Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 4 · Verse 16
Vers. XVI. There is no end of all the People, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after, shall not rejoyce in him: surely this also is vanity, and vexation of Spirit.
Solomon (having consider'd the present generation of old foolish kings, in his own day, upon earth) tells us, the case was alway's the same, in former, and will so be, in all after-times of this world. So, these two last Verses of this Chapter, are a farther enlargment, as to the Character, and future condition of the Old foolish King, to Eternity. As to the poor wise Child, he asserted him, in general, to be better than the Old foolish King; vers. 13. Then, vers. 14. gives his reason for it; because he comes out of his Prison to reign, with Christ, in a state of eternal Life, absolute freedom, and true blessedness. There's enough for him; all that need be said of him. But the Old foolish King (vers. 13.) declar'd in general (vers. 14.) amidst all his conceited riches, to be poor; he farther signifies (vers. 15.) that he will so be found, to all eternity. And then (vers. 16.) that this is the Case of all the like old foolish Kings, in former generations, from the beginning of the World, and will be found the Case of all of the like spirit, in after-Generations, to the World's end.
To the first of these, he speaks in the former part of this Verse; There is no end of all the People, even of all that have been before them. There's no end of their immortal beings, and exquisite sensibleness of their whole Persons, Body, Soul, and Spirit, in a Resurrection-State of Damnation. Annihilation-death they'l ever desire, but never find. Such death will ever flee from them. And Eternal Life they can never have. For, though in a general, confused, random-guess at happiness, every one would be happy; that Life, in which true happiness ever can be found, are, and wil they be found in a Spirit of unchangeable enmity to. Such life, then, can they never have; nor, such death, as annihilation of their beings, or insensibleness in their beings, amounts unto, however hotly pursued, desired, or sought by them. There's no end of their being, nor yet of their most exquisite sensiblenes therein, under the tormenting wrath and fiery indignation of God, for ever. The immortality of their whole being, in a resurrection of damnation, will hold them close to't, under punishment, for ever, in hell, for the ill Use they made of their immortal Spirits, and mortal first-covenant righteous life thereof, while in their mortal Body's, upon earth. The second Child or whole man, body, Soul, and Spirit (put together again in a resurrection-state of immortality, as to being) is to answer for all, done in the mortal body, or natural state and life of all; 2 Cor. 5. 10. and Ec. 12. 14. Thus will it be with the Old foolish King, for ever, as to being. But, as to that Mortal, changable first-Covenant righteous Life (which he pleased and flatt'red himself with, as an endless Life of true blessedness) that will come to an end. He will find himself rid of all the fading good, and comfort of that, which he would fain keep; and will be kept up, for ever, in a most desolate wretched State of being, under wrath, which he would fain be rid of. So, is he gone, every way. All he would not have, he must have, and that, for ever: and all he would have, he will for ever be deprived of, without the least relief (when Tormented in the flames of God's Wrath) so much as by a drop of Water to cool his Tongue; Luk. 16. 24.
The mortal first-Covenant Life of his immortal Spirit, Exspires and Vanishes; dies away, and ceases, with the mortal Life of his Body. So, such wise, old foolish Kings (wise in Christ (1 Cor. 4. 10.) as to first-Covenant attainments, and fixing there, in Enmity to the second) will die, and perish for ever, as the Fool, or Brutish Sinner of the Gentil's. Yea, worse will be his final Doom, of the two. The righteous Mystical Sodomite (in the form of Godliness, righteousness of Man, in his own restor'd nature, but Enmity to the Power of it and righteousness of God, in his Gospel Life and Spirit of Grace, which is filth of Spirit) will have worse on't, then the Litteral Sodomite, in filth of flesh. His greater advance, and … advantages toward Salvation, neglected, and abused, do highly aggravate his evil of Sin, and accordingly will be his evil of punishment, for ever. After all Exaltation, with Capernaum, in first-Covenant-Life, and second Covenant or Gospel-Light, even up to Heaven (so as … to see, and then obstinately refuse God's only appointed way of entrance; the death of their earthly spirit of nature, for the life of his Heavenly Spirit of Grace) will all such Mystical Sodomit's, be tumbled or thrust down to Hell, where it shall be more tolerable for Litteral Sodom, then for them; Mat. 11. 20-24. Luk. 10. 12-15. Christ himself gives the reasons for this difference in Punishment; v. 21. 23. and Luk. 12. 47, 48. He that (cleerly) know's his Master's will, and does it not, shall be beaten with many Stripes: He that does not (so cleerly) know it, shall be beaten with fewer. For, to whom much is given, of him shall be much requir'd; as the case is with Men; to whom they have committed much, of him they will ask (or expect) the more. Man, in the dark State of his corrupted nature, know's not his Master's will, at that rate, as the old foolish King (in the restor'd Life of the first, and light of the second Covenant) does. By abusing the Life of the first, in Rebelliously keeping it up (and himself therein) against the second (when discover'd by its own light, to him, to be that which cannot be receiv'd by him, but on his obedient surrender of the Life of the first) does he deserve a sorer Punishment then the common Sinner against the Law; Heb. 10. 28, 29. For, he Sinn's, more immediately and knowingly, against the Holy Ghost, or Gospel Life of the Son of God in Heaven, even the Man Christ as risen from the dead, into that Life, wherein he lives for evermore: The other, against the Son of Man on Earth, or that Law-Life of nature (the highest Edition of the Law) which Christ took, and was found in, as made Flesh; and, which he Crucified and abolish'd out of our nature, in his own person, in order to bring it forth again, in the new, Gospel-Edition of it, by a new-Creation, in unchangable Harmony with his Originally everlasting righteous, spiritual, new-Creation, Gospel-Life. So only, can (or ever could) first-Covenant Law-Life, come, in him, or in us, to dwell, for ever, with new-Covenant Gospel-Life, as Brethren in Unity. This unchangable Union of the natural and spiritual Man, in Christ and true Zion-Saints, is pleasant in God's sight, and of everlasting advantage to Man; Psal. 133. 1. For so, and so only (by the death of the natural, and Resurrection of it, into the Life of the Spiritual Man in the Saint, and the Spiritual Man in Christ's person) come the poor (but truly wise) Crucified, dead Children, to live for ever, in unchangable Union and Harmony of Mind, with the infinite Divine Spirit of God most high.
Christ enlighten's every Man that cometh into the World; Jo. 1. 9. None then, are absolutely in the dark; stark blind, wholly ignorant of his will. Even the Gentil's, all Heathens, have the light or Law of nature within them, accusing or excusing their thoughts, Words, and Actions, as found compliant with, or contrary thereunto; Ro. 2. 15. God's rule, given in the Scriptur's of truth, in reference to all Men, is this. If any be unfaithful, in, and to their little, Dimme, rational Candle-Light, in some degree, set up a fresh, by the Redeemer, in all men: If they do allow themselvs in a constant course of Rebelling against the same, without any remorse or chang of mind; they'd not be true to higher natural Light, in the actual Priviledges of a first-Covenant Life; and less yet, to the higher, Spiritual, new-Covenant, Gospel-Light, if not only offer'd but actually receiv'd by them; Luk. 16. 10, 11. He that's unjust in the least, is (or will be) unjust also, in much. Those that are not faithful in the unrighteous Mammon, the fading Light, or also Life, and inward Riches of their own restor'd Nature (which yet is but a Spirit or State of Bondage to them, and Enmity to God, at best; as in Paul, before Gospel-Conversion) who will commit to their Trust, the true Riches? Those that do not rightly use any fading Light, Wisdom, Life, Riches, in their own Spirit of Nature, by such active Obedience as is performable therein and with, while that is God's Dispensation to them; and then, by such passive Obedience, in despising, surrendring, and giving all up, as Dung, with Paul, when God requires it, in order to receive his more excellent, spiritual, heavenly Gospel-Life, in a Resurrection-state (Phil. 3. 6-10.) how should they ever come at, or be possessed of the true durable Riches, and everlasting Life? The only possible, undispensable way and means for this, in the declar'd Methods of God's Wisdom, is the obediently, surrend'red natural State, as to all the fading Life, Glory, Wisdom, Righteousness, and Riches thereof; even the Death and Loss of all, in Sacrifice to God, as Christ himself did, when he had taken our fleshly nature, in the full Glory and unspotted Purity thereof. Eternal, Gospel-Life, is, by the Wisdom of God, or Gospel-spirit of Christ, freely proclaim'd and offer'd to all men, Prov. 1. 20-23. and 8. 1-9.
