A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verses 47
Eccleſ. 8. v. 6, 7.
6. Becavſe to every purpoſe there is time and judgement: therefore the miſery of man is great upon him.
7. For he knoweth not that which ſhall be: for who can tell him when it ſhall be?
SOlomon. had in the former verſe given it as one meanes of ſafety to a ſubject (in admoniſhing his Prince going aſtray) to wit, a wiſe mans heart diſcerning both time and judgement (the fit ſeaſon and fit manner of ſuch a duty.) In theſe words he amplifieth this fit time and judgement by the univerſality of the ſubject to which time and judgement is fitted: and that is to every purpoſe or buſineſſe, and he meaneth every lawful and good purpoſe or buſineſſe. For there is no time nor manner fit to commit ſin; whence he inferreth as a Corollary, that the miſery of man is great upon him: And withal he giveth the reaſon, why ſuch great miſery falleth upon men, in reſpect of the time and judgement, fitted to every action, taken from mans ignorance of that time and judgement, which he expreſſeth both by a mans own ignorance thereof, and by other mens unfitneſſe to tell him, verſe 7. Who ſhall tell him for the time when it ſhall be? or for the manner how it ſhall be? the word ſignifieth both. The words afford three obſervations, which we may handle in order, and make uſe of them together.
Doct. 1. To every lawful purpoſe and buſineſſe there is a fit time and manner for the doing of it. For perſons, Acts 13.36, with verſe 25. For thoughts, 1 Kings 5.5. with 2 Sam. 7.3. For words, Prov. 25.11. For actions, Pſal. 32.6. Iſai. 55.6. John 2.4, & 7, 8.
Reaſon 1. From the Soveraignty of God to appoint times and ſeaſons, Acts 17.7.
Reaſon 2. From the beauty of every thing in its time, Eccleſ. 3.11.
Reaſon 3. From the neceſſity of the concurrence of all due circumſtances to make an action good, 2 Sam. 17.7. 2 Kings 5.26.
DOct. 2. Men ordinarily are ignorant of the time and manner of doing any buſineſſe, eſpecially ſpiritually good, verſ. 7. As the Hebrew renders it, (to wit, what that time) ſhould be, and how or after what manner it ſhould be, Eccleſ. 9.12. 2 Cor. 3.5. Jer. 10.23. The Text ſpeaketh chiefly of ordinary men, not of the godly wiſe: for the wiſe know time and judgement, verſe 5. But ordinary men, they neither know time and judgement themſelves, nor doe others tell them. Ordinary men conſult with men like themſelves, who miſlead them, 1 Kings 12.8.
Reaſon 1. From the want of the inward light of the image of God, they are darkneſſe, John 1.5. Eph. 5.8.
Reaſon 2. They are ſelf-confident and full, walking without counſel, Prov. 14.16, & 28.26.
Reaſon 3. If they conſult, it is not with God, Iſai. 30.1, 2. Pſal. 10.4. nor with his word, and then no light, Iſai, 8.20. but with fooliſh and wicked men like themſelves, 1 Kings 12.8.
Doctr. 3. For want of diſcerning and obſerving fit time and manner, the miſery of man is great upon him, verſe 6. Gen. 27, 12, to 24. with Chap. 31.40, 41. 1 Sam. 8.5, to 18, & 13, 8, to 13. 2 Kings 5.26, 27. 1 Kings 12.7, 19. 2 Chron. 35.22.23, 24.
Reaſon 1. From Gods delight and good pleaſure to vouchſafe his preſence, his concourſe and his bleſſing, when actions are done in Gods time, and after his manner, Pſal. 32.6. Iſai. 55.6. And his refuſal thereof when otherwiſe, Numb. 14.42. 1 Sam. 13.13. Heb. 12.17.
Reaſon. 2. From the ſnare and net that lyeth upon men in every action, done out of due time and manner, Eccleſ. 9, 12. 2 Chron. 35.22, 23, 24, with Lament. 4.20. Croſſes may befal a man in the beſt actions: but ſnares, inextricable difficulties, befal men onelyonly in evil wayes, and good things done out of due time and manner.
Ʋſe 1. To teach us to diſcerne and obſerve, not only our words and all our wayes, but even the fit time and manner of them, as we doe deſire to be freed of the great miſery that elſe may befal us. Jacob ſought the bleſſing out of due time and manner: It coſt him twenty yeares hard ſervice; and his mother that counſelled him amiſſe, never lived to ſee him againe. The Iſraelites ſought a King out of due time and manner, and brought upon themſelves the miſery of twenty yeares Tyranny. It is dangerous miſſing the time of our converſion, Luke 19.42, 43.44. Miſſing the time of helping on our Families to Godward, (Hoſ. 14.7.) they utterly miſcarry, 1 Sam. 20.30. So for the Church and Temple worke, Hag. 1.2. So for the Commonwealth, 1 Kings 9.4, 5, 6, 7. and Chap. 11.23, 24, 25. and Chap. 12.7, 19.
Meanes of diſcerning fit Time and Manner, Firſt, Inward light of the ſpirit, and Image of God, Iſai. 30.21. Prov. 4.18, 19. Feare of God and love to man give much light, Prov. 25.12. 1 John 2.10, 11. Secondly, Avoid ſelfe-confidence, Prov. 3.5, 6, 7. and Chap. 28.26. Thirdly, Conſult with God, In faſting and prayer, Eſth, 4.6. with Chap. 5.2. In his word, Pſal. 119.24, & verſe 105. In the times and opportunities of providence, Pſal, 32.8. In the Counſels of godly wiſe, 1 Kings 12.7. Fourthly, Fit manner in all actions is, Faith, Rom. 14.23. and Love, 1 Cor. 16.14. For the end, Gods glory, 1 Cor. 10.31. and the good of others, 1 Cor. 10.24.