A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Title page – Dedication
A Briefe EXPOSITION WITH Practicall Obſervations UPON The Whole Book OF ECCLESIASTES. By that late pious and worthy Divine, Mr. JOHN COTTON, Paſtor of Boſton in New-England.
PUBLISHED, By ANTHONY TUCKNEY, D.D. Maſter of St. Johns Colledge in Cambridge.
LONDON, Printed by T. C. for Ralph Smith at the Bible in Cornhill. 1654.
To the Right Worſhipfull, Mr. George Caborn, Mayor; With the Aldermen, Common-Councel, Miniſters, and the reſt of my Chriſtian friends of Boſton in Lincolnſhire.
Dearly Beloved,
THe large intereſt which I have long enjoyed in your favour, and which you muſt ever have in my heart, hath imboldened me to prefix your names to this Peece; and with the more confidence of your acceptance, becauſe in it an addreſſe is made to you at once by two, who ſometimes were together your Miniſters in the Goſpel of Chriſt: by the ever to be honoured Mr. Cotton in the Book, and by my unworthy ſelfe, in the review and Dedication of it: Both now removed from you. The one, firſt to a remote part of the world, there to plant Churches; and thence (after that happy work done) to heaven: The other, to ſome more publique ſervice neerer hand: in which I humbly crave the beſt help of your prayers, as you are conſtantly remembred in mine; and that with more ſtrength of affection, whilſt I oft call to mind thoſe moſt comfortable daies, in which I enjoyed the happineſs of joynt Miniſtry with ſo able and faithfull a Guide; and both of us ſo much ſatisfaction and encouragement from a people ſo united in the love both of the truth, and of one another. The firſt Chapters of both his Epiſtles to them.I cannot read what Paul writeth of his Theſſalonians, but I think I read over what we then found in Boſton. They were then very happy daies with you, when your faith did grow exceedingly, and your love to Chriſts Ordinances, Miniſters, ſervants, and to one another abounded. Although your Town be ſituate in a low Countrey, yet God then raiſed your eſteem very high, and your eminency in Piety over-topped the heighth of your ſteeple; your name was as an oyntment poured out, Cant. 1.3.and your renown went forth for that beauty and comelineſſe which God had put upon you. Ezek. 16.14.How it is now with you, at this diſtance, I cannot ſo wel judge; only I deſire you would pleaſe ſeriouſly to conſider whether the new wine or the old he better, & ever think that beſt which doth not intoxicate us into ſtaggering frō the Truth, and falling off from one another: but ſo cheareth the heart, as yet maketh us humble and meek, and keepeth us cloſe to God, his truth, ordinances, the power of his grace, and all thoſe duties, in which the faithfull among you formerly walked with God, met with peace, and at laſt reached heaven. Such a frame of ſpirit, and way, I can remember, was ſometime among you; and as oft as I remember it, I deſire not to forget to praiſe God for it. What was then your bleſſedneſſe? Gal. 4.15.And what then was, I humbly beſeech God may ſo revive and continue, that you may prove a little model, and fore-taſte of that bleſſed Church, which God wil make an eternall excellency, Iſai. 60.15.and a joy of many generations. This you and I have the more cauſe to deſire and endeavour, becauſe
1. Miſerum eſt fuiſse, it is a great miſery to have it ſaid of us, that we have been happy. Fuimus Troec, fuit Ilium, was but a ſad word, and it is a ſadder thing for the Sun of righteouſneſs which had ſometime ſhone gloriouſly upon any particular Church or people, at laſt to ſet in a cloud; if ſuch a light come to be darkned, how great is that darkneſſe? after the light is put out, the room proveth darker then if it had never been ſet up; and the remembrance of thoſe former pleaſant things once enjoyed, but afterwards loſt, Lam. 1.7.added to, and aggravated the Churches lamentation.
2. And yet ſuch a lamentable condition hath been and may be the lot of ſuch places & people which God ſometimes hath highly honoured, when they have grown fat and wanton together. Bethel hath proved Bethaven; Hoſ. 10.5. 2 Kings 2. Judg. 8.8. Jer. 7.12.in after times we finde young prophane mockers in Bethel, and ſcornfull neuters in Penuel. Goe to Shiloh; think of the ſometimes glorious Churches of Aſia. As Empires and Kingdoms, ſo particular Churches have had their periods. I have ſometimes on purpoſe viſited ſome places where God had before planted his Church and a faithfull Miniſtry, to ſee if I could diſcern any footſteps and remembrances of ſuch a mercy; Prov. 24.31.and loe they were all grown over with thorns, & nettles had covered the face therof, & the ſtone-wall therof was broken down.
