Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 5 · Ecclesiastes · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
KEepe thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to heare, then to give the sacrifice of fooles, for they consider not that they Vers. 1.doe evill. In the Hebrew this verse is joyned to Chap. 4. and this not begun till the next words; thus also Vulg. and Lavater, but Cajetan and Junius, whom New Translation herein followeth, beginneth this Chapter thus, because these words are of the same argument with Chap. 5. For the coherence, having spoken of Kings, and their vanity, who are the highest amongst men, now that we may attaine a better Kingdome in Heaven, he teacheth us how to seek this by coming to the house of God, wherein, as Olympiodorus noteth, he implicitly taxeth another vanity, that is, of hypocrites, who shall be as sure to fall from their hopes of that Olympiod.Kingdome, as a foolish King that will heare no admonition from his earthly Kingdome; Note. for who are hypocrites? but they that come to the house of God without an heart to learne his will, and to become obedient thereunto, pleasing themselves highly in a shew of piety, when wickednesse is in their hearts and lives: If thou wouldest doe thy selfe more good by coming, and indeed attain this Kingdome, take heed unto, or keepe thy foot, that is, from going in any evill way, contrary to that which becometh a worshipper of God; For he that calleth upon the name of the Lord must depart from iniquity, therefore be more ready to heare, have more care of hearing the word there taught, and obeying it, then of bringing sacrifices, which they that hearing and obey not, doe foolishly: as Samuel told Saul, when he spared the best cattell of the Amalekites, as he said, for sacrifice, For obedience 1 Sam. 15.is better then sacrifice; Therefore he calleth the sacrifice of evill doers, the sacrifice of fooles, and although they consider it not, their doing of evill in thus bringing them, by sacrificing, thinking to amend their evill doing, saith Jerome, and not by obeying.
Be not rash with thy mouth, nor be hasty in thy heart to utter any thing before God, for God is in beaven, thou upon earth, therefore let thy words be few. Vers. 2.This is first, and most properly to be understood of speeches uttered in the house of God, of which he spake verse 1. And because all that we speake is before God, for we can goe no whither from his presence, it may be extended to speaking any Psal. 139.where in generall. Here then warning is given first to those that teach in the Congregation not to utter any thing of their owne heads, but what they bring good proofe for out of the word of God, they that doe otherwise, and obtrude their owne imaginations to the people for doctrines may say, that they are Apostles of Christ, Rev. 2. 2.but they shall be found lyars, as the Church of Ephesus is said to have found some to be. And as he that teacheth, must not be rash to utter his owne phantasies, so not to speake in the Church without premeditation, lest he through his idle multiplying of words without matter, or any regard to decency of phrase, be counted an unworthy Preacher, and a foolish babler.
2 Here is an item for us, when we pray, to keep us to cur Patteme, the Lords Prayer, neither asking any thing that we cannot ground hereupon, nor multiplying Matth. 6.words by drawing out our Prayers into a great length, after the manner of heathens, and hypocrites, of the one of which, it is said, They thinke to be heard for Matth. 23.their much babling, of the other, They devoure widowes houses, and for a colour make long prayers: And against unpremeditated preaching, Study, saith Paul to Timothy, to shew thy selfe a work-man, that needeth not to be ashamed 2 Tim. 2. 15.dividing the word of truth aright.
3 Judges also ought not to be rash in passing sentence upon any case, that cometh before them, for they judge for God, and God is present amongst them, and so, they also speake before God in a speciall manner.
4 In our making vowes, or swearing, we must not be rash, but proceed with due consideration, as Jeremiah teacheth, saying. Thou shalt sweare the Lord liveth in truth, in judgement, and in righteousnesse.Jer. 4 4.
5 In our common talke, he that is rash and hasty to speake, uttereth a multitude of words, and a multitude of words cannot be without sinne, as hath beene taught before in Proverbs; wherefore let every one saith James be swift to heare, slow to speak, and our Lord saith, Of every idle word men shall give account at the Iam. 1. 19. Matth. 12. 36.day of judgement, and if of idle words, much more of blasphemies, cursings, railings, lying, and filthy talking.
