Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Verse 29
Ver. 29. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made Man upright; but, they have sought out many Inventions.
Here's a farther account, not only of the first-creation state, but man's evil use thereof. God made him upright, pure, clean, and righteous, without spot, any filth of slesh or spirit; very good, (Gen. 1. 31.) but, changeably so. So, soon did he make himself, very evil, by rebellion against him that made him very Good. This, by following his own many evil inventions. Having once rebell'd, do men set themselves to seek out many inventions, to justifie and fortifie themselves, in their self-chosen evil way of rebellion against God, to their own destruction. This destructive trade, are they at, might and main, turning the deaf ear to the spiritual charmer, the spirit of Truth, in Christ and his followers; wholly rejecting all the Counsels of God, against their own souls; Luk. 7. 30. This is the case of all first-covenant Lawyers (in the renew'd righteous life of the Law, in their own spirit of Nature) in enmity to the newness of life, in Christ's Gospel-Spirit of …, and all the words thereof. They resolutely and confidently walk in their own invented paths, to damnation; refusing, resisting, defying, contradicting and blaspheming the only way of God's invention, and most wise contrivance, for their Salvation. God's abundantly declared way, from first to last, and all along, is a deathpass to the spirit of Nature, under the cross, or death-work of his Spirit of Grace, into its own everlasting righteous Life. It takes down their natural, sandy-foundation'd Building, to build them up anew, in its rocky-life, that's … then theirs, as the Heavens than the Earth; a Life, a Glory, never to be done away. Man is grown to have exceedingly contrary thoughts and ways, to God's, in reference to Salvation. And, he will on, in his own invented way, to destruction; rather then in God's, to Salvation. Hereby have all Men, (in and with the first) and many Angels, given many infallible sinful proofs, the wrong way, of the changeableness of the good and upright state they were … in. The good Angels, with their head, as the Lamb … from the foundation of the World, proved it, the right way, by a death of that, and resurrection into a life, unchangeably good. … the Head look'd and went, they look'd and went; turned not, or looked back, as they went. When he was lifted up from the Earth, or out of the earthy, changeable first-creation life of Nature, these angelical wheels or chariots were lifted up, by him. For, his spirit was in them; Ezek. 1. 12. and, v. 19, -21. and Ezek. 10. 11. The spirit of the living creature, or, spirit of life was in them; v. 16, 17. They follow'd the Lamb, whithersoever he went, thro' the death of the first-creation state, into the Resurrection-life of the second; in which, he became the first-born from the dead; Col. 1. 18. In the utmost reach of those words (Rev. 14. 4.) the peculiar Spousal Saints follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes, over all the heads of the highest elect Angels, sitting on the very Throne with him, as his Bride and Wife; about which they stand (Rev. 7. 11.) as friends of the Bridegroom and his choice Bride, from among men.
A sinless power of sinning was in Angel and Man, at best. The exerting this, in sinful Acts, was their sin and fault; unpardonable, in Angels, at first; pardonable in Men, till wilfully committed the second time, in their own persons, after the similitude of Adam's first sin. This amounts to a fix'd preferring the Life, Wisdom, and Nature of Man, to the Life, Wisdom, and Grace of God; the Creature, to the Creator. The fruit of this their own device and invention, will Men find a sowrer Grape then Adam, at first ate; unchangeable Wrath; Prov. 1. 31. Many such do prosper in their own self-chosen way, having more then heart can wish, in this World. They set their mouth against the Heavens, or heavenly Spirit of Christ, in himself and Saints. Psal. 73. 7, — 9. But, what come they to? Desolation, in a moment; they are utterly consum'd with terrors; ver. 18. 19. They spend their days in wealth, or mirth; and, in a moment, go down to their eternal grave, Job 21. 