And smiles when mortals' anxious fears, Forecasting ills of coming years, Beyond their limit range." (Plumptre, in weo.) The continuity of human experience is not so unbroken that mortal sagacity, at its highest, can forecast the incidents of even the nearest day. (2) That no man should be able to tell precisely what might come to pass on earth after he had left it (Plumptre), a thought already expressed (eh. vi. 12), of which the practical outcome is the same as th!\t just stated, viz. that as the Divine Being desired to keep the times and seasons in his own hand, he mingled crooked things and straight in man's experi- ence, that rnan should not be able to guess with certainty at what was coming, and might accordingly be impelled to lead a life of sobriety and watchfulness (Prov. iv. 23, 25, 26; Matt. xxv. 13; Luke xii. 15, 35-40). (3) That man might not be able by all his cogitations on the present scene to find out the lot either of himself or of mankind generally in a future state (Wright); and unquestionably this is true that without the gospel the whole subject of a future state for man would be, if not an insoluble enigma, at least a darkly veiled mystery. A consideration of man's experi- ences on earth would so little guide to accurate knowledge of what his experiences beyond the grave should be, that to thoughtful minds they might rather seem to have been constructed for the very purpose of baffling curiosity on that alluring theme. Learn: 1. That crooked things may sometimes be better than straight. 2. That men should not always ask the crooked things in their lot to be straightened. 3. That straight things alone might often prove hurtful. Vers. 15-lB.-Nothing in excess; or, a caution against extremes. I. IN INTERPRET- ING THE WAYS OF PROVIDENCE. 1. .As to the perishing of a just man in his righteous- ness. Because, though it may sometimes happen that a just or good man loses his life in his righteousness, it does not follow (1) that all just or good men must necessarily lose their lives-which, considering the natural infirmity of the human heart, would certainly prove a check to the progress of righteousness. Or (2) that though good men perish in theirrighteousness, they also perish because of their righteousness-which would be asserting that God loved iniquity and hated righteousness, the exact reverse of the truth (Deut. xxxii. 4-; Job xxxiv. 10; Ps. xi. 7). Or (3) that therefore being just is not a wise, or doing righteousness a good, thing-which would be constituting temporal success or material prosperity the standard of moral right, and adversity the test of moral wrong. Or (4) that just men should not persevere in their righteousness, even though they should perish temporally, since he that loseth bis life for righteous- ness' sake shall find it unto life eternal (Matt. xvi. 25). Or (5) that the just man may not sometimes be to blame for his own perishing by proceeding to excess in the performance of things in themselves righteous (see below). 2. As to the prolonging of a wicked man's life in (or in spite of) his evil doing. From this it must not be inferred either (1) that under the moral government of God wickedness has a gre[Lter tendency to prolong life than virtue, because the opposite of ~his is the case (Ps. xxxiv. 12-14; Iv. 23). Or (2) that wickedness is not therefore an evil because it occasionally, or even frequently, appears to be rewarded with long life; because no amount or degree of ··prosperity can ever render sin the same as holiness, or make it less the abominable thing which God hates. Or (3) that wicked men have the best of life because they do not perish prematurely, but rather often live long and become old and mighty in power (Job xxi. 7); because through their wickedness they are separated even here from him who is the Source of all true felicity (Isa. !ix. 2). Or (4) that wicked men will not one day be recompensed for their wickedness, although God may permit them through a long life to sin with impunity; because it is written that "destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity" (Prov. x. 29). fo either of these directions it is possible for one, by not observing the limits of just judgment, to go astray in interpreting the ways of God. II. IN REGULATING THE CONDUCT OF LIFE. 1. In respect of righteousness. "ne not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise" (vor. 16). (1) The Preacher cannot be supposed to teach that one may be too holy or too ardent in pursuit of 176 ECCLESIASTES; OR, THE PREA.OHER. [OH, VII, 1-29,
righteousness. That seems inadmissible in the case of one whose standpoint was that of the _Old Testaruent-tha~ religion signified the worship of a holy God (Lev. xix. 2), an<l righteousness a keeping of that holy God's commandments. Hence if this righteousness could always receive from man a pure expression, it would be simply inconceivable that it should e°"er be too much in the estimation of Heaven-though it might be too much for the safety of the individual performing or expressing it, and through exciting the world's hostility might lead to his destruction. But man's expression of righteousness is never absolutely perfect, but always tainted with defect, and often one-sided, if not insincere and formal. Hence (2) the Preacher may have meant it was possible to push to excess the doing of purely external righteousness simply as an opus operatum, and, in doing so under the impression that such was the way to happiness and salvation, to exercise wisdom beyond measure; because no amount of such righteousness and wisdom could (in his estimation) conduct a soul to peace and felicity; but rather the more a soul pushed these to excess, the more;inwardly torpid, lifeless, benumbed, and disordered would it become, till eventually it should land the soul in spiritual, if not the body also in temporal, ruin. 2. In respect of wickedness. "Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish" (ver. 17). Here, again, it cannot be supposed the Preacher teaches the permissibility of a moderate indulgence in sin, but merely that if excessive righteousness is no sign of superior wisdom or perfec;t guarantee of attaining to felicity, but rather an evidence of mistaken judgment and a precursor of inward moral and spiritual deterioration, much more is excessive wickedness a proof of absolute and unredeemed folly, and a sure as well as short road to ruin (1 Tim. vi. 9; 2 Pet. ii. 12). LESSONS. 1. Fear God instead of murmuring at his dark providences. 2. Serve God with intelligent reason and prudence instead of rushing into ex:travagances either on one side or on another. 3. Perish in righteousness rather than prosper in wickedness.