Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Verse 10 – Verse 12
Vers. 10. Say not thou, what is the cause that the former days were better then these? for thou dost not enquire wisely, concerning this.
Solomon, here, prevents and rebukes Man's quarrel, and complaint, that the latter day's of this World, since the fall, are worse then the former, before the fall, which brought a desolating change upon mankind, into a dark, dead, ignorant, corrupt state of nature. Man does not judg nor inquire a right, as wisely considering and discerning this thing. Fallen Angels indeed, were gone, without remedy, on their first sin. But 'tis not so with Man. For, God has over-rul'd his fault and punishment, to the farther magnifying of his Free-Grace, by which, he is offer'd better things, and greater advantages than were given him, in his first creation. God has found a way for restoring him to some measure of his lost righteous life. And, the universal experience of mankind, as to the fading nature of that life, by the first sin, and fall from it, and by a world of faithful warnings from God (and multiplied instances of Apostates, after renewed therein) do make up an advantage to them, beyond what Adam had, before his fall. For he, through somthing of inadvertency, was surpriz'd and catch'd alive (2 Tim. 2. 26.) in that snare of the Devil, the very righteous life, he was … of; as if all, that God intended for his final and absolute blessedness. All men, now, find that Suggestion of the Devil (Adam, thro' the weakness of his flesh, or fleshly state, entertain'd as a truth) to be a lie. If his saying, Ye shall not die at all, be not sufficiently refuted by the death of all Men (as to that righteous life, set up in the first-creation make of Adam) when will it? or, what will undeceive men? Man then, restor'd into something of the same changeable righteous life, Adam was created in the perfection of, may seem to have the advantage-ground of Adam, in order to the second, personal trial of every one, against the like fallacious arguings of Satan; 2 Cor. 11. 3. And, as men's advantages are greater, for preventing a sinning after the similitude of Adam's transgression, so will their punishment for it, be greater, even an irrecoverable destruction; the latter end worse than the begining; as higher and greater sinners against the Holy Ghost, then Adam was, or, they, in and with him. The same sin, willfully repeated in any man, is absolutely unpardonable. If that of Adam (and all men in him) had bin so, who could have bin saved? What Christ the second Adam, has done for all Men, leaves no Men capable of defending or excusing themselves, by that worn Proverb, a fleshly first Covenant Israel or people of God, had got in their mouth's; that our first Parents ate sowr Grapes, and their, Childrens Teeth are thereby set on edge; Ezek. 18. 2. All Men may be recover'd out of their polluted fallen nature, if they will, by Christ's General Redemption-work, as the common Salvation; 1. Tim. 4. 10. Jude 3. Rom. 5. 18. All are capable of such life, and justification therein, as Adam had, before his fall. And, all are capable of a new trial, for the obedient exchange of that life, for a better, an everlasting; which Adam, at first, fail'd in. Man's latter condition then, since the fall, is circumstanc'd with valuable advantages, both for escaping Damnation, and obtaining Salvation, beyond his former, before the fall. All the evil consequents of the first Adam's sin, are remov'd by the obedient death of the second; and Gospel-instructions are afforded, to caution against the like, beyond what Adam, in innocency, had. So, in the said respects, God has made the latter day's of Man, better than the former, tho' man had made them worse. And, if man make the right use of his advantages therein, as he ought, God will make his latter end better than his beginning, by setting up in him, an everlasting Gospel-life, that never can be lost, in the room of his fading Law-life, that has bin, and will be lost, for ever by every man and Angel, that do what they can, to keep and save it, in a known rebellion against the only Saviour, and all his words of counsel and instruction; Mat. 16. 25.
Vers. 11. Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the Sun.
