the very firft Ages of the World (as appears S ER M. from the Holy Scriptures) been always used at those Times.

I have now done with the First Head of my Discourse, upon which I have been the more particular, because I know there are fome who cry down all external Feasting and Mirth as carnal and unlawful, allowing of none but a Spiritual Feafting and Joy upon thefe or any other Occafions. But I am not infenfible on the other hand, that they are but the leaft Part of Mankind who entertain any Scruples of this Nature; but few who want to be perfuaded of the Lawfulness of Feafting, or to be informed in the Seasons when it is proper to do it. Moft People, on the contrary, are forward enough to lay hold of such Occafions, and apt to give themselves too much Liberty and Freedom. Left therefore any thing that has been faid, should be thought to countenance or encourage any Perfon's Loofness or Licentioufnefs; I fhall now proceed to fhew,

II. SECONDLY, That, though Feafting and Mirth are Things in themselves confiftent with the Practice of Virtue and Religion;

there

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SER M. there is notwithstanding great Danger of of fending at fuch Seafons. Though Job's Sons had been educated without doubt in the Fear of God, and fo probably had as much Guard upon themselves at fuch Times as good Men generally have; yet the Dangers and Temp tations which their Father knew they were exposed to, made him fear they might notwithstanding do or fay fomething mifbecoming their Religion: It may be, faith he, that my Sons have finned and curfed GOD in their Hearts. What I intend to offer to you by way of Confideration upon this Second Head of my Discourse, shall be taken up in fhewing you by what Ways we may abuse this Liberty, and what Danger we are all of us in of running into one or other of those Abuses. In order to which it may not be improper to observe,

First, That Feafting and Mirth are Things fo pleafing and agreeable to Human Nature; that we are often too apt to defire and use them at improper Seafons. And this makes us very frequently indulge ourselves in Joy and Festivity, even at thofe Times, in which the Church calls us to Humiliation and Repentance. But this is certainly an Abuse of our Liberty; the very Actions of Feafting and

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Mirth, however lawful in themselves, yet ceaf- SER M. ing to be so when used unfeasonably. To every Thing (faith the Wiseman) there is a Seafon, and a Time to every Purpose under the Heaven: A Time to weep, and a Time to laugh, a Time to mourn, and a Time to dance, Ecclef. iii. 1, 4. Mirth and Chearfulness are very unfuitable upon a Day of Mourning, and fo is Eating and Drinking upon an appointed Faft. On fuch Times as these it is our Duty to afflict our Souls with Grief and Sorrow, which it is impoffible for us to do, if at the fame Time we chear and elevate our Bodies. How difpleafing this is to the Divine Will, we may learn from the Severity of that Judgment which GOD denounced against the Jews for such untimely Joy. In that Day (faith the Prophet) did the Lord GOD of Hofts call to Weeping and to Mourning, and to Baldness, and to girding with Sackcloth: And behold Joy and Gladnefs, flaying Oxen and killing Sheep, eating Flesh and drinking Wine: Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we die. And it was revealed in mine Ears by the LORD of Hofts. Surely this Iniquity fhall not be purged from you, till ye die, faith the Lord GOD of Hoft, Ifa. xxii. 12, 13, 14. The very Actions therefore of Joy and Feafting ceafe to be lawful, if used VOL. I.

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SER M. on any Day, or during any Seafon which the Wisdom of the Church has thought fit to fet apart for Duties of a contrary Nature. And yet how often are we overfwayed at those Times to frequent Places of Diverfion, and even to feek for and appoint Times of Jollity and Merriment? But,

Secondly, Feafting does not only become unlawful at improper Seafons, but alfo when it is ufed too frequently. It is fet down as an Aggravation of the Rich Man's Sin in the Parable, that he fared sumptuously every Day, Luke xvi. 19. He by that Means deprived himself of the Opportunities he might otherwife have had, of being touched with the Sense of that Distress and Want, which the Beggar at his Gate as daily laboured under. For I cannot but think it is the Duty of every Christian, of thofe efpecially whom God has bleffed with Plenty in the World, to make themselves a little fenfible of the Hardships which others are forced to undergo; and even sometimes to fubmit themfelves, as far as their Circumftances will allow them, to a fellow-feeling of their Neceffities. Such a voluntary Refufal now and then of fome of the Comforts of Life would make them have a more thankful Esteem of the Bleffings they enjoy, and incline

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them to contribute a little, of what they would SER M. be otherwife too apt to fpend upon Superfluities, to the Relief of the Poor. But they who fare fumptuously every Day, who make their whole Life, as it were, one continued Festival, lose this Advantage; being perfectly ignorant of the innumerable Hardships the inferior Part of the World undergo, and confequently not knowing how to prize that Plenty, they them felves every Day partake of. And therefore certainly this is another Abufe of Feafting, fince we thereby make the Bleffings of Life become Inftruments and Occafions of our Unrighteoufness. But further,

A Third Means by which we offend in our Feafting, is, when we only entertain Perfons of our own or a fuperior Rank and Quality, and neglect them who are most capable of be ing benefited by our Hospitality: Forgetting that Injunction and Inftruction of our Lord, in which he teaches us who would be the most proper Guests at our Feafts: When thou makeft a Dinner or a Supper, faith he, call not thy Friends nor thy Brethren, neither thy Kinsmen, nor thy Rich Neighbours; left they alfo bid thee again, and Recompence be made thee. But when thou makeft a Feaft, call the Poor, the Maimed, the Lame, the Blind; and thou shalt be bleffed;