Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Verse 13, 14
Ver. 13. Conſider the work of God: For who can make that ſtraight which he hath made crooked?
14. In the day of proſperity be joyful, but in the day of adverſity conſider: God alſo hath ſet the one over-against the other, to the end that man ſhould find nothing after him.
HEre is the Sixth Remedy againſt that Anxiety and Vexation of Spirit, which ariſeth from the Oppreſſions of the Godly, and marrs their true Contentment for the time: And it is concerning the right uſe to be made of the Lord's Diſpenſations, held forth in Two Directions. The Firſt is, That Men would ſeriouſly Conſider the work of God. By the Work of God (as is clear by the Inſtances in the following Words) are meant the Diſpenſations of His Providence, carving out Proſperity or Adverſity to Men: The reaſon is, Becauſe Mans Wit, or Power, cannot alter or rectifie what the Wiſe and Irreſiſtable Providence of God brings about, Who can make straight (ſaith he) that which is crooked? which is not to be underſtood as if there were any crookedneſs, defect, or want of conformfty to the Rule of Equity, in the Lord's Diſpenſations, or in any Events that fall out, as they are God's Work: But the meaning is, That there are many things in His Diſpenſations croſs, and contrary to Man's will, which ſerve not ſo directly for furthering his imaginary Happineſs in this Earth, as he would; ſuch as the oppreſſions formerly ſpoken of, and yet, ſaith he, They cannot be made ſtraight, they cannot by Man's Wit or Power be altered, or be made more ſubſervient to his ends, and therefore they deſerve his ſerious conſideration.
The Next Direction is inferred upon this Reaſon; That Men would ſtudy to be ſutably affected to the Lord's various Diſpenſations, which he inſtances in Two, Proſperity and Adverſity, comprehending all others, and ſhews the prime exerciſes which theſe Diſpenſations call Men unto, In Proſperity (ſaith he) be joyful, he means Spiritual Chearfulneſs, and Thankfulneſs to God, when things go well; And In Adverſity, he doth not preſs that which it contrary to Joy, but that which Men are often then moſt indiſpoſed for, namely the ſerious Conſideration of the Lord's Mind, and what uſe they ought to make of that caſe, and the Reaſon of this is, that God hath ſo wiſely interwoven theſe Two, and made them to ſucceed one to another in the Life of Man, that he ſhall not find out any nearer way to his own Happineſs, than by behaving himſelf ſutably to, and making that uſe of theſe Diſpenſations, which God in His Word requires of him, he ſhall find nothing, which if his counſel had been taken, might have been better done; nor can he in reaſon imagine, that any thing would be more conducible for God's Glory, and Man's Happineſs, than the Diſpenſations of God, as they are ordered by Him; and therefore he ſhould ſubmit unto, and carry himſelf as God requires, under them.
Hence Learn 1. There is not any Work of God's Providence in the World, which doth not deſerve Mans moſt ſerious thoughts to be taken up with it, every one of them having many of the divine Properties ingraven upon them, Pſ. 111.2, 3. and ſome language to us concerning the Lord's Mind and our duty, Mica. 6.9. and our blindneſs being ſuch, that we cannot at the firſt view take up that which may be ſeen in any of the Works of God, till after pondering every part, and comparing one with another, and all with the Word commenting thereupon, we may ſee what the Lord intends thereby, and what is our duty in reference thereunto: For this is it Solomon here preſſes, Conſider the Work of God.
2. They that would ſo conſider the Works of Providence, as to work their Hearts to quietneſs, and guard them againſt Anxiety and Diſcontent, muſt look above Creatures, ſecond Cauſes and Inſtruments, and conſider all Events as God's Work, and all Diſpenſations though produced by various Inſtruments, and in different Periods of time, as one whole and intire Work in God's Hand, if we look upon croſs Diſpenſations as the work of Inſtruments only, our paſſion ariſes againſt them, and we fret and become diſcouraged: Therefore Solomon giving a Remedy againſt Vexation, preſcribes to Men the lerious conſideration of the various Diſpenſations of God in Proſperity and Adverſity, inſtanced afterward as one Work, and the ſame as the Work of God, Conſider the Work of God.
