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 â—ine 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
Labour 11. It is only under the Sun that Creature Comforts are useful to provoke to spiritual joy and there only men are called to Labour that they may have these and joy in the use of them When they are above the Sun they shall rest from their Labour and shall not need to Eat and Drink that they may Rejoice but shall have abundant Joy in the immediate Fruition of the Lords presence For this only abides with man of his Labour the days of his Life which God gives him under the Sun He hath this expression under the Sun twice in this verse to draw the hearts of the Godly to long for that better Condition above the Sun Ver. 16. When I applied mine heart to know Wisdom and to see the Business that is done upon the earth for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes 17 Then I beheld all the work of God that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the Sun because though a man Labour to seek it out yet he shall not find it yea farther though a wise man think to know it yet shall he not be able to find it THe Preacher having commended the study of Heavenly Wisdom and shewn how the Lord's People by the use thereof may have Comfort under the sadest Dispensations He doth here by relating his own experience labour to humble all the Students of that Wisdom in the sense of their own weakness and impotency to comprehend Fully or to satisfaction the Works of God's Providence in the Government of this World especially these Dispensations which seem so favourable to the Wicked and severe to the Godly that so they may be brought to Reverence and submit unto the Soveraignity and unsearchable Wisdom of God manifested in these Dispensations though they cannot satisfy themselves as to the Reasons of them nor reconcile the difference which seems to be between the Promises and the Threatnings of the Word upon the one part and the dealing of the Lord with Good and Bad upon the other This seems to be the main scope of these two Verses and in expressing hereof Solomon doth First give account of his painful Study to understand the Mind of God in his Dispensations and this in several Particulars 1. His seriousness therein he applied or as the Word is He gave away his Heart to know Wisdom This to know Wisdom is not a Tautology but it is to get the experimental and heart affecting Knowledge as the Expression signifies of what he did in some measure know or that he laboured so to reflect upon his own knowledge as he might be sutably affected therewith 2. He shews how large the subject of his study was The Business that is done upon the Earth Business as the Word signifies is the humbling and toilsome exercise which God carves out to Men and which Men undertake in the World so that the object of his Study was both Humane Affairs and Divine Dispensations which are both to be considered in one and the same thing 3. His extraordinary diligence and pains in that study which he doth modestly propose in the third person as if he were speaking of others There is saith he that neither Night nor Day taketh sleep which though it may be true of Mens excessive care and anxiety about things Worldly or of their pains in the study of Knowledge yet by the Scope and Cohesion of these two Verses wherein he relates only his own experience it is most fitting to apply it to himself as speaking modestly of his own pains in the person of others as Paul doth 2 Cor. 12.1 The 4. Thing concerning his study is the main and principal subject thereof Then saith he I beheld all the Works of God The meaning is that while he was exercised as he hath exprest in the former three Particulars the main thing that took up his Heart was to understand what the Lord intended by all his Dispensations so far as the Light of the Word and Spirit of God might lead him and what was the use God would have Men to make of all these this was his Study Next He gives account of his success in this painful Study and that was he had learned one profitable Lesson namely that he was a bad Scholar and so might every Man find himself he found That a Man cannot find out the Work of God which may be either applied to Men in Nature improving their natural parts with that common assistance and influence which is not ordinarly denied unto them to the outmost And then the meaning is that they cannot find out any thing conducing to their true Happiness Or it may be applied to Men indued with Saving Knowledge and having God's Spirit present with them in the measure that he sees fitting And so the meaning is they cannot in this state fully comprehend nor know all that is to be known of God in his Dispensations And Thirdly He giveth the reason of this deficiency taken from Mans weakness and this he illustrats by supposing him to have four Advantages in his Study 1. Suppose he take never so much pains and labour in the use of means 2. Suppose his search be never so accurat as is imported in that Expression though a Man Labour which signifies painfully to labour to seek it out the Word signifies to seek seriously and assiduously 3. Suppose him to have a Stock of Wisdom to trade with in his Study and that of the best sort For in this Book the Godly or the Person indued with Saving Knowledge is ordinarly designed by the Name The Wise Man And 4. Suppose this Wise Man to have a fixed Resolution and to have engaged himself expressly never to give over his search Though he think to know it the Word is though he Say it or though he Purpose it yet he shall not be able to find it or comprehend it fully so as he may be satisfied with any measure of Knowledge he hath attained but must Adore and Reverence God as most Righteous Wise and Holy in all his Dispensations though he cannot see a reason of many of them yea though the contrary should appear to his Carnal Reason and Sense Hence Learn 1. So dull are the Hearts of the Best in taking up things profitable and so apt to weary and wander in the study thereof that both Ministers in study of the Truth and People in hearing of it delivered have need frequently and seriously to Apply and give up their Hearts of new to the same and to be exhorted to Attention For Solomon often before hath exprest this his serious and accurate study of the Truth and here he doth it again importing that he held his Heart to it and that those who should read or hear this Book would need often such a new Preface as is here to quicken their Attention When I applied or gave my Heart away to know Wisdom c. 2. Even those who have attained
to most distinct apprehensions of the Truth and such clear Conceptions of these Observations which ought to be made upon the Lord's Dispensations as they may be able to inform and instruct others thereanent ought not to satisfy themselves herewith but must reflect upon their own knowledge of these things that they may get their Hearts affected sutably to those Impressions of the Wisdom Power Justice Love and other Properties of God which may be seen in his Dispensations and must enrich themselves with particular instances of the things they know and have observed concerning the Lord's dealing with particular Persons in such and such Cases that their knowledge may become experimental For this is to know Wisdom to which Solomon gave away his Heart When I applied my Heart to know Wisdom 3. They that would grow in Saving Knowledge must not only study the Scriptures and Works of Creation Col. 3.16 Ps 19.1 but they must also Apply their Hearts to the serious consideration of God's Works of Providence in the World that they may see how consonant these are to the Word how Threatning and Promises are by these daily fulfilled and likewise to the consideration of the Carriage and Businesses of Men both their painful toil and labour in their sinful Courses that they may see their folly and detest their way and the pains of good Men in what is right that they may approve thereof draw matter of Praise there from and be provoked to imitation For all this is comprehended under the object of Solomon's study And to see the Business that is done upon the Earth 4. Not only are Men who serve Mammon and their Lusts excessive in their pains and for love to their Idols cruel to themselves but even the best of God's Children in their most approven Studies are sometimes in hazard to exceed in pains also partly through love to their own Credit and partly for want of humble dependance on God which abates the anxious intention of their Spirits and sweetens their Study For as this Expression which seems to import some excess in pains seing the Night is appointed for Man's rest and then the Lord useth to give his Beloved sleep is true of wicked Men so may it be taken here especially in reference to Solomon himself in regard of his pains in his study There is that neither Night nor Day seeth sleep with his Eyes 5. It is Wisdom in Men to relate modestly their own pains for attaining to Knowledge and not to speak of themselves as if they were singular therein though their pains were never so great lest they appear to be seeking their own Commendation and so marr the success of their great pains For Solomon speaking of himself speaks as it were of others as no less painful than he There is saith he that neither Night nor Day sees Sleep c. 6. They that would become truly Wise and would gain experimental and heart affecting Knowledge by studying the Events that fall out in the World they must not stay their Thoughts upon Men Instruments and second Causes but must raise their Minds to the first Cause and exercise their Thoughts mainly upon his Work that they may see what Properties of his are written upon all Events as they are His Work and what use should be made of them for stamping the Heart with a Holy Fear of offending him and for encouraging his People in his Service seing these are mainly intended by him in his working and must look upon all things that fall out as one intire Work in God's Hand so shall they see that what is Foolishly Sinfully and Unjustly acted by Instruments the same is Wisely Holily and Righteously managed by the Lord For when Solomon applied his Heart to know Wisdom and to see the Business that is done upon the Earth then saith he I beheld all the Work of God That was his main Study 7. Though the sincere Student of Saving Knowledge may be sure of success and progress in that Study Hos 6.3 and some sweetness to compense his pains Ps 92.4 and 111.2 and even the study of common and natural things that are within the compass of a Mans station uses to be blest with Divine Instruction Isa 28.26 yet none can expect in this Life fully to comprehend all that may be known of God in any of his Works or to find them out so as to satisfy their Carnal Reason but must still be humble and reverence the unsearchable depth of his Wisdom For this is it which Solomon found after his most serious search that a Man cannot find out the Work that is done under the Sun 8. As the Man that hath found his own inability to find out in a comprehensive and satisfactory way any Work of God hath found something worth his pains to humble him and make him reverence God's Wisdom so even this much cannot be found out till after great pains and especially till we study Events as they are God's Work While one Man studies the Business of another he may easily think to find him out and to reach and over reach by his Wit the work of one like himself For Solomon speaks of this as some considerable success of his pains which he had after Applying his Heart and beholding all things as God's Work that he found at last That a Man cannot find out the Work of God 9. Suppose a Man to be never so indefatigable in pains and study to have never so vast and comprehensive an Understanding to have very great confidence of success which sometimes much advances it and never so great Desires and fixed Purposes of Heart to grow in Knowledge he must if he know himself aright after all his pains be humbled in the sense of his Short-coming and when he hath sounded deepest by his Witt whether Natural acquired or infused must still acknowledge he cannot find the bottom of the unsearchable depth of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God which is to be seen in his Dispensations For this Solomon found in his own experience and by relating it here labours to bring others to the acknowledgement of it That a Man cannot find out the work of God because though a Man labour to find it yea though a wise Man think to know it he shall not be able 10. The cause of Man's inability to find out clearly the Mind of God in his Works is to be found in himself whose Understanding is darkened and ruined by the Fall and is but in repairing during his abode here the Vanity and Corruption of his Mind and Affections draws him still back from profitable to the study of unprofitable things and his Body being so weak that it cannot sufficiently assist his Mind in the use of means necessary for making progress in Knowledge For Solomon here doth often mind Man of his inability and weakness as the cause of his not finding out the work of God while he saith A Man cannot find out the work of God
be made streight and that which is wanting cannot be numbred Verse 16. I Communed with mine own heart saying Lo I am come to great Estate and have gotten more Wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem Yea my heart had great Experience of Wisdome and Knowledge Verse 17. And I gave my heart to know Wisdome and to know Madness and Folly I perceived that this also is Vexation of Spirit THe preacher giveth here a second Instance of the weakness and Insufficiency of Mans Wit as it is Exercised especially about things Morall or the practical affairs of Men to direct him how he may recover his lost happiness the sum whereof is that himself after much pains taken to see how far a Mans wit without the special Illumination and conduct of the Lords Spirit can possibly lead him right and how far it ordinarly leads him wrong in reference to the matter of his true Happiness he had found the Issue to be nothing else but Vexation and sorrow instead of true contentment And this may be taken for the Ninth Argument to prove his Scope Now that this Instance from his own Experience may have the more weight he doth first show how he did acquire it not by a slight and careless inquiry but by his most Serious communing or deliberating with his own Soul Secondly he showes what Advantages or Furtherances he had to fit him for profiting in his Study and did reflect upon for his encouragment therein to wit 1. Much Worldly Greatness such as Riches Honour and the like for however most abuse these things yet it appears that he made them his encouragment in his Study 2. Rare inward qualifications such as Wisdome which being considered comparativly made him to excell all that had been before him or as it is in the Original before his Face in Jerusalem And experience of Wisdome and knowledge which is acquired by observation of particulars and bringing of knowledge to practise Thirdly he specifyeth the Object of this Serious Study of his to which he did apply his heart being incited by these Advantages And that was 1. To know Wisdome whereby cannot be meant his Study of saving knowledge as a renewed Man for that Study could not be censured as he doth this in the following words that it proved Vexation and encreased his greif seing himself had declared Prov. 2 10. and 3.17 that that Study brings much Pleasure and Peace to the Soul but by this Wisdome which he Studied to know is meant the wisest of these courses that the wit of a Man unrenewed and destitute of the speciall guidance of Gods Spirit can sett him upon for attaining Happiness especially the Exercise of his wit in the Study of Morall vertues such as Equity Charity Meekness Temperance and the like although even this Wisdom as he Studied it was subservient to his progress in saving knowledge 2. His Study was to know Madness and Folly whereby he doth not mean that he studied to know the case of these who are deprived of the Exercise of natural Reason seeing such are often very free of Vexation nor doth he speak here of his Sudy of the Wickedness and perversness of his own Heart in order to the mortifying thereof because that Study also is Blest with much Peace and quietness of Spirit But by this Madness which he Studied to know is meant these violent sinful courses such as oppression unjust conquest and the like which Men take for attaining to Worldly Riches and Honours and wherein wicked Men use to Glory as if they were renouned by them as the Word signifies and by Folly these sensual and Beastly pleasures whereunto Carnal Men give up themselves He studied the outmost in both these courses which might seem to promise or bring about any Happiness to Man and this he did that he might the more effectually convince all that true Happiness was not to be found in these wayes And Fourthly He passeth the same Sentence and censure upon these courses which he did upon the former viz. that the outmost that any Man neglecting the Study of Reconciliation with God in Christ and of Living in his Fear and Obedience can attain unto whether in the Exercise of Moral vertues or by giving himself up to the satisfaction of his Fleshly Lusts shall be so far from bringing him true Happiness and contentment of Spirit that on the contrary it shall Eat up his Spirit and as the original word signifies consume it with Vexation at Last From this purpose Learn 1. They that would reclaime Sinners from pursuing their Happiness in things Earthly must not think it sufficient to inlarge themselves in General Doctrine proving that all Earthly things are Vain and unable to bring about Mans Happiness but must give particular instances of them especially of these things wherein the greatest show of Happiness is and wherein Men do most diligently pursue it and must Labour to convince them of the Madness and Folly of their way in pursuing of it in these seeing that Doctrine which Men will be pleased with in the General they will not willingly apply to themselves in particular 2 Sam 12.5 For after that Solomon hath by many Arguments in the former words proven in General the Vanity and insufficiency of all the Creatures and Humane endeavours about them to lead Man to his true Happiness he doth here and in the three verses immediatly preceeding give particular instances of these courses which have taken up the best of natural Men wherein they do most strongly apprehend their Happiness to be and do most eagerly pursue it to wit the Study of the Workes of Creation and Providence of which the former instance is given and of things moral and the practical affairs of Men whereof this is mainly to be understood I communed with my own heart saying Lo c. 2. They that would make progress in the Study of that knowledge which may be profitable for themselves and others in order to the attaining of true Blessedness as they must be much in consulting of the Word Ps 119.24 And of the Spirit for light John 16.13 And of others also who can give them information in that way Jer. 50 5. So must they not neglect to Commune with their own Hearts by putting them to ponder what the Word holds forth for their direction in that way Luk. 2 19. To bring to remembrance what they have formerly Learned of it Rev 3.3 To consider the wonted Goodness of God to them which may engage them to walk in his way Ps 77.6 c. To find out Grounds of comfort against their discouragments Ps 4 4. And frequently to consider the hazard of mistaking the way or sitting up in it Heb 4 1 For Solomon while he was upon such a Study as doubtless he made use of other Means so he was often speaking with his Heart as the words are in the Original which are here translated I Communed with my own Heart
That which doth so strictly tye the hearts of men to their earthly enjoyments that they are vexed to think of a separation from them Is that they look upon them as the fruit of their own pains only and the product of their own wit and consider not their dependence upon him who gave them all freely and may take all back again when he will For Solomon hates his Labour when he thinks of leaving it because he looks on it as his Labour wherein he had taken great pains as the Word translated Labour signifies and wherein he had manifested so much of his skill my labour wherein I have laboured and wherein I have shown my self wise under the Sun 10. It is a great folly in men to place and seek their Happiness in things they must leave behind them and cannot carry with them through death when they will have most need of comfort and to neglect the seeking of it in the study of reconciliation and fellowship with God in Christ who would go thorow the valley of the shaddow of death with them Psal 23.4 and in his fear and obedience which will in the Gracious reward thereof follow them and be with them after their death when all other things will leave them Rev 14 1â— For this censure may safely be â—pplyed to mens seeking their Happiness in the inâ—oymeâ—â— of these things they must leave behind theâ— this also is vanity 11. As it is a sinful Vanity in men to place their Happiness in things they must leave they know not to whom so it is no less Vanity to vex themselves concerning the disposal of what they have after them If they have gotten their Possessions by unlawful means they should Repent and Mourn for the same before the Lord and while they injoy them should Labour to use them aright they should see to the education of these who are their apparent Heirs and seek the Lords Councel in declaring their last will even concerning their outward Estates not vexing themselves because they must leave them and are uncertain how they shall be used after them For it is the whole case here mentioned in these two Verses viz. the hatred of his Labour for the Reasons here exprest that Solomon censures while he saith This also is vanity Verse 20. Therefore I went about to cause my heart despair of all the labour which I took under the sun 21. For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom and in knowledge and in equity yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his 〈◊〉 This also is vanity and a great evil HEre is 1. The fourth and last effect which Solomons disappointment of desired satisfaction in his former courses and the consideration of the former ground of hating his Labour here repeated had upon him to wit that he stâ—â—ied now to make his heart despair of all his Labour which is not to be understood of so wicked a purpose 〈◊〉 to take away his natural life seeing the Object of this despair is expressed hâ—â—e to be only the Labour he had formerly Laboured under the Sun nor can the meaning of it be that he did resolve to 〈◊〉 off all pains and Labour about the affaires of thâ—â— li◠〈…〉 continued dâ—â—â—gent all his lâ—â—e even in hiâ— wo◠〈…〉 â—â—â—aging the affaires of his Kingdomâ— But 〈…〉 to be expounded in reference to his scope iâ— this book that now after his spirit had been so imbittered and all his endeavours for contentment in other things beside fellowship with God frustrate he did seriously apply himself and resolved to go from the use of one mean to another as is imported in this word I went about as in a round or circle as the word signifies to perswade his own heart that Happiness was not to be found in these things wherein he had formerly sought it and so to cut off all hopes from his heart of ever attaining it in these things So that this seems to be an approven motion wrought in his heart by the Spirit of the Lord especially considering that the Lord challenges the want of such a frame in his People under their defection from him Isai 57.10 Thou saidst not there is no hope where the same word is in the Original which is here translated to Despair vers 20. Next he sets down that consideration which had influence upon the working of this frame to wit that he had observed that men who have most skill of contriving things worldly most Prudence or Experience to help them in executing their Contrivances and likewise most Uprightness and so are most free of Injustice or Dissimâ—lation in reference to others as the three words here used Wisdom Knowledge and Equity signify Behoved to leave all their Purchase to one who never took painâ— either for attaining to such things nor would manifest such commendable Qualifications in managing and improving the same which â—eason though it be not the main that should have made his heart despair of Happiness in the Creatures and so it imports his Darkness that made him at this time make use of it only for that end considering that he had been obliged to look upon all his fâ—â—â—er courses as insufficient to make him Happy though he had been sure to leave all he had to such 〈◊〉 one as he could have desired yet because it hath a truth in it self and was fit to prevail with his heart not yet so replenished with the preseâ—â—e of the Lords Spirit when he was in the frâ—â—e here relâ—â—â—d as now when he wrote this therefore it is blest of God to him for working his Heart to that frameâ— Thirdy He doth here pass Sentence not upon his purpose to cause his Heart despair of Happiness in these things as was explained seeing that was an approven Resolution but upon maâ—â— saying out all his Wit and Strength upon these things as hiâ— portion and chief Good which he must shortly leave behind him to such an one as he knows not what he shall prove This saith he is vanity i. e. a course which proves man to be vain in following of it and which is empty of any true satisfaction to him and it is a great evil both of sin in seeking Happiness where it is not and of punishment in so far as it disappoints and so at last vexes and torments the Spirit Hence Learn 1. Men will never seek their Felicity where it may be had to wit in God his Favour and Fellowship till they be put out of hopes of finding it any where else so long as they may have but Husks they will not long for the Bread that is 〈◊〉 their Fathers House For here Solomon shows what a pass he was brought to before he was reclaimed from persuing earthly Delights as his Happiness viz. That he was made to despair of finding what he sought in them Therefore I went about to cause my Heart despair 2. It is no easie matter to loose
ingagements Solomon here speaks and supposes them to be lawful else he would not press the performance of them nor affirm their case to be better that make them not than theirs who having made them perform them not When thou vowest a Vow unto God defer not to pay it 2. All lawful Vows especially Religious are only to be made to the Lord not to Angels or Saints departed there being neither precept nor example in Scripture for Vows of that nature whereof there are many among the Papists For so much is clearly intimat here When thou vowest a Vow unto God defer not to pay it 3. The first opportunity of performing lawful Vows ought to be imbraced considering that the edge and zeal which the heart usually hath in making them will soon wear away and Satan will not fail to coin and suggest difficulties yea impossibility of performing them and we our selves may shortly be out of capacity for the same Therefore saith the wise man here When thou vowest a Vow defer not to pay it 4. The Lord is so far from taking Pleasure in fair promises which are not backed with real endeavours after performance that he doth extremely abhorr the persons that offer such promises to him and make no conscience of performance as is imported in this Expression He hath no pleasure in Fools 5. When men postpone the paying of their Vows or performing of the Duties whereunto they have engaged themselves they do prove themselves Fools in Gods sight however Satan and their own Hearts suggest to them that they are Wise in waiting for a fitter opportunity or a better disposition for so they are here called He hath no Pleasure in Fools 6. The Pleasure or Displeasure of God should be the great motive to put men to Duty or make them afraid to neglect it therefore is this made the first Reason of the Duty here pressed He hath no Pleasure in Fools 7. Our Vows are imperfect things till they be performed and so we should have little satisfaction though we have gained the consent and engagement of our hearts to Duty till we be at performance of it For the word Pay signifies to Perfect or Accomplish Pay that which thou hast Vowed 8. Though we cannot without sin withold our hearts from engaging to Duties in the season of them though this be not particularly determined in the Word seing it may be known by the general Rules thereof and by imploying the promised Spirit to teach us how to apply them nor can we without sin forbear any thing though never so indifferent in its own nature when our Neighbours Edification requires us to practise it whether we have taken on express and formal Engagements upon our selves to that purpose or not yet it is a greater Guilt in Gods Sight to forbear such a thing in the season of it after we have come under the Vows of God to perform it than it would have been before seing now we falsifie our express promise and avowed purpose to God For this is the second Reason Better it is that thou shouldest not vow than that thou shouldest vow and not pay Ver. 6. Suffer not thy Mouth to cause thy Flesh to sin neither say thou before the Angel that it was an Errour Wherefore should God be angry at thy voice and destroy the work of thine hands 7. For in the multitude of Dreams and many Words there are also diverse Vanities but fear thou God THe Preacher having given direction concerning the speedy performing of lawful Vows and that in order to the attaining and entertaining of true Peace and Contentment which is his Scope he giveth here a Fourth Direction for the same end concerning rash Vows or sinful Engagements And First He holds forth this Direction or Disswasive in Two Branches The One is that Men should restrain themselves from uttering such rash and unadvised Purposes as being once determined do in a manner force them to the Execution of them they apprehending themselves under a sort of necessity to act what they have rashly vowed For to suffer the Mouth to cause the Flesh to sin is when Men are so distempered with the excess of Grief Anger or the like humane Passions that they are not able to restrain themselves but do give away as the Word is here their Mouths to vent their rash Purposes and this being done they apprehend themselves under a necessity to stand to their Engagements though never so sinful and so cause their Flesh or their whole Man for which the Flesh is oft put in Scripture Gen. 6 12. Rom. 3.20 to be active in performing their rash and sinful Undertakings as is clear in the Example of Herod Mark 6.26 The other Branch of this Direction is a disswasive from extenuating such Rash and Sinful Vows when they are discovered to be such Neither say thou it was an Errour a Mistake or some light Fault which is not to be understood as if such rash Vows were not Errours and so not to be acknowledged as such but because they proceed often rather from Mens Inconsideration and want of the Fear of God as is imported in the Remedy of them held forth afterward than from their simple Ignorance and Mistake therefore he would have Men not casting them so lightly by their hand but rather looking upon them as a more heinous Sin and so deserving a worse Name Secondly He bears in this Direction by several Reasons The First is imported in the First Branch that such rash undertakings involve the whole Person in guiltiness as it were by necessitating him to act these Purposes The Second is exprest in the Second Branch and is mainly against the Extenuation of them in those Words Before the Angel which Reason though it have force taking the Angel either for any publick Minister of God who hath that Name both in the New and Old Testament Mal. 2.7 Rev. 1.20 And so it may be taken here for the Priest before whom according to the Form of Worship in Solomon's time Sins of Ignorance as it is here supposed Men will pretend their rash Vows to be were to be Confessed Lev. 4.4 5 6. Or taking it for any of the Created Angels of Heaven whom the Scripture frequently sets forth as Witnesses of our Actions especially in Religious Matters 1 Cor. 11.10 Yet considering that the Reason being understood of either of these doth necessarly include and imply the presence of him who is the Great Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 And because the word Angel here hath such an Article as the Scripture useth to prefix to Christs name and likewise because if we take it thus The Argument is strongest Therefore it seems safest to rest in this that the Argument is drawn from his presence who is a Witness and Avenger of Rash Vows and Mens Extenuations thereof The Third Reason is taken from the just displeasure of God with such rash Engagements and the slighting of them Why saith he should God be Angry
