271 SERMON XXX. ECCLESIASTES I, 18. In much wisdom is much grief, and he that increafeth knowledge increafeth forrow. SOLO XXX. OLOMON, the fuppofed author of SERM. the book of Ecclefiaftes, one of the greatest, and doubtlefs one of the wifest of the fons of men, describes himself, in the verses preceding my text, as fetting out in the pursuit of happiness, that great and ultimate end of all our wishes and defires and if real, folid, and permanent happiness were a treasure ever to be acquired by man, Solomon would most probably have attained unto it, as he omitted no method which reason could XXX. SERM. could fuggeft, or which understanding and experience could point out to him; being, as we learn from his whole history, as recorded in holy writ, endowed with more than common penetration and fagacity, with knowledge not lefs extenfive than his power, and as fuperior to the rest of mankind in parts and capacity, as in wealth and dominion. We are not therefore surprised to find him, in his fearch after this great object, applying himself fedulously to the cultivation of his mind, paying the tribute due to wifdom, and giving the deferved preference to learning and knowledge. I communed fays he, with mine own heart, faying, Lo! I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerufalem; yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. And yet, after all his toil and labour, we behold him returning from his journey fatigued XXX. fatigued and disappointed, making at laft SERM. this fad and folemn reflection, I have feen, fays he, all the things that are under the fun: and behold! all is vanity and vexation of spirit : for in much wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth forrow. The preacher could not perhaps have uttered a sentence more mortifying to human pride, or more grating to human ambition; and yet, as he could have no intention to deceive, no intereft that could induce him to mislead us, we, on our parts, should seriously confider what thofe very cogent and powerful reasons were, which urged him to publish a truth fo disagreeable, and obliged him to draw fo melancholy a conclufion. And First, then, The most natural reflection that occurred to the royal mo VOL. II. T nitor |