Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Chapter 2 · Verse 22, 23
Verſe 22. For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart wherein he hath laboured under the Sun?
23. For all his days are ſorrows, and his travel grief, yet his heart taketh not reſt in the night. This is alſo vanity.
SOlomon here giveth the Reaſons of his cenſure paſt in the former words upon mens pains for an earthly Happineſs.
The 1. is, that man hath no real advantage, or true comfort by all his toil of Body, and vexation of ſpirit about things earthly: Which is not ſpoken to the prejudice of any lawful diligence about humane affairs for the right end, but only to convince natural men of the fruitleſneſs of all their pains in order to the true …atisfaction of their ſouls: And this reaſon he doth propound by way of interrogation, that he may the more effectually rouſe up himſelf and others, to conſider the vanity of ſeeking Happineſs in …he creatures: and by it alſo he doth as it were challenge all who …eglect to ſeek their Soul-ſatisfaction in Reconciliation and fel…owſhip with God in Chriſt, to condeſcend if they can (and with all ſuppoſes that they cannot) upon any advantage they have by all their toil and pains. The queſtion hath the force of a negative as was cleared from the like Chap. 1. ver. 3. Whence that which is here underſtood may be thus ſupplyed, what profit hath a man of all his Labour?
The 2. Reaſon is, that whoever choiſes any earthly thing for his portion, ſhall be ſo far from any true profit, or ſatisfaction, that may compenſe his Pains, that by the contrary all his days ſhall be ſorrows and his travel grief, which is mainly to be underſtood of men of greateſt Spirit, and Parts, who take moſt pains for Happineſs in things earthly: not as if ſuch men might not have many days of Carnal pleaſure, and joy, but that they have no good days, no days but ſuch as yeild them matter of ſorrow, no imployment but what affords them matter of grief, and ſuch Sorrow and grief as is not eaſily expreſt, therefore he uſeth ſeveral words here to the ſame purpoſe, and theſe in the abſtract and in the plural Number.
The 3. Reaſon, which may be taken for an inſtance, or illuſtration of the former, i…, that even in the time which God hath appointed for the reſt of mens Bodies and Spirits, ſuch men are often ſo hot in the purſuit of their Idols, of Riches. Honour, or pleaſure, that they cannot get reſt, or, as it is in the Original, in the night his heart lyeth not down, but is abroad and vigilant, ſometimes flying from his own fears, and ſometimes earneſtly purſuing theſe ſhadows of earthly delights which fly ſwiftly from him, and this courſe alſo he cenſures to be Vanity, to wit, that … ſhould ſo torture himſelf, for that which cannot comfort him, eſpecially that he ſhould deprive hi… ſelf of the reſt and comfort he might have, for that which … cannot have. This alſo is Vanity.
Hence learn. 1. It is altogether impoſſible for any reaſonable creature to condeſcend upon any true advantage or comfort, th… men have by all their pains about things earthly as their porti… though deluded Souls raviſhed with delight in ſerving th… Idols, apprehend that real comfort and ga… is only to be h… in their way Hoſea. 12.18. yet cannot the wiſeſt of them g… accompt of any ſuch thing as deſerves that name; For, this … queſtion which no man ſeeking his Happineſs in the creatures … anſwer Affirmatively, by ſhewing what he hath beſide toil, and vexation, what hath a man of all his Labour, and the vexation of his heart.
2. Men that would promove the work of Mortification is in their own hearts, muſt often put their hearts to conſider what profit or comfort they have, as the reſult of ſo great pains as they have taken about their Idols; And have need alſo to have their Conſciences often preſt by Chriſts Miniſters to make anſwer to this or the like queſtion, which Solomon having put in ſubſtance before Chap. 1.3. he puts here again to his own heart, and to others alſo, what hath a man of all his labour? &c.
3. So earneſt are men, who make not the Lord, his favo… and fellowſhip their chief delight, in the perſuit of their Idols, that they not only ſpend their bodies with toil, and weariſo… buſineſs, as the word here tranſlated Labour ſignifies, but they ſuffer their Spirits alſo to be eaten up, or gnawn away with cares and fears about theſe Idols, as the word Vexation ſignifies; Thus doth the Lord juſtly correct men for ſlighting of him, by ſuffering them to render themſelves in ſome meaſure incapable, of that ſweetneſs they ſo much thirſt after in things beſide him. How much better were it for them to beſtow their pains in ſeeking and ſerving the Lord, whoſe way is pleaſantneſs Prov. 3.27. Pea…, Rom. …, 6, and Strength Prov. 10.29. to all them that … therein? So much is implyed in the queſtion what hath a man of all his labour, and …f the vexation of his heart? &c.
4. Till men be in a reconciled eſtate, and injoy fellowſhip with God in Chriſt, they will never have a joyful day, nor a comfortable buſineſs: All their days will be ſorrows, and their travel grief: any joyful days they apprehend themſelves to have, are but like the fancies of one that dreams he eats, and hath nothing Iſai. 29 8. Their Car…al joy hath often a mixture of ſorrow with it, and alw…e ends in heavineſs Prov. 14.13. For the ſpirit of God is in this to be believed, rather than the deluſions of Satan, and mens corrupt hearts; All his days are ſorrows, and his travel grief.
5. The more earneſtly men perſue reſt and ſatisfaction in any thing earthly, they take the nearer way to their own Vexation; For, of the man who is ſpending himſelf in the p…rſuit of the things of the earth, is this ſpoken, yo… he takes no … in the night.
6. Though the Lord who when he pleaſes will give his beloved People reſt even in their bodies, and that in the midſt of greateſt outward hazards Act. 12.6. may for their Humiliation deprive them of it Pſal. 77.4. And his People ought ſometimes to withhold from themſelves the nights reſt, for Spiritual Exerciſes; ſuch as Humiliation and Simpathy in the time of ſome great Calamity … Sam. 11.15. Praiſe, and Th…ſgiving, in the time of ſome great delivery Pſal. …9.62. Yet when exceſs of Cares and Fears about things Earthly, goes between men and their nights reſt, or other allowed refreſhments of that nature, it is not only a clear evidence of their own Vanity, and ſinfulneſs in ſeeking Happineſs in theſe things, but … of Gods juſt diſpleaſure, who hath put ſuch vanity upon theſe falſe Gods, that they alwiſe diſquiet their Worſhipers; For, ſo doth the ſpirit of God cenſure this exceſs of Worldly cares or delights in the World…ing▪ Yea he taketh no reſt in the …ght, This alſo i… vanity.