A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verses 31 – Verse 2
Eccleſ. 5.4, to 7.
4. When thou voweſt a vow to God, defer not to pay it: for he hath no pleaſure in fooles: pay that which thou haſt vowed.
5. Better it is that thou ſhouldſt not vow, then that thou ſhouldſt vow and not pay.
6. Suffer not thy mouth to cauſe thy fleſh to ſin, neither ſay thou before the Angel, that it was an errour: wherefore ſhould God be angry at thy voyce, and deſtroy the work of thine hands?
7. For in the multitude of dreams, and many words, there are alſo divers vanities: but feare thou God.
IN the three former verſes Solomon inſtructed us to avoyd in Gods worſhip Unreverent neglect of attention in hearing, and Raſhneſſe in ſpeaking before God. In theſe verſes he inſtructeth againſt the vanity in the delay or neglect of payment of vows: When thou haſt vowed a vow, deſer not to pay it. Whereof he giveth ſix reaſons.
Reaſon 1. From the Folly, yea hatefull folly; folly hatefull to God, to delay payment of vows, v. 4.
Reaſon 2. A majori, from the betterment of not vowing above not paying, v. 5.
Reaſon 3. From the defilement of the whole man, by the raſhneſſe of the mouth in vowing, which a man ſhould not ſuffer; Suffer not thy mouth to cauſe thy fleſh to ſin, v. 6.
Reaſon 4. From the inexcuſableneſs of ſuch a ſin, from its not falling under that kind of ſins for which ſacrifices are wont to be offered, Neither ſay thou before the Angel that it was an errour.
Reaſon 5. From Gods anger and vengeance againſt ſuch vows, and ſuch excuſes, even to the deſtroying of the works of a mans hands, v. 6.
Reaſon 6. From the vanity of ſuch raſh vows and ſpeeches, yea the variety of vanity in them, anſwerable to what is found in many dreams, v. 7.
Againſt all which he preſcribeth an Antidote or preſervation, to wit, the feare of God; but fear thou God, v. 7.
Doct. 1. When a man hath vowed a vow to God, he is to pay it, and that without delay, Deut. 23.21, 22, 23. Pſalm 76.11. & 56.12. Thy vows are upon me, as an engagement or debt, which a faithful man would be careful to diſcharge to men, much more to God, Pſalm 50.14. Nahum. 1.15. For opening the point, it is to be ſhewn, 1. What a vow is▪ 2. What is a ſeaſonable time of vowing: and whether now at all in the daies of the New Teſtament? 3. The Reaſons againſt delay of payment of vows.
1. What a vow is. A lawfull vow; it is a promiſe made to God, wherein a man bindeth his ſoule to perform ſome acceptable work to God. Firſt, A promiſe made to God] wherein it differeth from a Prayer. In a Prayer we require ſomething which God hath promiſed to us. In a vow we promiſe ſomething to God; Hence in the Text, the vow is ſaid to be vowed to God, v. 4. & v. 2. Secondly, A man bindeth his ſoule to God in them, Num. 30.4. Thirdly, To perform ſome acceptable thing to God; unlawfull things we may not vow, as the Jewes did, Acts 23.12, 13. nor impoſſible, nor unſuitable to our calling. But two ſorts of things are acceptable matter of vows: Firſt, Religious obedience to God in his Commandements, Pſalm 119.106. Gen. 28.20, 21. Secondly, Helps to obedience, and removall of impediments. Payment of tithes was an help to worſhip, and to the maintenance of it in thoſe daies when God accepted ſuch a maintenance for his Prieſts, Neh 9.38. with 10.29, 32. Gen. 28.22. So contributions, Acts 4.37. So the vow of a Nazarite, 1 Sam. 1.11. Job 31.1. was a removall of an Impediment. 2 Cor. 11.10. a prevention of diſhonour to Pauls Miniſtery.
2. A ſeaſonable time of vowing, is, 1. When we ſtand in need of ſome ſpecial ſavour from God; then as we deſire God might draw more nigh to us in ſpecial mercy, ſo it is meet we ſhould draw more nigh to God in ſpeciall duty, Gen. 28.20, 21, 22. Num. 21.1, 2, 3. Secondly, When we have received ſome ſpeciall mercy, Pſalm 116.8, 9. & 76.11. Jonah 1.16. Thirdly, When we finde our hearts ready to betray us to this or that evil by occaſion, we may vow againſt ſuch occaſions, and vow alſo the contrary duties, Job 31.1. 2 Cor. 11.10. which argueth vows are not unſeaſonable in the daies of the Goſpel. Fourthly, when we are to enter into ſome new Relation whereof God is the Author: and the Duties of the Relation depend upon our Vows or Covenants with God, and with one another. Thus in marriage, Prov. 2.17. Malach. 2.14. And in Church-covenant 2 Cor. 8.5. & 11.2.
Reaſon 1. From the folly, yea, hatefull folly, folly hateful to God, to delay payment, of vows, v. 4.
Reaſon 2. From the preferment of not vowing before not paying vows, v. 5.
Reaſ. 3. From the Charg lying upon us to keep our mouthes, and the evill of ſin redounding to our whole man by raſh Vowing, v. 6. as who ſhould ſay, We have ſins enough and frailties whereto we are ſubject otherwiſe: we had not need raſhly to ruſh into by ſuch inconſideration.
Reaſ. 4. From the vanity of the Excuſe of ſuch a ſin before the Angel, as an errour or ignorance, where by Angel is meant the Prieſt or Meſſenger of the Lord, as Mal. 2.7. before whom the excuſer of his raſh Vow would come and offer ſacrifice for his ignorance or error, Levit. 4.27, 28. the ſame word here and there, & oft in that Chapter, as v. 2, 13, 22, 27.
