A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verses 14
Eccleſ. 2.18. to 23.
18. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the Sun: becauſe I ſhould leave it unto the man that ſhall be after me.
19. And who knoweth whether he ſhall be a wiſe man, or a fool? yet ſhall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have ſhewed my ſelfe wiſe under the Sun. This is alſo vanity.
20. Thereſore I went about to cauſe my heart to deſpaire of all the labour which I took under the Sun.
21. For there is a man whoſe labour is in wiſdome, and in knowledge, and in equity: yet to a man that hath not laboured therein, ſhall he leave it for a portion. This is alſo vanity, and a great evil.
22. For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the Sun?
23. For all his dayes are ſorrowes, and his travel griefe; yea, his heart taketh not reſt in the night. This is alſo vanity.
SOlomon in Ʋerſ. 17. told us one effect, which the conſideration of the like event in death to the wiſe and fool wrought in him, which was his hatred of life.
In this verſe he addeth another effect, of the ſame conſideration; which was, he hatred alſo of all his labour, verſe 18. which he further amplifieth firſt by two cauſes thereof which ſhew the like event befalling to the wiſe man in death, as to the foole. Where
The firſt is, that he ſhall leave behind him all his labour, to wit, the great workes he hath laboured in, to another that ſhall come after him, verſe 18.
The Second is his uncertainty of his ſons diſpoſition, whether he will prove a wiſe man or a fool, verſe 19.
Secondly, by the effect of the hatred of his labour, verſe 20, therefore (ſaith he) I went about to cauſe my heart to deſpaire of all the labour &c. which effect he further amplifieth by a double cauſe.
1. For that he having laboured in wiſdome and knowledge, and equity, muſt leave the eſtate he hath ſo gotten, to a man that hath taken no paines for wiſdome, or knowledge or equity, verſe 21.
2. For that his labour hath yeilded to himſelfe nothing but ſorrowes, griefe, reſtleſneſſe, even in the night, verſe 22.23.
Doctr. 1. When we labour for worldly comforts and bleſſings (ſuch as wiſdome, wealth, honour, and pleaſure be) to the intent to ſeek happineſſe in them, we ſhall in the end come to ſee our labour loſt, yea become odious and weary ſome to us.
For no man may expect to finde more good by his labour after theſe things then Solomon did: yet this was the iſſue of all his labour ſo beſtowed.
Reaſ. As of the former hatred of life, verſe 17.
Queſt. But whether did Solomon well, thus to hate his labour, for not yeilding him that fruit he expected?
Anſw. No. For, 1. His labour was commanded of God, and was therefore good, Eccleſ. 1.13. Gen. 3, 19.
2. His labour had not been in vaine, if he had uſed it as God commanded; ſundry bleſſings follow dillgent labour, Prov. 10.4, and 14, 23, and 22, 29.
3. God never gave labour about earthly things that bleſſing as to yeild felicity. It was Solomons fault to look to reape that fruit from his labour, which God never gave it. He ſhould rather have hated the vanity of his own minde which abuſed his labour to a wrong end. But Solomon doth well to tell us plainly, how it fell out with him upon his labour ſo beſtowed, that we may alſo ſee what we may expect in the like caſe.
Ʋſe 1. To teach Schollars that labour for natural or civil wiſdome, and other men that labour for wealth, or honour, or pleaſure, not to expect or ſeek greater happineſſe in them then they are able to yeild. If we do, we ſhall finde our labour loſt, yea wearyſome to us in the end.
Theſe things we may labour for, but not as our chiefeſt good, but to ſome further higher end. If theſe things be the top of our hopes and deſires, and the laſt end of our labour, we ſhall loſe our labour and happineſſe both.
Obj. But doe not many Schollars that ſeek for no further happineſſe then learning and wiſdome, finde good contentment therein, free from ſuch hatred of their labours? And ſo doe not many worldlings finde the like in their wealth &c. and never think their labour loſt?
Anſw. True: But ſuch men never caſt up their accounts, as Solomon here did, to ſee whether they have indeed found true cauſe of contentment, true happineſſe indeed in theſe things. If they had or did, doubtleſſe they would finde no better iſſue, then Solomon had done, Ʋerſe 12.
Doctr. 2. It is a wearyſome and odious thing to ſeek happineſſe in thoſe things, which we muſt leave behinde us. As Solomon was to leave all thoſe great works behinde him, which he had wrought by his great wiſdome and wealth, together with all the comforts which they afforded him [1 Tim. 6.7, 8.]
Reaſon 1. From the great need we ſtand in of happineſſe when we depart hence: yea then have we moſt need of it; if otherwiſe we then fall of it, we become eternally miſerable.
Ʋſe 1. To ſhew the excellency of godly men above others; they carry the happineſſe with them, which others leave behind them, Prov. 12.26. When a wordly wealthy man hath made his will and left all his eſtate to ſuch and ſuch, what hath he left himſelf to carry away with him, but the anguiſh and miſery of a guilty conſcience, and the expectation of worſe?
Ʋſe 2. To exhort therefore to labour more for godlineſſe then all earthly bleſſings. It is indeed great gaine which will go currant in this world and that which is to come, 1 Tim. 6.6, and 4, 8. It is a great gaine that bringeth Gods bleſſing and no ſorrow with it, Prov. 10, 22.
Doct. 3. A wiſe man may have a ſon grown up to mans eſtate, and yet be uncertaine what he will prove, when he commeth to enjoy his fathers living.
