A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verses 25
Eccleſ. 4.1, 2, 3.
Verſ. 1. So I returned and conſidered all the oppreſſions that are done 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.
2. Wherefore I praiſed the dead which are already dead, more then the living which are yet alive.
3. Yea, better is he then both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not ſeen the evil work that is done under the Sun.
IN this Chapter Solomon proceedeth to declare other vanities that befal the eſtates of the ſons of men in this world, over and beſides the vanity which befel them either by the juſt and wiſe government of Gods providence, or by the unjuſt adminiſtration of mens government or judgement ſeats. In the eſtates of men do ariſe the vanities here obſerved: firſt from the neglect of compaſſion to men oppreſſed, verſ. 1, 2, 3. Secondly, from envy, verſe 4. Thirdly, from idleneſſe, verſe 5.6. Fourthly, from covetouſneſſe, verſe 7, 8. Fifthly, from ſolitarineſſe, verſe, 9, to 12. Sixthly, from wilfulneſſe, verſe 13, to 16. Solomon turning his minde from conſidering former vanities, and now conſidering oppreſſions, he faſtneth his thoughts chiefly upon the ſad and pittiful eſtate of men oppreſſed.
This eſtate is ſet forth, Firſt, by their adjunct, want of comfort or ſuccour: and they had no comforter, twice repeated. Secondly, by the contrary ſtrength and ſtore of power in their oppreſſors; So great that ſome tranſlate that the oppreſſed had no power of eſcaping from it: and the words may beare both; verſe 1. Thirdly, By the effect which then it wrought in himſelfe, to wit, to praiſe, 1. The dead above the living, verſe 2.2. The unborne above the other, verſe 3.
Doctr. 1: It is a vanity that befalleth the eſtates of men under the Sun, that men of power abuſe it to oppreſſion. And a further vanity that men oppreſſed (though lamentably oppreſſed, yet) have no comforter: And yet a further vanity, that a wiſe man (even a godly wiſe man) conſidering this, is ſubject to waxe weary of his life, Micah 2. verſe 1, 2. 1 Kings 21.7. Pſal. 58.2. Yea, Moſes the meekeſt on Earth, Num. 12.3.
Reaſon of abuſing the power, Firſt the power of corrupt nature, which will have a time to put forth it ſelſe to the utmoſt, Ier. 3, 5. Secondly, Folly and Arrogance joyned with power, 1 Kings 12.10, 11.
Reaſon of no comforter, Firſt, Neglect of Gods feare, Iob 6.14. Secondly, Feare of men, 1 Sam. 23, 11, 12. Thirdly, The ſtrength of Gods wrath, who when he chaſteneth, he will ſuffer none to helpe, Iob 9.13, & 34, 29. Pſal. 88.18. with 38.11. Fourthly, Contempt of men caſt downe, Iob 12.5. Fifthly, Senſuality, Amos 6.4, 5, 6. Sixthly, Inhumanity, Luke 10.30, 31, 32. Seventhly, Scruple of conſcience, through difference of Religion, Iohn 4.7, 9. Luke 9.52, 53.
Reaſons of wiſe mens wearineſſe of life to behold or feel this, Firſt, diſtemper of their minds, Eccleſ. 7, 7. through, 1. Judging of things according to ſenſe, not according to faith, 2. Doubt of Gods providence in temptation. 3. Impatience, Luke 21.19. Secondly, Depth and Tenderneſſe of compaſſion and zeal which maketh them utterly unwilling to behold the violence of oppreſſors, through zeal, Hab 1.2, & v. 12, 13. and Teares of the oppreſſed, through compaſſion, Habac. 1.3. Ier. 9.1, 2.
Ʋſe of the abuſe of power to oppreſſion. Firſt, To behold the vanity of all eſtates by the fall; power which was given to help the afflicted, is abuſed to cruſh them. Thus greater men (as Fiſhes) devour the leſſe, Habac. 1, 14. Secondly, To warne men of power to beware of the abuſe.
Ʋſe of no comforter, 1. To teach all men oppreſſed, to ſeek firſt to make their peace with God; for if he be angry, the ſtrong helpers faile, Iob 9, 13, & 34, 29. Secondly, to teach ſuch as behold the teares of the afflicted, to caſt out ſuch corruptions and temptations as might hinder our compaſſion, as theſe before ſpoken of; Neglect of Gods fear, Feare of men, Contempt, Senſuality, Inhumanity, Scruple of Conſcience, Heb. 13.3. Gal. 6.10. Luke 10.33, to 37.
Queſt. How may I know, when God calleth me to ſuccour and comfort a man afflicted or oppreſſed?
