-- CHAPTER III: A larger confirmation of this interpretation given
of this above all other pieces of wisdom; and all this to raise up and heighten the expectation of all who should read this, what it would be he should bring forth as the issue and product of this his search and finding. And then to come off with this, 'But I find not;' what shall I compare or liken it unto, but the apostle's so solemn story of his rapture into the third heaven? And then all the news he brings from thence, should be, that it was unutterable, and that he could tell nothing of it, was all he had to tell. This contrivance and circumlocution, and fetching the matter about, which Solomon useth, was such as no rhetoric or invention can mend, whereby to set out the surpassing infiniteness of this account. This as to the mind and unriddling of this riddle, I find, I find not, in the general intent of it.
I now close this chapter, with adding this great observation out of all hitherto, that Solomon judged this to be a point of greatest moment and concernment for all men to know; in that of all lessons else which from experimental repentance he had learned, he chooseth to leave behind him but this alone, or at least above all other, that upon his most exquisite search, he found his actual sins were infinite; and to proclaim this with a behold, and the greatest solemnity, calling upon all men deeply to consider it; which point I shall enlarge upon afterwards.
CHAPTER III:
A larger confirmation of this interpretation given A larger confirmation of this interpretation given, and a fuller exposition of the words, by shewing that the matter of this account was of his own personal wickedness, as a penitent; and not only that one particular sin, but of his whole life past and present
What hath been hitherto spoken concerning the way and manner of his speech used, and but in generals, mast needs beget further desires more certainly and particularly to be assured this to have been his scope, and accordingly provoke to make a more narrow and thorough inquiry.
What the subject matter or thing this account concerns should be?
And the answer thereto is, that the matter of this account, whereof he pronounceth this, 'I find, I find not,' was,
I. An account of wickedness.
II. Of his own personal follies and wickedness, which, III. As a penitent he searched into, by self-examination, &c., and with repentance for them.
IV. The wickedness, not of that one particular way of sinning only, but of his whole life past and present.
V. That was the innumerable multitude rising up afore him in his search to such an infinity that caused him to say, 'Behold, this I have found, I find it not.'
These particulars I shall endeavour to demonstrate, either out of these words themselves, or their coherence and aspect to the words foregoing or following after. And this by parts. The four first in this chapter, and the fifth in the next.
And this resolve comprehending many particulars, whereof some will occasion new queries to be drawn forth; I shall therefore prosecute them in the way of query and answer (whereof the one will beget the succeeding), as I have begun, till they have all of them brought forth.
I. To be sure it was the account of wickedness, some or other, either of himself or others. For after he had, in ver. 25, as his introduction,
related how he was turned about, and had applied his heart to know, search, and seek out the account of wickedness, &c., he here the second time repeats and mentions this account, and how de facto, and according to that resolution, he had pursued the seeking of it.
And this also, although it be but a general observation, yet conduceth greatly to fix the interpretation, and to bring it to an head, and strikes off many other wide and wild interpretations that are given of this clause, which otherwise I should not have indigitated.
II. They were his own personal follies, sought out by him he intends this of.
A late judicious commentator observing how the word translated, ver. 25, 'the reason of things,' did signify the account (as was by me observed), and to be also the very same word that is translated the account here in ver. 27, and that addition of things not to be there in the original; and withal, that Solomon in these words prosecutes the same account that he had spoken of in ver. 25, he thereupon paraphraseth the words of ver. 25 thus, Solomon applied his heart, or turned it about to seek wisdom, in taking account of himself, and seeking to know the wickedness of his own folly, and the foolishness of his own madness. And so these words (says he) in ver. 25, 'The reason of things' is better rendered, 'the account of myself and ways.'
And according to this premise, he interprets these words in my text, vers. 27, 28, of his own wickedness and folly; thus he. And it is certain that if Solomon's own sinfulness be aimed at in that speech, ver. 25, then in this also. For it is evident it is one and the same account in both (which I shall urge by and by) which is confirmed by this, that ver. 26 (which comes between this speech and it, in ver. 25, and so his main scope transmits from ver. 25 unto this ver. 27), treats (as I have shewed) of the follies of himself, which he there bewaileth as a penitent. And the inference from thence will have a redoubled strength for this, that therefore much more he goes on in these words to speak of his own personal follies he had sought the account of, but found it was infinite and past his skill. I here add no
more, because the whole of what follows in the very next succeeding third section does fully and directly serve to prove this head also.
III. In a way of repentance and daily self-examination and search into them; which appears by two characters.
1. That he sets to his penitential mark or token when he comes to these words, and so upon the matter thereof, as being of a penitential nature. Behold, this have I found, says the soul that is by sound repentance gathered or returned to the congregation of the saints; and says it, to testify his true repentance. This to be the comprehensive meaning of those words rendered, 'Thus saith the preacher,' I take so much for granted amongst Protestants as I will not detain the reader in a large proof of it. The word coheleth is a participle of the feminine gender, and therefore interpreters use to supply it with nephesh, which is of the feminine gender also; and then it is all one as to say, 'a soul gathered,' as implied thereby. And whereas in those other places of this book, where this title comes in, it is joined with a masculine verb, here alone the verb amorah, saith, is in like manner feminine, and so further serves to import his soul to be intended, which is yet further confirmed by what doth immediately follow, ver. 28, 'which my soul seeks.' All which declare, that in this new stile and title Solomon intended his soul as the subject, as withal to shew how and with what a vehemency his very soul was in this matter engaged. And then again, the word coheleth signifying a being gathered to the congregation or the church; it is inferred that therefore his repentance was withal as significantly connotated thereby; for by no other thing is a soul truly gathered to the church (or 'added to the church,' as the apostle's phrase is) than by true and sound repentance; and it is the soul that is the subject of repentance, and so still in Scripture it is attributed to it, as therefore here, when repentance is spoken of; and it is as true that true soulrepentance is of and for a man's own personal sins, and therefore they must be intended. The words of the fore-cited right reverend annotator's paraphrase upon this word, are these: Solomon here added this clause (says he) to testify to the church his repentance,
namely, 'This have I found,' saith the soul, which by sound repentance is returned unto the congregation of the saints, which was before ensnared in the nets and bands of seducing women. To that special sin indeed he restrains it here, but I extend it to the sins of his whole life.
I call this Solomon's penitential mark or token (proper to him in this his book of repentance) only in allusion, as in point of speech, unto that great apostle's apostolical terming that one of his mark or token set by him to all his epistles, 2 Thes. 3:17.
Now put but all these together: 1, an account spoken of, 2, an account of folly and wickedness, 3, which my soul yet seeks to find, 4, says the penitent soul. And what account else should this be supposed to be, other than the account of his own sins, and follies of his own soul?
And then by what other ways and means should it be, he did yet seek out that account, other than by self-examination and a daily searching into, and so computing of it?
2. A second character that he speaks all this in a way of daily selfexamination and repentance, is that great vehemency wherewith his soul (as we find it here expressed by him) was carried out to find this account, together with his suitable diligence and exactness, or pains he professeth he had taken therein. And this will also as strongly serve to evince that they were his own sins he intended in these words. First, his vehemency and eagerness is thus expressed, 'which yet my soul seeketh;' that is, the very whole of my soul, and the utmost intention of it, continues after the hottest and most eager pursuance of finding it, even to that very day; which the word 'yet seeks' argues. These shew that the matter of this account he looked upon as of greatest moment, and the finding of it to be a wisdom far transcending all other wisdom, which he had given over. Yea, and (which yet heighteneth this) that although he had found the very same discouragement in the pursuit of this which he had found in the study of all other wisdom, which for that very reason he professeth to have in a manner quite given over, vers. 23, 24, because
