To see the business that is done upon the earth— To observe the occupations of man upon the earth; and that even day and night he doth not see sleep with his eyes, Ecclesiastes 8:17. Then I understood that this is all God's own work; that man is not able to find out the end of this work which is done under the sun: Therefore, though a man should labour, &c. See Desvoeux, and chap. Ecclesiastes 3:11.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, Wisdom is indeed of infinite importance. We have here,
1. Its great commendation. Who is as the wise man? comparable to him for excellence; or who knoweth the interpretation of a thing, or a word? none but those who are taught of God can understand his heavenly wisdom, or interpret his word to the edification of men, or improve the conjunctures of his providence aright. Such a one will be highly honoured and respected; for a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, as Moses's did when he came down from the mount; and they who see it admire the lustre and excellence which appears in all his conversation: or enlightens his face, enables him to see distinctly the way in which he should walk; and the boldness of his face shall be changed; it teaches the rough and austere to smooth their rugged brows, and makes the fierce gentle as the lamb; for, when the heart by grace is changed, the very countenance bears the divine impression.
2. The proof of wisdom instanced in dutiful allegiance to the king. I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, obedient in all things to the government under which we live; and that, not merely for fear of punishment, but for conscience-sake, in regard of the oath of God, the oath of allegiance; or, but with a regard of the oath of God; when human injunctions are opposite to the Divine commands, then must we obey God rather than man. Be not hasty to go out of his sight, so as to withdraw from his presence disrespectfully, to quit his service, and retire in disgust: stand not in an evil thing; if we have done wrong, we must acknowledge it and beg pardon, not persist in our perverseness: for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him, and therefore to offend him who has power to punish is dangerous; for where the word of a king is, there is power: there are multitudes ready to fly at his orders, and execute his vengeance on those who dare contradict him: and who may say unto him, What doest thou? As dangerous as it is to rebel, so advantageous is it to obey. For whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing, but enjoy peace and quietness, protected by the powers that he obeys; and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment, waits the proper season to prefer the grievances which he may feel, and seeks to procure redress with prudence.
The whole of this passage may also be referred to our duty towards the King of kings, whose commandments are all most excellent. From his presence there is no hiding ourselves; to attempt concealment of an evil thing from his all-seeing eye, were folly; to continue impenitent, destruction; for his power is universal and absolute; and if he will punish, none can resist, or question his authority. Obedience to him will insure blessedness; they who have him for their king, and approve themselves loyal subjects, need fear no evil: and herein is wisdom to discern the moment of opportunity, and in time to provide for eternity, knowing the judgment approaching, when every man must receive according to his works.
2nd, It is the character of the wise, that he discerneth the time; and the want of this discernment is the cause of much human misery. For,
1. Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, the proper season and manner when it should be put in execution; the ignorance, improvidence, and neglect of men in this behalf, occasion most of their distresses. They trifle with the opportunity, and it slips irrecoverably by; therefore the misery of man is great upon him, and he has usually only his own negligence to blame for the sufferings that he undergoes; which prudent foresight, and careful diligence, might probably have prevented. For he knoweth not that which shall be, or whether ever again he shall have the opportunity that he has lost, and none know what to-morrow will bring forth: for who can tell him when it shall be, or how it shall be? future events are secrets concealed from human foresight; the present moment only is our own, and time is to be redeemed by us as it flies.
2. Death is hastening towards us; and when he comes, there is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit from God's arrests; his summons is absolute, and must be obeyed; no intreaties can prevail, no bribe suspend, no method prevent the execution of the sentence gone forth. Neither hath he power in the day of death; then the strong men bow themselves, and friends and physicians help in vain: and this must be, sooner or later, the lot of all, for there is no discharge in that war; we must conflict with this terrible foe; nor gold, nor tears, nor struggling avail; death will not quit his hold. And as the most holy are not exempt from the common lot of mortality, and must pass in common with others through the gate of the grave (though the property of death is changed): neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it; all their craft, their cunning, their authority, their wealth, the fruits of their wickedness, profit not in this day of wrath, but will rather hasten their ruin.
