Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 1
AN EXPOSITION OF Ecclesiastes, OR, The Preacher.
The Inspiration of the Almighty giveth Understanding; Job 32. 8.
The things of God knoweth no Man, but the Spirit of God, by which he reveal's them; 1 Cor. 2. 10, 11.
The Spiritual Man discern's all things; v. 15.
If I pleas'd Men, I should not be the Servant of Christ; Gal. 1. 10.
LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1680. Sold by Samuel Lee, at the Feathers in Lombard-Street, near Popes-head Alley.
CHAP. I.
Vers. I. The words of the Preacher, the Son of David, King of Jerusalem.
THIS Book (written by King Solomon, about the fourtieth year of his Reign, and last of his Life, Anno …, 3030) is called, in Greek, Ecclesiastes; in Hebrew, Choheleth; both signifying, a caller unto (or a gatherer together of) Men, to declare to them the words of God's Wisdom, relating to their everlasting blessedness. This is the proper work of the infallible Spirit of Christ, in himself and Saints, Pro. 1. 20-23. and 8. 1, -9. This living Creature-Word and Wisdom of God, is called the Beginning, in and by which, God created the Heaven and the earth, Gen. 1. 1. The purely divine Form of God, did (by way of emanation or generation, not properly creation) produce that Supream Creature-form of him, in personal Union with it self, from everlasting, as it self tells us, Prov. 8. 22, 23. This became his fitted Hand, by which, to Create the World, as also to mediate between meer creaturality in Angels and Men, when made, and the single infinite Divinity. This fountain Creature-Spirit, is, by Divine Authority, called God, and asserted to be the immediate Creator of all things, John 1. 1, - 3. Col. 1. 15, 16. Yea, the Man Christ, as the polished Shaft in this hand of God (ready to be sent forth in due time) is said to be him by whom God made the Worlds (Heb. 1--3.) Natural and Spiritual, by a first and second Creation. He gave an Immortality of Being, not of Life, to Angels and Men, by the First: but true Life and Immortality are brought to light, and set up in them, only, in and by the Second. The First was a mortal Law-life; the Second is an everlasting Gospel-Life, 2 Tim. 1. 10. Whoever fall short of Christ's Gospel-life (as all do, that finally refuse to part with their fading Law-life, by a holy obedient death of their own Spirit and Nature) fall short also of the glory of God, never come to see and enjoy the divine glory, as Co-heirs, with Christ, of God. This living, creating, preaching Word and Creature-Wisdom of God, is the supream receaver, and infallible declarer of the whole counsel of the divine Mind, relating to Angels and Men. The words of this living Word, will prosper in the thing, whereto sent, the Eternal Life or Death of the obedient …, or willful rejecters thereof, Isa. 55. 11. 2 Cor. 2. 15, 16. God effectually makes obedient submitters to, and receivers of it. Wicked Men and Angels make themselves willful haters, final refusers, and incorrigible enemies thereof, Hos. 13. 9. In this supream Creature-being, the original Creature-Book and living Word of God, did all things consist, or stand up together, in a Radical existence, before brought forth in their actual subsistencies, by Creation. In this Book were all our Members written, when, as yet, there was none of them. Our substance was not hid from God, but seen by him, together with all we shall ever come to be, or do; and all, he will do with us, to all eternity, Psal. 139. 15, 16. Seen and known to him were all the works of his hands, and all the works of those works, Men and Angels, towards him, before their actual Production or personall Individuation: Yea, before their said radical Existence. There are no Futurities to His infinite Understanding. All things, past, present, and to come, were ever present to him. The Supream Creature-Spirit, Word, and Wisdom of God, is called Man, as also are Angels, both good and bad. The man Gabriel, that appeared to Daniel, Zachary and Mary, (Dan. 9. 21. Luk. 1. 19. & vers. 26, 27.) was this Creature-Spirit in the Mediator. Good Angels, also, have been frequently represented as, and called Men, Gen. 18. 2. and other Scriptures. Evil Angels also, are called Men of sin, Sons of Perdition, in and with their Luciferian Head, 2 Thes. 2. 3. By the communicated Spiritual Light of the Man Christ, to Angels and Men, can either of them, under and with him, become true seers of God, in his divine and creature-glories, so as to be true Preachers, and rightly qualified Declarers of his divine and spiritual Things or Truths. Such a Seer of God was Solomon the Preacher and Writer of this Book. And in the same Light, in which a Seer of the things of God, was he enabled, infallibly to see and declare the Vanity of all first-creation Life and Goodness, and the never-fading Glories and excellencies of the Second. In the all-penetrating Spirit of true Prophecy, did he see the deep things of Gods divinity, and the natural and spiritual things of the first and second Creation, what each amounted to. So could …, with other awakened spiritual Saints, infallibly prophesy or foretell what will become of any Men or Angels to Eternity (as found rebelliously fixing in their first-creation Life and State of Vanity, or obediently surrendring it for the second) in Eternal Life or Death. In this true spirit of Prophecy, did Solomon (with his Father David, and other Saints) find out and set in order many right words, words of Truth, given from one Shepherd, Eccl. 12. 10, 11. The spirit of the Lord, the rock of Israel, spake to and by David. His Word, saies he, was in my tongue, 2 Sam. 23. 2, 3. Such words only as the Holy Ghost teacheth, words of Gods wisdom, shew the way of salvation, and of scaping damnation. Such words only shew those glorious things, God hath, in everlasting love, provided for Saints; and the dreadful amazing things, he hath, in everlasting wrath, prepared for incorrigible sinners; neither of which, can the Eye, Ear, Heart, or Understanding of natural Man or Angel, take any right measure or notice of. Man and Angel, in the utmost wisdom of their own nature, are bounded with first-creation vanities, for Object; of which number, its very self is; and they, therein. When view'd in the infallible Light, and weighed in the just Ballance of Gods new-creation Sanctuary-Spirit, they'l all be found lighter than vanity. t. The Son of David, King of Jerusalem. So, a Type of the Man Christ (as Son of the great and originally unchangable Creature-spirit of the Mediator) the true King of his New-Jerusalem Saints; set up, by God, on his holy Hill of Zion, Psal. 2. 6. John 5. 22. 27. Act. 17. 31, &c.
