A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verses 5
Eccleſ. 1.4, 5. to 11.
Verſ. 4. One generation paſſeth away, and another generation commeth: but the earth abideth for ever.
5. The Sun alſo ariſeth, and the Sun goeth down, and haſtneth to the place where he aroſe.
THat which Solomon taught us in the former verſe, the unprofitableneſſe of all labour about worldly things towards the attainment of happineſſe, he confirmeth in the reſt of this Chapter, and the reſt which follow, by induction of ſundry ſorts of labours, wherein men uſually weary themſelves, but in vain. And firſt he beginneth with the vanity of the labour of the mind, about the ſtudy of naturall things, which in this whole Chapter he ſheweth to be unprofitable to the attainment of happineſſe, by two Reaſons.
1. The firſt taken from the want of ſuch things as accompany true happineſſe, to wit, ſtability, ſatiety, newneſſe in naturall things. The Reaſon ſtandeth thus:
The knowledge and ſtudy of ſuch things as want ſtability, ſatiety, newneſſe, is unprofitable to the attainment of true happineſſe. But the knowledge and ſtudy of ſuch things, is of ſuch things as want ſtability, ſatiety, novelty.
This want of ſtability he proved by the ſtate
1. Of bodies mixt of the four Elements, which are generable and corruptible, come and goe, verſ. 4.
2. Of the four Elements.
1 Of the Sun, the Chariot of fire, verſ. 5.
2 Of the wind or ayre, verſ. 6.
3 Of the water, verſ. 7.
4 OnelyOnly the earth ſtandeth ſtill in the midſt of all theſe reſtleſſe motions.
1 Partly as a center about which theſe move.
2 Partly as a Theater upon which every generation commeth and goes, verſ. 4.
Whence, though it be ſtable, yet we want ſtability in it, which is all one to us, as if it were not ſtable.
Their want of Satiety he ſheweth, verſ. 8.
Their want of Novelty, verſ. 9, 10, 11.
2. The ſecond Reaſon is taken from his own experience, verſ. 12. to the end of the chapter.
Doct. 1. Such things as come by generation ſtand not at a ſtay, but paſſe away [paſſe away by corruption.] Job 14.1, Pſal. 49.7, 8, 9. Joſh. 23.14. 1 Kings 2.2.
Reaſon 1. From the cauſes in nature whereof they are generated, which are the four Elements, and they contrary one to another. Now contrary things being divided one againſt another, make the whole body of ſhort continuance, one waſting another, till all faile, Mat. 12.25. Heat againſt cold, and moyſture againſt drineſſe, work continually one againſt another, till all be conſumed.
Beſides, in living creatures the diſproportion between Calor naturalis and Humidum radicale, cauſeth diſſolution; the food received breedeth not ſuch kindly heat and moyſture as is daily ſpent, but a more milde heat, and more raw moyſture.
Obj. How then could Adams life be maintained for ever, if he had ſtood in innocency?
Anſw. By the Almighty power of God ſubduing and keeping theſe contrary qualities in a ſweet temper and harmony, even by the ſame hand whereby he kept the wild beaſts from preying upon the tame, allowing them to eat nothing but graſſe, Gen. 1.30.
Reaſ. 2. From the curſe which ſinne brought with it, even the bondage of corruption upon the Creature, Rom. 6.23. & 8.20, 21. It is commonly ſaid of the Oak that it liveth three hundred years; growing one hundred, ſtanding at a ſtay another hundred, and decaying the next hundred. The holy Ghoſt recordeth of the Patriarchs that they lived many hundreds, Gen. 5.
Priny out of Heſiod deſcribeth nine ages to the Crow; ſometimes as much more to the Hart, and yet three times as much more to the Raven, Nat. Hiſt. lib. 7. c. 48.
But yet all theſe being compounded and generated of the four Elements, do in the end return into them again by diſſolution and corruption.
