Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-07-11

! Eccl. xii l2-Iet hear the conclusion of tn
| whole matter. Fear God aud Keep his com
| mandments, for this is the whole duty OF man
| My text is the deliberate judgment Of
| very wise man, made up after much stud
and very long and varied experience 0
| life. When a matter is proved both by studl
and experiment, it is worthy to be called
conclusion. Doubt it if you will, that is tn,
dignity that belongs to my text. Let US in
| quire then, trhdt matter Il Is that this text il
the conclusion of. In chapter We read thai
| Solomon undertook by wisdom "to search
| and 10 find out concerning all things that ar.
| done under the sum-" That IL, to inquire into
| the purpose and aim of all things. The OBJ.
| ject OF life had his special attention, and he
| gave himself to study OF that. We gather
| from his writings that he undertook to solve
the problem of
chow TO BE HAPPY"
Here ne was in the line OF human beings
| all seek the same thing. The whole book
| of Ecclesiastes seems 10 be extensive dis.
| cassion OF this question; snd he who would
understand it must read il in this light
| Solomon, like most OF Us at first, was much
| in doubt at times about the real object of
| life. In some of his moods he almost con-
| cuded tn a. zone thing happened unto the wise
man and unto the fool" and that there was
| nothing better under The sun than that a
man should eat the fruit OF his labor" But
he had yearnings and longings that could
not be allayed in any such way; and so he
took to long course OF study and expert
ment TO find out ii possible the best way to
have the largest measure OF happiness; in
other words, what to do TO secure peace and
contentment within. In these twelve chap
tiers we have his manner OF
LIFE DEPICTED
and his richest thoughts on the subject. His
argument is worthy to De a manual on "H ow
TO be happy"
FUst-1he first effort that he made at
winning contentment was by gaining wisdom
or knowledge. What u more ennobliug tn g n
the pursuit of knowledge, and what is better
than TO get wisdom? To be eminent in
learning is a great thing. None but the
gifted aud the diligent ever gain that emf
hence, for there is no royal road to it, So
Solomon gave himself from his youth to the
pursuit of knowledge. He was skilled in
letters, mathematics, composition, history
navigation, agriculture, horticulture, music,
sculpture, painting, and l don't know what
all. He had the vastest library of the age.
He wrote and set in order thousand pro-
verbs or wise sayings that have never been
equaled. His name was an oracle every
where. He was the wisest man in the world,
and his equal will perhaps never appear.
And yet wha: OF it all? He tells US himself
that with his vast wealth of information he
miserable being. In the bitterness OF
disappointment he says, "Much study is
wearisome to the flesh" and
"HE THAT INCREAsETH KNOWLEDGE IN
CREAsETH SORROW"
l must not disparage learning. | wish
every body had the love of it and the oppor-
tunity to get it. But it must never be for
gotten by all who barn with the thirst for
10 hat I'm U led
does sorrow"
SecOnd-Next Solomon tried pleasure
that is, gave himself up TO the most excessive
rounds of high life and worldly amusement.
81 said in mine heart, Go to, now l will
prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleas
ure" Why not? Did not God make this
broad, bright, beautiful world TO rejoice in?
and did he not fl it so that the qualification
of all passions and appetites would afford
pleasureable delight? Therefore 1 will try
it to the full. Surely, if joy and happiness
can be found anywhere, here is the place
and This is the way. And so he took the
largest license.
THE BALL, THE DANCE,
the elegant attire, the fulsome flattery of
tops and bellies he tried to the full. All the
most refined pleasures Of polite life, az well
as the courser excitements OF strong drink
and sexual love. Nothing was left out of
the programme. After all this busy round
this gay old fool Gays: 81 said of laughter
Il. e merriment), it is mad; and of mirth
what doeth it," The whole thing seemed
species of madness or insanity, and such
M adness, too, as amounted to no good in the
end. SIT also is vanity" Many a poor girl
that has to toll and stitch becomes euvious of
the silly creature whose latest silk she fiji
and shirrs But, ali! if she only could see
the danger and the end OF her whom she
envies, she might be happy in her lot. The
instances of ruin brought on by high life
and wordliness right here in our own city
are enough 10 alarm us. A young man died
here not long since who started out well. He
had respectable relatives, handsome for
tune, and bid fair to be useful, but he took
to high life. He spent his money for breast
pins, and fnger-rings, and walking-canes,
and in fast driving, and in going about to
the springs. Away went his money, and
then away went his friends, and before he
h ad passed into thirty he died in an obscure
boarding house and without attendants. Such
instances are numerous. In spite Of all the
hard-earned experiences, however,
MEN STILL SWARM ABOUT SALOONS,
and places of pleasure resort as if they were
the fountains of life. Well go ahead. One
end that dit also is vanity"
1hTd.-His next great experiment was
in wealth. Only one in a dispensation ever
survives to try all these things, but he did.
loo much can hardly be said OF his riches.
believe it Is said that be made silver about
as plentiful in his capital stones. The
the splendid expenditure of money
for the sanitary and ornamental improvement
Of the city are marvel unto this day. But
it all failed to satisfy him. and he said, This
100 is vanity" Is wealth, then, nothing, and
are riches to De deplored? By no means.
Wealth is blessing, if we will only let it be,
put there is danger in riches. 1t is danger,
hough, that every one would like TO risk, so
foolish are we. As means OF securing con-
eminent wealth is a failure. | do not know
which is the more miserable, the rich man
with his money and yexation and alarm of
poverty, or the poor man in his toll. The
lied. He had been diligent and stingy and
IL AIDE a fortune. He said to the doctor, who !
TODD by, Il have lived long and made money
md die rich; but, sir, If | could live life |
over / would live for something else. l am
lot happy and have never been" But why |
hould dying man give such counsel. The |
loctor didn't believe him, nor will any one |
Use until it is too late.
Fourth.-What then is the object of life, |
md how may We poor mortals gam little |
est? If there is
ANY ROAD TO HAPPINESS,
where it? Well, in the twelve chapters OF |
mis- book we have the deliberate opinion |
md experience OF the Wisest msn in the |
world, and the conclusion OF the whole |
latter is, fear God and keep His command
,uents, for this is the lchOle man." Observe, it |
8 the whole man, not his duty alone. True,
t is the duty to fear God, but religion has |
lot only its duty side, but in this lies the
whole man-life, duty, happiness and all.
Every other aim must be subservient to this.
When a man comes 10 fear the Being that
made him, and submits to Him in willing
obedience, and makes that his life-aim, he
begins TO realize happiness and not before.
There is no other way. Try it from any
standpoint that you please, all will fail but
his. don't csre Who you are, nor what you
ire, defy you to stand up and declare your
elf happy without the fear OF God.
allow that this world affords a little pleas
Ire, but it is a cheap article. In the midst
# its highest delights there is a guawing at
he heart for something better and more en-.
Turing. When once the ''fear OF God" enters
he soul, and it sinks into sweet submission
o Him, it is az if that soul had entered a
lew world, and a new sun had risen upon it.
+ you would be happy, then, do this, and
'egin il to-day.
DR.. NOTION viii Retire from the Min
istry.
ST. LOUIS, July 10-The Rev. DR.. George
l. Lotion, pastor Of the Third Baptist
hurch, whose erratic condition on a train
ecently occasioned so much scandal, has