would not hearken vnto our voice that is he would not giue ouer fasting though they earnestly intreated him So that whiles the childe laye sicke hee continued his fasting and prayer vnto the Lorde for the life of it for the space of diuers daies for it died not vntill the seuenth day after that it fell sicke Which godly fast of his doth shew that if any shal haue any afâ—liction vpon them and so the Lord giue them cause of sorrow and of humiliation more than others or which others haue not at all no not they which are of the same familie then they are for a time to put themselues apart as it were from the rest and in priuate fasting and prayer to seeke vnto the Lord for mercie more than others So did Ahab when Gods iudgement was denouÌ„ced against him as Dauid did heere So is it sayd also of Ahab King of Israel that when the Prophet Elijah had sharplie rebuked him for his sinnes denounced the curse of God against him and his whole familie for it 1. King 21.20 saying Thou hast solde thy selfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord therefore Beholde sayeth the Lord I will bring euill vpon thee and will take away thy posterity and wil cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall as well him that is shut vp as him that is left in Israel and so foorth as it followeth in that place vers 27. When Ahab heard those wordes hee rent his clothes and put on sackecloth vpon him and fasted and lay in sackecloth and went softly Thus because the wrath of the Lord appeared speciallie against him for his sinne though he proclamed no publike fast thorow his kingdome yet he saw that it was high time for himselfe at the least to practise it So ought all other men and women doe in the like case Therefore if any shall haue fallen into any grieuous sinne as these two Kings had whereby the Lord by the ministerie of his Word threateneth against them some notable punishment and their owne consciences tell them that they haue iustlie deserued it or some grieuous thing is alreadie befallen them then they must know it to be their bounden dutie to seeke to turne away the wrath of the Lord from theÌ„selues and from their houses by priuate fasting and prayer and they must not onely acknowledge that the Lord requireth that they should humble themselues before him in fasting and so could be contented that there were some publicke fasts then whereunto they might resort and thinke themselues discharged because there bee none and so tarie vntill some by publike authoritie vpon some occasion be coÌ„manded but because it is their own case onely and none others they must see what God requireth of them alone Reasons to persuade men to priuate fasting And truly if all men would thus do they might preuent manie of Gods heauie iudgements which otherwise befall themselues and theirs but often times many sinnes are most grieuously committed and Gods holy law broken not onely by some one in a familie but by diuers both gouernours children and seruants as adulterie fornication and other vncleannesse drunkennesse and gluttonie swearing and blaspheming the most holy name of God contempt of Gods word and sacraments besides all ruffianlinesse and prophannesse pride oppression and such like and they doe not seeke priuately to humble themselues before God for them when they breake out and are iustly by Gods Ministers reproued for them but rather they go on obstinately and stand in the defence of the same they do not I say after some extraordinarie maner of fasting and prayer seeke feruently vnto the Lord and so his iudgements breake out against them and some plague or other entreth into their houses which with their sinnes they haue defiled that as the Cananites were spued out of that fruitfull land for their wickednesse Leu. 18.28 so are they by sicknesse and death cast out of their goodly houses Which kinde of wickednes coÌ„mitted closely in houses as it was the principall cause that this late plague first entred into them so in that respect some had iust cause to begin sooner and to continue longer their priuate fast then by publike authority all were inioyned vnto it For if Ahab who was an idolater a wicked man did then see that now he had cause to fast though other did not then we that are taught by the Word of God should much more discerne of the times and know when in respect of our priuate sinnes and calamities present The good that might redound to priuate families thereby or iustly to be feared we haue cause to fast and pray though other do not And if Ahab in thus doing did obtaine a release from this particular iudgement so farre foorth that it was put off and came not vpon his house in his dayes according to that that is said of him by the Lord himselfe vnto Eliiah Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me because he submitteth himselfe before me I will not bring that euill in his dayes but in his sonnes daies will I bring euill vpon his house Then wee much more vsing this holy ordinance in sinceritie and trueth might put far from vs and from all ours manie grieuous plagues which our sinnes haue deserued Therefore let vs bee perswaded that it is our bounden dutie sometimes not onely to giue our selues vnto priuate praier which shuld be ordinarie and continuall but euen to fasting and prayer And this is that which we reade of Dauid againe 2. Sam. 3.30 â—hen Abner was traiterously slaine by â—oab and Abishai his brother because not only for the losse of so woorthie a captaine but especially for that great sinne in murthering him Dauid fastâ—d priuatly for the death of Abner which might procure Gods wrath against himselfe and his whole Realme and that it might appeare that hee was free from his blood he not onely sorrowed greatly for his death and prouoked the rest of the people thereunto as it is sayd of him Rent your clothes and put on sackecloth and mourne before Abner and King Dauid himselfe followed the beere and when they had buried Abner in Hebron the King lift vp his voice and wept besides the sepulchre of Abner and all the people wept but also Dauâ—d the King did further humble himselfe by fasting that day because he saw more into the hand of God and was more touched with it for it is written of him That all the people came to cause Dauid to eat meat vers 35. while it was yet day but Dauid sware saying So God do to me and more also if I taste bread or ought else till the Sunne be downe so that it is written of him and of him alone that in this common cause of heauinesse hee not onely mourned with the rest but fasted also and praied vnto God which is to be vnderstood as a thing necessarily ioined vnto fasting though
beyond the bounds of modestie and good maners so if we could aswell see and feele this great miserie that we and our brethren are in it would make vs to be so importunate with the Lord in our prayers that we would haue no nay at his handes but still stand knocking at the gate of his mercie vntill hee hath opened and sent vs away with a gratious answer as Dauid in the one fifty Psalme pressed downe with the heauie burden of his sinnes did crie vnto God againe and againe for mercie and would not haue his mouth stopped vntill the Lord had mercie vpon him saying Haue mercie upon me O God Psa 51.1.2 according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy coÌ„passions put away mine iniquitiâ—â— wash me throughly from mine iniquitie and clense me from my sin purge me with Hysope washe me make mee to heare ioy and gladnesse and so foorth as followeth where euerie verse almost containeth a seueral petition earnestly crauing mercie of God for his sinnes yea as blinde Bartimaeus cried after Christ in the waie Mar. 10.46 Iesus the sonne of Dauid haue mercie on me and manie rebuked him because he should hold his peace but he cried much more O sonne of Dauid haue mercy on me and would neuer leaue calling and crying vntill Christ stoode still and commanded him to be called so we in this case should neuer leaue calling vpon God vntill by diminishing of the plague we might see some token of his mercie Nay we should be like to the woman of Syrophenisse who came suing to Christ for her daughter Math. 15.21 and saide Haue mercie on me O Lord the soone of Dauid and he by his silence seemed not to regard her and when his Disciples did speake to him for her he answered them as though she were not to be regarded saying I am not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel when shee came neerer her-selfe and saide Lord helpe me then he seemed cleane to cast her off and to leaue her without all hope â—4 01 〈◊〉 in saying It is not good to take the childrens bread and to cast it to whelpes yet for al this she would not giue ouer her need was so great but desired as a whelpe to eate of the crummes And by earnest suite we shall finde â— supplie in time that fell from her masters table and so Christ heard her at the last and said vnto her O woman great is thy faith be it to thee as thou desirest and her daughter was made whole at that houre Euen so our selues though we may seeme all this while to haue praied in vaine and to haue lost our labour and the Lorde God not to regard vs because the plague is not one whit lessened but rather increased yet because our need is so great let vs not giue ouer but in all feruencie of praier hold out and waite vpon God and how Psal 123. â— Euen as the eies of seruants looke vnto the hand of their maisters and as the eies of a maiden vnto the hand of her mistresse so let our eies waite vpon the Lord our God vntill he haue mercie vpon vs. And let euerie one saie Psal 130.5 I haue waited on the Lorde my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in his worde my soule waiteth on the Lord more then the morning watch watcheth for the morning and so let vs incourage all Israel euen the people of God to waite vpon him for with him is mercy with him is great redemption and he wil redeeme them from al their iniquities that is as he hath manie waies and meanes to deliuer those that be his so he will vpon their repentance forgiue them all their sinnes and much more deliuer from the deserued punishment of the same â—he consciâ—ce of our â—woorthiâ—sse must â—t hinder â— but raâ—er make 〈◊〉 more ferâ—ut in praiâ— Moreouer that wee might praie so earnestly as we should let vs further consider our great vnwoorthinesse by reason of our innumerable sinnes that when wee shall see that whether wee looke to our selues or to other there is no cause that the Lord should heare and helpe vs for wee haue not done our dutie as we ought wee haue not profited by his worde and great patience nay wee haue by the abuse of them and by other of our sinnes prouoked his wrath against vs and haue deserued that this deadly plague shuld continew and make an end of vs all we may be importunate with him to spare vs that so though not for anie thing that is in vs of his great mercie for Christes sake by opportunitie hee may be ouercome as wee haue seene by the parable of the wicked Iudge how he will be and as we haue seene how Iacob would not giue ouer wrestling vntill he had blessed him at the last obtained the blessing So the Lord seeing that we are not wearie of calling vpon him though he finde vs vnwoorthie might heare and helpe vs. And so let not the conscience of our vnwoorthinesse stoppe our mouthes hinder our praiers but rather mooue vs to be the more earnest confessing the same as Ezra Ezra 9.6 doth I am confounded and ashamed to lift vp mine eies vnto thee my God for our iniquities are increased ouer our head and our trespasse is growen vp vnto the heauen and as Daniel Dan. 9.8 doth O Lord vnto vs appertaineth open shame to our kings to our princes and to our fathers because we haue sinned against thee yet compassion and forgiuenesse is in the Lord our God albeit we haue rebelled against him and so may we truely say of our selues and of our land and countrey wherein we liue And lastly for this present let vs consider that as in no other thing so in this most of all none can helpe vs but the Lord â—nd the conâ—eration of â—is that â—e can â—lpe vs but 〈◊〉 Lord. there are meanes appointed for euery thing but vnlesse hee giue them we can not haue them and then also the right vse and successe of them is of the Lord so that he can not onely denie them vnto vs but curse them when we haue them that they shall do vs no good so that we may truly saie My helpe commeth from the Lorde 〈◊〉 121.2 who hath made both heauen earth therefore we had need to praie to him so much the more earnestly for the trusting to this and that hindereth our praier But the time cutteth mee off from this and so I leaue it to be supplied by the spirit of God which is able to giue you vnderstanding in all things HOMIL V. The fifth Homilie doth further intreat of feruencie of praier requisite in fasting and to the end we may consider what great things God hath promised to fasting and praier and how he hath performed the same not onely to the godly but euen to the wicked who haue thereby
that we lacke helpe and that we had need still to call for more and so to stir vp those that come not or come seldome and to call vpon them that doe that they would bring as manie with them as they can euen their whole familie and all the seruants in the same And doe we not see by this that it is our bounden dutie to do as we do that we may continue it willingly of conscience and that we had not need to be remisse or slacke one whit either in true humilitie for our sinnes or in feruencie of praier seeing Gods hand is not slaked but rather stretched out still Therefore to conclude this point as the commandement and cause is publike so by our practise let it appeare among vs that our fasts are so and not priuate as it were to some few â—he cause of â—ublike fasts 〈◊〉 the wrath â—f God aâ—ainst the â—hurch Now concerning the causes of publike fastings they are set downe particularly to be diuers in the holy Scripture but for the most part and generally the cause is expresly noted to be the wrath and anger of God against the Church as appeareth by all the fasts that we reade of in the old new Testament And this is diligently to be obserued of vs that wee seeing the same cause among vs might knowe that though wee are commanded by publike authoritie to vse them and so all are bound to them yet when wee shall further vnderstand that God himselfe not man onely for this cause calleth vs vnto them then wee should iudge that all are bound vnto them so much the more And this wrath of God the cause of publike fasts is considered two waies either that which is alreadie come vpon men or which is iustly to be feared shortly and to whether of these two causes wee shall cast our eyes we shall clearely see that we haue great cause to do as we do that is publickely to humble our selues in fasting before the Lord. And first of all when it iâ— presently vpon them Iudg. 20.26 For concerning the former which is the wrath of God presently vpon the Church wee reade in the time of the Iudges when in two battels there were slaine of the Israelites fortie thousand this heauie hand of God being then vpon them all the children of Israel went vp and all the people came also vnto the house of God and wept and sate there before the Lord and fasted that day vnto the euening so that in this present calamitie all the people came to the fast which was held for it in the house of God Since this plague began among vs by all estimation there haue not so few as forty thousand died in this land therefore wee haue also as great cause to fast for this present apparent token of Gods wrath as they had and so all the people should come to the house of God to that end Moreouer the Prophet Ioel sayth to the people of Iudah that seeing there was so great a famine among them that God commanded them all publikelie to fast saying Ioel 2.15 Thus saieth the Lord Blow the trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast call a solemne assemblie gather the people sanctifie the congregation gather the elders assemble the children and those that sucke the breasts let the bridegrome goe forth of his chamber and the bride out of her bride chamber let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weepe Where we see that because the present scarsitie of the fruits of the earth was so great he calleth all sorts of men and women yoong and olde without exception vnto publike fasting to pacifie Gods wrath and that by the commaundement of the Lord saying As it is now vpon vs in this pestilence Thus saith the Lord. If the anger of God appearing in the famine was a sufficient cause to moue them to it then seeing it appeareth no lesse if not a great deale more in the deadlie contagions and mortalitie of the pestilence that we may be assured that the Lord doth require the same of vs also Againe if the Israelites when they were ouerthrowen in battle by their enimies the Philistins in the daies of Samuel did thinke that there was great cause to confesse their sinnes vnto God with all humilitie in fasting praier publikely according to the direction of the said Samuel 1. Sam 7.6 who said Gather al Israel to Mizpeh and I wil pray for you vnto the lord they gathered togither to Mizpeh and drew water powred it out before the Lord that is wept abundantly and fasted the same day and saide there wee haue sinned against the Lorde and afterwards in the daies of Dauid vpon the like occasion of whom and of all whose companie it is saide 2. Sam. 1.12 That Dauid tooke hold on his clothes and rent them and likewise all the men that were with him and they mourned and wept and fasted vntill euen for Saul and Ionathan his sonne and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel because they were slaine with the sword Then seeing the plague deuoureth no lesse then the sword of which it is said that it so destroieth at noone-daie Psa 91.7 that it causeth a thousand to fall on the one side ten thousand on the other seeing the wrath of God appeareth in the one as well as in the other though wee haue escaped that which wee feared namely that wee haue not fallen into the handes of our enemies yet seeing the Lorde hath sent this great scourge of the pestilence vpoÌ„ vs which we looked not for we haue as great cause to humble our selues with fasting confessing our sins vnto God in praier In which respect we are bound to keepe them by the commandement not onely of men but of God as they So then we may perceiue that seeing this one cause of publike fasting is among vs namely the sensible and apparent token of Gods wrath in great measure that the thing it selfe ought to be practised of vs and that we are called to it now not onely by the voice of man but of the Lord our God and so euery one ought to thinke themselues bound to it so much the more Furthermore the wrath of God is to be considered of vs not only when it is 〈◊〉 presently vpon vs and may be felt Secondly the signes of gods wrath to come haue beene cause of publike fasting but wheÌ„ it maybe descerned a far off and when there is iust cause to fear it as that that is neere vs and readie shortly to come vpon vs if it be not speedily preuented whereof when the seruants of God haue seene euident signes and apparent tokens they haue in the wisedome of the spirit of God sought by fasting and praier to turne it away and haue not carelessely taried vntill such time as it came vpon them And so that hath beene an other sufficient cause of fasting vnto
