Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Verse 22 – Verse 23
Vers. 22. For often-times also, thine own heart knoweth, that thou thy self likewise hast cursed others.
Others; that is, the Spiritual Man in other Saints, while and when in but the single activity and exercise of thy natural. Paul, while in his legal-spirited, cleans'd, righteous nature, was of a perfectly contrary judgment to Gospel-Saints, about Salvation, and all things, relating or conducing to it. Hence, did he blaspheme Gospel-Truths, and persecute the Declarers and Owners thereof. So has the Saint this farther argumentative Consideration, for quiet bearing contradiction to, and … for his Gospel-Doctrine; not only, because Christ, that never …, did patiently bear it; (Heb. 12. 3.) but, because himself, before …-Conversion, contradicted, blasphem'd and persecuted others, on the self-same account. Peter's natural man (before the spiritual Seed was waken'd in him, or known to him) very … joyn'd with Satan, in that seeming friendly advice and rebuke to his Master; Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee; that is, pure nature in thee shall not die. Christ rebuk'd his rebukers, Peter and the Devil, as an offence to him, for being offended at that Cross and Death, which by God's appointment, is to be brought upon the natural-state of all Men and Angels, first or last, in Love or final Wrath. 'Twas the self-same Doctrine, the Serpent preach'd to Eve, and, by her, to the first Adam. Ye shall not die at all; this shall not be unto you. Ye have a life, above all danger of death, in your natural first-creation make, and first-Covenant life or state. The Devil was unchangeably fix'd in enmity to the Cross upon Nature: Peter, not so; but, beguil'd as Eve, (2 Cor. 11. 3.) unawares. Job, while in the single activity of his decaying natural man, under the Cross, multiplied words without knowledg, walk'd in company with wicked men, enemies of the Cross-dispensation he was under. Yea, he added rebellion to his sin, clapp'd his hands, and multiplied his words against God. Job 34. 7, -9. & 35--37. and 35. 2, 3, --16. The natural man is an offence to the spiritual, because offended at the doctrine of the spiritual, in others, and in the Saint himself. There's just ground for the spiritual to be offended at the words of the natural man's wisdom, about Salvation. The natural, without any just cause, is offended at the spiritual, for the words of God's Wisdom. Satan and the natural man, in the Saint himself, are of the same mind, judgment, and palate, in this great Case. Neither of them savour, but hate all the Eternal, Divine, Spiritual, Gospel-Things or Truths of Christ and God. They are, only, for the old, temporal, fading first-creation life, wisdom, and things of Angel or Man, perishing vanities. This whole Controversy is clearly discover'd and stated, by Christ himself; Mat. 16. 21, --26. The natural man, or spirit of the Saint, in the single judgment and voice thereof, is the foe of his own house, the false friend in his own bosom, that's not to be listned to, or trusted, in this greatest Concern and Case. The secret of the New-Covenant, even the required death and loss of the changeable, womanish state of Nature, in the old, or first, is to be kept from her; Mic. 7. 5, 6. The spiritual Man should shut out, or exclude his natural, when he retires into his Closet to pray, and treat with Christ, about the death of the natural. For, if that be admitted any share in prayer, it will ask amiss, even the sparing its own life, and what may nourish and gratifie the lusts thereof, whether in its corrupt or righteous state, … of slesh or spirit. It will never vote or ask aright, any thing of God, in Prayer. The thought and voice thereof, is to be rebuk'd and rejected, as well as Satan himself, with a get thee … me; stand …. Nothing but death will fully silence, the cross-desire of Nature to the Spiritual Cross. 'Tis the love of God, therefore, brings the cross upon it, and the highly concerning duty of the Saint, to yeild obedience to it. No other way, to be saved. Paul, when a holy Law-Man, gladly receiv'd the sentence of death within …, on his righteous natural state. 2 Cor. 1. 9. Gal. 6. 14. All the thoughts, …, and words of the natural man, in the Saint or others, are to be suspected and rejected by the spiritual; not regarded or listned to, either as to its counsel, or cursing the contraryminded spiritual. Sometime or other, 'twill be at this work. For, 'tis flat against all the thoughts and words of the spiritual, in its preaching or prayer. 'Tis the carnal or fleshly-minded enemy to God and the spiritual, lusting against the Spirit of Christ, in himself; and against the spiritual mind thereof, in the Saint himself. Gal. 5. 17. The carnal mind of enmity to God, finally follow'd, is eternal death to man; Rom. 8. 6, -8. It enviously lusts against the spiritual mind (Jam. 4. 5.) is directly contrary to it, in all its thoughts, desires, and affections, lusts, and motions; labours, might and main, to hinder what that would beat; and further what that is against, and hates; Rom. 7. 