of them making their intire lives an intire fast and thus by fasting renderd their bodies sooner unto God than unto nature But where is now that holy temperance They fasted thrice a week but we scarce once in the week remember the practise or the benefit of it and not once in a week have a wise check for such neglect They did not only fast from food but after some fasts from sleep also as Eusebius shews Histor lib. 2. striving not only to forget the Delights of the body but also the Body They did not on a fasting day eat till three of the clock after noon as Epiphanius testifies in fine Parearii in Lent not til five at evening as S. Basil Hom. 1. de Jejun others relate But now religion amongst most men is grown so cowardly that not to dine were not to fast but to starve and to goe supperlesse to bed is no longer devotion but beggery And whereas they in Chrian pitty exempted from the fast Old men and Children Sick men and Labourers and likewise the poore both for piety and necessity now most men have thrust themselves into that priviledge So that now the rule it selfe is lost and we have scarce any thing left but the Exception True it is as S Chrysostome sayes we have a mercifull Lord that requires of no man beyond his strength but as true it is we must not counterfeit we must serve that mercifull Lord according to our strength we must serve him with all our strength I presse not here the kind of the fast which generally was from flesh and wine as S. Ierome contra Jovinianum Lib. 2. and S. Basil hom 1. de jejun shew But I presse the wisdome of the Church that thought it fit for most and the mercy of the Church that thought it not fit for some Yet that great example in the Imperiall city of Christians Constantinople in the time of the first the famous Iustinian and so within the first 600 yeares is not to be omitted as it is not to be parallel'd There being then in the time of a Lent a great scarcity of other provisions the Emperour cōmanding flesh to be killed set to sale in the Shambles not the man was found that would buy or tast it as Nicephorus an Ecclesiasticall Historian relates lib. 17. cap. 32. which must necessarily argue the firme perswasion of their conscienses Which perswasion though it proceeded not from the authority of the Scripture yet was from the example and prudence of the Church That Fasting is commanded in the writings of the Apostle saies S. Austin Epist ad casulanum 86. I every where find but the Time of fasting I do not find we may adde and the kind of fasting we doe not find But we may adde also that excellent rule of S. Ierome epist. 18. That Eccesiasticall Traditions which doe not hinder our faith especially then such as increase our devotion are so to be observed as they have been delivered to us by our Ancestors Divine Authority then commands the Thing Humane authority addes nothing but the Circumstance And shall not the whole Christian Church use a Christian liberty in defining the times and kind of Fasting rather than every single Christian in his Solitary Opinion Or shall any man approve the faith of the Church and suspect the wisedome of it as defining Circumstances yet he that cannot abstaine in the kind may abstaine in the quantitie in which a sanctified discretion may be his Physitian and his Conscience his Confessor True it is we shall not merit by fasting but it is also as true that we shall certainly profit by it 'T is a bad conscience a worse practise that because we cannot merit by fasting we will be sure to merit by gluttonie Indeed we may merit by that but it shall be only the wages of sin Our Prayers are not Meritorious shall we therefore live as without God Our Faith is not Meritorious shall we therefore turne Infidels Because Fasting is not meritorious shall we therefore become Gluttons We fast not for merit but for Obedience It pleases God therefore it must please us But some may say that fasting is nothing worth if not joyned with prayer it is most true but does he that bids you to Fast Forbid you to pray Fast then in Gods name as you ought to fast Fast and pray Nay he that truly fasts does certainely pray and he that truly prayes doubtlesse does often fast Or if Age or Infirmity admits not a severe fast let it be mittigated into a constant and holy temperance for he that strives for the Mastery is Temperate in all things being raised by the glorious reward proposed to the Conquerour which is a Crown a crown Incorruptible Besides the winning of a Crown the Grecians had a farther purpose of labour afterwards which was to be the better serviceable for the warres of their Country as Plato tells us in his eighth book de Legibus but the Christian whose life ends not but with his breath has no more labour but on eternall rest Yet before the Grecians got their corruptible crown it was to be adjudg'd unto them by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sueton in his Nerva calls them the Bravistae