A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verses 62 – Verse 27
Eccleſ. 11.5.6.
5 As thou knoweſt not what is the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones doe grow in the womb of her that is with child: even ſo thou knoweſt not the works of God who maketh all, &c.
IN theſe words Solomon exhorteth to fruitfulneſſe in good duties, the duties of our calling eſpecially thoſe that are moſt behooveful in ill times: by removing the impediments, which are three: Firſt, From the hazzard and danger (yet uncertaine danger) that may befal our ſelves, of which was ſpoken in verſe 4. Secondly, From the difficulty which may be in ſundry duties needful to be performed in ill times, eſpecially in caſe a mans calling require him to ſeek reformation of publick evils, verſe 5, Which he removeth by the unknowne helpe and ſucceſſe, that God will caſt in, & afford ſuch hard attempts, which exceed the skill and ſtrength of man. This he ſetteth forth by the like helpe of God ordinarily put forth in producing two great works, both of them farre exceeding the ſtrength and skill of man: Firſt, As thou knoweſt not the way of the ſpirit, to wit, of its conveyance into the childe bred in the wombe, and its worke there. Secondly, As thou knoweſt not the way of the bones in the wombe of her that is with childe: So thou knoweſt not the worke of God which worketh all, verſe 5. Thirdly, From the uncertainty of proſperous or good ſucceſſe; from whence Solomon gathereth rather a motive to continual fruitfulneſſe in good duties upon all opportunities verſe 6. In the morning ſow thy ſeed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand, for thou knoweſt not whether ſhall proſper, &c. The expreſſion is an Allegory taken from Husbandry, ſow in all ſeaſons, Morning, Evening, in Winter, in the Spring; for thou knoweſt not whether ſeed time ſhall proſper, &c.
Doctr. 1. As is the way of the ſpirit, and of the bones of the woman with childe, ſo is the way of God in working our workes for us, ſecret and hidden from us; yet, when he pleaſeth carry them on effectually. The way of the ſpirit] is the way of enterance of it into the infant conceived in the wombe. To beget a ſoul, is beyond the skill or ſtrength of the Parents, yea, or to frame the body in the wombe; yea, we know not how God worketh it: Whether, Firſt, By Creation of nothing? If ſo, whether God maketh it pure? then how commeth it to be defiled? the body being without ſin (as a carcaſſe after death) cannot defile the ſoul with ſin. If impure? then how is not God the Author of ſin. Secondly, By Propagation: If ſo, then it is made either of the whole ſoul of the Parents: and then the Parents would dye; or of part of the ſoul, and then the ſoul were partible or diviſible; and the ſoul of the Parents would be maimed; or of the ſeed of the ſoul: but it hath no excrement, as having no ſuperfluity of nouriſhment. Thirdly, By transfuſion; as one candle transfuſeth the like candle light into prepared matter: If ſo, then why doe not acts of generation often ſpeed in couples moſt ſuitable? and why are the ſouls of children ſo often unlike to Parents?
Fourthly, By efformation, as the Potter formeth a veſſel out of Clay; which of all the reſt is moſt probable, to wit, that God formeth the ſoul though not of nothing (which is properly Creation) but of pre-exiſtent matter, whether of the ſpirituous part of the ſeed (which is eaſie for God to doe) or of the ſouls of the Parents, as of Adams rib he made his wifes body, which no man can doe but only God, it being more then God hath given to nature to produce ſuch a worke. Hence God is ſaid to be a Former of ſouls, Zach. 12.1. as a Potter of a veſſel of Clay.
Or the way of the ſpirit] may be meant, the manner of its faſhioning the Organs of the body, in caſe it be thought inſtrumental to God, in being (as they ſay it is) Sui domicilij architectrix, how commeth the ſoul to worke ſo skilful and curious a Fabrick which it knoweth not, nor can ſhape the like when it is growne up to ripeſt underſtanding, skill, and experience. OnelyOnly it is the worke of the Lord, who when he pleaſeth to concurre, the worke is carried on effectually.
Alſo the way of the ſpirit] It is an hidden ſecret to us, if ſpirit be extended farther to ſignifie breath (as often it doth) how the childe in the wombe can take its breath twenty weeks in the wombe. If it breath not, how doth the childe live? If it doe breath, how commeth it to paſſe, it is not ſtifled in the wombe?
The way of the bones of her that is with childe] For ſo the way may be repeated from the former part of the ſentence, How they come to be opened to give paſſage to the Infant, or how cloſed and ſhut againe; and both without breaking: And how in ſome ſoon and eaſily, in others late and hardly, Job 10.10, 11, 12: Pſal. 139.13; to 16, So is it in all the great workes of God, which we doe tranſact, or paſſe through; As in our regeneration, John 3.8. & Chap. 1.13. In our victories over many and great corruptions and temptations. So in mens publick vocations. It ſeemed an incredible worke to Moſes to deliver Iſrael from Pharaoh. So to Heſter, to worke deliverance for her people. So to Samuel to annoint a King againſt Saul, 1 Sam. 16.2. So to Nehemiah to repaire Jeruſalem, yet according to the good hand of God, it was done, Neh. 2.8. So to Zerubbabel to build a Temple which required Solomons Treaſure, Hag. 2.1, 2, 3. &c.
