CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
"ABOVE THE SUN"
[Transcriber's note: Above list of chapters added to HTMLversion for readers' convenience.]
The chief object of a word of preface to the following notes is thatthe reader may not expect from them more, or other, than is intended.They are the result of meditations—not so much of a critical as adevotional character—on the book, in the regular course of privatemorning readings of the Scriptures—meditations which were jotted downat the time, and the refreshment and blessing derived from which, Idesired to share with my fellow-believers. Some salient point of eachchapter has been taken and used as illustrative of what is conceived asthe purpose of the book. As month by month passed, however, thesubject opened up to such a degree that at the end, one felt as ifthere were a distinct need entirely to re-write the earlier chapters.It is, however, sent forth in the same shape as originally written; thereader then may accompany the writer, and share with him the delight atthe ever-new beauties in the landscape that each turn of the road, asit were, unexpectedly laid out before him.
There is one point, however, that it may be well to look at here alittle more closely and carefully than has been done in the body of thebook, both on account of its importance and of the strong attack thatthe ecclesiastical infidelity of the day has made upon it: I refer toits authorship.
To commence with the strongest position of the attack on the Solomonauthorship—necessarily the strongest, for it is directly in the fieldof verbal criticism—it is argued that because a large number of wordsare found in this book, found elsewhere alone in the post-exilianwriters, (as Daniel or Nehemiah,) therefore the author of the book mustsurely be post-exilian too. It would be unedifying, and is happilyunnecessary, to review this in detail—with a literature so verylimited as are the Hebrew writings cotempor