Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Verse 1
V. 1. A good Name is better then precious Ointment: and the day of death, then the day of one's birth.
NOthing is (properly) good in God's sight, but what's unchangably so. Christ would not suffer our nature in the changeable first-covenant life of the Law, to be call'd good, in his … person; Mat. 19. 17. The good name then, here, is the new name, (Rev. 2. 17.) which imports (and belongs to) that newness of life, in which only 'tis possible to bring forth fruit unto God, or be saved. Rom. 6. 4. & 7. 4. This is, here, asserted to be better then all the precious Ointment, in its kind, of first covenant Life, Light, Wisdom, with all variety of Gifts and Abilities therein, as also, all spiritual enlightning Gifts, receiv'd upon that foot, or in that Law-state, short of the very Gospel-life and more excellent way (1 Cor. 12. 31.) call'd Love; 1 Cor. 13. To this, only, belongs the new, or unchangeably good name, here. This is the unspeakably more excellent Gift, then the said precious Ointment. All first-creation-Life and Goodness, being corruptible; God, that sees all futurities and possibilities (knowing it will change, or be chang'd and lost) calls it Corruption, in or with which, no man or Angel, can enter into, or inherit Incorruption, the incorruptible Inheritance (1 Pet. 1. 4.) the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 15. 50. That incorruptible new-creation Life, is convincingly shew'd and offer'd Men, (in lieu of their obediently surrendred natural, and corruptible) in which, alone, any can enter into, and inherit it. And, this is imported in the new or good name, here. All old or first-creation life, at best, in Angel or Man, is character'd by …, grass, flower of grass, Vanity, a Dream; and they, therein, said to be altogether Vanity; Isa. 40. 6, -8. 1 Pet. 1. 24. Psal. 39. 5. Thus is the corruptible seed of a first-covenant life, (set up in both, by the first-creation, or restor'd in Man, since lost by the fall, which in its utmost growth, flourish, and fruitfulness, is but a fading flower, the mystical natural tree of God's left-hand-planting) distinguish'd from the incorruptible seed (1 Pet. 1. 23.) of his right-hand-planting, by a new-creation, which springs up in spiritual Saints, prospers into an everlasting Kingdom-state, rendring them mystical Gospel-trees, the fruits whereof are incorruptible; and the very leaves, such, as never wither or … away; Psal. 1. 3. This spiritual tree of Life, will be known by its fruits, in distinction from the natural, fleshly tree, all the fruits whereof, are (as the root, and tree, they grow upon) perishing Vanities. The new Name or Life of the new-Creature, Gospel-spirit, or living Word of God, set up in man, can never be turn'd into a lie. Man's old name, and fading first-covenant Law-life, at best, when asserted to be a spiritual, Gospel-state of everlasting Life and Salvation, is turn'd into a flat lie and falshood, and all the things, births, works, fruits, and products thereof and in, though good in their kind, when call'd spiritual, and confidently rested in for Salvation, are all lies, and enmity to God, and his Gospel-Spirit of Truth. Renew'd nature, call'd Grace; the renew'd old or natural Man (with his first Covenant righteous Life and Name) call'd the new-creature, the spiritual Saint, with the new Covenant-Life, and Gospel-Name; all these are dangerous, destructive lies. In sum, the good Name and precious Oyntment, here, are the differing characters of first and second-Covenant Life. The former, through the said mistake, Paul found to be a body, a law, a state of sin and death (Rom. 7. 24. & 8. 2.) which the new-covenant law of the Spirit of life, in Christ Jesus freed him from, by putting his nature, therein, to death. The Spirit of life is the death of death, when it puts the law-spirit of Enmity and Death, to death, in the Saint; utterly abolishing all the Anointings, or said precious Ointment, receiv'd in the natural state; and giving all again, with usury, in the unchangeable life and transcendently more precious anointing of the spiritual Man. Man, in restor'd first-Covenant Law-life, is apt (as Paul once) to despise and reject all Gospel-Tydings or witness of the second. The good Name, imports a transcendently higher and better anointing, then the precious Oyntment, here, can signify. For, then the spiritual, there is no better kind of precious ointment, receivable by, or communicable to, Man. This true meaning of the Holy Ghost, in Solomon, as to this former, will much conduce to, and facilitate the opening of the latter clause of this verse.
