his to be
answered, Ecclesiastes?--or what help to its answer dost thou give?...

And there is silence alone for a reply.

Once and only once was such a state possible. Adam, as he walked in
his undefiled Eden, eating its fruit, rejoicing in the result of his
labor, with no accusing conscience, God visiting him in the cool of the
day and responding to all his joy,--there is the picture of
Ecclesiastes' "good that is fair." Where else in the old creation, and
how long did that last? No; whilst it is refreshing and inspiring to
mark the beautiful intelligence and exalted reasoning of Ecclesiastes,
recognizing the true place of man in creation, dependent, and
consciously dependent, on God for "life and breath and all things," as
Paul spoke long afterwards, appealing to that in the heathen Athenians
which even they were _capable_ of responding to affirmatively; yet how
he leaves us looking at a "good that is fair," but without a word as to
how it is to be attained, in view of, and in spite of, sin. That one
short word raises an impassable barrier between us and that fair good,
and the more fair the good, the more cruel the pain at being so utterly
separated from it; but then, too, the more sweet and precious the love
that removes the barrier entirely, and introduces us to a good that is
as far fairer than Solomon's as Solomon's is above the beasts.

For we, too, my dear readers, have our "good that is fair." Nor need
we fear comparison with that of this wisest of men.

Survey with me a fairer scene than any lighted by this old creation sun
can show, and harken to God's own voice, in striking contrast to poor
Solomon's portraying its lovely and entrancing beauties for our
enjoyment.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,
according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ
to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will to the praise of
the glory of His grace wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved:
in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins
according to the riches of His grace."

Dwell a little on this our own fair good; mark its sevenfold
perfection; go up and down the land with me. Let us press these grapes
of Eshcol, and