Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Chapter 2 · Verse 3
Verſe 3. I ſought in my heart to give my ſelf unto Wine, (yet acquainting mine heart unto Wiſdom) and to lay hold on Folly, till I might ſee what was that good for the ſons of Men, which they ſhould do under Heaven, all the days of their Life.
SOlomon having given a ſumme of his ſinful Reſolution to purſue his pleaſures which was in his heart, when he firſt began to make defection from God, with his ſad cenſure thereof now being a penitent, in the former verſes, He doth here give particular inſtances of the Courſes he took for attaining to the ſame, and First, he doth further inlarge his purſuit after them in two Expreſſions. The one is, that he ſought in his heart, or as the word ſignifies, he did deliberate and ſearch into every art, how he might give himſelf (or as the word is draw out his Fleſh, or lay out himſelf to the full) unto Wine, under which is comprehended all delicats which are ſatisfying to the natural appetite. The other is, that he ſought in his heart to lay hold on Folly, (for the firſt words of the verſe are to be conſtructed with theſe which follow after the Parentheſis in the text) by this Laying hold he means, his apprehending with all his might, and the outmoſt intention of his ſtrength of minde and Body, and ſo bringing into his poſſeſſion, as the Original Word ſignifies: And by this Folly whereof he thus tooke hold is meant thoſe ſenſual pleaſures, which he now being a penitent judgeth to be nothing elſe but Folly, though he looked otherwiſe upon them before: Now this his expreſſion of giving himſelf unto Wine, it not to be underſtood as if he had given up himſelf to that Exceſſive uſe of the Creatures whereunto Drunkards and Belly-Gods addict themſelves, for though we read of many vile practiſes of his under his defection, yet we find nothing of that ſort, beſide what is here ſaid, of his giving himſelf unto Wine; neither yet can this be underſtood of the moderate and Holy uſe of the Creatures, becauſe it is ordinary with him when he ſpeaks of that (as he doth frequently in this Book) to commend it as Gods gift, and allowance to his own, while as he doth condemn this as Folly, and as producing Vexation of Spirit Verſe 11. Therefore this ſeems to be underſtood of a middle way betwixt theſe which he ſtudied to wit, that he would ſo far give up himſelf to ſenſible delights that he might know the outmoſt of the ſweetneſs and comfort that was in them, and yet might not turn altogether ſenſual, and Butiſhly exceſſive in the uſe of theſe things. And next, to confirme that it was this middle way which he then minded to follow, he doth with the mentioning of it, intermix as it were in a Parentheſis, another Study which he intended to temper with this, namely his acquainting of his heart with Wiſdom, whereby is meant eſpecially his skill of Governing his Royal Affairs, for at his worſt, there is no ground to think that he did groſly miſcarry as Drunkards do, and conſequently he hath Studied how to reſtrain himſelf from ſuch exceſſes as might ſtain his Reputation, and for that end to carry himſelf at the beginning of his defection, at leaſt in the externals of Religion, as he might hide from the Eyes of his Subjects and others, his begun defection from the Lord. And Thirdly he ſhows what was his end in this Study of his (which was indeed a ſingular on, to make a Mixture of theſe two, to give up himſelf to a very full injoyment of ſenſual delights) and to carry on withall the Exerciſe and reputation of his great Wiſdome) and that was that he might ſee, or experimentally know as the Word is tranſlated Eccl: 1, 16. what was that chief good which mortal Men ſhould endeavour to obtain, and may come to the injoyment of, along their few and numbered dayes (as the original is) that they have to live in this World, whereby it appears that he doth here relate what frame of Spirit he had under his begun defection, and eſtrangement from the Lord, ſeeing the chief good is now a ſeeking with him, and is ſought after by him in ſuch things as are expreſt in this verſe, in Wine, and other things of that nature which he now calls Folly. Hence Learn. 1. A true penitent will not ſatisfy himſelf, with general Confeſſions of his former ſinfull courſe, as if he had been but in a common Tranſgreſſion, whereof few are free, and ſo had no other matter of ſhame than other Men, but will condeſcend upon particulars, both what unworthy idols he hath ſerved, and how much his wit and ſtrength have been imployed in ſerving of them, that ſo he may be the more vile in his own Eyes, and may make clear to others, the way of the prevailing of temptations, that they may be reſtrained, or reclaimed from giving way to the like; for after a general Confeſſion of his ſinful purpoſe to purſue his pleaſures, he doth now inſtance the particulars that carried his heart away from God, and how much he was taken up with them I ſought in my heart to give my ſelf unto Wine. 2. There are Snares and Temptations wherewith the Godly are readily overtaken, not only in and about things of themſelves ſinful, but likewiſe, and moſt ordinarly, in and about theſe things which are in their uſe lawful and neceſſary, Satan knows that we leaſt ſuſpect, and ſo are moſt eaſily inſnared by Temptations in theſe things; for it is imported here that Solomon found a Snare and Temptation even in theſe things, which ſuch a Man as he, might Lawfully have made uſe of in greater Variety and plenty than many other Men I ſought in my heart to give my ſelf unto Wine. 3. When the Serious Exerciſe of a Mans Wit is to lay out himſelf, in taking the outmoſt of the comfort which any created thing can yeild unto him; though the ſame were never ſo lawful in the moderate uſe of it, then it becomes his ſin, and his Idol, for, ſo doth Solomon deſcrive the ſin that was in his courſe that he ſought in his heart, which ſignifies his moſt Serious Deliberation to give himſelf, or as it is in the Original, to draw out his Fleſh; by which is meant his outward Man, and the Actions thereof unto Wine. 4. When the Children of the Lord are not ſeeking in their heart to give themſelves away to his Service and Obedience, that ſo they may have more near Communion with himſelf, which ſhould be their moſt ſerious Study Iſai 26.9. they will be then ſeeking in their heart how to give themſelves away to theſe baſe and unworthy things, which God hath given to them to ſerve and cheir them in ſerving him; for, here Solomon now begun to be eſtranged from the Lord, is giving himſelf away to that which God hath given Man to preſerve his Health. 1 Tim: 5, 23. And to cheir his heart in the Praiſes of his Maker Pſ: 104.15. I ſought in my heart to give my ſelf unto Wine. 5. How much uſe of Wit and Reaſon ſoever Men may have in the perſuance of Earthly delights, yet while they are ſeeking in their hearts, to give themſelves away to theſe things they are but taking hold of Folly, and though the Fooliſh ſinner do not ſo look upon his way while he is purſuing his Idols, yet when God awakes him whether in Wrath or in Mercy, he will ſee and be forced to ſay that he hath been doing nothing but taking hold of Folly, for Solomon ſaith, he Exerciſed his Wit how to give himſelf unto Wine, whereby is meant all theſe pleaſures that eſtranged him from God, and now being a penitent he judges his ſo doing to be nothing elſe but a taking hold of Folly I ſought in my heart &c. to lay hold on Folly. 6. As Mens corrupt hearts left deſtitute of the ſpecial preſence of Gods Spirit will incline them in ſome reſpects to the ſtudy of Wiſdom while they are purſuing their Idols, that they may manage their outward Affairs ſo as they may be the fitter to poſſeſs the ſweetneſs they aim at in the injoyment of theſe Idols, that they may be the more able to defend their way with ſhew of Reaſon, to hide from others their defection from God, and to keep their Reputation unſtained: So may the Lord vouchafe upon them even then, the Exerciſe of Wit and Reaſon, that he may make uſe of them to do ſomthing for his publick Honour before the World, while they are doing him much diſhonour privately, and that he may ingage them the more when they come to themſelves to employ their Wit for him; For, Solomon now eſtranged from the Lord while he was giving himſelf unto Wine- and ſo laying hold on Folly, was notwithſtanding acquainting his heart with wiſdome. 