Reaſ. 5 From the wrath and vengeance of God againſt ſuch Vows and ſuch Excuſes. God will be angry at thy voyce and deſtroy the works of thy hands. Thus God was angry with Jacob for Delay, Geneſ. 34.30. with 35.1. thus he deſtroyed Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5.2. to 5.
Reaſ. 6 From the variety of vanities in ſuch Vows and Delayes, as in Dreames. to wit in both, firſt Idleneſs, and unprofitableneſs, ſecondly Confuſion, thirdly Troubleſomneſs, fourthly Contradictions, fifthly Abſurdities, ſixthly Falſ-hoods.
Ʋſe 1. To refute Popiſh Vowes, as to Saints without a Pattern in Scripture. See Bell. lib. de cultu Sanctorum. c. 9. The like evill is in Vows of Poverty, Perpetual Single life, and Regular Obedience: they like the Idolatrous praying Prieſts, 2 Kings, 23.5. for Incenſe was a type of Prayer, Pſal. 141.2. Vows to the Devil, as in Witchcraft: Vows of all unlawfull things: for all ſuch Vows, men that make them, are to be humbled for them, and to break them, leſt we draw in God to binde us to ſin.
Ʋſe 2. To exhort to Carefull Payment of our Vows in Baptiſm, in Church-Covenant, in Marriage, in our Prayers, wherein we uſually promiſe to God, Duely, Pſal. 119.32, 33, 34.
Ʋſe 3. To exhort to the feare of God, as that which preventeth all theſe vanities verſe 7. which befal men in Gods worſhip. This feare of God will helpe us, Firſt, To vow in ſenſe of our own inſufficiency, either 1. To make vowes; 2. To pay vowes. Secondly; To depend on Chriſt for both.
Eccleſ. 5. v. 8.
If thou ſeeſt the oppreſſion of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and juſtice in a province; marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher then the higheſt, regardeth, and there be higher then they.
AS in the former Verſes Solomon ſought to prevent the vanities that are wont to be ſound in mens performance of Gods Service: ſo in this Verſe he ſeeks to prevent the Vanity of diſcontentment or diſcouragement that is wont to ariſe in mens hearts from the Oppreſſions of the Poor and the violent wreſtings of juſtice and judgment.
The Evill here noted, is, Oppreſſion of the Poor, and the wreſting of judgment and juſtice.
The Remedy he preſcribeth againſt the vanity that might ariſe in men upon beholding of it, is, not to wonder.
The Reaſon of not wondering, is from the regard which the moſt high God, and others higher then Magiſtrates have of this matter: for he that is higher then the higheſt regardeth, and there be higher then theſe.
Doct. The beholding of the Oppreſſion of the poor in a Country, and of the wreſting of juſtice and judgment, ſhould not put a man to wonder. Rev. 17.6.7. 1 Pet. 4.12.
Object. The Prophets of God inſpired by the Holy Ghoſt have wondred at it. Iſa. 1.21. yea the Lord himſelf. Iſa. 59.14, 15, 16.
Anſ. Wondering may ariſe from a fourfold cauſe. Firſt, Ignorance of the cauſe, Ioh. 7.15. Secondly, Croſneſs to cauſes, or expectation from them: Iſa. 5.4, 7. & 59.16. Thirdly, Strangneſs or Newneſs. Luke 5.26. Mar. 1.27: Fourthly, Aſtoniſhment or uncertainty what to do. Jer. 4.9. Zach. 12.4. Deut. 28.28. The Second ſort of Wondring is only incident to God, and that only. The other three are commonly found amongſt men, and are wont to breed in them both diſcontent and diſcouragement.
Reaſon 1. From the Lords ordering it, ſo implied in the word foreign keepeth; when he keepeth, no hurt done, but as he directeth, Iſa. 27.3. Prov. 29.26. Lev. 26.14, 15, 17. Iſa. 9.5. Pſal. 109.6.
Reaſon 2. From Gods ſoveraignty over ſuch as doe oppreſſe the poor and wreſt judgement; and he wil require and requite it, Pſal. 12.5. Lam. 3.36. Job 34, 18, 19, 20. & verſe 26, 27, 28. Eccleſ. 3.16, 17.
Reaſon 3. From the Preheminence; and Preſidency of Angels over high Princes, Dan. 4.17. 2 Kings 19.35. Matth. 18.10.
Ʋſe 1. For inſtruction to people not to wonder at oppreſſions, or wreſtings of juſtice or judgement; ſo as to break forth either into diſcontent or diſcouragement, Pſal. 37.1, 2, 7, 8. But inſtead of wondring, firſt enquire the truth of it, whether it be ſo or no. Gen. 18.20, 21. Ioſh. 22.16, &c. with 30, &c. Secondly, if true, 1 See Gods hand in all, Lam. 3.38. Prov. 29.26. 2 Seek to Reprove, Ier. 22.17. and Reform, 1 Sam. 14.45. according to our places, 3 Either remove timely, Pſal. 55.6, to 11. or patiently wait upon God, Pſal. 37.3, to 7. and ſuffer from man.
Ʋſe 2. To warn Magiſtrates and great men to take heed to their waies; The Lord obſerveth, regardeth, requiteth, 2 Chron. 19.6.
Ʋſe 3. For comfort to the poor oppreſſed: Though no man regard the poor, and their juſt cauſe, yet God and his Angels doe.