part with it 1 King 12.3 For saith he Wisdom is good with an Inheritance 3. Whether Men have a smal worldly Inheritance or none at all that deserves that Name yet if they have Saving Wisdom they are truly Gainers and Rich and though they have never so great an Inheritance any Profit or Advantage they get deserving to be so called is to be attributed not to their Inheritance but to the Wisdom which God hath given with it to use it aright For by Io namely by Wisdom There is Profit 4. Men that have no Wisdom to honour God to save their own Souls and to use their outward Mercies aright in order to these ends though they had the whole Earth left them for an Inheritance they have no true Profit their Loss is unspeakable as is imported by the contrary of this By it there is profit to them that see the Sun 5. In so far as Men are indued with that Wisdom which is from Above in so far they are protected from Hazards not always from outward troubles but from Wrath Prov. 22.3 from the evil
his own experimental Observation of the like All things have I seen c. 2. Whensoever Men reflect aright upon their by past time how prosperous or peaceable soever it hath been they will see it Vain not only for the shortness of it which is best seen when it is past and for the mixture of Crosses that hath been with it but mainly for that sinfulness which hath accompanied them in their best times For so doth Solomon here describe his by-past time The days of my Vanity 3. Though all that are justified by the imputation of Christ's Righteousness and are truely Holy be beyond the hazard of eternal perishing Rom. 8.1 yet such is the malice of the wicked World against these whose carriage is a tacite Reproof and Shame to theirs that they are often cut off in the way of Wel-doing and so perish in regard of their natural Life and worldly Interests which is a merciful Dispensation to them hastening them to their eternal Rest and Felicity Isa 57.2 For saith Solomon There is a just Man that perisheth in his Righteousness 4. Though the Lord be Angry with the wicked every day Ps 7.11 and testifies the same against some of them by cutting them off in the Morning of their Life Ps 55.23 yet He sees it fit sometimes to exercise His long suffering Patience toward them and to spare them long in their sinful Courses that at last the equity of His severity against them may be the more conspicuous Rom. 2.5 For saith he there is a wicked Man that prolongs his life in his wickedness 5. Though the best of Men come far short of conformity to the Rule of Righteousness and Holiness and of that measure of heavenly Wisdom which is attainable 1 Cor. 13.9 Phil. 3.12 yet there is so much Pride and Arrogancy in Men that they fancy themselves to have or presume to attain unto a more exact Righteousness and higher degree of Wisdom than God doth require or approve while they affect a Righteousness of their own before they come to Christ to get it Joh. 13.8 while they think to please God with more severe Exercises of Religion or with greater Pains or Cost in His Worship than He requires Mica 6.6 7. 1 Tim. 4.3 and especially which is mainly intended here while they censure the Lord's Dispensations in suffering the Just to perish in his Righteousness as if they would have a more exact Righteousness in the administration of Affairs in the World and think it were greater wisdom to cut off the Wicked than to suffer them to prolong their days in wickedness For this is here disswaded from Be not Righteous over much neither make thy self over Wise 6. This bold presumption of Men in magnifying their own worth and wisdom as if they could guide the World more equitably and wisely than God doth deserves to be suppressed with Holy Scorn and Indignation For we may look upon this as an Holy Irony Be not Righteous over much neither make thy self over Wise 7. To censure the Lords Dispensations as if there ought to be more Equity and Wisdom manifested in them is the neerest way for Men to draw destruction upon themselves not only in so far as by their anxiety and fretting against what cannot be changed they spend their own Spirits but mainly because it is a Sin crying for Destruction from the Almighty and will draw it out of His Hand if it be continued in as is imported in this Reason Why shouldest thou destroy thy self 8. It is Mens conceit of their own Wisdom which is nothing else but the height of folly that makes them miss any degree of Righteousness and Equity in the Lords proceedings For this last Branch of the Disswasive may be looked upon as the cause of the former Be not Righteous over much by prescribing a more equitable way than God keeps in His dealing Neither be thou over Wise namely in thine own eyes which occasions the former 9. From the sight of Piety oppressed and Wickedness spared in prospering there doth arise in Mens corrupt Nature a powerful temptation to loose the Reines to all Impiety when Men see Wickedness rewarded and them that tempt God delivered they are ready to run with such to the same excess of Riot and do Evil with both hands earnestly which is the thing here disswaded from Be not over much wicked 10. To take liberty and incouragement to commit Iniquity with greediness from the impunity of others committing the like is great Folly and an evidence of the want of the saving Knowledge of God And this Ignorance or Folly is also the cause of their giving up themselves to that course For this second Clause may be looked upon both as the evidence and cause of the former Neither be thou foolish 11. Though there be an appointed time to Man upon Earth Job 7.1 and all that he can do can neither hasten his Death before that time nor prolong his Life after it yet Men by giving up themselves with full purpose of Heart to commit wickedness they take the neerest course to shorten their own days although they think thereby to prolong their Life because they see it fall out so with some Sinners and they shall meet with this Judgement that Death shall come before they be ready for it And often they hast themselves away by spending themselves in the satisfaction of their Lusts before the time to which according to humane appearance and the ordinary course of Providence they might have lived So that such may be looked upon as Self-murderers as is imported in this as also in the former Reason Why shouldest thou die before thy time Ver. 18. It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this yea also from this withdraw not thine hand for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all HEre Solomon presses a right use making of his former Doctrine especially concerning a right carriage under an hard lot in the World neither censuring the Lord's Righteousness or Wisdom in suffering the Godly to be opprest nor taking evil Courses because of the prosperity of the Wicked And this he doth First By commending the Course formerly prescribed as Good that is the way to sweet communion with the Lord wherein Mans chief Good consists Secondly By pointing out wherein the right use making of the former Doctrine doth consist To wit 1. That Men should take hold of it whereby is meant the hearty imbracing of it as it was branched out in several Directions as the like Expression applyed expresly to the Doctrine Prov. 4.13 makes clear 2. That they should not withdraw their hand from it that is never intermit their Duty for any suffering can befall them for following of it Thirdly By holding forth a sweet Promise to the Man indued with the Fear of the Lord which is the right principle of the Obedience which he presses That he shall come out of them all to wit all his Sufferings in the way of his
toward others hath not humbled them but they continue lofty seeking occasions to shame or Censure others for the same faults whereof themselves are guilty it is just with God to make them meet with that measure which they have given to others For it is here implyed that Men of that temper will get such a meeting Take not heed to all words lest thou hear thy Servant curse thee for thou thy self knowest that thou hast Cursed others 6. There is a Conscience within every Man that Registers his Faults and would minde him of them if he would put it to speak unless he have blotted that Book by habitual Sinning and thereby also have provoked God to fear it with an hot Iron For this Reason imports that every Mans Heart may know his by-past Iniquities Thy heart knows that thou hast Cursed others Ver. 23. All this have I proved by Wisdom I said I will be wise but is was far from me 24. That which is far off and exceeding deep who can find it out 25. I applyed mine heart to know and to search and to seek out Wisdom and the reason of things and to know the wickedness of Folly even of Foolishness and Madness HE commends his former Doctrine and proves it worthy of all acceptation by several Arguments The First is that all along he had Preached his own Experience he had taken trial by the Help of that eminent degree of Wisdom wherewith God had indued him and had found that the Lords Dispensations ought to be so judged of as hath been formerly exprest The Second is that he had with full purpose of Heart given up himself to acquire that Experimental Knowledge which here he Communicats to Others he said He would be Wise And withall no humbly regâates his small success that Wisdom was far from him not as if his pains had not been at all succesful but the meaning is that he was far from that measure which he desired and was attainable ver 23. And of this he gives two Reasons 1. That Gods providence in Governing the World is a subject very far remote from common Capacities and in it self Mysterious and profound And this he sets forth by two Similitudes the one is of things Far distant from us as it were at the remotest Corners of the Earth which we can not see nor without difficulty hear or know any thing of The other is of things Deep down in the bottom of the Sea as it were or at the center of the Earth for the word Deep is doubled in the Original and is well Translated exceeding Deep ver 24. And that it may not be thought his Laziness was the cause of his short Sightedness he shews that his heart was wholly bent upon that study and that he did multiply his indeavours in the use of all lawful means as the different expressions here of Applying his Heart Searching and Seeking out import as they do elsewhere in Scripture Deut. 13.14 And Lastly He shews what it was that he did particularly aim at in his Study 1. To Know Wisdom which is nothing else according to the scope but to understand the Mind of God in his Dispensations so far as the same may be known by the light of the Word and Spirit of God Hos 14.9 And 2. To know the reason of things whereby is meant not so much the knowledge of the natural Causes of things as of the Blessed Ends and Holy Reasons which God hath in His Operations And 3. To know the wickedness of Folly whereby he means the exceeding sinfulness of every Course that a natural Man can take for his Happiness according to the Apostles Expression Rom. 7.13 especially Mens giving themselves up to their sensual Pleasures wherein they are most mad as the following words make evident All which may make the Light held forth by him very acceptable Hence Learn 1. As it is the Commendation of a Preacher of the Truth that he speak from Experience especially when he commends the way of God having put the matter to the proof himself and found all that he speaks verified So this should commend the Truth to the People and add weight to it when beside the Evidence and Authority of it in it self they hear it commended by those whom they may in Charity judge to have tasted the Sweetness of it and do therefore speak because they believe For Solomon having commended heavenly Wisdom that it brings Life ver 12. and Strength ver 19. to them that are indued with it he here commends it from his own Experience All this have I proved by wisdom 2. Those whom the Lord hath indued with the greatest measure of Saving Knowledge and upon whom He minds to bestow yet a greater measure thereof He uses to give to those strong desires after more and more of it and a resolute purpose to pursue it in the use of all lawful means For Solomon who had great Wisdom and thereby acquired Experience lays down a fixed Resolution to have yet more All this have I proved by wisdom I said I will be Wise 3. Those who have the greatest measure of Knowledge and whose desires after more are strongest will still be short of what may be attained and the farther they promove they will still be the more humble and sensible of their short coming they that know least do often think they know most and do imagine more than their own measure needless For even Solomon doth here humbly regrate his short coming But it was far from me 4. There is such a great depth of Wisdom in all the works of God especially in His works of Providence that it is not possible for the shallow witt of Man to attain to a fully clear or satisfying sight thereof the sharpest sighted will find himself in the dark and therefore must adore and reverence what he cannot fully comprehend perswading himself that that is wisely done whereof he sees not always a satisfactory Reason and should look upon that which may be learned farther of every work of Providence in reference to his own natural ability to comprehend it as a Pearl lying at the bottom of the Sea or some precious Commodity at the farthest part of the Earth That which is far off and exceeding deep who can find it 5. Neither the profound mysteriousness of Gods Wisdom manifested in His Dispensations nor the weakness of our Capacity should discourage the Students of that Wisdom who would be wise unto Salvation but should so much the more sharpen their desires and quicken their endeavours after a farther measure of Knowledge seing there is a growing success promised to such Hos 6.3 For so was it with Solomon though he found Wisdom far off and exceeding deep yet saith he I applied my Heart to know and to search and to seek 6. They that would be Proficients in true Knowledge must apply their Hearts to that study they must carry a present composed mind always about with them and
