■ Srom f0e fctfirarp of (professor TXHffiam JE) enr 2 <^ reen Q&equeaf #cb fig tyim to f0e feifirarg of (princcfon £(fcofogtcaf ^enunarg ££1475 ,W4Z9 i V \ (ucL I \ I V, TRANSLATION AND EXPOSITION BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES (Cntitul Jute uit tijr Intern ifeii. REV. BENJAMIN WEISS, MISSIONARY TO THK JEWS, AI.GIKRS, AUTHOR OF " A CHRISTIAN XBW ON THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES," AND AI.so OF A " NEW TRANSLATION AND EXPOSITION OF THE PSALMS." i) i; n i) r. i: WILLIAM MIDDLETON, 64 HIGH STREET EDINBURGH : JOHNSTONE & HUNTER. LONDON : JAME8 NISBET & CO. MTn CCI/> I. -IMI.Wl:, AND CO., PRINTERS. DUNDKK. PBEFATOBY NOTE. The author of this volume expresses the hope, that the literary imperfections which mark it, will be leniently regarded by his readers. He is assured that they will be disposed to do so, if they remem- ber his limited residence in Scotland, and the ob- stacles to literary work inseparable from his position as a Missionary in Algiers. For the annexed list of errata he craves indulgence. He flatters himself that they would not have crept into his work, had he been able, personally, to superintend it, as it passed from the hands of the printer. i; i; R a T A . line 15, rend " sorrowiul days and sleepless nights." '. .. 10, rend" ,ip;iointed," imtead of" approved." . . BO, . . 19, rend " mire," instead of " mine." .. 199, note, line I, for " strangers," rend " stronger." . . 216, line 10, for " he knows not," read " we know not." ..218, .. 23, read" as," instead uf" until." .. 289, .. 13, read"did only visit," instead of " was only visited.' - . . 230, note, line I, for " Some," read " So we." . . 238, line 3 from bottom, delete " be,"— the eorrection is important. :. .. note, line 8, raid "if thry shall lay hold," ftc. INTRODUCTION. Christian Reader : The portion of the Holy Scrip- tures, the translation and exposition of which form the substance of this volume, has come down to us accompanied by manifold and highly important re- commendations. 1 st. We are informed in sacred history that the royal author of Ecclesiastes received in his youth the following promise from the God of Israel : " Be- hold, I have done according to thy words [or " wish"] : Behold, I have given thee [or " will give thee"] a wise and understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee." (1 Kings iii. 12). 2d. Its illustrious author is known to us as the sacred penman of that admirable and matchless work styled, u The Proverbs of Solomon," — a work which must be acknowledged (even by those who deny inspiration) to have no rival in the world of letters, whether ancient or modern, whether it be regarded as a whole, or in relation to the single doctrines which it teaches, and the counsels it offers to fallen man. Where is the human production that can boast of a single chapter containing an equally valuable amount of truth as is contained in any chapter of Solomon's Proverbs ? Where else can we find such a fountain of wisdom? Where is there another such precious reservoir of doctrine and counsel ? In what country lived another teacher of '2 INTRODUCTION. morals like the author of the Book of Proverbs ? Where exists such a second armoury of mighty weapons against Satan and sin ? and where such an antidote against the dangerous influences of a wicked and seducing world? In that Bcok of Proverbs alone, we find morals and religion taught with the tongue of angels, warnings and admonitions against sin and iniquity by self-speaking figures and demon- strative examples, which pour wisdom and instruc- tion in large streams into the heart of the simple, and efficaciously recommend the love and fear of God to young and old. The same truly great man is the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes. 3d. Solomon, though he was the son of the de- voted and godly Psalmist David, though the wisest of men, though the most prosperous and magnificent of kings, though the builder of the first temple dedi- cated unto Jehovah in Jerusalem, — yet fell from the heights of the skies, as it were into the deepest depth of forgetfulness, backsliding, sensuality, and open sin ; yea, into the miry pit of idolatry and rebellion against the Most High God, the source of all his wisdom and glory. Is this deplorable event in Solomon's life to be regarded as a recommendation to the work in question ? Certainly it is. When we consider that it bears the marks of being the last work that issued from the pen of that extraordinary personage — thai it must have been composed at the of his earthly career, when he was really con- vert, d, and completely restored to the favour of the God of his father, who again used him as an inspired instrument in His hand for conveying celestial truth onto ge aerations to come — when we remember that when Solomon eon, posed this marvellous Book he looked hack with the utmost horror to the idols of his youth — and the. brilliancy and splendour of his past life were about to be extinguished and covered INTRODUCTION. by the dark clouds of death and the grave ; we are constrained to conclude that the fact of its being the last production of a great man, a great king, a great favourite of God, a great backslider, a great sinner, and lastly, a great penitent, invests it with special importance and interest. Solomon, who when yet a tender babe received the tokens of Jehovah's love, when the prophet conveyed unto him the name " Jedidiah " — the beloved of God — Solomon, who by Divine authority was pre- ferred to all his older brothers, and chosen as the crown-prince in David's family, made the successor of that devoted, victorious and mighty king of Israel — Solomon, who was appointed to build a temple unto the Lord of Hosts, as a dwelling-place for Bis glory — Solomon, whose glorious throne, prosperity and peace, wisdom and splendour, were promoted and established by God according to His repeated pro- mises made through the prophets unto his father David, and twice to himself directly — Solomon, who in answer to his devout and earnest prayers at the dedication of the Temple, received again the testimony of the Lord's approbation, when His glory descended in a cloud of fire and filled the splendid house which he had built — Solomon, whose wisdom and magnifi- cence provoked the astonishment of distant nations, and attracted the attention and admiration of mighty and illustrious princes in distant lands — Solomon, whose immense riches and great power put him in posses- sion of everything that was then rare, splendid, beautiful, delightful, glorious and admirable ; — even that brilliant star of the human race, when he had mounted to the highest pinnacle of happiness and pleasure, grandeur and power, possible for a mortal prince, was lost in the clouds of vanity, by the ex- cessive love of transitory and decaying pleasures, and by devotion to ignoble pursuits. His great soul and 4 INTRODUCTION. once devoted heart were ensnared and conquered by idolatrous and wicked women ; and thus entirely estranged from God, he plunged himself into the rapid and turbid stream of foolishness and worldly absurdity. Like the reappearance of the radiant sun in a smiling azure sky, after many dark and cloudy days, and heavy showers, so, in the Book of Ecclesiastes, we see once more the great Solomon, the matchless teacher of morals, reappear, to teach us divine wisdom and truth, after having slumbered for many years in the enervating bosom of worldly pleasures. Once more we see the magnificent King of Israel, the great author of the Book of Proverbs, employing his pen and consecrating his powers to the composi- tion of his last work, which contains a retrospective view, and an impartial judgment, of his vast ex- perience, during a long, prosperous and eventful life. With a mind full of elevated thoughts regarding a world to come and its mysteries, — with a great soul looking forward into a bright region where the flowers of real glory never wither, and where all the beauties and magnificence of this material world appear like pale shadows of a past dream, — with a shaken and age- worn bod}', which indicates the rapid process of decay, — with dim and feeble eyes, to which every thing material now appears in quite another light from what it appeared at the age of rigour and youthful imagination, — Solomon con- siders the paat, and judges, and anxiously looks for- ward towards eternity. Gold and silver have now become onto him useless dross; precious. stones and pearls have lost their value ; richly decorated palaces, blooming Bower-gardens, all verdure, bril- liancy, and gay colour, seem now as if enveloped in the shadows of death. Delicious fruits and dainty INTRODUCTION - . 5 meats, and kingly beverage, flatter no more the drv palate. Women, in the prime of beauty, who once ravished his eyes and enchanted his heart and soul, have been stripped of all attraction, and appear now to him like fading and decaying lilies and roses. The world, with its seducing vanities, is now gone, for ever gone, with all its pleasures and delights. Eternity now stands waiting without, and the cold arm of death knocks slowly, but continually, at the door. The weak and trembling old man responds, u Behold, I am preparing, wait but a little while until I make up the sum of my account, and see how I stand with mj God : wait a while until I see if, and how, I am prepared to meet my Creator and Benefactor ; wait a moment, until I set my house in order, and leave a few words expressive of my pre- sent feelings and sentiments for generations to come ; and then I shall be ready to follow thee with my shattered body into the dreary regions of thy dark dominions, and my soul shall wing her flight towards heaven, to appear before the tribunal of the Ancient of Days." Ah, reader ! is there yet another work produced by the pen of mortal that can be possessed of similar attractions ? Is there a Book in existence that can command more interest ? Come, then, in- quisitive soul, and let us see and hear attentively what that great and experienced Solomon says now — how he now judges in the midst of new circum- stances — how he now considers the past — how he prepares for the future — and what is the lesson which he gives us concerning things of this world, or concerning our never-dying souls aud the world to come I* * We did not enter here into a description and analysis of the special characteristics of the Book of Ecclesiastes, and of the different subjects it treats (as might certainly have been expected in an Introduction), because we perceive that the 6 INTRODUCTION'. There are, however, several topics of considerable importance, which require our attention, before we enter the rich and goodly heritage bequeathed unto us by the wisest of men, and these topics are the following : 1st, Almost all the different Books composing that invaluable treasure that we call the Holy Bible, have been more or less exposed to the violent attacks of the determined and deadly enemies of Revelation, as well as to mistranslation, false interpretation, and injudicious application on the part of their ignorant and sometimes most daring friends. But the Book of Ecclesiastes, in particular, was and is a ready prey to violence and error, ignorance and doubt. The infidel and worldling stretch forth their sacri- legious hands, and triumphantly (but falsely) pre- tend to have detected and grasped at a substan- tial cloak sufficient to cover all sensuality, scepti- cism, and brutal propensities. Mistaken friends (though sometimes very lovely and zealous men) in their turn have often, influenced by imaginary diffi- culties, or seeming contradictions, wrested and per- verted some of the sublimest passages of this peculiar Book, and squeezed them into the narrow limits of their own hypotheses, and made thorn involve, con- firm, and attest doctrines and counsels, of which the royal author perhaps never dreamed, far less incul- cated and advocated in this work. Directing our eyes to Him who alone can afford aid and grant strength to the weak and weary, wisdom to the simple, and understanding to those that, seek knowledge, we undertook the translation and exposition of this M'oiningly obscurest portion of the Holy Scriptures, in order to disarm both classes above mentioned. A first eleven verses of this Book were intended and set apart by the author as a general Introduction to the whole work ; we 11 thus have to treat there what we omitted here. INTRODUCTION. / scrupulous translation, a thorough critical examina- tion, and a careful, impartial exposition, may, we trust, serve these purposes. It will shew to the sceptic and carnally -minded man that this imagined cloak was but a reflection of his own wickedness, a dream of his corrupt imagination, a torn and rotten tent which will never protect him from the fiery storm and thunderbolts of a terrible judgment to come. It will show him that Solomon, in this noble work, instead of tolerating, abhors and condemns scepticism, infidelity, sensuality, and carnal-mind- edness, in most vigorous, expressive, and irresistible terms, and by sound arguments deduced from daily practice and his own experience. It may also, by the blessing of the God of truth, indicate the errors and subvert the misinterpretations which have defaced some of the most important passages, and which originated either in the mistranslation of the text, or in misapprehension of the scope of the book. As the passages most exposed to the above described abuses form always a conspicuous part of the respec- tive chapters in which they occur, and where they shall be treated at large, we therefore thought it pro- per to refrain from advancing here some instances in illustration of our remarks. 2d. Towards the end of the last century, there was a wild plant introduced into Protestant Germany, which by this time has already sent forth its branches, not only into all the countries of continental Europe, but also to Great Britain, and even America. This monstrous plant is the daring abuse of the liberty gained by the glorious and dearly bought work of Reformation ; and its bitter branches are a certain class of Biblical critics, who spend uselessly and destroy willingly a great portion of their time and energy (which otherwise might be employed, if not advantageously, at least harmlessly) in speculations 8 INTRODUCTION. about the authenticity of the names of sacred authors, unto whom the respective books of the Holy Scrip- tures are assigned. To achieve this toilsome, use- less, daring, and dangerous work, they do spread — (as did the Jews of old, over all Egypt, to seek useless straw for their bricks) — over all the sacred books in search of words which (their dictionary says) do be- long to the Chaldee dialect, and if they think to have found some, they presume to prove by their dis- covery, that such a book does not belong to the alleged authors, but must have been composed after the Babylonish captivity, when the Jews brought these Chaldaisms with them to Jerusalem. Thi.s outrage knows no limits, but goes so far as to dispute the authorship of the Book of Jeremiah, which, as it includes a Chaldee verse (chapter x. verse 11), must not, according to these critics, belong to that Pro- phet, but must have been composed by some other person after the Babylonian captivity. Now, according to the false argument of the above- mentioned scholars, it follows that before the Baby- lonish captivity, no Hebrew understood a word or a phrase of Chaldee, nor a heathen or a Chaldean a word of Hebrew. In 2 Kings xviii. 26, we read that Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah (princes of Israel), said to liab- shaken (captain of the Babylonian armv), " Speak, we pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language [which is almost the same with the Chaldee] for we understand it : and talk not with us in the HEBREW language, in the hearing of the people that arc on the wall." Here we see clearly and distinctly that not only did the learned Jew's .md their princes understand the Chaldee language in the days of Bezekiah, but that even a heathen chief spoke the Hebrew with great purity and elo- quence ! Those, then, are greatly in error who main- tain that if a Chaldee word or phrase be found in the INTRODUCTION. 9 writings of a Prophet, they must be flung away into the Babylonish captivity ! The Prophet Jeremiah, in the above-mentioned chapter, draws a most painful contrast between the great Jehovah, the Creator of the universe, the God of the Hebrews, and the dumb idols of the heathen, manufactured of wood and stone. He therefore ex- claims in the 11th verse, " Thus shall ye say unto them [viz., the servants of the living God, should thus say to the Babylonish idolaters who threatened them, and blasphemed their God], The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.' ' This verse possesses peculiar vigour and great beauty in the Chaldee language, which the Prophet has used, in order to serve as a defiance in the mouth of the Hebrew against the Chaldee blaspheming idola- ter. Do not they, therefore, precipitately conclude — when an author used some Chaldee words for special purposes — who ascribe the authorship to an- other, and fling the latter beyond centuries ! What would we say to a German critic, who, ignorant of the English language beyond his dictionary, would conclude that the English poets and authors are not the creators of their own works, but must have taken them from some ancient Roman manuscripts, because they used many words of pure Latin ! Such are exactly the foolish conclusions of many of the above- mentioned critics, who try to bereave the sacred writers of works of which the Holy Spirit made them authors. The Book of Ecclesiastes has been most fiercely attacked bj' - the above-mentioned torturers of sacred writ. They have maintained that (according to their Lexicon) they discovered in that book many passportless Chaldaisms, and therefore they have denied its Solomonic authorship, and transported it 10 INTRODUCTION'. beyond the Babylonish captivity. Some of its friends, deprecating such a treatment of the work, have admitted that there are some vagabond Baby- lonianisms in the book. Some of these advocates said that Solomon might have learned from his foreign wives to adopt these strangers into his Hebrew family. Others said, that owing to Solo- mon's commercial relations with other nations, some merchants might have smuggled in these contraband words, and in some way or other (possibly by con- tagion) they cleaved by and by to Solomon's tongue. Strange, very strange it is, that not one of these friends should have suggested the idea that Solomon was wise and rich enough to have employed regular teachers by whom he might have acquired some foreign languages, which were indispensable for him in his vast enterprises with other nations, rather than suppose that he learned languages from heathen women and merchants ! But we would also ask these critics, What language did Solomon employ in courting these female teachers, or in obtaining them from their parents ? Or what language did he use with the foreign merchants, before they taught him theirs ? Will they perhaps maintain that these h"athen ladies and commercial men spoke Hebrew ! Why not, then, give credit to Solomon that he knew their languages even before he had anything to do witli them ? Or might not David have spent a few talents of the hundreds of thousands which he pos- sessed, in paying teachers to instruct the crown prince in some languages spoken by the neighbour- ing nations ? With regard to the original disturbers of the Holy Scriptures, who maintain that they find in the Book of Ecclesiastic many words, and even phrases, which are strangers to the Hebrew language, we beg to assure our readers that they are mistaken, and INTRODUCTION. 1 1 that in the -whole book in question there are only two words which cannot be traced now to Hebrew origin. First, the word *""&> (Sidah) used to signify "princess," which is of Arabic origin (see chap. ii. 8) ; and, second, the word &>*? " Pithgum " (see Ecc. viii. 11), which is a most powerful and com- prehensive term, and denotes " irrevocable royal decree, sentence or verdict of a judge, decision of a wise man, clear and distinct information" about any- thing, &c* This word having no such rich substi- tute in the Hebrew language, might have been adopted at a far earlier period than that of Solomon.-j- Besides these two, there is not another word in the whole book that could not be traced to a Hebrew root.j: The style of Ecclesiastes is distinctly and generally the same as that of the Proverbs of the same author. The new idiomatic graces, and ele- gant and tasteful combination of words which we find in this book, show the extraordinary creative power of that sublime writer. The peculiar character of this philosophical, and, at the same time, theolo- gical work, comprised in such a small space, de- manded a new creation of compounds and abbrevia- tion of words, above any other book of the Holy Scriptures. Many examples of this kind are to be * See the different significations of this word in Dan. iii. 16 ; iv. 14, or 17 ; Ezra iv. 17 ; v. 7 ; vi. 11 ; and Esther i. 20, &c., though the force is always the same. f As the word, " Pithgum," can no more he traced to the Chaldee than to the Hebrew origin, we are inclined to think that it may he an ancient Egyptian term whence both Jews and Babylonians took it. Gesenius thinks to find some similies to it in the Persic, but these are not conclusive. X The word *,sott (miskein) which occurs twice in chap. ix. verses 15, 16, and which signifies " poor, needy, or indigent," though it has the same signification in Arabic, can perfectly be traced to the Hebrew root "pa (Sakan) and was used already by Moses (Deut. viii. 9) though in another form (sub. fern.) and there it signifies " in poverty." 12 INTRODUCTION. seen in the Proverbs also, though not so numerous, and, perhaps, not so masterly, which is quite natural ; but the language and style are the same in both books. Moreover, there are twelve verses in the Book of Ecclesiastes, containing statements which can refer to none but to the great and wise Solomon, the son of David, the King of Israel, who reigned at Jeru- salem, who excelled all kings before and after him in wisdom, in riches, in power, and in glory, who having enjoyed profound peace during a long and prosperous reign, was alone able to make all the ob- servations, experiences, and conclusions enumerated in this book. No other man, no other king, could ever, with honesty, or even common sense, assume the language used in the above-mentioned twelve verses ; nor would such an one have escaped the censure and ridicule of the Hebrew nation ; nor would ever such a work, under a false name, and under false pretensions, have been admitted into the canon of the Holy Scriptures by Ezra and his friends. Though, we sincerely trust, after all that has been above advanced, that our readers will be perfectly convinced how unjust the attacks, how untenable the conclusions, and how false the arguments of the above critics are, and though we must confess that the necessity of defending the authority of the mighty word of inspiration against attacks so unrea- sonable, and arguments so absurd, pains us, still as we are thus far on the subject, we shall make one final and conclusive remark. According to the ar- guments of the above new school, every book of the Holy Scriptures which includes some Chaldee words must have been composed after the Babylonish cap- tivity, when the Jews brought these words with them, or, in other terms, when the purity of the INTRODUCTION. 