Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3 · Verse 7
Ver. 7. A time to rent, and a time to ſew: a time to keep ſilence, and a time to ſpeak:
THe firſt Two of theſe Inſtances concerning the times of Renting, and Sewing, are mainly to be underſtood in reference to theſe Diſpenſations of the Lord, whereby at one time, which He hath ſet and fixed, He teſtifies His juſt diſpleaſure againſt men; by marring their peace, and Union among themſelves, or by Renting them from their Enjoyments: And at another time fore-appointed by Him, He heals theſe diviſions again, and that becauſe the word Renting is frequently uſed in ſcripture in this ſenſe, (but never to expreſs any thing of mans Duty) and the Metaphore or ſimilitude which is in it from the Renting of a Garment, is made uſe of in Scripture expreſly to ſet forth ſuch a Diſpenſation 1 Sam. 15.27. Both which, viz. The inflicting of theſe Rents, as a puniſhment, and the Sewing, or Healing of them as a favour, are here aſſerted to be in Gods Hand for the Timing of them; As for the other Two of Silence and Speech, They are mainly to be underſtood in reference to Mans Duty of obſerving the opportunities of theſe, as contributing much for his own Peace, and preventing his own and others vexation; Becauſe under the like expreſſions the Scripture elswhere preſſeth the Government of the tongue for that ſame end, Jam. 1.19.
Hence Learn. 1. The Lord hath a Holy Hand in the Rents and Diviſions that are among men, and hath the time of exerciſing them therewith ſet, and fixed, whereby He intends to correct and humble them, for their not adhering to Him and His way, and often to make way for ſome further ſtroake to be inflicted upon them, thereby weakning them before their common enemy, Iſai, 9.21. For, with a provocked God, There is a time to rent.
2. The time of healing theſe Rents, whether of Nations, Churches, or paricular Societies, are in Gods hand, and fixed by Him, which He brings about, eſpecially, when People Rent their hearts by Godly ſorrow for theſe ſins which have provocked Him ſo to Rent them Joel. 2.13. And when He intends to give deliverance from theſe Judgments, whereof theſe Rents were the forerunners Ezek. 37.16. And ſo He is to be acknowledged, and intreated, for this mercy, as Paul doth in the behalf of a Rented Church. 2 Cor. 13.11. For, He hath fixed a time to ſew.
3. There are ſome ſeaſons, which the Lords People ought carefully to obſerve, wherein they are to hold their peace, and to refrain from ſpeaking even that which is in it ſelf good, and might prove ſo to others. As 1. When we are called to learn from others Job. 32, 7. 2. When men turn brutiſh, and declare themſelves incapable of profiting, and the more inraged in their wickedneſs, the more they are ſpoken to Math. 7.6. and ſo incorrigible that others can neither have acceſs to deal with them, nor with God for them Amos. 5.13. And 3. When the Truth hath been often before, ſufficiently aſſerted and cleared even to their conviction Math. 27.14. In which and the like caſes There is a time to be ſilent.
4. There are alſo opportunities of Speaking, which all the Lords People ought to obſerve, and make uſe of, wherein they cannot without ſin be ſilent, as when they are called to give a teſtimony to known truth 1 Pet. 3.15. When they ſee their Brother ſin, and have opportunity to rebuke him. Lev. 19: 17. When they ſee him in affliction, ſtanding in need of a word of comfort from them 1 Theſs. 4.18. And when theſe that have a call to ſpeak publickly to the Lords People are Born down Mal. 3.16. And eſpecially there are times of Speaking to, and inſtructing of theſe under their charge Deut. 6.7. And the Lord is to be depended upon for light to diſcern theſe particular ſeaſons, and for the matter and manner of Speaking in them Prov. 16, 1. In all which and the like caſes There is a time to ſpeak.