the judges of their contentions who having taken an Oath to doe justice sate on the ground observing the Combatants and at the end of the strife having commended the Conquerour they let him take the Crown that was provided for him which as it may be conjectured hung up in some eminent place And have not we a judge that humbles himselfe to behold our wrestlings And has he not sworne by himselfe that there is a reward for the righteous will he not at the Last day call the Conquerour the Blessed of his Father And will he not let them take Crowns of Glory proposed to them in the Heavens They shall reach them at the end of their life by the hand of Faith S. Paul speakes in that Metaphor in the verse before this text So run that you may obtaine the Latine has it ut comprehendatis and S. Paul's own word intimates as much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in the third to the Philippians v. 14. he is more exact where speaking of himselfe he saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reaching forth unto those things which are before I presse towards the marke And doe not those words of our Saviour imply this Metaphor of a hand The Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force And the successe of the strife shall be attended with great solemnity S. Chrysostom relates Orat. adversos Judaeos 2. that at the Grecians Olympique Games the Spectators would come and sit from midnight and so continue all day in the heat of the sunne to see who would get the Crown And does not S. Paul say The earnest expectation of the Creature waites for the manifestation of the Sonnes of God Rom. 8.19 He figuratively attributes
taught them not to condemne yet to avoid a Creature which in the use was so neer abuse He did not deny the blessing of the grape though his Gospell was the story of a greater joy yea he taught the joy of it in our Saviour's last supper in which it was both used and Sanctifyed Indeed the Severian Heretiques as Epiphanius relates thought wine was begotten of the Earth by the Devill himselfe perchance they might think so because it makes men outragious like the Devill himself But these were men that were mad without wine but in the wisedome of Christianity we must acknowledge it to be both God's creature and his blessing which may be abused by disestimation as by excesse Water indeed in the Southerne Countries as more purifyed by heate approaches neerer to health and dyet but in colder climates being cold and earthy a temperance in wine defends Age from Disease and Excuse nor can it being temperance be an Advocate for infirmity to Excesse Into which he that is fallen he that is sunke deep may cry out with David as S. Austin applies it Deliver me out of the mire neither let the deep swallow me up Psal 69.14 15. And if one cannot get out at once let him as one that is drawn out with lesse speed and more trouble get out by degrees els shall he quickly sinke one degree lower from Drunkennesse to Lust this being the next degree and filthinesse of the Body Our Adversary that was once an Angell of light and is now unnaturally become the Prince of darknes is now an enemy also to the light especially to such light as may preserve us from workes of Darkenes The first thing therefore that he endeavours against Man is to put out the light of Mans judgment which by the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.3 is in the Original aptly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man's day which the Divel frequently first effects by Drunkenes By which when the day of reason is shut in soon comes the night of lust and consequently the workes of darknesse which does increase whiles conceale Filthinesse Which filthinesse Clemens the Alexandrian well expresses when he compares a Lustfull man unto a Centaure which according to the Heathens instructive fiction was but halfe man and halfe beast But S. Peter counts such men all beasts naturally bruite beasts made to be taken and destroyed 2 Pet. 2.12 The Prophet Jeremie more particularly shewes why they are beasts whiles he compares them to neighing horses c. 13.17 as David before him did liken them to the horse mule that have no understanding 2 Psal 32.9 You see how they are corrupted in their Intellectualls and Moralls and are therefore defil'd into beasts Nor are they only beasts but very loathsome ones S. Peter likening them to the Dog delighting in his vomit a filthy beast indeed that casts away filthinesse and resumes it nay to such a beast he likens them as counts uncleanesse a delight such is the Saw wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2.22 a beast not only filthy but as S. Chrysostome saies such a one as fills other places where shee comes with filth and stench nor is only filthy without but also within whiles shee feeds on filth Yet the lustfull person is a worse beast because a more dangerous beast a very Serpent as S. Ambrose calls him A