13 Hebrew language was lost. Well, could rationalistic critics answer us, "Why there are no Chaldaisms to be found in the Books of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, which were surely composed after the Babylonish captivity? Let them explain unto us this anomaly. Would they not perhaps, to be con- sistent, ascribe the Book of Malachi to Solomon, because there is not a single word of Chaldee in it, and then, as a restitution, give the Book of Eccle- siastes to Malachi ? Perhaps, also, they might give the Book of Jeremiah to the Prophet Zechariah, and, to indemnify the former, give him that of the latter. Such is the gravity of the destructive Ger- man theology, such the confusion and absurdity of her rationalistic critics ; but such, alas, is the ten- dency of many young men in our days, that they grasp at anything new, no matter be it wind, pins, madness, thorns, fire, poison, if it is but new. The fact is, that whatever influence the Babylon- ish captivity had upon the Hebrew language, it could not (if it did at all) influence but the lowest and illiterate class of people. Nehemiah wrote his historical book after the captivity in as pure and neat Hebrew as ever it could have been done in any previous century. Daniel and Ezra had the He- brew as pure and vigorous as it ever could exist. If the two latter introduced Chaldee chapters into their respective books, it was, because they wished to re- present the interesting transactions, letters, dreams, and interpretations, in the very language in which they originated, and were transacted ; but not because their Hebrew was in the least impaired, as those chapters which they wrote in Hebrew are as pure as the Books of Moses. Finally, in the last chapter of Nehemiah, verse 24, we see the indigna- tion which that noble prince showed against such Israelites, who, by their unlawfully intermixed mar- 14 INTRODUCTION. :.s with idolatrous women of the neighbouring nations, had also caused their children to mix up their Hebrew language with words and phrases be- longing to those of their mothers. It is evident that . in the dayi lalachi, the Hebrew was yet understood and spoken in its purity by the whole people of IsraeL Had it been otherwise, then, he would surely have written his small but most im- portant book in the then popular language. It mu«t have been at a far later period, when many Jews, who remained for centuries in Babylon, came back to Judea with their mixed and corrupted language, — at a time when there were no more prophets, no more sacred writers, and when the nation was deep sunk in misery and oppression, that the language was neglected, and the Chaldee idiom crept in. But during the short captivity of seventy years, when the captives had the Lord's promise by Jeremiah, that they shall soon return to Jerusalem, they cer- tainly kept up. and watched carefully over their language, upon which they always looked with holy veneration. 3d. We come now to the third and last observa- tion, which we think indispensable, before we enter upon the translation and exposition of the Book be- fore u-. <".nd fchi ition shall be about the name or title which this Book obtained in the Hebrew y which Solomon titled this . or rather, the name under which he designates him- . in the Hebrew, """ I . Sep- \it EKKkrjo-iaorrif (E .1 which in the G rer of an • •• a speaker in nn assembly." Hence !!:iL'lish version renders it "the Preacher," and i Luther u <1 r "j- and others go a wide step farther, in INTRODUCTION. 15 maintaining that the Hebrew word (KohelethJ signi- fies either u the gatherer of an assembly'' or " a preacher to a gathered assembly. " But it is a matter of no small importance that we should decide about the character and full meaning of the mystical or metaphorical name under which Solomon chose to be presented in this Book, and if the Jews of the Septuagint misunderstood it (as they often did other words,, must we follow them ? In the word Koheleth, even if we take it in its widest sense, there is no authority for the rendering given in the English version. The word can be derived from no other verb than "" Kahaly, " to assemble or to call an assembly.'' From this is formed the mas. noun """; (Kahal), and the fern. *"""" (Kehilah), both signifying "an assembly" of men, and in the plur. form =*7~"~ Makheilim mas., and r "'~'" Makheiloth) fem., both signifying ''as- semblies." Very often this noun appears in con- nection with other nouns, as ~'l""'~~ Kehal-Je- hovah), "the assembly of the Lord," and ow4sg? (Kehal-amim), M the assembly of nations." £c. But how we can find in this word the least indica- tion of u a preacher, or preaching, or speaking." is a mystery which neither we nor those who attach this meaning to it will ever be able to solve. Even were there the least shadow of preaching in the verb Kahal, then a preacher would be called either -^ K . .' i -•--" Makhil , but not •'-" Koheleth), which word ending in r fem., would thus signify •• ■ female preacher." But seeing that there is not the least indication in the word of u preaching," then Koheleth can signify nothing else than " a female gatherer," or in German u Die Sammlerinn," (Col- lectress". It now remains :'or us to investigate, 1st. The reason why the is feminine ? 2d, What 1G INTRODUCTION. the gathering signifies, — if the gathering of an as- sembly, or something else ; and, 3d, How and why Solomon chose to head this book with such a title ? Our humble opinion is, that a deep sense is hid under this metaphorical name Koheleth, by which peculiar term Solomon wished to appear as the author of this book, and the following is, we think, the right import and explication of the word Koheleth. In the Book of Proverbs, Solomon appears not only as one who teaches wisdom, but as one in whom wisdom dwelt, and who had a divine autho- rity to teach, rebuke, and admonish, in the name of wisdom. The introduction to that Book reads, " The Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, King of Israel." In the description of the contents and pur- poses to be attained by that work, we read, " To know wisdom and instruction ; to receive the words of understanding ; to receive the instruction of wis- dom, justice, and judgment, and equity ; to give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. ... To understand a proverb and its interpretation, the words of the wise and their dark sayings." With verse 8, these instruc- tions begin, " My son, hear the instructions of thy father, and forsake not the teachings of thy mother," &C. 1 [aving warned the young to guard against the seductions of the wicked, Solomon, in verse 20, intro- duces wisdom personified, saying, " Wisdom crieth without, she uttereth her voice in the streets," &c. From tin' character of the speech which personified, Wisdom then delivers, it is evident that by Wisdom the law of God and His commandments, the teach- ings of the Prophets, and Solomon's own Proverbs (in which the former wore excellently and beauti- fully enveloped) are to be understood. As these doctrines were taught by teachers in the Synagogues, INTRODUCTION. 1? and even in the open streets (according to ancient eastern custom), and also by parents to their chil- dren, therefore is personified Wisdom represented as "crying and uttering her voice in the streets." This is clear from the second chapter, which begins, " My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee. . . . (verse 9). Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judg- ment, and equity, and every good path. For wis- dom will enter into thine heart, and knowledge will be pleasant unto thy soul." The fourth chapter of Proverbs is wholly occupied with instructions and advices, deduced from a very rich and comprehen- sive model of religious education which the devoted David imparted to his tender but highly promising son, Solomon. In the fifth chapter the well-instructed Solomon appears again as a teacher in his turn, saying, " My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding," &c. In chaps, viii. and ix., Wisdom is again personified and re- presented as if erecting her pulpits in the open streets, and highways, lifting her sweet, and at the same time sonorous voice, to collect around her the children of men. When, as it were, her audience is fully gathered, she delivers her mighty, instruc- tive, impressive, and fascinating lecture unto them, which should serve them as irresistible weapons against the seductions of Satan and sin, against wicked men and wicked women. Now mark, dear reader, that under all the above diverse figures, Solomon, and Solomon alone, is the real speaker. Let us now try to reduce the preceding observa- tions, and we think we shall have the following conclusions. 1st, That, in the Book of Proverbs, Solomon endeavoured to envelope the teachings of Divine wisdom in the Word of God, in short, pure, tdegant, and comprehensive verses of parables and 18 INTRODUCTION. proverbs, for the special benefit of the young in Israel, that they might learn them by heart, and use them as weapons against all the dangerous influences to which young people are exposed at the age of the development of their passions. 2d, That, from the tenderness, simplicity, and familiarity of the language which the author uses, and from the polished, yet homely, figures which he employs, we must conclude that these Proverbs were the first collection and first-fruits of Solomon's productions, composed at the early and most happy period of his life. "When the Lord, according to His promise, filled his heart with heavenly wisdom, that tender, noble, elevated, elegant, and inspired prince devoted a portion of his precious time to the composition of a course of moral and religious instructions for his youthful subjects. It is therefore that, as we go along in that Book of Proverbs, we see chapter after chapter increasing as well in gravity of matter as in sentiment and beauty of language — a fact which shews at the same time that that work was not composed all at once, but during a considerable period of his early life. 3dly and lastly, We observe, that Solomon, conscious of the vast power of inspired wisdom filling his mind and soul, hesitated not to identify himself with wisdom, and with the great cause she pleads among the sons of men in the name of her God. Hence, while he personifies wisdom, and makes her lift up her voice; and preach morals in the open streets, he, at the same tune, speaks in her name, recommending his doctrines, inviting men to listen to his counsel, to observe his command' ments, Sec. All this is, as if Solomon had said : " Hear and obey all that by the power of the wis- dom of God, I am enabled to teach you in Bis name — in the name and on the authority of His revealed wisdom." Hence, when he personifies wisdom and INTRODUCTION. 19 makes her speak, he, at the same time, attributes these speeches and these counsels to himself, for it was in fact himself who spoke by the wisdom dwell- ing in him. With all the preceding observations we now return to our Koheleth. There exists a vast difference between the latter work and that of the Proverbs. The one was composed in his early life, and the other at the close of his life. The one speaks most from theory, the other all from practice and facts. In the one Solomon appeared as a teacher of the young in the name of Wisdom, showing them what Wisdom forbids and what she commands, what conduct she condemns, and what conduct she ap- proves ; but in the other work he appears as an old, experienced, and inspired man, to teach young and old, not merely theoretical doctrines sug- gested by wisdom, but also the results of long and elaborate experiments made by himself or acquired from an active and exact observation, made during a long period, full of events, changes, and discoveries. What Solomon in the Proverbs recommended or condemned, by saying, " Thus says Wisdom," he is now able to recommend or condemn by saying, " Behold, all this have 1 personally examined and tried by wisdom, and found some things deceiving, dangerous, and ruinous, which had well-nigh de- stroyed me for ever, and therefore I tell you in the name of experienced ivisdom, flee such things ; other things have I tried again and again, and found them good, pleasing, and solid, and therefore I recommend them strongly, as the only things which can make mortals happy in time and eternity." Seeing, thus, that 4his Book contains the facts and results obtained by experimental wisdom, Solomon there- fore calleth it Koheleth or "the Gatherer," viz., per- sonified wisdom —by the agency of inspired Solomon 20 INTRODUCTION. — gathers and assembles facts and results from the personal experience, or from exact observations made by that author during all the days of his life, and reduces them to rules, judgments, warnings, and counsels for and to others. The title Koheleth thus retains its true and only signification, which is : "The Gatherer," or, "The Assembler,"— not of congregations, but oi facts, observations, results, deci- sions, and counsels.* The word Koheleth is fern., because Wisdom is fern, in the Hebrew language, and it is she that is presented as the Gatherer of these facts. Solomon also passes by that name, and says, " I, Koheleth, was King over Israel," &c, because, in fact, it is himself who gathers the con- tents of this Book though he does it in Wisdom's name ; as likewise in Proverbs, where he makes Wis- dom speak and preach in the streets, and then he calls the very same sermon, "my words," "my doc- trine," " my commandment." According to the above explanation of the mean- ing of the word Koheleth, we can easily understand why it is sometimes preceded by a mas. verb, as n A?P "?^ (Amar Koheleth — chap. i. 2, &c) because the personified Wisdom speaks by Solomon ; and * Should one object that we never find Kahal refer to gathering things or facts, hut always refers to assembled pei- sons ; to this we answer 1st, It was nowhere used in a meta- phorical sense, because there was no occasion for it, and no occasion can form no objection. 2. rts (Asaph) and yap (Kavatz) which are the Hebrew verbs for gathering thing* are also used often, especially in figurative language, to denote the "gathering of men," and why should not Kahal be meta- phorically used ior gathering fads' Is not the figure pure, simple, and Btriking i 3d. In this book Wisdom gathers also many persons, and presents them as subjects on whom experi- ments were taken and observations made. There could, there- fore, no better nor more proper name than Koheleth be found, to represent Solomon gathering facts and results, an reducing them to doctrine, in the name of Wisdom. • INTRODUCTION. 21 sometimes that verb is fem., as n ^P *T??* (Amrah Koheleth — chap. vii. 27*), because the Gatherer is Wisdom, and is fem. in the Hebrew language. This anomaly can by no means be explained according to the versions that render Koheleth by " the Preacher ;" for, even if the word should bear some thing of preaching (which is not the case) why should it then end in a n fem. ? and why should it have sometimes a mas. and sometimes a fem. verb? Seeing that, according to our explanation of the title of this book, the word Koheleth assumes such a comprehensive and extraordinary meaning, that we are not able to find for it a proper and sufficiently expressive substitute in the English language, we are therefore constrained to leave the word as it is, viz., Koheleth, wherever we meet it in the Hebrew text. The reader will remember that in it personi- fied Wisdom is represented as gathering facts (by Solomon and from his life and experience), observa- tions, results, and giving them as illustrations and examples unto the children of men. We are also .obliged to leave as the title of the Book its old name Ecclesiastes, not that there is even a shadow of identity between that word and Koheleth, but be- cause Ecclesiastes is the only name by which this Book is known to the Christian world. * Wethink that in chapter xi. verse 8, where the Hebrew reads nVripri "tea (Amar Hakoheleth) that the n was, by the mistake of a transcriber of an ancient MS., removed from the verb and attached to the noun ; and that originally it must have been Amrah Koheleth, as in the above passage. THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. (Chapter i. vers. 1—3). 1. The words of Koheleth, the Son of David, King of Jerusalem. 2. Vanity of vanities ! saith Koheleth, Vanity of vanities ! All is vanity ! 3. What advantage hath man of all his labour, That he thus toileth under the sun ?* Man has two eyes, and two ears, and beholds every subject with both eyes, and hears every sound with both ears, still he sees but one in the object he * The Noun •frT^ (Yithron), as well as ■*£ (Yether), both derived from the verb TH (Yathar), have extensive significa- tions. " The rest," or " the remainder," as in Judges vii. 6 : Joel i. 4 ; so in Hiph. as ir®n WTTl (Hothir habarad) " the hail had left." (Exod. x. 15.) Besides these, it has diverse other significations, as, " excellence, preference, profit, over- plus, advantage," &c. (See Gen. xlix. 3 ; Exod. x. 5, &c.) In this Book the word occurs several times, under different significations, and the best adapted one must be chosen accord- ing to the different contexts. In this verse we preferred to ren- der it " advantage," rather than " profit," as in the English version ; though neither the one nor the other is comprchensiv. enough to constitute an equivalent to the Hebrew noun, which evidently denotes " a lasting and solid advantage," and not 24 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIAST1S. beholds, and hears but one sound in every one that strikes both his ears ; and why ? because it is the. rational organ, the mind, that must decide the cha- racter of the objects we see, and of the sound we hear (with irrational organs) ; and the mind is but one. In other words, the perception of the eyes and ears being quicker than the decision of the mind (subject to hesitation), which, being but one, can only judge and decide about one subject at a time, though coming from two organs. Therefore, it is, that though we see originally every object double, as we hear originally every sound double, still, as these rough perceptions and impressions must first be com- municated (by the appropriate nerves) to the mind, in order to judge and decide about the characters of the objects of vision or sound, they there unite into one, the mind being one. The double organs thus united, render the power of vision and of sound doubly stronger than if they were single ones. Also, if the one is injured by accident, the other serves alone the same purpose. But we would be sadly confounded were not the mind to gather and unite the double vision, and the double sound into one. Such, then, is the wonderful harmony and re- ciprocal sympathy between the members and organs of our physical structure, governed by a rational the timely and passing profit. We thought, therefore, that " advantage," represents more strongly the real meaning of the word. '-"2'j (amal) is another noun of different and comprehensive signification, though it always preserves the principal idea of something " toilsome, troublesome, afflictive, wearisome," &c. In our verse it appears in both forms noun and verb, hut can scarcely b< rendered alike in both cases. Our verse, if para- phrased, would read somewhat as follows: "What lasting, worthy, or solid advantage can mortal man derive from all toilsome works and transactions, that he thus continually wearieth, troubleth, and molesteth himself under the sun, during the days of his short existence ?" chap. i. 1—3. 25 mind, that the instruments of sight and hearing, the nerves which communicate these productions to the mind, and the latter which decides about their charac- ter, and which impresses that decision upon us, all work in beautiful harmony, and serve one great pur- pose. Man, though he consists of two different sub- stances, of spirit and of matter — of soul and of body — still was created and sent into this world for one great purpose only, which is, to glorify his God and Creator during his short stay on earth. Man, being in his soul related to heaven, and in his body to the earth, hence the one original purpose of his divine mission necessarily divides into two branches, but which should nevertheless unite again into one. As lord over the material creation around him, whether animate or inanimate, his mission is to ex- plore, invent, compose, ameliorate, use, enjoy, and beautify nature, by the instrumentality of his bodily organs, by which he is related to material nature. (See Gen. i. 26—28). In this his terrestrial em- ployment, he is aided and directed by his soul, which gives him wisdom and superiorit} r over all inferior creatures under his dominion.* The soul, therefore, claims the fruits of man's different labours, that she might unite them into one, for the promotion of one purpose of their united mission, which is, to glorify God. Thus, though it may seem that soul and body serve different purposes, still they were originally intended to serve both the one and same purpose, by reciprocally aiding each other (in the manner that the eyes and ears serve the mind, and * " But there is a spirit in man (viz., a never-dying soul), and it is the soul (or breath) of the Almighty (viz., the soul, or spirit, which the Almighty breatheth into man at his creation) that giveth them understanding." (Job xxxii. 8.) This is the literal translation of that important passage, and its real sense. - ( > THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. the latter the former in turn) and by employing their united energies to glorify the Creator of souls, who is likewise the Creator of the material universe, and of the human body. That the first man, Adam, was originally fitted to direct both these activities into one channel, and to perform nothing with his body but in the service of his soul, and for the promotion of their united mis- sion, and exclusively so, we are assured in the inspired word of God, and we can have no more doubt about that, than about the fact of the present entire unfitness of fallen and corrupted man to serve these purposes by nature. The descendant of fallen man i3 entirely enslaved and absorbed by nature, which is the will of the flesh, and as his mind can- not bear two subjects at once — cannot hear two claims at once — cannot serve two purposes, or two masters at once, he utterly abandons the spiritual claims and services of his soul, and casts himself, soul and body, into the arms of material nature. Having once shaken off the just and repeated claims of the soul, man establishes a workshop on his own account, on his own responsibility, and for his own interests. Indeed, some of fallen man's works, ex- ploits, discoveries, compositions, and inventions, are very excellent, and admirably well adapted to show man's origin and his high destinies, yea, and even to promote the glory of the God of nature (though fallen man intends it not, and therefore no thanks to him for it). But there are numerous other works, plans, toils, inventions, labours, and troubles, in which fallen man is madly engaged, and which suck up all his energy and strength, but which are " Vanity of vanities," and which will never produce any fruit, cither for the honour of (J od, for man's own soul. or even for his body, or for nature, or for his fellow- nien at large. CHAP. i. 1-3. 