praier and whereas praier is ought to be a daily exercise of euery christian man woman euen as the Iewes had their daily morning and euening sacrifice which were not without praier and as it is saide of Daniell Dan. 6.10 that it was his custome to praie three times euerie day Yea earnest and feruent and continuall praiers in the daies of fasting they haue vsed a speciall and extraordinarie kinde of praier differing from all other that they haue vsed before both in zeale and strength of praier and also in continuance Therefore we in the daies of our fastings also should be more zealous feruent in praier and also longer and more continuall then at other times as then we haue alwaies some speciall cause to mooue vs vnto it and the outward abstinence also should further vs thereunto And this we read to haue beene the practise of the Niniuites in their publike fast which they kept that then according to that knowledge that they had they did all praie verie earnestly vnto God that he would spare them according to that that the king commanded saying Iona. 3.8 Let man and beast put on sackcloth and crie mightily vnto God that is praie earnestly vnto him for mercie as Dauid vseth the like phrase in the same sense Psal 130.1 Out of the deepe places haue I called or cried out vnto thee O Lord. And this feruencie of praier the prophet Esay Esay 58 4. required of the Iewes in their fastes when hee saith Behold yee fast to strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse yee shall not fast as yee doe to daie to make your voice to be heard aboue this latter part of the verse others doe read thus whose interpretation and iudgement heere I follow You doe not fast that you might lift vp your voice on high that is to God in feruent praier which is one speciall cause of fasting and therefore it is called a day of reconciliation Lâ—u 23.27 because that then the priest by earnest praier did seeke to reconcile the people vnto God But to returne to the prophet Esay he finding fault with them that they did not fast to a right end namely to humble themselues and conuicting them plainly of the want of humilitie and repentance because there was strife and debate and contention among them which ought not to haue beene neither could haue beene if in the sight of their sinnes they had beene rightly humbled to seeke vnto God for mercy saith farther that they did not fast as those times did require to lift vp their voices earnestlie to God in praier they did chide and were earnest and aloud one with another but they were not earnest and aloud in praier vnto God as they should haue beene therefore whereas it is translated Yee shall not fast as you do to daie to make your voice to be heard aboue referring this lifting vp of the voice vnto loud words in contention as for the most part men will then be heard others doe read it as wee haue heard you doe not or you will not fast that your voice might be heard aboue referring it to the lifting vp of the voice to God in praier and in more then ordinarie praier noted by the lifting vp of their voice as was said before that the Niniuites did not speake onely but crie out and that mightily or with all their strength vnto God Therefore in â—he daies of â—asting we â—ust inforce â—ur selues to â—eruent and 〈…〉 So that to fasting must bee ioined a most earnest kinde of praier as the time shall then require and as men must not praie coldly and from the teeth outward as we say at anie time so then especially they must not bee wearie but consider well what great necessitie there is of praier both in respect of their sinnes and of the punishment of them and so inforce themselues to an earnest kinde of long praier as if a man were fallen into a deepe pit or well he would crie out aloud and long with all his strength euen vntill he were hoarse or had lost his voice that so he might be heard and holpen and would not fauour himselfe in such a case Thus it appeareth that when Ezra and the rest that feared God with him fasted because of the transgression of them of the captiuitie that hee praied verie earnestly and long as wee may gather both from his behauiour and from the wordes that hee then vsed which were full of great affection Ezra 9.4 for it is written of him that he sate downe astonied vntill the euening sacrifice and after the euening sacrifice he arose vp from his heauinesse and when he had rent his clothes his garments he fell vpon his knees and spread out his handes vnto the Lord God and saide O my God I am confounded and ashamed to lift vp mine eies vnto thee my God for our iniquities are increased ouer our head and our trespasse is growen vp vnto the heauen and so foorth as it followeth in that praier of his full of all humilitie and zeale The like may be said of the prophet Daniel who in the end of the seauentie yeeres of their captiuitie vnderstanding by bookes as he saith of himselfe and namely by reading the Prophecie of Ieremie that the number of yeeres which the Lord would accomplish for the destruction of Ierusalem were now almost expired and turned his face vnto the Lord Dan. 9.3 by praier and supplications with fasting and sackcloth ashes and then how zealously feruently he praied as it appeereth in the whole praier in which he often breaks out into many passionate exclamatioÌ„s so especially by the often doubling of the same petitions which was no vaine babling in him ful of words without any great matter but did arise of the abundance