Ʋſe 1. To teach women with childe, not to faint under the danger or difficulty of their Travel: but to look up to God who worketh all. God as he hath given a ſoul to the childe, you know not what way, and as he hath faſhioned the bones of the childe, you know not how: ſo he it is that worketh ſafe, and comfortable deliverance, Iſai. 66.9.
Ʋſe 2. To encourage men to undertake the workes of their calling, though never ſo difficult and dangerous; go on, be doing: Little doth any many know, by what weake meanes God bringeth mighty things to paſſe. Wherefore hath God ſo mightily ſtretched forth his powerful Arme in our firſt comming into the world? but to give us a pledge from our tender yeares of his power and readineſſe to aſſiſt us, in all the workes he hath to doe by us? Iſai. 46.3, 4.
Ʋſe 3. To ſtirre us up to give up our ſelves to the Lord in the new birth eſpecially: which though it be a great worke and difficult, yea, impoſſible to fleſh and blood: yet we little know, when God is pleaſed to ſet in, how much may be wrought beyond what we can aske or thinke.
Eccleſ. 11.6.
6. In the Morning ſow thy ſeed, and in the Evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knoweſt not whether ſhall proſper, either this or that, or whether they both ſhall be alike good.
COherence, ſee in verſe 5.6.
Doctr. 1. The works or labours of a man in his courſe and calling they are his ſeed. The Metaphor is borrowed from husbandry, who ſow their ſeed in all ſeaſons, Morning Evening, Winter, Spring, Hoſ. 10.12. Prov. 11.18. Pſal. 126.5, 6. Job 4.8.
Ʋſe 1. From the proportion our workes have to fruite; whence they are often called fruits, Phil. 1.11. Col. 1.6. Matth. 21.34. Rom. 1.13. Now it is an uſual thing in nature that the ſeed of all fruitfull trees lieth in their fruits, Gen. 1.12.
Reaſon 2. From the ſmalneſſe of it in it ſelfe, Matth. 13.31, yet yielding great growth and encreaſe, Gal. 6.6, 7. Pſal. 126.5, 6. It was a ſmall ſeed that word, 2 King, 5.8. yet brought forth great Increaſe.
Reaſon 3. From the lying of it for a time (as it were under the clods' and furrows of the earth) in obſcurity ſeeming rather to fall into loſſe then to promiſe increaſe, Pſalm 126.5.
Ʋſe 1. To provoke to ſow precious ſeed; let our waies be fruitfull, and fruitful in the beſt works. No fruit but hath his ſeed in it; and the better the ſeed, the richer the Harveſt; every man in his calling, let him doe his works of the beſt.
Ʋſe 2. To encourage every man to wait for a greater increaſe of his labour then it is worth; The ſeed is little worth to the harveſt, 1 Kings 19.19, 20.
Doct. 2. Our ignorance and uncertainty of ſucceſſe of our labours in our callings, ſhould not diſhearten us, but rather encourage us to a greater diligence, and fruitfulneſs in them, Acts 20.22.
Reaſon 1. From the ſtrict account we muſt give of our time and Talents unto God, Epheſ. 5.15. Matth. 25, 26, 27.
Reaſon 2. From the abundant recompence of reward to fruitfulneſs in good duties, 1 Cor. 15.58.
Reaſon 3. From the greater hopes of a more plentifull harveſt, when more variety of ſeed is ſown; if one miſcarry, the other may take; yea and none will be loſt. The Merchant that tradeth in many barks, is more like to ſee a ſafe return of ſome.
Reaſon 4. From the greater exerciſe of faith, hope, and patience, where events are uncertain, 2 Cor. 5.7. 1 Cor. 9.10 Jam. 5.7.
Ʋſe 1. To exhort to fruitfulneſs in our courſe and calling upon all occaſions and opportunities; In the morning ſow thy ſeed, in the evening let not thy hand reſt. Seed in the Garner multiplieth not, yea rather decreaſeth and corrupteth, Miniſter in his calling, 2 Tim. 4.1, 2. Magiſtrate in his, Pſalm 101.8. Every man in his, Prov. 10.4, 5.
Ʋſe 2. To perſwade us to contentment in ignorance and uncertainty of events; and learn we rather the more dependance on the Lord for his bleſſing: and be more thankfull for any good ſucceſs at any time.
Ʋſe 3. To be more fruitfull in that which is good, for our ignorance ſake of the events of our labour. Text.