so haue died in the hie waies And againe it is like the leprosie that was among the Iews Leu. 14.34 which did hang in their houses and in certaine vessels a long time so it doeth remaine in the houses and bedding and garments of them that are dead a long time after and so breaketh out at the last sometimes a moneth and a great deale more after if good order be not taken to aire them euen then when they thought that all feare of danger was past All which doe shew what danger we are in though yet nothing be come vnto vs. And we may see it much more if we consider how the Psalmist compareth it to an arrow that flieth from one place to another speedily when hee saith Thou shalt not be afraied of the feare of the night Psal 91.5 nor of the arrow that flieth by day speaking of the pestilence so that as an arrowe flieth from one place quickely to another so doth this Flying abroad speedilie and closely like an arrow For a man shall come from one place to another a great way off and passe thorow many townes without hurting of anie though himselfe hath the plague euen as an arrow shal flie aloft in the aire and do no hurt nor touch any thing but then hee shall lodge or rest in such a towne twelue or twentie miles off or more and there he sickneth and dieth and leaueth the infection behinde him euen as an arrowe shot by a strong man is there mortall where it lighteth so is this arrow of the Lord shot out by his mightie hand who is skilfull to direct it to the place whither hee mindeth to send it so we may be in more danger thā we thinke though we be a great way off as a skilfull archer standing heere shooteth his arrow a great way off to the marke And sometimes they that goe abroad with running sores about them or hauing the infection in their garments and seeming to others to be in health and without danger haue infected others in the way as they haue gone where they haue tarried but a small while euen to eat and to drinke euen as an arrow doeth often hurt by glauncing at a thing besides the place where it lighteth Moreouer such is the nature of this disease that we may get hurt not onely by men liuing and dying but euen by other creatures which shall goe to or come from such places as are infected as cats dogs most of all and therefore in time of common plagues there is order taken in al cities or towns corporate which are well gouerned to kill vp all dogs that are not shut vp but runne abroad of what nature or kinde or qualitie or price soeuer they be least by comming into mens companie they shuld spread abroad the infection And we read that some onely but buying a dogs skinne in the market and bring-in it home they haue brought the pestilence into their house to the ouerthrow and destruction of the whole familie Seeing then that it is hath beene a long time in so many places there is no place so farre off from it or so free but hath iust cause to feare it more or lesse And therefore there is no place so cleere whether it may not speedily come because there are so many open and secret waies to bring it and so in the ordinarie course of gods prouidence all that haue wisedome may thinke it likely to come vpon them in this time if the Lorde be not mercifull vnto them Therefore in respect of Gods wrath manifestlie appearing in this grieuous pestilence though not yet vpon vs through the infinite goodnesse and mercy of God yet iustly to bee feared as wee haue seene wee must thinke and confesse that wee haue great cause by fasting praier to seeke vnto the Lord to turne that from vs before it come which as our sinnes haue deserued so wee see many means to bring it speedily vpon vs as other of his seruants haue done in the like case before And thus much for this present seeing the time cuttes me off from the rest of the first signe and token of Gods wrath likely to come obserued in the course of his prouidence as a sufficient cause of publike fasting HOMIL IX The ninth Homilie continueth to shew the causes of publike fastes namely when the wrath of God to come hath beene iustly feared in respect of the great sinnes that haue abounded and of the iudgement of God denounced against the same openly by the ministers of God And when Gods wrath hath not onely beene vpon themselues but vpon others of their brethren the children of God THe last daie we entring into this treatise of the consideration of the causes of publike fastings haue hitherto proceeded thus farre to shew that the seruants of God haue beene mooued thereunto not onely when some great punishment as a testimonie of Gods displeasure hath beene vpon them The wrath of God to come considered in sinne that hath abounded hath beene cause of publike fasts but when in the course of nature or of ordinarie meanes to serue Gods prouidence by there hath beene some likelihood of it it remaineth that I should proceed Therefore secondarily they haue considered of Gods displeasure likely to come vpon them by seeing and obseruing diligently the manifold great sinnes and notorious offences which in their time haue beene committed for which they truely iudged and feared that God must needs some waie punish them according to the number and greatnesse of the same though hee had borne with them a long time and the longer that of his great patience he had forborne them the greater and more speedie shoulde his punishment bee according to his iustice And this they haue certainely gathered from the constant trueth of Gods threatnings reuealed in his holy lawe and from the continuall execution of the same vpon others from time to time Seeing then that the Lord is iust and true and that he hath threatned to punish sinne so and so as is largely set downe in the Lawe and the Prophets specially the bookes of Moses Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. when they haue seene sinne to abound then they haue no lesse wisely then certainely concluded that wrath is at hand because God is offended For euen as when all flesh had corrupted their waies vpon earth Gen. 6. hee brought in the floud of water and drowned the whole world and when the crie of Sodom and Gomorrah was great and their sinne exceeding grieuous Gen. 18.20 the Lord rained brimstone and fire from heauen vpon them Gen. 15.16 and ouerthrew them and all the inhabitants of them And when the wickednesse of the Ammonites and of the Canaanites was full Iudg. 2.11 then the land spued them out and when the Israelites in the time of the Iudges did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim and Ashtarosh the wrath of the Lord was hot
against them and he deliuered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them and hee solde them into the hands of their enemies round about them so that they could no longer stand before their enemies And in the time of the Kings for the same cause they were caried away captiues into Babylon 2. Chro. 36.15 because the Lord sending his messengers to reclaime them from their sinne rising earelie because hee had compassion on them they mocked the messengers of God and misused his prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord arose against them and till there was no remedie for he brought vpon them the Kings of the Chaldeans who slew their yong men with the sword in the house of their Sanctuarie and spared neither yoong man nor virgine ancient nor aged God gaue all into his hand And at the last for refusing Christ and his holie Gospell they were vtterly destroied by the Romanes so that alwaies when sinne hath abounded the wrath of God hath beene neere Rom. 1.18 and readie to be reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men and they that haue beene wise-hearted haue obserued it and so this hath beene sufficient cause to mooue them by fasting and praier to seeke betimes to haue it turned awaie And this they haue done euen then Euen then when outwardly there hath beene no shew of danger when there was no likelihood of anie euill to come vpon them in respect of any outward meanes that did portend it but onely their sinnes the cause of it in respect of Gods iustice did giue them cause to feare it Thus did Ezra Ezr. 9.1 the priest and the rest of the Iewes that feared God euen a verie great congregation when he vnderstoode that the Priests Leuites and the rest of the people had married strange wiues contrarie to the law of God euen of the Canaanites Hittites Iebusites Egyptians and such like he feared some plague to come vpon them for it and so confessed their sinne vnto God and craued pardon with all humilitie and earnestnesse in fasting and praier for he rent his clothes and his garments and pluckt off the haire off his head and of his beard and sate downe astonied and there assembled vnto him all that feared the wordes of the God of Israel because of the transgression of them of the captiuitie and so he sate downe astonied with them vntill the euening sacrifice and then he tell vpon his knees and spread out his hands vnto the Lord God made that humble supplication for them that followeth there Ezr. 9.6 And after that he arose vp from before the house of God and went into a chamber but he did neither eate bread nor drinke water for he mourned because of the transgressions of them of the captiuitie Ezr. 10.6 Thus though in respect of all outward things they had great cause of reioicing for he and many of the people were but newly returned out of their long captiuitie and were come vp to Ierusalem from Babel Artahshaste the King of Persia had theÌ„ giuen him all his request Ezr. 7.6 according to the hand of the Lord his God which was vpon him yet in respect of the common sinnes of their time they sound Gods wrath and mourned for it and by fasting and prayer sought to preuent it If we then had but eyes to see and hearts to consider of the innumerable great sinnes of our time which as a great floud haue ouerflowen the whole land so that there is no place nor calling free from the same but as it is sayd of the Israelites The Priests and the people trespassed woonderfully so it may be said of our time 2. Chro. 36.14 The commoâ— sinnes of ouâ— time might more vs to publike fasting if there were nothing els High and low haue woonderfully offended God we might easily perceiue that though there were no plague at all among vs or punishment vpon vs nor any by all likelihood to be feared yet for our sinnes the crie wheâ—â—of is exceeding grieuous in the cares of the Lord of hosts and is ascended vp into the heauens long agoe and calleth for vengeance against vs as theirs of Sodom and Gomorrah did Gen. 18 2â— wee had iust cause to feare his wrath and so by fasting and prayer to seeke speedilie to preuent it For to let passe the strange mariages between the Protestants and Papists which without any scruple of conscience are too frequently vsed which seemed to be the onely sinne of that time in the daies of Ezra â—zr 9.2 that the people of God were so vnequallie yoked and as it is said there they had mixed the holy seed with the people of the landes To let this passe wee may with the Prophet beholde a thousand abominations more â—zek 8.9 â—8 15 for what periâ—rie blasphemie is there besides common swearing what intolerable pride in all sorts euen like vnto Lucifer himselfe what swelling one against another what enuie heart-burning hatred malice crueltie oppression what drunkennesse and gluttonie and surfetting what abominable adulterie fornications and all kinde of vncleannesse with chambering and wantonnesse as though men had cleane forgotten the Lord 1. King 21.20 and solde themselues to doe euill But to passe by all these things with silence though they bee verie great let vs looke but to this one thing the generall contempt of Gods holie Word that inestimable treasure of his Gospell which he hath bestowed vpon vs euen that precious pâ—â—rle Math. 12.43 which when a man hath sound hee should sell all that he hath and buy it Especially the generall contempt of the Gospell in all placeâ— whether wee consider of those places where it is not how it is neglected not sought for of them or where it is how it is not there regarded how many haue no care to preach it sincerelie and more haue no care to follow it in their liues so that the profession that is made of it is more for estimation and credit than of conscience and loue that then beare to it and it is more in the head than in the heart more in the tongue than in deed more in shewe than in trueth And a great number though they haue had it thus long yet are not only not bettered thereby but are a great deale worse than they were many yeeres ago This open and manifest contempt of the Gospell I say which is a greater sinne than all the sinnes of Sodom â—ath 10. â— For it shall be easier for them of the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of iudgement then for them we must needs confesse that for it we had cause long agoe to feare the death of our most gracious soueraigne Queene and now since it hath happened we may well say with Job The thing that we feared â—â—b 3.25 is come vpon vs and though the Lord hath maruellously and beyond all our hope
recompensed that great losse by sending so worthy a King into her roome yet we might then haue feared some other great punishment as we see how this plague hath followed and there was cause to feare it before though few did thinke of it and what may be next vnto this we know not wee are sure that much hath beene deserued and so by fasting and prayer in respect of these great sinnes wee had need to seeke to the Lord to turne it away And thus much for the second cause which might mooue vs to feare some great wrath and displeasure of God to bee shewed in some kinde of correction and rodde of his whereby wee might willingly humble our selues before him in publike fasting euen the great sinnes that in all sorts euery where abound and most shamefully lift vp their heads vncontroled Thirdly and last of all Gods nor â—â— to come apearing iâ— his iudgement denounced haue been causes of publike sâ— sâ—ing concerning this matter the seruants of God in former times haue wisely discerned beforehand of the stormie tempest of Gods wrath to come by the fearefull threatnings of Gods iudgement denounced against them by his faithfull seruaunts that haue spoken to them in his Name whom as they haue beene perswaded that they haue beene stirred vp by his holy spirit to speake vnto them from his mouth and to warne them thereby out of his word as from himselfe so they haue feared the things that haue beene spoken against them and as though they did see them comming haue sought vnto him by fasting and prayer to escape them And this is the thing that mooued the King of Niniue to doe as he did namelie that when hee heard the preaching of the Prophet Iona how hee did crie out against their sinne and threatned Gods vengeance to light speedily vpon the whole citie vnlesse they did speedilie repent â—ona 3.4 euen that within fortie dayes Niniue should be ouerthrowen when this word came vnto him hee arose from his throne laied his robe from him and couered himselfe with sackecloth and sate in ashes and proclaimed a fast thorow the whole citie by the counsell of the King his nobles saying Let neither man nor beast feed nor drinke water that so in all humilitie they seeking to God for mercy and turning euery man froÌ„ his euill waâ—es they might bee spared in this which they saw they had so great cause to feare for it is sayd The people of Niniue beleeued God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackecloth from the greatest of them euen to the least of them they beleeued in God and that moued them to do so that is they beleeued that Iona Iona. 3.5 who thus preached was a true Prophet and that God had sent him to doe this message vnto them and that their sinnes had deserued this vtter destruction threatned and that of his iustice God might bring it vpon them and therefore though they yet sawe not howe and which way it should come to passe yet beleeuing these things they fell to fasting and prayer to pacifie Gods wrath and to escapâ— it So that as the sound of the trumpet doth warne men to prepare themselues to battell and to go meet with their enemies so this preaching of Gods seruant who lifted vp his voice against them as a trumpet did awaken them out of the sleepe of security and to meet the Lord who was become their enemie by reason of their sinnes and in fasting and praier humblie submitting themselues vnto him to intreat at his hands conditions of peace And truelie in this respect if we should not in like maner seeke to the Lord with fasting praier that his wrath might be appeased towards vs we could not plead ignorance as not knowing anie cause why we should doe so â—Ve haue not wanted this â—ause of publike fasting â—mong vs. for we must needes confesse that the faithfull Ministers of Christ haue often and long ago in the pulpits proclaimed open warre against vs for our sinnes that is they haue threatned Gods heauie iudgements against vs out of his Word to rowse vs from the drowsie securitie of sinne Haue we not heard it preached vnto vs as it was to the Iewes that the kingdome of God should bee taken from vs for our great barrennesse Mat. 21.43 and green to a nation that should bring forth the fruits thereof And haue we not heard the words of the Prophet â—sa 5.1 that whereas the Lord had planted among vs a vineyard in a very fruitefull hill and had hedged it and gathered out the stones of it and had planted it with the best plants and had built a tower in the middes thereof and made a wine-presse therein and then looked that it should bring foorth grapes but it brought foorth wilde grapes that therefore hee would take awaie the hedge thereof that it might be eaten vp and would breake downe the wall thereof that it might be troden down and that he would lay it waste that it should not be digged but briers and thornes should growe vp in it and woulde commaund the cloudes that they should not raine vpon it And as this hath beene threatned so the Lord might according to our deserts after the death of our late Queene Elizabeth haue giuen vs vp either into the hands of some forraine enemies abroad or rebellious persons at home who might haue broken downe all and laid vs the Church of God waste Now though he hath spared vs this waie yet according to former iudgement denounced hee hath not let vs alone in our sinnes but hath taken vs into his owne hande by sending this pestilence among vs which Dauid accounted a great fauour when it was offered vnto him by the prophet Gad 2. Sam. 24.13 after that hee had offended the Lord in numbring of the people whether of these three punishments he would choose either seuen yeeres famine to come vpon the land or to flie three monthes before his enemies or that there should be three daies pestilence in the land saying I am in a woonderfull great strait let vs now fal into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of men and so hee chose the pestilence as a mercifull visitation of the Lord and so must we thinke that though the Lorde hath brought this upon vs for our sinnes according to that that hath beene threatned by his seruants yet heerein he hath delt verie mercifully with vs in that he hath deliuered vs from the cruel oppression of bloody men For Gods iudgements to come for our sinnes haue beene constantly threatned We must needs then acknowledge that the seruants of God haue not kept silence against our sins but haue out of his worde shewed that of his iustice and trueth hee must needes punish vs some waie for our sinnes vnlesse we speedily repent And this as it hath beene alwaies the vsuall dealing of
