Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Verse 15-17
Ver. 15. All things have I ſeen in the days of my Vanity: there is a juſt man that periſheth in his righteouſneſs, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedneſs.
16. Be not righteous over much, neither make thy ſelf over wiſe: why ſhouldeſt thou destroy thy ſelf.
17. Be not over much wicked, neither be thou fooliſh: why ſhouldeſt thou die before thy time?
SOlomon proceeds to guard againſt ſtumbling at ſad Diſpenſations, and to direct to a right frame of ſpirit, and carriage under them: And in order hereunto, he doth Firſt, hold forth his own experience of what he is to deliver, while he ſaith All things have I ſeen in the days of my Vanity. By All things he means All Kinds of Diſpenſations of Providence, eſpecially ſuch as are moſt vexing to men, and by the days of his Vanity, he means his by-paſt ſhort and ſinful Life.
Next, He giveth two inſtances of theſe Diſpenſations which he had obſerved, and which Men are moſt apt to ſtumble at. The one is, of a Juſt Man periſhing in his Righteouſneſs, which is not to be underſtood as if any juſtified by Faith in Chriſt, and walking Holily (who is the Righteous One here ſpoken of) could totally and finally Periſh or be Loſt, but the meaning is, that ſuch an One may ſuffer the loſs of his natural Life, and outward Eſtate, and fall under common Calamities, and that For his Righteouſneſs, as the particle IN is ſometimes uſed to ſignify in Scripture Math. 6.7. The other inſtance is of a Wicked Man ſpared and injoying a long Life in Wickedneſs, ver. 15
Thirdly. he diſſwades from ſome of theſe Evils which readily ſtir in corrupt nature, upon the obſervation of theſe Diſpenſations, and they are of two ſorts. 1. Either Men cenſure theſe Diſpenſations of the Lord in ſuffering the Righteous to Periſh, and the days of the Wicked to be prolonged, as if this Government of things were not Righteouſly and Wiſely carried, and as if themſelves would deal more equitably and Wiſely, by giving temporal reward and puniſhment, to the Godly and Wicked according to their way: Now this is to be Righteous over much, and to be Over-wiſe. And ſo theſe expreſſions are not to be underſtood, as if there could be any exceſs of true Righteouſneſs, or ſaving Wiſdom, but that there is a ſuppoſed and affected Righteouſneſs and Wiſdom that Men arrogate to themſelves, while they cenſure Divine Diſpenſations, and imagine they would diſpoſe more Wiſely of things: And this he diſſwades from by an Argument taken from the hazard of it, why ſhouldeſt thou deſtroy thy ſelf, both by inward Vexation that things ſhould go ſo contrary to what thou thinkeſt would be right and wiſely done, and ſo alſo by provoking God to inflict deſtroying ſtroaks ver. 16. Or 2. If Men run not upon this ſinful extream, then readily upon the ſight of the Wickeds Proſpering, and prolonging his Life in his Wickedneſs, they looſe the Reines to all ſort of iniquity; and from this he diſſwades, while he ſaith, Be not over much wicked, neither be th… Fooliſh, which cannot be underſtood as if any degree of wickedneſs were approven or tolerat by him, who perfectly hates all Iniquity, Hab. 1.13. But the meaning is, that they ſhould beware to give themſelves up to that height of Wickedneſs (and ſo to manifeſt themſelves deſtitut of Saving Knowledge) which readily unrenewed Men run unto, upon the ſight of Wicked Mens proſpering in ſin for a time: And this alſo he preſſes by a Reaſon much of the ſame force with the former, why ſhouldest thou Die before thy time? Not as if the Death of any could prevent the time which God hath appointed, but the meaning is, that Men by their carriage do what in them lyes to ſhorten their Days, and haſten their own Death by their Sinful Courſes, before the time, to which according to the ordinary courſe of nature, they might have come.
From this Purpoſe Learn 1. That which doth much marr ſubmiſſion to the Lord's Diſpenſations is, that Men look upon them as ſtrange and not uſual, as if thoſe who lived before had not ſeen the like: For as a Remedy of want of ſubmiſſion to the Lord's Diſpenſations, Solomon here holds forth his own experimental Obſervation of the like, All things have I ſeen, &c.
2. Whenſoever Men reflect aright upon their by paſt time, how proſperous or peaceable ſoever it hath been, they will ſee it Vain, not only for the ſhortneſs of it, which is beſt ſeen when it is paſt, and for the mixture of Croſſes that hath been with it, but mainly for that ſinfulneſs which hath accompanied them in their beſt times: For ſo doth Solomon here deſcribe his bypaſt time. The days of my Vanity.
