Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 4 · Verse 2 – Verse 3
Vers. II. Wherefore I praised the Dead which are already Dead, more than the living which are yet alive.
The weight of these words lies not in the Litteral Sense. For, no miseries or oppressions, incident to bodily Life, in this world, are comparable to the sad condition of the wicked, after death, under final wrath. The spiritual truth, here, relates to Saints. Saints departed, are in a far better condition, than those left behind them, in the Body, that have not fully passed through the twofold, inward and outward oppression, or suffering-work, that's to be undergon by them. Saints departed out of the Body or (while in the Body) out of the Law-life of their own spirit, are those, A voyce from Heaven, command's John to write, as a most certain Truth, blessed. Blessed are the dead, in the Lord; Rev. 14. 13. All, so dead with Christ, will live with him, for ever, in his Immortal, Gospel-life. All others, will perish in their own corruption (or corruptible Law-life and state) which they have rebelliously chosen, and trusted in, for blessedness, against the Lord's known commands and warnings, to the contrary. By keeping up, what Paul cast away as dung, for Christ's spiritual Life, will they perish as their own dung, for ever; Job 20. 7. A perfect death of the natural Spirit and Principle of Life and Action, in man; an everlasting cessation and rest from all the desire, thought, and unprofitable labour thereof; and so, the honourable burial of it, in the mystical grave of Christ, is true conformity to his death. Christ came not to do his own Will, nor speak his own words, the Dictat's of his own understanding, though spotlessly perfect in our fleshly nature; but Crucified, and ceas'd from all. We must follow his suffering steps, through the same fire of his eternal Spirit, (Heb. 9. 14.) kindled, by him, on us, as on himself; Luk. 12. 49. Spiritual Circumcision, and fire-Baptism, put nature (corrupt or righteous) to death; cut off, and burn up all flesh, even Holy Flesh; Col. 2. 11, 12. Man, in the restor'd righteous Life of his own nature has nothing but a Body of Sin and Death, about him, which Paul pray'd for deliverance from; Ro. 7. 24. Phil. 3. 6-8. Since the fall, filth of Spirit, Enmity to God, is inseperable from the Life of nature, corrupt or righteous. Nature (in whatever condition) and Enmity to God, Live or Die, breath or expire, together. Paul, when eminent in Holy Flesh, breath'd out Enmity, Threatnings and Slaughter against God's Holy Gospel-Spirit, Saints, and Truths; Act. 9. 1. From the time, this Spirit of Enmity was Death-struck, by Christ, in his way to Damascus, he lived and brought forth Fruits unto God, in a newness of Life. In the restor'd Life of nature, the great Sin of Enmity revives; gather's Strength, Credit, and Authority. By the death of it, under the Cross, that, and all other Sins are pluck'd up by the Roots. He that is so Slain, and dead, is freed from all Sin, for ever; Ro. 6. 7. When Planted together in the likeness of Christ's Death and Resurrection, the Old Man is Crucisied; the Body of Sin, destroy'd; v. 5, 6. Man's natural Body, or whole natural Man, at best, as a Righteous Living Soul (1 Cor. 15. 44, 45.) is, by the twofold, death and Life-work of Christ's quickning Spirit, Transformable into the likeness of his Glorious Body, or the glorified Body, Soul, and Spirit of our nature, in his person; Phil. 3. 21. On such death of nature, Man ceases from sin, for ever; 1 Pet. 4. 1. If Obedient to the Slaughter-work of Christ's Gospel-Spirit, on our Lawless, or Law-Spirit, in corrupt or righteous nature; shall we, by the second operation of it, be quick'ned up into the Life of his Gospel-Spirit. All, dead with Christ, shall, after their season of dwelling in Dust, arise with his dead Body, into a newness of Life, and Sing, for ever; Isai. 26. 19. Paul's argument in this case, looks both way's. If the Dead rise not, Christ is not Risen (1 Cor. 15. 12-19.) implying, if Christ be Risen, the Dead with him shall be Rais'd, into that … of Life, our Crucisied nature, in him, Lives in, for evermore; Rev. 1. 18. Our nature in Christ, is rais'd also into (and possess'd of) the very Divine Life. So, the fulness of the very Godhead dwells in him, bodily; in personal Union with his Manhood. This is his peculiar Prerogative, transcendently above the highest Saint, for ever. But, all Saints, in new-Creature Life, are in Personal Union with that, which, in him, is in Personal Union with the Divine nature, and thereby fitted to see and Enjoy the Divine Glory, as coheirs with him, of God; Ro. 8. 