27 The forgetfulness and degeneracy of mortal man being so deplorably great, but the mercy and free grace of his Creator being still infinitely greater, the Lord opposed a revealed religion to revolted nature, and between them a sharp and continual contest is carried on. Nature claims man as her property, because of his body, which is dust and ashes like her ; Revelation claims man as heaven's property, because of his never-dying soul, which is a spirit, and belongs to heaven, whence she came. Nature, considering man as her slave (or rather fallen man making himself willingly a slave of na- ture) claims all the works of man achieved _ by the instrumentality of his physical organs, and is never satisfied until, when exhausted by age and toil, he restores unto her the outworn and useless instru- ments, which are delivered to decay in the dust. But Revelation, which claims man's soul for heaven, denies likewise the claims of nature, declaring them as false and rebellious. Revelation reminds man that nature also belongs unto God ; that man was sent for a short time into her regions, not to be her slave, but her master, her governor : that he should improve and rule all hers within his reach ; not for himself, not for her, but for the promotion of the glory of Him unto whom they both belong. Hence Revelation maintains that all man's works and achievements, whether physical or mental, should be in the service of, and in preparation for, heaven, whither he must soon return. Depraved and corrupted as man is by nature, he is always inclined to yield unto her flattering invita- tions and deceitful promises. He easily, yea, willingly forgets that he is but a pilgrim on earth, and that the short time of his sojourn here will soon disap- pear, and vanish like a shadow ; and therefore begins to establish himself, as if in his real home, as if in 28 THE BOOK. OF ECCLESIASTES. his everlasting property. He begins to form vast plans and projects, and in the whirl of forgetfulness, he studies and seeks nothing else but how he might best satisfy the desires of his flesh. He is planting, building, eating, drinking, sleeping, rising and toil- ing again, and nights, and days, and months, and years, and periods roll on over his head like the fierce volumes of mighty waterfalls ; but, alas ! he perceives it not. All at a sudden, death comes in through the breaches of his old and shattered taber- nacle, and grasps him into its cold arms, and in a moment he is a corpse, delivered to the dust for decay. Where is now nature with her flattering promises ? What becomes now of man's labour and toil ? What of his plantations and buildings? What of his sleepless days? What of his sorrowful nights? Yea, and what, alas ! becomes of his immortal soul ? Revelation tells us in the name of God, who can- not lie, that such a soul is lost, for ever lost, and that she must then undergo her deserved punish- ment, and suffer throughout an endless eternity. Ah, unhappy soul ! Oh, beguiled and unfortunate re- sponsible agent ! Is it for that terrible time that thou delayest thy preparations for thy long journev heavenward ? Dost thou still refuse to abandon this world, and her destructive vanities, till thou shalt see thyself abandoned by her? Wilt thou make no preparations for heaven until thou be de- prived by death of all thine earthly idols and vain pleasures? Ah, believe me, believe heaven's reve- lation, that then it will be too late — then there will be no remedy for thee — then thy eternal doom will be sealed, and thou art for ever lost, irretrievablv lost, without a shadow of hope. But the child of the world, and the slave of nature, will perhaps say, " Seeing that the Lord created us material bodies, possessed of different organs, chap. i. 1—3. 29 senses, passions, and appetites, and with those He deputed us into a world filled with all sorts of pro- vision for the very things we need, surely He must have intended them for our use and enjoyment." To this, not we, but Revelation answers : tl As far as your bodies of flesh are concerned, He certainly prepared, provided, and allowed you to use and enjoy the things of this world. But He gave you also immaterial and immortal seuh, for the spiritual nourishment of which He has surely made still richer provision than for your perishing bodies, and what do you for and with them ? Why is it then that you are never so anxious to find out the pur- pose for which that heavenly and intelligent being was confided unto you, and how to nourish and cherish it, and prepare it for heaven, as you are anxiously watching over the privileges of your mortal bodies, and nourish and fatten them for the worms of the grave?" To explain the above argument more fully, let us take one instance of terrestrial economy as an illustration of man's relation and duty to his heavenly King and Master. [Our readers, we may assure, that in lengthening these outposts of our Commentary, we are far from straying from the point, nay, we are paving the way and opening a wide door for entering into the rich, instructive, and highly interesting portion of hoi} 7 writ, with a per- fect knowledge of the moral history of the inspired author, and of the state of his mind at the period of its composition.] Suppose, now, that a great king planted a colony on a distant island of the vast ocean, and sent out governors to rule and improve it, and gave them orders to remain and pursue their labours there until he be pleased to send for them and discharge them by appointed successors. The duty thus im- posed on these governors is, to remember always 30 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTIC. who is the real owner of that island, and what is his wish and order. During the time of their tern - porary stay, they must endeavour to introduce every possible improvement for the honour and satisfaction of their master the king. Having studied and found out the best way how to respond to the pur- poses, and plans, and wishes of their monarch, it is their duty also to send information from time to time, acquainting their master with all their pro- ceedings, and with the progress they have made. All this does not presume in the least that these governors should not at the same time use the fruits and enjoy the produce of the place of their appoint- ment. On the contrary, the more the island is im- proved, the more the produce of her soil is increased, the more the king will be pleased to hear that his governors are now well provided, and in the full enjoyment (with moderation) of the fruits of their labour. Only that the governors must still re- member that the improved soil, the increase thereof, and their enjoyments all come from and belong to the king. Let us now suppose that these governors, as soon as they reached and took possession of that island, forgot altogether their duty, banished the very name of their king from their thoughts, set madly to work and build castles and fortifications, cultivate and en- rich the soil, and fill their garners with all sorts of provision. They then sit down to eat and drink and rejoice, and, in their violent and rebellious intoxica- tion, they Hatter themselves that the island shall now remain their own and everlasting possession. The offended and exasperated king sends soon a mighty expedition with instruments of war and destruction against these wicked rebels. Their castles an- destroyed and their fortifications laid in rains. Their treasures and stores are confiscated, CHAP. I. 1 — 3. 31 and they, fettered in iron, are condemned to per- petual imprisonment in a place of darkness and misery. Let us now define the reason of their severe punishments. Was it because they improved and cultivated the soil of the island ? No ! for this very purpose they were sent there. Was it because they used and enjoyed the produce of the soil ? No ! for the king did by no means intend to starve them there, but, on the contrary, that they should enjoy its fruits, and be fit for the accomplishment of their duties. The sole reason for their punishment was their rebellion. They forgot whose property the island was, and that they were but servants in it, and thus they laid violent hands on the property of their king. Had these daring fools faithfully managed their affairs, and loyally performed in the service of their king, and to his honour, that which they wickedly did for themselves, then the time would surely have come when the magnanimous monarch would have rewarded them richly, and be- stowed on them perpetual honours for them and their descendants after them, far above the value of the whole produce of the island ; for it was more the honour than the profit in which the king interested himself. Now that these wretches wished to bereave their master of his honour and authority, what have they gained ? They have brought perpetual misery and shame upon themselves and upon their children. All their labour they spent in vain, and their im- provements are looked upon with abhorrence. Their habitations are delivered to the devouring flames, and their treasures are execrated as accursed things. Now it is that every morsel of bread they ate is counted a crime, for they used it not for the purpose of being fitted to serve the master to whom it be- longed, but to gather strength against him, and for the purpose of enabling them to carry out their plans as robbers and traitors. 32 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. But the above parable is only a faint shadow and worthless figure when we put it near the reality — when we compare it with the relation between God and man. The great King of Glory, the Creator of the whole Universe, called everything into existence for the honour of His name. The vast globe which we inhabit is but a small point in the map of his num- berless dominions, and none of these serves any other purpose than to make known His sovereign and Al- mighty power and majesty among the intelligent creatures of His hand. Man was sent into this world as the deputy-governor of the earth to improve and cultivate it. He therefore furnished man with a body of flesh, by which he should be fitted to rule material beings, in which he should be related unto them, for which he should take interest in the pro- duction of nature, promote their existence and in- crease, and use and enjoy them in moderation, and with thanksgiving. But man was always to remem- ber that he was put here only for a short time, for a certain purpose — only as a servant of the great Pro- prietor and King, unto whom belong his labour and its produce, his soul and his body. Whether man eats or drinks, he should remember the Giver of all things, and render thanks unto Him. Whether man plants or builds, he should remember in whose pro- perty he is, and if these additions and labours can please or displease his heavenly Master, who will soon call him home and require an account of all his works. Hi iv we may also remark how immense the difference is between the figure and the reality. While it may happen that rebellious governors of earthly kings escape punishment, either by the death or by the loss of power of their aggrieved master, this can never be the case with the omnipotent King of kings, who lives for ever. An earthly king may also palliate a false explanation of his governor, and he deceived by his flattery and feigned loyalty ; not chap. i. 1 — 3. 33 so the great King of heaven, who knows the heart and tries the reins of men, and sees even his inner- most thoughts afar off. Now, alas! man in general is but a rebellious gover- nor. He builds, plants, improves, and all in the vain andimpiousthoughtthathe is in his own property, and does all for himself. He eats, drinks, and enjoys every- thing, and lays his plans for days to come, without thinkingfor a moment about the Almighty and Omnis- cient Proprietor of the universe, the jealous King whose eyes are like the flames of fire, whose property he unworthily devours, and who will soon order him to leave here his cloak of flesh, and appear before his awful tribunal. Yea, man forgets that he must soon appear in judgment about things which need no more inquiry, no more witnesses, for which there are no excuses ; for they are all well known, marked, and sealed along with the terrible sentence of eternal condemnation. The first governor, Adam, was se- verely punished, was driven out of Paradise, and brought death upon himself and his descendants, for having broken one commandment, eaten one forbid- den fruit. But his successors are perfect rebels and traitors by nature. They break not one rule only of their King, but all. They abandon the very name of their Heavenly Master, and in the pride of their heart they say, "There is no God, the earth is our acquired and everlasting possession." Ask these rebels, Who was its original founder and pro- prietor ? Who is it that put you into it ? They have no answer, they refuse to seek one, they are satis- fied the earth is theirs. Death comes at last, and tells them in short but effectual words that they were mistaken — then there is no time to think Blessed be our Father in heaven, there exist authentic and irrevocable documents — He gave us a Revelation. The great Proprietor of the universe c 34 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. sent repeatedly his lawyers (the prophets) into this world to plead his rights, and to show unto revolted man whence he came, who he was, and what will become of him should he persist in his rebellion. By these means many of His straying subjects repented themselves, acknowledged the authority of their heavenly Master, returned to loyalty and obedience, confessed to be but pilgrims and strangers in Jeho- vah's possessions, and therefore whether they builded, planted, or improved, they did so in their Master's name ; and for all they enjoyed of temporal benefits, they rendered thanks to the owner and giver of all things, and for his loving-kindness to the sons of men. But oh, how few in number are those who are perfectly loyal and scrupulously faithful ? Even among those who with their lips readily proclaim that the earth and the fulness thereof belong unto the Lord, how few are those among them that do not practically proclaim themselves masters and owners ! lamentable truth ! painful fact ! Even among good and God-fearing men we find such as grasp at, what they think to be, little things for themselves, and cherish privately the false idea, that because of its smallness the Master will not detect it — will not regard it — will leave it in their posses- sion without protestation — without punishment ! dreadful sacrilege ! committed even by those who confess to belong, soul and body, witli works, plans, and thoughts, unto the Lord. Even these leave too often a small corner in Jehovah's vineyard J for th cm- selves ; build little closets besides Jehovah's sanctu- ary for themselves; take small portions (alas, often, also very large ones) of the Lord's glory and honour unto themselves : appropriate a few hours (sometimes days) for themselves — exclusively for themselves — hence, for the world, for the flesh, for Satan. Even these men are often so blind as to think that God chap. i. 1—3. 35 would not regard it because of its insignificance and uselessness unto Him ; forgetting that it is He who is holy and jealous, who watches every grain of corn in the field, and by whom every grain of sand on the sea-shore is numbered. Yea, alas, they forget that though the Lord of Hosts is immensely rich — — though adored and praised by innumerable com- panies of angels in heaven — though infinitely muni- ficent and benevolent, still He carefully guards every thing for Himself; not for its value (seeing no created thing can be of any value to Him, w r ho made everything of nothing), but for His honour and glory, of which He is jealous, and of which He gives none to others, and on which no living creature dare intrude without exposing himself to everlasting de- struction. Let us glance at Solomon's conduct and experi- ence during the time of his administrations as a governor in a part of God's possessions, and inquire how he came at last to the conclusion, that man's labours and toils under the sun were mere vanities. Solomon, in his age, may be considered to have been the chief governor on earth. He was then the wisest, the richest, the mightiest, and most illustri- ous monarch of all those of other nations that then peopled the globe. In his early days he received an appropriate education from Nathan the prophet, as well as from his pious and devoted father, David, who (with the exception of one act of forgctfulness) served God with his whole heart, and walked in all His ways. Thus prepared, he was well fitted to fulfil all his duties, and accomplish all the purposes for which the Heavenly King chose to place him over Israel, His chosen people, in Jerusalem, His selected city. Conscious of his grf>tness, power, wisdom, nobility, and station, and knowing also that it was his destiny to render many and important 36 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. services to the God of his father, — the first work which he undertook soon after his accession to the throne, was, to build that magnificent sanctuary, wherein the Lord of the whole earth should be wor- shipped and adored. This surely was not a vain work, nor was it the undertaking of a perfidious go- vernor in prospect of rebellion against his king. No ! it was a pious and most noble work. It was not a work for man (properly considering it), but for the service of the Creator of man. It was a work recommended, yea, commanded, by the King of kings, by Moses and by the prophets. For the accomplishment of this noble work, the youthful go- vernor of Jerusalem was richly rewarded by his heavenly Master. The Lord applauded his devotion and loyal activity. Solomon's fervent prayers at the dedication of the Temple, were solemnly answered by fire descending from heaven upon the altar ; and he received additional promises from the Most High God, of peace, wisdom, riches, and honour, above that of all other princes of the earth. Encouraged and invigorated by the brilliant suc- cess of his first undertaking, and by the promises re- ceived from the God of Israel, Solomon began to em- ploy his vast talents for the accomplishment of another work still more noble, more important, and raorelasting than even the magnificent Temple he had built. David, his father, provided for Israel a pre- cious treasure of celestial songs of adoration and praise to the Lord of glory ; and Solomon, by in- spiration, composed for his people an invaluable, ex- haustless, and comprehensive code of morals. This sublime and matchless vrork, called "The Proverbs of Solomon," is well adapted, and quite sufficient, to regulate the life and conduct of man — to render his short sojourn on earth sweet and pleasant, even in the midst of all the toils, fatigues, trials, and chap. i. 1—3. 37 sufferings, changes, and bereavements to which he may be exposed, and to prepare him for eternal rest in heaven.* Here is another work which, though accomplished by the instrumentality of a mortal man, cannot be counted among those labours and toils, which Solomon called afterwards, vanity, be- cause it was a noble inspired work, in the service of God — exclusively so — for the good of souls, and for the promotion of the glory of their Creator. Solomon constructed also a very rich and stu- pendous palace for himself ; and filled it with the most splendid furnitures of cedar, of silk, of gold and silver, and precious stones, and in it he placed a magnificent royal throne, most splendidly decorated. Even this work, though excessive and extrava- gant as it may appear at the first sight, still we are very far from including among the " Vanity of vanities," of which Solomon afterwards so bitterly * Though it is our private opinion that the composition of the " Song of songs" took place also at that happiest period of Solomon's life, when the Temple was finished and dedicated unto the Lord of Hosts — when burnt-offerings and thank- offerings were brought on the new altar — when the glory of the Lord filled the sanctuary, and His Spirit of the highest joy, and serene felicity, filled, and animated, and elevated the soul of the youthful royal poet— when God's relation to His ancient Church seemed to have been brought nearer and closer than ever it was before— when Jehovah (as He, in that truly sublime and inspired song, is presented as the loving and cherishing Bridegroom of His Church, the now splendidly attired Bride in the holy ornaments of her new Temple) seemed to be united as it were to His chosen and adopted people, and royal priesthood, by new ties of promises, by new bands of Divine love, and by new reciprocal engagements to faithfulness, and everlasting attachments to each other, still we could not introduce the -ubject here. To ascertain with precision the time and chief object of the composition of that Song, without entering into a criticism about the general character of it, would be a great pity and neglect. To do so, would have greatly interrupted the thread of the subject under our immediate consideration. We were thus constrained to leave that interesting subject for another opportunity, if it please Him who numbers our days. 88 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. repented. Considering his station of life, established by the Lord Himself, and the promises which he re- ceived from God, and which included the highest possible enjoyments of earthly riches and splendour, we see clearly his indisputable right to such a palace. Yea, we see from sacred history that it was the ex- press promise and will of God to make Solomon shine forth above all his fellow-rnen and princes around him, even with respect to the extraordinary enjoy- ment of earthly wealth and splendour. Moreover, the faithful God of Israel fulfilled literally all His promises made unto David concern- ing this his Son, and which He repeated twice unto Solomon himself. His superhuman wisdom spread, like the radiant rays of an eastern sun, over all dis- tant regions and countries of the earth. His riches, power, splendour, peace, and glory, were proverbially known among mighty nations. Powerful and illus- trious princes sought eagerly his favour, and acknow- ledged willingly his superiority, by the rich and costly presents which they either sent to him, through their ambassadors, or brought along with them, when they came from their respective capitals to Jerusalem, to behold and admire the wisdom, the magnificence, and majesty which the Lord of Hea- ven bestowed on that favoured king. Having reached that highest pinnacle of prosperity and glory, what a precious opportunity had Solo- mon then afforded unto him for continuing to render in turn his homage and services unto God, who ele- vated him to that height ! How much reason had that mortal to remember, that all this earthly splendour was but a faint and imperfect picture of that unspeakable glory which is prepared for the faithful servants of (Jod in the region of eternal bliss ! He should have reflected that all things present shall soon vanish like smoke, and, therefore. cuAr. i. 1—3. 