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To Rev. Seth Williston, in the western counties of New-York, A. D. 1802 and 1803,

49631

A particular lift of the places where this money was received, has not yet come to hand.

The Accounts of fundry Miffionaries for the year 1803, will be published in the next Narrative.

A Key to the Book of Ecclefiaftes. | be confidered; and a view taken of

JEW

EWISH and Chriftian writers are agreed in the authenticity and genuineness of this book, and in its divine authority. And, accordingly, it has, from time immemorial, been treated by both as a part of the facred canon.

the confiftence and harmony of all the parts with each other, and with the general scope of the holy fcriptures.

I. The general fubject of the book is to be confidered. This is evidently, on life and manners, or on the character and ftate of man, and his profpects on earth. But the picture must be confeffed to be deeply fhaded, and his profpects are not a little melancholy. This is evinced by the following paffages, among many others.

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This is an evil among all

The writer was Solomon, the | fon of David, king of Jerufalem; probably the wifeft and most profperous king who had ever lived and reigned. This book is fuppofed to have been written in his old age, when his wifdom was matured by experience, and he was hap-things which are done under the pily reclaimed from the fad de- fun, that there is one event unto generacy of manners into which all. Yea, alfo the heart of the he had been led by "outlandish fons of men is full of evil: madwomen." nefs is in their heart while they Illumined by the rays of heav-live, and after that they go to the enly wisdom, and reviving virtue and piety, juft at the fetting fun of life, and directed by the unerring guidance of the Divine Spirit, he left behind him this facred depofit of heavenly wisdom for the inftruction and benefit of fucceeding generations.

Some difficulties, however, attend the investigation of this book; to remove which, and to prefent it to the reader in fuch a light as to convey its true intent and meaning, is the object propofed in the prefent attempt.

For this purpose the general fubject of the book will be confidered: And the incidental paffages, expreffing feemingly different fentiments, will be reviewed.

Then the key to the whole will
VOL. IV. No. 10.

dead."" Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the mifery of man is great upon him.”

"I faw the wicked buried who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had fo done."-"Because fentence againft an evil work is not execu ted speedily, therefore the heart of the fons of men is fully fet in them to do evil.”

"I faw under the fun the place of judgment that wickednefs was there, and the place of righteous nefs that iniquity was there."

"I confidered all the oppreffions which are done under the fun, and beheld the tears of fuch as were oppreffed and they had no Z. z

comforter, and on the fide of their oppreffors there was power, but they had no comforter." "Wherefore I praised the dead who are already dead, more than the living who are yet alive; yea, better is he than both they, who hath not yet been, who hath not feen the evil work which is done under the fun."

are inviting, and that a complete portion of happiness in the enjoyments of life, was within his reach. But how can this be reconciled with the many declarations in this book in view of the faint's profpects of this world, that "all is vanity and vexation of spirit," and this as the refult of experience by the writer, who must be confiderAgain I confidered all trav- ed to have made the experiment ail and every right work, that for under the beft advantage for the this a man is envied of his neigh-acquifition of happiness? bor. This is alfo vanity and vexation of fpirit."

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"I have feen all the works which are done under the fun, and behold all is vanity and vexation of fpirit."

"Vanity of vanities, faith the preacher, all is vanity and vexation of fpirit."

Thefe are a few only, of the many declarations in this book of the extreme wickednefs and mifery of man, viewed individually and in fociety.

Several paffages admit and affert the different and oppofite character of the righteous and the wicked, and confider man as a moral and accountable creature, and yet seem to imply a fameness in the iffue to both. Such are the following: "The wife man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walketh in darkness, and I myself perceived that one event happeneth to them all."

"Then I faid in my heart, as it happeneth to the fool fo it happeneth even to me. And why was I then more wife? Then I faid in my heart that this alfo is vanity.”

II. There are, however, feveral paffages which feem to imply that the condition of man upon earth is cligible and happy; and accord- | ingly he is invited to rejoice in "For there is no remembrance the goods of life and be happy all of the wife more than of the fool, his days. Such among others are forever, feeing that which now is, the words which follow. in the days to come fhall be forgotten; and how dieth the wife man? as the fool. Therefore I hated life, because the work which is wrought under the fun is grievous unto me, for all is vanity and vexation of fpirit."

"Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy gar. ments be always white, and let thy head lack no ointment. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou loveft, all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the fun, all the days of thy vanity, for this is thy portion in this life, and in thy labor which thou takest under the fun."

By thefe, and fimilar paffages, we fhould be led to fuppofe that the prospects of man upon earth

"I faid in my heart concerning the eftate of the fons of men, that God might manifeft them, and that they might fee that they themselves are beafts."

"For that which befalleth the fons of men befalleth beafts, even one thing befalleth them, as the one dieth fo dieth the other; yea they have all one breath. So that

a man hath no preeminence above a beaft, for all is vanity." "All go unto one place, all are of the duft, and all turn to duft again."

How dark are the profpects of man as prefented in thefe paffages! Yet we find, in feveral parts of this book, very decided expreffions of the doctrines of the accountability of man, the government of God, and the retributions of futurity. Such are the following:

"I faid in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose, and for every work."

"Though a finner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet furely I know that it fhall be well with them who fear God, who fear before him. But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a fhadow, because he feareth not before God." Can the moral government of God and the retributions of futurity be more explicitly afferted than in thefe words? Finally, the perfection of the divine providential government is clearly taught in the following paffages.

"I know that whatsoever God doth, it shall be forever; nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it, and God doth it that men fhould fear before him."

Thefe paffages contain fome of the principal doctrines of this book, and feem to exprefs the following fentiments, viz.

That all the profpects and purfuits of men, are vain, and iffue in vanity and vexation of spirit; that man is exceedingly debased, and is even, in character and condition, very much like the beafts.

Yet that man has animating

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profpects before him upon earth, and is called on to rejoice and be happy in those profpects.-After all, that there is a moft important diftinction in the characters and profpects of men, expreffed by the terms righteous and wicked.

That man is a moral and accountable being. That whatever appearances to the contrary may be fuppofed, the righteous are the objects of divine approbation, and the wicked are abhorred by God. That therefore he hath appointed the retributions of eternity, in which the diftinction of human characters fhall be clearly marked, and every man treated according to his works; and on the whole, the prefent myfteries in the moral and providential government of God fhall be explained, and it shall be clearly manifeft that "whatfoever God doth it fhall be forever, nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it, and God doth it that man should fear before him."

This divine decifion fhould filence the cavils of weak and shortfighted mortals, and teach us to remember that we are the clay and God is the potter, and that "as heaven is higher than the earth, so are his ways higher than our ways, and his thoughts higher than our thoughts. Secret things belong to God, but the things which are revealed belong to us.'

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If, then, it has pleafed God to reveal that to us by which the preceding difficulties may be folved, we ought to receive that revelation with all humility and thankfulness,

III. This will lead us to the third branch of our fubject, which is to confider the key to the whole, and point out the harmony of all the parts with each other, and

with the general scope of the holy fcriptures.

refts in the glory of God and the good of his creatures, or, which is the fame, in the perfection of the moral fyftem.

But as his fupreme affection is fixed on the great and ever blessed God, as the greatest and best, and as it were the fum of existence and excellence, fo his happiness refults principally from the knowledge of God and of his glory and happinefs, and he refts in him, as his portion, faying "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth I defire befide thee. My flefh and my heart fail, but God is the ftrength of my heart and my portion for ever." For the fame reafon he rejoiceth in the infinite perfections of God for the government of the world, affured that the whole creation is in his hand, and all creatures and events at his difpofal; and that he ever hath, doth and will conduct and govern all, in the moft perfect manner, for the higheft perfection of the moral fyftem. And therefore that all the moral and natural evils, exist

The laft chapter of the book begins with a folemn addrefs to the youth, to remember their Creator while they are young. This is urged from a view of the approaching calamities of old age and death. From whence the writer proceeds to his final inftruction to his reader in the true and only path of felicity here and hereafter, in the following words: Let us hear the conclufion of the whole matter, fear God and keep bis commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Or as expofitors render it more exactly from the original, this is the whole of man, his duty, usefulness and feli city, here and forever. All that which gives worth and dignity to man, and renders his exiftence ufeful and happy, is fummed up in this concife defcription.-The fear of God, in fcripture language, is an expreffion comprifing that love and reverence, that fubmiflion and confidence in him, and all those pious affections, which have God for their object. And the keeping in the fyftem, all the fin and ing his commandents, is the prac- mifery of man will, through the tical expreffion of that fupreme fuperintending agency of infinite love to him and correfponding re- perfection, be rendered ultimately fpect to our fellow creatures. fubfervient to his glory and the good of his kingdom.