6 Here is a warning against speaking unreverently of the Word or Workes of God, or censuring his doings either in judgement or mercy, as if any Act, Word, or Decree of his were unjust, or untrue, who is Truth, Goodnesse, and Righteousnesse it selfe. And yet we in our haste are ready to fault every of these wayes, for which we have need to be thus warned, and to thinke upon this warning to repent, and not to doe so any more. God is in heaven, &c. It stands thee in hand to be sparing of speech, and not to let thy torgue runne riot, and so thou hereby increasest thy sinnes before God, who will judge thee for thy very words, as Christ saith, By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. God is in heaven thence to behold thee upon earth, and to take notice of all thy ungodly sayings, he is not to be dealt withall, as an earthly judge, who may be corrupted, as being an earthly man like thy selfe, and so made to connive at thy evill speeches, therefore use few words, and then thou shalt have the fewer sinnes; and as in thy common talke, so in thy prayers, because he reproveth much babling, and vaine repeatings of the same words for want of other matter, there being still a desire to hold out long in praying, as an inseparable accident of zeale; but this is not zeale according to knowledge, but a blinde zeale, and therefore vainly gloried in, although zeale and fervency of spirit sometimes causeth the doubling and trebling of the same petitions and words, as our Saviour Christ in extremity prayed in the same words Dan. 9.three times over a little before his Passion, and Daniel iterateth the word Lord often in the same Prayer.
Moreover, God is said to be in Heaven, in respect of his infinite Glory, able to strike fear and reverence into any man that speakes before him, and to make him use few words, as the Majesty of a King causeth reverence in those that are before him.
Lastly, to intimate his power to punish such as any way offend him, seeing there is not an Angel in heaven, but is of wonderfull great power to destroy great numbers and hoasts of men, as was proved upon the hoast of proud and blasphemous Seunacherib, and upon Pharaoh, and his people. And for using few words, there is a common saying, That man is wise that speaketh few words, and Xenocrates, Vir sapit qui pauca loquitur. Nunquam tacuisse nocet, n…cet esse locutum.a wise Philosopher, being amongst others, that spake many evill words, was silent all the while, and being asked the reason, he said, That he had often repented, that he had spoken, but never that he held his peace. And to prove that few words are a signe of a wise man, it is added on the contrary side, Vers. 3.
For dreames come by the multitude of businesse, and a fooles voyce is knowne by the multitude of words. That which a man is busied about in the day time, is ofttimes Vers. 3.represented to his phantasie in the night in sleeping; so a foole, and one that hath foolish thoughts in his minde, breakes forth into foolish speeches, through his being given to talke much, and so his folly is knowne, which if hee did hold his peace, would be concealed, and he would seeme wise, as hath been before taught.
When thou vowest a vow to God, deferre not to pay it, for he hath no pleasure in fooles, pay that which thou hast vowed. Vers. 5. Better is it that thou Vers. 4, 5, 6.shouldest not vow, then that thou shouldest vow, and not pay it. Vers. 6. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sinne, neither say before the Angel, it was an errour, wherefore should God be angry at thy vow, and destroy the worke of thy hands? Having commended speaking few words before God in generall now he giveth a charge according to the expresse Law of God against vowing, or in word promising any thing to God, and not performing it.Num. 30.
