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
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 waiâ—â—ed 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
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 inthâ—at 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. Bâ—â—â—er 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
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
madly resolved to go on in their sinful ways 2 Chron 25 8. And so it is used here to Men who did Rejoice in their Foolish Youthful Lusts who did encourage and provoke their own Hearts and one another to more and more delight therein withholding nothing of satisfaction to their sensual pleasures which they could attain to making their own inclination the rule of their walk and so did justly deserve to be given up of God to their own Hearts Lusts and that he say to them let him that is filthy be filthy still Next He labours to reclaim them by certifying them of a Judgement to come wherein they behoved to appear and and give an account of all such sinful motions and courses as they have intertained and followed Thirdly He endeavours their reclaiming by a serious and grave exhortation to the study of Reformation held forth in two Expressions The one is that they should remove Sorrow from their Heart they thought to do this by their sinful pleasures but he imports they were increasing grief to themselves and Wrath as the word translated Sorrow signifies even the wrath of God against their own Souls The other expression explains the way how they should remove Sorrow from their heart to wit by putting away evil from their Flesh whereby is meant the forsaking of these sinful pleasures in the accomplishing whereof the Flesh or outward man is mainly instrumental And Fourthly he doth endeavour the same by a reasoon taken from the vanity or sinfulness of Mens Conception and Birth which should move them to cry for a change of their nature for the first word translated Child-hood relates to Mens Conception and the time between that and their Birth and the other translated Youth relates to their Birth and some time following for it signifies the Morning or break of day both which are full of sinful vanity rather to be lamented than continued in Hence Learn 1. Those who give up themselves to their sinful pleasures may justly fear that God shall give them up also to follow their own way to their eternal ruine and that as they scorn his pains and often mock his Messengers so he shall mock them and scorn the Scorners For this Holy Irony is to beget Fears in their Hearts lest God give them utterly up to themselves Rejoice O young Man in thy youth and let thy Heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thy Heart c. 2. Where Gods powerful renewing Grace hath not lighted upon Mens Heart they will not only take pleasure in Sin but they will provoke themselves to more and more wickedness and if Light or Conscience would make reluctancy they will spurr their Hearts over the Belly of it and will with-hold themselves from nothing which gives present satisfaction were it never so dishonourable to God and destructive to their Souls Peace and Felicity For this Ironical Speech expresses the language of a bold Sinners Heart to himself Rejoice in thy youth and let thy Heart cheer thee and walk in the ways of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes 3. Christs Ministers must study variety of Strains for reclaiming of Sinners sometimes they must labour to terrifie by Threatnings sometimes allure by Promises as Solomon hath done before and sometimes labour to make Men ashamed by Holy Ironies and scorning of their scornful Carriage and speak to them in their own strain as they use to speak to their own Hearts and one to another providing they do thereby intend their Reclamation not their Irritation that they be not desirous of a woful day upon them that they intertain Pity and Grief in their Hearts to see Men going cheerfully to their own Ruine and that they intermix with their strain informations of their Hazard and loving Counsels expressing some hope of them and holding forth to them the way how they may be reclaimed as here this heavenly Preacher doth Rejoice O young Man c. But know God will bring thee to Judgement therefore remove Sorrow from thy Heart c. 4. When Men have abundance of earthly Pleasures and are in a capacity to enjoy the sweetness of them they are then in great hazard to banish all serious Thoughts of Death and the last Judgement For this Memento imports that such have need to be minded thereof But know thou that God will bring thee into Judgement 5. The serious and believing Consideration of that Great Day of Judgement is a special Mean to abate Mens eagerness in the pursuit of their carnal Pleasures And therefore Ministers should be serious and frequent in stirring them up to the consideration of it For the Spirit of God finds this to be most pertinent to be put as a Bridle in the Jaws of insolent Youth to restrain it from excess in carnal Pleasures But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee to Judgement 6. There will be no shifting of Compearance at the Judgement Seat of Christ were Men never so unwilling to sist themselves there compear they must Know thou that God will bring thee in to Judgement 7. The last Judgement will be so exact that not the least sinful motion of wicked Mens Hearts shall pass without notice and deserved Punishment Men must not only give account there of their gross out breaking Sins but of their inward cheering and encouraging their Hearts to follow these Sins For speaking of young Mens cheering their Hearts in their wicked Courses and in the sight of their Eyes he saith For all these things God shall bring thee in to Judgement 8. Though deluded Sinners dream that their delighting in their Lusts and banishing the Thoughts of Judgement to come iâ— the way to remove Sorrow from their Heart yet the truth is by their so doing they are contracting Sorrow and Heaviness depriving themselves of their true spiritual Comfort and Joy provoking the Lord to Wrath against them and drinking down that sweet Poyson which within a litle will bring much Sorrow to their Heart except by sincere Confession it be cast up again For the Man to whom he speaks Verse 9 as cheering his own Heart in his Sin and banishing Thoughts of Judgement he supposes here in the 10 Verse to have much Sorrow at his Heart to wit much Guilt which will end in Sorrow and so much matter of Wrath as the Word translated Sorrow signifies while he saith Therefore remove Sorrow from thy Heart 9. Though the mortifying and reforming of these Evils which Mens corrupt Nature often signified in Scripture by the Word Flesh incites them unto and their outward Man and Members thereof which Scripture also expresses by that Name doth act and accomplish seem to them the most unpleasant and painful Exercises in the World yet are they in effect the only way to remove Sorrow and consequently to bring in true Joy and Peace to the Soul For this last Expression may be looked upon as holding forth the way of
