Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3 · Verse 11
Ver. 11. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: alſo he hath ſet the world in their heart, ſo that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
THe Fifth Conſideration ſerving to work the hearts of men to contentment under various changes, of Diſpenſations is, That God hath made every thing beautiful in its ſeaſon, Though this have a truth as to the Works of Creation, every one whereof hath its own beauty, Gen. 1.13. And likewiſe as theſe actions which are moſt deformed in the hands of men, ſeeing even theſe as they are in Gods hand, and ordered by His Providence, have their own beauty, Gen. 50.20. Yet it is mainly to be underſtood of theſe Divine Diſpenſations, or Works of Providence formerly mentioned: not only theſe of them which are moſt deſirable to men, ſuch as Planting, building up, healing, peace &c. But plucking up, breaking down, killing, war &c. have a beauty in them to a ſpiritual diſcerner, who can find out by the light of the Word, and Spirit, the Mind of God in theſe, and ſee them brought to paſs by His Providence in the ſeaſons fitteſt for attaining His ends; and can read theſe attributes of His Wiſdom, Power, Love, and the like which are written upon them, and ſo they are worthy to draw mens hearts to delight in the conſideration of them, and chearfully to ſubmit to them.
And if it be inquired how it comes to paſs, that the moſt part of men do not ſee this beauty; and ſo do not willingly ſubmit unto, but vex themſelves and repine at theſe ſad Diſpenſations of His; The Preacher giveth Two Reaſons hereof. 1. The Lord hath ſet the World in their heart, that is, He hath juſtly left their hearts to be wholly taken up with their gain, Glory, and pleaſure Worldly; ſeeing they choiſe theſe things for their portion: And hence it comes, which is the Second reaſon; that they cannot find out His work, that is His mind in His Diſpenſations by comparing one of them with another, and looking upon them all as one intire piece of work in His hand, Therefore they ſee not the beauty of them, and do not chearfully ſubmit unto them.
Hence Learn. 1. Not only the Works of Creation have a luſtre and beauty in them, in ſo far as the Glorious Wiſdom, Power, Goodneſs, and other Attributes of the Creator, ſhine in them, Pſal. 19.1: Rom. 1.20. But even theſe Works of Providence which ſeem blackeſt unto men, have a great deal of raviſhing beauty: Joſephs being ſold, Job ſpoiled and plagued, Daniel in the Lyons Den, Chriſt betrayed, and nailed upon the Croſs; Theſe and the like, although being looked upon as in the hand of inſtruments, they ſeem to have nothing but deformity in them, yet being looked upon, as Gods Workes, and according to His intent, and the reſult of them, they have a raviſhing beauty in them, and many of His fair Attributes written upon them; For, ſaith the Wiſe man, He hath made every thing beautiful in his time.
However we would have our tryals delayed longer, and our deliverances coming ſooner, than they do, yet theſe and all other Diſpenſations of the Lord fall out in their appointed time, and in the ſeaſon which is fitteſt for them, and the obſerving of them, as wiſely timed, and trifted with the fitteſt opportunity they could have fallen out in, doth ſerve much to diſcover the luſtre and Beauty of them, For, He hath made everything beautiful in his time,
3. It is the ſight of the beauty that is in Divine Diſpenſations, and the Obſervation of the fitneſs of the ſeaſon wherein they fall out, that makes men chearfully ſubmit to them, ſo that when we murmure at, and weary of Diſpenſations, it is becauſe we ſee not the beauty that is in them, or do not look upon them, as falling out in the ſeaſon fitteſt for them, For, this is a conſideration held out, to quiet and comfort the hearts of men, under ſad Diſpenſations, That he hath made every thing beautiful in his time,
4. Although the Lord be free of mens ſin, and doth nothing to induce them to any thing contrary to His Will Jam. 1.13. yet when men contrary to His revealed Will, and their own light, choiſe the things of this earth for their portion, He doth juſtly give them up to ſerve their idols, arid (though they do not injoy them, yet) to pour out their deſires and affections upon them, for it is of Gods Judicial giving up of men to ſerve their Worldly luſts, who have choſen the ſame for their Portion, that Solomon here ſpeaks, while he ſaith, He hath ſee the World in their hearts.
5. Men that are exceſſivly in love with Mammon, or any thing Worldly, whoſe prime deſire is to obtain, their fears to loſe, and delights to enjoy the ſame, they can never diſcern the beauty, that is in the Lords Diſpenſations, they are ſo bent upon the ſervice of their idols that they have neither leaſure, nor pleaſure, to ſtudy His mind in His working; for after the Preacher hath aſſerted every thing that God doth to be beautiful in his time, he giveth this for a reaſon why men ſee not that beauty, The World is ſet in their heart.
6, The Beauty of Divine Diſpenſations, which makes them lovely, and makes men ſubmit unto, and chearfully undergo them, cannot be ſeen, till one part of Gods working, be compared with another, and the whole, ſo far as mans mind can reach, viewed at once, by going back in his mind as far as he can, toward Eternity, to conſider the Lords foreknowledge of theſe things, His Holy purpoſes and ends in them, ſo far as the Word manifeſts theſe Act. 15.18. And comparing therewith theſe fair properties of God, His Wiſdom, Power, Juſtice and Mercy, which are legibly writen upon them in time, by the help of the Scriptures Pſal. 111.2, 3, 4. And by the ſame help looking foreward to Eternity, and conſidering what ſhall be the iſſue and reſult of all theſe Diſpenſations, even Glory to Himſelf in the manifeſtation of His Terrour to the wicked, of his mercy and love to His Own, Rom. 11.36. For, this is a Second Reaſon, why the Beauty of Diſpenſations is not ſeen, man finds not out his work from the beginning to the end.
7. Though an unrenewed man may ſometimes ſee further into Gods mind, and conſequently into the beauty of ſome of His Diſpenſations, than a renewed Child of God, while he is under a Cloud of Temptations, can do; 2 Sam. 24.3. And however the beſt of men can never in this life comprehenſively find out any of Gods Works, or know what may be known of them, yet theſe that are moſt mortified to the World, and whoſe hearts are moſt free of cares and delights, about the things thereof, they are fitteſt to ſee furtheſt into Gods Works; For if the World ſet in mens hearts, be the cauſe why they cannot find out the Work of God from the beginning to the end, although they may ſee ſomething in ſome particular Work of His, than they that have it not in their heart, muſt have a fair advantage of them for finding out the ſame from the beginning to the end.