Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Chapter 2 · Verse 12
Verſe 12. And I turned my ſelf to behold Wiſdom, and Madneſs, and Folly, for what can the man do that cometh after the King? Even that which hath been already done.
THis Penitent Preacher having with Grief related and cenſured the principal courſes which he followed, during his diſtance from the Lord, for attaining to Happineſs, Namely, the contemplation, and ſtudy of all created things, and the plentiful injoyment of creature Comforts, He doth now compare both together, and ſhows firſt how ſerious he was in ſo doing, he turned his face from other things to contemplate Wiſdom, whereby is meant mainly the knowledge of things Natural and Moral, or whatever mans wit, without the ſpecial conduct of the Lords Spirit, can find out for attaining to Happineſs, And Madneſs and Folly, by which he means all theſe ſenſual Delights formerly mentioned, wherein men place their Happineſs, As he had looked upon both apart, ſo now he conſiders both joyntly, and cannot paſs from his former Sentence of both. And next, becauſe he did foreſee that many Inferior to him, would preſume to find Happineſs where he had been diſappointed, therefore he put this queſtion to them, What can the Man do that cometh after the King? Which hath the force of a denyal (as appears by the anſwer here ſubjoyned) viz. That no man after Solomon himſelf ſhould ever be able to do any thing to lead him nearer an earthly Felicity, by trying the like courſes, than he had done: And the ground of this is ſuppoſed, that none can expect to have more advantages, and helps to make them profit in ſuch a ſtudy, and ſucceſsful in ſuch an attempt; And this is both a Reaſon of his painful ſtudy, taken from his fitneſs, and many advantages for it, and likwiſe an Argument to make his Judgment and Cenſure paſt upon ſuch courſes, have the more weight: And ſo to draw others from eſſaying to ſeek Happineſs in the like way.
Beſides what was obſerved from ſome expreſſions. Chap. 1, 17. We may learn 1. While the Heart of man is not fixed upon the Lord, and taken up with that ſweetneſs which is to be had in his Fellowſhip and Service, it will be ſtill wandring from mountain to hill, forgetting its reſting place, which proves to ſome a juſt correction in diſpleaſure for their folly, and to others a merciful exerciſe to make them return to their firſt Husband: For, Thus doth Solomon, beginning to be reclaimed from his defection, repreſent himſelf as one frequently turning himſelf about, Having ſaid in the former verſe, He turned his face, he ſaith here again, and I turned my ſelf to behold, &c.
2. They that would attain to any degree of ſound knowledge, and right apprehenſion of things, which may be profitable for themſelves and others, they muſt not only have their Hearts diverted from other unprofitable things, and be frequent and ſerious in their thoughts of theſe that may profit, but after they have looked upon every one of them apart, they muſt conſider them joyntly, and compare one of them with another: For, here Solomon, that he might root this experimental knowledge in his own Heart, concerning the inſufficiency of all the Creatures, humane endeavours about them, and the fulleſt injoyment of them, for bringing about mans true Happineſs, after he had conſidered all his Courſes for that end apart, he turns his face again, importing his ſeriouſneſs to conſider them jointly, I turned my ſelf to behold Wiſdom, and Madneſs and Folly.
3. The utmoſt of Comfort that Creatures can yeild, when Happineſs and Contentment is ſought in them, may ſoon be attained: It is no ſuch depth, but that it may be ſounded by theſe who will put it to the tryal, which yet they ſhall do to their great grief and vexation: One man may in a ſhort time find out ſo much thereof, as that he may defy others after him to find more: Whence appears a manifeſt difference between Heavenly and Earthly Conſolations, the Heavenly being ſtill upon the growing hand, and incomprehenſible by any of the Saints till in Heaven they be filled with all the fulneſs of God, Eph. 3. 19. 1 Cor. 2.9. For, here Solomon at the direction of the Spirit of God profeſſeth himſelf to have been at the bottom of earthly delights, ſo as none after him could go deeper. What can the man do that cometh after the King?
4. The Lord hath not only aſſured us by his Word, that if we ſeek Happineſs in any thing beſide himſelf, we ſhall meet with diſappointment and vexation, but alſo hath given us experimental Teſtimonies thereof, under the hand of theſe, who to their grief have eſſayed it, whoſe Teſtimony we cannot in reaſon queſtion, ſeeing we cannot rationally imagine to equal, much leſs to excel them in advantages for attaining to that Happineſs; For here is the Teſtimony of one who excelled all meer men in Wiſdom and many other things alſo, giving us, in the Lords Name, warning, that it ſhall be folly for us to make a new eſſay of finding Happineſs where he was diſappointed. What can the man do that cometh after the King? even that which hath been already done.
5. So bent are the Hearts of men naturally upon an Earthly Happineſs, Pſal. 4.6. and ſo ſtrongly conceited of their own ability to attain it. Job 11.12. that though they hear the perſuit of it condemned as vain and vexatious, by theſe who wanted nothing to gain credit to their Teſtimony, yet will they ſtill except the Lord change their Heart) intertain hopes of attaining it, and preſume to do ſomething more for that end than any others have done before them: For this Queſtion is to check mens vain hopes, and preſumption of doing ſome new thing, and more effectual than what hath been done before, for attaining to Happineſs in things Earthly; What can the man do that cometh after the King? even that which hath been already done.
6. As it is no ſinful arrogancy nor violation of Chriſtian modeſty, to commend our ſelves, when the ſame may commend the Truth, and is done for that end; ſo when it is neceſſary for men to ſpeak any thing may ſavour of their own praiſe, or preference to others, they ſhould not only be ſure, that they ſpeak truly, and have a good Warrand for what they ſay; but likewiſe ſhould evidence their Modeſty and Humility in ſo doing, by keeping within the bounds they might ſurpaſs in commending themſelves: For, Solomon here, as he doth to the advantage of the Truth commend himſelf, ſo he doth not ſay all that he might have ſaid upon the Warrand of Gods promiſe to him, and teſtimony concerning him, 1 King. 3.11. but modeſtly imports that others ſhould find nothing more in this matter than he had found: What can the man do that cometh after the King? even that which hath been already done.
7. The more fit qualifications, and advantages the Lord hath given men, for attaining to the knowledge of the Truth, as they ſhould be the more diligent in improving them, and that they may provoke themſelves thereto, ſhould be the more frequent in humble reflecting upon any thing, wherein the Lord hath made them to excel others, ſo ſhould the ſame gain the more weight in the minds of People to the meſſage they carry, for, this queſtion may ſafely be taken both for a reaſon, why Solomon was ſo ſerious in the ſtudy of the way to Happineſs, and likewiſe why his Doctrine ſhould have weight with all that hear it; I turned my ſelf to behold—, and what can the man do that cometh after the King? even that which hath been already done.
8. It is the Lords way, who ſearches and knows the Hearts of men, to meet with the moſt ſecret motions and inclinations thereof, by his Word: and therefore it ſhould be the ſtudy of all his Miniſters ſo to apply his Truth, as the ſame may diſcover the hidden wickedneſs of Peoples Heart, Iſaiah 58.1. And ſo ſhould it be the great deſire of people to have the ſecrets of their Heart diſcovered to them by the Word, 1 Cor. 15.25. For, Solomon here clearly meets with that deceiving fancy of mens Hearts, which makes them think, that albeit he had miſſed Happineſs in his way▪ yet poſſibly they might come after him, and find it out, while he ſaith, What can the man do that cometh after the King? even that which hath been already …ine.