a formal Tryal by the Law or otherwise than the Laws of the Land grounded upon moral Equity prescribe which were contrary to Deut. 17.18 19. But he speaks of what often falls out in matter of Fact that their Power is often as great as they desire especially in reckoning with Subjects with whom they are offended The 2. Expression is Where the Word of a King is there is Power He means a King in the Exercise of his Power and having his Subjects at his command otherwise a King may be in such a Case that his Word will have no Power if he but speak the word against a discontented person who hath rashly deserted his Duty to him there is not wanting Power enough to reach such a man and this is the ground of the former that he doth what he pleases The 3. is And who may say to him what doest thou It is not to be understood as if none might controle Kings or Supreme Magistrates Acting contrary to their Duty and to the command of the Supreme Lawgiver seing such have been warrantably contradicted and opposed and had this same question in substance proposed to them as it was by Joab to David excessively grieving for Absalom 2 Sam. 19.5 And commanding to number the People 2 Sam. 24.3 To Saul by his Subjects rescuing Jonathan 1 Sam 14.25 And by the Priests to Uzziah invading their Office 2 Chron. 26.28 But the meaning is that beside the Sinfulness of Disobedience to Magistrates in things Lawful or the sinful way of refusing Obedience to them in things unlawful it is not safe in regard of outward hazard to contradict them men that do fit must do it upon their peril And therefore they that would prove themselves indued with true Wisdom should be loath to adventure rashly upon their Displeasure that so if they must suffer from such as are so absolute in Power and have so much Terrour they may suffer with a Peaceable and good Conscience Hence Learn 1. They that handle the word of God must not only press necessary Duties by Reasons but if they would gain right Obedience to these Duties they must discover to the People and disswade them from these Evils which are contrary to these Duties especially these inward Distempers of Spirit which indispose them from their Duty For this Preacher having in the verse before exhorted to Obedience unto Lawful Magistrates he here dehortes from the inward root of Rebellion which is in Mens Hearts namely their Impatience Discontentment and Passion which make them shake off their Allegiance and Duty to their Superiours while he saith Be not hasty to go out of his Sight 2. However some Magistrates do carry themselves so as they are not worthy of the Presence and Countenance of good Men 2 King 3.14 Yet when men have reason to withdraw their Countenance and wonted Respect from them they should do it without Passion or Perturbation of Spirit lest testifying their dislike of their Sins they reflect upon their persons and on their Authority which is the Ordinance of God Be not hasty to go out of his sight 3. As Christians should always have calm and composed Spirits without Passion or Perturbation and should manifest the same toward all men Tit. 3.2 So especially toward Magistrats and that even when they have or apprehend themselves to have received some ground of Discontentment our composed and meek Carriage even when Magistrates are as they should not be should witness our Reverence to them as holding forth to us some impression of the Majesty and Authority of God Be not hasty to go out of his sight 4. Though the best of men are in hazard to be overtaken through inadvertency or Passion in a wrong course and being once ingaged are ready to persist and defend themselves in what they have done Yet Heavenly Wisdom will teach men in that case humbly to retreat rather than proudly to persist in any evil way for this second disswasive imports both the hazard of ingaging and of persisting in an evil way and presses the receding therefrom even after ingagement as an evidence or proof of that Heavenly Wisdom formerly commended Stand not in an evil thing 5. When the Scripture speaks by way of Historical Narration of what is to be found among men particularly Kings and great Persons without express approving or disapproving thereof the same is to be exponed by the scope of the place and other Scriptures as for example when the Lord foretold by Samuel what the King whom the people desired should prove 1 Sam. 8.11 It doth not justify him to be such an one seing many things there spoken of him are contrary to the Duties else where injoyned unto Kings and so here if this expression He doth what he pleases were to be understood as if he might Lawfully do what he pleases then Solomon's Idolatry and other Iniquities had been warrantable Therefore the meaning must be that it falls out often thus that when a King reckons with a Rebel or Discontented Person with whom he is displeased He doth whatsoever pleaseth him 6. The Lord permits often and disposes so in his providence that Kings and Supreme Magistrates should be very absolute and have great Power so as few do or darr control them And this he doth for good ends that his Pleasure may be theirs when they are put in a capacity to do what they please for any opposition from men that they may make their Power a Terrour to evil Doers and if they imploy it otherwise he makes good use of that also for the increase of their Judgment and for the trial of the Faith and Patience of his own who are Loyal Subjects to him for Solomon speaks here of what is often found in Kings and Supreme Magistrats leaving the speaking of their Duty and the limitations of their Power to other places He doth whatsoever pleaseth him where the Word of a King is there is Power and who may say unto him what dost thou 7. Though the great Power and absolute Authority which Kings and Magistrates do sometimes exercise should never make their Subjects forget their Subordination to God or do any thing contrary to his Will Dan. 3.18 Yet the consideration of it should have influence to restrain their Carnal Passions that if they must disobey or oppose them for Conscience sake they may do it with meekness 1 Pet. 3.15 And if they must suffer they may do it with a good Conscience and the approbation of God the Supreme Magistrate for Solomon brings their Power and the hazard of contradicting them as a disswasive from rashness in dealing with them and from persisting in any evil course Be not hasty stand not in an evil thing for he doth whatsoever he pleaseth and who may say unto him what dost thou Ver 5. Who so keepeth the Commandement shall feel no evil thing And a wise Man's Heart discerns both Time and Judgement HAving disswaded from rash adventuring upon the Wrath of
considering that when Gods appointed time of calling for it comes he will have no Power over it to Retain it for this is an Argument for the study of Heavenly Wisdom and respect to Gods commands Man hath no Power over the Spirit to retain it 3. However Men of great natural Spirits especially such as are transported with the desire of esteem for magnanimity and Courage may seem to defy Death and not to fear it while they are not come to Combat with it yet so terrible is it to all that have not made their Peace with God and so made sure to themselves a better Life that when it draws neer they will have strong desires to Retain their Spirits a while longer and to have a Discharge from the Combat with Death they having nothing to comfort and strengthen them against the King of Terrours and the fear of the second Death which is at the back of the first for this is spoken to shake men out of their security who neglect the study of Heavenly Wisdom and preparation for Death no Man hath power over the Spirit to retain the Spirit neither is there any discharge in that War 4. It is the great Misery of wicked Men to be peremptorily called to render their Spirits and utterly unwilling to part with them to be called to Combat with the King of Terrours and to have neither Courage nor Comfort in entering the the Lists with him and this is the case of all who are destitut of saving Wisdom the consideration whereof should incite Men to study Reconciliation with God and an Holy Walk which breeds Willingness to Dy and Comfort in Death For as a proof of Mans Misery spoken of before this is brought in no Man hath Power to retain the Spirit it supposes Man very desirous to Retain it even when he must part with it 5. Mens Spirits that are now Rebellious against God and in a continual motion contrary to his revealed Will must when Death comes move at his Command they must flit out of the Body and sist themselves before the Judge to be at his disposal the consideration whereof should deter Men from their sinful Courses For no man hath Power over the Spirit to retain the Spirit 6. While Men have natural strength and vigour they should spend the same in these Exercises the remembrance whereof may comfort them in Death for when Death draws neer Man becomes impotent not only to resist Death but to prepare for it not only hath he no power to prosecute his Lusts farther but no power for these spiritual Exercises which he puts off to the Day of his Death for Solomon gives this as an Argument for the study of Heavenly Wisdom neither hath he Power in the day of Death 7. As every Man will have a sore Conflict and an hot Battel with Death so there is no Man with never so much Power or Policy not the greatest on Earth who can have a Discharge or Exemption from ingaging in the Combat with it Therefore Men had need to get the Breast plate of Faith and for an Helmet the hope of Salvation and to study a wise carriage in an evil World especially when they have to do with Wicked men in Power and Authority least by their miscarriage they ingage themselves needlessly in that War For there is no Discharge in that War 8. Mortal men can hardly be brought to have serious thoughts of the necessity of Death and the impossibility of shifting the Combat with it they live as if they could Retain their Spirits for ever and forget to take their Armour to them as if they were never to fight with the King of Terrours Therefore the necessity of it and impossibility of escaping it is here set forth by so many expressions No Man hath power over the Spirit to retain the Spirit no man hath power in the day of Death neither is there any Discharge in that War 9. When wicked Men have had success in their sinful Courses so far as by them to escape temporal hazards for a time they do them go on as confidently in them as if they would always deliver them as is imported in this threatning which contradicts Mens ordinary apprehension neither shall Wickedness deliver those that are given to it 10. Whatever be mens apprehensions of safety by their sinful Courses they shall be so far from delivering them at last that they shall bring total and terrible destruction upon them For such sparing expressions in Scripture spoken against wicked Men import much more than is exprest even the contrary affirmative in the Superlative degree neither shall Wickedness deliver those that are given to it importing no less than that it shall bring Vtter Destruction from which there shall be no escaping to all Eternity 11. However all unregenerat Men rise not to a like height of Wickedness yet all of them are restless in committing of the same they cannot Sleep unless they do Mischief or provoke others so to do as the word Wickedness signifies they are expert in Sin and wedded to their Lusts as if they had made a Marriage Covenant with them as the words Translated that are given to it signifie Wickedness shall not deliver those that are given to it 12. Though any degree of Wickedness continued in will bring Destruction upon Men yet of all Sinners there are least hopes of the Salvation of them who are become Restless and unwearied in Sinning and so pour out their affections upon their Lusts as if they were wedded to them for so are the words in the Original Wickedness or Turbulency and Restlessness in Sin shall not deliver them that are given or have Wedded or married themselves unto it Ver. 9. All this have I seen and applied my heart to every work that is done under the Sun there is a time wherein one man Ruleth over another to his own hurt HEre Solomon doth First confirm his former Doctrine from his own Experience that he had Seen all that he saith partly by his own Observation and partly by the Information of the Lords Spirit representing to his mind as in a Glass that he might represent the same to the Church the misery of them that want that Wisdom which is from above and the sweet Advantages of them that have it formerly mentioned Next He commends his Experience from the great pains he took in studying the Lords Dispensations he applied his heart his understanding and Affections were taken up how to profit in this study and the Book he read upon was a very large Volume all the works under the Sun whereby he means especially all the Dispensations of Gods Providence for the several kinds of them and so far as humane understanding elevated and illuminated as his was might reach them For though he was a great Student of the Works of Creation or nature 1 King 4.33 yet he speaks here mainly of the Works of Gods Providence or the carriage and issue of humane