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
of God contradicted while he saith The thing that hath been it is that which shall be and that which is done is that which shall be done and there is no new thing under the Sun 2. Whatever new delights Satan and Mens corrupt Hearts may propose as attainable and whatever new ways of dishonouring God they may invent for attaining to these Idols yet men shall be sure to find all the Earthly delights they can pursue and all the courses they can invent for attaining to them the very same with these that others have followed before unsatisfactory and having a sting in their Tail so that men following their lusts are but pursuing the old Shadow which many thousands after their weariness in the like pursuit have found to be such they are but licking up the old vanity which the burden'd Consciences of wicked men who lived before have at least under trouble and at Death cast up with much pain and loathing for in this sense there is no new thing under the Sun how strong soever mens groundless apprehensions be to the contrary It hath been already of old time which 〈◊〉 before us 3 In order to the true contentment and solid saâ—â—â—â—â—ion of mans Soul it is requisit that there be a newness as some Happiness to themselves for of this they are here threatned to be deprived There is no Remembrance of former things neither shall there be any Remembrance of things that are to come with these that shall come after 4. This Oblivion of Men and their Actions which the Lord threatens as a punishment of their forgetting things necessary for his Glory and their Souls Good and of their imagining Happiness in so vain a thing as other Mens remembring them and their Actions after they are gone should wean their Hearts from Earthly Contentments as their portion and make them Study by all means to be of the number of them whose Memory is Blessed Prov 10 7. And who shall be with God and His Saints in Everlasting Remembrance Ps 112.6 For As an Argument toward this Scope is this here brought in There is no Remembrance of former things neither shall there be any Remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after 5. Let Men weary themselves never so much in going from one thing to another seeking after an Earthly Happiness the Lord hath determined to blast all their Enterprises and to oppose himself to them in every course they can take for their satisfaction beside the Study of Reconciliation with himself and living in his Fear and Obedience for after he hath disappointed them all along their Life of desired satisfaction in their several Idols as is expressed in the former Words he declares here that he resolves also to cut off that which they imagined to have after Death There is no Remembrance of former things neither shall there be any Remembrance of things that are to come 6. If Man did Remember the former Courses that others have taken for attaining satisfaction in things Earthly together with the sad dissappointments that God hath made them to meet with in their way whereof they may be kept in Remembrance by the Study of the Scriptures and Observation of Providences they might thereby be keept from looking upon any Earthly delight they can propose to seek as if it were new and from imagining to fall upon any new course which may prove more successful for attaining to it than hath been taken by others before who have been all disappointed for as was touched in the Exposition this verse may be taken for a Reason of that which is supponed in the former Argument to wit that Men apprehend a newness in their Idols and that they may fall upon new and more effectual wayes of attaining to them than others have done before this I say may be taken as a Reason of their so doing even Mens forgetfulness of what is past Importing that if they did remember Gods dissappointing others following the same Idols in the same way that themselves do this Remembrance of former things might be a mean to divert them from insisting in that way but now they look upon their Idols as if they were new for there is no Remembrance of former things and others also will go on the same way because neither shall there be any Remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after Verse XII I the Preacher was King over Israel in Jerusalem XIII And I gave my Heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under Heaven this sore travel hath God given to the Sons of Man to be exercised therewith XIV I have seen all the works that are done under the Sun and behold all is Vanity and vexation of Spirit HEre is the Seventh Argument taken from the Preachers own Experience the sum of it is that after his most painful and Serious Study to see the utmost that Mans wit could attain unto for the bringing about of any Happiness or true contentment to him while his affections are not set upon things which are above he had found by Experience that all comes to nothing but disappointment and Vexation And that this Argument from his Experience may be the more forceable he doth first hold out several considerations of himself and his Study to add weight unto it As. 1. That he was advanced both to Ecclesiastick and Civil Dignity and that over the People who were the only Church that God had in the World and so was not only obliged to this Study that he might profit the Church he being called to be a Preacher but singularly fitted with many Advantages for furthering himself in his Studies he being a King and that in Jerusalem Verse 12.2 That this Study of his was not by constraint but that his Heart was applyed and strongly inclined to it He gave his Heart unto it 3. That his inclination was followed with Variety of pains one degree of diligence being added to another in the use of all means for attaining to clearness in this great question wherein true Happiness doth consist he gave his Heart to seek and search 4. That this his Study was guided and ordered by that habitual Wisdome which God had given to him in an extraordinary measure above all other Men. 1 Kings 4.29 5. That in this acurate enquiry of his none of the Creatures or Works of God about them that might in his apprehension contribute any thing for making Man Happy had escaped his consideration And next he doth hold forth two Experimental Observations of his as the result of this his most painful and acurate Study 1. That this painful and Laborious way of acquiring any measure of right and sound knowledge is imposed by the Lord upon Man to be a humbling Exercise to him as the Word translated Sore travel signifies the more to convince him of his natural Misery Verse 13. 2. That upon a serious Survey
of all these Works of God which he had been Studying he had found that Man Living out of Fellowship with God can find nothing by them but disappointment or emptiness of satisfaction which is Vanity and a gnawing of his Conscience or feeding of his Soul upon the Winde which is the Vexation of Spirit here spoken of Verse 14. As for the time when Solomon hath been Exercised in in this painful Study here spoken of it may be either referred to the time of his defection and estrangment from God when he was imploying his wit which even then remained with him Eccles 2.9 to the utmost for finding out an Happiness beside fellowship with God and so it makes to his proposed scope seeing he is now a penitent sadly reflecting and at direction of the Spirit of God passing sentence upon his former follyes Or this painful Study of his may be referred to the time of his nearness to God whether before his defection or after his recovery from it and so the purpose agrees no less to the same Scope considering that his end in that Study was to see what Man 's wit could attain unto in or about the Creatures for making him truly Happy that so he might the more effectually convince his own and the Hearts of others of Vanity in seeking Happiness that way Beside what was observed from Solomons description of himself verse 1 We may hence Learn 1. The eminency of a Mans place and Employment whether Ecclesiastick or Civil as also the dignity and priviledges of the People over whom he hath Charge should be so far from making him slack and negligent in pains for bettering of his Gifts as if his measure of these were sufficient already seeing he is so employed that on the contrary the consideration thereof should stir him up to the greater pains and diligence that he may Grow in Abilities for the more faithful and successful discharge of his Employment for the consideration of Solomons Office in the Church and State of Jsrael may be looked upon as here mentioned by him as a special motive to that exceeding great Diligence afterward described I the Preacher was King over Israel in Jerusalem 2 As these who have a calling to point out the way of Life and Blessedness to others and to disswade them from following Lying Vanities should Labour for the Experimental knowledge and feeling of the Power of the truths they deliver themselves that with the greater affection and confidence they may speak them to others so when the Lord sends Preachers who may in Charity be Judged to speak from their own experience People may take advantage of the consideration of the Messenger to move their own Hearts to receive the truth with a special measure of attention and reverence for here Solomon draws an Argument to gain weight to the truth from his own Experience who Preached it I the Preacher gave my Heart to seek and search out by Wisdom c. 3. Although these extraordinary and Infallibly assisted Men who Wrote the Scripture had much of the minde of God revealed to them immediatly and without their pains and Study for acquiring the knowledge thereof 2 Pet 1.21 yet were they not exeemed from ordinary pains but rather called to more than ordinary Diligence for further clearing to themselves and confirming of their own hearts in the Faith and Experimental knowledge of these truths so immediatly revealed and for acquiring the knowledge of other truths see 1 Pet. 1 10. Which both warrants and obliges ordinary Ministers not to spare their pains for profiting in knowledge and edifiying the Church of God for even this extraordinary man Preacher and King in Jerusalem gave away his heart to seek and to search by wisdom 4. The Lords People should be so far from disapproving the pains and study of Ministers or disliking the message which by much labour and premeditation is fitted for them as Enthusiasts do such pains being commanded 1 Tim. 4.13.16 and having the promise of a Blessing Prov. 10.4 that by the contrary these Lessons which are the fruit and result of much serious diligence in the Preacher should be received with the more attention and acceptation by the Hearers For so doth Solomon here commend the Purpose in hand and labour to gain Attention and Respect to it by this that it had cost him so much pains and study in the acquiring of it I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom c. 5. They that would grow in that knowledge which may be profitable for their own Souls must give their Hearts away to the study of it by diverting their minds frequently from other Studies and labouring to get their Hearts in love with that knowledge they aim at as conducing to their Happiness so will the whole Man concur in the study to which the Heart is applied Pains will be sweetned and Success will be certain Prov. 2.2 c. for this course did Solomon take and I gave my heart saith he to seek c. 6. For attaining to that knowledge which may be profitable for the Saving of a Mans Soul there must be variety of means used such as bending of the Wit in searching of the Scriptures and meditating upon them Prayer to God and use making of all the helps we can have from others for encrease of our knowledge adding one degree of diligence to another even when after many Essayes there remains unsatisfaction with the measure attained and the whole course of a Mans study in the use of these means must he so ordered as his imploying of divine Help and consulting of the Scriptures may ordinarly go before the use of other means For the former of these two words here used to express Solomon's pains in Seeking signifies a Mans own secret Diligence which is especially Prayer and Meditation the other signifies to ask the help of others and likewise an orderly disposing of his pains in his Study I gave my heart to seek and to search out c. 7. As the Lord doth not bestow at once all that measure of true and sound knowledge which he intends to give to his Children but lets it out by little and little so one degree or measure of the same is the best guide to direct a Man in seeking after more of it in so much as none can move to any good purpose in the study thereof till they be first prevented with the free gift of some measure of that knowledge it being that only which makes them capable of further 1 Cor. 2.14 and sets them upon the fittest means of attaining thereto Eccles 10.10 For here it is clear that Solomon had one degree of his Wisdom before another and that the Former was his guide in seeking after the Latter I gave my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom 8. The greater measure of knowledge any attain unto they will be the more desireous of more the more acurate and serious will their search
issue and result of their Courses shall be the same even Misery and Vexation seeing the former sort place their Righteousness in their Wisdom 1 Cor. 1.22 Rom. 10.3 And the latter their Heaven in the satisfaction of their Lusts 2 Pet. 2 13. For this which Solomon saith he perceived to be Vexation of Spirit cannot be meant of his own Study of these presently mentioned because that was at the direction of the Spirit of God but of the result of the several courses which unrenewed Men take for Happiness here set forth by the names of Wisdom Madness and Folly I perceived saith he that this also is vexation of Spirit 12. However the Lord may so far favour the study of natural Wisdom and moral Vertues as to make Men find some kind of Sweetness and Contentment therein that thereby they may be diverted from courses more dishonourable to him And may also suffer men who have given themselves up to all vileness to be for a time free of vexation by reason of the scaredness of their Conscience 1 Thess 5.3 Yet will he assuredly execute the Sentence here past upon all who misken or neglect the new and living way to Blessedness through the Blood of Christ sometimes in this Life by crossing the wisest of their Plots which being effectuate would have contributed to their earthly Contentment as he did to Achitophel sometimes striking them in the midst of their Pleasure with his Terror and other Judgments as he did to Belshazar Dan 5.6 Nabal and others and all of them at last by tormenting them with the Worm that never dies so that they all shall find this to be Truth of God whether they be seeking their Happiness in the Wisdom here spoken of or in this Madness and Folly their course shall prove Vexation or as the word signifies A gnawing or eating up of the Spirit Verse XVIII For in much Wisdom is much Grief and he that encreaseth Knowledge encreaseth Sorrow SOlomon here gives a Reason why the unrenewed Mans Wit can not lead him the right way to his lost Happiness The summe of it is that the more Wisdome any Man who neglects the Study of Reconciliation and fellowship with God can attain unto he shall still have the more grief or as the Word signifies Irritation of Spirit and the more progress he maketh in any other Study while this is neglected he shall but heap the more Sorrow to himself The truth whereof is evident if it be considered that the more knowledge of that sort a Man have he doth but see more clearly these many inconveniences and Miseries whereunto he is Subject especially in this Life which these of meaner capacities and of less proficiency in knowledge do not apprehend and so have less Vexation and yet can never see the true remedy of these nor any sutable Consolation against them And consequently till saving light come in upon his mind the more his knowledge of other things grows he must still see himself the further from true Happiness Now Solomon cannot be understood as speaking here of saving knowledge considering that in other places of his writings he doth attribute contrary effects to that Namely that it brings much Joy and Peace to the Soul that hath it Prov. 2 10. 3.17 And yet this is not spoken to deter from or discourage in the Study of things natural or Civil so the right end not only to convince Man of his folly in apprehending any Happiness in such Studies while he neglects better and so to ingadge him to the Study of that knowledge which brings much sweetness to the Soul Ps 104 34. And is able to sweeten every other lawful Study which is made subservient to it Ps 111.2 And so the words may be looked upon as the Tenth Argument to wean Mens hearts from seeking Happiness in this Earth seeing grief will be the Issue of all their endeavours that way Hence Learn 1. While Men are void of the saving knowledge of God in Christ which makes them live in his fear and Obedience the clearer insight they have in other things they draw the more grief and Sorrow upon themselves The more clear thoughts they have of their duty to God and of his properties whereof something they may know by natures light Rom 1.19.20 they cannot but have the more horrour of Conscience Act 24 25. seeing their Conscience cannot but accuse them for going against their light in many things Rom 2 15. And they in the mean time being ignorant of or not heartily closing with the way of Reconciliation with God thorow Christ 1 Cor 2.8 9. the more clear their thoughts he anent the immortality of their Souls they cannot but have the more grief seeing they are uncertain concerning the future State thereof and can have no well grounded hope that it shall be well with them Ps 49.14 And the more progress they make in knowledge they cannot but find themselves the more Obnoxious to the envy of these whom they do excell 1 Sam 18 9. In all which and many other respects the truth of this is evident That in much Wisdome is much grief and he that encreaseth Knowledge encreaseth Sorrow 2. Although these that are endued with saving Knowledge and are growing therein have ordinarily some Grief growing also Namely Godly Sorrow upon their more clear discovery of their own vileness Rom 7 9. their Inability to return sutable thanks to God for his love 2 Sam 7.18 And the much dishonour that God getts by others Ps 119.158 Yet saving Knowledge is of it self apt to bring into the Soul much joy Peace and quietness of Spirit and in the measure that Men have it it doth always bring these to them The great Grief that such have is mainly occasioned by the defect of that Knowledge Prov 30.2 every encrease of their Godly Sorrow having comfort in the Bosome of it 1 Pet 1 6. and alwayes Joy at the back of it Ps 30.5 For what ever is said of this sort of Knowledge whereof Solomon speaks here the contrary must agree to saving Knowledge seeing his scope is to draw Men from seeking Happiness by the Study of the one and ingaging them to seek it by the Study of the other therefore as in much of the Wisdom here spoken of is much Grief so in much of saving Wisdom there must be much Joy and as he that encreaseth that sort of Knowledge which is here meant encreaseth Sorrow so he that encreaseth saving Knowledge must increase his own Peace and Comfort 3. The more clear discerning of other things Men have who are without saving Knowledge and renewing Grace the more exasperated and imbittered do their Spirits grow both at the Lords dispensations which cross their corrupt Humours Isai 8.21 And at the sight of the welfare of others who are better than themselves Ps 112.9 10. And the more do they bend their wit to irritate and provoke the corruptions of others and to grieve their hearts who
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
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
such sad events as have befallen others for saith the wise man I my self also perceived that one event happeneth to them all Verse 15. Then said I in my heart as it happeneth to the fool so 〈◊〉 happeneth even to me and why was I then more wiseâ— then I said in my heart that this also is vanity SOlomon having in the former Words asserted that the morely wise and sober Man is lyable to the same sad events with the sensual voluptuous Fool he doth here show first how he applyed the same to himself and after serious pondering of the Lords Dispensations with him he found the same verified in his own person who was Inferior to none for that sort of Wisdom I said 〈◊〉 my hâ—â—râ— saith he as it happeneth to the Fool so it happeneth even to me Which is not to be understood as if every thing had fallen out alike to him and Fools or wicked Men for many Fools were Dethroned while he prospered and came to the peaceable possession of their Territories but that he did rationally and upon good grounds judge himself lyable to the same events none of which his moral Prudence though very eminent could prevent and that he had some experience of alike sad events with such toward the latter end of his life 1 King 11.14 c. Next he shews some of the effects which the consideration of this equality together with the disappointment of satisfaction he found in his Study of Moral Wisdom had upon his corrupt heart whereof the first is here to make him condemn that sort of Wisdom as altogether unprofitable and to repine at himself for taking so much pains for it while he saith He said in his Heart and why was I then more wise Which cannot be looked upon as spoken only in the person of others seeing he doth so expresly set it down as the Language of his Own Heart as he useth to do these things which are most clear to have been his own Thoughts and considering also that there was much of this stuff in his heart during the time of his estrangement from the Lord whereof he is now ashamed and content to publish it for the good of others and therefore this must be taken for the Language of Corruption and Temptation prevalent in his Heart Thirdly He passeth Censure upon this his mistaken Opinion that this also was Vanity Which cannot be applyed to Wisdom it self formerly spoken of though it be true of it being made use of as a sufficient guide to True Happiness in which sense he had censured it before but must be looked upon as a check given to his Own Heart for entertaining the forementioned Temptation as most vain and unreasonable seeing there are many other good uses of that sort of Wisdom therefore he said now in his Heart it was a Vanity for him to judge it useless in other respects though it could not exeem men from the Dominion of Gods Providence as the temptation did suggest Hence Learn 1. Whatever right Observations we make upon the Lords Dispensations with others especially such as are sad we ought to apply the same to our selves by considering that the like are or have been or may be upon our selves that so we may not dream of exemption from the like nor stumble when we meet therewith For Solomon having observed in the general That one event happeneth to the Wise and Foolish He now applyeth it to himself Then said I in my Heart as it happeneth to the Fool even so it happeneth to me 2. The Lord in his wise Providence doth so order the falling out of the sad events upon the Children of Men that oftentimes these who do not foresee them nor guard against them will be exeemed from them and these who are sharpest sighted to foresee and most active to prevent them are sadly afflicted with them that the Wisest may learn to deny their Own Wit and Strength and the Foolish may have time and warning to humble themselves for their rashness and folly For Solomon had observed that as he himself who was a Wise man had great and long Prosperity so might a Fool have and as some Fools had met with sad events so might he For this I said in my Heart as it happeneth to the Fool so it happeneth to me Is to be understood of what according to the course of Providence in outward things might be expected rather than of what did actually fall out to Solomon 3. As the Lord for wise Reasons to be mentioned afterward upon chap. 9. ver 1 2. may make the same sad events befall the Best which befall the Worst so consequently the best while they are in their best condition here should look upon themselves as lyable to any of these Temporary events which are incident to men that they may the more soberly and thankfully possess their present Enjoyments and be preparing for a change for so doth Solomon here teach while he saith in his heart and that truly As it happeneth to the Fool even so it happeneth to me 4. When the Lords Spirit is provoked to withdraw in reguard of his lively operations His train of Heavenly Thoughts goes with him and in place thereof Unreasonable and Sinful Cogitations come in For thus it was with Solomon while this unreasonable suggestion was prevalent in his heart which could not have been admitted if his heart had been kept throng as sometimes it was with Heavenly and profitable considerations I said in my heart and Why was I then more wise 5. Mans Wisdom Natural or Acquired in so far as it is not acted by the sanctifying Spirit of Christ hath ordinarily fretting and repining at the Lords cross Dispensations with it whereas the Wisdom that is from above makes the Heart peaceable and calm under these Jam. 3.17 considering from whom and for how good ends they come For even Solomon while the special operations of the Spirit are with-held looks upon all that Wisdom which is a desirable Gift of God as useless and repines at himself for studying of it And why was I then more wise 6. So blind are mens minds in the matters of God without the special Illumination of Christ's Spirit and so wedded are their Hearts to their own Will and Idols while they are not taken up with Him that if he make them to excel in one thing they will readily repine if they do not excel in all and if they attain not to what their Hearts would be at they are ready to under value what they have received and should be thankful for for so doth even Solomon's corruption suggest to him Seeing he did so excel others in Wisdom that therefore he should not be obnoxious to the same sad events with them And because he saw it was so with him he is tempted to think himself a Fool in taking such pains for Wisdom As it happeneth to the Fool so it happeneth even to me and why was I then more wise 7.