it was too deep for him, ver. 25, and given over to that end, to attend this new account or point of wisdom, yet still we see him, notwithstanding this discouragement, prosecuting this unto that very hour; yea, we find his soul in a full career after it, panting and almost out of breath through ardency and heat of pursuit whilst he utters this. What must be or can be supposed to have made the difference, but that he found this point of wisdom of infinitely greater moment, even such as his very soul and everlasting salvation was concerned in, and so deeply concerned, as he could never lay the study of this again down. For why? He must have laid repenting down else; for by the law of true repentance (whereof the studying to find out one's sinfulness is always a concomitant, yea, pre-requisite) he was daily engaged to this duty unto the end, to humble his soul greatly before God, as great sinners truly repenting use to do, and therefore daily to seek into this account, and to do his best to cast up that still; and this although he still found he fell never so short of it, for that would but still serve to humble him the more. So as his But I find not the perfect account did not, ought not, could not discharge his soul from a yet of seeking to find it. Add unto this (which still increaseth the evidence on this hand), 2, that great diligence, pains, and exactness which he professeth to have continued in this, expressed in these words, 'counting one by one to find out the account;' which, whether it refers unto times spent therein (as Junius), semel atque iterum, that is, once and again, or one time after another, as we use to speak when we would express sedulousness and industry, we say, still to be at it, and upon a thing; or whether it refers to the things numbered or summed up; how that he had told them over one by one. However, either the one or other, they each import his great diligence put forth in it. But the latter of these two speaketh further the most exquisite exactness, and how that he had been as curious and exquisite in his search, according to his power and skill, as any neat accountant (a merchant suppose) useth to be, who, to be sure to cast up a sum punctually, he doth it one by one, and contents not himself with a confused guess only. Even thus, says Solomon, have I endeavoured to do, by a daily view of my fore-past actions, taken singly and apart; yea, and I take actions in pieces, to find out their sinfulness. I have
considered the principles of them, my ends in them, the motives, the affections that influenced them, the circumstances that did accompany them, and have narrowly examined and searched into all these one by one. This is the second character.
And unto these two, both first, so exact, and secondly, so vehement a soul-pursuance, it could not simply or mainly be the account of others' wickedness (to which most would carry it), nor can it be supposed to be that which should thus deeply have engaged, fired, and fixed him, but that a deep sense of his own wickedness awakening him should do it, and ought to do it. This the examples in the word, the nature of true repentance, and the experience of all renewed souls after a relapse (as his case was) unto a fresh and deep repentance, do abundantly confirm.
Here another query doth arise, that it being granted that he speaks this of his own sins as a penitent, yet whether not only of the account of that one species or kind of sinning by women, and the consequents thereof, because he had alone insisted upon the mention thereof in ver. 26, this remains still a question.
My return unto this is, that both that sort and the other, even all other sins throughout the whole course of his past, and also of his present daily conversation, were the object or matter of this penitential inquiry and account here insisted on, which he, upon his renewed repentance, had prosecuted with a continued examination and observation to that day. To go over these by parts.
1. As touching those particular sins about women, &c., two things.
(1.) It is certain that those are intended and included in a special and singular manner; for he instances therein, and therein only, in the verse afore, as having been the chiefest of his sins, which useth always to be unto souls thoroughly humbled, the grand material of their repentance, and upon which they are wont to spend the strength of their sorrowful thoughts and tears, as being the imprimis
of their account. We must necessarily, therefore, judge that Solomon did bring down along with him, from the foregoing verse, the account of this sin into this his main account, ver. 27.
(2.) It is as certain that that one rivulet or stream of sinning had afforded be great a spawn and multitude of sins, as did alone amount to such an infinity as might deserve those great words by which he exaggerates his not finding, &c. But then I would have it noticed withal, that if this had alone been intended, it still were a sufficient foundation for my design and purpose out of these words; for if the transgressing of one commandment doth produce and afford so large a reckoning, what will the breach of all the other throughout the course of a man's life amount unto, when every commandment shall bring in their bills (as at such audits they use to do)? But though we pass and allow that to have been his great imprimis, yet we may and must take into this account all the other, though perhaps lesser, items, which, being put together, do far exceed as to the number of them.
2. As to that other part, that all the other follies of his life, past and present, were also the matter of his search and observation, to find out the account thereof, upon this his revived repentance, &c. For this there are these competent evidences.
