Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 4 · Verse 8 – Verse 9
Vers. VIII. There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither Child nor Brother: Yet is there no end of all his Labour, neither is his Eye satisfied with Riches; neither saith he, For whom do I Labour and Bereave my Soul of good? This is also Vanity; yea, it is a sore Travel.
Here's another Similitude or Comparison, to manifest the truth, already spoken to. In Letter, Solomon Character s the Vanity and Folly of the Covetous Man, that Toil's and Labours wholly for the Litteral Wealth of this World, when destitute of any Heir, Child, or Brother, to Inherit the same; any second, to Succeed, and enjoy it, after him. Yet, grow's he dayly, more and more Solicitous, about heaping up, and encreasing this lowest sort of worldly Riches, as he draw's neerer his Journey's end, Death. The less he needs, the more Covetous and Raking is he, to heap up such Treasure; the more Tenacious and Churlish, as to the free parting with any thing, to those that want. This is familiar to common Observation. Thus, is Vanity and Folly Written out, in all his Foolish Labours, Solicitud's, Carking Thoughts, and Sharking Practices, to heap up Wealth in his last day's, which render's them his worst; his Litteral latter end, worse then his beginning, or any other part of his Vain, Shadowy Life in this World. All he Labours for, is but Vanity of Vanities, Shadows of Shadows, Figures of the inward, Mystical, Laodicean Riches, heap'd up in the fruitful exercise of our own nature, in a first-covenant righteous Life. All's but Shadow, and perishing Vanity, one and t'other. All that are for either, walk in a Spirit of Darkness, as to all Gospel things and truths, in a vain shew, disquieting themselves in vain, in direct contradiction to Christ's own Counsel, and Irrefragable Arguments for it; Mat. 6. 25-34.
In every Circumstance of the Litteral Rich, Covetous Man, does Solomon Represent the Mystical, in all the inward Riches, Glory, Comeliness, and Fruitfulness of his restor'd, righteous natural Spirit, which, at best, is but a fading flower, and he therein, altogether Vanity; lighter, worse then Vanity it self; less then nothing. All the Rusty Mystical and Litteral worldly Mammon of Unrighteousness, heap'd up in a Spirit of Enmity to God, will be found by the final Choosers and Possessors thereof (with their Moth-eaten Garments, or filthy, ragged first-Covenant Righteousness) to Testify against them, for their Folly, in trusting thereto, for acceptance with him, at last day, against all his faithful warnings, and their own experiences, to the contrary; Mat. 6. 19, 20. Jam. 5. 1-3. The only profitable use of the said twofold … Mammon, according to the command of the giver, is the giving all up (with themselves) to his disposal, to do with them and that, as seem's good in his sight. For, then will God and Christ bestow upon them, that durable Life and true Riches, in which they will ever be own'd by them, as Friends of both; and they, to them. Luk. 16. 9. This making themselvs Friends of the Mammon of … or the Unrighteous Riches, is the only way for the gaining of the true Riches, in which they'l find their own again with Usury, and be received into Everlasting Habitations, even Mansions of Glory, in the … House.
But, of the two, the mystical rich man is in a state of deeper vanity, and … travel, than the Litteral. And, he is at the same loss; has no Heir or Second, Child or Brother. He cannot, without self-deceiving, propound any good end to himself, in his distinct higher scene of Vanities, beyond the litteral covetous rich man, as the issue and result of all his labour and travel, therein. For, his Riches are equally perishable as the others. And he has no Heir, to inherit them, more then the other. They are both and all under the same impossibility of ever finding any true content or satisfaction in their Riches. They Both fall under the same just Judgement of God (for doting upon, inordinately labouring for, and coveting after such fading Riches) by which, they are given up to, and caused more and more to encrease in their unsatiable desire after, and love to them. And so, are they gradually, more and more alienated from God, and his durable Life, …, Food, and Clothing, till absolutely fixed in unchangable Enmity to all. The whole design and course, then, of both these sorts of Rich Men, who Trade wholly in Vanities, is down-right madness.
Two things are, here, distinctly to be considered.
First, What's meant by the unprofitable Labourer and Labour, reproved here?
Secondly, What, by the said Labourer's being destitute of an heir?
