Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Title page – Dedication 1
A FAMILIAR EXPOSITION or Commentarie on Eccleſiaſtes. VVherein the worlds vanity, and the true felicitie are plainely deciphered. BY THOMAS GRANGER, Preacher of the Word at Butterwike in Eaſtholland, Lincolne.
LONDON: Printed by T. S. for Thomas Paulet, dwelling in Iuie-Lane. 1621.
TO THE RIGHT Reuerend Father in God, and my very Honourable good Lord, GEORGE, by Gods prouidence L. Biſhop of Lincolne, and high ALMONER to the Kings Moſt Excellent MAIESTIE, continuall increaſe of all true HAPPINESSE.
Moſt Reuerend, and my Honourable good Lord.
IT is not more triuiall then true, Nimia familiaritas parit contemptum, Too much familiaritie breedeth contempt. Plenty breedes loathing of what wee moſt deſired, and weariſomneſſe in what we moſt delighted, cuſtome cauſeth facilitie, and that againe produceth careleſneſſe, and neglect. Neceſsitie ſearcheth and findeth out neceſſaries, Art beautifieth, but out of Art ſpringeth idle curioſitie that marreth all. What integrity is there in any thing? When the world was cleane purged by waters, and the wicked ſwept all away, yet there remained a ſecret Cham lurking in the righteous familie, and in Lots houſe one that looked back to the rich plaine of Sodome. The pureſt quinteſſenee extracted from the pureſt body by the p…eciſeſt ſubtiltie, hath in it ſemen corruptionis, an inſenſible beginning of corruption. The Church being cleanſed of her leproſie, and reſtored to her antiquitie comely▪ and beautifull, groweth ſo curious on the one ſide, and ſo Atheiſtically ſacrilegious on the other ſide, that who is a good man, who a wiſe man, ſub iudice lis…eſt. We are falling from comely ſobriety, to proud ouer-weening curioſity, and phantaſticall leuitie, like thoſe that thinke a thing neuer to be well, till it be ſpoiled with too much fingering, whitling, and hammering. Too much playing with the phantaſie, (the diſeaſe of theſe times) marreth a good vnderſtanding. For as a learned man ſaith, it is mater erroris, the mother of errour leading vsus from naturall portraitures to anticks, the like whereof (for illuſtration ſake) is to be ſeene in our apparrell, and putting on thereof, and ſhould be ſeene in our bodies, if they were of aerious ſubſtance, and changeable at our will. Much preaching we hauehave, and much hearing, (a peculiar bleſsing on this nation) we are ripe of conceit, and glib of tongue, eueryevery thing is eaſie, nothing difficult, and how many thinke themſelues able to teach their teachers, and gouerne their gouernours? Surely, if the Pulpit, and place of authority, were granted them, we ſhould hauehave ſo many new coyned Churches, and polities, that the diuine, true, and naturall portraiture of both ſhould be loſt, and all of vsus left in a maze, and as creatures tranſlated out of their proper element into another. Much hauehave we in times paſt deſired the ſober, and plaine preaching of the word, for knowledge of the truth, and right practiſe of duties towards God, and one towards another, but the fickleneſſe of many is weary of both. They cannot tell whom they would heare, what they would heare, what forme they would hauehave, and as the ſicklie man, and want on childe would hauehave they know not what. Many are ſo rauiſhed with their owne anticks, and conceit of their owne knowledge, and all-ſufficiency, that it is enough for them to heare for varietie, and compariſon ſake, new inſtruments, new voyces, to looke the Preacher in the face, but in the meane while, like Cut-purſes, to hauehave their ſacrilegious hands in his pocket, and to ſalue the ſmarting ſore with a dinner or a ſupper, ſawced with oyly words, with deceitfull hollow courteſies, which fill the eye and the phantaſie (bewitchingly) but drie vp the bloud in the veines; for wee are fooles, but they are wiſe. Their heart goeth after their pride, after their couetouſneſſe, Ezech. 33. 31. Plenty of the word hath bred loathing thereof, and plenty of Preachers contempt of them. Many hauehave heard, and ſeene Chriſt enough, yet finde neither profit …or pleaſure in him, he hath neither forme nor beautie; therefore vncleane ſpirit returne home againe, foxe to thy kinde, dogge to thy old vomit, ſowe to thy wallowing in the mire. Heatheniſh deuotion is meere madneſſe; Popiſh deuotion is ſuperſtitious, and fooliſh ſober hearing and well doing is weariſome: What remaineth but Epicuriſme? And what is that but to make an Idoll of the corruptible body, the moſt rotten Idoll of all? Surely, neither Pagans, nor Popiſh Churches and houſes were euer ſo filled with Idols, as they are now. For the belly, body, or perſon, is the Epicures Idoll, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Phil. 3. 19. And how this Bel, and Iezabel, the corruptible carke is ſhould be more adored, and deifyed, than now it is, I conceiue not, neither can any Cooke, or Tailor imagine, for in deuiſing new follies they fall into the old vnawares. Now what will be the ripeneſſe of this ſwiniſh wallowing in the lees of concupiſcence, but backſliding into Paganiſme, or rather a progreſſe into Atheiſme, when all good wiſedome and vnderſtanding is depraued through luſt? So that in the end, we ſhall be worſe Ignorants, or rather worſe miſcreants, then euer we were, according to that principle in Philoſophie, Bonum optimum corruptum fit peſſimum.
