A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verse 20
Eccleſ. 9. v. 10.
10. Whatſoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no worke nor device nor knowledge, nor wiſdom in the grave whither thou goeſt.
THe Doctrine from this and the three former verſes was this: That the uncertainty of outward events calleth all men to take all the good, and to doe all the good that God putteth into their hands, all the daies of our life. Of the former part, to wit, of taking all the good, hath been ſpoken in the three former verſes: It remains now to ſpeak of doing all the good that God putteth into our hands all the daies of our life.
Whatſoever thy hand findeth to doe, implieth three things: Firſt, that which falleth within our Calling or Commiſſion, or Authority, as Gen. 16.6. Unlawful things, or things lawfull, but out of our Calling are not to be done though they be in our hand, Micah 2.1. Secondly, that which falleth within the compaſſe of our power and ability, as the phraſe is uſed, Gen. 31.29. Otherwiſe, though it be in our calling, yet having power, we may omit it, 2 Sam. 3.39: Thirdly, that which God giveth us opportunity and occaſion to doe, as the phraſe is uſed, 1 Sam. 10.7. Gal. 6.10. Eccleſ. 11, 2, 6.
Reaſon 1. From the vacancy and ceſſation of all buſineſs in the grave whether thou goeſt; as in the Text.
No work] no performance, or accompliſhment of any buſineſs. No device] The Hebrew word ſignifieth two things: Firſt, a device or cunning engine, 2 Chron. 26.15. Secondly, an account, as Eccleſ. 7.27. Both here meant: In the grave there is no ability or opportunity, either to deviſe or invent any good; Or, to make up, or caſt up any accounts.
Nor knowledge] to underſtand truth or falſhood, good or evil. Nor wiſdom, to conſider of any good ends, or of any good means leading thereto.
Reaſon 2. From the love which we owe to God, and the meaſure of it, which is with all our might, Deut. 6.5.
Reaſon 3. From our ſtewardſhip, and Gods Lordſhip of that which God putteth into our hands. The work is the Lords as our ſoveraign maſter, 1 Cor. 16.10. Church work. Jer. 48.10. Warlike execution, 1 Sam. 14.45. wrought with God, Col. 3.23, 24. Servants work; we are but Factors for him. There is an heavy curſe upon negligence in his work, Jer. 48.10,
Ʋſe 1. To reprove, firſt, inordinate walking without a calling, when the hand findeth nothing to doe, Matth. 20.6. Secondly, negligence in a calling, where the hand putteth not forth his might, Prov. 10.4.
Ʋſe 2. To exhort all men to a conſcionable faithfulneſſe and diligence in all the worke your hand findeth to doe. The three reaſons in the Text are as ſo many motives: Beſides, Firſt, Satan beſtirreth himſelfe buſily, and ſetteth all his inſtruments aworke to choake the worke of reformation, with ſtore of tares. Secondly, The more improvement of our talents here, the greater will our reward be in heaven, Luke 19.16, 17, 18, 19. yea, it will aſhame us to receive ſuch a plenteous recompence of reward for ſo ſmall ſervice. There will be reſt enough in the grave, Iſai. 57.2. And recompence enough in heaven, 1 Cor. 15.58. Thirdly, The hands of our fellow-labourers faint in England, what through multitude of variety of worke, and what through miſts and fogs of temptations about them, Neh. 4.10.
Ʋſe 3. To teach men to finiſh and perfect their accounts with God and man here; for there is no perfecting accounts in the grave, Luke 16.2.
Ʋſe 4. To look at the whole courſe of our lives as a journey to the grave, whether we goe to worke, or to meat, or to Sea, or to Church, or to Law, or to Field; to the grave we are going. Which is a matter, Firſt, Of Admonition to carnal perſons to haſten ſpiritual preparation. Secondly, Of conſolation to the godly, and warning alſo againſt ſecurity, Rom. 13.11.