To the first, Man's Immortal Spirit is the Labourer. His unprofitable foolish Labour, is the whole Desire, Thought, Word, and Action of it, in a restor'd first-creation or …-covenant-Life. All this Life, Action, Desire, Thought, and Things thereof, the Tree with the Fruit, is but a lump of perishing Vanities, Shadows, meer Impertinencies and Nullities, as to any thing of (or conducibleness towards) the true blessedness of man's Immortal being. For his heart, labour, tug, toil, and lay about him while he will; do what he can, he never arrives at the enjoyment and possession of any good, that exceed's the sphere of vanities. The fleshly Tree, with the Fruit; Root with the Branch, as to any goodness thereof, will be burnt up, and vanish away. And then, will all that trust therein, be left in the most destitute, helpless condition, imaginable, to eternity. No Creature can secure or deliver them from being torn in pieces, by their Creator's wrath; Ps. 50. 22. None of their fellow-rebels, humane or Angelical Rocks or Mountains, Principalities or Powers of this World, can shelter or hide them, or enable them to stand before him, when the great day of his wrath is come; Rev. 6. 15-17. Yea, those Supream Rocks and Mountainous first-Creation Powers of Darkness, the evil Angels, proud Man's proud helpers against God, shall not themselvs be able to keep upon their feet, in their unchangable hostility to him; but stoop, and lie down for ever, with all their children of pride, from amongst men, under the same final wrath of God; Job. 9. 13. The whole mystical and litteral Babylon, King and Subjects, will all go to wrack, into eternal Confusion, darkness, and death, under wrath. This will be the end, all such proud, covetous, boasting, traiterous, heady, high-minded despisers of Christ's dominion and Government, will come to; 2 Tim. 3. 2-4. Those that finally resist the Government of God, delegated to the Man Christ, will receive final damnation; Rom. 13. 1, 2. 2 Pet. 2. 10. Jude 8. What Man (that deserv's to be reckon'd in his wits) can think any possible Labours in his own Life of enmity to God (and that spirit of Grace, in which alone any can be saved) can signify any thing, towards his true Rest, or Blessedness? Can he ever be blessed in his deeds of the Law, that does all in a spirit of enmity to God and his Gospel-Life? … … does, or teaches others, in his own wisdom, finally persisting there, … not the least aim towards the Saints Everlasting …; but, …, wholly to a fixing them in an (unchangable enmity to God, and) everlasting exclusion from it. Such Preachers do shut up the Kingdom of Heaven, exclude and detest the Righteousness of God, In a perfect contrariety to their Judge's own counsel; Mat. 6. 33. Hence, will that most righteous Judge (who, if …, obey'd and … to, would be their Advocate, to plead their … with the Father; 1 Joh. 2. 1.) intercede against them, as his implacable Adversaries. They that hear not Moses and the Prophets, will not be perswaded though one rose from the dead; Luke 16. 31. Be willing and obedient to the spiritual Counsel of Moses and the Prophets; and, all's …. The Jewish Teachers and Professors wilfully miss'd and rejected all the spiritual counsel and sense of their own Prophets, whom they highly pretended to obey and follow. When Christ, the great Master Prophet came to work with them, they were found in direct Enmity and contradiction to them, and him. He finds, and unanswerably proves them to be Insidels or Unbelievers, as to all the Spiritual Gospel-meaning of Moses and the Prophets. Is ye believe not Moses's Writings, say's he, How shall ye believe my words? Joh. 5. 45-47. Both Christ and they appealed to the Law and to the Testimony. The whole Controversy lay (and still lies) in the right understanding it. So found he, and proved them … enemies to Moses, and himself, the true Accomplisher of all the significant Types, Shadows, Ceremonies, Sacrifices, Commands, Ordinances, Statutes, Judgments, and Institutions, that Moses under his Conduct, taught and writ. Such self-confident Professors, when the Visor is taken off, are found Infidels, as to the Gospel-sense of all Scripture. Christ ask'd the Lawyer, enquiring after Eternal Life; What's written in the Law? How readest thou? These are two Questions. As to the first, about the Letter of the Law, this they were presently agreed on. But, How readest, or understandest thou this Law? In the first-covenant wisdom of Man, or new-covenant wisdom of God? Here arises all the Dispute and difference; about the reading. As to the first Query about the Letter, Christ granted he answered right. Do this, and thou shalt live, said he, that is, have Eternal Life; the thing queried. Both the Lawyer (Luke 10. 25-29.) and the young Man, in like case (Mat. 19. 16-20.) willing and ready to justify themselvs, reckon'd all this, already done by them. But indeed, nothing. For, 'tis not in the first-Covenant Spirit of the Law, but new Covenant Spirit of the Gospel, any can answer the true meaning of the Law; as Austin said. Both Lawyer and Young Man loved themselvs in the fading Law-Life of their own nature, not the Lord their God, at all, in the everlasting Gospel-Life of his spirit of Grace. This is Charact'red, in its own Oracles, by the word, or title, Love (1 Cor. 13.) as unchangably loving, and beloved of God. So, is positively asserted to be the fulfiller of the whole Law (Rom. 13. 9, 10.) on all accounts, to all intents and purposes, to God's well-pleasing, and Man's Salvation, in the comprehensive litteral and mystical meaning, sense, and requirings thereof, towards God or Man. The terms, on which 'tis possible (according to the methods and appointments of God's Wisdom) for any to receive and be possess'd of this Gospel-spirit (or principle of Life, Desire, Thought, Word, and Action) being rejected, and the Law-spirit of Nature kept up alive, in which 'tis impossible to do any of the things required, for eternal Life; what must such self-confident, vain boasters come to? In their own Law-spirit, at best (from which enmity to God is inseparable, since the fall) in stead of loving the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind, and their Neighbour as themselves, they'l be found to hate both God and his new-creature Gospel-spirit, the supream mystical Neighbour and Friend of God and Man, in personal union with God, and offering, personal Union with its self, unto Man. And, if unchangably fix'd in their Law-spirit, they'l, with the fallen Angels, Hate the Lord their God, and their said Neighbour, with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind. All their good words, and fair speeches, by which they deceive themselvs, and simple, undiscerning hearers (Rom. 16. 18.) all their plausible pretences of love to God, Christ, and his Gospel-Truths (by which they palliate their evil matters) will not serve their turn.