Lavater understandeth this as concerning onelyonly the time, whilst they lived under the law of Ceremonies, saying, That the Ceremonies of the Law may as Lavater.well be continued under the Gospel, as making vowes. For things, about which vowes are conversant, are either duties commanded, and to these we are all bound by our generall vow in Baptisme, and if that, and Gods Commandements be not of force to make us doe them, other vowing certainly will not; or they be about indifferent things, the nature whereof is altered by vowing, they being made now necessary, which ought not to be; or lastly, they are about things unlawfull, as was that vow of David to kill Nabal, and all his males, and of those forty men, that vowed not to eat or drink, till they had killed Paul, and the vows that are now made by superstitious Papists to merit salvation, as to live a Monasticall or eremiticall life alwayes, to obey their Abbot, or Prior in all things; although in so doing, Parents be disobeyed by their children, and Masters by their servants, and Magistrates by their subjects, from under whose power these Votaries thinke, that they are now gotten. Hitherto Lavater, who referreth also for this matter to Peter Martyr in his Common-places, and Wolfgangus Musculus in his Common-places. But I see no strength of reason in all that which he saith against making of vowes now, and performing them, any more then under the Law, onelyonly such things as properly pertained to the Ceremonial law, are not now to be vowed, nor any thing unlawfull, which might never bee done either under the Law or Gospel, and of this sort I grant, are Monasticall vowes, and vowes made to Saints, for it is to God, that we are bidden to vow and performe it, and not to any other; so likewise Psal. 51.
And for so much as the Old Testament is the word of God, and herein it is often prescribed, and there is nothing said in the New to put an end to this Precept, it is of force still, and not to be counted as ceremonies of the Law abolished by Christs fulfilling the things therein prefigured; For the reasons brought, they are of little force:
For first, Although things commanded have a sufficient tye put upon them, in that they are by God commanded, yet it seemed good to his divine Wisdome to require his people to enter into a Covenant with him by bloud, the more strongly to blnde themselves to keepe them, and as they covenanted, they promised and vowed to keep all Gods Commandements alwayes. And whereas he saith, our Exod. 24. Deut. 5. 27.vow made in Baptisme tyeth us to all things commanded, and therefore particular vowes making after this, are superfluous; he first hereby confoundeth himselfe in his owne ground, that vowes are not to be made, under the New Testament, any more then ceremonies of the Law to be held, in that he justifieth this vowing. Secondly, if a generall vow once made, it were not lawfull to make particulars after this, then they that lived under the Old Testament did an unlawfull thing also, because they had all before made a generall, as hath been declared.
2 What reason there is, why things indifferent may not be made necessary by promising them to God upon condition, I see not, any more now then in times of old, when they vowed in time of danger, if God would preserve them, to give such land, or such beasts unto him, which they needed not to have done, but they being vowed, a necessity lay upon them to doe so, and likewise to abstaine from wine and strong drinke, haply because they had hereby formerly offended. Only superstitious vowing is to be codemnned, as hath beene aforesaid, as being a renewing of the Ceremoniall law, and that with additions, of which there is no ground. But for vowing that which is lawful and good, when this is done, we must not deferre to pay it; it is ingratitude, saith Ambrose, when God hath done that for thee which thou desirest, not to performe that to him which thou promisedst.
Vers. 6. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sinne; that is, faith Junius, Vers. 6. Junius.to cause thee to sinne, for in respect of nature, we are flesh, and being regenerate, we are composed of flesh and spirit, the one leading to sinne, the other to righteousnesse, and when we sinne, this is caused by the flesh; and in vowing the mouth, from which the vow or promise made to God cometh, but is not performed, causeth sinne through the flesh prevailing against the spirit, and hindring a man from doing the good, that he should, and is by so sacred a Bond bound unto. Before the Angel, say not it was an errour; that is, before Christ the Sonne of God, who is the Angel of the Covenant, before whom all that is vowed is vowed, Mal. 3.and if it be not performed, he that sinneth thus, must looke for destruction at his hands. Lavater agreeth with Junius about the flesh put for a mans self, the part for Lavater.the whole, but by flesh, he also understandeth wife or children, who are said to be thy owne flesh, and by the mouth causing thy flesh to sinne, he understandeth not onelyonly by vowing, and not performing, but also by obscene talke, by cursing, swearing, blaspheming, and lying, and railing, to all which men are most apt in drunkennesse; and a mans mouth causeth him to sinne, or maketh him guilty of sinne, when his tongue, as a fire out of the place, setteth all things on fire. And by flesh understanding his children, or wife, he faith, his flesh is made in this sense to sinne, when by his ill example they are corrupted, and doe the like also. Say not before the Angel, that is, before the Angels, whom God hath set about his people to guard and keepe them, and so are alwayes neare unto them, either in their Assemblies, or elsewhere, as they are severally assigned by their Guardians, which is to be considered 1 Cor. 11. Matth. 18.of, as the forcible motive to take heed of sinning in sailing, especially in our promises made to God, which such holy Spirits cannot indure, but wil be hereby chased away from us, as Bees are by smoak, and this I take to be the right meaning of this; And for the meaning of the words following, Destroy the workes of thy hands, it is lest God being offended, curse thy labours, and so in keeping backe a little which thou hast vowed, all that thou hast got by the laborious working of thy hand, or forefathers for thee, come to ruine, as it is often seene, that devouring things devoted, bringeth a curse upon a mans whole estate to consume it, and the like is true touching Tythes with-holding, and letting the house of God lye waste through covetousnesse, as both the Prophets Haggai and Malachi teach.Hag. 1. Mal. 3.
