The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…

All this doth show that their meetings tended to nourish amity, & that they had respect to the continuance of their peace, & increase of their love one towards another, which was the first cause that feasts were instituted in the Primitive Church, & therefore called the feast of charity, only that friends and kinsmen and neighbours might meet one with another to receive the blessings of God, & rejoice together like Joseph & his brethren, lest Christian familiarity should wear out of use, & be forgotten. For ye may see in Eccles. 2. 24. and 3. 12. and 5. 17. where Solomon speaketh of the joy, and pleasure, and delight which we may take in Gods creatures. And again, in Psal. 104. 15. where David saith, that as bread was ⟨p. 1044⟩made to strengthen, so wine was made to con fort the heart, that God would not only have us fed, but of his exceeding goodness he would have us cheered and comforted beside, as he showeth by this abundance of his creatures, in that he hath ordained so many things moe than we need. Why did God create mo things then we need? but to show that he alloweth us needful & comfortable things, for all good things which were not created for need, were created for delight. Therefore even the Scriptures have commended solemn feasts in Le. 10. Num. 29. Exo. 23. where ye may read of sundry feasts commanded by God himself, as the feasts of gathering fruits, the feasts of trū pets, the feasts of Tabernacles, the feasts of new Moons, the feasts of reconciliation, the feasts of dedication of the temples, &c. Beside it is said, that Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned, Gen. 21. 8. So it is said of Sampson, that he made a feast when he was married. Jud. 14. 10. and at a feast in Canaan, Christ showed the first miracle that ever he wrought, turning water into wine.