13. These fat and strong Cattel, in first-Covenant Life, Strength, and Wisdom, thrust with their shoulder, and push the diseased with their horns, the lean, feeble, poor and needy Cattel, Spiritual Saints, whose Natural Man is death-struck by the Cross or Gospel-sword, plagu'd and chasten'd continually, thereby; Ezek. 34. 20, 21. Psal. 73. 14. Those, the Lord is thus disciplining, for Salvation (Heb. 12. 6, 7.) the poor and needy little ones of Christ's flock, do the sturdy, daring, stiff-necked, self-confident, proud, fat, full, wise, strong, and honourable (1 Cor. 4. 10.) first-Covenant Cattel, despise, deride, shoot all their revengeful Arrows, bitter Words, against; Psal. 50. 20. Their teeth are Speares and Arrows; their Tongues sharp Swords, against them; Psal. 57. 4. Thus are they merrily posting to the Chambers of Death, while the impoverish'd, needy ones of Christ, are passing through much Tribulation, into the Kingdom of God; Act. 14. 22. The former make swist steps, in the broad way, to Destruction: the latter, safe steps in the narrow way (under the Cross, that narrows and shrinks Nature to death) unto Salvation. The former set their heads awork, to invent what will gratify their own Wills, in a known contrariety to God's. They fondly and madly please themselves with hopes of Salvation, in a state, all mankind have experienc'd, no such thing was ever to be found in, at best, in innocency. The Righteousness of it, then, was but a fading Garment; Since the fall, … raggs; Isa. 64. 6. Think they, to enter the Kingdom, and sit at the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb, in such Garments, where all the Guests are cloath'd with everlasting Righteousness? See what's like to become of them; …. 22. 11, — 13. Their life is not of the same kind; nor, their Garments of the same Cloth, make, or fashion, with the true Saint's. So will they be thrown out of Christ's Kingdom of Marvelous Light, into Satan's accursed Darkness, their own proper, deserved place, with Judas; Act. 1. 25.
Angel's first sin rendred them unchangeably evil, because unpardonably wicked, being a full, noon-tide, daring, and most presumptuous Sin, against the Holy Ghost. … first sin, render'd him but changeably evil: and if he love that so well, as to become unchangeable in it, he will sind himself in the same condition, with evil Angels, even in unchangeable enmity to God. Let God then be true, and every Man a liar; Rom. 3. 4. God made Man upright; Man, by his own evil choice and invention, has spoil'd himself, and is the single and only demeritorious cause of his own ruine. He seeks out many inventions. Errour is manifold; Truth, one; the Gospel-spirit of Truth, one, in head and members. Men are toss'd to and fro, into variety of Opinions and Ways, from their various conceptions, in their fluid, wavering, unstable, unconstant spirit, under the blasts and inspirations of Devils. David aware, of this, pray'd for that right or constant Spirit of God, the evil one can't touch; Psal. 51. 10. 1 Joh. 5. 18. Yesterday, to day, and for ever, from everlasting to eternity, is God's Creature-Spirit of Truth, one and the same. This … the one thing, with all its things of God, awak'ned Spiritual Saints are for, and interpret the Scriptures of Truth (given by this Spirit of Truth) into. Man's one thing (and things of that thing) is his own spirit of nature, which, by the Conceptions and Words of his own Wisdom, he interprets all Scripture into, in favour and defence of himself, against the cross of Christ, (and all the spiritual Truths and sence of Scripture, the things of God) as the very sum and substance of all his humane Divinity. And, he will not endure this one thing of his, should be call'd by its right name, a spirit of direct enmity to God, and all his Gospel-Truths. Consequently, as unwilling is he, Christ's one thing, or Spirit of Truth should be call'd by its right name; or any name, at all. He denies, there is any such Holy Ghost, or Spirit, at all, communicable to men. John's Disciples, and conscientious, faithful followers, in first-covenant holiness, Paul found at Ephesus, wholly ignorant of any such thing as this Gospel, new-creature Spirit, or Holy Ghost; Act. 19. 