5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, And fears shall be in the way, And the almond-tree shall flourish, And the grasshopper shall be a burden, And desire shall fail; because man goeth to his long home, 5 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, Or the golden bowl be broken, Or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the cistern. 7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; And the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. This entire discourse appears to have been prepared with special reference to the young. And the Preacher proceeds to a most animated and moving appeal. He had presented the most weighty arguments, and had illustrated and enforced them from his own experience; and now the aged Preacher, with a pathos which is irresistible, makes a personal appeal to his youthful auditors. In imagination, he has before him a giddy youth, who says, or seems to say, "It may all be as you represent; religion may be a very good thing, and necessary to my happiness; and the world may be a very vain and unsatisfying portion without religion: but I choose to try it for myself. You tried it yourself. According to your confession, you have run the whole round of this world's pleasure. I choose to make the experiment for myself, rather than take your testimony. Just cease your melancholy bodings-let me alonelet me try it for myself." "Then try it for yourself," saith the Preacher, "rejoice, O 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. Be a sensualist; give the reins to every lust; but hear, O hear the warning which I will not cease to cry, there is a day of awful reckoning." There is not so much irony in Solomon's words as has been sometimes supposed; or it is irony of that fearful kind which harmonizes well with the awful seriousness of his theme. It is one of the most startling warnings that was ever expressed in the language of men. Or perhaps we are rather to regard the youth who is so solemnly apostrophized as an avowed freethinker. His mind is poisoned with infidel sentiments; he does not believe in religion; he thinks, or tries to think, that death is the end of man; and therefore he resolves to give himself up to the unrestrained indulgence of his appetites and passions. Solomon throws himself in the path of such a young man, and beseeches him to pause and reflect; he assures him that there will be a future state, and that it will be one of retribution. God will open the books in which all the actions of life are registered, and enter into solemn judgment with all intelligent creatures. He then proceeds to urge the young to attend to religion during the season of youth, as the best means of bringing their passions under proper control; he reminds them. that it is a fleeting period, and far more favorable to our becoming truly religious than a later period of life. Especially, he takes occasion, from a consideration of the infelicities of old age, to entreat them to remember their Creator in the days of their youth. The general scope of the tropical language which he employs, is perfectly obvious, although it may not be so well understood as it was in his day. The heavenly bodies obscured, and the clouds returning after the rain, refer to the faculties, both bodily and mental, which it is the tendency of age greatly to impair. What a striking emblem of the wasted energies of the old is a cloud returning after the rain! If the body be the house (I. Cor. 5: 1.) then the intellectual faculties may be regarded as its keepers or tenants; they tremble. The blossoms of the almond-tree are white and are a striking metaphorical representation of the hoary head of an aged man. The grasshopper or locust, was poetically used among the ancients as figurative of old age. Let youth be admonished before these infirmities come upon them, to attend to their souls' concerns. Religion can make old age, with all its burdens, happy, and youth is the period to attend to religion. It is the rashest folly to postpone attention to it to that late period, when we shall have lost our interest in almost everything, and our ability properly to attend to anything, even the most trivial affairs. 8 Vanity of vanity, saith the Preacher; all is vanity. And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words; and that which was written, was upright, even words of truth. The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 12 And further, by these my son, be admonished; of making many books there is no end ; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Solomon closes his sermon by a formal repetition of his text. The great subject that filled his mind when he first opened his lips, filled it now that he was about to close them. He intimates that this was not his only attempt to do something to counteract the pernicious example which he had set. He still taught the people knowledge; and he was permitted to have some evidence that his words were not altogether in vain. He appends a striking summary of religion, that religion which can alone redeem the world from the charge of being utterly worthless, and once more carries the mind forward to that awful future, in the light of which he would have us contemplate the present, and seek to understand its mysteries, but especially its duties, and amazing responsibilities: "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." NOTE.-For the convenience of the reader I have taken the liberty to add "Des Voeux's Analysis," and that also of "Holden," both esteemed as among the most judicious writers on the book of Ecclesiastes. DES VOEUX'S ANALYSIS OF ECCLESIASTES. PROP. I. "No labor or trouble of men in this world, can ever be so profitable as to produce in them a lasting contentment, and thorough satisfaction of mind." Ch. 1: 4-11. 1st proof-The course of Ch. 3: 12-15. 2d observation-God is 1, 2. 2d head-Pleasure. 3-10. Both jointly. 11. General conclusion of the A review the author of whatever befalls us in this world. 16, 17. 1st corollary-God will redress all grievances. 18-21. 2d corollary-God must be exalted, and man humbled. 22. 3d corollary-God alloweth men to enjoy the present. of the second proof, with Ch. 4: 1. 4th-Men's neglect of prop special conclusions relating to every particular therein 12-17. I. Wisdom. 18-23. II. Riches. er opportunities evidenced in several instances, viz: 1-3. I. Oppression. 4. II. Envy. 5, 6. III. Idleness. 13-16. V. Misapplication of es- N. B. Verses 1-9, is a digres sion containing several admonitions, in order to prevent any misconstruction of the foregoing remarks. 10-12. VI. Expensive living. PROP. II. "Earthly goods, and whatever we can acquire by our utmost trouble and labor in this world, are so far from making us lastingly happy, that they may even be regarded as obstacles to our ease, quiet, and tranquility." ·Ch. 5:14--17. 1st proof-Instability of riches. whole, to that of him who lives without enjoying life. Ch. 6:1, 2. 2d proof-Insufficiency of Ch. 6: 7-9. 2d proof-Man's insatiable riches to make one happy 3-6. The fate of an abortive is preferable, upon the ness. 10, 11. General conclusion from the first and second proposition. PROP. III. "Men know not what is or is not truly advantageous to them: because they are either ignorant or unmindful of that which must come to pass after they are dead." 9-14. I. That sin shall not go Ch. 9; 1-6. II. That life is preferable to death. are seemingly right, yet entirely false. 16, &c. 4th proof-Little regard paid to wisdom. 16. I. Past services are forgotten. II. The least fault is taken notice of. Ch. 9: 17 5-19 II. Favor gets what is due to merit. 20. A caution to prevent abuse of the foregoing remarks. PRACTICAL INFERENCES. 13, 14. THE CONCLUSION of the whole-That there must be a state of true and solid happiness for men in a future state. In other words, the fear of God, and keeping his commandments, is the whole of man, that is, his chief good, his whole interest, privilege, honor and happiness, as well as duty: for after this vain life is past, another scene will succeed, and men shall be judged, and recompensed according to their conduct, secret as well as open, and whether it may have been good or evil. HOLDEN'S ANALYSIS. PARTI. THE VANITY OF ALL EARTHLY CONDITIONS, OCCUPATIONS AND PLEASURES. SECT. IX. The vanity of human pursuits proved from the wickedness prevailing in courts of justice, contrasted with the righteous judgment of God. (3. 15-17.) SECT. III. The vanity of laborious inqui- SECT. X. Though life considered in it ries into the ways and works of man. (1. 12-18.) SECT. IV. Luxury and pleasure are only vanity and vexation of spirit. SECT. V. Though the wise excel fools, self, is vanity, for men die as well as beasts, yet in the end, it will be very different with the spirit of man and that of beasts. (3. 18, 22.) SECT. XI. Vanity is increased unto men, by oppression. (4. 1-3.) SECT. XII. The vanity of prosperity. SECT. XIII. The vanity of folly, or of SECT. XV. Though society has its advan- useless and vain; the Divine SECT. XVI. Errors in the performance of counsels, however, are im- divine worship, which render it vain and unprofitable. (5.1-7.) SECT. XVII. The vanity of murmuring SECT. XVIII. The vanity of riches; with at injustice; for though the the perversion of judgment an admonition as to the moderate enjoyment of them. (5. 10-20.) greatly prevail, they do not SECT. XIX. The vanity of avarice. (6. escape the notice of the Al mighty. (5. S-9.) 1-9. PART II-THE NATURE, EXCELLENCE, and BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF WISDOM, OR RELIGION. SECT. XX. Since all human designs, la- SECT. XXV. The evil of wickedness bors, and enjoyments are vain, shows the advantage of true it is natural to inquire, What wisdom. (8. 8-13.) is good for man? What is his Supreme Good? (6. 10-12) The answer is contained in the remainder of the book. SECT. XXI. The praise of character and reputation. (7.1.) SECT. XXII. Affliction improves the heart and exalts the character of the wise. (7. 2-10.) SECT. XXIII. The excellence of wisdom. (7. 11-14.) SECT. SECT. XXVI. An objection with the an- SECT. XXIX. The power of wealth. (10. SECT. XXX. An exhortation against speaking evil of dignities. (10. 20.) SECT. XXIV. An objection with the an- SECT. XXXI. Exhortation to charity and swer. (7. 15: 8. 7.) benevolence. (11. 1—10.) ARTICLE IX. SCHLEIERMACHER'S RELIGIOUS VIEWS. Translated from the German, by REV. WILLIAM HALL, New York. Introductory Remarks. pre SCHLEIERMACHER is one of those peculiar writers who should be permitted, as far as possible, to speak for himself. And, therefore, as he is frequently referred to by eminent authors at the sent time, and as his theological views are exerting an important influence in various quarters of the moral and Christian world, it will not be inappropriate to give the readers of the Repository a translation of some of the leading principles of his dogmatic system, as they stand in his most celebrated theological work, called, "The Christian Faith, &c." Previous to so doing, a few biographical and general observations respecting this distinguished divine and philosopher, may not be unacceptable. Frederick Schleiermacher was born at Breslau, Silesia, Nov. 24, 1768. The earlier part of his education was received in the community of the Unitas Fratrum, or Moravians. And the religious instructions and impressions thence derived, had undoubtedly much to do in the formation of his Christian character, and practical tendency of thought. After completing his education at Halle, he rose through several subordinate positions to be Court |