-- CHAPTER VII: An objection by way of query
brought over from what before, were all one as to say, that whilst Solomon had gone about to give demonstration of what he had before spoken (and it is undeniable that he does), he yet ultimately did thrust in under it a new subject matter, and that as his main conclusion demonstrated, differing from what went before, and so had not concluded ad idem, or to the same thing intended, which must not be admitted.
It rests then, that it is one and the same thing both before spoken, and here demonstrated. And that both the universal corruption of men, as also the multitude of actual sins, had been both before treated of; and that the demonstration seals up as with a common seal both at once with one and the same impression. And so, in fine, if that the corruptions of men, &c., are many, be that which is demonstrated, then, that they were many, is also a matter before treated of, and now anew rehearsed as the conclusion of the demonstration.
CHAPTER VII:
An objection by way of query An objection by way of query, how Solomon himself, and his account of his own sins, in ver. 27, can be supposed, intended and included in his saying, They have sought out? &c. Resolved. The final conclusion of all, confirming the whole subject
There is a query or objection that may perhaps deserve largely to be insisted on, for the removal of it; it is, that Solomon according to our interpretation given of vers. 27 and 28, having intended only his own sins, and the account of himself; but in this ver. 29, the many inventions he speaks of, belonging unto all mankind. How then can this be the repetition (in that respect), of what had been discoursed before, or refer unto that particular passage of himself? Also that Solomon speaks under the third person here, the they, and so but of
others, as distinct from himself; and how then is himself aimed at and included in the they?
The answer is made up of these four things put together:
1. Though Solomon in that 27th verse, speaks but of his own personal account, yet he therein intended and proposeth his single instance as a common example unto all mankind, whereby to warn and instruct all of them from that his experiment, to search into themselves, and that all and each of them would find, that the sins and account of each and every person of them also, was thus infinite, as he had found his own to be. And to set it home to them all, he likewise affixeth a behold unto it, thereby calling upon all to consider this, as alike concerned therein with himself; nor doth he (as you may observe), affix it unto the account of that particular way of sinning;
'more bitter than death is the woman,' &c., because all men's transgressions do not lie in that particular way. But when he comes to his general account of all sorts of actual sins through his whole life, in all other kinds of acts of sinnings, multiplied to such an infinity, then it is he cries, Behold, &c., for that was it; that was the like general concernment of all and every of mankind grown up to years of manhood; of which again more in the next chapter.
2. And yet in those other passages which are concerning others, the multitude of their sinnings is at least implied, as the subject of his aim. As when in ver. 26, he lays to the women's charge that their hearts and hands were snares and bands, &c., which, how eminently it doth import multitude and variety, I have shewed; and then, how fitly those expressions (which all interpreters understand of the arts and wiles of women) do correspond with this of inventions in this last verse, is obvious enough. And again, in charging the generality of men in the last clause of ver. 28, to be as corrupt as women; they in their kind and ways of sinning, even as women in theirs. His meaning therein still is, that in point of multitude and variety of sinnings, as well as in other respects of sinning, it is, that they are much alike. So as he carrieth along in his aim, this of the many, as
well as their heinousness in sinnings, to the end to bring all at last into this general conclusion of his discourse. So as we may take this as an undoubted premise, arising from these two last things mentioned, that whether he speaks of his own sins, or of others of either sex, this of the multitude of them is still to be taken in, and understood.
And then, 3, let us add to it that it was meet and requisite for him to utter this general conclusion of the whole matter in ver. 29, in the language of the they, and in the name of all others of mankind, rather than otherwise: and there, and thereby, to bring home the multitude of sins, and lay it at their doors, as well as he had done at his own; because he had interwoven along (as we have shewn) the mention of their general corruption, as well as of his own. Yea, and in this, which was the close, he ascending unto the original cause of all sin, and therein reaching to take in Adam and our first parents' sinnings, in whom Solomon himself, and mankind all had sinned, and thereupon how all their posterity do follow them in the multitude of their inventions (as was shewn to be the scope), this made it congruous for him to frame his speech in that manner, as might best at once universally reach and take in all, even Adam and Eve, and all men downwards since, who were at first made upright in him. And thereupon, thus at last to express himself, They have sought out, was more adequate and congruous to such a general scope; and it had been too narrow for him to have said, 'I or we were made upright, but have sought out,' &c. His they doth better comprehend himself and them all.
4. And yet in saying they, he is, in the coherence, himself sufficiently included; nor doth he speak it of others, as apart from himself. For in that first part of his speech, 'God made man upright,' it is certain he intends to include himself as well as any others of mankind; and this other part that follows, 'but they,' &c., must be taken as extensive as that former was, for it is the perfect opposite to it. Nay, he therein propounds the consideration of that original uprightness as that which himself took in to aggravate all his sinfulness fore-spoken of
by; as in like manner it also doth all mankind's; and the discovery of which, and comparing himself with which primitive integrity, with what he now was, this was the last and great ingredient into his humbling of himself, being added to that foregoing account, which he had given of so vast a share of wickedness in himself. And unto that end (one among others) it was he sets it down; as well as that all mankind might be humbled under the sense thereof, as himself had been; and therefore in uttering it of all mankind universally, it is all one as if he had named himself, and had said, Thus I, and every man from Adam, even all whom God made at first upright, have sought out these many inventions.
Let us therefore but, 1, allow Solomon's sins a due share in his intendment in the many, which we well may, because they had taken up the most in his foregone narrative, there having been three verses spent thereon; And then, 2, let us take him in, as included and intended by himself among the they, the persons.
And then, 3, withal allow him as eminent a proportion of special reflection on his own sinfulness, whilst he yet speaks of the generality they and the many, in the intendment of him, who stands forth on the stage of this scripture, as the sole penitent in this confession, as an example unto all, and who was now humbled and self-condemned, and knowing more, many more sins, by himself than by all others, as all true penitents do: and who in the particular sense thereof did utter this (though expressed at last in a general confession in the name of all, yet including himself, whilst he utters it), and then we will all easily be satisfied, as to this objection made.
The conclusion of this matter shall be: Let us now bring together these two sayings of his, that stood at some small distance each from other, as if they had not been acquainted with each other, which yet they may greatly be found to be, the one that of vers. 27, 28, 'This have I found, that seeking the account, I find not,' and then this other