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
word of God and in his howse as a wise steward to giue vnto euery one of them their owne food in due season and since euen as they were then preached I haue published them for their sakes especially and so haue deliuered them as milke for all those that are but babes and children in Christ. And therefore if any of these shall receiue any benefit by them I haue attained vnto the end of my labours though the other sort be not holpen by them one whit For which I will pray vnto God euen as I desire all you to whome these presents shall come to pray for me and the Lord heare vs all for our selues and one of vs for an other and his well beloued sonne Iesuâ— Christ our only mediatour for vs all that we may liue and dye in his faith and in his feare that so the same Christ may be vnto vs life and in death aduantage Norton in Suffolke Your louing brother in the Lord Nicolas Bownd THE GENERAL Contents of the whole booke which may serue for an alphabeticall table to finde out euery thing handled in the same Page 1. The 1. Homilie Sheweth that the exercise of fasting is not an humane constitution but an ordinance of God approoued in the old and new Testament and so how God requireth it of vs at this present and for what causes Pag. 26. The 2. Homilie Sheweth what are the parts whereof this fasting consisteth and first which be outward belonging to the bodie and to what ende they serue as to abstaine wholly for a time from all kinde of meate and drinke and sleepe and costly apparell and such like comforts of the bodie and yet what libertie we haue then in all these in times of necessitie Page 58. The 3. Homilie Intreateth of the inward vertues of the minde to be attained vnto professed in fasting without the which the outward abstinence is nothing worth namely of true humilitie and casting downe of our selues before God and wherein that consisteth and how necessary it is and by what meanes we may attaine vnto it Page 94. The 4. Homilie Continueth to intreat of the inward vertues of the minde and namely of the hope that we sâ—oulâ— haue of the pardon of our sinnes vpon our true repentance and that God will giue vs the things that we seeke to him for which hope must stirre vs vp to feruent and long prayer and how by importunitie we shall preuaile with God what things els may quicken vs vnto feruent prayer Page 133. The 5. Homilie Doth further intreat of feruency of praier requisite in fasting and to the end we may consider what great things God hath promised to fasting and prayer and how he hath performed the same not only to the godly but euen to the wicked who haue therby obtained great deliuerances yea how men by humble supplication haue preuailed with men euen with their enemies Page 168. The 6 Homilie Sheweth what is the proper time for fasting namely the time of affliction and sorow then how God requireth it and his seruants haue practised it and so how the Lord requireth it of vs in this time of our sorrow and how long the time of a fast should continue and how the same time should be spent Page 208. The 7. Homilie Intreateth of the seuerall kindes or sorts of fasts whereof the one is priuate and the other publike and first of priuate fastings and how to behaue our selues in them and how they ought to be intertained into mens houses and for what causes and what great good may come thereby and what liberty the Gouernors haue in appointing of them aboue all the rest of the familie Page 253. The 8. Homilie Intreateth of the second kind of fasts which are publike and why so called and how all sorts ought to come to them and what a great fault it is for any to be absent And then of the cause of them which is the wrath of God against his Church either present as it is now vpon vs or likely to come which the godly haue considered in the course of Gods prouidence and so haue sought by fasting and praier to preuent it and not alwaies taried till it came vpon them Page 200. The 9. Homilie Continueth to shew the causes of publike fastes namely when the wrath of God to come hath beene iustly feared in respect of the great sinnes that haue abounded and of the iudgement of God denounced against the same openly by the ministers of God And when Gods wrath hath not only beene vpon themselues but vpon others of their brethren the children of God Pag. 353. A direction for Prayer Fit and conuenient for all those that being ignorant or vnacquainted with priuate prayer are desirous to pray by themselues The holie exercise of Fasting described out of the word of God HOMIL I. The first Homilie sheweth that the exercise of fasting is not an humane constitution but an ordinance of God approoued in the old and newe Testament and so how God requireth it of vs at this present and for what causes RIght wel-beloued in the Lord whereas we haue beene of late commanded by the Kings most excellent Maiesty and that not without iust cause to meete once a weeke vpon the Wednesday The occasioâ— of this Treatise to be occupied in fasting and praier because that the thing it selfe hath beene so long out of vse that a great number haue little or not at all practised it yea they haue not so much as beene acquainted with the doctrine of it and so do almost not know what it meaneth I thought it my bound dutie first of all to God and then to you committed to my charge in one part of the day at the least during this time of fasting to intreat of the thing it selfe that so you might know how to behaue your selues in it and the longer that we shall continew it as hauing more knowledge of it to be the better prepared for it Heere then first of all that we might doe this that we doe not onely in obedience to our Lord and King but especially most of all in faith vnto God without which nothing yea though it be good can please him as the apostle saith â—eb 11 6. â—sting is â—t deuised 〈◊〉 man but mmanded 〈◊〉 God we must be perswaded that this order of fasting is not a thing deuised by man but appointed of God and commanded in his holy word and therefore that which he doth necessarily require at the hands not onely of others but euen of our selues And this we had need to be perswaded of the rather because that some neuer thinke themselues bounde vnto it and so make no difference of times either for fasting or for feasting but if they haue wherewithall all times are alike vnto them for eating or not eating But Solomon the wise sheweth Eccl. 3.1 that to all things there is an appointed time and a time to euerie purpose