7. Satan doth not at the firſt tempt Men to that hight of Wickedneſs which he intends to have them at afterward, he will not only permit, but incite them unto ſuch a wiſe ordering of their carriage both in Civil and Religious performances, as may hide from others the tendency of their way, and ſilence for a time their own Conſcience See. 2 Sam: 15.7. Prov: 7.14. Counting it ſufficient at firſt to get their Zeal in Religions duties abated, and the delight of the heart drawen toward theſe things which may prove an inlet and occaſion to further Temptations; for thus was it with Solomon at the beginning of his defection from the Lord, he ſought in his heart to give himſelf unto Wine, yet ſo as he acquainted his heart with Wiſdom, which may be underſtood both of his wiſe Managing the Affairs of his Kingdome, and his viſible reſpect to Religious Ordinances, which afterward he ſhook off when he Eſtabliſhed Idolatry 1 King 11.7.8. It is a great guilt in Men to allow themſelves in every way of uſing lawful comforts which doth not deſturb their Reaſon, or make them incapable of manageing their civil Affairs, and of ordering their External Cariage in Religious duties, while in the mean time the bent of their heart is after their ſenſual ſatisfaction in the uſe of any Earthly delight, though never ſo lawful, for there is no ground to think that Solomon did ſo give himſelf to Wine that he turned a Drunkard, or indiſpoſed himſelf for managing his affairs Civil or Eccleſiaſtick in a prudent manner, yea the contrary is intimated here while he ſaith, that when he gave himſelf to Wine He was acquainting his heart with Wiſdom, and yet he ſaith now being a penitent that he was even then taking hold of Folly. 9. A true penitent reclaimed from ſin, ſhould impartially reflect upon, and relate as is needful, both how far he hath given up himſelf to purſue his Idols, and what proofs of undeſerved reſpect from the Lord he hath had continued with him, and hath abuſed in the time of his defection, that ſo he may be the more vile in his own Eyes, the more thankfull to the Lord, and ingaged now to imploy his wit and parts for him, for, Solomon being now a penitent relates both how far he gave up himſelf to his pleaſures, and how far the reſtraining Grace of God was imployed for him at that time, not ſuffering him altogether to loſe the Exerciſe of his Wiſdome, I gave my heart to Wine, yet acquainting my heart with Wiſdom. 10. So eaſily are the ſparkles of unmortified Corruption inflamed, even with the very mentioning of ſinful courſes, eſpecially ſuch as have much ſenſual pleaſure in them, that there is need with the mentioning of them to mention alſo the Folly, Bitterneſs, and hazard of them. Therefore doth Solomon in the former words immediately ſubjoyn his Cenſure of his courſe as Madneſs, to his expreſſing of his purpoſe to purſue his pleaſures, and here while he ſpeaks of his giving himſelf unto Wine, he calls it a taking hold of Folly. 11. As there is ſome chief good to be attained in this life, which every Man ſhould ſeek after, and do ſomething every day of his Life for attaining to, ſo, nothing is to be eſteemed that good, but only that which Men may enjoy all their Days, and which may be able to yeild them true comfort in all the variety of Conditions they can be in, and this only the favour of God, and fellowſhip with him in Chriſt by the Spirit is able to do, Pſ: 34.12. &c. For, here Solomon ſuppoſes ſuch a good to be, and to be ſought after while he ſaith till I might ſee what is that Good for the Sones of Men which they ſhould do under Heaven all the dayes of their Life. 12. Even theſe who have not only been determined and clear concerning that wherein Mans cheif good doth conſiſt, but have been long in poſeſſion and injoyment of it, may be for a time ſo earneſt in the purſuit of their ſenſual pleaſures, and ſo forgetful of what they have formerly found in fellowſhip with God, that their chief good may be a ſeeking to them, and any apprehenſions they have of it, may be that it is in theſe things that are moſt contrary to it, For, here Solomon expreſſing the end of his forementioned courſe, ſpeaks as a Man in the miſt concerning that true good, and as apprehending it to be in ſinful delights, ſuch as Wine, to which he ſaith he gave up himſelf, while he ſaith till I might ſee what was that good for the Sones of Men which they ſhoud do, all the dayes of their Life.