word of God and in his howse as a wise steward to giue vnto euery one of them their owne food in due season and since euen as they were then preached I haue published them for their sakes especially and so haue deliuered them as milke for all those that are but babes and children in Christ. And therefore if any of these shall receiue any benefit by them I haue attained vnto the end of my labours though the other sort be not holpen by them one whit For which I will pray vnto God euen as I desire all you to whome these presents shall come to pray for me and the Lord heare vs all for our selues and one of vs for an other and his well beloued sonne Iesuâ— Christ our only mediatour for vs all that we may liue and dye in his faith and in his feare that so the same Christ may be vnto vs life and in death aduantage Norton in Suffolke Your louing brother in the Lord Nicolas Bownd THE GENERAL Contents of the whole booke which may serue for an alphabeticall table to finde out euery thing handled in the same Page 1. The 1. Homilie Sheweth that the exercise of fasting is not an humane constitution but an ordinance of God approoued in the old and new Testament and so how God requireth it of vs at this present and for what causes Pag. 26. The 2. Homilie Sheweth what are the parts whereof this fasting consisteth and first which be outward belonging to the bodie and to what ende they serue as to abstaine wholly for a time from all kinde of meate and drinke and sleepe and costly apparell and such like comforts of the bodie and yet what libertie we haue then in all these in times of necessitie Page 58. The 3. Homilie Intreateth of the inward vertues of the minde to be attained vnto professed in fasting without the which the outward abstinence is nothing worth namely of true humilitie and casting downe of our selues before God and wherein that consisteth and how necessary it is and by what meanes we may attaine vnto it Page 94. The 4. Homilie Continueth to intreat of the inward vertues of the minde and namely of the hope that we sâ—oulâ— haue of the pardon of our sinnes vpon our true repentance and that God will giue vs the things that we seeke to him for which hope must stirre vs vp to feruent and long prayer and how by importunitie we shall preuaile with God what things els may quicken vs vnto feruent prayer Page 133. The 5. Homilie Doth further intreat of feruency of praier requisite in fasting and to the end we may consider what great things God hath promised to fasting and prayer and how he hath performed the same not only to the godly but euen to the wicked who haue therby obtained great deliuerances yea how men by humble supplication haue preuailed with men euen with their enemies Page 168. The 6 Homilie Sheweth what is the proper time for fasting namely the time of affliction and sorow then how God requireth it and his seruants haue practised it and so how the Lord requireth it of vs in this time of our sorrow and how long the time of a fast should continue and how the same time should be spent Page 208. The 7. Homilie Intreateth of the seuerall kindes or sorts of fasts whereof the one is priuate and the other publike and first of priuate fastings and how to behaue our selues in them and how they ought to be intertained into mens houses and for what causes and what great good may come thereby and what liberty the Gouernors haue in appointing of them aboue all the rest of the familie Page 253. The 8. Homilie Intreateth of the second kind of fasts which are publike and why so called and how all sorts ought to come to them and what a great fault it is for any to be absent And then of the cause of them which is the wrath of God against his Church either present as it is now vpon vs or likely to come which the godly haue considered in the course of Gods prouidence and so haue sought by fasting and praier to preuent it and not alwaies taried till it came vpon them Page 200. The 9. Homilie Continueth to shew the causes of publike fastes namely when the wrath of God to come hath beene iustly feared in respect of the great sinnes that haue abounded and of the iudgement of God denounced against the same openly by the ministers of God And when Gods wrath hath not only beene vpon themselues but vpon others of their brethren the children of God Pag. 353. A direction for Prayer Fit and conuenient for all those that being ignorant or vnacquainted with priuate prayer are desirous to pray by themselues The holie exercise of Fasting described out of the word of God HOMIL I. The first Homilie sheweth that the exercise of fasting is not an humane constitution but an ordinance of God approoued in the old and newe Testament and so how God requireth it of vs at this present and for what causes RIght wel-beloued in the Lord whereas we haue beene of late commanded by the Kings most excellent Maiesty and that not without iust cause to meete once a weeke vpon the Wednesday The occasioâ— of this Treatise to be occupied in fasting and praier because that the thing it selfe hath beene so long out of vse that a great number haue little or not at all practised it yea they haue not so much as beene acquainted with the doctrine of it and so do almost not know what it meaneth I thought it my bound dutie first of all to God and then to you committed to my charge in one part of the day at the least during this time of fasting to intreat of the thing it selfe that so you might know how to behaue your selues in it and the longer that we shall continew it as hauing more knowledge of it to be the better prepared for it Heere then first of all that we might doe this that we doe not onely in obedience to our Lord and King but especially most of all in faith vnto God without which nothing yea though it be good can please him as the apostle saith â—eb 11 6. â—sting is â—t deuised 〈◊〉 man but mmanded 〈◊〉 God we must be perswaded that this order of fasting is not a thing deuised by man but appointed of God and commanded in his holy word and therefore that which he doth necessarily require at the hands not onely of others but euen of our selues And this we had need to be perswaded of the rather because that some neuer thinke themselues bounde vnto it and so make no difference of times either for fasting or for feasting but if they haue wherewithall all times are alike vnto them for eating or not eating But Solomon the wise sheweth Eccl. 3.1 that to all things there is an appointed time and a time to euerie purpose
vnder the heauen and so there is a time wherein we are as well commanded to fast as we haue liberty to feast and therefore as Esra and the Leuites would not haue the people to fast weepe then Nehem. 8.10.11 but rather to eate and reioice when it was a time of ioy So the Prophet Esay findeth fault with some of his time Esay 22.12.13 who when the Lord called them by his worde and punishments vnto fasting they fell to feasting and so there was as he said killing of sheepe and oxen eating and drinking And so neither of them knew what was fit for their seuerall times we must therefore be perswaded that as there are times in which God of his great mercy giueth vs liberty to feast and to vse his creatures not onely for necessitie sparingly but for delight abundantly as at marriages and other times of reioicing so there is a time also when he would haue vs not onely eate temperately which we must doe alwaies euen at feasts that wee fall not to surfiting and drunkennesse but euen to absteine wholly from meat and drink and all other comforts of this life to those blessed endes for which he hath ordained it â—he Iewes â—d a stanâ—ng fast â—erely â—eu 16.29 To this end wee may remember what is written concerning fasting in the booke of Leuiticus and namely how there it is said that the Lord commaunded the Iewes once a yeere that euery soule should humble it selfe with fasting before the Lorde in one of the great assemblies where Moses sheweth or rather the Lord by him that this fast should be kept perpetually once a yeere and in what moneth and what day of the moneth and to what end namely to humble themselues for their sinnes and therefore what must then be done viz. that they must abstaine from all worke and worldly businesse and be occupied in all exercise of Gods worship as vpon the Sabbath day and that the Priest should make attonement by praier to obtaine remission of their sinnes And the same commandement is set downe againe in as many wordes in the 23. Leu. 23.2 chapter of the same booke where he sheweth that all were bounde to it and that they should then lay aside all their wordly businesse and haue an holy conuocation and therein haue sacrifices and praier that it might be a Sabbath vnto them as all fastes are of the nature of the Sabbathes sauing that in them they abstaine from meat and then all things are done to an other end euen that there might be great humiliation in them for their sinnes which two are not so proper vnto the Sabbath and so vpon their repentance God might be reconciled vnto them and spare them which are most excellent ends of fasting and a great fruit of that worke which might prouoke all vnto it and none might repent them of their labour And in these places though there be no mention of absteining from meate and drinke and so they may seeme not to appertaine to this argument of fasting yet besides that all learned men doe thus take them that this was a day of yeerely fasting euen the verie circumstance also of the text doth necessarily lead vs vnto this interpretation for when he not onely makes it a daie of abstaining from al worke and spending it wholly in Gods seruice publikely but also that the end of it should be that they might be humbled for their sins so reconciled vnto God this humbling of their souls is principally vrged and we know that the humbling of the body is a meanes to humble the soule and the body is specially humbled and brought downe by abstaining from meate and drinke and other comforts of it and besides we finde by practise in the Scripture that in other times of great humiliation the seruants of God haue abstained from these things therefore wee may be assured that this is ment in these places and that this was their practise that vpon this day they abstaining from meat and drinke did thus also cease from worke and were occupied in Gods worship to this end euen to the humbling of themselues before the Lord and so this was the thing that was commaunded them yeerely to doe euen to keepe a daie of fast And there was great reason of it There was great reasâ— of it for in the yeere many great sins might be committed of al sorts which might iustly prouoke Gods wrath against them and so they had great cause to be humbled for them and once in the yeere God might shew some tokens of his displeasure in some of his punishments as by raising vp some enemies against them by sending sicknes scarcitie vnseasonable weather and such like therefore they might thinke that once in the yeere at the least there was cause for them thus to humble themselues especially when God had coÌ„manded them so to do For though they should thus humble themselues continually for their sinnes as they sell out yet to helpe their iâ—fiâ—mitie â—hey had a set time appointed for it 〈◊〉 doe it more thorowly For as the◠〈…〉 Sabbath giuen them that 〈◊〉 a weeke they might wholly 〈◊〉 â—om their labors and attend vpon the worship of God for their good tâ—ough they should euery day redeeâ—e the time and as they had their daily sacrifices morning and euening and so times for praier So heere though all should continually be humbled for their sinnes priuate and mourne for them that were publike when they saw any tokens of Gods displeasure yet to helpe their infirmitie heerein they had a solemne day appointed for this purpose that the time it selfe might not onely put them in minde of that which otherwise would haue beene forgotten of the most or not so seriously thought vpon but also further them therein And as we finde by experience how needful it is to haue a Sabbath to put vs in minde of and to further vs in Gods seruice for how few doe it at all or as they should vpon the weeke daies and then what would they doe if there were no Sabbath at all So the godly no doubt in those daies did finde by their owne experience that though they had oftentimes cause in respect of their sinnes and the punishment of them to fast publikely and priuately yet if they had had no set time appointed for it they should verie often haue failed in so necessarie a dutie euen as we see among our selues that because we haue no such times appointed for vs that verie few though they haue great cause do practise it at any time Therefore this was Gods goodnesse to that people to giue them such a commandement How farre he equity f that law â—indeth vs. Now though the ceremony of the yeerely day be taken away as many other solemne daies of theirs are yet the thing it selfe that is Fasting is not taken away for though we be not tied to that yeerly day yet we are bound at somtimes
