Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Verse 3 – Verse 6
Vers. 3. Sorrow is better then laughter: for, by the sadness of the Countenance, the heart is made better.
The sorrow (Heb. anger) or mourning of the natural Man, under the cross (at which, offended, angry, troubled, griev'd, as run down in his own life, and denied the pleasing himself in his former freedom of feeding on the gratifying delights of the Sons of Men) all this, as ill as it appears, is better than all his former laughter, in the flourish, fruitfulness, and joy thereof, in its own way, and after its own heart. When brought into such a state of darkness and ignorance, under this dispensation, as not to understand God's design in all his withdrawing from him the favours and fruits of his former presence (as a fleshly bridegroom, in which he has found much content and satisfaction) yet is this a certain truth, he ought to believe, for his own comfort; that this sorrow is better than all his former laughter, in the first-Covenant house of feasting, while the candle of the Lord, therein, shin'd upon his Tabernacle, which Job (while yet in the dark as to what follow'd) wish'd for the fresh experiencing; Job 29. 2, -6. The veneration his person was in, so that young Men hid themselves, aged stood up, Princes refrain'd talking, and Nobles held their peace, when he appear'd and spoke amongst them; this honour from others, and satisfaction to himself, he had found in the wisdom, glory, and fruitfulness of his inlight'ned, righteous Nature, begot in him a lingring desire to return thither, again, even to his old house or state of feasting and rejoycing. O that I were as in months past, &c. Under the cross, all his Glory and Visage was so marr'd, that now younger then I, sayes he, have me in derision, &c. Job 30. 1. Not seeing the more excellent Glory that was to follow; this was a hard point, with him. Paul, when of such a wise, strong, and honorable Man, was rendred by the same sharp discipline of the cross, a fool, weak, and despicable, saw that spiritual Glory (yea, had it in him) which is to be revealed (or made manifest in him and others, at Christ's second coming, and manifestation of the Sons of God, in the visibility of spiritual Saintship) with which he reck'ned not the sufferings of the present time, worthy to be compar'd; Rom. 8. 18, 19. And, Solomon here, declares the advantage of this amazing dispensation of the cross, wherein, Christ not only with-draws his comforting presence, as a fleshly Bridegroom, but turns his hand against his Spouses and Children, in the first Covenant, coming in the posture of an enemy, with his Gospel-fire, Sword, and Cross, speaking nothing but war and death to them, there. Yea, he runs … …, as a Giant, with … force; breaks them with … upon breach; takes them by the Neck, and shakes them to …; and, all this, sometimes, without shewing any cause why, that the Saint is able, presently, to take distinct notice of, in such confusion; as in Job's case. Job 16. 12, 14. and, Job 2. 3. & 9. 17. … wonderful … and contrivances of God's Wisdom, leave Saints quite at a loss, till they come to see how matters go. Yet, this sorrowful state is better, in it …, … the … take it, then all his former laughter and …, in the house of feasting, by him …. Christ withdraw's the lesser glory of the first-Covenant-Sun, in order to shine upon him, in that of … …, that excell's, and remains for ever. The very Apostles were at the same loss, and sad pass, with Job, on Christ's withdrawing from them, as a fleshly Bridegroom and Comforter. Their hearts were sill'd with sorrow. But, the joy that follow'd, in the visits of the better Comforter, over-answer'd all. When Paul had, by the Gospel-Doctrine of the Cross, made the Corinthians sorry, dashing all their vain hopes and false considences in the fading glory of a first-Covenant life, he repented not, but, rejoyc'd, …, as that right godly sorrow, wrought a Gospel-repentance in them, to Salvation, not to be repented of; or, that can never be sinally turn'd again, from; 2 Cor. 7. 