The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 299

cxcelleth darkness," it does not satisfy the soul. "Whi!.t, then, is the result of his inquiries, of his pain and labour in searching after the highest good? Do his, withering specu- lations leave anything untouched which may reasonably be ,the object of our pursuit, aud which may afford us the satisfaction, for which he sought in vain in so many quarters? Does he decide that life is, after all, worth living, or is his ,conclusion that it is not? In t.he closing sections of his book some answer is given to these.questions; sc1mething positive comes as a pleasing relief from all the negations with which be had shut np one after another of the paths by which men had sought and still seek toattoin to la.sting ~appiness. Two conclusions might have been drawn from .the ex'perience through which be bad passed. "Since the. employments and enjoyments of life are insufficient to give satisfaction to the soul's craving, why engage in them, why not turn away from tnem in contempt,, and fix the thoughts solely on a life,to come?" an ascetic might ask. "Since life is so transitory, pleasure so fleeting, why not seize upon every pleasure, and banish every care as for as possible?" an Epicurean might.ask.,. "Let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die." Neither of these courses finds any favour in the mature judgment of Solomon, or of the writer who draws his teaching from the expe- rience of the Jewish king. "Rejoice," he snys, rebuking the, ascetic; u know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment," he adds, for the .confusion of the Epicurean. He speaks with the authority of one who had fully considered the problems of life, and with the solemnity of one whose ea.tthly. career was hastening to its close; and he addresses himself to the young, as more likely to profit by his expe- rience than those over whom habits of life and thought have more power. But of course all, both young and old, men and women, can learn from him if they will, according to the gospel precept, "become as little children," and listen with reverence and simplicity. The counsel which the Preacher has ,to give is bold and startling. " Rejoice, 0 young man, in thy youth ; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine.heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment." What does. he mean? Are his words ironical, or spoken in sober earnest? A very lol!g time. ago they cansed some perplexity to translators and-commentators. ·In the earliest transla;.. tion of this book into another language, that into :Greek, this passage was considerably modified and toned down. The translator put in the word "blameless " after " walk," and the word "not" into the next part of the sentence. " Walk blameless ,in 1he ways of thine heart, and not after the sight of thine eyes." But any such tampering.with the text was not only profane, but also senseless, for it simply destroyed the whole meaniog of the passage. But granting that we have in our English a fair reproduction of the original, can there be any mistake about the interpretation of it? Is it possible that it may mean, "Rejoice if you will, follow your desires, have your fling-, go forth on the voyage of life, • youth at the prow, and pleasure at the helm,' but know that the end of it all are the penal flames"? Some have thought that that is the meaning of the words. But a little consideration of them, and comparison of them -with other passages in the book, will show us that it cannot be. Our author on several ocoasions, after showing us the vanity of earthly pursuits, falls back· on the -fact that there are many alleviations of onr lot in life, which it is true wisdpm to make use of-many flowers of pleasure on the side of the bard road which on·e may innocently pluck. Thus he says (eh. ii. 24), u There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that be should make his soul enjoy good in bis labour. This also I saw that it was from the hand of God." And again (eh. ix. 7), "Gu thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of thy vanity .•. for that is thy portion in this life." An<l the same lesson he repeats there, but in a tone of deeper solemnity, balancing and steadying the inclination to pleasure, which in few of us needs to be stimulated with the thought that for every one of our actions we shall have to give an account at the judgment-seat of God. Surely thie thought is e. sufficient corrective to the abuse of the teaching which a perverse mind might make, and a p~oof that the enjoyments spoken of are such asdo not degrade the soul. A gloomy ascet1c1sm which would unlawfully diminish human happiness is forbidden; a thankful acceptance of all the blessings God gives ns, and a constant l'emembre.nce of our responsibility to  ECOLESIASTES; OR, THE PREACHER. 295