Works, Book 1 · Discourse 48
DISCOURSE XLVIII.
DEUTERONOMY 16. 16, 17.
—In the Feast of Vnleavened bread, and in the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.
IN these words being a commandment for the observation of the three solemn and principal Feasts of the Law, were Four things considerable. 1. The Work or action; To appear before the Lord: 2. The Persons who; All Males: 3. The Place where; In the place the Lord shall chuse: 4. The Time when; Thrice in the Year: In the Feast of unleavened bread, In the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Tabernacles. Of the three first, the Action, the Persons, and Place, I have spoken. Now therefore I come to speak of the Time, The Feast of unleavened bread, &c.
The Feast of unleavened Bread is that which is otherwise called The Feast of the Passeover, consisting of seven days, from the fifteenth of March until the twenty first. On the Even before this solemn Feast, the fourteenth day of the first month, was killed and eaten the Paschal Lamb;Levit. 23. 5, 6, 7, 8. on the seven days following were offered the Paschal Sacrifices, and no other Bread but unleavened eaten; the first and last days being days of holy Assemblies or Convocations.
The Feast of Weeks was a Feast kept at the end of seven Weeks, or a Week of Weeks, after the second day of the Passeover, or fifty days after the first day of the Feast of unleavened bread; and therefore called The Feast of Weeks, that is, a Feast to be kept a Week of Weeks after the Passeover; and Pentecost, because the first day thereof was the fiftieth day after the first of the*Viz. Passeover-week, or the Paschal Feast, or Feast of Unleavened bread which lasted 7. days. Passeover, as now our Whitsun…ide is foreign, the fiftieth day after Easter. This Feast was likewise of seven days continuance, all spent in multitude of Sacrifices, but the first and last specially in keeping of holy Assemblies.
The Feast of Tabernacles, foreign, was a Feast of eight days continuance in the seventh month, or September, from the fifteenth day thereof to the two and twentieth, all whereof had their proper Sacrifices; and the first seven days they dwelt in Booths or Tabernacles made of Willow, Palm, Myrtle and Citron boughs, whence it hath the name of the Feast of Tabernacles. The first, and the last or eighth day, were here also days of an holy Convocation, wherein no servile work might be done.
Thus having in brief described the Time, Continuance and Service of these Three solemn Feasts, now let us also see what was the End of their institution. The End of these Feasts was partly for Remembrance of things past, and partly for Types and Figures of things to come; which I will shew in them severally.
The Feast of the Passeover was for a thankful Remembrance of their great deliverance out of Egypt, when for hast they were forced to carry their dough unleavened upon their shoulders; and the evening before, the Lord having slain all the first-born of Egypt, Exod. 12.yet passed by them, because of the bloud of the Paschal Lamb which he saw upon the door-posts of their houses. For this cause they were, whensoever that happy time of the year should come, to rejoyce before the Lord their God, and to hallow it after the manner aforementioned. And thus you have the first End, The memorial and remembrance of benefits past.
The second End was for a Type and Figure of things to come, namely, of our deliverance from the bondage of Sin and Satan by that immaculate Lamb, Christ Iesus, who in the same month and day was foreordained of God to be slain upon the Cross for the sins of the whole world; whose Bloud upon whatsoever Soul God shall espy applied by a lively Faith, he would spare, and not destroy it.
Thus much of the first Feast. The second, The Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, was for a Remembrance of the Law*See this p…oved by Piscator in Exod. 19. ver. 1. & 11. at that time given upon Mount Sinai, with thundring and lightning, and the sound of a Trumpet from Heaven. And secondly, for a Type of the Doctrine of the Gospel,Deut. 16. 16, 17. which was published at the self-same time, when with a sound from Heaven, cloven tongues of fire fell upon the Apostles, and they all were filled with the Holy Ghost, as we read Acts 2. 2, 3, 4.
Now for The Feast of Tabernacles; the first End is plain, that it was a memorial, namely, of their long dwelling in Tabernacles in the Wilderness. Lev. 23. 42, 43. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days (saith the Lord,) all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths; That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths when I brought them out of the Land of Egypt.
