A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verses 15
Eccleſ. 2.12. to 23.
WHen Solomon ſaw that the exerciſe of his wiſdome about the creatures, and his employment of all the creatures unto delight, which he calleth madneſſe and folly, did neither of them ſatisfie his heart, but both of them alike yeild him vanity and vexation of ſpirit; it gave him occaſion to conſider, whether they were not both of them in compariſon equal, or what excellency there was in the one above the other. And this he could as well as any undertake, becauſe he excelled all men in wiſdome, 1 Kings 4.30, and Chap. 3.12.
Doctr. 1. A wiſe man that ſhall compare together wiſdome and folly (that is the exerciſe of wiſdome about the knowledge of the creatures, and the employment of a great eſtate to try what chiefe good there may be found in creature comforts) ſhall finde as much excellency in wiſdome above folly, as in light above darkneſſe, in ſight above blindneſſe, verſe 13.14.
See this opened and applyed in the notes on pag. 42, 43.
Doctr. 2. Though the excellency of wiſdome above folly he as great as the excellency of light above darkneſſe, and of ſight above blindneſſe, yet one event happeneth both to the wiſe and fooliſh; which Solomon proveth by inſtances, both, 1. Dye alike, 2. Are forgotten alike; verſ. 14, 15, 16.
Reaſon. From the condition of the creatures, they are temporal, and ſerve to ſupport a temporal and mortal life: but when this life is ended, we leave them and they leave us.
Ʋſe 1. To teach wiſe men and fooles too, to prepare and provide for another life, and honourable remembrance after it, by another courſe; then either wiſdome or wealth.
Faith is the onelyonly way, 1. To eternal life, Joh 11.25, 26. 2. To honour, Hebr. 11.2.
Doctr. 3. To conſider the like event, befalling to the wiſe and to the fooliſh, it may breed in a wiſe man that exerciſeth all his wiſdome and labour about creatures and creature-comſorts, deep diſcontentment, ſadly to be weary both of his wiſdome, and of his life, and of all his labour, wherein he hath exerciſed his wiſdome under the Sun. Verſe 15. Why was I then more wiſe? Verſe 17. Therefore I hated life. Verſe 18. Yea I hated all my labour. Verſe 20. And I went about to cauſe my heart to deſpaire of all my labour.
Reaſ 1. From diſcerning the equality of the like event to himſelfe, as to the fooliſh, to wit, 1. To dye, 2. To be forgotten. 2 From the neceſſity of leaving all, verſ. 18. 3 From the uncertainty of the wiſdome, or folly of ſuch to whom he ſhall leave it, verſe 19. in likelyhood to leave all to ſuch as have not laboured in wiſdom, knowledge, and equity, as Solomon left all to Rehoboam who was fooliſh and weake, 1 Kings 12, 8. 2 Chron. 13.7. Jereboam, who though induſtrious, 1 Kings 11.28. yet laboured not in equily. 4 From the portion which a wiſe man reapeth of all his labours, to wit, ſorrow, griefe, reſtleſſeneſſe by night, verſe 22.
Queſt. But was it well done of Solomon, thus to be diſcontented, and weary of theſe good gifts of God? 1. His wiſdome, 2. His life, as well as of his labour.
Anſ. No: But Solomon did well thus to confeſſe his own diſtemper, before the Church, to let them and us all ſee what we ſhall get by imployment of our wiſdome, and great eſtates to ſeek happineſſe in creature-comforts.
To exerciſe our wiſdome in the knowledge and ſtudy of the creatures, to employ them or to teach others to employ them in Phyſick and Chyrurgery, it would never have made a man weary of it in that courſe. And in like ſort to employ our great eſtate in due ſupportance and refreſhment of our ſelves, education of our families, maintenance of Church and Commonwealth, ſuccour of poor widdowes, and fatherleſſe (as Job did) would never have made a man weary of his Labour. But to try to ſeek what happineſſe might be found in all creature-comforts, that is it which is vanity and vexation, and maketh a man weary of wiſdome, life, labour. As if a man ſhould employ his wiſdome (Art and skill) in the Secrets of nature, and lay out a great eſtate to finde the Philoſophers ſtone, what ſhal he finde at length but cauſe to be weary of his wiſdome, life, and labour ſo beſtowed in vaine?
Reaſ. 1. From the curſe of God upon wiſdome, wealth, and labour beſtowed upon an end which God never ordained them unto.
Ʋſe 1. For a warning to Schollars, not to bleſſe themſelves in all the wiſdome they get by the ſtudy of the creatures, nor in all the labour they take about that knowledge ſo as to make it their end to excel herein: but ſo to ſubordinate all to ſome of Gods ends, that he may accept them and their labours, leaſt otherwiſe he make them weary of all thorough diſcontentment.
Ʋſe 2. To teach men of eſtates not to bleſſe themſelves in their great eſtates, nor in all the creature comforts they can get by them; It will at length leave them in deep diſcontentments.
Ʋſe 3. To teach us ſo to uſe our wiſdome and eſtates, as the employment thereof, the fruit thereof may not dye with us, but may be carried along with us, Rev. 14.13. Then it will not grieve us (as it did Solomon verſe 18.) to leave our labours behinde us.
Ʋſe 4, To endeavour faithfully the good education of our children, that whether they prove wiſe or fooliſh, we may have comfort in our conſcionable care of their good. And we faithfully endeavouring their good, ſhall finde God ordinarily bleſſing our endeavours ſo far to them, as we ſhal leave all behinde us to them with comfort.