Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 4 · Verse 10
Vers. X. For if they fall, the one will lift up his Fellow; but Wo to him that is alone, when he falleth: For he hath not another to help him up.
The Gospel-Spirit of Christ, in the Saint, takes his whole natural Man (partly Crucified, and partly not) into its care and Protection. And so, the Fountain, Gospel-Spirit, in Christ himself, takes the whole Man of the Saint into its Protection, under the covering Shadow and Cherishing Influence of its twofold Cherubin-Wings, as also under the joynt regard and care of his Infinite, and Almighty Divinity. The Saint is deeply concern'd, in this case, when Christ has committed to him (set up in him, and intrusted him with his unspeakable Spiritual Gift, or Life) that unchangable good thing, to recommit that and himself back again, to Christ, for the Nourishing, Strengthning, and Encouraging it, against all the Counterworkings of his Rebellious, and (in part) uncrucified natural Mind or Man, which will, to its last Gasp, without any Interruption, fight against God, and his Spiritual. Till all the Mystical Nervs and Bones thereof be cut asunder and broken, all the Life and Strength thereof, utterly Extinguish'd and Abolish'd, is it a perpetual Warrier against the Spirit of Christ, in himself and Saints. Paul found this fleshly Foe of his own House, this Carnal Mind of Enmity, about him, long after his Gospel-Conversion, and true Spiritual Saint-ship. Ro. 7. 15-23. On this, he Cries out, O Wretched Man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? v. 24. This Enemy, within the Saint, till fully run down into Death, exposes him to frequent Slipps, and sore Miscarriages, as in David, Solomon, and other Saints, has bin evident. But, that that's Born of God, in them, and never Sin's, recovers their falling, Miscarrying natural Man, or Spirit (by a gradual, and at length, total deathwork thereof, upon it) into Harmony with it self, Christ, and God most high, in a newness of Life, for evermore. This War of Spirit against Flesh (Gal. 5. 17.) is not finish'd, but by the total death of the fleshly Mind. Flesh will not leave fighting, till dead; and therefore, ought not Spirit (or the Spiritual Man in the Saint) leave off Fighting, while any thing of Life is left in it. The continually sinning natural Spirit, till fully Crucified, will, in the course of its own will, need dayly forgiveness, as well as an offending Brother, even to Seventy-times seven; Mat. 18. 21, 22. Through the Propitiatory covering-Mercy-Seat, which, Spiritual Life brings the Saint under, God so looks on his Obedient Spiritual Man, as not to Impute to him, the daily Sins of his natural; Ro. 4. 7, 8. Thus, is the Spiritual Man, also, under Christ, as a covering Shadow to the natural, in the same person, and qualified to help up, or recover it out of all its failings, and Back-sliding-Steps. The Spiritual Man, under the Holy Anointing, is, to the Decay'd, Old, Gray-headed, Crucified natural, the fresh Oyl, David Pray'd for (Psal. 71. 9. 18.) that gives a new Verdure and fresh Lustre to the whole person of the Saint; a Glory that excells, and remains, for ever. Thus, on all accounts, to wit, the Sins of the guilty natural Spirit (or, the Mystical Gray Hairs, decay's, Old Age and Death, brought upon it (by the demolishing, Crucifying-work of Christ and the Spiritual, as its only cure) the spiritual is ready at hand to help it up, out of all falls, in his life-time; and out of that grave or death, that extinguishes all power of sinning, or falling, in him. Christ and the spiritual man, fetch him up, into an everlasting harmony with them, in their newness of Life.
T. But, wo to him that is alone, when he falleth: for, he hath not another, to help him up.
Here's the deplorable condition of all, fixed in the life of nature; and so, in unchangable enmity to the spirit of grace, that's the only meet helper and lifter up of the natural spirit, out of all its falls. Submitting to the death of the natural Man, is the only way, by which the Saint receives that spiritual Life, that can help it at all dead lifts, out of its falls; and out of that death (that's the only Cure of all evil, in it) into its never-sinning Life. When Man chooses his fading creature-life, before God's; and God, in judgement on him, gives him his choice, or, chuses his delusions (Isa. 66. 4.) Who can help him up? If God be against him, who can be for him? Himself, he cannot help. He is gone, then, on all hands. All that finally refuse the terms of receiving the spirit of Grace, reject it. And all, that wilfully reject it, God will reject, with all their false confidences in their own. He will swear in wrath, they shall never enter into his rest. What then can they say, or do? or, any other, for them? who will, or can help them up, when fallen under the final wrath of God?