them but of sorrowing mourning which in it he required of them â—hese fastâ—s â—urs wee st lab â—r this true â—ilitie 〈◊〉 contritâ—â—â—f minde And by all these we may easily vnderstand how greatly in these fastings of ours we also should deiect our selues in our own eies what sorow and griefe of mind should be in vs because of our sinnes and of the wrath of God so manifestly appearing against them And truely if euery man and woman would enter into a serious consideration of their liues past and examine themselues their deeds words and thoughts in al the commandements of God wee might be more humbled then we are especially if we did wisely consider also the punishments due to vs for them and those not onely threatned but alreadie in great measure vpon vs by this great mortalitie in manie places which still increaseth Therefore let euerie one pray to God that he would worke this in him that hee may haue a soft and tender heart a broken and contrite spirit which is an acceptable sacrifice vnto him and which he will not despise as the Prophet saith that is will most fauourablie accept Psal 51.17 that I saie hee may be wounded and prickt at his heart for his sinne and let vs all pray that this abstinence and fasting might be blessed to euerie one of vs to these endes so shall it be acceptable vnto God and profitable to our selues And this must be professed by our deeds and confessed in our words Furthermore as this abstinence is vsed to this ende euen to bring vs to this sorow for our sinnes which wee haue spoken of so also that we might professe to the glorie of God that we doe thus iudge of our selues indeed 1. Cor. 11.24 For as the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper is appointed not onely that we might remember the death of Christ by it vers 26. according as it is written This doe yee in remembrance of me but that we might shew it foorth vntill his comming againe as it is saide in the same place As often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cuppe yee shew the Lords death till he come euen that wee looke to be saued by it onely to the condemning of all those that put their trust in any thing else So this abstinence is vsed not onely to bring vs to this vile esteeming of our selues for our sinnes but that in the feeling of it we might by our practise and in our praiers make open profession of the same euen as Benhadad king of Aram sent his seruants girded with sackcloth about their loines 1 King 20.32 and with ropes about their heads to Ahab king of Israell to intreat for his life saying Thy seruant Benhadad saith I praie thee let me liue that he might see that he iudged himselfe woorthie of death So the children of God in times past by abstaining from meate and drinke did confesse with their mouthes and by this practise did openly shew it that they thus iudged of themselues euen that they were vnwoorthy of a crumme of bread or of a droppe of water or of any sustenance whatsoeuer and by putting on sackecloth they professed that they were vnwoorthie of any raiment euen of the least ragge and therefore also but for shame they would haue gone naked and by watching that they were vnwoorthy of sleepe or any rest and so of other things as that they were vnwoorthy of the benefite of mariage and of any comfort in it and of any pleasure or delight in any creature or ordinance of God but that it should be iust with God if hee did cause them to spend awaie their daies in heauinesse And when they put dust and ashes vpon their heads that they were vnwoorthie to breath vpon the face of the earth or to tread vpon the ground yea so vnwoorthy of life that if they had their deserts they should be as deepe vnder the ground as they were aboue it And if there had beene any thing else in the world that would haue represented and set foorth the euerlasting paines of hell eternall condemnation that would they haue borne the image of in their bodies to testify openly against themselues that they iudged themselues woorthy of that also â—hat we â—ay iustifie â—â—d and â—â—ndemne â—â—rselues And so they haue in thus doing iustified the Lord in that vengeance of his that hath beene either threatned or alreadie vpon them so farre haue they bene from murmuring or charging the Lord with anie hard dealing against them As the prophet Daniell Dan. 9.3 in the time of the captiuitie when in the end of the 70. yeeres foretold by Ieremy hee praied for deliuerance and as it is saide in the text turned his face vnto the Lord and sought by praier and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes and made confession of his sinnes and of the sinnes of all the people in his praier hee breaketh out into these words vers 7.8 O Lord righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee vnto vs open shame as appeareth this day vnto euerie man of Iudah and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem yea vnto all Israel both neere and farre off through al the countries whether thou hast driuen them because of their offences that they haue committed against thee O Lord vnto vs appertaineth open shame to our Kinges to our Princes and to our fathers because we haue sinned against thee Thus by his fasting from meate and putting ashes vpon his head hee professed that himselfe and al the people were not onely vnwoorthy of any deliuerance which he sued for but euen of life yea that they were altogether most worthy both of this captiuitie and of the shame and reproch of it and also of vtter destruction and death it selfe because of their sinnes which they had committed against the maiestie of God Ezra also in the like practise maketh the same confession Ezra 9.6 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 trespasses are growen vp vnto the heauen If we will â—eape any fruite by our â—asting we â—rust labour â—o be humâ—led thereby We see then that if we will keepe a fast acceptable vnto the Lord we must be humbled in our selues euery one before him for our sins and this outward profession that we make in abstaining from all things it must be in truth and our mindes must be answerable to our deeds for if we abstaine from the creatures of God and do not iudge our selues vnwoorthie of them if we forbeare the comfort of this life and doe not iudge our selues vnwoorthie of them also and of life it selfe all is but hypocrisie and God careth not for this outward shew Luk. 18.13 Therefore let euery man labour to come to this that he may be humbled in himselfe as the poore Publicane was when he stoode aloofe off and durst
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
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
