the morality itself, or in the lessons which enforce it, at all superior to the teaching of writers uninspired, still inspiration makes all the difference it adds the stamp of authority. Let this be added, and the moral precept becomes a divine command; not a whit the less worthy of a place in holy scripture, nor a less essential part of inspiration, because mere human wisdom, untaught of God, may have inculcated the same lessons, and arrived at the same conclusions. A very honest-hearted Christian might feel disposed to overlook or to despise prudential maxims, for example, were they to be found only in heathen writers or mere moralists. But he dare not do so now. The Great Source of all wisdom has taken these maxims under his own care; issued them afresh with his own sanctions; made them a part of his own law. They now assume a new character; they are no longer prudential maxims: they are a part of God's revelation in the strictest sense. He has revealed his will to be, that prudential maxims as well as moral precepts shall be respected by his children. The moral lessons of the heathen are, as we all know, to be gathered only with the greatest care, like pearls from a dunghill, out of a mass of moral putrefaction. But were it not so; were the worst passages in Juvenal equal to the best, he would be still destitute of authority. We might admire the moralist, but we must regulate our lives by the precepts of the sacred writer, under the pain of God's displeasure. We have spoken of the book of Ecclesiastes as the work of Solomon. Much has been written on this point, and some critics of name, Grotius and others, have doubted it. But the internal evidence seems conclusive. The arguments upon the other side, such as arise from the difference of style, the use of a few words of supposed later origin, the introduction of incidental matters with which it is assumed Solomon was unacquainted, amount, as Mr. Bridges remarks, only to theoretical doubts or plausibilities, while they involve a supposition utterly extravagant; namely, that some unknown writer has succeeded in palming on the church his own thoughts and words, under the deceptive cover of the name of the son of David, king in Jerusalem-a deception sustained by the unanimous consent of all the Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions, and confirmed by the concurrent voice of Jewish tradition. Mr. Bridges concurs in the judgment of bishop Reynolds, Witsius, Lightfoot, Scott, and many others, that this treatise was written in Solomon's old age. Indeed, if written by Solomon, this conclusion is unavoidable. "It could not have been written before his fall-that is, before that awful state of madness, which he so graphically describes. Neither could it have been penned at the time; since it evidently is a record of the past reviewed in penitence. We are thrown back, therefore, upon the later date with clear conviction. Add to which, he mentions his great works, the building of which employed upwards of twenty-five years of his life, Chap. ii. 4-10; 1 Kings ix. 10. His immense riches, Chap. ii. 8, with 1 Kings x. 20, 25; and multiplied Sources of sensual pleasure (the gathering and enjoyment of many years); his revolt from women, doubtless with the poignant remembrance of his sinful connexion with them, Chap. vii. 26, 28, with 1 Kings xi. 3. His exquisite picture also of old age, Chap. xii. 1-6, bears the mark of personal identity. And altogether he writeth in such sort, as if he had learned the doctrine of the vanity of earthly things by very great experience and long use.' Assuming, therefore, the later date to be accurate, the circumstances remind us of his father's example, the one writing a psalm (Psa. li.), the other a book as a solemn and perpetual testimony in the face of the church of their godly repentance.' Again, the scope and method of the book have often been misunderstood. Solomon had unhappily spent the best part of his life in sin, and he naturally devotes the greater part of this book to the rehearsal of his follies and of the vexation which attended them. In consequence there is an air of disproportion. He lingers among scenes of riot, he returns repeatedly to the vanity. of all earthly good, but he does not exhibit with equal force, nor does he display in similar detail, the sacred joys of pure religion. To a superficial reader this may seem an objection; but neither this nor indeed any part of holy scripture was meant for superficial readers. Prayer and study will soon lead even the most unlearned to a very different conclusion. It has been rejected in early times as favouring Epicureanism, and it certainly proposes. the sentiments of the Sadducees and the Epicureans in their full force; yet it does bring out and place in a clear point of view the answer to the question, What is the chief end of man? It proves admirably the vanity of all created good apart from God; the little benefit of men's restless and busy cares, and the uncertainty of much of what they dignify with the name of philosophy or knowledge. It concludes, briefly indeed, but with solemn emphasis, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole of man." Mr. Bridges quotes John Wesley as saying, when he had begun a course of sermons upon it, "Never before had I so clear a sight either of its meaning or beauties. Neither did I imagine that the several parts of it were in so exquisite a manner connected together; all tending to prove that grand truth, that there is no happiness out of God." Mr. Bridges himself follows out this view of the subject; he sees a method and sequence in the whole book, a coherence in its parts, and therefore a conclusiveness in its deductions which are often overlooked. We quote one of his meditations upon the first chapter: after perusing it, the reader will be at no loss to understand the spirit in which he addresses himself to the work of exposition; nor will he question the sobriety of his judgment, or his qualifications, of whatever kind, for the office of an expositor of this difficult and too much neglected portion of holy writ. Chapter i. 2.-Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. This verse appears to have been intended to be the compendium of the whole treatise. The subject opens upon us abruptly; and no wonder, the Preacher's heart is so filled with it. He longs to make a forcible impression. His text is, 'the whole world, with all the pleasure, and profits, and honours, and endeavours, and business, and events which are under the sun.' He brings out his subject with a vast variety of illustration, and then closes with emphatically repeating his judgment. He seems as if he could not give full expression to his convictions. It is not only vain, but vanity itself. He redoubles his asseveration to show the certainty of it, and that all is unmixed vanity in its highest degree-vanity of vanities. Nor does this belong only to a part. Everything severally, all things collectively-all is one expanse-one vast heap of numberless perishing vanities. 