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
THE HOLY EXERCISE OF FASTING Described largely and plainly out of the word of God with all the parts and causes and seuerall kinds of the same together with the most fit times and conuenient seasons when and how long it should be held with the manifold fruite and commoditie that redoundeth to vs thereby and the whole nature and order thereof In Certaine Homilies or Sermons for the benefit of all those that with care and conscience intend at any time publikely or priuately to put in practise the same By Nicolas Bownde Doctor of diuinitie Perused and allowed by publike authoritie Occupie till I come Luk. 16.13 Math. 25.11 It is well done good seruant and faithfull thou hast beene faithfull in little I will make thee ruler ouer much enter into thy masters ioy Printed by IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1604. And are to be sold at the signe of the Crowne in Pauls Churchyard by Simon Waterson To the right Reuerend father in God and right honourable Lord Doctor Iohn Iegon Lord Bishop of Norwich the continuance and daily increase of all those heauenly vertues and graces which the Apostle S. Paul requireth in a Bishop 1. Tim. 3.2 RIght reuerend father and very honourable Lord besides many other weightie reasons whereby I haue beene mooued to commend this simple present vnto your Lordships fauour which it is not necessarie nor conuenient to make all the world acquainted with it is enough that your Lordship priuately doth take knowledge of them it may be sufficient openly to professe thus much That whereas my selfe with all the rest of my brethren fellow ministers were in our countrie and in all the rest of your L. Dioces of Norfolke and Suffolke the last sommer inioyned by your letters sent to your officers to that ende according to the order set downe before in print by the authoritie of the Kings most excellent maiestie to come to the Church euery weâ—ke vpon the wednesdaies and fridaies with the rest of our people flocke committed vnto vs there and then to be occupied in praier and fasting to intreat the Lord for our sinnes and for the sinnes of the rest in this land that so his heauie hand which by the pestilence was then very sharpely and that a long time stretched out in many cheife cities and towns of this realme and namely of this your L. Dioces as Norwich and Yarmouth and some other might be called in at his appointed time Sam. 24.16 as it was in the daies of king Dauid Whereby it came to passe that both here and in many places els there was much more preaching hearing of the word of God and praying vnto him then was before and otherwise would haue beene So that by meanes of the straite charge laid vpon all by your L. letter there was much good done in this countrie at that time the fruite whereof I hope remaineth vnto this day For though the booke containing the cause and order of those fasts which was made by some of the cheife gouernours in the Church of England and was authorized by the Kings Highnesse did as I take it not onely giue leaue vnto all places publikely to meete vpon these aboue named daies to these ends but did inioyne them to it and so all men might haue taken knowledge of it and of their dutie therein from thence especially when the cause of it namely so grieuous and so vniuersall a plague was so notorious that it could not be hid from any yet it was found too true by experience in many places that vntill such time as men were further called vpon by your Lordships letter full of great and weightie reasons to perswade thereunto that neither many ministers had any care to call vpon their people to so holy and necessarie a seruice nor the people any great deuotion to come So slowe are men vnto any part of Gods seruice yea though it doth so greatly coÌ„cerne them especially to this principall part of it in fasting and praier which hath beene very long out of vse that they had neede not onely lightly to be called vpon but with many strong coards violently hailed vnto it though vnto all matters of the world they are so forward and hastie that they runne of their own accord and none can stay them Hereupon it hath come to passe that a great part of the good that this way hath beene done vnto the people of God and seruice to his maiestie is to be imputed vnto your lordships diligent care who did so timely and effectually stirre vp men vnto it especially in respect of those cheife places others vnder your Lordships iurisdiction which then were greatly subiect vnto this visitation as well as other parts of this land neither are they all of them yet free from it Therefore these beeing part of my labours at that time they are in some sort due vnto your Lordship by whose means I receiued incouragement thereunto as others did to the like And I haue presumed to present them vnto your Lordship that by them you may see and by one may iudge of the rest how readie we are and shall be to yeild