Anſw. When three things concurre, 1. His neceſſity, Iob 31.19, & 29, 12, 17. 2. My ability, Prov. 3.27, 28. 3. God offering opportunity, Luke 10.33. Gal. 6.10.
Ʋſe of the wiſe mans wearyneſſe of life to behold this, Firſt, to teach godly wiſe men to beware of a ſnare in the beſt vertues. It is a gracious and precious vertue, Tenderneſſe of compaſſion to men of miſery. And yet the beholding of men in miſery, may breed in the wiſeſt a diſcontentment and wearineſſe of life. Secondly, to teach us in ſuch a caſe rather to live by faith, in ſuffering oppreſſion our ſelves, Heb. 10.34. or beholding the afflictions of others, Eccleſ. 5, 8.
Ʋſe of all the three parts of the doctrine; If men of power be apt to abuſe their power to oppreſſion, and men oppreſſed doe often finde no comforter, and that a wiſe good man conſidering this, be ſubject to waxe weary of his life: Then it may teach us to be compaſſionate and ſuccourful to the oppreſſed. This may heale and prevent the two latter vanities, and remove the firſt, Iob 6.14, & 19, 21, & 29, 25. Luke 10.33. 1 Pet. 3.8. Rom. 12.15, Pſal. 72.4.
Motives, Firſt, Gods example, 2 Cor. 7.6. Pſal. 146.7. & 145, 8, 9. And his example is of neceſſary imitation in ſuch caſes, Matth. 18.33. Prov. 12.10. Exod. 23.5. Secondly, Danger upon neglect of it, 1. From God, Exod. 22, 22, 23, 24. Iam. 2.13. Amos 6.6, 7. Pſal. 109.12, 2. From conſcience, Gen. 42, 21, 22. or elſe ſearedneſſe or hardneſſe contracted after ſoftneſſe by Gods juſt judgement. 3. From man, 1 Sam 12, 57, 6. Pſal. 72, 4. Thirdly, Community of condition, Heb. 13.3. Iob 3.13, 14, 15.
Application: 1. To the priſoner, to help his conſcience to ſight and ſenſe of his ſins, and ſo to repentance. His ſervant was diſeaſed with the ſcurvey which maketh the body weake, and liſtleſſe; and when nature is grown weak, the retentive faculty is weakned that he hath no hold of his excrements. In this caſe, compaſſion would have looked out heating Medicines, wholeſome Diet, warme keeping! what compaſſion was there in immoderate whipping? Its Egyptian cruelty, Exod. 5.7, 8, 14. 2. Striking on the head with a Cudgel, leaving wounds and bruiſes. 3. Diet with the Lights of a dead beaſt. 4. Waſhing his naked body in cold water, when Ice and Snow lay upon the ground, and putting on a cold and wet ſhirt, and kept out from fire. 5. Hanging him over the fire in the ſmoake, 6. Binding him on horſeback, and he not being able to ſit fell on one ſide till blood iſſued at mouth, noſe, and eares, denying him a draught of water; upon this he dyeth.
Object. But his intention was not to hurt him, at leaſt mortally, but to reforme him.
Anſw. Sundry of theſe acts are not intended of God for reformation, as ſuch diet, waſhing in cold water, wet Apparrel, and then kept from fire, hanging over the fire with …moake, bruiſes on the head. 2. Intention to deſtroy is no neceſſary ingredient to murder. As in caſe Firſt, Of knocking a ſervant when death followeth, Exod. 21.20, 21. If one or two violent ſtroaks of correction on which death followeth be Capital, is it not alike Capital to ſhorten life by many acts of rigour haſtening death by degrees? Secondly, Of killing a childe in the wombe, Exod. 21, 22, 23. Thirdly, Of not keeping up a goring Oxe, Exod. 21, 29. Two things be requiſite to make caſual killing murder. viz. 1. To be converſant in Re illicita, whence death followeth as the Benjamites in defiling the Levites Concubine, Iudg. 19.25, 26. 2. in re licita non adhibere debitam diligentiam ad evitandum mortale periculum: as in theſe three caſes: hence ſuch as give Poculum amatorium, whence death followeth, ſummo ſupplicio afficiuntur. Co. Tom. 1. Part. 2. Col. 2. page 592. Its done, licet non malo animo, yet malo exemplo.
Object. 2. Moſt of his hard uſage, was before his firſt comming to priſon, after which he began to recover.
Anſw. Firſt, It argueth the priſon was better to him, then his Maſters houſe: In priſon he mended and began to recover; in his Maſters houſe he relapſed, and decayed. Secondly, his diſeaſe was never throughly cured, and therefore all his hard uſage before and after impriſonment, tended to encreaſe his diſeaſe, and haſten his death.