of his earnest desire and great feeling that he had of that which he praied for as when he saith Dan. 9.15 O our God heare the praier of thy seruant and his supplications and cause thy face to shine vpon thy Sanctuarie that lieth waste for the Lords sake O my God incline thine eare and heare open thine eies and behold our desolations and the citie whereupon thy name is called for we doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy tender mercies O Lorde heare O Lord forgiue O Lord consider and doe it deferre not for thine owne sake O my God for thy name is called vpon thy citie and vpon thy people Thus both of them praied verie feruently and with great zeale which argued that they had great hope of obtaining their suites otherwise they would soone giuen them ouer and not haue beene so importunate For it is most certaine that according to the hope that we haue of obtaining any thing at the handes of God or man so are our desires and requestes vnto them more earnest or more cold therfore when
might be persuaded that God requireth fasting of vs as well as of our forefathers â—ing is â—anded ell in â—ime of Gospell 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the Gentiles as well as of the Iewes vnder the Gospell as well as in the time of the Law we shall see that it hath warrant in such cases as these as well from the New Testament as from the Olde As when Christ was challenged for this â—5 33 That his Disciples did not fast though Iohn and his Disciples did often hee doth so defend them that he doth not wholly put it away from them as though they were not bound to it in the time of the Gospell but sheweth that as yet they were dispensed with because Christ Iesus the bridegroome was with them and so it was a time of ioy but the time should come when he should be taken from them great affliction should befall them then hee requireth fasting of them saying The dayes wil come Luk. 5.35 when the bridegrome shal be taken from them then shal they fast in those daies commanding them and all other euen vnder the Gospell in the time of great affliction to fast This time of the Pestilence is a time of great sorrow of great affliction therefore now by the Olde and New Testament wee are bound to it And so this may be sufficient to certifie the consciences of all that are not euill disposed That to serue God in fasting and prayer is a thing that he requireth of vs and so if there were no commandement from men to inioyne vs yet the authoritie of his Word in the Olde and New Testament and the practises of his seruants vpon the same ground should compell vs vnto it HOMIL II. The second Homilie sheweth what are the parts whereof this fasting consisteth and first which be outward belonging to the body and to what end they serue as to abstaine wholly for a time from all kinde of meat and drinke and sleepe and costly apparell and such like comfortes of the bodie and yet what libertie we haue then in all these in times of necessitie BEing thus persuaded of the necessitie of this holie exercise of fasting by good and sound reasons from the Olde and New Testament and that it is our duetie to obserue it and that the Lord requireth it at our hands it remaineth that I should further declare wherein this blessed ordinance of fasting consisteth and what are the parts and nature of it that we being willing to obey God in this dutie might not erre of ignorance 1. Cor. â— 30 and so not only obtaine nothing at his hand thereby but pul his heauy iudgement vpon vs for abusing it For as the Apostle sayeth of the abuse of the Sacrament of the Lords supper among the Corinthians For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe and so that which in it selfe rightly vsed was a means of health for soule and bodie was by their ignorance and abuse the cause of manie grieuous diseases mortalitie among them so it might come to passe that whereas by this meanes wee seeke to pacifie the wrath of God alreadie broken out against vs which also we shall do in time if it be rightly vsed for the neglect or abuse of it or both the Plague should not onely not stay but we should further prouoke the Lord to strike vs. â—sting conâ—teth of two â—rts This exercise therefore of fasting consisteth of two parts the one is outward the other inward the outward appertaineth to the body and is called a Bodily exercise as to abstaine from meat drinke sleepe and such like which of it selfe without the other is nothing worth though commanded of God the other is belonging to the soule and consisteth in the inward vertues and graces of the minde holpen forward by this bodily exercise and this simply and in it owne nature is profitable as hauing the promises of this life and of the life to come And of both these the Apostle writeth vnto Timothie Tim. 4.8 saying Exercise thy selfe vnto godlinesse for bodilie exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable vnto all things which hath the promise of the life present and of that that is to come Where he saith that godlinesse and the pure worship of God consisting in the inward graces of the minde as in humility faith repentance c. is profitable in it owne nature but fasting and all such exercises of the bodie and austeritie of life is so farre foorth profitable as they farther vs in these Therefore as the whole man consisteth of soule and bodie but the soule is most principall so doth this exercise of fasting consist of these two parts whereof this