obedience to all your L. godly proceedings promising for my selfe and presuming of the rest that when we shall be likewise commanded which we expect and hope for in time to keepe solemne dayes of thanksgiuing for the mitigating of this plague in so great measure in the most places and for the cleane taking of it away in many we will be by the grace of God as ready to performe that part of seruice as we haue beene forward vnto this And in the meane season according to our bounden duty we will indeauour not only priuatly to be thankfull vnto God but vpon all such daies as we haue our publike assemblies to doe it in some part and to call vpon our people to be thankfull to God with vs both in hart words and life least the Lord for our vnthankfulnes doe returne vpon vs with the same or some other great punishment of his Which we haue so much the more cause to feare vnles we thus seeke to preuent it because the late memory of so great a worke both of iustice in sending the plague and of mercy in taking it away is not so fresh effectuall with all men nay with very few as it should but they like to vngratious children so soone forget the rodd as it is off their back And seeing by these your Lordship may take knowledge that by your godly incitation many were made more painfull in their callings at the least for that time then otherwise they would have beene whereby also God was more honoured and the people more instructed your Lordship will according to that high place wherein God hath placed you especially to that end take all opportunities by word and writing still to incite all men to be zealous and feruent in the worke of the ministery by giuing all good
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
almost all the land ouer especially in these southerne parts and scarcely anie shiere or countrey is free from it Such a thing as almost hath not beene heard of among vs So that wee say of it as the prophet Ioel speaketh of that great affliction that was in his time who to mooue them to a most serious and deepe consideration of that hande of God that was then verie heauily vpon them saith on this wise Ioel. 1.2 Heare O yee Elders and harken all yee inhabitants of the lande whether such a thing hath beene in your daies or in the daies of your fathers tell your children of it and let your children shew it to their children and their children to another generation and then he doth at large describe the calamitie that was vpon them but before hand hee telleth them as wee haue heard that it was such a strange thing as neither themselues nor their fathers had seene nor their posteritie should after them but he memorie of it was to be kepâ— from age to age euen to all posteritie So we may say of this mortall pestilence and pestilent mortalitie that the like was neuer in our dayes nor in the dayes of our fâ—thers the olâ—est man or woman that liueth can not of their owne knowledge make relation of the like so that we haue great cause neuer to forget it but to keepe the memorie of it with profit to our selues and also to tell it to our children to our childrens children that they may thinke of it also wisely to applie it to themselues and so to profit by our harmes that we all the sonnes and daughters of faithfull Abraham may do Gen. 18.19 as it is sayd of him namely Command our sonnes and our households after vs that they keepe the way of the Lord and doe righteousnesse that God may not only keepe from them all his plagues but bring vpon them all that good which hee hath promised to those that feare him Seeing then that the hand of the Lord is more heauie vpon vs and vpon our brethren this way then euer we or our fathers haue felt or knowen it we must needs confesse that vnlesse we be senselesse and hard-hearted And so hoâ— iust cause thâ—re is of publike fasting and prayer we haue great cause to sorrow and to mourne and so to know the day of our visitation so to acknowledge this to be the very time that God requireth of vs fasting and prayer and all kinde of humiliation that possibly can be So that if euer we should do it now we ought and if there be any time fit for it this time of so great and so long affliction and so consequently of so great sorow weeping and mourning is most fit for it Therefore if now we should neglect it and spend away the time in feasting in all kinde of mirth and iollitie as it is to be feared Esa 22.12 that too many do euen as the wicked in former times haue done there would be more than too great likelihood that not onely this plague should continue and increase but some more grieuous punishment should come vpon vs heereafter and all of vs must needs haue iust cause to feare it In the time of the law they were not onely commanded to celebrate the Passeouer yeerely but to keepe it at the time that God had appointed and this he required so straitly that if any had no let and impediment as if he should be cleare â—euit 9.13 and not in a iourney and