The Gofpel of the Fear of Tabernacles. 433 it is raid of jeroboam, t Kings 12.33. that he offered upon the Altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth Day of the eighth Month, the Month which he had deviled of his own Heart, which he had lyed or feigned, quern mentitus eft. The Lye of it appears in this, that they pretend todo it to the honour of Chrift, when indeed they do it to his difhonour : And therefore it is as a brand fet upon him on this Account, which he lyed in his own Heart : So it is but lying, for Men to keep Days of their own Invention; and the Lye appears in that they pretend to do it for the Honour of God and of JefusChriff,whereas they unfpeakably difhonour him thereby. It is the framing of a Lye in Mens own Hearts when they keep fuchDays. Objefìz. But fhould we not celebrate the Memorial of our Redempti- on by Jefus Chrift ? Why fhould we forget the Memory of there things? Should we not remember how Jefus Chrift fuffered, and hath fent his Spirit amongft us, and came to Tabernacle in our Flefh ? Anfw. Yes, but the Lord commands us to celebrate the Memory of it once a Week, and for us to put him off with onceaYear, is to put him off wit h lefs than he requires ; to give him a Day in a Year, when here- quires a Day in a Week, for the Memorial and Celebrationof this thing. Moreover, there is a way whereby People maykeep thePafibver, and Pentecoft, and the Feaft of Tabernacles; that is, we fhould keep themun- der the Gofpel every Day. As fame fay, every Day fhould be a Chriftian Sabbath: But that is not true ; for a Sabbath is a Day let apart fromor Callings : butfix Days ¡halt thou Labour, faith the Commandment.But we fhould make every Day our Eafter-day, every Day our Penteco¡t, &c. Obje&. But why fhould not Chriftiansbe as Holy as theYews, and there- forekeep thefeFeafts as well as they? How fhould we keep them ev+eryDay? Anfw.We are to keep them in a Spiritual and Gofpel way, but not le- gally and literally : For the Letter killeth, but the Spirit is Life. The Apoffle exhorts, Let us keep the Feaft, r Cor. 5.8. Now if you would keep the Feaffs of Pafl'over, Pentecoft and Tabernacles aright, it con- flits chiefly in three things. i. To be much in the exercife of Faith, in the acing of a trueand pure and lively Faith 'upon the Death and Sufferings of Jefus Chrift as the true Lambof God. I fay, in wing Faith, or drawin nigh with a true Heart in full Afurance ofFaith ; and this is the true Patìover, and the true keeping of that Feaft, Heb. 10. 22. Let us keep the Feaft, 1' Cor.5.8o without the Leaven of Hypocrify, of feeming Faith, and feeming Ho- linefs, with the unleavenedBread of Sincerity and Truth. That is the right keeping of the Paffover, when Men live not upon their own Righte- ournefs, truft not in their own Duties ; but being fenfible of their fin- Kkk fah
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