The Lord in Wisdom and much mercy to his Church and People hath moved the most eminent of his Saints to Registrate not only their own failings that were gross and visible but likewise some of their most secret sinful suggestions that others inferior to them may take warning to watch over their hearts and that Souls vexed with the thoughts of their own matchlessness in guilt because of such inward sinful suggestions as frequent their hearts may thence have some relief and comfort Therefore is Solomon here directed by the Spirit of God to express his own rash and sinful apprehensions Then said I in my heart And why then was I more wise 8. Whatever conflicts the Children of the Lord may have with temptations they will at last get the victory when his Spirit returns with his lively Operations and then they will pass censure upon their own rashness see Psal 77.10 and will be content to publish the sinful Language of their heart for the Glory of God their own further humiliation and the warning and comfort of others For Solomon having said in his heart Why was I then more wise he saith he said in his heart again that this also is vanity Verse 16. For there is no remembrance of the wise more then of the fool for ever seeing that which now is in the dayes to come shall all be forgotten and how dieth the wise man as the fool HE inlarges further the ground whence these sinful suggestions mentioned in the former verse had the rise in his heart namely the equality of events befalling the Morally Wise and the Sensual Voluptuous Man whereof he giveth here two instances which have very useful Truths in them though they do not bear the Conclusion which his corruption while he was estranged from God drew from them to wit The condemning of himself for the study of Mâ—â— Wisdom The first instance is That both those sorts of men formerly mentioned and all their enterprizes for Happiness are equally obnoxious to Oblivion Which is not to be understood of their future and eternâ—â— state wherein they shall be for ever remembred by a sin persuing God for the continuance of their torment who seek not their Happiness in Reconciliation and Fellowship with him through Christ But it is to be understood of their remembrance during the time of this Life and among men like themselves after they are gone And is mainly intended against that sort of Wise Men who do more strongly affect the perpetuating of their Memories and endeavour the same by leaving behind them Monuments of their Wit than Sensual Epicures who care for nothing but the enjoyment of their present Pleasures And however some of this sort of Wise-men have been and may be long and much remembred among men yet with the far greatest part of them it is not so for ordinarly others arise after them who darken their memory and eclipse their esteem And the remembrance of all of them being considered as they did affect and endeavour the perpetuating of it viz. as some piece of their chief Happiness doth so perish quite and at least they shall be all of them so disgraced at the last day that they shall thenceforth eternally lose all their renown And then this shall be fully verified of all the wicked There shall be no remembrance of one of them more than of another unto all Eternity And this instance as it is verified in time He proves by the universal forgetfulness wherein both the Persons and Actions of the present Generation will be buried in the future Seeing that which now is saith he in the days to come shall all be forgotten Which likewise is to be applyed only to the subject matter in hand and in the sense presently mentioned seeing the remembrance of God and his Works will be kept up in his Church while time endures Psal 45.17 The next instance is that this wise man he speaks of shall die like the fool Which is held forth in a Question importing his admiration and indignation viz. while his Heart was estranged from the Lord that it should be so Now this equality of these two sorts of men the Morally wise or sober and the Sensual fool in reference to their Death is not to be understood of the particular kinds of their Death or the circumstances thereof which use to be various in differing persons but that all the Wisdom of the former sort shall neither be able to prolong their Life nor give them any more true Comfort in Death seeing they have lived without the study of saving knowledge than they have who never cared for such Studies as these have been ravished with And though this Question may be concerning the certainty and kind of Natural Death incident to the Godly Man as well as others yet as to the quality of his Death he doth not die as they do for his Death is the beginning of his eternally blessed Life and he shall live after his Death with God in everlasting remembrance But for these wise Men and Fools here spoken of every one dies as another they are at Death equally separated from their fancied Happiness and Death is to all of them the Port and Entrance into their Eternal Torment Hence Learn 1. Though the desire of esteem among men especially the continuance of it after death be of it self vain Gal. 5.26 yet the Wisest and Best of men destitute of saving Light and Grace do strongly incline to pursue it even as their Chief Happiness and can with more difficulty than any others be convinced of their Vanity in so doing For it is this sort of wise Men that the Spirit of God here equals with the fool and labours so much to convince of Vanity in counting themselves more truly Happy than others because of their Wisdom while he saith There is no remembrance of the Wise more then of the Fool for ever 2. The more wit men employ in pursuing any thing as their Happiness beside Gods Favour and the more earnestly they pursue the same the more will the Lord walk contrary to them and set himself to blast their courses for attaining to it For the Spirit of God directs his Speech here mainly against these Wise men who had much more to perpetuate their Memories by and did more for that end than these with whom he doth equal them They are such whom he here certifies of that which is very vexatious to them to consider as will appear by what Solomon saith in the following verse of himself while he had somewhat of their temper There is no remembrance of the wise more then of the fool for ever 3. The present Generation and all that live in it should look upon themselves and all their outward Enjoyments as not only fading and of short continuance but as shortly to be quite forgotten and should apply the same consideration to themselves and their particular Idols in the enjoyment whereof they place their Happiness the
more to wean their hearts from them and not please themselves with general acknowledgments of the Vanity and fading nature of all things For the Wise man makes this general consideration a proof of that Particular that both the Wise and the Fool shall be forgoteen Seeing that which now is in the dayes to come shall all be forgotten 4. Though temporal Death abides the Godly as well as the Wicked Heb. 9.27 yet there is a great difference between the manner or qualities of the Death of the One and the Other The Death of the Godly wants the Sting Cor. 15.55 It is their perfect liberation from Sin Death and Misery Philip. 1.23 their entrance into rest Isa 57.2 and their Coronation day 2 Tim. 4.8 But the Death of the Wicked is the day of their Execution Psal 49 14. and of their entrance into eternal Torments Prov. 7.22.27 For as if it were not to be questioned but that there is a vast difference between the Death of the Godly and the Wicked Solomon here only equals the Death of one Wicked Man with the Death of another while he saith How dies the wise man as the fool 5. How great difference soever there may be among wicâ—â—â— men for outward respects during their Life and at their Deatâ— also for the Circumstances thereof 2 Gen. 9 33.34 〈◊〉 Laâ— 16.22 yet Death shall equal them all for the extremity of theâ— Misery The thoughts whereof should provoke men to make it their great business how to difference themselves in â—â—me from the Wicked by the serious study of Reconciliation with God 〈◊〉 Christ and living in his Fear and Obedience for doubtle◠〈◊〉 equality of theirs in reference to Death is to be looked upon the commom Port whereby both the Wise and Fools here spoken of enter into hell How dies the Wise Man as the Fool. Vers 17. Therefore I hated life because the work that is wrought under the Sun is grievous to me For all is Vanity and vexation of Spirit THis Verse contains another effect which Solomon's disappointment of satisfaction by his Study of Natural and Moral Wisdom and his heaping up of all earthly Delights had upon his Heart while it was yet destitute of that special presence of the Spirit which sometimes he had and the same is also the effect of his observing the equality of events which befall the Wise and Foolish formerly mentioned to wit that he hated or as the Word signifies Loathed and Despised Life The Word translated Life is Plural in the Original Importing that he hated all sorts or ways of living imaginable in this World Which is not to be understood of his hating his natural Life so far as to be willing to lay it down for God when he should call for it nor of his undervaluing of it comparatively in respect of that better Life which made Paul long to be dissolved Philip. 1.21 both which are commendable But this hatred of his Life is to be taken for some such sinful Distemper of Spirit as hath been found in some of the Saints such as Elija 1. King 19.4 Joâ— 3.3 and Jonah 4.3 which the Lord made use of to correct and humble his Spirit And that this hatred of his Life is thus to be taken will appear by considering the reasons which were prevalent with him for producing of it The First is That all the Works under the Sun were grievous to him so did the Lord imbitter these things reckoned out toward the beginning of the Chapter wherein he too much delighted that he might bring him to Repentance If he had not taken too much pleasure in these Works they had not now been so grievous to him nor would he have hated his Life Because they were so The Second which is also the cause of the former is That he found emptiness of satisfaction and nothing but a gnawing of Spirit to be the result of all these courses in order to Happiness which he had taken during his estrangement from the Lord. From this we may learn 1. How soon and easily the Lord who only hath dominion over the Spirits of men can make a change upon them and make him who lately had a pleasant Life and rejoyced in all his Works hate his Life and find all his Works grievous to him For Solomon who in the 10 ver of this Chapter saith He rejoyced in all his labour Is now brought to say I hated life because the work that is wrought under the Sun is grievous to me 2. So hardly are the dearest of Gods Saints reclaimed from persuing Earthly Delights when once they have given up themselves thereunto that neither the voice of the Word which Solomon wanted not all his time nor the voice of Conscience together with the sweet motions and suggestions of the Spirit of God which is vouchsafed sometimes upon the Saints under their deep Security Cant. 5.2 are sufficient to awake them or reclaim them until the Lord send bitterness upon their Spirits and upon all their Idols wherein they delight with which also the work of His Spirit must concur Hos 2.14 For before Solomon be brought to Repentance his Life must be made bitter to him and all the Works under the Sun grievous that he may think of turning to his first Love that he may loath to feed on Husks and long for Bread in his Fathers House I hated Life because the work that is wrought under the Sun is grievous to me 3. So dangerous a thing is it for them that have once been near God to suffer themselves to be divorced from him for any other Lover that they who do so will readily upon a very small occasion hate that which they did most esteem yea even their Own Life For Solomon having forsaken the Lord for base and unworthy Delights finds them all grievous to him and his Own Life a burden also and this is occasioned mainly by his considering the equality of events befalling the Wise and the Fool formerly mentioned Therefore I hated Life c. 4. As it is ordinary for the Children of the Lord under their more moderate and gentle exercises to loath and weary of one sort of Life in the World apprehending in the mean time another desirable and such as would give them ease Psal 55.6 So the dearest of them may be so hardly exercised for their humbling and reclaiming that all imaginable ways of living in this World will be hateful and all works that can be thought upon grievous to them for the Word here translated Life is in the Original in the Plural Number and the work that is wrought indefinitly exprest importing every kind of Work grievous and every way of Living Hateful Therefore I hated Life because the work that is wrought under the Sun is grievous to me 5. So wedded are all men naturally to their Own Will and and especially men of greatest Spirits that while Christs sanctifying Spirit is not swaying their Will to the right art they
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 wâ—nt the free use of what they have a right unto who may afterward prove very bad 2 King 12 2. And in others theâ—e 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 moâ—e Pain◠〈◊〉 Dâ—â—ty 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 Sâ—â—shak 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 Mouâ—â— 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 whâ—t he hath shown so much wit about should be disposed otherwise than he designed For here Solomon now being a Penitâ—â—â— confesseâ— hiâ—self to have 〈◊〉 while he was â—strangâ—â— from the Lord vexed to think that after hiâ— Death â—nother shoâ—â—d put his wise Contrivances in a â—ow 〈◊〉 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— thâ—â— shall be after me and who knâ—ws c. and 〈◊〉 â—e shall have 〈…〉 as the word is Mastery 〈◊〉 all my l◠〈…〉 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 〈◊〉 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.
and Holy manner So that to respect the Body and care for it in reference to the Soul that by the Body the Soul may be served in serving its Creator and not to neglect the Soul or any Duty relating to the welfare thereof for indulgence to the Body is that golden path wherein men may expect some measure of that Happiness which the Lord allows upon his Children in this Life for saith he There is nothing better then that a man should Eat and Drink and injoy good of his Labour 8. Every expression in the Scriptures is not to be looked upon apart but some are to be considered jointly with others sometimes with such as go before sometimes with such as follow after else men will be in hazard to wrest the Scripture to their own Destruction For if we consider the first expression in this verse There is nothing better then that a man should Eat and Drink without considering what follows it might seem to express the Sense and Mind of Epicures But if we joyn it with the Expression immediatly following of the Souls injoying good then we come to understand the Eating and Drinking here commended to be such as prejudge not the Spiritual and Eternal good of mens Souls There is nothing better for a man then to Eat and Drink and make his Soul injoy good 9. To have the outward Comforts of this Life the Power to use them and to find Sweetness in the use of them and especially the Grace to use them aright so as the use of them may not hinder but promove the good of the Soul all this is from the Liberality and Providence of a good God and in it our Fathers allowance our Redeemers purchase and our Comforters presence and teaching are to be acknowledged for so saith Solomon here that All is from the Hand of God the Name God is in the plural number minding us of the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity 10. Whatever Ministers say to the Lords People they should Labour to see it by the Light of the Word and Spirit of God and likewise by their own experience whereby they put these Truths they deliver to the proof and labour to find the Power of them upon their own Hearts for saith he I saw that this was from the Hand of God 11. Whereinsoever the Lord makes any of his Servants to excel for outward Injoyments or Priviledges they should Labour so to carry themselves in the use thereof that from their own experience they may teach others how to use these outward Advantages for the Spiritual good of their Souls considering that People who place their Happiness in these things are ready to think that if men knew Experimentally the worth and sweetness which they fancy to be in them they would not so undervalue them For that Solomon may convince all that their is no true Happiness in the use of these things except they be made subservient to the Souls injoying of that true good which is in Fellowship with God he doth by this question incite all to consider that he who asserts this Truth was inferior to none for plenty of outward Comforts and conveniency of speedy injoyment of them while he saith Who can Eat or who can hasten thereunto more then I Verse 26. For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight Wisdom and Knowledge and Joy but to the Sinner 〈◊〉 giveth travel to gather and to heap up that he may give to him that is good before God This also is vanity and vexation of Spirit HAving given a short sum of that True Happiness which is attainable in this Life he doth here describe the Blessedness of them that seek after it and the misery of these that slight it And this he brings in as a reason to move men to fall in love with it As for the man that takes the right way of seeking Happiness whom here he calls the man that is good in Gods sight which signifies one freely favoured and delighted in and so a justified person through the Righteousness of Christ and one who is sincerely studying what is good or well-pleasing not in the sight of the World but of God The Lord giveth and giveth freely and in giving makes sure and firm to him as the word signifies Wisdom and Knowledge and Joy Whereby is meant nâ—t only skill to purchase a Competency of things Worldly with Prudence to manage and use the same aright together with chearfulness in the use thereof which cannot be excluded here seeing the same was exprest before as subservient to that Happiness which is attainable in this World But mainly an increase of saving knowledge which is set forth by two words because there are many degrees of it and an increase of Spiritual joy flowing from the Faith of Acceptation with God through Jesus Christ I say the words are to be understood of the increase of these things because they are promised to the man who is bâ—fore favoured and so hath the first Grace Next As for the man who continues in his mistake concerning the way to true Happiness whom he calls here the sinnerâ— not 〈◊〉 if the other formerly spoken of or any other in the World did not deserve that name but because such an one is given up to the slavery and servitude of his lusts in an unreconciled state as the Word Sinner often signifies in Scripture when it is opposed to the Good or Righteous 1 Pet. 4 18 and as the Original Word here signifies One that errs from the Scope i. e. who is mistaken in the Main concerning True Happiness is pursuing the same in things of this Earth To such an One God giveth in His justice and displeasure as his sure portion if he continue in that way sore travel or as the word signifies Painful Servitude and slavery in gathering and heaping which Words import him to be both successful and unsatisfyed that which he must leave behind him to be possest by these for whom he intended least even to one that is good in Gods sight Which is not to be understood as if every Wicked man should make some Godly man his Heir for then the Godly should be the Richest in the World but that often the Fruit of the wickeds pains redounds to the advantage of the Godly or rather that his purchase and estate is at the Lords disposal to give to whom he pleases and thinks good enough for receiving such trifles And this excessive pains of men for these things which they can neither long injoy nor transfer to others as they please he censures as Vanity that is a sinful course and such as will in the end produce nothing but torment to mens Spirits Hence Learn 1. The consideration of the Lords large and comfortable allowance to His Own should move All to take them to His Way of seeking after Happiness and therefore this allowance should be much insisted on by his servants and often viewed by People
that their hearts may be ingaged to that way For this description of the Lords liberality and sweet allowance to his own is here brought in as a motive to make men fall in love with that Way to Happiness formerly hinted at For God gives to a man that is good in his sight Wisdom and knowledge and joy 2. Before a man can expect that large and sweet allowance which God giveth to his Children he must first be made good in Gods sight by Reconciliation with Him the Imputation of Christs Righteousness and Renovation of his Nature that he may aime at what is well pleasing in the sight of God For to the man that is good in his sight he giveth Wisdom c. 3. Whatever the best of men receive from God even these who are accepted as Righteous in his sight whose dispositions and way is most sincere and so are Good in his sight it is not of their procurement nor merited by any goodness they have seeing it is all a free Gift For even to him that is good in his sight he giveth Wisdom every further degree of Grace is a new gift to such a man 4. Not only Knowledge of things Spiritual but of managing aright things Temporal and not only the first saving Grace which comprehends the habits of all Graces but every act of Grace and not only matter of comfort and joy but joy it self or the power and heart to take joy and comfort is a free gift of God For this he giveth to him that is good in his sight Wisdom and Knowledge and joy may be understood of all sorts of approven Wisdom of every degree of Knowledge and Grace and of his giving the power to take comfort in known grounds of rejoycing 5. That which men weary themselves in seeking after and will never find in things Earthly is truely to be found in God For Solomon hath shown before that during his estrangment from God he was seeking satisfaction to his mind in the study of Wisdom and thereafter in the abundance of earthly pleasures and hath declared himself disappointed of all till he come back to his first Love who giveth him as He here professes and promises to others who will take them to Gods way that they shall get the like Wisdom and Knowledge and Joy 6. There must be Wisdom and Knowledge before there be true comfort Men must see their misery and hazard the remedie thereof and how to make use of it Their duty and how to set about it and then they may be sure Joy shall be the result of this practical heart affecting Knowledge whereof Solomon here speaks This is imported in the order of these gifts He giveth Wisdom and Knowledge and Joy 7. The blessedness of Gods People and the misery of others are both better seen when they are compared together Therefore the Preacher here illustrates the one by the other God giveth to the man that is good in his sight Wisdom and Knowledge and Joy But to the sinner travel c. 8. Though men seeking their Happiness in other things beside the Lord do imagine themselves the only free men and to have much Joy in their way yet the truth is they are but slaves to Satan and their own Lusts and without all true comfort for saith he God giveth to the sinner travel the Word signifies Servitude and Affliction 9. Though men seeking Happiness in things Earthly may have success in getting abundance of them brought to their hand as is imported in this that Thy gather and heap up yet they are still as far from satisfaction as formerly For these two words import them still Gathering and Heaping up and yet never attaining to what contents them They have travel to gather and heap up 10. God hath the absolute disposal of mens Purchase and Estates at His Pleasure He can order them to be violently taken away from them Isai 54.16 He can determine their minds at last to order them otherwise than they did formerly intend Prov. 28.8 And can remove these for whom they did intend them that they may fall into the hands of others Psal 39.6 It is good to serve such a Master who can and will when he pleases transfer the Estates of his enemies to his Friends Psal 105.44 And doth alwise dispose of the same as he thinks good That he may give to him that is good before him 11. The consideration of the much toil that is in purchasing things worldly the great disappointment of true satisfaction which is in the injoying of them and the much torment of Spirit which is the result of seeking Happiness in them should wean mens hearts from them For so is this course of Travelling to gather and heap up that which these who are good before God shall injoy here censured while he saith This also is vanity and vexation of Spirit CHAP. III. The ARGUMENT THE Wise man in this Chapter that he may bring up the hearts of these who iâ— Gods way are upon a search after True Happiness to a submission unto and contentment with the changes that may be in their Lot and draw them off from seeking Happiness in Earthly delights As also to instruct them in observing the right time of all their actions affordeth for these ends so many convincing considerations or Arguments As 1. That the time of All events whether mediat caried on by the voluntary actions of men or immediat that fall out in Gods holy Providence is in Gods hand ver 1. which is amplified and instanced in fourteen couple of distinct Events which most ordinarly fall out ver 2 3 4 5 6 7 and 8. all which are linked together in pairs as deserving a joint consideration 2. That there is no true profit in that vexing and wearisome pains which a man takes to make up to himself a Happiness in earthly things ver 9. 3. That God hath inevitably imposed upon all the sons of men this sore travel to wrestle thorow many vicissitudes in their Lot ver 10. 4. That the Lords design in all these changes is that men may be sutably exercised with Humility Submission Mortification and Thanksgiving under them ver 10. 5. That God hath made every thing both grievous and joyful beautiful in its season Though most mens hearts be so plagued that they cannot discern the mind of God therein ver 11. 6. That the highest profit of the most beautiful and favourable dispensations of God to man is to quicken him to the duties of spiritual joy diligence in Holiness and the chearful and sober use of the Creatures which right improvement as it â—s the true good of Gods dispensations in this life and best portion and fruit he can reap by them so is it a singular gift of God ver 12.13 7. That all the Lords dispensations as to his purposed effects ends and Timing of them are permanent and unchangable and therefore are to be acquiesced in and submitted to ver 14. 8. That all