to fast and that by vertue of that coÌ„mandement giuen to them as well as they were For if we consider the end and see the equitie and reason of it we shall finde that it bindes vs as much as them and so we hauing the same cause among vs which mooued the Lord to inioine them this practise must thinke that we haue the same commandement also of fasting thogh not at that time and yeerely yet at some time in a yeere at the least in many yeeres For it being ordained to this end that they being humbled for their sinnes priuate and publike and there testifying their humiliation the wrath of God against them either threatned iustly in the lawe or vpon them alreadie or appearing imminent might be turned away and so they reconciled vnto God and spared we haue the same cause to bee humbled manie waies especially at this present and so now God commandeth vs to vse it And first of all in respect of our great vnwoorthinesse of Gods manifold benefits for looke to rhem that be publike past and present as the long and happie and peaceable raigne of our late soueraigne Queene Elizabeth of famous memorie To be humbled both iâ— respect of thâ— death of ouâ— late Queen Elizabeth with the Gospell and freedome from our enemies and other plagues and then consider on the other side the little fruit of them the great vnthankfulnesse for them nay abuse for them and of Gods patience in them and we shall see great cause of humilitie and of earnest seeking to God for the continuance of them by fasting and praier especially if we well way the late great losse of ours in the death of her Maiestie For if Dauid bad the people of his time mourne for the death of Saul their King because they enioyed manie great benefits vnder his gouernment saying â— Sam. 1.4 Ye daughters of Israel weepe for Saul which clothed you in scarlet and with pleasures and hanged ornaments of golde vpon your apparell then we much more haue cause to lament for her death by whose life we enioyed and that so long so many inestimable benefits both for soule and bodie for profit and for pleasure and truely it is to be feared that her death is too lightly passed away of the most The Lord indeed in much mercy hath most happily supplied it beyond all our expectation but yet that must not be forgotten and the more gratiously and speedily he hath supplied it and yet we vnwoorthy of the former the more cause haue wee to be humbled For when many great benefits come heaped vp one after another and no measure of true thankfulnesse and obedience answerable vnto it there must needs come some great punishment afterwards if it be not preuented And so the sight and consideration of these great benefits thus continued with the little or no fruit at all of them should humble vs and so driue vs to shew it in fasting and prayer that God might forgiue vs and so still continue his benefts Besides this if they vpon this day had cause to bee humbled for their sinnes And in respect of our sinnes and for the punishment of them either present or imminent then if our sinnes be as great and many or more than theirs because we haue more and greater benefits for his Word in the ministery of the Gospel is more cleerely come to vs and this time hath many things which the time of the Law had not then seeing to whom much is giuen â—uke 12.48 of them much is required we hauing receiued so much in comparison of them and done so little for it haue more cause to be humbled than they and so are bound by vertue of this law to holde some dayes of humiliation as well as they though not that yeerely day especially if we consider the punishment not onely to be feared but alreadie vpon vs. For though God hath giuen vs a most gratious and worthy Prince yet see how there hath beene feare of losing him by the desperate attempts of his traiterous enemies whom thogh in their plot it hath pleased God to disapoint and we hope and pray that he alwayes so will yet he hath suffered them somwhat to breake out that all might take knowledge of them to be humbled for their sinnes the cause of them For he is not King for himselfe but for vs in his preseruation consisteth all our good in his death the losse of vs all especially when they seeke also to put out his whole race and to bring in some Popish Spanish pretended heire then consider the losse of Religion and the more than hazzard yea vtter ouerthrow of our peace and all that we haue we should come vnder the popish and Spanish yoke either of which were intolerable as our forefathers haue learned by too lamentable experience therefore in respect of this also we haue cause to be humbled and so to fast both to bring vs to it and outwardly to declare it Moreouer if we consider the great sicknes and mortality that raigneth hath done a long time in most of the chiefe places in the land And this present pestilence that is in many parts of this land as in London where haue died 2000. this last weeke and more and truly this is much considering how many haue remooued out of this citie and how many haue died before so that it is reported that there are certaine hundred houses standing emptie besides in most of the villages about London and in other cities and great townes as in Norwich and in manie coast townes and other in Norfolke and Suffolke as Yarmouth Laystaffe Ipswich c. that I speake not of those which are in other shires as Colchester Cambridge Newmarket and many more that we know not If there were nothing but this there were great cause to be humbled for so manifest a token of Gods wrath so apparently and so vniuersally and so long shewed And this mooued the Kings Maiestie of his Princely care that he hath of all his subiects to set downe this godly order of weekely fasting For concerning our selues though by the free mercy of God it be not vpon vs yet â—om 12.5.16 yet these are our brethren and therefore as the Apostle saith we should be of like affectioÌ„ one towards another Luk. 13 and so ready to weepe with them that weepe Besides as our Sauiour Christ saith of them vpon whom the tower of Siloam fell slew them that they were not the greatest sinners aboue all that dwelt in Ierusalem so must wee say of these men and women that haue died of the plague and of those places where it hath beene and is so heauie but except we amend we shall all likewise perish therefore wee in them as in a glasse are to see what we haue deserued and so for our owne selues to be humbled also considering that this punishment of God vpon them for their sinnes deserued also by
vs is contagious and so may easely spread euen vnto vs quickly by them that come from the places infected as thus it hath come to manie places a farre off already Therefore in respect of all these we are bounde by Gods law to giue our selues to fasting and praier as well as the Iewes were though we be not tied to that moneth and to that daie â—ugh the â—moniall 〈◊〉 of the â—es fast â—brogaâ— yet faâ—g remaiâ— still For euen as though the Iewish Sabbath be taken away which was vpon the Satterday yet whether wee consider the end of fasting or of sanctifying a day of rest we are stil bound to keepe one in seuen and this one that we doe and wee haue as much need of it as the Iewes had so we may say of the day of fasting though that prescript day be taken away yet if we consider the endes and causes of it namely to humble vs for our sinnes we are bounde to it still vpon some daies and haue as much need of it as euer they had Therefore we must be perswaded that now God doth require it of vs and not onely the king and so let vs doe it in obedience vnto him principally and conscience of our dutie Thus we see also what we ought to haue done and what God required of vs often heeretofore though we haue neglected it when wee haue seene sin abound threatning Gods iudgement yea when wee haue seene and felt his punishment vpon vs in vnseasonable weather in scarcitie and deere yeeres in the time of common sicknesse in the feare of our enemies in traitors at home and such like which if we had vsed more as we had occasion and the time called vs vnto it we might haue looked for greater blessings and many punishments had not lien so loâ—g vpon the people But that that we haâ—e failed in before let vs now make a supply of and to that end let vs farther consider what proofe we haue more that God requireth it of vs. If this yeerely day vpon these grounds that we haue heard be not sufficient to bind vs then let vs remeÌ„ber that besides it they had other mooueable vncertaine fastes The Iewes had other mooueable fasts vpon sundry occasions which were holden at diuers times vpon sundrie occasions that we seeing how we haue the like occasions among vs might knowe that wee haâ—e the like commandement from God to doe as they did and so should fall into the like practise and not to thinke it to be a thing commanded onely by man and so indifferent and therefore that a man may choose whether he will vse it or leaue it To this end consider what is written by the Prophet Ioel cap. 2. â—el 2.12 Therefore now the Lorde saith turne you vnto me with all your heart aâ—â— with fasting and with weeping â—â—d with mourning where he telleth them plainely that at that very time God commanded them to fast in the former part of that Chapter hee had put them in minde of a great punishment of God that was vpon the fruits of the earth by caterpillers and such like vermine and then sheweth them what God required of them in such a case as the onely remedie euen to humble themselues for their sinnes the cause of it and to seeke to him with fasting and praier â—â—mmanded y the Lord. and therefore saith that God commanded them so to do If then this was done by the commandement of God vpon such an occasion then may wee be assured also that other publike fasts that we reade of in the Scriptures vpon the like occasions had the like commandement from God though it bee not in expresse wordes so set downe For if when the fruits of the earth were destroied he commandeth them in the name of God to fast as the onely remedie to be holpen then may we be assured that we are commanded not onely by the king which is sufficient to binde all men but by God himselfe to doe as we doe when not the fruits of the earth so much as men for whom they were made By the saâ— reason Gâ— commanâ— vs to fasâ— this preseâ— 2 Sam. 1. by this pestilence and hand of God are destroied in great number Thus Dauid by the wisedome of gods spirit according to the equitie of his law did see that he had great cause to fast when he heard of the ouerthrow that the Israelites had by the Philistims and so himselfe and his companie did fast for that great losse accounting as it is written They mourned and wept and fasted vntill euen for Saule and for Ionathan his sonne and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel because they were slaine with the sword if he saw that God required it of him when the people were slaine by men then ought we to beleeue that he requireth it of vs also when so manie are slaine by his owne hande and he hath not yet ceased but his arme is stretched out still as the Prophet saith In like maner Iehosaphat the king of Iudah 9.12.21 when the Ammonites and the Moabites and they of mount Seir came against him and his people he being but in feare of some destruction proclaimed a generall fast by praier sought vnto the Lorde and thought it his bounde dutie to doe so as it is saide â—hr 20.3 Hee feared and set himselfe to seeke the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Iudah then we much more haue good cause to doe as wee doe and this fast that is now euerie where obserued by publike authoritie is done vpon good ground euen by the commandement of almightie God When besides the iust cause to feare for the time to come we heare of so great destruction in many places alreadie The like may be said of all other fastes obserued in Gods worde namely that they haue bene taken vp not as a voluntarie or wil-worship that it should be saide of them Isa 1.12 who hath required these things at your hands but as a necessarie obedience vnto the commandement of God though not giuen vnto them in expresse words yet necessarily gathered froÌ„ the equitie of his law Hest 4 1â— As also in the daies of Hester when Haman the Iewes aduersarie sought their ruine and ouerthrow they to preuent it sought to humble themselues before God for their sinnes and therefore gaue themselues to fasting as God requireth in such cases both that therby we might be humbled and also that it might appeare that we were so indeed and this they did because the case was very extraordinarie when the destruction of the whole church of God was sought at once So we may thinke that in so great calamity as this not in one but in many places and so not in one but in many partes of the Church of God God requireth of vs that we should humble our selues in fasting some one day or other Last of all that we
they praied thus importunately it appeareth that in this great humilitie of theirs And by importunitie of praier the Lord will be ouercome declared by their fasting and maner of it they had great hope of obtaining their requests of God vnto whom they did sue And thus must we doe in the day of our fasting I saie we must labour for that measure of faith in gods goodnesse through the blessed merits of Christ our Sauiour that might mooue vs to pray earnestly and as it were to crie mightily vnto God for the remouing nowe at the last of this grieuous plague that though wee haue iustlie deserued it and a great deale more yet for the Lords sake it would please him vpon our true repentance and earnest seeking vnto him for mercie to turne it away Which if wee doe then he vndoubtedly will heare vs in his good time as hee hath witnessed vnto vs in the Gospell by the Parables both of the wicked Iudge Luk. 18.2 who by the importunity of the widow was ouercome at the last to doe her right and this was propounded as Christ himselfe faith to this end to teach men to pray often and not to waxe faint whereupon he inferreth this generall doctrine vers 6.7 Heare what the vnrighteous Iudge saith and shall not God auenge his elect which crie daie and night vnto him though hee suffered long for them So God will heare those that crie daie and night that is that praie earnestly and continuallie And againe in the other parable of the man that came to his friend at midnight to borrow three loues Luk. 11.5 who though he was vnwilling at the first yet because of his importunitie did arise gaue him as many as he would whereupon hee maketh this generall promise to al those that shal thus seeke vnto God that is earnestly and without ceasing that he will heare them saying Aske and it shal be giuen you seeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you for euerie one that asketh receaueth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened that is if yee seeke and aske after this maner So by these examples wee may be assured that God will heare vs for this thing if we pray vnto him eatnestly without ceasing though we haue hitherto seene little successe of our praiers for the plague is not only not taken away but is greatly increased euery where He often deferreth to giue that we might bee quickened vp to feruencie of prayer And truely the Lord doeth manie times deferre of purpose to grant that which we aske and which also he hath promised and is purposed to giue that we might be mooued in the feeling of our want to pray earnestly for it and that the want of it for a time might quicken vp our dead hearts and dull spirits vnto greater feruencie of prayer that also when we shall see that we haue such things giuen vnto vs and that wee haue obtained them by our prayer yea by long and earnest prayer wee might make the more account of them and esteeme them as we ought and also be so much the more thankefull vnto God for the same For the Lord indeed hath of his great mercie promised that if we call vpon him he will heare vs as we haue learned euen now out of the Gospell of S. Luke and may further learne out of many other places of Scripture besides as Psal 50.15 Call vpon me in the time of thy trouble and I will heare thee and deliuer thee and many other but he hath set downe no time when we shall see and perceiue that hee hath heard vs sauing that it is sayd I will heare thee in due time Psal 10.1 euen in affliction Nowe which is the most conuenient time for God to help vs in Act. 1.7 that we must not prescribe vnto him neither is it alwayes meet for vs to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power therefore as they be best knowen to his heauenly Maiestie so wee must leaue the declaration of them to him alone not doubting but that he will heare vs in due time euen in affliction Hee doth deferre many times of purpose for good causes both that wee might be stirred vp thereby to pray to him earnestly and continually not doubting one whit of the trueth of his promises and that when we haue our requests granted we might esteeme of so great a benefit and be thankefull to him for the same For assuredly if wee did alwayes finde that the Lord did giue vs euery thing at the first asking though wee graunt that hee giueth vs continually more than we aske such is our vnthankefulnesse that both wee would come vnto him very coldly and pray drowsilie for wee would make it but an ordinarie matter Therefore if we continue in feruent prayer the Lord will heare vs at the last Aske haue and also wee would not so highlie esteeme of the things giuen vnto vs nor labor to be so thankfull to him for the same as our bounde duty did require Therfore concerning all other things and namely this present visitation of the Plague the more that the Lord deferreth to take it away the more earnest let vs be in prayer and let not the delay of it quench the heat of our desire one whit but kindle it more and more and I do assure you in the word of the Lord that if we faint not in praier but lift vp our hearts and hands still vnto the Throne of his Mercy that he will in time heare vs and shew mercie vnto vs and that he will not onely do so but he will make it manifest and apparant vnto the very soules and consciences of vs all This therefore is another most excellent vse and end of fasting The outward abstinence must quicken vs vp vnto feruencie of praâ— euen to quicken vs vp vnto greater feruency in prayer for as we finde by experience when our bellies are full and we are in the abundance of all pleasures and outward blessings wee are not so fit for prayer and therefore a sober diet and a moderate vse of all other of Gods creatures and benefits will alwayes make vs the more fit for prayer but when the bodie is pinched with hunger and the want of other necessarie helpes meet for it the feeling of our want shall be a meanes to set a sharper edge vpon our prayers to make them more piercing and as it were to giue a wing vnto them to flie aloft aboue the clouds euen to make them enter into heauen and to come before the throne of God We ought then in these daies of abstinence thus to profit by the feeling of the want of our bodies so to iudge our selues vnwoorthy not onely of all that which wee abstaine from but of all other things besides yea of life it selfe that we thereby be mooued