Conſidering the ſeaſon (beloued Father in God) I was in doubt whether it were better to hauehave exerciſed my ſelfe in the Prophet Ieremie, whoſe propheſies are well befitting this laſt end of the world, drawing neere to the vniuerſall iudgement, as the particular nation of the Iewes did towards theirs, for their wilfulneſſe, hard-heartedneſſe, contempt of their Prophets, carnality of their Prieſts, confidence in their owne ſtrength, couetouſneſſe, oppreſſion, &c. But becauſe I feared both meanes and health would faile me in ſo long a worke, I vndertooke this, which is of like nature; and intent, namely to withdraw men from the tranſitory world, and the periſhing luſts thereof, euen from this loathſome Belly-Idolatry, ſpirituall Maſtupration, Selfe-harlotry, to the feare of God, and obedience to his commandements, conſidering the proud preſumption▪ want on ſecuritie, the ciuill filthineſſe, modeſt leuity, courteous Chuch-robberies, and the fruitleſſe i…ngling profesſions of many, whoſe pratling, and hearing is endleſſe, but good workes in humility, and louelove, to which God hath elected and redeemed vsus, are farre from them, Epheſians 1. 4. Titus 2. 14. which cauſed wiſe, aged, experienced Solomon to ſay, Eccleſ. 12. 12. Be admoniſhed by theſe my Sonne, for of making bookes there is no end, and much reading is a wearineſſe to the fleſh. But he that is not a forgetfull hearer, but a doer of the worke, this man ſhall be bleſſed in his deede, Iam. 1. 25. For this is totum hominis, the whole duty of man, Ecceſ. 12. 13. Surely, if bleſſedneſſe be to be found in the deede, then in much writing, reading, ſpeaking, hearing, there muſt needes be wearineſſe, if not to the body, yet to the conſcience, which in theſe outward exerciſes onelyonly, can neuer finde true comfort, or aſſurance of Gods louelove.
Now I hauehave made choice of your Lordſhip, to whom I might Dedicate this worke; and that for ſundry cauſes: Firſt, that I might exhibite it to you as a New yeares gift, the beſt that I hauehave, in token of my ſincere louelove and duty, and earneſt deſire of your proſperous and happie welfare, who as you were ſtudious your ſelfe, when once you were Fellow of Queenes Colledge in Cambridge; ſo were you a ſpeciall fauourer, and furtherer of the Studious, whereby you purchaſed ſpeciall louelove, both in your owne Colledge and abroad alſo, and the ſame through your perſeuerance, and prudent gouernement is ſtill continued amongſt vsus that liue vnderunder your Iuriſdiction. Another cauſe is, that it might finde the better paſſage vnderunder your patronage, and kinder entertainement vnderunder your name, that though it be defectiue in ſelfe-deſert, yet for your ſake the indifferent, beneuolous, and generous eye, reſpecting the ſtrong, might ingenuouſly paſſe by the we…ke. Moreouer, being deſirous to ſhew forth ſome teſtimony of my thankefull minde for your Lordſhips great fauour towards me; I thought good to offer that, which onelyonly I am able to giuegive, and which I know you are moſt ready and willing to receiue, euen the fruits of my Miniſteriall labours to you, a ſpeciall fauourer of faithfull Miniſters. Laſtly, as tokens of ſmall weight, but of great value, are more acceptable then great Summes, I truſt that this ſmall gaine of my one Talent, which I preſent to your Lordſhip, as a token of my ſincere affection, obedience, and ſeruice, ſhall counteruaile a ponderous volume. And what I am leſſe able this way to performe, I ſhall recompence with my continuall and hearty prayers for your temporall and eternall happineſſe.
London, 1. Ian. 1621. Your Lordſhips in all humble obſeruance▪ TH. GR.