yet should be negligeÌ„t to keepe the Passeouer the same parson should be cut off from his people because he brought not the offering of Lord in his due season that man should beare his sinne if we then do not at this time when God requireth it of vs bring to him the obedience of fasting and praier and offer vnto him in all humilitie as the time requireth the sacrifices of broken hearts and contrite spirits we can not onely not looke for any mercy according to our great need but we may assure our selues of some further great punishment if wee be not wholly destroyed and cut off from his people Therefore let vs not be like vnto those foolish Iewes who knew not nor regarded the time of their visitation and so did not consider either what mercie God offered vnto them or what dueties he required of them in that time of whoÌ„ our Sauiour Christ iustly complaineth in the Gospell and vttereth his complaint out of the abundance of his loue with many teares saying Luk. 19.42 O if thou hadst euen knowen at the least in this thy day those things that belong to thy peace but now are they hidden from thine eyes So wee should now be ignorant what God requireth of vs at this time and not do it Let vs then be perswaded vpon the former reasons commandements and examples that howsoeuer God at other times giueth vs libertie to feast and to reioyce and to vse his benefits not onely for necessity but for delight according to the sundrie causes of mirth which by his blessings is bestowed vpon vs he shall offer vnto vs yet at this time it being a time of so great affliction and so of sorrow euerie where as hath not bene knowne or heard of whiche they doe best know that haue beene vnder the hande of God and we our selues cannot altogither be ignorant of it let vs bee perswaded I say that the Lord requireth of vs fasting and mourning and great humiliation that so we may doe that that we doe in faith and in obedience to his holy commandement and that most willingly also that he might accept it at our handes and reward vs for it And heere againe by the waie we may easily iudge of the fastes held in the time of poperie and ignorance In poperie this difference of time for fasting was wholly neglected namely that they were according to the blindnesse of that time both ignorantly imposed vpon mens consciences and also verie superstitiously obeied when as they made no difference or choise of times but without all discretion appointed the time of Lent and all Ember weekes as they call them and euery Saints eeuen yeerelie to be fasted let the times be then as they will be not considering whether the time be or shall be a time of ioy or sorrow of weeping or of reioicing as a time of peace or of warre a time of sicknesse or of health a time of dearth or of plentie or generally a time of prosperitie or of aduersitie this they doe not for ciuill pollicie as we keepe them but of meere consciene inioyning all men vnder the paine of sinne and fearefull curse of the Pope vpon such and such daies yeerely to fast euen vnto their dying daie when as it may fal out for ought that they know that such times may be full of causes of reioicing publikely or priuately so feasting were more fit for them
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
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
them namely the signes of Gods wrath by al likelihood shortly to come vpon them Wherein they haue prouidently behaued themselues like vnto those that are wise who being in their iourney and spying a blacke cloud to arise so perceiuing some great tempest to be at hande haue either prepared themselues well for it or haue sought some shelter against it So they foreseeing by all probable coniectures so great calamity to come vpon them haue by fasting and praier sought vnto the Lord as to the onely gouernour and disposer of all things either of his great mercy to turne it away from them or of his infinite compassion to mitigate the extremity of it or to giue them patience and strength to beare it or that some way or other they might finde fauour with him in it And concerning the signes and tokens of Gods wrath shortly to come they haue wisely obserued and considered of them diuersly As first of all in the course of his prouidence that seeing ordinarily such and such causes doe bring forth such effects euents and therefore by the cause as by a signe more then probable Which signe haue beene considered in the ordinary course of gods prouidence they haue not vnaduisedly feared such sequels and haue seene Gods anger in them And namely we see that vnseasonable weather as want of raine in due season or too great aboundance of it out of time betokeneth scarsity of the fruites of the earth and so consequently dearth and famine preparation for warre by a mightie and strong enimie threatneth the losse of men and spoiling of goods the beginning of the plague portendeth great mortalitie and such like therefore when there hath