Vers. II. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
The doubling of the words, Vanity of vanities, is emphatical, more strongly asserting this irrefragable Truth, That vain are all things in the first-creation world, or natural state of Men and Angels. This say's the Preacher, Solomon, as turning from his own Wisdom or Understanding, and owning the Holy Ghost (or New-creature, Gospel-spirit of Christ) in him, the sole dictating Author of this Book. Vanity of Vanities, in the Hebrew manner of expressing, signifies most vain, in the superlative degree? Man, at his best estate, (and so, Angel, at his best, before the Fall of either) were altogether Vanity, (Psal. 39. 5.) and since the Fall, are they worse, lighter then Vanity it self, less then nothing, Psal. 62. 9. Isa. 40. 17. Neither of them had, at first, any durable Life, Wisdom, …, Glory, nothing but what was mortal, perishable, and vanishing. All was but a fading Flower of the first-creation Field, or World. The utmost growth, beauty, flourish and fruitfulness of the corruptible seed of God's left-hand planting in them by a first-creation, is no more or better. And all their best desires, births, fruits, thoughts or actions therein, are vanity; can never exceed the fading nature and title of the root, whence they spring; the fleshly Tree of good and evil, on which they grow. All visible things, Glory, Riches, Power, (together with the litteral Sun, that produces and renders the rest, visible) are but Vanity of vanities, shadows of shadows, to wit, of the intellectuall … Sun, the first-covenant Spirit, with all the inward mystical riches, …, wisdom, righteousness, glories and excellencies produced thereby, in the natural first-creation state of Man or Angel, at best. The most excellent births, fruits, performances, or works of Righteousness, brought forth and done, but under the impregnating and fructifying influence of the first-covenant Spirit, and so, of Christ therein, as a fleshly Bridegroom to them; all these still, are but Vanity, or vanishing shadows of spiritual, heavenly, eternal, substantial things or truths, durable riches, everlasting life, food and clothing; the glory that excells and remains for ever, in the New-creation state of Man or Angel. All's but the Life and Image of the earthly, in the Spirit of Nature; not of the heavenly, in the new-creature Spirit of Grace. The life, wisdom, form of godliness, righteousness of Man or Angel, in their own nature, as at first created, were real, but not true, in a Scripture-sense. All are but shadows of the everlasting Life, power of Godliness, wisdom and righteousness of God, in the New-creation, or Second Covenant. Holy flesh; cleansed, righteous nature (and so, the common or general Salvation all men are capable, since the Fall, of being restored into, by the Redeemer) is but a shadow of true holiness, special, everlasting salvation, in God's holy New-creature spirit of Grace and Truth. True godliness; the mystery, the power of godliness; true or everlasting Life, Salvation, and blessedness; the Life, Wisdom, and Righteousness of God, in his New-covenant spirit of Grace, none of these true things were possessed by any Angel or Man, in the Primitive unstained purity of their …, by the first-creation. All these true things of God were represented to them all, in the Tree of true Life, by way of Object, as what God had in reserve, to bestow upon them, by a new-creation; on their obedient surrender and parting with that mortal Life and State, they received by the first. God calls what he gave them, by the first-creation, their own; their life, wisdom, righteousness, &c. What he offers them by a new-creation, he calls his own; his life, wisdom, righteousness, &c. All men, that Satan can bring to savour only the natural things of Man or Angel, and never at all, the spiritual, new-creature things of Christ and God (Mat. 16. 23.) are fixed with him in unchangable enmity to God. The New-creature Life and things, God calls his own, are transcendently superiour to Man's own, as the Litteral Heavens are above the Earth. The duplication of this Hebrew superlative, the double Out-cry or Proclamation, here, implies the absolute certainty and great importance of the assertion, as also that Solomon would have the thing here proclaim'd, understood as the sum or compend of this whole Book, which he explains by degrees, in the various parts thereof. What he, indistinctly, and as in a transport, cries out of as Vanity of vanities, he begins to lodg and fix his meaning in, saying, All is vanity. And this (All) yet, as somewhat indistinct, is (after) limited within its due bounds, yet allowed its full extent and circumference, over and over, in this first Chapter. All things under heaven, under the sun, all earthly, mortal life and goodness, received by Man or Angel, in their first-creation; all below what is heavenly, spiritual, and everlasting, in and by the second, are vanity, or vanishing, perishing things, however good in their kind; and useful in their place. This fixes and compleats this leading Proposition and Foundation of the ensuing Discourse. All visible things under the litteral Sun (depending on its influence, as a concurring second Cause of their Production and Preservation, and rendred visible by its light) and then, all the invisible things of Man and Angel, all the Life, Wisdom, Righteousness, Excellencies, Glories, and all the Desires, Thoughts and Operations of their invisible, immortal spirits, under the mystical first-creation Sun, or first-covenant spirit of nature in the Mediator, all these things are comprehended under the title, Vanity. All their counsels, studies, purposes and contrivances for true happiness, within the compass, and in the single activity of that natural state, or life, life and all, all is Vanity. Vanity is written out upon Tree and Fruit, Root and Branch, Principle and Operations, throughout, in that state of both. The infallible new-creature spirit of true Prophecy, declares this, concerning all the goodness, life or …, found in the old, natural, first-creation state of Angel and Man. This Spirit, in Christ and awakened spiritual Saints, can prophesy or certainly fore-tell, what will become of any man (as finally rejecting or complying with its reproofs of Death on his own spirit of Nature, and instructions of Life, in God's Spirit of Grace) in Eternal Life or Death. This New-creature spirit of Life and true Prophesy, is below the infinite Divinity, but transcendently above all natural, first-creation Life and Things, in Man or Angel. Paul, in all the Light, Wisdom, and Righteousness of his restor'd naturalls (Phil. 3. 4, 6.) Was exceedingly mad against Christ's Gospel Truths and Saints, Acts 26. 11. What work then is Man (though wise, strong, and honourable in Christ, (1 Cor. 4. 10.) as to …-covenant attainments) like to make of it at Gospel, or shewing the true way of Salvation? God knows all the Thoughts of man, in his highest wisdom, to be …, 1 Cor. 3. 20. All purely divine things, the deep things of God; and all spiritual, heavenly, new-creation things, lye clear out of the reach of all single natural understanding of man or angel, 1 Cor. 2. 9-14. Their vain wisdom has nothing but Vanity, for its immediately discernable Object. If we extend this, all is Vanity, beyond the sphere of natural, to divine or spiritual creature-things, we blaspheme. If we narrow or confine its significancy to meer visible outward naturals, and call the upper sort of Vanities (the invisible excellencies of natural Man or Angel) Spiritual, we blaspheme also, by thrusting them into the room, and giving them the Title of the New-creation things of God. Flesh and Spirit, natural and Spiritual, in Scripture, are the distinguishing characters of all natural first-creation life and things thereof, in Angel or Man; and of the things of God, in the second. To reckon, with the young man, the Corinthians, and Laodiceans, that when full, rich, wise, strong, and honourable, in the restored first-covenant Law-life of our own nature, we need nothing (Rev. 3. 17.) as to Eternal Life, we shall find our selves so far mistaken, that indeed we want every thing, and must part with all we have, for that every thing. Neither Uncircumcision, nor Circumcision, corrupt nor righteous Nature, holy or unholy flesh and blood, signifies any thing, as to eternal Life, or our entering the Kingdom of God, but that we be New creatures; have spiritual, new-creation Life, about us. If true Righteousness and Salvation were to be found or had in the Law-Life, or first-covenant, first-creation state, no need of Gospel, or a new-covenant Life by the Second, Heb. 8. 7.
