Egypt.

For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and
Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations
round about.

And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and
five.

And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto
the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and
of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all
kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom."

Is it not a magnificent ascription of abounding wisdom? What field has
it not capacity to explore? Philosophy in its depths--poetry in its
beauties--botany and zoology in their wonders. Do we envy him? Then
listen to what his poor heart was groaning all that time: "In much
wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth
sorrow"! Now turn to _our_ portion above the sun--"the knowledge of
God and of Jesus our Lord": infinitely higher, deeper, lovelier, and
more wondrous than the fields explored by Solomon, in constant
unfoldings of riches of wisdom; and each new unfolding bringing its own
sweet measure of "grace and peace." Have not the lines fallen to us in
pleasant places? Have we not a goodly heritage? Take the feeblest of
the saints of God of today, and had Solomon in all his glory a lot like
one of these?

CHAPTER II.

The wise man, having found that wisdom brought with it but increased
sorrow, turns to the other side--to all those pleasures that the flesh,
as we speak, enjoys. Still, he gives us, as in chap. i., the result of
his search before he describes it: "I said in my heart, 'Go to now; I
will prove thee [that is, I will see if I cannot satisfy thee,] with
mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure:' and behold, this also is vanity. I
said of laughter, 'it is mad;' and of mirth, 'what doeth it?'" For he
now has tried wine, the occupation of laying out of vinyards, gardens,
parks, the forming of lakes, and the building of houses, all filled
without stint, with every thing that sense could crave, or the soul of
man could enjoy. The resources at his command are practically
limitless, and so he works on and rejoices in the labor, apparently
with the idea that now the craving within can be satisfied, now he is
on the road to rest. Soon he will look round on the result of all his
work, and be able to say, "All is very good; I can n