ECCLESIASTICUS, Boox OF (ante), the longest and one of the best books of the Apo crypha. Affixed to it are two prologues: the first, by an unknown author, states that the Jesus, son of Sirach, whose name is at the head of the book, lived in the latter times, after the people had returned home from the captivity; that his grandfather Jesus, a man of great diligence and wisdom among the Hebrews, having gathered the instructive and short sentences of the wise men who preceded him, and having himself uttered some full of wisdom and understanding, died, leaving the book almost finished; and that his son Sirach left it to his son Jesus, who set it in order and finished it, calling it Wisdom: the second prologue is by this Jesus son of Sirach, giving a similar account of the author, and adding concerning himself that he had thought it incumbent on him to translate and finish the book. The translation was made from the Hebrew, as this second pro logue affirms; and Jerome testifies that he had seen a copy of the book in that lan guage. Chap. I. contains a glowing eulogium on Simon the high-priest which implies that it was written after his death. And although there were two high-priests of that name, the grandeur of the description is appropriate only to the first, who died about 300 B.C. How long after that date the book was written, is not known. It was trans lated during the reign of Euergetes. But as two of the Ptolemies were well known by that surname, the precise date is not determined. The book, regarded by critics as almost incapable of analysis, because of the derangement and corruption of the text, may be summarized as to its teachings on important points. I. Its main object—as set forth by the name which the translator gave it—is to describe the true nature of wisdom, to exhibit its importance in all the employments and relations of life, and to exhort all men to seek it diligently. It is declared to come from God as its author, and to be in his 'Word as its fountain. It is the gift of God to those who love him, fear him, and do his commandments. In many respects the ideal of wisdom which the book presents is elevated and good, and its ideal of morality and piety is creditable, if judged by the standard of the time when it was written. Yet the wisdom scarcely equals that of the proverbs or of Job; and the morality falls short of the holiness which the Scriptures exhibit and enforce. II. The character which it ascribes to God. It declares him to be in his being from everlasting to everlasting, the creator of all things, greater than his most glorious works, infinite, almighty, omniscient, righteous, holy, greatly to be feared, compassionate, long-suffering, merciful, forgiving. III. Its view of God's providential government. It affirms that, sitting on his throne, he governs the world with the palm of his hand, and marking, with eyes ten thousand times brighter than the sun, the ways of men; humbling and exalting them according to his pleasure and their deserts; pluck ing up the proud nations and planting the lowly in their place; hating sin, visiting ven geance on the ungodly, and reserving them for the day of their punishment; regarding the prayer of the poor, and inflicting swift judgment on their oppressors; sending his blessing on children who honor their father, and his curse on those who provoke their mother; watching over them that love him as their mighty protector and strong stay. IV. Does it teach anything concerning a future life? Its general scope has regard to this life only. The advantages of wisdom and piety, of prayer, of morality and righteous ness, are set forth constantly and in positive terms as bearing on this world, on youth, manhood, old age, and long life, The virtue and piety of fathers will make an honorable memorial for themselveS, and will be beneficial to their children after them. But scarcely
is there any reference to anything beyond death and the grave. There are few allusions, even, to the question whether there be a future life or not. • Such passages as these exhibit the general view—" All things cannot be in men, because the son of man is not immor tal." "The number of man's days at the most is 100 years; as a drop of water to the sea and a gravel stone to the sand, so are 1000 years to eternity." " Weep for the dead, for he hath lost the light; make little weeping for the dead, for lie is at rest." " There is no inquisition in the grave, whether thou have lived 10 or 100 or 1000 years." Yet there are some exceptions which must be taken into the account in judging the book. Once it is said, " They that do the things which please the Lord shall receive the fruit of the tree of immortality." And once, " At the end of the way of sinners is the pit of hades." And when the historical characters of the Old Testament are reviewed and praised, it is said of Enoch, that "he pleased the Lord and was translated ;" of Elias, that " he was taken up in a whirlwind and in a chariot of fiery horses;" and of Samuel, that " after his death he prophesied and showed the king his end." V. Does it teach anything concerning atonement for sin and the promised Savior by whom the atonement was to be made? It says of forgiveness, as the Lord Jesus afterwards taught, "Forgive thy neighbor the hurt that he bath done unto thee, so shall thy sins also be forgiven when thou prayest." Of atonement says, as the Lord Jesus did not teach, " Whoso honoreth his father maketh atonement for his sins." " In the day of thy affliction the relieving of father shall be remembered, thy sins also shall melt away as ice in warm weather." It recognizes Aaron's consecration as a high-priest "to make recon ciliation for his people," but gives no assurance of faith in a greater high-priest to come. It commends Isaiah as a great and faithful prophet, " comforting those that mourn in Zion, and showing what should come to pass forever;" but gives no intimation that among those future events there was the coming of a Savior to the for sinners and to make intercession for them, It quotes from ;Malachi the future mission of Elias, " to turn the heart of the fathers to the children:" hut s ys nothing, abOtit the coming of,the Lord to his temple. Yet it does say that " the Lord gave a remnant to Jacob, and out of him a root unto David." It does say, "I will thank thee, 0 Lord my king, and praise thee, 0 God my Savior." And it contains the remarkable record, "I called upon the Lord, the Father of my Lord," which, without attempting an interpretation of it, we may group with David's declaration, "The Lord said unto my Lord," and Paul's dox ology, " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." VI. Its testimony to the historical character of the Old Testament Scriptures. That the writer was familiar with the Old Testament, containing, substantially, the same books and the same things that it contains now, is manifest from his references to nearly all the prominent person ages and principal scenes of its long history, from Adam to Zerubbabel. Yet two sur prising omissions must be noted; there is no mention of Ezra by the side of Nehemiah, and no reference to Daniel.