But of what thing concerning Christ to come it was a Type, it is not so express as in the former. But by that which S. Iohn saith, Chap. 1. 14. foreign, The Word was made flesh, and Tabernacled in us; for so signifies foreign by this, I say, S. Iohn should seem to intimate, That as the Passeover was a Type of his Passion, Pentecost a Figure of the sending the Holy Ghost; so should the Feast of Tabernacles be for a Type of his Incarnation, when the Divine Nature tabernacled in our flesh, and the Word of God became Emmanuel, God with us. For it is incredible that this principal Feast should not be for a Type of some principal thing concerning Christ as well as the rest; it being as solemn as any of the former two, nay rather the chiefest of the three, as having a more extraordinary course of Sacrifices than either of the other, yea of one day's more continuance; this having eight festival days, the other two but seven. And there is nothing but his Incarnation and Nativity which can be applied thereunto; and it may be therefore was the eighth day added thereunto, as figuring the time of his Circumcision.
Another custom used at this Feast may confirm this: For while they gathered and carried the Boughs whereof they made their Tabernacles, there used a kind of Litany to be sung, in which the people continually cried Hosanna, Hosanna, that is, save now; which was so usual, that in time the Feast, and Boughs, and all came to be called *Elias in Tis… bi in voce foreign & Buxtors. de Abbrev. Hebr. in foreignHosanna's: Whence came the cry of the people in the Gospel, when they cut down boughs to honour our Saviour's riding upon an Asse,*Matth. 21. 9. Hosanna to the Son of David, Hosanna in the Highest. For though it were at another time of year than the Feast of Tabernacles, yet the carrying of Boughs put them in mind of the accustomed acclamation at that Feast. All which seems of purpose so to be ordered by the providence of the Almighty, to shew, First, what this ceremony of Tabernacles aimed at, namely, the mystery of our Redemption by God in the Tabernacle of our flesh; or the Incarnation of Christ, which is that which made him Iesus, a Saviour, and us to cry unto him by Faith, Hosanna, Save now. And Secondly, that it might be known who this Tabernacle was, the people by a secret providence cried unto our Saviour, even at another time, Hosanna to the Son of David; ascribing, in their so speaking, the whole ceremony of Boughs and Tabernacles unto him.
But it will be objected, That the Birth of Christ was in December, but the Feast of Tabernacles was kept the fifteenth day of the seventh month, which answered in a manner to our September; and therefore had the Feast of Tabernacles been a sign of his Incarnation, the time should as well have agreed here as it did in the Passeover and his Passion, the giving of the Law and the sending of the Holy Ghost: But between the Feast of Tabernacles and the Birth of our Saviour is three months difference.
For this Objection, give me leave to relate, not mine own, nor as my own, but the opinion of the most learned Chronologers; the summe and conclusion whereof is, That the Birth of our Saviour was in September, at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, and not in December, as the memory thereof is now celebrated. For first, it is apparent that in the primitive Church there was neither certainty nor agreement about the time of the Nativity, as*S…rom. l. 1. Clemens Alexandrinus witnesseth; and himself saith, That those who enquire more exactly of the time, do assign the five and twentieth of the month Pachon, which is our twentieth of May.
Others assigned other and divers times, as Epiphanius witnesseth four hundred years almost after Christ: so long therefore there was no certainty agreed upon. And it was after the time of Constantine that the day we now observe was chosen, and first in the Latine Church; but not in the Greek till the days of Chrysostome, who made an Hom. 31. in Tomo De diversis Novi Testamenti locis, secundum edit. Fr. Ducai.Oration, yet extant, upon the first observing of this day, which he says they now received from the Roman Church.
If any would know how, after so much uncertainty of opinions, they came at last to resolve upon this day; they will tell you, that it was upon a false supposal and a mistaken ground: For finding in the Law, that the High Priest was once every year to enter the most Holy place, and there to offer incense (at the Feast of Expiation;) and reading in S. Luke's Gospel, that the Angel Gabriel appeared to Zachary as he went to offer incense in the Temple, they supposed that he was the High Priest, and reasoned thus; The time of the High Priest's offering incense in the most Holy was about the middle of September, namely the tenth day of the seventh month: Now as soon as Zachary had fulfilled the Week of his Ministration, Iohn Baptist was conceived; which must therefore be about the end of September: Now when the Angel saluted Mary, Luke 1. 36.he told her, That her Cousin Elizabeth had been with Child six months: If Iohn Baptist then were conceived about the end of September, our Saviour must be conceived six months after, which falls about the end of March; which if true, his Birth will fall at the end of December, nine months after his conception. This was the ground whereupon the Feast of Christ's Nativity was fixed upon the five and twentieth of December.
