The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 38

dition of mental' life. And transition frotn one· mode of excitement to another is a constituent ofa pleo.sura.ble life. 'l'hus, in the case of the intellectual man, the aim is to know and to study ever new things; whilst in the case of the n;ian of energy ~nd nctivity, the impulse is to view new scenes, to undertake new enterprises. It is this 1,rinciple in our nature which accounts for· the efforts men put forth, and for the Hacrificee to which men willingly submit. II. THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF REAL- NOVELTY IN THE NATURAL WORLD AND IN BUMA~ AFFAIRS. A little reflection will convince us that continuous novelt.y is unattainable. 'fhe laws of nature remain the same, and their sameness produces effects which with familiarity produce the effect of monotony. The conditions of human life do not materially vary from year to year, from age to age. And human nature possesses certain constant factors, 'in virtue of which men's employments and pleasures, hopes, sufferings, and fears remain substantially as they were in former times. The chief exception to this rule arises from ·the fact' that what is old to one generation is for a while new to its successor. • But it must not be forgotten that the individual, if favour- ably circumstanced, soon exhausts the variety of human experience. The voluptuary offers a reward to him who can invent· a new pleasure. 'l'he hero weeps for want of a new world to conquer. The child of fortune experiences in the satisfaction of his wants, and even his caprices, the ennui which is a proof that lie has followed the round of occupations and ple.asures until all have been exhausted. Thus the most favoured are in some cases the least happy, and the most ready to join in the complaint, "Vanity of vanities; all is vanity!" III. IT IS THE SPIRITUAL IlE,l,LM W;rrICH IS, EBPECIAJ;,LY CHARACTERIZED BY NE=Ess. If it is imp.ossible'that the Book of Ecclesiastes should be written over again in the Christian ages, the reason is that the fuller and sublime revelations tnade by the Son of God incarnate have enriched human thought and life beyond all calculation. There is no comparison between the comparative poverty of knowledge and of life, even under the Mosaic economy in ancient times, arid "the unsearchable riches of Christ." None can exhaust the treasures of knO\vledge and wiadoru, the possibilities of consecrated service and spiritual progress, distinctive of the Ch,rist)an dispensation. Christianity is emphatically a religion of newness. It is itse1f the new covenant; its choicest gift to man is the new heart; it summons the disciples of the Redeemer to newness of life; it puts in their mouth a new song; whilst it opens up in the future the glorious prospect of new heal'.ens ant! a new earth. God comes in the Person of his Son to this sin-stricken humanity; and his assurance and promise is this: '' B.ehold, I make all things new," And in: fulfilment of this assurance, the Church of Christ rejoices in the experience expressed in the declaration, "Old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new."-'r. • Vera: '.12-18,:--The vanity of liuman wisdom. Solomon was one of the great, magnificent, and famous kin~s of the East, and was e!I),inent both for possessions and abilities. The splendour of his court and capital may have impressed the popular mind more profoundly than anything else attaching to him. But bis wisdom was his most distinctive and honourable peculiarity. At the beginning of his reign he had sought this from God as bis supreme gift, and the gift had been bestowed upo11 him and continued to him. Its evidences were striking and universally acknowledged. As a king, a judge; an administrator, a writer, a religious teacher, Solomon was pre-eminently wise. It must be admitted that he did not always make the best use of the marvellone talents entrusted to him. But he was well able to speak from his own experience of the gift of wisdom; aud none was ever better able to speak of its vanity. I. THE POSSESSION AND EXERCISE OF WISDOM. 1. 'fhis implies natural ability, as a foundation; and, if this be absent, eminence is impossible. 2. It Implies also good opportunities. There are doubtless many endowed with native powers, to whom are denied the means of calling forth and training those powers, which accordingly lie dormant throughout the whole of life. 3. It implies the diligent cultivation of natural powers, and the diligent use of precious opportunities. 4. It implies prolonged experience-" years that bring the philosophio mind." H. TnE LIMITATION OF HUMAN WISDOM. To the view of the uncultivated and inoxperioncod, the knowledge of the accomplished student seems boundle~s, an<l tl'.c 20 ECCLESIASTES ; OR, THE PREACHER. [OH, l, 1-18,