This great Mystical Neighbour, Christ's Gospel-Spirit, called LOVE, is the Fountain Creature-Vine-Tree, that brings forth right Fruit, true Wine, cheering to the Hearts of God and Man, as in Jothams Parable; Judg. 9. 13. Christ, in our fleshly nature and fading first-Covenant Law-Life thereof, would not leave this right and true, steddy, constant Gospel-Spirit (Ps. 51. 10.) of Everlasting Rightcousness, in which alone, he is to Reign, to go to be Promoted over the Law-Trees (Inferiour to that pure and spotlesly perfect Law-Life, in himself) to wit, Scribs, Pharises, and Professing Jews, the Mystical Princes of this World, that Crucified their true King, for owning himself in his Reigning Gospel-Spirit of Life; and, because he would not be their false King, in his Law-Spirit and Life, as they desired, yet, would have forc'd him to be; Jo. 6. 15. This had spoil'd all. For had he so done, he had quitted the true reigning spirit, for a …; the Gospel, for a Law-spirit, as they did, and Devils have done, in unchangable Rebellion against the true King Jesus, and God most High. He would not thus quit the true Vine-Tree, his Gospel-Spirit, the Wine or Fruits whereof, are cheering (or delightful) to God and Man (Spiritual Men) to be promoted over Men, as Mystical first-Covenant Trees, in Holy Flesh, Trees of good and evil, in Enmity and Rebellion against both God, and Cesar, the Jew's then worldly Soveraign, at Rome. Yet, even they, that would have made him such a King, Crucified him because he would not be such a King, as had bin an Enemy to Cesar; and, told Pilate himself to his Face, if he let him go, he was not Cesar's Friend; Jo. 19. 12. They Mortally hated him for making (or owning) himself a King, in the Spirit of the World to come (that Pilate saw and declared to their Faces, was no fault, at all, against Cesar) and for not owning himself a King in that Law-Spirit of this World, in which he had bin an Enemy to God, and Cesar too. Yet, in a Tumultuous Vociferation, and most Brutish, Irrational Out-cry, admitting of no distinction, the general Word King, serv'd their turn to Proclaim him an Enemy to Cesar; and to get Cesar's Romane …, Pilate, to Crucify him, as King of the Jews. Whosoever makes himself a King (in any sense, tell not us of Niceties and Distinctions, a King is a King, and there's an end on't) speaks against Cesar. And, we have no King but Cesar, say these very Jews, that would have set up Christ, a King, against Cesar. … ye, how matters go, between Heathen Magistrat's and first-Covenant Brethren, against Christ and the second? A plain case. What unutterable Confusion, Blindness, and Madness, on all hands? Pilat's Conscience, and his Wive's Dream, are against … with Christ. Yet the Jews Out-cry, Crucify him, Crucify him, carries it, without any reason given; and Crucified he was. And, the Spiritual Servant must not look to fare better then his Lord. What evil hath he done? Said Pilate. Not a word, to that question. But, they cried out the more, saying, let him be Crucified; Mat. 27. 22, 23. Stark Madness! But,
To the second Query. What's meant by the said Frivolous, Vain, Carking, Sharking, Covetous, Unreasonable, Unprofitable Labourer's being destitute of an Heir? This. Man's whole Immortal being, in a Resurrection of Damnation (Jo. 5. 29.) will have nothing of good, to Inherit. This second Child, that shall stand up, for ever, in his stead (v. 15.) in an Immortality of being (which, in the true Saint, will have everlasting Life, Joy and Blessedness; even God himself, for his Inheritance) will, for ever, be laid down in Sorrow, under the Positive Inflictions of Wrath, in unutterable Torment and Vexation of Spirit, Inheriting Everlasting Darkness and Death. So, will this Covetous worldling, doting wholly upon Vain, False, Deceitful, Worldly Riches, Litteral or Mystical (and, as wholly Neglecting, Hating, and Rejecting the true) find no Heir to Inherit, no Child, Brother, or Second, that will have any of that fading good, to Relieve or Comfort him, for ever. Whoever has no second, no younger, Spiritual Brother, in his person, no true Heir of Salvation (that will help and fetch up his natural, elder, first-Covenant, Law-Brother, into his newness of Life, Gospel-Life) will find himself undone, to all Intents and Purposes, for ever. The Old Man, or Elder-Brother, left alone (by his own choice, and Gods Righteous Judgment) to shift for himself, will find