3rdly, To support the sufferers under tyrannical rulers, Solomon,
1. Remarks, among the observations that he had made under the sun, their way and end. There is a time when one man ruleth over another to his own hurt, or to his hurt; either the hurt of the persons oppressed by tyrants, whose liberty and property are invaded, and their peace disturbed; or to the hurt of the oppressors themselves, who, filling up the measure of their iniquities, bring down upon their heads the divine judgments. For the day of the wicked is coming: so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, had lived in office, and kept their posts of honour to the last, and were interred with great pomp and splendour, attended in the most solemn manner by the Priests and Levites; as the words may be rendered, they came and walked from the holy place; but how poor is all this! when death stamps vanity upon them, they lie down in the dust as the beggar, where no pomp can follow them, and their detested names are forgotten, and buried in oblivion, notwithstanding all the pains they had taken to perpetuate them.
2. He observes the impenitence of men presuming on the patience of God; but reprieves are no pardons, as the sinner will find to his cost. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, but God, though determined to punish sin, in mercy delays, if perhaps men may repent of their iniquities,—so far is his goodness from leading them, as it ought, to repentance, that they are often (such is man's desperate wickedness!) but the more hardened: therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil; presuming on impunity, they persist in their iniquity. But though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, living many a year in prosperous iniquity, yet ought not the people of God to be uneasy, nor the wicked secure; for mark but the end, and then it will be seen beyond contradiction, (1.) That it shall be well with them that fear God; it shall be surely so, notwithstanding any appearances to the contrary: I know it, and speak from the fullest conviction and observation; it shall be well with them who fear God above man, and make it their sole concern to please him; well with them in time, for they shall enjoy his favour and regard, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions; well with them in eternity, when the reward of glory shall be bestowed upon them. But (2.) it shall not be well with the wicked, his days shall be passed in vanity, his death be terrible, and after death a miserable eternity receive him: neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, so swiftly passing, short of what he expected, at least short of the life of glory, because he feareth not before God, which is the great cause of all his wickedness, and the root of his impenitence.
4thly, It has been of old a matter of stumbling and difficulty, to behold the righteous afflicted, and the wicked in affluence. But,
1. We must not be surprised at the sight. It is a part of this world's vanity to see the just suffering, as if they had been wicked; and the ungodly prospering, as if they had been righteous. But God has wise ends to answer in these, as they seem to us, mysterious dispensations of his providence. He will have his children know that this is not their rest: we must look forward to eternity; there the mystery will be explained, and God's wisdom, justice, grace, and love therein acknowledged.
2. Since all below is so poor and empty, it is wise to make the best of it that we can. Then I commended mirth, holy cheerfulness and serenity; joy in what we possess, and contentment under what we want: to use with sobriety and thankfulness the creatures of God, is all the comfort that we can expect from every thing below. And as this is all we can get by our labour under the sun, herein ought we to abide all our days: they are few and evil, and shortly must end. Let us, therefore, correspond with the Divine Providence, and accommodate ourselves to the will of God.
3. We should be satisfied to be ignorant, where God has set bounds to our researches. Solomon had applied his heart to know wisdom, to investigate the nature and causes of things, and to see the business that is done upon the earth, all the labours of men, or the works of divine providence; and day and night, with restless toil, he pursued his inquiries; but, after all, he confesses how little he knew. His way is in the sea, unfathomably deep, and his footsteps in the great waters, unsearchable; and if he, who was the wisest of all the sons of men, make such an acknowledgment, they who come after him may well despair: be he never so curious, inquisitive, indefatigable, day and night in the inquiry, yet he shall not find it: yea, though he be wise, and may think to know it, by taking some new and untried method of investigating the secrets of nature and providence, yet shall he not be able to find it; an impenetrable veil is stretched over many things: he who set bounds to the sea has set bounds to the human understanding, and has said, Hitherto shalt thou come, and no farther: to attempt to exceed these bounds, would only prove the arrogance of folly, and end in disappointment.