without calm forethou~ht and deliberation P Moreover, it is inconsistent with the real nature of prayer, which is a making known to God of the soul's needs ,vith thankful acknowledgment of the Divine mercies; and how can one either state his own wants or record God's mercies who has never taken time to investigate the one or count up the other? 2. Proliwity in prayer. Much speaking, endless and unmeaning repetitions- a characteristic of Pharisaic devotions adverted to by Christ (Matt. vi. 7), and difficult to ha_rrnonize either with a due regard to the majesty of God or with the possession of that inward calm which is a necessary condition of all true prayer. As a dreamer's eloquence, usually turgid and magniloquent, proceeds from an unquiet state of the brain, which during day has been unduly excited by a rush of business or by the worries of waking hours, so the multitude of words emitted by a "fool's" voice is occasioned by the inward disquiet of a mind and heart that have not attained to rest in God, At the same time, "the admonition, 'let thy words be few,' is not meant to set limits to the fire of devotion, being directed, not against the inwardly devout, but against the super- ficially religious, who fancy that in the multitude of their words they have an equivalent for the devotion they lack" (Hengstenberg). III. INSINCERITY. Displayed after leaving Divine ·service, more especially in the non-fulfilmeut of vows voluntarily taken while engaged in worship. Against this wickedness the preacher inveighs. 1. Becawe such conduct cannot be othei· than displeas- ing to G-od. '' When thou vowest a vow, defer not to pay it; for he bath no pleasure in fools : pay that which thou hast vowed." As the Almighty himself is " the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever," "without variableness or shadow of turning," and "cbangetb not," so he desires in all his worshippers the reflection at least of this perfec- tion, and cannot regard with favour one who plays fast and loose with his promises to men, and far less with his vows to God. 2. Because B'UCh conduct is in no sense unavoidable. A worshipper is under no obligation to vow anything to Jehovah. What- ever is done in this direction must proceed from;the clearest free-will. Hence, to escape the sin of breaking one's vows, one is at liberty not to vow (Deut. xxiii. 21-23). Hence also should one cautiously guard against the utterance. of rash and sinful vows like those of Jephthah (Judg. xi. 30) and of Saul (1 Sam. xiv. 24), lest through fulfilling (no less than through breaking) them one should incur sin. Similarly," we must not vow that which through the frailty of the flesh we have reason to fear we shall not be able to perform, as those that vow a single life and yet know not how to keep their vow" (Matthew Henry). The same remark applies to taking vows of total abstinence from meats and drinks. 3. Because such conduct cannot escape the just judgment of God. 'l'he rashly uttered vow, afterwards left unfulfilled, sets the speaker of it in the place of a sinuer, upon whom as guilty God will iuflict punishment. 'l'hus through his mouth, his· "flesh," or his body, i.e. his whole personality, of which the flesh or body is the outer covering, is caused to suffer. Being just and holy, God can by no means clear tho guilty (Exod. xxxiv. 7), although be can justify the ungodly (Rom. iv. 6). Hence the vow- breaker cannot hope to elude the due reward of his infidelity. 4. Ber.ause such conduct is practically indefensible. To say before the angel or presiding minister in the temple or synagogue in whose hearing the vow had been registered that the registration of it had been an error, was, in the judgment of the Preacher, no excuse, but rather an nggravation of the original offence, and a sure means of drawing down upon the offender the anger of God, and of causing God to effectually thwart and utterly destroy the designs his pretended worshipper had, first in making his vows and afterwards in breaking them; and so, when one retreats from protestations and promises made to God, it is no justification of his conduct in the eyes of others who may have listened to or become aware of his votive engagements, to aver that he bad made them in error. Nor is it sufficient to excuse one in God's sight to say that one was mistaken in having promised to do so-and-so. Hence, if one vows before God with regard to matters left in his option, it is bis duty to fulfil these vows, even should it be to his hurt. But in all respects it is wiser and better not to vow except in such things as are already enjoined upon one by God; and sh~uld_ it be said that no possible need can arise for taking upon one's self by voluntary ob!Jgat1on wl1at already lies upon one by Divine prescription, this will not be denied. Yet one may vow to do what God has commanded in the sense of resolving to do it-always in dependence on promised grace; and with reganl to this no better counsel can be offered than that given 1.,y Harvey- 011. v. i-20.] ECCLESIASTES ; OR, THE PREACHER. 121
"Oall to thy God for grace to keep Thy vows; and if thou break them, weep. Weep for thy broken vowa, and vow again: Vows mu.de with tears cannot be ati.11 in vain."
LEBSONB. 1. The condescension of God in accepting human worship. 2. The dignity of man that he can render such worship as God can accept. 3. The spirituality of all sincere worship of God. 4. 'rhe displeasure of God against all worship that is merely external.