Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes

Vers. 1. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God] He had gone up and down the World, from Learning to Pleasures, from Pleasures to Honours, from Honours to Thrones, to find out Happiness, and had met with nothing but Vanity. Now he sends us to a fitter place to find it, The House of God, whether his Temple, or other Synagogues, where God is present to those that serve him, here they shall find remedies against the vanity of other things, and that which will stay and fix their ⟨p. 152⟩hearts, Psal. 73.16, 17. Psal. 4.6, 7. Only we must take heed of putting vanity into Gods Worship, lest we be there disappointed of our aims, as well as elsewhere. This Caveat he gives us in those words, Keep thy foot] or, each foot. The letters are plural, the points direct to read it in the singular number. So foot, for feet, Psal. 119.105. This Enallage of numbers is very usual, the singular for the plural; as Psal. 14.1. The fool hath said, &c. They, i. e. fools are corrupt. In that day a man shall cast away his idols which they have made, Isaiah 2.20.

Vers. 1. KEep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God] He had gone up and down the World, from Learning to Pleasures, from Pleasures to Honours, from Honours to Thrones, to find out Happinesse, and had met with nothing but Vanity. Now he sends us to a fitter place to find it, The House of God, whether his Temple, or other Synagogues, where God is present to those that serve him, here they shall find remedies against the vanity of other things, and that which will stay and fix their ⟨p. 152⟩hearts, Psal. 73.16, 17. Psal. 4.6, 7. Onely we must take heed of putting vanity into Gods Worship, lest we be there disappointed of our ayms, as well as elsewhere. This Caveat he gives us in those words, Keep thy foot] or, each foot. The letters are plural, the points direct to read it in the singular number. So foot, for feet, Psal. 119.105. This Enallage of numbers is very usual, the singular for the plural; as

Keep thy foot] Seriously advise how thou art to behave thy self in Gods presence, look to thy heart and affections, let thy heart be fixed, thy affections composed, thy thoughts ordered, call all that is within thee together to serve him, Psal. 57.7. & 103.1. A Metaphor from men that walk in dangerous ways, who take heed to their steps lest they stumble and fall: Or rather an allusion to the speech of God to Moses, Exod. 3.5. So Exod. 19.21. Josh. 5.15. As Mephibosheth dressed his feet, when he went to David, 2 Sam. 19.24. So they used washings, and purifyings before they came into Gods presence, Exod. 19.14 15. Num. 8.7. Psal. 26.6. Heb. 10.22. Lev. 19.30. & 16.2, 3. Gen. 28.16, 17. Exod. 40.32.

and be more ready to hear, then to offer the sacrifice of fools] Or, Draw near to hear, rather then with, or as fools, to offer a sacrifice, who think to be accepted for their outward work. The Infinitive used for the Imperative, as Exod. 20.8. Matth. 5.39. Luk. 22.42. or we may read it in the Infinitive, thus, for to draw near to hear, i. e. to bring before God an obedient heart, is better then when fools do give a sacrifice. Or, then to give a sacrifice of fools. He doth not forbid or condemn sacrifices, but he preferreth obedience, and showeth the vanity and folly of those, who are very forward in the outward acts of Religion, without the love and service of the heart, 1 Sam 15.22. Hos. 6.6. Isa. 1.11—18. Amos 5.21, 22, 23, 24. Psal. 50.17. & 51.16, 17. Isa. 66.2, 3. Prov. 15.8, 21, 27.

and be more ready to hear, then to offer the sacrifice of fools] Or, Draw near to hear, rather then with, or as fools, to offer a sacrifice, who think to be accepted for their outward work. The Infinitive used for the Imperative, as Exod. 20.8. Matth. 5.39. Luk. 22.42. or we may read it in the Infinitive, thus, for to draw near to hear, i. e. to bring before God an obedient heart, is better then when fools do give a sacrifice. Or, then to give a sacrifice of fools. He doth not forbid or condemn sacrifices, but he preferreth obedience, and sheweth the vanity and folly of those, who are very forward in the outward acts of Religion, without the love and service of the heart, 1 Sam 15.22.

to hear] Whereas there are two parts of Worship, sacrifice and obedience, be thou most careful of this, which is the spiritual and inward part of service, rather then of that which fools, hypocrites, wicked men can offer as well as thou. Be ready to receive Instruction, and to accept of what God says, Psal. 85.8. Job 34.32. 1 Sam. 3.10. Act. 9.6. & 10.33. Jam. 1.19. Be ready to obey and give up thy will to every one of Gods holy Commandments, Psal. 119.128.

to hear] Whereas there are two parts of Worship, sacrifice and obedience, be thou most careful of this, which is the spiritual and inward part of service, rather then of that which fools, hypocrites, wicked men can offer as well as thou. Be ready to receive Instruction, and to accept of what God sayes, Psal. 85.8. Job 34.32. 1 Sam. 3.10. Act. 9.6. & 10.33. Jam. 1.19. Be ready to obey and give up thy will to every one of Gods holy Commandements, Psal. 119.128.