himself (in a Resurrection of Damnation, and Immortality of his whole being, Body, Soul, and Spirit) an Heir only of God's final Wrath; a Dismal Inheritance! But, in the true Saint (Holy as God is Holy, Pure as Christ is Pure (that is, unchangably) as Partaker of Christ's, of God's Everlasting Righteousness and true Holiness) is found a younger, Spiritual Brother, that will fetch up the Elder into the same Everlasting Righteous Life, with it self. And so, will Crown all the Righteous Labours of the natural, Elder Brother (or Old Man, in his Law-Life, and nature) with a Glory never to be done away, in an Immortal Gospel-Life, with Christ in God; a Life, suted to his Immortal being. He that spares and saves his Old Law-Life of Enmity to God, from the Death of the Cross, will lose it, in Eternal Death. He that obediently delivers it up to a Temporal Death, will find it again, with Usury, in Eternal Life. These are of the true and faithful Sayings of Christ's Spiritual Law of Liberty; Mat. 16. 25. This is the one thing necessary, for the rendring Man truly acceptable to God, or profitable to himself (a true and right Heir of the Kingdom) even the true Second, Child, or Brother, Son and Heir. The Old Man; or Man, in his old, natural Spirit, Life, and State (in whatever Variety of Condition, found) is under an absolute impossibility of ever finding true Rest, Food, or Satisfaction, after which he has bin (all along his day in this World) Coveting and Labouring. In a wilfull blindness, Inadvertency, and Stupidity, he will not allow his own Heart or Understanding, any fair Play, by reflecting upon himself, and considering his own Folly. He does not so much as say in his Heart; for whom do I Labour, and to what end do I bereave my Soul of good? And all this, under a self-Condemning Light, which tell's me, all, I am Treasuring up and Labouring about, is but a heap of Perishing Vanities. From inordinate love to, and evil Concupiscence after this, shall I turn from, hate (and so, bereave my Soul of) that blessed new-Creation-Life, convincingly shew'd and offered me by God, that would render me everlastingly blessed? Unexpressible Madness! Shall I chuse and Steal my own Eternal Death, Torment, Vexation, Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth, by Stealing from, and Robbing God of his Mystical Tith's and Offrings; withholding my nature, from Sacrifice and Death? Shall I, with Esau, greedily chuse and dote upon my own first-Creation Morsel, and lose the new-Creation Birth-right; while the true Spiritual Jacob's get, and go away with all? It highly concerns Man, thus to commune with his own Heart, and alter his vain Course, for so great Salvation as is offer'd him.
Vers. IX. Two are better then one; because they have a good reward for their Labour.
The Birth of new-Creature Life, in the true Saint, makes, with his natural Man, the two that are better then one; or, then the natural Man, single and alone, however Perfect, Wise, Strong, Honourable and Glorious. The natural Man of the Saint, is, by his Spiritual (under and with the Fountain-Spirit of Life in Christ) fetch'd up, by way of Death and Resurrection, into the everlasting Life of the Spiritual, in lieu of its fading natural. This, compleated, the whole person is Spiritual. I live, yet not I; but Christ, in me; say's Paul; Gal. 2. 20. He had the two, better then one; He, and the spirit of Christ. By the death of nature, as to its own Law-Life, and quickning of it up, into Christ's Gospel-Life, the Spirit of Christ lives in the whole Saint, and he in it, as his Ruler, Lord, and King. But, Man alone, in his own nature, however Wise and Righteous, will find himself, at length, not only destitute of, but in unchangable Enmity to that spirit of Christ, in which alone any can be saved. The natural Man, in his own Uncrucified Will, and selfchosen course therein, remain's single and alone, to his final ruine. The reason, why the said two are better then one, is, because they have a good Reward for their Labour. Man, fixed in his own Life and way, and so, in Enmity to God; what reward can he expect, but final Wrath, as the meet Recompence of his Errour? On the Obedient death of nature (in which 'tis impossible to please God, in any thing) is man rais'd into that Life of Grace, in which 'tis as impossible not to please him, in every thing. The Reward of this, will be the full enjoyment and cleer Vision of God, for ever.