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The learned and judicious Author of this Effay tells us, that the fo much complained of obfcurity of the book of Ecclefiaftes, is entirely owing to the Interpreters generally neglecting the defign of the book, which he thinks fufficiently obvious. Ecclefiaftes appears to him, a philofophical difcourse, written in a rhetorical style, here and there interspersed with verfes, which has given occafion to rank it among the poetical books. The Author's defign, we are told, is to prove the immortality of the foul, or rather the neceffity of another ftate after this life, by fuch arguments as may be deduced from reafon and experience. In the course of the argument, we are farther told, the Author now and then inferts fome obfervations which do not directly refpect the main defign of the treatife, but must be looked upon, either as confequences naturally arifing from the fame principles which it was his bufinets to establish, in order to come to the main conclufion, or as confiderations, without which his principles must have lain expofed to objections, fide-attacks, and chicaneries from the Libertines, or pretended Freethinkers of his age. Our Author's reafons for being of this opinion, are chiefly two. The one is taken from the conclufion of the book; and the other from the whole feries of the difcourfe, where he can find no connection of ideas, he fays, no defign pursued, no regular method obferved, upon any other scheme he ever met with.

As to the conclufion, he obferves, that the book of Ecclefiaftes being of a much older date than our artificial Logic, there is no reafon to expect, that Solomon fhould have strictly kept to the rules it prefcribes; efpecially as his performance was a kind of mixt work, wherein Philofophy was to appear in the dress of Oratory. To fay nothing when we come to the conclufion of an argument, but what properly belongs to that conclufion, or has been before mentioned in the premises, and may be directly inferred from them, is a method better accommodated to the rules obferved by Logicians, and certainly conducive to perfpicuity. But it is more popular, we are told, and faits the genius of rhetorical eloquence better, to join the corollary, or a confequence drawn from the conclufion, with the conclufion itfelf, fo as to make, as it were, but one compound propofition of both.

If this be but remembered, continues our Author, one may cafly fee we have put the right construction upon the conclusion of this book, though, at firft, we may appear to have thrown part of it afide.. Let the whole exhortation con

tained in the two laft verfes, be compared with the book itself, whereof it is declared to exhibit the conclufion and design; and it shall undoubtedly appear that the meaning of it can be no other but this, viz. the fole or principal motive to observe the laws of God, is the fteady belief of a future state, wherein God himself will judge mankind, and render unto every one according to his works. And who can doubt but, in that propofition, the greateft ftrefs is laid on the doctrine of a future ftate, as the only point which, in the nature of things, could have stood in need of proofs. The advifeableness of obeying God's commands is fo obvious, when once he is allowed to have both rewards and punishments in ftore for mankind, that it could never have required twelve chapters to make it out.

"Now is not there reafon to fuppofe that the Author of the book (whom, till I fee very pofitive proofs to the contrary, I must look upon as the Author of the conclufion alfo) understood the nature and defign of his own work better than any Interpreter born in after-ages? But what motive could. ever have induced him to mention the doctrine of a future ftate, and judgment to come, as that which he had from the beginning laboured to eftablish, as the conclufion of the whole difcourfe, had his thoughts all along been employed on those fubjects, which feveral Interpreters fuppofe he had chiefly in view? And let no body object, that the end properly, or at leaft primarily, declared by Solomon to have been in his view, is the fear of God, and not the doctrine of a future ftate; for these are two points which he confiders as if they were but one. Befides, a very good reafon can be affigned, why he fpoke of the fear of God, though the certainty of a future judgment was that he had principally aimed at, viz. that that doctrine is a powerful incentive to fear God; whereas no plaufible one can be given, why he fhould have faid a fingle word of that certainty, had the fear of God been the subject he directly intended to treat of. The fecond reafon which induces me to follow the hypothefis I now propound, is drawn from the hypothefis itself. But to judge of the whole feries, and to determine what it requires, that feries must be confidered at length. Therefore it is incumbent on us to fet before the Reader the whole book of Ecclefiaftes, interpreted according to our scheme; that every body may judge how far every particular fentence fquares with our hypothefis, and becomes a concurring evidence of its truth. Thus the foundations of our fcheme, and the fcheme itself in its full extent,

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tent, will make but one building, which, I hope, is a prefumption of its folidity.

