death passion should bee celebrated with all thankfulnes about the same season in which he endured them a Ieiunandum orandum est Et quando potiùs quando instantiùs quà m propinquante Dominicae passionis solennitate quae celebritate anniuersariâ quodāmodo nobis eiusdē noctis memoriâ resculpitur ne obliuione deleatur Aug. de Diuer Serm. 74. c. 5. pag. 499. B. And the maner in which such sufferings of his may be most liuely represented and remembred by vs is if we passe those dayes in humiliation and sorrow whereby we may bee made conformable to his passion and death and by which wee may in a good sence be said to fulfill that which Christ did foretell when he said (b) Luk. 5.35 The dayes will come when the Bridegroome shall be taken away from them then shall they fast in those dayes And sure God himselfe by so obscuring the sunne that contrary to the course of nature it was darkened all the time that Christ was on the Crosse doth teach vs with what behauiour we should passe the time of his Sonnes sufferings and death And from hence I may conclude in St. Augustines words c c In qua parte anni congruentiùs obseruatio Quadragesimae constitueretur nisi confini atque continuà Dominicae passloni Aug. epist 119. ad Ianuar. cap. 15. pa. 195. f. In what part of the yeere could Lent haue bin more fitly placed then in that which is ioyned to our Lords passion and death Secondly because the Feast of Easter was now at hand and that was the day in which our Lord rose againe from his graue in which new Conuerts were baptized in great number and in which all sorts of men did come in flockes to the receiuing of the Lords Supper And therefore as the Euangelist saith of the Iewes Easter (a) Ioh. 19.31 that that was an high day so it may much more be said of the Christians Easter that it is an high day and to bee kept with all celebrity and in the most deuoutest manner And in respect heereof the Ancients were wont to keepe this Feast not for one day onely or for three dayes space as wee now doe but for a whole weeke together Yea and some festiuity and remembrance of it they kept for sixe weekes more euen till Whitsontide or the day of Pentecost Now that the great celebrity of this high day might be performed with better deuotion and more religious reioycing the ancient Fathers thought it necessarie that men should bee prepared aforehand for the performance of so weighty a seruice And therefore as the Iews (b) 2 Chron. 35.6 Ioh. 11.55 had their dayes of preparation before the Passeouer and as Christians haue their fasting eues to goe before their festiuall dayes that by their former dayes repentance they may be prepared for an holy reioycing the next day after so the Christian Church did thinke it necessary before this great Feast of Christs Resurrection to appoint some large and solemne time for humiliation and conuersion that men being prepared by a serious practice of al good duties they might be the more fit to pray for the new Conuerts and to receiue the blessed Sacrament and to praise God for his Sons Resurrection and to passe this holy day with an holy and heauenly reioycing And these I take it were the true reasons V. The fift and last question concerning Lent is What relation this Fast of fortie dayes in the Church hath to that of our Sauiour when he fasted forty dayes in the Wildernesse Answ To this question there bee three answeres 1. That our Lord as himselfe fasted fortie dayes in the manner declared so he appointed and ordained that his Disciples the whole Church after him should follow his example and fast once in the yeere so many dayes as he had done before in the wildernesse This seemeth to bee the opinion of (a) Enchitid lo. de Ieiun pag. 563. in solutione sextae oblectionis Coster and (b) de Quadr. cap. 1. pag. 392. seqq Filesacus and the (c) To. 2. Sabbatho post Cineres pag. 117 118. Author of the Booke called Antiquitates Liturgicae Answ 2. The second answere is that though Christ did not in words giue any such Law or appoint any such order yet his bare example doth tye Christians to the like obseruation practice Of this opinion some later Diuines in the Roman Church may seeme to bee who as (d) Quidam iuniores consent esse iure Diuino sancitum id probant quia aliqui veteres Ecclesia Patres videntur decuisse illud esse iuris Diuini quoniā Christus quadraginla diebus quadra ginta noctibus iejunium seruauit Azor. Instit part 1. l. 7. cap. 12. q. 1. pa. 566. col t. Azorius saith of them did thinke that Dent-Fast was by Diuine Law because some of the Fathers seeme to say that it was of Gods appoynting for that Christ did fast forty dayes and forty nights But these two answeres haue small shew of probability and no ground of certainety at all For all the reason that they alledge is so farre as I know only the authorities of some Fathers which haue not that meaning as Doctors of their owne Chruch haue endeuoured to declare Answ 3. The third answere is that neither Christs precept nor practice doth force or require Christians to keepe a Fast of fortie dayes or this which we call our Lent-Fast but yet the Church did appoint and doth obserue this number of daies in their Lent-Fast with respect and reference to the like number of dayes that Christ fasted in the wildernesse To this purpose Tostatus seemeth to speake when he saith that a Dicendū quòd hoc non prouenit ex alique mandato Christi sed ex solo