later appertaining to the soule is the cheefe And as in the sanctification of the Sabbath there are two things the one to rest from all bodily labour appertaining to the bodie the other to sanctifie that time of rest belonging chiefely to the soule which is the principall end of the other So in fasting there are these two things to be considered the one to absteine from all food which directly concerneth the body the other is the end why we vse that abstinence which is to further our soules in godlinesse which is the chiefest of all and giueth life to the other euen as the soule doth to the body Therefore though abstinence be necessarily required yet that is not all nay it is the least part of this holy exercise though the whole action haue the name of that as being most subiect to the outward sense so best knowen for it is called fasting as in keeping holy the Sabbath day to rest is the least part of our dutie therein yet the whole daie hath the name of that for it is called the Sabbath this is the daie of rest The first â—art belonâ—eth to the â—ody and â—onsisteth in â—he abstiâ—ence from â—ll comfort â—f the same First then we are to consider what is the outward ceremonie in fasting and the bodily exercise and then what be the inward vertues to be adioined vnto it and to which end the other is vndertaken The former is an abstinence for a time wholly from all the commodities and pleasures of this life thereby to make vs fitter for the inward graces of the minde as to absteine from meat and drinke sleepe and such like that the bodie being thereby humbled and pulled downe the mind thereby might be humbled and cast downe also in it selfe before God So that this outward abstinence is therfore coÌ„manded that we might feele in our soules and in feeling outwardly might professe that we are vnwoorthie for our sinnes either of life or of any thing that belongeth to the vpholding of it and therefore we doe willingly for a time bereaue our selues of the vse of them So that vpon this and such like daies we ought to abstaine from al comforts of the body to these ends both that we might thereby the
almost all the land ouer especially in these southerne parts and scarcely anie shiere or countrey is free from it Such a thing as almost hath not beene heard of among vs So that wee say of it as the prophet Ioel speaketh of that great affliction that was in his time who to mooue them to a most serious and deepe consideration of that hande of God that was then verie heauily vpon them saith on this wise Ioel. 1.2 Heare O yee Elders and harken all yee inhabitants of the lande whether such a thing hath beene in your daies or in the daies of your fathers tell your children of it and let your children shew it to their children and their children to another generation and then he doth at large describe the calamitie that was vpon them but before hand hee telleth them as wee haue heard that it was such a strange thing as neither themselues nor their fathers had seene nor their posteritie should after them but he memorie of it was to be kepâ— from age to age euen to all posteritie So we may say of this mortall pestilence and pestilent mortalitie that the like was neuer in our dayes nor in the dayes of our fâ—thers the olâ—est man or woman that liueth can not of their owne knowledge make relation of the like so that we haue great cause neuer to forget it but to keepe the memorie of it with profit to our selues and also to tell it to our children to our childrens children that they may thinke of it also wisely to applie it to themselues and so to profit by our harmes that we all the sonnes and daughters of faithfull Abraham may do Gen. 18.19 as it is sayd of him namely Command our sonnes and our households after vs that they keepe the way of the Lord and doe righteousnesse that God may not only keepe from them all his plagues but bring vpon them all that good which hee hath promised to those that feare him Seeing then that the hand of the Lord is more heauie vpon vs and vpon our brethren this way then euer we or our fathers haue felt or knowen it we must needs confesse that vnlesse we be senselesse and hard-hearted And so hoâ— iust cause thâ—re is of publike fasting and prayer we haue great cause to sorrow and to mourne and so to know the day of our visitation so to acknowledge this to be the very time that God requireth of vs fasting and prayer and all kinde of humiliation that possibly can be So that if euer we should do it now we ought and if there be any time fit for it this time of so great and so long affliction and so consequently of so great sorow weeping and mourning is most fit for it Therefore if now we should neglect it and spend away the time in feasting in all kinde of mirth and iollitie as it is to be feared Esa 22.12 that too many do euen as the wicked in former times haue done there would be more than too great likelihood that not onely this plague should continue and increase but some more grieuous punishment should come vpon vs heereafter and all of vs must needs haue iust cause to feare it In the time of the law they were not onely commanded to celebrate the Passeouer yeerely but to keepe it at the time that God had appointed and this he required so straitly that if any had no let and impediment as if he should be cleare â—euit 9.13 and not in a iourney and yet should be negligeÌ„t to keepe the Passeouer the same parson should be cut off from his people because he brought