A Treatise of Christian Religion, Chapter 42
CHAP. 42.
Of a holy Feast.
Where, of
The parts conſiſting in
Certaine duties
To God.
Man,
Friends.
Poore.
Liberall vſe of food and apparell.
The ſorts,
Publike.
Priuate.
ESTER, chap. 9. verſ. 17. 18 &c.
17. On the thirteenth day of the monethmonth Adar, and on the fourteenth day of the ſame, reſted they, and made it a day of feaſting and gladneſſe.
18. But the Iewes that were at Shuſhan, aſſembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the ſame, they reſted, and made it a day of feaſting and gladneſſe.
19. Therefore the Iewes of the villages, that dwelt in the vnwalled townes, made the fourteenth day of the monethmonth Adar, a day of gladneſſe and feaſting, and a good day, and of ſending portions one to another.
20. And Mordecai wrote theſe things, and ſent letters vntounto all the Iewes, that were in all the prouinces of the king Ahaſſuerus, both nigh and farre.
21. To ſtabliſh this among them, that they ſhould keepe the fourteenth day of the monethmonth Adar, and the fifteenth day of the ſame, yeerely:
22. As the dayes wherein the Iewes reſted from their enemies, and the monethmonth which was turned vntounto them, from ſorrow to ioy, and from mourning into a good day: that they ſhould make them daies of feaſting and ioy, and of ſending portions one to another, and gifts to the poore.
23. And the Iewes vndertooke to doe as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written vntounto them:
24. Becauſe Haman the ſonne of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemie of all the Iewes, had deuiſed againſt the Iewes to deſtroy them, and had caſt Pur (that is, the lot) to conſume them, and to deſtroy them.
25. But when Eſter came before the King, he commanded by letters, that his wicked deuice which hee deuiſed againſt the Iewes, ſhould returne vponupon his owne head, and that hee and his ſonnes ſhould be hanged on the gallowes.
26. Wherefore they called theſe dayes Purim, after the name of Pur: therfore for all the words of this letter, & of that which they had ſeene concerning this matter, and which had come vntounto them,
27. The Iewes ordained, and tooke vponupon them, and vponupon their ſeed, and vponupon all ſuch as ioyned themſelues vntounto them: ſo as it ſhould not faile, that they would keepe theſe two daies, according to their writing, and according to their appointed time eueryevery yeere:
28. And that theſe daies ſhould bee remembred, and kept throughout eueryevery genereation, eueryevery family, eueryevery prouince, and eueryevery city, and that theſe daies of Purim ſhould not faile from among the Iewes, nor the memoriall of them periſh from their ſeed.
29. Then Eſter the Queene, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Iew, wrote with all authority, to confirme this ſecond letter of Purim.
30. And he ſent the letters vntounto all the Iewes, to the hundred twentie and ſeuen prouinces of the kingdome of Ahaſuerus, with words of peace and truth:
31. To confirme theſe daies of Purim, in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Iew and Eſter the Queene had enioyned them, and as they had decreed for themſelues, and for their ſeed, the matters of the faſtings and their cry.
32. And the decree. of Eſter confirmed theſe matters of Purim, and it was written in the booke.
Q. HItherto of a holy Faſt: what is a holy Feaſt?
A. A day of reioycing before the Lord, for ſome ſingular benefit, eſpecially for ſome great deliuerance from ſome notable euill, either vponupon vsus, or hanging ouer our heads; which ought to be the greater, if vponupon our humiliation by faſting and prayer, God hath granted the ſame?
Q. What is the moſt conuenient time for a holy feaſt?
A. That time eſpecially which is neareſt vntounto the mercy & benefit receiued, as we may perceiue by this ſtorie; where the Iewes that were in the countrey, and in the prouinces, did celebrate it the fourteenth day of the monethmonth Adar; becauſe they had ouerthrowne their aduerſaries the thirteenth day before: and the Iewes that were in Suſis, becauſe they made not an end of the ſlaughter of their enemies before the fourteenth day was paſt, they celebrated their feaſt the fifteenth.
Q. Wherefore is it moſt conuenient to take the time that is next the deliuerance eſpecially?
A. Becauſe we vſe to be moſt ſtrongly & throughly 2. Chron. 20. 26.affected with the benefit wee receiue at that time, that firſt it is beſtowed vponupon vsus, eſpecially (as hath bin ſaid before) when there is not onelyonly a notable benefit befallen vntounto vsus; but withall we are freed thereby from ſome notable euill that was vponupon vsus, or neare vntounto vsus.
Q. Wherein conſiſts this holy feaſt?
A. Partly in certaine holy duties to God and man; and partly in a more liberall vſe of food, apparell, and other comforts of this life, ſo far forth as they may further the ſaid duties. Deut. 14. 26. Nehem. 8. 10.
Q. What is our duty vntounto God in the day of the feaſt?
A. Firſt, to lift vp our voice in thankſ-giuing to God, Pſa. 116-1. 4. 103. 1. &c.not onelyonly for that ſpeciall benefit, which is the occaſion of the feaſt, but for other his mercies, which that benefit ſhould bring to our remembrance.
Secondly, by a diligent meditation of the preſent benefit 2. Cor. 1. 10.to confirme our faith and confidence in God; that hee that hath ſo mightily and graciouſly deliuered vsus, will alſo (in the ſame or the like dangers) deliuer vsus hereafter, ſo farre as the ſame ſhall be good for vsus.
Q. What is the duties we ſhould performe to men?
A. An exerciſe of ſpeciall kindneſſe and liberality Deut. 12. 17. 18.according to our power, out of the feeling of the bountifull hand of God towards vsus.
Q. How muſt this be ſhewed?
A. By mutuall ſending of gifts and preſents one Reu. 11. 10. Neh. 8. 10.to another, and portions to the poore and needy.
Q. How many kinds of a holy feaſt are there?
A. Two, publike and priuate, as of a holy faſt.