Ecclesiae statuto Habuit tamen illud causas pendentes ex hoc facto Tostat in Mat. 4. q. 18. our fortie dayes Fast doth not proceede from any precept of Christ but onely from the constitution of the Church yet it had saith he reasons drawne from this Fast of Christ And Stapleton b Ieiunat igitur Ecclesia 40. diebus ad exemplum Christi non quide simpliciter quia Christus sic fecit sed quia eius exemplo sic faciendum esse in hac parte eius vesligia sequenda esse Ecclesia ab Apostolorū tempore docuit Stap. Prompt Cathol Dominic 1. Quadr. text 1. pag. 78. The Church saith he doth fast fortie dayes after the example of Christ not simply because Christ did so but because the Church hath taught vs by his example to doe so Which words may againe seeme to carrie the like meaning But it mattereth not what they mean (c) D. Field of the Church l. 3. cap. 19. pag. 105 106. A reuerend and learned Writer in our own Church hath deliuered the poynt in much more distinct maner Hee saith three things 1. That it is very fit there
(e) Ezra 10.6 He did cate no bread nor drinke water for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had beene carried away And lastly (d) vers 19. he tooke order that they did both put away their wiues and being guiltie did offer a Ram of the flocke for their trespasse In which practice of this holy man it appeareth that fasting was one meanes by which he sought pardon for the sinne And to like purpose the Lord himselfe appointed the Iewes to ioyne fasting with repentance (e) Ioel 2.12 Turne ye vnto me with all your heart saith he and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and rent your hearts c. For he is gracious and mercifull c. And for this cause some of the Learned say that (a) Act. 9. Paul did fast and pray for three dayes space that he might obtaine pardon for his former sinnes committed before his conuersion 2. If a man be lyable to Gods Iudgements and eyther be vnder the sense of some present crosse or in feare of some future euill fasting is a good meanes to preuent the one and to remoue the other Examples heereof wee haue in Scriptures For of the Nineuites we reade that when GOD had threatned (b) Ion. 3.4 Yet forty dayes and Nineueh shall be ouer throwne they beleeued God and proclaimed a Fast and put on sack-cloth and so they (c) vers vlt. preuented the iudgement And Ichosaphat when he and his people were in great danger by reason of a great Armie of Moabites and Ammonites that came against them (d) 2 Chro. 20.2 3. he feared and set himselfe to seeke the Lord and he proclaimed a Fast throughout all Iudah and by this meanes (e) v. 15 22 c hee escaped the danger And Dauid when his child was sicke and in danger of death (f) 2 Sam. 12.16 he fasted and prayed for his life And though God saw it not good at that time to spare the childs life yet by this it appeareth that Dauid knew fasting and prayer to be an ordinary and effectuall meanes to auert Iudgements or else hee would not haue vsed it Yea and so powerfull is fasting for this purpose that (g) 1. King 21.27 29. Ahab by his though no sound fasting did preuent a worldly iudgement And our Sauiour telleth vs (h) Mat. 17.21 that there are some such diuels as cannot be cast out of the possessed but by prayer fasting assuring vs heereby that when no other meanes can yet prayer and fasting may preuaile 3. If a man haue neede of some speciall blessing or merey from God fasting is a good meanes to obtaine it This may be declared by the example of Ezrah For he and his Country-men the men of Iudah were to goe vp to Ierusalem from Babylon the place of their captiuity and many lets they found in the way and little help for so great a iourney and heereupon (a) Ezra 8.21 I proclaimed a Fast saith he that we might afflict our selues before our God to seeke of him a right way for vs and for our little ones and for all our substance Where we may note that the thing which hee desired was that God would direct them and leade them in a right way in safety and without danger and the means that he vsed to obtaine this was fasting The successe whereof what it was is declared afterward where Ezrah saith (b) vers 23. So we fasted and besought our God for this and hee was entreated by vs. And to like purpose it is that the Church of Antioch when they were to send Paul and Barnabas about the worke of the Ministery and preaching of the Gospell (c) Act. 13.3 they fasted and prayed and layed their hands on them and so sent them about the worke Yea and our (d) Mar. 4.2 Lord himselfe being to enter vpon his Propheticall office began with fasting and thereby prepared himself for that glorious worke as may appeare hereafter more fully in the proper place By all which we may see what commodities and benefits we may reape by this exercise not onely for our soules our spirituall profit but for our bodies also and our welfare in the world And hence for conclusion of this poynt I deduce and inferre three Aduertisements for our further vse 1. We may hence obserue one speciall reason why we are many times afflicted and after long griefe finde little ease and it may be because we do not repent of our sinnes before we beg mercy or if we vse some kinde of repentance yet it is not with that sorrow such chastening of our selues as God doth expect and the case doth require For in Scriptures we finde that Gods people if eyther they felt any present