39 he should have collected all his vast resources, and applied all his energy for, and in the service of, that faithful God, who already so richly rewarded his past obedience, and who showed him such unmis- takeable tokens of His divine favour and love. Ah ! at this stage corrupted nature interfered, pride mingled, flesh prevailed, forgetful ness began to build its nest in the large heart of that wise and great man ; ungratefulness fixed likewise her exe- crable abode there, and, alas ! Satan triumphed. That once so wise, so prudent, so mighty, so pious, so devoted governor of Jerusalem, abandoned, by degrees, the former loyalty to his Divine Master, neglected the important duties of his high charge, and soon we shall see him labour in a workshop of his own, and madly searching to find in vain and foolish subjects, that which no mortal will ever find, for it is not in them. The lamentable change that took place in Solo- mon's heart, seems to have taken its usual and re- gular course, as is in general the case with those men who, trained away by earthly riches and pro- sperity, stray on the mountains of vanity, and fail to implore early, and seek daily, Jehovah's grace to preserve them from utter destruction. As usual with backsliding mortals, Solomon's fall likewise must have been gradual. With every step he made forward in terrestrial glory and prosperity, he made a retrograde step in his spiritual greatness and piety. Instead of looking always back as far as to the tent of his grandfather, Jesse, from which the Lord lifted up his family until He made him reach the loftiest rank of glory to which a mortal can mount ; instead of searching carefully the reason thereof, saying, "What does God mean by all that?" or, as his father, David, once said, " Who am I, 0, Lord God ? and what is my house, that Thou hast brought 40 THE BOOK OF ECCLESI ASTES. me hitherto?" (2 Sam. vii. 18). " Surely He must have some important work for me to execute for the promotion of His honour on earth, for which purpose He invested me, a poor mortal, with such immense riches and power. Now, I must try all in my power to serve him faithfully. Now, I shall seek the best way in which to employ those talents which were deposited with me for the execution of His divint will. Now, I shall endeavour, by the aid of God, to make myself worthy of the greater riches and honours in the place of eternal felicity, where the crown never fades, where honours never wither, and where happiness never ends." — We say, that instead of thinking, resolving, and acting in such a manner as would have been worthy of him, Solomon grasped greedily at the highest degree of riches and power, and prosperity, and honour for himself — exclusively for himself — hence there was an unsatiable hunger and thirst for still more generated in his heart, and satisfaction fled. This is generally the case with all our fellow- mortals, and was not new with Solomon. As long as man considers himself as unworthy of anything, acknowledges with heart and soul (not with the lips only) that all he possesses belongs unto God, who lent it unto him for a short time, then man will find pleasure and real satisfaction in every thing. But as soon as man begins to revolt, and to think him- self independent proprietor of the least thing, he will find satisfaction in nothing — for flesh and blood (un guided and unrestrained by the Spirit of God), can never be satisfied, like the grave that will never say " Enough." That great giant now straying in the wilderness of pride, fell suddenly into the mire of error. He began to think that he had done already quite enough for his God, and for his soul, and for huma- CHAP. I. 1—3. 41 nity, in having built such a splendid temple unto the Lord, wherein Israel his people should praise and adore Him — in having offered unto Him many thousands of sacrifices, and in having given unto Israel the precious and instructive book of Proverbs, to regulate their conduct, to teach them how to live soberly and happily. Now he thought himself an exception to humanity, a favoured being who had more claims to every thing than any other mortal. Thinking himself master of this world, he endeavoured to be put in the possession of every thing terrestial in its highest possible perfection. Finding soon that there was no perfection in matter whether animate or inanimate, and that hence no satisfaction is to be found by mortals in material creatures, (unless traced and found at the source, and through the first cause), he then thought that a pro- digious multiplication of the numbers and quantity of everything might supply the individual deficiency of every desired object. Having found neither per- fection nor real satisfaction in numbers and quantity of imperfect creatures, he then began to philosophize and to employ diligently his already perverted skill in search for the reasons of his sore disappointments. He thus plunged himself into a labyrinth of false notions, erroneous reasonings, and melancholy dreams, which soon produced in him a perfect dissatisfaction and terror of everything, whether really and gene- rally bad or whether innocent when not abused. The above described moral metamorphosis of the wisest of men will be more vividly represented by drawing a comparison between the Solomon of the Proverbs, and the man (the same Solomon) straying among the mountains of vanity. The Solomon of the Proverbs, when speaking about the transient worldly riches, and the folly of those who are led astray by them, says, " Blessed is the man who 42 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. found wisdom. . . . For her merchandise is better than the merchandise of silver, and her gain than the finest gold. . . . Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left riches and honour." (Prow iii. 13 — 16). " Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge, rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies ; and all pleasant tliiiiirs are not to be compared to it." (viii. 10, 11.) 11 Riches profit not in the day of wrath; but right- • m-ness delivereth from death." (xi. 4.) "He that trusteth in his riches shall fall ; but the righteous shall flourish like a branch." (xi. 28.) " Wealth <:<>t ten by vanity shall diminish ; but he that gathereth it by labour shall have increase." (xiii. 11). " A good name is rather to be chosen than riches, and favour is better than silver and gold. The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all." (xxii. 1, 2.) " Labour not to be rich ... for they (thy riches) will make them- selves wings like the eagle, and like the fowl of heaven." (xxiii. 4, 5). " Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich He that hasteth to become rich hath an evil eye, and con- Bidereth not that poverty shall come upon him." ( xx viii. 6, 22), Finally : " Two things have I re- quired of thee, deny me them not before I die : Re- move far from me vanity and false things ; give me neither poverty nor riches ; feed me with food when I need it, lost I be full, and deny thee, and Bay, Who is the Lord ? or lest T be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God falsely." (xxx. 7, 9*). Such were the noble sentiments of the pious andde- * Thii last passage, quoted from the Prorerbs, is exceedingly intcrcstini:, and it teema evident that it was penned by the old, and already penitent author, after the lamentable experience he had of the dangerous snares of riches. For though (as we chap. l. 1 — 3. 43 voted Solomon of the Proverbs, regarding the perish- ing and ensnaring riches of this world, when com- pared with the real and everlasting riches of Jeho- vah's wisdom, and the invaluable treasures laid up for us in the inspired word of his Revelation. Now this was the very man, whom earthly and perishing riches have led astray into the wilds of pride, forgetfulness, sin, and rebellion. The same man abandoned the wisdom and the fear of God, and delivered himself into the arms of his enormous trea- sures, by which he endeavoured to procure for him- self perfect honour, solid satisfaction, and lasting happiness. It was by the aid of Mammon that he was led away after the building of the holy temple, to neglect the services of the King of kings, and to employ (or rather to destroy) all his precious time in the building of castles and fortifications, palaces and harems, in planting vineyards, forests, and fruit- gardens without number, in introducing many tens of thousands of draught and riding horses and as many chariots, brought from Egypt into Judea, stated already above), it is out of all question that the greatest part, at least of the Proverbs, was composed by the author in his young and happy years, still it is likewise evident that a portion unpublished during the lifetime of Solomon, was afterwards found in manuscript, and added to the book. So it is distinctly stated, at the beginning of chap, xxv., that all the following chapters were found, arranged, and added to the Book of Proverbs by the men (scribes) of the King Hezekiah. It is to these chapters that the above passage belongs, and was evidently composed by Solomon in his last days. \\ ith reference to himself, this prayer unto God to give him neither poverty nor riches, can mean nothing else than to enable him bv his Spirit, to be entirely indifferent to his riches and pre- served fiofh their former bad influences upon him, and to pre- serve him likewise from poverty in his old age, which might have occurred by an enemy conquering him and plunging him into misery. But with reference to his fellow-men, lor whom he principally wrote thc?e warnings, this prayer is a most im- portant one, and should be a favourite with those who seek to lay up treasuie in heaven. 44 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. against the law of God, (see Deut. xvii. 16), in fill- ing Bashan's and Sharon's verdant vallies with numberless herds and flocks, to supply his luxurious and extravagant table, which (according to 1 Kings v. 2, 3), probably outrivalled that of the Roman emperors. In order to keep that vast machinery in constant motion, without exhausting the treasuries, fleets and expeditions were needed to keep on like- wise in constant motion, to and from Tarshish, to and from Ophir, and thus the wheels of the mon- strous mill were kept turning. These violent proceed- ings of backsliding Solomon may not appear so fear- fully extravagant to the eye of a worldling who would compare him to a Roman Csesar, or with some modern European despot. A corrupted aristocratic statesman may even say : ** I do not see Solomon's crime in having endeavoured to improve his country to such a high degree, or in having established and kept up a court according to his rank." But the spiritually-minded child of God who appreciates the sublime sentiments expressed in the above quoted passages of the Proverbs, must see how by them Solomon condemned his own future conduct. As to his improving his country, instead of that he plunged it into the utmost misery. He deprived himself, as well as his subjects, of the Almighty pro- tection, and of the favour of the living God, putting himself and them under the rotten and filthy cover- ing of Mammon and its deceitful promises. But we need not enlarge on this argument, for in the book before us we shall hear Solomon's own opinion about his conduct, when once he awoke out of his long slumber of vain pride and moral intoxication — let him therefore speak for himself. Only one other comparison between the Solomon of the Proverbs and the Solomon in the midst of the vanities of this world. The Solomon of the Pro- chap. i. 1 — 3. 45 verbs, when speaking of the different dangers to which a man may be exposed when he abuses his natural and lawful relation to the other sex, says, "Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee. ... To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger that flattereth with her words. . . . None that come unto her re- turn again, neither will they reach the path of life." (Pro. ii. 11, 16, 19.) "For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honey-comb, and her mouth is smoother than oil, but her end is bitter like worm- wood, sharp like a two-edged sword. . . . Let thy fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of thy youth." (v. 3, 4, 18.) " A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband : but she that bringeth dis- honour is a rottenness in his bones." (xii. 4.) u Every wise woman buildeth her house ; but the foolish plucketh it down with her hand." (xiv. 1.) " Whoso findeth a (good) wife, findeth a good thing, and he obtaineth favour from the Lord." (xix. 14.) 11 It is better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and angry woman." (xxi. 19.) "The mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit : he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein." (xxii. 14 — see also in the last chap, of that Book, from verse 10 to end.) The above quotations we have chosen out of the numerous passages in which Solomon instructs and warns regarding man's relation to woman — a rela- tion which, if formed according to the law of God, brings the sweetest blessings in earthly life, but if abused, brings with it the worst of curses a d most de- structive consequences. It is true, indeed, that some of the above passages refer to crimes of which Solo- man cannot (directly) be accused in his violent con- duct. Others seem to have been composed by him after his deplorable experience, and when his con- 46 THE BOOK OF ECCLLSIASTES. science was re-awakened. But, alas ! who can read those passages without being horror-struck at the idea that the very same inspired author of these im- portant truths fell into the very snares against which he so earnestly and repeatedly warned his fellow- men ! The great, wise, and mighty King Solomon was carried into captivity by the pride of his heart, and in that state of mental confusion, avowed him- self (by his acts) the slave of the lowest sensuality. The unheard-of number of women with whom he colonized his harems, shew us how he sold his noble heart to the will of the flesh. The fact that a great (or, the greatest) number of these women were daughters of strangers from these idolatrous nations — intermarriages with whom were strictly and repeat- edly prohibited in the law of God — shows us how he entirely withdrew his soul from obedience to the God of his fathers, and how he presumed to be his own independent master. Oh ! but what is all that in comparison with the horrid and gloomy results to which it led ! The aged wanderer yielded at last to his hundreds of idolatrous and enticing serpents, to build temples unto their dumb idols ! . . . . to build altars, and sacrifice unto strange gods of wood and stone, in the midst of Jerusalem, the holy city of the great God of Jacob ! . . . . thus rivalling the only adorable majesty of heaven — the great King of Zion ! 0, how did Satan completely master that great and wise man ! 0, how did he succeed in forcing that great architect and builder of Jehovah's temple to grind in his mill, and to cast away with violent hands his wisdom, his glory, his riches, and his strength, into the dark bosom of the bottomless pit ! Ah, yes, it was in that miserable condition that the above quoted verse was perfectly applicable to Soloinou, u The mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit : he that is abhorred of the chap. i. 1 —3. 47 Lord shall fall therein " (Pro. xxii. 14 — compare in this book, chap. viii. 2, 6). How long that straying hero continued wading in the boundless ocean of miry conduct — how long that vanity-drunk philosopher continued to stagger aud totter in the midst of the dissipating turmoil of the never-satisfying earthly pleasures, and how long he remained the fettered slave in the dark prison of Satan and sin, is a point which we cannot exactly determine. But from different events recorded in sacred history, from Solomon's own confession in the book before us, and from reasoning from and judging by facts of daily occurrence, we think we must come to the following conclusions. 1st. Solomon's fall could by no means have taken place all at once. It must have assumed a very slow course and progress, degree by degree, and step by step. Sometimes it must even have progressed so slow that he could discover neither ungodliness nor danger in his actions. At last only he saw that it had accumulated to a fearful height of corruption and revolt. Hence, we must conclude, that the whole fermenting process must have swallowed a great number of years. 2d. From several passages in this book, we learn that, even during that lamentable period, neither Solomon's conscience nor his wisdom were entirely drowned, but that their repeated admonitions were misapplied, violated, and repressed. In thp midst of unbounded opulence and power, the man m^ d, " Who can eat, or who can in- dulge more iY I?" the same man said in his heart, " \W oise shall build as many palaces, plant as - ,,ny vineyards and gardens, possess as many chariots and horses, take and keep as many wives and their servants, than the richest and wisest monarch in the world ?" These puerile propensities, 18 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. these worldly pleasures and appetites, he could soon provide for by the aid of his enormous riches, but in none of these follies could he find the satisfaction that he had promised himself when procuring them. On the contrary, as soon as the first drug was swallowed, the appetite was increased a hundred- fold in vigour, and the desire for worldly vanities became vehement and irresistible. Thus disap- pointed, he entered on an earnest examination for the reason of his failure. Conscience told him that, because he forsook God, the author and source of all good things, of all real pleasures and solid satis- faction, therefore he will find neither pleasure nor satisfaction in anything. Wisdom declared that the reason lies in his own imperfection, as well as in the imperfection and nothingness of every material and decaying object. But Solomon had already too far gone to abandon all at once the entire fabric of his monstrous composition. He therefore determined not to obey, but to oppose conscience and wisdom. He returned to his work with renewed vigour, and thought to outwit wisdom and suffocate conscience with the rags of vanity. By augmenting the num- ber of his desired objects, he fancied to press out of them the real and lasting satisfaction which he longed after. One hundred, or double that number, of additional wives and concubines, and as many servants, were soon gathered; some more palaces, castles, and fortifications, were built ; more vine- yards and pleasure gardens were planted ; a great number of additional luxuries were ordered and obtained for the table; more chariots and horses were procured ; more bands of music formed. Now shall perfect pleasure fill the atmosphere around him, and solid satisfaction overflows his heart, and divide into streams in all his veins. 3d. In the book before us there arc several pas- chap. i. 1 — 3. 49 sages (in first and second chapters) which clearly indicate that, when Solomon had remained for some- time in the above described depth of confusion and misery, and still found no satisfaction, no desire calmed and no wish completely fulfilled, he was led astray in his religious sentiments. Guided now as he was by a false philosophy, he found fault with Providence. His false theory was, that whilst man was created with many desires and wishes there was nothing perfect provided for him, by which he might satisfy them solidly and lastingly. Whilst in this state of mind he could not love God, he became a melancholy misanthrope. He began to hate his own life no less than the foolish works of his hands, which occupied him for many years. But, as the case is with all men of that stamp, Solomon continued to live in splendour, according to his habits and means, to partake of everything rich and pleasant, to join merriment and jollity, and dance to the world's wild music ; and though he now neither sought nor ex- pected to find in these things the objects he once searched after, still it served as a distraction or de- struction of time. 4th. The above described state of things having continued for many years, and Solomon having attained an old age in the midst of such a tumultuous and worldly life, he by degrees lost all fear and love of God, and the subject of his holy religion became at last totally estranged from, and extinguished in, his mind. It was in that state of moral deadness that his idolatrous wives prevailed with him not only to allow them to remain attached to their idols, but even to build temples and sacrifice unto their strange abominations of wood and stone. " And it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned awav his heart after other gods," &c, &c, (1 Kings xi. 4—8.) D 50 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. 5th. From several passages, and especially from the last chapter of Ecclesiastes (verses 1 — 7), we are led to conclude, that Solomon's final awakening and deep repentance took place at that age when the structure of his body and its different functions began to exhibit the usual symptoms of decline and decay ; or, in Solomon's own words, when the days arrived regarding which he said, " I have no pleasure in them." His violent passions began then to abate and slumber. The pencil of his gay imagination ceased to paint earthly pictures with such fascinat- ing beauty as before. The dim eyes ceased to exhibit to his mind the ravishing objects of fleshly lusts in such vivid and imposing colours as they did in the days of his vigour. The digestive organs became lazy and slow in their action, and the palate began to call tasteless and bitter the very dainties which for many years it applauded as the most taste- ful, and as the sweetest of the sweet. The coincid- ing vibrations of musical instruments ceased to strike in their accustomed sweet harmony on the enfeebled and withered organs of his ears. Ah, it was then — when these antagonists of the soul began to slumber, that reason awoke in all its vigour — it was when the advocates of sin and vanity became dead that con- science revived full of argument and severe admoni- tion. It was then that Solomon began to reflect on the past, to consider the present, and to think seri- ously on the future. In the silent watches of the night ; in the magni- ficent royal palace of Jerusalem ; under a splendid pavilion decorated with the richest silk and gold embroidered curtains of the finest production of Tarshish and Tyre ; in a cedar bed overlaid with Ophir's gold, and sumptuously furnished with all commodities for easy repose, lay the once so wise, so mighty, so elevated, so pious, and so happy, — but CHAP. I. 1 — 3. JLI now so deep-sunk, so age-worn, so gloomy, so life- tired, and so confounded monarch Solomon, King of Israel. He lay down in order to repose, and closed his eyes preparing to sleep, but conscience came and opposed, and protested, saying, " aged and dying man ! Behold thy feeble body with its declining organs doomed to decay in the dust, and thou shalt see that a long and gloomy night approaches in which thine earthly frame shall lie down not to rise again, and sleep not to awake again until the blast of the last trumpet for universal judgment ! Now it is high time for thee to examine thyself — high time to remember that very soon thou must meet that gracious, but at the same time zealous and terrible God who surrounded and covered thee with so nume- rous blessings, with so varied bounties, but whom thou hast so shamefully neglected, forgotten and pro- voked. make thyself ready to appear before the bar of the Most High, whose services, fear and love and talents, thou has buried under the rubbish of vain and perishing pleasures of a passing and deceiving world. Is there now time for thee to sleep or repose ?" Unable to resist any longer the pleas and admoni- tions of his conscience, too tired of the vanities of this world, and too much convinced of the folly and hollowness of his past behaviour, Solomon at last resolved to pass in review all the bygone days of his earthly life, to examine carefully all the different events and actions which they witnessed, to compare them with each other, to value them separately, and judge. He now brought to vivid recollection that brilliant and happy period when he was employed in the building of Jehovah's temple, and the sweet hours he then spent in silent and soul-elevating communion with his Most High God. He well re- membered that mysterious joy which he experienced at the time of the dedication of the house of God, 4 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. when after he had offered that excellent and ever- memorable prayer, the fire from heaven descended upon the altar, and the glory of the Lord filled the sanctuary. Finally, he recalled the time when the Lord appeared unto him in a dream by night, and told him that his pra} T ers were heard and accepted on his own behalf as on that of his people, and accom- panied this with the most cheering and glorious promises — yea he seemed yet to feel somewhat of the celestial joy and peace that pass all understand- ing, all expression, all definition, and which filled his heart and soul on that highly solemn occasion. All this he now contrasted with the miserable days and nights, weeks, months, and years, which he spent afterwards in the service of the now- dying flesh, in the service of a deceiving world, in the slavish service of Satan and sin. We may paint to our imaginations some faint pictures of the mental anguish, and