beene but the beginning of such things seeing the stormie tempest as it were arising they haue sought by this ordinance of fasting as by a sure refuge to escape it And so we read that when there came some and told Iehoshaphat King of Iudah saying 2. Chr. 20.2 There commeth a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea out of Aram and behold they be in Hazzon Tamar which is in Engedi And Iehoshaphat fefeared sat himselfe to seeke the Lord proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah Iudah gathered themselues together to aske couÌ„sel of the Lord they came out of all the cities of Iudah to inquire of the Lord. Thus we see when this huge armie of the Ammonites Moabites and mount Seir did but come vp against Ierusalem at the first hearing of it though yet nothing was done neither were they come to them considering what was likely to be the euent of that warre if they had proceeded and if the Lord had not holpen them he proclaimed a fast and did thus seeke to escape that which was like to come So likewise in the time of the captiuitie when ambitious and cruell Haman the mortall enimie of the Iews so breathed after their vtter destruction that he ceased not to cast lottes from day to day to finde out a prosperous time to bring his mischieuous purpose to passe and at the last had got the King to set his hande to a Decree concerning the finall racing of them all out in one daie and Mordecay had sent the copie of this commission to the Queene Hester Hest 4.6 long before the bloodie day of that intended massacre came they sought vnto the Lorde And so they haue sought to preuent Gods wrath and haue not taried till it came vpon them for Hester commanded heereupon that they should assemble all the Iewes and fast and pray for her as she likewise promised for herselfe for her maides that they woulde doe so also So that these before their enimies began the slaughter by all probability of that that was done already seeing what was most like to insue if God were not mercifull vnto them to turn the hart of the king towards theÌ„ before-hand they sought by fasting praier to escape it and did so as it followeth in that storie more at large And so by these few examples we see how the seruants of God that haue beene godly wise haue not alwaies taried vntil Gods wrath in some of his punishments hath seased vpon them but the very foresight of it a loofe of hath bin enough to moue theÌ„ to seeke vnto the Lorde in fasting and praier to escape it or to finde mercie in it Euen as an ingenuous childe and he that is of anie good disposition seeketh to his father for pardon not onely when he is vnder the rodde of correction and feeleth the stripes but when hee seeth his father with an angrie countenance comming towards him with the rodde in his hands so they haue not taried till they haue felt the smart of Gods correction vpon themselues but the verie shew of his wrath comming against them hath beene sufficient to moue them to humble themselues before him and to craue his pardon In which respect also besides that that we spake of before we must needs confesse that wee haue great cause to fast and pray publikly for besides that great wrath of God that hath beene a long time vpon our brethren In respect of Gods wrath likely yet further to come vpon vâ— there is cause of these publike fasts which is a thing present and so ought to moue if we further consider what cause wee haue to feare our selues our houses and our townes though hitherto by the grace of God nothing is come vpon vs we shall acknowledge it to bee true And to this end we must acknowledge the nature of this disease to be very contagious and infectiue aboue all other and that it spreadeth from one place to another after a speciall maner and that it infecteth also after an extraordinarie kinde as not onely by touching and eating and drinking with them and keeping them companie that are sicke of it as some other diseases doe but euen by the breath that we draw in which as it is the most common nourishment that wee haue and without the which wee can not liue so it is most subtile and speedie aboue all other so that it worketh in vs with great expedition whereupon it commeth to passe that euen by passing by theÌ„ euen suddenly with the breath and sauour of them that are infected we are corrupted and it is a poison and so infecteth deadly and speedilie as all poisons doe all the parts of the body â—f we consiâ—er the conâ—agious naâ—ure of the plague how speedily and how deadly â—t infecteth and not so much corrupteth the humors of the bodie which is sufficient to breed deadly diseases as it infecteth the heart and the spirits and all the vitall parts and therefore dispatcheth a man quickely and killeth him speedily so may die suddenly as experience teacheth euen in this plague that some being taken into a mans house ouer night haue beene found dead in the morning and some haue fallen from their horses as they trauelled and
