Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Verse 23-25
Ver. 23. All this have I proved by Wiſdom: I ſaid I will be wiſe but is was far from me.
24. That which is far off and exceeding deep, who can find it out?
25. I applyed mine heart to know and to ſearch, and to ſeek out Wiſdom, and the reaſon of things, and to know the wickedneſs of Folly, even of Fooliſhneſs and Madneſs.
HE commends his former Doctrine, and proves it worthy of all acceptation by ſeveral Arguments. The First is, that all along he had Preached his own Experience, he had taken trial by the Help of that eminent degree of Wiſdom wherewith God had, indued him, and had found that the Lords Diſpenſations ought to be ſo judged of as hath been formerly expreſt.
The Second is, that he had with full purpoſe of Heart given up himſelf to acquire that Experimental Knowledge which here he Communicats to Others, he ſaid, He would be Wiſe. And withall no humbly reg…ates his ſmall ſucceſs, that Wiſdom was far from him, not as if his pains had not been at all ſucceſful, but the meaning is, that he was far from that meaſure which he deſired, and was attainable ver. 23. And of this he gives two Reaſons. 1. That Gods providence in Governing the World, is a ſubject very far remote from common Capacities, and in it ſelf Myſterious and profound; And this he ſets forth by two Similitudes; the one is of things Far diſtant from us, as it were at the remoteſt Corners of the Earth, which we can not ſee, nor without difficulty hear or know any thing of: The other is of things Deep, down in the bottom of the Sea (as it were) or at the center of the Earth, for the word Deep is doubled in the Original, and is well Tranſlated exceeding Deep ver. 24. And that it may not be thought his Lazineſs was the cauſe of his ſhort Sightedneſs, he ſhews that his heart was wholly bent upon that ſtudy, and that he did multiply his indeavours in the uſe of all lawful means, as the different expreſſions here of Applying his Heart, Searching, and Seeking out import, as they do elſewhere in Scripture Deut. 13.14.
And Laſtly, He ſhews what it was that he did particularly aim at in his Study. 1. To Know Wiſdom, which is nothing elſe, according to the ſcope, but to underſtand the Mind of God in his Diſpenſations, ſo far as the ſame may be known by the light of the Word and Spirit of God: Hoſ. 14.9. And 2. To know the reaſon of things, whereby is meant not ſo much the knowledge of the natural Cauſes of things, as of the Bleſſed Ends and Holy Reaſons, which God hath in His Operations. And 3. To know the wickedneſs of Folly, whereby he means the exceeding ſinfulneſs of every Courſe that a natural Man can take for his Happineſs, according to the Apoſtles Expreſſion, Rom. 7.13. eſpecially Mens giving themſelves up to their ſenſual Pleaſures, wherein they are moſt mad, as the following words make evident. All which may make the Light held forth by him very acceptable.
Hence Learn 1. As it is the Commendation of a Preacher of the Truth, that he ſpeak from Experience, eſpecially when he commends the way of God, having put the matter to the proof himſelf, and found all that he ſpeaks verified: So this ſhould commend the Truth to the People, and add weight to it, when beſide the Evidence and Authority of it in it ſelf, they hear it commended by thoſe, whom they may in Charity judge to have taſted the Sweetneſs of it, and do therefore ſpeak becauſe they believe: For Solomon having commended heavenly Wiſdom that it brings Life ver. 12. and Strength ver. 19. to them that are indued with it, he here commends it from his own Experience, All this have I proved by wiſdom.
2. Thoſe whom the Lord hath indued with the greateſt meaſure of Saving Knowledge, and upon whom He minds to beſtow yet a greater meaſure thereof. He uſes to give to thoſe, ſtrong deſires after more and more of it, and a reſolute purpoſe to purſue it in the uſe of all lawful means: For Solomon who had great Wiſdom, and thereby acquired Experience, lays down a fixed Reſolution to have yet more, All this have I proved by wiſdom, I ſaid I will be Wiſe.