obtained great deliuerances yea how men by humble supplication haue preuailed with men euen with their enemies I Am at this present to proceede in that argument To quickeâ— vs vp further vnto feruent praâ—er we musâ— consider that I entred into the last day and could not then well finish for want of time namely to continue further to declare how wee may attaine vnto that feruencie of praier that hath beene spoken of which is so necessary in the fasting we haue in hand Therefore besides all that hath beene said to this end we are lastly to consider that we might be mooued to praie so earnestly as we should to consider I say the gratious promises that God hath made to all those that haue or shall heereafter at any time hold this exercise of fasting vnto him in any measure of trueth and how the same from time to time haue beene performed vnto them insomuch that though the beginning of their fast hath beene full of heauinesse and with much sorrow for their sinnes and for the wrath of God against them appearing in some grieuous punishment yet the end thereof hath beene with much reioicing and comfort in assured hope both of the free pardon and forgiuenesse of them with perfect reconciliation vnto God and also with good hope of obtaining of all such things as they haue sued for by earnest and feruent praier First what prâ—mises God hath â—ade to those that seeke vnto him in fasting and praier And first of all concerning the promise that the Lord of his great mercy hath made to all those that seeke vnto him in all humilitie by fasting and praier we may see what the prophet Ioel Ioel 1.4 saith Who exhorting the people to fasting and praier because of that great calamitie that was vpon them by reason that the fruites of the earth were so wholly destroied for that which was left of the Palmer-worme the Grashopper had eaten and the residue of the Grashopper had the Canker-worme eaten and the residue of the Canker-worme had the Caterpiller eaten cap. 2.1 exhorting them I saie to turne vnto the Lord with all their hart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and to rent their hearts and not their clothes and to turne vnto the Lord their God that is not their clothes onely according to the maner of that time in great sorrow but their hearts especiallie that so their sorrow might bee in truth not in appearance onelie setteth before them the great mercy of god to al those that so come vnto him saying For the Lord is gracious and mercifull slowe to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the euill who knoweth if he will returne namely to his accustomed mercifull dealing and repent that is of that euill that he might further bring vpon them and leaue a blessing behinde him euen a meat offering and a drinke offering vnto the Lorde their God that is some thing to be serued with for the glorie of his name least his seruice should faile as hee had complained before that the meat offring and drinke offring was cut off from the house of the Lorde â—oel 1.7 for which the Priestes the Lordes ministers did mourne Then we see how the Prophet in the name of the Lord doth promise vnto them that if they would thorowly humble themselues for their sinnes the cause of this great affliction noted by the rending of their hearts though the Lord had begunne to punish them already and that most grieuously yet he would stay his heauy hand and bestow some blessing vpon them where in saying Who knoweth or who can tell his meaning is nothing lesse than to call it into question or any wayes to make them doubt of it but rather to consider the hardnesse of the thing and so to seeke for it the more earnestly that they might haue some hope of it as if he had sayd Seeing God is so mercifull as he had spoken of him before calling him Gratious slow to anger and of great kindnes and one that repenteth him of the euill there is no doubt of the thing but that if they could humble themselues as he required and pray earnestly though he had begun to punish them already yet hee would repent and spare them As also it is sayd in the Prophet Jona Iona 3.9 by the King of Nineue who proclaimed a fast and willed all men to put on sackecloth and to crie mightily vnto the Lord and euery man to turne from his euill way and from the wickednesse of his hands Who can tell if God will turne and repent and turne away from his fierce wrath that wee perish not which he vttereth after this maner saying Who can tell to shew the hardnesse and difficultie of it that they might crie vnto God the more earnestly or mightily as hee also willeth them there So that as from the forenamed place of Ioel wee haue a commandement to fast publikely when Gods hand is heauie vpon vs as it is now and hath been a long time when as hee thus speaketh Thus sayth the Lord Ioel 2.12 turne you vnto me with all your hearts and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning so forth so from thence also we haue a promise as we haue heard that if we can humble our selues thorowly iudging and condemning our selues as we ought which is meant by renting of our hearts as was sayd before and turne with all our hearts from our sinnes euen with sorrow and griefe for them vnto the Lord that he himselfe will in this punishment of ours also repent and leaue a blessing behinde as is sayd there that is some cause to praise and magnifie his holy Name and the reason why we haue it no sooner is that men haue not all this while cast down themselues before the high throne of Gods iudgement as they should and vnfainedly leaue all their sins which if men could come vnto in that maner measure that they ought then heere is a most gratious sure promise made vnto vs from the Lord by the mouth of his holy Prophet that hee will be mercifull vnto vs and spare vs which he will also vndoubtedly performe for he is Trueth it selfe Therefore that we might doe this that we doe in faith Which promises wee must at this present set before our eyes I meane continue still to fast and pray and not giue it ouer or wax wearie of it as of our selues wee are too prone vnto it yea that in thus abstaining wee might pray earnestly vnto God to stay his heauie hand and to put an happie end at the last vnto this long and great mortality Let vs consider that euen this promise is made to vs and written for this very time and for this purpose that if in this fasting euery man will turne from all his sinnes with his whole heart and be sorie for them euen from the very bottome of his heart that
they that wil not afflict themselues with sorrow for their sinnes in fasting and mourning at times conuenient he will destroy and roote them out from among his people saying This is a day of reconciliation Leu. 23 2â— to make an attonement for you before the Lorde your God and euery person that humbleth not himselfe that same daie shall euen be cut off from his people HOMIL VI. The sixt Homilie sheweth what is the proper time for fasting namely the time of affliction sorow and then how God requireth it and his seruants haue practised it and so how the Lord requireth it of vs in this time of our sorow and how long the time of a fast should continue and how the same time should be spent HAuing shewed in the former Treatises as you haue seene that this holy ordinance of fasting is grouÌ„ded vpon the commandement of God and that he straitly vpon our allegeance that wee owe vnto him requireth it of vs and so it can not be left vndone of vs without a manifest disobedience and contempt of his Word and moreouer that the whole action consisteth both in that outward bodily exercise of abstinence and forbearing of those things for a time which we haue heard of and also and especially in those inward vertues of the minde and graces of the spirit to be then attained vnto vsed and professed which haue lastly beene intreated of and therefore is to be obserued of vs after that maner that hath beene declared if we will haue our seruice therein acceptable vnto God and profitable to our selues it remaineth to shew what is the time proper and peculiar vnto this exercise and when the Lord especially requireth it of vs. For it is not an ordinarie and common seruice of God Fasting is not an ordinary seruice of God fit for all times that which shuld be practised euery day as some others are and so it is not fit for euery time but an extraordinarie part of his worship and of our dutie vnto him and so more meet for some times than for other Solomon by the wisdome of Gods spirit sayth in the booke of the Preacher as we haue heard before that there is to all things an appointed time Eccle. 3.1 a time to euerie purpose vnder the heauen and so a time to weepe and a time to laugh vers 4. a time to mourne and a time to dance and therefore a time to fast and a time to feast So then as it were a verie preposterous thing for any to make great feasts when they should fast and in the times when the Lord by his word and works of iustice calleth to fasting that then they should giue themselues to all kinde of cheering vp of themselues which kinde of prophanesse the Prophet greatly complaineth of in his time Esa 22.12 saying And in that day did the Lord God of hostes call vnto weeping and mourning and to baldnesse and girding with sackcloth and beholde ioy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheepe eating and drinking and mocking the doctrine of the Prophet with these words For to morow we shall die so on the other side it were a thing of very great disorder We must be able to discerne betweene the time of fasting and of feasting for any to afflict themselues to fast when God would haue them to reioice and feast as we see some of those that returned from the captiuity of Babylon of a good deuotion but of great ignorance and so were rebuked for it For when in the feast of Tabernacles they did heare the Law of God read whereof they had beene ignorant a great while and thereby perceiued how they had offended God they wept for their sinnes and began also to abstaine from their meat as appeareth by the answere of Esra and the rest of the Leuites who sayd vnto them Neh. 8.9 This day is holy vnto the Lord your God mourne not neither weepe but goe and eat of the fat and drinke the sweet and send part vnto them for whom none is prepared for this day is holy vnto our Lord be ye not sorie therefore for the ioy of the Lord is your strength So that it is as if they had sayd This is a time of great ioy for our deliuerance and other great benefits of God bestowed vpon vs and therefore not of fasting But this is the great blindnes and ignorance of many that this way they know no difference of times but all are alike to them if they may haue meat Heerein the Lord hath beene mercifull vnto vs and hath directed vs aright by his worde which as it is a light vnto our pathes Psal 119.105 and a lanterne to our feete in all other things so also in this when he hath shewed vs both by expresse commandement and also by the common practise of al the godlie in all ages The time of affliâ—â—ion sâ—rrow is the mâ—st â—râ—per time of fasting that the time of affliction is the most fit and conuenient time for fasting and as it were most proper vnâ—o it when as we haue cause of sorrow either for some great benefit that we want or others whom we loue in the Lord or some iudgement of God present as most like shortly to come vpon our selues or vpon them and as any of these be greater so haue we more cause alwaies to fast and God doth then require it of vs especially at that time And this is that which our Sauiour Christ sheweth in the Gospel where to this captious question of the Scribes and Pharesies saying Why doe the Disciples of Iohn fast often and praie Luk. 5.33 and the Disciples of the Pharesies also but thine eate and drinke he made this answer Can yee make the children of the wedding chamber to fast as long as the bridegroome is with them but the daies will come euen when the Bridegroome shall be taken away froÌ„ them and then shall they fast in those daies Where he excuseth his Disciples for not fasting at that time because the Bridegroome was with them as yet and so by Christs presence it was a time of ioy vnto them but ere it were long he should be taken from them and they should want him and there should come some great trouble vpon them which should cause them to phet euen that their deserued destruction was so neere at hande vnlesse they did speâ—dily repent and so put on sackecloth fâ—om the greatest of them euen to the least of them Thus in this time of great heauinesse they tooke vpon them this exercise of fasting which in the prosperitie and wealth and flourishing estate of the citie they knew not of neither were acquainted with it before but nowe they saw that the time it selfe did call them to another kinde of behauiour and so they did practise it willingly The like may be saide of the people of the Iewes in the daies of Queene Hester when Haman for the
malice he bare against Mordecay sought the desolation of all them and had diuelishly plotted for it that he obtained the kings Decree in writing against them for it which for the more speedie executing of the same was sent by postes into all prouinces of his kingdome where the Iewes were to roote out and to destroie them all in one daie both yoong and old children and women Hest 4.1 heereupon it came to passe that not onely Mordecay himselfe when he perceaued all that was done he rent his clothes And all the Iâ—wes when they mourned for the deuise of Haman and put on sackcloth and ashes and went out into the middes of the citie and cried with a great crie and bitter but also in euerie prouince and place whether the kingâ— charge and his commission came there was great sorrow among the Iewes and weeping mourning and many laie in sackecloth and ashes vers 16. Now in this time of so great heauines sorrow as was not heard of before by the aduise of Hâ—ster al the Iewes that were found in the chiefe citie Sushan were commanded to assemble themselues together and to fast and praie vnto God by the space of three daies and three nights and she promised that herselfe and her maides woulde doe the like and Mordecay the Iewes did according to this commandement So all of them at this time seeing what cause they had of mourning more then before knew that nowe fasting and praier was most requisite for them for though Haman and the king sat drinking and making merie as fearing nothing yet the citie of Shushan was in perplexitie and so had cause to doe as they did So did the Iewes also in Ierusalem and all Iudah in the like case in the raigne of Iehosâ—aphat when a great armie of the Ammonites 2. Chro. 20.3 Moabites came vp against him they feared greatly some ouerthrow euen the losse of their liues And when they were in feare of forraine enimies and goods and all that they had if the Lotde were not mercifull to them to defend them and this feare of danger so neere at hande and so likely to come vpon them caused great sorrow for they confesse and saie there is no strength in vs to stand before this great multitude ver 12. that cometh against vs neither doe we knowe what to doe Then the king proclaimed a fast throughout all Iudah and they gathered themselues together to aske counsell of Lord they came out of all the cities of Judah to inquire of the Lord. When they were in this distresse for feare of their enimies that they knew not themselues what to doe they humbled themselues before the Lord in fasting and praier that he would shew theÌ„ what they should do And to be short in so large an argumeÌ„t this is that which the prophet Ioel sheweth the people that the Lord required of them in that time of their miserie that they were fallen into that the verie present sorrow that they were iustly fallen into by reason of the hand of God lying so heauily vpon them did require and call vpon them for at that time for when he had spoken of the great scarcitie that was among them by reason of catterpillers and other vermine which had eaten vp and destroied the fruites of the earth and so for this present affliction they had all cause to mourne euen as he calleth all sortes vnto it euen them that were most senselesse saying awake yee drunkards and weepe â—el 1.5 and houle all yee drinkers of wine and againe Mourne like a virgine girded â—ith sackcloth for the husband of her youth and againe Girde your selues and lament yee priestes houle yee ministers of the altar 〈◊〉 1 â— Thereupon he giueth them this charge to sanctifie a fast and to call a solemne assemblie to gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the lande into the house of the Lordâ— â—ourning 〈…〉 â—gâ—ther and crie vnto him So he sheweth them that in this time of common sorrow they had all cause to seeke vnto the Lord in fasting and praier and afterâ—ards he sheweth more plainely that at â—his time by reason of the common calamitie and griefe for it the Lord did commaund them so to doe in these words 〈◊〉 1 â— Therefore nowe the Lord saith Turne vnto me with all your hearts and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning where he ioineth these two together fasting weeping and mourning and saith that the Lord doth require both of them and the one should not bee seuered from the other but seeing the Lord had giuen them so great cause of weeping and mourning hee would haue them seeke vnto him for mercie by praier and fasting Seeing then the Lord hath with his owne voice appointed out the time namely that the time of mourning should be a time of fasting and also holy men and women in the wisedome of Gods spirite haue so obserued the difference of times that as there hath fallen out any great cause of sorrow in their time so they haue put this in practise as wee haue seene by manie examples wee must thinke that the same commandement bindeth vs to the like practise when any such occasâ—on of time shall befall vs and that their practise must be our imitation This is and hath beene a long time of great sorrow vnto vs â—hat cause 〈◊〉 common â—â—rrow we â—iue in our â—â—â—ne if we did rightly consider of things as we should for if there had beene nothing else but the losse of so gratious vertuous peaceable a Queene of whose religious wise peaceable gouernmeÌ„t we haue had experience these 45. yeeres that one thing might haue put sufficient sorrow into vs to cause vs to haue humbled our selues before God in fasting and praier for our great vnthankfulnesse and other sinnes which were the cause of it But when vnto that losse which yet it hath pleased the Lord most mercifully to supplie by causing our soueraigne Lorde King Iames so quietly to possesse his heritance of this crowne whose royall person and noble progenie the Lord preserue and blesse for euer when vnto this losse I say there hath beene added presently vpon the necke of it so great a plague and pestilence as wee haue not knowen nor hath beene heard of in the daies of our forefathers that it should continue so long and in that extremity that it hath done as to die weekely so many thousandes in this lande and thus from weeke to weeke and the same not onely to be in one chiefe and mother citie of this realme but also in al other almost of account and in townes corporate yea in the sea-coast townes also exceeding much so that many houses in them are left empty and desolate without inhabitant Especially 〈◊〉 respect of this great and long coâ—tinued pestâ—lence and it is also in many villages and small townes so that it is dispersed
