Ecclesiastes 12

Ecclesiastes 12:9-12

The wise and penitent preacher is here chasing his sermon, and he abject it, not only like a good erater, but like a good preacher, with that which was likely to make the best impression, and which he wished might be powerful and lasting upon his barren. Here is, 1. An exhortation to young people to begin betimes to be religious, and not to put it off to old age, ver. 1. enforced with arguments taken from the calamities of old age, ver. 1—5. and the great change that death will make upon us, ver. 6, 7. 2. A repetition of the great truth he had undertaken to prove in this discovery, the vanity of the world, ver. 8. 3. A confirmation and recommendation of what he had written in this and his other books, as worthy to be duly weighed and considered, ver. 9—11. 4. The whole matter summed up and concluded, with a charge to all to be truly religious, in consideration of the judgment to come, ver. 13, 14.

1. ¶ Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; 2. While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: 3. In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders of a case, because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, 4. And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; 5. Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond-tree shall flourish, and the grahopper shall be a burden, and defthe shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: 6. Or ever the silver cord be loofed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. 7. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. 8. ¶ Vanity of vanities, faith the preacher; all is vanity.

2. 1—8. This is a continuation of the subject which closed the foregoing chapter. We have,

3. The application of the preacher’s discourse to young men, by way of admonition and counsel. Remember now, without delay, thy Creator, or creature, the divine God, whose right to us is unquestionable; not only our Maks or men, but our Redeemer also as sinners, and thus twice our creature; and therefore justly expecting that we should glorify him in our body, and in our spirits, which are his.

4. He urges his exhortation by the faithfulness of the season, and the prospect of the evil days which are approaching, when the infirmities of age and sickness as much disorder the mind as the body, and unite us for the great business of caring for the soul; when we should have got, and now be them to seek the supports of religion, which these days of evil and anguish need; and when, if at last we should bethink us of our past days, it must give us the most painful reflections, to look back on the flower of our years spent in the service of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and only the dregs of age remaining for God.

5. The calamities of old age are elegantly and feelingly described; probably the sacred penman now spoke from experience. The sun, the light, the moon, the stars are darkened, the eyes of the body grow dim, and can no longer enjoy the surrounding objects of light, and the faculties of the mind are impaired; the judgment weakened, the memory lost, the imagination frozen: and the clouds return after rain, fourfifteen troubles and alls follow each other, and under painful deflections the body melts away. The keepers of the house tremble, the paralytic head, the shaking hand, and towering knees bifocate the feeble frame, and the strong men bow themselves; the legs can scarce support their weight, and on some pony they soften their body bending to the tomb: the grinders rose, because they are few, the toothless gums no longer perform their office to masticate the food: and those that had out of the windows are darkened, the eyes sink in their sockets, and no more sensible to the light of day. And the doors shall be shut in the streets; they eat little, close their lips to keep their food in their mouths, having lost their teeth, and are unable to appear as formerly in the streets; and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, his broken rest is easily disturbed with the crowing of the cock, or the least noise, and all the daughters of music shall be brought away; the voice becomes inharmonious and harsh, the ears dull of hearing. After they shall be afraid of that which is high, unable to ascend the hill, or climb the tower; their breath fails, their head turns round, and fears shall be in the way; they are afraid of falling, through weakness, and ready to stumble at every thing in their path: and the almond-tree shall flourish; with silver hairs their heads are covered, and the grahopper shall be a burden, either their chirping is irksome, or if used for food, however light of digestion, too heavy for their stomach; and defthe fails, the appetite lost, and the sadness of youthful days utterly quenched. And in this debilitated and exhausted state, death cannot be far distant; because men push to his long home, the grave, where his abode must be, till a resurrection-day: or to the house of this world, that eternal world, which should alone be regarded by us as our proper home: we should consider ourselves as pilgrims upon earth, and strangers which here below, and look for, and hasten to, the everlasting habitations which await us above; and the mourners go about the streets, either those who were hired to weep for the dead, or those dear relatives, who with no fictitious tears below the line of their departed home, and fill their air with their lamentations. The future one, the bond of union between body and soul, will then be hoped; the golden bird, that