of the fearful agony which that conscience-stricken sinner must then have experienced and felt ; but owing to our different cir- cumstances and stations, and times, and even dispen- sations, we cannot presume to be able to form an exact idea of what Solomon must have felt when his truly lamentable situation was plainly before his eyes — when he began to see, feel, and fear his ap- proaching death and following judgments. It was then that he had recourse to repentance, sighs, tears, and prayers and supplications, and real and entire returning unto God. It was then that he resolved to make a public confession of his errors and sins, and to warn others from falling into the same pit* Solomon, therefore, first introduces himself in this book to the religious world under the metaphorical name Koheleth, which means, "the gatherer," viz., the man who gathered facts, events, results, and * Several commentators take the same view. CHAP. I. 1 3. conclusions from personal experience. This word is also feminine in the Hebrew ; for, as in the Pro- verbs, so here Solomon speaks by, and in the name of Wisdom (which Noun is feminine in the Heb.) In order not to mistake the person intended under this name he proceeds, saying, " the son of David, King of Israel." He then casts a final glance around him, and beholds with shame, confusion, pain, and terror all the vain and decaying works, which for so many years absorbed all his attention, exhausted all his energy, and estranged him from the God of his fathers. In that excited and overwhelmed con- dition of mind, he exclaimed, " Vanity of vanities ! saith Koheleth, vanity of vanities, all is vanity." The very strong and extraordinary manner of ex- pression by which Solomon thus opens his discourse without previous explanation or reference to any subject, shows that his mind was pre-occupied with something painful. His heart must have been filled with grief and trouble, and his soul sore wounded by the serious contemplation of something grievous, of something wrong and irreparable, some evils pro- duced by false actions, some frustrated expectations — things which proved not only foolish and injurious in the highest degree, but even " vanity of vanities " — a complication of failure, loss, disappointment, danger, and misery, even in time, and what in Eternity ! The third verse is evidently intended to offer some preliminary explanation to the second, though it seems, at the same time, to augment and strengthen the argument — Why are all worldly things vanity of vanities? — Why have all my plans been frustrated? — Why am I so sore disappointed in all my actions ? be- cause " What advantage hath man (what can he de- rive ? what can he expect ?) of all his labour, that he thus toileth under the sun?" What harvest can the 5nj the book of ecclesiastes. man expect who sows chaff? AVhat satisfaction can one find in feeding on the wind ? Why then does he so madly toil in the mountains of vanity ? Why seeking all his days what he will never find? Be it now observed that the word '"-;? (amalo) which we rendered "his labour," is peculiarly empha- tic. It does not refer to those labours assigned unto man by God when He said, " With the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread," far less does it mean good works in the service of God, and his soul, or even such works as are necessary for his comfort and that of his family. No ! by " his labour," man's own vain and irksome toils are designated, which he brings vpon himself out of some foolish ambitious plans, or in order to satisfy the will of his flesh, and to answer his selfish purposes. So likewise does the word f"?? (yithron), which we rendered 11 advantage," not refer to that profit of daily bread which man gains by the labour appointed for him by Providence ; for this is what Solomon himself re- commends afterwards as honest and happy. But the " advantage" here refers to a real and solid ad- vantage which should make man happy in time, and go along with him into another world. Such an advantage alone would be worthy of man's hard toils during his whole life, even were it as long as that of Methuselah. But what shadow even of such a solid and lasting advantage has man of all his labours ? of labours of his own invention, of troubles of his own production, that he thus hardly, thus unweary- ingly, yea, thus madly toils under the sun? Such vain troubles which man takes to himself, which God neither commanded nor recommended, shall disappoint him at last. Of all these atllictive labours and plans man shall derive no advantage even in this world "under the sun ;" for they shall all prove " vanity of vanities," while man will have chap. i. 1 — 3. 55 to answer in another world for the time he has spent in them and lost by them.* 4. One generation passeth away, And another generation cometh : But the earth abideth for ever. Here Solomon considers the successive shiftings of the human family ; the fact that one generation is swept away by death to make room for another generation coming in its place, as an irrevocable proof, that all labours and toils of ambitious man on earth, and his continual search for earthly riches, are vanity of vanities. In verse 3 the argument was, that things which produce no lasting or solid advan- tage to man are nothing else but vanity. In verse 4 it is proved that earthly possessions can afford no lasting advantage to mortal man, because his death is certain, and when it comes he must leave every- thing. The last clause of this verse reads, " But the earth abideth for ever." The real sense, how- ever, of this phrase seems to us to be, " while the earth remain eth for ever the same." After that a generation of men have been actively toiling, build- ing, planting, gathering all the days of their lives, under the common hardships, dangers, and vicissi- tudes to which men are generally exposed, then they all return to their native dust, naked as they came hither. The earth, which swallowed up all their labours, time, energy, and strength, devours * Before we proceed any further, we beg the reader to keep in mind what we already stated in our Introduction to this Book, viz., that the first eleven verges thereof are properly Solomon's Introduction to the whole work. Now we have to add, that the seven verses that are now to follow arc the expla- nation of verses 2 and 3, and show how man has no advantage of all his own toils, and that therefore they are " Vanity of vanities." 56 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. likewise the very instruments (the human bodies) of her labourers, without changing herself in the least, either in her value to God or to the souls of her labourers. She remains the same in her magnitude, in her place, in her appearance, and in her charac- ter (as to herself, or to the generations gone). No gratitude whatever is shown by her to her faithful children, when their toils are once finished, and their instruments have become weary and useless, though she knows well how to flatter her still vigorous and active children, in order to persuade them to stretch all their muscles, and spend all their strength in her monstrous fabric. Now, after thou- sands of years, she still stands in her original place, ready with a wide mouth to swallow the labours, energy, and bodies of hundreds of succeeding gene- rations, without reflecting back even the shadow of lustre upon the millions, whose works and instru- ments are buried in her bosom. True, that the pre- sently living labourers in the mountains of vanity, admire even the vestiges and ruins of the work of their decayed predecessors ; but what does this argue more than a general infatuation ? What advantage does this bring to either the mouldering bones, or the departed souls of those who once wearied their in- struments (bodies) at these heaps of stones ? Does not the earth remain for ever the same ? what a lesson this Bingle fact suggests to us! We should daily keep in mind that we are but pil- grims and sojourners on earth. We should always pat the following questions unto ourselves : " Whence is it that we come? For what purpose are we sent here? Whither is it that we must soon go? What arc the works and labours intended for us, and tied to us by our Creator? Which of our works can bring US a lasting advantage, which we may carry with us hence? Which works will be fit to chap. i. 4. 67 promote the glory of our God, the welfare of our souls, and that of our fellow-men ? What are the monuments that are best to leave for generations to come, that will show them a good example, and encourage them to employ their time, energy, means, and the strength of their bodies in the service of their God, who will faithfully reward them in their immortal souls, and not to waste them in the vain service of ungrateful and perfidious earth ?" thou poor and hard labouring man, who art called upon by Providence to gain honestly thy daily bread, though with the sweat of thy brow ! Remember that this span of our earthly lives will soon change into an eternal existence in the regions of spirits. Eat thy hard-earned bread with thank- fulness, and with a cheerful soul, for the purpose of being able to serve thy God on earth with thy soul and body, which are His. Consider that the hour is at hand, when thy labours and toils shall be at an end, and thou shalt enter a bright sphere of eternal rest and unfading glory. thou rich man ! Has the Lord bestowed upon thee earthly treasures — does Pro- vidence pour wealth and plenty into thy stores ; re- member thou that thy body must soon retire to the same place as that of the poor and hard labouring man — that these talents must consequently have been given thee for a better purpose, than to bury them in the earth. Remember that thou art made by Provi- dence the steward of a portion of thy Master's trea- sures, to use them in His service for the benefit of thine own soul, as well as for those of thy fellow-pilgrims. Remember that these treasures are the travelling ex- penses of those who have to traverse this dreary vale on their journey to the heavenly Zion ; and, if Pro- vidence has chosen thee as the treasurer, be faithful and exact, for soon thou shalt be removed from thy post, thine oifice be given to thy successor, and thou 58 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. be called upon to give an account of thy proceedings. If at thy departure hence, thou dividest the re- mainder of thy trust between thy children and re- lations, prepare them before God and man, to em- ploy thy Master's property exclusively in His ser- vice, and according to His directions. If thou shalt prove thus faithful in the management of earthly talents, the treasures of heaven shall be opened unto thee, and throughout eternity thou shalt enjoy the confidence and favour of the Lord, thy heavenly King and thy God. But 0, thou blinded and avaricious worshipper of Mammon ! Thou unfaithful treasurer who wickedly and rebelliously wrestest unto thyself the property of thy God ! Thou who, in the pride of thy deceived heart, sayest with Nebuchadnezzar, " Is not this the great Babylon that I have built ... by the might of my power ?" Thou who sayest, " These are my own treasures, my own property, I shall use them according to my desire, in the exclusive service of my flesh, for the satisfaction of my wishes." thou deceived soul ! look for one moment around thee and see how many Mammon- worshippers are daily torn away from their idols, and delivered into the arms of death and decay. Consider that yet a while, and thine eye3 shall see no beauty, thine heart feel no satisfaction, and thy soul no pleasure in the pieces of dumb matter in which thou gloriest at present. Remember how thou and all that thou callest now thine own shall soon be divided — viz., thy body to the worms of the grave, thy riches re- main on earth the property of Him unto whom all things created belong, and thy soul return unto Him who gave it unto thee. selfish and misguided man ! It is thy soul, and she alone, that will remain of thee, of thy desires, riches, and all, and she alone is to be responsible for all. Are you then honest CHAP. I. 4. 59 or wise enough to acknowledge the real owners of things belonging unto thy fellow-mortals, and which can be required of thee through an earthly judge, to escape whom thou hast thousand means, and art neither honest nor wise enough to acknowledge the owner of thy life and all, unto whom thou must soon restore every thing, and whose judgment and punish- ment thou canst never avoid ? Soon thou (that is thy soul) shall be accused and convinced of robbery before the great and holy judge of the whole earth, and condemned to eternal misery, while the objects robbed by thee shall remain still untouched in the possession of Him who called everything into exist- ence. There is, therefore, no advantage for thee even to imagine that thou canst rob God and possess anything earthly exclusively for thyself. 0, con- sider this while it is yet time, and hasten to free thvself from that fearful sacrilege. Make all haste to'deliver thyself, soul and body, and possessions in the hands of thy provoked Master. Honour Jeho- vah thou immortal soul ! with thy body and sub- stance, which are his. Count all earthly things as they reallv are, « Vanity of vanities," and begin thy journey heavenwards, by the high road of Revela- tion. Thou shalt then be really rich, and thy trea- sures thine, and thou shalt fear no storm, no change, no robber, no thief, no moth, no death, and no grave, and no judgment, for thy righteousness (received by grace) shall go before thee, and the glory of thy Uod shall gather in thy soul unto eternal happiness. _ In the following verses Solomon proceeds to give some examples illustrative of the sameness of the earth, and of the continuance of a regular revolution in the systematic bodies of the universe in general as of the unchanging activity of some bodies attached to our globe in particular. These he contrasts with the above-mentioned unsteady and shifting human 60 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. family, one generation being taken away and another coming to be swept away in the same manner. 5. The sun also riseth ; The sun also goeth down ; But he hasteneth* to his place ; There he shineth again. The sun, like man, has his rising and setting time. But there had never yet occurred the least weariness in the sun, by which he should have retarded his appearance in the morning after he had set on the previous evening. No ! with the same majestic and regular steps by which he traverses our hemisphere during our day, he eagerly and unchangeably pursues his course through the other hemisphere during the night, and hastes, as with a panting desire to return to his starting-point, and after a night's absence there we find him in the morning as bright, as vigorous, and as glorious as ever. So David in the 19th Psalm says, " and he (the sun), as a bridegroom goeth forth from his chamber ; he rejoices like a giant in run- ning his course. From the end of the heavens is his going forth, and his circuits unto the ends of them ; and nothing is hid from his flame." Both those passages describe the phenomena of nature in the sweet simplicity of Scripture language, which, not intended to teach us philosophy, speaks of things as they appear to the naked eye of the simple observer. * !T|K^ (Shaaph) originally " to draw," as air by the wear} one; signifies figuratively a panting desire for anything, an t wish, &c. In onr verse it might also lie rendered " he pantcth fur his p ressive of the apparent eagerness with which the Bun seema inspired for returning at the exact time and in regular order to his place of i ising. We consider <-d, however, the word •• hasteneth" to be, if not more expres- sive, at least mure suitable to the phrase, while a panting haste must he understood as the meaning of the Hebrew text. chap. i. 6. <;i Both passages speak of the constancy, faithfulness, and durability with which that brilliant luminary continues his insurpassable services to our globe and its inhabitants,' in shedding streams of splendour and fertility on and around them. In our verse Solomon intends to shew, that while the sun was, is, and will always continue to be the same in his nature, glory, and course, whilst he will always continue to go down and disappear in the evenings, and with the same certainty and regularity re-appear and brilliantly shine every morning, the generations of men, however they might have shone and dazzled during the day of their earthly existence, the night of death comes, eclipses, and covers them, never to re-appear upon the stage of life, nor ever to interfere again in sublunary transactions, " for there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease But man dieth and wasteth away ; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he then ? Yea, man lieth down and riseth no more," &c. (Job xiv. 7, 10, 12.) How foolish and how vain are therefore man's unsatiable desires, and his laborious searches for earthly treasures and pos- sessions, which, having accumulated, he must ab- ruptly leave, never to return to them again ! 6 Going towards the south, Then turning round towards the north,* Around around veereth the wind, And for his circuits the wind returns again. Here the inspired author refers to an element in * Some commentators divide this verse, transferring the one-half of it to verse 5, and arguing that it also does refer to the course of the sun — that whilst verse 5 referred to its daily- course, this clause, " Going towards the north, then turning 62 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. nature, which, though often changing stations and courses, is still more constant, more certain, more durable than mortal man. The wind on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean blows for a certain season of the year from north to south, then it changcth its course, and a southerly wind takes its place, blowing for several months towards the north. Such is the appearance of its course as if engaged to run to a certain point of the globe to make some turns, to return again with the same velocity and manner to its original starting-point, and be ready- to enter upon a new course or circuit at the hour ap- pointed. It has never yet seemed that the wind should have remained out a whole year — never has the wind yet lost himself in some pathless desert, or in some of the vast regions of the trackless ocean. He always re-appears again in usual time to enter his new courses in the same manner as he did the round towards the south," referred to the sun's annual course through the signs of the zodiac. But, ingenious as this inven- tion seems to be, neither the textual construction of the whole passage, nor indeed Solomon's astronomical views (as far a3 developed in the same) can admit of such an arrangement. The difficulty which commentators found here was, to explain what Solomon meant in saying that the wind is going towards the soutli and turning to north, seeing that the only constant wind which prevails within the tropical regions (trade wind) moves regularly from cast to west round the globe. But we need not transport Solomon beyond the Mediterranean, nor force him to speak of any other winds than those which periodi- cally prevail on her shores. All over Egypt and part of Palestine (though irregular in the latter country sometimes, because interrupted by the mountains in the interior) the northerly wind prevails regularly during the greater portion of the year, and is then discharged by a southerly wind which likewise continues for several months (though sometimes with more irregularity than the former.) To this system of winds Solomon must refer in our verse, describing things as they appear to the simple observer. " doing towards the south,'"' viz., the northerly wind, which breathes towards the south, SB if marching on and then at once " turning round towards the north," ice. chap. i. 7. 63 former, and to accomplish them without weariness or delay. Not so the generations of men, who are always swept away by death in the very midst of their course, and once removed they never re-ap- pear. 7. All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea doth not overflow : Unto the place whence the rivers flow, Thither they return to flow again. Another instance illustrative of the continual, un- variable, and unwearying activity of an element in nature. Since the creation, the busy streams con- tinue to pay their tribute to the mighty ocean, the vast reservoir of that liquid element, and yet the ocean is never so full as to refuse to receive the volumes of the streams any longer. The reason of this phe- nomenon is the fact, that while the ocean receives the enormous quantity of waters from the rivers, as much water is evaporated from it again by the action of the sun. These are raised by the air, carried in clouds, and poured out on the dry and thirsty regions of the continent, to promote the bene- ficent rounds of operation in the economy of vegeta- tion, &c. The superfluous waters of the rain then enter into the pores of mountains, the fissures and crevices of rocks, and having filtrated and traversed through innumerable dark veins, they unite their forces at some convenient places, emerge from their confinement, set themselves at liberty, and with a murmuring noise pursue their journey homewards. Springs of water, originated in the same manner, or produced by the direct infiltration of the waters of the ocean and seas, through mysterious tubes and canals, occasioned by the pressure of more elevated <)4 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. columns of water, all dispersed brethren of the same liquid origin, unite as soon as they see light, and hasten with an irresistible force by a path more or less direct, more or less disputed, into the bosom of their mother oc -an, whence they were snatched into captivity. Thus there exists an unceasing and weariless activity in that dumb element, which is continually pouring into the ocean by the streams, and as continually sent into the streams by the ocean. Though some of these waters are (like man) taken away from the mass and buried in the dark caves of the earth, still they soon re-appear, and joy- fully hasten to return to the place of their nativity. Hut man, when once cut off by death and buried in the earth, never returns to live and move again in the region of his former activity. 8. All the labouring objects (or, active things) No man is able to recount ; Never would the eye be satisfied with seeing them, Nor the ear filled with hearing of them. In the three preceding verses, Solomon referred us to three different objects in nature — viz., the sun, wind, and water, drawing a contrast between their continual and uninterrupted activity since time im- memorial, and the short existence of man, who is suddenly cut off by death, to live and act no longer. In the verse before us, Solomon tells us that he could take no more instances of continually active bodies in nature, because these were so numerous, that no man could recount them ; yea, no eye would Per be satisfied, and say, "I see no more" (as one satisfied with meat, would say, " I can eat no more,") nor would ever the ear be tilled with bearing of them, i as to say, " I hear of no other such like subjects CHAP. I. 8. that exist in active nature." It is as if Solomon had said, " I must stop now from taking any more instances from nature to prove ray argument, for these are so various and so numerous, that no man can recount them. Even were I able to recount them, the eye of man (directed to contemplate them) would never cease to discover new ones, and the ear would never cease hearing of some equally activ things in nature, which, like the sun, wind, and streams, continue also their unwearied and unchange- able course, ever since their creation, and shall con- tinue the same to the end of the world — while mor- tal man, after his short dream of existence, is de- livered to the silent grave, from whence his voice i.