kill them all both yoong and old children and women in one daie Then all the Iewes at the aduise and commandement of Queene Hester Hest 4.16.17 did fast and praie vnto God three daies and three nights to intreat the Lord that she might find fauour with the King that this wicked deuise might bee frustrate and disanulled whereby it came to passe that the Lord in whose hands are the hearts of all men to turne euen as the riuers of waters and who hath saide that when a mans waies doe please the Lord Pro. 16.7 hee will make his enimies his friends did so change the Kings heart I say that they had thereby not onely to defend themselues and to gather themselues togither and to stand for their liues but also to roote out and to destroy all the power of the people Hest 8.11 and of the prouince that vexed them both children and women and to spoile their goods And by this meaâ—es the Iewes â—â—d ouerthrow the diuelish praâ—tise of proud Haman and so also they did and God blessed them therein yea and Haman the Iewes great aduersarie was hanged vpon the high gibbet which hee had prepared for Mordecay and after that tenne of his sonnes also were hanged and Mordecay and all the Iewes were greatly aduanced and honored Hest 9.28 and the daies of weeping and fasting were turned into great reioicing and feasting yeerely Thus we see how wonderfully God did blesse them being so humbled in fasting and praier before and what great things they obtained thereby as not onelie the sauing of their liues goods thereby but the vtter ruine and ouerthrow of their most deadly and professed enimies and therefore no doubt if wee could humble our selues this way and praie earnestly as they did if we were as neere deathes doore as they were and had receaued euen the sentence of death in our selues as they had 2. Cor. 1.9 it were possible for vs to escape it and to finde mercie with the Lord as they haue done before vs and that not onely for our selues but for our brethren as they did For as hee hath promised that if we turne vnto him vnfainedly in the middest of destruction he will leaue a blessing behinde him for vs as was said before out of Ioel Ioel. 2.14 so heere in this people wee see the truth and accomplishment of it Besides wee may consider of that woorthy example of Gods mercy this way shewed vpon those that humbled themselues by fasting and praier in the daies of Iehoshaphat that good King of Iudah as it is set downe in the second booke of the Chronicles 2. Chr. 20.2 where it is saide that the Ammonites the Moabites and the people of mount Seir came foorth to battle against him and hee fearing the danger that might befall him and his people proclaimed a fast throughout all Iudah and praied earnestly to God for himselfe and for them which praier of his is there set downe And before they had ended their praier the spirit of the Lord came vpon Iahaziel a Leuite in the middest of the congregation who by the spirit of prophesie did foretell the victorie saying 2. Chro. 20.17 Yee shall not need to fight in this battle stand mooue not and behold the saluation of the Lorde towards you And king Iehoshaphat thereby obtained victorie against their enimies O Iudah and Ierusalem feare yee not neither be afraid to morrow goe out against them and the Lord will be with you And so it came to passe for their enimies slew one another euen the children of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of mount Seir to slay and destroie them and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir euerie one helped to destroy an other and so the Iewes entred vpon the spoile of them found among them aboundance both of substance and of bodies laden with pretious iewels which they tooke for themselues till they could carie no more and were three daies in gathering of the spoile for it was much and in the fourth day they praised God in the valley of Berachah which from that day had the name of that action for there they blessed and praised God for the victorie which he had giuen them and so called it the valley of blessing or praise and so they returned home to Ierusalem with great ioy Here we may consider the fruit of their fasting to be this that when by earnest praier they sought vnto God being in great feare as it is saide of the King that he feared and set himselfe to seeke the Lord 2. Chr. 10.3 then he made them to reioice So if we could thus rightly consider of this hand of God stretched out against vs that seeing our sinnes to be the cause of it wee would feare God and his wrath and suffer it to work vpon our consciences and seeke vnto God in feare earnestly to turne it awaie it might please him so to blesse vs at the last that we should haue great cause to reioice But verie few doe so laie it to heart that they haue all this while any thing profited by it in the true feare of God to repent them of any thing that is past to determine a better course heereafter and therefore cannot so earnestly seeke vnto God as they should for the remoouing of it and so it may iustly still be continued till it worke in vs this true feare which God grant that it may speedilie doe But let so manie as by the due consideration of this visitation haue set themselues to feare the Lord and to seeke vnto him in truth consider how God was found of this people and so will be of vs in his good time and as hee caused them after their great feare to returne home with as much ioy so he may bring those that for feare haue with griefe forsaken their townes and houses sal 126.5 bring them home againe with as much reioicing and whereas they haue sowen with teares they may reap with ioy and going out weeping and carying precious seede might returne with ioy and bring their sheaues as the prophet speaketh Lastly concerning this mattter we may see how the prophet Iona Ion. 3.4 comming to Nineue according to the coÌ„mandement of the Lord to denounce Gods heauie iudgement against them for their sinnes euen that within forty daies the whole citie should be ouerthrowne the King beleeuing this fearfull curse threatned to bee iust and deserued By this mâ—anes the Nineuites escaped thaâ— destruction that was threatned against them proclaimed a fast to this ende that euerie one turning from his euill waies and from the wickednesse of his hands that they might crie mightilie vnto the Lord as they did Wherupon it came to passe that God seeing their works to be good and that they turned from their euill waies indeed heard their praiers granted their requests and did repent him of the euill that
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
did so worke vpon him in this great prosperitie of his owne that hee was not able to hide it but it did manifestly bewraie it selfe in his countenance so that the king when he waited at the table did perceiue it and asked him the cause of it saying Neh. 2.2 Why is thy countenance sadde seeing thou art not sicke this is nothing but sorrowe of heart Then he told him the cause of it and said to the king God saue the â—â—ng for euer why shoulde not my countenance be sadde when the citie and house of the sepulcher of my faâ—hers lieth waste and the gates thereof are deuoured with fire Thus we see how hee in all pittie and compassion sorrowed for the desolation of others and shall we thinke that we may now giue our selues to feasting and chearing to myrth and pleasure to recreation and pastimes and to all kinde of meeting to these endes as in times past and haue little or no sorrowe at all when our brethren in other places are in great affliction and manie houses lie waste with the pestilence We must doe as wee would be done vnto if we were in their case or in any other miserie we would be glad that others should pittie vs and in pittie praie for vs Then shall â—thers also pittie vs in the like case and praie for vs. and it would be a great comfort vnto vs to heare that any did so then must we in the meane season thus pittie others and in a brotherly compassion praie for them that when it shall be our owne case that waie or any other way we might not bee left to our selues but others might doe as much for vs as we haue done for them before according to the promise of our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell Giue Leu. 6.36 and it shall bee giuen you a good measure pressed downe shaken together and running ouer shall men giue vnto your bosome for with what measure you mete with the same shall men mete vnto you againe It is written of Vriah the Hittite one of Dauids woorthie captaines that when hee was sent for home in pollicie by the King that by going home to his owne house the adultery that was coÌ„mitted with his wife Bethshebah in his absence might be hidden 2. Sam. 11. â— and therefore the king said vnto him Goe downe to thine house and wash thy feete so Vriah departed out of the kings pallace and the king sent a present after him but Vriah Vriah departed from his lawfull delightes because his brethren were in aduersity slept at the doore of the kings pallace with all the seruants of his Lorde and went not downe to his house then they tolde Dauid saying Vriah went not downe to his house and Dauid said vnto Vriah commest thou not from thy iourney Why doest thou not goe downe to thine house Then Vriah answered Dauid The Arke and Israel and Iudah dwell in tentes and my Lord Ioab and the seruants of my Lord abide in the open fieldes shall I then goe into mine house to eate and drinke and to lie with my wife by thy life and by the life of thy soule I will not do this thing Is this good and holy man Vriah would not go home to his house and make much of himselfe when the King bad him when there were so manie reasons for it because his Lord and captaine Ioab vnder whom he serued and manie other of the people his fellow souldiers were in the field before their enemies and so in danger of their liues but thought it meet in godly wisedome though hee was absent from them to beare part of the burden with them So should we fall from our â—leasures in â—his great soâ—ow losse â—f others Then wee if wee haue the like compassion to our brethren that hee had should thinke that wee ought to abridge our selues somewhat at the least of our honest lawfull delights and to cut off not only all superfluity and excesse but somewhat of our ordinarie diet and to sorrow with those our brethren who though they are not in the open fields and in the face and feare of their enemies yet are in no lesse danger feare of their liues by reason of this great plague Psal 91.5 which as an arrow flieth by day and walketh in the darkenesse and destroieth at noon day so that neither day nor night they are in safetie or without feare and is as deadlie as the sword for it causeth a thousand to fall on the one side and ten thousand on the other and so they haue manie fearefull dayes and take little rest in the night neither can they eat their meat quietly or with any comfort So that vnlesse we will be addicted and liue whollie to ourselues and care for none other this great wrath vpon our brethren so long and so heauie should driue vs to weepe with them to fast and pray for them and seeing they are so greatly humbled in themselues we should some wayes cast downe our selues with them Therefore let vs set their lamentable estate To that end we should seriouslie thinke of their lamentable estate before our eies and let it be a looking glasse vnto vs let vs in the feare of God thinke of it seriously and in good earnest as if it were our owne case that wee may be thorowly mooued with it and let vs not haue such stonie hearts so void of all bowels of compassion that wee should heare weekely of the death of our brethren and what great lamentation is made euerie where some for the losse of their husbands and wiues some for the death of their parents and children others for the departure of their sisters and brethren friendes neighbours kinsefolke and acquaintance and we should haue no sorrow for it at all this were the verie next way to prouoke God against our selues and wilfullie to pull the same miserie vpon our owne heads Dauid was so full of pitie that he fasted besought the Lord not onely when the hand of God was vpon some of his own houshold 2. Sam. 12.15 as when the Lord had striken the child that was begotten in adultery so it lay sick but also when it was vpon others euen vpon his enemies Psal 35.13 as he professeth himselfe They rewarded mee euill for good to haue spoiled my soule yet I when they were sicke I was clothed with a sack I humbled my selfe with fasting my praier was turned vpon my bosome that is I prayed for them continually I behaued my selfe as to my friends or as to my brother I humbled my selfe mourning as one that bewaileth his mother If he did thus for his enimies how much more should we doe it for them who haue giuen vs no other cause to iudge of them but as of our friends if he did it for some one or a few priuate persons then how much more should we doe it when the affliction is so common and
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
our best or our second For as it is said of the Israelites wheÌ„ Moses brought them that ill tidings from the Lord â—od 33 4. after their idolatrie with their golden calfe that he would not goe with them but send an angell before them When the people heard this euill tidings they sorrowed and no man put on his best raiment it was a time of sorrow therefore they did not put on their best raiment So all times of fasting being times of sorrow all men and women then should haue off their best apparell and be dissolute rather then ordinarily careful in dressing of themselues for what curiositie can there be in putting on of a peece of sackecloth which in fasting was the common attire of them all â—here ouâ—ht 〈◊〉 a diffeâ—nce of our â—pâ—arell acâ—â—â—dinâ— to 〈◊〉 times And truely all experience both of holy Scripture and otherwise doth sufficiently shewe that godly wise men women haue obserued a difference according to the time as of other outward behauiour and things so of their apparell and thus as there hath bene a time of feasting and a time of fasting so a time to come foorth in their best in their worst apparell For it is noted of Hester that vertuous and noble Queene Hest 5.1 that at the end of the fast she put on hir roiall apparell that is such as was meete for a Princes to be seene in insinuating that during the time of the fast she wore other apparel or this change on the sudden should not haue beene obserued and declared 2. Sam. 12.20 And King Dauid also when the childe was dead and so no longer cause of seeking to the Lord by fasting and praier for the life of it He arose from the earth and washed and annointed himselfe and changed his apparel and came into the house of the Lord and worshipped that is he clothed himselfe like a king and did annoint and trimme vp himselfe to looke cheerefully to shew that whiles he fasted he was dissolute and carelesse of himselfe and abstained from all ornaments and delights So Iudith that vertuous woman when she went to Holophernes for the safegarde of her people did put off her widdowes apparell that is her mourning weede which during the time of her widdowhood she had worne before which was a time of mourning and then she did annoint herselfe and put on all maner of ornaments which though she had yet she did not vse them before so she had for the seueral times of sorrow and ioy sutable kinds of dressing and did vse them accordingly Then in the day of fasting wherein greatest sorrow should be and be openly professed wee should outwardly shew it in our apparell and dressing as well as in other things that both for costlinesse and curiositie it should differ froÌ„ other which though they be but outward things yet seeing they are practised of the godly and tend to this end â—ostâ—inesse f apparell nd curiositie 〈◊〉 drâ—ssing a reat fault pon the aie of fast we must follow their example Therefore it were a great sinne vpon this day to set out our selues in pride either of apparell or iewels or sweete odors and perfumes as flowers in our hands or bosoms farther then necessitie in time of infection requireth or of starching or curling and crisping of haire and so to come abroad to see and to be seene and in the daies of greatest humiliation to lift vp themselues highest and to set out themselues as it were to sale in all maner of brauerie and delight and then when they should cast down themselues lowest with the Publicane to receaue mercy they should set vp the Peacocks feathers highest as though they did not need it or cared not for it And this is to be noted the rather because that some if they come abroad and be seene will not abate one haire of their pride though they be very sluts and slouins at home if it offend not your eares so to call them And these are the outward exercises of the bodie which are common to al those that professe to keepe this holie ordinance as they should of what degree or calling soeuer they be there is one more remaining which is proper to all that are maried who as they haue one comfort and commoditie in that estate euen of their bodies aboue others so they are during the time of fast to abstaine from it â—uring the me of fast â—e maried â—rties are abstaine â—om the ariage bed for if we be debarred then of the vse of those things that are absolutely necessary for the preseruation of our liues then much more from those which are not of that necessitie but rather for the comfort of our liues and as all other pleasures delights and recreations which are at other times lawfull are to be withdrawen from the bodie so this also Therefore then the maried parties with mutuall consent are to absteine from the fellowship one of an other and from the mariage bedde as the Apostle speaketh Cor. 7.5 Defraud not one an other except it be with consent for a time that yee may giue your selues to fasting and praier and againe come together lest satan tempt you for your incontinencie whereas at other times he doth wholly forbid this abstinence least satan should tempt them to sinne by refusing the remedie of it so at this time he doth require it to this ende that hee nameth And this is so straitly required that it is forbidden euen to them that are but newely maried as to the bridergroome and the bride who in this haue the greatest liberty aboue all other for the Prophet Ioel calling all sorts of men and women vnto fasting because the punishment then vpon them was very great speaketh euen to both these by name and not onely willeth them also to fast but to run out of their chamber saying Gather the people Ioel. 2.16 sanctifie the congregation gather the Elders assemble the children and those that sucke the brests let the Bridegroome goe foorth of his chamber and the Bride out of her Bride-chamber And thus much of the seueral things wherin the outward abstinence consisteth which is the first part of this holy exercise now it remaineth that I should intreat of the inwarde vertues of the minde to be attained vnto by these meanes which are those that follow HOMIL III. The third Homilâ—e intreateth of the inward vertues of the minde to be attained vnto and professed in fasting without the which the outward abstinence is noâ—hing woorth namely of true humilitie and casting downe of our selues before God and wherein that consisteth and how necessary it is and by what meanes we may atttaine vnto it The outâ—ard abstiâ—ence is to â—urther vs â—n the inâ—ard graces â—f the spirit IN the former Treatise we haue shewed wherein the first part of fasting consisteth which thogh it be first in order yet is last in account that which in it self is referred
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
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
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
haue seene before haue considered regarded this wrath of his to moue them thereunto not onely against themselues particularly but against others also of the same societie and fellowship of true religion that themselues were of through a mutuall feeling and compassion which they haue one of another as the liuely members of one and the same mysticall bodie whereof Christ Iesus is the head The wrath of God against other churâ—hes haue mooued the god y to publike fasting Rom. 12.15 and which he quickeneth by one spirit according to the doctrine of Saint Paul Reioice with them that reioice and weepe with them that weepe bee of like affection one towards an other So that though they haue bene free from any token at all of Gods displeasure themseues yet when they haue seene it lie heauilie vppon the shoulders of their brethren they haue by fasting and praier put to their helping hand Gal. 6.2 and haue sought to remooue it that they might be eased so haue borne one anothers burden as the Apostle saith fulfilling therein the lawe of Christ As appeareth by the fast that was held at Antiochia Act. 13.2 which was taken in hande for the great miserie of the mother Church of Ierusalem rather then for any present calamity that was then in that citie For it is shewed in the Chapter chap. 13.1 going before that Herod the King raised a great persecution against that Church and stretched out his â—and to vexe it there and first he killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword and when he saw that it pleased the people hee proceeded further tâ— takâ— â—â—â—ter also and when he had caugâ— him he put him in prison caused him to be bound with chaines and deliuered him to foure quaternions of soldiers to be kept and what he would haue done to him wee may easily coniecture if the Lord had not disappointed him as it followeth in that Chapter where is shewed how this cruell persecuting tyrant when he was in the middest of his pride and was coÌ„tented to be saluted by his flatterers with the name of God saying the voice of God vers 22. and not of man then the Angell of the Lord smote him because he gaue not glorie vnto God so that he was eaten vp of wormes gaue vp the ghost Then presently the Euangelist maketh mention of this fast when Paul and Barnabas were returned from Ierusalem to Antiochia and as it is most like told them of all the troubles that were there and there is no mention of any speciall calamitie that was there but rather of Gods great blessings for there were many excellent men euen Prophets and teachers whereof some are named there so that it is manifest In which respect we haue cause tâ— do it for thâ— calamitie that is vpon our brethren that this fast was to intreat for the Church at Ierusalem Therefore though there were no euill at all vpon our selues vpon our owne persons or any that belong vnto vs or vpon our towne or any likelihood of any to come vpon vs yet this fearefull and great plague that is and hath bene a long time vpon our brethren in many places of this land vnited vnto vs in the profession of the same religion Gospel besides the same allegiance which we owe all vnto the same soueraigne King in manie places I say as in London Norwitch Yarmouth Cambridge and such like should mooue vs in compassion to succour them with our praiers as much as wee can and therefore to intreat the Lorde to remooue this heauie hand of his from them though we feele not the weight of it our selues so to fast publikely for these cities and townes as they of Antiochia did for them of Ierusalem Therefore no man must thinke that these publike fasts which we keepe by the commaundement of our gouernours doe concerne others and not themselues nor say We are all well heere God bee thanked what need we vexe and trouble our selues with anie such thing before we haue cause this order is appointed for such places where the plague is heere is none yet neither is any neere vs Gods name be blessed for it These are good wordes indeed and I pray God that they may so consider of the goodnesse of God towards vs indeed that wee may labour to be truely thankefull to him for the same But doth not the Apostle say â— Cor. 12. â—6 that in the naturall body by the verie instinct of nature if one member suffer and be pained That as in â—he naturall â—ody there is â— feeling of â—he paine of â—ther memâ—ers so it may be in â—pirituall all suffer with it and haue the feeling of it And shall not we which are the bodie of Christ and members for our part as he saith in the same place by the inward working of Gods spirit be mooued with the aduersitie sickenesse paine and losse of our brethren but bee so hard-hearted and voide of all life of the spirit of God of all sence of feeling as dead and rotten members or rather cleane cut off from the bodie that we shal daily heare of many thousands of our brethren sisters in Christ to be in so great heauinesse and sorrow for themselues and for their friends and not to bee mooued with it and yet count our seules members of that bodie when wee shall haue little or no feeling at all of their estate That part of the bodie is dead that is without feeling not onely of it owne selfe but of the other members so we may wel thinke of our selues that we are cleane voide of that spirit of life that quickneth the whole body if in so great miserie of others we should be senselesse not moued with it Did not Nehemiah that woorthy seruant of God though he was in the Kings court and in office there and in great fauor with the King and all was well with him yet so sorrow for the miserie of his brethren in Ierusalem that he fasted and praied for them according as it is written of him Neh. 1.2 That there came Hanam one of his brethren vnto him and some other of the men of Iudah and hee asked them concerning the Iewes that were deliuered which were of the residue of the captiuitie and concerning Ierusalem they said vnto him the residue that are left of the captiuitie there in the prouince are in great affliction in reproch and the wall of Ierusalem is broken downe the gates thereof are burnt with fire when he heard those words As Nehemiâ—h beeing in â—reat prospeâ—itie mourâ—ed and faâ—â—ed for the â—iserie of â—is brethren hee sate downe and wept and mourned certaine daies and fasted and praied before the God of heauen for them which zealous and godly praier of his proceeding from the aboundance of his sorrowful heart is set downe there And this griefe of heart which hee conceaued for the affliction of others
not onely to manie persons but to manie places euen the chiefe cities and townes of this realme When as Haman sought the destruction of Mordecai principally because hee would not satisfie his proud humour in giuing him that reuerence which hee required and then for his sake the destruction of all the Iewes Hest 3.5 for his malice was so great and hee was so full of wrath and indignatioÌ„ against him that he thought it too little to lay hands onely one Mordecay and bicause they had shewed him the people of Mordecay Haman sought to destroy all the Iewes that were throughout the whole kingdome of Ahâ—sâ—uerosh euen tâ—â—â—eople of Mordecâ—y and had preuailed thus farre with the king that he had obtâ—ined a commission to that end sealed with the kings ring euen to roote out to kill and destroy all the Iewes both yoong and old children women in one day and Queene Hester Hester being without danger fasted for the miâ—ery of others who was a Iew herselfe had intelligence of this from Mordecay she might haue thought that al this did not appertaine vnto her she being the Queene and so deare vnto the king none durst be so bold as to touch her if all the rest of the Iewes were slaine yet she shuld escape for all this she is in great compassion affected with the sorrow and miserie of the rest of the people and so she putteth off her princely attire entreth into her secret chamber Hâ—st 4.16 there with her maides humbleth her selfe before God for them in fasting and praier three dayes and three nights together If then it were possible for vs in this so common and daungerous contagion and mortality of many of our brethren in so many places of this land dispersed to haue as good hope and likelihoode of our owne securitie and freedome from it as this good Queene might haue had from that destruction that was intended generally against all the Iewes yet wee should be so touched with the estate of others that are like to perish So sâ—ould wâ— that aâ—e whâ—â— for them that are visited with the plaguâ— that we should seek to succor them at the least by our prayers and supplications vnto God for them with fasting and humbling of our selues to that end as she did But especially we should be farre from that prophane securitie and carnall voluptuousnesse which is noted to haue beene in the King and Haman â—est 3.15 that they two sate drinking and making of good cheere when the whole Citie of Shushan was in great perplexitie so we should giue our selues to eating and drinking and all kind of mirth and iolitie like Epicures and belligods as it is to be feared that too many doe when in many Cities and Townes other are in great distresse and perplexitie of mind Yea we are to feare that fewe of the better sort haue layde this great visitation so neere their heart as they should which is one cause that it continueth so long and in that great measure that it doth Let vs then put vpon vs the person of our brethren and labour to haue the feeling of their estate A conclusion shewing what cause we haue to fast for our brethren as though it were our owne and then we shall know and confesse that if there had beene no order taken for these fastings publikely wee in loue should haue submitted our selues vnto them priuately but now seeing we are commanded by the publike authoritie of our Superiors and that also vpon so good ground as wee haue heard that wee are bound vnto it so much the more And the rather that we might doe it we may know thus much that they obserue this fast in Scotland for vs because now we are not onely vnder one Religion but vnder the same gouernement and therefore we must account the estate of the one common to the other as they by this practise for their part shew that they doe if they that are so farre off are mooued with it so greatly then we that are so neere must needes be too senselesse and void of compassion if we should not by fasting and prayer seeke that so great a wrath of God so long continued might in Gods most blessed time bee remooued and taken cleane away that so it might please him of his infinite mercie to worke that true repentance in all whereby he might be mooued to heale all those places that haue a long time bene diseased that there might be that intercourse of dealing betweene man and man in all places without danger or feare that hath beene and that it might not onely be remooued but with the fauour of God and with the amendement of all our sinnefull liues that so it might be a blessing in deede and not a curse and that we may so profit by it for the time to come that we take that warning which our Sauiour Christ gaue vnto the diseased man whom he had healed Ioh. 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sinne no more least a worse thing come vnto thee Which grace God grant vnto vs and to all the people of this lande for Iesus Christs sake to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one true immortall inuisible and only wise God be ascribed from vs and from all his creatures all honour glory and praise power and thankesgiuing from this time foorth and for euer hereafter world without end Amen A direction for Prayer Fit and conuenient for all those that being ignorant or vnacquainted with priuate prayer are desirous to pray by themselues FIrst let your ordinary praiers be sudden but take some time beforehand by meditation to prepare your selfe vnto praier and let this be the beginning of your praier that God would prepare your heart vnto praier Eccl. 4.17 Math. 6.6 Psal 108.1 Then make an humble confession of your sinnes vnto God and that both generally that you haue bene conceiued and borne in and continually liued in breaking his holie law daily in thought worde and deed and of some more particularly wherin you haue most offended him in any part of your life Psa 40.12 51.4.5 32.5 Dan. 9.5.6 Acknowledge vnto God from the bottome of your hart that for these sinnes of yours is most due vnto you his heauie wrath and indignation and all those punishments and plagues which in his Law he hath threatned to bring vpon sinners both in this life the life to come and more specially iudge your selfe most woorthie of those particular iudgements that any waies you are in danger of or that you are presently in Ezr. 9.6.15 Dan. 9.7 c. Luk. 23.41 Psal 130.3 Pray that in the conscience of this fearefull estate of yours you may be humbled before God in that maner and measure that so great a sinner should be and that in all humilitie you might cast downe your selfe in your owne conceit before God and his holy Angels and all men in respect of the
so haue died in the hie waies And againe it is like the leprosie that was among the Iews Leu. 14.34 which did hang in their houses and in certaine vessels a long time so it doeth remaine in the houses and bedding and garments of them that are dead a long time after and so breaketh out at the last sometimes a moneth and a great deale more after if good order be not taken to aire them euen then when they thought that all feare of danger was past All which doe shew what danger we are in though yet nothing be come vnto vs. And we may see it much more if we consider how the Psalmist compareth it to an arrow that flieth from one place to another speedily when hee saith Thou shalt not be afraied of the feare of the night Psal 91.5 nor of the arrow that flieth by day speaking of the pestilence so that as an arrowe flieth from one place quickely to another so doth this Flying abroad speedilie and closely like an arrow For a man shall come from one place to another a great way off and passe thorow many townes without hurting of anie though himselfe hath the plague euen as an arrow shal flie aloft in the aire and do no hurt nor touch any thing but then hee shall lodge or rest in such a towne twelue or twentie miles off or more and there he sickneth and dieth and leaueth the infection behinde him euen as an arrowe shot by a strong man is there mortall where it lighteth so is this arrow of the Lord shot out by his mightie hand who is skilfull to direct it to the place whither hee mindeth to send it so we may be in more danger thā we thinke though we be a great way off as a skilfull archer standing heere shooteth his arrow a great way off to the marke And sometimes they that goe abroad with running sores about them or hauing the infection in their garments and seeming to others to be in health and without danger haue infected others in the way as they haue gone where they haue tarried but a small while euen to eat and to drinke euen as an arrow doeth often hurt by glauncing at a thing besides the place where it lighteth Moreouer such is the nature of this disease that we may get hurt not onely by men liuing and dying but euen by other creatures which shall goe to or come from such places as are infected as cats dogs most of all and therefore in time of common plagues there is order taken in al cities or towns corporate which are well gouerned to kill vp all dogs that are not shut vp but runne abroad of what nature or kinde or qualitie or price soeuer they be least by comming into mens companie they shuld spread abroad the infection And we read that some onely but buying a dogs skinne in the market and bring-in it home they haue brought the pestilence into their house to the ouerthrow and destruction of the whole familie Seeing then that it is hath beene a long time in so many places there is no place so farre off from it or so free but hath iust cause to feare it more or lesse And therefore there is no place so cleere whether it may not speedily come because there are so many open and secret waies to bring it and so in the ordinarie course of gods prouidence all that haue wisedome may thinke it likely to come vpon them in this time if the Lorde be not mercifull vnto them Therefore in respect of Gods wrath manifestlie appearing in this grieuous pestilence though not yet vpon vs through the infinite goodnesse and mercy of God yet iustly to bee feared as wee haue seene wee must thinke and confesse that wee haue great cause by fasting praier to seeke vnto the Lord to turne that from vs before it come which as our sinnes haue deserued so wee see many means to bring it speedily vpon vs as other of his seruants haue done in the like case before And thus much for this present seeing the time cuttes me off from the rest of the first signe and token of Gods wrath likely to come obserued in the course of his prouidence as a sufficient cause of publike fasting HOMIL IX The ninth Homilie continueth to shew the causes of publike fastes namely when the wrath of God to come hath beene iustly feared in respect of the great sinnes that haue abounded and of the iudgement of God denounced against the same openly by the ministers of God And when Gods wrath hath not onely beene vpon themselues but vpon others of their brethren the children of God THe last daie we entring into this treatise of the consideration of the causes of publike fastings haue hitherto proceeded thus farre to shew that the seruants of God haue beene mooued thereunto not onely when some great punishment as a testimonie of Gods displeasure hath beene vpon them The wrath of God to come considered in sinne that hath abounded hath beene cause of publike fasts but when in the course of nature or of ordinarie meanes to serue Gods prouidence by there hath beene some likelihood of it it remaineth that I should proceed Therefore secondarily they haue considered of Gods displeasure likely to come vpon them by seeing and obseruing diligently the manifold great sinnes and notorious offences which in their time haue beene committed for which they truely iudged and feared that God must needs some waie punish them according to the number and greatnesse of the same though hee had borne with them a long time and the longer that of his great patience he had forborne them the greater and more speedie shoulde his punishment bee according to his iustice And this they haue certainely gathered from the constant trueth of Gods threatnings reuealed in his holy lawe and from the continuall execution of the same vpon others from time to time Seeing then that the Lord is iust and true and that he hath threatned to punish sinne so and so as is largely set downe in the Lawe and the Prophets specially the bookes of Moses Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. when they haue seene sinne to abound then they haue no lesse wisely then certainely concluded that wrath is at hand because God is offended For euen as when all flesh had corrupted their waies vpon earth Gen. 6. hee brought in the floud of water and drowned the whole world and when the crie of Sodom and Gomorrah was great and their sinne exceeding grieuous Gen. 18.20 the Lord rained brimstone and fire from heauen vpon them Gen. 15.16 and ouerthrew them and all the inhabitants of them And when the wickednesse of the Ammonites and of the Canaanites was full Iudg. 2.11 then the land spued them out and when the Israelites in the time of the Iudges did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim and Ashtarosh the wrath of the Lord was hot