To which they answer who think otherwise, First, That neither the Angel appeared to Zachary in the most Holy place;Luke 1. 1…. for the Altar of incense was without the Veil, at which the Text saith the Angel appeared: neither could Zachary be the High Priest;Verse 5. for the Text says, he was of the course of Abia, and that it came to his lot to offer incense; but the High Priest was of no course, neither did the incensing of the most Holy fall to him by lot, but it was his only and proper office: the ground therefore was altogether mistaken.
Secondly, At the Birth of Christ every man, woman and child was to go to be taxed at the City whereto they belonged; whither some had long journeys: But the middle of Winter was not fitting for such a business, especially for women with child and children to travel in: Therefore Christ could not be born in the depth of Winter.
Again, At the time of Christ's Birth the Shepherds lay abroad watching with their flocks in the night-time; but this was not likely to be in the middle of Winter. And if any shall think the Winter-wind was not so extreme in those parts, let him remember the words of Christ in the Gospel,Matth. 24. 20. Pray that your flight be not in the Winter. If the Winter was so bad a time to flee in, it seems no fit time for Shepherds to lye in the Fields in, and Women and Children to travel in.
They conclude therefore, That the Birth of Christ was in September.
First, Because otherwise this third Feast of Tabernacles should have nothing answering, as the other had: which they think the more unlikely, because there was no month in the year had more legal Feasts than this; as the Feast of Trumpets the first day, the Feast of Expiation on the tenth, and that of Tabernacles on the fifteenth unto the two and twentieth.
Secondly, Ioseph Scaliger proveth it by the four and twenty courses of the Priests; and shews, that Abia's course or week, wherein Zachary served, began the one and twentieth of Iuly, and ended the eight and twentieth that year. Our Saviour's conception therefore, being six months after, must fall at the end of December, and so his Birth nine months after, about the end of September, the four and twentieth day whereof that year began the Feast of Tabernacles; and so his Birth falls in the Feast-time.
Lastly, The Primitive Church of Alexandria, where were the best Calculators of times, kept the Feast of Iohn Baptist's Nativity the eight and twentieth of the month Pharmuth, which is the three and twentieth of our April, as Cyril witnesseth in an Homily upon that occasion. Now if Iohn Baptist were born the three and twentieth of April, the Birth of Christ, which was six months after, must fall in the latter end of September, as aforesaid. All which if true, the day we observe is not the day of his Birth, but only the day wherein we solemnly remember it: and though the time it self, if known, were the most fit for such a solemnity, yet no time can be unlawfully chosen for such a day.
And thus I have shewed you the Time, the Manner, and the Signification of these three Feasts. Now let us see what profitable Observations this Discourse thereof will afford us.
First therefore, By these Feasts it appears, that the hallowing unto God of more days in the Week than one is not against the meaning of the Fourth Commandment. Some there are who will have the words [Six days shalt thou labour] to be as much a Commandment as [Keep holy the Seventh;] and hence argue, that it is no more lawful for humane Authority to forbid working any of the Six days, than to forbid the holy observation of the Seventh; and then all our Holy-days besides Sunday are unlawful. But by these Three solemn Feasts, which were each of them of a Week's durance at the least, it is manifest, that [Six days shalt thou labour] are no Commandment, but express only an ordinary permission of working: For it could not be but some days of these holy Feasts must be of the Six; and to think that God would gain-say his own Commandment by a contrary Ordinance, is unimaginable. As therefore when he commanded that men should give him the Tenth of their increase, he forbade not Free-will-offerings, nor that men might not give half their goods to sacred uses: So when he commanded one day of Seven to be universally and necessarily kept holy, this hindreth not but the Church may hallow other days to God even of the Six.
