Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Chapter 2 · Verse 15
Verſe 15. Then ſaid I in my heart, as it happeneth to the fool, ſo … happeneth even to me, and why was I then more wiſe… then I ſaid in my heart, that this alſo is vanity.
SOlomon having in the former Words aſſerted, that the morely wiſe and ſober Man is lyable to the ſame ſad events, with the ſenſual voluptuous Fool, he doth here ſhow, firſt, how he applyed the ſame to himſelf, and after ſerious pondering of the Lords Diſpenſations with him, he found the ſame verified in his own perſon, who was Inferior to none for that ſort of Wiſdom, I ſaid … my h…r… (ſaith he) as it happeneth to the Fool, ſo it happeneth even to me: Which is not to be underſtood, as if every thing had fallen out alike to him, and Fools or wicked Men, for many Fools were Dethroned while he proſpered, and came to the peaceable poſſeſſion of their Territories; but that he did rationally, and upon good grounds judge himſelf lyable to the ſame events, none of which his moral Prudence, though very eminent could prevent, and that he had ſome experience of alike ſad events with ſuch toward the latter end of his life, 1 King. 11.14. &c. Next he ſhews ſome of the effects which the conſideration of this equality, together with the diſappointment of ſatisfaction he found in his Study of Moral Wiſdom, had upon his corrupt heart, whereof the firſt is here, to make him condemn that ſort of Wiſdom, as altogether unprofitable, and to repine at himſelf for taking ſo much pains for it, while he ſaith, He ſaid in his Heart, and why was I then more wiſe? Which cannot be looked upon as ſpoken only in the perſon of others, ſeeing he doth ſo expreſly ſet it down as the Language of his Own Heart, as he uſeth to do theſe things which are moſt clear to have been his own Thoughts; and conſidering alſo, that there was much of this ſtuff in his heart, during the time of his eſtrangement from the Lord, whereof he is now aſhamed, and content to publiſh it for the good of others, and therefore this muſt be taken for the Language of Corruption and Temptation prevalent in his Heart. Thirdly, He paſſeth Cenſure upon this his miſtaken Opinion, that this alſo was Vanity, Which cannot be applyed to Wiſdom it ſelf formerly ſpoken of, though it be true of it, being made uſe of as a ſufficient guide to True Happineſs, in which ſenſe he had cenſured it before, but muſt be looked upon as a check given to his Own Heart for entertaining the forementioned Temptation, as moſt vain and unreaſonable, ſeeing there are many other good uſes of that ſort of Wiſdom, therefore he ſaid now in his Heart, it was a Vanity for him to judge it uſeleſs in other reſpects, though it could not exeem men from the Dominion of Gods Providence, as the temptation did ſuggeſt.
Hence Learn 1. Whatever right Obſervations we make upon the Lords Diſpenſations with others, eſpecially ſuch as are ſad, we ought to apply the ſame to our ſelves, by conſidering that the like are, or have been, or may be upon our ſelves, that ſo we may not dream of exemption from the like, nor ſtumble when we meet therewith: For Solomon, having obſerved in the general, That one event happeneth to the Wiſe and Fooliſh, He now applyeth it to himſelf, Then ſaid I in my Heart, as it happeneth to the Fool, even ſo it happeneth to me.
2. The Lord in his wiſe Providence doth ſo order the falling out of the ſad events upon the Children of Men, that oftentimes theſe who do not foreſee them, nor guard againſt them, will be exeemed from them; and theſe who are ſharpeſt ſighted to foreſee, and moſt active to prevent them, are ſadly afflicted with them: that the Wiſeſt may learn to deny their Own Wit and Strength, and the Fooliſh may have time, and warning, to humble themſelves for their raſhneſs and folly: For, Solomon had obſerved, that as he himſelf who was a Wiſe man had great and long Proſperity, ſo might a Fool have, and as ſome Fools had met with ſad events, ſo might he; For this, I ſaid in my Heart as it happeneth to the Fool ſo it happeneth to me, Is to be underſtood of what according to the courſe of Providence in outward things might be expected, rather than of what did actually fall out to Solomon.
3. As the Lord for wiſe Reaſons, to be mentioned afterward upon chap. 9. ver. 1, 2. may make the ſame ſad events befall the Beſt which befall the Worſt; ſo conſequently the beſt while they are in their beſt condition here, ſhould look upon themſelves as lyable to any of theſe Temporary events which are incident to men, that they may the more ſoberly and thankfully poſſeſs their preſent Enjoyments, and be preparing for a change, for, ſo doth Solomon here teach, while he ſaith in his heart, and that truly, As it happeneth to the Fool, even ſo it happeneth to me.
4. When the Lords Spirit is provoked to withdraw in reguard of his lively operations, His train of Heavenly Thoughts goes with him, and in place thereof, Unreaſonable and Sinful Cogitations come in; For, thus it was with Solomon, while this unreaſonable ſuggeſtion was prevalent in his heart, which could not have been admitted if his heart had been kept throng (as ſometimes it was) with Heavenly and profitable conſiderations. I ſaid in my heart— and Why was I then more wiſe?
5. Mans Wiſdom, Natural or Acquired, in ſo far as it is not acted by the ſanctifying Spirit of Chriſt, hath ordinarily fretting and repining at the Lords croſs Diſpenſations with it; whereas the Wiſdom that is from above, makes the Heart peaceable, and calm under theſe, Jam. 3.17. conſidering from whom, and for how good ends they come. For even Solomon, while the ſpecial operations of the Spirit are with-held, looks upon all that Wiſdom, which is a deſirable Gift of God, as uſeleſs, and repines at himſelf for ſtudying of it, And why was I then more wiſe.
6. So blind are mens minds in the matters of God, without the ſpecial Illumination of Chriſt's Spirit, and ſo wedded are their Hearts to their own Will and Idols, while they are not taken up with Him, that if he make them to excel in one thing, they will readily repine if they do not excel in all, and if they attain not to what their Hearts would be at, they are ready to under value what they have received, and ſhould be thankful for, for, ſo doth even Solomon's corruption ſuggeſt to him: Seeing he did ſo excel others in Wiſdom, that therefore he ſhould not be obnoxious to the ſame ſad events with them, And becauſe he ſaw it was ſo with him, he is tempted to think himſelf a Fool in taking ſuch pains for Wiſdom, As it happeneth to the Fool, ſo it happeneth even to me, and why was I then more wiſe?
7. The Lord in Wiſdom, and much mercy to his Church and People, hath moved the moſt eminent of his Saints to Regiſtrate not only their own failings, that were groſs and viſible, but likewiſe ſome of their moſt ſecret ſinful ſuggeſtions, that others inferior to them, may take warning to watch over their hearts; and that Souls vexed with the thoughts of their own matchleſsneſs in guilt, becauſe of ſuch inward ſinful ſuggeſtions as frequent their hearts, may thence have ſome relief and comfort: Therefore is Solomon here directed by the Spirit of God, to expreſs his own raſh and ſinful apprehenſions, Then ſaid I in my heart— And why then was I more wiſe?
8. Whatever conflicts the Children of the Lord may have with temptations, they will at laſt get the victory, when his Spirit returns with his lively Operations, and then they will paſs cenſure upon their own raſhneſs: ſee Pſal. 77.10. and will be content to publiſh the ſinful Language of their heart, for the Glory of God, their own further humiliation, and the warning and comfort of others; For, Solomon, having ſaid in his heart, Why was I then more wiſe, he ſaith, he ſaid in his heart again, that this alſo is vanity.