8, -10. A Law-repentance, or change of mind, from the corrupt to the righteous life of Nature, they had experienc'd before, as himself, also, when he persecuted the Gospel. But now, came they to the happy experience of a Gospel-repentance; conversion, or turn of mind, from Law to Gospel, from the life and … of Man, to God's. The letter, that made them sorry, seem's to be his first Epistle to them, wherein he shew's the vanity of their false joy, and confident reigning as Kings, without him, or Christ; yea, against both; 1 Cor. 4. 8. Nor he, nor they, would ever have cause to repent of such right sorrow, as was follow'd with repentance unto life. For, no damage, but great advantage, receiv'd they, thereby. But, say's he, worldly sorrow worketh death. Unwarrantable joy in this world's vanities, disposes to unwarrantable worldly sorrow (about the loss of them) which works death. A crucified mind to all worldly, perishing vanities (upper or lower, mystical or literal) with the sorrow of the natural Man, and pangs of death upon him, in order thereunto, work life; or, a repentance unto life. Such short sorrow of the natural Man, in the Saint, tends to his everlasting joy, in spiritual life. By obedient losing his own life, he find's God's. From all these reasons or grounds, sorrow is better than laughter: and this farther reason hereof, does Solomon give; for by the sadness of the Countenance the heart is made better. The Visage of the natural Man, marr'd, defac'd and made black, by the Cross, in Man's sight; the more comly is the Saint, therein, to God; Cant. 1. 5, 6. When Paul was a fool, weak, and despicable, in the judgment even of those that were yet wise, strong and honorable, in Christ (as to a fruitful flourish in first-Covenant life) was he truly wise and honourable in God's sight, such a one as the Lord commended; 1 Cor. 4. 10. 2 Cor. 10. 18. The whole-spirited Man in the fading glory of the first-Covenant, has the praise of Man. The broken-spirited Saint (as to all that) has the praise of God; Luk. 16. 15. Rom. 2. 29. One such contrite-spirited Man, God value's more, than all Angels and Men, in the unbroken excellencies of the whole first-creation; Isa. 66. 2. How vastly distant are God's thoughts, and Man's, in this matter? Again, the more sad and marr'd the Countenance or visage of the natural, or old Man, in the Saint, under the dispensation and discipline of the Cross, the better is his heart, the more thriving, prosperous, and fruitful in spiritual life. The Spiritual Man rises, as the natural decays and falls. The decay and sorrow of the old Man, is abundantly over-answer'd by the encreasing joy of the new. To the full death of the old, does immediatly succeed a compleatness of spiritual life, in the new. As the outer, or natural Man perishes; the inner, or spiritual, is renew'd day by day; 2 Cor. 4. 16, -18. The light and short affliction of the former, work's for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory, in the latter; and Rom. 8. 18. Hereby comes Man, to be rid of all bondage, and regard of ensnaring vanities, things temporal, delights of the Sons of Men, and to be advanc'd into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God, so as to look at (and set his affections upon) things eternal, only; ver. 21. Lo then, the plentiful harvest-sheaves, they that sow in the Tear's of their natural Man, shall reap, in the Joy of their spiritual; Psal. 126. 6. The decay of the life and glory of Man, in the first-Covenant, attended with an encrease of the never-fading creature-life, glory, wisdom, and righteousness of God, in the second, render's his heart less after Man's, but more after God's own heart, with David; and so, better. The unchangeable good, new-creature life only, with all the things, and never-perishing meats thereof (in the Man-Christ, or his Saints and followers) have God's approbation-Seal, as is implied, John 6. 27.