If the natural life of Angel and Man, set up in both, by the first-creation, had bin immortal, unchangable, eternal, every one of them had infallibly bin saved. And, if but mortal, and no more excellent life and things had bin prepared by God, to bestow upon them, by a new and second-creation of them, not one of them could ever have bin saved. All had infallibly perished, for ever. None will now so perish, but such as finally refuse to part with and lose their fading life and things, in the first creation, for Gods everlasting creature-life, wisdom, righteousnes, and glory, in the second. Misse but the true extent and bounds of the word all, in this saying, all is vaniry, and we misse all, as to the main scope and design of this Book. That all visible, outward things are vanishing shadows, the common light of reason, in heathens, can declare. But, the reputed orthodox wisdom of man, in the glory of a restored first-covenant righteous life, is the Arch-heretick in the main point, when peremptorily asserting the invisible natural excellencies he is possessed of, to be spiritual. For so, he perfectly excludes the true spiritual things of Christ and God, and shuts up the kingdom of Heaven (Mat. 23. 13.) excludes all the truths or things thereof, out of his doctrine. Then, the whole counsel of God, about the salvation of man is counted foolishnes and madnes, by him. Where will man be, when God is Judge himself? The Heavens will declare his Righteousness (Psal. 50. 6.) not Man's, to be that which qualifies any for enterance into his Kingdom. A most dismal conclusion, will the self-confident Disputers of this World, against God, and all his things, in the next, come to. When their Consciences are opened, all their mouths will be stopped. They'l have nothing to say. All Words of Man's wisdom about the things of God, are most false and Heretical. They assert those to be the things of God, which are not; and utterly deny those that are. All Man's Doctrines, Reasons or Arguments, Uses, Motives, &c. amount to but the perswasive words of his foolish wisdom, to establish his hearers in a direct contrariety to God's. All's but the gingling confused noise of tinckling Cymbals, giving no certain sound, as to what is pleasing to God, or wherein to resist the Devil. They labour to keep off any the least word of a true tendency this way. This work are multitudes of blind leaders and their followers at, sporting themselves in their own deceivings, as to the grand concern of both. Any word, towards the opening the Kingdom of Heaven, they reckon the arrantest Heresy in the World. All this, from want of a right owning the distinction of first creation vanities and shadows (in the full extent and comprehensiveness of this, All is vanity) from spiritual, new-creation Substances and Truths. All that is natural is Vanity, and so, the subject on which the Cross, or spiritual Sword of Christ, falls; it must dye, in every Angel and Man, as brought upon them in love or wrath, whether on obedient Saints, or incorrigible sinners. Job was amaz'd to see his restor'd humane Excellencies, smitten by the Cross. And his three mistaking Friends were amaz'd to find his Spirit, as to all the natural wisdom, restored life and excellencies thereof, lye a bleeding under the friendly death-wounds of Christ's spiritual Sword. To … Jobs Body, Children, and outward concerns only, all that was struck at, by the Cross, is to miss the principal scope and intent of that Book. So, to miss the full extent of the All that is vanity, here, is to miss the main design of this. All that so state Job's Case, miss the main design of God's Love, which was thereby accomplished upon him, for his Salvation; and the main design of the Devils wrath, for his final destruction, which was not accomplished, nor could be. A parallel mistake of this leading word, here, All is Vanity, will gravel the utmost wisdom of the most soaring, … undertaker, in the wisdom of man, to interpret this Book. He will never border upon, or come near the design of it, which is, to undeceive men in their pursuit after true happiness, which all implicitly desire, but millions unalterably hate that Life, wherein it does consist. Man gad's abroad, to change his way, in a vast heap of perishing vanities, first-creation desireables, delights of the sons of men; and wholly misses all those substantial new-creation things or truths which are the delights of the Sons of God. Thus does Man labour for, and seek after true happiness, under a perfect and absolute impossibility, of ever … it. Man, in all possible variety of condition, within the compass of his first-creation make … never gets out of, or surmounts the sphere of Vanity. Vanity … writ upon all he is, hath, can think, speak, or do, therein. Root and Branch, Tree and Fruit, Principles and Performances; all is Vanity Why, then
Vers. III. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the Sun?
What remains to a man, after dead, of all his labour in this world? read's the Chaldee. Nothing. How dies the Wise man? As the fool: the righteous? as the wicked; both perish, for ever. The highest righteousness of man gives him no Title to the Kingdom of God. And where then must he be? Nothing of his fading, mystical, inward Riches or Glory, as well as outward, shall descend after him, or remain with him; Psal. 49. 17. Praised he was of men (vers. 18.) and liked himself passing well, as truly blessed, but will find he never had the praise and approbation-Seal of God (as truly good in his sight) or any thing conducible to true blessedness. Man blesses the covetous heapers up of inward or outward perishing Riches, whom the Lord abhorreth (Psal. 10. 3.) as they, him, and his true. What profit then can man expect of all his labour under the Sun, in but a first-covenant Life and Righteousness? Nothing below the Holy Ghost, or new-creature constant, right, steddy Spirit (Psal. 51. 10.) and principle of everlasting righteousness, signifies any thing, as to his true salvation. When he reckons he has all, he has nothing of durable life, riches, food, or clothing, but is wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. The wisdom of self-confident man, misses the design and principal intendment of God, in the whole Scripture. To preach up the righteousness of man, in the first-covenant-law, is good, in its kind. But, to assert this, to be an everlasting Gospel-life, or state of true salvation, is the highest evil; the very doctrine, Satan preach'd to Eve. Ye shall not dye at all; the Life ye have in the first-creation (that's but natural) is eternal. This is Man's and Satan's accursed other Gospel, handed to men, with great confidence, in the words of their twisted humane and Serpentine wisdom's. To establish and warrant men in their own righteousness, holy flesh, for salvation, is the very doctrine of devils. 'Tis a setting up of Man and Angel, in their spirit of Nature, against God's Spirit of Grace and Truth. All, that finally persist in this Doctrine and way, in stead of the Saints everlasting rest, will … the Lake of fire and brimstone, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Enmity to God and his Gospel-Spirit, is inseperable from the restored first-covenant life of the Law, in man; yea, gets strength, courage, credit, and great authority, by the comming of the command, or fresh setting up that lost life, in him, by the Redeemer; as Paul found; Rom. 7. While then men are heaping up riches, and reckon they are doing well to themselves, there, so as to despise the riches of God's goodness, they are treasuring up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath. Their, moth-eaten, cankred, rusty, corruptible Riches, mystical as well as litteral, will testify against them, in God's day, for trusting in them in their day, on earth, against all his faithful warnings, to the contrary, Jam. 5. 1-3.
Vers. IV. One generation passeth away, and another generation commeth: but the earth abideth for ever.
Eternity and Immutability are the requisite Adjuncts of that, wherein man's true felicity consists. He must look for it in things Eternal, or never find it. And these are not seen by natural understanding, 2 Cor. 4. 18. The litteral sense of these words, is evident to the common understanding, and universal experience of mankind. The spiritual, is a mystery to the highest wisdom of the most enlightned, righteous party of men, in but their own single spirit of nature, short of spiritual light. Man, therein, esteems and values only the cleans'd …, rich and fruitful mystical House or Land of his own Nature, as that which will continue for ever: So, desires it may be called by his own Name. This is the inward thought of the wise, rich, and full first-covenant Saint, in his holy …, the sandy-foundation'd building, though he see such holy, wise men perish, as well as brutish fools, in the corrupt life of nature, Psal. 49. 10. 11. Man's calling his Lands, or outward possessions, by his own Name, is the litteral shadow of this mystical folly. Yet, … posterity approve … sayings (vers. 13.) steer the same course, do the same things, and so, generation after generation, go to the same … of … and death, where they never see Light, vers. 19. Through the unsuspected wiles of the old Serpent, are new raw stagers …, one after another, in the fame …. They reject the voice and instructions of true Wisdom, as the greatest folly. They say to true Seers, see not, prophesy not unto us right things. They hate the Lord's Prophets, as Ahab, Micajah; embrace Satan's, with their smooth words of deceit, Isa. 30. 9, 10. Thus one generation of visible Saints, in holy flesh, after another, passes away into the same dismal end, eternal death, as found, from first to last, a serpentine generation of vipers, fixed in enmity to Gods holy spirit. They say they are true spiritual Jews; but Christ sayes, they are of the synagogue of satan. Rev. 3. 9. This generation passes away, and, yet passes not away (Mat. 24. 3, 4.) though alwayes passing. How So? Why, new commers into this world, still keep up the old Trade, the same spirit, Principles and Perswasions, all along Satan's reign, from the beginning to the ending thereof. A fresh supply of new Teachers and Hearers, carry on Satan's work, to their own eternal ruine. t. But the Earth abideth for ever; That is, Man's and Angels immortal Spirits, in the earthy, leaky, first-creation make thereof. All of them, that refuse to have that first-creation building taken down (in order to become new Bottles or Vessels, by Christ's new-creation workmanship, fitted to hold the new-wine, or Spirit of his Kingdom) do, through the immortality of their beings, become the subjects of God's unchangable wrath, for their unchangable enmity to him, by which they have made themselves Vessels of dishonour and everlasting contempt. This is such recompence of their error, as is meet, even the vengeance of Eternal Fire, (Rom. 1. 27. Jude 7.) on mystical, more than litteral Sodom, Mat. 11. 24. All that yield up all, received in the first-creation, to be filled and clothed with the everlasting life and righteousness of the second, become Vessels of honour, glory, immortality, and eternal Life.
