Ecclesiastes 4

Ecclesiastes 4:1-3

Salomon having formed the vanity of this world, in the temptation which they in power are in to oppress and crumple upon their subjects, here further shows, 1. The temptation which the oppressed are in to discontent and impatience, ver. 1—2. 2. The vanity of fishing happiness is again, which only excites envy, ver. 4. Or, 3. In flesh and self, ver. 5, 6. Or, 4. In courtship, ver. 7, 8. 5. The comfort of facial life commanded, ver. 9—12. 6. The unstability even of royal dignity, not only through the folly of the prince himself, ver. 13, 14. but through the fashions of the people, let the prince be never so different, ver. 15, 16.

1. So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comfort; and on the side of their oppressors there was power, but they had no comforter. 2. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead, more than the living which are yet alive. 3. Yes, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

He had before considered the case of proud oppressors, and concern their judgment; here he turns his eyes to the oppressed, and bewails their misery.

1. Their condition is deplorable, and often helpless; for might here often overcome right. The tears of the poor, the orphan, the persecuted, cry out against their severe and venetous matters, their treacherous questions, and tyrannical governors; and they have no comforter, few caring to expose themselves in the cause of injured innocence, especially where the power in the hands of oppressors makes it dangerous to oppose their iniquitous proceedings, or even to show compassion to those who suffer under their wickedness.

2. The judgment he formed concerning this state of oppression is, that death itself were preferable to such a continued scene of misery; and never to have had a being, more desirable, than merely to come thus into the world, to see the evil that is done under the sun, and suffer. And this is spoken as the conclusion of sense, without respect to a future state; for else, as it is a great truth, that they who in Christ have finished their warfare, are in a much more desirable estate than those militant saints who still bear the burden and heat of the day; so to have a being, however miserable upon earth, can never make a good man with he had never been born, since God is glorified in his sufferings, and an eternity of happiness is before him. Nor ought any man to oppress with his being, because of the evil he sees or feels; it is his own fault if the issue be not for his good.

3. ¶ Again, I considered all travel, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. 5. The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own own

own

B. Let Ch-8 own flesh. 6. Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travel and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 4:4-6

The more he confiders, the more the conviction is evident, that all beneath the sun is vanity and vexation of spirit.

1. Is a man industrious, ingenious, and successful? If it is the butt of envy. Though with hard travel he laboured in the school of learning, or in the business of life, and all the days he took were unexceptionably upright; yet, such is the vile nature of fallen man, that, instead of rendering the deserved prude, and rejoicing in his neighbour’s prosperity and honour, his evil eye is upon him, and his malignant tongue ready to traduc his merit. Even his good works shall draw upon him the bitterest hatred, 1 John iii. 12. But though men make us so ungrateful a return, we must not be discouraged: we shall have prude of God, and that will overbalance the world’s envy and hatred.

2. The opposite conduct is yet attended with greater vexation. Instead of being industrious, and to avoid being envied, the fact, the foothill man, fiddeth his hands together; and the conflagration of such idleness is, that he catch his man full, emaciated through hunger, and famished for want; or wafting the fashions his family should inherit; and forgetful, in moderation of himself, that a little with ease, and without labour, is better than abundance which must be hardly earned; as if such was quietness, diligent industry intolerable toil, and indolence contentment. Of the words, 6. may express the wise man’s judgment, directing us to the golden mean between repractorial indolence and restless labour and anxiety; for the moderate gains of honest industry, enjoyed with contentment, are infinitely a more satisfactory portion, than the exorbitant wealth that is gotten with fore travel, kept with anxiety, and enslittered in the using.

3. Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.

4. There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, neither footh be. For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a fore travel.

5. Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

6. For if they fail, the one will lift up his fellow: but wo to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another so help him up.

7. Again, if two lie together, then they have beat: but how can one be warm alone?

8. And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:7-12

He that walks about under the sun, will ever be observing more and more of the vanity of the creature; a truth instance of which is produced,

1. In the character of the miser, who, though he hath none but himself to provide for, and neither child or brother, to whom he may be present, he has been a great deal of the same, and he has been a great deal of the same, and he has been a great deal of the same, and he has been a great deal of the same, and he has been a great deal of the same, and he has been a great deal of the same, and he has been a great deal of the same, and he has been a great deal of the same, and he has been a great deal of the same, and he has been a great deal of the same.

2. The wise man shows how much preferable society and the enjoyment of our labours is to this unnatural folioste and niggardines. The comforts and advantages of marriage and friendship amply overpay us for all they call. Two are better than one; more happy than they could be separate; because they have a good reward for their labour; enjoy mutual assistance and counsel, and communicate mutual pleasure. If one falls as they travel, the other is ready to lend his helping hand; if into errors or sin, a faithful friend will seek to refuse such one in the spirit of muteness: if into sorrow, he will be near to comfort him. But one to him that is alone when he falls; where he lies he is in danger of being lost. Again, they communicate mutual warmth: If two lie together, they have been a great deal of the same, and they have been a great deal of the same, and they have been a great deal of the same, and they have been a great deal of the same, and they have been a great deal of the same, and they have been a great deal of the same, and they have been a great deal of the same, and they have been a great deal of the same, and they have been a great deal of the same.

fold cord, where Christians unite in society, and Christ is in the mind of them, is not quickly broken; none of the powers of earth or hell shall be able to prevail against them.

13. Better is a poor and a wise child, than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

14. For out of prison he cometh to reign, whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.

15. I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.

16. There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after, shall not rejoice in him. Surely, this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 4:13-16

Crowns from the most substantial goods, yet they are held by a precarious tenure, and numbered with much vanity and vexation of spirit.

1. If they are on the heads of the foolish, they totter; for though inherited by descent, and worn to old age, yet, if the king, whose age should add veneration and weight to his dignity, he foothill, unable to manage the reins of government, and prevails and conceited withal; who will not bear to be admonished, nor advise with the constellations of willows; he becometh poor, dethroned by his subjects, or conquered by invaders. So that even a child, though poor and low in the world, yet, if wise, is a more respectable personage, and will rise from the dunghill, as Joseph from the dungeon, to the highest honour; whilst the other is hurled from the summit of dignity and affluence, to the depths of infamy and want.

2. The very sicknesses of the people will sometimes be enough to bring about revolutions in the state. Solomon observed in his researches, that the rising sun was usually adored, and the successes more careful than the reigning monarch. They are in haste to see his child stand up in his stead, and think as after their condition for the better in transferring the crown from the father to the son. Thus without end are they restlessly given to change, v. 16. as those who went before them were, and those who come after them will be; dissatisfied quickly with their new king, and willing to pull him down to day, whom they sat up yesterday. And it cannot but afford much grief to a prince to see this inconstancy in his subjects, and to hear those hail him in contempt, who late received him with husus’s, and thorns of pride. It were well if this caught him to seek a richer and more enduring crown than that of gold, even a crown of glory, which faddeth not away