424 The Gofpel of the Feafl of Tabernacles. of the Myftery of this Feaft of Pentecoft the time it felf fpeaks, with other Circumftances: For they came oot of Egypt to ferve the Lord, and to keep a Feaft to him in the Wildernejs, Exod. 5. z, 3. And they had the Law fifty given to them at this time of the Year ; for it was in the third Month after they came out of Egypt, Exod. tç. z, 2, 3. Now they came out at the Paffover, which was on the fourteenth Day of the firft Month ; from whence, if you reckon fifty Days front the fixteenth Day of the firft Month, it will bring you to the fixth Day of the the,d Month, in which they received the Law at Mount Sinai, the Memorial whereof was celebrated by this Feaft. For God to give his Law and Ordinances to aPeople, and to reveal his Mind and make known his Will to them, it is an ineftimable Mer- .cy, to be kept always in precious Remembrance, and to be celebrated with everlafting Thankfulnefs ; efpecially for them who before were tied to the cruel Laws of Egyptian Tyrants and Task- matters, now to receive not only a Law of their own, but a Law from Heaven, a'Law from God, was an ineffable Mercy. 3. A third Myftery of Pentecoft, waa the pouring forth ofthe Spirit at *Us time, Aá. 2. r, 2, 3, 4. as at this time God gave the Law under the Old Teftament : So it pointed us to the time when he would give the firft Fruits ofhis Spirit under the New, which he poured forth upon the Apoftles, who thereupon went forth to preach the Gofpel, and togather that which the Prophets before bad [own, reaping Fruit unto eter- nal Life, and bringing the Wheat ofGod into his Garner. As at this Feaft he gave the Law by Mojes, fo at the fame timehe gave his Spirit by Jefas Chrift. To teach us, that under the Gofpel we receive the Spirit of Chrift to enable us to fulfil the Law, and do the Will of Chrift. Unto this Feaft there was added another Precept, of leaving for the Poor, Lev. 23. 22. teaching them, that with their Sacrifices to God, they fhould joyn Love to their Brethren ; and that as God's Hand opened to them, fo their Hands fhould be opened to the Poor and Needy. But this was a general Rule in all the yearly Feafts, not to appear before theLord empty-handed, as was obferved before. 3. The third oftheir folemn Feflivals wa. the Feall of Tabernacles, which began upon the fifteenth Day of the feventh Month, the fifteenth Day of September; and it lafted eight days, the firft and Taft whereof were holy Convocations, or days fanäified and fet apart for publick Wor- fhip. The principal Rite and Ceremony of this Feaft (to diftingnifh it from the reft) was their dwelling in Booths, from whence it path its ,denomination, and is called the Feaft of Booths, or Tabernacles, as you
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