Chapter III: The Exposition 111-335

§ 1. THE PROLOGUE 113-126

§ 2. THE FIRST SECTION: or, _The Quest in
Wisdom and in Pleasure_ 127-141

_(a) The Quest in Wisdom_ 127-133

_(b) The Quest in Pleasure_ 133-137

_(c) Wisdom and Pleasure Compared_ 138-140

_(d) The Conclusion_ 140, 141

§ 3. THE SECOND SECTION: or, _The Quest in
Devotion to the Affairs of Business_ 142-186

(_a_) The Quest obstructed by Divine Ordinances 143-145

(_b_) And by Human Injustice and Perversity 145-151

(_c_) It is rendered hopeless by the base
Origin of Human Industries 151, 152

(_d_) Yet these are capable of a nobler
Motive and Mode 153-158

(_e_) So also a happier and more effective
Method of Worship is open to Man; 158-160

(_f_) And a more helpful and consolatory
Trust in the Divine Providence 161-164

(_g_) The Conclusion 164, 165

APPLICATION 165-186

(_a_) Devotion to Business springs from
Jealous Competition: 168, 169

(_b_) It tends to form a Covetous Temper; 169-171

(_c_) To produce a Materialistic Scepticism; 171-173

(_d_) To make Worship Formal and Insincere; 173, 174

(_e_) And to take from Life its Quiet and
Innocent Enjoyments 175-179

(_f_) The Correctives of this Devotion are,

(1) A Sense of its Perils; 179, 180

(2) And the Conviction that it is
opposed to the Will of God
as expressed--

(_a_) In the Ordinances of
his Providence, 180

(_b_) In the Wrongs which
He permits Men to inflict
upon us; 181

(_c_) But above all in the
immortal Cravings which He
has quickened in the Soul 182, 183

(_g_) Practical Maxims deduced from this
View of the Business-Life 184-186

(1) A Maxim on Co-operation 184

(2) A Maxim on Worship 184, 185

(3) A Maxim on Trust in God 185, 186

§ 4. THE THIRD SECTION: or, _The Quest in
Wealth and in the Golden Mean_ 187-228

(A) _The Quest in Wealth_ 188-193

(_a_) The Man who makes Riches his
Chief Good is haunted by Fears
and Perplexities: 188-190

(_b_) For God has put Eternity into his
heart; 190, 191

(_c_) And much that he gains only feeds
Vanity; 191, 192

(_d_) Neither can he tell what it will be
Good for him to have, 192

(_e_) Nor foresee what will become of his
Gains 192, 193

(B) _The Quest in the Golden Mean_ 193-209

(_a_) The Method of the Man who seeks a
Competence 195-199

(_b_) The Perils to which it exposes him 199-207

(1) He is likely to compromise
Conscience: 200, 201

(2) To be indifferent to Censure: 201-203

(3) To despise Women: 203-205

(4) And to be indifferent to Public
Wrongs 205-207

(_c_) The Preacher condemns this Theory
of Human Life 207-209

APPLICATION 209-228

(A) _The Quest in Wealth_ 212-218

(_a_) The Man who makes Riches his Chief
Good is haunted by Fears and
Perplexities 213, 214

(_b_) Much that he gains only feeds Vanity 214, 215

(_c_) He cannot tell what it will be Good
for him to have; 215

(_d_) Nor foresee what will become of his
Gains: 215, 216

(_e_) And because God has put Eternity
into his heart, he cannot be content
with Temporal Gains 216-218

(B) _The Quest in the Golden Mean_ 218-228

(_a_) The Method of the Man who seeks a
Competence 220-222

(_b_) The Perils to which it exposes him 222-226

(1) He is likely to compromise Conscience: 222-224

(2) To be indifferent to Censure: 224

(3) To despise Women: 225

(4) And to be indifferent to Public
Wrongs 226

(_c_) The Preacher condemns this Theory
of Human Life 227, 228

§ 5. THE FOURTH SECTION: or, _The Quest
Achieved_ 229-275

(_a_) The Chief Good not to be found in
Wisdom: 230-234

(_b_) Nor in Pleasure: 234-237

(_c_) Nor in Devotion to Affairs and its
Rewards: 237-246

(_d_) But in a wise Use and a wise Enjoyment
of the Present Life, 247-256

(_c_) Combined with a stedfast Faith in
the Life to come 256-275

§ 6. THE EPILOGUE: _In which the Problem
of the Book is conclusively Solved_ 276-335