God for human companionship; we rejoice greatly that he has so '' fashioned om hearts alike," and so interwoven our human lives, that we can be much to one another. nnd do much for one another, as we go on our way. "'l'wo are better than one." 'l'h~ union of hearts and lives means- I. SHARING succEss. "They have a good reward for their labour." If two men work apart, and succeed in their labour, each has his owu separate satisfaction. But if they confide their hopes, and tell their triumphs, and share their joys together, each man bas much more "reward for his labour" than if he strove apart. It is one of the blessings of earlier life that its victories are so much enhanced by their being shared with others; it is one of the detractions from later life that its successes are confined to so small a sphere. II. RESTOBATIOX. (Ver.10.) The falling of the solitary traveller in the unfrequented and dangerous path is a picture of the more serious and often fatal falling of the pilgrim in the path of life. To fall into disgrace, or (what is worse) into sin and evil habitnde, and to have no trne and loyal friend to stand by and to hold out the uplifting hand, to cover the shame with the mantle of his unspotted reputation, to lead back the erring soul with his strength and rectitude into the way of wisdom, into the kingdom of God-to such a man, in such necessity, the "woe" of the preacher may well be uttered. III. ANIMATION. (Ver. 11.) "Iu Syria the nights are often keen and frosty, and the heat of the day makes men more susceptible to the nightly cold. The sleeping- chambers, moreover, have only unglazed lattices, which let in the frosty air. . . . And therefore the natives huddle together for the sake of warmth. 'l'o lie alone was to lie shivering in the chill night air." Moreover, it may be said that to sleep in the cold is, in certain temperatures, to be in danger of losing life, while the warmth given by contact with life would preserve vitality. To be "alone" is to live a cold, cheerless, inanimate existence; to be warmed by human friendship, to be animated by contact with living men, is to have a measure, a fulness, of life not otherwise enjoyed. IV. DEFENCE. (Ver. 12.) "Our two travellers (see above), lying snug and warm on their common mat, buried in slumber, were very likely to be disturbed by thieves who had dug a hole into the barn or crept under the tent . . . . If one was thus nrouscd, he would call on his comrade for help" (Cox). It is not only the prowling thief against whom a man may defend his companion. By timely warning, by wise suggestion, by sound instruction, by faithful entreaty, by practical sympathy, we may so stand by one another, that we may save from the worst attacks of our most deadly spiritual enemies; thus we may save one another from falling into error, into unbelief, into vice, into shame and sorrow, "into the pit." We conclude, therefore: 1. That we should prize human friendship most highly, as that which furnishes us with the opportunity of highest service (see Isa. xxxii. 2). 2. That we should so choose oar companions that we shall have from them the help wo need in the trying hour. 3. That wo should gain for ourselves the strength and succour of the Divine Friend.-O.
Ver. 12 (latter part).-.A threefold cord. Many bonds of many kinds bind us in many ways. Of these some are hard and cruel, and these we have to break as best we can; the worst of them may be snapped when we strive with the help that comes from Heaven. But there are others which are neither hard nor cruel, but kind and beneficent, and these we should not shun, but gladly welcome. Such is thll threefold cord which binds us to our God and to his service. It is composed of- I. DUTY. To know, to reverence, to love, to serve God, is our supreme obligation. For we came forth from him; we are indebted to him for all that makes us what we L\re, owing all our faculties of every kind to his creative power. We have been sus- tained in being every moment by hie Divine visitation; we have been enriched by him .vith everything we possess, our hearts and our lives owing to his generous kindness all their joys and all their blessings; it is in him that we live and move and have our being; we sum up all obligations, we touch the height and depth of exalted duty, wh m we say that "he is our God." Moreover, all this natural obligation is enhanced and multiplied manifold by all that he has done for us, and all that he has endured/or us in the salvation which is in Jesus Christ, his Son. 104 ECCLESIASTES; OR, THE PREACHER. [oH, IV, 1-16,