then fasting Euen as a Physitian shoulde prescribe vnto his patient that yerely vpon such a day of the moneth or weeke hee should take such a purgation when as it may fall out that then hee is in consumption and so had more need of some cordiall electuary or restoratiue medicine than of anie purgations and if any should so vnaduisedly prescribe we woulde count him a foole rather then a Physitian But as he that is skilfull in his arte and conscionable toward his patient will minister nothing vnto him either for purging or blood-letting but he will consider not onely the state of his bodie at that present but also the time and season of the yeere whether it be the spring or the fall of the leafe winter or sommer whether it bee hot or colde or temperate and accordinglie he will give his direction But we must haue a care diligently to obserue it So the gouernours of the Church who in this respect may bee called the spirituall Physicians of our soules in prescribing of this abstinence and diet as it were for the curing of our soules that is for the bringing of vs to humility and repentance for our sinnes must haue principall regard to the time and to the qualitie of the time as whether it be a time of sorrow or of ioy that so they may know which is the sittest season for it which we haue heard to be the time of affliction and then it must not onely be in wisedome prescribed of them but also diligentlie vsed of the people if they will recouer the health of their soules euen as Physicke must not onely be prescribed of the wise Physitian in time conuenient but â—â—e patient in taking of it must not neglect the â—ime appointed by him So that in this holie exercise as in all other things the godly wise and they that looke to get anie good by it must regard what is the time that God hath appointed them to vse it And heerein they must learne wisedome of the children of this worlde who obserue the times for haruest and for seed and know what is fit for euery time so they must know what is the time for euerie dutie and accordinglie practise the same But to proceed in this doctrine of fasting as we haue hitherto seene the time when this holie exercise ought to be vndertaken of all Christians euen the time of sorrow for the want of some benefit or presence or feare of some punishment so now we are farther to consider in few wordes howe long it should continue that is when we see that we haue cause to fast and minde to doe it how long the time of our fast should last The time oâ— a fast must be longer or shâ—rter according to the greatnesse of the cause And for this one point I doe generally answere thus much that it must be alwaies according to the greatnesse of our affliction or according to the need than we haue to be humbled more or lesse and so somtimes it ought to be longer and sometimes shorter according to the discreet wisedome of those to whom it belongeth to appoint the same this alwaies prouided that when it is the shortest wee must continew it at the least for one whole day that is from euening to the next day at the same time In which time we must wholly abstaine from any breakefast in the morning or dinner at noone from the morning at the least to the euening they must giue themselues to all good exercises of the word and praier singing of Psalmes And it must be alwaies held one daie at the least meditating vpon their sinnes and vpon the present affliction and such like publikely and priuately And thus is the time of fasting limited vnto vs in the worde of God for Moses speaking of that yeerely day of fasting which was prescribed vnto the Iewes calleth it a day of reconciliation â—eu 23.27 saying the tenth of the seuenth month shall be a day of reconciliation so that it was not a worke of an houre or two but of an whole daie and oftentimes in the same place hee speaketh of a daie and not of a peece of a daie and further addeth that they should keepe it from eeuen to eeuen saying ver 32. This shall be vnto you a Sabbath of rest and yee shal humble your soules in the ninth daie of the month at eeuen from eeuen to eeuen shall yee celebrate your Sabbath to shew that it ought to be a naturall day consisting of sower and twentie houres And when we thus straightly require an whole daie An excepâ—ion it is to be vnderstoode with that limitation that wee haue heard of before wherein liberty hath beene granted for eating and drinking some thing for all those persons which through age or infirmitie or some sicknesse are not able to continue fasting so long So that as the Sabbath is an whole day and must so be kept Exod. 20. for it is called the seuenth daie and in the creation and so since it consisted of euening and morning that is of day and night as well as anie other so is the time of fast this is the least time for any ordinarilie in some cases some are excepted as hath beene saide and they may somwhat abridge of this time but yet the generall rule is for a daie For the daie of fast is of the nature of the Sabbath and it is also so called and hath that name giuen vnto it Leu. 23.32 as in the forenamed place of Leuitâ—cus in the ninth day of the month yee shall celebrate your Sabbath from eeuen to eeuen where hee speaketh not of the seuenth daie commonly called the Sabbath but of the yeerely daie of fasting called the day of reconciliation Wherein againe most euidentlie appeareth the foolishnesse of popish fastes â—he popish â—sts were â—t for a â—ece of the â—ay who did limite them not to a daie but to a peece of a daie and vnto the least part of the day as namelie to supper so that they held it a very good fast if a man went to bedde supperlesse vpon their fasting daies insomuch that if hee tooke a good breakefast and dined well with all kinde of fish other dainties flesh onelie excepted then wheÌ„ their bellies were well filled tooke no supper they were counted well to haue kept their fast But we see that it must not be a fasting night as they commonly called it but a fasting daie euen an whole day vntill euening Therefore if wee will keepe it aright we must abstaine not a peece of a day as in the foorenoone onely but vntill euening and so the whole daie And this must be ordinarie for all fastes But if the affliction be greater and the wrath of God appeere to be more seuere and so we haue greater cause of deeper humiliation Sometimes fast must continue tâ—â— or three daies together then the fast must continue longer as
the glorie of God and loue to the saluation of our brethren that wee should wee might see that besides this grieuous plague that is and hath beene not onely vpon our enimies if wee haue anie but vpon our neighbours friends which requireth publike fasting wee had many causes to haue done it priuately often long before this in respect of the horrible abominations and sinnes committed against God and against men euery where And that we might be mooued vnto it indeed we may further consider that we haue not onely the example of men but of godly women in this kind who haue giuen themselues much vnto priuate fasting For we read in the Gospell of Anna the daughter of Phanuel who was a Prophetesse Luk 2.37 and a widow of a great age who went not out of the temple but serued God with fasting and praier night and day Anna the â—rophetesse â—sed much priuate fasting This holie woman liuing in those corrupt times a little before the comming of our Sauiour Christ when all things in the Church were out of order did often humble her selfe before God in fasting and praier and sought earnestly vnto God tor a redresse of them she did not hecrein loose her labour but had the fruite of them for it came to passe that though she were a widdow and about foure-score and foure yeres yet she liued to see Christ come in the flesh to her vnspeakeable comfort and confessed him likewise and spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Ierusalem to the comfort of many Thus we see how we ought to haue fasted priuately oftentimes before so might we happely haue escaped at the least some great things that haue befallen vs and obtained manie great blessings which now wee haue wanted and also we see what we must doe heereafter if wee will looke to escape many euils and enioy manie blessings with the children of God and that at this present we had neede to doe as wee doe euen to continue these publike fasts that so wee might make a supply of that which we should often priuately haue done before Thus also in the daies of Queene Hester the fast that was kept by all the Iewes in Sushan A priuate fast held in manie seuerall families at once for the turning awaie of that great mischiefe that was intended against them by proud Haman though it was coÌ„mon in respect of the whole Church of God in that citie that kept it yet it was priuate in respect of the seuerall places where it was kept namely not in any coÌ„mon place of assemblie but in their seuerall houses dispersed heere and there so that Hester Hest 4.16 and her maides kept it by themselues as she promised for herselfe and for them euen as the rest of the Iewes were willed to doe it â—he duties of 〈◊〉 houshoulâ—ers herein So ought euerie godly houshoulder at the foresight of anie iudgement of God like to come vpon the Church where they liue in which if anie such thing should come they must thinke that they are like to haue their part as Mordecay saide â—est 4 13. to Hester Thinke not with thy selfe that thou shalt escape in the kings house more then all the Iewes to seeke humblie vnto the Lorde themselues and theirs so many as are capable of it by fasting and praier priuately for the turning of it away when there is no publike order taken for it or likelihood that there shall be And this is that which the Apostle hath respect vnto when he thus writeth to the Corinthians â— Cor. 7.5 Defraud not one another except it bee with consent for a time that you may giue yourselues to fasting and praier and again come together that Satan tempt you not for your incontinencie Where hee speaketh to the maried parties the houseband and the wife and sheweth what duties they owe one to another 1. Cor. 7.3 as Let the husband giue vnto the wife due beneuolence and likewise also the wife vnto the husband yet for fasting and praier they may and ought for that time with both their consents separate themselues So that there may be occasions in all times for which the husband and the wife themselues alone or with the rest of their familie or with some other of their godly neighbors and friends may and ought to giue themselues priuately to fasting and praier and then the apostle sheweth how the maried coople should for a time in one dutie of theirs behaue themselues one toward an other And truely if wee had rightly considered of all things that haue fallen out in our time and well weighed them Priuate fasting ought to be intertained into mens houses and laide them to hart we might easely haue seene long agoe that God had giuen vs iust occasion to haue intertained this speciall part of his worship into our houses as well as anie other though hitherto it had little or no intertainment at all with the most nay they haue not once so much as saluted it a farre off And as by the grace of God wee haue in many houses where the Gouernours are anie thing religious priuate praier morning and euening and at other times priuate reading of the Scriptures priuate singing of Psalmes so ought we also somtimes to haue priuate fasting For wheÌ„ the Lorde hath laide some grieuous sickenesse euen vnto death vpon anie of our children sonnes or daughters as he did vpon Dauids then shoulde we haue with fasting praier sought vnto the Lord for them 1. Sam. 12.15 as hee did much more then when others haue beene in that case For what causes and what good might come thereby who haue beene neerer vnto vs as the husband or the wife who lie in the bosome one of another and are but one euen in the neerest bond as one flesh But especially when God hath taken any of them away and so hath come neerer vnto vs with his correction then had we much more cause thus in fasting to cast downe our selues at his feet in the humble confession of our sinnes which were the cause of it 2. Sam. 3.35 as Dauid did when Abner was slaine if he did so for one that was so farre off from him and had sometime also beene his enemie then we much more for those that haue beene neere vnto vs and alwayes our friends as of our familie and of our flesh And besides when God hath laid any speciall affliction vpoÌ„ our seruants Psal 35.12 69.9 for if Dauid did it for his enemies then wee much more for those whose seruice is not hurtfull but profitable vnto vs yea when any great sinnes haue broken out in any of our houshold which haue threatned some grieuous iudgement of God to enter in vpon vs for it or when wee haue seene sinne openly abound in others And if all men had thus done it might not onely haue kept this great plague out of many houses
alone and bring none or verie few of their household with them Reasons why all should come and not a few onely For besides that it is appointed by our gouernors vnto whom all must yeeld obedience in the Lord and they also haue power and authoritie ouer all alike and seeing that the end of it is to turne away that wrath and displeasure of the Lord which is iustly deserued of all and as it is alreadie vpon many so it threatneth and terrifieth all why should not all thinke theÌ„selues bound to seeke to haue it turned awaie So that no man must bee so simple to thinke it indifferent for them to keepe it or not to keepe it and so make no conscience of it but seeing it is common in respect of the commandement of our gouernors and in respect of the cause of it which is our sinnes all should thinke that they are tied in conscience to it and so euery one should stirre vp themselues to bee foreward and one call vpon an other especially them of the same household that they may come with their companies as Dauid did who saith of himselfe Psal 42.4 that he had gone with the multitude and lead them into the house of God as a multitude that keepeth a feast So that as men goe to feasts not alone but by companies and when a whole familie is inuited they go altogether so also should they goe to a fast wherein publikely all of them are called vnto it Therfore as God threatneth destruction not to some few but to all vnlesse they repent and all are commanded to seeke vnto him to pacifie his wrath so let al be willing to do it especially seeing that we heere and see that when this iudgement of the pestilence entreth into an house it taketh awaie not one or two only but somtimes sweepeth away all What a great fault it is for any to absent themselues from these publike fasts Therefore if we make conscience of the Sabbath daies not onely to come our selues but to bring all ours because it is commanded by God vnto all then ought we also to doe it vpon this day which is to be kept as a Sabbath by the commandement of those who are in Gods stead vpon earth So that they that absent themselues besides that they neglect the meanes of pacifying Gods deserued wrath and so in time it may iustly come vpon theÌ„ before they bee aware of it they doe further prouoke his displeasure and indignation against themselues in that they disobey so good and holy and necessarie a commandement of God Therefore vpon this day of fasting thus authorised vpon so good grounds for men to follow their ordinarie affaires of the worlde and not to come to the Church and heere in this holy action to yeeld their obedience to god and man is a greater sinne then manie take it to be Thinke of it therefore I pray you in the feare of God and consider well whether that the cause being common vnto all and the commandement being giuen out vnto all and the time and place appointed for all and the sound of the bell ringing in the eares of all and the Minister of God ready to preach vnto praie for all consider I saie whether in respect of these all should not come and why one should be bound to it more then another and one thinke that hee may bee spared more then another As if they should refuâ— to helpe to quench the fire burni 〈◊〉 in mens houses To a common burning all should come to helpe to quench it and one or two of an house is not sufficient we would iustly blame them that in such a case would not leaue their ordinary worke yea though they were verie poore and liued of their labour and come to the place and helpe And shall wee not thinke that all are bound much more to lay all things aside and to come put to their helping hand to quench this great fire of Gods wrath which hath flamed out and burned a long time in manie townes and cities and in seuerall parts of the same and like vnto fire not onely consumeth where it commeth and maketh the houses lie waste but also goeth from place to place speedily and without resistance and so spreadeth further and further so that manie men haue this burning fire of the pestilent feauer in their houses at once not so much to the wasting of their houses and stuffe as to the burning euen to death the very bodies of men women and children and that with an exceeding great flame that none almost dare come neere their houses least they perish in the same Surely if there were no commandement from men the very loue to the liues of our brethren should compell vs to it and nothing should keepe vs from it For what hardnesse of heart would we thinke to bee in them Not to come argueth great want of loue to our brethren who seeing their neighbours house on fire and others come wilingly to quench it they would stande still gazing and looking on or goe away about their businesse and not regard it especially if hee should be spoken vnto and called vpon for helpe before So nowe when this great and terrible fire of Gods indignation hath most fearefully beene a long time in the houses of our brethren and is also come neerer vnto vs euen to our neighbours the houses or townes bordering vpon vs when others do come hither with fasting and praier to intreat the Lorde for them that hee would put out this great flame who as hee alone hath kindled this fire so he onely is able to quench it some will carelesly tarie at home or not bring all their household with them and so not yeeld so much helpe as they might especially being called vpon both by the commandement of Gods magistrates and by the intreaty of his Ministers must we not thinke that they haue not this loue in them to their brethren that they shoulde Therefore come come I beseech you helpe helpe come all for there is helpe little enough yea too little For to shew it in the same comparison if we did see a fire Euerie one ought to helpe seeing â—hat there is helpe little enough though it had much helpe notwithstanding all the water that was cast vpon it and al the paines that men tooke about it it should not onely not be extinct but still burning yea increasing and the flame thereof ascending higher and higher and it to kindle and breake out in more places would we not call for more helpe and iustly blame them that being called did not come So when wee see this fire of the pestilence not to be ceased one whit nay growing into greater extremitie and rage in manie places from scores to hundreds from hundreds to thousands and comming also neerer to our houses and so our selues and all ours more in danger and feare of it must we not thinke
