A Posing Question Put by the Wise Man, Treatise · Chapter 1
CHAPTER I.
THis Book of Eccleſiastes, is a book full of Diſcoveries. The great diſcovery Solomon makes in it, is this, Viz. What it is upon which the deſires of Man ought to fix, as their utmoſt End and Reſt.
Thereupon, Solomon makes this great Enquiry, Wherein Man's chiefeſt Good and Happineſſe conſiſts?
In it he proceeds
1. Negatively,
2. Affirmatively.
1. Negatively; and ſo, ſhews wherein true Happineſſe is not to be found: And there you have Solomon diſcovering the falſe and counterfeit Felicities of mans dark heart, and the wofull miſtakes of men about their chiefeſt Good.
This he doth more
Generally,
Particularly.
1. More Generally, in this Propoſition, Cap. 1. 2. Vanity of vanities, All is vanity.
2. More Particularly; In recounting ſeverall things, whereon men fix their Eyes and Hearts, as though happineſſe were to be found in them.
1. Knowledg, both Naturall and Morall.
2. Pleaſure, and all the ſweeteſt earthly Delights.
3. Honour, and greatneſſe of Authority.
4. Riches, and earthly Poſſeſſions.
The three firſt of theſe, Solomon diſcourſeth of in the four ſirſt Chapters. And in the fifth Chapter he comes to examine, and conſider of that of Riches. And having, in the former Chapter, by many Arguments, proved the Vanity of Riches; he comes in this Chapter to adde four Arguments more.
1. A man may have the Poſſeſſion of them, and yet want the right Uſe, and comfortable Enjoyment of them. This you have, in the ſix firſt Verſes.
2. They are not able to give ſatisfaction to the Deſires of men. This he proves, Ver. 7. All the labour of a man is for his Mouth, i. e. for the Body, and the ſervices of It; But the Appetite is not filled. And further confirmes it, Ver. 8. by comparing the Wiſe and Fooliſh, Rich and Poor, together. If there were ſuch contentment, and ſatisfaction to be found in Riches, why then Wiſe men and Rich men ſhould, of all others, enjoy the happineſſe of it. But, ſaith Solomon, What hath the Wiſe more than the Fooliſh? What hath the Poor, that knoweth to walk before the Living? q. d. What hath a painfull and laborious Poor man leſſe of Contentment than the Rich?
3. Riches are unable to preſerve from, or protect againſt, thoſe Evils to which Man is ſubject, viz. Sickneſs, Pain, Grief, Sin, Wrath. Ver. 10. That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is Man. i. e. Call him what you will; Wiſe, Honourable, Rich; why yet he is ſtill but Man, Weak, Earthy, Frail, Mortal; and ſo, ſubject to thoſe Miſeries that attend Man.
4. Abundance of Riches hath abundance of Cares, Troubles, Diſtractions, Diſquietments, Ver. 11. Seeing there are many things that increaſe Vanity, what is Man the better? q. d. Many, by encreaſing Riches, think to encreaſe Happineſs; yet they do but encreaſe Vanity: And if ſo, then Man is ſo far from being the better, that he is the worſe for them.
Thus, Solomon ſhewes how men are miſtaken in thinking Happineſſe to lye in Riches; And the ground of this miſtake is laid down in the words of the Text, and that is; Mans ignorance of what is good for him in this life; He thinks that good, which is evil. For, who knoweth what is good for man in this life?
The words are a Queſtionary Propoſal. Who knoweth what is good for man in this Life? The Interrogation implies a Negation, and ſo reſolves it ſelf into this univerſal negative Propoſition; No man knowes what is good for man in this life. One great thing, about which the ignorance of man diſcovers it ſelf, is this, What is good, and what is evil, for a man in this life.
The Concluſion deducible from the words, is this:
Doct. No man infallibly knowes what is good, and (ſo on the contrary) what is evill, for a man in this Life.
In the handling of this Propoſition, I ſhall proceed
By way of
Explication.
Confirmation.
Application.
1. For Explication. So we are to make two Enquiries.
1. Of what Good, this is to be underſtood.
2. Of what Men, this is to be underſtood: And whether every man is concluded under the Ignorance of what is good for a man in this Life.
1. Conſider of what Good this Propoſition is to be underſtood. So the Queſtion is, Whether no man knoweth what is good for himſelf in any particular.