scourge or feared any future danger then they betooke themselues presently to their prayers and fasting and sackcloth and by this meanes they haue gotten victory ouer enemies and reliefe in time of dearth and freedome from intended mischiefes and case and comfort in all cases of distresse And if wee should vse the same meanes why might wee not expect the same successe For the Apostle speaking of Abrahams faith (a) Rom. 4.23 24. that it was imputed to him for righteousnes addeth that it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for vs also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeue on him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead And elsewhere he saith of the many examples of Gods Iudgements vpon sinners that (b) 1 Cor. 10.6 11. these things happened to them for examples and are written for our admonition that we should not lust after euill things as they lusted And so seeing such things are recorded in Scriptures concerning Fasting wee may and must conclude that these things were not written for those ancient seruants of God onely that they by this meanes obtained such great blessings but for our sakes also and to admonish vs that if we vse the same meanes we shall attaine the same end And therefore if any of vs haue beene long afflicted and yet are not deliuered let vs consider whether we haue not beene defectiue in this dutie and for want of humiliation haue missed of the blessing Surely if we find not ease eyther we haue not humbled our selues as we should or the thing that we desire is no such blessing to vs as wee doe imagine 2. We may from hence learne how to make our prayers powerfull with God For God hath appointed vs to aske and hath tyed himselfe to giue but it is vpon condition that we (a) 1. Ioh. 5.14 aske according to his will and in such sort as we ought to aske For (b) Iam. 4.3 ye aske receiue not because ye aske amisse saith the Apostle But what is that condition that God requireth in our prayers And how may wee aske that we misse not of our requests Why surely one meanes
of God were wont to doe For vpon ordinary occasions they vsed to fast one day from morning till night but vpon extraordinary for a longer space Thus Ester when a weighty businesse was in hand that concerned her life and the liues of her people she appoynted a Fast for three dayes and three nights And the men of Iabesh Gilead when they had a great cause of heauinesse by the death of Saul and the ouerthrow of the Army they fasted for seuen dayes space And Daniel when the Church was distressed and in great calamity hee fasted for three weekes together And so wee should extend our fast and keepe it with more strict obseruation and set more time apart for holy exercises when either we are about some weighty businesse or be in some great danger or haue fallen into some hainous sinne or haue a speciall cause to remember celebrate the pangs and passion of our Sauiour or happen vpon some other occasion of more than ordinary sorrow Thus what-euer our occasions be fasting is still of vse in the life of a Christian if the occasion be ordinary ordinary fasting is a fitting exercise eyther to auert euill or procure good and if the occasion be extraordinary then as the other exercises of Religion so this among the rest is to be vsed in a more than ordinary measure CHAP. VIII When a Christian may or should fast COncerning the Fast of our Sauiour it is recorded that hee then fasted when hee was to encounter with Satan and goe about his publique Ministery and to begin the great worke of our Redemption and vpon such vrgent occasions and when there is such extraordinary cause offered all men grant that then wee also may and ought to fast for the speedier procuring of Gods fauour But this example of Christ ministreth iust occasion to enquire further whether beside times of such vnusuall accidents a Christian also may not lawfully and profitably obserue set times of fasting And this is a question doubted of by some in our Church and disputed with arguments and reasons on both sides For clearing which doubt wee are first of all to declare the meaning of the question and that may appeare by these two notes 1. That some there be which commend fasting for a religious exercise if it bee vsed onely then when men shall vpon seuerall occasions see it to be conuenient but any standing dayes whether appoynted by publique authoritie or vndertaken by a mans owne priuate deuotion these they vtterly condemne as superstitious and Monkish For example When Ionas prophecied of iudgement against Nineueh (a) Ion. 3.6 7. the King proclaymed a fast and the people obserued it And this they approue of and allow our Magistrates vpon such an occasion to doe the like Againe when (b) Nehem. 