John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 3:7

Verſ. 7. A time to rent, and a time to ſew] As in making a new, or tranſlating an old garment.Fuller. Turks wonder at Engliſh for pincking or cutting their cloathes, and making holes in whole cloth, which time of it ſelf would tear too ſoon. It was a cuſtom among the Jews, to rent their cloathes in caſe of ſad occurrences. The Prophet Ahijah rent Jeroboams new garment in twelve peeces, to ſhew that God would rend the Kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, 1 King. 11.31. Schiſmaticks rend the Church, Hereticks the Scriptures: God will ſtitch up all in his own time, and heal the breaches thereof, Pſal. 60.2.

A time to keep ſilence, and a time to ſpeak] It is a ſingular skill to time a word, Iſa. 50.4. to ſet it upon its wheels, Prov. 25.11. as Abigail did for her family, 1 Sam. 25. as Eſther did againſt Haman. And it is an happy thing when a man can pray as one once did, Det Deus ut ſermo meus adeo commodus ſit, quam ſit accommodus, God grant my ſpeech may bee as profitable as it is ſeaſonable. He that would be able to ſpeak when and as he ought, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Pythagorica. Cuſpin. de Coeſarib. 475. muſt firſt learn ſilence, as the Pythagoreans did of old, as the Turks doe at this day, Perpetuum ſilentium tenent ut muti, they are not ſuffered to ſpeak: Diſcamus prius non loqui, ſaith Hierome upon this text. Let us firſt learn not to ſpeak, that afterwards we may open our mouthes to ſpeak wiſely. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Cic. de Amici[illegible: 1 letter]. Silence is fitly ſet here before ſpeaking, and firſt takes its time and turn. It is a good rule that one gives, either keep ſilence, or ſpeak that that is better than ſilence.