then to offer the sacrifice of fools] Then as fools, (i. e.) wicked men do, to offer up sacrifice, and neglect obedience, Mich. 6.6, 7, 8.

for they consider not, know not, that they do evil.] Some would have the word, But, to be supplied, They know not but to do evil: They can only do evil, even when they worship God; as Isa. 1.6. See Chap. 2.24. Others thus, non attendunt ad facere malum, or ad factionem malt: which is to the sense of our Version. They are here called fools, and that is further expressed, by want of knowledge: They know not, and that doth further appear by doing of evil, Isa. 1.3, 4. Jer. 8.9. The most natural sense is, as we ⟨p. 155⟩render it, They know not that they do evil: when they do evil, they consider it not, they understand it not; the like phrase, 1 Joh. 2.6, 9. [Greek or Hebrew]. He that saith to abide, (i.) that he abideth. He that saith to be in the light, (i.) that he is in the light. So here, They know not to do evil, (i.) that they are doing of evil. And hereby is meant by an Auxesis, they think they do very good service; So when the Lord is said not to command a thing, the meaning is, that he doth forbid it, Lev. 10.1. He will not hold them guiltless that take his Name in vain, (i.) he will hold them very guilty, Exod. 20.7. He will withhold no good thing from them that walk upright, (i.) He will largely supply them, Psal. 84.12. He will not break a bruised reed, (i.) he will bind them up and strengthen them, Isa. 42.3. Abraham was not weak in faith, (i.) he was strong, Rom. 4.19. Men may think they do God good service, when they do greatly offend him, Isa. 66.5.

These things are here observable;

1. That in Gods Worship we do in a special manner draw nigh unto him.

1. That in Gods Worship we do in a speciall manner draw nigh unto him.

2. That when we do so, we ought to prepare and compose our hearts and affections ⟨p. 156⟩by faith and humility to appear before God.

3. That a prepared heart brings purposes of obedience, and to hear God in all that he shall say unto it.

4. That mere outward service without the heart prepared obediently to serve the Lord, is but a sacrifice of Fools, a mere formal and ceremonial worship.

5. That Hypocrites may think they please God, when indeed they provoke him, and know not that they do evil, Joh. 4.22.

V. 2. Be not rash with thy mouth] Having spoken in general of the due preparation of the heart unto Gods service, he now giveth direction in the particulars of prayer and vows.

V. 2. Be not rash with thy mouth] Having spoken in general of the due preparation of the heart unto Gods service, he now giveth direction in the particulars of prayer and vowes.

Be not rash] Go not about Gods Worship as men that in a fright or terror being amazed, fly hastily they know not whither. Do not precipitate thy words, nor speak any thing hastily, unadvisedly, according to the dictate of carnal and hasty desires before God, or in his house and presence. We know not what to ask as we ought, Rom. 8.26. and are very apt to put our own greedy and sudden passions into prayers, complaints, deprecations, to think God deals not well with us if we be not answered according to ⟨p. 157⟩our wills, and in our own time, Psal. 31.22. & 116.11. Job 10.2, 3, 18. Jer. 15.18. Jon. 4.2, 3. Matth. 20.20, 21. Psal. 77.7—10.

Be not rash] Go not about Gods Worship as men that in a fright or terrour being amazed, flye hastily they know not whither. Do not precipitate thy words, nor speak any thing hastily, unadvisedly, according to the dictate of carnal and hasty desires before God, or in his house and presence. We know not what to ask as we ought, Rom. 8.26. and are very apt to put our own greedy and sudden passions into prayers, complaints, deprecations, to think God deals not well with us if we be not answered according to ⟨p. 157⟩our wills, and in our own time, Psal. 31.22. & 116.11.

and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God] Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, Matth. 12.34. Therefore the remedy of rashness in our words, is to compose our thoughts and affections aright; to let our heart guide our tongue, not to bring raw, tumultuary, indigested thoughts into Gods presence, but to get a collected heart, to pray with understanding, with spirit, with judgment, and according to Gods Will; as David found his heart to pray to God, 2 Sam. 7.27. and called together his scattered affections, that he might fix them upon God, Psal. 103.1. Dan. 9.2, 3. Rom. 8.26, 27. 1 Cor. 14.15. 1 Joh. 5.14.

and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God] Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, Matth. 12.34. Therefore the remedy of rashness in our words, is to compose our thoughts and affections aright; to let our heart guide our tongue, not to bring raw, tumultuary, indigested thoughts into Gods presence, but to get a collected heart, to pray with understanding, with spirit, with judgment, and according to Gods Will; as David found his heart to pray to God, 2 Sam. 7.27. and call'd together his scattered affections, that he might fix them upon God, Psal. 103.1. Dan. 9.2, 3. Rom. 8.26, 27. 1 Cor. 14.15