Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Verse 18 – Verse 19
Vers. 18. It is good that thou should'st take hold of this; yea also, from this withdraw not thine hand: for, he that feareth God, shall come forth of them all.
The good, we should take hold or lay hands on, is Christ's new-creation life of Truth, the absolute unchangeable good thing, that's to be sought and pure as'd, at any rate; sold or parted with, at no rate; Prov. 23. 23. … bad his highest (all the Kingdoms of this World, and Glory of them; all first-creation excellencies, humane and angelical, and that, as transform'd into the gilded likeness of the second) to purchase the life of Truth, out of Christ's own hands. How Christ handled him, we find, Mat. 4. Luk. 4. But, he prevails with a World of professors, that have put their hand to the Gospel-Plough, (as brought by Gospel conviction-Light to see their concern, in running down Nature, at best) to look back (Luk. 9. 62.) to his first-creation offers, withdraw their hands from, and turn their backs upon Christ and his Kingdom-Spirit (with the bewitch'd Galatians, Gal. 3. 1, - 3. & 5. 7, 8.) which alone could secure them from the destruction, the over-much righteous or wicked, come to. That dungy-life, Paul quitted (which many hold fast, unto damnation) are we to withdraw our hand from, and let go our hold of, in order to lay hold on that unchangeably good thing, that is eternal Salvation. Those, that having begun in the Gospel-spirit, withdraw their hand from that Gospel-plough or cross upon their cleans'd enlightn'd natural Spirit, and return to the love of and self-deceiving … in their holy flesh (or righteous Law-life of their restor'd Nature) are in a dangerous way towards final Apostacy, and Damnation. Paul found the bewitch'd Galatians, not so absolutely gone, as to … no room for his Gospel-endeavours and intercessions, towards their recovery; Gal. 4. 19. But, many, … Gospel-convictions (owning and following Gospel-Truths, for a …) play false, and turn final Apostates; sell Christ's Gospel-spirit, for their holy …; take off their hand, and let go their hold … Christ's Spirit of Truth, for Satan's Spirit of lies, on his engaging to advance them in their own nature, will, and way after their own heart. Such oft become his most pregnant, eminently accomplish'd Instruments, to oppose those very Gospel-Truths, that, for a season, they profess'd and own'd. They knowingly part with, or sell Christ, his Gospel Spirit of Truth, (and his great Salvation, therein offer'd them) for themselves, or their holy flesh, restor'd Nature, the Devil, and Damnation. They part with Christ's great Spiritual, Gospel-Pearl, for their lesser natural, after they had agreed to (and vow'd) the parting with all, for that one thing necessary. They'l not stand to their new-covenant bargain; not go through, as to the cost for a new building, the utter demolition of their old. They'l not part with all their old things, for Christ's new. They like them not so well. So, hold fast what they have, and lose all; whereas they that obediently lose all they have, find all again with usury, in what the others refuse; Mat. 16. 25. After all fair warning of this, thus they do. What help? To begin in the Spirit, and finally apostatize to a false confidence for Salvation, in the flesh, fits Men for the hottest Hell, the greatest portion of Wrath, for evermore. This exposes such bidders at the new-building, to everlasting derision and contempt; Luk. 14. 28, — 30. When Men have yielded, a little, to cross-work; suffer'd something of the old building to be pull'd down, (Gal. 3. 4.) Stood the shock of some reproach from scorners, for it; and then, are offer'd by Satan, not only to be repair'd and made whole again, as ever, but also to have their old natural first-creation building rais'd higher, and made larger, and wider (by the super-additions of superiour angelical excellencies and brightnesses, of the same first-creation sort, with their humane) they are willing to take this for the right new-building, for the Kingdom of God; the true Gospel-state. When Satan has them, at this lock, in this snare, he lays his confirming paws upon them, fixing them in unchangeable enmity to the very Gospel-Life and Spirit, in which any can be saved, or ever could. They are then fully engaged in the sin against the holy Ghost, or Gospel-Spirit of Truth, beyond retreat, leaving no place for repentance; Heb. 6. 4, -- 6. & 10. 26, 27. This get all such Esau's, by greedily catching at Satan's first-creation morsel, in preference to Christ's offer'd new-creation birth-right; Heb. 12. 16, 17. They let go Christ's new-creation all things, for Satan's glittering gilded first-creation nothings, perishing vanities; Christ's heavenly, for his earthly things; dust, the old Serpent's diet; Gen. 3. 