primitive Christians had in a suffering time while they are said to eat their Meat with Gladness and singleness of Heart Act. 2.46 And this he doth in the fourth place commend by two Reasons 1. Because there is nothing better on Earth for a Man than to study cheerful submission to God in the use of such Creature Comforts as he allows upon him what ever the measure of them be and whatever the Dispensations of God be with him it is his best under the Sun to rejoice in God and to stir up his heart by the holy and cheerful use of the common Comforts of the Creatures to the expectation of a better Life above the Sun 2. As this is the best of it here so this is made sure to the Godly it shall abide with him not as if every one of the Godly did always attain to actual rejoicing in God but that it is the Lords constant allowance to them and if they do make use of it walking in his fear and obedience they may have his joy fulfilled in themselves and no man shall take it from them amidst all sad changes no cross shall marr it all the days which God giveth them under the Sun Hence Learn 1. As the Ministers of Christ should be careful to hold forth consolations to the Godly while they are threatning the Wicked so if they would make these consolations effectual for their Comfort they must insist upon the Discouragements which marr their Comfort by them lest if they simply hold forth suitable consolation and do not branch out the discouragements to which these consolations are to be applied People may think Preachers little acquainted with the dint of the Temptations wherewith they wrestle Therefore Solomon having given to the Godly that consolation that it shall go Well with them comes here to describe these Dispensations and Events which often marr their Comfort There is a just man to whom it happeneth according to the work of the Wicked c. 2. The Lord sees it fitting that the best of his Children should meet with as hard usage in the World as the worst of Men have done or could indure in their mortal state and this he does that he may mortify their corruptions and prevent their sharing with the Wicked in their future Lot 1 Cor. 11.32 that he may try and so manifest to themselves and others the reality of their Faith Patience Love and other Graces Jam. 1.3 For There is a just man to whom it happens according to the work of the Wicked 3. The Lords outward dealing with the worst of Men may seem so favourable and sweet to them for the present as if they were the best servants that he had upon the earth that he may thereby invite them to ingage themselves in his Service Rom. 2.4 and may heap Coals of fire upon their Head if they will not For this is the other part of this Dispensation There be wicked men to whom is happeneth according to the work of the Righteous 4. It is only in this state that we are in upon Earth that matters fall forth thus in the other life the difference of Dispensations with the Godly and the Wicked shall be fully clear For saith he There is a Vanity which is done upon the Earth we may be sure no where else a just man to whom it happeneth according to the work of the Wicked 5. However the Lords Dispensation in ordering outward things to fall forth to the Godly and Wicked as is here exprest be most wise and Holy yet the same as men ate instrumental in it proves their condition here to be Vain that is that Happiness cannot be had by the injoyment of things earthly and that every man is Vain who seeks it in them For Solomon reflecting not upon the Lords Dispensation in ordering things thus but upon mens corruption and their Lot in this World passes this sentence There is a Vanity which is done upon the Earth c. and again this is Vanity 6. The Children of the Lord should not only make Conscience of rejoicing and Spiritual Mirth when Dispensations are favourable and according to their mind but when they are most grievous to carnal Sense and Reason If they can then rejoice the power of divine consolations and the reality of their Faith will be most apparent For it is when is happens to the just according to the work of the Wicked and contrary that Solomon commends this frame of Spirit to be studied by the Godly then I commended Mirth c. 7. To rejoice in God and to comfort our selves in the hope of the promised reward and so cheerfully to submit to the worst that can befall us in his way is the best condition a Child of God can be in in this World spiritual Joy and Cheerfulness being that which makes all duties savoury and acceptable to God 2 Cor. 9.7 is blest with encrease of strength for every duty and difficulty Neh 8.10 keeps the Soul fit for farther manifestations of his love Isai 64.5 And commends Religion making it lovely to others Act. 2.46.47 For he gives this as a Reason why he commended Mirth because a man hath nothing better under the Sun then to eat and drink and to be Merry to wit in a spiritual and holy manner 8. The Lords People should not only draw matter of rejoicing from his word and promises Psal 119.50 And from the special tastes of his Love which he bestows upon them Cant. 1.4 But even from their common creature comforts and they cannot but do so if they take them all as streams flowing from the fountain of Gods special Grace and love to them Gen. 33.5 And if they do not this they have but the Beasts Happines For there is nothing better then to eat and drink and so upon that occasion to be Merrie in the Lord 9. However that measure of outward Comforts such as Meat Drink and the like which the Lord allows upon his people be sometimes less and sometimes more and the best of them may be put to great straits for want of these things yet as much of them as may occasion their Joy in him they shall never want as long as God mindes to continue Life with them and take service from them when they have nothing they shall be as if they possest all things being taught of him to have and to want and in all estates to be content For in this sense it is his constant allowance to his own That shall abide with him of his Labour the days of his life which God giveth him 10. Spiritual Mirth and joy in God occasioned by the use of creature Comforts is only allowed upon these who are painfully imployed in some honest Labour both outward in their callings and spiritual in the practise of commanded duties and not upon those who live in idleness or eat and drink the gain of Falshood and oppression For saith he that shall abide with him of his
allowed any thing to sweeten so vain a Life and to keep them mindful of it in the midst of the greatest plenty of these outward Enjoyments The Other Reason is that this comfortable Enjoyment of outward Blessings is a temporary Portion carved out for incouragement to the Godly who have better things in another Life to look for and therefore no Discouragements should hinder them from taking the comfortable use of his Allowance Hence Learn 1. Of all Men in the World the Godly may most freely and cheerfully use that measure of the Creature Comforts which the Lord bestows upon them they only having the sanctified use of these things Tit. 1.15 so that it is a groundless prejudice which Carnal Minds have against Religion and the exercise of Piety as if they did foster Melancholy For to the Godly Man is this spoken Go thy way eââ thy Bread with Joy and drink thy Wine with a merry Heart for God accepteth c. 2. Although the Godly have grounds of Rejoicing which are of a higher nature than the best of outward Comforts even their Justification and Peace with God Rom. 5.1 c. which are able to cheer their Hearts when these Creature Comforts are wanting or not comfortable Hab. 3.17.18 yet when the Lord lays those things to their Hand they ought to use them with freedom and cheerfulness and in obedience to His Command as a Remedy against their Discouragement and a Diversion from such sad Thoughts as spend their Spirits and marr their Joy in His Service that their Natural Spirits being refreshed by those things they may bear their Crosses with the more courage a Por supposing always that which he expresseth afterward that Man's Life is Vain or subject to many Miseries he prescribes this as a Remedy against the Discouragement which may arise therefrom Go thy way eat thy Bread with Joy and drink thy Wine with a merry Heart c. 3. As the Godly are ready to exceed upon the one Hand in the use of their lawful Comforts and so have need of a Bridle to keep them from going beyond the bounds of Sobriety and Moderation Luk. 21.34 So are they prone upon the other Hand to deny themselves the benefit of these things which the Lord's Bounty doth allow upon them either thrô excess of Grief and Fear or misbelieving Apprehensions that nothing is allowed upon them Job 33.20 Ps 107.18 or from Scruples of Conscience arising from their ignorance of their Christian Liberty Rom. 14.2 c. so that they have need of a Spurr to make them use with Freedom and Cheerfulness of Spirit their allowance of outward Comforts therefore doth the Spirit of the Lord excite the Godly who are wrestling thrô the Miseries of this Life to take cheerfully their allowed Comforts by this Exhortation Go thy way eat thy Bread with Joy and drink thy Wine with a merry Heart c. 4. Although the best performance of the Best on Earth be imperfect and so unworthy in it self to be accepted Isa 64.6 yet these Performances which are atchieved by a person reconciled to God Prov. 15.8 in obedience to His Command 1 Sam. 15.22 in His Strength Ps 71.16 for His Glory 1 Cor. 10.31 and have the perfume of Christ's Merits upon them Rev. 8.3 these are acceptable and wel-pleasing to Him as if they were perfect For so much is imported in this Reason God now accepteth or as the Word signifies delighteth in thy work 5. The Godly may not only be enabled to do what may be acceptable to God but they may attain to the knowledge of this that their Performances are acceptable to Him while they are elevated beyond the Sphere of their Natural Abilities and ordinary Temper to act Holily from such Principles and for such Ends as were exprest in the former Doctrine and have the Lord's Spirit testifying his acceptance of their Works by giving them Peace and Joy in Himself Heb. 11.4 For this Reason could not have force except a Godly Man might know that God accepteth his Works 6. The main thing that makes true Cheerfulness in the use of common Comforts is God evidencing His acceptance of our Performances it is but a poor Comfort that Men accept and approve of our Works if we have not ground to think that God doth so also but if we have this then we may have much Comfort and Sweetness in all our Enjoyments For he gives this as a Reason why Man should eat his Bread with Joy c. Because saith he God now accepteth thy work 7. Men in an unreconciled estate if they were sensible of their own Condition could not take Comfort in any thing that they enjoy they would Eat their Bread with sorrow and drink their Wine with astonishment seing God is angry with theâ every day Ps 7.11 and that even their best Works are an Abomination to him Prov. 15.8 For this is given as a ground of that cheerful use of the Creatures which is peculiar to the Godly God now accepteth thy works 8. Though prodigality in Apparel manifested in Mens affecting strange Fashions Zeph. 1.8 and bestowing excessive cost and pains upon it be a Sin detestable to God 1 Pet. 3.3 yet it is not only sutable for Christians but it is their duty To provide for things honest in the sight of all Men even in the matter of their Apparel so far as their Rank and the Lord's Dispensations with them permit they who have the shame of their Nakedness covered with the white Linnen of Christ's Righteousness and their Souls adorned with His Grace may with greatest freedom and peace put on their outward Cloathing and may wear the same with cheerfulness how course and mean soever it be For to those Solomon here speaks Let thy Garments be always white 9. Although the Lord's People in some cases as in times of Persecution or when their Corruptions are like to prevail against them are bound to keep their Bodies in subjection 1 Cor. 9.27 yet when the Lord is more favourable to them and he is testifying his acceptance of their Works they ought to signifie their Joy and Cheerfulness by their respect to their outward Man in such a manner as is decent and usual in the places where they live For it is mainly in reference to times of favourable Dispensations and when God decepts the works of his People that Solomon presseth here a cheerful Deportment which is a Moral Duty recommended in ceremonial Terms sutable to the custom of the times wherein he lived Let thy Head lack no Oyntment 10. As there are peculiar Comforts attending Conjugal Society for compensing the many troubles which are incident âo that estate 1 Cor. 7.28 So it is the Duty of married Persons not only to Cohabite but also to carry themselves cheerfully one toward another and especially the Husband should be exemplary in this to prevent that Discouragement which the weaker Vessel is apt to fall into Therefore Solomon here presses upon the Husband that
