The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 46

chance of being omitted from the sacred canon. But it has its place in the Word. of God; and those who have known anything of the doubts and speculations contained in it will find it profit~ble to trace the course of thqught that nms through it, until they find the solid and positive teaching which the Preacher at lasts gives. The distressing fact remains, and must be encountered, that to those who have had long experience uf the worl<l, and whose horizon'is bounded by it, who see only the things that are done "under the sun," in the midst' of ever-recurring changes, there seems to be little or no progress, and tha,t which appears to be new is- but a repetition of the old. But they should remember that this world is meant as a place of probation for us-a school in which we are to learn great lessons; and that all the changing circumstances of life serve, and are meant to serve, to develop our nature and character. If it were to be our abiding-place, many improvements in it might be suggested. It is not by any means the best of possible worJd.s; but for purposes of education, discipline, and testing, it is perfectly adapted. '' Rest yet rema1neth for the people of God;" it is not here, but iu a world to come.. Thi_s truth-is admirably stated by the poet Spenser, who perhaps unconsciously reproduces the melancholy thoughts of Solomon, and answers them. He speaks· of Mutability Sl)eking to be honoured above all the heavenly powers, as being the chief ruler. in the universe, and as indeed governing all things. In a synod of th.e gods, she is silenced by Natm;e, wbo combats her claims, and speaks of a time to come when her present apparent power will come to an end- " But time shall come that all shall changed bee,· And from thenceforth none no more change shall see." And _then the wet adds- " When I bethinke me on that speech whylearo [former] Of Mutability, aud well it way, Me seemes, that though _she all unworthy were Of the Heav'ns Rule; yet, very sooth to say, In all things else she bears the greatest sway: Which mo.kes me loo.th this state of life so tickle [unsure], And love of things so vain to cast away; Whose liow'ring pride, so fading and so fickle, Short ,Time shall soon cut down with his consnming sickle. "Then gin I thinke on the.t which Nature sayd, Of that samo time when no more Change shall be, But stedfast rest of all things, firmely st1Lyd Upon tho pillours of Eternity, That is contra.yr to Mutability; For o.ll tho.t moveth doth in Chnuge delight: But thence-forth all shall rest eternally With him that is the God of So.bbaotli hight: 01 thnt gre1Lt Sabbaoth God, grant me tho.t Sabbaoth's sight!" III. LIFE DESTINED TO END IN UTTER ODLIVION. To all thl'se considerations of the resultlessness of life, of changefulness and monotony, is added that of the oblivion that sooner or later overtakes man and all his works (ver. 11). "There is no remem- brance of the former generations; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter generations that are to come, among those that shall come after" (Revised Version). One generation supersedes another; the new co[l,le up with fresh interests and schemes of their own, and hustle the old off the stage, aml are themselves in their turn forced to give place to those who come up after them. Nations cfoappear from the earth's surface and are forgotten. 'l'he memorials of former civilizations lie buried in the sand, or are defacell and. destroyed to make room for something else. On every page of creation we find the sentence written, that there is nothing here that lasts. Almost no means can be devised to carry down to succeeding genera- tions even the names of the greatest conquerors, of men who in their time seemed to have the strength of gods, and to have changed the history of the world. The earth has many secrets in her keeping, and is sometimes forced to yield up a few of them. " 'l'he ploughshare strikes against the foundations of buildings which once echoed to human mirth; skeletons pf men to whom life once was dear; urns and coins that  28 ECCtll:St.A.STES; OR, TH~ PitEA.CiiER.