The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-12-17
Qieht
, TSnIkn BY F. E. DAWSON
! y IUeENS Rutland, VI
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VANITY OF VANITIES.
Dec. 20, 'OS-u Kings II: 4-10.

revealed to us in fragmentary and
Incomplete form. Tho beauty OF
holiness" is full circle we see in
them only the segment of q circle,
convex on one side but concave on
the other. In other words, some one
quality stands out in bold relief. and
by that they are commemorated,
while all else falls into shadow. Thus
I Abraham incarnates for us faith:
Moses meekness; Samson strength;
/ Elijah zeal. But on the side of ac-
tual works Abraham broke down;
Moses spoke "unadvisedly"; Sam
! sons strength melted. and Elijah's
courage dwindled to childish petu-
lance under the juniper bush. 1t is
necessary, therefore. in studying the
records OF tho early time to bear in
mind that "tho law made nothing
perfect" and that tho highest ideals
OF that age are shadows only, al
though shadows of the true.
The character OF Solomon is
striking illustration of this fact.
Solomon's one legacy to men is not
the memory of his royalty or his
riches, but his wisdom. That alone
made him truly great. His early life
was pure and prosperous. His mid
die life brilliant and powerful BY
diplomacy and commerce he con-
QuCred the whole Land OF Prom
ise, which was the first timo it had
really been possessed. Hc achieved
a worldwide fame as preacher"
The whole Oriental world to-day is
full OF legends about his wise re-
plies to hard questions.
In this book we get peep into
the old Kings diary and discover
how varied were the paths he trod
in his pursuit OF pleasure. We see
him as the scientist, the sinful pleas
urist, the fatalist, the materialist, the
skeptic, the philosopher and finally
as the penitent, announcing that to
fear God and keep His command
ments is the whole duty Of man.
A Royal Sensualist.
But from this summit of fame and
prosperity Solomon fell-and his fall
was like that of an angel OF light
over the battlements of heaven. His
walk no longer tailed with his talk.
Strange women led him to strange
gods. His chief end seemed to be TO
glorify self and enjoy sin. AS in
the so-called golden age OF Angus
tvs, Christ was crucified, so in this
Jewish golden age of Solomons
reign, God was mocked by temples in
the Holy Land itself to heather
idols. And the old age of Solomon
was the old age of a royal sensualist,
an old age of natures retributions,
not the sunset of sanity life.
Three Periods of Life.
The three periods of Solomon's
life are well illustrated in his works.
The Edenic period is mirrored in
the Song of Solomon-a parable of
the souls love for the heavenly
bridegroom. To the period of his
middle life belongs the book of Pro
verbs-whose key-thought is wis
dom as related to happiness, and fol-
ly as related to shame and disgrace.
And Ecclesiastes is the voice of old
age, dissatisfied, gloomy, miserable
the keynote of which Is Vanity,
Vanity, Vanity" Twenty-Five times
In that brief book the writer ex-
claims. Vanity of vanities, az is
vanity" Power, pleasure, property,
popularity, and wisdom have all been
his, but he writes over them all the
one word vanity" Lord Chester
field, who had received ribbons, Of
fces, applause, everything eXcepr
heavens approval, confessed at the
end of life that his experience had
been as unhappy and hollow, when
he said, II have recently read Solo
mon with kind Of sympathetic feel
Ing. | have been as wicked and as
vain, though not as wise as he: but
now l am old enough to feel the
truth OF his reflection, Vanity OF
vanities, all is vanity"
His Fate Uncertain.
A German author has collected
the published discussion of the ques-
tion, Did Solomon repent? and they
fill volumes. In a series of frescoes
on the walls of the campo Santo at
Pisa, Solomon is represented at the
Judgment as looking anxiously to
both the right and the left as one
who knows not on which side his lot
will be cast. The artist represents
the worlds perplexity as to Solo
mons fate.
There is no book in the Bible that
more clearly and emphatically
teaches that this world cannot salts
fy the soul than Ecclesiastes. Solo
mon swung round the whole circle.
He tried learning, mirth, wine, poly
gamy, architecture, horticulture, cat
tie raising, money, music, commerce,
national expansion, tried them all,
and in every possible advantage.
But he comes down to the end of life
and as we look at his portrait we
coo tho pistnra ns ylnnn,y ,Ao,,;.k,