Vers. V. The Sun also ariseth, and the Sun goeth down, and hasteth to (or panteth aster) his place, where he arose.
The litteral Sun, that has a causal influence on all the visible parts of this World, is vanity. 'Tis restless in its motion and revolution, direct and periodical. And this, yet, is but a shadow of the invisible first-creation Sun, the first-covenant-spirit of the Law, under which Men and Angels were created, and Christ himself, in our flesh, was made, Gal. 4. 4. Under and by the causal influence of this, in Christ's Person, as a fleshly-bridegroom, to first-covenant Saints, in holy flesh, are all such righteous fruits and works brought forth and done, as have bin found in a restored enlightned sort of Professors and People, since the fall; or, in Man and Angels, before the Fall. This mystical first-creation Sun, is yet but a shadow, or figure of the seven-fold (and seventy times seven-fold) brighter spiritual, intellectual, new-creation Sun of everlasting righteousness, the Holy Ghost or new-covenant, new-creature spirit, in Christ's person, of which all new-creatures are born, and under the cherishing influence thereof, enabled to bring forth fruits unto God, in a newness of Life. All, thus brought under this Law of the spirit of Life, are made new Bottles, Vessels of honour, and eternal Life; and no other. This is the Sun, Mal. 4. 2. Through this most glorious creature-Sun, in the Mediator, as the … Chrystaline Medium, or transparent Sea of Glass (Rev. 4. 6.) does the infinite glory of the divine Sun shine forth for ever, with safety (in a modifying mixture and allay) on blessed Saints and Angels, which, in its single infinite brightness, would overset and consume them, Heb. 12. 29. Only the original creature-sun or spirit that's in personal union with the infinite divinity, can behold and enjoy the divine Sun or Spirit, in its immediate brightness. This supream creature-vail on it, is the absolutely necessary means of unvailing it, or leting it down, with safety, to all meer-created beings, Angels or Men, in their highest spiritual capacities and understandings. On this account, and in this sense, will Christ be a Mediator between God and them, to all Eternity. The litteral and mystical Sun of the first-creation, will set, and come to a final period. Then will all the flowers of that field, litteral or mystical, wither, fade away, and come to nothing, as to all the perishing beauty and goodliness thereof. But, the Word of God (the new-creation Gospel-Sun of righteousness) will abide for ever, upon all the blessed Inhabitants of the true Mount Sion, Isa. 40. 6-8. 1 Pet. 1. 23-25. On the first sin of Man, against God, and his Creature-Sun of everlasting Righteousness, did Christ with-draw the mysticall first-creation Sun; causing it to go down, set or disappear to all mankind; taking from them what they had, and so leaving them in darkness and death, dead in trespasses and sins. Then, as Redeemer, does Christ cause this Sun to rise upon them again, for the fresh enlightning of every man that comes into the world, more or less (Joh. 1. 9.) with rational, first-covenant light, against which if they sin, it accuses; if they obey it, it excuses them, Rom. 2. 15. This is the Light, or Law of rational nature, in all men. By this Light, are men shewed the way for a returning towards the righteous life, they were, at first, created in; which is called, a making straight (in the desert of their barren, fallen state) a high way for their God (Isa. 40. 3.) a setting their first-creation House or State, in order, again. But, this done, and Man growing up into a fruitful, flourishing posture herein (the ruling intellectual powers, and ruled sensual, each performing their duty, in rightly commanding and obeying) still, still, this very mystical Sun, or first-covenant-spirit (under the quickning, enlivening and fructifying influence whereof, all this is done) will, according to its orderly appointed motions and revolutions, with the litteral Sun, be withdrawn again, go down, set, and disappear from them. Christ, as a fleshly-Bridegroom or Husband to them, will depart and leave them, so as never to shine upon them, more, there. All then, that do not timely, and obediently surrender and part with all the life, fruitfulness, and comforts, they have found under his influence, as the first-covenant Sun of Righteousness (in order to receive from him that newness of life, in which to be married to him as risen from the dead, and bring forth fruits unto God Rom. 7. 1-4. under the influence of his new-covenant-spirit) will be found (on the setting of the former mystical Sun) in a total darkness and death; a Nightstate, in which no man can work righteousness, more, for ever.
Vers. VI. The Wind goeth towards the South, and turneth about unto the North; it whirleth about continually; and the wind returneth again, according to his circuits.
Here's another teaching, instructing similitude, fetched from the litteral wind. Christ, in his first and second covenant spirits (not unfitly represented by the North and South-wind) does powerfully breath and blow upon the spirits of men, in the actual distributions of the one, and convincing discoveries of the other. This mystical wind of Christs twofold creature-spirit, is, in the workings and motions thereof on men, compared to (and fitly figured out by) litteral winds, which manifest themselves in their powerfull effects, however unseen in their true cause and nature. Christ himself uses this similitude Joh. 3. 8.
Vers. VII. All the rivers run into the Sea; yet the Sea is not full: unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
The litteral Sea is a figure of mans immortal spirit, the fathomless depths of which, are such, that it is impossible it should ever be filled, with all the streames of comfort that can flow into it, from all variety of visible or invisible things and excellencies, in the whole first-creation World, Satan's permitted dominion, the sphere and bound of his activity and walk. All these things, highest, lowest, and intermediate, from the tallest Cedar to the meanest Shrub in the whole lump of this worlds perishing, transient vanities, are resembled, here, by gliding rivers. Satan has the most glittering excellencies, of the first-creation sort (in his angelical nature, superiour to man's) to offer, communicate, and lay before him, to feed upon and delight in. He is permitted, by God, to retain all these, in unchangable enmity to him, and all his divine, Spiritual and Heavenly things, in the second. Yea, also, by his sinful transforming skill and power, can he gild them over with the neerest resemblance and beautiful appearance of the second, so as to deceive, if possible, the very Elect, with his baits, and catch them in his snares. But, the far greater part of mankind feed on husks, as his Swine; on the lowest part of the dust of this mortal world, the gratifying satisfactions of the most brutish lusts of the lowest sort of life, in their confounded, fallen nature. All these things of Man or Angel, within the compasse of their first-creation state (in distinction from the things of God, Delights of the Sons of God, in the second) are the delights of the Sons of Men. Satan has a vast Herd of Swine, amongst men. And, as for those that are not only enlightned but enlivened; quick|'ned out of their death in sin, into the righteous life of their own nature again, he is ready with all sorts of diet, suted to the palate of that state. And, if the single excellencies and dainties, suted to their palate in that state, will not serve their turn, he is ready with his superiour angelical first-creation vanities, for them to feed on. If these yet will not hold, and satisfy them (when by Christs spiritual enlightnings, convincingly shewed and offered his more excellent new-creation life and things) then will he gild over all humane and angelical excellencies and meats, with the exactest counterfeit resemblance of the things of God, the never perishing meats, in the second. If this, yet, will not do; he is gone; and the true Saint delivered from all his snares. All the things of Man or Angel, under all Satan's false glosses, and glistering appearances of the things of God, can never answer or satisfy the vast, deep, botomless … of mans immortal spirit. The most swelling rivers and full streams of all worldly vanities, flowing into it, can never fill it. Nothing below the Ocean-fulnes of infinite divinity, and the rivers of spiritual life (flowing there-from, and returning thereunto, as in unchangable union therewith) can truly satisfy it.
