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Happiness in the next; for thefe light Afflictions 2 Cor. 4. (as St. Paul tell us) which endure but for Moment, do work for us a far more exceeding weight of Glory.

17.

This, then, is the joy that we are to endeavour after in the Firft Place, To be conftantly well-pleas'd and contented with our prefent Condition, whatever it be; and thefe are the Ways to attain to it.

But, Secondly, There is another more particular Notion of Rejoicing, and which, I conceive, Solomon doth chiefly intend in the Words of the Text; and that is, The free and comfortable Enjoyment of the good Things of this Life, that God hath blessed us with, in Oppofition to a pinching and penurious way of Living. This, I fay, feems to be the Notion of Rejoicing that the Text fpeaks of, as appears by the following Verfe. Solomon having told us in the Text, That there is nothing better for a Man than to Rejoice and do Good; he adds, by way of Explication of what he meant by Rejoicing, thefe Words, That every Man fhould eat and drink, and enjoy the Good of all his Labours, for it is the Gift of God. And frequently in this Book of Ecclefiaftes, doth he perfuade to this kind of Rejoicing. Thus in Chap. 2. ver. 24. There is nothing better for a Man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his Soul enjoy Good in his Labour; this also I saw it was from the Hand of God. And in Chap. 5. ver. 18. Behold that which I have feen, it is good and comely for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the

Good

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 ander the Sun, and yet fuch an Evil that is common among Men, that a Man to whom God hath given Riches, and Wealth, and Honour, fo that he wanteth nothing for his Soul, of all that be defireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a Stranger eateth it; this (faith he) is Vanity and an evil Disease.

And there is certainly great Reafon 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 Ourselves and Friends; for the refreshing us under the Toil that this Life doth expofe us to; for the promoting Acquain tance and Society, and the rendring our Condition as 'eafie 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 pitiable.

Taking now this to be the Sense of Rejoicing 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 Solomon'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 reafonable in itself, but is commended to us by the Example of God's People, both under

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the

16.

See Deut the Law and the Gospel. 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 Rejoice 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 Agapa, their Feafts of Charity, wherein they met together, both Poor and Rich, to Enjoy and make Merry, one with another. It is true, these Feafts were at length left off by common Confent, be-. cause there grew Abuses in them; they became Occafions of Luxury and Excefs; and fo Matters of Scandal to our Religion. But this was not an ill Reflexion upon the thing itself, which was Innocent and Commendable, but upon the Abufe of the Thing: A good and laudable Inftitution was perverted to evil Purposes. However, this very Confideration ought to make us very careful of our Carriage and Behaviour in these our Meetings, left we fall under the fame Inconveniencies: Which, that we may prevent, Two Things are especially needful, to be taken Care of by us;

First, That we do not exceed the Bounds of Rejoicing, prefcribed to Christians; that is, that we avoid all Excefs, and use 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.

And,

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

First, That we Rejoice 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 Solemn Sacrifices, that the Jews were bound to offer at Jerufalem, at their Annual Feafts.

The Second End of these 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 Reafons of God's calling together all the People of the Jews, to appear at the Feast of Tabernacles, to wit, that they might hear the Law read unto them; and this Design is, I fuppofe, pursued by us in our chufing this Place to affemble in.

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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, at the Solemn Feafts of the Jews, Exod, 23. was to appear before the Lord empty; He was to bring his Offering, not only to God by way of Recognition and Acknowledgement 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 Fatherlefs 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 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 presume to put asunder. These are the Rules, and these are the Ends that we are

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