The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 88

his heart." !f the "world" be accepted as the true rendering (Jerome, Luther, Ewald>, then probably the meaning is that, though each individual carries about within his bosom in his own personality an image of the world-is, in fact, B microcosmus in which the mncrocosrous or grea.t world is mirrored-nevertheless the problem of the universe eludc>s his grasp. If, however, the translation "eternity" be adopted (Delitzsch, Wright, Plumptre), then the import of the clause will be that God bath planted in the heart of man "a longing after immortality," given him an idea of the infinite and eternal which lies beyond the veil of outward things, and inspired him with a desire to know that which is above and beyond him, yet he cannot find out the secret of the universe in the sense of discovering its plan. ,vith an infinite behind and before him, he can grasp neither the beginning of the work of God in its purpose or plan, nor the end of it in its issues and results, whether to the individual or to the whole. What his eye looks upon is the middle portion passing before him here and now-in com- parison with the whole but an infinitesimal speck-and so he remains with reference to the whole like a person walking in the dark. 3. Submission: no ground for com- plaining as to mundane affairs. Rather in the view presented is much to comfort man. Had the ordering of the universe, or even of his own lot, been left to man, mau. himself would have been the first to regret it. AB Laplace is credited with having said that, if only the Almighty had called him into counsel at the making of the universe, he could have given the Almighty some valuable hints, so are there equally foolish persons who believe they could have drafted for themselves a better life-programme than has been done for them by the supreme Disposer of events. A wise man, however, will always feel grateful that the Almighty has retained the ordering of events in bis own hand, and will meekly submit to the same, believing that God's times are the best times, and that his ways are ever "mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and bis testimonies" (Ps. xxv. 10). 4. Fear: no ;'ustificationfor impiety&r irreverence in mundane affairs. A proper study of the constitution and course of nature, a due recognition of the order pervading all its parts, with a just consideration both of the perfection and permanence (ver. 14) of the Divine working, ought to inspire men with "fear "-of such sort as both to repress within them irreligion and impiety, and to excite within them humility and awe. Ver. 15.-Requiring that which is past. I. IN THE REALM OF NATURE. God seeks after that which is past or has been driven away, in the sense that he recalls or brings again phenomena that have vanished; as e.g. the reappearance of the sun with its light and beat, the various seasons of the year with their respective characteri~tics, the circling of the winds with other meteorological aspects of the firmament. The tbouo-bt here is the UI1iformity of sequence in the physical world (eh. i. 4-7). II~ IN THE SPHERE OF rnDIVIDUAL EXPEll.IENCE. God seeks after that which bas been driven away in the sense that he reproduces in the life of one individual experi- ences that have existed in another, or in himself at a former point in his career. The thought is, that by Heaven's decree a large amount of sameness exists in the phases of thought and feeling through which different individuals pass, or the same individuals at successive stages of their development. III. IN THE DOMAIN oF HI8TORY, God seeks after that which has been driven away, in the sense that, on the broad theatre of action which men name "time," or " the world,'' he frequently, in the evolutions of his providence, seems to recall the past by reproducing "situations," " incidents," "events," "experiences," similar to, if not identical with, those which occurred before. The thought is that history frequently repeats itself. IV. IN THE PBOGBAlll¥.E OF THE UNIVERSE. God will eventually seek after that which has been driven away, by calling up again out of the past for judgment every individual that bas lived upon the globe, with every word that has been spoken and every act that bas been done, with every secret thought and imagination, whether it has bP.en good or whether it has been bad. The thought is that the distant past and the distant future will one day meet. The place will be before the great white throne ; the time will be the last day. Vel'II, 16, 18.- Wickedneq in the pT,au of Judgment; or, the myBtery of providenrAJ, OlI, Ill, 1-22.] ECCLESI.A.STES; OR, THE PREACHER. 71