1.3 4. Nehemiah heard that the Iewes were in great affliction and reproch and that the wall of Ierusalem was broken downe and the gates thereof burnt with fire he sate downe and wept and mourned certaine daies and fasted And this they approue of and allow euery priuate Christian by his example vpon such occasions as these to fast out of his owne deuotion But now further the ancient Christian Church in remembrance of Christs death on that day did appoynt euery Fryday to bee kept fasting-day and for the same and some other reasons they appoynted the time of Lent as often as it should happen to be obserued with abstinence and fasting And these and such like standing and set-times they allow not Secondly Wee must note that the obseruing and appoynting of these dayes may be meant and vnderstood two wayes eyther with opinion of necessitie or sanctitie in those times more than in other And this is not here questioned nor doe wee doubt but the Church as it appoynted the Fryday so if it had pleased might haue appointed any other day for this exercise nor do we thinke that there is any peculiar sanctitie in that day more than in others Or else the question may bee vnderstood of the lawfulnesse and conueniency of appoynting such set dayes and times for order sake and for the more constant performance of this worke And this is it which we meane in this question The question then is Whether it be lawfull for Authority to prescribe or for priuate men to vndertake set and standing dayes for fasting that it may be obserued the more ordetly and the more constantly And mine answere is That it is both lawfull and expedient for Gouernours to enioyne their Inferiours and for priuate men to prescribe vnto themselues such standing times so often as they shall fall either weekely or monethly or yeerely as they see it expedient And my proofes are some from Scriptures some from examples and some from reason grounded on Scripture I. From Scriptures And thence I alledge two places for this purpose 1. The first is Leuit. 16. For there God appointeth the tenth day of the seuenth moneth to bee kept for a fasting day and saith moreouer (a) Leu. 16.29 34 This shall be a statute for euer vnto you and againe This shall be an euerlasting statute vnto you to make atonement once a yeere Heere we see that God appointed vnto the Iewes a set fasting day to bee kept euery yeere as oft as it should happen And hence I argue thus Almighty God himself did appoint and thought it a profitable course for his people of the Iewes to obserue a set and standing day for a Fast euery yeere And therefore a set time of fasting may bee obserued without superstition and sinne Some answere that this was a Legall precept of Moses which is now abolished by Christ And I reply It is true that this precept in respect of that particular time was Legall and had its end in Christs death but it is no lesse true also that God in making and appointing that Legall precept did not command them any thing which in it selfe is superstitious and sinfull And therefore because God prescribed them a set time for that Fast it followeth that the appointing of a set time of fasting is not in it selfe superstitious and sinfull 2. The second place that may serue for proofe of this point is out of the Prophesie of Zacharie (a) Zach. 8.19 where we finde mention of foure seuerall fasting dayes obserued euery yeere by the Iewes in their knowne and appointed moneths Concerning which Fast thus much is first of al to be noted that they were (b) Hieron in Zach. 8.18 19. pag. 486. Buxd. Synag Iudaic. c. 25. Genebrar Calend. Hebr. Sept. 3. Dec. 10. Iun. 17 Iulij 9. occasioned by the calamities that befel the Iewes about the time when they were carried captiues into Babylon or before that time and were appointed as some thinke by some Prophet from heauen or as others by the authority or consent of the present Church and as the Learned generally doe confesse were allowed of and approued by almighty God himselfe And hence
past and fit them for all holy duties for the yeere to come And this practice might bee of great vse for all those that should vse it accordingly and that in diuers respects 1. Because there may be some publike offences committed by the body of the Church either in the omission of some common duty or in their neglect of gouernment and discipline or in the mis-ordering of the publike State And for such sinnes as these it is very reasonable that as the whole body hath sinned so the whole body should sorrow and repent by their ioynt humiliation submission seeke reconciliation and pardon For which purpose we may reade that God did not onely appoint the Priest and the Prince the people to bring sinne-offerings for their errours but enioyned also an Oblation for the Community or body of the Church Leu. 4.13 14. c. If saith he the whole Congregation of Israel sinne through ignorance and the thing be hid from the eyes of the Assembly c. When the sinne which they haue sinned is knowne then the Congregation shall offer a young bullocke for the sinne In which passage wee may note two things 1. That besides the sinnes of particular men there might be some sinnes of the whole Community sinnes which were properly neither the sins of the Priest nor of the Prince nor of the people alone for of all these hee had spoken before and had appointed them their seuerall sacrifices and oblations for their atonement but sinnes they were of the whole Congregation As for example saith Tostatus when some Ceremonie or dutie was neglected by all and not noted or questioned by any Or 2. when the body representatiue they in whō the chief gouernment rested did commit some errour against Gods Law either in making or in executing or in neglecting of publike Lawes or in any other miscarriage about the publike state And such slips as these may easily be committed by the Congregation or Community of the Church at this day Secondly note that when such offence was committed God appointed that as the whole Congregation was guilty so the