A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verses 35
Eccleſ. 6.3, 4, 5, 6.
3. If a man beget an hundred children, and live many yeeres, ſo that the dayes of his yeeres be many and his ſoul be not filled with good, and alſo that he have no burial, I ſay, that an untimely birth is better then he.
4. For he commeth in with vanity, and departeth in darkneſſe, and his name ſhall be covered with darkneſse.
5. Moreover he hath not ſeen the Sun, nor known any thing: this hath more reſt then the other.
6. Yea, though he live a thouſand yeares twice told, yet hath he ſeen no good: Do not all goe to one place?
IN theſe verſes Solomon declareth the vanity of two other earthly comforts 1. Store of children. 2. Long life, which may be accompanied and clogged with great vanity, in caſe two other benefits be wanting, Firſt, the ſoul to enjoy good. Secondly, The body to enjoy Burial; which miſery and vanity he ſetteth forth by a compariſon with an abortive, a Pari & à minore; equal in five reſpects, 1. Of comming into the world with vanity, verſe 4. 2. Of ſeeing no good, verſe 6. 3. Of departing in darkneſſe and obſcurity, verſe 4. 4. Of Oblivion of both, verſe 4.5. Of going both to one place, verſe 6. The vanity of the Abortive, leſſe in reſpect, Firſt. He hath not ſeen the Sun; Secondly, He hath not known any thing to grieve him: Thirdly, He hath more reſt then the other, verſe 5.
Doct. 1. An old Father of many children and many years, if his ſoul want goodneſſe, and his body Burial, an Abortive (or untimely birth) is as good, yea better then he. As good in reſpect, 1. Of their entrance into the world, they both came in with vanity, that is to no end, not ſimply and altogether; For God hath wiſe and good ends of ſending them both into the world; but in regard of themſelves and other men. 2. Of their ſeeing no good in life time, verſe 6. 3. Of their departure out of the world; they both depart in darkneſſe, Firſt, of obſcurity, Secondly, of miſery. 4. They both are covered with darkneſſe of oblivion; yea ſometime the name of the wicked ſhall rot, when the other is not blemiſhed, Prov. 10.7. 5. Of the ſame place whereto they both goe, to the earth from whence they came: and the wicked man to a worſe place, Acts 1.25. The Abortive better, in reſpect, Firſt, He never ſaw the Sun, ſo he never ſaw outward good things, which might trouble him to loſe. Secondly. He never knew any thing good or evil: ſo that his reckoning is more eaſie, and his preſent griefes leſſe. Thirdly, He enjoyeth more teſt from evils, both in this, and in the other world, verſe 5.
Reaſon 1. From the overpoyſing vanity of thoſe two wants. Firſt, of burial; Secondly, of ſouls want of goodneſſe. To extinguiſh the comforts of, 1. Store of children; 2. Long life. Want of burial, Firſt, leaveth the body as dung to rot and ſtink upon the face of the earth, a thing, y… Diſhonourable to the dead; 2. Loathſome to the living, Pſal. 83.10. 2 Kings 9.38, 37. Jer. 21, 18, 19. Secondly, leaveth the body without pledge of reſurrection, the body buried is Corn ſown, 1 Cor, 15.36. The ſouls want of goodneſſe, 1. Is as a dead carcaſe ſtinking above ground, Pſal. 14.3. 2. Leaveth it to more putrefaction by longer lying above ground, yea the more inexcuſable in impenitency, Rev. 2.21. 3. Procureth a greater damnation for living ſo long with ſo many children, and for want of goodneſſe doth neither good to himſelfe nor them.
Ʋſe 1. To take off men from bleſſing themſelves in ſtore of children, and long life: Rehoboam had ſtore of children, Sons 28, Daughters 60. yet his ſoul empty of goodneſſe, 2 Chron. 11.21, with 12.14. Ahab had 70 ſons, 2 Kings 10.1. yet they all dyed a violent death, verſe 6, 7. and their fathers blood dogs did eate, 1 Kings 22, 38. And though his carcaſe ſound burial, yet not ſo Jezabel, 2 Kings 9.34. to 37.
Ʋſe 2. To moderate the griefe of ſuch as want children, or have Abortives, ſo their ſoules want not goodneſſe, nor their bodies burial, they are better then theſe in the Text.
Ʋſe 3. To look at Abortion as a vanity and miſery to the creature, and ſo at want of burial. It is a Stoical Apathy, to deſpiſe want of burial; Facilis jactura Sepulchri: Caelo tegitur qui non habet urnam. Solomons Porch and Ʋenus Porch are not of equal dimenſions. And if Abortion be a vanity and miſery, then avoid ſuch ſins as make us like them: As Firſt, Malignancy againſt Gods people, joyned with incorrigibleneſſe, Pſal. 58.8. Secondly, Harſh and unreverent inſurrection againſt well deſerving Magiſtrates, Num. 12.1, 2, 12.
Ʋſe 4. To exhort to furniſh the ſoul with goodneſſe, which will make a bleſſing of life long or ſhort, children many or few; burial or no burial, Iſai, 65.20. Pſal. 79.2. A woman fearing God, is better then a woman bearing the beſt childe, Luke 11.27, 28.