No. 4. Treasurer's Account Current. Dr. The Missionary Society To amount of Cash, paid by order of the Committe, as of Connecticut, in Account Current with By Balance, in favor of the Society, January 1, 1803...9669 95 per statement No. 31908 254 By Contribution in May 1803, as per statement No. I......... Balance, carried to Credit of 306996 as per statement No. 23363 70 A. KINGSBURY, Treasurer to Miss. Soc'y. Hartford, January 1, 1804. The following Donations have also been made to the Society in the course of the year. By Benjamin Beecher of Cheshire, a Lot of Land containing 50 Acres. Daniel Reed of New Haven, 100 Primers. A Friend of Missions, 400 copies of a Sermon to Children. Sundry Friends of Missions, 108 Testaments. Doctor Morfe of Charlestown, 100 Davidson's Sermons. Do. Do. 150 Doddridge's Address to Families. A Friend of Missions, 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 Symsbury, deceafed, a Bequest of the Interest of 100 Dollars, to be annually paid from his estate. A particular List 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. A. D. 1802. 33 39 16 64 To Rev. Seth Williston, in the western counties of New-York, A. D. D. 1802 and 1803. 49 63 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. EWISH and Christian writers Key to the Book of Ecclefiaftes. | be confidered; and a view taken of the confiftence and harmony of all the parts with each other, and with the general scope of the holy scriptures. J I. The general fubject of the book is to be confidered. This is evidently, on life and manners, or on the character and state of man, The writer was Solomon, the ❘ and his prospects on earth. But fon of David, king of Jerufalem; probably the wisest and most profperous king who had ever lived and reigned. This book is supposed to have been written in his old age, when his wifdom was matured by experience, and he was happily reclaimed from the fad de generacy of manners into which he had been led by " outlandish women." Illumined by the rays of heav enly wisdom, and reviving virtue and piety, just 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 instruction and benefit of succeeding generations. Some difficulties, however, attend the investigation of this book; to remove which, and to present it to the reader in such a light as to convey its true intent and meaning, is the object proposed in the present attempt. For this purpose the general fubject of the book will be con fidered: And the incidental paffages, expressing seemingly different fentiments, will be reviewed. Then the key to the whole will VOL. IV. No. 10. the picture must be confefsed to be deeply shaded, and his profpects are not a little melancholy. This is evinced by the following passages, among many others. -"This is an evil among all things which are done under the fun, that there is one event unto all. Yea, also the heart of the fons of men is full of evil: madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead."-" Because to every pur. pose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery 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." "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, 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 wickedness was there, and the place of righteoufness that iniquity was there." " I confidered all the oppreffions which are done under the fun, and beheld the tears of such as were oppreffed and they had no Zz comforter, and on the fide of their oppreffors there was power, but they had no comforter." "Wherefore 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." are inviting, and that a complete portion of happiness in the enjoyments of life, was within his reach. But how can this be reconciled with the many declarations in this book in view of the faint's profpects of this world, that "all is vanity and vexation of spirit," and this as the result of experience by the writer, who must be confider " Again I confidered all trav-ed to have made the experiment ail 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 spirit." "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 wickedness and mifery of man, viewed individually and in fociety. II. There are, however, several passages 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 takest under the fun." By these, and fimilar passages, we should be led to suppose that the profpects of man upon earth under the best advantage for the acquisition of happiness? Several passages admit and affert 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 sameness in the issue 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 so it happeneth even to me. And why was I then more wife? Then I faid in my heart that this also 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 shall 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 grievous unto me, for all is vanity and vexation of spirit." " I said in my heart concerning the estate 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 dust, and all turn to dust again." How dark are the profpects of man as presented in these passages! Yet we find, in several parts of this book, very decided expreffions of the doctrines of the accountability of man, the government of God, and the retributions of futurity. Such are the following : " I faid in my heart, God shall 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 shall be well with them who fear God, who fear before him. But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he feareth not before God." Can the moral government of God and the retributions of futurity be more explicitly asserted than in these words? Finally, the perfection of the divine providential government is clearly taught in the following passages. "I know that whatsoever God doth, it shall be forever; nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it, and God doth it that men should fear before him." These passages contain some of the principal doctrines of this book, and seem to express the following sentiments, viz. That all the profpects and purfuits of men, are vain, and ifssue in vanity and vexation of spirit; that man is exceedingly debased, and is even, in character and condition, very much like the beasts. Yet that man has animating profpects before him upon earth, and is called on to rejoice and be happy in those prospects. After all, that there is a most important diftinction in the characters and profpects of men, expressed by the terms righteous and wicked. - That man is a moral and accountable being. That whatever appearances to the contrary may be supposed, the righteous are the objects of divine approbation, and the wicked are abhorred by God.. That therefore he hath appointed the retributions of eternity, in which the distinction of human characters shall be clearly marked, and every man treated according to his works; and on the whole, the present mysteries in the moral and providential government of God shall be explained, and it shall be clearly manifest that "whatfoever God doth it shall be forever, nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it, and God doth it that man should fear before him." This divine decision should filence the cavils of weak and shortfighted 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 pleased God to reveal that to us by which the preceding difficulties may be solved, 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 scope of the holy scriptures. Let us the The last chapter of the book begins with a folemn address 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 inftruction to his reader in the true and only path of felicity here and hereafter, in the following words: hear the conclufion of whole matter, fear God and keep bis commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Or as expofitors render it more exactly from the original, this is the whole of man, his duty, usefulness and felicity, here and forever. All that which gives worth and dignity to man, and renders his existence useful and happy, is summed up in this concise description. The fear of God, in scripture language, is an expreffion comprising that love and reverence, that fubmiffion and confidence in him, and all those pious affections, which have God for their object. And the keeping his commandents, is the prac. tical expreffion of that fupreme love to him and corresponding respect to our fellow creatures. On which two commands, hang all the law and the prophets ;" orwhich infure and imply the practice of every Christian 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 summary of Christian duty, is that public or general affection which unites to the good of the whole moral system, and to that of each individual, as far as it appears to coincide with general good. Hence the happiness of the man of piety and goodness rests 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 sum of existence and excellence, so his happiness refults principally from the know ledge of God and of his glory and happiness, and he rests in him, as his portion, faying "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth I defire beside thee. My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." For the fame reason he rejoiceth in the infinite perfections of God for the government of the world, affured that the whole creation is in his hand, and all creatures and events at his disposal; and that he ever hath, doth and will conduct and govern all, in the most perfect manner, for the highest perfection of the moral system. And therefore that all the moral and natural evils, exist ing in the system, all the fin and misery of man will, through the superintending agency of infinite perfection, be rendered ultimately subservient to his glory and the good of his kingdom. 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 is in the hand of the potter, and most readily acquiesces in the divine disposal of all creatures and events, especially those in which he feels the greateft interest and concern; thence, in the deepest calamities he is comforted and fupported with contemplations on theuniverfality and perfection of the divine government, & can say, with the utmost sincerity, "the Lord reigns, let the earth re |