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THE

THIRD BOOK.

THE ARGUMENT.

SOLOMON confiders man through the several stages and conditions of life; and concludes in generals that we are all miferable. He reflects more particularly upon the trouble and uncertainty of greatnefs and power; gives fome inftances thereof from ADAM down to himself; and ftill-concludes that all is VANITY. He reafons again upon life, death, and a future being; finds human wisdom too imperfect. to refolve his doubts; has recourfe to religion; is informed by an angel, what shall happen to himselfi his family, and his kingdom, till the redemption of ISRAEL: and, upon the whole, refolves to fubmit. his inquiries and anxieties to the will of his Crear

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TEXTS chiefly alluded to in this BOOK.

Or ever the filver cord be loofed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, Ecclefiaftes, Chap, XII. ver. 6.

The fun arifeth, and the fun goeth down, and hafteth to his place where he arose. Chap. I, ver. 5.

The wind goeth towards the South, and turneth about unto the North.
It whirleth about continually; and the wind returneth again, accord,
ing to his circuits,
All the rivers run into the fea, yet the fea is not full. Unto the place

ver. 6.

from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.. ver. 7. Then fall the dust return to the earth, as it was; and the fpirit fhall return unto God who gave it. Chap XII. ver. 7.

Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and confumed the burnt-offering, and the facrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the houfe, II. Chronicles, Chap. VII,

ver. I.

By the rivers of Babylon, there we fat down: yea, we wept, when we remembered Sion, &c, Pfalm CXXXVII, ver. 1.

1 faid of laughter, it is mad; and of mirth, what doeth it? Ecclefiaftes Chap. II. ver. 20

No man can find out the work that God maketh, from the beginning to the end, Chap. III, ver. 11.

Whatfoever God doeth, it fhall be for ever; nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it; and God doeth it, that men fhould fear before him. ver, 14,

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. Chap. XII.

ver. 13.

THE

THIRD BO O K.

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NOME then, my foul: I call thee by that name, Thou bufy thing from whence I know I am; For knowing that I am, I know thou art : Since that must needs exift, which can impart, But how thou cam'ft to be, or whence thy fpring: For various of thee priefts and poets fing.

Hear'st thou fubmifhive, but a lowly birth,

Some fep'rate particles of finer earth,
A plain effect which nature must beget,
As motion orders, and as atoms meet;
Companion of the body's good or ill;
From force of inftinct more than choice of will;
Confcious of fear or valour, joy or pain,
As the wild courfes of the blood ordain ;
Who as degrees of heat and cold prevail,
In youth doft flourish, and with age doft fail;
'Till mingl'd with thy partner's latest breath
Thou fly'ft diffolv'd in air, and loft in death.
Or if thy great existence would afpire
To caufes more fublime; of heav'nly fire
Wert thou a fpark ftruck off, a sep❜rate ray,
Ordain'd to mingle with terreftrial day ;

With it condemn'd for certain years to dwell,
To grieve its frailties, and its pains to feel;
To teach it good and ill, difgrace or fame
Pale it with rage, or redden it with shame :
To guide its actions with informing care,
In peace to judge, to conquer in the war :
Render it agile, witty, valiant, fage,
As fits the various course of human age;
'Till as the earthly part decays and falls,
The captive breaks her prifon's mould'ring walls;
Hovers a while upon the fad remains,
Which now the pile, or fepulchre contains;
And thence with liberty unbounded flies,
Impatient to regain her native skies.

Whate'er thou art, where e'er ordain'd to go
(Points which we rather may difpute, than know)
Come on, thou little inmate of this breaft,
Which for thy fake from paffions I diveft:
For thefe, thou fay'ft, raife all the stormy ftrife,
Which hinder thy repofe, and trouble life.
Be the fair level of thy actions laid,

As temp'rance wills, and prudence may perfuade: Be thy affections undisturb'd and clear,

Guided to what may great or good appear;

And try if life be worth the liver's care.
Amafs'd in man there justly is beheld

What thro' the whole creation has excell'd:

The life and growth of plants, of beafts the fense,
The angel's forecast and intelligence :

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Say from thefe glorious feeds, what harveft flows:: Recount our bleffings, and compare our woes..

In its true light let cleareft reafon fee

The man dragg'd out to act, and forc❜d to be;
Helpless and naked on a woman's knees
To be expos'd or rear'd as fhe may please ;
Feel her neglect, and pine from her disease.
His tender eye by too direct a ray

Wounded, and flying from unpractis'd day ;.
His heart affaulted by invading air,
And beating fervent to the vital war;
To his fenfe how various forms appear:
That ftrike his wonder and excite his fear?:
By his diftortions he reveals his pains;
He by his tears, and by his fighs complains ;,
'Till time and ufe affift the infant wretch,
By broken words, and rudiments of speech,
His wants in plainer characters to show,
And paint more perfect figures of his woe,
Condemn'd to facrifice his childish years
To babling ign'rance, and to empty fears;
To país the riper period of his age,
Acting his part upon a crowded stage;
To lafting toils expos'd, and endless cares,.
To open dangers, and to fecret fnares;
To malice which the vengeful foe intends,
And the more dangerous love of feeming friends.
His deeds examin'd by the people's will,
Prone to forget the good, and blame the ill :
Or fadly cenfur'd in their curft debate,
Who in the scorner's or the judge's feat
Dare to condemn the virtue which they hate.
Or would he rather have this frantic fcene;
And trees and beafts prefer to courts and men

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