Vers. VIII. All things are full of labour, man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Man, in his natural, first-creation state, at best, in all possible attainments and contentments thereof, is but labouring in vanity, from first to last; and his misery therein, not to be conceived or uttered by him. Everlasting perplexity and unutterable vexation of spirit, will inevitably seize him, for ever, after all his doating mirth in his fools paradise, here, if he get not out of this finfull folly and madness. The understanding, or eye, ear, and heart of his immortal spirit, in the best natural state thereof, cannot see, hear, desire, take in, or enjoy the divine and eternal spiritual creature-things of God, provided in the Mediatour for them that love him, which alone can answer all the wants of their immortal spirits, not onelyonly to satisfaction, but extasy and wonder, to all eternity. A new, spiritual eye, ear, intellect and palate, are absolutely necessary, for mans rightly taking in, seeing, hearing, savouring, enjoying, and delighting in these things of God. But how, or which way must or can man come by these spiritual senses, eye, ear, palate and understanding? By the assimilating, regenerating touch of Christ's new-creature heavenly spirit, on man's natural and earthly. Man, obediently submitting to the death-work of Christ's heavenly priestly spirit (as himself did, in our spotless fleshly nature, offering it up in sacrifice to the will of God, in the fire thereof (Heb. 9. 14.) kindling that fire, on the earth, or earthly state of our nature, in himself, Luk. 12. 49-51.) by this means and way only, can any truly please God, effectually, resist and overcome world and devil, scape eternal death, or find eternall life, in the senses whereof, to be satisfied with seeing, and filled with hearing. He must be content to have his right eye, hand, and foot, plucked out, cut off, and cast away (to part with and lose the best discerning, wisdom and light, the exactest working righteousnes, and walking righteously, in his own renewed natural state (offended at the cross) signified by eye, hand, and foot) in order to be filled with another life, springing up from the incorruptible seed thereof, as begotten and born of the spirit or ever-living word of God (1 Pet. 1. 23.) in which alone he can see, hear, work righteousness, or walk with a right foot according to the gospel of the grace of God, so as truly to please God, or find true blessedness for himself; where his eye, ear, and heart can take in what will fully answer all the wants or desires of his immortal spirit, to eternity. Thus only can man come, so to delight in the Lord, as to have the whole desire of his heart (Psal. 37. 4) all the needs of his immortal being, eternally over-answered, in such enjoyments and things, as the natural eye, ear, or heart of Angel or Man can never see, hear, desire, understand, or take any right measure and cognizance of; 1 Cor. 2. 9. By submitting to the death of nature, at best, under the hand of the gospel-high priest of our profession (Heb. 3. 1.) as himselfe, in our nature did, can these things be brought to pass. The promise of the father will be certainly performed by the son, for the quickning us up, out of the death of our obediently sacrificed nature, into the life of the true Melchisedec, or sacrificing High Priest of God. So shall we come to have an eye that can be satisfied with seeing; and, an ear, filled with hearing, in the fight and enjoyment, not only of the Rivers of true Life, in the creature-spirit of the Mediator, but infinite divine Ocean-fullness of God most high. The natural Eye, Ear, Heart and Understanding, have nothing for Object of the desire and thought of Man, but a heap of perishing, (visible or invisible) vanities, that can never answer the wants of his immortal being. All his appetite there, is but a belly for meats, and meats for a belly, that God will destroy, both one and t'other (1 Cor. 6. 13.) desires and desirables, which are all, Vanity. Man, in whatsoever variety of his own nature, then, is vainly labouring under an impossibility of pleasing God or profiting himself, as to true blessedness. All he does, in his natural state or Body, the restored living soul and Image of the earthly, is but bodily exercise, 1 Cor. 15. 44-49. 1 Tim. 4. 8. Man, by trusting and establishing himself in his righteous Law-life, becomes the unchangable enemy of God and his Gospel-life, and Truths. Filth of flesh or spirit (an enmity to the divine and everlasting righteous creature-spirit of Christ and God) fixed in, makes Men a litteral or mystical Sodom, to which the vengeance of eternal sire is the meet recompence. When Man is once come to this pass, all his labours are but as the tossings and uncertain tumblings of a raging, foaming Sea, casting up mire and dirt, … of flesh or spirit; Isa. 57. 20. No peace with God, no peaceable fruits of righteousness to God, in a fixed spirit of enmity to him. These can only be found and brought forth in that Gospel spirit of truth, which is called Love, as unchangably loving and beloved of God, the fulfiller of his whole Law (Rom. …. 10.) in every point, in the full comprehensive, litteral and mystical meaning thereof; the fulfiller of all righteousness, God's and Man's, to God's well-pleasing, and Man's Salvation. Man, establish'd in the most righteous Life of his own nature, and, so in unchangable enmity to the Righteousness of God, in his spirit of Grace, is unchangably wicked. He walkes but in a vain shew, a troublesome dream, disquiets himself in vain, heaps up Riches, and knows not who shall gather them, Psal. 39. 6. Christ, by the same Cross, or spiritual, Gospel-Sword and Fire, in final wrath, will seize, gather, take and consume all; which, had they obediently submitted to, as offer'd to be brought upon them, in Love, he would have given them his durable Riches, and everlasting Life, in the room thereof; and so, a spiritual Eye, that should have bin satisfied with seeing, and an Ear, that would have bin filled with hearing. Without Gospel-exchange-Traffick of Nature for Grace, the Life of Man for God's, of the Creature for the Creator's, who is God blessed for ever, we never find true satisfaction. In his own nature, Man trades only in shadows, will never make any thing on't, to purpose. That Life, and all it feeds on, are but vanishing shadows; all the visible and invisible goodnesses thereof, but fading flowers. All that willfully and knowingly spend their days in such vanities, will in a moment go down to the grave, and all their thoughts perish. Job 21. 13. All their beauty will be consumed in the grave, from their dwellings, Psal. 49. 14. This will men come to, by the willful neglect of this timely warning from God, that the inmost Eye and Ear of their Immortal Spirit, in the worldly Life of their own Nature, can never be satisfied, or find any durable good, for its portion. Unhappy man, in all possible variety of his own nature, corrupt or righteous, foolish or wise, wholly eyes, doats upon, chuses, delights in, and hunts after perishing vanities, which God calls things that are not; and turns his back upon all things spiritual and eternal, as Chimaerical nothings, which God calls the only things that are.
Vers. IX. The thing that hath been, is that which shall be: and that which is done, is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the Sun.
There's no new thing to be found in the first-creation, worldly spirit of nature, under the mystical Sun, or first-covenant spirit: nothing of the new-creature spirit of everlasting righteousness; no things of God, or his kingdom; things spiritual, heavenly, eternal; things ever new, fresh, green and flourishing. Man and Angels, as soon as made, were old, that is, had no life or goodness, but what was subject to mystical gray hairs, decayes, old age, and death. These are the several steps, by which the mortal life and best things, put into (or set up in) Angel or man, come to expire and vanish. All, vanity. All their fading goodness (when they flourish therein as a green Bay-tree, Psal. 37. 35. 36) carries mortality and vanity, written out, in its forehead: has a day of adversity, set over against their utmost prosperity therein. The thing that hath bin, is that which shall be. The sinless, Innocent state of man, at first, is that which shall be generally experienc'd, on earth, under the reign of Christ, again. At entrance thereof, he will give a restitution of all, to their primitive natural purity; Act. 3. 21. Some gradual restorations of the first-covenant light, or also life, man was created in (under Law and Gospel, and before either were put into written oracles) have bin experienced, more or less, by all men, from the redeemers hand, the light that lighteth every man that comes into the world. What, all such light, life, wisdom, righteousness, or …, works, duties, and performances thereof and in, amount unto, has bin sufficiently experienced. This spirit or state is so far, at best, from being any security to man, for salvation, that a false confidence and resting therein, is his sore and remediless destruction; Mic. 2. 10. Men bring forth fruit but to themselves, in all this, at best; are empty vines to God; Hos. 10. 1. They never bring forth fruit unto God, but in his newness of life, as born of (living and walking in) his spirit of grace. All, in nature, best or worst, Root and Branch, the fleshly Tree of good and evil, with the fruit, all's but a perishing vanity. There is nothing new, to be done or found therein, as the innumerable multitude of mankind have experienced, generation after generation. For,
Vers. X. Is there any thing, whereof it may be said, see, this is new? it hath bin already of Old time, which was before us.
Satan is ready to suggest; and man, as ready to believe, there is some new thing in the but renewed old nature of man, beyond what, at first, was in it. All men are experimental witnesses of Satan's first lie to Eve, that the life of nature, given in the first-creation, was eternal; and, that they should not Die at all. No such thing as Death, incident to it. But, this life, renewed and confirmed by the second Adam, sayes Satan (and Man joynes in it) is Eternal. But, this confirming and warranting man safe in the established life and righteousness of restored nature, is Satans doctrine, and Man's accursed other Gospel. Christ restores mans lost first-covenant law-life; Satan asserts this to be a Gospel state, and man agrees, to take it so, and look no farther, for salvation. As soon as any are renewed by Christ, into some degree of the lost righteous life of nature, Satan is at their Elbow, with the same lying Suggestion, as to Eve, this is Eternal Life, ye shall not Die at all. Paul (not without a cause) was afraid and Jealous of the Serpents thus beguiling the Corinthians, through his subtilty, as he did Eve, 2 Cor. 11. 2, 3. This is his other Gospel, in a perfect contrariety to every tittle of Christ's (v. 4) another Jesus, another spirit and state of life, for salvation, in direct contradiction to all, Paul preached; which, nor Paul, nor any true Gospel-preacher, ought to let passe, undiscovered and uncontrolled. Fixing in nature, at best, for salvation, is union with the Devil, in unchangable enmity to God, and his new-creature spirit, in which, ever, any could be saved. Under Satans reign, nature is seldom fully restored in man, from filth of flesh. And, filth of spirit, or enmity to God and his spirit of truth, is inseperable from the highest restorations of it, till the Reign of Christ. Yet, under all these disadvantages, and shortnesses of primitive purity, is it, when restored, asserted to be better and safer then that, for Salvation. This, Satan most wickedly suggests, and Man most foolishly believes, to his own destruction, as he will find, at winding up. Thus Satan and his Apostles, transformed into the likeness of Christ and his, in word and language, preach up restored nature, a-fresh, for a currant Gospel-state of absolute salvation; in which, men are under an absolute impossibility of ever finding it. All the inticing and perswasive words of Satan's and Man's serpentine and humane wisdom, look, and run this way. Scripture interrogatories are the strongest assertions. Is there anything new, any newnes of life, in mans restored Old? nothing of it. whatever can be found in this restored state, has bin already of Old time, before us, in the unstained purity of it, in Adam, who yet was not fence-proof against Satans charming wiles, and power. Twas then, perfect, in its kind; rarely yet so, since. Twas but a corruptible perfection of a loseable goodness. And, lost it was. Most vain; mad and unprofitable then, is all Man's labour, since the fall, in seeking for, asserting (or undertaking to prove) eternal spiritual life, to be found in fading natural. Man, now, in his best restored naturals, is tainted with a treasonable Enmity to God, and that spirit, in which alone any can be saved. Paul, in his restored righteous law-life of nature, was a fierce enemy to the spirit of grace, and all the Gospel-truths or things thereof. After the universal experience of man-kind, and universal warnings of true wisdom, to the contrary, to preach up Salvation in the but restored first-covenant righteous life of nature, is unexcusable madnes. True Wisdome calls out to these simple stragglers and wanderers after Vanity, with their backs willfully turned upon him, and all his Reproofs of death upon Nature, and instructions of Life, in his Spirit of Grace. How long re simple ones, will ye love simplicity, delight in scorning my counsel, and hate true knowledge? Prov. 1. 22. Turn from your own Understanding at my reproof, and I'le pour my spirit into you, by which ye shall rightly understand all my words, vers. 23. While men ramble after their many things, spend all their labour and money for that which is not Bread, Satans divers and strange Doctrines, they come to be established in their own Nature, with his meats, to their final destruction, in stead of being established with the Grace and Doctrine of Christ, for their everlasting …, Heb. 13. 9. All our Old things, Life, Light, Wisdom, Righteousness, &c. must pass away, that we may receive Christ's new, 2 Cor. 5. 17.
Vers. IX. There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall their be any remembrance of things that are to come, with those that shall come after.
All former things, excellencies, and perfections, found in the natural first-creation state, before the fall (or gradual restorations of the like, since) are of no account or remembrance, with God. Nothing, short of his Life of everlasting righteousness, set up in Man, brings him under his approbation-Seal. Men must be unmade, broken down, and pull'd up by the roots (as to that Building and Life, they were set up in, by God himself, in their first-creation-make) in order to be new Vessels of his newness of Life, by a second. God planted in Man, an incorrupt seed of corruptible Life (that, in its utmost flourish and fruitfulness, amounts but to a fading flower) by his left hand, in a first-creation. He offers to plant and quicken up in him, on the obedient death and removal of all this (Root and Branch, Tree and Fruit) an incorruptible seed of an everlasting Life, by his right hand, in a new-creation of him. See both Seeds, with a negative on the former, in all, born of the latter, 1 Pet. 1. 23. This only (and man therein) will be of everlasting account and remembrance with God; the other, never, in time past, in innocency or any restorings of it since; or time to come, by the like restorings of it, in following generations, under Satans reign; or the full perfection of it, under Christ's reign, which shall come after.
Vers. XII. I the Preacher was King over Israel, in Jerusalem.
What more contemptible than Satan's mercenary Priests and Preachers of Lies? What, or who more honourable than the Preachers of God's Truth? King Solomon, and a far greater than he, Christ himself, the high Priest of God, is the Preacher of his Truths, and Declarer of his Counsels, to Angels and Men. Preaching Christ's Gospel, is the best of Callings; Satan's, the worst of Trades. Solomon; the Preacher, and Writer of this Book, was King over litteral Israel, in Jerusalem; and therein, a Type of Christ, King over the whole spirituall Israel of God, in the New-Jerusalem. In the all-discerning Spirit of Prophecy, does Solomon reflect upon his former vain thought, for finding true happiness, or the way towards it, in the single wisdom of his own enlightned nature, however eminent; as follows.
Vers. XIII. And I gave my heart to seek and search out by Wisdom, concerning all things that are done under Heaven: This sore travel hath God given to the Sons of Man, to be exercised therewith.
Solomon, here, in the true preaching Spirit of Jesus, reflects upon, and gives an account of his own mistaking wisdom and thought, about blessedness; and, of his sad experience, therein. I gave my heart to search out by my own Wisdom (wherein I excelled others) concerning all things, under Heaven. The result was; he found this sore travel and labour of his natural mind, to be what God has given to the sons of men, to exercise, afflict, or humble them, by: In the new-creature Wisdom of God, he finds the vanity of his own, and his vain design, thought and labour, therein. He finds that, and all the things, or works and fruits thereof, to be but earthly, from beneath (below that Life, wisdom, and things of God, he had now the experience of, in him) under Heaven. So he, at once, confesses, declares and corrects his vain thought, of reaching, knowing and doing all things, relating to his true blessedness, therein. By way of Recantation, toward the close of his Life and day in this World; he confesses the vanity of his thought, and unprofitableness of all his labour, therein, calling it (as by sad experience he had found it) a sore travel. He declares also God's design, in letting even Saints, for a season, run their course there, to humble and Afflict them, and so, dispose them to a willing surrender of that, for a better Life and Wisdom, in which alone they may find, what they were, under an impossibility, seeking for. Thus, God let Job and his three Friends, run to the end of their Line, in their own Wisdom, and Spirit, as Disputers of this world, till at an absolute puzzle and period, none of them being able to unriddle the design and methods of God's Wisdom towards Job, under that dispensation of the Cross. Then he opens the mouth of his fore-runing Messenger, …, to instruct them all, in another Wisdom and Spirit, on which they were …, answered no more; but, left off speaking, Job. 32. 2. 15. Enmity to God, inseperable from the highest restored Life and Wisdom of Man, must needs render his utmost labour therein, about happiness, a sore travel. God, in greatest love, on Man's fall, …, the mystical Ground, Earth, or earthly state of Man's nature, and that for Man's sake, so as to render that enmity to him, contracted by the Fall, unextinguishable, otherwise then by the perfect death thereof. Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth, say's God, to Adam, Gen. 3. 17. 18. Both the litteral, and also mystical earth of Man's Nature (in the very restored Life of the Law, Image of the earthy, and righteousnes of Man) fell immediatly under this Curse. All, in the best works of their Law-life, are under this Curse. Gal. 3. 10. What Thorns and Thistles, was Paul (when eminent herein) bringing forth, in a fierce persecuting enmity against Christ, and all his Gospel Truths and Saints? Phil. 3. 6. Act. 26. 11. The death of nature then, the right way (not in, but to sin, so that sin becomes dead in them, not they in it) under the Cross and Gospel-sword, is undispensably necessary to the ridding man of all evil, and capacitating him to receive a Life of everlasting righteousness, wherein he will find himself possessed of all good; a state, wherein 'tis as impossible not to please God in every thing, as in his own Life at best, ever to please him, in any thing. This comes Man to, by obediently complying with God's design, in gladly receiving his sentence of Death within him, as Paul, and so getting rid of his own Law-spirit of bondage, enmity and death (and all his sore travel and labour therein, to no purpose, as to his grand concern) in exchange for the Gospel-life of Christ, and therein, glorious liberty of the sons of God, an everlasting freedom to good only, and from all Evil of sin or punishment, for ever. Then all our works are wrought in God (Joh. 3. 21.) and God works all our works in us and for us. We, therein, are co-workers with God. All such works are ever acceptable to him, and most easy, delightful and profitable to man. What, all works, in man's earthly Life and Nature, under Heaven, amount unto, we find, yet farther,
Vers. 14. I have seen all the works that are done under the Sun; and behold, all is vanity, and vexation of spirit.
Solomon, in the new light and wisdom of God, positively concludes the most rectified Principles of nature, and man's utmost fruitfulness, exactest walking, best works, designs, counsels, thoughts, and purposes therein, to be but vanity in themselves, and vexation of spirit to himself. The more rich and full Man is, in the righteousness, wisdom, and glory of his own nature, the more apt to grow offended at the Cross, that comes to seize and set fire, on all; and hereby, the more is God offended at him. A confidence in such encreasing riches, as are but vanity, encreases vexation of spirit, every way.
Vers. 15. That which is crooked, cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting, cannot be numbred.
Humane nature, at best, in innocency, as liable to wax old, decay, and die, in all the Wisdom, Life, and Glory of it; and, as liable to corrupt, and be depraved (through Man's evil use of all, in preference and opposition to what's more excellent) might be called old and crooked. But, since the fall, 'tis actually, and apparently, so. A glory it had, which was no glory, to the glory that excells, and remains for ever, in new-creation Life; The Life, Wisdom, Righteousnes of man, in his first created state, was no Life, Wisdom, Righteousnes, in respect of what is given to, and set up in him, by the second; is admitted no comparison; looked upon as nothing, to it; is to be folded up, and laid aside, as an old garment, for it. God himself thus handles all the first-creation works of his own hands, Isa. 34. 4. & 66. 1, 2. Heb. 1. 10-12. Man, though made perfect and upright, at first, all the life and goodness he was possessed of, was corruptible and changable, though not corrupt. So, not to be compared with the incorruptible, unchangable, everlasting Life, Wisdom, Righteousnes and Glory of God, set up in, and put upon man, by a new-creation. Man's and Angels attempts and designs, for holding fast, making straight (and establishing themselves in) their natural, first-creation Life, (which God hath made crooked, …. 7. 13.) in opposition to his offered straight, and incorruptibly perfect new-creation life, is peerless madness, and inexcusable folly. God requires them both and all, to part with their own crooked life, how ever straight in their Eye, for his own absolutly straight and incorruptibly perfect new-creation life, which only is straight in his Eye. But farther, what God made … to crookednes (and, in that sense, crooked) fallen Angels and Man have made actually perverse, crooked, and tortuous. In evil Angels, tis made unchangably so, in rebellion against God, and a justling competition with his unchangably straight new-creation life. In fallen man, enmity to God and his everlasting righteous creature-life, is inseperable from his natural state and life, however restored. But, both that enmity and his life, are seperable from him, by his obedient death, in sacrifice to God, on which he receives thepromise of the Father, the unchangably straight new-creature life of the Son. Evil Angels are continually at it, with Men; follow them closs, with this lying suggestion, that their but restored righteous natural state, is the straight thing in God's sight, as well as theirs, which will give them entrance into the kingdom of God. Multitudes, multitudes, all along this World, under Satan's reign, have drunk in this serpentine venom, to their eternal ruin, as will appear in the valley of decision. Fixure in the life of nature, corrupt or righteous, renders men litteral or mystical Sodomites; both, most Crooked, perverse, and abominable, in God's sight and thoughts; be what they will in their own. Such establishment in the righteousnes of Man, as is highly esteemed amongst men, is abomination in the sight of God. Such an evil concupiscence, lust, or covetousnes after, and delight in, the mysticall riches, fruits, wisdom, glory and righteousness of their own nature, or house, as makes them finally to despise the durable riches, wisdom, life and glory of God, in that spirit of grace, which is his house, and to refuse the required exchang of all their fading vanities for them, is death without mercy. Thus do men by an evil covetousnes to their own house, consult shame to themselves, and get everlasting contempt, as vessels of dishonour. Hab. 2. 9, 10. This did the Pharises, who were thus covetous. Luk. 16. 14, 15. This fixes man in an unchangable bloody mind of enmity to the constant, steady, right (Psa. 51. 10.) unchangably straight creature-spirit of everlasting righteousness and truth, and to God most high.
The defects of man, or what is wanting to him, for eternal Life, in his own nature, corrupt or righteous (from which, since the fall, filth of flesh or spirit, are inseperable) cannot be numbred. For he wants every thing, all things Spiritual, Heavenly, and Eternall; and must part with every thing he has, for them. Till poor, desolate, and undone in himself, he cannot be rich and strong in God; till impoverished even to death, in his own spirit, not rich in God's; but wretched, poor, blind, and naked; destitute of, and wanting all things, for eternal Life. Enmity to God, and that Spirit of Grace, in which alone any can be saved, is as inseperable from man, in the corrupt or righteous Life of his own spirit of nature, as the Ethiopian hiew, or Leopards spots, from them. Jer. 13. 23. Till the said exchang, by death, be obediently yielded to (the terms, God's wisdom put's on man, as his part, in order to an entrance into his new and everlasting covenant-life, on which, he will certainly perform his part of that covenant, in giving him that life) the things man wants, for salvation, cannot be numbered. All the numberless spiritual, new-creation things, the everlasting creature-Life, Wisdom and Righteousness of God, with the innumerable fruits to be brought forth by men therein, to God; and the innumerable fruits of Gods love therein, … man, Love, Joy, Peace, &c. Gal. 5. 22, 23.) All these things are wanting; that is, every thing.
Vers. XVI. I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom then all they that have bin before me, in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience (Heb. seen much) of wisdom and knowledg.