article of time yet wicked men can neither act wickedness nor purpose it but in the time wherein God hath resolved to permit the same withdrawing his Grace which he is not bound to give for even of wicked mens Actings such as their persecution of the Godly and their wicked Plots and purposes may this be understood There is a season for every thing and a time for every purpose 4. Every Duty is not to be gone about at every Season but the due opportunity thereof to be carefully searched for by considering the general Rules of the Word especially what Duties such Dispensations call for Jam. 5.13 by praying for the Lords teaching to know the Times 1 Chron. 12.32 and laying to heart the sad challenge given to those that are ignorant thereof Jer. 8.7 For in reference to the Duty of man that would enjoy that True Happiness which he pointed out before as some of the following instances make clear this consideration may be taken as a direction to them to observe the Season To every thing there is a season and a time for every purpose 5. It serveth much for quieting the hearts of the Godly under all the sad changes of Dispensation that are in the World to consider that all these fall out in the Times and Seasons set and fixed for them in Gods Eternal Counsel who minded the welfare of His Own from all Eternity Jer. 31.3 And is ingaged to bring their good out of the worst that can fall out in time Rom. 8.28 And particularly to believe that enemies cannot so much as Plot much less raise up Trouble or Persecution against them but at the time wherein he hath foreseen it fit to Exercise them therewith 1 Pet. 4.17 Nor can their Tryals continue longer than His set time for expressing His favour again in their delivery is come Psal 102.13 For this according to the scope of the Book cannot but be taken for a consideration serving to hold off vexation from the hearts of the Godly and keep them in the chearful possession of their spiritual Happiness that To every thing there is a season and a time for every purpose under Heaven 6. This same consideration that God hath fixed a time for all things and purposes may serve to wean mens hearts from seeking Happiness in any thing beside himself seeing he hath in his hand the Time of their coming to enjoy these things the continuance and the removal of them beside that they can have but for a Season the enjoyment of any thing beneath the Sun For this according to the Preachers Scope may be also looked upon as a consideration to wean the hearts of men from seeking Happiness in things below To every thing there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven 7. Gods providence reacheth not only to all Events and purposes within the Church where it is in a most special way exercised Psal 76.1 but to all the corners of the Earth and to Hell also Neither Men nor Devils Heathens or Infidels can act or plot against Him or his blessed People but at the Season and Times wherein it shall prove fittest for His Glory and the good of His Own For To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven 8. One and the same Truth may have several Uses drawn from it For as this that there is a Season and Time for every thing fore-appointed by God serves to quiet the hearts of the Godly and make them careful to observe the Time so as it imports many changes in Time It serves to wean mens hearts from things Earthlie which can be enjoyed but for a Time Verse 2. A time to be born and a time to dy a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted In this and the following Verses the Preacher giveth many particular instances wherein the Truth of the former Assertion of the Lords fixing of the Time and Season of every Event under the Sun is mainly to be considered and made use of And however some of these instances have a Truth in them in reference to mans Duty that there is a fit Season for him to do such and such things in which he ought to observe and make use of as is clear by instances of Mourning and Rejoycing Silence and Speech Yet all of them are mainly and the most part of them only to be understood in reference to the Lords fixing of the time of their being and consequently the manner thereof Nor are these instances to be taken for a full enumeration as if every thing the time whereof is fixed by the Lord were here reckoned out and no other thing but what is here particularly named were to be looked upon as having its Time and Season fixed But the purpose spoken of is to be understood of these and such like which clause is to be understood after them all seeing it is else where exprest in Scripture after such Enumerations Gal. 5.21 Only these are to be looked upon as the prime Dispensations of God in the World and mainly useful to be considered as they are timed and ordered by His Providence and being so considered are fit to work the Hearts of the Godly to Contentment under all changes and to wean the hearts of all from seeking Happiness in this life where such variety of changes are And they are put in pairs as deserving a joint consideration that when the one is called to mind the other which is in some sort contrary to it may also come to mind The first Pair concerning the time of Birth and Death is literally to be understood That the very minut of every ones entry into this World whether it be timely or abortive and likewise of their departure out of it by Death whether natural or violent is from Eternity fixed and cannot fall out sooner or later than God hath appointed The other concerning the Times of Planting and plucking up though they have in them a Truth in reference to mans Duty who ought to observe the time of such actions as may be held out under these expressions whether properly or metaphorically taken yet they are mainly to be understood of Gods Dispensation about Man along his life between his Birth and Death and particularly of his Planting and setling Nations and Churches and particular mens interests therein which are pointed at in the following Instances and his overturning the same again when he sees fit and that because the Scripture doth frequently express these particular Dispensations of Providence in the very same Terms that are here both in Threatnings Jer. 45.4 and Promises Jer 24.6 and 31.28 and likewise because these are the Dispensations wherewith the hearts of the Godly are most disquieted and therefore to look upon them as Timed and ordered wisely by the Lord serves much for quieting of them which is the Scope Hence Learn 1. It is not enough for Ministers to hold out clear and
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
them As for the other Two of Silence and Speech They are mainly to be understood in reference to Mans Duty of observing the opportunities of these as contributing much for his own Peace and preventing his own and others vexation Because under the like expressions the Scripture elswhere presseth the Government of the tongue for that same end Jam. 1.19 Hence Learn 1. The Lord hath a Holy Hand in the Rents and Divisions that are among men and hath the time of exercising them therewith set and fixed whereby He intends to correct and humble them for their not adhering to Him and His way and often to make way for some further stroake to be inflicted upon them thereby weakning them before their common enemy Isai 9.21 For with a provocked God There is a time to rent 2. The time of healing these Rents whether of Nations Churches or paricular Societies are in Gods hand and fixed by Him which He brings about especially when People Rent their hearts by Godly sorrow for these sins which have provocked Him so to Rent them Joel 2.13 And when He intends to give deliverance from these Judgments whereof these Rents were the forerunners Ezek. 37.16 And so He is to be acknowledged and intreated for this mercy as Paul doth in the behalf of a Rented Church 2 Cor. 13.11 For He hath fixed a time to sew 3. There are some seasons which the Lords People ought carefully to observe wherein they are to hold their peace and to refrain from speaking even that which is in it self good and might prove so to others As 1. When we are called to learn from others Job 32 7. 2. When men turn brutish and declare themselves incapable of profiting and the more inraged in their wickedness the more they are spoken to Math. 7.6 and so incorrigible that others can neither have access to deal with them nor with God for them Amos. 5.13 And 3. When the Truth hath been often before sufficiently asserted and cleared even to their conviction Math. 27.14 In which and the like cases There is a time to be silent 4. There are also opportunities of Speaking which all the Lords People ought to observe and make use of wherein they cannot without sin be silent as when they are called to give a testimony to known truth 1 Pet. 3.15 When they see their Brother sin and have opportunity to rebuke him Lev. 19 17. When they see him in affliction standing in need of a word of comfort from them 1 Thess 4.18 And when these that have a call to speak publickly to the Lords People are Born down Mal. 3.16 And especially there are times of Speaking to and instructing of these under their charge Deut. 6.7 And the Lord is to be depended upon for light to discern these particular seasons and for the matter and manner of Speaking in them Prov. 16 1. In all which and the like cases There is a time to speak Ver. 8. A time to love and a time to hate a time of war and a time of peace THe first Two of these Instances may be understood of the seasons which God hath fixed for manifesting His dominion over the passions and affections of men sometimes by turning them to Favour whom and when he pleaseth Exod 3.21 At other times again in His Holy Providence turning their hearts to hate these same Persons Psal 105.25 And so consequently of these seasons which He hath set for manifesting His love and just displeasure against the Children of men seeing the Scripture attributes to Him speaking of Him after the manner of man and in regard of His Dispensations A time of Love Ezek. 16.8 And of Hatred or Indignation Ezek. 22.24 The same Instances may be also understood of these seasons which men ought to observe for manifesting their Love and expressing their Indignation not against the persons but the sinful courses of others As for the other Two Instances of War and Peace They are to be taken for these seasons which the Lord hath set for manifesting His Displeasure against the sons of men by sending War and the consequents thereof upon them and for manifesting His Mercy toward them in restoring Peace to them again And likewise for these seasons which men ought to observe wherein to prepare themselves for and ingadge themselves in War and wherein again to apply themselves and condescend unto terms of Peace with their enemies The due observation and use-making of all which contributes much to that which is the Preachers scope to work the hearts of men to contentment under all changes of Dispensations considering that the Timing of all these is in Gods Hand Hence Learn 1. The Lord is to be acknowledged and depended upon as having absolute dominion over the passions and affections of all Men so as they cannot Love or Hate but at the times that He hath set nor can they manifest either Love or Hatred but as He pleases who doth by their Love or Hatred manifest His Own free favour or Just displeasure as He thinks fit and therefore His favour is to be sought above all things Psal 63.3 and His Displeasure only to be feared Psal 76.17 who hath fixed these times wherein men shall manifest their Love or Hatred and His Majesty shall thereby signifie His Own favour or Displeasure For There is a time to Love and a time to Hate 2. Although it be never lawful to Hate the persons of any no not of our greatest enemies Matt. 5.44 Yet there are some seasons wherein it will be lawful and necessary to express Hatred of their courses viz. when they are found hateful before the Lord and some seasons also wherein we will be called to carry our selves even toward these of our nearest relations as if we did Hate them to wit by forsaking them for Christ when we cannot injoy Him and them both Luk. 14.26 In which and the like cases There is a time to Hate 3. However the Lord be free of the sinfulness of mens undertaking and prosecuting of Wars seeing they do often propose other ends and take other means and ways for them than He approves of in His Word Isai 10.7 Zach. 1 15. Yet He is Commander in chief of all Armies and hath the Time of the rise and continuance of War in His Hand And that Time in Reference to His People is especially when they have much abused His Love and Goodness in peaceable times Hos 11.4.6 When they turn oppressors one of another and Covenant-breakers even in Civil Affairs Jer. 34.17 When they come to avow and defend their wickedness Ezek. 21.9.24 When they content themselves with the outward forme of Religion Jer. 6.20 21 25. When they sight the offers of the everlasting Covenant Lev. 26.25 And yet remain fearless of threatned Judgment Jer. 12.4.12 These being in Scripture made the procuring causes of War upon Peoples part may safely be taken for the signs of the time here spoken of There is a time of War viz.
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 submissiâ—â— 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 groâ—â—ed 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 〈◊〉 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 paâ—â— 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 plac◠〈◊〉 judgment that wickedness was there And thâ—â—pace 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 〈◊〉 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 â—or 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
as they resemble the Beasts in their disposition and carriage especially in their preying one upon another by their Injustice and seeking Happiness in their earthly and sensual delights And because this Holy Man having this Holy Purpose of God manifested to him could not but go along with with it in his desires therefore this that he said in his heart concerning the state of the sones of men that God might manifest them c. May be taken for his hearty wish or Prayer to this purpose O that God might manifest them and that they might see themselves to be but Beasts And so it is clear that this serves both to humble such men and reclaim them from their way And to quiet the hearts of the Godly who are opprest by them considering how base and beastly they are for all their Eminency and that it is Gods purpose to manifest them to be such Ver. 18. And next he holds forth such Reasons as are most effectual to convince them of their brutishness to wit that they as well as the Beasts are subject to many accidents or as the Word translated Befalleth signifies Occurrences of Providence interrupting them in their injoyment of these earthly delights wherein they place their Happiness And particularly that they are both alike subject to death man having one and the same vital breath or Animal Spirit with the Beast and being as easily cut off as the Beast so that in these things men have no preeminency above the Beast though in respect of their rational and immortal Souls and their condition after death whereof he speaks afterward there be a vast difference Thirdly He confirms this proof by a general assertion concerning the Vanity or emptiness and insufficieency of all created things for bringing True contentment or Happiness to Man and therefore it is a brutish thing for Men that have immortal Souls to seek their Happiness in Worldly greatness especially upheld by Oppression and Injustice Ver. 19. And Fourthly he doth further inlarge and illustrate the resemblance betwixt them and the Beasts by this that they are all in a motion toward the same place to wit Corruption or the state of the dead and that because Man is of the same Original or mettal with the Beast as to his earthly or material Part his Body And so must be dissolved as the Beast into the dust again Ver. 20. Hence Learn 1. This is one of the Holy Designes of God in permitting Wicked men to have that power and these places of trust in the World which they abuse by oppression and Injustice that they may manifest that Wickedness which was before latent in them hid from the World and themselves also while they had not such opportunity and Temptations to vent it 2 King 8.13 The consideration whereof may abate Mens Ambitious Desires after Worldly Eminency and greatness for while they are receiving the same they are but ascending the Stage whereupon men do ordinarily act in the view of others and proclaim to the World their own folly and perversness And likewise it should make Men in the first place Study the mortification of these Evils which great places often discover to the disgrace and ruine of the Persons advanced to them For upon this Solomon saith he did meditate as Gods purpose and design in permitting that which he observed in the former verse I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men that God might manifest them that is that it was his purpose to let them show what they were 2. That which should mainly take up the hearts of the Lords People while they consider His Dispensation of suffering Wicked Men to have power and Authority and Innocency to be opprest and Justice perverted by them is the Lords intention and purpose therein so far as by the light of His Word and Spirit they may attain to the knowledge of it This when it is seen being able to quiet their hearts seeing all His purposes are to bring Glory to himself Prov. 16.4 And good to His Own at last Psal 25.10 For upon this design of God in suffering men to sit in Judgment seats who act unjustly there is Solomons meditation Exercised and therewith also is his heart quieted I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sones of men that God manifest them 3. Though the Wickedness of Men especially Men in place and power ought to be grievous to the Godly as it is the Lords publick Dishonour Psal 119 158. Yet the manifestation of their Wickedness and Injustice as it is ordered and made use of by His holy Providence to make them more hateful and to undeceive others who have been ensnared by them and may possibly tend to make them vile to themselves and ashamed of their evil ways it ought to be a comfort to the Godly against their own particular sufferings from them For the consideration of this That the Lords design in suffering such men to have power who do abuse it is to manifest their Brutishness to the World and themselves is here held forth as comfortable to the opprest Godly I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men that God might manifest them c. 4. However Wicked Men in Eminency are apt to Deifie themselves Dan. 6.9 And people also are ready to applaud them in so doing Ast. 12.22 yet while they abuse their power and Authority for promoting of Wickedness and bearing down of Piety and Equity they prove themselves to be Brutish seeing they seek no higher Happiness than in things wherein Beasts take pleasure 2 Pet. 2.12 they wax wanton and insolent against God by their Prosperity as the Beast fed upon a fat Pasture Deut. 32.15 and employ their power to oppress the innocent and weak as the Beasts do Ezek. 34 20 21. And so by all their pleasures and prosperity are but fatted for the day of slaughter Prov. 7.22 For it is here implyed that if they Judged aright they would esteem themselves no better seeing it is the Lords mind To manifest them And that they might see themselves to be but Beasts 5. Wicked men by Reason of their blindness self love and prejudice at the truth of God do not ordinarily see the brutishness of their own disposition and baseness of their way till they be left of God to manifest to the World the latent Wickedness that is in their hearts For this second Branch of this Lords design in suffering Wicked Men to have power who abuse it may be looked on as promoved by the first They are by providence brought to Eminency that they may be manifested to others And this is done that they themselves might see that they are Beasts 6. Wicked Men may see that in the Dispensations of God even these that are most grievous to them may contribute much for their good if they make a right use thereof For while he is manifesting them to the World they ought to think
Happiness For here Solomon from his former Observations which he had painfully gathered by much meditation for clearing of his own and others minds concerning the Lords Dispensations draweth this practical conclusion whereby he commends to his own heart and others a chearful going about of Commanded Duties for the honour of God Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better c. 2. Although the best Actions that the best of Men can perform have in them a sinful mixture and so yeild alwayes some matter of shame and Humiliation Isai 64.6 Yet it is possible for a Child of God to attain to such a way of going about his Duty as that he may have Joy and comfort in what he does so far as he finds the spirit of God inabling him for these Duties which are far above the reach of his natural Abilities and so His Works evidence the spirits Gracious Indwelling Ephes 3.16 In so far as he is made to intend mainly the Glory of his Maker in his works and so hath it made clear to him that he and his Works are acceptable 1 Pet. 2 5. and 4.11 This is both the Lords allowance to His Own and it is there Duty to study the attaining of it For this is it which is here commended That a man should rejoice in his Works c. 3. Though none are to rest upon any measure of Grace or comfort they have attained in this World Philip. 3.12.13 Yet when the Lords people are by His Grace holden to their Duty with some measure of chearfulness they ought then to Judge themselves arrived at the hight of that Happiness which for the kind of it is attainable in this life seeing they may be sure in that way to have many a comfortable meeting with God to strengthen them for more Work and increase their Joy in Himself Isai 64.5 and in that way they are to hold on and not to look for rest from that Labour while they are here For in this sense There is nothing better for a man in this Life than that he should rejoice in his own work 4. Although the good Motions and Actions of the Godly are to be attributed to the Lord as the prime efficient of them Philip. 2.13 Isai 26.12 Yet in regard the renewed faculties of the Soul and the outward man sanctified for that end are the immediat and formall Causes and instruments of these Works and that they are no less rewarded by Grace than if they were done by mans own strength yet they are properly called mens own Works And to call them so and Rejoice in them also in the sense formerly mentioned is consonant to the Scripture Gal. 6.4 Which refutes them who say Gracious Actings are not the Believers but Christs and His Spirits in them There is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works 5. Although the full reward of Well-doing be reserved for the other Life yet there is some portion or part of it as the Word signifies let out in the mean time so much as may make Men hold chearfully on in their duty under the saddest Dispensations they may meet with even that Joy in the Holy Ghost and Peace that passeth Understanding from their discerning of the Lords enabling them to follow their duty and of His acceptance of them and it For saith Solomon That a man should rejoice in his labour this is his portion That is It is a begun Reward a temporarie Recompence of his Labour and Pains 6. Though Man had never so large a measure of the Things of this Earth he should never esteem himself to have got his Portion which God allows upon him till he find himself enabled by special Grace to go about his duty in the strength and for the Glory of Christ and so as he may have some measure of true Joy in confidence of the acceptation of his Person and Works and he that hath attained to this were his measure of things worldly never so small he should count himself to have his Portion which is better than all other things on Earth For That a man should rejoice in his works this saith the wise Man is his portion 7. While Men are strangers to this chearful following of their duty which is truely their portion here they will be no less anxious and earnest in pursuing things earthly and heaping them up for the future than if they were either never to part with them or after Death to come back again and enjoy them For this Question speaks to Men whose practice is such as if they were led by this Principle that they should return to see or as the Word signifies to enjoy what they once left behind them at Death Who can bring him to see what shall be after him 8. The Consideration of Mans short continuance with and the certainty of his parting from all his earthly Comforts and of the impossibility of his returning to them after Death should not make him abuse them by excess of delight in them as sensual Epicures do 1 Cor. 15.32 yet it should stirr him up to take his allowed Comfort in them and to use them for chearing of his Heart in serving of his Maker so shall he be Sure his Works shall follow him when he rests from his labour though he come not back to see or enjoy them here For there is an Argument to commend chearful following of a Mans duty by taking the comfort of the Creatures imported in this Question For who shall bring him to see what shall be after him CHAP. IV. The ARGUMENT SOLOMON in this Chapter goeth on in pressing that great Work and Exercise of a Christian Mortification to the World thereby drawing off Mens Hearts from the pursuit of an earthly Happiness and encouraging them to a conscientious Submission under the greatest pressure of outward Troubles which he inforceth by several Motives or Arguments being so many of his own Experimental Observations The 1. whereof is That in his renewed and serious Consideration of things he found it ordinary in the World that proud and wicked Oppressours prevailed and were very prosperous And that the Saints were kept in a very sad and comfortless Life under them ver 1. which made him not only commend the state of them who by Death were beyond the reach of such Miseries and Snares as preferable to the state of them who by their life were yet exposed to them ver 2. But also to prefer the case of them that are yet unborn who have neither seen nor felt these Troubles and Temptations unto both the Dead that once were and the Living that yet are under them ver 3. 2. That the best Entertainment that Mens diligence in following that which is good doth ordinarly meet with in the World though it may be some expect better is Hatred and Envy even from those from whom in regard of their Obligation and Relation it would be least expected which he censures as a sinful
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
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
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
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
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
any sinful course for keeping of them For this Evil Travel may be safely understood of the sinful Courses Men take to preserve their Estates But those Riches perish by evil Travel 3. It is Just with God to leave Men to spend prodigally upon their Lusts what they have sinfully purchased or sought after as their chief Good or kept to the Hurt and Prejudice of their Souls For of these sinful Ways whereby Men consume their own Substance as well as of these whereby they labour to keep the same this Clause may be understood But these Riches perish by evil Travel 4. The Lord hath many ways to blast Covetous Mens Idols beside the Courses themselves take formerly mentioned tending to the ruine of their Estates he can make use of the Injustice and Avarice of Spoilers and Oppressours the deceitfulness of Friends and the prodigality of Children to make their Riches Perish Therefore doth Solomon express the Casualities whereunto Riches are subject under this general Clause These Riches perish by evil Travel importing all these ways formerly mentioned and many others 5. The Lord may write His Displeasure with the sinful conquest of Covetous Men upon the poor and outwardly miserable condition of their Off-spring the nature of which Dispensation may be changed to the Sons or Heirs of such if they seek better things for their Portion than their Fathers have done For it is here set down as the consequent of God's Blasting the Estates of Covetous Worldlings and so a sign of His Displeasure with their Sin That they beget Sons who have nothing in their Hand or in their Power to wit of all that their Fathers gathered and kept so carefully for them 6 These Children for whom Parents are providing great Estates by Covetousness or sinful Courses ought to look upon them as very uncertain and if they be truly Wise will lay their account to provide for themselves otherwise For here the Estate of the Man who kept it long to his own Souls Hurt is now Perished by evil Travel and the Son whom he hath begotten hath nothing in his Hand Ver. 15. As he came forth of his Mothers womb naked shall he Return to go as he came and shall take nothing of his labour which he may carry away in his Hand 16. And this also is a sore Evil that in all points as he came so shall he go and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind 17. All his dayes also he eateth in darkness and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness THese Words contain two farther Arguments to abate Mens immoderate Desires after the things of this World The First is taken from the necessity of his parting with All And this he insists upon and clears 1. By comparing Mans case while he entereth into the World with his condition in going out of it that as he brought no Money or Possessions into the World with him so must he go out of it without them and not carry so much as an handful with him that can be of any use to him in the other World he is said to Return as it were whence he came because he Goes in a manner back to an Estate like unto that which he was in before he came into the World as to his being deprived of worldly Enjoyments to the Womb of our Common Mother the Earth 2. By regrating as it were the great guilt and woful condition of Men who imbrace these things for their portion which is to them a sore Evil both of Sin and Punishment And while he saith In all points he must Go as he Came it cannot be taken without limitation For it is sure the Covetous Worldling though he take not a Farthing of his Money out of the World with him yet he takes hence a load of Guilt beside what he brought into the World with him but the meaning is In all points as to his being stript of his worldly Possessions and Comforts he came Poor Naked and Weeping into the World and so must he go out of it And 3. By alarming the Conscience of this inconsiderat Worldling with a Question What profit hath he to wit mainly at his Departure in labouring for that which he can no more hold fast than the Wind nor be more refreshed with than an hungry Man can be fed with the Wind. And this same Argument in substance is made use of by the Apostle to the same purpose 1 Tim. 6.7 The other Argument is taken from the sorrowful and comfortless Case of the Covetous Worldling in the mean time while he doth enjoy his god Mammon set forth in several Expressions 1. All his dayes he eats in Darkness Darkness is frequently put in Scripture for the privation of Comfort Isa 13.10 And so it is here even the best of his dayes he hath not the least grain of true spiritual Comfort in comparison whereof his carnal Mirth is but Darkness And not only is he deprived of true Comfort But 2. He hath much sorrow to wit always much matter of Sorrow and often the feeling of it And 3. He hath much Wrath by which is meant especially his fretting at Dispensations of Providence and Instruments that marr his worldly Desires and Expectations And 4. these he hath mixed With his Sickness or Distemper and loathing of Spirit which is the ordinary frame of Spirit in the Covetous So the summ is That Men most part with All their Riches and can have no true Comfort but much Wo by them if they seek them as their Happiness And therefore it were wisdom in them to draw their Hearts away from them Hence Learn 1. The consideration of our poor and naked Estate when we enter into this World and the absolute necessity of going out of it the same way stript of all earthly Comforts should wean our Hearts from the excessive love of things earthly seing we brought Nothing with us we should possess All as free Gifts and so love the Giver more than them imploy them for His Glory and resign them willingly to Him when He calls for them And seing we Go away Naked and can carry nothing hence with us we should look upon nothing as our own we should be careful to go away cloathed with Christ's Righteousness and adorned with His Grace which is the durable Riches and Righteousness which whosoever hath shall not be found naked in Death nor after it And we should do that in our time that may go with us and comfort us in the gracious Reward thereof Rev. 14.13 For to this effect is the consideration of both represented to Man here As he came forth of his Mothers womb naked shall he return to go as he came and shall take nothing of his labour that he may carry away in his hand 2. The most common and obvious Truths which can hardly escape the consideration of any who have the use of Reason may be blest for producing saving Effects upon the Hearts of