Ʋſe 1. To teach us (that which is Solomons ſcope) that the ſtudy of theſe natural things, is not available to the attainment of true happineſſe; For how ſhould that which is reſtleſſe (and as Solomons word is; full of labour) procure us ſetled reſt and tranquillity, which accompanieth true happineſſe? The mind of man, as Philoſophers have obſerved, is ſomewhat aſſimilated into the nature of the Object which it ſtudieth, and is converſant about: as Mariners who are converſant about winds, and ſeas, and ſtorms are more boyſterous. Shepherds and Herdſ-men more brutiſh, Forreſters more wild, Butchers more bloody, &c. So the ſtudy of theſe reſtleſſe creatures leaveth the minde more reſtleſſe.
In particular, the Study and Knowledge of the paſſing away of one Generation after another, ſheweth us our mortality and miſery, and thereby yeildeth us grief and vexation, but no reliefe if we reſt there.
Ʋſe 2. To exhort us to lift up our hearts to true wiſdom, by the conſideration of this unſetledneſſe of our Eſtates, Pſal. 90.10. 12. Deut. 32.29. Prepare for a change, it is a comming, Heb. 13.14. Micah 2.10.
Ʋſe 3. To exhort to weanedneſſe in our preſent condition, and contentment in all Eſtates, 1 Cor. 7.29, 30, 31.
Ʋſe 4. To exhort to fruitfulneſſe in good things whilſt we here abide, 2 Pet. 1.13, 14, 15.
Doct. 2. As one Generation paſſeth away, ſo another commeth.
The Sun ſetteth and ariſeth the ſame againe; Trees may be cut down, and yet ſpring again; not ſo we, but others come in our place Job. 14.7. to 10.
Reaſ. 1. God will alwayes have his Church to call upon him in this world, whilſt the world ſtandeth.
Reaſ. 2. God will have the elder generations to inſtruct and govern the younger, and the younger to yeild reverence and obedience to the elder, which cannot be, unleſſe one generation be comming on as another paſſeth away.
Ʋſe 1. To refute the Pythagorean dotage of returning of the ſame perſons again many years after their death.
Ʋſe 2. To ſtir up the Generations paſſing away to be helpful to the generation comming on, in good counſels, inſtructions, examples, &c. Pſal. 71, 18. & 78.3, 4. Iſay. 38.18, 19.
Ʋſe 3. To teach the younger ſort as they come after, ſo to make ſome benefit of their Anceſtors going before, obſerving whatſoever was commendable in them, and imitating it; and eſchewing whatſoever was evil and dangerous, Zach. 1.5, 6.
Doct. 3. Though one generation paſſes away, and another commeth on; yet the Earth abideth for ever.
As one harveſt is gathered another commeth, yet the earth or ſoyl ſtill remaineth, ſtandeth:
Rea. 1. Gods word eſtabliſhing it, and that even upon nothing Pſalm 33.9. Job 26.7.
Ʋſe 1. Againſt Copernicus his opinion of the Revolution of the earth, and the ſtanding ſtill of the Sun, Pſalm 19.5: & 119.90: If the earth moved ſwiftly, when a man throweth a ſtone, the ſame way the earth moveth, he might eaſily overtake the ſtone before it fell: or (it may be) ſtanding ſtill, the earth ſpeedily moving would carry him ſo far, as to be under the ſtone when it ſhould fall.
Ʋſe 2. To moderate our deſires after the earth, and earthly things, which we muſt leave behinde us, and cannot carry away with us, 1 Tim. 6, 7, 8. Pſalm 49.17.
Ʋſe 3. To reprove our unſtayedneſſe to ſtand in good wayes, though the word of God have been as well ſpoken to us as to the earth, which yet ſtandeth according to his word, Jeremiah 5.22, 23.
Ʋſe 4. To exhort to the building of our hopes of ſalvation upon Gods word, which will eſtabliſh them for ever, when other grounds will fail us.