'I affirm, again and again, that there is nothing in this world but what is the vainest vanity.' All is therefore utterly inefficient for the great end of man's true happiness. It only enlarges his desires in the endeavour to gratify them. But it leaves behind an aching void, a blank that it cannot fill up. "So saith the Preacher-repeating his office to give weight to his decision. Nor is it the judgment of a soured mind-of one who was leaving the world only because the world was leaving him. The book bears evidence that his mind was in full and clear vigour. He had lived the life all over. He loathed himself for his dearbought experience of it; and was now come to himself,' and seeking a better portion in his Father's house. (Luke xv. 13—20.) "Yet the Preacher's verdict casts no reflection on the works of God, which, at their original formation, their Maker had pronounced to be 'very good.' He speaks of them here-not as God made, but as sin has marred them. Things intrinsically excellent are perverted by their abuse. 'The creature is' now 'made subject to vanity. (Rom. viii. 20.) Repeatedly does Solomon remind us that the blessings of the creature, when used for the glory of God, are lawful in themselves, and become the source of rich and legitimate enjoyment. But here lies the evil. Man buries his heart in their vanity. He makes them his chief good-his happiness and rest. But' vanity' is the stamp on 'man,' even in his best estate.' It pervades, as we have said, every class. The rich, the learned, the ambitious, build their Babels upon the cheat of the great deceiver. Nay, the poor have their little Babylon of straw.' Everywhere it is one picture. To give a deeper impression of it, the wise man puts it forth in a vehement exclamation, as if overwhelmed with his own perception of it, and wondering at the delusion of secking happiness from a mere vapour. So deeply has the love of vanity struck its roots into the heart, that the delusion cannot be too strongly exposed. "But have we no balancing reality? Are we to fret under the desponding inquiry, 'Who will show us any good?' 'May I have Christ with me in the world,' prayed the heavenly Martyn, not substituting imagination in the place of faith, but seeing outward things as they really are, and thus obtaining a radical conviction of their vanity.' Here we mark the hero of faith, his 'victory overcoming the world.' (1 John v. 4.) Here is the grand thing, that which alone is important. Earthly things look grand, till the trial has proved their vanity; heavenly things look mean, till the trial has developed their glory. Calculate both worlds, each in its relative value. In 'looking at the things that are not seen and eternal,' how is the brightness of the things that are seen and temporal' eclipsed! And yet never can we look off from this 'seen and temporal' sphere, till we look beyond it. Then truly the sight of the brighter world will make this world a wilderness"O world! thou art too small; We seek another higher, Whither Christ guides us ever nigher, From the first Exposition we turn to the last, deeply solemn as it is; and yet the solemnity is mingled with hope, and even with joy; for Mr. Bridges preaches the law as the harbinger of the gospel. He does not forget that although the believer is "under the law to Christ and not without law to God," gladly obedient, inasmuch as his obedience is the very expression of his gratitude, yet that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. They shall have "boldness in the day of judgment." "Chap. xii. 14. For God shall bring every work into Judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.The book naturally ends with the winding up of our eventful history, the eternal destiny of every child of man. How solemn the stamp that it will give to the conclusion of the matter, the blessedness of the fear and service of God. The day will unmask all. All things now so inexplicable shall be made plain. Solomon had propounded many dark sayings in this book, many things which he could not comprehend, much that seemed inconsistent with the holy and just character of the divine government, goodness oppressed, wickedness triumphing. All these hidden things of darkness will be fully brought to light, when the Lord the righteous Judge shall bring every work to judgment, and good and evil shall be separated for ever. "The brighter displays of gospel revelation bring the Judge before us in all his glorious and unspeakable majesty. God is the Judge in the person of the divine Mediator. (John v. 22; Acts x. 42; xviii. 31.) "The great white throne" is raised up. The Judge of the world sits thereon. Before his face the earth and found for them.' The dead, the heaven flee away, and no place is small and great, stand before God. The books are opened; and another book is opened, which is the book of life. The dead are judged out of those things, which are written in the books according to their works. (Rev. xx. 11, 12.) "Such is the scene of majesty unveiled, and shutting up the revelation of God. With this view before us, can it be a matter of indifference, whether or not we be the true servants of God, that is, whether or no we shall spend our eternity in heaven or in hell? This will be no judgment, from which any child of man can hide himself. We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ. Every one of us shall give an account of himself unto God.' (2 Cor. v. 10; Rom. xiv. 10. 12.)” * * * * * We heard it said years ago, by some friend who had visited Walmer Castle during the lifetime of the Great Duke, that a Bible, a Prayer-book, and Bridges on the 119th Psalm, with one or two other books of devotion, lay in his simply-furnished chamber. We do not answer for the correctness of the statement, which we repeat just as we heard it. But we would add, that the little volume before us is precisely of that character which should give it a place amongst the few books which generally set out the chamber or the dressing-room. From how many a snare will the young man of business be taught to flee throughout the day, who shall have begun it in company with Mr. Bridges! DR. I. M. ARNOLD ON ISLAMISM. Ishmael; or, a Natural History of Islamism and its Relation to Christianity. By the Rev. Dr. I. MUEHLEISEN ARNOLD. London: Rivingtons. 1859. THE power of Mohammedan rule is rapidly declining, but the pernicious influence of the religion still remains in full force. The faith which prevailed from the walls of China to the Pillars of Hercules, and stretched southward to the unknown sources of the Nile, is scarcely impaired, though symptoms of decay are visible. The martial devotion which hurried on its warriors to the most astonishing exploits in history and influenced religion with the daring spirit of conquest, has passed away. Of all Mohammedan nations the hardy Turks have most obstinately clung to the debasing principles of their faith. They, too, have main |