which is also proportionally the Duty of the Wife Live joyfully with the Wife whom thou lovest 11. The Love of the Husband to the Wife and consequently of her to him is so sutable to the Light of Nature and so expresly commanded in the Word of God that there should not be great need to press it much upon any Christian that hath any thing of the Knowledge or Fear of God For Solomon here supposes and takes for granted that Love is not wanting only he presses the effect or proof of it cheerful conversing together Live joyfully with the Wife whom thou lovest 12. There is no time of Life wherein this Duty of Love and cheerful conversing together doth not oblige married Persons especially the Husband who should preceed in it neither Age Infirmity decay of Beauty Strength nor the want of any other thing which possibly was the first attractive of his Affection should marr his Love and cheerful conversing with his Wife in the Fear of the Lord. Therefore saith he Live joyfully with the Wife whom thou louest all the days of the life of thy Vanity 13. As Men in the midst of their most comfortable Injoyments which they have in this World should have frequent thoughts of the shortness of their Life and the Comforts of it that so they may use these things as if they used them not and as being shortly to leave them So the consideration of the Vanity and Shortness of their Life and of the Miserie 's incident to it though it should not provoke them to excess of sensual Delights as it doth Epicures 1 Cor. 15.32 yet it should incite them to a more cheerful use of these Comforts that seing their time is short they may have the more strength and encouragement to serve the Lord cheerfully For while Solomon is pressing upon Men a cheerful and free use of outward Comforts he minds them twice of the Vanity of their Life which in the midst of these things they are ready to forget and makes the same a Reason pressing the cheerful use of their Allowance All the days of the life of thy Vanity which he hath given thee under the Sun all the days of thy Vanity 14. When we think upon the Vanity of this Life we should consider the same as carved out to us by the Lord to humble us in the sense of our Sinfulness to wâan our Hearts from it and make us the more thankful for any Comfort we have in it For speaking of Man's Vain Days he calls them The Days which God hath given 15. Though the Children of the Lord should think the best of their earthly Enjoyments unworthy to be their satisfying Portion Ps 73.25 26. and should esteem them all miserable who have no better Ps 17.14 yet are they to look upon their outward Comforts such as Meat Drink Cloathing and any comfortable Society with those of their Relations as a sufficient temporary Reward of all their lawful pains about things worldly they should thank God that suffers not even their Labour of that sort to go unrewarded and should not repine or marr their own Comfort by Discontentment because they have not a greater measure of these things For this is the last Reason of the Cheerfulness which he presses That is thy Portion not their best but their temporal Portion or Reward of their Pains in the duties of their lawful Callings in this Life and in thy labour which thou takest under the Sun Ver. 10. Whatsoever thy Hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave whither thou goest THe Preacher giveth here a second Direction for making the Life of the Godly comfortable unto them and for their right improving of the Comforts of it mentioned in the former namely that Men should vigourously prosecute the duties of their Calling in the due season thereof Whatsoever thy Hand finds to do saith he do is with thy might He doth not hereby proclaim Licence to Men to do any thing that is in their power seing Men have often power and opportunity to act the greatest Impieties Mic. 2.1 But the meaning is that the outmost of that Ability which God gives especially the strength and comfort which is received by the use of his Benefits should be put forth in the vigorous going about of the Duties of our particular Stations in the season and opportunity thereof And this he presseth by a Reason For there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave c. which is not to be understood as if there were an end of Men at Death as there is of the Beasts but the meaning is that in the state of separation of the Soul from the Body there is no ploting nor acting for the Honour of God or promoving of our own Happiness as now there is And seing every Man is Posting as the last Word in the Verse signifies toward that State therefore he should improve all his Strength and the Comforts of this Life for incouragement in his Duty Hence Learn 1. The Lord's Liberality to Man manifested in the variety of the outward Comforts of this Life should be improven for making him serious and diligent in the duties of his Calling watching every opportunity thereof and laying out all the strength and cheerfulness of Spirit which he hath acquired by the good things of God in doing him Service else his Table is a Snare to him and his Comforts are turned into Curses For this is inferred upon the former large Allowance of God which he prest Men to make use of cheerfully Whatsoever thy Hand findeth to do do it with thy might 2. Men have often both opportunity and power of doing Good which they thrô neglect and carelesness are ready to let slip which is a very bad return to God for his Liberality Therefore the Spirit of God finds it necessary to stirr Men up to take hold of every opportunity of Duty as a proof of their thankfulness to God for his Bounty Whatsoever thy Hand finds to do do it c. 3. The outmost of our Ability is to be shewn in the discharge of every commanded Duty considering what is the hazard of negligent doing the Work of the Lord Jer. 42.10 and that the more Fervent Serious and Vigorous we are in walking in the Ways of the Lord the more our Strength will grow Prov. 10 29. Therefore saith he Do it with thy might 4. As the opportunity of these Duties whereby we Honour God and promove our own and others Salvation is confined within the bounds of this Life so the consideration hereof should make Men sharpen their Wit in Ploting ways of Honouring God and doing good to their own Souls and others and put forth the outmost of their Abilities for these Ends For he gives this as a Reason of Mens seriousness and diligence in their Duty while they have opportunity That There is no work nor
Sun as an Errour which proceedeth from the Ruler 3. Though we ought to look up to the Lord as having a Holy Hand in permitting and ordering wicked Men to have power and preferment and the Godly to be born down and slighted by them for the punishment of Peoples Sins Prov. 28.2 The manifesting of his great power in bringing down wicked Men from their Eminency Ezod 9.16 yet whatever we observe of that fort in humane Affairs we must still Father the same upon Mens Sin and Corruption as the procuring cause that it should be so and as the active Instrument making it to be so It is Mens Errour and God is free of it as it is an Errour For so did Solomon look upon it as an Errour proceeding from the Ruler 4. Rulers should look upon themselves as no less subject to Errours than other Men and in a special way ready to manifest their Errour in the matter of disposing places of power and trust under them which should make all Men that have power the more earnest with God for his Direction in the matter of Intrusting others Numb 27.16 Act. 1.24 For Solomon did observe this Miscarriage in State Affairs As an Errour proceeding from the Ruler 5. Although we ought not to excuse or extenuat the Faults of any Isa 5.23 And every one whose Calling gives him that liberty ought to aggredge the Faults of Rulers especially to themselves for their Conviction and Humiliation 2 Sam. 22.7 c. Yet Christian Charity and Wisdom dictat that we should put the fairest construction we can upon the Actions of others especially Rulers and Men in Authority considering how easie it is for them to miscarry who must see much of their Work with other Mens Eyes especially in advancing of persons to Power and Trust sometimes upon others Recommendations and sometimes upon the flattety and hypocritical Pretences of Men themselves whom they have no ground to distrust For Solomon speaks of the Mis-government of Rulers in the most modest Terms that he might as an Errour that proceedeth from the Ruler 6. When wicked Men are advanced to Rule and Eminency among Men they labour to fill all the places of Power and Trust under them with such as themselves that they may have many to serve them in their Lusts and few to oppose or make them ashamed For it comes from the Errour of the Ruler that Folly is set in high dignity 7. When wicked Men are advanced to power and place the godly they that are enriched with fit Induements for Government are not only slighted being put out or kept out of Power but often also redacted to great Misery oppressed born down the Rich here is one inriched with Gifts especially Wisdom as the opposition shews The Rich sit in a low place or as the Word signifies a despicable and afflicted Condition 8. Though the preferring of wicked Men and bearing down of the Godly ought to be patiently submitted unto as it is permitted and ordered by the Lord for wise Ends yet it ought to be resented as a great Grievance the Godly ought to be deeply afflicted when they see the great Interests of Churches or States put in the Hands of base and unworthy Men who have neither Grace nor Wit to manage them for God's Glory or the good of others And they ought to lament and lay the Case before the Lord who can reform such Abuses For so Solomon regrates it as an Evil under the Sun that the Hearts of the Godly may be affected with it as his own was That Folly is set in great dignity and the Rich in low place that Servants are on Horses and Princes walking c. 9. There is so much ambition of worldly Greatness in the Hearts of the Godly and so litle of the faith of a future Reward wherein they should comfort themselves against the want of preferment among Men that the discerning of the Miscarriage of Rulers in disposing of Places and Trust is ready to discourage them and to make them weary of their Duty while they see wicked Men preferred and the Godly slighted Therefore doth the Spirit of God find it necessary to discover it as the main occasion of their leaving of their place and deserting of their Duty prest in the former Words That Folly is set in great dignity and the Rich in low place c. 10. Worldly Dignity and Preferment is a very uncertain and changeable thing And therefore no wise Men should set their Heart upon it as any part of their Happiness they should use their place and power well while they have it and prepare for a Change since though they be in Dignity to day they may sit in a low place to morrow though they be on Horse this day as Princes they may be as Servants on foot the next For so had Solomon observed it and holds it forth to be made use of for promoving his main Scope the weaning of mens Hearts from pursuing any earthly thing for their Happiness I have seen Servants upon horses and Princes walking as Servants upon the earth 11. It is folly for Men to judge of Mens Parts and Qualifications according to their preferment or debasement in the World seing thrô the Corruption and Errour of Men in Eminency places of Power and Trust are often conferred not according to the worth and ability of persons but upon other carnal and base Considerations For Solomon observed Folly set in dignity and the Rich set in low place Servants riding and Princes walking as Servants Ver. 8. He that diggeth a Pit shall fall into it and whose breaketh an Hedge a Serpent shall bite him 9. Whose removeth Stones shall be hurt therewith and he that cleaveth Wood shall be endangered thereby ALbeit these words may be safely taken in the general as containing a Threatning illustrat by so many Similitudes as are here made use of against all sort of malicious Plotting or intending Mischief against our Neighbour seing the Scripture threatens this Sin frequently under the like Similitudes Ps 7.15 16. to wit That God shall return their way upon their own Head and punish them according as they intended to do to others Obad. 18 And so the words are applicable to Magistrats advancing unworthy persons to places of Dignity as well as to Plotters against lawful Magistrats or others Yet it seems most sutable to the Context to take the words as an Argument to disswade Men from seditions Plots and treasonable Interprises against those in lawful Authority even though there be many Grievances in their Government and to perswade rather to that yeilding mild and condescending Temper so far as may be with a good Conscience formerly described Now this Sin which usually passes under the Name of Sedition or Rebellion together with the punishment of it which God often inflicts even in this Life and always at last where it is continued in the wise Man sets out under four Similitudes every one whereof doth
