Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Chapter 2 · Verse 26
Verſe 26. For God giveth to a man that is good in his ſight, Wiſdom, and Knowledge and Joy; but to the Sinner … giveth travel, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This alſo is vanity, and vexation of Spirit.
HAving given a ſhort ſum of that True Happineſs which is attainable in this Life, he doth here deſcribe the Bleſſedneſs of them that ſeek after it, and the miſery of theſe that ſlight it: And this he brings in as a reaſon to move men to fall in love with it. As for the man that takes the right way of ſeeking Happineſs, whom here he calls the man that is good in Gods ſight, which ſignifies one freely favoured and delighted in, and ſo a juſtified perſon through the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, and one who is ſincerely ſtudying what is good, or well-pleaſing, not in the ſight of the World, but of God, The Lord giveth, and giveth freely; and in giving makes ſure and firm to him, as the word ſignifies, Wiſdom and Knowledge and Joy. Whereby is meant n…t only skill to purchaſe a Competency of things Worldly, with Prudence to manage, and uſe the ſame aright, together with chearfulneſs in the uſe thereof, which cannot be excluded here, ſeeing the ſame was expreſt before as ſubſervient to that Happineſs which is attainable in this World; But mainly an increaſe of ſaving knowledge, which is ſet forth by two words, becauſe there are many degrees of it, and an increaſe of Spiritual joy flowing from the Faith of Acceptation with God through Jeſus Chriſt: I ſay the words are to be underſtood of the increaſe of theſe things, becauſe they are promiſed to the man who is b… fore favoured, and ſo hath the firſt Grace. Next, As for the man who continues in his miſtake concerning the way to true Happineſs, whom he calls here the ſinner… not … if the other formerly ſpoken of, or any other in the World, did not deſerve that name; but becauſe ſuch an one is given up to the ſlavery and ſervitude of his luſts, in an unreconciled ſtate (as the Word Sinner often ſignifies in Scripture, when it is oppoſed to the Good or Righteous. 1 Pet. 4, 18) and, as the Original Word here ſignifies, One that errs from the Scope. i. e. who is miſtaken in the Main concerning True Happineſs, & is purſuing the ſame in things of this Earth, To ſuch an One God giveth in His juſtice and diſpleaſure, as his ſure portion, if he continue in that way, ſore travel, or (as the word ſignifies) Painful Servitude and ſlavery in gathering and heaping (which Words import him to be both ſucceſsful and unſatisfyed) that which he muſt leave behind him, to be poſſeſt by theſe for whom he intended leaſt, even to one that is good in Gods ſight: Which is not to be underſtood, as if every Wicked man ſhould make ſome Godly man his Heir; for then the Godly ſhould be the Richeſt in the World; but that often the Fruit of the wickeds pains redounds to the advantage of the Godly, or rather that his purchaſe and eſtate is at the Lords diſpoſal, to give to whom he pleaſes, and thinks good enough for receiving ſuch trifles. And this exceſſive pains of men, for theſe things which they can neither long injoy, nor transfer to others as they pleaſe, he cenſures as Vanity, that is, a ſinful courſe, and ſuch as will in the end produce nothing but torment to mens Spirits.
Hence Learn. 1. The conſideration of the Lords large and comfortable allowance to His Own; ſhould move All to take them to His Way of ſeeking after Happineſs, and therefore this allowance ſhould be much inſiſted on by his ſervants, and often viewed by People, that their hearts may be ingaged to that way: For this deſcription of the Lords liberality, and ſweet allowance to his own, is here brought in as a motive to make men fall in love with that Way to Happineſs formerly hinted at. For God gives to a man that is good in his ſight, Wiſdom and knowledge and joy.
2. Before a man can expect that large and ſweet allowance which God giveth to his Children, he muſt firſt be made good in Gods ſight, by Reconciliation with Him, the Imputation of Chriſts Righteouſneſs, and Renovation of his Nature, that he may aime at what is well pleaſing in the ſight of God; For, to the man that is good in his ſight he giveth Wiſdom &c.