not the offering of Lord in his due season that man should beare his sinne if we then do not at this time when God requireth it of vs bring to him the obedience of fasting and praier and offer vnto him in all humilitie as the time requireth the sacrifices of broken hearts and contrite spirits we can not onely not looke for any mercy according to our great need but we may assure our selues of some further great punishment if wee be not wholly destroyed and cut off from his people Therefore let vs not be like vnto those foolish Iewes who knew not nor regarded the time of their visitation and so did not consider either what mercie God offered vnto them or what dueties he required of them in that time of whoÌ„ our Sauiour Christ iustly complaineth in the Gospell and vttereth his complaint out of the abundance of his loue with many teares saying Luk. 19.42 O if thou hadst euen knowen at the least in this thy day those things that belong to thy peace but now are they hidden from thine eyes So wee should now be ignorant what God requireth of vs at this time and not do it Let vs then be perswaded vpon the former reasons commandements and examples that howsoeuer God at other times giueth vs libertie to feast and to reioyce and to vse his benefits not onely for necessity but for delight according to the sundrie causes of mirth which by his blessings is bestowed vpon vs he shall offer vnto vs yet at this time it being a time of so great affliction and so of sorrow euerie where as hath not bene knowne or heard of whiche they doe best know that haue beene vnder the hande of God and we our selues cannot altogither be ignorant of it let vs bee perswaded I say that the Lord requireth of vs fasting and mourning and great humiliation that so we may doe that that we doe in faith and in obedience to his holy commandement and that most willingly also that he might accept it at our handes and reward vs for it And heere againe by the waie we may easily iudge of the fastes held in the time of poperie and ignorance In poperie this difference of time for fasting was wholly neglected namely that they were according to the blindnesse of that time both ignorantly imposed vpon mens consciences and also verie superstitiously obeied when as they made no difference or choise of times but without all discretion appointed the time of Lent and all Ember weekes as they call them and euery Saints eeuen yeerelie to be fasted let the times be then as they will be not considering whether the time be or shall be a time of ioy or sorrow of weeping or of reioicing as a time of peace or of warre a time of sicknesse or of health a time of dearth or of plentie or generally a time of prosperitie or of aduersitie this they doe not for ciuill pollicie as we keepe them but of meere consciene inioyning all men vnder the paine of sinne and fearefull curse of the Pope vpon such and such daies yeerely to fast euen vnto their dying daie when as it may fal out for ought that they know that such times may be full of causes of reioicing publikely or priuately so feasting were more fit for them
of God Leu. 23.27 So likewise Moses speaking of the day of fast sayth It shal be an holy conuocation vnto you and you shal humble your soules and offer sacrifices made by fire vnto the Lord where he doeth not onely say that their assemblies then should be to an holy end as vpon the Sabbath and that they shuld not meet about worldly matters but speaketh of sacrifices as a part of Gods worship then to be vsed Therefore concerning the seruice of God this day to be vsed as vpon the Sabbath day besides the dayly morning and euening sacrifice there was a peculiar kinde of sacrifice appointed for that day Num. 28.9 namely two lambes of a yeere olde c. and so all things were then doubled and thus they spent the greatest part of the day in we publicke seruice of God so ought it to bee vpon the day of fast And this was the practise of the people of God as we reade in the booke of Nehemiah Neh. 9 1. where it is sayd That all the Israelites assembled with fasting Therefore longer time then ordinary should be spent in the publike assemblies and with sackecloth and earth vpon them the Leuites stood vp in their place and read in the booke of the law of the Lord their God foure times on the day and they confessed and worshipped the Lord their God foure times So that both for the exercise of the word and for prayer all was extraordinarie and so ought it to bee among vs that we should not onely do as we do namely twise a day once in the forenoone and againe in the afternoone but wee should continue both the times longer than we do and haue more exercises of the Word and of prayer if wee were able or had more helpe as it is sayd in this Congregation of the Iewes they had for the Leuites are reckoned vp by name who spake euen Ieshua and Bani Kadmiel vers 4.5 Shebaniah Bunni Sherebiah Bani Chenani who cried with a loud voice vnto the Lord their God and they stood vp and said Praise the Lord your God for euer and euer and let them praise thy glorious name O God which excelleth about al thanksgiuing praise where wee see that there were manie that prayed vnto God and exhorted the people which could not be all at once because of disorder and confusion but one after another whereby also it came to passe that they were able to continue so long euen to preach to pray foure times in the day And thus we see how this day ought to be spent therefore they that