xvi. 2.

preach'd to them. And he directs the Corin-1 Cor. thians, to lay by them in ftore, upon the first day of the week, what would be reafonable for them to bestow in Charity. And St. John calls it exprefly The Lord'sDay. But the High Festival and Celebration of this Day, with a joyful Commemoration of the Refurrection of our LORD, and the great Benefits we receive thereby, is what we call Eafter: which fignifies the Rifing.

Rev.i. 10.

The Scripture gives us feveral Inftances of its being kept in an extraordinary solemn and grand manner. The first that we read of, was when the Children of Ifrael were encamped in Gilgal, in the Plains of Jofh. v. Jericho under Joshua their Leader, in the 10. Land of Canaan; being the first Opportunity they had of keeping it, fince its primitive Institution. The next, was that of Hezekiah one of the good Kings of Judah; who abolish'd all the heathen Idolatry of his Predeceffors, and reviv'd the worship of the true God.

However, the neceffary Preparations being too many and too great to be made within the Time appointed by the Law,

the

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""

the first Month; he took counsel with his princes, and came to a Refolution to keep it in the second Month: when there assembled at Jerufalem much people, and kept the feaft of unleavened bread feven days, with great gladness; and the Levites and the Priefts prais'd the LORD day by day, finging with loud Inftruments unto the LORD. And then the whole affembly took counsel to keep other feven days; and they kept other feven days, with gladness: The king giving to the congregation a thousand bullocks and feven thousand sheep; and the princes, a thousand bullocks and ten thou Sand Sheep. So there was great joy in Jeru

falem.

2 Chron.

XXX.

The keeping of this Feaft, in the second Month, and for twice feven days, tho' not warranted by the Law, appears to have been very excufable, when we confider how long the Land had been deprived of that Happiness, and, in the mean time polluted with Idolatry. Befides there was in fome measure, a Difpenfation provided Numb. for it in the Law. For where they could ix.10,11. not be qualified in the first Month, they were to obferve it in the fecond. And no wonder

Wonder the Rejoicings of that People
were fo extraordinary, when they were
blefs'd with a King, whofe Piety and Mu-
nificence vyed with each other. And in
Conclufion, that it might be all of a
piece; Then, the Priests and the Levites
arofe, and * blessed the people, and their voice
was beard; and their prayer came up to
his holy dwelling-place, even unto heaven.

xxxiii.

22.

But afterwards, King Jofiah kept a Paffover which exceeded this; of which it it faid, There was not holden fuch a paf-2 Kings Sover from the days of the judges that judged Ifrael; nor in all the days of the kings of Ifrael, nor of the kings of Judah. An Account of which may be seen at large in the facred Hiftory. Another, was that 2 Chron. which the Jews held after their Return from the Captivity, when they had finish'd Ezra vi. the fecond Temple.

XXXV.

22.

༅།»

SECT. X.

The Feast of PENTECOSTE.

The next was the Feast of the First-
Fruits and Pentecofte; which we may join

*The Form of which may be seen, Numb. vi. 24.

together,

xxiii.

4

1

។

together, because they relate to the fame thing: as appears from the following Directions in the Law. When ye come into 10, &c. the land which I give unto you, and fhall reap (begin to reap) the barveft thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harveft unto the Prieft: And be fhall wave the fheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you; on the morrow after the fabbath (the Feast of the Paffover) the Prieft fhall wave it, &c. And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the self fame day that ye fhall have brought an offering unto the LORD your God. And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the fabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave-offering; feven fabbaths fhall be compleat. Even unto the morrow after the feventh fabbath fhall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat-offering unto the LORD, &C.

The Wave-Offering of the first Sheaf, to implore the divine Bleffing upon the enfuing Harvest, was to be made therefore upon the fixteenth of the Month Nifan, (March;) about which Time their Harveft began; that Climate being so much

warmer,

Lev.

fat warmer, and forwarder than ours. And fifty Days being allow'd with that for the getting in all their Corn; that is, the A remaining fifteen in Nifan (March;) and twenty nine in Ijar or Zif (April,) the fixth fn of Sivan (May) would be the Day of Pentecofte: When they were to hold the fo1 lemn Festival of Thanksgiving, for their Participation of the Harveft; together with a grateful Commemoration of their being deliver'd from Egyptian Servitude, f and enjoying their Property, by reaping t the Fruits of their Labours.

xvi.9,&c.

Therefore this Feaft was alfo call'd the Feast of Weeks. Seven weeks thou shalt Deut. number unto thee: begin to number the feven weeks, from fuch time as thou beginneft to put the fickle to the corn. And thou fhalt keep the feaft of weeks unto the LORD thy God, with a tribute of a free-will offering of thine hand, &c. in the place which

f the LORD thy God hath chofen to place

I

2

his name there. And thou shalt remember
that thou was't a bondman in Egypt; and
thou shalt obferve and do thefe ftatutes.
Learned Interpreters have obferv'd that
the very Day of Pentecofte, was the fame

Day