whole should ioyne in the sinne-offering And so it is requisite that for the common sins which escape the body of the Church the whole body should ioyne together in one and haue some appointed time in which by their ioynt repentance they may obtaine common forgiuenesse For which purpose the time of Lent might serue most conueniently it being the time in which the whole Christian Church in all countryes did vse publike humiliation and in which Kings and Nobles and people did ioyne in exercises of fasting and sorrow Which course of humiliation if Christian States and people did vse accordingly then I doubt not but many Churches and Common-wealths might haue stood firme and in a flourishing estate which now are ruinated or possessed by the Enemy because they did not preuent Gods Iustice by their open and publike repentance Secondly there might be good vse of this institution of Lent for the former purpose because in the compasse of a yeere there may happen many faults and distempers in our soules which are not discernable in the space of a day or a weeke or a moneth Euery man findeth by experience in his houses and dwellings that if he view them at the daies or weekes end hee shall many times perceiue but small difference but after a yeere or more he will spy some defects which at the beginning of the yeere they had not And so in his clothes and the vessell of his house after so much space of time he may see decay in the one and rust in the other though he could not obserue any such change in the euening from that which they were in the morning or at the end of the weeke from that which they were at the beginning And so euen religious minds though they fall not into some notorious sinne which sheweth it selfe at the first view yet they may decay in the feruour of their zeale a Quia dum carnis fragilitate austerior obseruantia relaxatur dumque per varias actiones vitae huius sollicitudo distenditur necesse est de mundano puluere etiam religiosa corda sordescere magnâ Diuinae institutionis salubritate prouisum est vt ad reparandam mentium puritatem quadraginta nobis dierum exercitatio mederetur c. Leo Ser. 4. de Quadrag p. 87. or gather some soyle or filth of worldlines or fleshly delights or such like distemper which is not to bee discerned till after some space of time And for amending of such insensible decay of holines this time would bee fit if it were vsed with that obseruance of discipline which in ancient time was vsuall 3. There may be vse also because in a matter of so great importance as is saluation and eternall happines besides the ordinary care for which a Christian hath opportunity liberty euery day some more speciall time to bee employed with more exact diligence may be very conuenient at the least if not altogether necessary For thus we see in trading and house-keeping men thinke it not inough to booke vp their expences and receipts euery day nor to take account of their successe at the weekes end but besides that ordinary care they vse once in the yeere to cast vp their shops and compare their bookes and take a generall view of all that hath past before in the yeere that so they may correct their errors and supply their defects and better their whole course of liuing for the time to come And the like care schoolemasters take with their schollers for besides their daily and weekely exercises and examinations once in the yeere they do lightly exact of their schollers an entire repetition of all their Grammer rules that by disuse they doe not decay in the grounds of their learning And thus in matters of the soule Leu. 16.29 34. God appointed the Iewes one speciall day or as some thinke two dayes in the yeere wherein ouer and aboue their ordinary exercises of Religion vsed at other times they should wholly intend the sifting of their soules and should in a more exact manner exercise the workes of repentance and humiliation and chastisement for their sinnes And so the Christian Church beside all their other instructions exercises for that purpose which happen euery day in one kinde or other hath moreouer appointed a set and solemne time in the yeere to celebrate the memory of Christs birth and circumcision and of his death and resurrection and ascension into heauen and such like other mysteries of saluation And so in like manner it will be a very profitable course for Christians if they haue a set and solemne time of the yeere for the more exact and perfect examination of their consciences and afflicting of their soules for sinne and the quickening of their zeale for Gods seruice And for this purpose the institution of Lent as it was vsed by the