14. This trade, many thousands have driven, and do drive, in this World, to their eternal ruine, in the next. There's no helping them that will not be help'd. Finally to refuse the things of God, for the things of Man and Devil, deliberately, on a fair view of both, is unpardonable folly. They see how matters go, on all hands; see what they refuse, and for what; so their sin remains, upon them, for ever, as Christ told the Pharisees; Joh. 9. 40, 41. They that refuse to part with their earthly life, as dung (Phil. 3. 8.) for Christ's heavenly, will perish as their own dung, for ever; Job. 20. 7. All fading first-creation Vanities, are dung to Chrst's heavenly, spiritual things, things of God, offer'd, by a new-Creation. The best services in their own life, on this fatal miscarriage, will he spread as dung, upon their faces; Mal. 2. 3. To withdraw their hand from Christ's offers, to comply with and accept Satan's, is a drawing back to perdition; Heb. 10. 39. This, Solomon warns against; farther declaring, he that fears God, shall come forth of them all; shall escape out of all sin, all evil company, and ways, every evil path, that mystical Sodomites are in (ver. 16.) or literal, ver. 17. He shall be delivered from the presumptuous, unpardonable sin of both and all, a sixture in their differing evil ways of death, and be finally deliver'd and acquitted, as to all his other sins, on the death of the guilty sinner, the evil-doer, in him. He shall surmount all sins and sinners, come out of all literal or mystical Sodomies and Sodomites, in corrupt, or righteous Nature; and so partake of none of their plagues, under final Wrath; Rev. 18. 4. 2 Cor. 6. 17. The Saint is highly concern'd to watch and fight against the Belial-party in him, flesh (or nature, corrupt or righteous) with the affections and lusts, that war against his own Soul; Gal. 5. 24. 1 Pet. 2. 11. What Satan backs and … to gratify, support, and cherish in Saints, are they constantly to fight against, oppose, cross, impoverish, and run down to death. If they not only live but walk in Christ's Gospel Spirit, wherein he will judg the World (and they, with him) thus will they do. They'l judg the World within them their worldly natural Spirit, now; pass sentence of death upon it, in harmony of their spiritual mind, with Christ; and as workers with him, joyn in the speedy carrying on the … of it, lest Satan set or fix their heart in them to do evil (Eccl. 8. 11.) in unchangeable union with him. All, that by Christ's Spirit in them, mortify the lusts and deeds of their body, or natural state, will live, for ever, with him; in his spiritual. Rom. 8. 13. The right death of what's expos'd to all snares, deaths, and enemies attacks, delivers out of, and from them all; from all snares of Satan, on the right and left hand (calculated to the self-interest, palate, and desire of Nature, in the corrupt or righteous life and principles thereof) in order to lodg all he can, in unchangeable enmity to God, with himself. God warns all sorts of Sinners, as to Satan's various snares; if therefore caught therein, 'tis at their own peril. Their destruction is singly of themselves by their own choice; Ezek. 3. 17, — 21. Prov. 8. 36.
Vers. 19. Wisdom strength'neth the wise, more then ten mighty Men which are in the City.
The Wisdom or living Word of God, the Gospel-Spirit of Christ, makes all the truly wise partakers thereof, Spiritual Saints, stronger and wiser too, then all that's found in the first-creation-state of Men and Angels; 1 Joh. 4. 4. This new-creature-wisdom of God, by which the Worlds were made (Gen. 1. 1. Jo. 1. 1, — 3. Col. 1. 15, --19. Heb. 1. 2.) Wheresoever it is, or in whomsoever, admits no comparison of any first-Creation Power, Glory, or Excellencies, with it. Prov. 3. 13, — 19. 2 Cor. 3. 10. The evil Angels, with their Luciferian head, as the supream invisible Principalities, Powers, and Rulers of this dark World, may fitly be represented by the ten mighty Men, in the universal City, Province or Dominion thereof. The truly wise Saint, in the Life, Light, Strength, Power, and Armour of God, can discover all the devices, and vanquish all the power, the mystical Goliah and his Philistine Army can come forth against him, with. True Spiritual Davids, in the new name and power of the Lord, will be too hard for them all; will be more then conquerours over the whole incorporated first-creation City of evil Angels and Men. Their weapons are spiritual and mighty through God to beat down the City, and strongest forts thereof, about the ears of the rebellious defendants, that have fortified themselves, against the new Jerusalem City of God. The enemy has none but carnal weapons, fleshly Wisdom, Power, Strength and Arms, perishing Vanities. Saints, with spiritual, will tumble down all their strong holds and every high thing, that exalts it self, against God and them. They have in a readiness, Power to revenge all such disobedience of Man and Angel, when their own Gospel-life and obedience is compleated; 2 Cor. 10. 4, — 6.