3. And which is more ſad, in ſome of them never, in others very hardly built up again: God proving ſevere, when we grow wanton, and ſo as he removeth the Candleſtick when we play or fight by the light of the candle ſet up in it; Rev. 2.5.ſo he is very hardly induced to light it againe in that place where it hath once been wantonly or frowardly put out: there are more hopes of recovering a particular perſon fallen, by vertue of an everlaſting covenant made with him (although he may goe halting to his grave, and never here again riſe up to his former comforts and enlargements) but a particular Church or people (unleſs it be that of the Jewes, who in the great Jubile after their rejection ſhal again return to their former poſſeſſions) cannot claim the like priviledge of ſuch a Covenant. Jer. 3.1, 12, 13, 14, 8, 4.The Arke never returned to the ſame place from whence it was in a way of judgement removed; and the glory of the Lord, when after its gradual removes, was at laſt quite gone from the firſt Temple, was not fully reſtored in the ſecond till Chriſts firſt comming; nor wil it be in this their rejection, til his ſecond. I think there wil be found very few inſtances of Gods preſence and ordinances long enjoyed by a people, and after abuſed and rejected, if thereupon loſt, eaſily (if at all) reſtored: Jud. v. 3.the faith once delivered to the Saints, is not wont to be received or loſt the ſecond time. The reaſon is, becauſe a jealous God can leaſt endure upon trial made of him, to be ſleighted in that wherein he would moſt commend to us his ſpeciall love, and ever account's the rejecting of ſuch ſpecial tokens of it as a renouncing of himſelfe. 2 Sam. 8.7They have not rejected thee but me. And as the husband in the law pleaded ſome uncleanneſs in his wife, Deut. 24.1.when he put her away: ſo God makes account that we tell the world, that we have found iniquity in him, Jer. 2.5.when we goe far from him, and walk after vanity, and that he hath been a wilderneſe and land of darkneſs, when we prove Lords, and wil come no more at him. Dear Friends, he hath not been ſo to you, v. 31.even your enemies being judges, and your own experience wil beare witneſs for him, that his Goſpel, even in point of ontward advantage, hath paid for its entertainment. Theſe thick cords of love therefore (I hope) wil binde you cloſe to him, and ſtrongly draw you off from whatever may be a means of drawing you away from him, and ſo by your continuing to be planted in the houſe of the Lord, and by you ſtill flouriſhing in the Courts of our God, you will proclame to all, that he is upright, Pſal. 92.13, 14, 15.and that there is no unrighteouſneſs in him. Theſe (Dearly beloved) are my affectionate deſires, & hopes of you; and yet in regard of the unſetledneſs of theſe times, and the wildneſſe of many mens ſpirits in them, you wil pardon me if I be be jealous over you with a godly jealouſie, and that having this fit opportunity, I take the boldneſs, by putting you in remembrance of what ſometimes you were, 2 Pet. 1.13. Rev. 2.4, 5 Rev. 3.2. 2 Tim. 1.13 Rom. 6.17to ſtir you up to keep warm your firſt love, and to do your firſt works: to be watchfull, & to ſtrengthen the things that remain, eſpecially if any be ready to die. To hold faſt the form of ſound words, whereto you have been formerly delivered, and to hold up the power of godlineſs;
In your ſelves, by the conſtant exerciſe of Faith, Repentance, ſelf-examination and humiliation, ſelf-denial and mortification, &c.
In your publique government, by reviving your ancient care and zeal for the ſanctifying of Gods Sabbaths, countenancing his Miniſters and Ordinances, and diſcountenancing whatever Doctrines or practiſes are contrary to the truth as it is in Ieſus, and the power of godlineſs.
In your Families, by private prayer, ſinging of Pſalms, catechizing your children and ſervants, training them up in Gods feare, and reſtraining them from that pride, wantonneſs, and ſtubbornneſs, which your faithful Paſtor (now with God) was wont much to complaine of, and which in theſe looſer times, I wiſh, you had not cauſe much more now to bewaile.
Now the good Lord help you to ſtand up for God in your ſeverall places, and ſo to ſerve your generations, Act. 13.36 2 Kings 20.19.that peace and truth may be in your daies: that in them your Sun may not go down, but when ye are gathered to your fathers, in your hopefull and happy poſterity it may riſe with greater ſtrength and glory, as drawing neerer to a more glorious day now approaching; that then another generation may not ariſe after you, which ſhal not know the God of their fathers, Judg. 2.10.and ſo the ages to come may be to ſeek for Samnium in Samnio, old Boſton in New. But on the contrary▪
That your ſeed may be ſo known among the Gentiles, Iſai. 63.9.and your off-ſpring among the people, that all that ſee them, may acknowledge them to be the ſeed which the Lord hath bleſſed.
That this may be the everlaſting covenant which God ſhall make with you and them, Iſai, 59.21.that his Spirit and word ſhal not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your ſeed, nor out of the mouth of your ſeeds ſeed, from hence forth and for ever:
But that your Congregation may be a Zion, which God hath choſen, and deſired for his habitation, of which he may ſay, Pſal. 132.13, 14.This is my reſt for ever, here will I dwell, for I have deſired it: Is, and (God enabling me) ſhall be the moſt hearty deſire and prayer of him
Who deſireth to have no dominion over your faith, but to be an helper of your joy, ANTHONY TƲCKNEY From St. Johns Colledge in Cambridge, July 7. 1654.
A BRIEFE EXPOSITION UPON ECCLESIASTES.
THis whole Book is a Diſcourſe not unſeaſonable for this Countrey, wherein men that have left all to enjoy the Goſpel, now (as if they had forgotten the end for which they came hither) are ready to leave the Goſpel for outward things; which are here lively and clearly demonſtrated to be vanity, yea, vanity of vanities.
Obj. But were not ſomething of Chriſt more proper for a Miniſter of the Goſpel to handle?
Anſ. The way to ſtir us to ſeek after Chriſt, is to behold (and be convinced of) the vanity of all things here below.
When Eve brought forth Cain, ſhe hoped ſhe had got the Promiſed ſeed, Gen. 4.1. with 3.15.
But when ſhe ſaw by his ſpirit and carriage, that ſhe was deceived in him, ſhe called her next ſonne Abel, Gen. 4.2. which ſignifieth vanity.
And ſo ſhe muſt ſee all things to be, before ſhe bring forth Seth, the Father of the promiſed ſeed: Now Abel, or vanity, expreſſeth the ſtate of all the creatures by the fall. And Solomon taketh up Eves word, and amplifieth it, vanity, yea, vanity of vanities. So this whole book is a Commentary upon the ſtate of corruption, Rom. 8.20. A fit Introduction to Chriſt in the Canticles.