Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Verse 7, 8
Ver. 7. Surely oppreſſion maketh a wiſe man mad: and a gift deſtroyeth the heart.
8. Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the Patient in Spirit is better than the Proud in Spirit.
IN the fourth place he commmends patience under the many grievous Injuries that the Godly are obnoxious to in the World, as a remedy of that Vexation of Spirit which marrs their true contentment. And for this end he doth First ſhew what effect Oppreſſion hath ordinarily even upon the beſt of Men, viz. It works ſo upon their Corruption, that they are often in ſuch Diſtempers of fretting and Grief, as they ſeem to be beſide themſelves.
Next, He diſcovers the cauſe of Oppreſſion in Mens corrupt nature, to be Covetouſneſs, they love, and receive Gifts or Bribes, whereby it appears that it is Oppreſſion in Judgement. Seats, and Courts of Juſtice, that he hath mainly an Eye upon: And theſe Bribes deſtroy their Hearts, blind their Judgements, and corrupt or ſway their Affection from Equity; And this may be looked upon as held forth for a ground of Patience under Oppreſſion, which hath ſo ſinful a Root, And ſo cannot but be diſpleaſing to God, and conſequently puniſhed by him in due time,
Thirdly, He holds forth two comfortable conſiderations for compoſing of the Spirits of the Oppreſſed: And working them to Patience under their Lot. The 1. Is from the …ſſue of their Oppreſſion, which will be ſweet, though the beginning thereof be hard: For this expreſſion, Better is the End of a thing than the Beginning &c. Is not to be underſtood of all things generally, ſeing it is clear there are many things whoſe end is worſe than their beginning, as Oppreſſion it ſelf to the Oppreſſour, Apoſtaſie from the truth 2 Pet, 2, 20. And the like: But it is to be reſtricted to the Trials of the Godly here ſpoken of The 2.1…, That Patience (or as the word ſignifies to be long Breathed, and hold on in the way of God, notwithſtanding of many ſufferings) proves one to be in a Better Condition i. e. more lovely and acceptable to God, than the Proud or lifted up in Spirit, by whom we may underſtand either the proud Oppreſſour, or the fretting impatient Oppreſſed: And this compariſon is not to be underſtood as if Pride of Spirit had any good in it, but becauſe the Proud are often in a good Condition, in the Worlds eſteem. And it is ordinary in Scripture to compare one thing with another in that quality which is only in the ſubject, in the Opinion of the World, ſee Pſal. 118.8.
Hence Learn. 1. True Wiſdom cannot teach men to evite Injuries and Oppreſſion in the World, but rather the more men have of it, and the Wiſer their Courſes be in order to their true Happineſs, the greater often are their Oppreſſions: For Solomon ſuppoſes here, that the Wiſe man (who according to the Spirits Language in this Book, is the Godly man or the perſon that is indued with ſaving Wiſdom) is often under grievous Oppreſſion, while he ſaith, Surely Oppreſſion makes a Wiſe Man Mad.
2. So imperfect is the Grace of Patience in the Beſt, And ſo little do they conſider the grounds of Submiſſion and Comfort which might compoſe their Spirits, that they are ready thorow Oppreſſion and Injuries from Men to be in ſuch Diſtempers as if they were beſide themſelves, by Fretting at ſuch Diſpenſations Jer. 15.10. or queſtioning the Lords love becauſe of them Judg. 6.13. venting their carnal paſſion and fury againſt Inſtruments. Luk. 9.54. and wearying of their Life, Jona. 4.3. And which is worſt of all by runing to ſome ſinful Courſe for their eaſe. 1 Sam. 21.13. For Solomon ſpeaks of this effect of Oppreſſion as very ordinary, even in the beſt, Surely Opreſſion makes a Wiſe man Mad.
3. They that would diſcover the Sinful Diſtempers of People, eſpecially under Affliction, ſo as they may heal the ſame, muſt ſpeak of them with compaſſion, and as incident to the beſt of Men, and ſuch as themſelves would readily be guilty of, if they were in the caſe of the Afflicted: Leſt people think themſelves looked upon as matchleſs for their miſcarriage, or look upon thoſe that diſcover the Same, as Strangers to the feeling of the power of the Temptations and Trials they are under: For Solomon here, being about to heal a fretting paſſionat Spirit under Oppreſſion, he ſpeaks of it as very incident to all oppreſt people, and with pity and regrate, ſeems to diſcover this evil, as if he had Experience both of Oppreſſion, and Diſtemper of Spirit under it in his own perſon, Surely Oppreſſion makes a Wiſe man Mad.
