A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verses 49
Eccleſ. 8.14.15.
14. There is a vanity which is done upon the Earth, that there be juſt men unto whom it happeneth according to the worke of the wicked: againe, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the worke of the righteous; I ſaid, that this alſo is vanity.
15. Then I commended mirth, becauſe a man hath no better thing under the Sun, then to eate, and to drinke, and to be merry: for that ſhall abide with him of his labour the dayes of his life, which God giveth him under the Sun.
IN theſe Verſes, to the end of the twelfth verſe of the ninth Chapter, Solomon declareth and ſetteth forth another vanity which he obſerved in the world, the promiſcuous ſucceſſes and events that befal good men and bad, chiefly by the miſ-government of Princes.
In this Fourth verſe he propoundeth one kinde of it, That there be juſt men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked: and on the contrary there be wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous.
This promiſcuous event he amplifieth: Firſt, By the adjunct vanity of it, there is a vanity done upon the Earth, I ſaid this is alſo vanity, vanity uſhereth it in, and waiteth upon it after; verſe 14. both are vanity, both that the juſt finde, according to the work of the wicked; and that the wicked finde according to the work of the juſt. Secondly, By the effect it wrought in Solomon, which is the uſe he made of it, to commend mirth. And that he proveth; Firſt, By the equality of the goodneſſe hereof, the free and cheerful uſe of the good things of this life, being equal to any other courſe which a man can take in ſuch a caſe. Secondly, By the Permanency of this good with him as a ſauce to ſweeten all his labour in the dayes of his life which God giveth him, verſe 15. The coherence of theſe words with the former, is, that Solomon ſaw ſome wicked Rulers honourably buried, the puniſhment of ſome offenders prolonged, and thereby to outward view it might appeare that the eſtate of wicked men was better then the eſtate of the godly (ſave only that ſaith knoweth the contrary) verſe 10. to 13. He thereby taketh occaſion to obſerve and ſet forth this vanity more diſtinctly and fully, the promiſcuous eſtate and ſucceſſe of good and bad men in theſe, and in the following verſes. The promiſcuous events are of three ſorts: Firſt, That the good men fare as the evil ſhould fare, and that evil fare as good ſhould doe, Text. Secondly, That ſometimes both fare alike: If good men fare well, ſo doe the wicked; if the wicked fare evil, ſo doe the good: Chap. 9.1, 2, &c. to 10. Thirdly, That men of beſt ability and dexterity are diſappointed of their hopes and meanes, verſe 11, 12.
Doctr. 1. It is a vanity to be obſerved upon the earth, that ſometimes it befalleth juſt men according to the worke of the wicked: and it ſometimes befalleth the wicked according to the work of the righteous, Luke 16.25. Pſal. 73.12, 13, 14.
Reaſon 1. Through the wickedneſſe or weakneſſe of rulers in Commonwealth and Church, Pſal. 12.8. Iſai. 59.15. Malach. 3.15. 2 Sam. 16.3, 4. Ezek. 13.22.
Reaſon 2. Through the wiſe Providence of God, Diſpenſing good things to the wicked, To lead them to repentance Rom. 2.4. Or elſe to harden them in impenitency, Rom. 2.5. Diſpenſing evil things to the righteous: Firſt, For chaſtiſement and mortification of ſin, 1 Cor. 11.32. Secondly, For Tryal, Dan. 11.35. Iſai. 27.9. Thirdly, For our good at the latter end, Deut. 8.16. Heb. 5.8. Job 23.10. All theſe three ends are co-incident.
Reaſons of vanity, there is a fourfold vanity in it: 1. Of uncomelineſſe, Prov. 11.22, & 26, 1, 8.
Reaſon 2. Of unprofitableneſſe; The wicked make an ill uſe of it, Pſal. 55.19. So doe the godly, Pſal. 73.13, 14.
Reaſon 3. Vanity of uncertainty, Acts 20.22. not knowing what ſhall befal me.
Reaſon 4. Of Confuſion, following the fall, and the condition of all earthly things after the fall, Rom. 8.20. Not that there is any vanity in Gods adminiſtrations of it ſelfe: All his acts are wiſdome and righteouſneſſe, but Firſt, In men it is a ſinful vanity, to wit, of unprofitableneſſe in the ſufferers, and of folly in the doers of it, viz. In ſuch as exalt the wicked, and diſcourage the good. Secondly, In other creatures, I meane in the diſpoſal of them in this manner, It is a penal vanity.
Ʋſe for the wicked, Not to account themſelves righteous though it happen to them according to the work of the righteous. Either thence learne to repent, Rom. 2.4. Or look for wrath upon wrath, verſe 5. This Ʋſe is gathered from the verſe before the Text, Eccleſ. 8.13.
Ʋſe for godly men, To commend mirth to a godly heart, as here Solomon doth. Then I commended mirth or joy, verſe 15. That is, Firſt, A free uſe of the creatures, Meat, Drink, and the like, verſe 15. & Chap. 9.7, 8, 9. Secondly, Contentment in a mans eſtate. Thirdly, Delight therein.
Reaſon 1. If it fare well with us, It is better with us then many other juſt men.
Reaſon 2. It abideth with us, or cleaveth to us of our labour, it is the reſult of our labour through mercy.
Reaſon 3. Joy is as Oyle to the wheeles, it ſtrengtheneth us to all the duties of our calling, or maketh them eaſie Neh. 8.10.
Reaſon 4. If it goe ill with us, yet we have conveniency, yea much more then we deſerve, Gen. 32.10. Lament. 3.20. and mourning for croſſes doth more hurt then good, 2 Cor. 7.10.
Object, But ought not a man to be humbled under croſſes?
Anſw. 1. Yes, but when we have been humbled, then bear all cheerfully and thankfully, 1 Sam. 1, 7, 18. 2 Sam. 12.20, to 24. 2 Cor. 12.7, 8, 9. Abandon therefore ſullenneſſe and diſcontentment under croſſes. 2. To follow diligent labour in our calling. It is that whereto joy and mirth is joyned: the ſame word with that, Gen. 29.34. Eccleſ. 5.12. 3. To Reckon our lives by dayes, as the wiſe man here doth, Pſal. 90.12. Gen. 47.9. It will help us, Firſt, Not to promiſe our ſelves multitudes of yeares, Pſal. 39.5. Secondly, To prepare to give account for each day, Pſal. 90.12. Thirdly, To Improve and make uſe of preſent opportunity, Heb. 3.15. Fourthly, To forecaſt proviſion for the day, Matth. 6.11. 4. To look at every day as a new gift of God, Text, verſe 15.