Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Chapter 2 · Verse 4-8
Verſe IV. I made me great Works, I builded me …, I planted me Vineyards.
V, I made me Gardens and Orchards, and I planted Trees in them of all kind of Fruits.
VI. I made we Pools of Waters, in water therewith the wood that bringeth forth Trees.
VII. I got me ſervants and maidens, and had ſervants been in my houſe; alſo I had great poſſeſſions of great and ſmall cattel, above all that were in Jeruſalem before me.
VIII. I gathered me alſo ſilver and gold, and the peculiar treaſure of Kings, and of the provinces: I got me men ſingers and Women ſingers, and the …ights of the ſones of men, as muſical inſtruments, and that of all ſorts.
THis penitent Preacher having with grief related his former ſinful purpoſe to purſue his pleaſures, he doth here reckon out, what fair Advantages he had …tting him for injoying as much thereof as any Man could expect to find, or the choice and flower of all the Inferiour Creatures could yeeld unto him, As. 1. His ſtately buildings of all Sorts, which might ſerve not only for Commodious Habitation, but for ſtrengths againſt his Enemies, and monuments of his power and greatneſs, as may be ſeen 1 Kings 7.1. 2. &c. and chap. 9, 15. &c. 2. His plantations of all ſorts, whence he might have Meat, Drink, Medicines, and variety of Fruits for profit, or pleaſure; ſo that his dwelling ſeemed another Eden or Paradiſe, as the word tranſlated Orchards is in the Original Verſe 4, 5.3. His ponds or pools of water, both to contain Fiſh for Pleaſure and Food, for the words tranſlated Pools of water, is rendered Fiſh pools Cant. 7.2. And likewiſe to water his various infloſures which for largeneſs he calls a Wood or Forreſt ver. 6.4. His numerous train of attendants of both Sexes, and of theſe ſome ſtrangers which he get to himſelf, that is either bought with Money, or took in war, or hyred from abroad, from whom the beſt of the Cuſtumes in forreign places might be learned, and ſome borne in his houſe who in ſome caſe (according to the Law) were his own for ever Exod: 21.6. And would love his Family as their own native ſoil, and ſo the more faithfully manage his affairs. 5. His great ſtore … of all ſorts of Cattel▪ about which theſe Servants of his might be employed, and whereof he had greater abundance than any of his Predeceſſors ver. 7.6. His great plenty of the beſt ſorts of Mony, Jewels and other precious things, and theſe out of the Treaſures of neighbouring Princes and Countries who were either ſubdued by him, or from their reverence and reſpect to him, or for fear of him, did ſend the beſt of their Riches in Gifts and preſents to him. 1 King. 4.21, 24. And. 7. For baniſhing of ſad thoughts which might be intermixed with all theſe injoyments, he had variety of excellent Muſick, both Vocal (and that both of Men and Women) and Inſtrumental called the delights of the ſons of men, becauſe therewith Men uſe to be much raviſhed. All which ſeven might ſeem to make up the moſt perfect earthly Happineſs that Man can attain unto, and may be conceived to be here reckoned out ſo particularly for two cauſes mainly; First, that his ſad Cenſure which he paſſeth afterward upon all theſe as inſufficient for ſatisfying the Soul, and unworthy to be choſen and delighted in as the Happineſs of a Reaſonable creature, may have the more weight, and be the better believed, ſeeing he doth not under value that whereof he had not Experience himſelf, and ſo might he ſuſpected to envy in others, but what himſelf had long and in a full meaſure enjoyed And Secondly, that by reflecting upon the Lords liberality to him in theſe injoyments, he might the more aggravate his own ingratitude, and promove his Repentance, having made ſuch defection from the Lord after all theſe ingagements: and however the uſe of the things themſelves be not ſimply ſinfull, nor buſineſs about them, be to be abſolutly condemned, eſpecially in ſuch a man as he, yet conſidering the event, his fearfull falling from God, and what himſelf intimats in the following words of the exceſs of his delight in theſe things ver. 10. And what the Lord ſeems ſharply to inſinuate to him immediatly after the finiſhing of theſe great workes, not only of Hazard, but of an inclination in him, to abuſe all. 1 Kin. 9, 6. It is not unſafe to think that his eſtrangement and defection from the Lord, had its riſe from the exceſs of his delight in the things here mentioned, and that while he was imployed about them, as he here relates, his defection hath been already begun upon his Spirit, as was hinted before. Hence Learn 1. There is in the beſt ſuch imperfection of love to God, and ſuch ſtrength of love to themſelves, that though they ſtand in need of frequent Exhortations, incouragments and threatnings, to put them to that work which concerns Gods Glory and their own ſpiritual good, yet will they freely and of their own accord without theſe, ſett about other works for their own pleaſure and ſatisfaction, which will take them longer time, more pains and Expences; for, even Solomon behoved to be preſt by frequent charges and manifold incouragments to the worke of building of the Temple. 