begin upon the earth a life which will abound in all that is beaulifnl and blessed, in nll that is great and noble, when the "cyerlasting hills" have ornmbled int• dust.-C. Vers. 7, 8.-WearinlJSS and rest. We have here- I. _TRF. co~1PLAINT-O'.F THE: UNSATISFIED, "All things are full of weariness" (Roviscd Version). 1. There are many obvious sources of satislactiou. Life has rno.11y pleasures, and many happy activities, and much coveted treasure. Human affection, congenial employment, the pursuit of knowledge, "the joys of contest," the excitements of the field of sport, the attainment of ambition, etc. 2. All; of them together fail to satisfy the heart. The eye is not satisfied with seein"', nor the ear with hearin"', nor the tongue with tasting, nor the hand with handling, ~or the mind with. investigating and discovering. All the streams of temporal and worldly pleasure run into the sea of the human soul, but they do not fill it. 'l'he heart, on whatsoever it feeds, is still a-hungrerl, is still athirst. It may seem surprising that when so much that Wll,S craved bas been possessed and enjoyed,. that when so many things have ministered to the mind, there should still oe heart-ache, unrest, spiritual disquietude, the painful question -Who will show us any good? Is life worth having? The profundity, the common- ness and constancy of this complaint, is a very lla.flling and perplexing problem. We surely ought to be satisfied, but we are not. The unillumined mind cannot explain it, the uninspired tongue "cannot utter it." What is the solution? II. !Ts EXPLANATION. Its solution is•not far to seek; it is found in the truth so finely uttered by Augustine, "-0 God, thou hast made us for thyself, and our _heart findeth no rest lllltil it resteth in thee." The human spirit, created in God's image, constituted to possess his own spiritual likeness, formed for truth and righteousness, intended to spend its noble and ever-llllfolding powers in the high service of the Divine,--is it likely that such a one as this, that can be so much, that can !mow so much, that can love the best and highest, that can aspire to _the loftiest and purest well-being, can be satisfied with th.e love that is human, with the knowledge ,that is earthly, with the treasure that is material and_ transient? The ,marvel is, and the pity is, that man, with such powers within him and with such a, destiny before• him, can sometimes sink so low as to be filled and sartisij.ed Vl'.ith the husks of earth, unfilled with the bread of heaven. . III. ITs REMEDY. To us, to whom Jesus Chris·t has spoken, there is a plain and open way of escape from this profound disquietude. We hear the Master say," Come unto me, all ye that labour aud a.re heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you . . . and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (1) In the reconciliation to God, our Divine Father, w:hich we have in Jesus Christ;. (2) in the happy love of our souls to that Divine Friend and Saviour; (3) in the blessed service of our rightful, faithful, considerate Lord; {4) in the not unavailing service we render to those whom he loved and for whom he died; (5) in the glorious hope of immortal life beyond the grave, we do" find rest unto our souls."-C. Vers. 9, 10.-The changing and the ·abiding. W~ are not to take the Preacher's words in too absolute a i;ense. There is that which has been but which is not now. We are sometimes powerfully affected by- I. THE CHANGING. Of those things which bear the marks of time, we may mention: 1. The face of nature. 2. The handiwork of man. We look on prostrate 1ialaces, fallen temples, buried cities, disused and decaying harbours, etc. 3. Historical characters. We have been familiar with the faces and forms of men that have played a great part in their country's history or created an epoch in philosophy, or poetry, or science; bu.t; where are they now? 4. H11man science. Whether medical or surgical, whether geographical, geologiCll-1, philosophical, theological, or of any other order, human science is eha.nuiog continually. The top-stone of yesterday is the stepping-stone of to-day. 0
5. The character of philanthropic work. This was once represented by almsgiving, but to-day we feel that alm.sgiving ie as much of an evil as a good, and that we want to do that for men which will remove for ever all " charity " on the. one side antl all dependence on the other. But look at- Il. 'l'HE ABIDING. Many things remain and will remain; among these arc: 1. T!.e et!. l. 1-18.] ECCLESIASTES; OR, 'l'HE PKBACIJEH.
main featiites· of human life, Labour, sorrow, care, struggle, death ; love, pleasure, success, honour. 2. Typical human characters. We still have with us the false, the licentious, the cruel,,the ee'rvile, the ambitious, etc.; and we still have the meek, the grateful, the generous, th!I ,pure-hearted, the devout, etc. 3. The spiritual elPment. Mon ha".e•not done,.and they never will have done, with the mysterious, the super~ nature.I, the Diviae. They still ask-Whence came we? By whose power are we sustained? 'l'o whom are :we responsible? Whither do we go? How can we know and serve and please God? : 4•. 1'he truth of Jesus Chritt. Heaven and earth may pass away, but his words·~• will not pass away." They are with us still, ancl they will remaiI!, amid nl] wreckage, to enlighten our ignorance, to cheer our sorrow, to accompany our loneliness, to conquer our sin, to light up our departure, to bless and. to enr,ich us, ourselves, wi.th the blessings and the treasures that arc not of earth but of heaven,.,..,..C, .,