'The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he
knoweth not how to go to the city.'--ECCLES. x. 15.
On the surface this seems to be merely a piece of homely, practical
sagacity, conjoined with one of the bitter things which Ecclesiastes
is fond of saying about those whom he calls 'fools.' It seems to
repeat, under another metaphor, the same idea which has been presented
in a previous verse, where we read: 'If the iron be blunt, and he do
not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength; but wisdom is
profitable to direct.' That is to say, skill is better than strength;
brain saves muscle; better sharpen your axe than put yourself into a
perspiration, hitting fierce blows with a blunt one. The prerogative
of wisdom is to guide brute force. And so in my text the same general
idea comes under another figure. Immense effort may end in nothing but
tired feet if the traveller does not know his road. A man lost in the
woods may run till he drops, and find himself at night in the place
from which he started in the morning. The path must be known, and the
aim clear, if any good is to come of effort.
That phrase, 'how to go to the city,' seems to be a kind of proverbial
comparison for anything that is very plain and conspicuous, just as
our forefathers used to say about any obvious truth, that it was 'as
plain as the road to London town.' The road to the capital is sure to
be a well-marked one, and he must be a fool indeed who cannot see
that. So our text, though on the surface, as I say, is simply a
sarcasm and a piece of homely, practical sagacity, yet, like almost
all the sayings in this Book of Ecclesiastes, it has a deeper meaning
than appears on the surface; and may be applied in higher and more
important directions. It carries with it large truths, and enshrines
in a vivid metaphor bitter experiences which, I suppose, we can all
confirm.