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
the glorie of God and loue to the saluation of our brethren that wee should wee might see that besides this grieuous plague that is and hath beene not onely vpon our enimies if wee haue anie but vpon our neighbours friends which requireth publike fasting wee had many causes to haue done it priuately often long before this in respect of the horrible abominations and sinnes committed against God and against men euery where And that we might be mooued vnto it indeed we may further consider that we haue not onely the example of men but of godly women in this kind who haue giuen themselues much vnto priuate fasting For we read in the Gospell of Anna the daughter of Phanuel who was a Prophetesse Luk 2.37 and a widow of a great age who went not out of the temple but serued God with fasting and praier night and day Anna the â—rophetesse â—sed much priuate fasting This holie woman liuing in those corrupt times a little before the comming of our Sauiour Christ when all things in the Church were out of order did often humble her selfe before God in fasting and praier and sought earnestly vnto God tor a redresse of them she did not hecrein loose her labour but had the fruite of them for it came to passe that though she were a widdow and about foure-score and foure yeres yet she liued to see Christ come in the flesh to her vnspeakeable comfort and confessed him likewise and spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Ierusalem to the comfort of many Thus we see how we ought to haue fasted priuately oftentimes before so might we happely haue escaped at the least some great things that haue befallen vs and obtained manie great blessings which now wee haue wanted and also we see what we must doe heereafter if wee will looke to escape many euils and enioy manie blessings with the children of God and that at this present we had neede to doe as wee doe euen to continue these publike fasts that so wee might make a supply of that which we should often priuately haue done before Thus also in the daies of Queene Hester the fast that was kept by all the Iewes in Sushan A priuate fast held in manie seuerall families at once for the turning awaie of that great mischiefe that was intended against them by proud Haman though it was coÌ„mon in respect of the whole Church of God in that citie that kept it yet it was priuate in respect of the seuerall places where it was kept namely not in any coÌ„mon place of assemblie but in their seuerall houses dispersed heere and there so that Hester Hest 4.16 and her maides kept it by themselues as she promised for herselfe and for them euen as the rest of the Iewes were willed to doe it â—he duties of 〈◊〉 houshoulâ—ers herein So ought euerie godly houshoulder at the foresight of anie iudgement of God like to come vpon the Church where they liue in which if anie such thing should come they must thinke that they are like to haue their part as Mordecay saide â—est 4 13. to Hester Thinke not with thy selfe that thou shalt escape in the kings house more then all the Iewes to seeke humblie vnto the Lorde themselues and theirs so many as are capable of it by fasting and praier priuately for the turning of it away when there is no publike order taken for it or likelihood that there shall be And this is that which the Apostle hath respect vnto when he thus writeth to the Corinthians â— Cor. 7.5 Defraud not one another except it bee with consent for a time that you may giue yourselues to fasting and praier and again come together that Satan tempt you not for your incontinencie Where hee speaketh to the maried parties the houseband and the wife and sheweth what duties they owe one to another 1. Cor. 7.3 as Let the husband giue vnto the wife due beneuolence and likewise also the wife vnto the husband yet for fasting and praier they may and ought for that time with both their consents separate themselues So that there may be occasions in all times for which the husband and the wife themselues alone or with the rest of their familie or with some other of their godly neighbors and friends may and ought to giue themselues priuately to fasting and praier and then the apostle sheweth how the maried coople should for a time in one dutie of theirs behaue themselues one toward an other And truely if wee had rightly considered of all things that haue fallen out in our time and well weighed them Priuate fasting ought to be intertained into mens houses and laide them to hart we might easely haue seene long agoe that God had giuen vs iust occasion to haue intertained this speciall part of his worship into our houses as well as anie other though hitherto it had little or no intertainment at all with the most nay they haue not once so much as saluted it a farre off And as by the grace of God wee haue in many houses where the Gouernours are anie thing religious priuate praier morning and euening and at other times priuate reading of the Scriptures priuate singing of Psalmes so ought we also somtimes to haue priuate fasting For wheÌ„ the Lorde hath laide some grieuous sickenesse euen vnto death vpon anie of our children sonnes or daughters as he did vpon Dauids then shoulde we haue with fasting praier sought vnto the Lord for them 1. Sam. 12.15 as hee did much more then when others haue beene in that case For what causes and what good might come thereby who haue beene neerer vnto vs as the husband or the wife who lie in the bosome one of another and are but one euen in the neerest bond as one flesh But especially when God hath taken any of them away and so hath come neerer vnto vs with his correction then had we much more cause thus in fasting to cast downe our selues at his feet in the humble confession of our sinnes which were the cause of it 2. Sam. 3.35 as Dauid did when Abner was slaine if he did so for one that was so farre off from him and had sometime also beene his enemie then we much more for those that haue beene neere vnto vs and alwayes our friends as of our familie and of our flesh And besides when God hath laid any speciall affliction vpoÌ„ our seruants Psal 35.12 69.9 for if Dauid did it for his enemies then wee much more for those whose seruice is not hurtfull but profitable vnto vs yea when any great sinnes haue broken out in any of our houshold which haue threatned some grieuous iudgement of God to enter in vpon vs for it or when wee haue seene sinne openly abound in others And if all men had thus done it might not onely haue kept this great plague out of many houses
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