cumstances do not dispell despair. The reason for it was that he had no hope of eternal life. He was hor ribly haunted because death was facing him, and he could not see anything beyond the grave except God's judgment. Life was vain and empty as far as he was concerned. Indeed, the words of Paul are true, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." What is your view on the subject? Do you know, through personal faith in Christ, that perfect peace which He alone can give? Only in this way can you find true satisfaction and content ment in this life, as well as in the life to come. It is sad to see anyone depressed and despondent. In Ecclesiastes we find Solomon is discouraged with life for a variety of reasons. He faced his existence and could only comment, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." He found things dreadfully repetitious (1:3-11). How strange to find such a condition when he had power, money and possessed an ample degree of Cod-given wis dom. Still the passage of each day was a monstrous task. Some of us may know what that means. The same old drudgeries and hardships which make things wearisome and filled with toil. The exciting thing to contem plate is that there are possibilities for new things. For instance, there is a new heart which one can possess through personal faith in Christ. There is a new heaven and a new earth to which we can look forward. There is a new kingdom which Christ will soon establish. There is a new Jerusalem which is to be prepared. All of this, how ever, depends on a new sacrifice
in Hebron planning how he would overthrow his father. When David got word of it he became afraid and ran from the Holy City. He was out in the wilderness, fearful of his life and the lives of his followers. While Solomon was soured on life it was not because he could not have his own way. He had all the necessary human power and authority. Experience is the third thing that is important about this man. It was not a case that he did not know what life was all about; he had not lived a sheltered existence! The second chapter gives us a graphic picture of all his involvements (2:3). While experience is an essential part of education it can still get a person into very serious trouble. To be a good doctor does not re quire that a person contract the various diseases that he may seek to cure. The advice Solomon sug gests of having experience before one can teach should be taken very carefully. It could easily back fire and cause serious problems. Yet, even with an unlimited ex perience of life, Solomon still felt all was vanity. Despite all of his human attainments (vrs. 4-9) he found satisfaction had escaped him. How sad that with all of this going for him, he could only sum it up by declaring, "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spir it, and there was no profit under the sun" (2:11). What an unusual conclusion! Here is a man who had all the power, wealth, wisdom and expe rience — and yet he could find nothing to live for. You see, cir
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