2. Men clap all the titles of Christ's one thing, on the back of their one thing, that's a spirit of darkness, enmity and death. Their but renewed spirit of Nature, must needs amount to a state of Grace, Regeneration, New Creature, Heir of the Kingdom of God. What then must the very Christ, the very Spirit of Grace and Truth, be? a Blasphemer, a Devil. Thus did the children of the Devil, first-covenant Professors, baptiz'd into his spirit of unchangeable enmity to God, call the Holy Ghost, or Gospel-spirit, in Christ himself, with all its Words. Joh. 1. 11. & 8. 44. & 10. 20. and, Mat. 12. 24, — 32. This subtil, Serpentine trade won't do man's work, when God is Judg himself; Psal. 50. 6. He will call every thing by its right name. Man's Wisdom, in Divinity, calls every thing, by a wrong name; all his natural, God's spiritual things. And, what name, title, or character, then, God's things must have with him, is easie to guess. If natural Man or Angel will needs be as Gods, in the proudly and presumptuously assum'd soveraignty, and uncontroll'd exercise of their own Wills, they'l certainly judg and call the true Spiritual Man, a Fool, that quits all this as dung, with Paul, which they ruffle in; Hos. 9. 7. 8. 1 Cor. 4. 10. No remedy for this, in Man's day, or Judgment. In God's, there will. True Saints ought, in Faith and Patience, to possess their Souls, quietly waiting for the decision of all Zion-controversies, at Christ's second appearing, to their Joy, and to the Confusion of all their self-confident, proud, boasting enemies; Isa. 66. 5. Your first-Covenant Brethren, that hate you, sit and speak against you (Psal. 50. 20. Ezek. 33. 30.) and cast you out, excommunicate you, as Blasphemers; but I'le appear, says God, to your Joy; and then, they shall be asham'd. I'le excommunicate them out of my Church, and lay them under the Anathema Maranatha, for ever; under my everlasting Curse and Wrath. Let the naturalist then, or first-Covenant Brother, for a season, wear the title of the second, and allow him nothing but Blasphemer and Mad-man: consider the great Lord and Master. Did not he quietly endure the Contradictions and Reproaches of such Righteous first-Covenant Sinners against the second, in his own day, and turn, on Earth, among the only professing People, in the World? All will out, at last; after all scrambling confounded doings, in this dark World, and Kingdom of Satan. All shame will be laid at the right door, and God and his true Saints be glorified. All, in good time. God's time is best. Mean while, the one, uniform truth of God (most harmoniously represented, all along the Scriptures of Truth, in great variety of Similitude, Language, and Type) is, in a manner, universally rejected, even by Professours; and, their one sandy-foundation'd thing, by a lying Spirit of Divination, set up in the room thereof (which, in the highest sence, is the abomination that makes desolate Mat. 24. 15.) and, herein, boast they themselves, as to that great variety of the many Inventions, they stand here charg'd with, as their own self-destroying folly and madness. The true spiritual Church own only one God and Father of all, one Lord, one Faith, one fire-Baptism, one Spiritual Circumcision, setting fire upon, and cutting off all fleshly life, holy and profane, in Pharisee and Publican. The Church on the sand, has many Gods, many Lords of their Faith, which are many Devils, many Men, in their differing and various teachings or doctrines; all which, in the same lying spirit of Divination, do tend directly to the Destruction of themselves and hearers. Such false Christs and Apostles, evil Angels and Men, will, in these latter times, more then ever, pass unquestionably for the true, as coming in the guise, language, dress, and appearance thereof. Has not the true Christ and his great Apostle foretold all this? Mat. 24. 5. & ver. 23, — 25. 2 Cor. 11. 13, — 15. In such disguise, they'd deceive, if possible, the very Elect. The Worldly Church, on the Sand, boasts of such variety of Invention, as amounts to but a glorying in their own shame. Such poetical Creation-Preachers are always liars; Tit. 1. 12. Under all pretence to Gospel, are they the flattest enemies to it. They come with methodiz'd discourse (in the contrivances and Words of their own Wisdom) Doctrine, Reasons, Uses, Motives, order'd and placed rank and file, in Battel-array, with the Armour of Man, upon them, to fight the Devils Battel against all Spiritual Saints, and Gospel-Truths. These are your Gospel-Merchants, that corrupt (or deal deceitfully with) the word of God (2 Cor. 2. 