A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verses 43
Eccleſ. 7.21, 22.
21. Alſo take no heed unto all words that are ſpoken, leſt thou heare thy ſervant curſe thee.
22. For often times alſo thine own heart knoweth, that thou thy ſelfe likewiſe haſt curſed others.
SOlomon having obſerved verſ. 20. that there is not a juſt man upon earth, that doth good and ſinneth not; he hence inferreth, this Corollary, Not to ſet a mans heart upon all the words that are ſpoken, not upon all their hard ſayings and ill ſpeeches, wherein all men, even the moſt wiſe and juſt, are ſometimes too blame, either in ſpeaking or in giving occaſion to be ſpoken.
Parts two: firſt, an Exhoration, not to ſet our hearts on, all the words ſpoken; that is, 1. Not to liſten after them, 1 Sam. 24.9. with 1 Sam. 24.8, 9, 10. 2 Not to be over deeply affected with them, 1 Sam. 18.7, 8. 3 Not to purſue the ſame with revenge, 2 Sam. 19.19, 20. Secondly, Confirmation by Reaſons two: 1. From the inconveniency which may eaſily attend it; ſo a man may hear his own ſervant curſing him or ſleighting him, v. 21. 2. From the conveniency of Gods wiſe and juſt hand, in meaſuring to us as we have meaſured to others: which that we have done, Solomon argueth from the teſtimony of his own conſcience, v. 22.
Doct. 1. It is not good to ſet a mans heart upon all mens ſpeeches of him, no not upon the hard and ſleight ſpeeches of his own ſervants againſt him, to wit, Firſt, In caſe men ſpeake vanity, to wit, 1, Out of a vanity of minde, not upon any grounded cauſe or juſt occaſion, Pſal. 12.2. & 144.8. 2. Unto vanity words, that are not likely to weaken a man in his calling, 1 Cor. 4.3. elſe Paul ſtirred, if his calling ſuffered, 2 Cor. 10.10, 11. Secondly, In caſe the words be ſpoken by men whoſe tongues are their own, when a man can have no meanes to reſtraine, Pſal. 38.12, 13, 14. Thirdly, In caſe of apparent evidence of our Innocency to the contrary, Job 31.35, 36, 27. Fourthly, In time of publick or private, ſpecial and weighty; A vocation another way, by Humiliation, 2 Sam. 16.10, 11. and by Rejoycing, 2 Sam. 19.22. Otherwiſe it is meet in due time to take notice of any grounded and ſerious ſpeech, that may tend to the prejudice of our calling: and thereby to be ſtirred up, Firſt, To ſearch our hearts and wayes, to ſee if we have not done the ſame or the like evil. Secondly, To cleare our ſelves if innocent: to repent and amend if guilty.
Reaſon 2. From the vanity often found in ſuch ſpeeches, who take liberty to ſpeake at randome, without occaſion, without conſideration, without any reall detriment to our ſelves or callings, Pſal. 73.9.
Reaſon 2. From the love and pitty we are to beare to men; occaſions of enmity and diſcord we ſhould put out of our mindes, Levit. 19.18.
Reaſon 3. From the office of our memory and heart, which is the Treaſury of our ſouls, Matth. 12, 35. and therefore not to be filled with traſh, Jer. 4.14. Luke 2.51. on the contrary.
Reaſon 4. From the peace and tranquillity of our own ſpirits which ſhould not depend upon mens judgements or ſpeeches, but upon Gods, 1 Cor. 4.3, 2 Cor. 1.12.
Reaſon 5. From the privity of our own conſcience to our own ſleight ſpeeches of others, Eccleſ. 7.21, 22.
Ʋſe 1. To teach us this part of the circumciſion of the heart and eare, neither, Firſt, To liſten with the eare unto all vaine ſpeeches of a mans ſelfe: Secondly, To ſet the heart thereupon in ſuch a manner, as to trouble our ſelves and others in vaine:
Ʋſe 2. From the latter reaſon mentioned in the Text, learne we, Firſt, To walke circumſpectly in the ſight of our own hearts and conſciences, elſe they will beare witneſſe againſt us, 1 Kings 2.44. Secondly, To be the more patient if others wrong us in the like kinde, as our own hearts tell us we have wronged others, Judg 1.6, 7. Matth. 7.1, 2.