An exposition with practical observations upon the book of Ecclesiastes written by Alexander Nisbet ...

Verse 22. For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart wherein he hath laboured under the Sun?

23. For all his days are sorrows, and his travel grief, yet his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

SOlomon here giveth the Reasons of his censure past in the for∣mer words upon mens pains for an earthly Happiness.

The 1. is, that man hath no real advantage, or true comfort by all his toil of Body, and vexation of spirit about things earth∣ly: Which is not spoken to the prejudice of any lawful diligence about humane affairs for the right end, but only to convince na∣tural

men of the fruitlesness of all their pains in order to the true ••atisfaction of their souls: And this reason he doth propound by way of interrogation, that he may the more effectually rouse up himself and others, to consider the vanity of seeking Happiness in ••he creatures: and by it also he doth as it were challenge all who ••eglect to seek their Soul-satisfaction in Reconciliation and fel∣••owship with God in Christ, to condescend if they can (and with all supposes that they cannot) upon any advantage they have by all their toil and pains. The question hath the force of a negative as was cleared from the like Chap. 1. ver. 3. Whence that which is here understood may be thus supplyed, what profit hath a man of all his Labour?

The 2. Reason is, that whoever choises any earthly thing for his portion, shall be so far from any true profit, or satisfaction, that may compense his Pains, that by the contrary all his days shall be sorrows and his travel grief, which is mainly to be understood of men of greatest Spirit, and Parts, who take most pains for Happiness in things earthly: not as if such men might not have many days of Carnal pleasure, and joy, but that they have no good days, no days but such as yeild them matter of sorrow, no imployment but what affords them matter of grief, and such Sorrow and grief as is not easily exprest, therefore he useth several words here to the same purpose, and these in the ab∣stract and in the plural Number.

The 3. Reason, which may be taken for an instance, or il∣lustration of the former, i••, that even in the time which God hath appointed for the rest of mens Bodies and Spirits, such men are often so hot in the pursuit of their Idols, of Riches. Ho∣nour, or pleasure, that they cannot get rest, or, as it is in the Original, in the night his heart lyeth not down, but is abroad and vigilant, sometimes flying from his own fears, and some∣times earnestly pursuing these shadows of earthly delights which fly swiftly from him, and this course also he censures to be Va∣nity, to wit, that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 should so torture himself, for that which

cannot comfort him, especially that he should deprive hi•• self of the rest and comfort he might have, for that which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cannot have. This also is Vanity.

Hence learn. 1. It is altogether impossible for any reasonable creature to condescend upon any true advantage or comfort, th•••• men have by all their pains about things earthly as their porti•••• though deluded Souls ravished with delight in serving th•••• Idols, apprehend that real comfort and ga•••• is only to be h•••• in their way Hosea. 12.18. yet cannot the wisest of them g•••• accompt of any such thing as deserves that name; For, this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 question which no man seeking his Happiness in the creatures 〈◊〉〈◊〉 answer Affirmatively, by shewing what he hath beside toil, and vexation, what hath a man of all his Labour, and the vexation of his heart.

2. Men that would promove the work of Mortification is in their own hearts, must often put their hearts to consider what profit or comfort they have, as the result of so great pains as they have taken about their Idols; And have need also to have their Consciences often prest by Christs Ministers to make answer to this or the like question, which Solomon having put in substance before Chap. 1.3. he puts here again to his own heart, and to others also, what hath a man of all his labour? &c.

3. So earnest are men, who make not the Lord, his favo•••• and fellowship their chief delight, in the persuit of their Idols, that they not only spend their bodies with toil, and weariso•• business, as the word here translated Labour signifies, but they suffer their Spirits also to be eaten up, or gnawn away with cares and fears about these Idols, as the word Vexation signifies; Thus doth the Lord justly correct men for slighting of him, by suffer∣ing them to render themselves in some measure incapable, of that sweetness they so much thirst after in things beside him. How much better were it for them to bestow their pains in seeking and serving the Lord, whose way is pleasantness Prov. 3.27. Pea••••, Rom. ••, 6, and Strength Prov. 10.29. to all them that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 there∣in?

So much is implyed in the question what hath a man of all his labour, and ••f the vexation of his heart? &c.

4. Till men be in a reconciled estate, and injoy fellowship with God in Christ, they will never have a joyful day, nor a comfort∣able business: All their days will be sorrows, and their travel grief: any joyful days they apprehend themselves to have, are but like the fancies of one that dreams he eats, and hath nothing Isai. 29 8. Their Car••al joy hath often a mixture of sorrow with it, and alw••••e ends in heaviness Prov. 14.13. For the spirit of God is in this to be believed, rather than the delusions of Satan, and mens cor∣rupt hearts; All his days are sorrows, and his travel grief.

5. The more earnestly men persue rest and satisfaction in any thing earthly, they take the nearer way to their own Vexation; For, of the man who is spending himself in the p••rsuit of the things of the earth, is this spoken, yo•• he takes no 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the night.

6. Though the Lord who when he pleases will give his belov∣ed People rest even in their bodies, and that in the midst of greatest outward hazards Act. 12.6. may for their Humiliation deprive them of it Psal. 77.4. And his People ought sometimes to withhold from themselves the nights rest, for Spiritual Exer∣cises; such as Humiliation and Simpathy in the time of some great Calamity •• Sam. 11.15. Praise, and Th••••sgiving, in the time of some great delivery Psal. ••9.62. Yet when excess of Cares and Fears about things Earthly, goes between men and their nights rest, or other allowed refreshments of that nature, it is not only a clear evidence of their own Vanity, and sinfulness in seeking Happiness in these things, but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Gods just dis∣pleasure, who hath put such vanity upon these false Gods, that they alwise disquiet their Worshipers; For, so doth the spirit of God censure this excess of Worldly cares or delights in the World••ing▪ Yea he taketh no rest in the ••••ght, This also i•• vanity.