to abolish all times of fasting and humiliation for the superstition that some men haue placed in them 3. Coroll That while there is no publique order for restoring the old Discipline men should doe well each one for himselfe apart to renew so much of it as he may conueniently in his priuate practice And if any mans eyther great infirmities or iust occasions doe let him from so doing For infirmities of body and occasions of necessary dueties haue euer beene dispensed with yet then hee should in desire follow after that which indeed he cannot aspire vnto and by his inward humiliation repentance labour to recompence what is wanting in his outward fasting and abstinence And thus I haue done with this poynt of Lent and consequently haue by Gods mercy now finished that which in the second place I proposed concerning our Sauiours fasting and other things of our practice occasioned thereby CHAP. XI Of Christs hungring HAuing hitherto spoken of our Sauiours fasting it remaineth to adde a word or two of the consequent thereof which is his hungring and thereof the Euangelist saith Hee was afterward an hungred which words may haue two senses The first is this Hee was afterward an hungred that is he now first began to feel the want of meat and nature began to craue some supply And this interpretation implyeth that for the whole space of forty dayes hee had no hunger nor felt no want of meate or no affliction of body for lacke of it but that during that whole space the Deitie did support the humane nature that his naturall heat did not worke vpon the nourishment according to natures course as the (a) Dan. 3.25 fire of the Furnace did not worke vpon the three men that were cast into the middest of it Secondly the words may be expounded thus Hee was afterward an hungred that is he was now pinched with hunger and being not well able to endure any longer did manifest his hunger by seeking after meate And this interpretation implyeth that in the time of his forty dayes Fast he felt some hunger though not such as afterward he did nor such but that he might endure it and expect a longer time before need made him to breake off his purpose of fasting And this I take to be the fitter and more probable exposition of the words But which way soeuer wee take it yet thus much is apparent by the Text that at the end of forty dayes Christ through long abstinence was in some distresse for want of something to refresh nature and yet had not so much as a piece of bread to satisfie his hunger or to allay the crauing appetite of his stomach For that our Lords hunger in this place was not ordinary such as a man when he hath fasted beyond his time may haue and yet continue without any notable offence vnto nature but rather that it was a pinching and a biting hunger and such as bred grieuance and molestation to nature in a greater measure than is vsuall may appeare by two things First because the Deuill tooke occasion by this hunger to tempt him with turning stones into bread which had beene too silly a deuice for the old Serpent to vse against our Sauiour if hee had not seene him to bee in some extremity for want of food Secondly because when the Deuill had done his tentation for which Christ did make way by his hunger GOD sent Angels from heauen to (a) Matt. 4.11 minister vnto him that is to bring him meat for his refreshing Which kind of prouidence God doth not vse to shew but in cases of extremity and when ordinary meanes doe fayle vs. The summe of all is that Christ by his long abstinence did endure extreme hunger by which his body was afflicted and nature was molested And hence wee haue this note that our Lord did for our sakes submit himselfe to the afflictions and miseries of this life The Prophet calleth him (b) Is 53.3 a man of sorrowes and acquainted with griefe And the Euangelists doe shew how his whole life was a Tragedie of many sufferings Hee was persecuted from his cradle to his Crosse and afflicted from the wombe to the graue but that which in this place wee are to take especiall notice of is the pinching hunger which hee willingly endured because it tended to the working of our Redemption and the furthering of our saluation To which purpose Saint Iohn doth further note that our Lord (c) Ioh. 4.6 being wearied with his iourney sate thus on Iacobs Well And giueth vs withall to vnderstand that hee was both hungry and thirsty when hee telleth vs that (d) Vers 8. his Disciples were gone away vnto the Citie to buy meate and that himselfe did (e) Vers 7 9. aske water of the woman to drinke And yet notwithstanding his present want of food at this time hee refused to eate when it was brought him because he had a more necessary worke in hand which he preferred before it that is (f) Vers 34. to doe the will of him that sent him and to finish his worke implying in that speech the preaching of the Gospel and his labouring to saue the soules of men And in this place the extreme hunger that hee suffered was for the preparing of himselfe for his office and for the finishing of the worke of our Redemption Thus our Lord was contented to endure hunger and thirst and any thing for the redeeming and sauing of our soules so that as he sometimes said of the Iewes after hee had vsed all good meanes to worke grace in them (a) Isai 5.4 What could haue beene done more to my Vineyard that I haue not done in it so considering his meane birth and poore life and bitter death c. he may as truely say What could I haue suffered more for my Church which I haue not suffered for her And now if any man perish it is his owne fault who refuseth so great saluation wrought by his Sauiour and if any man be saued it is Christs merits who hath purchased so great Redemption for him when he had deserued damnation and death And this may afford vs diuers good lessons at which I will onely poynt in this place 1. It teacheth vs what a thankefull remembrance wee should keepe of our Sauiours paynes for vs at all times But especially at this time of Lent ordayned of purpose for a memoriall of Christs sufferings wee should often meditate on our Sauiours great loue vnto vs and consider from poynt to poynt how being Lord of all hee made himselfe the basest of all borne in a stable lodged in a Manger pinched with hunger followed with contempt accused condemned crucified and entombed in the earth for our sakes 2. It yeeldeth vs comfort in all distresses For the poore soule when he is pinched with famine may thus thinke with himselfe My case is poore and miserable but so was my Lord and Sauiours before mee hee suffered
