Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Title page – To the reader
AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical OBSERVATIONS UPON THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES.
Written by Mr. ALEXANDER NISBET, Miniſter of the Goſpel at Irwin.
EDINBƲRGH, Printed by George Moſman, and are to be Sold at his Shop in the Parliament Cloſs MDCXCIV.
To the much Honoured WILLIAM NISBET OF DIRLETON.
SIR,
THE Author of this Expoſition, having Named Sir John Nisbet of Dirleton for Patron of it, as a Perſon of great worth, whoſe Friendſhip had been very uſeful to him; Upon the deceaſe of that Eminent Lawyer, That Title deſigned for him, cannot with more Equity be Addreſſed to any, than to you, upon whom he hath entailed his opulent Eſtate. And your having received a great part of your Education under him, and that ſincerely Devout Lady now his Relick (a genuine Scion of a Noble and Religious Stock) with the Evidences you have given of anſwering their expectation, by an early Inclination to a Sober and Vertuous Life; and a magnanimous Contempt of vain and ſinful Pleaſures; Theſe aſſure me you will intertain this New Heir-ſhip, not as an idle Ornament to your Cloſet, but as a notable Antidote againſt the Snares and Charms of theſe Honours, to which your Vertue and the affluence of your Fortune, ſeem to pave the way. To prepare you for a cautious Encounter with theſe, you have here an accurat Map of all the Kingdoms of the World, and the Glory thereof, drawn originally by the Divinely-inſpired Pen of Solomon, a Wiſe King, and a Judicious Preacher: The Author only illuſtrates it with Doctrines and Uſes: Here you may ſurvey theſe unfortunat Iſlands of Honour, Wealth, and Pleaſure, upon which many have made Shipwrack of their moſt Holy Faith. And when you find this inferiour World too low a Situation for true Paradiſe, and too barren a Soil to produce ſatisfaction to a Heaven-born Soul, lift up your panting Heart to the undiſcovered Glories of the higher Houſe, the Habitation of Angels, and the Saints everlaſting Reſt; where you will not need Commentaries upon a vain World, and a deceitful Heart, to Arm you againſt Miſtakes and Diſappointments; For there the Preacher will turn Praiſer, Annotations will be ſilenced with Allelujahs, and Vanity and Vexation of Spirit ſwallowed up in fulneſs of Joy and Pleaſures at Gods Right Hand for ever. That theſe may be your never-fading Inheritance, after ye have taſted the greateſt Happineſs this World can afford, is the unfeigned Prayer of,
SIR, Your ſincerely devoted Servant, Ja: Nisbet:
To the READER.
CHRISTIAN READER,
IF thou haſt peruſed the former Labours of the Author of this enſuing Treatiſe, thou wilt readily be convinced that this Peice of his needs no Letters of Recommendation; theſe former Labours of his having been ſo univerſally acceptable, and to my certain knowledge now much deſiderat, both at Home among our ſelves, and alſo in our Neighbouring Nation: And no wonder, for whoever have ſeen, and diligently peruſed theſe his Labours, have therein had a proof of the Author's great Judgement, and ſingular dexterity in Opening and Expounding the Scriptute. Yet Cuſtom hath made an Epiſtle of this nature ſome way neceſſary, and thoſe concerned in the Publication have laid it upon me, becauſe for the preſent, I labour in the ſame part of the Lord's Vineyard, where the Reverend Author (now with the Lord) formerly laboured. Therefore though I have had no ſmall Averſation from this Undertaking, partly from my own Unfitneſs, and want of Qualifications ſutable; and partly from the ſenſe I have how litle my Teſtimony can add to the Eſteem of the Works of ſuch a Man; and partly alſo, becauſe ſuch an Appearance is contrary to my own Genius and Inclination; yet I have been neceſſitat to overcome this Averſation: And my great Encouragement thereto is, what I have already mentioned, that the Author does not need my Recommendation, his own Works Praiſe him in the Gate, and his Praiſe is in all the Churches, ſo far as his Works are known.
