The transition from this result to the opening thoughts of ch. iv seems at first somewhat abrujit. But the Preacher is retracing the patlis by wliich he had been actually led to a higher truth than that in which he had then rested, and he will not, for the sake of a formal continuity, smoctii over its ruggedness. The new track on which he was entering might liave seemed less promising than the old. Instead of the self-centred search after happiness lie looks out upon the miseries and disorders of the world, and learns to
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sympathize with suffering (iv, 1). At first this does but uuiltiply his perplexities. The world is out of joint. Men are so full of misery that death is better than life (iv, 2). Successful energj' exposes men to envj' (iv, 4). Indolence leads to poverty (iv, 5). Here, too, he who steers clear of both extremes has the best portion (iv, 6). The man who heaps up riches stands alone without kindred to share or inherit them, and loses all the blessings and advantages of human fel- lowship (iv, 8-l"2). Moreover, in this survey of life on a large scale, as in that of a personal experience, there is a cycle which is ever repeated. The old and foolish king 3'ields to the young man, poor and wise, who steps from his prison to a throne (iv, 13, 14). But he too has his successor. There are generations without limit before him, and shall be after him (iii, 15, 16). All human greatness is swallowed up in the great stream of time.
The opening thought of ch. v again presents the ap- pearance of abruptness, but it is because the surve}' of human life takes a yet wider range. The eye of the Preacher passes from the dwellers in palaces to the worshippers in the Temple, the devout and religious men. Have they found out the secret of life, the path to wisdom and happiness ? The answer to that ques- tion is that there the blindness and folly of mankind show themselves in their worst forms. Hypocrisy, unseemly 'praj'ers, idle dreams, broken vows, God's messenger, the Priest, mocked with excuses — that was what the religion which the Preacher witnessed pre- sented to him (v, 1-6). The command " Fear thou God," meant that a man was to take no part in a relig- ion such as this. But that command also suggested the solution of another problem, of that prevalence of injustice and oppression which had before weighed, down the spirit of the inquirer. Above all tyranny of petty governors, above the might of the king him- self, there was the power of the Highest (v, 8) ; and his judgment was manifest even upon earth. Was there, after all, so great an inequality ? Was God's purpose, that the earth should be for all, really counteracted? (v, 9). AVas the rich man with his cares iind fears happier than the laboring man whose sleep was sweet without riches ? (v, 10-1-2). Was there anj'tliing per- manent in tliat wealth of his.' Did he not leave the world naked as he entered it.' And if so,4lid not all this bring the inquirer round to the same conclusion as before ? Moderation, self-control, freedom from all dis- turbing passions, these are the conditions of the maxi- mum of happiness which is possible for man on earth. Let this be received as from God. Not tiie outward means only, but the verj' capacitj' of enjoyment is his gift (v, 18, 19). Short as life ma}' be, if a man thus enjoys, he makes the most of it. God approves and answers his cheerfulness. Is not this l)etter than the riches or length of days on which men set their hearts .' (vi, 1- 5V All are equal in death ; all are nearh' equal in life (vi, 6). To feed the eyes with what is actually before them is better than the ceaseless wanderings of the spirit (vi, 9).
(in.) Chap, vi, 10-viii, 15. So far the lines of tliought all seemed to converge to one result. The ethical teaching that grew out of the wise man's expe- rience had in it something akin to the higher forms of Epicureanism. But the seeker could not rest in this, and found Iiimself beset with thoughts at once more trouliliiig and le.iding to a iiigher truth. The spirit of man looks before and after, and the uncertainties of the future vex it (vi, 12). A good name is better, as being more ])ermanent, than riches (vii, 1); death is better than life, the house of mourning than the house of feasting (vii, 2). Self-command and the spir- it of calm endurance are a better safeguard against vain speculations than any form of enjoyment (vii, 8, 9, 10). Tliis wisdom is not onlj' a defence, as lower things in their measure mav be, but it gives life to them that have it (vii, 12). So far there are signs of III.— 0
a clearer insight into the end of life. Then comes an oscillation which carries him back to the old problems (vii, 15). Wisdom suggests a half-solution of them (vii, 18), suggests also calmness, caution, humility in dealing with them (vii, 22) ; but this is again followed by a relapse into the bitterness of the sated pleasure- seeker. The search after wisdom, such as it had been in his experience, had led only to the discover}^ that, though men were wicked, women were more wicked still (vii, 26-29). The repetition of thoughts that had appeared before is perhaps the natural consequence of such an oscillation, and accordinglj' in ch. viii we find the seeker moving in the same round as before. Tliero are the old reflections on the miser}' of man (viii, 6), and the confusions in the moral order of the universe (viii, 10, 11), tlie old conclusion that enjoyment (such enjoyment as is compatible with the fear of God) is the only wisdom (viii, 15).