For the better underſtanding of this, conſider, What it is that we call good? That is Good that all deſire. Goodneſs is, Congruentia rei cum appetitu, It is the ſuitableneſs and agreement of the thing to and with the deſire; And hence it is, that bonum & appetibile; what is good, and what is deſirable, are the ſame.
Now here is the Queſtion, when every one deſires what is good, that, for all that, no man knows What is good for a man; ſince every man knows what it is that ſuites with his deſires.
For the Anſwering of this Queſtion, we muſt give-in ſome Diſtinctions.
1. Diſtinction is this;
There is Bonum
Reale
Apparens
There is Good real, and, Good in appearance. There is that that is truly good, and that that ſeemeth good but is truly evil; There is that that is good, and that that only ſeems good.
Now when we tell you, No man knoweth what is good for a man in this life; It is to be underſtood of the former, not of the latter. No man knows what is really good for him; He knows indeed what is ſeemingly good for him, what pleaſeth his carnal appetite and corrupt deſires; but what is really good for him, Man knoweth not.
2. Diſtinction;
There is Bonum
Jucundum, good pleaſing.
Vtile, good profitable.
1. There is a Pleaſing good, that pleaſeth our Natures, and delights our Senſes.
2. There is a Profitable good; And we muſt know this, that things may be pleaſingly good, that are not profitably good. Things may be toothſome, that are not wholeſome. A man in the Fit of an Ague, knows, Drinking much would be a pleaſing good to him, when the Phyſitian knows, it would not be a profitable good and ſo denyeth it.
Now the propoſition is to be underſtood of the latter, not of the former. Every man knoweth what is a pleaſing good. He knoweth, (as it is ſaid of Iſſachar) Reſt is good, and Health is good; but he knows not what is a profitable good for man.
3. Diſtinction;
There is Good that is ſo
Simpliciter
Secundum Quid.
1. There is that which is, in it ſelf, and of it ſelf, good; So Riches, and Health, and Honour, are in themſelves good, being Bleſſings of God, and Streams that Iſſue from that Fountain of Goodneſs that is in him. And ſo, on the contrary, that are in themſelves Evill; as Poverty, Sickneſs, Croſſes, Afflictions, being brought in by Sin.
2. There is that that is good in ſome reſpects, et quoad nos, in reſpect of us. There is Bonum commodum, a convenient good. That may be good in it ſelf, that is not good for us; I mean, a convenient good.
So the Propoſition is to be underſtood of the latter, not of the former. A man may know what is good in it ſelf, when he may not know what is good for him. A man may know, Riches are good, when yet they may not be a convenient good for him. Agur's Prayer, Prov. 30. 8. was Give me neither Poverty nor Riches, feed me with food Convenient. Though he ſaw, Riches were in themſelves good, yet he queſtion'd whether they were a Convenient good for him; and thereupon deſires a middle Eſtate, between Poverty and Riches. So that, when we tell you, No man knowes what is good for man in this life, it is to be underſtood of a Convenient good.
4. Diſtinction.
There is good in Reſpect
1. Of our Apprehenſions and Imaginations.
2. Of Gods Intention.
1. There is good in reſpect of our apprehenſions. So men, have their ſeveral apprehenſions of what is good, and what is evil. One man apprehends Honour good for him, and Riches good for him; And apprehends Diſgrace evil, and Poverty evil. A man apprehends Health good, and Sickneſs evil, for him.
2. There is good in Gods Intention. And ſo the Propoſition is to be underſtood of the latter, not of the former. Though a man may know what is good for himſelf in his own apprehenſion, yet he knows not what is good for him in Gods Intention. What a man apprehends to be good to him, may be intended for evil; and what he apprehends as evil, may be intended to him for good, Eccleſ. 9. 1. No man knowes Love or Hatred by any thing that is before him. The meaning is, That no man from outward bleſſings, which are good in our apprehenſion, can conclude that God loves him, and intends good to him; And no man from outward Afflictions, which are evil in a mans apprehenſion, can conclude hatred, or that He intends evil to him. So that though a man knoweth what is good and evil for him in his own Apprehenſion, yet he knoweth not what is good or evil in God's Intention.
5. Diſtinction:
There is Good, that is good in a General Notion and Conſideration; And Good, that is good in relation to particular Caſes, and to particular Times.