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
might be persuaded that God requireth fasting of vs as well as of our forefathers â—ing is â—anded ell in â—ime of Gospell 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the Gentiles as well as of the Iewes vnder the Gospell as well as in the time of the Law we shall see that it hath warrant in such cases as these as well from the New Testament as from the Olde As when Christ was challenged for this â—5 33 That his Disciples did not fast though Iohn and his Disciples did often hee doth so defend them that he doth not wholly put it away from them as though they were not bound to it in the time of the Gospell but sheweth that as yet they were dispensed with because Christ Iesus the bridegroome was with them and so it was a time of ioy but the time should come when he should be taken from them great affliction should befall them then hee requireth fasting of them saying The dayes wil come Luk. 5.35 when the bridegrome shal be taken from them then shal they fast in those daies commanding them and all other euen vnder the Gospell in the time of great affliction to fast This time of the Pestilence is a time of great sorrow of great affliction therefore now by the Olde and New Testament wee are bound to it And so this may be sufficient to certifie the consciences of all that are not euill disposed That to serue God in fasting and prayer is a thing that he requireth of vs and so if there were no commandement from men to inioyne vs yet the authoritie of his Word in the Olde and New Testament and the practises of his seruants vpon the same ground should compell vs vnto it HOMIL II. The second Homilie sheweth what are the parts whereof this fasting consisteth and first which be outward belonging to the body and to what end they serue as to abstaine wholly for a time from all kinde of meat and drinke and sleepe and costly apparell and such like comfortes of the bodie and yet what libertie we haue then in all these in times of necessitie BEing thus persuaded of the necessitie of this holie exercise of fasting by good and sound reasons from the Olde and New Testament and that it is our duetie to obserue it and that the Lord requireth it at our hands it remaineth that I should further declare wherein this blessed ordinance of fasting consisteth and what are the parts and nature of it that we being willing to obey God in this dutie might not erre of ignorance 1. Cor. â— 30 and so not only obtaine nothing at his hand thereby but pul his heauy iudgement vpon vs for abusing it For as the Apostle sayeth of the abuse of the Sacrament of the Lords supper among the Corinthians For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe and so that which in it selfe rightly vsed was a means of health for soule and bodie was by their ignorance and abuse the cause of manie grieuous diseases mortalitie among them so it might come to passe that whereas by this meanes wee seeke to pacifie the wrath of God alreadie broken out against vs which also we shall do in time if it be rightly vsed for the neglect or abuse of it or both the Plague should not onely not stay but we should further prouoke the Lord to strike vs. â—sting conâ—teth of two â—rts This exercise therefore of fasting consisteth of two parts the one is outward the other inward the outward appertaineth to the body and is called a Bodily exercise as to abstaine from meat drinke sleepe and such like which of it selfe without the other is nothing worth though commanded of God the other is belonging to the soule and consisteth in the inward vertues and graces of the minde holpen forward by this bodily exercise and this simply and in it owne nature is profitable as hauing the promises of this life and of the life to come And of both these the Apostle writeth vnto Timothie Tim. 4.8 saying Exercise thy selfe vnto godlinesse for bodilie exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable vnto all things which hath the promise of the life present and of that that is to come Where he saith that godlinesse and the pure worship of God consisting in the inward graces of the minde as in humility faith repentance c. is profitable in it owne nature but fasting and all such exercises of the bodie and austeritie of life is so farre foorth profitable as they farther vs in these Therefore as the whole man consisteth of soule and bodie but the soule is most principall so doth this exercise of fasting consist of these two parts whereof this later appertaining to the soule is the cheefe And as in the sanctification of the Sabbath there are two things the one to rest from all bodily labour appertaining to the bodie the other to sanctifie that time of rest belonging chiefely to the soule which is the principall end of the other So in fasting there are these two things to be considered the one to absteine from all food which directly concerneth the body the other is the end why we vse