— And the day of Death, then the day of one's Birth.
The stress of these words can't lie in the literal sence, which cannot hold, generally, nor mostly, true. For, the literal death of the vast number of wicked men, is abundantly worse, then the day of their litteral birth, and life, in this World. Man, though born dead in Sin, is capable of a restauration-birth of a first-Covenant life in his Spirit, which puts him under hopeful advantages, and possibilities of a new-creation-birth of an everlasting righteous Life. These hopes are utterly cut off, from all that die in their Sins, as all that die, in a state of enmity to God, and his Spirit of Grace and everlasting Life, do. This necessitates the allowing a mystical meaning to these Words; which is this. The death of Man's Spirit (as to all natural first-creation life, …, or first-Covenant righteous) obediently submitted to, with certain hope of a Resurrection into the life of Christ's Gospel-Spirit (that slay's and offers it up, in sacrifice to God; as he serv'd our nature, at best, in his own person) is transcendently better, then the Birth and utmost flourish thereof, in him. For, now is he much forwarder on his way, in the right method and death-pass, towards an everlasting righteous new-Covenant life. Paul counted the former dung, to the latter, and suffer'd the loss of all therein, for it. Phil. 3. 7, 8. If Man submit not to the terms and ways of arriving at this new birth, for a newness of life, he will come to a latter end worse then his beginning (in either of his two former Births, litteral or mystical, of bodily or first-Covenant life) eternal death. By obediently losing and quitting the former, natural, or Law-life, for a spiritual, Gospel-one, he comes to a latter end, better then any of his beginnings (in Adam, before the fall; or since, in his own said twofold personal birth) eternal life. A rebellious pitying and sparing our own nature in the first-covenant life thereof, loses all, for ever. An obedient giving it up, to death, and right losing it, saves all; Matth. 16. 25. The Spirit, or inner natural Man, when crucified, and raised into Christ's spiritual life; the death, or dissolution of the body, is not fear'd but desir'd; as by Paul. He earnestly long'd and groan'd after the shaking off, and being perfectly rid of the dusty, mortal, perishing earthly life and state, of his whole natural Man, body and spirit (2 Cor. 5. 1, — 4.) and so, to be wholly at home with the Lord (ver. 6.) in the intire, single, uninterrupted exercise of spiritual life, amongst the best company, the pure, unchangeable Friends of that life, blessed Angels, and Saints departed. In this World, the Saint is surrounded with innumerable Enemies thereof; very burdensome, ill, unpleasing company to him. In the birth and utmost flourish of a first-covenant Law-life, we are still under Satan's power, and delusive influence. He can deceive us, into the same perdition with himself, by that very righteous life. By inducing Men, to over-value, and and rest in it and on it, for Salvation, he brings them into unchangeable Union with himself, in Enmity to God. When perfectly crucified, as to the life of the Law, & raised into the life of the Gospel, we are not under the Law, but under Grace. Then, Sin and Satan have lost their dominion over us, for ever. We wholly cease and are freed from both and all; all enemies, and dangers, whatsoever; Rom. 6. 7, -14. 1 Pet. 4. 1. The birth of a first-Covenant life, gives not full victory over Satan: the right death of Nature, and loss of it, does. Therefore, better, on all hands, as the only way to free us from death, and set us up in eternal life. The right, full death, of Man's Law-spirit of bondage, delivers him from all bondage and fear of death, for ever; which, all their first-Covenant life-time, Men are continually subject to; Heb. 2. 15.