Forsterus by the Angel here understandeth the Priest, who is also called the Angel of the Lord, where it is said, The Priests lips shall preserve knowledge, for he is the Angel or messenger of the Lord. Say not it is an error, hereby is noted Mal. 2. 7.the manner of men, when they have sinned, to excuse even the soulest fault, it was my infirmity, I spake thus, or thus indeed in my haste, or in my drinke, but no such excuses will be taken for breaking of a vow, but destruction shall goe on notwithstanding; wherefore let us not extenuate, but aggravate our sinnes against our selves, Note. as David did, that we may finde grace and pardon, as he did. Cajetan saith, there Psal. 5. 1. Cajetan.be three properties of the mouth, to eat, to kisse, and to speake; by eating, the mouth causeth the flesh to sinne through gluttony and drunkennesse, when a man being drawne by his taste running into excesse of riot; by kissing, when carnall pleasure carrieth him to adultery, or fornication, or lasciviousnesse; and speaking, when either he performeth not his vow, is rash, and inconsiderate in making it, or any other way, he offendeth with his tongue. Some say the flesh is said to be caused Jerom.to sinne to imply the weaknesse thereof, whereby the sinner excuseth himselfe, laying the fault upon his nature, yea, and upon God that hath made him so.
Vers. 7. Is nothing else but a conclusion in generall against loquacity impugned, Vers. 7.verse 2. and that by comparing a multitude of words for the vanity thereof to dreames.
If thou seest the oppression of the poore, and violent perverting of justice and judgement in a Province, marvell not at it, for he that is higher then the Vers. 8.highest, regardeth, and there be higher then they. Chap. 3. 16. Having spoken of wickednesse in the place of judgement, as a great vanity; now after some other vanities he resumeth the same argument againe, as thinking that he had not spoken enough before, to comfort and confirm us against the temptation, wherewith we may bee tempted, that God careth not for the affaires of men, nor what wrongs be done by one unto another, because revenge is not speedily taken upon the wrong doers. But this should stay our mindes in this regard, that as amongst men some are higher then others, who ofttimes doe afterwards call to account, and punish inferiour Magistrates; so none are so high upon earth, that doe wrong, but God, who is above all, considereth it, and he hath his Angels, that be higher, then they, ready prest to doe execution upon them, when the time cometh, that he hath appointed, as upon Pharaoh and his people, that wronged the Children of Israel so notoriously, whose first-borne were therefore destroyed all in one night by an Angel, and they were delivered from their sufferings and oppressions. Thus Jerome, Vatablus, Hieron. Vatabl.Cajetan Arboreus, Laveter, &c. but Lyra, because it is said in a Province, will have by the higher then they, the King understood, who reigneth over many Provinces: but what if he be unjust also, as he may be, and often is, what a comfort were there to the wronged, if there were none above him to animadvert against his injustice and violence? and if there be no such man higher, as sometimes it falleth out, as when Rebels prevaile, and there is no King, who then shall punish the wrong doers, but God?