that abstinence which is to further our soules in godlinesse which is the chiefest of all and giueth life to the other euen as the soule doth to the body Therefore though abstinence be necessarily required yet that is not all nay it is the least part of this holy exercise though the whole action haue the name of that as being most subiect to the outward sense so best knowen for it is called fasting as in keeping holy the Sabbath day to rest is the least part of our dutie therein yet the whole daie hath the name of that for it is called the Sabbath this is the daie of rest The first â—art belonâ—eth to the â—ody and â—onsisteth in â—he abstiâ—ence from â—ll comfort â—f the same First then we are to consider what is the outward ceremonie in fasting and the bodily exercise and then what be the inward vertues to be adioined vnto it and to which end the other is vndertaken The former is an abstinence for a time wholly from all the commodities and pleasures of this life thereby to make vs fitter for the inward graces of the minde as to absteine from meat and drinke sleepe and such like that the bodie being thereby humbled and pulled downe the mind thereby might be humbled and cast downe also in it selfe before God So that this outward abstinence is therfore coÌ„manded that we might feele in our soules and in feeling outwardly might professe that we are vnwoorthie for our sinnes either of life or of any thing that belongeth to the vpholding of it and therefore we doe willingly for a time bereaue our selues of the vse of them So that vpon this and such like daies we ought to abstaine from al comforts of the body to these ends both that we might thereby the
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
sometimes two daies or three daies at the discretion of those that haue such cause to vse it And this appeareth by the fast of the Iewes which they kept in the time of their captiuitie of whom it is saide in the booke of Hester that when Mordecay sent vnto her the copie of the Kings commission sealed with his own signet for the rooting out of all the Iewes in one daie so that it was decreed that the whole Church of God should bee rased wit from the face of the earth at once Hâ—st 4 1â— then she promised that she would aduenture her life for them and goe into the King to make suite for them and that she and they might finde fauour with the Lord and with the King she willed them all to fast and praie three daies and three nights and neither eate nor drinke and she promised that her selfe and her maides woulde doe the like and it is said moreouer in the text that Mordecay went his way and hee and the Iewes did as they were commanded So that in this great extremitie of theirs they continued their fast for the space of manie daies together and so ought we to doe if the like affliction were vpon vs. But for this present though by the grace mercy â—f God it be otherwise with vs yet vndoubtedly in respect of this visitatoÌ„ which is verie grieuous wee ought to continue our fast one daie weekely so long as it shall be continued vpon vs and so though wee doe not keepe it maâ—â—e daies together yet we may and ought to doe it manie daies one after an other For seeing that it is appointed for the time of affliction and then one whole daie at the least is alotted for it so long as this time of affliction shall continue we should not be vnwilling weekely to bestow one day this waie that so the Lord may bee intreated with vs at the last And thus much for the time how long any fast should be held Now further we are to consider how we should bestow this time of fasting and wherein we are to be occupied in the daie of fast The time of fasting is 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 of thâ— Sabbath And for the better vnderstanding of that wee must knowe thus much that the time of fasting how long soeuer whether it bee but one daie or more is alwaies of the nature of the Sabbath therfore looke how we ought to bestow the Sabbath in resting from the ordinarie labors and workes of our callings and from all kinde of recreations and pastimes much more and come to the Church and be occupied in Gods seruice publikely and priuately so ought we to do vpon the day of fasting And that we might be assured heereof first we doe read that this day as it is of that nature so it hath that name giuen vnto it for it is called a Sabbath Leu. 23.23 This shal be vnto you a Sabbath of rest yee shal humble your soules in the ninth daie of the month at eeuen from eeuen to eeuen yee shall celebrate your Sabbath where twise in one verse Moses calleth it a Sabbath Secondlie it is called a Sabbath of rest and they are willed to rest their Sabbath to shewe that vpon that daie as vpon the ordinarie Sabbath day they should rest from the labours of their calling and more particularly they are forbidden to doe anie kinde of worke vpon that daie Leu. 23.28 as it is saide Yee shall doe no worke that same daie