3. There is ſuch infinit Wiſdom manifeſted in all the Works of God's Providence, whether of Juſtice or Mercy, Pſ. 104.24. and ſuch irreſiſtible power doth accompany them all, for attaining His Holy Ends in them Iſa. 43.13, that it is ſimply impoſſible for the wit or power of Creatures, to rectify or change in the leaſt what he doth. If he croſs Mens Interpriſes by Sea or Land, it is a folly for them to think by themſelves to repair their loſs; If He break the Legs and Arms of States and Common-wealths, and make them halt, all the Earth without Him, cannot make them go Straight again; If He leave any to the Crookedneſs or Perverſity of their own Nature (for He may be ſaid to make Crooked, as He is ſaid to Harden Mens Hearts) neither Angels nor Men can rectify the ſame. The conſideration whereof ſerves to quiet our Hearts, and make us ſubmiſſive to His Working: For to theſe, and many other things of that ſort, may this be applyed, as a Reaſon to make Men ſubmiſſive to His Working, Who can make Straight that which he hath made crooked?
4. Though there be no caſe of a Child of God ſo ſad, wherein he hath not matter of Rejoicing, and ought to make conſcience thereof, Hab. 4.17. Phil. 4.4. yet when the Lord manifeſt himſelf in ſome ſpecial way favourable in His Diſpenſations, giving him the deſired ſucceſs of His lawful Undertakings, and ſatisfaction to His juſt Deſires, he is then in a ſpecial manner called to Spiritual Joy and Praiſe, and to manifeſt the ſame by a cheerful Walking before the Lord: For this is here preſt upon the Godly in a proſperous condition, In the day of Proſperity be joyful.
5. The main Exerciſe which God's People are called to under ſad Diſpenſations, is, The ſerious conſideration of Gods working, that they may know from the Word what may be the ſinful procuring cauſes upon their parts, of ſuch ſad things, and ſo may be humbled for them, Lam. 3.40. what are the good Ends which God aims at in dealing ſo with them, that they may aim at the ſame, Deut. 8.16, and what hazard they are in, to put forth their Hands to Iniquity in ſuch a caſe, that they may Watch and Pray. Pſ. 125.3. Mat. 16.41. For Solomon after he hath preſt the Conſideration of the Work of God in general in the former Verſe, doth here particularly apply the Exhortation to Men under ſad Diſpenſations, In the day of Adverſity conſider, &c.
6. Even the beſt, while they are proſperous, are ſo little mindful of Adverſity, Pſal. 30.6. That readily when it comes, they are ſo aſtoniſhed, that they can hardly command any diſtinct thoughts of their own caſe, or of Gods Mind in His dealing with them, therefore they have need to be thus put to it, as to a difficult work, In the day of Adverſity conſider.
7. As the Godly may have much matter of Joy (which they think not of) under very ſad Diſpenſations, ſo they are then prone to run upon the ſinful extream of Diſcouragement, and Deſpondency of Spirit: For having exhorted them to be joyful in the day of Proſperity, he doth not preſs them to Mourn in the contrary caſe, But in the day of Adverſity conſider.
8. The Lord hath interwoven Proſperity and Adverſity along the Lives of his People, and makes the one of theſe ordinarily Suceeed to the other, knowing that they are ready in the day of Proſperity to be lifted up above meaſure, if ſome Adverſity be not ſet in the Ballance Againſt it, 2 Cor. 12.7. And in the day of Adverſity no leſs ready to loſe their Hearts if he did not ſet ſome Proſperity againſt that Iſai. 57.16. For both the mixture of them, and the ſucceſſion of one of them to the other is imported in this: He hath ſet the one against the other.
9. This mixture, and ſucceſſion of Croſſes and Comforts, Adverſity and Proſperity in the life of Man, is ſo wiſely ordered, that no man can find out any thing wanting in the contrivance of theſe, which might more conduce for Gods Glory, and his Peoples Happineſs; ſo that if any man think it had been better that Proſperity had come ſooner, or continued longer, or that Adverſity had either not come at all, or come later, or continued ſhorter, he proves himſelf a Fool in making himſelf Wiſer than God: For he hath wiſely ordered his Diſpenſations to the end, that man ſhould find nothing after him.