A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verse 3
Eccleſ. 7. v. 1.
A Good name is better then precious ointment: and the day of death then the day of ones birth.
SOlomon having ſpoken of the vanity of ſundry Conditions of the Creature conſidered in themſelves: In this he ſpeaketh of their vanity compared one with another, wherein alſo he intimateth the vanity of mens judgments and imaginations touching theſe things, as eſteeming the better to be worſe, and the worſe to be better; in this Verſe he declareth two things to be better then other two, which are commonly reputed to be worſe; as firſt A good name to be better then a good Oyntment. Secondly, The day of death to be better then the birth-day.
The words themſelves are a Proverbial Doctrine, A good name is better then a good ointment; yet an Ointment is reckoned amongſt precious Riches and Treaſures, Iſa. 39.2. but a good name is preferred before it, Pro. 22.1.
A good Ointment Firſt is fragrant, John 12.3. Secondly, ſhining and making the face to ſhine, Pſal. 104.15. Thirdly, ſinketh into the bones, and ſuppleth and ſoftneth the dryed Sinews and Muſcles, that it maketh a man more fit for Race, for Wraſtling or any other bodily Exerciſe, Pſal. 109.18. Fourthly, is healing, Luke 10.34. Fifthly, preſerveth even after death by embalming, Luke 23.56.
In all theſe Properties (qualities and effects) a good name excelleth a good ointment, which may be as ſo many Reaſons of the Point. A good name Firſt is more fragrant, the one filling the houſe, John 12.3. the other, Town and Country. John 3.12. Rom. 1.8. Secondly, putteth a ſhining Iuſtre upon the countenance. Eccleſ 8.1. Wiſdom (which is a matter of Reputation, Eccleſ. 10.1.) maketh the face to ſhine, &c. Thirdly, It ſinketh into the bones, Prov. 15.30, yea it fitteth to any publike employment, in Miniſtry, 1 Tim. 3.7. or Magiſtracy, Deut. 1.13. Fourthly, Healeth the venome of ſlaunders and backbitings. Fifthly, keepeth us alive after death, Prov. 10.7.
Object. How can the ninth Commandement be preferred before the eighth?
Anſw. Good name is the honour of a mans perſon, and ſo belongeth to the fifth Commandement.
Ʋſe 1. To reprove the vanity and folly of ſuch, who to get wealth and treaſure, care not how they proſtitute their good name [It was a ſordid ſpeech of Veſpaſian, Dulcis Odos Lucri ex re quâlibet.]
Ʋſe 2. To reprove the blemiſhing and blaſting of any mans good name, which duely belongeth to him. It is a greater ſin then to ſteal the beſt goods he hath, Prov. 22.1. a Tradeſmans credit is oft more worth then his eſtate.
Ʋſe 3. To exhort to a conſcionable care of getting and keeping a good name. It is not ambition nor vaine-glory, when a man ſeeketh it by good meanes for good ends, and affecteth it no further, nor accepteth it, but as is due to him. Meanes of a good name: 1. Faith, Heb. 11.2. 2 Fruits of faith. Firſt, Sanctifying of Gods name, 1 Sam. 2.30. Secondly, Sparing the names of our brethren, Matth. 7.1, 2. Thirdly, Humility, Prov. 22.4. Luke 14.11. Fourthly, Worthy acts for publik ſervice, 1 Sam. 18.7. Matth. 26.13. 2 Chron. 24.16. 1 Pet. 3.16. Hence ſweet odours at Funerals as a monument of a ſweet-ſmelling Report, 2 Chron. 16.14. On the contrary ſin ſtaineth a good name, Prov. 10.7. 1 Kings 15.30. Matth. 10.4. Gen. 11.4, 9. Abſoloms pillar (2 Sam. 18.18.) was Columna Calumniae, or as Lots wifes pillar of ſalt, ſeaſoning others, but ſhaming our ſelves. It is not faire Faces, Buildings, Clothes, or Eſtates, that can procure or preſerve a good name.
Object. 1. Chriſt excelled in all vertues and duties, yet he lay under an ill name, as a glutton and wine bibber, a deceiver, an enemy to Caeſar.
Anſw. 1. He bore our ſins, and ſo our reproaches, as a puniſhment due to our ſins, 2. It was amongſt evil men, as his profeſſion was alſo evil ſpoken of amongſt them, Acts 28.22. 3. At length he overwraſtled it, and got a great name, Phil. 2.9.
Obj. 2. But it is a curſe to a Miniſter, to be generally wel, ſpoken of Luke 6.22, 26. John Baptiſt is ſaid to have a devil Matth. 11.18.
Anſw. Firſt, Miniſters that are faithful, have ſpecial cauſe to provoke wicked men, where their name chiefly ſuffereth, 1 Kings 22.8. & 18, 17. elſe wiſdome is juſtified of her children, Matth. 11.19. Secondly, Miniſters at length overwraſtle it. Matth. 23.29, 30.
Obj. 3. But even private Chriſtians as truly godly are traduced.
Anſw. Firſt, Sometime they neglect their life of faith, 2 Sam. 12.13, 14. Secondly, God prevents ſin in them by falſe reports. Thirdly, It is but at the hands of wicked men, Acts 28.22, & 24.25. Fourthly, If it be at the hands of brethren, it is through their Ignorance, Emulation, and Raſhneſſe, which God at length will overwraſtle, Job 42.7. Otherwiſe God hideth the names of his children in the ſecret of his Tabernacle from the ſtrife of Tongues, Pſal. 31.20. The words are a proverbial Doctrine.