But they will say, God indeed appointed some other days to be observed besides one of Seven; but the Church had no leave so to do. I answer, The contrary appears by the Feast of Purim, which Mordecai caused to be ordained, and is no where reproved therefore, nor the Iews who observed it as long as their Church stood. The contrary also appears by the Feast of Dedication, which Iudas Maccabaeus, when he had cleansed the Temple from the prophanation of Antiochus, ordained yearly to be kept in the month*The month Casleu or Cisleu was part of our November and part of December. Casleu (1 Maccab. 4. 59.) which was so far from reproof, that our Saviour himself while he was upon earth honoured it with his presence, as we read Iohn 10. 22. And it was at Ierusalem the Feast of Dedication, and it was Winter; where the word [Winter] is of purpose put to specifie this Feast of Iudas Maccabaeus, in the Month of Casleu, *1 Macc. 4. 59. 2 Macc. 1. 18. & ch. 10. 5.on the 25. day thereof.
Secondly, we may observe from these Feasts, That the fittest time to hallow unto God is that which he hath as it were honoured and made remarkable by some special work and mercy of his. For you heard that the Feast of Vnleavened bread and the Feast of Weeks were ordained to be kept at those days and times of the year wherein those works of God remembred in them were performed. So God himself appointed of all the days of the Week the Seventh to be kept holy, because he finished then the great work of the Creation of the World. So in the Gospel, of all the days in the Week the First was chosen, because on it Christ rose from the dead: In like manner when the Church would hallow unto God more days than one of seven; it being the Times of his Passion, Ascension, and sending of the Holy Ghost, as also the days of their Births or Deaths whom God had made as Pillars to support his Church, and in whose sufferings it was confirmed, and himself glorified.
The third and last Observation is this, The practice and fact of man is no sound argument to prove what is and what is not jure Divino. For we see in this and three other places how expresly this Feast of Tabernacles was commanded yearly to be observed. Nevertheless, which is past all belief, it was never kept, at least in this main circumstance of dwelling in booths, from the time of Ioshua until after their return from Captivity in the days of Nehemiah, which was the space of a thousand years at the least, and the most flourishing time of their Church and Commonwealth. Who would have thought but some David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Iosiah, or good Iehoiada, would in so long a time as a thousand years have reformed so great a neglect of God's commandment? But hear what the holy Ghost says, Nehem. 8. 17. Since the days of Ieshua the Son of Nun unto that day had not the Children of Israel done so. A horrible thing to hear;… 15. …. but whatsoever was written in former time, is written for our learning. And who knows whether there be not in this sinful omission of this Feast alone above the rest some special Mystery; namely, that the Iew should not acknowledge Christ, whom this signified to be Emmanuel? For that Iesus of Nazareth suffered upon the Cross they acknowledge, whereof the Passover was a sign; and therefore they blasphemously call him,*Aben Ezra in Gen. 27. 39. R. Bechai in lib. Kad hakkemach in lit. foreign cap. 1. ad locum Ps.80.14. Litera foreign (in voce foreign) suspensa est, nam sic sunt foreign cultores suspensi illius. Talui, the hanged God. They will not deny also that this doctrine was published at the Feast of Pentecost; though they believe not the Mystery and fruit of either the one or the other. But, That he is God in our flesh, they could never endure to hear: we know this was the cause why their Synod condemned him, because he said,‖…Iohn 1…. 7. He was the Son of God. Above a thousand years they omitted the observation of the Feast of Tabernacles, and now it is sixteen hundred wherein they have not believed that the Divine nature tabernacled in our flesh. When they returned from Captivity, they began to observe this so-long-neglected Ceremony; and when they shall return again from their now-long and woful Captivity, we hope they will then with us acknowledge this great Mystery.
HAVING hitherto spoken of the observation of these Feasts; now I am, according to my first Division, to come unto a second part of my Text, wherein is contained a special duty required of all when they came to worship God at these Feasts, namely, to bring a present with them: not a Sacrifice of fire, for these were of another nature, and for another end; but a Heave-offering, which kind was a Tribute of Thankfulness unto God, and withal of acknowledgment of his Supreme Lordship and Dominion over all: For without a Sacrifice or a fiery-offering the Feast could not at all have been kept, but without a Heave-offering or religious present it might, though nothing dutifully: and therefore is this specially added, That no man should appear before the Lord empty; for the Lord our God is a soveraign King, and will be acknowledged so of all who come before him: He is not Lord over our Persons only, and therefore requires the service both of our Souls and Bodies; but he is Lord of our Goods too, and so is to have a Tribute of them offer'd unto him in token thereof.