God towards his Church to which specially he hath giuen his worde and the Ministers thereof to warne them of his deserued punishments beforehand as it is saide of the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 3.17 Sonne of man I haue made thee a watchman to the house of Israel therefore heare the worde at my mouth and giue them warning from me so we have not wanted this great mercie of God For by the Ministers of our time from the trueth of Gods worde wee haue beene warned of his iudgements to come from time to time Who though by the spirit of prophecie they could not foretel wheÌ„ in what daie or moneth or yeere or after what maner either with the sworde famine or pestilence as the prophets did in their time to whom it was speciallie reuealed yet out of the most certaine trueth of Gods worde and the constant course of his dealing in former times they haue constantlie auouched and saide that God must needes before it bee long some waies punish vs for our sinnes as it is nowe come to passe and as it hath beene preached vnto the people before And hath not this bene seuerelie denounced against vs often Math. 3.10 which Iohn Baptist did against the Iewes Now is the axe put to the roote of the tree therefore euerie tree which bringeth not foorth good fruite shal be hewen downe and cast into the fire hath it not beene preached that God would vtterly destroy all those that liue vnprofitable vnder his Gospell destroie them I say euen by the rootes yet vndoubtedly this hath beene often sounded in the eares of all hearers chap. 21.19 and that the figge-tree that hath nothing on it but leaues shall be accursed and wither that is all hypocrites that content themselues with a bare outwarde profession of the Gospell and labour not for the inward vertue and power of it in their life to the glory of God and the benefite of others shall be discouered in time and come to nought according to the praier of the prophet Doe well O Lord vnto those Psal 125.4 that be good true in their hearts but these that turne aside by the crooked waies them shal the Lord lead with the workers of iniquitie but peace shall bee vpon Israel Luk. 13.6 And though he be a most patient God towards al euen towards the wicked yet he wil seuerely punish those at the last that abuse his great patience as appeareth in the parable of a certaine housbandman who had a figge-tree planted in his vineyard he came and sought fruit therein and found none then said he to the dresser of his vinyard Behold this three yeres haue I come and sought fruite of this figge-tree and find none cut it down why keepeth it also the ground barren And he answered and saide vnto him Lord let it alone this yeere also till I digge round about it and dunge it and if it beare fruit well if not then after thou shalt cut it downe Rom. 2.4 So the God of patience who thereby leadeth all men to repentance or leaueth them without excuse hath waited for our repentance and amendment of life as the fruit of all the paines that he hath taken with vs in his Gospell but vndoubtedly if after this preaching from yeere to yeere we remaine vnfruitfull at the last he will root them vp which make the Church barren which is in it owne nature the most fruitfull place in the world And therefore wee ought long agoe to haue sought vnto God in fasting and â—raier to escape this wrath These such like things haue not onely beene preached euerie where but with greate earnestnesse and zeale so vttered that we might easilie discerne that they spake not of themselues but were thereunto stirred vp by the spirit of God so that God warned vs of his iudgements by them and therefore wee should haue beleeued them and so haue sought heeretofore by fasting and praier to haue these â—â—ings turned away For as Dauid wheÌ„â—he prophet Nathan terrified his conâ—ience with the fearefull denuntiation Gods iudgement for his sinne sayâ—g 2. Sam. 12.9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandement of the Lorde to doe euill in his sight therefore the sword shall neuer depart from thine house then he besought the Lord fasted and lay all night vpon the earth before all came vpon him And as Ahab King of Israel when Eliah the prophet reproouing him sharpely for his sinne saide vnto him in the name of God behold I will bring euill vpon thee and take awaie thy posteritie 1. King 21.21 c. when hee heard these words hee rent his clothes and put sackecloth vpon him and fasted and so both these when they did heare from messenger of God what was due to them for their sinnes they sought by priuate fasting to haue it turned away So when the Lord euerie where stirred vp his seruants with all zeale and feruencie of spirit more then ordinarily thus to speake vnto vs and did sing vnto vs the dolefull song of his heauie iudgements and so with Iohn Baptist did mourne vnto vs Luk. 7.32 that we might haue wept we should haue done as the Niniuites did Iona 3.5 that is wee should haue beleeued God and his seruants and haue put on sackecloth from the greatest to the least and so by fasting and praier haue sought vnto the Lord to turne it away not carelesly to haue taried till the hand of God was vpon vs as now we haue done Wee should haue beene wise as others haue beene before vs to haue taken knowledge of Gods wrath to come by the threatnings of his word preached vnto vs by his seruants and so sought to preuent them as they did Thus we see A conclusioâ— shewing what cause there is of publike fasting in respect of Gods wrath appearing against our selues that whether we looke to the time present or to come and therein to the course of Gods prouidence whereby if wee consider all things well wee haue more cause to feare our selues then to be secure or wee looke to sinne that aboundeth euerie where which being vnrepented of calleth for vengeance at Gods hand against vs or wee consider this that our sinnes haue beene sharpely reprooued and Gods curse for them threatned against vs by those that haue spoken vnto vs in his name we haue great cause to doe as we doe I meane to resort thus to the Church to seeke vnto God by fasting and praier yea wee should haue done it long before and seeing that there are so manie causes of publike fasting among vs wee must therefore thinke that the Lorde requireth the thing it selfe at our hands Which we shall the rather also be perswaded of if besides all this that hath beene spoken to that end we further consider that the people of God alwaies making this a sufficient cause of their fastings eueÌ„ the wrath of God appearing against his Church as we
desert of your sinnes so much as you should doe and no more 1. Cor. 11.31 Math. 11.28 Luk. 15.59 To this end desire God to giue you a broken and a contrite spirite that your hart being soft and tender his word both the Law and the curses thereof and the Gospell with the promises of the same together with all his workes of iustice and mercy vpon your selfe and vpon others might worke on your conscience as they ought to do Luk. 18.13 Psa 51.17 Esa 66.2 Thus groaning vnder the heauie burden of them desire God earnestly for Christs sake to ease you of them and to bestow vpon you the free pardon and forgiuenesse of them receiuing the sacrifice of Christs death as your full ransome and intreat him most earnestly for those sinnes that most trouble you Psal 25.7.18 51.1.2.7 c. Dan. 9.17 c. Beseech him to release you of all those fearefull iudgements of his which you haue most righteouslie deserued both in this world and in the world to come and especially those which you most feare that he wold ease you of al those publike priuate calamities that any wais for your sinnes you are presently in Psal 79.8.9 Iona. 3.8 1. King 8.33.36 c. Pray for the increase of your faith that you may more and more beleeue the forgiuenesse of your sins by the ministerie of the Gospell the vse of his Sacraments and that you may haue speciall faith both in those promises and for the forgiuenesse of those sinnes that you desire most of all to be confirmed in Psal 51.1.7.11.15 25.7 Mar. 9.24 And then pray for these fruites of faith namely that you may haue peace of conscience and quietnesse of minde knowing that you are discharged before gods iudgement seat and that you may in the feeling of his loue reioice with an vnspeakable ioy both aboue all worldlie ioies and in the midst of all worldly sorrowes and thirdly that you may haue good hope for the time to come euen in this world most of all of your saluation and that that may suffice you Rom. 5.1 Psa 51.8.12 Rom. 15.13 Heb. 6.9 Aske the daily increase of vnfained repentance for al your sins past and present corruptions generally and more specially for all those whereof there is most cause and not onely that you may be heartily sorie for thē but that you may also hate and loath them striue most earnestly against them Rom. 7.24 Psal 51.10 2. Cor. 12.8 That you might heereafter preuaile against sin and walke in the commandements of God aske the increase of the graces of his holie spirit and these not only generally but some more specially by name whereof you stand in most neede Psal 119.33.34 c. Psal 51.12 And that you might obtaine these pray that you may make conscience to vse daily all the meanes of your saluation publikely and priuately as all the exercises of the worde and prayer together with the keeping of a good conscience and that God would daily blesse them to you for these endes 1. Thes 5.19.20 1. Tim. 1.19 Obtaining these graces pray God to blesse you in your particular calling and namely that therein you may be painefull and also profitable and for all things that might further you this way Psal 127.1 Prouer. 31.13 c. 2. Tbes 3.10 c. Gen. 24.12 Aske life and health and all outward things as they may most further you in the aboue-named namely as they may make you more fit to serue God and to doe good vnto others name some things as not onely health wealth friends c. but others that you at that time stande in most neede of Pro. 30.8.9 Gen. 28.20.21 Iam. 5.17.18 Therefore pray God to giue you them with his fauour and with his blessing and with the right vse of them and with a contented mind with faith in Gods prouidence that you may depend vpon him Gen. 28 20. Deut. 28.2.3 c. Phil. 4.11.12 Math. 6.25 c. Pray God that you may alwaies be prepared for the crosse whatsoeuer it shall please him to laie vpon you namely that you may haue strength to beare it patience and cōfort in the midst of it grace to profit by it especially that you may bee readie euerie houre for death Math. 16.24 Rom. 8.26.28 Phil. 1. 23. 2. Cor 5.9 c. Then pray for the whole Church of God and therein for some parts especially as those which are vnder the crosse and wherein you doe liue and herein for some by name as the time will permit and as you haue cause as for your Gouernors high and low ecclesiasticall and ciuill for your parents children friends and such as haue desired your praiers Psa 122.6.7 Ier. 29 7. Eph. 6.18.19 1. Sam. 1.17 Last of all giue thankes vnto God in this maner first for all his benefits vpon soule and body for this life and the life to come Psal 103.2 145.1.2 Secondly for all sins which are forgiuen you which you haue beene kept from and which you haue beene recouered out of Psalm 103.3 51.15 16.7 Thirdly for al euill punishments which you haue escaped aboue others or which you haue beene deliuered out of or which haue come vpon you as fatherly chastisemēts and in them you haue beene comforted Exod. 15.1.2 Psal 107.8.15.25 119.67.71 And in all these giue thanks for your selfe and for all yours and for the whole Church of God 1. Timoth 2.1 The continuall vse of prayer is all in all for custome as in all other things so in praier maketh perfect therefore the more you vse prayer the more will God giue you the spirit of prayer Pray alwaies with all maner prayer and supplication in the spirit and watch thereunto with all perseuerance and supplication for all Saints and for me Eph. 6.18 An order priuatelie to reade ouer with great facilitie the olde Testament once euery yere and the new twise CHAPTERS of the Old Testam 777  CHAPTERS of the New Test 260. Morning Dayes of the weeke Euening 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 4 2 2 5 1 2 6 1 3 7 0 The Olde Testament thus read ouer once in a yeere and there will be two dayes to spare  The New Testament thus is read ouer twise in a yeere and there will be one day to spare The PSALMES 150. These may be read ouer by themselues either once in a moneth or once in a quarter at the least which is foure times in the yeere 1. TIM 4.13 Giue attendance vnto reading Hee that is desirous to learne and remember the Word of God that he might liue according to it let him consider of that which is written Psalme 119. Part 2. THE TEXT  THE PARAPHRASIS Wherewith shall a yoong man clense his waies in taking heed thereto according to thy Word 1 FIrst of all be perswaded that the Word of God is onely that rule whereby the whole life of euery man that in euery thing must be ordered euen the the life of a yong man who thinketh that he hath most reason for himselfe why he should be exused as commonly he is most disordered With my whole heart I sought thee let mee not wander from thy commandement 2 Then vpon this perswasion giue your selfe vnfainedly to the reading hearing of Gods Word as to the meanes whereby he hath appointed to teach you and pray to God in the diligent vse of those meanes for his holie spirit that thereby you might come to the true vnderstanding of his Word I haue hid thy promise in mine heart that I might not sinne against thee 3 That which you haue thus learned let it not swimme aloft in your braine but be deepelie setled and hid in your heart as a treasure framing all your affections vnto it that so you may haue it in a readinesse whensoeuer you should vse it otherwise though you know neuer so much it will not keepe you from sinning against God Blessed art thou O Lord teach me thy statutes 4 You thus profiting giue thankes to God for that which you learne because be it neuer so little it is more than many in the world doe know yet content not your selfe with it as though you had sufficient but pray vnto him to be further inlightened because it is lesse   than many others doe and you your selfe should know With my lippes haue I declared all the iudgements of thy mouth 5 But aboue all be carefull to talke of that vnto others which you do dayly learne your selfe and out of the abundance of your heart let your mouth speake For by teaching others you shall learne your selfe I haue had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all riches 6 That you might do all these things labour to haue ioy in the Word and in all the exercises of it more than in any worldly thing and be occupied about those things with greatest delight for in whatsoeuer we take greatest delight that will sticke fastest by vs. I will meditate in thy precepts and consider thy wayes 7 Last of all meditate consider of that with your selfe which you haue learned and muse vpon it alone not contenting your selfe with the generall rules but labouring in your conscience to make the vse of them profitable to your selfe in the particular practise thereof I will delight in thy statutes and I will not forget thy Word 8 Thus doing all these things carefully you shall be sure neuer to forget that which you learne for though you doe not always remember euery thing yet God by his spirit will call so much into your remembrance as is needfull for you to know and then especially when you haue most need of it as in the houre of death and in the day of temptation but as you faile in all or in iny one of these so may you feare to faile in the trueth of this promise A good helpe for an ill memorie