Solomon was old before he fell to Idolatry; 1 Kings 11.4. and ſome yeares he muſt needs ſpend in building thoſe Temples to his wives Idols, after which time he wrote this Book, ſo that now he was become very old. And therefore Rehoboam could not be young when he wrote it; for he wrote it not long before his death, and at his death Rehoboam was 41 yeares old, 1 Kings 14.21. And yet Solomon notwithſtanding all his wiſdome and deep inſight into the nature of all the creatures, and into the manners of men, he was not able to ſay, whether his ſon would become a wiſe man or a fool.
Reaſ. 1. From the government of wiſe Parents over their children, which keepeth them in from ſhewing forth their own ſpirits; [Donec liberius vivendi ſit copia Adoleſ centulis, quî vitam ſcires aut Ingenium noſceres dum aetas, metus, magiſter prohibebant?]
Reaſon 2. From the change of outward eſtate, which often changeth inward conditions Honores mutant mores, Sixtus, an humble crouching Cardinal, but none ſo reſolute and ſtour a Pope; A Cardinal of the Spaniſh Faction, a Pope againſt Spaine.
Reaſ. 3. From the various diſpoſitions of ſome young men eſpecially. Rehoboam himſelfe ſometime doth fooliſhly after his comming to the Kingdome, 1 Kings 12.14. ſometimes wiſely, 2 Chron. 11.5, to 12, 23. If he were thus various after he came to the Crown, how much more before?
Ʋſe 1. To teach youth to take notice of their own uncertainty of ſpirit, that they may more ſeek to be eſtabliſhed with grace.
Ʋſe 2. To teach Parents as much as may be to ſeaſon their children with grace, and to teach them in the Trade of the beſt wayes eſpecially: and then are they moſt likely to foreſee their conſtancy, Prov. 22.6.
Ʋſe 3. To exhort Parents, to traine up their children above all graces to humility: For pride is the only ſin for which God is wont to ſtrike with madneſſe, Dan. 4.30, 31, 32. That other cauſe of deſtraction, to wit, ſpiritual anguiſh through brokenneſſe of ſpirit, (Pſal. 88.15.) which Heman fell into, will not blemiſh reputation of wiſeome, 1 Kings 4.31. God is wont to heal it.
Doctr. 4. It is a wearyſome vanity tending to make a man to deſpaire of all his labours; a wiſe man and an honeſt man, to leave his eſtate either to an heire of whoſe wiſdome he is uncertaine, or to any who hath not laboured after wiſdome and honeſty, verſe 19.20, 21. This double vexation befell Solomon; firſt he was uncertaine what his ſon would prove, wiſe or fooliſh.
2. He ſaw for the preſent, he took paines neither for wiſdome nor equity (or honeſty) as himſelfe had done: yea, it may be he alſo foreſaw what loſſe of his eſtate might befall his ſon, ten parts of it to fall to Jeroboam, a man that made Iſrael to ſin. And yet in Libanus and other parts of Iſrael, Solomon had built much, 1 Kings 9.19.
Reaſon 1. For ſo a wiſe man is likely to be a drudge to a fool: an honeſt man to a wretch, a painful man to an idle.
Ʋſe 1. To weane wiſe men and ſo all men from voluptuouſneſſe, that is, from placing their happineſſe in earthly comforts. Otherwiſe it would never have thus vexed Solomon to have been uncertaine of his heire.
For it would have contented him, and ought ſo to have done.
1. To have enjoyed the comfort of his own labours himſelfe whilſt he believed, Pſal. 128.2.
2. To have employed them in his life time to the good of others.
3. To have trained up his heire, with as much good education as he could.
4. To have diſpoſed his eſtate at his death as wiſely as he could.
5. To cleare doubtful events to God, who diſpoſeth of all things wiſely and juſtly.
Ʋſe 2. To moderate mens eager purſuits after wealth: little know we what manner of men we labour for.
3. To reprove our carnal confidence who thinke to make ſure to leave our eſtates in a good hand, and there to abide from one time to another. A thing more then Solomon could foreſee or provide for.
4. To moderate our judgements, when we ſee mens eſtates fall into the hands of fooliſh and prodigal heires, not ſtreight to think they were ill gotten. Solomon had laboured in equity as well as in widome, and got all his eſtate honeſtly, yet it was ſcattered (ten parts of it) in his ſons dayes in the hands of a ſtranger.
Doctr. 5. To ſeek felicity in wealth and pleaſure, &c. will put a man to continual griefe and reſtleſneſſe day and night, verſe 22, 23.1 Tim. 6.10.
Riches and pleaſures are as thornes, not onelyonly to choake good ſeed in us, Luke 8.14. but alſo to prick and pierce our ſelves with many ſorrowes.
Reaſon 1. Their multitudes are a burden, Eccleſ. 5.12. as many cloathes on a mans bed, will put him into a ſwear, and not ſuffer him to ſleep; ſo multitudes, and abundance of wealth. For they carry with them many Cares, Feares, and Uncertainties.
Ʋſe 1. To weane us from ſeeking ſuch troubleſome comforts. Labour we for riches ſo as we may have them with Gods bleſſing, which addeth no ſorrow: Prov. 10.22.
Ʋſe 2. To exhort to labour for ſpiritual treaſure which makes our ſleepes ſweet, and our dayes comfortable, Job 35.10. Pſal. 77, 6. Prov. 15.15.