SERMON

XI.

Nothing new under the Sun.

[From Dr. CLAGET's Second Volume. ]

ECCL. iii. 15.

That which hath been, is now; and that which is to be, hath already been: and God requireth that which is paft.

T

HE former part of this text, That which hath been, is now; and that which is to be, hath already been,

is in fenfe the fame, with verfe the ninth of the first chapter of this book, There is no new thing under the fun; that is, As the ages of the world go on, the fame events come about again.

The latter part of it, God requireth that which is paft, -feems to have this meaning; that God ftill requireth the fame be

haviour from us, that he hath ever required of thofe that have been before us.

Which two confiderations being intended to promote the general end of the whole book, i. e. to make men fear Gad and keep his commandments, I intend to illuftrate both, and to fhew how useful they are for that purpose.

Now these fayings are to be understood, as many other moral and proverbial fayings are, where what is univerfally affirmed, is to be understood as to the greater part. The meaning cannot be this, that there is no diverfity of events to be feen in the feveral paffages of men's lives, or in the feveral ages of the world; for as Solomon obferves in the beginning of this chapter, To every thing there is a feafon, and a time for every purpose under heaven: nor, cạn the meaning be, that nothing happens in one age of the world, but it hath happened in every age; for fometimes God (as the fcripture expreffeth it) createth a new thing: The Son of God was to come in our nature, but once before the end of the

world:

world: The first ages of Chriftianity were ages of miracles; but miracles now have ceafed for many ages. Such rare and extraordinary cafes as thefe, are not intended.And as to all the rest, the meaning is this; That if we confider the diversity of events which befal mankind, and the viciffitudes of the good and evil which they undergo,- thefe varieties are ftill fo repeated in the feveral ages of the world, that the difference is not fo confiderable as the agreement. In the main they are the fame, though the circumftances be various. Juft as the seasons of the year are the fame, in which nevertheless there may be great diverfity of weather; not always the like funshine or rain, fair or foul weather, barren or fruitful feasons; yet ftill the same fpring, fummer, winter, and autumn, do return in their course.

And as the cafe of all ages is much alike, as to the events that befal men; fo it is not much different, as to the duties required of them. For in all times, from the beginning to the end of the world, the moral

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moral part of religion is the fame, namely, to fear God, to be juft and kind to men, and to govern our paffions by reason, by the reverence of our Maker, and the expectation of a final account. And God has, once for all, required fome duties, by the particular revelation of the gospel; by which we are obliged to the end of the world. Nay, and the circumftances which make the doing of these things more or less difficult, are not new; since the fame, or the like, have frequently returned heretofore; and when we are gone, will be repeated again. So that ftill God requireth that which is past,

Now because, as I faid, thefe confiderations are of great use, in order that they may have the stronger impreffion, I shall try to fhew, that it must needs be fo; that it cannot be otherwise, if we take one thing with another, but that that which bath been fhould be now, and that which is to be, already should have been.

FOR

FOR, from the beginning of the world to the end of it, they are the fame things, of which the good or evil of mankind is compounded. The welfare of the world. always did, and ever will confist, in such things as thefe; in a juft and wife government; in constant obedience to it; in peace and fecurity; in profperous undertakings; in having good parents, and good children, and good relations; in a good name; in competent maintenance; in liberty and health; and in agreeable converfation.

There are no forts of happiness peculiar to one age, which are not as defireable by another; nor any kind of misery, that one has fuffered, but another muft feel the fame uneafiness and pain under it, when it happens. And therefore because it is the good and the evil that happens to men, which makes up a great part of the history of the world; they must be, in great part, the fame things that are brought over again,

And