for it is a day of reconciliation to make attonement for you before the Lorde your God And this euerie person is forbidden And therefore then we ought to râ—st from the ordinary worke â—f our â—aking that vnder the punishment of Gods high displeasure to bee poured vpon them to their vtter destruction as it is set downe in the next verse following and euerie person that shall doe anie worke that same day the same person wil I destroy from among his people Therefore vpon this day all men should carefully giue ouer all ordinary workes of their calling and haue nothing to doe with them and not onely from their hands but their mindes from them according to the same strictnesse that they are bounde vnto vpon the Sabbath daie Insomuch that if there bee occasion to keepe a fast in the time of haruest or seed-time or any other time of businesse so manie as doe professe to keepe it must altogither abstaine from all such workes as were otherwise not onely lawfull but necessarie Which that we might the rather most yeeld vnto Workes of necessitie arâ— then permitted wee acknowledge and teach that in this daie of rest there is that liberty granted vnto vs both for the preparing of meat and drinke at the euening yea and at other times also of the daie if it be necessarie as for those that bee weake and sickely and for all other works of necessitie as anie occasion shall be offred that we haue vpon the Sabbath daies As for example if any be sicke it is lawfull to take paines about them yea to ride go for them if any sudden casualtie fall out by fire or water or theeues or such like it is lawfull to take all paines to represse the rage and furie of them But setting all such cases of necessitie aside all men ought wholy vpon these daies to rest from their labours which the Lorde hath straightly forbidden with the denunciation of a fearefull curse that he will assuredly bring vpon al those that breake it euen that he will cut them off from his people And besides this resting from worke which is necessarily required wee ought to bestow the whole day in the publicke and priuate exercises of the worship and seruice of God We must beâ—tow that lay wholly on the seruice of God as in hearing the Word of God read and preached confessing our sinnes and praying vnto the Lord and in all other meanes that might further vs thereunto and most of all which may quicken vs vp vnto true humilitie and feruency in prayer And therefore the Prophet Ioel Ioel 1.15 thus speaketh of it exhorting them to keepe a solemne day of fast sayeth Sanctifie a fast call a solemne assembly he doth not will them to appoint a day of fasting but to sanctifie it and keepe it holy to shew that it ought to be kept euen as an holy Sabbath So that as the seuenth day was sayd to be sanctified from the beginning because it was not appointed for the works of our calling but for the worship of God Exod. 20. and we are willed to remember it to keepe it holy so we should thinke of this day of fast as of an holy day and so remâ—mber it and thinke of it before hand that we take order for and so dispose of all our worldly businesse and affaires that that day we haue nothing to hinder vs from bestowing it wholly vpon the worship and seruice
not serue him in that kinde of fasting that our selues doe desire All fastes therefore are of two sortes they are either priuate or publike The one priuate the other publike either vsed of one person man or woman or of some one familie and household or of some fewe priuate persons in one family or out of diuers according to the seuerall neede that they shall finde in themselues or see to be in other or else vsed of an whole Church congregation publikely in a towne or of many Churches in the same towne or citie and so is common to them all or of diuers Churches in a countrie or realme according to the affliction that is or like to be vpon a towne citie countrie or realme and that not onely their own but some other as their neighbour townes or countries or generally anie part of the Church of God and so are mooued to it not onely in respect of themselues but of some others in loue and desire to succour them And vnto both there kindes all that hath beene hitherto saide of fasting doth truely and properly appertaine both for the commandement of God binding them to it and for the nature of it wherein it consisteth that it should be kept strictly after the maner that hath beene saide and for the time when and how long it should be held and how during that time we shoulde be occupied and so it shall be sufficient once to haue set them downe generally which must be practised of all that celebrate anie fast either publike or priuate so it shall not be needful in handling of the seuerall kinds to intreat of anie of theÌ„ particularly againe â—hat a priâ—ate fast is That I might speake therefore orderly I will first speake of a priuate fast which is that that is vndertaken and held by some priuate person man