The old foolish Kings, the highest and most criminal provoking Sinners, that receive and abuse the Life of the first, and Light of the second Covenant, will fare worst under final Wrath. All others; fix'd common Sinners of the Gentil's, litteral Sodom, will have bad enough on't, under their fewer wrathful Stripes, or lesser Torments, in Eternal Death. But, the hottest fiery Indignation, and Mystical Flames of Wrath, in the lowest Hell, will be, for ever, upon the old foolish Kings. Sore, amazing Tydings for such self-confident, presumptuous Sinners, as reckon their Plea good, for entrance into the Kingdom of God. Yet thus it will be. For the mouth of the Lord himself hath spoken it. Mat. 7. 21-23. and 11. 23, 24. Mar. 6. 11. Luk. 10. 12. All first-Covenant Saints, in Holy Flesh, that finally refuse the whole new-Covenant Gospel-Testimony, the Words of God's Holy Spirit, and Life thereof; this will most certainly be theircase. Easier will it be for Litteral … (Profane, Brutisied Sinners, in the corrupt Spirit of nature) then for them. It had bin better for them, never to have known the way of everlasting truth and righteousness, then after they have known the truth (or Gospel-Life of Christ, in its own Light and Beamings forth upon them) to turn from the Holy … of God, therein, and wilfully Rebel against it; 2 Pet. 2. 21. Heb. 10. 26, 27. Isai. 1. 20. Much sorer Punishment belongs to fix'd Sinners against the Holy Ghost, than … sinners against the Son of Man, for ever; v. 29. Such recompence of both their errours as is meet, will they all receive, both Litteral and Mystical Sodom, even the Vengeance of Eternal Fire; Ro. 1. 27. Jude 7. None, fix'd in Enmity to God, can reasonably expect less then the unchangable Wrath of God, upon them. There remain's to them all, one and t'other, nothing but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and Fiery Indignation, to devour them. All foolish Kings, that chuse to live and walk contrary to God, in a known Spirit of Enmity, and, at an all-adventures with him (Levit. 26. 21. 23) in their starting (Ps. 78. 57) unsteddy Spirit of nature (when offer'd his constant, right, steddy Gospel-Spirit of Grace, that David Pray'd for, Ps. 51. 10.) he will walk contrary to them (Levit. 26. 24.) in an unchangable dispensation of Wrath; and, but at an all-adventures with them, while that first-Covenant Principle, is his dispensation to them, and their active obedience requir'd therein. When they break with him, he will break with them. They shall know his Breach of Promise, therein. They break the first-Covenant, by refusing Christ in the second; Jer. 31. 32. They break it, by keeping up that Life he crucified; and warn's them to depart out of, as not their rest, but sore destruction; Mic. 2. 10. 'Tis polluted with filth of spirit, though, in part, cleansed from filth of flesh.
