ground for its acceptance. And Dean Plumptre deserves great credit for the invention of the story, and its presentation in a most fascinating form. But regarded by sober criticism, does it satisfy the requirements of the case? Is it necessitated by the language of the book? Is there no other theory, less novel and violent, which will equally or better meet the circumstances ? The objections to the "ideal biography " may here bu very briefly stated, as we shall have occasion to discuss many of them more fully in our account of the plan and object of our book. The whole romance is based on the assumption that the work is replete with Grecisms, t.races of Alexandrian thought, echoes of Greek philosophy and literature. Remove this foundation, and the beautiful edifice crumbles into dust. Our study of the book has led to a very opposite conclusion from that enter- tained in this very ideal biography. The alleged Hellenisms, the Stoicism and Epicureanism, do not stand the test of unprejudiced criticism, and are capable of being explained without going so far afield. The particular examination of these items we defer to another section, but thus much may be here said-the adduced expressions and views are the natural outcome of Hebrew thought, have nothing extraneous in their origin, and are analogous to post-Aristotelian sentiments, not because they are consciously derived from this fount, but because they are the produce of the same human mind, reflecting upon problems which have perplexed thinkers in every age and country. Restless speculation, combined with a certain infidelity, was rife among men; Koheleth reflects this mental activity, this endeavour to grapple with difficult questions, and to offer solutions from varying points of view: what wonder that, in the course of bis disquisition, he should present parallels to the opinions of the Stoic or Epicurean, who had gone over the same ground as himself ? There is no plagiarism, no borrowing of ideas here ; the evolution is, as it were, inspired by the subject. "We do not make our thoughts; they grow in us Like grain ill wood : the growth is of the skies; The skies, of nature ; nature, of God. The world Is full of glorious likenesses; and these 'Tis the bard's task, beside his general scope Of story, fancy framed, to assort, and make From the common chords man's heart is strung withal, Music; from dumb earth heavenly harmony." (Bailey, 'Festus.') In short, tho book is a product of the chokma literature, practically religious, and more concerned with the life and circumstances of man generally than with man as a member of the commonwealth of Israel. The Hebrew, in this and similar works, divests himself in some degree of hie peculiar nationality, and speaks as man to man, as one of the great human family, and not as an item in a narrow fraternity. Not that revelation is ignored, or the writer forgets his theocratical position; he simply places it in the background, tak;es it £or granted, and, virtually ECOLEBUBTES, C xdii INTRODUCTION 'l'O
grounding bis lucubrations thereon, does not bring it forw:u·d prominently and distinctly. So Kobeleth, in all his warnings of the vanity of earthly things, shows tbat beneath this sad experience and melancholy view lies a firm faith in the justice of God, and belief in the future judgment, which could be derived only from the inspired history of his people.
§ 3. CONTENTS, PLA.N, AND OBJECT.
The following is an analysis of our book as it lies before us:- .After announcing his name and position, "Koheleth, son of David and King in Jerusalem," the author puts forth the thesis which forms the subject of his treatise: "Vanity of vanities; all is vanity." Man's labour is profitless; nature and human life repeat themselves in monotonous succession, and all mnst fall ere long into oblivion. Nothing is new, nothing is lasting (eh. i. 1-11). This is the prologue; the rest ,cif the book is taken up with the writer's various experiences and deductions tberefrom. He had been king, and had tried to find some sa,tisfaction in ,many pursuits and under various circumstances, but in vain. The striving for wisdom is a feeding on wind; there is always something that eludes. the grasp. There are anomalies in nature and in human· affairs thai men are powerless to comprehend and to rectify; and sorrow grows with,increasing knowledge (eh. i. 12-18). He takes a new quest; he tries pleasure; he tests his heart with folly : in vain. He turns to art, to architecture, horti.. culture, kingly state and magnificence, luxury, and the amassing of wealth; there was no profit in any of them (eh. ii, 1-11). He studied human nature in its manifold phases of wisdom and· folly, and he learned thus much, that the former excels the latter as light excels darkness ; yet with this came the thought that death levelled all distinctions, placed wise man and fool in the same category. Besides this, be one never so rich, he must leave the results of his labours to another, who may be unworthy to succeed him. .A.11 this bitter experience .iorces the conclusion that temperate enjoyment of the goods of this life is the only proper aim; and that this is entirely the gift of God, who dispenses this pleasure or withholds it according to man's actions and disposition. .A.t the same time, this limita- tion impresses on man's labour and enjoyment a character of vanity and unreality (eh. ii. 12-26). Now, man's happiness depends upon God's will, and he has arranged all things according to immutable laws, so that even the minutest matters have each their proper time and season. . General experience proves this; it is useless to struggle against it, however inex- plicable it may seem to be; man's duty and comfort is to recognize this providential government and practically to acquiesce therein ( oh. iii. 1- 15). There are injustices, disorders, anomalies in the world, which man cannot remedy by 11.ny exertion of his own, and which impede his peaceful enjoyment; but, doubtless, there shall be a day of retribution, when all ECCLESIASTES; OR, THE PREACHER. xix