the Well or Wo of the people in reference to their spiritual and eternal Condition they being drawn to many Sins and Temptations by the one and encouraged much in Wel-doing by the other Thirdly He describes the Rulers both supreme and inferiour under whose Government the Land is happy or miserable respectively And First for the King or supreme Ruler whose Land is miserable he describes him from this that he is a Child which is not to be understood of his Years or Age For the Scripture is clear that people have been happy under a young King even a Child being vertuously inclined and well governed by wise Over-seers as is clear in Solomon himself Joash 2 Chron 24.2.17 and others And therefore it is to be understood of his Childish Disposition Wisdom Sobriety and other Vertues qualifying Men for Government being wanting in him in which sense Rehoboam though one and fourty Years old when he began to Reign 1 King 14.21 is yet spoken of as a Child 2 Chron. 13.17 Next for inferiour Magistrates or Princes they are described from their Sensuality or Intemperance they eat in the morning whereby is meant that they are Men addicted to their Lusts their own Interests and Pleasures whereof one is put for all others the satisfaction whereof they preferr to the welfare of the people and are taken up therewith even at these seasons which should be set apart for the weighty Duties of their place For in these Countreys their Judicatories sat in the morning Jer 21.12 Secondly He describes the Rulers whose Land is Happy And 1. for the King or supreme Magistrat he is the Son of Nobles which is not to be understood so much of his Royal Descent that he is of Noble Birth or that there is Royal Blood in his Veins which yet is not to be excluded here seing the Scripture speaks of the want of it as some disadvantage to a King or supreme Magistrat Judg. 9.18 And it is to be understood of those truly Noble Qualifications of Wisdom Piety and others after mentioned fitting him for Government when these are in a man in an eminent measure he is then the Son of Nobles that is truly and eminently Noble For the Hebrews by such Expressions as this hold forth the superlative degree a Son of Belial is a man extremely wicked so the Son of Nobles is one of a truly Noble Spirit eminently qualified for Government And next for the inferiour Magistrates they are described from their Sobriety and right using of the Creatures and consequently of all the Priviledges accompanying their Place and Dignity they use them all to strengthen them for their Duty and not for the satisfaction of their Lusts Hence Learn 1. It becomes the Ministers of Christ clearly to represent to people their misery even in reference to their outward condition and the causes thereof though in so doing they be necessitat to discover the wickedness of their Rulers both supreme and inferiour which ought to be no offence to them while they find Ministers pressing also upon people all Duties they owe to Rulers as Solomon hath done before that people may be stirred up to mourn for their sins which have procured the setting up of such And it is also their Duty to describe the Happiness of people as to their outward condition who have good Magistrates that they may be thankful to God for so great a mercy And this they ought to do with sympathy and resentment of the one case and with rejoicing and praise for the other For so doth the Preacher here Wo to thee O Land c. Blessed are thou O Land c. 2. Magistrates and Rulers that are vitious and insufficient for Government are great Plagues to the Land over which they are set and bring much Wo upon the Inhabitants thereof partly by their bad Example encouraging others to sin Ps 12.8 and partly by their tolerating and establishing of wickedness by a Law 1 King 12.28 And so drawing down Judgements upon their Subjects and that not only in their own time but after they are gone 2 Sam. 21.1 Woe to thee O Land when thy King is a Child c. 3. When men intrusted with the supream power and Authority over the Lords people have litle or no understanding of the revealed will of the Lord 1 Cor. 14.20 which should be their great study Deut. 17.18.19 when they are inconstant especially in matters of Religion Ephes 4.14 easily carried away with evil Counsel 1 Kings 12.8 Nothing affected with the oppressions and grievances of the people under their charge Is 3 4. then however they may be Men for age esteem or the like they are but Children as to their disposition and carriage as appears by the Scriptures cited holding forth their Resemblances to Children And their subjects must needs be in a woful and sad Condition much to be resented as here Solomon doth Woe to thee O Land when thy King is a Child 4. As it is too frequently found that when the Supream Magistrat is unfit for or defective in the Discharge of the duties belonging to his place the Inferiour Magistrats are no better but rather worse he being careful to get such only as will serve him in his sinful humour preferred to places of power under him and they again being apt to abuse his simplicity and insufficiency by making his power and means subservient to to their Carnal Ends So when the Inferiour Magistrats are such it doth much augment the Woe and Misery of the people who might be relieved by their prudence and fidelity supplying the defects of the Supream For Solomon speaks of those as ordinarly joined and this last as a special Addition to their Misery whose case it is Wo to thee O Land when thy King is a Child and thy Princes eat in the Morning 5. When Magistrates give up themselves to the satisfaction of their sensual Lusts especially their intemperancy they become then wholly indisposed for managing of the weighty affairs of their place see Prov. 31.4 and cannot but prove a great plague to their Inferiours For this is a description of those who prove a Woe to the Land they are Princes that eat in the Morning 6. Though Nobility of Blood be an advantage to Supream Magistrats such being ordinarly better Trained up for Government than others and so less apt to be ravished or puft up with the Honours to which they are born or the Applause of the People with which from their Birth they have been accustomed And less obnoxious to the contempt of many than those who rise upon a sudden or from a mean Condition to such Dignity who notwithstanding being called of God and his people will be sufficiently fitted for their place as David was yet the Nobility mainly requisit in Magistrats is that of their Disposition and carriage consisting in the eminency of their inward qualifications such as the knowledge and fear of the Lord which makes them truely excellent ones
of His Cast thy Bread upon the waters give a portion to seven and also to eight c. 5. Men should give in Charity that which is their own either by Civil Right or as the Fruit of their Industry when Servants give out their Masters Goods though for the supply of the Poor they are not giving obedience to this Direction Cast thy Bread not anothers upon the waters 6. Though there be no more probability of Advantage to be had by what we give in Charity in regard of any Recompense from the Objects themselves than if the same were cast into the Sea to feed the Fishes as the most part of Men esteem of all they give to the Poor yet that should not bind up our hands from giving to the Poor we should Give looking for nothing again from the Poor Luk. 14.14 in obedience to Him who thus Commands Cast thy Bread upon the waters give a portion c. 7. Nothing is lost that is given out for God in obedience to His Command and particularly what is given to His Poor is lent to Him Prov. 19.17 who doth here bind Himself by His promise as it were Surety for the Poor that it shall come back again and the return must be with much advantage seing He is so Noble and Liberal a Surety After many days thou shalt find it 8. The promised Reward of Duty doth not appear immediatly upon the discharge of it and particularly the Harvest of that Seed which is sown in ministring to the necessity of others requires a time to ripen that we may live by Faith and draw our incouragement to Duty from the promise annexed to it which will certainly be performed For saith he After many days thou shalt find it 9. The multitude of the Poor whom Providence casts in our way should not outweary our Charit 7. if the Lord hath shewn His Liberality to us though after a great number there come a greater in our way calling in Gods Name for the supply of their Necessities we must not repine but give a portion to Seven and when we have so done give a portion also for eight 10. Our Charity should be proportioned not only to the Lords liberality toward us 1 Cor. 16.2 But to the multitude of those whom we are called to help lest if our Charity which should be like a runing Fountain not an impetuous Flood run out too liberally upon some few we soon exhaust it and prejudge others therefore saith the Preacher give a portion or as the word signifies an equally divided part to seven and also to eight 11. God hath vailed future Calamities from the knowledge of men that they may not by the fear thereof be put from present duty but prepare for the worst and yet by the hope of better be moved to do good while they have opportunity For they know not what Evil shall be upon the Earth 12. Those especially who have abundance of the World among their hands should live mindful of Calamities that may come upon them and should be incited to duty especially to the Exercise of Charity and Liberality to the poor by considering that they may shortly be disabled to give and forced to crave supply from those who now crave from them And that those whom they now supply may be enabled to pay them home again For this is a Reason to press Charity Thou knowest not what Evil shall be upon the Earth 13. The same Argument that Covetous Worldlings make use of to hinder themselves from their duty they who are taught of God will make use of to stir themselves up to theirs The Covetous Man makes this a Reason why he should give nothing to the Poor that he knows not but evil times may come and he may have nothing left to himself yet the Spirit of God here teaches his people to make a contrary use of this Argument Cast thy Bread upon the Waters and give a Portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what Evil shall be upon the Earth Ver. 3. If the Clouds be full of Rain they empty themselves upon the Earth and if the Tree fall toward the South or toward the North in the place where the Tree falleth there it shall be HEre Solomon presseth the duty of Charity by some farther Arguments The First seems clearly to be taken from the Lords bounty and liberality in making his Creatures serviceable and comfortable to Man whereof he giveth one instance for many if the Clouds be full of Rain they empty themselves upon the Earth that is the Clouds keep not the Rain to themselves but pour out the same freely and plentifully upon the Earth that it may yeild Bread to Man whereby the Lord proves his Liberality towards him And therefore he should willingly give of his Bread to the Hungry And this appears to be the meaning by other places of Scripture where Charity is set forth by the same similitude as in that of Christ pressing upon Men bounty to others he makes the rain to fall upon the just and unjust Mat. 5.45 And that of Solomon He that Watereth shall be watered also himself Prov. 11.25 The next Argument held out under the similitude of a Tree lying where it falls is more dark because it is variously applied to the purpose by Interpreters And yet all that variety serveth to press the same duty of Charity As 1. It makes for the scope if we take it thus as the Tree what way soever it falls lyeth to be useful for the owner so shall it be in the matter of Charity where the intention is honest and due Caution observed in the giving of it whatever the persons be whether good or bad upon whom it is bestowed it shall redound to the benefit of the giver Or 2. Thus As a Tree is serviceable to Man and lyeth under a kind of passive obedience to him to be disposed of as he pleases so should Man be moved thereby to act in obedience to his Maker and let out a part of what he freely receives from him for the good of others in obedience to his command Or 3. If we apply it thus as a Tree what way so ever it fall there it lyes and so it is to be found even so is it with Man as to his Soul he shall be for ever in that Estate wherein he falls at Death and therefore he should in his life be doing good that Death may find him at his duty Hence Learn 1. The Lords liberality to man manifested in the ordinary course of his providence making the Clouds to pour down Rain in abundance to make the Earth fruitful and the fruits thereof to wait upon him to be disposed at his pleasure should move him to Liberality toward others who are in necessity else he may expect that these Creatures which he abuses shall witness one day against him in his Conscience Jam. 5.3 And therefore from the Creatures whether these that are above his