The new-creature Wisdom of God, in man, qualifies him for the inheriting of God himself; renders him a joynt-heir, with Christ, of God; Rom. 8. 17. The corruptible, old, or first-Creation life and wisdom of Man, gives no title to this incorruptible …; 1 Pet. 1. 4. It belongs not to flesh and blood (1 Cor. 15. 50.) Man or Angel, in their natural make and state, which, at best, is in both (and they, in it) altogether Vanity. No entring into the second Covenant, and Kingdom-spirit of God, but by the sacrifice of all we receiv'd from his own hand, in the first, to him; Psal. 50. 5. All our own, in our natural first-creation-make and life, must go, for all God's own, in the second. If Man yeild to his suffering, parting part (in order to his entring the new Covenant) the surrender, loss, and perfect resignation of all his own, without any reserve; if he come roundly and cleerly …, herein, not keeping back any part of his earthly life or possessions, with Ananias and Saphira, Heaven is his own; God himself, his inheritance, for ever. Christ will not fail to perform his part, and undertake in the second Covenant, as to the unspeakable gift, the promise of the Father, (Luk. 24. 49. Act. 1. 4.) which he calls his own. The young Man refus'd Christ's terms, herein; Mat. 19. 22. The old Man, in him; was not willing to part with his old earthly things, for Christ's new, and heavenly; his natural, for Christ's spiritual creature-life and possessions. A conclusive refusal to part with all we have, is a final parting-blow, between God and Man. Paul found Corinthian Professors, bewitch'd Galatians, and belly-God Philippians, dangerously engag'd towards a sixure in this most presumptuous Sin and Error. 1 Cor. 4. 8. 2 Cor. 11. 2, 3. Gal. 3. 1, -4. Phil. 3. 18, 19. And, Christ found a first-Covenant party, in enmity to the second, in most or all the seven Churches (Rev. 2. & 3.) In Laodicea, scarce any other; and all this, under the outward dispensation and ministry of the Gospel; owning themselves, as Gospel-Professors. And, what or who else, in a manner, at this day, can we find, but such anti-Gospel-Gospellers, in all variety of opinion, form, and way? All the highly pretending and conceited Children of the Kingdom, in the most sublimated Church-forms, or purest Churches, in but restor'd first-covenant Law-principles, without advance by exchange, and Gospel-conversion, will be found at a loss, and cast or kept out of the Kingdom of Christ, as not at all, of his new-Covenant Gospel-spirit of Grace and Truth. 'Tis in the heavenly Wisdom of this, only, Men can attain the sight and inheritance of the most glorious divine Sun, and of the new-creation-Sun of … …, (Mal. 4. 2.) in the Mediator's person, which is the greatest gain, the highest prosit and advantage, Man or Angel can receive or enjoy, to all eternity. This, … proves, ver. 12.
Vers. 12. For, Wisdom is a defence (Heb. shadow) and mony is a desence; but, the excellency of knowledg, is, that Wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
Here's a distinguishing character of the first and second covenant spirits, Lives, Wisdoms, with or by the effects, riches, and priviledges of each. The Wisdom and mystical mony or riches of the first, are a defence against the rude assaults, the unruly brutish motions of the corrupt state of nature; and, do make up to Man, all, he thinks he needs, for eternal life; 1 Cor. 4. 8. Rev. 3. 17. But, through the fading nature of all that life and riches; and evil use of it (in preference and opposition to the durable life and true riches, in the Gospel-spirit of God) all's spoil'd. Man's inordinate love to the former, is that love of mony, that's the root of all evil, against God, and to himself; evil of sin and punishment. It renders all, the mammon of unrighteousness as preferr'd to the … riches of Christ, in his infinite divine, and everlasting righteous new-creation Life.
First-creation Life, with the riches thereof, is to be allow'd its due, as good, in its kind, and lawful use, for suppressing the unruly desires, thoughts, and motions of the corrupt state of Nature. Man, so using it, is faithful to the Light afforded him by Christ, in the first Covenant, as a fleshly Bridegroom. But then, farther, is he to follow this Bridegroom, in the death and loss of all this fading life and riches, Wisdom and Mony, for what, in spiritual conviction-Light, is shew'd and offer'd him, by Christ, as a better Bridegroom and Comforter, in the second. This second and principal thing, done, (as the passive part of obedience, requir'd in the right and lawful use of all, in the first Covenant law-state) God is well-pleased, and Man saved. But, be Man never so faithful in the active obedience, performable in his law-life, if he refuse to perform or yield to the requir'd passive obedience, all his active turns, in conclusion, to no account, at all. Himself is turn'd out of God's house, for ever, as but that servant, in his own law-spirit of bondage, that refus'd to become a Son of God, in his Gospel-spirit of glorious liberty, that makes free indeed; Jo. 8. 35, 36. The truth, the Gospel-spirit of Truth, makes Man truly free; ver. 32. Where, (or in whomsoever) that Spirit is, is liberty; 2 Cor. 3. 17. The Gospel-law of the Spirit of life, is the perfect law of liberty. It renders Man free, not to, but from all sin and death, at last; Rom. 8. 2. Jam. 1. 25. Man's spirit of bondage, chosen, before and against God's spirit of true freedom, becom's a house, a prison, a state of eternal death, to him. If Man use his law-life, aright, as to the first end, for which restor'd; and miss the appointed and declared second, all comes to worse then nothing, for ever. He misses that true Wisdom, that gives and is eternal life to them that have it. This, the Law-life and best Wisdom of Man, can never give (or be) to him; Gal. 3. 21.