Vers. 4. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but, the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Here are the contrary places or states, in which the mystical wise and fools are found, as the certain evidence of their wisdom or folly. The latter take up, for happiness, in the flourishing fruitful life of their own restor'd nature. This, in a known, wilful contrariety to the spiritual Law and Example of Christ himself. In such place or state, by them chosen, will they be chain'd up, as a Prison of everlasting darkness and death, under wrath. So, will their house of feasting be turned into a house of everlasting mourning, torment, and vexation of spirit. And this, will they, as a signal aggravation thereof, be forc'd, by God's awakn'd convictions in them, to own, as the fruit of their own device, invention, and wilful choice, against all fair warning. In a perfect contrariety to these (merry travellers to the Chambers of death, and their own everlasting confusion) are the truly wise, in the house of mourning, under the cross, as their secret Chamber of safety, shutting their doors, (Isa. 26. 20.) window's, or natural senses, outward and inward, from all first-creation desireables, visible or invisible, Satan's perishing meats; the dust, himself feeds on. By this means, are they not exposed (as all, not under the Cross, are) to be catch'd in and with the ensnaring vanities of this world. At winding up, out come the reputed fools, under the cross, into an everlasting house of feasting; and down sink their scoffing blasphemous enemies, heathen, or people (Psal. 2. 1. fix'd in nature, corrupt or righteous, and so, in unchangeable enmity to God and them) into a house or state of eternal mourning. Saints are content to pass thro' all sorts of reproach, shame, and much tribulation, without and within, knowing whither they are going, even to the Kingdom of God; Act. 14. 22. Joh. 16. 33. In the world ye shall have tribulation. The world is full of enemies, round about them; corrupt and righteous Men are all enemies to the Life and Righteousness of God, in the spiritual Saint. Thus, does Solomon, distinguish and character, by the marks of wisdom and folly, the contarry-minded inhabitants of the two houses, on the Sand, and on the Rock.
Vers. 5. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a Man to hear the song of fools.
Here's the cause and ground, whence the said wisdom and folly come to be practis'd. The wise obediently hearken to the voice and rebuk's of Wisdom, Christ; his death-reproofs upon their spirit of nature, that they may receive his Spirit of Grace; Prov. 1. 20, -23. They receive (and submit to) the chastning Discipline of the Cross, according to the reveal'd and known methods of God's Wisdom, for Salvation. On the other hand, fools listen to the pleasing voice and charming song of folly it-self, in Devils and Men; their accursed other Gospel, for Salvation, in the restor'd life of nature. Man's quiet submitting to wisdom's sentence of death, within him (upon that life, they preach up and warrant, for Salvation) is unspeakably better for him, then to regard the delusive, destructive song, and flattering voice of fools, that set up the first-covenant, law-life and righteousness of Man; most falsely calling it, a Gospel-state and righteousness of God. This Gospel, or glad Tydings, if true, Satan preached to Eve. Ye shall not die, at all. Ye have eternal life in this first-creation state, or life of your own nature. The righteous life of nature, in Man or Angel, is Eternal. This is Man's and Satan's other Gospel, in perfect contradiction to Christ's, and the only way of Salvation. He that hear's the reproof of (the spirit of) life, on his spirit of enmity and death, get's true understanding, and abideth among the wise; Prov. 15. 31, 32. He that refuses it, destroy's his own Soul. Here are the infallible characters of Wisdom and Folly. The only way to get true Wisdom and Life, is to quit and lose our shadowy, under the Cross. To be fools, with Paul, as to all Men do, have, delight in, or feed upon, in the first-Covenant, that we may find the Life and Wisdom of God, in the second; 1 Cor. 3. 18. & 4. 10. God declares that all who refuse the chastisments of his Cross, to the death of their continually sinning spirit of Nature, are Bastards; and not Sons, in his neversinning spirit of Grace; Heb. 12. 8. 1 Joh. 3. 9. So, shall not be provided for, in his house. In short; the rebuke of the wise, leads to eternal life; the song of fools, to eternal death.
Vers. 6. For, as the crackling (Voice or Sound) of thorns under a pa, so is the laughter of the Fool: this also is Vanity.
Here's a true character of the short-liv'd joy, song, and laughter … fools. All mirth in first-creation life, is but as the crackling of thorns under a pot; a short blaze, and away. This is all, the delights of the Sons … Men, amount unto. All the fine song, or noise, made in the Wisdom thereof, is but an uncertain sound of a tinkling Cymbal; 1 … 13. 1. & 14. 8. It gives no aim at the right way toward Salvation; or, at the right armour, to undertake Satan, in. Yea, no greater or siercer Enemies, blustring contradicting Blasphemers of the very … of Salvation, and right Armour for the Lord's battels, then these … Sirens, first-covenant Singsters. Such literal-wise mysticalfools, will meet with a total disappointment of all their … for ever.