men and therefore should be considered by them and for that end represented and insisted upon by the Lords Ministers for here that which none can be Ignorant of is held forth to convince Men of their Vanity in seeking an Earthly Happiness and to draw them to seek better things That as Man Came Naked into the World so must he Return c. 3. It is both the guilt of the Children of men that they embrace the Dung-hill and choice Earthly Triffles for their Portion while the Blessed God his Grace and Glory are in their offer And the same is also their woful Punishment justly inflicted upon them for despising such an offer For both of the evil of Sin and Punishment this is to be understood This is a sore evil that in all points as he Came so shall he Go. Not as if this Dispensation were evil but that Man should Labour for the Wind Neglecting the Substance seing He must Go as he Came. This is the sore evil 4. If covetous Worldlings would commune often with their own Hearts if they would exercise their Reason and put their Conscience to tell what true Advantage they have by pouring out their Hearts upon the Earth and the things thereof they could not but see their way to be no less unreasonable and unprofitable for attaining to Happiness than if a man would make it the business of his Life to gather Wind which cannot be held though it be among his Hands nor can satisfy him though he could hold it But such serious Thoughts are banished by Worldly minded Men and therefore Ministers should urge their Consciences to speak to this purpose as is imported in this question What profit hath he that hath Laboured for the Wind 5. Whatever deluded apprehensions the Worldling hath of Pleasure and Comfort in his Possessions and pursute after more he hath not the least grain of true Comfort all his Life-time he hath not a truly Comfortable Meal nor a good day suppose it were the day of his Coronation and Conquest of Kingdoms How much better is the Case of a poor Believer in Jesus Christ who though he be judged by Worldlings the most Comfortless man in the World yet eats his Bread with gladness and singleness of Heart Acts 1.46 And may have every day the Feast of a good Conscience Prov. 15.15 For of the covetous the Spirit of the Lord saith thus All his dayes he Eats in Darkness 6. Though many Worldlings be insensible of the matter of Sorrow which they have though they can feign joy and put a fair face upon a Spirit gnawn with inward Challenges yet have they much Sorrow they are still sowing the Seeds of Sorrow and all they do tends to ripen it and sometimes they have pangs of Conscience in the fearful expectation of Judgement and Wrath for saith Solomon He Eats in Darkness and hath much Sorrow 7. Covetous men are ordinarily men of fiery and fretting Dispositions their Passions are moved when the Word speaks against their Idolatry they are inraged against those who crave either in Justice or in Charity any thing from them and repine at these Dispensations of Providence which either impose their Projects for more of the World or threaten the removal of what they have in which respects the Covetous man is here said to have Much Wrath. 8. Whatever outward Health a Covetous Miser may have yet is he ordinarily in a Distemper of Spirit pined away with Cares how to gather more Riches Anxious Fears of losing what he hath and Vexation of Spirit upon disappointment of his Projects for increase of his Wealth And these often have influence upon his Body and Natural Spirits to make these Sick and Languid especially while de denies himself the comfortable use of the Creatures and keeps his Spirit still upon the rack with his Cares and Fears in which respect he is still a sick dying man and Hath much wrath with his Sickness Ver. 18. Behold that which I have seen It is good and comely for one to Eat and to drink and to injoy the good of all his Labour that he taketh under the Sun all the dayes of his Life which God giveth him for it is his Portion 19. Every man also to whom God hath given Riches and Wealth and hath given him power to eat thereof and to take his Portion and to rejoice in his Labour this is the gift of God 20. For he shall not much remember the days of his Life because God answers him in the joy of his Heart LEst the former directions concerning the right Worshiping of God and Arguments disswading from the inordinat love of Riches might be mistaken as setting men upon a Rigid Severe and Comfortless way of Living Solomon doth in the last part of the Chapter commend at large the Holy and chearful use of the outward comforts of this Life And for this end he doth First call all to consider what himself had seen or observed in his own Experience to wit that it is good not mans Chief but Subordinat good fitting him for a higher the Glorifying and Injoying of God and Comely or that which Beautifieth as the word signifies to wit in the Eyes of others the way of Religion prest in the former part of the Chapter that a Man should Eat and Drink By which words he doth not commend Sensuality or excess but a free and Holy Use of the Creatures men keeping themselves within the bounds of Sobriety and proportioning their use of the Creatures to the Lords Blessing of their Labours for cherishing of the natural Life while God continues it This saith he is a mans Portion not his Best for that is the Lord Himself Reconciled with him in Christ but a Temporary Portion or reward of his Labour carved out to him as the word Portion signifies for upholding his outward man in his Masters Service Next He shews that when God hath given to a man abundance of outward things and hath withal superadded this favour that he hath given him power to use them which consists not only in a mans natural Health whereby he is in a capacity to make use of creature comforts but also in the freedom of his Spirit from Anxiety Nigardliness or scruples of conscience in using them so as he is not inslaved to his Possessions but is made a Master or Lord of them As the word to give Power signifies and hath Wisdom to take them proportionally and sutably to his Rank and Imployment which is to take his Portion and so chearfully to follow his Duty Rejoicing that he is enabled for the same This saith he is a free Gift of God to wit a new Gift superadded to all his wealth and Riches ver 19. And Thirdly He giveth the Reason why men should study this holy and chearful use of the Creatures taken from the advantage he shall have thereby namely he shall not much remember the days of his Life whereby is meant that he shall not be
vexed with the thoughts of his by-past crosses or solicitous how to wrestle thorow his future And that because while he follows his present duty chearfully taking the Lords allowance of outward comforts for that end the Lord will answer his Prayers and pains by giving him spiritual Joy and making his heart glad in himself and his allowance to him Hence Learn 1. Not only do the Lords people stand in need of direction how to go about Religious performances but likewise how to use aright their common Comforts even their meat Drink and other refreshments of that nature considering that they are in hazard to be taken with many snares in these and that there is Communion to be had with God in the right use of them as well as in Acts of immediat Worship And therefore it is a necessary part of a Ministers work to direct peoples carriage herein And people as they love their own peace should study the right use of these things For after Solomon hath taught the right manner of worship in the first part of the Chapter he comes here in the last to set people upon the right way of using their common mercies Behold c. It is good for one to eat and to drink c. 2. Christ's Ministers should be no less careful to point out the lawful liberty of the Lords people and shew them how large his allowance to them is even in the use of outward comforts than to shew them the hazard of inordinat love to and excess in the use of these things and consequently the Lords people should be as careful to know and take their allowance in the holy and chearful use of Creature comforts as they should be attentive least they exceed in their love of and delight in them considering that Satan studies to drive them from one extream to another And as he takes occasion from their lawful liberty to drive them to excess So from the Doctrine of Mortification especially when it is strained too high or not qualified with the Doctrine of Christian Liberty in the use of lawful comforts either to make them look upon Religion as a severe and rigid task prejudicial to their natural life and the comforts of it Or to make them without Ground scrupulous and with fear and doubting to use these things which if they knew the Lords allowance and the right way of using them they might use with a quiet and good Conscience Therefore the Spirit of the Lord after he hath directed Solomon by many Arguments to disswade from the inordinat love of Riches in the second part of this Chapter he brings him in the close to commend the Holy and comfortable use of the Creatures Behold that which I have seen it is good and comely for one to eat and drink and injoy Good c. 3. Though the pretence of the best mens Experience of the good of any course be a very slender commendation of it if there be no farther seing men are so easily deceived Yet Ministers should put truths they hold forth to the Trial of their own Experience and should be very careful Observers what true advantage may be found in any course or practice they commend that they themseves may taste of it and see it and so may with greater Zeal and confidence call others to try the same and their commendation of it coming thorow a heart seasoned with the sweetness thereof it may be the sweeter to them that hath their senses exercised For so doth Solomon here commend this way from his own Experience Behold that which I have seen it is good and comely c. 4. Though nothing lower than the injoyment of the Ever-blessed God be a mans chief good yet there is a subordinat inferiour Good in the right use of the most common comforts of this life such as Meat Drink and the like in so far as the same are used to keep the Body in health and strength and to chear the natural Spirits in doing the Lord service For Solomon saith he saw this that it is good for a man to eat and Drink c. to wit in this sense and for this end 5. As the hearty chearful and holy use of allowed Creature comforts is a thing that beautifies Religion and makes Christians lovely to Onlookers so are they bound to study the same for that very end and not to look only to what is good for themselves but also to what is Comely to others or may allure and gain them to fall in love with the way of Religion For Solomon here commends the Holy and chearful use of allowed comforts from this that as it is Good to the person so using them so it is Comely to others Behold saith he that which I have seen that it is good to wit for a mans self mainly and Comely or as the word signifies Beautiful namely in the sight of others that a man should Eat and Drink and injoy the good of his Labour 6. Though some be exeemed from Handle-Labour or servile imployments 1 Cor. 9.6 yet there is no man exeemed from Labour of one sort or other nor can any chearfully and with a good Conscience take the comfort of Gods Creatures who being in a capacity to Labour and having the opportunity thereof neglects the same and so loves to live upon the good of other mens Labours and not his own for saith Solomon It is good and Comely that a man should Eat and Drink but in so doing he should see that he Injoy the Good of his own Labour which He takes under the Sun c. 7. As there is no day of a mans Life wherein he is able to Labour excepting the days which are the Lords to wit the Sabbath and other days set a part for his Worship wherein he is exeemed from some lawful and honest Labour So mans Painful Labour as the Word signifies is only during this Life under the Sun his rest from his Labour is above the Sun whether his Works shall follow him For saith Solomon It is good for a man to Eat and Drink and injoy the Good of his Labour which he takes under the Sun all the dayes of his Life 8. As every day of a Mans Life should be taken for a new Gift of God and so should be spent in Honouring and serving him so all the Good which he Injoys of his Labour should be looked upon as a Gift of God also though the same be acquired by never so much Labour of his seing the strength to Labour and the success of Labour is from the Lord for this clause which God giveth him may be safely referred either to the Good of his Labour which he takes or to the days of his Life under the Sun wherein he Labours and Injoys that Good both which God giveth him 9. As they that have abundance of the World have but a part thereof allowed upon them for their own use there being several parts thereof appropriat by
being a sin which those that are in a singular way favoured of God and who delight in and study to please him either do not ordinarily fall in or being intangled do mercifully recover from And as being the woful punishment of other sins or Mens habituating themselves to and making a Trade of Sin and so deserving the name of Sinners in a high degree ver 26 2. That his calling of being a Preacher both fitting and obliging him to a particular survey and scrutiny into the several cases and conditions of persons that had made Provision for the Flesh to fulfil its Lusts he had by sad experience found very few examples in the Male sexe whereof himself was but one that were mercifully delivered out of that snare and of the Female sexe of all these Thousand Whorish Women 1 King 11.3 that had stollen away his heart or of all these tempting and enticing Women formerly described he had observed none of them what ever might be in the knowlege of God or others to be true penitents and brought out of that Snare of the Devil ver 27.28 And 3 That he had upon farther serious search found that as God had at first made man after his own Image indued with knowledge and Original Righteousness and so perfect or straight So also that all Adam's posterity naturally give themselves now to nothing so much as to use engines and artifices how to commit and palliat Sin to dishonour God and render themselves Miserable ver 29. CHAP. VII Ver. 1. A good name is better than precious Oyntment and the day of Death than the Day of ones Birth THE main scope of the Preacher in this Chapter being to discover more of the way to true Happiness and Contentment and to point out some Remedies of these Vexations incident to Men in this Life That all may be in Love with the Directions he is to give for these Ends he doth First commend a Good Name as that which is only attained by these who walk in the way afterward pointed out And Next he commends the Death of such as desirable also This Good Name here commended is not Credit among the Men of the World which is founded upon outward Excellencies Riches Honour and the like the Vanity whereof hath been formerly manifested and whereof those that are truly Blest are often deprived But it is an esteem with God founded upon his free Favour for so a good Name is explained by another Expression in a place parallel to this in this Preachers Writings Prov. 21.1 Where loving Favour which signifies the free good Will of God is put as Exegetick of a good Name And this carries along with it a deserved esteem in the minds of Spiritual Discerners founded upon Gods Grace evidenced in a Holy Life so that the Good Name here commended is that only which those have who are Christians indeed or the Anointed ones of the Lord who are Perfumed with the Graces of his Spirit appearing in their Humility Patience Heavenly Wisdom and other Exercises after mentioned And this he commends as better than the most Precious things in the World wherein worldly Men seek their Happiness of which one of the sweetest and most useful is here named for the rest And so in effect he commends Piety by commending the Sign or temporary reward of it and that in these terms which may be most taking with those who are most taken up with things worldly among which Credit or a Name is one of the chief Next He commends The day of Death namely the Death of such an one as is thus in esteem with God and deserves esteem among men as far to be preferred to the Day of ones Birth He mentions not the Reasons of this preference supposing the Advantages that the Godly have by the one and the Disadvantages that all have by the other to be easily condescended upon some whereof are touched in the Doctrines Hence Learn 1. This Heavenly Policy is necessary in a Minister of Christ who would ingage mens Hearts to fall in Love with the way to true Happiness to commend what is to be found in that way under the Names of these things which Carnal men are most in Love with And this may be safely done seing what ever it be that any are in Love with the same may be truly found in Fellowship with God If it be Riches men seek in him and his Fellowship they may find Durable Riches and Righteousness Prov. 8.18 If Pleasure they may Drink of the River of his Pleasures Psal 36.8 And if it be Credit they may have A Name better than Oyntment For so doth Solomon here commend the way of Holiness by commending the temporary Reward of it under the name of that which naturally Men most affect A good Name is better than c. 2. Although all that take themselves to the way of Holiness may expect Reproach and Disgrace for their so doing from the profane World 1 Pet. 4.4 Yet they may be sure of a Name and Esteem with God and with such as are truly Wise For Solomon here commends a Good Name as that which all shall have who take them to the way pointed out afterward A good Name is better than c. 3. Although the Godly should die to their worldly Credit and not haunt after vain Glory Gal. 5.26 Yet such a Name or Esteem even among Men as is obtained by evidencing the Graces of God Heb. 11.2 By an humble and holy Walking and such as may keep them in Capacity to do Service to God and Good to Others Prov. 22.4 May be desired and sought after for such a Name is here commended as desirable A good Name is better than c. 4. To have such a Name or Esteem with God and to have his Grace so lively in our Hearts as we may be refreshful to Others and fitted for Healing of their Wounds and Distempers is a Case more to be prized and sought after than the most Precious things in the World such a Name will never rot though the Savour of it may be held in for a time it will still break through the thickest cloud of Calumnies and Reproaches For this comparative way of commending a good Name by preferring it to Precious Oyntment imports it to have a resemblance thereunto in respect of the Fragrancy and Medicinal Vertue thereof and to have something above it which is mainly the perpetuity of it A good Name is better than precious Oyntment 5. A good Name or esteem among men is not to be sought so much for what our selves have by it as because it makes us Savoury and Refreshful to others and particularly because it makes us the more fit for healing of their Spiritual Distempers as is imported in Solomons preferring it to Precious Ointment which must be taken in reference to the proportional effects of both A good Name is better than precious Ointment 6. Only those have a Good Name deservedly so called
more confused less peaceable and familiar with God and so more unfit for every Duty As is imported by the contrary of this if by the sadness of the Countenance the Heart be made better than by the Levity or Inconstancy of the Countenance or outward Behaviour the Heart is made worse 7. As Saving Wisdom teaches Christians to be Sincere and not like wicked Hypocrites Ps 55 21. and to bring their Hearts with them when they go to the House of Mourning to signifie their sympathy with and desire to comfort the Mourners there So when these indued with it are necessarly detained from the Company of Afflicted Ones their Hearts will be with them sympathizing with and supplicating for them And this even when the Lord's Dispensations with themselves afford them matter of Rejoicing see 2 Sam. 11.11 For Solomon speaks of this as the ordinary Frame and Temper of the Godly Man or one indued with the Wisdom that is from Above whatever his own case be and whether he be with the Mourners or not The Heart of the Wise is in the House of Mourning 8. Even when wicked Men may be detained in Gods Providence by some external Restraint from their sinful Pleasures and Companions as when they are by the Hand of God upon their Body or Spirit put out of a capacity of taking their Carnal mirth their Hearts are still with their Idol Carnal Pleasure and they are approving of others and counting them Happy who have that Pleasure For this doth still agree to a wicked Man sold to his Carnal Pleasures as his ordinary disposition and that which proves him a Fool void of Saving Knowledge even though he were in a Prison or upon the Bed of Sickness The Heart of Fools is in the House of Mirth Ver. 5. It is better to hear the Rebuke of the Wise than for a Man to hear the Song of Fools 6. For as the crackling of thorns under a Pot so is the laughter of a Fool This also is Vanity IN the third place Solomon commends patient submission to the Reproofs of the Wise whether publick Ministers or privat Christians who have Wisdom and Calling from God to discover the nature Hazard and Remedy of Mens Sinfulness and this is also to be taken as another mean of bringing Men to their true Happiness and contentment The Hearing of these Reproofs he saith is better than the hearing of the Song of Fools By the Song of Fools is meant not only Ungodly Mens Glorying in their Sinful Courses but also and mainly according to the Scope their Flatteries and applauding of others in their Sins Next He giveth a Reason why the severest Rebukes of Wise and Serious Men should be more acceptable than Wicked Mens Flattering Approbations because all the Joy that Wicked Men have in their way and consequently in their Flattering or being Flattered by others is of very short continuance And this he Illustrats by the similitude of Thorns blazing and making a noise for a little and soon ending in smoak upon which he passeth Censure that for Men to Rejoice in Sin to Flatter others therein or to be taken with the applause or Flattery of others This also is Vanity Hence Learn 1. The best of Men are not above the necessity of Reproofs all being subject to manifold sailings Jam. 3.2 and ready to sleep securely in their Sins except by some wise Reprover they be alarmed 2 Sam. 12.5 For while he commends unto all submission to Rebukes he supposes none above the necessity of them It is better to hear the Rebuke of the Wise c. 2. Men are so in love with their Idols before they be wakened and reclaimed that they have within them much opposition to Rebukes and discoveries of the evil of their Ways and cannot prize these as sweet and beneficial to them as they will do after they are wakened Even what Mens own Consciences will Rebuke them for they will not willingly admit of Reproofs for it from others but are in hazard to like better the Flatteries and Applause of others soothing them in ther Sins than wholesome and sharp Rebukes Therefore the Spirit of the Lord sees it necessary to commend these as much to be prefered to the sweetest Flatteries It is better to hear the Rebuke of the Wise then the song of Fools 3. There is much need of Wisdom in a Reprover if so be he would expect acceptance and success as a reward for discerning the Season the manner of Reproving and especially the temper of the persons to be Reproved that he may change his Voice as Paul speaks Gal. 4.20 or frame his strain accordingly that he may neither Rebuke without cause nor so as to irritate the party justly Rebuked nor for fear of displeasing any conceal his just Indignation at their Sins For the Reproof which is here commended to be submitted unto is the Rebuke of the Wise 4. As Men desire to be truely Happy and have true peace and contentment of Spirit they must submit to the sharpest Rebukes of the Wise and look upon the same as a mean of promoving their Happiness the main end of them being to discover to Men and reclaim them from these Sins which marr their peace and Happiness For in order to the attaining of true peace and Happiness is this commended It is better to hear the Rebuke of the Wise 5. As it is the mark of one void of the saving knowledge of God who is the Fool indeed to Glory in his Sin and especially to delight in Flattering others and singing them a sleep in their Sins so those that are in love with their Lusts are much ravished and delighted with the Flatteries and Aplause of other Sinners For Mens carnal Mirth and particularly their Flattering of others in Sin is here called The song of Fools because it uses to be sweet both to the Flattering and the Flattered Fool. 6. We are not to esteem of the speeches of others according as they are pleasant unto our corrupt nature to which nothing is sweet but what gratifies some Lust but according as they may be truly profitable and conducing for our Happiness though they be never so contrary to our corrupt inclination and esteem that the best strain for us For it is better to hear the Rebuke of the Wise than the Song of the Fools 7. As carnal mirth is of very short continuance and ends in wo so it concerns Christs Ministers to study the most effectual way of representing the same to men and with all how little pleasure a Gracious heart can have in it as is imported in the similitude Solomon makes use of here As the crakling of Thorns under a Pot so is the laughter of Fools 8. It is a great Vanity for men to Glory in that which is their Shame namely their Sin or to be delighted with that which so soon evanishes and hath so black an end For Solomon speaking mainly of Sinners delight in Flattering or being Flattered