17.) destroying Souls, for dishonest gain, Ezek. 22. 27. They labour to make the truly Righteous sad, by their reproachful censures; and strengthen the wicked, in their hidden, mystical uncleanesses and abominable Idolatrys; Ezek. 13. 22. They interpret Scripture into anti-Gospel-Doctrine, and then invent reasons for it, uses of it, motives and arguments to follow and obey it; all, to encourage people in their Self-chosen way to the Chambers of death, the congregation of the dead, or assembly of Giants, the Gigantick sighters against God; Prov. 21. 16. Gen. 6. 4, 5. All their Preaching, Reasons, and Uses, as pretending to shew and lead men into the true Gospel-way of Salvation, runs in a strein of direct enmity to all the spiritual reasonings and words of Christ's Gospel-spirit; and so, to the whole Counsel of God, Paul declar'd; Act. 20. 27. The right opening the Scriptur's, is an opening the Kingdom of God. This does the true publick one Gospel-spirit of Christ, in himself and Saints. The private natural womanish changeable spirit of man, shuts out all spiritual, Kingdom-Truths, and in union with Satan, open's his kingdom or bottomless pit of deceits, and preaches up that first-creation state he has chosen, as the only true Salvation. When thus resolutely engag'd, they disswade all people; and frighten them, what they can, from touching or coming near such doctrin (as indeed opens the Kingdom of Heaven) as the arrantest Heresy and Blasphemy in the World. This is the old Pharisaical trade of hypocritical Sinners in Zion; Mat. 23. 13. But true interpretation of Scripture, in that Spirit and Wisdom, none are able to bear up against, (Act. 6. 10.) will speak for it self, in the hearts and consciences of the hearers; and be a savour of life or death to the obedient receivers, or wilful rejecters thereof. The Cryptick Methods and Arts of man's mercenary wisdom, are calculated to deceive. All their Elocution, Mymical gestures and affected tones, look this way. These humane Artifices are not to be used in uttering the words of God's Wisdom; but cleer, powerful, spiritual demonstration; 1 Cor. 2. 4. This was the way of Christ, and his inspir'd Pen-Men, or Teachers, in the words of his Wisdom, whether speaking to a multitude, or only in answer to particular inquiries. Convincing evidence, and demonstration, in the Wisdom and Power of the Holy …, were they alway's for. An open … to the … voice, and too general reception of the methodiz'd words of man's wisdom, as orthodox-Gospel, does wonderfully disframe Peoples minds, and prejudice them, as to a right listning to one right Gospel-word of God's. If the true Gospel-Preacher gratisie not their prurient or itching ears, their vain, wanton understandings, or fancies, with the humane methods, they have bin, all along, accustom'd to, and habituated in; from enmity to, and dislike of the matter, they'l pretend that occasion, to fly off from any farther hearing it. The numberless things of the Gospel one thing …, the Pearl of great price, the unspeakable gift, the Thoughts, Affections, Words, Works, Births, Fruits and products thereof, will be sound to out-number, as well as transcendently to exceed in dignity, all man's first-creation no-things, shadows, things that are not. Things … have their numerous varieties as well as excellencies, above all first-creation perishing vanities. The New-creature Gospel-spirit, brings with it, into man, the New-creature Life, Wisdom, and … of God; that is, that creature-life, that (being in Christ, personally united with the Divine; and, in Saints, in unchangeable harmony with the Divine) is call'd the Life of God; and they that have it, are said to be born of God, and partake of the Divine Nature; 2 Pet. 1. 4. All things are theirs, and they are Christ's, and Christ is God's; 1 Cor. 3. 22, 23. God, or the infinite Divine Nature is their inheritance, by way of object, to their sight and enjoyment; not an ingredient into their persons, as in Christ's. That's his super-eminent Prerogative. But Saints are Co-heirs with him, of God (Rom. 8. 17.) as to the vision of, and feeding on the Divine Glory, to eternity.