come to the Church in the forenoone and absent themselues in the afternoone without any necessarie cause to be approued of God and men do not keepe this holie day of fast as they should In the popish fasting dayes worke was ordinarily permitted And here againe we haue iust cause to finde fault with the popish pretended fastes who as in manie other things they swarued from the word of God so in this one point they came nothing neere it for vpon their fasting daies there was no restraint of worke but it was lawfull for them to followe their businesse as vpon any other day they that professed to keepe it most deuoutly yet did not leaue their businesse vntill noone and then not wholly neither for besides dressing vp of houses preparing of linen against the next daie if they had any worke of their owne to doe at home within the doores they thought that they might lawfully doe it though it held them occupied vntill night so they made no conscience of not working And besides this they had no speciall seruice vpon such daies and if they had few or none came to it and held themselues bound to it but the Churches were as empty vpon those daies And the seruice of God was little regarded as vpoÌ„ any other and they that were most superstitious in that religion were of opinion that if they came for a quarter or halfe an houre in the euening they had done as much as could be required of them though they vnderstood not one word of that that was said or done so far were they from hauing any holy assemblies or doubling of their seruice that day that they had none at al for the most part but all was differred vntill the day following as though they should fast vpoÌ„ one day and serue God vpon an other and not doe them both together And thus much of the time when and howe long we should fast and how the same time ought to be spent HOMIL VII The seuenth 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 THe nature and thus condition of this holie exercise of fasting being thus hitherto described out of the worde of God both that it is an ordinance and commandement of almightie God and not an humane constitution and brought in by the policie of men and therefore that which all men must submit themselues vnto of conscience and also that it consisteth in that outward bodilie exercise of abstinence from all the coÌ„fort of this life for a time and in those inward vertues of the minde as true humilitie and feruencie of praier whereof we haue heard and that the time fit for it is specially the time of some great affliction and that then it must bee held longer or shorter time according to the greatnes of the same affliction whether it bee present or iustly to be feared that the said time of fasting is of the nature of the Sabbath and therefore must be so spent of all as vsually the Sabbath is ought to be both in abstaining from all the workes of our callings things of necessitie onely excepted and also in being occupied in the seuerall parts or Gods worship as the exercises of the reading and hearing of the worde of God praier vnto him and all meditation and good conference that might further them thereunto â—he seuerall â—undes of â—astes It remaineth now that I shoulde in order speake of their seuerall sorts and kindes of fasting that we might know how many they be and what they are that so we might vse them in their seuerall time and place as the Lorde shall require them of vs and as we shall see that wee haue cause so doe and that when we can not vse the one as there is no cause for it at all yet wee might perceaue that there was cause of the other and so thinke our selues bounde vnto it and that we should not thinke our selues wholly discharged of our obedience vnto the Lord this way because wee can
Peter and Iohn when they were forbidden to preach which Christ had necessarily inioined them by vertue of their office of Apostleship and so in obeying them therin they shuld haue disobeyed God they answered as you haue heard and so did that which God necessarily commaunded thogh men forbad theÌ„ And this must be the practise of all inferiors when they are forbidden any thing of their superiours which God hath commanded them in his worde either as they be Christians or otherwise and heere is their defence in so dooing But yet all these aboue-named degrees of persons Inferiors may make choise of the Sabbath day for their priuate fastes in their subiection though they be restrained from the choise of the day yet are not therefore set free from the thing it selfe I meane from the practise of priuate fasting when they shall haue iust cause for they may celebrate them vpon the Sabbath in which their masters should giue them leaue to bee wholly the Lords seruants and so not incumber them with anie seruice excepting things of necessitie which are permitted euen in the day of fastes And though there bee few vnder gouernement in families of that godlinesse and conscience that they are like to practise these priuate fastes yet neither am I out of hope of all and I thought it necessarie to deliuer the doctrine for it is their dutie thus to doe though the greatest part be ignorant or make no conscience of it And so this shall suffice to haue beene spoken of the first kind of fast which is priuate HOMIL VIII The eight Homilie intreateth of the second kind of fasts which are publike 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 whâ—ch is the wrath of God against his Church either present