^ never heard again. [This is, in our humble opinion, the real import of this verse, and such is the true connection of the whole passage, which, along with the three following verses, forms the sacred author's introduction to the Book of Ecclesiastes. The eleven first verses must thus correspond together in a straight line of argument and thought. We press this fact the more upon the mind of our readers (and sure we are, we cannot do it too often), because there are many passages in this Book which were distorted and disparaged by indi- viduals who, not having found out their real con- nection with their contexts, have consequently failed to see their right meaning. The case of the eleven first verses of this Book, which, according to 1 lie common translations and expositions, are bereaved of any connection, and some of these verses have con- sequently neither meaning nor connection whatever, is, we think, a sufficient proof of what we stated above]. In the two following verses, Solomon continues to show (not by referring any more to particulars, but to nature in general) the unalterable and unweari- 66 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. able course of inanimate nature, in contrast to the short human activity, which is entirely cut off by death. 9. All that hath been, shall continue to be ; All that hath been done, shall likewise continue to be done : So that there is nothing new under the sun. 10. Is there any thing whereof one should say, Behold, this is new ? It hath already existed, In ages that were before us. Having indicated in verse 8 that he would refer us to no more particulars, because of the vastness of their number, Solomon proceeds in verse 9 to show that the order and course of nature in general, was and is always unchangeably the same. The sun continues to rise in the morning and set in the even- ing. The wind continues its whirling travels in the proper seasons. The rivers continue to precipitate themselves into the ocean, and to receive their new supplies from the same sources. Not only these, hut innumerable objects in nature like unto them, continue the same in their native functions, courses, and activity from the very beginning of their exis- tence, and shall so continue unto the end, without the least change of locality or operation, for, in them, " there is nothing new under the sun" — they have never changed, and shall never change. In verse 10 Solomon indicates with regard to things or systems in nature newly discovered — things or systems, regard- ing which, the individual, who had the honour of discovering them, may in his first astonishment ex- claim "Behold this is a new thing," that still the fact is the thing or the system, in itself, and in its exisU d< < . is not new at all, though the discovery of it be new CHAP. 1. 9, 10. 07 Now it must be understood that in this statement Solomon does not refer to the applications and uses which we make of our different discoveries, but to the objects, orders, existences, and powers newly discovered, which are only new to man who was formerly ignorant of them, but in reality are old in their existence, as old as the whole material system of the universe. For instance, man discovered the rotation of our globe, magnetic power, electricity, steam-power, &c, and from these discoveries he forms many new plans, makes many applications, and derives enormous services. Now all these systems and powers are no more new than the conti- nent of America, which we call "the new world," because men were ignorant of its existence, until towards the end of the 15th century when Columbus discovered it. If that discoverer, in the heat of joy, should have exclaimed, " Behold, anew world," he would only have been correct in as far as regards men, who were hitherto ignorant of its existence, but as regards its real existence, it is surely not " new under the sun," but as old as the continent of Europe. So regarding the discoveries above men- tioned, we cannot say that these newly discovered systems and powers are new, (though the applications of them in man's service are necessarily new) for they existed in the same character, and pursued the same unchangeable courses since the great system of the universe was established. Having so powerfully established his argument as to the antiquity, unchangeableness, and continual activity of the individual bodies and elements in in- animate nature, Solomon returns in the following verse to mortal man. There he endeavours to give the last touch to the above drawn contrast, to strengthen his general argument, by showing the shifting^ of generations (by deaths and births) 68 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. are not to be considered as a continuation of the ex- istence of the self-same object, inasmuch as every passing generation is at once removed and forgotten, and its successor is not at all better. 1 1 . There is no memorial of the former (generations) . Nor will there be any memorial of the future (gene- rations). Among those (generations) who shall come after them. This verse stands in close connection with verse 4, where it w r as stated that whilst the generations of men shift continually (by deaths and births) one after another, the earth and her system, and the order of the bodies and elements attached to her, abide for ever the same. Solomon, in the six intermediate verses, endeavoured to shew, by instances referred to, how the system, order, and cause of inanimate nature continue to be the same, without the least change or intermission. In this verse the author returns to his subject introduced in verse 4, and strengthens his argument and contrast drawn be- tween unchangeable nature and shifting humanity, by shewing the fact, that the existence of departed generations is entirely blotted out from the memory of generations that succeed them.-' ■ Now, be it observed, that translators and expositors in genera] changed the "generations" of our verso into inani- mate " things," rendering the verse, " There is no remem- brance of former things,' &c. Into this grave error they Fell, because they overlooked the strict connection that exist- between the first eleven verses of this Book, which form its introduction. Had they seen this, they would have easily perceived that Solomon needed not repeat the word " . rations" in verse 11, as it refers to ihc "generations" in \ I. This will be seen still clearer, when we couple these two verses together, and read, " One generation passeth away, and mother generation cometh. There is do memorial (left) of CHAP. I. 11. From all that lias been stated* above, it is now, we presume, clear enough, even beyond doubt or dis- pute, that Solomon, in referring us to the continual existence and activity of the sun, wind, and rivers, intends to draw a contrast between these and mor- tal man, whose existence and activity on earth are confined to a few years, after which he vanishes away like smoke. This contrast begins to be drawn in verse 4, where, after stating that generation after generation is swept away, he immediately adds : " But the earth abideth for ever." Having produced some examples of the continuance and unchangeable- the former, nor will there be any memorial of the future," &c. To repeat here the word " generation," would have been a useless repetition ; for the argument of verse 4 was only strengthened by the instances he referred to in the six inter mediate verses to prove that the " earth abideth for ever the same." "We cannot leave this subject without expressing our astonishment, how so many learned men could overlook such a simple fact, and commit such a grave error as to think for one moment that this verse could refer to inanimate " things" of nature ! Had this been the case, then Solomon would ha\ i directly and forcibly contradicted all his arguments contained in the six foregoing verses, in which he all along endeavours to shew that all things inanimate in nature always continue the same, unchangeably and unweariedly in their existence as well as in their order, and that there was nothing new in them under the sun ! How, then, could he possibly say in verse 11 that there exists no "memorial of former things?" seeing that they exist from antiquity, and shall never change in form, system, nature, or course ! Moreover, had Solomon here in- tended " things," and not "generations" of men, he would surely have used the proper word rr:o : S^? (Larishonoth), with a final n. to designate the neuter of " things," (as Isa. xlviii. 3, " 1 have declared the former things," &c), and not put in the masculine a as a-rvjs-'"? (Larishonim) in our verse. Likewise the word a^trx"? (Laachronim) in our verse, would .^urely have been rV0"Trw!j (Laachronoth), had it refers : ' things." The Septuagint version alone has put it right. 70 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. ness of several inanimate objects, either immediately attached to the earth, or only belonging to its sys- tem, he returns in verse 11 to the generations of men, showing how they completely and eternally disappear, without leaving any mark or monument of their former existence, as (in general) their very remembrance is lost on earth among their succeeding generations. But let it be observed that such a contrast can only be established, when we consider man in his moral capacity as a responsible agent. In this capacity alone, there exists no connection whatever between man and man, far less between generation and generation ; one man not being responsible for the other, a brother not being able to redeem his brother, nor a father to pay the ransom for the soul of his child. In any other view of the subject, the above contrast would not stand ; for as the sun con- tinues to rise and set, so man (in his species) con- tinues to be born and die — as the wind continues to blow, so man continues to exist and to move — as the rivers continue flowing into the sea, and the sea is never full, nor the rivers ever exhausted, so like- wise continues man to be delivered to the grave, and the grave says never, " I am overfull," nor is the race of men ever exhausted. Thus we see clearly that when Solomon draws the contrast between the short existence of man and the continuance of the sameness of the earth, and of the elements either attached to it, or accompanying it, this contrast must refer to man in his spiritual capacity, in which every man stands independent of his neighbour, predecessor, or successor — as a responsible agent for and in himself, living (in a spiritual sense) for him- self, to answer in and by himself, the purpose for which his Creator sent him into this world. CHAP. I. 11, 71 If we, therefore, take the sum and substance of the first eleven verses of this book, which we call the Introduction, we find the sense of it as if the author had uttered the following words : u man ! immortal in thy soul, which belongs to heaven, but mortal and perishing in thy body, which belongs to the earth ; what advantage dost thou expect to derive from the vanities of this world ? Remember that thy real existence and home are in the heavens above, and that thine earthly existence is only like a vain dream, out of which thou shalt soon be roused. Consider that while this earth shall ever continue to exist and stand as it now does — whilst the sun shall continue to rise and set, the wind to blow from north and south, and the rivers to pour their mighty volumes into the vast deep, thou man, in thine earthly existence, shalt be here no more. Thy soul shall return to her native place, and thy body decay in the dust. Thy name shall not even be mentioned among the living, and the place where thou movest now shall recognise thee no more. What, therefore, can be thy expected advantage, for which thou loadest thus upon thyself troubles and wearisome toils in search of earthly treasures and pleasures of the flesh ? What would remain of thee, even shouldest thou succeed in accumulating all the dusty riches of the globe ? Will these procure for thee a lengthened existence even like that of a small rivulet originating between mountains, and ever rejoicing in its undisturbed course '? No ! thou must soon die, and leave unto the earth thy perishing body, and all material things which thou didst gather for thy immaterial soul ; thou must re- turn to heaven, and give an account of thy actions here below ; and thou, man ! thou shalt visit this earth no more in a state in which the vanities ot 72 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES, i Lis world could either concern thee in any way or afford thee the least pleasure." The above sentiments are not only the contents of the first eleven verses which form the Introduction to this book, but they are also the short outlines which indicate in a few words the whole subjects that are treated at large in the twelve following chapters. Having laid such a broad foundation in the comprehensive and most important Intro- duction, Solomon proceeds now to illustrate these sentiments by giving us the particulars of his own experience and minute observations. He therefore again introduces himself under the meta- phorical name of Koheleth, as the following experi- ments and the resulting conclusions were made by the aid of Wisdom in whose name the author teaches as the following divine lessons. 12. I Koheleth, was King over Israel, In Jerusalem. The reason why Solomon says here, " I was King," and not " am King," will be obvious enough when ire consider again that in the assumed name of Koheleth he intends to personify Wisdom, which is to speak in, and by himself, and to gather principles and conclusions, doctrines and counsels from his own experience. He thus indicates that all his vast experiments, from which facts are to be taken and considered, and conclusions to be made, were accom- plished and gathered during the period when he was already King of Israel, and during his lone:, prospe- rous and eventful reign. Thus it should be antici- pated that all the experiments recorded in this iJook were undertaken and accomplished by I without hindrance or del CHAP. J. 13 — 15. 13. And I applied my heart to search and to explore by wisdom, Concerning all things that are done under the heavens ; It is the sore occupation which God hath appointed for the sons of Adam, That they should be chastised thereby. * U. I have thus considered all the works that are done under the sun ; And, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit, lo. The crooked thing hef cannot make straight, And the defective thing he cannot arrange. In passing through this marvellous composition of Solomon, we must constantly keep in mind the principal plan of the author, which evidently is, to appear first in every argument in the capacity of a moral philosopher, who argues from facts and expe- rience, independently of religion, revelation, and the heavenly future of immortal souls. When the vanity and nothingness of this world and her false flatteries are first exposed by facts from personal experience, and when the wise man then refers us to revealed religion, to God, and to the future of souls, he always does so in obvious and strong terms. He always introduces religion as the last support of his philoso- phical arguments, in order to show that without it, * " Chastised thereby." In the common version t^oh (Laanoth) is rendered, " to be exercised." But this word can never signify " exercise," but alway denotes, "to be chastised, afflicted, humbled," &c. See Gen. xv. 13; xvi. 6, 9; xxxi. 60 : xxxiv. 2 ; Exod. i. 2, 12 ; Deut. viii. 3, &c, &c. t "He" — man, unto whom God hath appointed a sort- occupation, cannot make straight that which is crooked. The word h&P (Yuchal) twice repeated in this verse, must refer to "man," " he cannot" make straight, not to things; for in that case it would have been *«Vi (Thuchal). Set also chap vii., verse 13, of this Book. 74 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. without God, and without future and eternal pro- spects, mortal man, with all his high qualities, deep thoughts, great wisdom, and with all his numerous works, achievements, pleasures, and enjoyments, is after all but a melancholy apparition of vanity of vanities. Like an experienced and able temperance preacher in the midst of an intoxicated, bewildered, and staggering mob, generally finds it unsuitable and useless to begin his arguments from revealed reli- gion (which would be " casting pearls before swine"), while the thoughts of his drunken audience are entirely directed towards the liquor shop, where their next supplies are to be got. The said preacher will therefore open his argument by showing them calmly and effectively the physical danger to which they expose themselves by their intemperance. He will try to persuade them of the fact, that the very drug they swallow with the mistaken intention to oheer their spirits and to do good to their bodies, would gradually enervate them, unfit them for their daily employments, knock down their spirits and destroy their bodies. He will then touch the cord of economy, in shewing them how this mania of in- temperance empties their pockets, wastes their means, hinders them in their industry, clothes them in rags, and brings poverty, misery, and disorder into their habitations. At this stage of his sermon he will likely touch the cord of honour, proving unto them Ili.it by this their miserable conduct they deprive themselves of the claim to be received with conside- ration in any honest and sober society, and that at the same time they pour shame and confusion upon their relations and friends, upon their families and upon humanity at large. Having succeeded thus far in fixing the attention of liis forgetful and de- graded audience, ho may tlien begin to introduce CHAP. I. 13—15. religion. He may then gradually show them that besides all other losses which they will unavoidably sustain in this world, were they to persevere in their madness, they also put at stake the salvation of their immortal souls, for no drunkard shall see the king- dom of heaven. Such is exactly the plan which the royal author pursues in this book. He first tries to expose unto fallen and carnally minded man the madness and vanity of the fortune and pleasure- hunting mortals. Then he leads them on gradually to consider the real and everlasting fortunes — the unspeakable pleasures promised in the word of God unto the good and faithful, in a world without end.* * Should one say that the above comparison is too strong, then we would call his attention, for a moment, to the family- relation of the common ruinous consequences that exists be- tween the drunkard, and covetous, and pleasure-hunting man. If it be argued that a man intoxicated by liquor is more abominable than a man intoxicated by and drowned in the foolish vanities of this deceiving world ; this we admit, not in a reli- gious, but in a secular point of view. But should one main- tain that, even in a religious point of view, the liquor-prey, who is incapable of caring for his soul, is more to be blamed than the prey of vanishing desires, and perishing worldly pleasures, who trill not care for his soul — this we absolutely deny. The sober man who abandons religion, God and soul, and plunges himself willingly into the whirl of this world and its foolish vanities, is even far more blameable than he who cannot care for his soul because the liquor deprived him of his senses. When both victims have reached the climax of their respective intoxications, the sober debauched child of the world is no more fit for any good work than the drunkard wallowing in the mire. Do we consider the gloomy consequences of both intoxications, we shall find them at least as numerous and as fatal with the fortune and pleasure hunter as with the most abandoned drunkard. Disappointment and poverty (probably more men are impoverished through violent speculations, and extravagant pleasures, than there are original poor), exhaus- tion of strength, derangement of mind, dishonesty and crime, punishment and shame, suicide and murder, untimely death, and certain hell — all these abominations are trained after tin sober child of the world and of Satan, in comparatively greater numbers and with the same certainty, as they are after the aban- doned drunkard. If it be still objected that we combine hero the covetous with the licentious man, let them then be separa- 76 THE 1500k OF ECCLESIASTES. Let us suppose for a moment, that our experienced and inspired Koheleth came to visit a great European fair, where an immense crowd of worldly mortals are gathered from all regions and countries with their tents and waggons, herds and flocks, grain and vegetables, meal and tallow, furs and clothes, gold and silver vessels and ornaments, pearls and jewels, stuffs and furnitures, machineries and all sorts of toys, exhibitions, theatres, and public houses. Rich and poor, young and old, men and women, all are busily employed, all talk energetically, and all are absorbed in their various affairs. There the farmer endeavours to sell at a high price the productions of his soil, but to hire at a very cheap rate his farm- servants. The manufacturer seeks to set off at the highest prices his fabrics, and to buy at a very low price the raw materials. The architect specu- lates how to make a double gain off one building, the one out of the proprietor's pocket, the other out of the mason's strength. There a large detachment of mortals surround a band of musicians ; they eat and drink, swear and scorn, dance and roar. In yonder corner, a gang of gambling and juggling swindlers is surrounded by the hundreds of their victims, some of whom already creep away slowly with empty pockets and confounded faces. In other obscure lurking places, a duped multitude surround the tables and cards of old, experienced, and elo- quent fortune-tellers ; whilst other degraded beings take advantage of the busy character of the day, and feed themselves on the pockets and purses of the in- attentive and negligent. Every mind is drowned, tely considered, and we -till maintain that, according to the records of crime in any country, the above argument will fit ach one of them as well aa the drunkard ; lor the latter is d< oidedly a son of tin former, tl falsely maintain the contrary i hap. i. 13 — 15. 77 every thought buried, either in the foolish vanities or in the wicked abominations of this world. Every tongue is in constant motion like the wings of a wind- mill in a windy day, using all possible eloquence, false assertions, and forswearings, only to gain the desired point. The whole spectacle collectively resembles the aspect of an enormous bee-hive invading and attacking a rich flower garden, all buzzing and humming with fury and haste over their prey, and minding nothing but their honey-project. No thought of death, no care for the future, no remorse of sin, no fear of hell, no remembrance of God, and no provi- sion for eternity, as if they were destined to remain as long on earth as the latter shall exist, to live and move as long as the sun shall continue to shine, to eat, drink, and be active, as long as the wind shall continue to blow, and to gather riches and enjoy pleasures, as long as the rivers shall continue to flow into the bosom of their mother sea. Suppose, again, that in the midst ot the above forgetful, worldly-minded, wicked, and abandoned crowd Solomon erects a platform, mounts it, and then exclaims in a loud voice, "Vanity of vanities, savs Koheleth, vanity of vanities ! all is vanity I" Tho. multitude being attracted by that strange, sounding proclamation, the preacher begins to explain what these words signify. He tells them that the im- mense crowd of mortals now gathered at this fair, as well as all their fellow-men living with them in the same generation, shall soon, very soon be swept, away by death, as were all generations that preceded them. That consequently they can derive no last- ing advantage, whatever of all the toils, labours, and troubles which they bring upon themselves in search of riches and pleasures — that even in a worldly point of view, their tumultuous and wicked pleasures, their violent and outrageous behaviour was vain, 78 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. foolish, and destructive. That whilst the earth, her system, her order, and the activity of the elements and bodies attached to it, or belonging to its sys- tem, shall continue unchangeably the same, the pre- sent generation of men must go hence to return no more, even their very remembrance shall be blotted out from the minds of the generation that shall come after them. That all this showed to demonstration that man must have been created for some other purpose, and sent for a time into this world on some graver mission than for gathering on that fair, for burying themselves in such a tumult of nothingness, and for committing violence, crimes, and abomina- tions of all sorts and character.