God who gave it SOlomon having at length described the Dissolution of the earthly House of our Tabernacle after Death He giveth here a summ of Mans future State after Death in reference to the two principal parts whereof he is made up And First For his Body which he calls Dust because it was Formed out of the Dust Gen. 2.7 and being separat from the Soul is the most vile and loathsome piece of Dust of any other he saith it returns to the Dust because it is ordinarly laid there to remain till the Resurrection and because it is in effect the same substance with it And Next For his more noble Part his Soul called here the Spirit because of the immaterial substance thereof and its Resemblance to God the Father of Spirits it returns to him who gave it There is no Ground to think he speaks only of the Souls of the Godly but rather of the common state of the Spirits of all Men after Death neither is there any necessity to think that therefore every Soul must go to Heaven seing the Scripture is so clear to the contrary But every Soul is said to return to God because in the very moment of its separation from the Body it must sist it self before him the Supream Judge to be eternally disposed of according to his pleasure who will sentence it according to the state it shall be found in at Death And these considerations also have great influence in exciting Men timously to make their peace with God that he may favourablie intertain their Spirits at Death and they may lay down their Bodies in the dust in hope of a Glorious Resurrection And this is the reference which this verse hath to the Scope exprest in the first words of the Chapter Hence Learn 1. Although our Bodies have some Beauty and Majesty imprinted on them while the Soul resides in them and they are acted by it for which cause they were set out by these excellent similitudes formerly mentioned yet of themselves they are but Dust and will appear when the Soul is separat from them to be very loathsome Clay the thought whereof should keep Men from being Proud of their Bodily Strength or Beauty Jer. 9.23 it should make them admire the Lords condescending to have correspondence with such Dust Gen 28.27 his Marvelous Art and Power in framing so Beautiful a piece of Work as our Bodies of the Dust Ps 139.24 especially his assuming so frail a Being as a human Body in a personal union with the Diety Ps 8.4 c. It should be made use of as a ground of Confidence to obtain pity and help from him to frail Dust Ps 103.14 And of submission to hardest Dispensations Isai 45.9 it should make us careful to get the Ornament of his Grace which makes base Dust truly Beautiful 1 Pet. 3.4 It should banish the fear of all flesh which is but Dust like our selves Isai 51.7.8 and shoul make us long for the time wherein Christ shall change our vile Bodies and make them like his Glorious Body Philip. 3.21 all which are the uses the Scripture makes of this consideration that we are Dust the Dust c. 2. The Bodies of Men at Death go not as their Spirits to that state wherein they must be Eternally but as they were at first taken out of the Earth so they must go thither for a time the Lord hath so ordered that whereby he may prove and Exercise his peoples Faith concerning the Resurrection For saith he The dust shall return to the Earth as it was 3. The Souls of Men die not nor go to Corruption as their Bodies do but subsist after their separation from the Body which should make Men careful to see to the Eternal well-being of them for Solomon here supposing the body or Dust to be gone to the Earth he speaks of the Soul or Spirit as now subsisting whereby it appears that the immortality of the Soul hath been Preached to the ancient Churches The Spirit returns to God who gave it 4. Men receive not their Souls from their Parents as they do their Bodies nor are they formed of any preexistent matter as the Spirits are which Beasts have Gen. 1.20 but are Created of nothing and immediatly infused into the Body by the Lord For saith the Preacher the Spirit shall return to God who gave it 5. Our Spirits are Gods free gift and therefore all the powers and faculties thereof ought to be imployed to the Honour of the Giver Rom. 11.26 He is to be depended on and acknowledged for the preservation of them Job 10 12. And all Crosses upon Body or Spirit to be submitted unto Heb. 12.9 For saith he The Spirit returns to God who gave it 6. As the Spirits of Men even the greatest on Earth are in Gods hand to be moved by him while they are in the Body as he pleases Prov. 21.1 So when they go out of the Body they must sist themselves before him to be disposed of at his pleasure who will throw the Spirits of the Wicked into the Lake that flames with Fire and Brimstone and will bind up the Spirits of the Godly as his Jewels in the bundle of Life for in reference to both this is verified The Spirit shall return to God who give it Ver. 8. Vanity of Vanities saith the Preacher all is Vanty IN this and the following Verses is contained the last part of the Chapter and the close of the whole Book wherein the Preacher doth briefly Summ up and by several Arguments commend the purpose contained in it which for Methods cause we may take up in four Articles or Heads of Doctrine The first which is in this Verse contains the Summ of the first Principal part of the Book namely that all Created things and human endeavours about them are vain or insufficient for leading a Man to his true Happiness And this having been frequently held out before is here necessarly Repeated that all may assent unto it as a Truth now abundantly proven and which the Preacher himself loved to meditate upon and writ again and again and with this Repeating of it he mentions his calling to be a Preacher as that which should gain weight to every Truth delivered by him and to this in particular Beside what hath been observed from this purpose before We may Learn 1. Necessary Truths must not be cast by after they are clear to us and sufficiently proven to be Truths by many Arguments neither will they become loathsome to a Holy Mind but ought to be intertained and meditate upon till we find motions sutable thereunto wakened in our Hearts and some Fruits in our practice answerable to them which may evidence we do truly know and believe them and the more clear such Truths are to a Gracious Sool the sweeter they will grow and the more delight will the Soul have to dwell upon them Therefore doth Solomon after he hath fully proven and cleared this Truth and