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all, the King himselfe is served by the field. This seemeth to have coherence with Vers. 8. thus, whereas Kings and Vers. 9.Judges wrong poore men in judgement, by whom the ground is tilled, to their great discouragement, they doe herein they know not what; for the King and all his subjects must sustaine want of things most necessary, that is, bread, if husbandry be hindred, either by committing to prison husbandmen, or violently taking away their cattell, wherewith this worke is to be done, or unjustly cutting them off, or destroying their corne, as is too much practiced, when violence is exercised, as in Civill wars in a Land.
He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver, &c. Here the same arguments is still continued, as if he had said, there is no reason, why poore men Vers. 10.should be oppressed by the high and great ones, as was complained of verse 8. for all this is to get riches to themselves; but herein they shall faile of their end, that is, of being satisfied herewith, as all shall be, that so love riches, that they will get them by right or wrong. Therefore he concludeth this to be a vanity, to get goods together in abundance by hooke and crooke to the indangering of a mans selfe in Crescit amor nummi quantum ipsa pecunia crescit.respect of Gods judgement, and yet not be able to attaine the end of his so doing, viz. satisfaction herewith, as the hydropicall man, that drinketh much and often, and yet is not satisfied, for the love of money increaseth, as much as money it selfe is increased.
When goods increase, they are increased, that eat them, and what good is there to the owners, saving the beholding of them with their eyes? Here is another Vers. 11.reason against unjust getting of worldly goods, as the owners thereof, when they have abundance, are not satisfied, which is one misery; so they have not of them all any more good, but the beholding of great heapes of treasure: but the wealthier and the greater they are, the more servants they must keep about them to devoure them, and then more resort of friends, and for the most part but of Trencher-friends, that love them for that which they have, and the good food which they eat at their charge, but let their goods be gone, and then such friends will come no more at them, and much must also be given away. For a full Comment Lavater. Xenophon Cyropaedi.upon this, we may take that speech of Xenophon, of one Pheraulas speaking to Saca, and saying, Doest thou indeed thinke, that I live the more pleasantly, because I possesse more? know, that I never did eat, or drinke, or sleep more sweetly, then when I was poore; Now that I have gotten much, what doth it profit me, onelyonly that I have more to keepe, more to give to others, and the more I keepe, the more businesse I have; For now, many servants looke for meat and drinke from me, many for cloathing, some must have the Physitian. Moreover, one comes and brings me word of my Sheepe devoured by Wolves, another that my Oxen falling from a sleepe place perished, or that some disease hath set in amongst my Cattell, therefore I seeme now to my selfe, to be in a more sad condition then formerly, when I had but little.
The sleepe of him that laboureth is sweet, whether it be little or much Vers. 12.that hee eateth; but the fulnesse of the rich suffereth him not to sleepe. Here is a third reason against covetous scraping together of wordly goods, hereby men lose their sleepe many times, when poore men that labour, and have but little to eat, sleep full sweetly; for either their excessive eating and drinking makes them Schola Salerni at sis nocte levis sit tibi coena brevis.stomacke-sicke in the night, according to Schola Salerni, saying, That thou mayest be light in the night, eat a light supper; and againe, Let thy supper be light and short, because a great supper hurteth, &c. or their worldly cares, Caena levis, caena{que} …revis tibi sit quia magna coena noce…, &c.lest they should be robbed, vexation at losses, or studdying to increase their wealth, and what fraud to use to this purpose, and the conscience of gaine unjustly gotten sometimes exercises them so, that they cannot rest, and who doth not prize sleep as a great benefit? and if so, why are riches so eagerly sought after?