Solomon was eminent in mystical earthly-Jerusalem life, and in the Ornaments or excellent, best, and most spiritual inlightning gifts of the Heavenly. In this super-eminent wisdom and understanding, the vain thought and pussing up Imagination of his own heart, was, that he now wanted nothing, for the rendring him compleatly happy. His wisdom and largeness of heart was as the Sand on the Sea-shore, 1 Kings. 4. 29. The mystical inward riches of his restored, adorned nature, rendred him as much above others therein, as in outward worldly greatness and visible pompe. And he resolved to make the best, of all these advantages, offered him; try what they all amounted to, not without a secret hopeful-thought of finding absolute blessedness therein.
Vers. XVII. And I gave my heart to know Wisdom, and to know Madness and Folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
Here's that he find's all to amount unto; Wisdom, Righteousness, Wickedness, Madness, Folly; all (within the compass of Man's natural state, corrupt or righteous) vanity, and if finally trusted in for blessedness, will leave Man (to his sore and amazing disappointment) in eternal darkness and death, unutterable torment and everlasting vexation of spirit, as his due portion, the, meet recompence of his errour, from God. Solomon found the search after all Earthly vanities, all things under Heaven or below what is heavenly, a sore travel (vers. 13.) a grievous labour; man, little the better, when he has found them. For, setting himself to experience what the utmost pleasures to be had in all, amounted to (as gratifying to all variety of life and desire in him, sensuall or intellectual) he found all such knowledg and folly in corrupt or righteous nature, and all such practice and experience, vanity and vexation of spirit. He was qualified and furnished, to take the largest and deepest draughts, as to all delights of the Sons of Men; and take them he did, and this he found all to be. Though he found wisdom, acquired or infused (nature, cultivated, advanced and adorned by humane learning in Heathens; or made wise, strong, and honourable in Christ, by his restoring the lost righteous first-covenant life thereof) better then the folly of dark, ignorant, uncultivated, and unrenewed nature; yet, he found, that all these varieties in nature, fall under the same general title, vanity and vexation of spirit. This is the conclusion he arrives at, in the preaching, all-searching spirit of infallible truth. All Wisdom, Folly, Light, Darkness, Righteousness, Wickedness, in man's natural state (which he had taken the liberty to experience, as well as know) all is vanity. This is King Solomon's Proclamation and warning to his fellow-mortals; and the true King Solomon's faithfull and timely warning to all man-kind, in all generations; Prov. 1. 20, &c. 8. 1, &c. Final disappointment, torment, and vexation, will befall all that finally fall short of true, substantial, divine and spiritual things, in which alone true blessedness can ever befound.
Vers. XVIII. For, in much wisdom is much grief: and he that encreaseth knowledg, increaseth sorrow.
All increasings with the encreases of man, in the fading Life, Wisdom, Riches, Righteousness and Glory of his own nature (not of God, in the everlasting Life, Wisdom, Glory, and righteousnes, things of God) are but additions to, and multiplications of his sorrow, in getting, keeping, and then loosing all, again. For, all must go, first or last, by the dispensation of the Cross (in love or final wrath) upon every Man and Angel. Men cannot but have misgiving thoughts (from the self-evidencing nature of the perishableness of all they can be there possess'd of) that all will be gone, again. So are, all their life time therein, subject to bondage, in the highest glory and flourish thereof, through a fear, by death, of losing all; Heb. 2. 15. Job declares, that, as safe as he was apt to … himself to be, in the highest righteousness, wisdom, and glory of his own nature, in afirst-covenant-life, he had a secret bottom-fear, all would fail him. The thing I greatly fear'd is come upon me; Job, 3. 25, 26. I find I had nothing of that true safety, rest or quiet, in the utmost wisdom and glory of my own restored nature, that I fondly flatter'd my self into the false perswasion of. He found all, death-struck, by the Cross; the very righteous life and mystical riches of his spirit, as well as outward concerns of his body. His secret fear was the truest thought, and faithful … of him, as to what he was to expect, at winding up. Man's encrease in the wisdom and knowledg of his own nature, amounts but to the cleerer sight of the miseries and defects of himself and others, therein; and, all such wisdom shews it self insufficient to correct his own or others errours. Young sciolists are apt presently to think they know all; but when they have travelled farther, in their inquiries, come, with Socrates, to see and confess, they know only this, that they know nothing, with certainty, infallibly; and so, find no rest, or satisfaction, in all they find. Yea, and are still more and more vexed and press'd, thereby, with the foresight of future evils, incident to them. The wisest man, will more and more find himself, in the, exercise of his own wisdom (as to things past, present or to come) but in a self-tormenting labyrinth, and … maze of vaine, self-bewildring imaginations. All knowledg and thoughts, depending on the temper and fitness of bodily Organs, are enfeebled, in the old age (and, at length, quite extinguished, at the death) of the body. Then, that all that sort of thoughts perish, all see. Again, the higher man's light and knowledg, if uncompliant therewith in practice, the heavier (he knows) will the wrath of God be, upon him, for ever. Thus, the sad and inevitable result af all Man's encrease in his own wisdom and knowledg, is the encrease and aggravation of his sin, and sorrow at every turn. Lastly the higher man is advanc'd in the life, riches, wisdom, and righteousness of his own spirit, the more apt, with Paul, to be a fierce zelot for that law-life, and forwardest opposer of the everlasting Gospel-life of Christ, and all the words thereof. The Cross seemes a harder dispensation, to the righteous Scribe and Phaisee, that have much to lose, then to Publicans & Harlots in the corrupt life of nature, who therefore (as more easily induced to submit to and own the doctrine thereof) enter into the Kingdom of God, before them. The mysticall rich young man went away very sorrowful, when he heard of parting with all he had, for eternal life. Zaccheus and Mary-Magdalen did not so. Final trusting in the corruptible life, riches, wisdom, and righteousness of man, render's entering into the kingdom of God, absolutely impossible. Mar. 10. 24, 25. The very Disciples (acquainted yet only with first-covenant riches) were astonished out of measure, at this word, saying, among themselves, who then can be saved? vers. 26. Encrease in outward riches, also, and in that wisdom and subtlety, by which gotten, and for a season, kept; all such riches, pomp, and glory therein, as figures and shadows of inward, are usually found to be but the amusing snares of Satan, by which he keep's men in a total mindlesness of truelife, with all the words thereof, and leads them blindfold to the chambers of Death, in Mirth and Jollity, Job. 21. 7-13. Thus are all worldly riches, wisdom, and glory, litteral and mystical, by man's wilful madnes, made an occasion of his everlasting grief, sorrow, torment, and vexation of spirit. Who can utter it? what life, treasure, meats, food, clothing, man should not seek, and what he should, Christ declar's and commandes; nothing, that's liable to moth-eating, rust, corruption, loss, or death; but heavenly, unsubjected to any of these things; above all dangers, decayes, deaths, enemies or fears; Mat. 6. 19, 20. Joh. 6. 27. And, by James, he shew's, what, all that take not this counsel, will come to, at last; as found possessed of no other riches, litteral or mystical Gold and silver, but what will be cankered and the rust thereof witness against them, as guilty of inexcusable folly, in neglecting all the faithful warnings of Christ, against their trusting in such selfevidencing vanities, for true hapines. Jam. 5. 1-3. What they reckon a heaping up treasure for themselves, for the last dayes, they'l find to have bin a treasuring up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath. Man's passive obedience, to the death and loss of all his life, wisdom, and riches, is the highest point of obedience, God requires, or he can perform, in the right use thereof. This makes way for the quickning and springing up of the incorruptible seed & principle of a new and everlasting righteous life, in which alone tis possible for man to bring forth … unto God, or perform such active obedience, as shall be ever pleasing to God, and … to himself. This is the counsel, and method of Gods wisdom, about man's salvation, which, all that … reject, will inevitably perish. If they will follow the words of man's wisdom, in perfect contradiction thereunto, This will they have of God's hand, they must lie down in sorrow.