principal use thereof which is that men should make serious and timous preparation for Death Judgement and Eternity And for this end because that which mainly diverts Men from this study is the apprehension they have of much pleasure in things Earthly Therefore he doth First By way of concession yeild to Men that there is some sweetness and pleasure in the injoyment of Creature-comforts For by the Sweetness of the Light and pleasantness for beholding the Sun are meant all the Comforts of this present Life which make it Sweet and Pleasant Next Upon supposition that Men have never so long a Life and the same never so much sweetned by the injoyment of Creature-comforts he presseth upon them that they should remember Death as certainly abiding them and consequently prepare for it For by the days of darkness which are many is chiefly meant the state of Death so called because under it Men are deprived of those Earthly Comforts which are set orth by the pleasantness of the Light and sweetness of beholding the Sun And by the same also may be understood the Eternity of the Wickeds Torment because that is most fitly signified by the many days of Darkness and the consideration thereof is most powerful to stir up Men to prepare for Death Thirdly He passeth sentence upon those Earthly Comforts which so take up the Hearts of Men that thoughts of Death are banished while he saith all that cometh is Vanity the meaning whereof is that all Creature-comforts without the spiritual and sanctified use of them whereby Men are led to Comforts of a higher nature are empty of any true satisfaction they are fading and useless in order to a Mans true Happiness Hence Learn 1. Though the Lord might justly have made this Life bitter and a begun Hell to all the posterity of Adam and doth see it fitting to imbitter it to some of his own dearest Children that they may long for a better Job 14.13.14 And to others that they may be punished for seeking their Happiness in this Deut. 28.28 yet generally he hath imprinted sweetness and comfort on Mans Condition here that he may prove himself bountiful to all incite them to his praise and lead them to Repentance Man hath himself to blame for any bitterness that is in his Lot For that the Lord doth afford matter of Sweetness and Comfort to every Man is imported in this concession Truely the Light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the Eyes to behold the Sun 2. Though the choisest of Earthly Comforts are to be undervalued in comparison of those that are Spiritual and Heavenly and as Men satisfie themselves with them for their portion yet in themselves and in reference to the use which Man should make of them viz to be thereby incouraged in his Masters service and induced to seek after Comforts of a better nature they are to be esteemed of and commended For so doth Solomon here commend all lawful outward Comforts while he saith truely the Light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the Eyes to behold the Sun 3. When the Lord prolongs a Mans Life and gives him many outward Comforts and few crosses along the same he is then very ready to forget Death and Eternity and neglect to prepare for them and the nearer he draw toward them to be the more unmindful of them therefore the Spirit of God finds it necessary to mind Man in this case of Death and Eternity But if a Man live many Years and rejoice in them all yet let him remember the days of Darkness 4. It is Mens Wisdom timously to intertain thoughts of Death and Eternity and while they have health and their natural Spirits are vigorous to set about Duties wherein true preparation for these doth consist and to mix thoughts of that kind with the most pleasant passages of their Life that they may be kept from excess in the use of Earthly delights and may not put off such thoughts and duties as Melancholious and painful till Death and Eternity be drawing near For as appears by the following purpose this exhortation is mainly directed to such as have much of their time before them yet let him remember the Days of Darkness for they shall be many 5. The comfortless estate of wicked Men after Death and the duration of their Torment so far as Men in their thoughts can follow the same along Eternity should be often and seriously thought upon by all that would spend their time aright that so for momentany sinful pleasures they may not adventure upon those many days of Darkness For by this expression is mainly represented the comfortless state of wicked Men to all Eternity let him remember the days of Darkness for they are many 6. How prosperous and successful soever the event of outward things may be to an unreconciled Man even though he should have all the hopes and desires of his Heart all will prove empty of true satisfaction to him and therefore while things of that sort such as Riches Honours and pleasures are coming never so fast upon him he should still be thinking them empty of satisfaction and evanid For how great soever his incomes be yet saith the Spirit of God to him let him remember that all that cometh is vanity Ver. 9. Rejoice O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the way of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into Judgement 10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart and put away evil from thy flesh for Child-hood and youth are vanity HEre the Preacher doth particularly apply his former exhortation anent timous preparation for Death and Eternity to Young Men who are most prone to put off the thoughts thereof and most bent upon their Earthly pleasures And so labours to stop them in their violent pursuit of these And this he doth First By a Holy kind of scorn and mocking of their Carnal Mirth a way of speaking which is often found in Holy Scripture and cannot be taken for any approbation or allowance of Men in their sinful Pleasures much less a provocation of them to more of that kind But is made use of 1. To bring forth to Men the language of their own Hearts and that which one of them speaks to another so that Holy Irony of the most Holy Gen. 3 22. Behold the man is become as one of us c. is made use of to represent to Man his boldness in Sin and what a height of Wickedness his heart intended 2. It is used to suggest to Mens hearts what in justice they may expect if they go on in their sinful ways after warning even no less than to be given up judicially by the Lord and to have this Language spoken to them by him in his great displeasure for we find also this form of speech used to Men who are
all comprehended here as parts and enlargements of one and the same sense of the words Next By the Returning of the Clouds after Rain seems clearly to be understood that continual Succession and frequent returning of one Shower of Trouble after another which befall dying Men And the Allegory or Similitude seems to be borrowed from the tempestuous and stormy Seasons of the Year when it is not as in Summer that after a Shower clears up again and becomes fair and Warm which represents the time of Youth in which ordinarily after some fit of Sickness and Distemper comes Ease and Health again But as it is in Winter after one Shower the Clouds presently gather for another so will it be in the time of Old Age. As for that Particular which many condescend upon as intended here to wit the frequent falling down of Rheums or Catarrhes from the Head like so many Showers upon the Lungs that seems to be but one Instance of this general to wit the frequent recurring of one Fit of Distemper after another incident to dying Men. Hence Learn 1. It is not enough for Men to have general Apprehensions of their Mortality and the certainty of their Death but it is necessary that their Thoughts be stayed upon the Distinct and particular Apprehension of the Case they shall be in at that time while the several Pinns of their Tabernacle shall be a loosing that by a serious and considerat view of their Case then they may be stirred up to provide sutable spiritual Consolations against the removal of every one of their outward Comforts Therefore is it that Solomon after a general Intimation in the former Verse that Death and Trouble are before Men he comes here more particularly to lead them to distinct Thoughts of the Case they shall be in then While the Sun or the Light or the Moon or the Stars be not darkened 2. The benefit of our Eyes and of the Light of the Sun as also our Reason and other Faculties of the Soul together with the Comforts we have by the use of all these are excellent Mercies of God and while they are continued with us do put us in a good capacity to prepare for Death While we have the use of our bodily Eyes and our Reason we may contemplat the glorious Works of God and read his Word whereby we may attain to the Knowledge of God in Christ and Fellowship with him For which end all these Lights whether of our Eyes our Reason the external Lights of Heaven or whatsoever may be set forth by these Names are given to us For this is a part of the description of that Opportunity to be made use of for remembering our Creator While the Sun or the Light or the Moon or the Stars be not darkened 3. We should use our Mercies and Priviledges which are common to us with other Men to wit our bodily Sight our Reason and all other Comforts which may be signified by the Lights here mentioned so as we may be still mindful of the decay and failing of them at Death and often think with our selves what a Comfort it will be to see by Faith Him that is invisible favourable to us to behold Christ the Son of Righteousness shining in Mercy upon us and to have the Day-star His Spirit arising in our Hearts never to set again even when all other Lights and outward Comforts will be darkened the ensuring whereof to our selves should according to Solomon's Scope here be our great study While the Sun or the Light or the Moon or the Stars be not darkened 4. Although no Man can promise to himself fair Weather in this World but ought to resolve for one Shower of Affliction after another yet the Lord is pleased to give unto Men now and then breathing times from outward Troubles and some Seasons wherein there is a clear Sun-shine after Rain and no present appearance of Trouble that they may with the greater Tranquility of Spirit prepare for the same For it is here supposed that they may have some times of fair Summer Weather While the Clouds return not after the Rain 5. Every Man may expect that frequent Troubles shall assault him when Old Age comes and Death draws near like one Shower Pouring down immediatly after another is over till he be carried in to Eternity as with a Flood Ps 90.5 For it is imported that it will be thus with him when Death draws near while his Case in some Health is thus described Nor the Clouds return after the Rain 6. Every Intermission of Trouble should be improven for making preparation for the last Storm by storing the Heart with such Thoughts of God reconciled to us in Christ as may prove comfortable to us when Death comes For this is a part of the description of the Opportunity to be made use of for that end While the Clouds return not after the Rain Ver. 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 at the Windows be darkened THe Preacher comes now positively to describe the time of the dissolution of this Tabernacle as not so convenient an opportunity as the time of Youth and Health for making Peace with God And for this end he illustrats the Case of a Man assaulted by Death by the Similitude of a besieged House or Castle whose Guards and Watches become feeble and desert their Duty As for the Keepers of the House and the strong Men however many parts of a Man may be understood by these whether the outward Senses or the inward Faculties because they all look to the safety of the whole Body yet it seems most proper to take the Keepers for the Arms and Hands because they are most active to keep the rest of the Body from hazard and it is known that Palsies and Shakings agree best to them and by the strong Men to understand the Thighs and Legs because the Scripture attributes Feebleness or bowing to these Isa 35.3 By the Grinders are meant the Teeth which prepare and make small the Food for the Stomach these cease from this Duty being few and unfit for it in Old Age And by these that look out at the Windows are to be understood the Eyes which stand in their Holes as Watches in their Towers to elpy Hazards and Advantages which may befall the Body the Darkening here spoken of makes it clear that he speaks of the Eyes and not of the other Senses though by consequence the decay of these bring along with it a decay of Sight also Hence Learn 1. Mans Body is of a wonderful Constitution and very curiously framed like some stately Edifice or Garrison having the Arms and Hands as Keepers which can move towards all the Airths for defending of it the Legs as strong Men to carry it out of one Countrey to another to escape hazard which no Castle