15. Out of the Saint's mouth (by reason of the untamed, or not fully crucified unequal Yoke-fellow, his natural mind or man) proceed's blessing and cursing; Jam. 3. 9, 10. The spiritual blesses God, the Father; the natural curses the spiritual man, in Men, that's made after the Supream new-creature image or similitude of God, in Christ's Person; the image of the Heavenly Adam. The restor'd natural man may (and ought to) bless God, for his mercifully restor'd righteous Law-life, as effectually call'd out of his corrupt state; but when by God's second voice, or … call, summon'd to deliver up all that, back again, for a spiritual and more excellent life; he curses, rebell's against, and … this Gospel-voice, … heavenly Call, all the words and things or truths of God's Gospel-spirit and Wisdom. On these various accounts, … … and Cursing, for a time, out of the same mouth of the Saint. But others, in their restor'd Nature, fixing themselves in enmity to God's Spirit of Grace, go on cursing, and …, to eternal death. With Gospel-Brethren these things ought not so to be; nor will always be so. When the envious, spiteful Curser and Blasphemer, the Belial-party, the Insidel or unbelieving Rebel, in the Saint, the natural man or spirit, is fully crucisied, dead and buried, and then rais'd into unchangeable harmony of mind with his spiritual; and so, with Christ and God most high; then, all such cursing-work will cease, for ever. But, till all old things, with Man's old life of nature, are pass'd away from the Saint, and all God's new things, fully compleated in him, has, even he, need enough of this advice, not to heed the Counsels, per verse thoughts, reasonings, cursings or evil-speakings of the natural spirit, in himself or others, against the whole Gospel-Doctrine of the Cross, and only way of Salvation. Let it bark and make what noise it will, they should regard none of its thoughts, lusts, words, or ways, so as sinfully to comply with or follow it; but slight, turn from, and avoid, as much as in them lies, this troubler, opposer, and hinderer of their spiritual mind, till wholly cut off, and taken out of the way.
Vers. 23. All this have I proved by Wisdom: I said I will be wise; but, it was far from me.
The Wisdom, by which, Solomon examin'd, found out, and proved the truth of all things, could be no less then the spiritual, new-creature Wisdom of God. In this, he saw all things, divine, spiritual and natural, in their distinct differing excellencies and perfections. So could he call all things by their right names, and give their true discriminating characters. This is the peculiar priviledg of the spiritual Man's understanding; 1 Cor. 2. 10, 15. Solomon, in this, did, with his Father David, see all natural first-creation things of Man and Angel, at last, to be altogether vanity; Psal. 39. 5, 6. The wisdom of Man, at best, is the wrangling disputer of this World, about, and against all things of God, in the next. 'Tis the contradicting blasphemer of all such things, absolutely denying the very Gospel-spirit, life, and principle of the next. 'Tis the wisdom from beneath, earthly, sensual or natural, and, if fix'd in, devilish (Jam. 3. 15.) the unchangeable enemy, and opposer of God's Wisdom, and all the words thereof, in true Saints. The natural undertaker in such Wisdom, to debate matters of Salvation, things of God, is the untreatable, unreasonable man, Paul desir'd to be delivered from; 2 Thes. 3. 2. A self-confident Man, utterly denying the very Gospel-Principle (or Spirit of Christ, the Saints rocky foundation) in defence of his sandy, is unreasonably burthensome to the Saint, when intruding to discourse Gospel-matters, which he knows nothing of. Envying, strife, confusion, tumult or unquietness, and every mischievous evil thing or work; what else can come on't? …. 3. 16. 2 Tim. 2. 16, 17. Here's the result of all such discourse and engagement. The quarrelling worldly Disputant, discourses in choler … goes away, full of Wrath, meditating revenge on the spiritual Saint, for his cross-doctrine. Such Swine, ravenous Wolves, and poisonous vipers, Christ advises Saints, not to cast Gospel-Pearls or Truths, before. But, where the wise man suspect's and question's his fitness, in such wisdom, to judg of such matters, the case is altered. He may hopefully be dealt with, in such affairs.
In the latter clause of this verse, Solomon speaks of another state and wisdom, he had bin eminent in; the wisdom of Man, distinct from that, wherein he had proved all things. What he happily, at last, found in the Spiritual Wisdom of God, he had bin successlessly and vainly seeking, long before, in the wisdom of man, tho' taller then his fellows there. I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me. True Wisdom was far from me, as wise as I thought my self. All eternal, divine, spiritual, heavenly, most excellent, concerning things and truths, lay clear out the reach and comprehension of that earthly wisdom, as far as the Heavens are above the Earth.