Before Christ contained the animal spirits, he broken; then shall the pitcher be broken at the fountain, and the wheel broken at the cistern, the heart coals to beat, the blood to flow, and universal stagnation and death ensue. Then shall the duff return to the earth as it was, such is the dire effect of one man’s sin, and the spirit shall return unto God that gave it, to receive its doom; either admitted to the blissful presence of God, or referred in chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Well might the preacher conclude from this humbling view of mortal man, the truth of the position he had advanced, as the text of his discourse, Family of vanities, all is vanity.

9. And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and fought out, and set in order many proverbs. 10. The preacher fought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. 11. The words of the wise are * as goads, and as nails fastened by the matters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 12. And further, by these, my son, he admonished: of making many books there is no end, and * much study is a weariness of the flesh.

The preacher is drawing to a conclusion, and warmly recommends what he hath written, as the dictates of wisdom and experience. He tells us,

1. The pains he took for our instruction. Moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; what God had given him, he freely communicated; and being recovered from his falls, returned to his former happy employment of making others wise unto salvation: yea, he gave good heed, extracting all the instruction he could find in books or men, and well dwelling and pondering it in his own mind, and fought out with elaborate and accurate investigation the more difficult parts of science, and set in order many proverbs, 1 Kings iv. 32. The preacher fought to find out acceptable words, such as might most effectually, powerfully, and pleasingly convey the sacred truths he laboured to inculcate; and that which was written was upright, being the dictates of God’s spirit, even words of truth, proceeding from the God of truth.

2. The use and intention of his discourse. The words of the wise are as goads, sharp and quickening, convincing the conscience of sin, and stimulating our stupid hearts to diligence and activity, in working out our salvation: and as nails, to fix the wavering soul on God, fastened by the matters of assemblies, the ministers of the gospel, whose office and business it is, with ceaseless labour, to inculcate these words of truth, which are given from the one shepherd, who alone can make their ministry effectual, to the conversion of men’s souls; and he hath promised to be with us always, even unto the end of the world. In dependence upon him, therefore, must we go forth, and conformly expect to be assisted by him, and made successful in the preaching of his gospel.

3. The Bible is the book of books; compared with this, all others are insignificant, and whatever corresponds not herewith, is carefully to be avoided. And further, my son, by these he admonished, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest these sacred truths; or of what is more than these, however, and affect not to be wise above what is written, and reject every writing that pretends to add unto, or diminish from, what is revealed in the word of God: of making many books there is no end; it is vain to expect conviction from any other book, if the book of God does not produce it; and though our study was crammed with writings of philosophy and morality, one page of God’s word speaks with more power, authority, and credence, to the conscience, than these numberless volumes; and much study is a weariness to the flesh; the composing, or reading human works with fixed attention, weariness both the mind and body; but the study of the book of God, is as pleasing as it is profitable.

4. ¶ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, * Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14. For * God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

v. 13, 14. Behold here reduced to a single point the sum of true religion, the certain means of happiness, and the great end of man. Let us hear the conclusion of the matter, fear God, and keep his commandments; the one the principle, the other the practice, which necessarily flows from it. The fear of God comprehends all serious godliness, a reverence of his majesty, a deference to his authority, and a dead of his displeasure, and this will engage us to keep his commandments diligently, constantly, universally; making conscience of all our ways, and seeking to have them more exactly conformed to that perfect rule he hath prescribed. Two things are urged to enforce this,

1. The consideration how much it is our bounden duty thus to fear and serve him. This is the whole duty of man, it is the great end of his erection, and should be his full concern; or this is the whole man, he is then truly blessed and happy; which, without true godliness, all the world, or the things in it, can never make him.