as it is now vpon vs or likely to come which the godlie 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 THe second and last kind of fasting Publike fasts and why they are so called which I am to intreat of at this time is publike or common and is so called because it is and ought to be vsed not of a few but a whole Church and congregation in a towne or citie or of manie Churches in the same or in a countrie or realme and thus vsed by the publike authoritie and commandement of them who next vnto Christ Iesus haue the gouernment of those places where the fast is held and not by the motion or aduise of some priuate man as the other that we spake of before is And therefore also these kindes of fastes are kept in the publike places openly where they vse to haue their common assemblies for the worship of God where the Church is constituted vnder a Christian Prince and not in any priuate house or houses And the cause of them is some general calamitie of the Church for the most part and not priuate to one or some few and that either in the same place where the fast is sanctified or in some other churches of their brethren neer or farre of for whom they seeke vnto the Lord according to the bond of Christian loue that ought to bee among all the Churches of God as â—mong the members of one mysticall body whereof Christ is the head and the same calamity either presently vpon them or imminent greatly to be feared So that briefely or in a word a publike fast is that which is imposed by publike authoritie vpon all the people of that place to be kept openlie in the common place of their holie assemblies for some common plague to be remooued or turned away or for the obtaining of some common benefit belonging to the whole bodie of the same Church or to some principal member of the same And such is this that we haue These which we now keepe are publike and doe keepe this day by the authoritie first of the Kings most excellent Maiestie and then of those that are in authoritie vnder him in Ecclesiasticall matters and for the well ordering of all things to bee done in the Church vnto which all sorts of men and women should come in al cities towns Such was the fast that was celebrated in Niniue at the preaching of Iona Iona 3.7 for the King caused it to be proclaimed through Niniue euen through that great citie of three daies iourney by the counsell of the King and his nobles saying vers 5. Let neither man nor beast taste any thing feed or drinke water and as the proclamation was thus generall reaching vnto all so it was accordingly put in practise for it is saide a little before 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 so that the fast was kept by all the people of that citie The like may be saide of that that was obserued in the daies of Hester for though in respect of the places where it was as in their seuerall houses closely it may be called priuate yet in regard of the multitude that kept it euen al the Iewes and people of God in that citie and in respect of the person by whose direction they were moued vnto it euen the Queene it may truely be called publike for it is sayd that she sent this commandement to Mordecay Goe and assemble al the Iewes that are found in Shushan and fast for me and Mordecay went his way and did according to all that Hester Hest 4.16 had commanded him so this fast was imposed vpon all the Iewes and all of them kept it And therefore all sorts of people should come to them And so to the obseruation of these fastes of ours all should come not one or two in a familie and say goe you to daie and we will come the next day for by the authoritie and commandement of our gouernors all are inioined vnto it Exod. 20 1â— And as vpon the Sabbath because it is a daie appointed for the publike seruice of God all are commanded to keepe it holie Thou and thy sonne and thy daughter thy man seruant and thy maide seruant and the stranger that is within thy gates So vpon these daies which are of the nature of the Sabbath and are also publikely commanded all should thinke theÌ„selues bound vnto it Esa 2.3 Therefore as vpon the Sabbath day they should come together and saie one to another Come let vs goe vp to the house of the Lord so vpon these daies of fasting one should call vpon another Therefore not onely that is a great fault if any should not come at all but if any should come for nouelties and then giue it ouer againe yea and if they should come seldome now and then or if they should come
that we lacke helpe and that we had need still to call for more and so to stir vp those that come not or come seldome and to call vpon them that doe that they would bring as manie with them as they can euen their whole familie and all the seruants in the same And doe we not see by this that it is our bounden dutie to do as we do that we may continue it willingly of conscience and that we had not need to be remisse or slacke one whit either in true humilitie for our sinnes or in feruencie of praier seeing Gods hand is not slaked but rather stretched out still Therefore to conclude this point as the commandement and cause is publike so by our practise let it appeare among vs that our fasts are so and not priuate as it were to some few â—he cause of â—ublike fasts 〈◊〉 the wrath â—f God aâ—ainst the â—hurch Now concerning the causes of publike fastings they are set downe particularly to be diuers in the holy Scripture but for the most part and generally the cause is