That therefore which I have mainly to do, is, to aſſure thee that the following Treatiſe is the genuine Work of the ſame Learned and Pious Mr. Alexander Nisbet, who wrote the Expoſition of the two Epiſtles of Peter; And (except the Arguments to the ſeveral Chapters) was periected and made ready for the Preſs before his Death; And had long ſince come abroad into the World, if it had not been for ſome Aſſertions the Author hath upon Chap. 8.4 Concerning Obedience to ſupreme Powers, which did not reliſh with the late Times, wherein Supremacy and Abſolute Power were ſcrewed up to the greateſt height. And it may rationally be ſuppoſed that this Peice of his is not leſs Elaborat, conſequently, will not be leſs Acceptable than the former, ſeing it is his Second Eſſay of this nature; and we uſually ſay, Secundae Cogitationes meliores. And as Solomon is with good ground judged to have Writt this Book in his Old Age, when he had taken a more ſerious View of his paſt Life; ſo it is certain the Reverend Author, wrote this his Expoſition thereof in his Old Age, at leaſt in the latter part of his Days, when he had taken a Review of his by paſt Life; as he was indeed a very ſerious Obſerver both of his own Life, and of the Paſſages of God's Providence about him, yea and a recorder of both, though he did this in a Character at that time known to none but himſelf. And it is not improbable that his pains and labours upon this Subject through the Bleſſing of God, did contribute not a little to that weanedneſs from the World and all its vain Pleaſures and Delights, to which in agreat meaſure, the Author attained: And which did ſo notably fit and prepare him for his great Change, and made his paſſage from this Life to a better, ſweet, eaſy and comfortable, that I remember I have ſeveral times heard that eminently worthy and Pious Miniſter, Mr. Gabriel Cunningham, ſpeak of it both with delight and admiration.
I do therefore perſwade my ſelf, Reader, that if thou be a perſon who wouldſt gladly have thy Heart weaned from the World, and be above the vain pleaſures thereof, and have thy Converſation in Heaven, as a Stranger and Pilgrim in this Earth, the conſideration of this will have that influence upon thee, as to make thee carefully peruſe this piece, and look to the Lord for his Bleſſing therewith, that it may have the ſame effect with thee. I am ſure the Subject treated of, is not only uſeful, but highly neceſſary, eſpecially at ſuch a time, when notwithſtanding of all that is through the whole Scriptures, and particularly in the Book of Eccleſiaſtes, held forth of the vanity and vexation of Spirit, that is in all ſublunary Contentments and delights: And notwithſtanding of all the pains of the Lords Servants in their Expoſitions on the Scripture, and by Preaching, to Rivet this Truth upon the Hearts of Men: And notwithſtanding of all the Experiences and Convictions Men have of this Truth, by the many diſappointments they meet with from the Creatures: Yet ſo few have their Hearts and affections raiſed to ſavour the things that are above: But on the contrary, many, alace! very many, proclaim as it were upon the Houſe tops, that their portion is in this Life, and that this World is their God. And as it was the deſign of the Spirit of God in the enditing of this Portion of Scripture, to take Men off from this, that they might not ſpend their Money for that which is not Bread, and their Labour for that which ſatisfieth not, nor digg up to themſelves broken Cisterns, that can hold no Water, nor weary themſelves as in the Fire for very Vanity; but ſet their affections upon the things above, and upon God himſelf as their all ſufficient Portion: So I am perſwaded, the ſame was alſo the deſign of the Author of this Expoſition: And I am not without hope that through the Bleſſing of God, this may be as to ſome, the Fruits of his Labours therein.
But beſide what thou haſt heard, that may make this Treatiſe acceptable to thee, from the Author himſelf, I muſt farther acquaint thee that this piece of his was both ſeen and approven as very worthy of the preſs by ſome Miniſters of great Eminency and Note. viz. Mr. James Ferguſſon, his next neighbour, and dear and intimat Brother, with whom he uſually communicat all his Labours of this kind, and who alſo did the like with him: And alſo Mr. Ralph Roger, two ſo great names, that they are above all Encomiums from me: And a third who is alſo of great Judgement and diſcerning in ſuch matters, but becauſe yet alive, I both forbear any farther commendation of him, and alſo the mentioning of his name; who if he were not now at too great a diſtance, might have been fitter for this task than I.
There is only one thing that may ſeem to plead againſt the neceſſity and expediency of this piece's coming to light at this time; which is, there are ſo many Learned, and elaborat Expoſitions and Commentaries upon this place of Scripture: As, Broughtoun, Cartwright, Beza Thomas Granger, Mihael Jermin, Joſeph Hall, William Thomſon, William Pemble, Thomas Pitt, John Cotton, Edward Leigh, Arthur Jackſon, Pools Annotations, and thoſe whom he makes uſe of in his Synopſis, and many otherforreign Divines of all perſwaſions, beſides the former Engliſh Annotations, which if they had been as well done upon all the reſt of the Scripture, as upon it, might in my humble Judgement, have ſaved the Learned Pool, and his Continuators, the pains of emitting their new Annotations.
This part is ſo well done that it hath been thought worthy to be Printed a part by it ſelf, And indeed worthy to be purchaſed by any who are not willing, or are not able to purchaſe all the reſt: For though the*Dr. Heynolds. Author was afterward a Biſhop, and I am no Friend to that office, as it hath been and ſtill is by ſome enhanced: yet this doth not weaken the eſteem I have for this and his other both Pious and Learned Works, eſpecially ſeing I underſtand that he never was a Perſecuter, but a perſon of great Moderation.