The evils, done by man, in his first state, and mortal body, upon earth, must be answer'd for, by the whole man, as the second child that shall stand up for ever, in his stead, in a resurrection of damnation. No old foolish King, or other fixed sinner, at present, upon earth, before, or after, from the beginning to the end of this World, shall ever find cause to rejoyce in him, that is, in this second Child, that shall stand up in every one of them, for ever, in stead of the mortall life and state of their whole man, in this world. They shall all, and every one of them, find all the essentials of their personal constitution, Body, Soul, and Spirit, put together again in a resurrection of damnation (and a most exquisite everlasting sensibleness of all) to pay off the reckoning in the world to come, for all done in this mortal world, and life of all, under final wrath, as vessels of dishonour and everlasting contempt. Christ has besought them by his ambassadours of grace (while it was called to day, with them, in this world) to listen to his voice, submit to his terms (that himself obediently submitted to, in our nature) his declared method and way of saving them: but they would not. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, sayes he (meaning the mystical earthly-Jerusalem party of men, under law or gospel, Jews or Christian Gentiles, the old foolish kings, reigning in a first covenant righteous life, or image of the earthy, before absolutely fixed there, against the second, and image of the heavenly) How often would I have gathered thy Children together, as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, and ye would not? Behold, therefore, your House is left unto you, desolate; Mat. 23. 37, 38. Luk. 13. 34, 35. How oft would I have gathered thee, under the protecting shadow and cherishing influence of my divine and creature-wings, my almighty divine, and irresistibly mighty new-creation Power, for your security and everlasting blessedness; and ye would not? Therefore is your house, or immortal being (that ye have consulted shame to, by your evil coveting, chusing, and delighting in the fading perishing riches and glory thereof, in preference to my durable and everlasting, when offered you; Hab: 2. 9) is left unto you desolate, in everlasting contempt; destitute of all good, and in utmostmisery under the positive … of the wrath of God, for evermore. But, Christ does not rise up, and shut the door of the kingdom upon any men (Luke 13. 25) nor swear in his wrath, they shall never enter into his rest, till he hath waited to be gracious, and tryed all wayes and means for their good, they can wish or desire; Isai. 5. 4.
There's no end of all the people, no not of incorrigibly wicked Angels and Men (fix'd in their first-Creation Spirit of nature, against God and his new-Creature Spirit of Grace) either as to their beings, numbers, or …. If Christ's little Flock, from amongst Men, the few that are saved, be a numberless Multitude (Rev. 7. 9.) what must the many that Perish, be? Mat. 7. 13, 14. Endless Sufferings, will the old foolish Kings (after their self-confident race in Holy Flesh, form of godliness, all along this World, against the Power of it) find, the due recompence of their errour; the just fruit of their own doings; the most sad and dismal end, issue, and result of all their sore labour and travel in their own nature, under the mystical first-creation Sun-light, or first-covenant Spirit, fix'd, by them, in enmity to God and the …; Prov. 1. 31. Isa. 3. 11. This will be found the Case of this serpentine seed of first-covenant Professors, fix'd in enmity to the second, in all former generations, in the present, and in the succeeding generations, that come after this, to the very end of this world, under Satan's reign. They have been, are, and will be found in a universal contradiction to the Gospel-Truths, and Mysteries of Christ's Kingdom. They greedily suck and drink in the old serpent's poisonous doctrin's of devils, and considently teach the same, in a known unchangable enmity to God. And, this renders them, serpents, devils, a generation of vipers, that cannot escape the damnation of hel, the wrath to come; Mat. 23. 33. These old foolish Kings are the beloved darlings of the old serpent, the king of all such kings, and self-exalting children of pride (Job. 41. 34.) who therefore fall into the same condemnation with him, the same Tophet or place of torment; the same lake of mysticall fire and brimstone, for ever; Rev. 19. 20. Mat. 25. 41.
These old Kings, in the old or first-Creation State, are the choicest Subjects and most creditable Instruments, to carry on the old Serpent's mischievous designs and intendments, against all the Gospel-Doctrin of the Kingdom of Christ, and all Gospel-Saints, from Abel, downwards; from the beginning to the end of this World. They directly and knowingly chuse rather to be Born of the Devil's Spirit of unchangable Enmity to God, then of Christ's Gospel-Spirit (that's in unchangable Union with him) as the principle of their whole Life, Desire, Thought, Word, and Action; of all their Preaching and Praying, shall I say? Why not? Can they speak truly good things, out of the abundance of their Heart, that's in Union with Satan, Establish'd with his Perishing Meats (as carried about, with his divers and strang Doctrin's) not with God's Grace; contrary to what's advised and requir'd; Heb. 13. 9. Can such Mystical evil Trees bring forth any good Fruit, to God? Will not all, they speak and do, be continually evil? And, must they not suffer for all? Lie down in sorrow, under Wrath, for ever? All they have rested on, and trusted in, for happiness, proves (as they have been sufficiently warn'd) Vanity; and so, must needs leave them, in eternal Vexation of spirit.