A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verses 53
Eccleſ. 9.7, to 10.
7. Goe thy way eat thy bread with joy, and drinke thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy workes.
8. Let thy garments be alwayes white, and let thy head lacke no ointment.
9. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou loveſt all the dayes of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the Sun, all the dayes of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takeſt under the Sun.
10. Whatſoever thy hand findeth to doe, doe it with thy might: for there is no worke, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wiſdome in the grave whither thou goeſt.
SOlomon having in the former verſes declared four obſervations which he gathered from Gods diſpenſing like events to all: He now giveth ſome practical directions from the ſame ground: Firſt, That a man ſhould take all the good which the providence of God putteth into his hand, verſe 7.8, 9. Secondly, That he ſhould doe all the good which God putteth into his hand to doe, verſe 10.
1. The good which he directeth a man to take, is in the enjoyment of the comfortable uſe of all the bleſſings which God giveth him in this life. Which bleſſings are chiefly five: Firſt, Meat or Bread, It to be eaten with joy, verſe 7. Secondly, Wine, It to be drunken with a cheerful heart, verſe 7. Thirdly, Garments, and they to be alwayes white. Fourthly, Oyntments, and they not to be lacking to the head, verſe 8. Fifthly, The wife beloved, and ſhe to be joyfully lived withall, all the dayes of thy vanity, verſe. 9.
Reaſon 1. From Gods acceptance of our worke, verſe 7.
Reaſon 2. From the portion allotted to us of God, verſe 9. eſpecially in the joyful fellowſhip of his wife.
2. The good that we are any way able to doe, he exhorteth to doe, by a Reaſon from the vacancy and ceſſation of all employment and buſineſſe of minde, and hand in the grave; and the grave deſcribed by our Adjunct, Act, or walking to it, verſe 10. Solomon here ſpeaketh not in the perſon of an Epicure, but in the name of the holy Ghoſt.
Reaſon 1. From the like ſpeeches in the like ſenſe ſpoken often before in his own perſon, Chap. 2.24, & 3, 12, 13, 22, & 5, 18, 19, & 8, 15.
Reaſon 2. Epicures are not wont to ſpeake ſo Religiouſly, Firſt, Of life as vanity; which Solomon here doth feelingly, verſe 9. Secondly, Of the dayes of our life as Gods gift, verſe 9. Thirdly, Of the courſe of our life, as a journey to the grave, verſe 10. Fourthly, Of our love to our wives, and fellowſhip with them conſtantly, avoyding ſtrange luſts, verſe 9.
Object. But garments alwayes white, and wife alwayes joyed in it, ſeemeth to deny faſts at any time.
Anſw. Solomon ſpeaketh not of extraordinary times, and duties, but of ordinary courſe.
Doctr. 1. The uncertainty of outward events calleth all men to take all the good, and to doe all the good that God putteth into their hand all the dayes of their life. Of the former part now. Eccleſ. 3.12, 13, 22. & 5, 18, 19. Acts 2.46. & 14, 17. [à minore] yet it holdeth in heathens alſo, Pſal. 104.15. The Jewes in cheerfulneſſe uſed white garments, Luke 16.19. Prov. 5.19. for joyful love of wife. Times of humiliation are not ordinary, ſo alſo times of Apoſtacy are excepted, Hoſ. 9.1.
Reaſons of the former part of the Doctrine, 1. From the contrary walking of wicked men, fretting and vexing themſelves with the promiſcuous diſpenſation of outward events, and filling their hearts with wickedneſſe and madneſſe, upon that occaſion, verſe 3. to 6.
Reaſon 2. From Gods acceptance of our worke herein It is acceptable to God, that we ſhould uſe cheerfully what God giveth freely and cheerfully, Pſal. 145.16, Deut. 26.14. for Firſt, It is an improvement and uſe of the creature to that end God gave them, Pſal. 104.15, And ſo a fulfilling of one part of the third Commandement. Secondly, The contrary is a wearineſſe to God, not to accept and uſe the gifts he offereth, Iſai. 7.10, to 13. In which reſpects not only godly men, but all men are bound to cheerful acceptance of Gods goodneſſe, without ſadneſſe and mourning.