3. Whatever the beſt of men receive from God, even theſe who are accepted as Righteous in his ſight, whoſe diſpoſitions and way is moſt ſincere, and ſo are Good in his ſight, it is not of their procurement, nor merited by any goodneſs they have, ſeeing it is all a free Gift: For even to him that is good in his ſight he giveth Wiſdom; every further degree of Grace is a new gift to ſuch a man.
4. Not only Knowledge of things Spiritual, but of managing aright things Temporal; and not only the firſt ſaving Grace, which comprehends the habits of all Graces, but every act of Grace; and not only matter of comfort and joy, but joy it ſelf, or the power and heart to take joy and comfort, is a free gift of God: For, this, he giveth to him that is good in his ſight Wiſdom and Knowledge and joy, may be underſtood of all ſorts of approven Wiſdom, of every degree of Knowledge and Grace, and of his giving the power to take comfort in known grounds of rejoycing.
5. That which men weary themſelves in ſeeking after, and will never find in things Earthly, is truely to be found in God: For, Solomon hath ſhown before that during his eſtrangment from God, he was ſeeking ſatisfaction to his mind in the ſtudy of Wiſdom, and thereafter in the abundance of earthly pleaſures, and hath declared himſelf diſappointed of all, till he come back to his firſt Love, who giveth him, as He here profeſſes, and promiſes to others who will take them to Gods way that they ſhall get the like, Wiſdom, and Knowledge, and Joy.
6. There muſt be Wiſdom and Knowledge, before there be true comfort: Men muſt ſee their miſery and hazard, the remedie thereof, and how to make uſe of it; Their duty and how to ſet about it; and then they may be ſure Joy ſhall be the reſult of this practical heart affecting Knowledge, whereof Solomon here ſpeaks: This is imported in the order of theſe gifts, He giveth Wiſdom, and Knowledge, and Joy.
7. The bleſſedneſs of Gods People, and the miſery of others are both better ſeen, when they are compared together. Therefore the Preacher here illuſtrates the one by the other God giveth to the man that is good in his ſight, Wiſdom and Knowledge, and Joy; But to the ſinner travel, &c.
8. Though men ſeeking their Happineſs in other things beſide the Lord, do imagine themſelves the only free men, and to have much Joy in their way; yet the truth is, they are but ſlaves to Satan, and their own Luſts, and without all true comfort, for (ſaith he) God giveth to the ſinner travel, the Word ſignifies Servitude and Affliction.
9. Though men ſeeking Happineſs in things Earthly, may have ſucceſs in getting abundance of them brought to their hand, as is imported in this that Thy gather and heap up, yet they are ſtill as far from ſatisfaction as formerly; For theſe two words import them ſtill Gathering and Heaping up, and yet never attaining to what contents them, They have travel to gather and heap up.
10. God hath the abſolute diſpoſal of mens Purchaſe and Eſtates at His Pleaſure, He can order them to be violently taken away from them, Iſai. 54.16. He can determine their minds at laſt, to order them otherwiſe than they did formerly intend, Prov. 28.8. And can remove theſe for whom they did intend them, that they may fall into the hands of others, Pſal. 39.6. It is good to ſerve ſuch a Maſter who can and will (when he pleaſes) transfer the Eſtates of his enemies to his Friends, Pſal. 105.44. And doth alwiſe diſpoſe of the ſame as he thinks good, That he may give to him that is good before him.
11. The conſideration of the much toil that is in purchaſing things worldly, the great diſappointment of true ſatisfaction which is in the injoying of them, and the much torment of Spirit which is the reſult of ſeeking Happineſs in them, ſhould wean mens hearts from them; For, ſo is this courſe of Travelling to gather and heap up, that which theſe who are good before God ſhall injoy, here cenſured, while he ſaith, This alſo is vanity and vexation of Spirit.