So the Propoſition is to be underſtood of the latter, not of the former. This is granted, that a man may know what is good and what is evil for him in General; but a man knoweth not what is good for him in ſuch a particular Caſe, and at ſuch a particular Time. As Huſhai ſaid of Achitophel's Counſell, It is not good at this time; Why ſo what a man looks upon as good for him, may not be good for him at ſuch a time. Riches that ſeem to be Good for a man, yet at ſome times may be Evil to a man. As in Plundring times, it was a mans unhappineſſe either to be, or to be thought, Rich.
Thus for the firſt thing, Of what Good this is to be understood.
2. The ſecond thing to be Enquired after, is, Of what Men, this is to be understood? So the Queſtion is, Whether the Propoſition concludes all men, without Exception, under this ignorance; and excludes all from the knowledge of what is good for them in this Life?
So the Queſtion is concerning Godly men that are ſanctified, and enlightned by the Spirit of God, Whether are they as Ignorant in this particular, as others?
Anſw. There is a great difference to be put between the Spiritual and the Natural man, in reſpect of their knowledge of what is good or evil for a man in this Life. A Godly man, not only knows what is good for a man, in relation to the Life to come; as Pardon of Sin, an Intereſt in Chriſt, &c. but alſo he knows more than others do what is good for a man in this Life. He knows, that many things are good for a man, that are apprehended to be evil; and he knows, there are many things evil for a man that are look'd on as good. Thus David ſaid, It was good for him that he had been afflicted; when others looked upon Afflictions as evil, he looked on them as good for him. Agur prayed againſt Riches; why, he knew they were evil for him, when others look upon abundance as good.
So, conſider; a Godly man hath Four things to help him in the knowledg of this, that others have not.
1. He hath the Spirit of God to inſtruct and teach him what is good and evil for a man in this life. When others are only led by Senſe, & Opinion, the Godly man is taught, and led by the Spirit of God.
2. He hath the Sanctuary to go into, where he may learn what is Good and Evil for a man in this Life. There David tells you, that he attain'd to this knowledg; and, till he went into the Sanctuary he was ignorant of it, Pſal. 73. 17.—till I went into the Sanctuary. Till then, he thought it was ill for good men, that they were afflicted; and that it was good for wicked men, that they were in proſperity: But when he came into the Sanctuary, he was informed otherwiſe.
3. The Godly man hath convincing Experience, by which he comes to know what is good and evil for a man in this life. So that by experience, he knows that to be good for him, that others think evil, Pſal. 119. 71. It is good for me that I have been Afflicted. David ſpeaks it from experience.
4. The Godly man hath the Promiſe to help him too, Rom. 8. 28. All things work together for good to them that Love God. So that, being ſuch as Love God, they know all ſhall be for Good to them, be it what it will. Though it ſeem Evil, yet it ſhall work for Good.
Theſe things Godly men have above others, whereby they are enabled above others to know what is Good for them this in Life. And yet, for all this, the Propoſition includes them too, as well as others. It is true, Solomon (it is probable) means it chiefly of the Natural and Unregenerate man; yet it takes in the Godly man too, as one that knows not what is Good for a man in this Life. And that eſpecially in two Caſes:
1. A Godly man knows not what is good for a man, in all things.
2. He knows not what is good for a man, at all times.
1. A Godly man knows not what is good for a man in all things. In this (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks) they know but in part. And it appears thus; that they have been denyed in their Requeſts, Praying for that that God ſaw not Good for them. Thus Abraham for Iſhmael. Thus Moſes requeſted to have gone into the Land of Canaan. And Gods denying them theſe Requeſts, muſt be interpreted Gods not ſeeing that particular thing Good for them; and that indeed it was not good for them: The Will of God being the higheſt Rule of Goodneſs.
So we find ſome of the Servants of God have been blinded with paſſion in ſome of their requests; as Elijah and Jonah; and God did not ſee it good to grant them what they deſired. They Asked they knew not what.
2. A Godly man may not know what is good for him, at all times. Of that they have been ignorant till they have gone into the Sanctuary, and till experience hath afterward taught it them. Time was, when David, a Godly man, was miſtaken about the Afflictions of Godly men, and the Proſperity of Wicked men; till he went into the Sanctuary. Till then, he was as Ignorant as other men. So that till then, a Godly man may be Ignorant of, What is good for man in this life.