But to take off this Objection, let it be conſidered that the worthy and Reverend Author of this enſuing Expoſition, as he had the benefite of moſt of all theſe expoſitions, ſo he had through the grace of God, the Judgement Sagacity, and Dexterity to chooſe out of them, what was moſt appoſite, and moſt conſiſtent with the Analogy of Faith; And even a Dwarf ſtanding upon the head of a Gyant, will ſee farther than the Gyant himſelf: Conſider likwiſe, that the Lord hath given great Diverſities of Gifts to his Servants; and amongſt others, the gift and talent of Some lyes eſpecially in the Richneſs of their invention, Others in making more plain, and intelligible, the things which are invented by Others: And whether the Author had not his ſhare in both I leave it to the Reader to Judge upon peruſal, as likewiſe whether he had not conſiderable advantage beyond many, for opening Scripture, from his rare skill in the original Languages, eſpecially in the Hebrew, wherein he greatly excelled. Again it would be conſidered that the Authors Expoſition of this part of Scripture, as of the other he formerly expounded, is in a way and method peculiar to himſelf with the reſt of his Countrey men, who went before him therein, which is, plainly and ſuccinctly to open the words, and then to raiſe Practical Obſervations from them, and theſe for the moſt part, very comprehenſive, having oftentimes both Explanations, Cautions, and Reaſons, and ſometimes uſes couched under them. Laſtly let it be conſidered that the Scriptures of God, are ſo great a depth, that they cannot be exhauſted, and when many have drawn, there is ſtill more for others to draw after them; And ſo Rich a Mine, that when many have digged, there are ſtill Pearles, and theſe precious Pearles to be found after them.
Reader, If thou be one that haſt a real Hunger after thy Souls Food, thou wilt not caſt at it, becauſe it comes not to thee in a Lordly Diſh: but if otherwiſe: I ſhall make uſe of the words of a Learned Writter in the like caſe, and apply them to thee (If thy Stomach be nice and ſqueezie, and nothing will reliſh with thee, but what is ſpurce and elegant, there is store of ſuch Compoſures in the World, upon which thou mayeſt even ſurfeit thy curious fancy: in the mean time there will be found ſome who will bleſs God for what thou deſpiſeſt, and make many a ſweet Meal upon what thou loatheſt.
And now, Reader, I believe I have tempted thy patience long enough, forgive me for this once, and I dare almoſt promiſe, that I ſhall not in haſte do it again in this ſort. I have only one ſute and requeiſt to make unto thee, and I have done, if thou doeſt peruſe this piece, and haſt peruſed the Authors other Labours, and Mr. Dickſon, and Mr. Hutcheſons Labours of the ſame kind, and remembreſt that all theſe were Miniſters of the Goſpel in Irvin, thou wilt from thence eaſily perceive, that they in that place have had very burning and ſhinning Lights among them: And indeed beſide thoſe, they have had many other eminently Learned and Pious Men, and great Preachers of the Goſpel, whoſe Memory is precious and Honourable, viz. Mr. Scrimſeour, Mr. Hugh Mckail, Mr. Thomas Garven, the laſt two both afterward Miniſters of Edinburgh, Mr. Alexander Dunlop. afterward Miniſter at Paiſly, Mr. John Park, afterward Miniſter at Stranraer, Mr. John Stirling before that Miniſter at Edinburgh, and Mr. John Grant, and it is like ſome others, whoſe names have not come to my knowledge, beſide many other Learned, grave and Pious Miniſters, who in our ſuffering times, being put from their own charges, came and reſided in this place, eſpecially during the time of Mr. Hutcheſon and Mr. Stirlings Miniſtry here: By all which it appears that the people of this place have had a long and clear day of the Goſpel among them. If therefore thou be one that liveſt near God, I beg thy Prayers in their behalf, that their fruit may be anſwerable, leaſt, if otherwiſe, becauſe of their Barrenneſs, the Kingdom of God ſhould be taken from them, and the things which belong to their peace hid from their eyes, Pray likewiſe for a poor unworthy Inſtrument and Labourer for a while, in the ſame part of Gods Vineyard, who now hath ſucceeded, and during his time muſt endeavour to follow ſo many great Men and Patterns, though alace! He doth it, non paſſibus aequis: Pray for him that though his Talent be not ſo great as theirs, yet he may be Faithful to lay it out for his Maſters uſe, and that God may ſtrengthen his hands, bleſs, proſper, and give ſucceſs to his Labours; As he alſo Prayeth that the Lord may Bleſs the following Treatiſe for thy Souls good and comfort, as being, at leaſt deſiring to be.
A Servant of Chriſt, and thine for his ſake, Pa: Warner. Irvin Sept. 14. 1693.