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SERM. That notwithstanding Feasting, Mirth, and

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Society are Things in themselves confiftent with the Practice of Virtue and Religion; yet there is great Danger of offending at fuch Seasons. And this naturally leads me to the Confideration of the last Thing the Text fuggefts to us, viz.

III. THIRDLY, That therefore after fuch Seasons, it ought to be the Duty of every Perfon to reflect upon his Behaviour as to what has paffed, and to examine himself and thofe under his Care, in order to atone for what has been done amifs, and to reconcile himfelf and them to GOD. And this we learn from the Practice of Job, who, when the Days of their Feafting were gone about, fent and fanctified his Sons, and rose up early in the Morning, and offered Burnt Offerings according to the Number of them all.

The Words indeed relate immediately to that Care which a Father ought to have over his Children at fuch Times: But without ftraining them, we may infer from the fame Words, that it is the Duty of every Person to reflect upon his own Conduct upon fuch Occafions: It being certainly as much every Man's Duty to take Care of himself, as it is

to

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to watch over others. If therefore Job fent SER M. and fan&tified his Sons, when the Days of their Feafting were gone about; we ought also to fanctify ourfelves after the fame Occafions.

The Neceffity of this Duty naturally arifes from what has been faid upon the foregoing Head. I have there fhewed that there are feveral Ways by which this Liberty may be abused, and that the Proneness of our Nature, and the Force of Temptation, make us all too apt to run into thofe Abuses. But how ftrong foever the Temptations may be, the Abuses are certainly Sins, and as fuch muft be repented of: But we cannot repent of them without knowing the Particulars; nor can we know the Particulars without a ftrict Examination into our Conduct and Behaviour after the Time is over. It very feldom happens that at the very Inftant of our Mirth we are fufficiently obfervant of all that paffes. Our Minds will be attentive to fuch Diverfions as are customary upon the Occafions; and therefore it can scarce be expected that we can always be fo ftrict upon our Guard, as not to let fomething, at least misbecoming, flip from us unawares. If then, notwithftanding our utmoft Refolution and Precaution,

SERM it is very difficult to keep ourselves entirely

I.

innocent at the Inftant of our Mirth; it will
follow of Course that we ought to examine
our felves after the time is expired. But the
Reasonableness of this Duty is fo obvious,
that I cannot but think it needless to enlarge
any further upon it. And therefore I fhall
only afk
your Patience a little longer whilft I
apply what has been faid and fo conclude.

Under the First Head then has been fhewed, that there are fome Occafions on which Feafting and Mirth are lawful and expedient, and in fome measure a part of our Duty. And fuch an Occafion we have now had. We have been commemorating the Birth of Chrift, which is certainly a Mercy of fuch a Magnitude (whether we confider our own Wants, which could be repaired by no other means; or whether we reflect upon the Strangeness of the Way, and the Goodnefs as well as the Wisdom of GOD in defigning it;) that it cannot deferve less than an Annual Commemoration. And if any Bleffing be to be commemorated with Joy and Gladness, this ought undoubtedly to be fo: The Angel, who brought the first news of it, expreffed it by good Tidings of great Joy, which

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Should

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Should be to all People, Luke ii. 10: And as SER M. a Precedent of this Joy, the whole Heavenly Hoft joined together in that Divine Song, Glory to GOD in the Highest, on Earth Peace, Good Will towards Men, Luke ii. 14. And therefore when they are our Copies and Examples, we can do no less than, on the Anniversary Return of that time, endeavour to imitate them, especially fince the Bleffing much more nearly concerns us than them. Nor do I doubt but that all of us have used fuch outward Expreffions of our Joy as we have thought convenient and fuitable: Our Tables have been spread with plenty of Provifions, and our Rooms filled with numbers of Guests. The Harp, and the Viol, the Tabret and Pipe, and Wine have been in our Feafts, and nothing I presume has been wanting that could contribute to our Mirth. All therefore that is to be feared is, left we have exceeded the Bounds of a Chriftian Festival, and fuffered our Joy to evaporate into Extravagance. For we have heard under

The Second Head, that the Dangers of offending at fuch Seasons are great, and the Temptations many. And if we be at any more apt than ordinary to abuse our Liberty; it is at the folemn Festival we are now dif

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How it comes to pass I know not; but fo it is, that we are most of us infected with a Notion, that this Seafon not only excuses, but even juftifies, our allowing our felves in fuch Irregularities and Extravagancies of Life, as we ourselves should be ashamed of at any other time. But certainly if we confider of it, this is the most improper Season, if there can be any one more so than another, for Senfuality and Intemperance. The Mystery we now commemorate is the Birth of the Son of GOD, who was made manifeft for this purpose, that He might destroy the Works of the Devil. Can any thing then be more abfurd, than that we should waste the time of this Holy Season in the practice of those wicked Works which he came to destroy? That we should so far forget, or fo little confider the Design of his Coming, as to live and act in direct Opposition to it?

But it may be, you will think this Advice comes a little too late; and that it is very improper to caution People against abusing a Festival after the time is expired. In answer to which it may be faid, that this Advice need not, unless we will make it fo, be with out its use now. For if we were so prone to exceed the Bounds of Temperance and So

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