failings when the same may Glorify God or edify others so should they also be to avow what Graces God hath given them especially their qualifications for their calling when the Lord hath born Testimony to the same by his Blessing upon their Labours they must not so fear the suspicion of self-seeking as always to conceal the Lords liberality toward them but whensoever it may serve to make way for his Truth they ought humbly to declare the same as here this exemplary Preacher doth And moreover because the Preacher was wise he still taught c. 3. The greater measure of gifts especially of Knowledge and understanding of the matters of God any Man have attained to the more careful should he be to communicat the same for the good of others in his place and station this being the end for which they are given 1 Cor. 12.7 And the same being rewarded as if it were gain and advantage to God Mat. 25.21 As likewise the Communication of our gifts being the way to make them grow Prov. 11.25 For Solomon did therefore teach the people Knowledge because he was wise and the words may be rendered the greater abundance of Wisdom he had the more he taught the People Knowledge 4. Albeit Christs Ministers cannot be alwise about the actual discharge of the duties of their Calling yet ought they to be very assiduous and frequent therein and in some sense still about their work gathering variety of matter fit to be Communicat to the people Mat. 13.52 keeping their Hearts always in a right frame for the delivery of it Prov. 16.23 And watching all opportunities for Communicating the same 2 Tim. 4.2 And when they have not Ability or opportunity to teach their practice and carriage must still teach the people Knowledge 1 Tim. 4.12 For so doth Solomon here set forth himself at the direction of the Spirit of God as an example to all Preachers because the Preacher was wise he still taught the People Knowledge 5. They that are most able to teach others should still be Scholars themselves not only diligent Hearers of other Preachers that they may learn more but acurate Searchers for all means and opportunities of profiting in Knowledge there being still more Knowledge to be had Philip. 3.13 and success promised to the sincere Seeker Hos 6 3. For though Solomon was Wise and able to teach the People Knowledge yet he was not so satisfied with his measure as to become Lazy or give over farther pains for more yea he gave good heed and sought out c. 6. We should neither rashly receive nor vent any thing for Truth till first we have weighed and pondered the same in the Ballance of the Sanctuary by the exercise of sanctified Reason comparing the same with the Scripture considering what particular Truths are most fitting for the People we have to do with and what are the fittest Opportunities of delivering the same For so did Solomon He gave good heed the Word signifies to weigh in a Ballance and he sought out which signifies very accurately and carefully to search And both may be referred either to what he himself received from others or to what he gave out to others 7. Even these of the Lords Servants who were immediatly furnished with Gifts for their Imployment and infallibly assisted in the exercise of them were not exeemed from ordinary pains and diligence to clear themselves more and more concerning the Truths revealed to them and to find out the fittest way and season of delivering these Truths to the People see 1 Pet. 1.10 How then should ordinary Ministers of meanner Parts and Gifts stretch their Abilities to the outmost and improve much of their time in Prayer and Reading for increase of their Gifts and fitness for the exercise of them seing such a Man as Solomon was thus exercised He gave good heed and sought out and set in order c. 8. There is no form of speech that can be imagined prevalent with Reasonable Creatures but the Lord hath condescended upon it in his word where we find Songs and Lamentations plain Language and Parables large insisting upon one purpose and Proverbs which are short Sentences cleared by similitudes and so apt to prevail and have Dominion as the word Proverb signifies in the minds of Men he set in order many Proverbs 9. As the cases of the Lords People are various Difficulties Duties Temptations and Consolations Many so the Lords Word is fitted for them all it is divided in many parcels and every one that handles it should labour to Enrich himself with much of it that he may bring forth variety of it to People according to their need For so did Solomon he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs 10. There is a sweet order and wise disposal of the Truths set down in Scripture though we seldom see it by reason of our Darkness and therefore Christs Ministers should digest and put in order the Truths they deliver to his people He first Humbles and then Comforts He first gives Faith and then Holiness and which is sutable to the order of Doctrine in this Book first weans Mens Hearts from Earthly Delights before they can be set upon Heavenly For though Men do least apprehend a Method in Solomons Writtings of any other in Scripture yet here the Spirit of God tells us that there is an order in them He sought out and set in order many Proverbs Ver. 10. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even words of Truth THe second Branch of the commendation of the Doctrine is taken from the qualities of it and these are three First That what he had studied was acceptable Words or as the original bears Words of desire that is purpose worthy of Acceptation fit to gain the desires and Delights of Men and to take them wholly up in studying to believe and obey them and this he sets forth as intended by him in all his great diligence Secondly That what he had Written was upright or as the word signifies Approven namely of God or streight and consonant to his mind and able to make streight in Heart and practice all that get Grace to understand and believe it see Prov. 8.8 And this he sets down as the success of his diligent study mentioned in the former Branch Thirdly That what ever he had affirmed of the vanity of Earthly Delights and the worth of Holiness in order to a Mans Happiness was Truth or firm and worthy to be rested on In summ the pupose of this Book is fitted powerfully to work upon the affections being Acceptable Words Wisely to regulat the practise being Vpright or streight words and solidly to inform the Judgement being Words of Truth Hence Learn 1. Though it be a detestable thing in a Minister to study to please the corrupt and Sinful Humours of Men by concealing necessary Truths or venting any thing contrary to Truth
obedience of the Lord as that he will not need to Learn more and to advance in that study For Solomon was now near the close of his days and at a good degree of perfection in that study and yet he incites himself and those who are farthest advanced to greater progress herein fear God and keep his Commandements 4. They that would see good Days and live in the Light of the Lords Countenance must Learn to be in his fear all the day long intertaining the Faith of his Greatness and Goodness that so they may be kept from these things which impede their fellowship with him in which their felicity consists For while he sums up his directions for attaining to true Happiness which he had proven impossible to be found in things Earthly and only to be had in fellowship with God reconciled in Christ he gives this for one principal part of that sum fear God 5. Mans true Happiness is only to be found in keeping of the Commands of God he cannot expect a sweet meeting with God Isai 64.5 nor the comfortable manifestations of his Love Joh. 14.21.23 but in that way for this is the other part of the sum of his directions for attaining to true Happiness which consists in Communion with God keep his Commandements 6. The fear of the Lord is the root and principle of all right obedience to him without which Men cannot act or move acceptably in any commanded duty Therefore he presseth the Study of the fear of God in order to acceptable obedience Fear God and keep his Commandements 7. Where the fear of God is in the Heart there will be also a care of keeping his Commands manifested in the practice and that fear will evidence it self by some endeavour after a sutable walking to his Commands For the keeping of the Commandements here pressed may be looked on as the evidence and fruit of the fear of God Fear God and keep his Commandements 8. However Men that seek their Happiness in this Earth do look upon the Study of the fear and obedience of the Lord as no part of their business in order to the attaining of their fancied Happiness but rather an impediment in the way to it Mal. 3.14 yet this same Blessed Study is the great end for which man was made the only study that is worthy to have his Spirit wholly Exercised about it so as all his other Studies ought to be subordinat to this And the consideration hereof should be a strong motive to put him to it as is imported in this Reason For this is the whole duty of man Ver. Last For God shall bring every work into Judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil THe last Reason whereby he presseth this blessed Study of living in the fear and obedience of the Lord is taken from the certainty and exactness of the last Judgement at which time both Mens more open and visible actions and their more secret plotts and closest contrivances of what sort soever whether good or bad shall be brought sorth to receive sentence Reward or punishment according to their nature And therefore they that desire to be truly happy here and hereafter would leave off the pursuit of Earthly Vanities and sinful delights and apply themselves to this Study to fear God and keep his Commandments which is the whole duty of Man Hence Learn 1. The best of Gods Children may have their Hearts sometimes so hardned and so averse from his fear and the duties of new obedience that they had need to have that dreadful day of Judgement represented to them as one of the Goads formerly mentioned to keep their Hearts in aw and to excite them to their Duty For this Reason is held out as useful to be considered by all that desire to be truly happy and as that whereby Solomon prest upon his own Heart the study of living in the fear and obedience of the Lord For God will bring every work into Judgement c. 2. So exact will the last Judgement be that no action or purpose of Men shall escape the Cognisance and Sentence of the Judge in that day their publick Sins shall then be published to all and their secret Sins even these of their Hearts which they have gotten altogether hid from the Eyes of the World and which they studied along their Life to hid them from their own Consciences by neglecting to search them out and Mourn for them shall then be laid open the consideration whereof should deter Men from secret Sins For saith he God will bring every work into Judgement with every secret thing 3. Although the best actions of the Godly considered in themselves cannot abide the Tryal of Gods Judgement Psal 143.2 by reason of the sinful mixture which is in them Isai 64.6 And so they shall not come into Judgement or Condemnation Rom. 8.1 yet as they are perfumed with Christs merits and made perfect by him in whom Believers are compleat Col. 2.10 they shall be brought forth to Judgement to receive the reward of Grace which the righteous Judge shall give in that Day For saith he every work shall come into Judgement whether iâ be good c. 4. All the evil actions of Men which they now refuse to look upon that they might Mourn and make use of the Blood of Christ for cleansing of them shall in that great day be set in the light of their Countenance and made patent for their shame and terrour before Men and Angels that they may receive for them deserved Wrath to the outmost This should be considered by Men when they are tempted to Sin and by secure impenitent Slighters of their former Wickedness For God will bring every Work into Judgement whether it be good or whether it be evil 5. That last solemn action of the last Judgement which will be in a manner between Time and Eternity deserves Mens most frequent and serious cnsideration without which Men will never get their Hearts alienat from pursuing perishing Vanities and Sinful Delights as their chief good nor engaged to the study of true Piety For as both the Old and New Testament closeth with representing to Mens Thoughts the last Judgement and many particular Books of Scripture so doth this Divine Preacher close his Book with it as that which should be much in the thoughts of the Lords People who should live so as they may daily desire to see this day When God will bring every Work into Judgement with every secret thing whether is be good or whether it be evil Even so come Lord Jesus FINIS Books to be Sold by George Mosman at his Shop in the Parliament Closs THE true History of the Church of Scotland from the beginning of the Reformation unto the end of the Reign of K. James VI. By Mr. David Caâderwood Fol The Decisions of the Lords of Council and Session in the most important cases debated before them from July 1671 to July 1681. by my Lord Stair Fol The Decisions of the Lords of Council and Session in most cases of importance debated and brought before them from July 1621 to July 1642. by Sir Alexander Gibson of Dury A breif Refutation of the Errors of Tolleration Erastianism Independence and Separation by Mr. James Fergusson 8 vo The Acts of the General Assembly 1690. Fol The Acts of the General Assembly from 16â8 to 1690. Inclusive 8 vo Summa Theologiae Elenctica Authore Reonardo Ryssenio Nehemiah the Tirshathà or the Character of a good Commissioner to which is added Grapes in the Wilderness by Mr. Thomas Bell. The Fearful Relations of Francis Spira anno 1548. And of the Second Spira being a Fearful Example of an Atheist who had Apostatized from the Christian Religion and Died in Dispair at Westminster Decem. 8. 1692. The Psalms of David in meetter of a large Letter and fine Paper for Bibles in 4 to Psalms in 12 mo in a large Letter and fine Paper and most Correct for Precenters in Churches and Masters of Families Psalms in a small volumn for the Pocket of a good Letter Psalms for Bibles in 8 vo of a good Letter and fine Paper The Tryal of a Saving Interest in Christ by Mr. W. Guthery The Expert Mid-wife a Treatise of the Diseases of Women with Child and in Child bed c. With fit Remedies for the various Maladies of new born Babes by Mr. James Mcmath M. D. 8 vo A 2d Vindication of the Church of Scotland being an Answer to five Pamphlets 4 to by Mr. Gilbert Rule A true Representation of Presbyterian Government A brief Defence of the Old and Successful Method of Curing Continual Fevers in opposition to Dr Brown and his Vindicatory Schedule The Rights and Liberties of the Church asserted and Vindicated against the pretended Right and usurpation of Patronages by Mr. John Park A Just and Modest Reproof of a Pamphlet called the Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence A Defence of the Vindication of the Church of Scotland in Answer to an Apology of the Clergy of Scotland A Collection of Discourses against the Errors and Corruptions of the Church of Rome An account of the Persecutions and Oppressions of the French Protestants to which is added the Edict of the French King With the Form of Abjuration the Revolting Protestants did Subscrive and Swear to The Order and Government of the Church of Scotland