serpent for his pace he creeps upon his belly a serpent for his dyet dust is his food and earthy desires are the food of his lust a Serpent for his shifts rowling himselfe into many foulds finding out diversities of wayes in his slides a serpent for his venome from which Nature bids men flye and Grace more Yet is he a Serpent but in similitude or is he but thus nere unto a Serpent though the most cursed beast Surely a verier Serpent is not only neer him but in him even the Old Serpent the Divell Nay a lustfull man as S. Chrys saies is worse than a man possessed with the Divell for such a one is pittied by all men but a lustfull man is detested since this man is posses'd with the Devill with his own consent S. Peter expresses the manner of such possession foule and fearefull They have their eyes saies he full of adultry and cannot cease from sinne 2 Pet. 2.14 A sad society sinne and Perseverance in sinne you may see how they are possessed They have their eyes full of adultry S. Peter saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full of an adultresse as if the face of the harlot were still in his eie and possessed his eie with more delight as the more cunning Devill This is the filthinesse this the possession of lust a vice so odious even to cleaner nature that Heathens some purer Heathens have abhorr'd it Of these was Cicero who having excellently declam'd against lust is as excellently presented to us by S. Austin saying All this is said by one who knew not the innocency of our first parents nor the happinesse of Paradice nor the resurrection of the body Sure then at the last day even such Heathens shall rise up in judgement against many Christians And by their cleaner obedience to nature condemn some Christians foule disobedience unto Grace Need therefore great need have such to cleanse thēselves from such filthines since so Dangerous it is for them not to cleanse themselves and so hard to cleanse themselves you may see the danger in the Judgements which God has inflicted for lust revenging it with fire on the Cities of the plaine revenging it with the sword on the Tribe of Benjamin revenging it with the permission of Incest Rebellion upon David in his children revenging it with the losse of sight life on weake Sampson revenging it with the spirituall blindnesse of Idolatry on weaker Solomon But such as persevere in such sins shall hereafter know that as they would not here partake by cleanesse in the life of Christ so neither shall they hereafter pertake by happinesse in the merits of Christ to the knowledge of whom if as yet they are not come they are then as yet without the comfort from hope of mercy by ignorance and if they have the knowledge of him then loose they the comfort from hope of mercy by contempt You may see the difficulty of removing filthinesse in S. Jerom's expression who sayes so hard it is in carne non carnaliter vivere to live as without the body whiles we are in the body And he professes of himself that in himself he felt flames of desire though by fastings his flesh was dead as he speaks before he was dead You may see the difficultie in S. Austin's complaint who confesses that the servitude of lust turns into custome and that custome defends it self by the name of necessitie Hard then it is to cleanse from filthinesse yea so hard that a greater miracle it is for Christ by grace to renew a lustfull man to purity of life than it was for him to raise Lazarus from
whereby we shall discerne the Lord's body and worke the true the mysticall transubstantiation of ourselves by Grace into Christ so shall we be one with him and he with us We must come with an Examined Conscience sometimes that is occasionally examined by the Minister as in a Conscience very Ignorant and usually rather for Instruction than Censure but alwaies examined by it selfe Let every man examine Himselfe says the Apostle The examination by the Minister is more Charity than command and therefore we must beware that we Lord it not over the Lord's people They are his people more than Ours nor at all Ours but because His. Let us then chiefely examine Ourselves and come with a Consceince as resolute to Leave sinne as to acknowledge it Let us come with sorrow answerable to that Joy which we tooke formerly in sinne The Paschall Lambe was to be eaten with bitter herbes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Theodorus Gaza expounds it interpreting the ninth book of Aristotle De natura Animalium signifies Wild Lettice lactuca agrestis which as Dioscorides tells us lib. 2. cap. 130. was a very bitter herbe And likely it is God did not leave the choise of the herbe to the libertie of the Iewes to whom in all other things he had so particularly prescribed and so S. Jerome every where renders it lactuca egrestis And since this was a figure of the bitternesse or sorrow of the soule for sinne which every one ought to bring unto the Secrament it will be