A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verse 6
Eccleſ. 7. v. 9.
9. Be not haſty in thy ſpirit to be angry: for anger reſteth in the boſome of fooles.
DOctrine 1. To be of an haſty ſpirit to anger, God forbids it to his people, Prov: 14.17. Jam. 1.19. Prov. 16.32. The ſpirit is haſty to anger when anger ariſeth: Firſt, without cauſe, Gen. 4.5, 6. Jonah 4.9. This is haſting before the cauſe. Secondly, without meaſure paſſing the bounds, 1. Of our calling, Acts 7.26, 27. Gen. 34.25, with 49.7. 2. Of love; Firſt, As when inſtead of brotherly admonition we fall to clamour, rayling, ſcolding, not reproving ſin by Scripture names and arguments, but vexatious termes, Eph. 4.31. Secondly, When we are not fit to pray for thoſe we are angry with, Exod. 32.19, 30, 31, 32. 1 Sam. 8.6, with 1 Sam. 12.23, & 15.35. Thirdly, Of reaſon, Luke 6.11. Acts 22.23. 2 Chron. 28.9. Fourthly, Of Juſtice, Zach. 1.15. Fifthly, Of due ſeaſon, 1. After ſun-ſetting, Eph. 4.26, 27. 2. After the offenders acknowledgement of his offence, Luke 17.3, 4. And theſe are haſting before the meaſure or proportion of the cauſe.
Reaſon 1. From the proper ſubject of the reſidence and reſt of anger; It reſteth in the boſome of fooles. Text, Wherein Solomon takes of an excuſe which men are wont to make of their holineſſe. Though I be ſomewhat haſty, yet I thanke God, anger doth not reſt with me. Yes, (ſaith Solomon) If thou beeſt haſty, anger reſteth with thee, and argueth thee a fool. For a man could not have anger ſo ready at hand haſtily, if it did not reſt with him; the habit of ſinful anger reſteth there, though the act be quickly tranſient.
Object. Cholerick men are ſoon ſtirred, and yet they are not all fooles; the fools are commonly ſanguine, as the ſimple light fond fool; or flegmatick, as the dull Aſſe fool: or melancholick, as the lunatick fool.
Anſw. A cholerick fool is a frantick fool. Every complexion in exceſſe is ſubject to folly, yea to madneſſe; but if choler be ſubdued to reaſon, cholerick men though they could be ſoon haſty, if they ſee cauſe, yet will not be where there is none! A man of quick ſpeed for race, yet will not run till he ſee cauſe.
Queſt. But what folly is in Anger?
Anſw. Firſt, Raſhneſſe, Iſai. 32.4. Secondly, Stiffeneſſe, Jonah. 4.9. blinde wilfulneſſe. Thirdly, Outragiouſneſſe, Prov. 27.4. Fourthly, Unprofitableneſſe. Anger unfitteth a man, Firſt, To do good, Jam. 1.20. Secondly, To take good, 2 Kings 5.12. As a man when his houſe is all on a light fire, himſelfe in the midſt of it, can heare no direction given him from without, nor himſelfe able to doe ought within: So is a man in a burning anger, neither able to direct himſelfe, nor to take counſel from others.
Reaſon 2. From the Image of God which ſhould ſhine forth in us. He is ſlow to anger, Pſal. 103.8.
Ʋſe. To caſt diſcouragement as it were coole water upon this angry paſſion. The Sea when it foameth and rageth, purgeth it ſelfe, and a pot boyling caſteth out foame and ſcumme: but a man boyling with anger and wrath, both uttereth his own ſhame, and yet keepeth the filth within. Phyſitians count it a ſigne of deadly danger, when a ſickneſſe or diſtemper ſo altereth the countenance, that you cannot know the ſame man, ſo Job 14.20. Anger will doe as much, Dan. 3.19. Phyſitians will alſo ſay, It is a ſigne of the healing and abatement of an Ague, when in an hot fit the tongue is cleane; but if the tongue be foule, it is a ſigne the diſeaſe is ſtill ſtrong. When a man in his anger giveth never a foul word, it is a ſigne of an healthful ſpirit: but the ſoul is diſtemped, if the ſpeech in anger be foul. If a glaſſe bottle be full of cleane water, though it be ſtirred, there ariſeth no mud: but if mud ariſe when it is ſtirred, the water was foul in the bottome; ſo is the ſpirit of a man foul within; that being ſtirred ſheweth diſtemper. Let therefore all haſtineſſe to anger againſt all ſorts of perſons, at all times be eſchewed. For Solomon here limiteth it to none: be it againſt husband, or wife, child, or ſervant, friends, or enemies. 2. Yet this hindreth not juſt anger, Eph. 4.26. 2. But it much more condenmeth all malice, hatred, ſtudy of revenge; for all theſe are from anger reſting in the boſome.