device nor knowledge nor Wisdom in the Grave 5. Every Man is in a continual Journey towards his long Home whether he walk or rest he is still Posting thither and should so look upon himself and thereby be moved to imploy his time and strength to the outmost in Honouring God and working out his own Salvation in Fear and Trembling For so he speaks of every Man as in a constant motion toward his Grave There is no work nor device c. in the Grave whither thou goest or as the Word may be Translated whither thou hasteth Ver. 11. I returned and saw under the Sun that the Race is not to the Swift nor the Battle to the Strong neither yet Bread to the Wise nor yet Riches to Men of Vnderstanding nor yet Favour to Men of Skill but Time and Chance happeneth to them all 12. For also Man knoweth not his time as the Fishes that are taken in an evil Net and as the Birds that are caught in the Snare so are the Sons of Men snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them LEst Men may presume too much of Success in these Undertakings which they set about with all their might according to the direction in the former verse and meeting with disappointment may be the more vexed The Preacher doth in the Third place teach us humbly to depend upon God for success and to deny our own Abilities and preparations which seem to promise it to us And this he sets out First by shewing how serious he was in the Observation of disappointments frequent among Men I returned and saw under the Sun He speaks of the motion of his mind in terms borrowed from the motions of the Body he drew his thoughts a little from other considerations formerly mentioned and applied them to the frequent disappointments which men meet with in the carriage of their Affaires Next He giveth five instances of these disappointments which he had observed befalling men best fitted for success which instances though they have a truth very remarkable in themselves yet they are only to be looked upon as serving to lead us to all other things of that sort that by these most remarkable instances of mens disappointments in their civil and common Affairs we may be led to the truth he is upon as verified in things of a higher concernment more immediatly relating to the Salvation of mens Souls such as the Apostle speaks of while he saith it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth Mercy Rom. 9.16 And again neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giveth increase 1 Cor. 3.7 nor are these instances to be taken as if the Race were Never to the swift nor the Battel at any time to the strong c. seing experince shews the contrary and Scripture also John 20 4. 2 Sam. 13.14 but the meaning is that there are frequent proofs of these that men with most promising qualifications fall short of desired success yea even of things necessary for the sustenance of their natural life so that often their witt cannot so much as get them bread that so they may be taught Dependence upon a Superiour overruling providence which must concurr with a Blessing else their greatest endeavours and promising appearances of success will fall short of the desired and intended effect Thirdly He gives a twofold cause of these disappointments The One is without Man to wit the secret powerful providence of God For saith he time and chance happeneth to them all the Time here spoken of is the fittest opportunity for Mens Actions which is fixed as the word signifies in the decree and foreknowledge of God And that which is called Chance happening to men is not be taken as if any thing fell out which is not foreseen and foreordained by the Lord but he speaks of these occurrences of providence which as the word translated elsewhere 1 King 5.4 touch men or Beat upon them as the word signifies and so may mind them of a Superiour hand overruling them and their actions Now this as a cause of disappointment is not to be understood as if men were therefore disappointed because God hath predetermined events and the time of them but because Men do not acknowledge and humbly depend upon him who hath fixed all Events and the seasons of them that they might know their Duty and the season thereof as the following words make clear therefore they are disappointed The Second Cause is within Man and that is his ignorance of the fit season of his acting which he might know by consulting the word and Spirit of God but he neglecting this fights and runs and Enterprises many things out of the due season and so finds no success Fourthly He doth illustrat the sad consequences of men not considering the time and not depending upon God in their Actings by two similituds of Birds and Fishes whose simplicity easily insnares them and applyes the same to men who are surprized by sad occurrences of providence for want of humble dependence upon God and for acting out of the due season thereof From this purpose we may Learn 1. Experimental knowledge is not attained but by frequent and serious observing of the various Events that fall out under the Sun and considering of the causes and consequences of them For so did Solomon attain to this knowledge I returned saith he and saw under the Sun c. 2. When Men have their hearts applyed to their work and have qualifications for it which may probably produce the desired effect they are then very apt to forget dependence upon God to promise to themselves certain success of their undertakings and never to look higher than second Causes the qualifications and means which they have For having exhorted in the former words to follow duty vigorously he meets here with men who having done so as they think are promising success to themselves without dependence upon Gods providence and sees it fitting to mind them that they may look for disappointment The Race is not to the Swift nor the Battel to the Strong c. 3. Men may be qualified with these things that are most promising of success and may imploy all their strength for attaining it and yet be disappointed while the Lord withholds his assistance to correct them for want of Dependence upon and acknowledgement of him and to convince them that their ways are not in their own hand For this is it which Solomon saith he observed and holds out as useful to teach all men Self-denyal in reference to their preparations and qualifications for their undertakings and humble Dependance upon God for his concurrence with them The Race is not to the Swift nor the Battel to the Strong nor Bread to the Wise c. 4. The Lord exerciseth men to whom he hath given the best qualifications for their undertakings with variety of disappointments sometimes in matters of
greater concernment sometimes in lesser he will let them see that not only their strength cannot gain the day or the victory in Battel but all their wit cannot gain them a morsel of Bread nor can all their skill gain them any respect in the World when his providence doth not favour them Therefore doth he instance many disappointments and these in greater and lesser matters The Race is not to the Swift nor the Battel to the Strong nor Bread to the Wise c. 5. The disappointments which we observe men of greatest activity and best qualification for their undertakings do meet with should not weaken the hands of those who have less strength and sewer qualifications in following their Duty men should esteem themselves successful if they be inabled for their Duty and should comfort themselves in this that their obedience shall be rewarded though not with present success yet with Gods approbation and reward afterward For after he hath in the former verse exhorted men to set to their duty with all their might be it less or more he gives here several instances of several disappointments incident to Men who have most strength and other qualifications most promising of success that they who want these which others have had who yet have been disappointed may not desert their duty but may learn the more humble dependence upon God The Race is not to the Swift nor the Battel to the Strong c. 6. Though none have ground to expect success who use not the outmost of lawful Diligence and are not in some measure qualified for their undertakings yet often it falls out that these who have greatest success are far inferiour to others for these qualifications which seem most to promise the same And this is so ordered by the Lord that none of his people may desert any duty he calls them to how small appearance of success so ever they have the Slow must run the Race that he hath set before them and the Weak must to the warefare which he calls them to in hope of success though they be not qualified as they ought For while he saith The Race is not to the Swift nor the Battel to the Strong c. He doth import that the Race is sometimes to the Slow and the victory to the Weak c. especially if they follow Duty honestly and with all their might according to the former direction 7. The success of Mens Enterprizes is not to be attributed to the qualifications that fit them for these but to the favourable concurrence of divine Providence For therefore Solomon doth instance the disappointments of those who have had the best qualifications that when the Swift get the Race and the Strong carry the day in Battel c. They may attribute their success to divine concurrence The Race is not to the Swift nor the Battel to the Strong 8. The Lord hath all Events carved out and the very Minute wherein they are to fall out fixed in his eternal decree and no mans power or wit can alter any of these For saith he Time and Chance whereby are meant all Events and the Minute of their falling out happen to them all or as the word is touches them all namely as he hath Foreordained 9. The consideration of a providence predetermining what shall be and in what season should not marr us in our Duty but teach us humble Dependence upon and acknowledgment of him who hath all in his hand without which not only are disappointments frequent but in displeasure also for this is a reason of mans disappointment not simply as was explained before but because he doth not depend upon and acknowledge God who would either time his indeavours so as they should tryst with his time set for success or otherwise would sanctify the disappointments which he hath appointed him to meet with Time and Chance happeneth to all Man also knows not his time 10. Beside the qualifications which are fitting for attaining to such and such effects as Swiftness for the Race and Strength for the war c. there is also necessary a right discerning of the opportunity fit for these undertakings which by the sanctified Exercise of humane prudence following the general rules of the word may be in such measure attained to as men may have peace and confidence of acceptation And it is mens not studying to know these times even so far as they may be known which is often the cause of their Disappointment and running themselves in many Snares For it is here given as another cause of these Disappointments formerly mentioned and of the Snares and Inconveniencies spoken of afterward Man also knows not his time 11. Even those who have all other Advantages for attaining to Success if they want humble dependence upon God's Providence and do not seek his Direction to Time their Actions right they cannot but expect to be surprized with Snares seing they consider not that there is a Supreme Providence over them as the Birds and Fishes consider not that there is a wiser Creature than themselves to ensnare them they are often most secure when the Hazard is nearest as the Birds or Fishes are and have greatest hopes of Satisfaction when they are nearest their own ruine and being taken in the Snare by Providence are held the faster the more they wrestle to get out till they learn to acknowledge and submit to the Lord. For so much is imported in these Similitudes As the Fishes that are taken in an evil Net and as the Birds that are in the Snares so are the Sons of Men ensnared in an evil Time when it cometh suddenly upon them 12. Men that walk not with dependence upon God laying their account for all Hazards and Trials wherewith they may be exercised and resolving to submit to all Inconveniencies are still surprized with all their Crosses And times of Disappointment which prove good to the Godly prove evil Times to them So are the Sons of Men snared in an evil Time when it falleth suddenly upon them Ver. 13. This Wisdom have I seen also under the Sun and it seemed great unto me 14. There was a little City and few Men within it and there came a great King against it and besieged it and built great Bulwarks against it 15. Now there was found in it a poor wise Man and he by his Wisdom delivered the City yet no Man remembred that same poor Man 16. Then said I Wisdom is better than Strength nevertheless the poor Mans Wisdom is despised and his words are not heard HEre is a Fourth Direction for remedy of that Discouragement which is incident to the Godly in trouble without which the former cannot be rightly made use of and that is the study of Heavenly Wisdom Without this our outward Comforts cannot be used aright nor our diligence in Duty rightly put forth nor can we know the time or season of any Duty And this Solomon holds out in a Parable or