17. They are thus one with him, Personally, as he and the Father are one; Jo. 17. 21, 22. We must Obediently suffer and die with the Man Christ (as to the best and most righteous first-Covenant Law-Life, in our restor'd nature) or not live with him, for ever, in his Spiritual, Gospel-Creature-Life; 2 Tim. 2. 11, 12. Such dead ones rest from all their sinful and unprofitable Labours, in their own Spirit of Enmity; and their righteous works or fruits, done and brought forth by them, in the Spirit of Grace, follow, stand by them, before the Judgment Seat of Christ; and justify them, as owned and approved, in their whole persons, and all such works. The changableness before the fall, and enmity also, since, found in Man's whole nature, render it, not properly, that is, unchangably good, and truly Holy, in God's sight, as under his Approbation-Seal. Yea, since the fall, is Man, at best, in his single naturals, hateful to, and a hater of God; and therefore, can't be profitable to himself, by any thing done therein, as to true hapiness. Wilful fixure in nature, at best, is unchangable Union with the Devil, in Enmity to God. So, that which he willingly mistak's for Salvation, is Everlasting Damnation, to him. In stead of the Saints Everlasting Rest, he'l find the Sinner's Everlasting Torment and Vexation of Spirit, as the Fruit of all his Vain Labours. Solomon therefore Preferr's the dead, in and with Christ (as to the Life of their own nature, corrupt or righteous, in the Profane Publican, or Righteous …) to any yet alive in their own nature.
Vers. III. Yea, better is he then both they, which hath not yet bin; who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the Sun.
Better are the compleatly dead in the Lord, then either those Saints that yet live in the Mortal Body (and have something of the remaining Uncrucified first-Covenant Life of their own Spirit, about them; so, are yet under the Oppressive Practicings of Devils and Men, without; and Fleshly Lusts, within them, Warring against the Spirit, Gal. 5. 17.) Or, those Saints, who are yet Unborn. The departed Spiritual Saint is better then the Saint, yet in the Mortal Body, amidst a throng of Enemies, without and within, surrounded with all sorts of worldly Allurements, Disturbances, wicked Men, and Devils. Paul therefore earnestly groan'd after deliverance from his earthly Tabernacle, by the dissolution of it, that he might be at home, with the Lord, in his Heavenly House; So only, comes Mortality to be compleatly swallow'd up of a life, that's above all death or chang; 2 Cor. 5. 1-6. And, if Saints departed, enter into a full peace, and rest (Isai. 57. 1, 2.) and so, a better condition, then that of Saints, in the Body; more yet are they beyond such as shall be Saints, that are yet Unborn, who have all the said Miseries and Oppressions, without and within, wholly behind, to pass thorow. But, the letter of this Scripture seem's to look another way; that the yet Unborn may seem better then the actually engag'd in this Mortal World of Miseries and Troubles; or then the deceas'd, who has pass'd through them (and that, all sorts of deceased, good and bad Men) as not having yet seen the Oppressions and evil work, that's done under the Sun. This, as relating to the Miseries of all, in this Mortal World and Life of Vanity, only. He that's dead, is freed from all these things, be he unchangably good, or evil, for ever after. The wicked cease from troubling them, and the weary are at rest. Prisoners no more hear the voice (or feel the hand) of the Oppressour; Job. 3. 17, 18. The sense, in which the yet Unborn is better then both they that are in, or have pass'd thorow (and out of) the Miseries of this World (singly consider'd, without what follow's, to wit, the Grievances and Oppressions, incident to the natural Man of Saints or Sinners) may seem to import a never being Born, at all; a meer nullity. Such a nullity, by an annihilation-death, will all that finally perish, ever desire and seek, but never find, as better than to be tormented for ever, in Hell; or afflicted with the miseries and Oppressions of a mortal Life, on earth. In this twofold sense, had it bin good for Judas, never to have been born, or bin, at all; Mat. 26. 24. And this, Job seem's to mean; Job 3. 11, 12. 16. and 10. 18, 19.