expresly noted to be the wrath and anger of God against the Church as appeareth by all the fasts that we reade of in the old new Testament And this is diligently to be obserued of vs that wee seeing the same cause among vs might knowe that though wee are commanded by publike authoritie to vse them and so all are bound to them yet when wee shall further vnderstand that God himselfe not man onely for this cause calleth vs vnto them then wee should iudge that all are bound vnto them so much the more And this wrath of God the cause of publike fasts is considered two waies either that which is alreadie come vpon men or which is iustly to be feared shortly and to whether of these two causes wee shall cast our eyes we shall clearely see that we haue great cause to do as we do that is publickely to humble our selues in fasting before the Lord. And first of all when it iâ— presently vpon them Iudg. 20.26 For concerning the former which is the wrath of God presently vpon the Church wee reade in the time of the Iudges when in two battels there were slaine of the Israelites fortie thousand this heauie hand of God being then vpon them all the children of Israel went vp and all the people came also vnto the house of God and wept and sate there before the Lord and fasted that day vnto the euening so that in this present calamitie all the people came to the fast which was held for it in the house of God Since this plague began among vs by all estimation there haue not so few as forty thousand died in this land therefore wee haue also as great cause to fast for this present apparent token of Gods wrath as they had and so all the people should come to the house of God to that end Moreouer the Prophet Ioel sayth to the people of Iudah that seeing there was so great a famine among them that God commanded them all publikelie to fast saying Ioel 2.15 Thus saieth the Lord Blow the trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast call a solemne assemblie gather the people sanctifie the congregation gather the elders assemble the children and those that sucke the breasts let the bridegrome goe forth of his chamber and the bride out of her bride chamber let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weepe Where we see that because the present scarsitie of the fruits of the earth was so great he calleth all sorts of men and women yoong and olde without exception vnto publike fasting to pacifie Gods wrath and that by the commaundement of the Lord saying As it is now vpon vs in this pestilence Thus saith the Lord. If the anger of God appearing in the famine was a sufficient cause to moue them to it then seeing it appeareth no lesse if not a great deale more in the deadlie contagions and mortalitie of the pestilence that we may be assured that the Lord doth require the same of vs also Againe if the Israelites when they were ouerthrowen in battle by their enimies the Philistins in the daies of Samuel did thinke that there was great cause to confesse their sinnes vnto God with all humilitie in fasting praier publikely according to the direction of the said Samuel 1. Sam 7.6 who said Gather al Israel to Mizpeh and I wil pray for you vnto the lord they gathered togither to Mizpeh and drew water powred it out before the Lord that is wept abundantly and fasted the same day and saide there wee haue sinned against the Lorde and afterwards in the daies of Dauid vpon the like occasion of whom and of all whose companie it is saide 2. Sam. 1.12 That Dauid tooke hold on his clothes and rent them and likewise all the men that were with him and they mourned and wept and fasted vntill euen for Saul and Ionathan his sonne and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel because they were slaine with the sword Then seeing the plague deuoureth no lesse then the sword of which it is said that it so destroieth at noone-daie Psa 91.7 that it causeth a thousand to fall on the one side ten thousand on the other seeing the wrath of God appeareth in the one as well as in the other though wee haue escaped that which wee feared namely that wee haue not fallen into the handes of our enemies yet seeing the Lorde hath sent this great scourge of the pestilence vpoÌ„ vs which we looked not for we haue as great cause to humble our selues with fasting confessing our sins vnto God in praier In which respect we are bound to keepe them by the commandement not onely of men but of God as they So then we may perceiue that seeing this one cause of publike fasting is among vs namely the sensible and apparent token of Gods wrath in great measure that the thing it selfe ought to be practised of vs and that we are called to it now not onely by the voice of man but of the Lord our God and so euery one ought to thinke themselues bound to it so much the more Furthermore the wrath of God is to be considered of vs not only when it is 〈◊〉 presently vpon vs and may be felt Secondly the signes of gods wrath to come haue beene cause of publike fasting but wheÌ„ it maybe descerned a far off and when there is iust cause to fear it as that that is neere vs and readie shortly to come vpon vs if it be not speedily preuented whereof when the seruants of God haue seene euident signes and apparent tokens they haue in the wisedome of the spirit of God sought by fasting and praier to turne it away and haue not carelessely taried vntill such time as it came vpon them And so that hath beene an other sufficient cause of fasting vnto