3. Thoſe who have the greateſt meaſure of Knowledge, and whoſe deſires after more are ſtrongeſt, will ſtill be ſhort of what may be attained, and the farther they promove they will ſtill be the more humble, and ſenſible of their ſhort coming; they that know leaſt do often think they know moſt, and do imagine more than their own meaſure, needleſs: For even Solomon doth here humbly regrate his ſhort coming, But it was far from me.
4. There is ſuch a great depth of Wiſdom in all the works of God, eſpecially in His works of Providence, that it is not poſſible for the ſhallow witt of Man to attain to a fully clear, or ſatisfying ſight thereof; the ſharpeſt ſighted will find himſelf in the dark, and therefore muſt adore and reverence what he cannot fully comprehend, perſwading himſelf, that that is wiſely done, whereof he ſees not always a ſatisfactory Reaſon; and ſhould look upon that which may be learned farther of every work of Providence (in reference to his own natural ability to comprehend it) as a Pearl lying at the bottom of the Sea, or ſome precious Commodity, at the fartheſt part of the Earth. That which is far off, and exceeding deep who can find it?
5. Neither the profound myſteriouſneſs of Gods Wiſdom manifeſted in His Diſpenſations, nor the weakneſs of our Capacity, ſhould diſcourage the Students of that Wiſdom, who would be wiſe unto Salvation, but ſhould ſo much the more ſharpen their deſires, and quicken their endeavours, after a farther meaſure of Knowledge, ſeing there is a growing ſucceſs promiſed to ſuch. Hoſ. 6.3. For ſo was it with Solomon, though he found Wiſdom far off, and exceeding deep; yet (ſaith he) I applied my Heart to know, and to ſearch, and to ſeek.
6. They that would be Proficients in true Knowledge, muſt apply their Hearts to that ſtudy, they muſt carry a preſent compoſed mind always about with them, and be buſie in obſerving what may be known of God, that may draw their Affections to Him, and engage them to His Service, and after diſappointment of deſired ſucceſs, and darkneſs remaining, muſt renew their endeavours in the uſe of one commanded mean after another: For ſo was it with Solomon, I applied my Heart (or as the Original may be rendred, I and my Heart went about together) to ſearch and ſeek out Wiſdom, what he could not find out by Searching, he ſought out, which is one endeavour after another.
7 They that would judge aright of the Lord's Diſpenſations, muſt labour to ſee by the light of the Word and Spirit, what Reaſons there may be for them: As for Example, why the Lord ſuffers His people to be brought ſo low in the World; even that He may humble them and prove them; and do them good in the latter end, Deut. 8.16. And why He ſuffers wicked Men to proſper, even that if they will not by His Goodneſs be led to Repentance, they may be the riper for Deſtruction, Rom. 2.4. Pſ. 92.7 that ſo we may ſatisfie our own minds, and be able to give a Reaſon to others of what we profeſs to know: For this was one thing that Solomon made his ſtudy, To know the reaſon of things.
8 That which is truly good is more clearly ſeen when we conſider the evil that is contrary to it: The Beauty of Holineſs, and excellency of Saving Knowledge is illuſtrat, and beſt ſeen, when the deformity of Sin, the madneſs and unreaſonableneſs of theſe Courſes which natural Men take to come at their imaginary Happineſs, are compared therewith: For Solomon took this way, He gave his Heart to know Wiſdom, and to know the wickedneſs of Folly, even of Fooliſhneſs and Madneſs.
9. As every Man who is not indued with Saving Wiſdom, is deſperat in Wickedneſs, and extremely Mad in following the courſe that will be his ruine: So there is ſuch a height of wickedneſs, and perverſity in his way, that it is not eaſy to expreſs the ſame: For Solomon multiplies words to that purpoſe, as if it had been difficult for him to expreſs it, while he calls it, The wickedneſs of Folly, even of Fooliſhneſs and Madneſs.
10. The knowledge of the evil of Sin, the madneſs and Folly that is in Sinners way, the deſperat wickedneſs that is in their Hearts, while they are in purſuit of their Luſts, is one part of Saving Wiſdom, which all ſhould ſtudy, that would be truly happy: For this is it which Solomon endeavoured to know, The wickedneſs of Folly, even of Fooliſhneſs and Madneſs.