Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

the Good of all his Labours that he taketh under the Sun of all the Days of his Life, which God giveth him, for it is his Portion. And in Chap. 6. ver. 1, 2. he reprefents it as a great Evil that he bath feen under the Sun, and yet fuch an Evil as is common among Men, that a Man to whom God hath given Riches, and Wealth, and Honour, fo that he wanteth nothing for his Scul, of all that he defireth, yet God giveth him not Power to eat thereof, but a Stranger eateth it; this (faith he) is Vanity and an evil Difeafe.

And there is certainly great Reason in what he faith; for to have a plentiful Portion of the good Things of this Life, and not to have the Heart to make use of them for the Enjoyment of Ourfelves and Friends; for the refreshing us under the Toil that this Life doth expofe us to for the promoting Acquaintance and Society, and the rendring our Condition as eafy as may be; is as unaccountable a Folly as we can be guilty of, and makes us really as Poor and Neceffitous as. those that want Bread, but only not fo pityable.bre

[ocr errors]

Taking now this to be the Sense of Rejoycing in the Text, (as I believe it is) we have from hence a good Warrant for this Day's Meeting; for we come together to Rejoice in Sulomon's Senfe, that is, to eat and drink, and to enjoy the Good of our Labours, it being the Gift of God fo to do.

And this Practice of ours is not only reasonable in itself, but is commended to us by the Example of God's People, both under

H 2

the

16.

See Deut. the Law and the Gofpel. The Jews, by the Appointment of God himself, were to meet every Year Three times at Jerufalem, the Capital City of the Nation, to Feaft and to Rejoyce before the Lord, as we have it in the exprefs Words. of Mofes. And the Chriftians, for near Two hundred Years after our Saviour, had their Agape, their Feafts of Charity, wherein they met together, both Poor and Rich, to Enjoy and make Merry, one with another. It is true, thefe Feafts were at length left off by common Confent, because there grew Abuses in them; they became Occa fions of Luxury and Excefs; and fo Matters of Scandal to our Religion. But this was not an ill Reflection upon the Thing itself, which was Innocent and Commenda ble, but upon the Abuse of the Thing: A good and laudable Inftitution was perverted to evil Purpofes. However, this very Confideration ought to make us very careful of our Carriage and Behaviour in thefe our Meetings, left we fall under the fame Incon-. veniencies: Which that we may prevent, Two Things are especially needful, to be taken care of by us.

J

Firft, That we do not exceed the Bounds of Rejoycing, prefcribed to Chriftians; that is, that we avoid all Excefs, and ufe the Creatures of God.. foberly and temperately, fo as to give Offence to none, nor to make Provifion for the Flesh, to fulfil the Lufts. thereof.

[ocr errors][merged small]

And Secondly, That we take care to perform and make good the Ends and Defigns of these Feafts of Rejoicings; which Ends, if we will take our Meafures from thofe Laws, that God gave to his own. People in the Old Teftament, and which the moderni Jews themselves, in their Commentaries take notice of; and which are fo reasonable in themselves, that without any Authority, they do recommend themselves to us, are thefe Four following.

[ocr errors]

Firft, That we Rejoyce before the Lord, that is, that we make our humble Acknowledgments, and return our due Praises and Thanks to him, for all the good Things he hath bleffed us with in our Lives; confeffing that all we have, is from his free Bounty and Goodness, and that our Meeting together, is to praise his Name upon that Account. And this was the Thing that was meant by thofe folemn Sacrifices, that the Jews were bound to offer at Jerufalem, at their annual Feafts.

[ocr errors]

The Second End of thefe Feafts, is to take Occafion from hence to learn our Duty, to be inftructed in all the Branches of that Obedience we owe unto God. For as Maimonides obferves, that was one of the principal Reasons of God's calling together all the People of the Jews, to appear at the Feaft of Tabernacles, to wit, that they might hear the Law read unto them; and this Design is, I fuppofe, purfued by us in our chufing this Place to affemble in. A Third

H 3

15.

A Third End of thefe Feafts (as the fame Maimonides tells us) and is manifeft from Scripture, is to promote Acquaintance and Friendship, and Brotherly-Love, one with another. And this is a very noble End, and ferves many excellent Purpofes, and nothing can be beyond it, except,

The Fourth and laft End of thefe, Meetings, which is to do Good; to exercife our Charity towards our poor indigent Brethren. No Man, Exod. 23. at the Solemn Feafts of the Jews, was to appear before the Lord empty; He was to bring his Offering, not only to God by way of Recognition and Acknowledgment to him; but for the Poor alfo, that they might Rejoice as well as he. This is well obferved by Maimonides, from Deut. 16. 14. where it is thus faid, Thou shalt rejoice in thy Feaft, thou and thy Son, and thy Daughter, thy Man-fervant, and thy Maid-fervant, the Levite and the Stranger, the Fatherless and the Widow, that are within thy Gates.

This then is the great End of our Affembly, that not only we, but the Fatherless, and the Widow, all of our Country, that need our Charity, may Rejoice with us and for us. And this is that which Solomon joins with Rejoicing in the Text, There is no Good in them, but for a Man to Rejoice and to do Good: And what that Man, who by the Sentence of God, was declared the wifeft of all Men, hath thus joined together, let none of us prefume to put afunder. These are the Rules, and these are the Ends that we are to ob

ferve in this our Feaft; and let us all for the Honour of Chrift's Religion, and for the Credit of our particular Country, charge the Obfervation of them upon ourselves: Which if we can all refolve to do, I can fafely apply to every one of you, that Saying of Solomon in the Ninth Chapter of this Book of Ecclefiaftes, and the Seventh Verse, with which I fhall conclude; Go thy way, eat thy Bread with Joy, and drink thy Wine with a merry Heart; for God now accepteth thy Work.

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »