euerie day to performe mutuall beneuolence and not defraud one another vnlesse it be by consent for a time that they might giue themselues to fasting and prayer and again come together that Sathan tempt them not through their incontinencie And therefore we are not bound to joyne fasting with our ordinarie and daily prayers but when we haue just and speciall occasion to humble our selues in prayer after an extraordinary maner And our Sauiour Christ noteth that those which do fast do mourne and that the time of fasting is the time of mourning and that in the time of joy it is vnseasonable Now ordinarily the faithfull are to be joyfull and therefore they are not bound ordinarily to fast and in fasting to mourne but when they haue some extraordinarie cause of mourning for as a peece of new cloth put to an old garment maketh the rent worse so fasting vnseasonably imposed vpon men maketh them not better but worse Againe the time of the fast hath the nature of a Sabbath wherein we are to lay aside all worldly businesse and the works of our callings which ordinarily we are to follow Neither is it an ordinarie Sabbath but the extraordinarie Sabbath of humiliation wherein we are after a speciall maner to humble our soules and to giue our selues to prayer abstaining not onely from bodily labour and worldly affaires but also from our food and other delights of this life And to the sanctifying of this Sabbath we are bound when the Lord calleth vs to fasting and mourning by some special causes of mourning and humbling our selues which afterwards I shall touch whether they be priuat or publicke But especially we are then bound to obserue this fast when not onely the Lord by some publicke judgement or calamitie either threatned or inflicted doth call vs vnto fasting and mourning but also publicke authoritie hath blowne the trumpet and proclaimed a fast for to such a Sabbath of humiliation the equity of that law concerning the yearly Sabbath of humiliation is to be extended Leuit. 23 Euery person that humbleth not himselfe that day shall euen be cut off from his people 11. And this also I signified in the definition when I sayd that fasting is a solemne exercise of religion to be vndertaken of vs when we are to be humble suters vnto the Lord vpon some speciall and extraordinarie occasion for when I cal it a solemne exercise I do not meane that it is a common vsuall or ordinary exercise nor yet to be performed after a common or ordinarie maner but that as it is vndertaken vpon some speciall vrgent occasion so we ought to stir vp our selues in the obseruation thereof to an extraordinarie measure of humiliation to an extraordinarie feruencie in prayer to a solemne and extraordinarie testification and profession of our repentance And when as it is said in the definition that this exercise is to be vndertaken of vs when we are humble suters to the Lord vpon some speciall or extraordinarie occasion it is plainly signified that this exercise is not at set and ordinarie times to be performed but when it pleaseth God to giue just and necessarie occasion either by our wants or by his judgements of a more speciall and extraordinarie humbling of our selues in the exercise of prayer and profession of our repentance 12. The causes therefore and occasions whereupon this exercise is to bee vsed are these First when we are humble suters vnto the Lord for the obtaining of some speciall benefits especially when some matter of great importance is to be enterprisâ—ed For at such a time an extraordinarie feruency in prayer is required which may be holpen forward by fasting Nehemiah intending to moue Artasbaste for the repairing of Ierusalem first humbleth himselfe before God by fasting and prayer for good successe in that waightie businesse And so did Ezra in his voyage towards Ierusalem proclaime a fast Queene Esther before she durst presume contrarie to the law of the Persians to enter into the kings presence being not called to make sute vnto him for the preseruation of the Iewes against the wicked conspiracie of Haman she with her maids humbled themselues by fasting and prayer for three dayes and required the like fast to be obserued of Mordecay and the rest of the Iewes who were at Susban In like sort the ministerie of the word being a matter of great importance for it is the power of God to our saluation and though it be esteemed folly in the world yet by the foolishnesse of preaching God is pleased to saue those that beleeue therefore the Church of God hath thought it expedient before they haue ordained ministers or sent them forth to the worke of the ministerie to humble themselues before God by fasting and prayer as we may read in the Acts of the Apostles It is reported of Iohn the Euangelist that being intreated by the Churches to write the Gospell of our Sauiour whereby the heresies of Ebion and Cerinthus who denied the diuinitie of Christ might be refuted he made aunswere That hee would do it if first the whole Church would in his behalfe humble themselues before God in fasting and prayer 13. But as fasting is sometimes to be joyned with precation or prayer for some speciall good so more commonly it is joyned with deprecation of euill whether it be the euill of sinne or the euill of affliction For when as men do apprehend thewrath of God for sinne whether it be in the act of their conuersion or otherwise finding themselues or their countrey guiltie of some more grieuous sin it is necessarie that they should humble themselues before God after a more speciall maner And for the better humbling of themselues in prayer and testifying of their repentance to entertaine this Christian exercise of fasting Paul in the first act of his conuersion fasted and prayed three dayes together when as the people of Israell returned to the Lord their God from idolatrie and lamented their former sinnes they being assembled at the commaundement of Samuell do testifie their humiliation and repentance by a solemne fast wherein they drew as it were buckets of water from the fountaine of their hearts poured the same before the Lord saying We haue sinned against the Lord. Ezra when he vnderstood how the people of Israell had joyned in mariage with the heathen people contrarie to the law of God he prayed and fasted greatly mourning for the trasgression of the people And afterwards the people themselues were assembled with fasting with sackcloth and earth vpon them and hauing separated themselues from the strange wiues with whom they had beene mingled they confessed their sinnes and the iniquities of their fathers 14. But when as our sinne hath not only deserued the anger of God but also hath prouoked him either to threaten his judgements and as it were to lift vp his hand to
Dauids fast for Abner that hee refused to eat any meat while it was yet day but swore saying So doe God to me and more also if I tast bread or ought else till the Sunne be downe In like sort not onely the Iews but also the auncient Christians vsed to fast vntill the Sunne were set Howbeit in processe of time they began especially in the Church of Rome to dissolue their fasts at the ninth houre which is three a clocke afternoone which now they haue brought to the sixt houre and for the most part on their fasting dayes goe to supper before noone But the shortest time that is mentioned in the Scripture of a fast is vntill the euening to which custome their practise is most conformable who fast all day vntill the ordinarie time of supper This as I said is the vsuall time But the children of God when they haue beene pressed with more vrgent occasion haue sometimes continued this exercise for more dayes together As Esther and the Iewes for three dayes Esth. 4 and likewise Paule Act. 9. The men of Iabesh Gilead when they mourned for the death of Saule and his sonnes fasted seuen dayes 1. Sam. 31. Daniell one and twentie dayes 26. As for the fortie dayes fast which Moses Elias and our Sauiour Christ did fast it was miraculous and therefore not to be imitated Neither did they fast fortie dayes together either to subdue their flesh or to humble their soules But Moses being the publisher of the law Elias the restorer of religion our Sauiour Christ the author of the Gospell the Lord would by this miraculous fast so countenance their doctrine as that in respect therof they might seeme not men arising from the earth or authorised by men but the two former as Angels the third as the sonne of God sent from heauen for their abstinence for the time was angelicall And we might as well take vpon vs to imitate the Angels not taking of food which they doe not need as the fast of Christ and of the other two who were by the power of God aboue the strength of nature so sustained as that during their fortie dayes they no more needed food than angels doe Neither did our Sauiour Christ or either of the other fast fortie dayes euery yeare but once onely in all his life Wherefore vnlesse we haue the like cause of fasting and the like power to support vs as indeed none haue it is but a vaine thing to goe about to imitat their fast Now when the fast is continued for more dayes together it is not vnmeet that as in the meane time we are to take but one meale euery day in the euening so also that we should at those times content our selues with a spare diet in respect of the quantitie and meane in respect of the qualitie whether it bee fish or flesh or neither according to the example of Daniel But when our fast is once dissolued whether it bee at the end of one day or of more we may freely vse our ordinary diet obseruing alwayes the rules of temperance and sobriety And it fitteth best the faith of Gods children when they haue humbled themselues before God and poured forth their suit into his bosome to cheere vp themselues in this persuasion That they hauing cōmended and committed their cause to God he will dispose of it and them as shall be most for his glory and their good To this purpose consider the examples of Anna 1. Sam. 1 who after she had fasted and poured forth her soule before the Lord she went her way and did eat and looked no more sad Of Dauid euen then when the Lord did seeme to haue denied his perticuler request 2. Sam. 2. He arose from the earth and washed and annointed himselfe and chaunged his apparell and came into the house of the Lord and worshipped and afterward came to his owne house and bad that they should set bread before him and he did eat And thus much may suffice to haue spoken of the outward fast 27 Now for as much as the kingdome of God standeth not in meat and drinke nor in the abstinence therefrom and seeing bodily exercise profiteth little but piety which consisteth in duties of religion sincerely performed hath the promises both of this life and of that which is to come therefore all this outward abstinence is nothing worth vnlesse it be ioyned with the inward fast and spirituall exercise of religion and bee referred thereunto as to the end thereof For if men rest in the outward fast as though that in it selfe were acceptable vnto God they fast no better than the beasts of Niniuie fasted They fast not vnto God for God is a spirit and they that will worship him must worship him in spirit and truth Wherefore as Zacharie sayth to the Iewes who resting in the outward fast imagined that they pleased God therby When you fasted and mourned in the fift and seuenth moneth these seuentie yeares did you in fasting fast to me to me sayth the Lord Likewise Esay 58 when as the Lord respected not the fast of the Iewes whereby they looked to win his fauour as appeareth by their question vers 3. Wherefore haue we fasted and thou respectest it not we haue afflicted our soules and thou regardest it not He rendreth this reason Because neglecting the inward exercise they rested in the outward Is it such a fast that I haue chosen that a man should for a day afflict his soule namely by outward fasting and hang downe his head like a bull-rush and lie downe in sackeloth and ashes wilt thou call this a fasting or an acceptable day to the Lord But if men shall not onely rest in the outward fast as if that in it selfe were an acceptable worship of God but shall also obserue it with an opinion of satisfaction and merit persuading themselues that by their fast they satisfie for their sinnes and merit euerlasting life then is it much more abhominable in the sight of God as being derogatorie to the onely both satisfactorie sufferings and meritorious obedience of Christ our Sauiour And such seemeth to haue beene the fast of the Pharisie who for all his fasting twice a weeke and his other merits which hee alledgeth went home vnjustified And such is the fast of the Papists at this day who not onely rest in their outward fast which notwithstanding in many respects is but a mockefast but also ascribe satisfaction and merit thereunto 28. What then is the spirituall exercise and the inward fast whereunto the outward abstinence must be referred It is an humbling of our soules in a solemne exercise of prayer joyned with repentance for the obtaining of our speciall suit holpen forward and testified by the outward fast as Ezra speaketh chap. 8. I proclaimed a fast that we might humble our selues before our God and seeke of him a right way
plague ceased Which doth teach vs that the meanes to pacifie the wrath of God and to remooue the plague is to offer vp our heartie prayers vnto the Lord signified by incense in the name and mediation of Christ our high priest who standing before the altar with his golden Censer perfumeth the prayers of the faithfull with the odours of his owne sacrifice and maketh them acceptable vnto God And for the better humbling of our selues in prayer and testifying of our repentance it is very needfull that as in all other publick calamities so in this of the pestilence we vndertake this exercise of fasting Onely this we are to be admonished of That in places of infection the vtter abstinence from food is not so precisely to be vrged but that the people may yea ought to take something before they come abroad as a preseruatiue against infection 53. Lastly for the time of captiuitie we haue the example of the Iewes who during their captiuitie in Babylon obserued foure fasts in the yeare the first in the tenth moneth because on the tenth day of that moneth Nabuchadnezar with his armies began to besiege Ierusalem the second in the fourth moneth because on the ninth day of that moneth king Zedekiah and the men of warre flying out of the citie of Ierusalem were taken by the Chaldeans the third in the fift moneth because on the tenth day of that moneth the temple was ouerthrown and the citie sacked the fourth in the seuenth moneth because therein Gedaliah together with the Iewes and Chaldeans who were at Mispeh were slaine whereupon the rest of the Iewes who were left flying into Aegypt for feare of the Chaldees there was an vtter desolation in the land These fasts they took vpon them to obserue during their captiuitie that therein they calling to mind the former judgements of God as it were in foure degrees for their sinnes they might the better be humbled to implore the mercie of God for the time to come But when as these fasts by long custome grew ordinarie and many of the Iewes obserued them for custome rather than conscience insomuch that they thought this custome was to be obserued after their deliuerance frō captiuitie the cause of their mourning and consequently of their fasting being taken away and accordingly mooued that question Zach. 7 the Lord as he reprooueth their former hypocrisie in resting in the outward fast without repentance so he promiseth them for the time to come that if they would truly repent and walke in the obedience of his wayes their daies of fasting and mourning should be turned into daies of feasting and joy 54. From whence we are to obserue that if we according to the examples of the faithfull in the scriptures shall in the time of our distresse turne vnto the Lord with all our hearts and with fasting and prayer humble our selues before him the Lord will take away the cause of our mourning and turne our fasts into feasts The which I speake not as though this exercise had been altogether neglected among vs For to Gods glorie and to the stopping of our aduersaries mouths the Papists who know not what the true exercise of fasting meaneth it is to be acknowledged that howsoeuer we haue not beene so frequent in this exercise as were to be wished yet notwithstanding vpon diuerse publick occasions there haue beene publick fasts obserued and solemnized among vs with good and happie successe As for example in the time of the great plague Anno 1563 after the great earthquake Anno 1579 after intelligence had of the Spanish inuasion Anno 1588 in the time of the famine Anno 1596 and 1597 and now of late in this time of the pestilence Anno 1603. Besides the priuat and secret fasting of the faithfull as it hath pleased God to mooue them either by priuat or publicke occasions 55. The third thing to be obserued are the persons who when a publicke fast is proclaimed are to obserue it The Prophet Ioel besides those of yeares appointeth that the children euen those that sucke the breasts should be assembled to the fast And the Niniuits proclamation for obseruing the fast was extended not onely to all men women and children but also to their cattell The reason whereof was twofold first that the pitifull sight and lamentable crie of the children and cattell might encrease their sorrow and secondly that they might be brought to a deeper sight and more serious acknowledgement of the heinousnesse of their sinne which had pulled vpon them such an vniuersall judgement of God as should not onely afflict themselues but also extend to the very infants yea and to the bruit beasts But this practise is to bee reckoned among the ceremonies which in those times were vsed to augment their sorrow and increase the sence of their sinne and is no more to be imitated of vs than their sitting in the ashes the renting of their cloths their girding of themselues with sackcloth their putting of earth vpon their heads and such like among vs the Lord requireth no more to obserue the outward fast than such as by reason of their vnderstanding and discretion may the better be fitted thereby to humble themselues before him in this solemne exercise of prayer and repentance For the outward fast obserued as it is ordinarily among the Papists without any exercise of religion concurring therewith is nothing worth But to all those that are come to yeares of discretion and are exempted by some present necessitie is the equitie of that law to be extended Leui. 23. Euerie person that humbleth not himselfe on the Sabbath of humiliation shall euen be cut off from his people 56. There remaineth the fourth and last thing viz. how the publicke fast is to be obserued And this also I signified in the definition when I sayd it is to be sanctified both publickly and priuatly as a Sabbath of humiliation Where three things are to bee noted for first when as I say it is to be obserued as a Sabbath which before hath bene proued we are to vnderstand that therein a double rest is required the one outward from bodily labours and worldly businesse the other inward from sinne And contrariwise that the profanation of this Sabbath is condemned whether it be by neglecting the outward rest and imploying the time in bodily labours and worldly affaires or else by abusing our rest either to idlenesse or to vanitie or to sinne To idlenesse when men resting in the outward rest imagining that nothing else is required at their hands do nothing and by doing nothing they do euill as appeareth by the disjunction included in that question of our Sauiour Christ Luke 6 Is it lawfull on the Sabbath dayes to do good or to do euill Whereby our Sauiour plainly signifieth that if we do not good on the Sabbath day we do euill To vanitie when as men giue themselues to sports and
wee must therefore craue the assistance of Gods holy spirit the spirit of grace and supplication that he may helpe our infirmities and teach vs to pray according to God 3. The third thing to be considered is the person to whom our prayer is to be directed Call vpon me sayth the Lord our God the mightie God described vers 1. Hee sendeth vs not to any other either as deliuerers or as intercessours but commaundeth vs to come directly vnto himselfe For of them which in their necessitie flie vnto others may that complaint of the Lord bee verified My people haue committed two euils they haue forsaken me the fountaine of liuing waters to dig them pits euen broken pits that can hold no water Now we are to call vpon God first because it is he that afflicteth vs For when we are iudged that is afflicted we are chastised of the Lord. It is hee that maketh peace and prosperitie and it is he that createth euill and affliction And shall there be euill namely of affliction in a citie and the Lord hath not done it Seeing therefore it is the Lord that afflicteth vs it behooueth vs acknowledging the authour of our affliction to turne vnto him that smiteth vs as the Prophet Esay speaketh But here some man will say If God were the authour of mine affliction there were great reason that I should both patiently beare it and also flie vnto the Lord for deliuerance but this affliction which I sustaine it is to be imputed to the vnfaithfulnesse of such a pretended friend or to the mallice and injurie of such an enemie c. and therefore I see not why I may not wreake my selfe vpon them But I answere whatsoeuer is the seâ—ondarie cause of thine affliction be it the deuill himselfe it is the instrument of God who is the authour and principall cause thereof When it was told Iob that the Sabeans and Chaldeans had carried away his oxen and cammels he acknowledged the hand of God and said The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. When Shemei reuiled Dauid although his tongue were set on fire from hell as Iames speaketh of such cursed tongues notwithstanding Dauid acknowledged the cursed tongue of rayling Shemei to haue beene Gods rod to correct him And Ioseph likewise though hee knew that his brethren for mallice and enuie had sold him into Aegypt yet he acknowledgeth them to be the instruments of God who by their meanes did in great mercie send him before them to prouide for them in the time of famine Which must teach vs when we are wronged not with the dog to snarle at the staffe wherewith he is beaten but to turne to him that smiteth vs and to pray vnto him that it would please him to remooue his hand from vs. Secondly as the Lord afflicteth vs so it is he alone that can and will deliuer vs. For who is able without his leaue to remooue his hand from vs He is our refuge and deliuerer he is our hope and strength and a most present helpe in trouble Come therefore and let vs returne to the Lord for he hath spoiled and he will heale vs he hath wounded vs and he will bind vs vp Thirdly he onely that commaunded vs to call vpon him he onely hath promised to helpe vs he onely is able to heare our prayers and to graunt our requests Therefore thou which hearest the prayer vnto thee shall all flesh come Fourthly when as we flie vnto the Lord in time of trouble we glorifie him acknowledging him to be infinitely good and therefore willing omnipotent and all-sufficient and therefore able to helpe and deliuer those which call vpon him And for this cause the Lord in this place preferreth the sacrifice of prayer before all the sacrifices of the law Wherefore grieuously do they offend who when the hand of God is vpon them doe not call vpon him for they are not onely injurious to themselues but to the Lord also whom they rob of that honour which is due vnto him And this commeth to passe either because they doe not acknowledge the hand of God but thinke it to be some misfortune or rest altogether in the secondarie causes after the manner of carnall and heathenish men or because they distrust Gods helpe and therefore either flie to witches and wizards that is to say to the instruments of the deuill that by his helpe the hand of God may be remooued from them or else to some other vnlawfull meanes whereby they make shift to saue their bodily life for a time with the wofull losse both of bodie and soule for euer or else because they beleeue not the promises of God made to our prayers and therefore are discouraged from praying and become desperat as though it would nothing auaile them to call vpon God 4. The fourth and last thing to be considered is the time when we are to pray vnto God We are to pray alwayes and without ceasing but especially as here we are directed in the day of trouble and that for these reasons First because our prayers then are most necessarie for then we feele and feeling doe confesse that Gods helpe is so necessarie for vs as that we vtterly are vndone vnlesse the Lord doe helpe and succour vs. Vnto thee O Lord sayth Dauid doe I crie ô my strength be not deafe towards me least if thou answere me not I be like to them that goe downe into the pit Secondly because our prayers then especially proceeding from the inward sence of our want are most feruent and effectuall For euen as water whiles it runneth at large hath a still motion but being gathered into straits runneth with violence so it fareth with many men who being at large in ease and prosperitie either pray not all or very coldly but being brought into straits they poure forth their soules before the Lord like to a streame of water as the Prophet Ieremie speaketh To which purpose Esay sayth Lord in trouble haue they visited thee they poured out an humble and effectuall prayer when thy chastening was vpon them Thirdly because the Lord doth therefore afflict vs that we should flie vnto him therefore doth he bereaue vs of other helpes and meanes that wee might the more firmely relie vpon him For if wee were not afflicted it may be we should not seeke to him or if wee had other meanes we would relie vpon them This is testified by the Lord himselfe in the prophesie of Hosea For I will be sayth he vnto Ephraim as a Lion and as a Lions whelpe to the house of Iudah I euen I will spoile and goe away I will take away and none shall reseue it I will goe and returne to my place that is I will withdraw my comfortable presence from them for a time till they acknowledge their fault and seeke me In their affliction they will
are accepted of God in Christ for this is to pray in the name of Christ by whom and in whose name we haue confidence accesse with assurance through faith in him with faith in the promises of God made to our prayers and consequently thou art to beleeue not onely that thou and thy praiers are accepted of God in Christ but also that thy particular request shall be graunted vnto thee Aske saith Christ and it shall be giuen you c. for whosoeuer asketh receiueth c. And againe Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you And thus were we to pray in respect of the manner viz. in truth and from our hearts otherwise our prayer is dead and without life in feruencie otherwise our prayer is cold and luke-warme in faith otherwise it is turned into sinne Againe our prayer must be conformable to the will of God in respect of the end It may be thou askest riches to spend the same vpon thy lust or thou askest deliuerance out of thine affliction that thou mightest follow the pleasures or haue opportunitie or leisure to follow thine accustomed sinne c. But we may so aske and yet notwithstanding the promise we may misse our desire for as Iames saith you aske and receiue not how so seeing Christ hath said aske and you shall receiue Because you aske amisse and wherein did they aske amisse in respect of the end that you might consume it on your lusts But we must remember that in this promise the Lord hath joyned these two together I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me And therefore if we aske deliuerance we must aske it to this end that we may glorifie God Wherefore as it is good for the stirring vp of our feruencie and spirituall hunger with our prayer to joyne fasting so also it is expedient for the confirmation of our faith and setling our resolution in glorifying God to joyne with our prayers godly vowes of some things whereby God may be glorified And this hath bene the practise of the godly in all ages as of Iacob Genes 28. of Anna 1. Sam. 1. of Dauid c. The third limitation is in respect of the thing which is asked for if the cause why thou art not heard and deliuered is not to be imputed either to thy person being one that doth beleeue and repent or yet to thy prayer being framed in some measure according to Gods will both in respect of the manner and the end then art thou to be assured and vndoubtedly resolued that the thing which thou askest is either not good for thee at all or else not yet And that God doth alwayes heare his children praying vnto him effectually though not ad voluntatem according to their desire yet ad vtilitatem according to their profit For if earthly parents who are euill can giue to their children good gifts how much more shall our father which is in heauen giue good things to them that aske him Thou askest deliuerance out of affliction and God hath promised to deliuer his chileren that call vpon him but it may be it is not a good thing that thou shouldest be deliuered and therefore in that case deliuerance is neither included within the compasse of Gods promise nor yet intended in thy prayer if it be conceiued aright For a promise vnlesse it be of some good thing it is a threatning rather than a promise we must therefore remember that God hath promised to giue good things to them that aske him And that prayer which is conceiued aright for temporall benefits such as deliuerance out of affliction is must not bee made absolutly but with the condition of Gods glorie and our euerlasting good Whereas thou therefore askest deliuerance out of trouble that thou mightest be restored to thy former estate it may bee that it is better for thee to be taken out of this world that thou mayest change thy mortall life for an immortall and that a finall end may be put both to thy trouble and to thy sinne which is the cause of thy trouble It may be if thou shouldest liue longer thou wouldest be infected with the common corruptions of the time and therefore as it is said of Enoch Thou art taken away least wickednesse should alter thine vnderstanding or deceit beguile thy mind For when we are iudged that is afflicted though it be by bodily death wee are chastised of the Lord that wee should not be condemned with the world Or if thou shouldest bee continued longer in this life it may bee that such common calamities as the Lord is intended to bring vpon the land should happen in thy time and therefore God in great mercie taketh thee away as hee did the godly king Iosias that thou shouldest not see the euill which is to come as it is said of Esay 57. The righteous perish and no man takes it to heart mercifull men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come Or else it is good for thee that the affliction which thou desirest to bee remooued from thee should be continued vpon thee thine estate and disposition being such that it is very needfull for thee to bee trained vp in the schoole of affliction and to be dayly exercised vnder the crosse And therefore if God doe see it good to take that course with thee thou must resolue with patience and comfort to take vp thy crosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 day by day as our Sauiour Christ hath warned thee and remember that it is good for a man if God doe so appoint to begin betimes and to beare the yoke of affliction euen in his youth Or at the least it is not good for thee as yet to be deliuered because the Lord hath not as yet attained to that end for which hee doth afflict thee For if it haue beene good for Dauid and the rest of Gods children that they haue beene afflicted not in respect of the afflictions themselues but in regard of those profitable and excellent fruits which the holy ghost by their afflictions worketh in them then assuredly it is not good for thee that thine affliction should cease before it hath wrought such good effects in thee as the Lord by it intendeth to worke vnlesse thou wouldest giue the Lord occasion to complaine that thou art one of those whom he afflicteth in vaine Now the Lord afflicteth his seruants either for their triall or for their chastisement The Lord trieth them by afflictions either that his graces may appeare in them to his glorie and the good example of others or that their weakenesse may be manifested for their owne amendement and instruction of others If hee trie men for the manifestation of his graces in them it is expedient that they should bee tried by a triall proportionable to the
pastimes for if that be vnlawfull on the ordinarie Sabbath much more is it vnseasonable on the Sabbath of humiliation Lastly to sinne for if the workes of our lawfull callings be forbidden on the Sabbath much more the workes of darknes whereunto whosoeuer addicteth himselfe on the day of the fast he celebrateth a Sabbath to Sathan and not vnto the Lord. Againe whereas I said it is to be obserued as a Sabbath of humiliation we learne that we are therein to abstaine not onely from labours as on the ordinarie Sabbath but also from food from exercise of sleepe from brauerie in apparell and from all worldly delights c. 57. Thirdly whereas I add that it is to bee sanctified both publickly and priuatly as a Sabbath of humiliation I signifie that not onely rest is required but also an holy rest and not onely the outward fast but much more the spiritual exercise of prayer and repentance And that this sanctificatioÌ„ of the day of the fast which standeth in vsing the meanes of sanctification is partly publicke and partly priuat The publick is in the assembly for this as euerie other Sabbath is a day of an holy assembly Leuit. 23.27 Ioel. 2.15.16 Here therefore we are to consider the office of the ministers who are the chiefe actors in the publicke sanctification of this and euerie Sabbath and the dutie of the people The office of the minister is noted in generall termes Acts 13.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they performed the publicke function of their ministerie vnto the Lord and fasted more specially Neb. 9 where they are noted to haue read and preached the word of God as before chap. 8. and that foure times and so oft also to haue called vpon the name of the Lord-Likewise Ierem. 36 when Ieremie being shut vp could not go into the house of the Lord he sendeth Barach with a booke written from his mouth wherein were specified the judgements of God threatned against the Iewes that he reading it in the audience of the people vpon the day of the fast they might be brought to a serious humbling of themselues in prayer and to vnfained repentance The dutie therefore of the ministers is to stirre vp themselues in a more than ordinarie measure of zeale to discharge their ministerie both in preaching the word of God and also in prayer In preaching that it may bee through the blessing of God a powerfull meanes to worke in the people those things which in this spirituall exercise are required viz. humiliation prayer with feruencie and faith and repentance In praying that it may be an effectuall meanes in and through the mediation of Christ our Sauiour and auaileable with the Lord for the remouing of those euils and for the bestowing of those good things for which this exercise is vndertaken 58. The dutie of the people is first to bee present at publick assembly for if we will sanctifie a Sabbath vnto the Lord we must reuerence his sanctuarie where as the Lord hath promised his presence so he requireth ours And for this cause as I sayd before this and euerie other Sabbath is appointed of the Lord to be an holy conuocation We must therefore take heed that we absent not our selues without very just and necessarie occasion lest we may seeme either secretly to neglect or prophanely to contemne the presence of Christ the gathering together of the Saints the publicke worship and seruice of God the call of the holy Ghost the meanes of our saluation the publicke occasion of the fast as though neither the publicke judgement nor the common good did concerne vs. But it is to little purpose to be present in the publicke assembly vnlesse we joyne together with the assembly in the sincere worship of God That being assembled together in the name of Christ we may as it were with one consent call vpon God and heare his word praying with humilitie in respect of our own vnworthinesse with reuerence of Gods majestie in sence of our wants with sorrow for our sins with earnest desire to haue our wants supplied our sins remitted and the judgemeÌ„ts of God remoued with faith assurance to find help to obtaine mercie in coÌ„uenient time with promise purpose to amend our liues that in sinceritie and truth we may subscribe to the prayer of the Church and say Amen Hearing also the word with reuerence with attention with faith with desire to profit with purpose to practise with submission to euery part thereof In a word so hearing the word of God as in this our present sute we desire to be heard Vnto these duties of religion and meanes of sanctification we are to joyne a publicke dutie of charitie as a worke of sanctification for it is and hath bene a laudable custome of the Church of God that in publicke fasts there should be publicke collection made for the releefe of the poore 59. But we are not onely publickly to sanctifie the day of the fast but also priuatly both by vsing meanes of sanctification and also by doing workes of sanctification The meanes are especially meditation prayer which are to be vsed both with reference to the publicke sanctification and that not onely before to prepare and fit our selues for the profitable and sauing vse of the meanes which Daniel calleth the setting of his face and the setling of his mind to seeke the Lord but also after to fit and apply the meanes to our vse and besides as priuat meanes by themselues without reference to the publicke The workes of sanctification are the duties of repentance whereof I spake before but especially the workes of mercie and charitie for with such sacrifices God is pleased 60. Wherefore the day of the fast is to bee obserâ—ed and sanctified as a Sabbath of humiliation not onely by outward abstinence rest but also by vsing the meanes and doing the workes of sanctification both publickly priuatly spending the whole day besides the publicke sanctification and the time which is to bee spent in our preparation before and in our meditation afterwards in the priuat means of sanctification as reading meditation prayer in the priuat works of sanctification as the duties of repentance towards God and the workes of mercy and charitie towards our brethren Which course whosoeuer shal take in sanctifying a fast vnto the Lord he shal be sure to obtaine at the haÌ„ds of God either that particular request for which he is an humble sutor vnto the Lord or that which is better the Lord alwayes hearing his children thus suing vnto him and granting their requests as shall be most for his glory and their singuler good 61. HAuing thus set downe the doctrine of fasts according to the rule of Gods word and practise of ours and other reformed churches we are now to take a briefe view of the Popish fast that it may euidently appeare how
little cause they haue with the Pharisey to despise others who doe not fast as they do And first as touching their morall and chast fast wherby they would seeme to chastise their bodies and to keepe them vnder that they some not out lust they shew themselues vnskilfull Phisitians who prescribe this medicine to all indifferently as well to those who need it not as to those who do For as medicines are not good but when they are necessarie so this Phisicke where it is not needfull is hurtfull and where it doth no good for the obseruation of the seuenth commaundement it is many times a transgression of the sixt For those who liuing single and haue the gist of continencie as also those who may lawfully vse in mariage the remedie which God hath ordained against lust to them daily sobrietie and temperance in diet is needfull but often fasting euerie weeke is hurtfull and pernicious to such an ordinarie fast imposed for keeping their bodies chast is like a new peece of cloth set vpon an old garment which impaireth the garment and maketh the rent much worse And it is against reason that because their Abbie-lubbers and pampered clergie who hauing vowed to liue single though they be neuer so incontinent and liuing in such idlenesse and and belly-cheere ordinarily as that no true fasting at times would suffice to keepe them chast had need to fast oftener than the Pharisey who fasted twice a weeke that therefore others which liue painefully in their callings and chastly either in single life or mariage should be bound to the like obseruation of fasts many of them needing rather kitchen-phisicke and cordials to comfort them than fastings and vacuations to keepe them downe 62. But indeed their fasting is but one of their hypocriticall pretences of their not intended chastitie for as if flesh and whit-meats were the onely prouokers of lust they forbid all vse thereof in the time of their fast but permit a fulnesse of all other food whereas not onely some other kinds of food in respect of the qualitie but also any other kind almost in a greater quantity is a greater enemie to chastitie than the moderat vse of flesh or whit-meats Nay that which were strange if they meant seriously they permit in their fasts the free vse of wine the strongest drinks than which nothing is more forcible to inflame men with lust and that not onely at their meaâ— in the middle of the day but also in the mornings euenings And besides this the richer sort among them may truly be said to forbeare the grosser diet that they may feed vpon more costly and delicat dainties and as Augustâ—ne saith in the like case Corpori suo magis commutasse quam subtraxisse ciborum abundantiam videntur For besides their drinking in the morning and their supper at noone wherein commonly they pamper themselues with diuers kinds of broths and great varietie of fishes with wanton sauces to prouoke their appetit and strongest wines to helpe their digestion and choisest dainties to make vp their meele withall they haue also a banquet in the euening which may not be called a supper but a collation wherein with wine and spiced breads they haue raysins almonds and figges marmalade and suckets with many other confections and junketting dishes So that of the Popish fast it may most truly bee sayd that it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not fasting but feasting As for the vulgar sort of Papists their vsuall manner is either on the day before their fast so to pamper themselues as that the day of the fast though they fasted indeed would be scarce sufficient to digest their former repletion or else at their meele which they take at noone on the day of their fast so to gorge themselues that their drinking or collation in the euening may seeme altogether superfluous Wherfore to them may be applied that censure of Augustine Tantum capiunt manducando quantum digerere non susficiunt ieiunando They take so much in eating as they cannot digest by fasting But looke how they chastise their bodies in their fasting such commonly is their chastitie Let the stewes permitted among them as necessarie euils and the huge number of bastards begotten where the Romish religion is professed and these Popish fasts obserued be witnesse 63. But come we to their irreligious fast which they doubt not to call a worship of God Howbeit first it is meerely externall neither is it joyned with any extraordinarie exercise of prayer or repentance among them and therefore is of no value in the sight of God And secondly although it be nothing but an outward exercise yet there is not all in it which is required in the outward fast For in their fast is not required abstinence either from other delights or yet from labours and worldly businesse but onely from food And thirdly not from all food but only from flesh egs and whit-meat as though it were a more holy thing to eat fish than flesh oyle than butter broths jellies leaches marmalade sucket and such like than egs milke butter and cheese And if in their fasting mourning were required according to the doctrine and examples of the holy Scripture the vse of wine and strong drinks which is permitted among theÌ„ wold be vnseasonable For wine maketh glad the hart of man is giuen to the sorowfull to expel grief Neither is their fast from euen to euen according to the rules examples mentioned in the holy Scripture They confesse indeed that fasting is an abstinence from all food vntill the euening yea Bellarmine teacheth that it is not sufficient to a fast that a man eat but one meele in the day vnlesse his meele be so late as that it may be called a supper and not a dinner and withall professeth that it is a thing neuer heard of that any fast should bee dissolued before the ninth houre which is three a clocke after noone For they say in Lent they may not eat before euening and at other times not before three a clock But the receiued custome of the Church of Rome which Bellarmine with flat contradiction to those former assertions doth defend is to take their meele either at noone or before besides some bread and drinke in the morning and their drinking or collation in the euening And because by their canons they may not in Lent go to supper before their euening seruice be ended they do therfore dispatch their euening prayer in the morning that they may be at supper by noone But indeed both in Lent and other times their suppers which should be in the euening at the end of the fast are turned into dinners And therefore whatsoeuer they pretend to the contrarie their fast standeth wholly in choise of meats and abstinence from flesh and whit-meats Durandus saith because the Pope Cardinals and Prelats and other religious men when they fast