* In order to secure better the undivided attention of the vast and already interested audience, he tells them next that the man about to address them was no less a personage than the great, aged, and wise king Solomon, the highly experienced monarch of Israel, the governor of Jerusalem. He then informs them that he applied his heart to search and explore ' The above figure of making wisdom mount a platform and address gathered crowds in the open streets and in market places, seems to have been a favourite one with Solomon, and which we therefore imitated. Thus we find often such figures used by Solomon in his Proverbs, especially in chap. viii. where we read : " Doth not wisdom cry, and understanding put forth her voice ? She standeth on the top of high places. . . . She erieth at the gates at the coming in at the doors : Unto you, men, I call ; and my voice is to the sons of men. O, ye simple, understand wisdom. . . . Hear, for I will speak of excellent things Receive my instructions and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride. mil arrogancy, and the evil way, and the proud mouth I di> hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom. I am under- standing, I have strength Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not For whoso findeth mi th life, and shall obtain favour from the Lord. But hi th against me wrongeth his own son] all the] , , ■ i • . ■ I HAP. I. 13—15. 7U by wisdom concerning all things that are done under the heavens." The expression, " I applied my heart," implies the ardent devotion with which he set about this work, to consider all the busy employ- ments, plans, and machinations of mortal man, to find out the source and cause of it, and to be en- abled to judge of its value. As ! to the source and cause of man's fruitless toils and labours, Solomon declares it to be, " the sore occupation which God hath approved for the sons of Adam that they should be chastised thereby," (or M afflicted or humbled thereby"). The explana- tion of this statement is very simple and obvious. Adam, the common father of mankind, was originally placed in Paradise, where every temporal necessity was richly provided for him, and where he had to care for nothing, to provide nothing ; for he wanted nothing. Free from all hard labour (his having been the pleasant occupation of attending to Eden's flowers and fruit trees) he could apply and exercise all his energy in studying and searching how he could best glorify and adore his holy Creator and beneficent Master. His happiness was then uninterrupted, and his occupation pleasant and advantageous. But, beguiled by Satan, he wished to become wise like God, at no less a price than by breaking his com- mandment. He ate of the forbidden fruit, by which act his eyes were opened to see good and evil,* and his lusts and fleshly desires were stimulated and enflamed for the world and its foolish vanities. The world-wise Adam was then sentenced by the righteous and provoked God to the death of his body. * We gave our humble opinion about the nature of that " knowledge of good and evil,'' acquired by Adam when hi etc of the " tree of knowledge," in our small work entitled " A Christian Jew on the Old Testainent Seriptv.rt b, pj ' — 14 ; but the subject is a very obscure and difficult on< 80 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES lie was driven out of Paradise, and condemned lo seek his bread, and only find it by the sweat of his brow, in the dust of the earth whose pleasures he desired, whose fruits he esteemed more than the com- mandment of his God, and with whose dust, there- fore, he must mingle in life and in death. This is the " sore occupation" which God hath appointed to the sons (or children) of Adam, that they should be chastised thereby, for the folly of their father which they inherit by nature. This is the source, and the sole cause of the busy and abominable fair described above. This is the origi- nal reason why natural man, once lost from the highway of real happiness, and condemned to seek his daily bread by labour and fatigue, now plunges himself, thought, mind, and soul, into the foolish vanities of time, covers himself with the dust of the ground, and finds his element in tumult and outrage. Thus intoxicated man stops his ears with the fading flowers of a deceiving world, and will not hear of God, of eternity, or of the salvation of his soul. In short, the fallen human family, driven out of Para- dise because of original sin and its fatal consequences, were put, as it were, into a small and shattered ves- sel, which, pushed by the wrath of provoked Omni- potence, was driven into the midst of a roaring and foaming ocean. There confounded humanity W8 left to struggle against the enraged elements, and to reach their native shore by their own power, by their own wisdom, which their rebellious father thought lo .-icquire by breaking the commandment of his God in eating of the forbidden fruit. Again, Solomon finds the unhappy and deceived mortals struggling and roaring with all their might, on board their wreck, which is agitated by a violent tempest, among the mighty breakers of the deep Destruction threatens them every moment, but so chap. i. 13 — 15. 31 blind are the multitude as not to see any danger at all. The more these beguiled victims of Satan labour and struggle, the farther they are removed from their native shore, the more imminent is their perdition. Solomon, anxious to save them, hastes by to tell them that the very God who pushed them into that misery in His wrath and righteous indigna- tion, has likewise, in His abundant mercy, sent ex- perienced pilots (the Prophets) unto them, with a well-regulated compass (Revelation) and a mighty captain (Messiah) to guide and save them. But first of all he must convince them of the danger of which they, by nature, have no conception. Solomon therefore tells them first of all that all their own struggles, toils, and endeavours to find out their native shore was vanity of vanities, and that their position was so cruel that, with all their works and plans, they must soon perish for ever. He informs them at the same time that he found himself once in quite the same dangerous situation, struggled and laboured like them, formed useless plans and inven- tions like them. But that he found out at last that he would certainly have perished without ever reach- ing dry land, had he not availed himself of the pilots, compass, and captain, who were sent by the merciful God to save drowning humanity, and that now he sailed safe and secure towards his native shore in the life-boat of faith. Thus he begins to give them the details of his own history, of his own experience, and of the conclusions he was able to make. The most important of his statements is, that after much search and study he found out that the source and origin of man's useless toils and troubles, and vain struggles, lay in nothing else but in the fruits of original sin, by which men became even so stupified as not to see the danger that surrounds them. Man not having been pleased with his happy, holy, and heavenly 82 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. appointed occupation in Paradise, the Lord drove them out of it ; and to chastise (or humble, or afflict) them, He gave them this " sore occupation," to seek for themselves, but find nothing, to gather and have nothing, to labour and have no advantage of it. In the midst of this " sore occupation," humanity went astray in the wilderness of forgetfulness and the most inexplicable indifference. Having informed them of the source and origin of their " sore occupation," he proceeds in verse 14 to state something about the value of it : " I have con- sidered all the works that are done under the sun, and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit." One reason for that conclusion was already given in verse 3, i.e., " What advantage hath man of all his labours that he thus toileth under the sun?" What can be more vain ? What can be more vexatious to the spirit of a thinking man, than to know that all his sore labours, toils, and troubles, shall dissolve in nothing, absolutely nothing ? How grievous for man to think that even ere the least of his plans can reach maturity, he may be torn away by death never to return again to finish his undertaken work? Even if the one or the other of man's toy works are accomplished during his life, can he, or how long will he, enjoy it undisturbed by death ? And what is that enjoyment of mortals, but mere vanity ? Ah ! how many thousands of mortals are carried off every year, every month, every week, and even every day, in the very midst of their pleasant dreams, gigantic plans, mighty undertakings, and vast expectations ? How many mortals lay foundations to new and com- fortable dwellings, and do not live to see them rise one yard above ground ? How many have the satisfac- tion to see even the windows put into their spacious and magnificent new palaces, but are stopped there (by death) from enjoying in them one day, or repose chap. i. 13— 15. 83 in them one night ? Those who do, how long do they continue to reap the fruits of their long la- bours ? Vain man ! excited by airy imaginations, stimulated by a cheating shadow of hope, heated by his mental and physical labours of vanity, forgets altogether who he is, what is his real destination, what is soon to become of him, and whither he is soon to go. He labours and toils, perspires and ex- hausts his strength, and sinks down with fatigue. He eats to gather new vigour for pursuing his work. He sleeps that his reposed body may be fit to con- tinue its labour in the early morn. But man usually forgets that his is a " sore occupation," the conse- quence of his sin and rebellion against God, and that death will soon prove it unto him when torn away from all his accumulated vanities, and delivered to the dust. But the reason for Solomon's statement in verse 14 was not only anticipated in verse 3, but is also accompanied by another reason in verse 15 : "The crooked thing he cannot make straight, and the de- fective thing he cannot arrange." When worldly men find out that, after having exhausted all their energy, means, and strength, in endeavouring to make straight something crooked lying in their way, or to arrange some defective things which cause them loss or bring danger, the crooked was made still more crooked than it was before, and the defective thing had become entirely useless or un- manageable, then these worldly men talk of some thing that they call fate or even fatality. Such men usually choose to forget that they are the children of fallen Adam, and that consequently disappoint- ment was with them a fanvhj disease, which they must carry along with them to the very grave, unless they apply in time to the great Physician 84 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. who alone can cure it. They forget that the earthly existence of a fallen being can be nothing else but one continued " sore occupation," made so by the curse of God, which corrupted nature inherits and merits. They forget that fallen man is (in a certain sense) entirely deranged in his wishes, thoughts, plans, and expectations, in many of which he must find himself often enough foiled (like his father in Paradise), because his actions are too often against the irresistible will of Him who holds the reins of Providence in His almighty arm. Lastly, they forget the necessary existence (in consequence of sin) of disparity between flesh and flesh, between one fallen man and the other. Being both cor- rupted by nature, and every one in his turn a slave of his senses and fleshly lusts (in which they are again differently influenced and governed according to their different constitutions and tempers) they can never act in perfect concert, never agree in all things, never be satisfied with each other's dispositions, nor with their stations, never bear alike the same burden (without compulsion) and never unite their thoughts and actions ; unless united and subdued to one obedience, by the one spirit of the one God ; and after having delivered themselves entirely along with their wishes and actions into the hands of their Creator. This is the source, and origin of all disap- pointment and grief, and this the reason why sinful and spiritually deranged man cannot make straight that which is crooked (to such a fallen being as he is), nor arrange and put in order the defective and disordered by his character and nature. Such is then Solomon's inspired judgment about man's physical labours and toils and plans and ex- pectations, that they are vanity of vanities, without ti shadow of perfection, without any real satisfaction, chap. i. 16—18. 85 without solidity, and without lasting advantage. The reason of all this is, because of man's disobedience, — because by nature he refuses to occupy himself with what is holy, solid, sound, certain, heavenly, and everlasting, therefore God delivered him into the tumult of a " sore occupation," without any ad- vantage, that he might be afflicted, humbled, and chastised thereby. In the following verses Solomon turns to the worldly philosopher, and shows from his own experience that his mental labours were no less a "sore occupation" (without religion) than the vanities above described. 16. I communed with mine own heart, saying, Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom, Above all that have been before me over Jerusalem ; Yea, my heart experienced much wisdom and know- ledge. 17. But when I applied my heart to examine wisdom, And to examine foolishness and ignorance, Then I perceived that this too was vexation of spirit : 18. For in much wisdom there is much grief; And he that increaseth knowledge increaseth pain. The prophet Jeremiah says, in the name of God : " Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his strength, let not the rich man glory in his riches ; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he is well instructed to know me, that I the Lord do exer- cise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness on earth : for in these do I delight, saith the Lord." ( Jer. ix. 22, 23.) Here we have introduced to us two wise men of very different characters. The first is a zoorldly philosopher, boasting to the clouds in his own wisdom, and in the acquisition of secular 86 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. science. The second is a pious and devoted theolo- gian, or say, a well-instructed and experienced Christian, glorying in the knowledge and wisdom of God, in the loving-kindness, judgment, and right- eousness which the great and holy Jehovah, his God and Creator, does exercise on earth. Unto the former, the Lord of Hosts himself says, "Let him not glory in his wisdom " (without giving any rea- son). The latter is invited and encouraged to glory in his acquired knowledge of God and His right- eousness. But here follows the reason, which con- sists in God's approbation, " for in these I do delight, saith the Lord." That is as if the Lord had said, " As I do delight in the exercise of lov- ing-kindness, judgment, and righteousness on earth, so likewise do I delight in those men who give themselves to the study, and glory in the acquired knowledge of my ways and dealings with my crea- tures on earth." At the same time, it is clear and evident, that this statement of the Lord also implies that He takes no delight in the wisdom of this world, and therefore it is that the world-wise man has no- thing to glory in. In the three last verses of our chapter, Solomon makes his appearance in the cloak of a worldly philosopher. He tells us that when he went astray from God and His wisdom, he attempted to glory in the wisdom of this world ; but that he found out his mistake at last. u I communed with mine own heart," — that is as if he said, u my heart was lifted up with pride," — "saying, Behold I have magnified (or, enlarged, or brought into great reputation) and in- creased wisdom, above all that have heen before me in Jerusalem." This signifies as much as if he said, " Have I not great reason to boast and glory? Am I not the greatest philosopher of mine age? Have chap. i. 16—18. 87 I not studied and acquired languages and grammars, arithmetic and mathematics, geography and astro- nom} T , &c, &c. ? Have I not done much for the propagation of science in teaching it to others? Have I not made many experiments and new dis- coveries ? Have I not practised it, and pursued it in a manner and measure above all those who pre- ceded me in the government of Jerusalem ?" That the wisdom and knowledge of which Solo- mon speaks in this passage, and in which he at- tempted to boast and glory, refers to worldly ivisdom and to sinful pride, is made evident by the contents of the next chapter. These two chapters contain a systematic confession, in which the once prodigal, but now repenting and converted Solomon, tells us how degree by degree he abandoned God and reli- gion, and sought pleasure, satisfaction, and glory in anything worldly which he could achieve or even imagine. Thus we see that his next step (as re- corded in the first verses of the following chap.) was to deliver himself into the arms of jollity and wild pleasures, as eating, drinking, and dancing, &c. Seeing that these would not answer his object, he proceeded to plunge himself into a strange mixture of tumults and worldly plans of folly, as building, planting, and continually speculating, and mixing all these with dissipating pleasures and enjoyments of this world. All these vain speculations continued until he found out at last that, apart from God, his revelation, religion, divine wisdom and spiritual en- joyments, he could find satisfaction in nothing, and glory in nothing, for out of God all was vanity and vexation of spirit. But Solomon was not left long to repose on the false couch of vain glory in worldly wisdom, as he tells us in verses 17 and 18, " But when I applied 88 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. my heart to examine wisdom," — this is, when he set about to search and define the value and advantage of worldly wisdom, " and to examine foolishness and ignorance," i.e. to find out the difference between wisdom and folly — not in themselves (for he states, chap. ii. verse 13, that the difference between them is like that between light and darkness), but in the respective individuals who possess them — and to see how much worldly wisdom can make happy the man who cultivates it, and how much ignorance makes unhappy the man to whom it cleaves. " Then I perceived that this too was vexation of spirit." He found out that all the worldly wisdom which a mor- tal can accumulate was not only very far from afford- ing him reason to glory in, far from opening unto him a source of real happiness, or lasting advantage above the ignorant man, but that, on the contrary, it opened a new source of vexation to his spirit. This seemingly strange conclusion is followed by the ex- planation of verse 18, u For in much wisdom there is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth pain or affliction." Here the proud infidel, but decorated and far- famed worldly philosopher, will probably stop, gaze with astonishment, and even be indignant at such a positive and flat conclusion. What ! Shall one dare to tell him that he, being an infidel, had to glory in nothing, and that all his wisdom and knowledge does not bring him one step farther, and can afford him no other advantage above the ignorant man than that of grief and pain ! Ah ! that is too hard ! We will cease to think so when we examine the real moral condition of the infidel philosopher, and listen to the testimonies of those who have declared the wisdom and knowledge he possesses has ever been a source of grief and pain unto him. chap. ii. 1,2. 89 (Chapter ii. vers. 1, 2.) 1. I then said in mine heart, Come now, I shall cover thee with mirth, * That thou may est enjoy pleasure ; But, behold this also is vanity. 2. Of laughter, I said, it is madness ; And of mirth, What doth it produce ? In the foregoing chap. Solomon informed us how he failed in two experiments of his, to find out the desired results. The first was one of observation and theory, i.e., an examination of the occupa- tion, works, and toils of mankind in general, in order to see if they can afford any real satisfaction or solid pleasure to those engaged in them. This he found to be a mere vanity, a " sore occupation," the consequence of man's sin and degeneracy, with- out any fruits, without pleasure, and without any real advantage. The second experiment was a practical one, i.e., he devoted himself to the study of science, of worldly wisdom, he practised it him- self and taught it to others. But when he entered this literary garden, with the expectation of pluck- ing some fine flowers of his cultivation, behold, they are all withered. When he trusted to find in his accumulated science a source of glory and honour, he found it to be a source of grief and vexation of spirit. Too far gone in his straying excursion, * " Cover thee." "We take this to be the signification of r:D03S (Anaschah), as it is in Isa. xv. 7, " The covering which is spread over all nations (see also Isa. xxviii. 20.) "We can- not understand how the translators made out, " I will prove thee," for neither in noun nor in verb the word can ever signify "to prove." rpj (Nessech), sub. is "a cover," a thing spread over another — hence, figuratively, " a libation," because it ia diffused and spread over the altar. In vcrb^j (Nassach), " to spread over," hence it may also be rendered in our verse, " I will spread thee over," which is the same. 90 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. already far remote from God and religion, he then, instead of returning, made at once a gigantic for- ward step towards vanity and ruin. The wise man who once gloried in the God of his fathers, who found the greatest satisfaction and delight in the religious rites of Jehovah's sanctuary, who realised the purest and highest joy in his silent meditations on the brilliant promises which he received from the great God of Israel, — this very man informs us how that, in a comparatively short time, he found himself in a pathless desert of vanity, plunged himself into the midst of a vortex of confusion, and struggled with all his might, even against his com- mon sense. Yea, alas, that great man tried re- peatedly to intoxicate his pleading conscience, to stop his ears with the rags of worldly vanities, in order not to hear the pleas and remonstrances of his injured soul, and thus to bury his rich and varied talents in a depth of mine from which they should never re- appear. The backsliding and erring king made diligent search on the mountains of vanity in order to find some compensation for the heavy losses he sustained by abandoning God and religion and the delights of the Lord's sanctuary. Among the ruins of a de- ceiving world he sought for some favourite object, worthy of bestowing on it his time and labour, on which he could for ever concentrate his affection, in which he could glory, and in which he should find substantial and lasting pleasures. The wisdom of God which once he cherished and cultivated, as well as his conscience, declared loudly unto him that out of the eternal God no mortal will ever find an earthly object worthy of concentrating on it his af- fection, or capable of affording him lasting pleasure or real satisfaction. But the world-wise man would not hear, would not believe, unless he tried the truth CHAP. II. 1 — 2. 