bounty, that it gives us all things richly to enjoy: it furnishes us not only with the neceffaries, but also with the conveniencies and comforts of life. Abufe them not by intemperance, but use them as those who know the fashion of this world paffeth away. Be fober and moderate in the use of all the comforts you enjoy, and the refreshments which you take, and guard with caution against all temptations to excefs..

12 And the harp and the viol, the tabret and pipe, and wine are in their feafts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither confider the operation of his hands.

The conduct which is here cenfured, confifted in an intemperate and unreasonable indulgence in the luxuries of inftrumental music, and elegant entertainments. Mufic and feafting are things in themselves lawful, and on proper occafions expedient. The king of Ifrael, who had this honourable teftimony, that he was a man according to God's own heart, invented inftruments of mufic, which were employed in praifing the Lord. The feafts among the Jews feem to have been commonly attended with inftrumental mufic, which to fome of the guests would be the moft delicious part of the entertainment, whilst it would produce agreeable effects upon all who were prefent. Hence, in the book of Lamentations, the young men ceafing from mufic, is mentioned as a mournful confequence of the defolations there bewail

And our Lord, in the parable of the prodigal fon, introduces mufic and dancing upon the joyful occafion, which he there defcribes with inimitable beauty. Feftivity, which was not unfrequent among the pofterity of Ifrael, might be derived from their fathers, whofe memory they profeffed highly to venerate. Abraham made a feast at the weaning of his fon;

* Lam. v. 14.

Ifaac made a feast for Abimelech, and Phichol the chief captain of his army; befide other inftances which might be mentioned. Our bleffed Saviour honoured with his prefence a marriage-feaft, in Cana of Galilee, where he changed water into wine, to fupply the deficiency of the entertainment. Indeed we have not a doubt but that the good Lord who confers not only the neceffaries, but the delicacies which cover the table of not a few, intends that they ought to be received with humility and thanksgiving on proper oc

cafions.

Why then do you afk, Doth a righteous God denounce mifery and wo against thofe who feafted, and in their feafts had mufic and wine? I fuppofe the fin which expofed them to the divine displeasure, confisted in their not attending to the feafons in which, with propriety, they might have made merry with their friends. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpofe under the heaven: there is a time to mourn and to weep, and there is a time to laugh and to dance, as God hath taught us by the wifeft of men *. Now if, after this inftruction, people are fo foolish and perverfe as to employ the time in mirth and jollity, in which they are called to forrow and lamentation, they thereby expose themselves to many terrible calamities. You may see a remarkable inftance of the truth of this obfervation, recorded Chap. xxii. 12, 13, and 14. where you read,‘In that day did the Lord God of hofts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with fackcloth and behold, joy and gladnefs, flaying oxen and killing fheep, eating flesh and drinking wine; let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die. And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hofts, furely this iniquity fhall not be purged from you, till ye die, faith the Lord God of hofts.' The feafon there referred to, as we

Ecclef. iii. 1. et feq.

learn

learn from the fifth verfe of that chapter, was a day of 'trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord God of hofts in the valley of vifion, break⚫ing down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.' This was not a time for feafting and rejoicing and by endeavouring to counteract the call of God, their fin became fo aggravated, that he declares, it fhould not be purged. On the fame account, complicated mifery is here threatened againft fimilar wicked conduct.Diligently obferve the difpenfations of providence, carefully mark what feems to be their tendency and defign, and faithfully improve the admonitions you thereby receive.

But they regard not the work of the Lord, neither confider the operation of his hands. Inconfideration, and neglect of the work of God, is the natural confequence of the practices above mentioned. The operation of God's hand, may refer not to any particular difpenfation, but to the whole work of divine providence toward mankind in general, and efpecially his peculiar people. The connection and defign of the words feem to favour this interpretation. How wonderful, how diverfified, and glorious, are the works of God, which are fought out of all them that have pleafure therein! How grand and magnificent are the operations of his hands, for the inftruction and benefit of man; works in the heavens and upon the earth, works of judgment and mercy, works of vengeance and deliverance! They are accompanied with circumstances meriting the most serious confideration, and the highest admiration; for he hath put upon them fuch marks of his power as render, them most worthy of regard. They are defigned to accomplish the most valuable purpofes, to difplay the glory of their divine Author, to lead up the thoughts of men to God himself, and to excite them to the exercises of gratitude, praise, and obedience. Many of them are placed fully in our view, that we may contemplate and admire them, though on this very account they

are

are often neglected and overlooked. The leaft of God's works, and the least of his mercies, ought not to be flightly paffed by, much less his greatest works and deliverances in behalf of his church. To this fubject we may apply the words of Jefus Chrift, with refpect to tithing mint, anife, and cummin, and doing the greater things of the law; "These ought ye to have • done, and not to leave the other undone."

The people, against whom God, by the prophet, brought the charge before us, had their minds occupied with fenfible objects, and deluded by fenfual pleasures; therefore they avoided all ferious confideration, and every fpiritual exercife. They perfifted in a criminal contempt of divine providence, which had wrought, on their account, the moft ftupendous wonders. These works of the Lord they ought to have attentively confidered, and acknowledged them to be the Lord's doing, and marvellous in their eyes. Though they were witneffes of many great and furprifing events, they did not view them as operations of the Almighty: they did not diligently apply their minds to the contemplation of the works of God, that they might perceive his power therein magnified, and difcern his wifdom, goodness, and mercy therein manifefted. Any impreffions made upon their hearts, by the operations of the Moft High, were of fhort duration, and easily effaced; as we learn from the feventy-eighth pfalm, where it is recorded, to their everlasting reproach, That they, foon forgat his works, and his wonders that he had fhewed them; 'that they remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.' To this important duty, therefore, in which they were culpably negligent, they were repeatedly invited by that great man, who once fat upon their throne, and whofe devotional exercises they had among their hands: Come (faid he), and behold the works of the Lord.' And because they regarded not the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands, he foretold, that God would

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would destroy them, and not build them up. This useful employment was greatly neglected by the fons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, faying, Ifrael fhall be thy name+;' as is abundantly evident from many paffages in the prophets and gofpels, which I ftay not to recite. This, among other fins, expofed them to mifery and wo.Whofo then is wife, let him observe divine difpenfations, and he fhall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord, that is confpicuous in the manner and feafon in which he operates, the inftruments he employs, the events which he accomplishes, the defigns which he effectuates, and their correspondence to the revelation he hath given of his bleffed will.

13 ¶ Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

The punishment of the fins above mentioned, is defcribed in this, and the following verfes.The judgment of captivity, which is here denounced, is fpoken of, in the prophetic ftile, as already executed; to intimate the abfolute certainty, and near approach of the threatened calamity. The pofterity of Ifrael were firft led captive by Tiglath-pilezer king of Afsyria, under the reign of Pekah king of Ifrael, and that of Jotham king of Judah, as we learn from 2 Kings xv. 27. and following verfes. About the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, under the reign of Hofhea over Ifrael, Shalmanezer king of Affyria carried Ifrael again captive to Affyria, as we read 2 Kings xvii. 6. In the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Affyria came up against the fenced cities of Judah, and took them, and fent a great host against Jerufalem, as recorded 2 Kings xviii. 13. and follow

*Pfal. xxviii. 5.

+ Kings xviii. 31.