by others he saith This is also Vanity Ver. 7. Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad and a gift destroyeth the heart 8. Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof and the Patient in Spirit is better than the Proud in Spirit IN the fourth place he commmends patience under the many grievous Injuries that the Godly are obnoxious to in the World as a remedy of that Vexation of Spirit which marrs their true contentment And for this end he doth First shew what effect Oppression hath ordinarily even upon the best of Men viz. It works so upon their Corruption that they are often in such Distempers of fretting and Grief as they seem to be beside themselves Next He discovers the cause of Oppression in Mens corrupt nature to be Covetousness they love and receive Gifts or Bribes whereby it appears that it is Oppression in Judgement Seats and Courts of Justice that he hath mainly an Eye upon And these Bribes destroy their Hearts blind their Judgements and corrupt or sway their Affection from Equity And this may be looked upon as held forth for a ground of Patience under Oppression which hath so sinful a Root And so cannot but be displeasing to God and consequently punished by him in due time Thirdly He holds forth two comfortable considerations for composing of the Spirits of the Oppressed And working them to Patience under their Lot The 1. Is from the â—ssue of their Oppression which will be sweet though the beginning thereof be hard For this expression Better is the End of a thing than the Beginning c. Is not to be understood of all things generally seing it is clear there are many things whose end is worse than their beginning as Oppression it self to the Oppressour Apostasie from the truth 2 Pet 2 20. And the like But it is to be restricted to the Trials of the Godly here spoken of The 2 1â— That Patience or as the word signifies to be long Breathed and hold on in the way of God notwithstanding of many sufferings proves one to be in a Better Condition i. e. more lovely and acceptable to God than the Proud or lifted up in Spirit by whom we may understand either the proud Oppressour or the fretting impatient Oppressed And this comparison is not to be understood as if Pride of Spirit had any good in it but because the Proud are often in a good Condition in the Worlds esteem And it is ordinary in Scripture to compare one thing with another in that quality which is only in the subject in the Opinion of the World see Psal 118.8 Hence Learn 1. True Wisdom cannot teach men to evite Injuries and Oppression in the World but rather the more men have of it and the Wiser their Courses be in order to their true Happiness the greater often are their Oppressions For Solomon supposes here that the Wise man who according to the Spirits Language in this Book is the Godly man or the person that is indued with saving Wisdom is often under grievous Oppression while he saith Surely Oppression makes a Wise Man Mad. 2. So imperfect is the Grace of Patience in the Best And so little do they consider the grounds of Submission and Comfort which might compose their Spirits that they are ready thorow Oppression and Injuries from Men to be in such Distempers as if they were beside themselves by Fretting at such Dispensations Jer. 15.10 or questioning the Lords love because of them Judg. 6.13 venting their carnal passion and fury against Instruments Luk. 9.54 and wearying of their Life Jona 4.3 And which is worst of all by runing to some sinful Course for their ease 1 Sam. 21.13 For Solomon speaks of this effect of Oppression as very ordinary even in the best Surely Opression makes a Wise man Mad. 3. They that would discover the Sinful Distempers of People especially under Affliction so as they may heal the same must speak of them with compassion and as incident to the best of Men and such as themselves would readily be guilty of if they were in the case of the Afflicted Lest people think themselves looked upon as matchless for their miscarriage or look upon those that discover the Same as Strangers to the feeling of the power of the Temptations and Trials they are under For Solomon here being about to heal a fretting passionat Spirit under Oppression he speaks of it as very incident to all opprest people and with pity and regrate seems to discover this evil as if he had Experience both of Oppression and Distemper of Spirit under it in his own person Surely Oppression makes a Wise man Mad. 4. Oppressours have much to give account for to the great Judge of all they must reckon not only for spoiling Men of their Goods abusing their persons and the like but for oppressing their very Spirits and spoiling them of their witt and Reason For Oppression makes a Wise man Mad. 5 Though wicked Oppressours pretend Equity and Justice together with the defence of the Common-wealth and maintenance of their own just greatness and the grounds of their Oppressing Practices Yet Covetousness or love of Gain is often the true cause thereof For it is here imported that their taking of a Gift is the cause of their Oppressing Sentences and executing of them while this is subjoined to the former a Gift destroys the Heart 6. Covetousness Destroys the Heart of them that are under the power of it it blinds their understanding that they cannot see the evil of any thing that makes for their gain Exod. 23.8 sways their heart to receive Bribes which being received they think themseles oblidged to gratifie the Giver by perverting of Justice in his favours So that the Receiver can be no more cordial for Equity than if he had not an Heart at all and at last as to the consequence and effects of that Sin it draws destruction upon the Soul in all which respects a Gift destroys the Heart 7. Oppression is often committed in Judgement Seats and under Colour of Law And when it is so the Oppression is double and from two parties at once from One who spoils the Oppressed of or detains from them their own of whom they do complain and from the Other the Judge who takes the Gift which possibly is a part of the Oppressed's Goods for this taking of a Gift supposes a party challenged for that which is in substance oppression and the Judge increasing the Oppression by satisfying the Oppressour for his Gift a Gift destroys the Heart 8. It serves to quiet the Spirits of the Oppressed to consider that their Oppressions flow from Covetousness not that the Sin of Oppressours should be comfort to the Oppressed But in so far as they by their Sin make themselves detestable to God and so hasten their own Judgement and the Oppresseds delivery For this may be looked upon as one consideration serving to compose the Spirits of them who are in
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
be busie in observing what may be known of God that may draw their Affections to Him and engage them to His Service and after disappointment of desired success and darkness remaining must renew their endeavours in the use of one commanded mean after another For so was it with Solomon I applied my Heart or as the Original may be rendred I and my Heart went about together to search and seek out Wisdom what he could not find out by Searching he sought out which is one endeavour after another 7 They that would judge aright of the Lord's Dispensations must labour to see by the light of the Word and Spirit what Reasons there may be for them As for Example why the Lord suffers His people to be brought so low in the World even that He may humble them and prove them and do them good in the latter end Deut. 8.16 And why He suffers wicked Men to prosper even that if they will not by His Goodness be led to Repentance they may be the riper for Destruction Rom. 2.4 Ps 92.7 that so we may satisfie our own minds and be able to give a Reason to others of what we profess to know For this was one thing that Solomon made his study To know the reason of things 8 That which is truly good is more clearly seen when we consider the evil that is contrary to it The Beauty of Holiness and excellency of Saving Knowledge is illustrat and best seen when the deformity of Sin the madness and unreasonableness of these Courses which natural Men take to come at their imaginary Happiness are compared therewith For Solomon took this way He gave his Heart to know Wisdom and to know the wickedness of Folly even of Foolishness and Madness 9. As every Man who is not indued with Saving Wisdom is desperat in Wickedness and extremely Mad in following the course that will be his ruine So there is such a height of wickedness and perversity in his way that it is not easy to express the same For Solomon multiplies words to that purpose as if it had been difficult for him to express it while he calls it The wickedness of Folly even of Foolishness and Madness 10. The knowledge of the evil of Sin the madness and Folly that is in Sinners way the desperat wickedness that is in their Hearts while they are in pursuit of their Lusts is one part of Saving Wisdom which all should study that would be truly happy For this is it which Solomon endeavoured to know The wickedness of Folly even of Foolishness and Madness Ver. 26. And I find more bitter than Death the Woman whose Heart is Snares and Nets and her Hands as Bands whose pleaseth God shall escape from her but the Sinner shall be taken by her THis Wise Man having regrated the imperfection of his Knowledge notwithstanding of his most serious inquiry after it formerly mentioned he doth here and in the following words give instances of some success he had of his pains The First is concerning the Evil of sinful Pleasures particularly the satisfying of the Lusts of the Flesh And in setting forth this he doth First describe a Whorish Woman from two things The 1. is That her Heart is Snares and Nets the meaning whereof is That her Heart being under the power of her Lusts doth catch every Temptation to that Sin of Uncleanness which is explained by that Expression Ps 41.6 The Heart gathers iniquity to it self And likeways that her Heart is full of subtile Plots and Insinuations to insnare Men and draw them to her desires as Fowlers and Fishers have their Nets and Baits to entangle Birds and Fishes which are the Metaphores in the Words 2. That her Hands are as Bands whereby are meant her powerful Stratagems to hold Men fast Slaves to her and their own Lusts Next He giveth some Arguments to deterr the Hearts of all from being entangled with Temptations of this sort 1. That he himself had found in his own experience and did in part yet feel the bitterness of giving way to that Sin of Impurity which is so Bitter that Temporal Death is to be preferred to the base Slavery of it By which it seems very clear not only that Solomon was a true Penitent but that this Book hath been written after and in testimony of his Repentance seing at the writting hereof his Uncleanness was so bitter to him that he cannot express it but by calling it more grievous than Death it self to wit Temporal Death which only deprives Men of their Natural Life and the Comforts of it but these sinful Pleasures deprive them of Spiritual Life and the Comforts of Communion with God 2. That the Man who is Favoured of God in a special way shall escape such Temptations that is either he shall not be entangled with them or shall be mercifully rescued from them and consequently as himself expresses this same purpose Prov. 22 14. they must be Abhorred of God who are given up to them 3. That this Sin of Uncleanness is often the punishment of other Sins The Sinner saith he shall be taken by her By the Sinner is not meant every one that deserves that Name for then all should be taken but by the Sinner as is usual in Scripture when that Name is opposed to the Godly or the upright Person is meant One given up or giving himself up to Sin and making a Trade of living in it such a Man is justly left to fall into this most bitter and abominable Sin of Uncleanness Hence Learn 1. Whatever dissatisfaction sincere Students of Saving Knowledge may have with their measure they shall be sure to find success in that which tends most to their true Happiness and to the preventing of their Eternal Ruine For Solomon having regrated his short-coming in the study of Wisdom before cannot but acknowledge that he was not altogether unsuccesful And I find more bitter c. 2. To feel experimentally the bitterness of Sin and to have a lively representation of the hazard of living in it is not the least part of the success of Mens pains for Saving Knowledge For without this they can know nothing Savingly Therefore this is one Instance which Solomon expresseth as a Blessed Fruit of his pains that he found sinful Pleasures More bitter than Death 3. However Sinners apprehend much pleasure in Sin when they commit it yet there is a woful Sting afterward and much Bitterness in the latter end of it every Penitent finds it in mercy so Bitter to him when his Conscience is wakened that he would rather venture upon Temporal Death than enjoy his sinful Pleasures again And impenitent Sinners find it so in Wrath here sometimes by the Stings of an accusing Conscience especially while Poverty Disgrace and loathsome Diseases making their Lives Bitter are upon them Prov. 5.11 and always at Death and after it to Eternity Eccles 12.1 c. So that all that ever took pleasure in Sin shall be
forced to speak this Language one time or other I find it more bitter than Death 4. When Sinners are left to the power of their Lusts they are very studious to ensnare others those that are weakest before Temptations are often strongest to ensnare and hold others fast in the Snare with them and they are plagued with subtility of Wit for that end For the whorish Womans Heart and Hand go together her Heart is Snares and Nets and her Hands Bands 5. As the Temptations to the Sin of Uncleannss especially from lascivious and light Women are subtile and not easily discerned so when Men are once entangled in that Sin they are often made absolute Slaves to it and held fast in it it is not an easie matter to reclaim any such only God's Wisdom must discover the Net and the Snare and His Power must loose the Bands For as her Heart is Snares and Nets which are set so as they are not seen so her Hands are as Bands 6. If Men intangled with the pleasures of Sin especially the base Bewitching inticements of Whorish Women could look right upon their own case they would see themselves like silly Birds or Fishes deprived of their true liberty and Caught in the Devils Net to be preyed upon but such Slaves think their Bondage Liberty For her heart is Snares and Nets and her hands Bands 7. As it is a great sign of Gods special Favour and delight in a person to be kept from sinful Snares or to be liberat after they are intangled with them so the best way to be kept free of them or to escape from them is to make the pleasure of God our Pleasure So should Men find as much true Pleasure in Gods Service and Communion with him as would make sinful pleasures loathsome to them For saith he whose pleaseth God the Words signifie either one Favoured by and pleasing to God or one that studies to please him shall escape from her 8. It is not so much Mens natural disposition to Chastity their Education fear of Shame or Censure their own Vows Resolutions or Crosses as it is Gods taking Pleasure in them and his setting them in the way that pleases Him to which their Preservation or Deliverance from Temptations is to be attributed For saith he Whose pleaseth God shall escape from her 9. Those who habituat themselves to other Sins suppose them less and more secret and make a Trade of Living in them are ordinarily given up to those more gross disgraceful and vile Sins of Fornication Whoredom and the like For the Sinner who as was cleared in the Exposition is one giving up himself to a Trade of Sinning shall be taken by her Ver. 27. Behold this have I found saith the Preacher counting one by one to find out the Account 28. Which yet my Soul seeketh but I find not One Man among a Thousand have I found but a Woman among all these have I not found HEre is the Second Branch of the success of the pains which Solomon took to know the evil of Sin and it is that he had observed it a very rare and consequently a difficult thing for one insnared with the pleasures of Sin especially the Lusts of the Flesh to make an escape therefrom or recover themselves by true Repentance And to make his Testimony in this have the more weight and credit He 1. calls all to consider it as experimentally known to himself 2. He mindes them again of his Calling which did fit him and oblige him to search and hold forth what might be most profitable for the Church 3 He shews how exact a survey he had taken of many particular persons and their Cases not as a man would determine the number of some great Flock by taking a general view of them but as one that Counts them all One by One. 4 That he was yet upon that Search very desirous to find examples of Gods power and Mercy in reclaiming Sinners and delivering Satans Captives but with grief he regrates he could find few or none 5. He shews some success that he had even in this inquiry he had found ONE among a Thousand by which ONE may be meant some few whom he had observed to be reclaimed by Gods Grace Or by this One he may understand Himself who was a Penitent But a Woman among so many he had not found this is not spoken to derogat from the one sexe more than the other for both are alike impotent in order to their recovery out of Temptations Rom. 3.23 Gal. 6.3 And Solomon himself did know some Gracious Women 2 Chron 9.1 And frequently commends such Prov. 19.14 and 31 30. But he seems to speak of these Idolatrous and Whorish Women of the Moabites Ammonites and Egyptians who had stollen away his heart from God For 1 King 11.3 it is marked that there was such a number of those as is here mentioned and it seems he hath not observed any of them all Penitents though he doth not determine but some of them might be so Or we may take him here to speak only of Women under this particular consideration as Inticing and drawing away Men to Wickedness according to the Description given of them in the former verse and of such he had observed few or none reclaimed from their Vileness Hence Learn 1. The Lord hath vouchsafed upon his Church the help of the experience of the Pen-men of Scripture to commend his Truth that Men may be the more afraid to slight it considering that those who deliver it may be Witnesses against them upon a double account both that they have spoken in the Lords name and that they have spoken their own experience Behold this have I found saith the Preacher 2. Hearers of the Word had need to mind often the warrand and Authority of the Speaker lest they take the Word as the word of a Man only For it is not without cause that Solomon mentions his Ecclesiastick Office here again This have I found saith the Preacher 3. They that would have their Experiences well grounded must go thorow many particulars and consider many persons and cases wherein they have observed the Conclusion they draw to be verified As for example they that would be perswaded of Gods willingness and readiness to Pardon and Comfort humble Sinners they must count all the instances they can in Scripture or otherwise of such particular persons as he hath pardoned and comforted and so they that would be confirmed and confirm others of the Truth of this that there is such a power in Temptations and such impotency in persons once inslaved with them that few or none of them escape in comparison of those who remain Slaves till they Perish they must go thorow many instances to see this Truth verified For so did Solomon here counting One by One to find out the Account 4. True Penitents are very desirous to see other Sinners especially those who have been their Companions in Sin mercifully
those in Authority he doth here prescribe the safest way of walking for eshewing trouble from them or induring the same with a good Conscience and that is by keeping the Commandement he means mainly Gods Commandement seing all the Lawful Commands of Magistrates are but Branches or Applications of his Commands and by the keeping of them he means a sincere indeavour after Obedience in the strength of the Lord according to the Tenour of the Covenant of Grace wherein Solomon was well instructed both immediatly by God 2 Chron. 7.12 And by his Father Prov. 4.4 Who was well acquainted therewith Psal 119.6 and 71.6 And this he presses as the prime evidence of Heavenly Wisdom which he formerly commended and here shews how it should be evidenced and bears in the same by two Reasons The First is That He that keeps the Command shall feel no evil thing which cannot be understood as if he should thereby escape all outward trouble seing those who are most sincere in that Study are often put to hardest suffering but the meaning is that nothing which can befall him shall be an evil to him but rather shall be for his good The Second Reason is That a Wise Mans Hearts discerns both Time and Judgement By the Wise Man is meant the same who keeps the Commandement hereby evidencing himself to be indued with Heavenly Wisdom And this shall be his second Priviledge he shall be able To discern both Time and Judgement By Time he means the fit Season and Opportunity of his Actions especially in reference to the Commands of those in Authority as the foregoing words make clear He shall Discern when it is a fit Season to comply with them and when to oppose them And by Discerning of Judgment he means the clear understanding both of the Cause of Suffering namely what Commands of Men are to be disobeyed upon the hazard of the worst from them and what Commands of theirs may with a good Conscience be obeyed As likewise it may be understood of the manner of managing the defence of that cause in the Season thereof And the Wisdom to discern all these is only vouchsafed upon them who make Conscience of keeping the Commandements of God that are made plain to them Hence Learn 1. The greatness of the Power and Terrour wherewith the sinful Commands of Magistrates are often backed is ready to abate in the Hearts of the best the respect they owe to Gods Commands and to draw them from their Obedience to him the more terrible hazard of Disobedience to God being only seen by Faith Heb. 11.1.23 Therefore the Wise Man having disswaded from rash disobeying of the Commands of Superiours by an Argument taken from the greatness of their Power which they often exercise in an absolute way He doth here guard against the other extreme of obeying their sinful Commands contrary to Gods Who so keepeth the Commandement viz. of God shall feel no evil thing 2. Men so far as they have true respect to the Commands of God can never be disloyal to any of his Vicegerents nor disobedient to their just Commands these being but parts of his and Obedience to them injoyned in the Fifth Commandement And consequently when the Commands of Superiours are agreeable to Gods they should then be obeyed as the Commands of God and not as Theirs only for fear of hazard or hope of Advantage from them For Solomon that he may tye men to due obedience to Magistrats presseth obedience to God by Reasons Whose keepeth the Commandement shall feel no evil thing 3. The true cause why Men living under Wicked Magistrats commanding things unlawful make Shipwrack of a good Conscience either by inslaving their Consciences to obey their sinful Commands or by denying due respect to their person and Office in the way of their refusing obedience to them is this that they want due respect to Gods Commands and do not believe the immunity which he hath promised and will make good to them that are dutiful to him for this is an Argument both to press obedience to Magistrats in things lawful and to disswade from rash and passionat Carriage or disrespect toward them even in refusing to obey their Sinful Commands Whose keeps the Commandement shall feel no evil thing 4. Although Men who are most tender of keeping the Commands of God may and often meet with these Hazards and Troubles which are accounted by many the greatest of Evils such as lose of Credit Estate Liberty yea and Life it self Heb. 11.36 yet nothing that can befal them for following their Duty to God shall be an Evil to them but on the contrary all their sufferings shall be for their good Rom. 8.28 And shall increase their reward 2 Cor. 4.17 by the consideration whereof they should ingage their Hearts to Duty and patient suffering for it For saith he Whose keeps the Commandement shall seek no Evil thing 5. There is great difference of Seasons in reference to suffering or not suffering under wicked Rulers which the Lord's People should be careful to discern There is a time when the Corruptions of the State and wicked Actions of Men in Authority are only to be lamented in secret before the Lord. Amos 5.13 There are times when more is to be done as by Supplications and other means to pacify provoked or passionat Magistrats as Abigail did David 1 Sam. 25.18 And times of bearing testimony openly against their ways upon all hazards as the Apostles did Act. 4.8 And times for Men to act contrary to them in their station as these Eighty Worthies did to Vzziah 2 Chron. 26.18 and the People to Saul in rescuing Jonathan 1 Sam. 14.45 There is also great difference of causes for which Men may oppose those in Authority or submit to suffering from them as sometimes we may quite our own right in things Civil rather than suffer farther in maintaining of it as Israel did in Egypt Exod. 5.12 There are other things again which may upon no terms be yeelded to Men as matters of Religion and God's Worship Dan. 6.10 And there is a right manner of maintaining the cause of Suffering or opposing wicked Men in the due season thereof And both these the Time and the Judgement comprehending the cause and the right manner of managing it must be carefully discerned and observed by those who would not feel the evil which follows upon declining to suffer when they are called to it or upon suffering not for a weighty cause or not in a right manner For that there is such difference of Times and Causes and a necessity of observing these imported in this A Wise Man's Heart in order to a right carriage in such a Case discerns both Time and Judgement 6. It is not Mens natural Witt or acquired Prudence that will discover to them the seasons of doing or suffering the causes of either and the right manner of them neither can particular Precepts be given for direction in all particular Circumstances relating
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
Affairs as these are under the dominion of Providence seing most of the instances he gives in this Book are of that nature Thirdly He enters upon the second part of the Chapter to prove the Vanity of Worldly greatness and doth particularly confirm what he spake concerning the misery of them that are void of Saving Knowledge and that Wickedness will not deliver them that are given to it in the former words by giving an instance in his own Observation of that Dispensation which the Godly are most apt to stumble at to wit the Advancement of Wicked men to greatness and power in the World And proves them miserable notwithstanding that the hearts of the Godly may be guarded against envying of them while he saith one Man Rules over another to his Hurt he means their abuse of of their power and greatness draws on often temporal and always if they Repent not Eternal misery upon them Beside what hath been observed before from his commending his Doctrine from his own Experience and from his pains in acquiring the knowledge thereof Learn 1. Dispensations are never so dark but spiritual Discerners may see the Blessedness of the Godly and the misery of the Wicked even when they are sadest to the Godly and seem most favourable to the Wicked they that have the Heavenly Wisdom may see the Godly feeling no evil thing and the Wicked injoying their Prosperity to their hurt For the Scope of the words before and after implyes the time here spoken of to be very sad and yet Solomon saith he saw these sweet effects of Heavenly Wisdom and the woful case of them that want it which are formerly mentioned All this have I Seen 2. Even those who have attained to the greatest measure of the Knowledge of God and His Ways are not exeemed from streatching their Wit and strength to the outmost for growth and progress therein that which is to be known of God in any of His Dispensations being a Depth that none can sound For even Solomon who had before an extraordinary measure of Wisdom saith I applied my Heart to every work 3. They that would judge aright of any one of the Lord's Dispensations must be careful Students of them all they must not slight any work of his because all though they be many to us make up but one intire Work in God's Hand and every part of that work is a commentary clearing the nature and use of the whole and God's intent therein Therefore did Solomon apply his Heart to every work under the Sun 4. As the Lord doth for wise Ends permit wicked Men to come to Authority over others in the World so hath He the time when they shall come to it fixed and how long they shall have it For it is clear by the consequence of this Ruling to the person who hath it that he speaks of wicked Men and the word Time signifies a set and fixed season wherein One Man rules over another 5. As wicked Mens power tends always to the hurt of these over whom they are set Eccl. 10.16 So it is especially for their own hurt giving them fairer opportunity to shew the latent wickedness of their Heart than they had before whereby they procure to themselves Temporal and Eternal Wrath from the Lord. There is a time when one Man rules over another to his own hurt 6. This Hurt which is incident to men of Place and Power in the World should wean mens Hearts from affecting worldly Greatness as any part of their Happiness For we may look upon this as a proof of the Vanity of such Greatness that it is often found One Man rules over another to his own hurt Ver. 10. And so I saw the Wicked buried who had come and gone from the place of the Holy and they were forgotten in the City where they had so done this is also Vanity HE doth farther illustrat the Misery of Men void of saving Knowledge how great soever they may be in the World And this he doth for the Comfort of the Godly who are opprest by them There are three things wherein such Men place much of their Happiness namely in an Honourable Burial when they are Dead a great Esteem among Men while they live and in the preservation of their Memory after they are Dead As for the First Solomon saith he observed them to have it I saw the Wicked Buried it seems he means a sumptuous and Honourable Burial like the Rich Mans Luk. 16.22 even such an one as so great a Man as himself hath countenanced For the Second they may have that also they may Come and go from the place of the Holy By the place of the Holy may be safely understood both the place of publick Judicaturâ— where the Holy God is said to stand and Judge Ps 82.1 And likewise the place of publick Religious Worship where the same Holy One is in a special way present and his Saints or Holy Ones meet together for his service Isai 64.11 By Coming and Going he means their frequenting and conversing in both these places mainly for upholding their Credit and Worldly interest and it is probable this expression the place of the Holy is so framed as may comprehend both these because meer Politicians and corrupt States-men doe ordinarily make both Justice and Religion a Cloak for their Wickedness And for the Third the Esteem of themselves which they desired should be kept up after they were gone he denies them to have gotten that as to his Observation they were Forgotten among Men not as if it were of it self a Misery to be forgotten among the most part of Men seing it is incident to the Best Eccles 9.15 But he speaks of it as a proof their Misery because they place a great part of their Happiness in perpetuating their Memory as is clear from Psal 49 11. and so the mentioning of their being Forgotten may serve to make them see the Vanity of their temper And this affectation of Worldly greatness and a name among Men which hath this consequent and all the pains Men take to obtain the same he pronounces to be Vanity in the close of the verse this is Vanity saith he which cannot be applyed to their being Forgotten seing it is clear he speaks of such as can leave nothing behind them Savoury or worthy to be remembred Hence Learn 1. The Lord may long spare Wicked men in their Sinful Courses and may not only along their Life heap upon them more eminent proofs of common favour than upon the Godly Psal 73.5 But likwise may suffer that respect to be shewn to their Bodies while their Souls are in the Pit which is sometimes denied to the Bodies of his dearest Saints Psal 79.2 For saith he I saw the Wicked Buried 2. This is the best that can be said of many Wicked men after their Death that they are now put under the Earth the things whereof they sought for their Happiness and this may put
