Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Verse 1
CHAP. VII.
Ver. 1. A good name is better than precious Oyntment: and the day of Death than the Day of ones Birth.
THE main ſcope of the Preacher in this Chapter being to diſcover more of the way to true Happineſs and Contentment, and to point out ſome Remedies of theſe Vexations incident to Men in this Life, That all may be in Love with the Directions he is to give for theſe Ends, he doth Firſt commend a Good Name, as that which is only attained by theſe who walk in the way afterward pointed out.
And Next he commends the Death of ſuch as deſirable alſo. This Good Name here commended, is not Credit among the Men of the World, which is founded upon outward Excellencies, Riches, Honour, and the like; the Vanity whereof hath been formerly manifeſted, and whereof thoſe that are truly Bleſt are often deprived: But it is an eſteem with God, founded upon his free Favour; for ſo a good Name is explained by another Expreſſion in a place parallel to this in this Preachers Writings, Prov. 21.1. Where loving Favour, which ſignifies the free good Will of God, is put as Exegetick of a good Name: And this carries along with it a deſerved eſteem in the minds of Spiritual Diſcerners, founded upon Gods Grace, evidenced in a Holy Life; ſo that the Good Name here commended, is that only which thoſe have who are Chriſtians indeed, or the Anointed ones of the Lord, who are Perfumed with the Graces of his Spirit, appearing in their Humility, Patience, Heavenly Wiſdom, and other Exerciſes after mentioned: And this he commends as better than the moſt Precious things in the World, wherein worldly Men ſeek their Happineſs, of which one of the ſweeteſt and moſt uſeful, is here named for the reſt: And ſo in effect he commends Piety by commending the Sign, or temporary reward of it; and that in theſe terms which may be moſt taking with thoſe who are moſt taken up with things worldly; among which Credit, or a Name is one of the chief.
Next, He commends The day of Death, namely the Death of ſuch an one as is thus in eſteem with God, and deſerves eſteem among men, as far to be preferred to the Day of ones Birth: He mentions not the Reaſons of this preference, ſuppoſing the Advantages that the Godly have by the one, and the Diſadvantages that all have by the other, to be eaſily condeſcended upon, ſome whereof are touched in the Doctrines.
Hence Learn 1. This Heavenly Policy is neceſſary in a Miniſter of Chriſt, who would ingage mens Hearts to fall in Love with the way to true Happineſs, to commend what is to be found in that way, under the Names of theſe things which Carnal men are moſt in Love with: And this may be ſafely done, ſeing what ever it be that any are in Love with, the ſame may be truly found in Fellowſhip with God. If it be Riches men ſeek, in him and his Fellowſhip they may find Durable Riches and Righteouſneſs, Prov. 8.18. If Pleaſure, they may Drink of the River of his Pleaſures, Pſal. 36.8. And if it be Credit, they may have A Name better than Oyntment: For ſo doth Solomon here commend the way of Holineſs, by commending the temporary Reward of it, under the name of that which naturally Men moſt affect, A good Name is better than, &c.
2. Although all that take themſelves to the way of Holineſs, may expect Reproach, and Diſgrace for their ſo doing from the profane World, 1 Pet. 4.4. Yet they may be ſure of a Name and Eſteem with God, and with ſuch as are truly Wiſe: For Solomon here commends a Good Name, as that which all ſhall have who take them to the way pointed out afterward, A good Name is better than, &c.
3. Although the Godly ſhould die to their worldly Credit, and not haunt after vain Glory, Gal. 5.26. Yet ſuch a Name, or Eſteem, even among Men, as is obtained by evidencing the Graces of God, Heb. 11.2. By an humble and holy Walking; and ſuch as may keep them in Capacity to do Service to God, and Good to Others, Prov. 22.4. May be deſired and ſought after, for ſuch a Name is here commended as deſirable, A good Name is better than, &c.
4. To have ſuch a Name or Eſteem with God, and to have his Grace ſo lively in our Hearts, as we may be refreſhful to Others, and fitted for Healing of their Wounds and Diſtempers, is a Caſe more to be prized and ſought after, than the moſt Precious things in the World; ſuch a Name will never rot, though the Savour of it may be held in for a time, it will ſtill break through the thickeſt cloud of Calumnies and Reproaches: For this comparative way of commending a good Name by preferring it to Precious Oyntment, imports it to have a reſemblance thereunto, in reſpect of the Fragrancy, and Medicinal Vertue thereof; and to have ſomething above it, which is mainly the perpetuity of it. A good Name is better than precious Oyntment.
5. A good Name, or eſteem among men, is not to be ſought ſo much for what our ſelves have by it, as becauſe it makes us Savoury and Refreſhful to others; and particularly, becauſe it makes us the more fit for healing of their Spiritual Diſtempers, as is imported in Solomons preferring it to Precious Ointment, which muſt be taken in reference to the proportional effects of both; A good Name is better than precious Ointment.
6. Only thoſe have a Good Name (deſervedly ſo called) who forſake theſe courſes which the men of this World think their Credit to follow, and who take themſelves to theſe Exerciſes, which others would think a Diſgrace: All others are baſe, and deſervedly eſteemed ſo, Pſal. 15.4: For having preſt the undervaluing of theſe things which Worldlings do alone magnify, as long Life, Riches and the like: And being to preſs theſe Exerciſes which they undervalue, he commends here a good Name, ſuppoſing the ſame to be only attainable by thoſe who forſake the one, and take them to the other, A good Name is better than precious Ointment.
7. It is a greater Sin to blaſt the Reputation of the Godly, and ſo by Slanders and Reproaches to incapacitate them to do farther Service to the Lord, or good to others, than to deſtroy or man the moſt precious things they have in the World beſide; for, A good Name is better than precious Ointment; which is put for their precious things.
8. They have not the exerciſe of their Senſes, to whom the fame of the Godly, the good Report of their Heavenly Graces and Vertues, is not ſavoury and refreſhful: They prove themſelves baſe, who delight not to hear their Graces commended. their Vertues praiſed for the praiſe of the Giver, and provoking of others to imitation of them. For a good Name, (which may be taken actively, for the Fame, and good Report of the Godly which comes abroad to others) is better (or more uſeful for them in a Spiritual ſenſe than precious Ointment.
9. The day of the Godlies Death, is in many reſpects preferable to the day of ones Birth, whether their own or others: For at the day of their Death, their Victory over their Spiritual Enemies is compleated, 1 Cor. 15 55.57. Their Souls made perfect in Holineſs, Heb. 12.23. Their Miſeries and Griefs are ended. Rev. 21.4. And their never ending Reſt and Bleſſedneſs in the immediate injoyment of God is then begun, Iſa. 57.2. While as mens Birth is their entry into the valley of Tears, Job. 14.1. the beginning of their Combat with their Spiritual Enemies, and their Peregrination from the Lord, 2 Cor. 5.6. The conſideration whereof ſhould make Death, welcome to the Godly, when it comes, and may comfort Men againſt the Death of their Friends, or Children dying in the Lord, For (ſaith he) The day of Death is better than the day of ones Birth.
10. That which worldly Men value moſt, and yet never obtain, that ſame the Godly finds in a more excellent kind, in the way of Holineſs, which the others abhorr; and that which is moſt terrible to the wicked is made ſweet and deſirable to the Godly, for a Name is that which Worldlings exceedingly long for, and never get, in the ſenſe wherein it is here commended; And Death is that which is moſt terrible to them, and yet the Preacher ſuppoſes here that the Godly have the Name better than precious Oyntment, and that their Death is ſweet and better than the day of his Birth.