The great design of the whole Scripture, is, to bring Men into the view, love, and enjoyment of things eternal, (2 Cor. 4. 18.) all which, are comprehended in the explain'd one thing necessary. The vast number of things eternal, in the one eternal Creature-spirit of Christ (Heb. 9. 14.) are handed to us, in great variety of Expression, Types, Figures, Parables, Similitudes, with most significant Instructions, about the one thing, or spirit, that comprehends them all; as the natural spirit in Man and Angel, comprehends all their natural things, first-Creation Shadows, perishing Vanities. Those that come to any right frame of mind towards God's Gospel-things, will quit (and rid themselves of) all those Prejudices and false Conceptions, they have bin cramm'd with, and built up in, by worldly-Church-custom's; and freely expose their darling nature, to be touch'd and hit, between the joynts of the Harness, or Armour of Man, by the sharp doctrine and discipline of the Gospel-sword and Cross of Christ. Man, at best, in his own Strength, Wisdom, and Armour, stands ready to resist, and fight against God; not the Devil. Whose side was Paul engag'd on, when according to Law, blamless? Every right interpretation of Scripture will be at this work with us, even the darting in mortifying Truths upon Nature's heart, shooting in the sharp Arrows of the Lord, into the hearts of the King's Enemies, even in Saints, the foes of their own house, their own very Spirit (and that, at best) with all the mystical Children, Works, Fruits or Products thereof, as altogether Vanity, and sinful. All the desires, thoughts, and reasonings, our own spirit (the foe of our own house) people's our Souls with, against God, and his only way of saving us, are a numerous throng of Enemies, Fighters and Warriers against God, and the true interest, or eternal concerns of our own Souls. These are all struck at, at every turn, by every right Gospel-word or doctrine of the Cross. If we come, with but itching Ears, to gratify our curiosity, by hearing a few Gospel-words of God's Wisdom, as a novelty among the various Words or Doctrines of Mans, for our understandings to trade in (to furnish notional Discourse, only; and so, to pride our selves in over-topping others understandings) we shall find our selves sorely mistaken, in the case. Such a design may seem a-kin to Ptolomee's curiosity, in procuring the Greek translation of the old Testament (by 72 Jews, 6 of each of the twelve Tribes, call'd thence, numero rotundo, the Septuagint) to furnish his new-erected Egyptian library, amongst the learn'd writings of the wise Greeks and others, from others parts. God's Word is another-gets thing, and has far other-gets matters to do, with Men, then to furnish a little overly Discourse. Where rightly interpreted in the Words of his Wisdom (or of that spirit, which inspired the holy Pen-men thereof) 'twill be a Savour of Life or Death to the hearers; 2 Cor. 2. 15, 16. 'Tis as a sire in and upon Men's spirits (Luk. 24. 32.) A hammer, that breaks the Rock in pieces; Jer, 23. 29. 'Twill prosper in the thing whereto he sends it, accomplish that which he pleases; (Isa. 55. 11.) Life or Death, in and to the respective heedful or regardless hearers thereof. 'Tis dangerous dallying with such sharp, two-edg'd tools. Do we stand trifling, and lie at catch, with the Pharisees, to see what Gospel-doctrine will be at? Where it will pitch? Alas, alas! Every Word of it, rightly heard and consider'd, makes a home-thrust at Nature's heart, howe're it slips o're Men's inadvertent heads, while they confusedly wait for they know not what; hoping to hear some change of voice, in favour to poor. Nature's head, and that the Righteous Life of the earthly Jerusalem State thereof, need not be surrendred to the Gospel-sword and Cross. A like vain thought, to that of King Zedekiah, when he sent privately for Jeremy out of a Dungeon, to speak with him. Is there any Word from the Lord? Says he, to him. There is, says Jeremy; and this is it. Thou shall be deliver'd into the hand of the King of Babylon; Jer. 37. 17. How Nebuchadnezzar handled him; see, Jer. 52. 8, — 11. The Word of God is a steddy, constant Word; not off and on; no yea and nay, with it; all's yea, and amen (2 Cor. 1. 17, — 20.) Or absolute, infallible Truth.
The mercenary preachers of Satans accursed other Gospel, in great variety of opinion and way, flourish in worldly dignities and recompences, for their pretended skil in spiritual affairs; the whole world running after them; 1 Joh. 4. 5. Rev. 13. 3. Amidst this self-exalted crew of mercenary Babylonians, with their many inventions, if the true, spiritual Gospel-Declarer, can but scape blows, he will think himself tolerably treated. He comes with a Doctrine, that strikes at the very root and foundation of all their humane self-interests; the very principle of all their Life, Desire, Thought and Action, at best.