human plans. "Chance," therefore, must here refer to the great variety of circum- stances over which we have no control, but by which our schemes and endeavours are affected, which may take away success from the deserving, and in all cases render it extremely difficult to calculate beforehand the probabilities of success in an under- taking. The final result, whatever we may do,",is conditioned by GoJ. Though our nuthor does not here use these terms, yet we cannot doubt that they express bis mean- ing. He does not say that life is a lottery, in which the swift and the slow, the strong and the :weak, _the wise and the simple, the industrious and the lazy, have equal chances of drawmg pnzes. He knew, as we all know, that success is won in most cases by those who are best qualified iu ability and character for securinu it· that the race is general\~ to t~e swif~, and the battle to the strong, It is the :xception to the rule that excites his astomshment, and leads him to the conclusion that mere human skill and power are not sufficient of themselves to carry the day. Failure and disappointment may at any moment and in any case overtake man, and these from causes which no wisdom could have foreseen or exertion have averted. Such a consideration is calcu- lated to humble human pride, and create in the heart feelings of reverent submission to the great Disposer of events. "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him lhnt runneth, but of God that showeth mercy" (Hom. ix. 16). This thought of the limi- tation of ma.n in his efforts, in spite of all his gifts and abilities, is expressed again with still greater emphasis in ver. 12. The time when life must close is a secret hidden frolll each of us, and we may be arrested iu the mid-course of our endeavours just when our labours are about to be crowned with success. It may come upon us so unexpectedly as to take us as fishes are taken in a net or birds in a snare. This may be the event that snatches the prize from the runner, the victory from the strong (2 Chron. xviii. 33, 34). The arrow shut at random may strike down the brave soldier who has success- fully borne the brunt of battle, and lay his pride in the dust. To those whose whole interests are centred in the business and pleasures of the world, the sudden summons of <leath comes in an evil time (Luke xii. 19, 20) ; but those who are wise are not taken by surprise-" they understand and consider their' latter end."-J. W. Vers. 13-16.-..4.n a_pologue.. The truth of the aphorism, that "the battle is not to the strong . . . nor yet favour to men of skill" (ver. 11.), is 1\lustrated by the Preacher in a striking little story or apologue, taken doubtless from the history of Eome campaign familiar to his readers. It represents in a vivid ruanner the power of ·\\isdom, and also the ungratefnl treatment which the possessor of it frequently receives from those who have found him a deliverer in time of danger. A little city, with few in it to defend it, is besieged by a great king. The place is surrounded by his army, and round about it great mounds are erected from which missiles are hurled into it. All hope seems to be gone; no material forces which the besieged can muster for their <lefence are at all adequate to repel the as:milants. When suddenly some poor man, whose name was perhaps known to few in the city, delivers it by his wisdom, The great king and his army are compelled to retire baffled from before the walls of the city, which probably when they first beheld them moved them to scornful laugh~er by their apparent insignificance and weakness. The picture is not overdrawn; history affords many parallel instances. 'fhe defence of Syracuse against the Romans by Archimedes the mathematician (Livy, xxiv. 34), of Londonderry against James II. by Walker, and in later times of Antwerp by Carnot (Alison,' Europe,' lxxxvii.), show how inferior material is to moral force. 'l'l,i; is the bright side of the picture, " Wisdom is better than strength" (ver. 16); "wisdom is better than weapons of war" (ver. 18). 'l'he dark side is that it is often rewarded by the basest ingratitude, It was the wisdom o[ a poor man that delivered the city in which he dwelt; but when the danger was past he sank again into obscurity. No one thought of him as he deserved to be thought _of. The public attention was cau(J'Lt by i;ome new figure, and the saviour of the city remained as pour and unnotic;d as he had been before the great crisis in w~ich his wisdom had been of such great service. Had l,e been high-born and rich, his great services would have been ncknowlcdcred in some uotable manner; but the meanness of his surroundings obscured his merit in the eyes of the thoughtless multitu~e. It was t~is vulgar failing \\'hich prompted some to despi;;e wisdom itself inca:nate m Je~us of Nazareth, an<l to ask scornfully, "ls not 1his the carpenter?" (Mark v1. 2, 3). Wisdom llit. i. 1-20.j ECCLESIASTES; Ort, 'rHE PREACHEtt
ill Um!.esuming, calm, and deliberate (cf. Isa. xiii. 2; Matt. xii.19), yet full of stren::;th and resources, and the pity is that it should so often lose its reward, and the public attention be caught by the blustering cry of fools (ver. 17). It is, iudeed, often a better defence than weapons of war; and therefore it is sad that it should sometimes be nullified by folly, that one perverse blunderer should sometimes be able throucrh care- lessness or passion to destroy all the defences that wisdom has carefully erected,'.:'.._J. W.