Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3 · Verse 9, 10
Ver. 9. What profit hath he that worketh, in that wherein he laboureth?
10. I have ſeen the travel which God hath given to the ſons of men, to be exerciſed in it.
WE have heard of the firſt conſideration ſerving to work the hearts of them that will take Gods way of ſeeking Happineſs, to contentment with their Lot, and to wean the hearts of all from ſeeking Happineſs in things Earthly; viz, That the time of all Events is in Gods Hand.
Here follow ſome further conſiderations to the ſame purpoſe. The Second in order is held out in this Queſtion What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? Which is not ſpoken to condemn lawful diligence even about things earthly; But the meaning of it is (as was more fully cleared upon the like Words Chap. 1. ver. 3) That there is no true profit in that ſort of Labour, which can render a man truely Happy, or that will Abide and Remain with a man (as the Word ſignifies) of all his anxious toilſome pains (as the Word tranſlated To Labour ſignifies) which he takes to make up for himſelf an earthly Happineſs ver. 9. The Third conſideration is, That God hath impoſed upon all the Children of Men (and none of them by all their w…t o… power can ſhun it) this ſore Travel, even to wreſtle thorow ſuch various changes of Diſpenſations, as have been formerly expreſt, ſo that there can be no true Happineſs, or Contentment attained, if he be not looked unto, who hath the Time of every ſad, or comfortable event in His Hand: And this he ſets down as a thing certainly known to himſelf in his own experience, who had found ſeveral of theſe Times ſpoken of before, go over his head; and had obſerved the ſame in others beſide him. The fourth is, That Gods end in this variety of Diſpenſations, is good, to wit, That man ſhould be exerciſed therein, to keep him from ſetling upon this Earth, as if Happineſs could be, where ſo many ups and downs are, or, that he may be humbled thereby (as the Word Exerciſed, moſt properly, and according to the moſt frequent uſe of it in Scripture, ſignifies) ver. 10.
Hence Learn. 1. However deluded ſinners ſeeking their Happineſs in things Earthly, apprehend profit to be only in things of that ſort, and in nothing els; Prov. 1.13. Mal. 3.14. Yet while men take not Gods way for Happineſs, they gain nothing by all their work, which deſerves the name of profit or Advantage, ſeeing they loſe Gods favour and fellowſhip, and their own Souls, What profit hath he that worketh, in that wherein he laboureth
2. Nothing is to be reckoned the true Profit or Advantage of a mans work but that which is permanent and, and will abide with him, as nothing earthly can do, only the Graces of Gods ſpirit abide in the exerciſe of them with the Saints in Death, Prov. 14.32, And their good Works abide with them thorow all Eternity, in the Gracious reward of them Rev. 14, 13. For, this word Profit, ſignifies a thing Permanent, or Remaining, and concerning, ſuch a thing the Queſtion is, What profit hath he that worketh, in that wherein he laboureth.
3. Men that are moſt earneſt in the purſuit of things Earthly, are moſt ſlow and unwilling to conſider what real Profit will redound to them by their pains, and can very hardly be moved to Examine their Conſciences ſeriouſly, by puting this Queſtion to them; which if they did, they might ſee that nothing deſerving the name of Profit could be condeſcended upon and their Conſciences might be forced to anſwer, if they would weigh Profit in the Balance of the Sanctuary, that they have none of it at all: And therefore Chriſts Miniſters ſhould often urge mens Conſciences with Queſtions to this purpoſe, Concerning the abiding Profit, or Advantage of their way; For, after the Preacher had put this to men in the beginning of this Book, he comes here again to urge them with it, What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth.
4. The Lord hath impoſed this as an inevitable Lot, upon all the Children of men, which none of them, though never ſo far advanced above the common rank of men, can with all their wit or power eſchew, that they ſhall have a toilſome and weariſome life (as the Words ſore travel, here ſignify) wreſtling thorow various changes of their condition, that hereby they may be convinced of the inſufficiency of created things, and their pains about them, to bring to them any True Happineſs, and ſo may be moved to imploy their Travel for ſome better things, and to make ſure a ſtate that cannot be ſhaken, for which cauſe it is that Solomon here offers this conſideration. This ſore travel hath God given to the ſon's of men &c.
5. Although it increaſe the Anxiety of wicked men, to conſider that ſad Diſpenſations are inevitable 1 Sam. 31.4. Yet it ſerves to work contentment and ſubmiſſion to the pleaſure of God in the hearts of the Godly, who know that all of theſe ſhall work for their good Rom. 8, 28, For this conſideration is held out to quiet their hearts under all changes. This ſore travel God hath given to the ſon's of men.
6. They who have a Calling publick to hold out the mind of God to others, ought to be much in the obſervation of His way with themſelves and others, that they may ſee in His Diſpenſations, His truths verified, and ſo may avow their own experience, when the ſame may tend to the advantage of the truth; For, here Solomon holds out this as experimentally known to himſelf, I have ſeen the travel which God hath given.
7. Gods great End in all the various Changes of Diſpenſations, from Comforts to Croſſes, and on the contrary, is to keep man in exerciſe; that under the ſweeteſt he may think it his Duty to be exerciſed in Praiſe, and in preparation for ſadder; And under the ſaddeſt, to be exerciſed in Prayer, and the uſe of other means for ſupport, direction and comfort; and ſo may be alwiſe buſie: For, if men were ſtill under ſad Diſpenſations, they would ſink in diſcouragement Iſai. 57.16. And if ſtill under proſperous and comfortable Diſpenſations, they would fall a ſleep in deep ſecurity Pſal. 30.6. Therefore. This travel God hath given to the ſons of men to be exerciſed in it.
8. All the various Diſpenſations of the Lord with the Children of men, and the Exerciſes which theſe Diſpenſations call them to, aim at their further Humiliation: Sweet and comfortable Diſpenſations are to humble them in the ſenſe of their unworthineſs of them, and inability to Praiſe for, or walk ſuteable to them; Sad Diſpenſations are for their humbling in the ſenſe of their ſins procuring theſe, and deſerving worſe, and the Exerciſes to which theſe call them, ſhould alſo humble them, conſidering their inability to go about them, for one Word ſignifies (To be Exerciſed, and to be humbled) importing, That as all His Diſpenſations tend to the Exerciſing of men, ſo both Diſpenſations and Exerciſes ſuitable to them, ſhould produce more and more Humiliation. This travel hath God given to the ſons of men, to be exerciſed in it, or, as the Words may be rendered, To be humbled by it.