On which two commands, hang all the law and the prophets;" orwhich infure and imply the practice of every Chriftian duty, Hence it is evident that this is the whole duty of man. It is alfo to be kept in mind, that the love of God and our neighbor, taught in this fummary of Chriftian duty, is that public or general affection which unites to the good of the whole moral fyftem, and to that of each individual, as far as it appears to coincide with general good. Hence the happiness of the man of piety and goodnefs

In fuch views, the good man is exceedingly happy in feeling himfelf to be the property of God, and in his hand, as the clay is in the hand of the potter, and moft readily acquiefces in the divine difpofal of all creatures and events, especially those in which he feels the greateft intereft and concern; thence, in the deepest calamities he is comforted and fupported with contemplations on the univerfality and perfection of the divine government, & can fay, with the utmoft fincerity, "the Lord reigns, let the earth re

joice, and the multitude of the ifl- | enjoyments which are not fubor ands be glad thereat." And he is,dinated to the glory of God and "though as forrowful yet always the general good. But thefe do rejoicing." not fatisfy him. The comfort

and fupport in trouble, derived from humble confidence in God, from a fenfe of the moral fitnefs that he fhould do what he will with his own; from a view of the perfection of his government, and from a grateful fenfe of divine mercy; thefe and the connected pleasures of the good man, are far from him, he has neither part or lot in this matter.-This obfervation applies with ftill greater propriety and force to the pleaf

In profperity he receives the enjoyments of life with pleafure, as they are adapted to his capacity and his needs, without the fting attending the finful pleasures of the fenfualift, the avaricious and the proud, or any pleasures of the mere worldly man. But what is ftill better, he views all his natural and earthly comforts as the free and undeferved beftowment of his heavenly Father; and fenfible of his utter unworthinefs, he receives them with humble gratitude.ures of the good man in the conThis exceedingly enhances the gift, and renders him doubly happy in the enjoyment.-His grateful heart is ready to inquire, "What fhall I render to the Lord for all his benefits?" and the anfwer is ready, "I will take the cup of falvation, and call upon God" with thankful praise.

In like manner he rejoiceth in the good of others even of all men, as far as it is in his view, and is proportionably thankful to God for the bestowment, and though he fympathizes with them in their forrows, he is fupported and comforted, as in his own cafe, with the thought that all is ordered by God, and will iffue in the general good, and even in their own good unlefs they wickedly oppofe and prevent it; for he knows that

all things fhall work together for good to those who love God." In diftinction from this, the man of the world is infenfible to all enjoyments except thofe which begin and end in felf. He feels pleafure in the gratification of his bodily appetites, and the natural propenfities of his mind; and he ardently thirfts after the riches and honors of this world, and thofe

templation of fpiritual and divine objects; fuch as the oharacter, perfections and government of God; the mediatorial character and work of Chrift; the word of God, and the inftitutions, duties and enjoyments of Chriftianity in general. In thefe the good man is feafted on the bread and water of life, and "rejoices with joy unfpeakable, and full of glory;" to all which the man of the world is an utter ftranger.-The reader is now prepared to discover the key to this whole book, or to perceive the confiftence and harmony of all its parts with each other, and with the holy fcriptures, in general.

The man of the world, prefers the pleafures of fenfe and defires of the carnal mind for his portion, and is always and neceffarily difappointed. He either comes fhort and never poffeffes the object fought, or he obtains it, and finds it empty of that enjoyment which he expected to derive from it.

The pleafures of fenfe and appetite are adapted only to the loweft faculties of man, and are enjoyed in common, by the beafts which perish.-The pleasures of

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