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Ver. 14.

Ver. 18.

Ver. 17.

concerning all things that are under Heaven. But after his utmoft Application and Diligence, he infcribes upon them, All is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit.

The wife Man alfo turn'd his Thoughts to the Study of Politicks, and enter'd deep into the Myfteries of Government: and tho he had a Largeness of Soul that render'd him capable of the nicest Difquifitions, and constantly furnish'd him with the noblest Views; yet he himself found, that in much Wisdom is much Grief, and he that increafeth Knowledg, increaseth

Sorrow.

Now Solomon having not fucceeded in these Attempts, was fo unhappy as to abandon himself to Vice, and ranfacks the whole Creation to minifter to his Senfes: I faid in my Heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with Mirth; therefore enjoy Pleafure. He ran a prodigious length in his Senfualities, and ventur'd very far in the chafe of forbidden. Pleasures; I gave my Heart to know Wisdom, and to know Madness and Folly. Well, and what Satisfaction do his bold Adventures in Sin produce? Does Enjoyment answer the height of Expectation? No, for he prefently adds, BeEccl.2.1, 2. bold this alfo is Vanity. I faid of Laughter, It is mad; and of Mirth, What doth it? Yet after all his Difappointments, his uneafy Mind pushes him on to make further Trials, and to carry his Searches after Happinefs, thro every thing that Men either court or admire in this World. He turns his Thoughts to Architecture, and enters on Works of Pomp and Magnificence: I made me great Works, I builded me Houfes, I planted me Vineyards. I made me Gardens and Orchards, and I planted Trees in them of all

kind

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kind of Fruits, &c. And he ftops not here, but goes on to enlarge his Retinue, and to raise the Glory and Grandure of his Court: I got V.7, 8, 9. me Servants and Maidens, and had Servants born in my House: I gather'd me alfo Silver and Gold, and the peculiar Treasure of Kings and of the Provinces: I got me Men-fingers and Womenfingers, and the Delights of the Sons of Men, as Mufical Inftruments, and that of all forts. So I was great, and increas'd more than all that went before me in Jerufalem; alfo my Wisdom remain'd with me. q. d. I yet retain'd my intellectual Accomplishments, tho I had been fo rash and foolish as to fully my Moral Character; for he immediately fubjoins, And whatsoever mine Eyes Ver. 10. defir'd, I kept not from them, I withheld not my Heart from any Foy. Yet after all, when the Wife-Man comes fedately to review what he had done, he pronounces, That all was Vanity Ver. 11. and Vexation of Spirit, and there was no Profit under the Sun.

Now Solomon, who exceeded all the Sons of Men for Wisdom as well as Riches, and the Circumstances of whofe Reign had given him the greatest Advantages in the World to examine the Nature of all fublunary things, does, after the utmoft Trial, lay down in this Book the best Obfervations he had form'd, for the Service and Ufe of all fucceeding Ages; that others might fhun the Mischiefs he had plung'd himself into, and no longer weary themselves, by feeking Happinefs where it is not to be found; For the wifeft of Men hath affur'd us, not only from Experience, but Inspiration, That Religion is the only Happiness. Let us Eccl. 12.13. bear the Conclufion of the whole Matter: Fear God, and keep his Commandments; for this is the Whole

of

of Man: i. e. herein lies the whole of his Intereft, as well as the fum of his Duty. Now to promote this excellent end, the wife Man gives many admirable Rules thro every part of this Book, one of which is contain❜d in the words of the Text.

Rejoice, O young Man, in thy Youth; and let thy Heart chear thee in the Days of thy Youth; and walk in the Ways of thy Heart, and in the Sight of thine Eyes: but know, that for all these things God will bring thee into Judgment.

Thefe words are principally addrefs'd to young People, tho they are not improper to inftru&t thofe that are advanc'd in years.

Interpreters are not agreed about the Senfe of the former part of this Text: fome are of Opinion, that when the Wife-Man fays, Rejoice, O young Man, in thy Youth, and let thy Heart chear thee in the Days of thy Youth, &c. 'tis a Conceffion or Allowance which he gives young People to use the Divertisements and Pleafures of Life, fo they do but keep within the Bounds of Innocence and Moderation: q. d. "Don't "think I am fo ftrict as to make it crimi"nal for you to be chearful and merry in "Converfation: You may use the good Crea"tures that God hath given you; Religion "does not reftrain you from any Pleasures that "are manly and rational, it only obliges you "to manage your felf after fuch a manner, as "becomes those that believe they shall shortly "give an account of all their Talents and Ad"vantages to the Judg of the Quick and Dead." To this Interpretation I think 'tis very justly excepted, That walking in the way of one's Heart,

*

Vid. Mr. Stennett's Advice to the Toung, P. 10.

and

and in the fight of one's Eyes, cannot be easily accommodated to a moderate ufe of worldly Enjoyments. Moreover, it cannot be deny'd, but that these Phrafes are us'd in the Scripture in a Senfe extremely different; namely, to fignify a diffolute and finful Courfe of Life, and not a temperate ufe of lawful Pleasures. Therefore,

Others think, that the Wife-Man in these Words fpeaks by way of Irony, and that he derides and expofes the Abfurdity of those Principles, by which the generality of young People govern themselves; who imagine, that nothing can render 'em fo happy as Mirth and Jollity: therefore 'tis as if he had faid, "Take

thy fill of Pleasure, give a loose to thy Paf"fions, follow the fwinge of Appetite and "Senfe; but then confider what will be the "confequence of fuch a Course of Life, re"member the Day is haftening, and will come, "when every Man fhall give an account of him"felf to God; and then thy youthful Crimes "will be feverely animadverted upon, for

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thou shalt exchange thy temporary Pleasures "for eternal Pains: Know thou, that for all "these things God will bring thee into Judg"" ment.

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There is yet another Senfe given of these words by a very learned Divine, who obferves, That Solomon having declar'd his main "Scope and Design in the beginning and "conclufion of this Book, brings in fometimes "the different Senfes which Mankind are apt "to have concerning the Happiness of Life; "and that is the Reafon we meet with fuch

Bishop Stilling fleet,

"diffe

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"different Expreffions concerning it. In one "place 'tis faid, There is no better thing under "the Sun, than to eat, and drink, and be merry; "but in another he faith, Sorrow is better than "Laughter, and by the Sadness of the Counte

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nance the Heart is made better. How can fuch "Paffages as thefe be reconcil'd, if we look "on them as expreffing the Senfe of the fame "Perfon? But if we allow them to be the "different Notions of two forts of Men in "this World, they are eafy to be understood, Cetho not to be reconcil'd. And the one fort

is of those who place all Happiness in this "Life, without regard to Religion, or Ver"tue, or another World: and the other, of "thofe who look on this Life only as a Paf"fage to another; and that all Perfons ought to behave themfelves here, fo as conduces "moft to their Happiness hereafter."

;

Now according to thefe different Views, fuppofing this Book to be Dramatical, the Advice given to young People in the Text is very different. The Advice of the Senfualift, we are fure, the Wife-Man did never defign to recommend to young People: fo that whether we understand the Words as an Irony, or as the Sentiments of an Epicure, the Defign of the Royal Preacher is to expofe the extravagant Mirth of thofe Sinners, who walk in the way of their Hearts, and in the fight of their Eyes; i. e. who are intirely influenc'd and govern'd by what pleases their Sight, or is futable to the vicious Inclinations of their fenfual Minds; forgetting that they must shortly die, and after that be brought to Judgment. For as the Wife-Man admonishes in the words imme-diately preceding the Text,But if a Man live many

Tears,

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