the Disposition of such he supposes that God will at last execut Sentence upon them because their Hearts are fully set in them to do Evil. 7. It is the proper mark of an unregenerat Man void of Saving Knowlege and Grace to have his Heart fully set in him without reluctancy or remorse to do Evil. The regenerat have another principle within them opposing their Sinful Motions Gal. 5.17 Checking and wounding them and bringing them to remorse for Sin Rom. 7.24 For it is the unregenerat whose temper he here describes The Hearts of the Children of Men are fully set in them to do Evil. Ver. 12. Though a Sinner do Evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God which fear before him 13. But it shall not be well with the Wicked neither shall he prolong his days which are as a shadow because he feareth not before God HE Labours here to terrify such Wicked Men as are long spared in their Sins and to guard and comfort the Hearts of the Godly who are apt to stumble at their being spared and their own sufferings from them And for this end He First supposes two things which make Wicked Men dream of immunity from Judgement 1. Their multiplying of their Transgressions which he expresses by putting a definite number for an indefinite and such a number as points at the multitude of them and may signify that God hath them all numbred exactly how many so ever they be 2 He supposes that while they are multiplying their Transgressions they have their Days and likways many other outward favours multiplied upon them For the Original of this second clause is no more but that it be Prolonged or Multiplied to him which may comprehend both his Life and other Comforts And Next before he denounce or assert the certainty of approaching Judgement upon such Wicked Men he doth as it were hasten forth a word of Comfort to the Godly apt to be discouraged by the frequent oppressions and multiplied Injuries of oppressing Persecutors which are here supposed And this he propounds with much confidence and certainty Surely I know it shall be well with them whom he describes from that divine quality which is stamped upon their Heart a Holy filial fear of offending God which makes them obnoxious to hard sufferings from Men And the sincerity of this fear is set out by the Object of it they Fear before him the words in the Original are that fear before his face importing that they have their eye upon the Terrour and Goodness of God which two properties of his are mainly signified by his Face in Scripture Psal 34.15.16 more than upon all the Terrour of flesh And Thirdly He denunceth Judgement against the Wicked with all importing it to be so great that positive termes cannot be had to set it out therefore he expresses it 1. In general negatively it shall not be well with him and next more particularly he shall not prolong his Days He supposed him before to prolong his Days and here threatens he shall not both agree he may have many Days comparing him with others even with the Godly whom he may cut off and hasten to their Happiness and yet he shall neither prolong his Days to that length which he desires which would be for ever in this Life nor shall he prolong them to Eternity of Blessedness being made victorious over Death as this expression of Prolonging the Days imports sometimes in Scripture Isai 53.10 Fourthly He describes the Wicked Mans Life his Days are but a Shadow not so much for the shortness of them being compared with Eternity in which sense the Godlies Days also are as a Shadow as in regard he hath nothing of that substantial Life of Communion with God which the Godly Man hath and that his Life in regard of any Comfort totally perishes and is cut off as a Shadow when the Sun of Gods favourable Dispensations sets upon him at his Death or when Judgements come upon him in this Life And lastly He sets down the cause of the Wicked Mans Judgement which is also the fountain of all other Sins and that is the want of the fear of God Hence Learn 1. Men that give up their Hearts to commit Wickedness with full bensel of purpose and delight are justly given up of God to become unwearied in the frequent commission thereof For he did formerly describe the disposition of all unregenerat Men that their Hearts are fully set in them to do Evil and here he describes their common Practice in this supposition that they do Evil an Hundred times 2. While Men are multiplying their provocations the Lord may in much displeasure to them draw out their Life in length and multiply their outward Comforts which they do abuse and turn in fewel to their Lusts For the same whom he supposes to do Evil an Hundred times he supposes also to have his Days or any other outward and common favours Prolonged or multiplied to him and his Days or and it be Prolonged 3. While Wicked Men are spared and prosperous in their Sins grievous Temptations are ready to assault the Hearts of the Godly amounting to no less than the questioning of a reward for Godliness at all seing divine Dispensations seem to say that the Lord respects Ungodly Men by heaping favours on them and slights them that are better For to prevent the prevalency of such a temptation Solomon before he shew what shall become of the Wicked assures the Godly of the contrary of what they are ready to apprehend Surely I know it shall be well with them that fear God 4. Although the Lords forbearance of Wicked Men while they are multiplying Transgressions against him cannot but occasion much inward Grief of Heart to the Godly Psal 119.158 And doth often occasion much outward Trouble to them from the Wicked Psal 12 8. yet neither of these can either marr or diminish the Happiness of the truly Godly For saith he though a Sinner do Evil an Hundred times c. yet it shall be well with them that fear God 5. The Lord in denuncing Judgments against Wicked Men hath a special eye to the comfort of the Godly they are so neer his Heart that even as it were in the midst of his expressing his displeasure against the Wicked he reacheth forth Comfort to them and in a manner delays it not till he end his speech to the Wicked as here may be seen Though a Sinner do Evil an Hundred times and his Days be prolonged before he perfect this speech concerning the Wicked he must comfort the Godly yet shall it be well with them that fear God 6. It is not easie to make the Hearts of poor Believers especially when they are under Oppressions and multiplied injuries from the World to rest upon the bare word of Gods promise and comfort themselves concerning the sweet issue of their pains and the Gracious Reward
to our apprehension the Godly should be we ought thereby to be led to the believing consideration of this that God would have us taking other grounds whereupon to conclude his Love and favour or his displeasure and indignation toward us For as a proof of that that neither Love nor Hatred can be known by the things before us this is given All things come alike to all there is one event c. 8. So excellent is a reconciled state in regard of the many priviledges they have who are in it and the many divine qualifications wherewith they are endued that they have many Stiles and Titles of honour wherein they comfort themselves against all sad Events and against the community of their lot here with that of the worst of men For here several of their Stiles are reckoned out by Solomon Righteous Good Clean such as Sacrifice and fear Oaths 9. So woful is the case of unreconciled Souls and so many are the parts of their perversness that few words cannot express the same therefore Solomon here makes use of many to design them that are not beloved of God They are Wicked Unclean Sinners such as Sacrifice not Swearers 10. The Lord looks upon them whom he Loves as they are in Christ and reckons them by their better part and according to what he intends to make them at last Though they be in themselves Unrighteous Unclean Wicked Slighters of his Worship and Prophaners of his Name yet because they are considered in their Cautioner they get all the contrary Names Righteous Clean Good c. 11. Only those who have fled to Christs Righteousness and so are made Righteous are the persons who may conclude themselves favoured of God and all that have done so are made in some measure conform to their Heavenly Father in goodness they are also made to purify themselves even as he is pure they are tender and conscientious of his Worship especially his publick Ordinances and so are they of any lawful ingagement they have taken on for these go all together and by the contrary those have no ground to think otherwise of themselves than as in an unreconciled state or of their way as hateful to God who are restless in the course of their Sin as the word Wicked signifies who are living under unrepented of guilt and daily defiling themselves farther by serving their Lusts who neglect or slight the Worship of God and prophane his Name For these and the like are the marks whereby men may judge and be able to discern whether they be in a state of favour or not For Solmon having denied Love or Hatred to be known by outward events which come alike to good and bad he doth with all give such a description of them that are beloved and them that are abhorred of God as all may know their state and be able to judge of it while he saith There is one event to the Righteous and to the Wicked to the Good and to the Clean and to the Vnclean c. Ver. 3. This is an Evil among all things that are done under the Sun that there is one event unto all yea also the heart of the Sons of men is full of evil and madness is in their heart while they live and after that they goe to the Dead HEre is the Fourth observation which the Lord Spirit taught Solomon to make upon his Dispensations and mens disposition and carriage in order thereunto and according to his professed purpose in the first words of the Chapter to make clear to others and it is concerning the ordinary effect which the equality of Events spoken of in the Third Observation hath upon the most part of men There is an Evil saith he among all things that are done under the Sun that there is one Event c. Which cannot be understood as if he were censuring the holy and wise providence of God in permitting and ordering it to be thus that outward Events should be common to good and bad But the meaning is that as Afflictions to the Godly are of themselves Evil grievous and bitter to their flesh and often corrections for their Sins and upon the other hand Prosperity is an Evil to the Wicked as it is a heaping of Coals of fire upon their head So mainly this equality of Events to Good and Bad is Evil in regard of the bad use that most men by Reason of their corruption make of it especially Wicked Men who therefore shake off all care of Piety and wax bold in their Sins seing they prosper so much in them and in so far as Corruption is unmortified in the Godly the sight of this equality of events becomes an evil to them discouraging them in their Duty and often inclining their hearts to side with Wicked Men in their course as appears by Psal 73.10 c. And this he calls an Evil among all things or as the words may be rendered an Evil above all things to point out the frequency or rather the hainousness of this abuse of the Lords Dispensations for so the Hebrews do sometimes express the Superlative degree Prov. 30.30 Next He explains how this is an Evil to Wicked men in two expressions their hearts are full of Evil which may be either taken for the cause why they make a bad use of their Prosperity even because they are void of the Grace of God and full of contrary Evils or rather for the effect of their injoying Prosperity and observing the afflictions of the Godly they give up themselves to all sorts of Wickedness as if God were not displeased with their way or would never be wroth with them seing he seems so in his Dispensations to favour them And this he inlarges by another expression Madness saith he is in their Heart c. Or as the word Madness signifies Boasting Pride and Insolency in their Sins take up their Hearts all along their Life And Lastly He shews what shall be the end of their course after that saith he they go to the Dead which is not simply to be understood of their going to the state of the Dead abstracting from their future and eternal state seing that is common both to the Wicked and Godly but the Death he speaks of is that which is the wages of Sin to the Wicked that is temporal Death puting a period to their Prosperity and sinful courses and making them enter into Eternity of torment which is the second Death And this is spoken to deterr them from their sinful Courses Hence Learn 1. These favourable and prosperous Dispensations which wicked men meet with and which they should take for invitations to Repent for former abuse of Gods goodness and as engagements to his service and obedience who deals so liberally with them are turned by them into occasions of Sinning made fewel to their Pride Hos 13.6 and contempt of the threatnings of the word Psal 73.9 so do they heap upon themselves by their abuse of these
Disadvantages of the state of the Dead considered as hath been formerly exprest and only mentions such as point out the privation of Natural Comforts because these will weigh more with Men who seek their Happiness in this Life than if he should tell them of the Torments of Hell or separation from God's Favour The First is That the Dead know not any thing to wit of the estate of Affairs here As for Example how it fares with their Relations and the purchase they made in the World and so he doth not deny the Beeing of the Soul after separation from the Body nor consequently the essential properties of it such as the exercise of Reason and the like 2. They have no more a Reward he speaks not of the future Reward of their Wel-doing and Evil-doing which certainly abides both Good and Bad Mat. 25.46 but of the temporal Fruit of their Labour and Pains which they have taken in this World at Death they have an end of that 3. The memory of them is forgotten to wit among Men on Earth which is a reason of the former they placed some Happiness in perpetuating their Fame and Memory therefore they are much forgotten and so lose that Reward they looked for 4. Their Love Envy and Hatred are perished which is not to be understood as if these Passions and Affections of the Soul were extinguished at Death the Soul after that retaining its own Nature and doubtless there is perfect Love which casts out all Fear in the Souls of Just Men made perfect and there is also in the Souls of the Damned Hatred and Envy against God and good Men and against one another but he means that these Passions and Affections of the Soul are at Death gone as to the exercise of them upon things in the Earth which they are spent upon while Men live here And because it were long to reckon out all particulars of this sort he closes with a general Neither have they any more a Portion of any thing that is done under the Sun which also explains the former that he denies their Knowledge their Reward their Memory and their Affections only in reference to things under the Sun they have no more to do with these things All which Considerations may wean Mens Hearts from this Earth and may make the Godly content with a small measure of these things seing they that have most of them must after a little time part with them and never enjoy them any more Hence Learn 1. Every Living Man should associat himself with others not in Evil but to receive Good from others and to communicat Good to them For thus he describes every Living Man he that is Joined to the Living 2 How hard soever any Mans Condition may be in this World so long as God continues Life with him he should not altogether cast away his Confidence nor lose his Hope but that there may be a Mitigation or Out-gate nor should any quite hopes of others nor labour to break off their hopes but that their Condition may be better while God continues Life For saith the Wise Man To him that is joined to all the Living there is hope 3 Even this that there is some ground of Hope for every Living Man that there may be a Mitigation of an hard Condition and an out-gate from it and that there is a possibility of Ensuring a better Life should make Men cheerfully submissive to the worst Condition that God's Providence carves out to them Wherefore should a Living Man complain of his Lot seing to him that is joined to all the Living there is hope 4. Necessary Truths may be illustrat by some pertinent Proverb or Similitude commonly used among Men that thereby the Mind may be for a little so diverted from the serious purpose to think of another more common which hath some resemblance with it and represents it of new to the mind that it may shortly turn again recreated to the consideration of it For here Solomon makes use of a Proverb which seems to have no farther Mistery in it than to commend Life though it be mean and afflicted as desirable and so to be made use of for making sure a better A living Dog it better than a dead Lyon 5. They that are in the most abject and despicable condition in the World should esteem their life a desirable Blessing of God seing while they have it they may have ground of hope to do yet farther service to God to attain to a better condition and especially to prepare for and make sure to themselves a better Life therefore doth he commend Life by such a proverb as is applicable to the most base and contemptible Life that any can have in the World a living Dog is better than a dead Lyon 6. The main business of our Life and the special use we should make of it is to mind Death and prepare for it yea it should sweeten our Life though many ways miserable to us that we know we must Die and have opportunity of preparing for Death For however most mens disposition and carriage be as if they did not know that they were to Die but rather as if they were perswaded that they should live here eternally yet because it is so unsutable for mortal men not to mind Death and prepare for it he speaks of it as a thing granted that all know it and as an advantage and commendation of Life that they know so much and have time in their life to consider it for the living know that they shall Die 7. Though Souls departed have undoubtedly the exercise of reason the damned to increase their Torment Luk. 16.27 and the Glorified to increase their Blessedness Heb. 12.23 Yet all of them are without the knowledge of the things of this life wherein Worldly men seek their Happiness as how their affairs are managed how it fares with their Friends and Relations on Earth The damned are so taken up with aggravating their guilt and with thoughts of their Torment and the Spirits of Just men made perfect are so taken up with the Praises of their Redeemer that they consider nothing of things here below whence it follows clearly that they cannot be our Intercessours For the Dead know not any thing 8. Though there be no question of a Glorious Reward of wel-doing after this Life Rev. 13.14 Nor of a just recompense of mens Wickedness Rom. 2.6 yet Death puts an end to all these things which Worldly men take for a Reward of their painâ— in this life such as Earthly pleasures Credit Riches and the like For in this sense Men after Death have no more any Reward 9 Though it be incident both to good and bad to be forgotten among Men yet it is a peculiar punishment to the Wicked that after Death they shall not be remembred by the Godly but with detestation Prov. 10.7 Nor shall the Lord ever think on them to give them any comfort or ease
is at his right hand but the Heart of the Fool is at his left 4. However men void of Saving Knowledge and Grace may hold on for a time in the way that is good and right in it self especially while they have prosperity applause and such incouragements John 5.33 yet when opposition and discouragements become frequent they lose all the courage strength and comfort which sometimes they seemed to have For saith he when he that is a Fool walks by the way his Wisdom or as the word is his Heart fails him the expression is ordinarily used of mens despondency and discouragement of spirit because of opposition in their way 5. As mens carriage and visible deportment hath a language which may be heard and understood by the truly Wise with whom they converse so however Hypocrites may long carry themselves so closely that they shall not bewray their folly or wickedness which is called Folly in the Book Psal 55.14 yet it is just with God and often he doth exercise that Justice in this Life to leave such to discover what is in their Heart by their actions see Prov. 18.2 and 6.13.20 For this description of the Fool or the wicked man is not to be understood as if all such did verbally proclaim themselves to be what they are But that their unchristian and imprudent carriage in opposition to the way and will of God though never so much Worldly wit and policy were manifested in it doth often speak to the truly Wise what they are yea also when he that is a Fool walks by the way his Wisdom fails him and he saith to every one that he is a Fool Ver. 4. If the spirit of the Ruler rise up against thee leave not thy place for yeilding pacifieth great offences HE comes now to direct the Godly how to manifest that Heavenly Wisdom or Christian prudence formerly commended in their carriage especially to Magistrats or Superiours provoked and that unjustly as will appear by the following purpose In this verse there is considerable First the case wherein he supposes the Godly to be and that is to be under the wrath and displeasure of those that are in Authority If saith he the spirit of the Ruler or the Passion as the word sometimes signifies in Scripture Prov. 25 28 rise against thee or as the word signifies Ascend or swell so as it seems there is Evil determined against thee Next there is the duty injoined to the Godly in these words leave not thy Place whereby is not meant that the Godly may not in any case flie from the fury of incensed Rulers For Solomon knew that his Father had so done warrantably But the meaning is that Christians should neither for the apparent displeasure of great men shake off their duty to God it being every mans prime place and station to defend his honour nor yet due respect to the person and office of their Superiours though unjustly incensed this being a part of our duty to God Thirdly There is the reason pressing this Duty for yeilding pacifieth great offences By yeilding is not meant obedience to mens sinful commands for fear of their displeasure but a submissive humble carriage ceding from our right in some things and going along with them so far as we may with a good Conscience Or it is the same with that which Solomon calls a soft Answer Prov. 15.1 or long forbearing Prov 25 15. to act against them while there is hope of their being reclaimed this may pacify their passions and so prevent farther offences which they are ready to commit against God and greater hazard to our selves Hence Learn 1. The favour of great Men is to be looked on as a very unconstant thing And therefore no Man should trust in it nor for the obtaining or keeping of it adventure upon the displeasure of him with whom there is no variation nor shadow of turning For it is supposed in the first expression of this verse that the Spirit of the Ruler is now risen against them with whom he hath been lately well pleased and in the last expression in the verse it is imported that his mind may be changed again to favour them if the Spirit of the Ruler rise against thee c. 2. Although the Godly be the most loyal Subjects of any in the World yet they may resolve to lose the favour and incur the displeasure of those in Authority who often even though they be Gracious expect too much of their Subjects and would have them sealing all that they say 2 Sam. 24.2.4 And therefore Men should keep themselves in good terms with the supream Magistrate who can restrain the Wrath of Princes and cut off their Spirits when they rise too high against his People Psal 76.10.12 This is also imported in this supposition If the Spirit of the Ruler rise against thee 3. Men so little consider Gods Greatness Soveraignity and Terrour Isai 51.12.13 that they are in hazard when they see great Men incensed against them to be put from their duty and either out of carnal fear to deny the truth Mat. 26.70 Or out of pride and passion to shake off all Reverence to lawful Authority for every thing that displeases them 1 Pet. 2.13.16 Therefore the Spirit of God finds it here necessary to exhort the Godly to constancy in their Duty in such a Case If the Spirit of the Ruler rise against thee leave not thy place 4. Though it be in some Cases lawful for the Godly to flie from the presence of Incensed Magistrates yea out of their Dominions and from the reach of their power especially when they are not only unjustly incensed but manifesting cruel Purposes against them as is clear in the Case of David flying from Saul and even of Christ himself and his Apostles flying from one City to another yet every appearance of hazard from such ought not to be a ground of flying from them while there is hope of reclaiming them from their evil way or gaining their favour again For it is here supposed that they may be pacified and the party have some probability hereof and in this Case it is commanded Leave not thy place 5. Whether it be lawful for Subjects to flie from the presence of their incensed Rulers and from the reach of their Power or not they must never desert either the Duty which they owe immediaty to God or such Duties to their lawful Magistrates as are within the compass of their Power and Calling if it were but to pour out their secret Prayer to God for them For this Direction may be taken in reference to that Duty which we owe to God and of that also which we owe to Magistrates as a branch of Duty to him abstracting from flying but of or abiding in their Presence or Service If the Spirit of the Ruler rise against thee leave not thy place namely that place which is properly and constantly the place of a Godly Man 6. When Inferiours or
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
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
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
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
