The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 87

each event occurs ot the time and falls into the place appointed for it by infinite wisdom. Nor is this true merely of such events as are wholly and exclusively in his power, like births and deaths (ver. 2), but of such also as to some extent at least are within man's control, as e.g. the planting of a field and the plucking up of that which is planted (ver. 2), killing and healing, breaking down and building up (ver. 3), weep- ing ond laughing (ver. 4), etc. Men may flatter themselves that of these latter actions they are the sole originators, have both the choosing of their times and the fixing of th~ir forms; but according to the Preacher, God's supremacy is as little to be disputed in them as in the matler of man's coming into or going out from the world. We express this thought by citing the well-known proverb, "Man proposes, but God dis- poses," or the familiar words of Shakespeare-- "There's a divinity that shapes om ends, Rough-hew them how we will." ('Hamlet,' act v. so. 2.) 4. Beauty: no defect or deformity in mundane affairs. This cannot ~ignify that in such events and actions as "killing," "hating," "warring," there is never anything wrong; that God regards them only as good in the making, and generally that sin is a. necessary stage in the development of human nature. The Preacher is not pronouncing jndgment upon the moral qualities of the actions he enumerates, but merely calling attention to their fitness for the tirues and seasons to which they have been assigned by God. Going back in thought to the "Very good!" of the Creator when he rested from his labours at the..close of the sixth day (Gen. i. 31), the Preacher cannot think of saying less of the work God is still carrying on in evolving the plan and programme of bis purpose. "God bath made everything beautiful in its time" (cf. ver. 11): beautiful in itself, so far as it is a work of his; but beautiful not less in its time, even when the work, as not being entirely his, is not beautiful in itself, or in its inward essence. Cf. Shakespeare's- " How many things by season seasoned are To their right praise and true perfection I" (' Merchant of Venice,' act v. BO, 1.) Ileautiful in themselves and their time11 are the seasons of the year, the ages of man, nnd the changing experiences through which he passes; beautiful, at ltast in their times, are numerous human actions which God cannot be regarded as approving, but which nevertheless he permits to occur because be sees the hour has struck for their occurring. As it were, the glowing wheels of Divine providence never fail to keep time with t.he great clock of eternity. II. THE DEAOTIFOL RELATION OF MAN TO THE WORLD. Also expressed in four words. 1. Weariness: no pe1fect rest in the midst cf mundane affairs. Not only is man tossed about continually by the multitudinous vicissitudes of which he is the subject, but he derives almost no satisfaction from the thought that in all these changes there is a beautiful because divinely appointed harmony, and a beneficent bl'cause Hea.ven- ordained purpose. The order pervading the universe is something outside of and beyond b1m. The fi:xing of the right times is a work in which he cannot, even in a 8mall degree, co-operate. As a wise ruan, he may wish to have every action in which he bears a p.i.1t performed at the set time marked out for it on the clock of eternity; but the very attempt to find out for each action the right time only aggravates tho fatigue of bis labour, and increases the -sense of weariness under which he groans. "What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he labouretb?" Not, certainly, "no profit,'' but not enough to give him rest or even free him from weariness. And this, when viewed from a moral and religious standpoint, is beautiful inasmuch as it prevents (or ought to prevent) man from seeking happiness in mundane affairs. 2. Ignorance: no perfect knowledge of mundane affairs. "No man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." One more proof of the vanity of human life-that no man, however wise and far-seeing, patient and laborious, can discover the plan of God either in the universe as a whole or in his own life; and what renders this a special sorrow is the fact that God bath set" the world [or,' eternity'] in 70 ECCLES1ASTES; OR, THE PREA.CBE:tl. [011. m. 1-22.