1 Chron. 22, 6.11.16. For which many materials, and workmen alſo were provided to his hand, and yet without any of theſe he is of his own accord forward enough to make great workes for himſelf, one whereof, to wit, his own houſe did take him much more time, and probably much more expences than the building of the houſe of the Lord, and this his forwardneſs, in theſe works that were for himſelf only, and his eying of himſelf too much in making of them, is inſinuate in this word to me ſo oft repeated in the Original, I made to me great Works, and I built to me houſes &c. 2. The Lord hath wiſely hedged about earthly pleaſures with much toil and pains, and hath made the attaining of them very difficult; ſo that a man ſhall ſpend a great part of his time and ſtrength before he come to injoy that meaſure of them wherein with any ſhew of Reaſon he can expect the leaſt ſatisfaction; and this he hath done that man who can promiſe but little time to himſelf, or ſtrength to purſue theſe Earthly delights, may deſpair of finding ſatisfaction in them, and ſo may be moved to inquire whether there be not a ſhorter cutt to happineſs, and may betake himſelf to the ſtudy of Reconciliation with God in Chriſt and fellowſhip with him, wherein he may be ſure to find true pleaſure, and may come at the ſame ſooner and with leſs pains; for Solomon who had as much uſe of his wit, as any that ſhall come after him, Eccl. 2, 12. having propoſed pleaſure to himſelf, he tells here what he had to do, before he attained to it, how many things were neceſſary for it, and yet that all came ſhort of giving him ſatisfaction. I made me great works, I builded, I planted &c. 3. Fallen man may read his Miſery by ſin, upon his outward condition in the World, upon all the Creatures, and his endeavours about them for happineſs: while he builds houſes he may conſider that the open air is hurtfull to him, wherein he could have lived in innocency without cloathing, and that now there is not a Commodious habitation for Man exiled out of Paradice, till he be at the pains to make it: while he plants he ſhould remember the Curſe upon the Earth, for his fake, that it will not yeild him what is comfortable and uſefull for him, till he ſweat for it: and while he makes Pools for water, he ſhould remember that the Sea and Clouds are not ſo willing as ſometime they were to ſerve him, who is now become ſo prone to abuſe his fellow Creatures; for upon theſe things and mans endeavours about them, and diſappointment of ſatisfaction in them, Solomon reads Vanity and vexation of Spirit, and reckons them out here as things he is to paſs that ſentence upon ver. 11. I made me great works, I built, I planted, I made me Pools, &c. And all is Vanity. 4. The Lord hath not (as in juſtice he might) wholly deprived man of his Dominion over the Creatures, but hath left in them ſome inclination to be ſubject to him, and (upon his pains and labour about them) ſerviceable and comfortable to him; that when the Earth yeilds him fruit, or any other Creature ſerves him, he may acknowledge the Mercy of his makes who hath not altogether for faulted thoſe to him, and thereby may be brought to conſider, how ſweet that Eſtate was whence he is fallen, to ſeek Reparation of it in Chriſt, and ſo to be the more ingaged to his Obedience; For, here Solomon with Labour and pains, hath the beſt of the Creatures ſerving him, yeilding him matter of Comfort and Praiſe, and ingaging him to his makers Obedience, and all this abundance he reckons out (as for other Reaſons ſo for this) that he may commend Gods Goodneſs in vouchaſing that upon him which he did abuſe, I made me great works, I planted, I builded, I made me pools, and I got me men Servants. &c. 5. The Lord who hath made of one Blood all nations of men Act. 17.26. and doth not reſpect outward differences in offering and beſtowing his Grace. Gal: 3.28. hath ſo ranked men as to their outward State and Condition, that ſome of them ſhould be Servants to others, and others ſhould be Maſters and have many under them, that his indifferent offering of his Grace to both ſorts, and beſtowing it often upon the meaneſt, may the more commend the freedome thereof, that theſe whom his providence hath ſubjected outwardly unto others, may ſeek true ſpiritual freedome, and to be equal ſharers with their Maſters of ſpiritual priviledges; and theſe who have many others under them, may be the more ingaged to ſerve him, and if they do not, he may have the moe witneſſes againſt them, for, ſo doth providence diſpoſe here that Solomon hath ſervants and maids, and ſervants born in his houſe. 