(Continued from page 116.)

And this is just the purpose of the whole book, to furnish such striking contrasts whereby the "new" is set off in its glories against the dark background of the "old," – rest against labor, hope against despair, song against groan ; and so the third verse puts this very explicitly, – "What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun ? " The wisest and the greatest of men is seeking for an answer to this question. And this verse is too important in its bearing on the whole book to permit our passing it without looking at that significant word "profit" a little closer. And here one feels the advantage of those helps that a gracious God has put into our hands in these days of special attack upon His revelation, whereby even the unlearned may, by a little diligence, arrive at the exact shade of meaning of a word. The word "profit," then, is, in the Hebrew, yihrohn, and is found in this exact form only in this book, where it is translated "profit," as here, or "excellency," as in chap. 2:13. The Septuagint translates it into a Greek one, meaning "advantage," or perhaps more literally, "that which remains over and above." In Eph. 3:20 it is rendered "exceeding abundantly above." Hence, we gather that our word intends to convey to it the question, "After life is over, after man has given his labor, his time, his powers, and his talents, what has he received in exchange that shall satisfy him for all that he has lost ? Do the pleasures obtained during life fully compensate for what is spent in obtaining them ? do they satisfy ? and do they remain to him as "profit" over and above that expenditure? In a word, what "under the sun " can satisfy the longing, thirsting, hungering heart of man, so that he can say, '' My heart is filled to overflowing, its restless longings are stilled, I have found a food that satisfies its hunger, a water that quenches its thirst " ? A question all-important, surely, and it will be well worth listening to the experience of this seeker, who is filled far above his fellows for finding this satisfactory good, if it can be found "under the sun."

First, then, the preacher, like a good workman, takes account of what material he has to work with. " Have I," he says, " any thing that others have not had, or can I hope to find any thing that has not been before?" At once he is struck with that "law of circuit" that is stamped on every thing:generation follows generation; but no new earth, that remains ever the same; the sun wheels ceaselessly in its one course; the winds circle from point to point, but whirl about to their starting-place; the waters, too, follow the same law, and keep up one unbroken circuit. Where can rest be found in such a scene ? Whilst there is unceasing change, nothing is new; it is but a repetition of what has been before, and which again soon passes, leaving the heart empty and hungry still. Again, then, let us use this dark background to throw forward another scene. See, even now, "above the sun" Him who is the Head and perfect Exponent of the creation called the new. Is there any law of constant unsatisfying circuit in Him? Nay, indeed, every sight we get of Him is new; each revelation of Himself perfectly satisfies, and yet awakens appetite for further views of Himself.

"No pause, no change those pleasures
Shall ever seek to know;
The drought that lulls our thirsting
But wakes that thirst anew."

Or, again, look at that blessed ''law of circuit" spoken of in another way by one who has indeed been enlightened by a light "above the sun " in every sense of the word, in 2 Cor. 9:It is not the circling of winds or waters, but of " grace " direct from the blessed God Himself. Mark the perfection stamped upon it both by its being a complete circle-never ending, but returning to its Source,-and by the numerical stamp of perfection upon it in its seven distinct parts (or movements) as shown by the sevenfold recurrence of the word "all," or "every,"(both coming from the same Greek word.

1. "God is able to make all grace abound unto you :" there is an inexhaustible source. We may come and come and come again, and never find that fountain lowered by all our drafts upon it. Sooner, far sooner, should the ocean be emptied by a tea-cup than infinite "power" and "love" impoverished by all that all His saints could draw from Him. All grace.

2. "That ye always." There is no moment when this circle of blessing need stop flowing. It is ever available. No moment-by day or night; in the quiet of the closet or in the activities of the day's duties; when in communion with friends or in the company of foes; when that grace is not available. At all times.

3. "Having all sufficiency"-perfect competence to meet just the present emergency. A sufficiency, let us mark, absolutely independent of nature's resources,-a sufficiency beautifully illustrated by '' unlearned and ignorant" Peter and John in the presence of the learned Sanhedrim. Let us rejoice and praise God as we trace these three glorious links in this endless chain of blessing. All sufficiency.

4. " In all things " (or "in every way "). It is no matter from what side the demand may come, this precious grace is there to meet it. Is it to deal with another troubled anxious soul, where human wisdom avails nothing ? Divine wisdom and tact shall be supplied. Courage if danger presents itself, or "all long-suffering with joyfulness" if affliction tear the heart. In all things.

5. " May abound to every good work." Now filled to the brim, and still connected with an inexhaustible supply, the vessel must overflow, and that on every side:no effort, no toil, no weariness, no drawing by mechanical means from a deep well; but the grace-filled heart, abiding (and that is the only condition) in complete dependence upon its God, naturally overflows on every side-to all good work.

6. " Being enriched in every tiling" (we omit the parenthesis, although full of its own divine beauty,) (or, " in every way.") This is in some sort a repetition of No. 5, but goes as far beyond it as the word " enriched" is fuller than the word "sufficient." The latter fills the vessel, as we have said, up to the brim; the former adds another drop, and over it flows. In view of these "exceeding great and precious promises," we may say,-

"Oh wherefore should we do ourselves this wrong
Or others, that we are not always strong?"

since we may be enriched in all things.

7. " To all bountifulness." This stream of grace is never to stagnate, or it will lose all its character of blessing, as the manna hoarded for a second day "bred worms, and stank." Thus every single Christian becomes a living channel of blessing to all around, and the circle is now completed, by once more returning to the point whence it started,- "Which causeth through us thanksgiving to God," and closes with no weary wail of "All things are full of labor," but joyful songs resound on every side, and at every motion of this circle of blessing ascend "thanksgiving to God." For just exactly the same full measure is seen in the thanksgiving ascending at the end as in the grace descending in the beginning. There it "abounded," filling the vessel full till it overflowed in the same measure, " abounding" in blessing to others who needed, and these forthwith pass on the stream in "abounding" thanksgiving to God. The apostle himself, as if he could not suffer himself to be excluded from the circle of blessing, adds his own note at the close with "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift." And shall we not too, dear brother or sister now reading these lines, let our feeble voice be heard in this sweet harmony of praise ? Has not this contrast between the new song and the old groan, again we may ask, great value? F. C. J.

( To be continued.)