"The whole difcourfe may be reduced to three propofitions, every one of which, when properly reflected upon, yields a strong proof of a future ftate of rewards and punishments. But it must be observed, that though in all reafonings two propofitions must be apprehended by the mind, in order to form any conclufion, yet it is not always neceffary both fhould be expreffed. When the second is fo obvious, that it does in a manner obtrude itself upon the mind, as foon as the first is mentioned, or fo certainly true that no man in his right fenfes can well queftion it, then a Philofopher may, according to the ftricteft rules, and an Orator generally does leave it to be understood and supplied by the attentive Reader or Hearer, and this is what the Logicians call an Enthymeme. Now I hope this propofition, human affairs are under the infpection and government of a wife, powerful, and infinitely perfect Being, who can never be fuppofed to act but agreeably to his attributes, fhall be eafily granted to be one of thofe, which may be left unexpreffed in a religious argument. Then let it be confidered as the minor or fecond propofition of a Syllogifm, whereof any of the three we are going to mention is the major or first propofition, and I am much mistaken if the doctrine I look upon as being chiefly taught in this book, does not appear to be the regular confequence of fuch a Syllogifm. Thefe three propofitions, every one of which is attended with its proper apparatus of proofs and fpecial obfervations, are the following.

"I. No labour or trouble of men in this world can ever be fo profitable as to produce in them a lafting contentment, and thorough fatisfaction of mind.

"II. Earthly goods, and whatever we can acquire by our utmost trouble and labour in this world, are so far from making us laftingly happy, that they may be even looked on as real obftacles to our eafe, quiet, and tranquillity.

"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 pafs after they are dead.

"Therefore, any one may conclude, that there must be a ftate of true and folid happiness for men out of this world; except he who is allowed to have made them what they are; to have implanted in their hearts that ftrong defire of happi

nels

ness which often makes them unhappy in this world; and to have the abfolute command of their fate, be abfurdly fuppofed to have acted whimsically in their formation; and to act fo ftill in the difpenfation of Providence. But left it should seem I propose my own conceits and reasonings, inftead of Solomon's method and arguments, I fhall now lay before the Reader the text itfelf, together with an analytical Paraphrafe, whereby I hope it fhall plainly appear, that our scheme is nothing but a true and genuine expofition of the Author's own plan; and for the eafe and conveniency of those, who may chufe to examine it more particularly, I fhall begin with a sketch of the whole treatile.

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Chap,

Verf.

10-12,

N. B. V. 1-9. is a digreffion, con. taining feveral admonitions, in order to prevent any misconstruction of the foregoing remarks.

. 6. Expenfive living.

13. II. PROPOSITION.

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.. 1ft Proof. Inftability of Riches.

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zd Proef. Infufficiency of riches to make one happy.

Coronary. The fate of an abortive is preferable, upon the whole, to that of one who lives without enjoying

life.

3d Proof. Men's infatiableness.

General Conclufion from the firit and fecond
Propofition.

III. PROPOSITION.

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ift Proof. Wrong eftimation of things.
A digreffion intended (like that V. 1—9)
to prevent any misconstruction of the
foregoing obfervations, and containing
feveral advices, together with a strong
commendation of him who gives them,
in order to enforce the obfervation of
the rules laid down by him.

1ft Advice. Not to blame Providence.
2d Advice. Not to judge of Providence.
3d Advice. To fubmit to Providence.
4th Advice. To avoid excefs.

5th Advice. Not to mind idle reports. Commendation of the foregoing advices, from the Author's application to examine every thing, and especially

1. Wickedness and ignorance.

2. Wisdom.

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1. That fin fhall go unpunished, because it is fo in this world.

2. That life is preferable to death.

ift Corollary. Earthly enjoyments are not criminal.

2d Corollary. A proper ufe must be made of our faculties.

3d Proof. Judgments that are feemingly right, yet truly falfe.

4th Prof. Little regard paid to Wisdom, 1. Paft fervices are forgotten.

2. The leaft fault is taken notice of.

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