(1.) The aspect or correspondency this speech holds in the matter of it, with that of ver. 25. Had, indeed, these words had reference only to ver. 26, they might have been limited by, and unto those his sinnings with women, and his meaning then to have been, That in his searching into that parcel or heap of sins, he found that alone to be infinite. But it is apparent that these words look higher, and hold a former and more elderly pre-acquaintance and strict connection of no less immediateness with those foregoing, viz., 'I applied my heart to know, and search, and find out the account of wickedness, and folly, and madness,' in ver. 25, which apparently speaks of wickedness indefinitely, yea, universally; one kind of wickedness as well as another. Well, and suitably unto that speech doth he here
speak this, 'Behold, this I have found, counting one by one to find out the account, which yet my soul seeketh,' &c. It is evident 'tis the same account he speaks of in both, for the word in the original is one and the same in both (though there translated the reason, here the account). When therefore in these words he says he sought to 'find out the account;' I ask, what account? but that and the same, he says, he had took up a resolution to search into in ver. 25. And further, which strongly confirms this, he useth (in effect) the same words to express his search after it in these words, which he had done in ver.
25. There he expresseth his purposed resolution by multiplying three words, to know, search, and seek, implying all diligence; and in this he sets down his performance of that resolution, in terms equivalent as to the expressing his diligence, viz., that he had 'counted one by one to find out the account,' and adds 'which yet my soul seeks;' and there is but this difference between what is said about it in both places, that in ver. 25, he speaks as of what his fixed intention and resolution at his first applying his heart to that study was; but here in these he speaks of his performance after some progress made, and withal what the issueless issue or event of that performance was, viz.,
'But I find not;' yet still so as what was the object matter of that account in the one, is one and the same in the other, even folly and wickedness, in both, of all sorts. The very looks and mutual aspects which both verses cast one upon another, are so direct, full, and broad, as none may or will deny that attentively eyes them both, specially in the original language.
If therefore it were the search into his own wickedness and follies indefinitely and generally expressed, and not one particular way of sinning only, that had been the object of that his resolution there expressed at the first entrance into this discourse; and that it were also the same, of which here he relates the prosecution; then it is the whole of his sinfulness indefinitely considered, and the account thereof, and the issue of that account, which he here makes the return of. And the difference is but this, that in ver. 25 he shews how he had first set himself to the work, to 'search out wickedness,' &c.,
all sorts, one as well as another; but here he relates how he had 'counted them one by one,' &c.
2. The word account, itself here used, when it is set single and alone, without any addition of what it might be limited by, is still in Scripture put for the whole and general account of a man's sinfulness, which ὀνομαστικῶς is styled the account, as being the grand or great account of all accounts; even as the day of judgment is styled that day. And so the word account is used here, ver. 27; it is said alone, 'the account,' and no more; he adds not of such or such a thing, and is therefore intended of all his sins. And likewise ver. 25,
'to know the account,' is explained by saying, 'And to know the wickedness of folly' as being all one; and that other phrase, 'one and one,' also favours this, which implies, as a descending to particulars, so his reaching after the comprehension of an universality, all or the whole, as Pineda* observes, or as we also say, one and all. And therefore it is not to be restrained to the account of that one particular sinning, though that only was particularly forementioned for all the rest.
(3.) This assertion is further strengthened from their coherence with the next succeeding words, 'One man of a thousand have I found, but not a woman amongst them all;' of which although the main and substantial part of their scope be to declare what the wickedness of each sex was in themselves, or as they stand in comparison one with the other in that respect, yet withal, as casting back to the 27th verse; this shadow issuing from the coherence with these foregoing passages about his own sins, as thereby shewing what influence either sex, in his conversation with them, had upon him, as they had been occasions, more or less, of sinning to him, which sins were now become matter of account and repentance to him. And perhaps a more close or sufficienter reason of his subjoining, so immediately, this succeeding passage to the former, will hardly be found out. It was to shew, that as they were corrupt in themselves, so corrupters, as the prophet speaks, Jer. 6:18, deceiving as well as deceived; as the apostle, 2 Tim. 3:13, enticing as well as enticed, that is, corrupter of
him unto sin, Prov. 1:10, with James 1:14. And so the mind of that coherence is to insinuate, how that, upon the review of his own sins past, and account thereof, he had by sad experience found (as his word is) the generality of men he had conversed with, to have been temptations to him; scarce one of a thousand but had been so unto him, though comparatively the women, to an universality, had been much more. Which scope from the coherence is confirmed by this, that if his intent and purpose in uttering that latter part, 'Not one woman among them all,' was to shew how they had been such seducers and means of sinning unto himself (and this interpreters do very generally acknowledge and observe to have been his intent therein), then why should not the fore part, one man of a thousand have I found, have the same drift also?