But for the better handling of this point without confusion, we will consider, first, What was the Iewish practice in this duty; secondly, What ought to be our imitation. For the former, The Iewish practice was, as far as I can gather, besides some special presents at Easter and Pentecost, to perform all their Heave-offerings, First-fruits, Firstlings of Cattel, Tithes of all things, and their Free-will-offerings at some one of these three Feasts, according as the season of the year served for the things they were to offer. For the better understanding of which, we must promise something of the manner of the Husbandry of Palaestine, Egypt, and those neighbour Southern Countries, because it was much different from ours.
Pliny affirms,In AEgypto h… sexto a satu mense, frumenta septim me…tur. Plin. lib. 18. cap. 7. that in Egypt (and therefore in Palaestine) Barley was ripe in the sixth month after it was sown, and Wheat in the seventh. The same Author affirms, that their seed-time for both began in the month of November; whence it follows, that Barley was ripe almost a month before the Wheat, the seed-time being the same, and the Wheat not ripening a month so soon as Barley. Barley then ripening in the sixth month, the Harvest thereof fell about the beginning of April, Wheat-harvest nigh a month after; their whole Harvest by this means beginning at Easter, and ending at Whitsuntide. Which is the reason why Pentecost (Exod. 23. 16.) is called, foreign The Harvest-Feast, or, The Feast upon the end of Harvest. This shews a reason also, why upon the Plague of Hail we read, Exod. 9. 31, 32. that the Flax and Barley was smitten, because the Barley was eared, and the Flax bolled: But the Wheat and Rye were not smitten, for they were not grown up: The ear yet appeared not, for this was about the beginning of the month of March, as we may suppose a fortnight or three weeks before their coming out of Egypt, which was the fourteenth day of the first month. This was a reason also why we read, 2 Sam. 21. 9. that seven of Saul's Sons were hanged for the Gibeonites in the first days of Harvest, in the beginning of Barley-Harvest. All which suppose Barley to begin, and Wheat to end their Harvest. Which with us is contrary, because Barley is sown so long after Wheat, viz. when Winter is past, because it is a tender grain, and will not endure the sharp and piercing cold of these Northern climates.
As for their Vintage or Harvest of Oyle and Wine, it was in the seventh month, or beginning of Autumn, as in other Countries.
For their Cattel, they had two breeding times, the beginning of the Spring, and the beginning of September: but the Spring-breed was the strongest, and are called Becorim, that is, not the first opening the womb only, as most take it, but the firstlings of the year; for the latter breed was much the worse and weaker. Which Iacob knew, Gen. 30. 41, 42. when he laid his Rods before the Cattel when they were*foreign In Nisan or March. strong, in the Spring-time; but he put them not in when they were‖foreign In Tisri or September. So Aben Ezra upon the place. feeble, in the Autumn; So (saith the Text) the feeble were Laban's, and the stronger were Iacob's.
This thus explained, let us now see what the Practice of the Iews was at these solemn times, that they might not appear in the Lord's presence empty handed. At the Feast of unleavened bread, or Easter, upon the second day thereof, being the beginning of Harvest, they were to bring a Sheaf of the first-fruits of their Harvest unto the Priest, and he was to wave it before the Lord; and until this were done, they might eat no Corn, whether parched or otherwise in the green ear, as appeareth Levit. 23. 10.—14. And hence this second day of the Feast was called, This was that day whereon (Luke 6. 1.) Christ's Disciples plucked ears of Corn, and ate them; for S. Luke says it was foreign, which is the second day of the first Sabbath, or the day after the first Sabbath; for I told you, that the first and last days of this Feast were days of holy Assemblies, wherein no servile work might be done, and are therefore in Leviticus called Sabbaths; the day after the first of which Sabbaths S. Luke calls foreign. Whereby it may seem that the Pharisees reproved the Disciples, not so much for breaking any Sabbath's rest, as for eating the ears afore it was lawful; for if it were lawful upon a Sabbath-day to reach meat from a Table, why should it not be as lawful to pluck ears of Corn to ear them without breach of the Sabbath? But I leave this.
