Exposition Upon Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Verse 9, 10
Ver. 9. Be not Haſty in thy Spirit to be Angry: for Anger reſteth in the Boſom of Fools:
10. Say not thou what is the cauſe that the former days were better than theſe? for thou doſt not inquire wiſely concerning this.
HE doth farther preſs the exerciſe of the Grace of Patience under Oppreſſions and Injuries from the World; and this he doth in two Diſſwaſives, whereof each is confirmed lay a Reaſon. The Firſt is, Be not haſty in thy Spirit to be angry, whereby he doth not diſſwade from that juſt Indignation which Chriſtians may have againſt God's diſhonour, Eph. 4.26. but from Carnal Paſſion, or deſire of Revenge, even againſt the perſons of proud Oppreſſours, or Inſtruments of our troubles, of whom he ſpake immediatly before: And particularly from the ſudden motions thereof, whereby the Spirit haſtens to Revenge, neglecting theſe Conſiderations which might compoſe it, and incline it rather to Pity than Anger: And giveth a Reaſon hereof, Becauſe Anger resteth in the boſome of Fools, which is not to be underſtood as if it ſtayed within, and did not break out, but that whether it kyth or not, it is a ſettled habit, a frame of Spirit intertained without a Battel, in the Hearts of them who are deſtitute of the Saving Knowledge and Grace of Chriſt, who are ordinarily in Solomon's Writings deſigned by the Name of Fools: Thoſe can meet Oppreſſions and Injuries from Men, no otherwiſe, than with Fury and Paſſion.
Next, He diſſwades from quarrelling with the Lords diſpenſation in carving out an hard lot to Men, Say not what is the cauſe that the former times were better than theſe? which is not to be underſtood, as if the preſent times were not often worſe than the former in many reſpects, ſeing that is foretold, Mat. 24.12. 2 Tim. 3.1. or as if the Lords People might not ſearch into the ſinful procuring cauſes upon mens part, of the change of times to the worſe, or bewail the defections or miſeries thereof, ſeing both theſe are Duties. Lam. 3.40 &c. But that men ſhould not quarrel with God's Providence, for caſting their lot in more troubleſome times, and under more grievous Oppreſſions, than have been formerly; as if there were no cauſe why men ſhould ſubmit to a change of times from better to worſe: And the Spirit of the Lord doth not here give particular Reaſons of ſuch Changes, becauſe there are many obvious in Scripture, ſufficient to give ſatisfaction herein, only he prohibites and rebukes ſuch Boldneſs, and gives a general Reaſon of the diſſwaſive, that theſe Inquiries flow from mens Ignorance of the Lords Soveraignity and Wiſdom, who worketh all for His own Glory, and the good of His People.
Hence Learn …. Motions of Revenge are ready to ariſe in the Hearts of the Lords oppreſt People, againſt the Inſtruments of their trouble, and will ariſe if their Hearts be not prepoſſeſt with Chriſtian patience: For Solomon having commended that Grace, he diſſwades from this Evil, as contrary to it, importing proneneſs in the beſt thereunto in an oppreſt condition, and that it will ariſe where Patience is not exerciſed. Be not haſty in thy Spirit to be angry.
2. It is the raſhneſs and haſte of Injured Spirits, neglecting to conſider the Supreme cauſe, and Orderer of their Troubles. 2 Sam. 16.10. and the Judgement abiding their Perſecutors, Pſ. 73.17.18. which ſets their Spirits on fire againſt Inſtruments: So that whatever provocation the Lords People have from Men, they ſhould not ſuffer their Paſſion to prevent their Reaſon, or to baniſh theſe Thoughts which might quiet and compoſe their Spirits, Be not haſty in thy Spirit to be angry.
3. It is not enough to reſtrain the out-breaking of Paſſion againſt Inſtruments of our trouble, but the very inward motions of the Spirits that way, ought to be ſuppreſſed: For if theſe be not prevented, or timouſly quenched, by bringing into the Heart humbling and quieting Conſiderations, they will ſoon break out into a Flame, as is imported in this, Be not haſty in thy Spirit to be angry.
4. It is the mark of an unrenewed Spirit, void of the Saving Knowledge and Grace of God, to cheriſh their Paſſions, to multiply in their thoughts Aggravations of their Wrongs, and to feed upon the contemplation of poſſible ways of Revenge, and this without any Reluctance or Grief that the Heart ſhould be ſo exerciſed, though a Child of God may be aſſaulted with Paſſion and motions of Revenge; yet theſe get not leave to reſt peaceably in his Boſome: For Anger Reſts in the Boſome of Fools, the Expreſſion ſignifies to Cheriſh, Defend and Foſter their Paſſion. Ruth 4.16.
5. Men in whoſe Heart Revenge is a ſettled habit, and who do not diſquiet themſelves by Pains and wreſtling with God and their own Hearts, to get another Frame, whatever worldly Wiſdom they have, they are in God's account Fools, and prove themſelves thereby void of Saving Knowledge: For Anger rests in the boſome of Fools.
6. When Paſſion is raiſed in the Heart of the Beſt, it is not ſoon laid again, if it once get admittance, it will readily Reſt, and ſettle at leaſt for a time: For Solomon gives it as a Reaſon to the Wiſe or Godly, why they ſhould not be haſty in their Spirits to be angry, becauſe Anger Reſts in the boſome of Fools: If there were not a poſſibility and hazard that it might have ſome Reſt and ſettling in their Heart alſo, the reaſoning were not ſo cogent.
7. Although it be the duty of the Lord's People to ſearch out the ſinful cauſes, which provoke the Lord to change times to the worſe, and the Wiſe Reaſons which He hath for ſo doing, and to bewail that after-times are far degenerate from the Purity and Holineſs of former, as was proven in the Expoſition; yet it is a great Sin to quarrel with Providence, or to Inquire concerning this matter with Fretting and Mal-contentment of Spirit, as if it were not well ordered by Divine Providence, that we ſhould not have as much Peace and Proſperity, and as great freedom from outward trouble, as thoſe who were before us have had: For this is the Evil here diſſwaded from, Say not thou what is the cauſe that the former times were better than theſe.
8. To Frett and Repine that the preſent times are worſe than the former, argues Men in ſo far void of Heavenly Wiſdom, which teaches thoſe who have it, to adore the Righteouſneſs of God in all His Diſpenſations, though they ſee not the particular Reaſons of them, Jer. 12.1. and often leads them to ſatisfying Reaſons clearly held forth in Scripture, namely that God in Wiſdom takes ſome times to diſcover Mens perverſity, which at other times, He ſees fit to reſtrain, and to promove by ſore Trials the Faith, Patience, and other Graces of His People, which He doth at other times promove without ſuch Trials. Dan. 12.10. So that this quarelling with the Lord argues great preſumption in Men, flowing from their Ignorance both of the true eſtate of the preſent and former times, which makes them that they do not conſider the Good of the preſent times, which often doth as far exceed that of the former, as the Evils and Troubles of the ſame do theſe of the former: For (ſaith Solomon) Thou doeſt not inquire Wiſely (or as it is in the Original, by Wiſdom) concerning this matter: The Expreſſion intends more then is expreſt.