3. Though all that are juſtified by the imputation of Chriſt's Righteouſneſs, and are truely Holy, be beyond the hazard of eternal periſhing, Rom. 8.1. yet ſuch is the malice of the wicked World againſt theſe whoſe carriage is a tacite Reproof and Shame to theirs, that they are often cut off in the way of Wel-doing, and ſo periſh in regard of their natural Life and worldly Intereſts, which is a merciful Diſpenſation to them, haſtening them to their eternal Reſt and Felicity, Iſa. 57.2. For, (ſaith Solomon) There is a just Man that periſheth in his Righteouſneſs.
4. Though the Lord be Angry with the wicked every day Pſ. 7.11. and teſtifies the ſame againſt ſome of them, by cutting them off in the Morning of their Life, Pſ. 55.23. yet He ſees it fit ſometimes to exerciſe His long ſuffering Patience toward them, and to ſpare them long in their ſinful Courſes, that at laſt the equity of His ſeverity againſt them, may be the more conſpicuous, Rom. 2.5, For (ſaith he) there is a wicked Man that prolongs his life in his wickedneſs.
5. Though the beſt of Men come far ſhort of conformity to the Rule of Righteouſneſs and Holineſs, and of that meaſure of heavenly Wiſdom which is attainable, 1 Cor. 13.9. Phil. 3.12. yet there is ſo much Pride and Arrogancy in Men, that they fancy themſelves to have, or preſume to attain unto, a more exact Righteouſneſs, and higher degree of Wiſdom, than God doth require or approve, while they affect a Righteouſneſs of their own, before they come to Chriſt to get it, Joh. 13.8. while they think to pleaſe God with more ſevere Exerciſes of Religion, or with greater Pains or Coſt in His Worſhip, than He requires, Mica. 6.6, 7. 1 Tim. 4.3. and eſpecially, which is mainly intended here, while they cenſure the Lord's Diſpenſations in ſuffering the Juſt to periſh in his Righteouſneſs; as if they would have a more exact Righteouſneſs in the adminiſtration of Affairs in the World; and think it were greater wiſdom to cut off the Wicked, than to ſuffer them to prolong their days in wickedneſs: For this is here diſſwaded from, Be not Righteous over much, neither make thy ſelf over Wiſe.
6. This bold preſumption of Men in magnifying their own worth and wiſdom, as if they could guide the World more equitably and wiſely than God doth, deſerves to be ſuppreſſed with Holy Scorn and Indignation: For we may look upon this as an Holy Irony, Be not Righteous over much, neither make thy ſelf over Wiſe.
7. To cenſure the Lords Diſpenſations, as if there ought to be more Equity and Wiſdom manifeſted in them, is the neereſt way for Men to draw deſtruction upon themſelves, not only in ſo far as by their anxiety, and fretting againſt what cannot be changed, they ſpend their own Spirits, but mainly, becauſe it is a Sin crying for Deſtruction from the Almighty, and will draw it out of His Hand, if it be continued in, as is imported in this Reaſon, Why ſhouldeſt thou deſtroy thy ſelf?
8. It is Mens conceit of their own Wiſdom, which is nothing elſe but the height of folly, that makes them miſs any degree of Righteouſneſs, and Equity in the Lords proceedings: For this laſt Branch of the Diſſwaſive may be looked upon as the cauſe of the former, Be not Righteous over much, by preſcribing a more equitable way than God keeps in His dealing, Neither be thou over Wiſe, namely in thine own eyes, which occaſions the former.
9. From the ſight of Piety oppreſſed, and Wickedneſs ſpared in proſpering, there doth ariſe in Mens corrupt Nature a powerful temptation to looſe the Reines to all Impiety, when Men ſee Wickedneſs rewarded, and them that tempt God delivered, they are ready to run with ſuch to the ſame exceſs of Riot, and do Evil with both hands earneſtly, which is the thing here diſſwaded from, Be not over much wicked.
10. To take liberty and incouragement to commit Iniquity with greedineſs, from the impunity of others committing the like, is great Folly, and an evidence, of the want of the ſaving Knowledge of God: And this Ignorance or Folly is alſo the cauſe of their giving up themſelves to that courſe: For this ſecond Clauſe may be looked upon both as the evidence, and cauſe of the former, Neither be thou fooliſh.
11. Though there be an appointed time to Man upon Earth, Job 7.1. and all that he can do, can neither haſten his Death before that time, nor prolong his Life after it; yet Men by giving up themſelves with full purpoſe of Heart to commit wickedneſs, they take the neereſt courſe to ſhorten their own days, although they think thereby to prolong their Life, becauſe they ſee it fall out ſo with ſome Sinners, and they ſhall meet with this Judgement, that Death ſhall come before they be ready for it; And often they haſt themſelves away by ſpending themſelves in the ſatisfaction of their Luſts, before the time to which, according to humane appearance, and the ordinary courſe of Providence, they might have lived: So that ſuch may be looked upon as Self-murderers, as is imported in this, as alſo in the former Reaſon, Why ſhouldeſt thou die before thy time?