An explication of the iudiciall lawes of Moses. Plainely discovering divers of their ancient rites and customes. As in their governours, government, synedrion, punishments, civill accompts, contracts, marriages, warres, and burialls. Also their oeconomicks, (vizt.) their dwellings, feasting, clothing, and husbandrie. Together with two treatises, the one shewing the different estate of the godly and wicked in this life, and in the life to come. The other, declaring how the wicked may be inlightned by the preaching of the gospel, and yet become worse after they be illuminated. All which are cleered out of the originall languages, and doe serue as a speciall helpe for the true understanding of divers difficult texts of scriptures. ... / By Iohn Weemse, of Lathocker in Scotland, preacher of Gods word.

Of their Feasts.

OF their sundry sorts of feasts, of those who were invited to their feasts, of the number of those who sat at their feasts, the end wherefore they made feasts, and more particularly, of their excesse and pompe in their feasting compared with the Greekes.

First, they had feasts before their marriages, in their marriages, and after their marriages; before their mar∣riage, and these feasts were called Kedushim, sponsalia; and the Greekes called them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Secondly, they had a feast at the day of their marriage, Gen. 29. 22. And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast; and Ioh. 2. Christ was present at a marriage feast in Cana of Galile: and Christ allu∣deth to this forme, Luk. 14. 8. When thou art bidden to a wedding, that is, to the feast at the wedding; so Rev. 19. 9. And so they had a feast after the marriage; and the Greekes called these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and the gifts which were brought to the bride after she was married were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because the vaile was taken off her face then, and these things which were offered to her after she was unvailed, were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Secondly, the Iewes had feasts at the weaning of their children, and not at the day of their birth, Gen. 21. 8. but the Heathen had feasts at the day of their birth, as Pharaoh, Gen. 40. 20. and Herod, Mat. 14. 16. and this was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Thirdly, they had feasts at the day of their death, Iere. 16. 7. Neither shall men teare themselues for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead, neither shall men giue them the cup of consolation to drinke for their father, or for their mother; thou shalt not also goe into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat and to drinke: the Greekes called th••se 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 was Epulum se∣pulchrale: & afterwards this feasting degenerated much, for they used to set meat upon the graues of the dead; and Syracides alludeth to these delicates poured upon a mouth shut up, are as messes of meat set upon a graue, Ecclus 30. 18. So afterwards in the primitiue Church they had Caenam novendinalem for the soules departed, they feasted the poore for the space of nine dayes, and they prayed, that the soules might haue a refreshment in that time; and this was discharged in the Councell of Car∣thage.

So they had a feast when they made a Covenant, as Iacob and Laban, Gen. 31. 54. so Ioshua and the Gibeonites, Iosh. 9. 14. And the Greekes called these feasts 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 libo. The Scythians in their Covenants and feasts did drinke others bloud, these the Greekes called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, sanguinipotas, drinkers of bloud.

So they made feasts when they departed from others at their farewell, Gen. 31. 27. and these the Greekes cal∣led 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

So they made feasts at the returning of their friends to welcome them home, as the father of the forlorne sonne killed the fed Calfe when his sonne came home; and these feasts the Greekes called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; so Ioseph

made a feast when his brethren returned to him, Gen. 49. 16.

Those who were invited to their feasts were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and they who were not invited were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 adscititij, and they were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, umbrae, et mus∣cae advolantes, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 qui lingua sua se nutriunt; and they were said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a metaphor borrowed from the dogges who fanne with their tailes when men feede them.

The number which they invited were not many; in that feast of Iobs children were his seven sonnes and three daughters; and Christ and his twelue Disciples, and therefore that is false, septem convivium, & novem convitium: the Greekes said, incipere debet a Gratiarum numero, & progredi ad Musarum, that is, they would haue no fewer than three at a feast, and no more than nine.

The persons invited should be the poore especially; when thou makest a feast, bid not the rich but the poore, that is, the poore rather than the rich, men should not in∣vite to be invited againe. Luk. 6. 12. men should not in∣vite 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, whose God is their bellie. Heliogabalus invited to his feast, eight black, eight blind, eight lame, eight hoarse; he made no choise of his guests, but he made a mocke of it.

The end wherefore they made feasts, was the glorie of God, 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether therefore yee eat or drinke, or whatsoever yee doe, doe all to the glorie of God: Asshuerus feast was onely to shew his magnificence and pride, but Esthers feast was for the glorie of God, and for the safetie of the Church.

The second end of their feasts, was to expresse their heartie loue and friendship, for to eat and drinke toge∣ther, was the greatest token of loue and friendship, 2 Sam. 12. 3. He had an Ewe-lambe &c. which did eat of

his owne meat, and dranke of his owne cup, & lay in his owne bosome: so Psal. 41. 9. Yea mine owne familiar friend in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread: and so the com∣munion in the life to come is expressed by eating of bread, Luk. 14. 15. Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdome of God: and Obadiah 7. these three are joyned together, viri faederis, pacis, & panis, that is, that makes a Covenant together, that hath peace, and that eat to∣gether; but Absolon killed Amnon at the feast; so Geda∣liah was killed by Ismael at the feast, Iere. 40. and Iohn the Baptist by Herod, Mat. 14.

Notes

• They had feasts at their marriage.
• Feasts at the weaning of their children.
• Feasts at their death and buriall.
• Feasts at their Cove∣nants.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, sacrificia ante expeditionem.
• Who were invited and who not?
• The number at their feast.
• What persons were to be invited.
• The end of their feasts.
• Breaking of bread a to∣ken of loue.