beene vsed to gresse this duety with much earnestnesse in their Sermons to the people a Cui dabis quod tibi abstulisti Ita ieiuna vt alio manducante prandisse te gaudeas August in Psalm 42. in fine To whom wilt thou giue that which by fasting thou hast spaâ— d from thy selfe saith Saint Augustine So fast that by anothers eating thou mayest be glad that thou hast dyned And againe b Ieiunia nostra vt plena sint suffarta misericordiae pinguedine sageâ—â—ntur demus surientibus prandium nostrum De Temp. Serm. 65. pag. 232. C. That our Fasts may be full let them be fatted with Almes-deedes Let vs giue our dinner to them that be hungry And againe c Praecipuè sanè pauperum mementote vt quod vobis parcius viuendo suberahitis in coelosti Thesauro reponatis Accipiat esuriens Christus quod leiunans minùs accipit Christianus Castigatio volentis fiat sustentatio non habentis c. Augustin de diuers Serm. 74. cap. 10. Pag. 500. A. Especially saith he be mindfull of the poore that what you subtract from your selues yee may lay it vp in the Treasury of Heauen Let hungring Christ receiue that which the fasting Christian doth abate c. And so Leo d Jeiunijs nostris egentium refectio suffragetur Leo Serm. 10. de Quadrages Let the feeding of the poore giue testimony to our fasting And e Quod suis quisque delicijs subtrahit debilibus impendat egenis Leo de Quadrages Serm. 11. That which a man doth with-draw from his dainty fare let him bestow vpon the impotent and needy And to like purpose speake others also Dist 3. Religious fasts are of two sorts they are eyther publique or priuate fasts Publique I call those when a whole company as when a Citie Towne or Parish doe by publique order ioyne together in this seruice Such a fast was that of the Nineuites in the third Chapter of Ionas and that which was prescribed to the Iewes in the fourth of Ester Secondly the priuate fast is when men out of their owne deuotions and by their owne direction doe in their priuate houses vse abstinence in a religious manner Such a fast was that of Daniel mentioned in his tenth Chapter and that of Nehemiah in the first Chapter of his Booke And both these kindes both the priuat and publique fasts haue their approbation in Scriptures and are commendable if they be vsed aright as appeareth by the examples alledged already and will more fully appeare afterwards in the processe of this discourse Dist 4. Religious fasts whether priuate or publique may againe be diuided into two sorts For some are extraordinary and others are ordinary The extraordinary are such as are kept vpon some speciall and extraordinary occasion as eyther for remouing of some speciall iudgement then eyther felt or feared or for obtayning of some benefit or blessing whereof then there is especiall need and exigence Such was the fast of the Nineuites which they vndertooke vpon the feare of destruction threatned by the Prophet And such was the fast of Dauid which he vndertooke vpon occasion of his Childes sicknesse and danger of death in him The ordinary fasts are such as are kept for an vsuall exercise of the soule without any other cause than such as may befall euery one of vs at all times Now for the former of these kindes of fasting it is generally agreed that they are both lawfull and vsefull but concerning the later that is the ordinary there hath a question beene made by some later Diuines who dispute determine against the vse of them But as I take it the case is cleare enough to the contrary And my reasons are first because this kinde of fast hath approbation in the Scriptures and secondly because it hath the profitable vses for our soules for which religious fasts were ordayned First Reason first from Scriptures because it hath approbation from Scriptures For I reade that God himselfe commanded an ordinary fast to be obserued by the Iewes euery yeere Leuit. 16.29 This saith hee shall be a Statute for euer vnto you that in the seuenth moneth in the tenth day of the moneth yee shall afflict your soules c. Where that the afflicting spoken of was partly by inward sorrow for their sinnes and partly by outward abstinence from meat and other contentments of nature is agreed vpon by all sides And that this abstinence and humiliation was an ordinary exercise of pietie cannot bee doubted if we consider that it was appoynted euery yeere and in the same moneth and vpon the same day For it is not to bee imagined that extraordinary occasions of humiliation should happen euery yeere vnto the same people and at the same time and vpon the same day And if Almightie God himselfe saw it to be so vsefull for the Iewes to humble themselues by an ordinary fast for their ordinary sins and in the ordinary course of their liues why should it be thought sinfull in Christians to humble themselues in the same manner and vpon the same occasion Secondly we finde in Scriptures that the (a) Matt. 9.14 Pharises fasted often and for example sake that they (b) Luk. 18.12 fasted twice