the Stomach By the third expression he shall rise up at the voice of the Bird is not meant that the Dying Man shall be able at all to rise but that his Weakness is such thorow the coldness and emptiness of his Stomach and the dryness of his Brain that he shall get no sound Sleep at all but the least noise suppose it were of some litle Bird shall put him off his Rest And by the fourth the Daughters of Musick shall be brought low is meant that all the Organs or Instruments of the voice and hearing whereby Men did either make Melody or pleasant Speech to others or did delight in such made by others shall be then so weakned that they shall neither hear others nor be heard by them Hence Learn 1. While Men are able to keep up Society with others to go out of Doors to them or admit them into their Houses and to speak to and hear one another they should labour to improve that correspondence for the advantage of their own and others Souls to Edify and be Edified by one another remembering that the Day is coming when they will love to have the Doors of their House that look to the Streets shut least their sinful Companions may come in to vex them though they were with them they will not be able to open the Doors of their Lips to correspond any more with them how comfortable will it then be to have Christ dwelling in the Heart by Faith and to be keeping up correspondence with him by Prayer and Praise which is the true preparation for this case when the Doors shall be shut in the Streets 2. It will be a great Affliction to men when they shall find themselves to stand in need of Creature-Comforts and have the same beside them and yet have no power to use them And therefore while they have as much Strength as to break their own Bread they should eat in Sobriety and with thankfulness imploy the Strength they recive by their Food in Gods service So shall they prepare for and have comfort in this time when the sound of the grinding shall be low 3. As sound Sleep without such distemper of Body or horrour of Conscience as marres the same is a great Mercy which the Lord bestows upon his own whensoever he sees it good for them Psal 117.2 and 84.11 So while Men Injoy it they should use it soberly and imploy all the refreshment they get by it in the service of the Giver labouring so to walk in the Day-time that their Sleep may be Sanctified their Reins may teach them in the night season they may rise early for Holy Exercises that whensoever they awake they may be still with God and if at any time Sleep depart from them they may then think upon and prepare for the case they shall be in when Death draws near For he speaks of this as a part of the Affliction of Dying Men and minds Men in Health of it that they may thus prepare for it when they shall rise up at the voice of the Bird. 4. As Mans Tongue is given him for Glorifying his Maker his voice and all the Organs of it for chearing his own and others Hearts in his Praises his ears to take in the joyful sound of the Gospel for refreshing of his Heart So while he hath the use of these Instruments his Tongue and Ears he should be careful so to imploy them he should often let the Lord hear his voice in Prayer and Praise seing the same is pleasant to him Cant. 2.14 He should be much in edifying discourses with others which are also sweet to the Lord Mal. 3.16 And nothing taken up with Carnal Mirth or musick that so when he shall not be able to speak to or hear others he may be making Melody to the Lord in his heart and may hear his Spirit speaking peace there For this is the true preparation comprehended under that direction Ver. 1 for such a case as this when all the Daughters of Musick shall be brought low Ver. 5. Also when they shall be affraid of that which is high and fears shall be in the way and the Almond Tree shall flourish and the Grashopper shall be a burden and desire shall fail because man goeth to his long home and the Mourners go about the Streets HEre is a farther description of the case that Men shall be in when Death is drawing near unto them held forth in several expressions The first two they shall be affraid of that which is high and fears shall be in the way are to the same purpose and do both signify the want of Strength and courage and the fearful apprehensions incident to Dying Men particularly by that which is high may be meant any step of their way which is higher than another and the least stumbling Block in their way which is to a crazy decayed Man such as Solomon here describes is matter of fear least it make him fall considering how hurtful a fall may prove to him and how hardly he would be set to his Feet again And so the words suppose the Dying Man yet able to step up and down as some will be till very near the time of their Removal Or by that which is high and the fears in the way may be meant the least Trouble were it but the weight of a hand above the Dying Person or any action about them which is to them terrible and makes them fear least it increase their pain Next by the flourishing of the Almond Tree may be meant the hastening of the persons Death so the allegory or similitude is used Jer. 1.11 because that Tree flourishes near the end of Winter and consequently it may signify also the Decay of their Strength whereof Gray Hairs which resemble in colour the Flourishes of the Almond Tree are a Sign As on the contrary this same Heavenly Writter doth set forth the vigour and Strength of Youth in a spiritual sense by the Temples where Gray Hairs first appear compared to a piece of Pomegranat which is Rudie and white Cant. 6.7 Or the similitude may have this sense which is to the same purpose that the Blood being now retired toward the Heart of the Dying Man the pale white Clay appears like the Flourishes of the Almond Tree The fourth Expression the Grashoper shall be a Burden Signifies also the great Decay of Strength in so much that the lightest thing were it but a Gnat or Grashopper lighting upon the Face of the Dying Man shall be a burden to him and yet he shall not be able to put it away The fifth is in more plain and proper Terms that Desire to wit after all Earthly Objects whether Lawful such as Meat Drink Marriage Delight and the like or Unlawful such as Revengeful Ambitious Lustful desires Reckoned out 1 Joh. 2.16 shall now cool and be quite extinguished To all which he subjoins a Reason because Man goet to his long Home
frequently asserted it here again represent the same to his own Heart and others Vanity of Vanities c. 2. So prone are our Hearts to wander after Earthly Delights as our only Happiness that even after they have been in some measure divorced from the same there is great need often to view the Vanity of these things as we desire to keep our Hearts alienat from them and in love with that true sweetness which is to be had in Communion with God while we are in this life we are like Children newly weaned very ready to renew old acquaintance with the Breasts Therefore doth Solomon after frequent Repeating of this Truth along this Treatise of Mortification Repeat it here again in the close of it that he may keep his Heart alienat from Idols Vanity of Vanities c. 3. When Ministers have sufficiently proven illustrat and made use of the Truth proposed by them to be handled it is no vain Repetition for them to represent the same Truth in the very Terms in which they did propose it at first that by the Blessing of God upon their proofs illustrations and uses of it it may now at last have more hearty acceptance and take deeper impression than could be expected at first For so doth Solomon here Repeat the Truth he proposed in the entry of this Book after he hath cleared proven and made use of the same Vanity of Vanities 4. When Men see Holiness in the Beauty of it Sin in the hazard of it and Death in the certainty and terrour of it they cannot but see the Vanity of Earthly Delights considered as the object of Mans Happiness they cannot but see the emptiness and insufficiency of them in order to that end seing they distract the Heart from the Study of Holiness and marre preparation for Death and consequently Men that banish thoughts of Death and neglect the study of Holiness cannot but be ravished with Earthly Delights as the only substantial things worthy of their Heart and to be sought as their chief good for we may safely conceive Solomon here after many sweet Precepts concerning the study of Holiness and lively Representations of Death to his own Heart and others to have gotten a new sight of the Vanity of things Earthly and to invite others to pass sentence thereupon with him Vanity of Vanities c. 5. A Man that hath a call to Preach the Truth of God should esteem more of it than of the most Honourable outward Relation or Title he can have beside he should carry the thoughts of Gods calling and entrusting of him along in his Heart to make him confident of Furniture even to the end of his Imployment and people also should frequently remember the calling of sent Ministers that the Truths delivered may have the greater weight as coming to them from Gods Commissionat Officers For as Solomon took this for his first stile in the beginning of his Book even while he was Reckoning out some others so he mentions it alone in the close as his main incouragement and that which should mainly gain respect to his Message Vanity of Vanities saith the Preacher 6. When we have gone thorow many particular instances of these Earthly Delights wherein Men place their Happiness and have attained to convincing proofs of the Vanity and insufficiency of them for that end we ought then to raise our Hearts to an assent to the truth of the general that all of that sort are Vanity and not leave room still to Satan to keep our perverse Hearts in suspense and expectation that there may be some Earthly Delight which we have not yet seen more worthy than the rest and so keep us off all our time from seeking Happiness in that wherein it can only be found For after Solomon hath confuted many particular instances of these things wherein Men ordinarly seek their Happiness he now asserts the general and holds out to all for their assent unto it all is Vanity Vr. 9. And moreover because the Preacher was wise he still taught the People knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs THe second article or Conclusion of this Book contains a Commendation of the purpose contained in it and this hath three Branches The first is from the Preacher himself whose qualifications and pains are set forth in several particulars in this Verse 1. He had a good stock of Wisdom both immediatly infused 1 King 4.29 and by his extraordinary pains acquired Eccles 1.13 2. He did improve the same well for the Instruction of the Church in all ages especially these under his charge here called the People 3. He was very assiduous and constant in this Work he still taught either by frequent Preaching and Exhortation as a publick Officer of the Church such as he was should do 2 Tim. 4.2 Or by puting other Ministers to their duty and incouraging them in it as a Religious King like him should do 2 Chr 7.8.9 Or by writting Scripture as an extraordinary Prophet in which respect being Dead he yet speaketh and still teacheth the People Knowledge 4. He rested not upon any measure he had received but gave good heed or as the word in the original is he Weighed every thing in the Ballance and sought out carefully more and more of the Knowledge of God and of Mans duty that he might edify the Church 5. He did wisely order and digest the purpose he delivered 6. He condescended upon variety of matter sutable to many cases of the People And 7. He contrived the same in such short and grave Sentences here called Proverbs as are apt to gain esteem and have prevalence in the minds of Men as the word rendered Proverbs signifies he set in order many Proverbs Hence Learn 1. Though the worth or qualifications of Instruments can add nothing to the Authority of the truth of God which is of it self worthy of all Acceptation who ever carry it yet so ready are people to lay hold upon every thing that may but seem to be a ground of casting at Truth that the Vessels that carry it had need not only to be without spot and blemish but also adorned with such accomplishments as may make them lovely to people that so there may be no ground from them to cast at their Message For here the Spirit of God finds it necessary to commend the Vessel that carried the Treasure in this Book to the Church thereby to gain the more acceptance to it And moreover because the Preacher was wife he still caught c. 2. As every Christian is bound humbly to avow the Graces and Gifts of God bestowed upon him when the Glory of God and the incouragement and edification of others require the same so it is especially sutable for Ministers when their Intention is Honest and sincere namely to make Truth not themselves only in esteem As they should be ready to declare themselves sensible of and humble for their
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
in reference to Gods inflicting of it as a Judgment 4. As there are seasons wherein War may be lawfully undertaken by the Lords People As when their Religion lives and liberties are unjustly invaded 2 Chron. 20.10.11 And so the ground or cause of ingaging in War is just and necessary Jud. 2.12 13. And when they have probable means of prosecuting the same Luk. 14.21 So is it the Duty of the Lords People to observe these seasons and not to delight in War so as to anticipat the season thereof Psal 68.30 Nor so to love their ease as to refuse to ingage therein when Gods time comes Judg. 5.16.23 For of the season wherein men may and ought to undertake War this may be understood There is a time of War 5. As the Lord hath His appointed seasons wherein He maketh Wars to cease Psal 46.4 And so makes Peace in His Peoples borders Psal 147.14 which are especially when He hath humbled His People for these sins which have procured such a Judgment Isai 57.18.19 And sets them about the Reformation of their ways Hos 2.16 17 18. When the cup of Their iniquity who made War against His People is full Gen. 15.16 And Gods work intended by them is wrought Isai 10.12 So there are seasons also to be observed and made use of by the Lords People wherein they ought to condescend to terms of Peace with these against whom they did justly undertake War to wit When the end of their undertaking is gained and they may with Peace injoy truth and these outward liberties and priviledges which God hath allowed upon them For this hath respect both to the Lords Dispensation and to mans Duty There is a time of Peace Ver. 9. What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth 10. I have seen the travel which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it WE have heard of the first consideration serving to work the hearts of them that will take Gods way of seeking Happiness to contentment with their Lot and to wean the hearts of all from seeking Happiness in things Earthly viz That the time of all Events is in Gods Hand Here follow some further considerations to the same purpose The Second in order is held out in this Question What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth Which is not spoken to condemn lawful diligence even about things earthly But the meaning of it is as was more fully cleared upon the like Words Chap. 1. ver 3 That there is no true profit in that sort of Labour which can render a man truely Happy or that will Abide and Remain with a man as the Word signifies of all his anxious toilsome pains as the Word translated To Labour signifies which he takes to make up for himself an earthly Happiness ver 9. The Third consideration is That God hath imposed upon all the Children of Men and none of them by all their wâ—t oâ— power can shun it this sore Travel even to wrestle thorow such various changes of Dispensations as have been formerly exprest so that there can be no true Happiness or Contentment attained if he be not looked unto who hath the Time of every sad or comfortable event in His Hand And this he sets down as a thing certainly known to himself in his own experience who had found several of these Times spoken of before go over his head and had observed the same in others beside him The fourth is That Gods end in this variety of Dispensations is good to wit That man should be exercised therein to keep him from setling upon this Earth as if Happiness could be where so many ups and downs are or that he may be humbled thereby as the Word Exercised most properly and according to the most frequent use of it in Scripture signifies ver 10. Hence Learn 1. However deluded sinners seeking their Happiness in things Earthly apprehend profit to be only in things of that sort and in nothing els Prov. 1.13 Mal. 3.14 Yet while men take not Gods way for Happiness they gain nothing by all their work which deserves the name of profit or Advantage seeing they lose Gods favour and fellowship and their own Souls What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth 2. Nothing is to be reckoned the true Profit or Advantage of a mans work but that which is permanent and and will abide with him as nothing earthly can do only the Graces of Gods spirit abide in the exercise of them with the Saints in Death Prov. 14.32 And their good Works abide with them thorow all Eternity in the Gracious reward of them Rev. 14 13. For this word Profit signifies a thing Permanent or Remaining and concerning such a thing the Question is What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth 3. Men that are most earnest in the pursuit of things Earthly are most slow and unwilling to consider what real Profit will redound to them by their pains and can very hardly be moved to Examine their Consciences seriously by puting this Question to them which if they did they might see that nothing deserving the name of Profit could be condescended upon and their Consciences might be forced to answer if they would weigh Profit in the Balance of the Sanctuary that they have none of it at all And therefore Christs Ministers should often urge mens Consciences with Questions to this purpose Concerning the abiding Profit or Advantage of their way For after the Preacher had put this to men in the beginning of this Book he comes here again to urge them with it What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth 4. The Lord hath imposed this as an inevitable Lot upon all the Children of men which none of them though never so far advanced above the common rank of men can with all their wit or power eschew that they shall have a toilsome and wearisome life as the Words sore travel here signify wrestling thorow various changes of their condition that hereby they may be convinced of the insufficiency of created things and their pains about them to bring to them any True Happiness and so may be moved to imploy their Travel for some better things and to make sure a state that cannot be shaken for which cause it is that Solomon here offers this consideration This sore travel hath God given to the son 's of men c. 5. Although it increase the Anxiety of wicked men to consider that sad Dispensations are inevitable 1 Sam. 31.4 Yet it serves to work contentment and submission to the pleasure of God in the hearts of the Godly who know that all of these shall work for their good Rom. 8 28 For this consideration is held out to quiet their hearts under all changes This sore travel God hath given to the son 's of men 6. They who have a Calling publick to hold out the mind of God
the word signifies Foaming Anger not as if there were any Passion or Fury in God as uses to be in man but his just displeasure is so exprest because we cannot fear it as we ought except we take it up under the similitude of a mans Rage which makes him Foam with Anger and desire to be avenged upon his Enemy And he puts this Reason in a Question thereby pressing the Rash and Inconsiderat man to consider his hazard Neither is the Question to be so understood as if the Lord had no Reason to be Angry but by it he would have Men convinced of their Folly in adventuring so rashly upon His Displeasure and making so light of that which so highly provokes Him The Fourth Reason is taken from the effect of God's displeasure and that is the Destruction of the work of mens hands the meaning whereof is that hereby men provoke God to blast and turn to nothing their most serious undertakings and Works wherein they take most pleasure even by their rashness in Vowing and slighting of their guilt in so doing The Fifth Reason is that there are many sins and consequently many sorrows and disappointments attending this one sin of rash Vowing both which are signified by this word Diverse Vanities and this is illustrate by a similitude which hath this force as in the multitude of mens Dreams there are many vain and vexing Fancies So in many words especially in multiplying rash Vows there are many sinful Vanities and grievous Disappointments following thereupon For frequently in Scripture when two Sentences are thus coupled together a Comparison or similitude between them is imported see Isai 53.7 Prov. 17. â— Lastly He prescribes the true remedy of this rashness which is that men study to keep their hearts under a holy fear of offending God the want whereof is the cause of the forementioned Miscarriage And this may safely be looked upon as a Fifth Direction for attaining to true Peace and Contentment of Spirit Hence Learn 1. So great is the force of unmortified Corruption in Men who have not the powerful Restraint of God's Grace and the use of sanctified Reason to bridle their Passions that the very Members of their Body have a great Propension to serve the corrupt inclinations of their Soul And when one Member is given up to act any Wickedness it hath as it were a constraining power to carry all the rest along with it to concur with and be subservient to it in committing more Iniquity see Jam. 3.4 5. c. For Solomon speaks of the Mouth as strongly inclining to speak Rashly and of the same having done so as having a commanding power over the rest of the Members which must flow from the Corruption of Nature while he saith Suffer not thy Mouth to cause thy Flesh to sin 2. Men are so proud of their own Wit naturally and so unwilling to be esteemed Rash and Inconsiderat that when they have proven themselves to be so in their Words they will rather prove themselves to be so also by their Deeds in executing what they have rashly resolved than by their forbearance thereof seem to take with their own Rashness For it is here supposed that if once a Rash Vow escape the Mouth it will readily carry the whole Man to the execution of it and that very forcibly while it is said Suffer not thy Mouth to cause thy Flesh to sin 3. They that would entertain true Peace and Tranquility of Mind must be very careful to Bridle their Tongues and set a watch before the door of their Lips and for that end to watch over their Spirits that their Affections and Passions swell not over the Banks which often occasions their rash Purposes there being nothing that more ordinarly marrs the peace of those who are otherwise tender Walkers than Rashness in discourse 1 Pet. 3.10 For this is a farther Direction for entertaining true Peace and Contentment of Spirit Suffer not thy Mouth to cause thy Flesh to sin 4. The difficulty of Mens restraining themselves from the execution of their rash Purposes should make them very serious and deliberat in taking on Vows that if they cannot get them kept from stirring within they may shut their Mouths and hold them within Doors for being once out they will readily Cause or imperiously Command the Flesh to execute them as this expression emphatically runs in the Original and may be looked upon as having a Reason in the bosome of it for disswading Men from venting their rash Purposes taken from the force and power which these have upon their Wills in order to the execution of them Suffer not thy Mouth to cause thy Flesh to sin 5. When Men cannot altogether deny their Guiltiness they are very prone to extenuate the same and to give their Sins very favourable Names that they may not disturb their own false Peace nor put themselves in fear of that Wrath which will certainly follow and might be fled from if they would look upon their Sins in the own Colours and cloathed with the own Aggravations thereof For that it is ordinary with Men so to do is imported in this second Branch of the Disswasive Neither say thou it was an Errour 6. Jesus Christ the Mediator and Great Angel of the Covenant Who hath a more Excellent Name than any created Angel Heb. 1.4 is a present Witness not only of Mens Actions but of their Words even such as are most rash and which they themselves think scarcely worthy to be taken notice of and not only of their rash Words but of their Extenuations of the same the consideration whereof should be a powerful Motive to make Men watchful over their Words For this is a Reason of the Disswasive from rash Vowing especially from extenuating of it that it is done before him Neither say thou before the Angel that it was an Errour 7. It is no less a Provocation of God to extenuat Sin than to commit it Yea it is a greater it being a new Sin added to the former for covering of it yea a defending of it in a great part For this third Reason is especially to be referred to the second Branch of the Disswasive from the extenuating of Sin Why should God be angry at thy Voice 8. Though there be no Passion in God as uses to be in men Isa 27.4 yet they that speak or act contrary to His Will may find such dreadful Effects following upon His just Displeasure as Men use to apprehend upon the incensed Fury of those who are inraged against them and so ought they to set forth His Wrath to their own Hearts for deterring them from Sin Therefore is His Displeasure here set forth by a word signifying Foaming Anger which is only incident to Men when they are beyond measure commoved with Passion Why should God be Angry c. 9 The Terrour of the Lord as well as His Loving Kindness should be considered by His People for restraining their Hearts from
what is Evil in His Sight especially seing they are often in such distemper through security and love to their Idols that considerations of His Love have little weight with them therefore is this here held forth as a reason of the former Disswasive Why should God be Angry at thy Voice 10. If Men would exercise their Reason they might see their own Folly in adventuring upon God's Displeasure so rashly as they do and in extenuating of their Guilt when they have done so For this Question is put to Mens Consciences importing that they cannot give a Reason for their Practice and that Conscience being put to it they could not but see themselves unreasonable Why should God be Angry at thy Voice 11. Though the Lord may long suffer the Work of Mens hands to prosper who are walking contrary to Him and provoking Him to destroy them yet such Men take the nearest course to destroy their own works who do any thing sinful to make themselves prosperous and the prospering of their works is but a Fore-runner of the Destruction of them For this which is sometimes verified here is held forth as that which is to be at last verified of all that continue to provoke the Lord He will destroy the work of thine hands 12. Even these Sins which Men account least of may draw down these Strokes which they account the sorest of any other and that especially because they extenuate these Sins For there is nothing that Men value more than the Works of their own hands and nothing is more grievous than the destruction of these And therefore the destruction of them is here threatned as a Consequent of God's Displeasure incensed by Mens rash Vows and their extenuating of them Why should God be Angry at thy Voice and destroy the work of thy hands 13. There is in every Sin many Provocations of God and consequently a multitude of Miseries attending the same Any one Sin be it Rash Vowing or Extenuating thereof proves these that are guilty of it to be ignorant of God or forgetful of His Presence Terrour and Justice and to have little Fear of Him in their hearts and so draws down Destruction upon all their Undertakings For both the multitude of Provocations and the many Miseries attending the same are comprehended under the Diverse Vanities here spoken of and particularly Mens disappointment of their Undertakings is imported in the Similitude here brought in to illustrat this Reason that as in Dreams Men feed themselves with many vain fancies and hopes f great things which are all evanished when they awake So â— many words especially rash and inconsiderat Engagements and slighting of the Sin of them There are diverse Vanities 14. The Fear of offending God flowing from the consideration of His Terrour Job 31.23 His Goodness Hos 3.5 and especially the experience of His proneness to pardon Ps 130.4 is the most kindly and powerful Restraint to keep Men from Sin the best remedy of their Rashness and of their Impenitency and Extenuating of it And the want of this is the ause of all that is here disswaded from For as a Remedy innuating the cause of this Distemper this is here prescribed ut fear thou God Ver. 8 If thou seest the oppression of the Poor and violent perverting of Judgement and Justice in a Province marvel not at the matter For he that is higher than the highest regardeth and there be higher than they HEre is a Sixth Direction for attaining to true Peace and Tranquility of Mind the Summ whereof is That Men should labour to acquiesce unto the powerful Providence of God ordering all sad Dispensations for the good of them that Fear Him and so walk in the practice of the former Direction And for this end he First supposes that the Godly of whom and to whom mainly he speaks here being Poor and in a very mean condition in the World will meet with grievous Oppressions from the World in all their outward enjoyments and have what is their Right both taken and detained from them as the Word Oppression signifies by the turning of Justice and Law whence these Oppressed Ones might expect a Redress of former Wrongs into farther Violence and Oppression of them Next He disswads from Marvelling or being Astonished and Stupified as the Word signifies at this Matter or as it is in the Original at this Will or Purpose to wit either the perverse will of wicked Men and their Cruel Purposes driving them on to such Oppression and Injustice or rather the Wise and Good Will of God permitting and ordering it to be so for good Ends. So that this Disswasive is not to be understood as if it were a fault simply to Admire Mens Wickedness and their unreasonable Dealing with Poor People For so Men may safely marvel at the Matter Isai 1.21 But it is such a Marvelling that is here condemned as hath with it Fretting and Anxiety flowing from Ignorance or Inconsideration of the Lord 's Wise Ends in permitting of it as tendeth to Stupify as the Word signifies and so to discourage the Hearts of the Poor in the way of Well doing And Thirdly He presseth this Disswasive by Three Reasons First From the Highness or Eminencie of the Lord in His Power Justice and other Perfections and this he sets forth comparatively as that which is far above the highest Oppressours on Earth Secondly From His Regard unto or as the Word signifies watching over all their Wrongs to Avenge them and over themselves to Preserve and Reward them who hold on in His Way notwithstanding of such opposition Thirdly From the multitude of Instruments whom the Lord hath to imploy especially the Angels whose Ministry He makes use of for executing His Judgements upon Proud and Unjust Oppressours any one of whom is Higher or more eminent for Power than all the Oppressours in the World Isai 37.36 Hence Learn 1. They that walk most closely by the Rule of the Word may expect the worst usage in the World even to be either by Fraud or Violence Robbed of their outward Comforts or kept from the possession of what is their own and while they have recourse to these that are in power for Redress to see no hopes of Relief from them but rather to meet with encrease of their Wrongs and new Injuries from such as should redress them and that in every place of the Country where they live For this is the case wherein those to whom the former Direction is given are supposed to be If thou seest the oppression of the Poor and violent perverting of Judgement and Justice in a Province c. 2. Although the Lord hath given very frequent forewarning of hard usage in the World to his people having made the same the ordinary Lot of the best of them Heb. 11. And manifested his purpose in permitting it to be such as may comfort his own Psal 92 7. Rom. 8.28 So as there is no ground for any of them to Marvel at
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