If any will say, ay, but he mentions that about men with a difference of commendation rather.
My reply is, that his commendation is but of 'one among a thousand,' which includes a more than implied accusation of all the rest of men, to have been even as women in this respect unto him. (To him, I say, and not only as corrupt in themselves, but enticers too, or infecters of himself with evil.) For to the same real intent and respect that he mentions that of all women, he doth also that of the thousands of men. Now it is evident from ver. 26, that in and unto that respect it is he repeateth this again here about the women; only indeed he sets the eminent brand upon the women, and his sins occasioned by them in both places. Now if this be his general scope, then it will readily follow that his own sins, occasioned by his converse with men, as well as those by women, were those which he here had in contemplation before him, whilst as a penitent, he pronounced this in ver. 27; and therefore it is not to be limited to that one score of sinnings from women, but to be extended unto those from men also.
And if so, then why not as generally to any other kind of sinnings, whether alone by himself committed or with others? All which now, as a penitent, he had cause to search the account of, to remember and bewail.
III. As it was the account of the sins of his life past, so it doth take in withal a continued search into sins present, or those which daily passed him. For from the time of a begun or renewed repentance, the examination of daily sins useth to be a penitent's daily task. This that small insertion of one word, the particle yet, 'The account which my soul yet seeks,' doth import; yet, that is, continually and unto this day,* from the first that I did set afresh upon this repentance work.
And as he thus speaks of a continual exercise of his soul this way, so it may seem more rational, that he suitably should principally intend to shew his daily exercise to have been about his continual daily sinnings of what kind soever. And so about sins quotidianœ incursionis, or which through the remainders of corruption do fall out and accompany one's ordinary conversation. And it is far harder to imagine his meaning to he limited to that one way of sinning mentioned; as if he would signify how his mind had been taken up with the accounts of that extravagancy alone, rather than to suppose it was about all other sins generally and indefinitely, though begun upon occasion of that, especially if withal it be considered, that he speaks this of a very narrow search and inquisition, whereas those his effeminate sinnings, and the consequences thereof, had been more gross and conspicuous, and came staring in upon him, his conscience being once awakened, whereas they are the leaven of quotidian corruptions, that are apt to scape our observation and finding out, without a curious and more diligent inquisition into every corner of the heart, 'to find out the account' of them, which he professeth here to have made.
Yea, the mien, look, or manner of his speech (if viewed together with all the other lines and glances we have observed it casts) doth insinuate that, after he had made instance of that one way of sinning, apart, in the former verse, he should now proceed and rise up higher
(for he speaks by way of a progressus), how that from thence he had been led into the account of the sins of his whole life one by one; and thereupon did here give his estimate upon the total or universal view thereof. And unto this purpose it is somewhat significantly observable, that but now it is, he affixeth his behold upon this;
whereas whilst he was upon bewailing those particular sins, ver. 26, he forbore it, and expressed his sense thereof, only in the language of 'bitterer than death' (or hell), &c., reserving his behold, and his this have I found, until now. And why? because now he was upon the whole and total of his sinfulness, which rose up before his view, upon his searching into the account of it, to so vast and amazing a prospect
(or rather retrospect) as that of the whole account of his whole life must needs be supposed to afford him, that being the great and infinite sum. This, the account of all accounts, and, as was observed, by way of singularity, so styled in the scriptures.
The genuineness of the series and coherence that this whole interpretation doth give unto the whole of these verses, the 25th,
26th, 27th, 28th, doth exceedingly illustrate the truth of this assertion. I may briefly paraphrase them thus, and draw this diagram through them; as if Solomon had said, I did set myself to find out the account of folly and wickedness, and I began, and was first struck with a sense of what had been my bosom-lust, my inordinate love to women, and in that one lust, and the issues thereof; and upon search,
I found many, many nets and entanglements, I had been held in, ver.