4. Oppreſſours have much to give account for to the great Judge of all, they muſt reckon not only for ſpoiling Men of their Goods, abuſing their perſons, and the like, but for oppreſſing their very Spirits, and ſpoiling them of their witt and Reaſon: For Oppreſſion makes a Wiſe man Mad.
5, Though wicked Oppreſſours pretend Equity and Juſtice together with the defence of the Common-wealth, and maintenance of their own juſt greatneſs, and the grounds of their Oppreſſing Practices; Yet Covetouſneſs or love of Gain, is often the true cauſe thereof: For it is here imported that their taking of a Gift is the cauſe of their Oppreſſing Sentences, and executing of them, while this is ſubjoined to the former, a Gift destroys the Heart.
6. Covetouſneſs Deſtroys the Heart of them that are under the power of it, it blinds their underſtanding, that they cannot ſee the evil of any thing that makes for their gain Exod. 23.8. ſways their heart to receive Bribes, which being received, they think themſeles oblidged to gratifie the Giver, by perverting of Juſtice in his favours; So that the Receiver can be no more cordial for Equity, than if he had not an Heart at all, and at laſt as to the conſequence and effects of that Sin, it draws deſtruction upon the Soul, in all which reſpects, a Gift destroys the Heart.
7. Oppreſſion is often committed in Judgement Seats, and under Colour of Law: And when it is ſo the Oppreſſion is double, and from two parties at once, from One, who ſpoils the Oppreſſed of, or detains from them their own, of whom they do complain, and from the Other, the Judge who takes the Gift, which poſſibly is a part of the Oppreſſed's Goods, for this taking of a Gift ſuppoſes a party challenged for that which is in ſubſtance oppreſſion, and the Judge increaſing the Oppreſſion by ſatisfying the Oppreſſour for his Gift, a Gift deſtroys the Heart.
8. It ſerves to quiet the Spirits of the Oppreſſed to conſider that their Oppreſſions flow from Covetouſneſs, not that the Sin of Oppreſſours, ſhould be comfort to the Oppreſſed; But in ſo far as they by their Sin make themſelves deteſtable to God, and ſo haſten their own Judgement, and the Oppreſſeds delivery. For this may be looked upon as one conſideration ſerving to compoſe the Spirits of them who are, in a ſort, Mad with Oppreſſion, even this that the cauſe of it in the Oppreſſour is a Gift deſtroying the Heart.
9. As the Oppreſſions and Sufferings of the Godly are but ſhort (for they are ſpoken of here as if they had but a beginning and an ending) And the end and outgate is certain and ſweet; So the conſideration of the certainty and ſweetneſs thereof, may compenſe all the preſent Bitterneſs of their Oppreſſion, for this is another conſideration to quiet their Hearts, The end is better then the beginning.
10. A Patient frame of Spirit under Oppreſſion, whereby people ſubmit to the Lords Diſpenſations, and continue at their Duty in hope of a ſweet outgate, is that which God calls his oppreſt People to Labour for, as the remedy of theſe Diſtempers which are ready to break their Spirits: For, Solomon teaches the remedy of theſe, by commending this frame: Better is the patient in Spirit, than the Proud in Spirit.
11. Mens Pride is another cauſe of their Oppreſſion, a too lofty eſteem of themſelves, makes them male-content with their meaſure, which is Covetouſneſs, and that makes them turn Oppreſſours, therefore he gives the Oppreſſour the Title of Proud, while he ſaith, Better is the patient in Spirit, than the Proud in Spirit.
12. The Patient Oppreſſed is in a more deſirable, and happy Condition, than the Proud Oppreſſour, the one hath the Lords favour and approbation, who will plead his cauſe, and ſupport him under his Burden, and give him a ſweet outgate: The other is under his Wrath, and muſt ſhortly compear before him, to receive his deſerved puniſhment: For ſaith Solomon, The Patient in Spirit, is better than the Proud in Spirit.
13. As it is the Pride of Mens Hearts, which makes them impatient under Oppreſſion: So the humble and patient Submitter, is in a far more ſweet and comfortable condition, even under his Oppreſſion, than the Proud Repiner: For theſe words may be alſo taken as comparing the Patient Sufferer with the Proud Repiner, and preferring the condition of the one to the other: The Patient in Spirit is better than the Proud in Spirit.