There is a soare travell which I have seen under the Sunne, riches kept Vers. 13. Vers. 14.for the Owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evill travell and he begetteth a sonne, and there is nothing in his hand. Here is a fourth reason against getting riches unjustly, they that doe so, get them to their own hurt, for whether are Theeves and Robbers bent to breake through and steale, and sometimes to murther, but to rich men? upon whom is the eye of Tyrants, but upon them, to pick quarrels against them, and to imprison sometimes, and slay them? the low shrubs and sailes escape the dint of stormy winds, when the tall Cedars, and high-hoysed up sailes are blowne downe. Sometimes, a mans owne Children and Servants, for his wealth prove treacherous to him, and make him away; to say nothing of the losse of their precious soules coming hereby, covetousnesse in them being an incurable disease, continuing even to old age, and then increasing more. And some there have been, who have had abundance of Corne covetously hoarded up by them, expecting a dearth, but it proving a plenty, have for griefe and vexation hanged themselves. For the next words, Those riches perish by evill travell, hereby is meant, either by prodigality in sumptuous feasting, or buildings, costly Houshold-stuffe, and apparrel, or in company-keeping, and drinking, gaming, or whoring, or following other Pastimes, or bringing up Children in a prodigall way, or Surety-ship, whereby all is consumed, and so his Heire coming hath nothing, but is poore, and so in worse condition, then the sonne of a poore man, because not used to labour, as he hath been, nor brought up in any course of life to get his living. Oft-times also rich men are proud, and bearing themselves upon their wealth, despise others, and are contentious in Suits of Law, whereby much of their estate is also wasted.
As he came forth of his Mothers wombe, so shall he returne to goe as he Vers. 15.came, &c. In this, and vers. 16. is a fifth reason; put case that a rich man consumeth not, but increaseth his wealth to the end of his dayes, yet then he goeth naked out of the world, as he came into it, and shall carry nothing away, as Job Iob. 1. Vers. 16. Ambros.also saith; He goeth in all points as he came, and what profit hath he, that he hath laboured for the wind? There is no difference, saith Ambrose, betwixt the dead bodies of the rich and the poor, but that those of the rich haply stink more, as being fuller of putrifying matter, through their full & dainty diet: therefore labouring for riches is labouring for the wind, or empty aire. If a rich man hath more cost put about his dead body, when he goeth to the Grave, and some of his money put in together with him, as some have had, yet all this is nothing to him now, because he hath no benefit hereby, and he shall at the last day rise as naked, as the poorest, and come to Judgement.
All his dayes he eateth in darknesse, and hath much sorrow and wrath with his sicknesse. By darknesse here, as commonly in other places, misery is to be understood, Vers. 17.and the rich man is said to eate, and drinke in misery, because there is alwaies something or other to vexe him about his worldly goods; either he hath been robbed, and cannot eate his meat cheerfully for that, or Servants idle out their time, and purloyne from him, which is another vexation, or his Children are too wastfull, or his Wife, or she giveth too much to the poore, or he heareth of losses, or debtors keep not touch with him, or he is by others defrauded of his due, &c.
Again, it may be also taken, as Lavater hath both, of his retired living, keeping out of company, or so that men may not know where to have him, for feare of being Lavater.charged by them; or he obscures and hides his wealth, keeping it from the knowledge of men, by pretending that he is poore, and habiting himselfe accordingly; for the sorrow and wrath, which he hath with his sicknesse at the last, whereof he dyeth, it is not only in regard of his pangs, but the troubles about his estate, which then he hath to dispose of; or because he perceiveth his Children, or friends, to stand gaping after his goods, thinking long for his death, by all which he is so troubled, that now, when he hath most need to prepare for his departing, he is most mangled with the world, to the great prejudice of his soule; and this is a sixth reason against greedy gathering of worldly goods, they doe but cause the more sorrow and vexation, even in eating, when all men are wont to be merry, and in sicknesse, when we have no need of a further burthen to be added by other sorrowes.
The vulgar Latine for sicknesse hath sadnesse, but foreign signifieth his sicknesse, or infirmity, and it may be understood of sicknesse coming by vexation, and trouble about earthly things; if then there be so many reasons against so earnestly desiring to gather the goods of this world, what remaineth; but, It is good and comely for one to eate, and drinke, and to enjoy the good of all his labour, that he hath Vers. 18.taken under the Sun, &c. which hath been so often spoken of already, that I need not to say any more upon it.