the admonition of one who perceives that a thankful participation of the good things of life is compatible with the sincerest piety. Eatiug and drinking mean satisfying tho natural appetites, and not ministering to artifioial and self-created cravings; and over- indulgence in so doing is tacitly forbidden. The words suggest to us the simple healthy life aud habits of the industrious peasant or workman, who takes pleasure in his daily employment, and finds in the innocent joys which sweeten his lot a happiness which mere wealth can11ot buy, " The shepherd's homely curds, His cold tbiu drink out of his leather bottle, His wonted sleep under a fresh tree's shade, All which secure and sweetly be enjoys, Is far beyond a prince's delicates, His viands sp1trkling in a golden cup, His body couched in a curious bed, When care, mistrust, and treason wait on him." (' Henry VI.,' Part III., act ii. BO. 5.) II. In the second place, our author tells us THE SOURCE OF THIS HAPPINESS-IT IS THE GIFT OF Gon. (Ver. 24b.) . "This also I saw, that it was 'from the hand of God. For who can cat or who can have enjoyment apart from him?" (Revised Version margin). These words are quite sufficient to convince us that ·a low Epicureanism is far from the writer's thoughts when he speaks of there being nothing better for a man than "to eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labour:" One thing is necessary for the accomplishment of this end, and that is the Divine blessing. Satis- faction in work and in pleasure is a girt bestowed by him upon those who deserve it. "What we get here is the recognition of what we have learnt to call the moral government of God in the distribution of happiness. It is found to depend, not on outward but inward condition, and the chief inward condition is the character that God approves. The Preacher practically confesses that the life of the pleasure-seeker, or the ambitious, or the philosopher, seeking wisdom as an ·end, was not good before Goel, and therefore failed to bring contentment" (Plumptre). The source, then, of happiness in life is in obedience to the Divine will. To the gifts of his providence God adds the temper in which to enjoy them; from his hand both must be sought. Those who seek to be independent of him find that all they may acquire is insufficient to satisfy them; those who place all their confidence in him are contented with even the hardest lot (.Phil. iv. 11-13). "Wisdom, knowledge, and joy" ate the portion of the good, whether they be poor or rich in this world's wealth; but the sinner has only the fruitless labour from which he can derive no satisfaction (ver. 26). And over again the Preacher writes the dreary sentence, "This also is vanity and vexation of spirit," upon the life in which God is not.-J. W.
EXPOSITION. of antithetical sentences. In Hebrew manu- CHAPTER III. scripts and most printed texts vers. 2-8 are Vers.1-22.-Section 4. In confirmation of o.rranged in two parallel columns, so that the truth that man's happiness depends upon one " time" always stands under 1mother. the will of God, Koheleth proceeds to show A similar arrangement is found in Josh. how Providence arrange.tJ eren the minutest xii. 9, etc., containing the catalogue of the eoncerns; that man can alt.er wtlting, 1mtBt conquered Ca.nnanite kings; and in Esth. ,nake the best of things as they are, bear with ix. 7, etc., giving the names of Ho.man's ten anomalies, bounding his desires by t!.is present sons. In the p.-esent po.ssage we ho.ve four- life. teen pairs of contrasts, ranging from extcrno.l Vcrs. 1-8.-The providence of God dis- circumeta.nces to the inner affections of mo.u'e poses and arranges every detail of man's life. being. This proposition is etated first generally, Ver. 1.-To every thing the1·e is a season, nut! then worked out in particular by means and a time to every purpose under heaven. @. Ill. 1-22.] F.CCLESIASTF,S; on, THE PREACHEU.