Reaſon 3. From the portion which God giveth us in this life for our outward man (as his grace for the inner man,) 2 Cor. 12.9. Firſt, it is Gods gift, and admeaſurement, Eccleſ. 5.18. His talents are to be employed. Secondly, It is our ſubſtance, ſupplying our wants and loſſes, Acts 20.24. He is a poor man in the midſt of abundance, that wanteth this, Eccleſ. 5.19, 20. Thirdly, it is that by occupying of which we encreaſe our eſtates, Neh. 9.15. In ſpeciall manner, this to be a mans portion, is attributed to a mans joyfull life with his wife, v. 9. As who ſhould ſay: The beſt portion a man can have with a wife, is a joyfull life with her all his daies; as if he had no portion without this, whatſoever wealth, or friends, or beauty, or parts, he had with her; without this joyfulneſſe with her, it were no portion at all, Prov. 5.18. It is a portion, firſt, as given of God, Eccleſ. 9.19. [Prov. 19.14.] Secondly, for a ſtay and ſupport of his life, Gen. 2.18. Thirdly, to imploy for his further advantage, Prov. 31.11, 12.
Reaſon 4. From the weariſome vanity of this life, without making uſe of the comforts of it, v. 9. Pſalm 78.33. Vanity firſt of brevity, Pſalm 39.5, Secondly, of vanity or emptineſſe, Pſalm 39.6. Eſay 55.2. Thirdly, of diſappointment or fruſtration, Eſay 49.4. Fourthly, Corruption, Rom. 8.20, 21.
Reaſon 5. From the neceſſary ſupport of a man in his labours, v. 9. This comfortable uſe of the creatures, is as Oyle to the wheeles, Neh. 8.10.
Reaſon 6. From the gift of every day of our life to us from Gods hand, v. 9. Job 14.5, Pſalm 31.15. Acts 17.26. Therefore every day ſome refreſhing.
Ʋſe 1. To teach the children of God to take Solomons counſel here; for to them it is chiefly given, whoſe work God accepteth; In ſeeking reconcilement with God, and fellowſhip in his Chriſt and Kingdom, Matth. 6.33. 1 Tim. 4.3. Tit. 1.15. Hoſ. 9.1.
Rules to doe it ſafely: Obſerve, Firſt, two Rules of piety: Prayer before, 1 Tim. 4.4, 5. and Thankſgiving after, Deut. 8.10. Secondly, a Rule of juſtice; thine own, not the bread of Idleneſs, Oppreſſion, Deceit, Prov, 31.27. & 4.17. & 20.17. 2 Kings 4.7. Thirdly, a Rule of ſobriety, Luke 21.34. Fourthly, a Rule of wiſdom, 1. Regarding the end of meat and drink, which is ſtrength and chearfulneſſe, Eccleſ. 10.17. Of Apparrel, is beſide, 1 Neceſſiy. 2 Comlineſs. 3 Adorning the inner man of the heart, 1 Pet. 3.3, 4. 2 Regarding future times and poſterity, Prov. 21.20. 3 In frugality, ſaving remnants, John 6.12. Fifthly, a Rule of charity and mercy, in miniſtring part to others that want neceſſaries, Neh. 8.10.
Ʋſe 2. To ſtir up Chriſtian yoke-fellows eſpecially to this duty. Means. Firſt, uprightneſſe of heart, Job 20.5. Secondly, care of mutual pleaſing, 1 Cor. 7.33, 34.
Ʋſe 3. To take heed of grieving Gods ſpirit, which taketh ſuch care for our refreſhing, Epheſ 4.30.
Ʋſe 4. To ſtir up to a Chriſtian ſtate and courſe; It is not a way of melancholy, but ſeaſonable chearfulneſs.
Ʋſe 5. To teach us to look at this life as vanity, and all the daies of it; and therefore to lay up an enduring ſubſtance, in the life to come, Hebr. 10.34. and patiently to bear many diſappointments in this life.
Ʋſe 6. To look at every day as a gift from God, Lam. 3.23▪ and therefore to employ it to his advantage.