An exposition of Ecclesiastes, or, The preacher

About this Item

Title
An exposition of Ecclesiastes, or, The preacher
Author
Sikes, George.
Publication
London :: printed in the year, 1680. Sold by Samuel Lee, at the Feathers in Lombard-Street, near Popes-head Alley,
[1680]
Rights/Permissions

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Subject terms
Bible. -- O.T. -- Ecclesiastes -- Commentaries -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A62085.0001.001
Cite this Item
"An exposition of Ecclesiastes, or, The preacher." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A62085.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 9, 2024.

Pages

Page 420

Vers. 2. All things come alike to all; there is one Event to the righte∣ous and to the wicked; to the good, and to the clean, and to the un∣clean; to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an Oath.

In God's dispensations to the outward Man of Saints and Sin∣ners, all things come alike to all, righteous and wicked, good and bad, clean and unclean. So, God's Love or Hatred cannot thereby be known. God causes his Sun to shine, and Rain to fall, on the evil and good, just and unjust; Mat. 5. 45. From the afflicting or gratifying di∣spensations of God, to the whole natural Man, is the Wisdom of Man apt to take the measures of God's Anger or Love. God affords invisible as well as visible good things of this World, to the inner, as well as outer natural Man, the Spirit as well as Body, of the rebellious, as also, of those who will prove obedient Saints. This, as one fruit of Christ's Redemption-work; Psal. 68. 18. As to a first-covenant Benefit' of Christ's death (the common or general Salvation, all Men are capable of) may they be made wise, strong, and honourable in Christ; yea, by new or second-Covenant Light, also, shew'd, offer'd (and brought to tast and see how good and gracious the Lord is, in) his new-Covenant-life; and after all, irrecoverably apostatize, and perish for ever; 1 Cor. 4. 10. Heb. 6. 4, -6. If man finally keep up his restor'd first-creation changeable righteous Life, in enmity to God and his second, he perishes for ever. If he prefer the Knowledg of Christ af∣ter the flesh, in the restor'd righteous Life of the Law (or conformity to him, as born of a Woman, under the Law) to Christ after the Spirit, or in his spiritual resurrection-Life; he perishes for ever. In this evil, self-chosen life and way, does God, in Judgment gratify Men, with invisible fading or natural good things, beyond all they can wish; Psal. 73. 7. The literal wicked, in the corrupt; and mystically wicked, in the resin'd spirit of Nature, may be gratified with all worldly desi∣rables outward or inward, to their bodies or spirits; and perish for ever, after all, under the Wrath to come. All this, Solomon understood, and declar'd. The natural Understanding, even in the spiritual Saint, can't reach these mysteries of Providence, in the promiscuous dispen∣sations of God, to good and bad, as to all worldly desirables, visible or invisible. Psal. 73. The truly righteous, good and clean, 〈◊〉〈◊〉

Page 421

his natural Life to God, as fearing an Oath, or the swearing an ever∣lasting Covenant with the Devil, in the first-creation state, against God and the second. So comes his heart, in a newness of life, to be set in him to do good, in God's sight, for ever. He that swears that Co∣venant with the Devil, is fully set to do Evil, for ever; Eccl. 8. 11. However undiscern'd the Saint's condition be, to his Enemies, under the love of God, in this life; God will, at last, manifest the difference between them that serve him, and those that serve him not, but swear everlasting Allegiance to the Devil, (Mal. 3. 18.) whose Servants they are; Rom. 6. 16.

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