A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verse 34
Eccleſ. 12.12.
12. And further, by theſe, my ſonne, be admoniſhed: of many books there is no end, and much ſtudy is a wearineſſe of the fleſh.
IN theſe words, as in the former Solomon exhorteth his ſonne, and in him all his ſubjects; and in his ſubjects all Chriſtians, yea all men to be admoniſhed by theſe books of Scripture, whether penned by Solomon or other maſters of the Aſſemblies. See this former argument in v. 9.
In this verſe, firſt, from the ſufficiency of theſe books, by theſe my ſon be thou admoniſhed. Secondly, from the unprofitableneſſe and weariſomneſſe of making and ſtudying many other books, Of making many books there is no end, and much ſtudy a wearyneſſe of the fleſh.
Doct. It is the duty of every ſon of wiſdome to be admoniſhed by the books of Scripture, whether written by Solomon, or by other Prophets; whether ſharpned or faſtned by the maſters of Aſſemblies, Pſalm 19.11.
To be admoniſhed implieth three things: Firſt, to be enlightned, making the word a light or lanthorn, Pſal. 119.105. So the word is tranſlated, ſhine as the light, Dan. 12.3. or brightneſſe. Secondly, to be warned, and ſo firſt reclaimed from evil, or ſin: ſecondly preſerved from evil of puniſhment approaching, Ezek. 3.17. to 21. and 33.4, 5, 6. Thirdly, to be made circumſpect to duty; ſo the word is tranſlated take heed, Ezra 4.22. and ſo uſed Pſal. 19.11.
Reaſon 1. From our relation to God and his Prophets: we are their children, they therefore are our fathers, My ſonne, Text. Acts 3.25. God is our father and Maſter, Mal. 1.6. and therefore all his words are warnings [as of the Centurion to his ſervants, Matth. 8.9.]
Reaſon 2. From the benefit of taking warning, and great danger of the contrary, Pſal. 19.11. Col. 1.28. Ezek. 3.17, to 21. & 33, 4, 5.
Reaſon 3. From the ſufficiency of Scripture to that end, 2 Tim. 3.16, 17. If they ſuffice not, none elſe will, Luke 16.29, 31.
Reaſon 4. From the unprofitableneſs, or boundleſs endleſneſſe of reading or writing many books; one book alledgeth and referreth to another: neither doth a man ſtudious of books know where to ſtint himſelfe. Hence falleth in, 1. Vanity, as of many words, ſo of many books. 2. Impotency of concocting them. 3. Faſtidious loathing of Scriptures.
Reaſon 5. From the weariſomneſs of much ſtudy to the fleſh, it beateth and h…ateth the brain, it intendeth and ſtretcheth the mind, as if the body were ſet upon the rack, yea ſometimes to the breaking of a mans wit, as the ſtring of an inſtrument ſtretched too high or too far. As in wraſtling, ſo in ſtudying, there is a ſtriving, then wearineſs, then deſpaire of overcomming, then giving over, then taking up, ſtriving again, and ſo &c. Much ſtudy drieth up the ſweeteſt moiſture of the body, whether blood or marrow: conſumeth the cheerfull ſpirits, whether of brain or heart, and ſo breedeth moroſity, harſhneſſe of ſpirit, troubleſome to a mans ſelfe and others.
Ʋſe 1. To refute the additions of the Decrees of Popes, of the Apocrypha, of the Canons of Councels, of the Traditions of Fathers to the Scriptures, for the direction of faith and life, Prov. 30.6.
Ʋſe 2. To teach us what we are without the Scriptures; Dark, and want enlightning; ſtubborn, and want breaking, and warning; raſh, and want circumſpect guiding,
Ʋſe 3. To reprove the ſtubbornneſſe of moſt men, who will not be warned nor enlightned by the Scriptures, nor made circumſpect, Jer. 44.16, 17. Such will profit by no means elſe, Luke 16.29, 30, 31.
Object. Yes, By affliction and correction?
Anſw. No, not without inſtruction from the word, Prov. 6.23. I… is a ſigne God wil deſtroy ſuch, 1 Sam. 2.25. 2 Chron. 25, 16. Prov. 29.1. Deut. 29.19, 20, 21. The meaneſt child that wil be warned is better then ſuch, Eccl. 4.13. A man that wil not be admoniſhed, wil become poor, though a King.
Ʋſe 4. To teach ſuch as are to warn others, to warn them from the Scriptures; from every vice to every duty. As Paul convinced the Jewes, Acts 28.23.
Ʋſe 5. To wean us from the vanity of affectation of much reading.
Object. Much reading and ſtudy 1. helpeth a barren wit and weak judgement, by inventing new things, and clearing and confirming the old. 2. Solomon himſelfe wrote many books, 1 Kings 4, 32, 33.
Anſw. Solomons books that were not Scripture are loſt, leaſt we ſhould attribute too much light to them: Therefore no books for this admonition in waies of Religion to be attended to, but the Scriptures; others ſo far as they explaine or apply theſe.
Secondly, Books for other ends, not ſo much to be ſought after for variety, but for choyce.
Thirdly, thoſe books we doe uſe, we ſhould ſeek to digeſt them by ſound judgement, and ſerious meditation.