necessary to know what sort of the wild-lettice they did use That which is Old and Grown is not only bitter but also full of prickles upon the back or out side of the leafe so that it cannot be eaten but the more yong and tender sort was used in medicine though it was bitter yet it had a milkie moisture in it whence it is call'd Lactuca this being boild they eate with the Paschal Lambe Thus is there an Old and Grown sorrow for sinne a sorrow that goares the soule a sorrow which we rather call despaire but this is not that which comes to the Sacrament but we must bring the more gentle and tender grief which has the milkie moisture a supple Comfort with the bitternesse We must have sorrow but we must have Hope nay we must have sorrow and we must have Joy Yet must we come with Feare remembring that the surfet of bread is of all surfets held the most dangerous especially then the surfet of this bread which they shall take that unworthily take this bread He that receives unworthily insteed of bread receives a stone or a Scorpion usually 't is undigestable death The Apostle indeed told the Corinthians 1 Ep. 11.30 that for unworthy receiving many of them are weake and sickly and some slept that is God did strike some of them with infirmities of body some with grievous diseases and some of them with the last sleep of nature death it selfe We must come likewise with Humilitie and then by the Humility of our Saviour we shall obtaine pardon for our pride He wash'd the feet of his Disciples nay of Iudas whom yet he pronounced to be a Devil Can any man think he has an enemy worse than Iudas can any man think he can be so injur'd as our Saviour O what humility then ought we to shew towards the Lord of Glory who shewed such humility towards a servant towards his own servant and a traitour And that we may be sure we come not unworthily we must come with a Desire an earnest desire the true signe of a true receiver we must not like prophane Livers be glad to scape a Communion but we must long for it we must seek for it David professes such a search and such a desire in a like kind when he cries out Psalm 132.6 We heard of it in Ephratah we found it in the fields of the Wood. He speaks as it appeares v. 8 10. of the Arke of God which was a visible signe of God's gracious presence and in which as the Apostle says Heb. 9.4 was the golden pot of Manna Now David had heard he knew that the Arke had at the first been placed by Ioshua at Shiloh a City in Ephratah the Country of Ephraim Iud. 18.1 but he found it in the fields of the Wood that is at Kireath-jearim or the City of the Woods where it had continued for the space of twenty years after it had been brought home from the Philistines 1 Sam. 7.2 Now you know with what paines joy he went to fetch it when he had it how he triumphed in the Musique and in the Dance The like Desire and Labour and Joy we must come with unto this admirable signe of God's presence unto this more admirable Manna The Infant sayes S. Chrysostome does with alacritie snatch the teat fasten the lip upon it and suck with a most fixt impression so must we saies he like innocent babes suck the grace of Christ and like the babe crie when we want this spirituall nourishment The Iewes made great hast to be guilty of the blood of our Saviour and shall not we make more hast to purge our selves by his blood from our Guilt And if we truly purifie our selves with his blood we shall be as carefull of our behaviour after our receiving as we were before Otherwise we shall be but like the Iews who brought our Saviour into Ierusalem with shoutes of joy crying Hosanna and afterwards cryed as fast Crucifie him Crucifie him We must not in the Morning drinke the Lord's wine and continue at wine all the day after nor must we expell the Joy of our soule with the Mirth and Riot of our Body But we shall be certainely carefull after the receiving of it if we be truly carefull before And if we be thus truely carefull to receive we shall truly receive we shall truely feast with Christ both in this Kingdome of his Grace in the Kingdome of his Glory wherein this mstically feast shall be fullfilled as it is said Luke 22.16 by being changed into that heavenly and eternall feast in which as our Saviour speakes Luk. 22.30 we shall eate and drinke at his table in his Kingdome Then shall we be like Lazarus in Abraham's bosome not in a Limbus Patrum or the Confines of a Purgatory but without a mistake of the speech in an honourable place with a loving intertainment at a feast The speech is drawn from the custome of the Ancients to eate lying in Couches inclining sōewhat on the left side somewhat resting on the left elbow the head of the second lying in the bosōe of the first as of the third in the bosome of the second the right hand being at liberty whiles they eate being somwhat more erect the table being placed before the couch Now for a Lazarus a poore Iew to sit at the table as