6. The obſervation of the Lords Liberality even in the moſt common and ordinary proofs thereof, were it but in the beſtowing of cattel, the increaſe, and preſervation of them, ſhould not be thought an Exerciſe unſutable for the greateſt Spirits and the moſt eminent Perſons, who ſtand in need of theſe things, for their cloathing, nouriſhment and delight. Men prove themſelves brutiſh in their diſpoſition, who being ſerved by the beaſts, do not take notice of the Lords bounty, and how far he proves his Liberality to them in that and things of that nature, beyond others; for here this penitent man reflects upon this and relates it as a proof of the Lords bounty toward him, and that with grief conſidering it had been abuſed by him) that he had great poſſeſſions of great and ſmall cattel, above all that were before him in Jeruſalem. 7. Were men never ſo great and eminent in the World, they ſhould not keep an idle train of Servants and attendants meerly for the maintaining of their Grandure, much leſs for ſerving of their Luſts, they ſhould keept none but theſe for whom they have both maintainance and Imployment; for, Solomon hath many Servants, but he hath much Work for them, he hath great buildings to make, Vinyards to dreſs, Cattel great and ſmall &c, which require many hands and much ſervice, and therefore he hath ſervants and maids, and ſervants born in his houſe 8. The Lord is abſolute owner and diſpoſer of all the Riches and Treaſures in the World, he can direct men to the Bowels of the Earth, where Riches ly, and can take away the Treaſures of Kings and Provinces from them who have them, and Inrich others with them at his pleaſure, they that want ſuch things ſhould depend upon him for their ſupply, who can if he think it fit, bring them to their hand, and theſe that have them ſhould imploy them for his Glory who can ſtrip them of them when he will for ſo Solomon acknowledges I got me ſilver and gold and the peculiar Treaſure of Kings and Provinces, 9. The Lord may caſt plenty of outward things to the hands of men who he knows will abuſe them, which diſpenſation of his is Holy, ſeeing he withholds only that influence for the right improving of them, which he is not bound to give, and in the Iſſue proves Gracious to his own, diſcovering their corruption in their abuſe of theſe things for their humbling, and commending his Mercy in pardoning of them, the conſideration whereof ſhould make theſe who want ſuch things, Submiſſive, and conſtruct well of the Lord us intending their good thereby; and theſe who have them in abundance, ſuſpicious of themſelves leaſt they abuſe them, and fearfull of ſnares to their Souls in them, for it is clear that all theſe great houſes, buildings &c. were abuſed by Solomon 1 King: 11: 7.8. And yet after he was corrected and humbled, Mercy was manifeſted to him. 10. So empty are all the Creatures, and unable to give ſatisfaction, that when man hath his eye fulleſt of the moſt delectable ſights, that they can afford him, his taſte and ſmell refreſhed with the moſt delicious of them, and hath under his hand, abundance of all ſorts of Riches, to provide him with things neceſſary for the time to come, his heart will readily be frequented with ſad thoughts, in the midſt of all, and many cares and fears will readily mix themſelves with all his injoyments, Therefore after Solomon hath all the former, he muſt provide Singing men, and ſinging women, and muſical Instruments of all ſorts, to divert his heart from ſad thoughts, incident to him in the midſt of his pleaſures. 11. The Children of men as ſuch, are prone to place their cheif delight, in theſe things that ſatisfy their outward ſenſes: only the Children of the Lord having the preſence of his Spirit, can delight themſelves in him, and make his Praiſes, and ſpiritual Exerciſes their Recreation; for, Solomon ſpeaking of this Muſick of the voice and Inſtruments made uſe of to ſweeten the forementioned comforts, he calls it the The delights of the ſons of men.