No. 4. Dr. Treafurer's Account Current. with} Cr. SThe Miffionary Society of Connecticut, in Account Current with To amount of Cash, paid by order of the Committe, as By Balance, in favor of the per statement No. 31908 254 By Contribution in May 1803, as per statement Balance, carried to Credit of as per statement No. 23363 70 A. KINGSBURY, Treasurer to Mifs. Soc'y. Hartford, January 1, 1804. The following Donations have also been made to the Society in the courfe of the year. By Benjamin Beecher of Cheshire, a Lot of Land containing 50 Acres. A Friend of Miffions, 400 copies of a Sermon to Children. Doctor Morfe of Charlestown, 100 Davidson's Sermons. 150 Doddridge's Address to Families. A Friend of Miffions, 12 Catlin's Sermon. Doctor Trumbull, 48 Watts' Divine Songs. Hudson and Goodwin, 12 Edwards on Baptifm. Doctor Trumbull, 600 Addresses on Prayer and Family Religion. Ruggles Humphrey of Symfbury, deceased, a Bequest of the Interest of 100 Dollars, to be annually paid from his estate. A particular Lift of the Contributions, received in the new fettlements, contained in the general statement No. 2. To Rev. John Willard, jun. in Vermont, To Rev. Jedidiah Bushnell, in New York State and Vermont, A. D. 1802. To Rev. Seth Willifton, in the western Counties of New-York, 4. D. 1802 and 1803. 49631 A particular lift of the places where this money was received, has not yet come to hand. The Accounts of fundry Miffionaries for the year 1803, will be published in the next Narrative. A Key to the Book of Ecclefiaftes. | be confidered; and a view taken of The writer was Solomon, the fon of David, king of Jerufalem; probably the wifeft and most profperous king who had ever lived and reigned. This book is fuppofed to have been written in his old age, when his wisdom was matured by experience, and he was happily reclaimed from the fad degeneracy of manners into which he had been led by "outlandish women." Illumined by the rays of heavenly wifdom, and reviving virtue and piety, juft at the fetting fun of life, and directed by the unerring guidance of the Divine Spirit, he left behind him this facred depofit of heavenly wisdom for the inftruction and benefit of fucceeding generations. Some difficulties, however, attend the investigation of this book; to remove which, and to prefent it to the reader in fuch a light as to convey its true intent and meaning, is the object propofed in the prefent attempt. For this purpose the general fubject of the book will be con fidered: And the incidental paffages, expreffing feemingly different fentiments, will be reviewed. Then the key to the whole will the confiftence and harmony of all the parts with each other, and with the general fcope of the holy fcriptures. I. The general fubject of the book is to be confidered. This is evidently, on life and manners, or on the character and ftate of man, and his profpects on earth. But the picture must be confeffed to be deeply fhaded, and his prof pects are not a little melancholy. This is evinced by the following paffages, among many others. This is an evil among all things which are done under the fun, that there is one event unto all. Yea, alfo the heart of the fons of men is full of evil: madnefs is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead."-" Because to every purpofe there is time and judgment, therefore the mifery of man is great upon him.” "I faw the wicked buried who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had fo done."—"Becaufe fentence againft an evil work is not executed fpeedily, therefore the heart of the fons of men is fully fet in them to do evil.” "I faw under the fun the place of judgment that wickednefs was there, and the place of righteoufnefs that iniquity was there." "I confidered all the oppreffions which are done under the fun, and beheld the tears of fuch as were oppreffed and they had no Z z are inviting, and that a complete portion of happiness in the enjoy comforter, and on the fide of their oppreffors there was power, but they had no comforter." "Where-ments of life, was within his reach. fore I praised the dead who are already dead, more than the living who are yet alive; yea, better is he than both they, who hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work which is done under the fun." "Again I confidered all travail and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit." "I have feen all the works which are done under the fun, and behold all is vanity and vexation of fpirit." "Vanity of vanities, faith the preacher, all is vanity and vexation of spirit." These are a few only, of the many declarations in this book of the extreme wickednefs and mifery of man, viewed individually and in fociety. II. There are, however, feveral paffages which feem to imply that the condition of man upon earth is eligible and happy; and accordingly he is invited to rejoice in the goods of life and be happy all his days. Such among others are the words which follow. "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white, and let thy head lack no ointment. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou loveft, all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the fun, all the days of thy vanity, for this is thy portion in this life, and in thy labor which thou takeft under the fun." By thefe, and fimilar paffages, we fhould be led to fuppofe that the profpects of man upon earth But how can this be reconciled with the many declarations in this book in view of the faint's prof pects of this world, that "all is vanity and vexation of fpirit," and this as the refult of experience by the writer, who must be confidered to have made the experiment under the best advantage for the acquifition of happiness? . Several paffages admit and af fert the different and oppofite character of the righteous and the wicked, and confider man as a moral and accountable creature, and yet seem to imply a fameness in the iffue to both. Such are the following: "The wife man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walketh in darkness, and I myself perceived that one event happeneth to them all.” "Then I faid in my heart, as it happeneth to the fool fo it happeneth even to me. And why was I then more wife? Then I faid in my heart that this alfo is vanity." "For there is no remembrance of the wife more than of the fool, forever, feeing that which now is, in the days to come fhall be forgotten; and how dieth the wife man as the fool. Therefore I hated life, because the work which is wrought under the fun is griev ous unto me, for all is vanity and vexation of spirit." "I faid in my heart concerning the eftate of the fons of men, that God might manifeft them, and that they might fee that they themselves are beafts." "For that which befalleth the fons of men befalleth beafts, even one thing befalleth them, as the one dieth fo dieth the other; yea they have all one breath. So that a man hath no preeminence above a beast, for all is vanity." "All go unto one place, all are of the duft, and all turn to duft again." profpects before him upon earth, and is called on to rejoice and be happy in thofe prospects.