Remember, now, thy Creator in the days of thy youth, with a feeling of reverence and gratitude for the many blessings received, the product of true faith in the heart, WHILE THE EVIL DAYS COME NOT, those of advanced age, NOR THE YEARS DRAW NIGH WHEN THOU SHALT SAY, I HAVE NO PLEASURE IN THEM, when t... [ Continue Reading ]
AN APPEAL TO THE YOUNG... [ Continue Reading ]
while the sun, or the light, the refreshing beauty of the morning light, OR THE MOON, OR THE STARS BE NOT DARKENED, when the light of youthful life is darkened by the shadows of advancing old age, NOR THE CLOUDS RETURN AFTER THE RAIN, one misfortune or calamity following another;... [ Continue Reading ]
in the day when the keepers of the house, all the members and organs of the body, especially the hands and feet, SHALL TREMBLE, AND THE STRONG MEN SHALL BOW THEMSELVES, bent over with the weight of age, the legs no longer standing upright, but crooked and misshapen with the various ailments of age,... [ Continue Reading ]
and the doors shall be shut in the streets, the mouth, with the upper and lower lips, no longer being able to perform its function of speaking well, WHEN THE SOUND OF THE GRINDING IS LOW, the voice, breathing out from the wall of the teeth, lacking the power and force of youth, AND HE SHALL RISE UP... [ Continue Reading ]
also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, since their strength will no longer permit their climbing, AND FEARS SHALL BE IN THE WAY, they are readily overcome with timidity, they no longer have the courage to overcome perils and obstacles, AND THE ALMOND-TREE SHALL FLOURISH, whose white b... [ Continue Reading ]
or ever the silver cord, that by which the lamp of life was supposed to be suspended, BE LOOSED, the thread of life being severed, OR THE GOLDEN BOWL, conceived to be holding the oil of life, BE BROKEN, OR THE PITCHER BE BROKEN AT THE FOUNTAIN, the body, particularly with its organs of respiration,... [ Continue Reading ]
Then shall the dust, out of which man was formed at the beginning, Genesis 2:7, RETURN TO THE EARTH AS IT WAS, Genesis 3:19, AND THE SPIRIT, namely, of every one that died in the true faith, SHALL RETURN UNTO GOD, WHO GAVE IT; for into the hands of God all His children commend their souls at all tim... [ Continue Reading ]
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, who now summarizes the teaching of the entire book; ALL IS VANITY, the entire human life in itself is empty and futile.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CONCLUSION OF THE BOOK... [ Continue Reading ]
And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, speaking on the basis of many years' experience, with the wisdom given him from on high, HE STILL TAUGHT THE PEOPLE KNOWLEDGE, dispensing it orally whenever opportunity offered; YEA, HE GAVE GOOD HEED, he considered, weighed, marked carefully, AND SOUGHT... [ Continue Reading ]
The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, setting forth his maxims in a pleasant, appealing way; AND THAT WHICH WAS WRITTEN WAS UPRIGHT, simple and straightforward, EVEN WORDS OF TRUTH, unmistakable in their meaning.... [ Continue Reading ]
The words of the wise are as goads, their inspired character causing them to pierce deeply into the mind, AND AS NAILS FASTENED BY THE MASTERS OF ASSEMBLIES, uniting the individual statements in collections, or books, WHICH ARE GIVEN FROM ONE SHEPHERD, a single wise and inspired teacher directing th... [ Continue Reading ]
And further, by these, by the proverbs and maxims of wisdom, MY SON, BE ADMONISHED, Solomon here speaking with fatherly affection. OF MAKING MANY BOOKS THERE IS NO END, the number of useless and even dangerous books having increased to such an extent as to make them an outright menace; AND MUCH STUD... [ Continue Reading ]
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, over against the unsystematic devouring of books resulting in mental and spiritual indigestion: FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS; FOR THIS IS THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN, sanctification flowing out of reverence of faith.... [ Continue Reading ]
For God shall bring every work into Judgment, everything being revealed before Him on the Last Day, WITH EVERY SECRET THING, which men foolishly and fatuously believed they could hide before His omniscience, WHETHER IT BE GOOD, OR WHETHER IT BE EVIL. "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such... [ Continue Reading ]