Exposition of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Verse 9
Ver. 9. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
The spirit of Man, rich, full, wise, strong, and honourable, in the fruitful … of a first-covenant life, is apt to be hasty, angry, and offended at what comes to run down all this, in him; marre his …, and lay all this his fading glory, and honour, in the dust. The wise spiritual Saint, in Seed, may be found in this hasty, angry demeanour against the Cross, or any words or Doctrine thereof, ignorantly, for a season, with Paul: but, such anger resteth or abides, for ever, only in the bosom, heart, or spirit of fools, that obstinately persist in such wilful madness and folly, as to their grand concern, and utterly perish in their own corruption. Will Man justifie himself herein, saying, I do well to be angry at the Doctrine and work of the Cross? He that contends with the Almighty, reproves God's declar'd method and way of saving his own creatur's, let him answer it; Job 40. 2. Why? what? Says Man's wrangling, disputing wisdom; Shall I suffer my house to be set on fire, the Gospel Fire-Baptism (and death thereby) to be brought on my righteous natural state? Christ did, on his more righteous. Shall I suffer the comely visage, beauty, and glory, the wisdom and righteousness of my own nature, ('twice set up in, and put upon me, by God himself, once at creation; and again, by redemption) to be all spoil'd and marr'd? Shall I suffer all my mystical riches herein, to be seiz'd, and like a tame fool, make no resistance? The Man-Christ himself, did not. He opened not his mouth against this dispensation. He suffer'd that fleece to be shorn off, all that riches to be taken away, as the dumb Sheep, her literal fleece; yea, that life and all, as the Lamb brought to the slaughter, without noise, or struggle, Isa. 53. 7. And, Paul was forthwith obedient to the Heavenly Vision and discovery of the Lord's mind herein, without struggle or dispute. He gave not way to the fleshly disputer of this world, in himself or others, against the known Command of God, and method of his Wisdom, for Salvation. He became a tame fool, in this case, as Man's wisdom reckon's; an obedient, wise spiritual Man, as God's Wisdom reckon's; 1 Cor. 4. 10. Here's the clash of two distinct opposite Wisdoms. They that reckon themselves wise, are not wise, in God's account; 2 Cor. 10. 12. And those, they reckon fools, the Lord commendeth; v. 18. Those that finally refuse to be offer'd up in the fire of the same Heavenly, eternal, priestly, Gospel-spirit of Grace, in which Christ offer'd up our nature, at best, in himself, without spot, unto God (Heb. 9. 14. Joh. 10. 17, 18.) will offer up themselves in the false fire of Satan's spirit, unto him; will give their body or natural state to be burnt by him; not in love, but unchangeable enmity to God. This is the state, they chuse to pass into, as set on fire of Hell; Jam. 3. 6. They are back'd and encourag'd by Satan's lie, to set up their own nature, with him, in unchangeable enmity to God. So come these mystical proud in spirit, by their false, self-preserving reasonings, to be guilty of remediless folly and madness, to their own destruction. All this proceeds from a … up thought, of the wisdom and glory of their own nature, above what is written of it. They take and assert it to be everlasting. But, no such thing was ever written of it, in the Oracles of God's Wisdom; but, the contrary. 'Tis therein abundantly, and frequently asserted to be but a fading flower, a perishing vanity, and Man at best therein, altogether vanity, lighter than vanity, less than nothing. It had bin better for him never to have bin at all, than never to be better. He will find himself worse then nothing. Annihilation-death will be desireable, a reduction to his primitive nothing, rather than a being exquisitly sensible, under eternal torment, and vexation of spirit. When thus gull'd by Satan, do men carry his lie in their right hand, teach it as the only way of Salvation, to their own and deceived blind-followers eternal damnation. To prevent this great danger, Solomon advises not to be hasty in our spirit, to be angry, in this grand concern and case; as knowing it a fault, Saints themselves are too inclinable to; through a readiness to listen to the voice of their own spirit, the words of their own Wisdom, which go forth out of their own mouth (Jer. 44. 17.) with Satan's strong delusions and reasonings, at the back of their own humane arguings, to beget in them a rash, hasty, angry temper against the Cross or spirit of Christ, and all the words thereof. A stiff-necked resisting the cross-work of the Holy Ghost (Act. 7. 51.) upon them, is the unpardonable sin; the great, the presumptuous transgression, the sin unto eternal death. They that thus do, reject so great Salvation, as in God's way and Wisdom, is offer'd to them, and … what proves damnation, in their own will and way; as the Devil and his Angels, at first, did. But, 'tis the distinguishing mark, brand, and character of fools, to suffer this anger to rest in them, or themselves to be fix'd in enmity against the Gospel-spirit and Cross of Christ. The very Elect, Satan would thus deceive: but, tho' they be, for a season, ignorantly engag'd in the same folly, such anger against God's declar'd way of …, … … rest or abide, for ever, in them. Paul was … … … … … …; Act. 26. 11. In letter, anger long rests in fools, for any injury, real or supposed, done them; whereas a wise Man will pass by a transgression, and not harbour in his bosom, long, troublesome, revengeful meditations of an injury, to his own and … hurt. But, the said mystical fool, is the greatest fool, of all … …, in his greatest concern. His lifted up Soul in first … … and ornaments, against God and the second, is not … … … 4.) indeed, a downright hater of (and hateful to) … … … in spirit waits for new spiritual light or revelation: the proud in spirit, scorns and scoffs at this new light, and rejects what ever his conceited wisdom can't receive or discern, that is, all Gospel-Truths and Mysteries of the Kingdom of God.