or woman rich or poore of what calling or degree soeuer prince or people or of a priuate familie or some few in the same or out of diuers housholds gathered together vpon their owne priuate motion yet orderly and in the feare of God according to anie calamitie that shall be vpon them or they shall haue iust cause to feare or as they shall be â—ouched and mooued in compassion more then other with the calamitie of the Church or common-weale wherein they liue or with the miserie of some particular persons in the same or of other Churches and the members thereof And that there ought to be such priuate fastes it is most apparant out of the Scripture for as the Lord doth by threatning or sending publike calamities That there ought to be priuate fast call whole countries and nations to a publike fast that when the cause is common to all all might humble themselues for it as we haue seene in the prophet Ioel Ioel 2. Ionah 3. Hest 4. and as was practised among the Niniuites and also among the Iewes in the time of Queene Hester where because the punishment present as of famine or threatned as vtter destruction of them all was generall therefore all were willed to fast and all did so So if there be any calamitie vpon any particular person or priuate persons they must thinke by the like proportion that God calleth them vnto it and that they stand bound to submit themselues to this ordinance though others doe not neither haue they any such cause or as the Lord shall giue them to see and to feele more then other the afflictions of their brethren and so are more willing as fellow members of the same bodie to mourne for them then others who through ignorance or hard heartednesse are not so well affected towards them And of these priuate fastes doth our Sauiour Christ speake in the Gospell Math. 6.16 When yee fast looke not sower as the hypocrites for they disfigure their faces that they seeme vnto men to fast Verily I saie vnto you they haue their reward but when thou fastest annoint thine head How we ought to behaue our selues in priuate fastâ—s and wash thy face that thou seeme not vnto men to fast but vnto thy father which is in secret and thy father which seeth in secret will reward thee openly Where hee condemneth the hypocrisie of those who in their priuate fastes when they came abroad would make great shew of it that they might be thought to be verie holie men to that end would so change by arte the naturall colour and hue of their face that they might seeme leane and without blood as though they had greatly pined awaie themselues with abstinence fasting and biddes them rather seeing it is priuate hide it as much as they can and to that end hee willeth them to looke cheerefully to dresse vp themselues well for it is sufficient that the Lord who seeth all things euen those that are done in secret taketh knowledge of it and he will reward them openly though they haue no praise and commendation of men as he had said before of almes Math. 6.3 Let not thy left hande know what thy right hand doth that thine almes may be in secret and thy father that seeth in secret will rewarde thee openly where he doth not disallow of almes but of their vaine ostentation in it who this way sought the praise of great charity among the people and saith that is sufficient that God knoweth it who will openly rewarde euerie man according to his workes We haue a practise and example of this priuate kinde of fasting in the person of King Dauid Sam. 12. when the Lord had stricken the childe with sickenesse that was begotten in adulterie of Bathshebah the wife of Vriah because that was a particular punishment vpon himselfe and hee did see the hand of God vpon himselfe very heauie in it according to that which Nathan the Prophet had threatned against him before â—auid kept a â—â—iuate fast â—hen his â—â—ulde lay â—â—cke Because thou hast caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the childe that is borne vnto thee shall surely die he humbled himselfe before the Lord alone by himselfe and sought vnto him by fasting and prayer that if it were possible according to his holy will he would spare him and this he did alone by himselfe for it is sayd That he fasted vers 16. and went in namely into his priuate chamber and withdrew himselfe from all company that hee might be alone and hee did lie all night vpon the earth and when the Elders chiefe men of his house came vnto him to perswade him to rise from the ground and to eat meat he would not neither did eat meat with them So that the rest of his householde did take their ordinarie food but he fasted And thus it seemeth he did more than one day during the sickenesse of the child for when it was dead they were afrayd to tell him of it saying while the child was aliue we spake vnto him and hee
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
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
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