Secondly, At this Feast also I suppose they paid their Firstlings and Tithes of Cattel; for God was to have of the best, which was (as I told you) the Breed of the Spring at this time ready. And this is the reason, that where this Feast is commanded, there follow presently some Precepts of the Firstlings of the Cattel, because namely it concerned the same time.
Now at the Feast of Pentecost, when Harvest was ended, they are commanded to bring*Levit. 23. 17. two wave-loaves of their new Corn for a second First-fruits of their Harvest: At which time also they paid Tithes of Corn, so much as was threshed; and a Tribute also of a Free-will-offering of their hand, as it is called in the 10. of this Chapter. And this Feast ending their Harvest, is a reason why at the mentioning thereof you shall find precepts*Verse 22. of not gathering their Lands clean, but that they should leave something for the poor to glean: which also was a secondary Offering unto God himself.
Lastly, At the Feast of Tabernacles they offered First-fruits and Tithes of Wine and Oyl, which was the Offering of that season; and besides the remainders of their Tithes of the floor or of threshed corn: which is the reason why this Feast is called (Exod. 34.) The Feast of gathering in at the years end; and in this Chapter afore my Text, The Feast of gathering in of the Floor and the Winepress: For at this time all their Corn was threshed, and the Vintage done, and other Fruits were gathered, and so an Offering of them given unto God seasonably: therefore in the commandment of this Feast you shall find a precept of not gathering their Grapes and Fruits clean, in behalf of the Poor also.
Thus you see, the Offering of Cattel was at Easter, of Bread and Breadcorn in part at Pentecost, of Wine and Oyle and the remainder of Corn at the Feast of Tabernacles; whereupon we read (2 Chron. 31. 7.) that the people which paid their Tithes there at Hezekiah's command, began to lay the foundation of the heaps in the third month, that is, at Pentecost; and finished them in the seventh month, namely, at the Feast of Tabernacles.
NOW having shewed what was the Iews practice, let us also see our duty in imitation of them, which I will only at this time shew briefly and generally. Certainly, we are bound also not to appear before the Lord with empty hand. It is not enough to give at other times, but it is a piece of the Worship required at that time. For we must know that the actions of Men in holy Assemblies are not like their private actions at other times; For all the actions here are not the actions of several men, but to be accounted as one action of the whole body: which makes S. Paul use the phrase, … Cor. 11. ….when ye come together foreign, to be as it were one and the same: every prayer here is not many prayers, if many, but one prayer of all as one: whether we say I in the singular, or We in the plural, all is one; for [I] here expresses one made of many, and [We] many made into one. Whatsoever worship God requires therefore of any one alone, the same he requires also of all met together as one; for he is God as well of the body of the Church as a body, as of any one in the Church as a Christian; and therefore requires some of them in both kinds, that is, Confession, Prayer, Thanksgiving, and an Offering of the hand too of the body of the Church assembled, as well as of any one at any other time.
S. Paul ordained so in the Churches on the Lord's day,1 Cor. 16. 2. the day of holy Assembly, the day when many came together as one. Every first day of the Week, let every one lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.
The Primitive Christians practised the same in all their Assemblies, alledging these words of my Text for the same, as we may see in Iustin Martyr, Irenaeus, and others. Nay, they used to offer at the Lord's Table some handful of those Offerings and Tithes to which they would entitle the Lord; whence the ancient Liturgies run, foreign, Remember, O Lord, those who offer of their fruits and encrease in thy holy Churches.
We have also in our Liturgy a Service for the Offertory, and many places of Scripture at the same read to move our devotion every Sunday, and a Prayer to God at the end thereof, That he would accept our Alms and Prayers, when we seldom bring him any.
Our Blessed Saviour, though he had nothing in this world but the contribution of good People in a Bag; yet that he might in this also fulfil the Law of God, he used at these solemn times to give unto the Poor; which we may gather from the story of his Last Supper: for the Text saith, when he bade Iudas do quickly what he had to do, …o. 13. 29.his Disciples thought he had bid him give something unto the Poor, because he carried the Bag; which they would not have thought, unless he had wont to do so at such times.