a canonical book of the Old Testament, of which Solomon
was the author, as appears from the first sentence. The design of this
book is to show the vanity of all sublunary things; and from a review of
the whole, the author draws this pertinent conclusion, “Fear God, and
keep his commandments, for this is the whole of man;”--his whole wisdom,
interest, and happiness, as well as his whole duty. Ecclesiastes,
according to a modern author, is a dialogue, in which a man of piety
disputes with a libertine who favoured the opinion of the Sadducees. His
reason is, that there are passages in it which seem to contradict each
other, and could not, he thinks, proceed from the same person. But this
may be accounted for by supposing that it was Solomon’s method to
propose the objections of infidels and sensualists, and then to reply to
them.
was the author, as appears from the first sentence. The design of this
book is to show the vanity of all sublunary things; and from a review of
the whole, the author draws this pertinent conclusion, “Fear God, and
keep his commandments, for this is the whole of man;”--his whole wisdom,
interest, and happiness, as well as his whole duty. Ecclesiastes,
according to a modern author, is a dialogue, in which a man of piety
disputes with a libertine who favoured the opinion of the Sadducees. His
reason is, that there are passages in it which seem to contradict each
other, and could not, he thinks, proceed from the same person. But this
may be accounted for by supposing that it was Solomon’s method to
propose the objections of infidels and sensualists, and then to reply to
them.