2. The consideration of the judgment approaching. For God shall bring every work into judgment; and of what infinite moment then must it be to us, how we shall appear at his bar, where, according to our deeds, our eternity must be determined for endless joys, or everlasting bursings! God sees and marks all our ways, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil; before the assembled world of men or angels they will be produced, and judgment, according to the truth, be executed. Happy they who keep this great day ever in their view, feel the impression of it deep upon their hearts, refraining them from evil, quickening them in their course, supporting them under trials, and engaging them to persevere faithful unto death; they shall have great boldness in the day of judgment, he counted worthy to stand before the Son of Man, and be admitted into the everlasting joy of their Lord.

The End of the Book of ECCLESIASTES. THE EVANGELICAL EXPOSITOR; OR, A PRACTICAL COMMENT UPON THE SONG of SOLOMON.

ALL scripture we are sure is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for the support and advancement of the interests of his kingdom among men; and it is never the less so for there being found in it some things dark and hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest to their own destruction. In our belief both of the divine extraction and of the spiritual exposition of this book, we are confirmed by the antient, constant, and concurring testimony both of the church of the Jews, to whom were committed the oracles of God, and who never made any doubt of the authority of this book, and of the Christian church, which happily succeeds them in that trust and honour. 1. It must be confessed on the one hand, that if he that barely reads this book be asked as the eunuch was, Understandeth thou what thou readest? he will have more reason than he had to say, How can I, except some man shall guide me? The books of scripture-history and prophecy are very like one another, but this Song of Solomon’s is very unlike the songs of his father David; here is not the name of God in it, it is never quoted in the New Testament, we find not in it any expressions of natural religion, or pious devotion, no, nor is it introduced by vision, or any of the marks of immediate revelation: it seems as hard as any part of scripture to be made a favour of life unto life, nay, and to those who come to the reading of it with carnal minds and corrupt affections it is in danger of being made a favour of death unto death: it is a flower out of which they extract poison; and therefore the Jewish doctors advised their young people not to read it till they were thirty years old, left by the abuse of that which is most pure and sacred (horrendum dictu!) the flames of lust should be kindled with fire from heaven, which is intended for the altar only. But, 2. It must be confessed on the other hand, that with the help of the many faithful guides we have for the understanding of this book, it appears to be a very bright and powerful ray of heavenly light, admirably fitted to excite pious and devout affections in holy souls, to draw out their desires towards God, to increase their delight in him, and improve their acquaintance and communion with him. It is an allegory, the letter of which kills those who rest in that and look no further, but the spirit of which giveth life, 2 Cor. iii. 6. John vi. 63. It is a parable, which makes divine things more difficult to those who do not love them, but more plain and pleasant to those that do, Matth. xiii. 14, 16. experienced christians here find a counterpart of their experiences, and to them it is intelligible; while they neither understand it, nor relish it, who have no part or lot in the matter. It is a song, an Epithalamium or nuptial song, wherein by the expressions of love between a bridegroom and his bride, is set forth and illustrated, the mutual affections that pass between God and a distinguished remnant of mankind. Now, (1.) This song might easily be taken in a spiritual sense by the Jewish church, for whose use it was first composed, and was so taken, as appears by the Chaldee Paraphrase, and the most ancient Jewish expositors. God betrothed the people of Israel to himself, he entered into covenant with them, and it was a marriage covenant. He had given abundant proofs of his love to them, and required of them that they should love him with all their heart and soul. Idolatry was often spoken of as a spiritual adultery and doating upon idols; to prevent which, this song was penned, representing the complacency God took in Israel, and which Israel ought to take in God, and encouraging them to continue faithful to him, though he might seem sometimes to withdraw and hide himself from them, and to wait for the further manifestation of himself in the promised Messiah. (2.) It may more easily be taken in a spiritual sense by the Christian church, because the condescensions and communications of divine love appear more rich and free under the gospel than they did under the law, and the communion between heaven and earth more familiar.

God