Doct. 2. The day of death is better then the birth day. This is not the ſpeech, Firſt, Of Job in miſery, Job 3.3. Secondly. Of Jeremy in paſſion, Jer. 20.14. but of Solemon in his repentance. This Solomon ſpeaketh, not only of ſome extraordinary kinds of death, which have been of more publike ſervice, as the death of Chriſt, Ioh. 12.32. Of Sampſon, Iudg. 16.30. Of the Martyrs, whoſe blood is, Firſt, The glory of God, Iohn 21.19. Secondly, the ſeed of the Church. But indefinitely and generally of the death of all or any. Better to the godly in regard, Firſt, Of ſin, which ſhall then be wholly ſubdued, Rom. 6.7. 1 Cor. 15.26. If ſin continued after death, death were not the laſt enemy. But in birth we are borne in ſin, Pſal. 61.5. children of wrath, Eph. 2.3. Yea Newbirth leaveth much corruption ſtill in us; we are borne in ſin, but we dye in the Lord, Rev. 14.13. 1 Theſ. 4.14. Secondly, Of miſery, which attendeth Birth, Iob. 14.1. & 5, 7. But death is an haven of reſt after a ſea of troubleſome agitation and miſery; Iob 3.13, 14, & verſe 21, 22. Rev. 14.13. Thirdly, Of grace which will then be perfected, Heb. 12.23. 1 Cor. 13.12. Iude 24. Epheſ 5.27. Death is accounted an enemy to Nature, but is a friend to grace; we are borne uncleane, Iob 25.4. Iohn 3.6. but we dye perfect. Fourthly, Of glory. Birth is the ſeed time of corruption, Gal. 6.8. Death is the ſeed time of incorruption and glory, 1 Cor. 15.36, 42, 43, 44. Birth putteth us into the hands of Midwives, and other weake women: Death into the hands of the glorious and mighty Angels, Luke 16.22. Birth bringeth us forth into a valley of teares, Death into our Maſters joy, Matth. 25.21. Birth into an eſtate of abſence from the Lord, 2 Cor. 5.6. Death bringeth us into his preſence, 1 Theſ. 4.17. 1 Iohn 3.2. Birth bringeth us to labour, Iob 5.7. Death to reſt, Rev. 14.13. even Sabbaths reſt. Birth bringeth us into a larger and fairer world then our mothers wombe: but death into a larger and fairer then this. The ſtarry rooſe of this world is but the pavement of that. Better to the wicked in regard, Firſt of others Prov. 11.10. Secondly, Of themſelves, though it had been good for them not to be borne, Matth. 26.24. yet being borne, the ſooner dead, 1. The leſſe ſin, 2. The leſſe Puniſhment.
Queſt. May the wicked then doe well to haſten their own deaths?
Anſw. By no meanes; for ſelfe murther is worſe then murther of another. And beſides, ſo the wicked cutteth himſelf off from means and hopes of converſion.
Ʋſe 1. Againſt purgatory to the godly after Death. For then Death ſetleth them into a worſe condition then ever their birth did. For the pains of Purgatory (as Papiſts deſcribe them) differ not from the pams of hell in meaſure of torment, but duration only. And what uſe can there be of Purgatory, when no ſin is left in death to be purged after?
Ʋſe 2. To exhort to ſuch a life as may make our death comfortable: Meanes. Firſt, Regeneration, New birth, Iohn 11.26. Phil. 1.21. Secondly, Faithful and fruitful courſe of life, 2 Tim. 4.6, 7, 8.
Ʋſe 3. To comfort the godly againſt death, by conſideration of all the former benefits of Death. Samſons riddle, is now Solomons Paradoxe; Out of the eater (Death which devoureth all) commeth meat and ſweetneſſe.
Object. 1. But in death I loſe all my deare friends.
Anſw. Firſt, If thou haſt lived any long time, moſt of thy deareſt friends are gone before thee; Secondly, Thou ſhalt change theſe here for better friends there; our beſt friends love us not ſo dearly as every one there; Thirdly, Thy good friends will not be long after thee.
Object. 2. But what ſhall I doe with my poor children and young?
Anſw. Leave them with God [Jer. 49.11.]
Object. 3. But there is bitterneſſe and pangs in death.
Anſw. Firſt, So there is in Birth. Secondly, After-comſorts ſwallow up all griefes, Iohn 16.21.
Ʋſe 4. To moderate the mourning of the living for their dying friends; you rejoyced in their worſe day (their birth day) why not much more in their better day? 2 Sam. 12.19, 20. Pharaoh and Herod ſolemnized their birth dayes, Gen. 40.20. Mark. 6.21. why ſhould not Chriſtians rejoyce in the departure of their Chriſtian friends? The dayes of the Martyrs execution were called Natalitia. It is true we may mourne for loſſe of publike good, Inſtruments to Family, Church, and Commonwealth, and judge our ſelves for ſuch ſins as provoke the Lord to remove them: but yet it is beſt for them that they are gone: and beſt for the Church, what God doth; the death of Ioſeph and Ioſiah turned to the beſt good of Iſrael. The bondage of Egypt wrought for Iſrael a more glorious deliverance. And the captivity of Babylon (which brake in upon the death of Ioſiah) inſtead of a dungeon proved a wine-cellar, Cant. 2.4.