-After all, that there is a most important. diftinction in the characters and profpects of men, expreffed by, the terms righteous and wicked. -That man is a moral and accountable being. That whatever appearances to the contrary may, How dark are the profpects of man as presented in these paffages! Yet we find, in feveral parts of this book, very decided expreffions of the doctrines of the accountability of man, the govern-be fuppofed, the righteous are the ment of God, and the retributions of futurity. Such are the following: "I faid in my heart, God fhall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose, and for every work." "Though a finner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet furely I know that it fhall be well with them who fear God, who fear before him. But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither fhall he prolong his days, which are as a fhadow, because he feareth not before God." Can the moral government of God and the retributions of futurity be more explicitly afferted than in thefe words? Finally, the perfection of the divine providential government is clearly taught in the following paffages. "I know that whatfoever God doth, it fhall be forever; nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it, and God doth it that men fhould fear before him.” These paffages contain fome of the principal doctrines of this book, and feem to exprefs the following fentiments, viz. That all the profpects and purfuits of men, are vain, and iffue in vanity and vexation of spirit; that man is exceedingly debafed, and is even, in character and condition, very much like the beafts. Yet that man has animating objects of divine approbation, and the wicked are abhorred by God. That therefore he hath appointed the retributions of eternity, in which the diftinction of human characters fhall be clearly marked, and every man treated according to his works; and on the whole, the present myfteries in the moral and providential government of God fhall be explained, and it shall be clearly manifest that "whatfoever God doth it fhall be forever, nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it, and God doth it that man fhould fear before him." This divine decifion fhould fi-. lence the cavils of weak and fhortfighted mortals, and teach us to remember that we are the clay and God is the potter, and that "as heaven is higher than the earth, fo are his ways higher than our ways, and his thoughts higher than our thoughts. Secret things belong to God, but the things which are revealed belong to us." If, then, it has pleafed God to reveal that to us by which the preceding difficulties may be folved, we ought to receive that revelation with all humility and thankfulness. III. This will lead us to the third branch of our fubject, which is to confider the key to the whole, and point out the harmony of all the parts with each other, and with the general fcope of the holy fcriptures. refts in the glory of God and the good of his creatures, or, which is the fame, in the perfection of the moral system. But as his fupreme affection is fixed on the great and ever blessed God, as the greatest and best, and as it were the fum of existence and excellence, fo his happines The laft chapter of the book begins with a folemn addrefs to the youth, to remember their Creator while they are young. This is urged from a view of the approaching calamities of old age and death. From whence the writer proceeds to his final inftrué-refults principally from the knowtion to his reader in the true and ledge of God and of his glory only path of felicity here and and happiness, and he refts in him, hereafter, in the following words: as his portion, faying "Whom Let us hear the conclufion of the have I in heaven but thee, and whole matter, fear God and keep there is none upon earth I defire his commandments, for this is the befide thee. My flesh and mỹ whole duty of man. Or as expofi- heart fail, but God is the strength tors render it more exactly from of my heart and my portion forthe original, this is the whole of ever." For the fame reason he man, his duty, usefulness and feli- rejoiceth in the infinite perfections city, here and forever. All that of God for the government of the which gives worth and dignity to world, affured that the whole creman, and renders his exiftence ufe- ation is in his hand, and all creaful and happy, is fummed up in this tures and events at his difpofal; concise description. The fear of and that he ever hath, doth and God, in fcripture language, is an will conduct and govern all, in expreffion comprising that love the most perfect manner, for the and reverence, that fubmiffion and higheft perfection of the moral confidence in him, and all those fyftem. And therefore that all pious affections, which have God the moral and natural evils, existfor their object. And the keeping in the fyftem, all the fin and ing his commandents, is the prac. mifery of man will, through the tical expreffion of that fupreme fuperintending agency of infinite love to him and correfponding 're- perfection, be rendered ultimately fpect to our fellow creatures. fubfervient to his glory and the good of his kingdom. On which two commands, hang all the law and the prophets ;" orwhich infure and imply the practice of every Chriftian duty. Hence it is evident that this is the whole duty of man. It is alfo to be kept in mind, that the love of God and our neighbor, taught in this fummary of Chriftian duty, is that public or general affection which unites to the good of the whole moral fyftem, and to that of each individual, as far as it appears to coincide with general good. Hence the happinefs of the man of piety and goodnels In fuch views, the good man is exceedingly happy in feeling himfelf to be the property of God, and in his hand, as the clay isin thehand of the potter, and moft readily acquiefces in the divine difpofal of all creatures and events, efpecially thofe in which he feels the greatcft interest and concern; thence, in the deepeft calamities he is comforted and fupported with contemplations on the univerfality and perfection of the divine government, & can fay, with the utmost fincerity, the Lord reigns, let the earth re |