91 of their arguments by repeated experiment. Two experiments were now made at a great cost of time, meditation, and labour, but they failed to realize his expectations. Disappointed in his plans, and con- quered by his conscience, which now triumphantly showed him how vain he was — not humbled by that lesson, but rather exasperated — he now resolved on a most fatal step, which was to check his conscience, by violence, to suffocate the increased clamours of his suffering and offended soul, and to extinguish at once the last spark of celestial light that yet remained in him from the days of his true greatness and real happiness. " I then said in mine heart, Come now, I shall cover thee with mirth, that thou mayest enjoy pleasures. " In other words that is to say : u Come now, thou poor and troubled Solomon, who art con- tinually persecuted by a restless and cruel conscience; come, for I have found out a remedy by which to cure thee of that plague. I shall cover thee with mirth against the arrows of that relentless enemy. I shall protect thee against that irreconcilable perse- cutor, by putting a strong partition wall between you both. That wall shall consist of feastings and jollity, of merriment and gay pleasures, of singing and dancing, drinking and laughing. Thus shall the voice of that tormentor be heard no more — that devouring and plaguing worm be driven away out of thy mind — and thou then shalt enjoy pleasures un- disturbed and unmolested. " The arrangements and means for that par tition wall were instantly procured, and Solomon was ready for action. Riches and rul- ing power soon prepared the ingredients of the pre- scribed medicine (or rather poison) for the cure (or murder) of the voice of conscience, and the morally dangerously ill monarch began to swallow the drug in rather large quantities. The wisest of men then »Z THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. delivered himself prisoner to his own unfortunate inventions, and at once precipitated himself into the rapid current of violent merriment, and dissipating pleasures of every sort and colour. Many days and nights, weeks and months, and even years, must have been destroyed in that lamentable manner, and conscience might have been silenced, by no means killed, in the midst of that wild turmoil of even un- natural indulgence. Nevertheless, it was utterly impossible for such a vast mind, for such a large heart, for such a person age as Solomon, to remain very long bewildered in such a manner as to unfit him for serious reflection. The same violent means which he employed to relax his mind, and drive asunder remorse, brought on many sleepless and restless nights, and forced him to consider carefully his behaviour, and reflect earnestly on his present condition. Again he saw his great and dangerous mistake — again he found out that his new plan was not only vain, but most degrading and most perilous. After mature conside- ration he was brought to the conclusion that forced pleasures, mechanical laughter, artificial joy, and manufactured satisfaction, were pure madness, real insanity. He therefore exclaimed regarding the whole of his new system of folly, " What doth it produce ?" — as if he said — " What shall be the end of that wretched business ? What will it, what can it produce but mischief? Shall I become a regular drunkard, and thus slowly destroy myself soul and body at once ? Shall I sacrifice my various talents, ray noble mind, and my vast knowledge, on the altar of such a miserable idol like this? No! this is not yet a right or prosperous plan, I must seek out another."* Solomon having once lost the highway * There is a very interesting talc told about an Austrian prince, who lay encamped with his army in the neighbour- chap. ii. 1, 2. 93 of salvation, and having advanced far into a track- hood of a small village in Upper Hungary, and who was sorely pressed by the Turks, whose hordes were at no great distance. Care and fear having deprived him of repose, he rose from his couch of affliction, and, accompanied by his aide-de-camp, took a walk through the village, as it was a clear and starry night. There they saw a ragged beggar sleeping soundly, and snoring loudly on a little dirty straw on the roadside. " Beggar," said the prince (his aide-de-camp having roused the man by his stick) " how is it that thou, wretch, sleep- est so sweet and sound, while a great prince like me am de- prived of a moment's rest ?" — " Why, sir ! go to yon public house, ask the host for a large glass of the strong brandy that Beggar Ch. usually drinks, swallow that, turn to your tent, and you shall sleep as sound as I did ere you disturbed me." This done, the prince returned to his bed, and slept alarmingly sound to a late hour next morning. But he awoke along with a severe headache, a disagreeable bitterness in his mouth and stomach, a shivering through the whole of his body, and a returning of all his cares, fears, and melancholy thoughts, with iucreased violence. Instantly he returned to his beggar, to see if the latter suffers like himself after the drug. Not at all — the beggar, on his straw bundle, is as gay and happy as a bird, and repeats with energy a cheerful song. " Tell me now the reason of this strange disparity," said the prince. " Why I am so downcast, and thou so cheerful after the same drug ?" " Ah ! certainly," said the beggar, " You must have neglected to repeat the operation as soon as you rose from your bed — a thing that I do always." The prince took the hint, swallowed another cup, slept again for twelve hours, but rose far worse and more miserable than he did after the first experiment. When again returning to his beggar doc- tor, the prince said, " Tell me, beggar, what is the reason that the same drug produces opposite effects in us ; for though it operates well with me at first, it leaves very bad consequences behind it ?" " Pardon, sir," says the beggar," it was quite the same with me, when a wealthy man, and when, by some incidents, I began to use this infallible cure ; but be you once reduced to my present condition, and have it repeated as often as I did, then it will certainly produce the same effects ou your constitution as it does on mine." Somewhat bewildered at this curious statement, the prince asked hia beggarly ad- viser once more, "And, pray, how long must this medicine continue to be used until it should effect the perfect cure ?" " Until you die, sir, and your cares and trouble-, an for ever gone," replied the beggar easily, but quite earnestly Shocked at this horrid declaration, the prince vividly t \. claimed, " Then, I choose rather to die a sorrowful, and sleepless, but sober prince, than a cheerful, sound-sleeping. 94 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. less desert, instead of returning straight backward, when convinced of his critical position, speculated to find out some nearer path, or rather sought to esta- blish himself where he was, at some green spot ; and in so doing went from bad to worse. He now searched new plans, and the following passage de- scribes some new experiments on a far larger scale than any of those he had made before. 3. I searched out* in mine heart,f to cherish my flesh with wine : Mine heart being still guided with wisdom ; — Also to embrace folly until I might see Which of them was best for the children of men, To be practised by them, under the heavens, all the days of their lives. but drunken beggar." Was not this the very case with Solo- mon in the above passage ? Does not the above anecdote contain a beneficial lesson for thousands of wealthy and intel- lectual men, who, beguiled by Satan, torture the days of their existence, and drown their energy, and waste their fortunes by poisoning and enervating liquors, and by the deceiving and vanishing pleasures of this world ? * -n-n (Tarty) " I searched out," the verb nin (Tur) sig- nifying, " to spy out, to search out," &c. Here it describes the firm resolution come to by Solomon after a long search about new plans, and new experiments, and the manner to carry them into practice. f " To cherish my flesh (or my body) with wine." This is the literal translation, and we consider it to be the right and true sense of the phrase. The rendering in the common ver- sion, " to give myself unto wine." is a far-fetched suggestion, and an erroneous paraphrase. IVH (Ma&hach) signifies origi- nally " To draw," in any manner, and by any means — hence also to draw one out (to persuade him to come out) by attrac- tion, or allurement, as Judges iv. G, 7- It means also " to che- rish," a- to cherish goOd habits, fine arts, or to cherish wisdom. Thus it should be rendered in Job xxviii. 3 , : , :j 1 : n*;r^ --•" (Umcshcch chochmah mipninim) " and the cherishing of wisdom above rubies." The tome, in our verse, stands figu- ratively for fat things, and dainty meats. " To cherish my flesh with wine," means, therefore, " to alluie and cherish the chap. ii. 3. 95 This awful resolution of the wandering and stag- gering hero of old was an exceedingly comprehen- sive and complicated one. It was his last, greatest, and longest (as to the time it needed for its accom- plishment) and also the most violent experiment, which he made among the heaps of worldly vanities, when he sought for solid pleasure and lasting ad- vantage out of God, far from His temple, and inde- pendent of religion. In this one experiment, all the former three (which proved failures when practised separately) were now included, and practised collec- tively. First of all, Solomon examined carefully the works, labours, and operations of the human family, and found them all to be " vanity of vani- ties." He next examined, tried, and practised worldly wisdom by itself, and found it to be a source of grief and vexation of spirit. He then undertook and accomplished a course of jollity and merriment by itself, and found it to be madness and degradation. Now, he resolved to take these three courses unitedly, to make a summary experiment with them all, and to see how they would act in concert ? — how in union they would influence his mind — what effects they would produce on him together? — and also to see and judge which of them was the more pre- ferable ? " I searched out in my heart to cherish my flesh with wine," that is to say, that after much search and thought about a new course of experiments, he resolved upon that first of all, to continue to cherish or indulge his flesh (or body), by feeding it with the choicest meats and drinks, and with the gayest plea- sures of high life (of which ivine is an ample figure) — " mine heart being still guided by wisdom," i.e. body, by feeding it ricbly with royal dainties, not to let it want anything, but supply it with all that is good and taste- ful. 96 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. not as formerly when he tried mirth and merriment by itself, and abandoned entirely the study and prac- tice of science all the time, and delivered himself altogether into the bosom of wild pleasures and tumultuous merriment. But now he would study and practise science, and cultivate it, even when in- dulging in all the pleasures and gratifications of the flesh. " Also to embrace folly," viz., that neither the study of worldly wisdom, nor the indulgence in worldly pleasures, should interfere with his practising " folly," in the shape of building and planting, &c. — a thing which he found out to be, folly and vanity, when considered by itself. The whole of this monstrous fabric should continue its course, " until I might see which of them was best for the children of men, to be practised by them under the heavens all the days of their lives." Now follows an awful catalogue of the different materials employed for the building of that Babylon of confusion and folly. 4. I then enlarged my operations ; I built me houses ; I planted me vineyards ; 5. I made me gardens, and orchards, And planted in them fruit-trees of every kind ; 6. I made me pools of water, To water therewith a growing plantation of trees j 7. I purchased men-servants and maid-servants, Had also servants born in my house ; I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, Above all that were before me in Jerusalem ; 8. I gathered me also silver and gold, And precious treasures, from kings and their countries ; I procured me men-singers and women-singers ; Also the delight of men, a princess and princesses.* • The two last words of this Terse nViw TTW (Shidah, Y. Shidoth) have baffled the skill and speculations of ancient and chap. ii. 4 — 11. 97 9. Thus I became great, and increased Above any who had been before me in Jerusalem : My wisdom also remained with me. 10. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I refused them not ; I restrained not my heart from any pleasure ; For my heart rejoiced in all my labour: And this was my (only) portion of all my toils. modern translators and lexicographers. Some wished it to mean, "musical instruments," because it comes after the singers. This opinion was embraced by the English transla- tors, Luther, and the French version, &c. But there is not even the shadow of a letter in these words to make of it a " musical instrument," and the mere suggestion, because it follows "singers," is futile. The LXX., ani after it Park- hurst, and others, renders it " male and female cup-bearers," on no better ground than the former. Other inventions, as " captives, cups, chariots," &c, have all the same value as the former. The fact is, that we shall seek in vain the root of these words in the Hebrew or Chaldee languages, while they certainly are Arabs. SiXaam (Sydah), in Arabic, means, "Lady, princess," or "mistress," while in the plural it is i" t ltXA>* (Sydath). The Rabbies, who put th.e punctuation to the Hebrew text, not knowing the meaning of these words, put the • on the right head of the e, while it should be rv-b", Trie (Sydah, Ye-Sydoth). The singular Sydah is exactly like in the Arabic, but the plural is here made after the Hebrew form, by a "i (o) , while in the Arabic it is made by \ (alifT), the 1 conjunctive being the same in both languages. Gesenius well remarks, that had Solomon omitted his Harems in the abo\e list, the whole would be incomplete. There may be many reasons assigned why Solomon chose to mention that most painful subject (as his passion, and the many idolatrous wives contributed most to estrange him from God, and nearly ruined him for ever) under Arabic names. "A princess and princesses," or " a lady and ladies," is evi- dently intended to hint at the awful numbers of the same — — not onlv one, but many. Likely, Pharoah's daughter was the chief queen, the others subordinates, and the concubines, serving the queen as ladies' maids, at the same time were in- cluded in the servants of verse 7. G 98 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. 11. But when I looked on all the works of my hands, And on the labour I spent to accomplish them, Behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, And there is no advantage under the sun. Here, Christian reader, we have an enormous catalogue of immense materials, articles, and objects, operations and compositions, invented, collected, and executed by the wisest and richest of mortals, in an experiment undertaken and accomplished on the largest possible scale. Here we have before us a most striking picture, representing in vivid colours Satan, the prince of this world, with all his stores and magazines. They are apparently brilliant, but in reality vanishing play-works of decaying dust. With these childish toys he attracts, entices, and deceives fallen man, whom he draws far away from God and eternity, and then drags him mercilessly and cruelly into the bottomless pit of everlasting ruin. An exact balance is here suspended before our eyes. On the one scale we behold all the riches, pleasures, and enjoyments of every sort and colour which this world can exhibit to attract human fancy ; magnificent palaces replenished with the richest ornaments, with furnitures of cedar and precious metals, with curtains, pavilions, and tapestry of the finest silks and gold embroideries ; splendid flower gardens, groves and orchards, verdant and flourishing woods, with delightful walking galleries, all pro- vided with rivulets and pools of circulating and re- freshing waters ; enormous flocks and herds feeding in the rich valleys of Sharon and Dashan; crowds of men and maid-servants, busily employed in the palaces and courts, stalls and stablings, vineyards and green-gardens, kitchens and diniog-halls, pre- paring everything for comfort and pleasure which chap. ii. 4— 11. 99 human desire and fancy can invent ; sublime bands of music, of singers and songstresses, to please the ear, cheer the heart, stimulate the palate, provoke dancing and merriment, adorn and enliven the balls and parties, and to keep open the eyes of the host and his august guests during the silent and dreary watches of the night ; storehouses and cellars of wines, filled to the doors with all sorts of provisions and plenty for time to come ; large and strong trea- sures, filled with a vast accumulation of silver and gold, precious stones, and the choicest treasures of kings and of their different countries ; a very nume- rous Harem-family, containing a thousand of chosen beauties from among the fair daughters of Jerusa- lem and from distant lands ; in short, all that the human eye can wish and the heart desire, all lies upon the one scale of the balance. On the other scale we see nothing more but common sense, not even a word of religion, not an iota of revelation (as Solomon ceased to be a religious man long before the time of making this experiment). The simple and sincere judgment, pronounced by the very man who put these things into the scales of the balance, must surely be decisive. The judge was by no means prepossessed with any prejudice ; on the con- trary, he was animated with a hot desire to weigh and taste these things, and embrace the one or the other. But behold now, the overloaded scale was found wanting. Common sense alone lifted its rival scale into the air, and exposed its hollowness. The ever partial judge was forced by equity to pro- nounce a verdict of condemnation on the enormously heaped but deceiving scale. Yea, the judge tells us that though during the time of gathering and heap- ing up the vast materials, he was carried astray by their false brilliancy and attraction, still when he 100 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. got them all on the one scale, and put common sense on the other, he found the former to be madness and vanity, deception and vexation of spirit, with- out any real satisfaction, and without any lasting advantage to their beguiled worshippers. Such was the verdict of common sense against perishing pleasures and worldly vanities ; but reve- lation speaks in the following manner : " If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, along with the lust thereof ; but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever.''" (1 John ii. 15 — 17). Now you ensnared, misguided, and blinded victim of this world, consider for a moment your mad career and your certain destruction. Behold in the above mirror, your labours of vanity, your useless, destruc- tive, and violent behaviour, and hear your just con- demnation according to either of the above verdicts. Listen one instant to the calm, lovely, and devoted and experienced Apostle John, and to his judgment about this deceiving world and its foolish vanities, and then look for another moment upon and into yourself, and then tell me what is your condition, and what will be your end ? Ah ! but you are an infidel, you do not believe in revelation. Or you sav, perhaps, in your own ironical manner, that John was too severe in his judgment, or that he could not have been a competent judge in those matters, because he was poor, and consequently could not try and know the sweet and attractive objects of this world. Well then, turn to the rich and mighty Solomon, and hear and examine his above-made confession and pronounced judgment CHAP. II. 4— 11. 101 regarding an experiment which he made at a time when completely estranged from God and religion — even as you are now. 0, see then and hear how he condemns you and your labours of vanity, and your mad and wild behaviour, and your indulgence in vanishing pleasures and bewildering merriments, and all that according to the judgment of common sense, and not according to revealed religion as by John! We have now seen how Solomon invented, under- took, and accomplished the greatest of his experi- ments ; also, how he considered and examined it at last, and what judgment he pronounced against it. But this threefold and complicated experiment was intended to serve at the same time another and most important object. As stated in verse 3, Solomon was to try worldly wisdom, wordly pleasures, and worldly works together, to see them acting in union, and then to judge which of them was best, or the more profitable for the practice of mortal man during his short sojourn on earth. In verse 9 Solomon told us, that his plan was most faithfully executed. In the midst of the tumult of building and planting, of eating and drinking, and merriment and pleasure hunting of every sort and character, he says, " my wisdom also remained with me" — that is to say, that not only had he set apart certain hours for cultivat- ing science, but his wisdom also assisted him in all his plans and vast undertakings. Having thus examined the three occupations together, and beside each other, and having come to the conclusion that even all collectively could afford no solid satis- faction, no durable pleasure, and no lasting advan- tage, he now proceeds to shew us which of them, singly considered, was still the more preferable in itself. 102 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. 12. I then turned myself to consider wisdom And to consider madness and folly ; For who is the man that can compete with the King In the things which he hath already accomplished ? The last portion of this verse is of a very diffi- cult and critical construction in the Hebrew text. But the context makes it evident that the latter part of the verse is intended as an explanation of the former. "When Solomon tells us that he re- turned to the subject with a view to examine mad- ness and folly beside wisdom, and to see which of them was preferable for man to practise, he then gives us the reason why he was so anxious to make that examination. This reason he gives in the latter part of this verse, i.e., because he thought that there would scarcely be found another man like him, even in succeeding generations, in whom so much wisdom and knowledge, so much mental and ruling power, so much riches and prosperity, should be con- nected, as to enable him " to compete" with (or come up to, or rival) the King (i.e., Solomon) in congregating another such army of the above de- scribed vanities, in order to renew the experiment and judge for himself. Seeing, therefore, that he was tlie hrst, and probably the last man, of conceiv- ing the plan and executing it on such a vast scale, he thought it his duty to examine the subject in every point possible, and to leave his calm and de- cided judgment about it to posterity. Having, therefore, examined and judged the three " sore occupations" of man together, i.e., the folly of build- ing and planting and toiling,