How Divine Worfhip, &c. 269 thy voice, and dfroy the work of thine hands? For in the multitude of dreams and many words, there are a fo divers vanities : but fear thou God. T H E principal dolrine of this book S ER M. which Solomon the preacher, as he is X- called, fetteth out with, and endeavoureth largely to prove and to illufirate, is, that all things under the fun are vanity and vexa- tion of fpirit. The prefent fate of things was not made for perpetuity, but is always liable to changes; and with relation to man, his chief good defined for him by his wife and bountiful Creator, and fuited to the conftitution of his nature, is not in this world; there is no condition in life which can make him completely happy, can fa- tisfy his large defires, or afcertain to him a lafting, uninterrupted enjoyment : On the contrary, a calm and ferious attention will convince us, that our greateft profperity is fubjeá to unhappy reverfes, that the bell- laid human projects and fchemes are often difappointed, and in that which promifeth the greateft pleafure we frequently meet with vexation. Religion, one would think, fhould be ex- empted from this imputation of vanity, and fo 4
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