26, and thereby being awakened, I was from the view thereof carried on, and gently led into a casting up the accounts of my other sins whatever in my life; and thereupon I found such swarms and troops came up before my own humbled soul, that if you ask me the account thereof, I can give no better, than only to say, 'Behold, this have I found, that I find it not;' and this notwithstanding my utmost diligence, 'counting one by one,' and most ardent desires in the prosecution of it continued to this day, 'which my soul yet seeks.'
Thus far Solomon.
And in the last place, this draught or coherence of these verses given, doth as naturally comport with the method and order of God's working upon men in the experience of the most of true penitent souls, whether in their first or renewed repentances after a great relapse. In which the progress of God's dealing (as I shewed at the entrance to the exposition of ver. 26) holds usually this course, to
begin to trouble a soul, for some eminent grosser miscarriages, and from thence to lead them on to the astonishing discovery of all the rest, the whole of their other sinfulness, of what kind soever. And unto this, as God's method, the ordinary experience of most repenting spirits will likewise readly assent; so as this interpretation every way approves itself in all these respects to be most genuine.
V. Other interpretations briefly animadverted.
It cannot therefore be that any matter of foreign knowledge, merely out of himself, or out of the sphere of his own proper concernment, should be the chief, much less the only subject of his search and studies here intended. Such as either, 1st, to find out the wiles, cunning devices, artifices, and deceits, &c., that are in women's hearts to enveigle and ensnare men; nor yet, 2dly, his having observed how the wickedness of women doth comparatively exceed that of men; and then, 3dly, how both had so far surpassed his skill and wisdom to find out; (which things many interpreters do carry the whole or main of the sense and coherence of these words unto).
These, I say, cannot be the main scope, upon all the accounts forementioned.
For, 1, it pitcheth Solomon's main scope upon too mean a subject for all this grand and solemn proclamation: (1.) 'Behold (but four times used in this book); (2.) with this indigitation or emphasis, Behold this; 'this have I found; who (3.) am the great preacher in Israel, and now a penitent soul. It pitcheth, I say, all these upon a poor low business, in comparison, a theme which philosophers and poets so abound in, and declaim upon, as all this about women's wiles, &c., is.
Nor, 2, could he esteem that so great a point of wisdom, as to give over all other wisdom for the study of it.
Nor, 3, was that a matter of so great moment as should deserve, yea, swallow up his most precious time and intention of mind to 'find out
the account' of, which he here professeth he had spent, and was engaged 'yet' to spend upon it.
There are two things which specially have occasioned this mistake.
1. In that his 'searching one by one,' ver. 27, seems, in the first sound of it, to have respect to, and to be the same thing with his having found but 'one of a thousand,' and among women, 'not one;' and the one to answer to the other. Whereas in reality his counting one by one, ver. 27, is not a reckoning, studying, or counting of persons one by one, of either sex, but a counting of sins and follies, one by one, as its coherence with, and reference to ver. 25 manifestly shews; as also to find out the account, ver. 27, is to find out the sum or account of the number of wickednesses, as Jerome says the word signifies.
The 2d mistake, that the latter clause, 'one man have I found,' &c., but among women 'I have not found,' should answer unto, and be but a further explaining of those two foregone passages, ver. 27. The first, 'this it is I have found' (so there), namely, 'one man,' &c. (here); the second, 'But I find not' (there), that is, I find not one woman
(here).* Whereas, besides that it is dilute enough at best, this gloss doth make the matter of these latter clauses to be, in whole and in all, but one and the same thing with the foregoing in ver. 27.
Whereas it is everlastingly unimaginable that merely his finding out this maxim, but one man of a thousand, and his not finding one woman, &c., should be the sole object matter of so great an outcry about it, or be so great a matter, as that which in ver. 27, and the beginning of ver. 28, he doth make of what he there speaks of, as appears by what hath been exaggerated about it, and but now alleged; yea, I may say, it is impossible it should be the same.
Therefore these two several sayings, the first and last, must necessarily materially differ. The first sayings, speaking of one thing, viz. the account of his own sins; the latter of another, viz. his observation of the wickedness in both sexes comparatively made.
This in the primary intention of it; and are so far from being in all, or in whole, the explication of the former, that it is no part of that