Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 5 · Verse 4
Vers. IV. When thou vowest a Vow unto God, deferr not to pay it: For, he hath no pleasure in Fools; pay that which thou hast vowed.
His Father David did (Ps. 66. 13, 14.) as requir'd; Deut. 23. 21. 23. The Vow and Engagement of Men, in the first-Covenant (on God's bringing them out of Egypt, Bondage in the corrupt nature, death in Trespasses and Sins, contracted by the first Sin of Man) is, faithfully to walk there, in suppressing the vile affections and lusts of their degenerate nature, and to pay such Worship, Service, and Obedience, as is performable to God, therein. So, do they live unto God, in that state, for a season. This, do Men often fail in, and so, break that Covenant with God, after enter'd into it; and forfeit all the benefits and advantages thereof. For then, God breaks with them, the promises of it being but conditional; Numb. 14. 34. Jer. 31. 32. Levit. 26. 15 25. Deut. 29. 30. and 31 Chapters. Man, in his first Covenant, Law-Principle (his restor'd, enlight'ned spirit of nature) is alway's in danger of breaking this Vow, Covenant, or undertake (by contract) with God. God therefore promises to make another Covenant with them, in another Spirit, his unspeakable gift to them; a steddy, right, constant Spirit of everlasting righteousness (Psal. 51. 10.) the Gospel, new and everlasting Covenant-Principle of Life; Jer. 31. 31. 33. This, God engages to do, by quick|'ning up the incorruptible Seed thereof, into Life, motion, and prevailing activity, if they obediently submit to his declared terms, in giving up their clensed nature, to him, in Sacrifice, by a holy Death. Their polluted nature was no meet sacrifice for him, neither is it slain, but somewhat disabled only, by Law-Conversion; and, is continually striving to fetch them back to their old Sins, with the Dog to the Vomit, often prevailing, so as to recover its former Dominion over them, and ride in Triumph again, with its uncontroll'd vile affections and lusts. The first-Covenant, natural, or Law-principle, fail'd of its duty, in the first Man, when at best; and more liable, sure, is it, to fail, in but some gradual renewals thereof. God therefore finds a fault, or defect in that first-Covenant-state of Life, as to Mans steddy, well-pleasing obedience to him, or true happiness to himself. So, offers a second; Heb. 8. 6-13. This is the better (the new and everlasting) Covenant. The Gospel-spirit of God, undertakes the performance of all obedience in Men, when it becomes the principle of life, desire, thought and action, in them; which can never sin, err, or miscarry; deceive, or be deceived. In this new-Covenant Spirit or Principle, God becomes their God, and they his people, for ever. He will never depart from them, nor they, from him; Jer. 32. 38-41. The undispensable condition, on man's part, for entring into the second covenant with God, is the obedient giving up in Sacrifice to him, all the fading life and things, received from his own hand, in the first. When convinc'd of this twofold differing covenant-principle, with the methods of God's Wisdom, and his requirings from them, as also with the unspeakable advantages of quitting the first for the second, then are they bound to vow the sacrifice of their Life in the former, and not to be slack in performing the said vow. If we be not slack in that our part, for entring into the new or second Covenant with God, he will not be slack concerning his promise; the promise of the father, even the Spirit of the Son, will, by the Son, be set up in our hearts, which is the Gospel-principle, the Apostles were commanded by Christ, after his resurrection, to wait in their earthly-Jerusalem-state, for; Act. 1. 4. and Luke 24. 49. Both these testimonies are given by the same hand; Luke. Man is to part with all, call'd his own; his Life, Wisdom, Righteousness, and all the things of man, in his first make; and then, God will give to him, and set up in him, what he call's his own, by a sesecond; his Life, Wisdom, Righteousness, the things of God. All the Life of Man's Spirit, with the free will, and rational Powers thereof, must go, in Sacrifice to God, as our true free-will Offering and reasonable Service; Rom. 12. 1. These things, clearly seen, assented to, agreed on, and engaged for, on all hands (as to what man is to suffer, and God to do, in order to man's being actually brought into the new and everlasting covenant, with him) man's wilful Apostacy and flying off from all, after, for a season, he hath run wel, in obedience to Gospel-light, and suffer'd many things, towards the demolishing his law-life (Gal. 5. 7. and 3. 4.) Spoils, loses, and forfeits all. Dislike to Ghrist's Gospel-life of truth, from love to his own law-life; and so, a fixed enmity to God, and despite to his Spirit of Grace, exclud's him all benesit of Christ's Sacrifice and Intercession, for ever; …. 10. 26, 27. 29. This is the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost, or new-creature Gospel-Spirit of Christ. There's no plea, or excuse, left Man. Nothing to be look'd for, by him, but the fiery Indignation of God, to devour him, as the far sorer punishment for … sinning against the Gospel-Light of the Son of God, then Law-Light of the … of Man.
T. For, he … no pleasure in Fools; pay that which thou hast vowed, without delay. Deser not to pay it; that is, to perform thy part, vow'd and engaged for, by thee, in order to thy entring into the first or second Covenant with God. For, the not paying it, will be found the greatest Folly and Madness, and of most desperate and dangerous consequence, to thee. Hence does Solomon farther say, by way of Information, in this case.