A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verses 41
Eccleſ. 7.15, 16, 17, 18.
15. All things have I ſeen in the daies of my vanity: there is a juſt man that periſheth in his righteouſneſſe, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedneſs.
16. Be not righteous over much, neither make thy ſelfe over wiſe: why ſhouldeſt thou die before thy time?
17. Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou fooliſh: why ſhouldeſt thou die before thy time?
18. It is good that thou ſhouldeſt take hold of this, yea, alſo from this withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God ſhall come forth of them all.
COherence, ſee in verſe 11, 12.
Doctr. In the beſt times of Church and Commonwealth, a wiſe man may obſerve, there are juſt men that periſh in their righteouſneſſe, and there are wicked men that continue long in their wickedneſs. By periſhing, ſundry underſtand cruſhing and breaking, or oppreſſion in their righteouſneſſe, in their righteous and juſt cauſe; as Naboth in Ahabs time, 1 Kings 21.13. and Abimelech in Sauls time, I Sam. 22.16, 18, 19. But it will be hard, if not impoſſible, to ſhew ſuch an inſtance in Solomons time, though in Davids time Ʋriah ſo periſhed; but that was before Solomon was born. But he ſpeaketh of what he had ſeen, in his time. By a wicked man continuing long in his wickedneſs, they underſtand prolonging his daies, or his life in wickedneſs; But his life is not in the Text. And if that were the ſenſe, it would croſs his reaſon which he giveth in v. 17. why they ſhould not continue long in wickedneſs: taken from the ſhortneſs of the lives of ſuch; for why ſhouldeſt thou die before thy time? I take it therefore by a juſt man, is meant, ſuch a juſt man as is juſt in his own righteouſneſſe, and at laſt decayeth and periſheth in it. The ſame word is tranſlated voyd, Deut. 32, 28. voyd of counſel, is, periſhing in their counſels. So the rich man is ſaid to fade away and periſh in his waies, as the flower periſheth and ſadeth in the heat of the Sun, John 1.11. Thus the Jewes eſtabliſhing their own righteouſneſſe, Rom. 10.3. periſhed in their righteouſneſſe, and did not obtaine the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, Rom. 11, 7, and 9, 31, 32. And thus Solomon might obſerve many in his age; and like enough an eminent man in the Church, Abiather the high Prieſt, 1 Kings 2.26, 27. Ezekiel obſerved many ſuch in his time, Ezek. 18.24. That many doe continue long in their wickedneſſe, appeareth by Solomons teſtimony, Eccleſ. 8, 12. by Davids, Pſal. 68.21. by Jobs, Job 3, 2. by Iſai. 65.20.
Reaſons of the juſt mans periſhing in his righteouſneſſe, 1. From the carnalneſſe of ſuch a juſt mans heart, his nature is not borne anew, but only awed by ſome power, either of, Firſt, Legal Terrours, Deut. 5.27. Secondly, Good Education, 2 Chron. 24.2, 17, 18. Thirdly, Good Company: Such as returne to evil, were alwayes dogs and ſwine, though waſhed and cleanſed, 2 Pet. 2.18, 22.
Reaſon 2. From Gods rejection of all ſelfe confidence, Ier. 2.27. Luke 18.9, 14. 1 Sam. 2.9.
Reaſon 3. From the power of the ſpirit of the Goſpel to blow upon and wither all his carnal and moral excellency, Iſai. 40.6, 7, 8.
Reaſon 4. From the ſtability only of faith in Chriſt, and the righteouſneſſe of faith. Iſai. 7.9. 2 Cor. 1.24. Rom. 11.20.
Reaſons of the wickeds long continuance in wickedneſſe, 1. From the ſuteableneſſe of it to our nature, Gen. 6.5. Job 15.16. Jer. 11.15.
Reaſon 2. From Gods judicial leaving of men to their own wayes, eſpecially after refuſal of meanes of grace, Ezek. 24.13. Rev. 22.11.
Ʋſe 1. Not to be righteous over-much, verſe 16. that is, Firſt, Doe not continue in this righteouſneſſe, in the ſame ſenſe as be not wicked over-much. Secondly, Make not too much of it: for upon Tryal It neither is our righteouſneſſe, Phil. 3.7, 8. nor a good evidence of it; truſt not in it, Luke 18.9, It is a mercy if God ſhake us out of it. A double ſhaking is requiſite to enjoy a ſetled Kingdom; ſhaking, firſt, of our earth which was by the law, Heb. 12.26. Secondly, of our heaven which is by the conviction of our righteouſneſſe (in which we place our heaven upon earth) to be loſſe and droſſe till we come to partake in Chriſt, and faith in him, John i6.7, 8, 9.
Ʋſe 2. Not be wicked overmuch, that is, not to multiply wickedneſſe by continuing long in it, not make more of wickedneſſe then it is worth, by promiſing our ſelves reſt in it, Deut. 29.19. Pſal, 36.2. nor make your ſelves more wicked then you are, as Cain did by deſpaire, Gen. 4.13.
Ʋſe 3. To humble us in the ſenſe of the corruption of our nature, who are ſooner weary of our righteouſneſſe, then of our wickedneſſe. In the one we decay, in the other we continue long.