not expressed for this great sin and for feare of Gods vengeance against it Dan. 9.2 Daniel fasted priuately in the time of the captiuitie Wee haue also a very cleere and pregnant example of priuate fasting in the prophet Daniel who when hee vnderstood by bookes the number of the yeeres whereof the Lord had spoken vnto Ieremiah the prophet that he would accomplish seuentie yeeres for the desolation of Ierusalem and so perceaued that the time of their deliuerance was drawing on he turned his face vnto the Lord his God sought by praier and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and after that the Lord according to his promise would now accomplish the same The affliction of captiuitie was common and so all ought to haue sought vnto God after this maner aswell as hee as they did in the daies of Hester and it may be that some other that feared God did so then also in their seuerall families but as we are vncerteine of that though charitie bindeth vs to hope well of them so wee are sure that Daniel did priuately seeke vnto God in fasting and praier both for himselfe and for the people because it is so written of him Whereupon we inferre that not onely when affliction is priuately vpon our selues wee ought thus to seeke vnto the Lord but when it is vpon our brethren especially when it is vpon the church and common-welth and we ought then priuately to doe it the rather because we should be more touched with the common estate then with our owne particular so that if in such cases there bee no order taken for publike fasting then they that feare God and know the day of their visitation must thus priuately humble themselues before God and mourne euery familie a part Zac. 12.12 yea their wiues apart as the prophet speaketh And so at this present in respect of that great mortalitie that hath bene a long time in the chiefe places of this land So ought the godâ—â— to do â—n the tiâ—e of any â—ommon caâ—amitie as of this pesâ—ilence if there had beene no order taken for publike fasting as by the grace of God and the Christian wisedome of our gouernour there is yet it was the dutie of all good men and women priuately to haue done it and so must we heereafter doe in like cases and I doubt not but some or other yea many at this time did thus before this godly and religious order publikely came foorth For though we may not disorderly vndertake and set vp publike fasts in our churches vpon our owne priuate motion but must sue for and expect the alowance commandement of publike authoritie that al things might be done in the house of God honestly by good order 1. Cor. 14.40 according to the golden rule of the Apostle or rather the spirit of God yet if any do it priuatelie when there is cause it shal be both acceptable to God and profitable to themselues and to others and no offence vnto any And for this also God will remember them and shew mercie vnto them in such common calamities as he shall bring vpon the people in their time euen as the prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 9.4 doth promise to all those that mourned in IerusaleÌ„ for the abhominations of that time of whom he thus speaketh that the Lorde called to the maÌ„ clothed with linen which had the writers inkehorne by his side and said vnto him goe through the middes of the citie euen through the middes of Ierusalem And God will spare them and blesse them for it and set a marke vpon the foreheads of them that mourne and cry for all the abominations that bee done in the middes thereof and so to the other he said that I might heare goe yee after him through the citie and smite let your eie spare none neither haue pittie destroie vtterlie the old and the yoong and the maides and the children and the women but touch no man vpon whom is the marke and begin at my Sanctuarie Where we see that they are marked out and spared that mourne for the sinnes of their time which must needs be vnderstoode principally of priuate mourning vnto which in some one or other we may presume was ioined fasting Therefore if when we see sinne abound in all sorts and degrees as it doth in our time too much which threateneth some great iudgement vniuersally to come as wee haue also felt and doe still by this present pestilence if the gouernors should be carelesse and negligent in their offices and so there should be no order taken for publike fasting to turne awaie Gods wrath yet they that priuately sorrow and mourne and fast and praie as they then ought shall finde mercie at the hand of God in the day of their visitation as these in Ierusalem did But to returne to Dauid 2. Cor. 11.27 Dauid fasteâ— priuately foâ— the afflictioâ— of his enimies of whom we beganne to speake before as hee was a verie godlie man so hee did much frequent this holy exercise of fasting that it may truely be saide of him as it is of the Apostle Paule hee was in fasting often And these fastings he vsed not onely for himselfe but for others so louing and pittifull was he and so full of compassion and so touched with the griefe of others that when they were in any great miserie as sâ—ckenesse or otherwise and these not his friends so much but his verie enimies he besought the Lorde for them as we read in the 35. Psalm Psal 35 1â— They rewarded me euill for good to haue spoiled my soule but I when they were sicke I humbled my soule with fasting and my praier was turned vpon my bosome I behaued my selfe as to my friends or as to my brother I humbled my selfe mourning as one that bewailed his mother Where he professeth that though his enimies reioiced at his fall and sought his hurt euerie way yet hee was sorie for their affliction and praied for them continually as though hee had caried his praier about with him in his bosome and this hee did humbling himselfe with fasting according to the doctrine of the Apostle Rom. 12.15 which all of vs should practise Reioice with them that reioice and weepe with them that weepe bee of like affection one towards an other And the like practise of his wee haue in an other Psalme Psal 69.9 where hee saith The zeale of thine house hath eaten mee and the rebukes of them that rebuked thee are fallen vpon me And for the wickednesse of the vngodly I wept and my soule fasted but that was to my reproofe I put on sackcloth also I became a prouerbe vnto them Where hee sheweth that hee was so greeued with the outragious sinnes of the wicked against God as if they had beene against himselfe and so gaue himselfe vnto fasting and praier vnto the Lord for them And truely if we had that zeale in vs to
haue seene before haue considered regarded this wrath of his to moue them thereunto not onely against themselues particularly but against others also of the same societie and fellowship of true religion that themselues were of through a mutuall feeling and compassion which they haue one of another as the liuely members of one and the same mysticall bodie whereof Christ Iesus is the head The wrath of God against other churâ—hes haue mooued the god y to publike fasting Rom. 12.15 and which he quickeneth by one spirit according to the doctrine of Saint Paul Reioice with them that reioice and weepe with them that weepe bee of like affection one towards an other So that though they haue bene free from any token at all of Gods displeasure themseues yet when they haue seene it lie heauilie vppon the shoulders of their brethren they haue by fasting and praier put to their helping hand Gal. 6.2 and haue sought to remooue it that they might be eased so haue borne one anothers burden as the Apostle saith fulfilling therein the lawe of Christ As appeareth by the fast that was held at Antiochia Act. 13.2 which was taken in hande for the great miserie of the mother Church of Ierusalem rather then for any present calamity that was then in that citie For it is shewed in the Chapter chap. 13.1 going before that Herod the King raised a great persecution against that Church and stretched out his â—and to vexe it there and first he killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword and when he saw that it pleased the people hee proceeded further tâ— takâ— â—â—â—ter also and when he had caugâ— him he put him in prison caused him to be bound with chaines and deliuered him to foure quaternions of soldiers to be kept and what he would haue done to him wee may easily coniecture if the Lord had not disappointed him as it followeth in that Chapter where is shewed how this cruell persecuting tyrant when he was in the middest of his pride and was coÌ„tented to be saluted by his flatterers with the name of God saying the voice of God vers 22. and not of man then the Angell of the Lord smote him because he gaue not glorie vnto God so that he was eaten vp of wormes gaue vp the ghost Then presently the Euangelist maketh mention of this fast when Paul and Barnabas were returned from Ierusalem to Antiochia and as it is most like told them of all the troubles that were there and there is no mention of any speciall calamitie that was there but rather of Gods great blessings for there were many excellent men euen Prophets and teachers whereof some are named there so that it is manifest In which respect we haue cause tâ— do it for thâ— calamitie that is vpon our brethren that this fast was to intreat for the Church at Ierusalem Therefore though there were no euill at all vpon our selues vpon our owne persons or any that belong vnto vs or vpon our towne or any likelihood of any to come vpon vs yet this fearefull and great plague that is and hath bene a long time vpon our brethren in many places of this land vnited vnto vs in the profession of the same religion Gospel besides the same allegiance which we owe all vnto the same soueraigne King in manie places I say as in London Norwitch Yarmouth Cambridge and such like should mooue vs in compassion to succour them with our praiers as much as wee can and therefore to intreat the Lorde to remooue this heauie hand of his from them though we feele not the weight of it our selues so to fast publikely for these cities and townes as they of Antiochia did for them of Ierusalem Therefore no man must thinke that these publike fasts which we keepe by the commaundement of our gouernours doe concerne others and not themselues nor say We are all well heere God bee thanked what need we vexe and trouble our selues with anie such thing before we haue cause this order is appointed for such places where the plague is heere is none yet neither is any neere vs Gods name be blessed for it These are good wordes indeed and I pray God that they may so consider of the goodnesse of God towards vs indeed that wee may labour to be truely thankefull to him for the same But doth not the Apostle say â— Cor. 12. â—6 that in the naturall body by the verie instinct of nature if one member suffer and be pained That as in â—he naturall â—ody there is â— feeling of â—he paine of â—ther memâ—ers so it may be in â—pirituall all suffer with it and haue the feeling of it And shall not we which are the bodie of Christ and members for our part as he saith in the same place by the inward working of Gods spirit be mooued with the aduersitie sickenesse paine and losse of our brethren but bee so hard-hearted and voide of all life of the spirit of God of all sence of feeling as dead and rotten members or rather cleane cut off from the bodie that we shal daily heare of many thousands of our brethren sisters in Christ to be in so great heauinesse and sorrow for themselues and for their friends and not to bee mooued with it and yet count our seules members of that bodie when wee shall haue little or no feeling at all of their estate That part of the bodie is dead that is without feeling not onely of it owne selfe but of the other members so we may wel thinke of our selues that we are cleane voide of that spirit of life that quickneth the whole body if in so great miserie of others we should be senselesse not moued with it Did not Nehemiah that woorthy seruant of God though he was in the Kings court and in office there and in great fauor with the King and all was well with him yet so sorrow for the miserie of his brethren in Ierusalem that he fasted and praied for them according as it is written of him Neh. 1.2 That there came Hanam one of his brethren vnto him and some other of the men of Iudah and hee asked them concerning the Iewes that were deliuered which were of the residue of the captiuitie and concerning Ierusalem they said vnto him the residue that are left of the captiuitie there in the prouince are in great affliction in reproch and the wall of Ierusalem is broken downe the gates thereof are burnt with fire when he heard those words As Nehemiâ—h beeing in â—reat prospeâ—itie mourâ—ed and faâ—â—ed for the â—iserie of â—is brethren hee sate downe and wept and mourned certaine daies and fasted and praied before the God of heauen for them which zealous and godly praier of his proceeding from the aboundance of his sorrowful heart is set downe there And this griefe of heart which hee conceaued for the affliction of others
did so worke vpon him in this great prosperitie of his owne that hee was not able to hide it but it did manifestly bewraie it selfe in his countenance so that the king when he waited at the table did perceiue it and asked him the cause of it saying Neh. 2.2 Why is thy countenance sadde seeing thou art not sicke this is nothing but sorrowe of heart Then he told him the cause of it and said to the king God saue the â—â—ng for euer why shoulde not my countenance be sadde when the citie and house of the sepulcher of my faâ—hers lieth waste and the gates thereof are deuoured with fire Thus we see how hee in all pittie and compassion sorrowed for the desolation of others and shall we thinke that we may now giue our selues to feasting and chearing to myrth and pleasure to recreation and pastimes and to all kinde of meeting to these endes as in times past and haue little or no sorrowe at all when our brethren in other places are in great affliction and manie houses lie waste with the pestilence We must doe as wee would be done vnto if we were in their case or in any other miserie we would be glad that others should pittie vs and in pittie praie for vs Then shall â—thers also pittie vs in the like case and praie for vs. and it would be a great comfort vnto vs to heare that any did so then must we in the meane season thus pittie others and in a brotherly compassion praie for them that when it shall be our owne case that waie or any other way we might not bee left to our selues but others might doe as much for vs as we haue done for them before according to the promise of our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell Giue Leu. 6.36 and it shall bee giuen you a good measure pressed downe shaken together and running ouer shall men giue vnto your bosome for with what measure you mete with the same shall men mete vnto you againe It is written of Vriah the Hittite one of Dauids woorthie captaines that when hee was sent for home in pollicie by the King that by going home to his owne house the adultery that was coÌ„mitted with his wife Bethshebah in his absence might be hidden 2. Sam. 11. â— and therefore the king said vnto him Goe downe to thine house and wash thy feete so Vriah departed out of the kings pallace and the king sent a present after him but Vriah Vriah departed from his lawfull delightes because his brethren were in aduersity slept at the doore of the kings pallace with all the seruants of his Lorde and went not downe to his house then they tolde Dauid saying Vriah went not downe to his house and Dauid said vnto Vriah commest thou not from thy iourney Why doest thou not goe downe to thine house Then Vriah answered Dauid The Arke and Israel and Iudah dwell in tentes and my Lord Ioab and the seruants of my Lord abide in the open fieldes shall I then goe into mine house to eate and drinke and to lie with my wife by thy life and by the life of thy soule I will not do this thing Is this good and holy man Vriah would not go home to his house and make much of himselfe when the King bad him when there were so manie reasons for it because his Lord and captaine Ioab vnder whom he serued and manie other of the people his fellow souldiers were in the field before their enemies and so in danger of their liues but thought it meet in godly wisedome though hee was absent from them to beare part of the burden with them So should we fall from our â—leasures in â—his great soâ—ow losse â—f others Then wee if wee haue the like compassion to our brethren that hee had should thinke that wee ought to abridge our selues somewhat at the least of our honest lawfull delights and to cut off not only all superfluity and excesse but somewhat of our ordinarie diet and to sorrow with those our brethren who though they are not in the open fields and in the face and feare of their enemies yet are in no lesse danger feare of their liues by reason of this great plague Psal 91.5 which as an arrow flieth by day and walketh in the darkenesse and destroieth at noon day so that neither day nor night they are in safetie or without feare and is as deadlie as the sword for it causeth a thousand to fall on the one side and ten thousand on the other and so they haue manie fearefull dayes and take little rest in the night neither can they eat their meat quietly or with any comfort So that vnlesse we will be addicted and liue whollie to ourselues and care for none other this great wrath vpon our brethren so long and so heauie should driue vs to weepe with them to fast and pray for them and seeing they are so greatly humbled in themselues we should some wayes cast downe our selues with them Therefore let vs set their lamentable estate To that end we should seriouslie thinke of their lamentable estate before our eies and let it be a looking glasse vnto vs let vs in the feare of God thinke of it seriously and in good earnest as if it were our owne case that wee may be thorowly mooued with it and let vs not haue such stonie hearts so void of all bowels of compassion that wee should heare weekely of the death of our brethren and what great lamentation is made euerie where some for the losse of their husbands and wiues some for the death of their parents and children others for the departure of their sisters and brethren friendes neighbours kinsefolke and acquaintance and we should haue no sorrow for it at all this were the verie next way to prouoke God against our selues and wilfullie to pull the same miserie vpon our owne heads Dauid was so full of pitie that he fasted besought the Lord not onely when the hand of God was vpon some of his own houshold 2. Sam. 12.15 as when the Lord had striken the child that was begotten in adultery so it lay sick but also when it was vpon others euen vpon his enemies Psal 35.13 as he professeth himselfe They rewarded mee euill for good to haue spoiled my soule yet I when they were sicke I was clothed with a sack I humbled my selfe with fasting my praier was turned vpon my bosome that is I prayed for them continually I behaued my selfe as to my friends or as to my brother I humbled my selfe mourning as one that bewaileth his mother If he did thus for his enimies how much more should we doe it for them who haue giuen vs no other cause to iudge of them but as of our friends if he did it for some one or a few priuate persons then how much more should we doe it when the affliction is so common and