in the weeke and that concerning those fasts of theirs our Lord gaue his Disciples this warning (c) Matt. 6.16 When yee fast bee not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance for they disfigure their faces that they may appeare vnto men to fast Verily I say vnto you they haue their reward Out of which passages wee may gather two things First that these fasts of the Pharises were ordinary fasts and obserued by them in their ordinary course of life and for an ordinary exercise of religion For that these men should so often haue extraordinary occasions especially that euery weeke twice is a thing that cannot be conceiued with any probability or reason Secondly that these fasts such as they were were not vnlawfull in themselues That I proue first because our Sauiour where hee purposely taxeth their vices reproueth them for their purpose not for their practice of fasting or not because they did fast but because they did fast to gaine prayse of men for it Now had they offended in both out of doubt our Lord would haue reproued them for both and haue fore-warned his Disciples to beware of both Secondly because in saying of the Pharises that they fasting for vaine glory had their reward hee meant that they might not expect any reward from God seeing they did it for the applause of men and hee implyeth by necessary consequence that if they had not marred this good worke with so ill an end they might haue had a reward from God for it And if God reward ordinary fasts what man will dare to condemne them Luke 2.37 Thirdly wee reade againe of Anna the Prophetesse that shee departed not from the Temple but serued God with fastings and
may fast with full stomachs Saint Basil met with some such in his dayes whom he warneth and threatneth for it Praua est cogitatio c. It is a gracelesse thought saith he to say with our selues (b) Hom. 2. de Ieiun pag. 336. A. Now the fasting dayes are bidden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let vs therefore now drowne our selues in swilling excesse For will any man saith he when he is to marry a chaste Matrone make an introduction to such a marriage by bringing Strumpets into his house And in the places of Popish ignorance it is a most vsuall practice c Conamur per crapulam lasciuiam vlcisci dieâ—â—etunij quasique de ieiunioa enturo sumere poeâ—as â—â—lesa de Quaâ—â—â— cap. 12. 〈◊〉 70. to make way for Lent Fast by surfeting at Shrouetide But a religious Christian should consider that if he meane to fast rightly he must make his abstinence to be a chastening to nature which cannot be if his fasting be but a forbearing of meate till his former gluttonie be concocted II. Secondly there is required in a true Fast that our other carriage and behauiour be suteable to this of our fasting My meaning is that as wee chasten and afflict the body by abstinence from meate so we should doe by refraining from the other delights and comforts of nature For else the other pleasure would vndoe that which by fasting we seeke to effect because they will hinder our humiliation and repentance Nor is it seemely to ioyne gay clothes and sweet perfumes and pleasant musicke and frolike behauiour with this exercise of humiliation and sorrow no more then it is for him that weareth a mourning gowne for his friends death to flaunt it in a white hat and a gay feather and a coloured suite at the same time And for this cause it is that in Scriptures where fasting is spoken of there is mention also of sackcloth and ashes and hard lodging and forbearing of perfumes As for example (a) Dan. 10.3 Daniel forbore sweet oyntments And (b) 2. Sam. 12.16 Dauid lay all night vpon the earth And (c) Ester 4.1 Mordecai put on sackcloth and besprent himselfe with ashes And the (d) Ionas 3.6 King of Nineueh layed off his robe and couered himselfe with sack-cloth and sate in ashes And (e) Ioel 2.16 Ioel requireth Let the Bridegroome goe foorth of his Chamber and the Bride out of her Closet And our (f) Mar. 2.19 Luk. 5.34 Lord saith The children of the Bride-chamber cannot fast while the Bridegroome is with them The meaning is that Marriage-mirth is vnseasonable in a time of fasting And therefore if a Fast must be kept let the Bridegroome goe foorth of his wedding Chamber as Ioel speaketh or if Marriage-mirth bee necessary let the humiliation of fasting be deferred till an other time as our Sauiour implyeth And because of this disproportion between mirth and fasting God reiecteth the Fast of the Iewes for this cause among others because in the day of their Fast they found pleasure And from the consideration of these things it is that the Hebrewes were wont in their Fasts (a) Ainsw on Leu. 16.29 to abstaine from foure things that import mirth and reioycing from washing themselues from anoynting from fine apparell and from the vse of the marriage bed And so when wee fast all our behauiour must bee such as beseeme mourning the condition of a deiected suppliant b An putatis illuÌ„ ieiunare qui primo diluculo non ad Ecclesiam vigilat sed surgens congregat seruulos disponit retia cánes producit saltus syluasque per lustrat Ambros to 5. ser 4â— pag. 58. v. Aug. de Diuers Ser. 74. cap. 8. At least thus much is necessary that we abstaine from all delights of the world that be disproportionable to the state of a mournfull penitent III. Thirdly there is required in a true Fast that the inward affection of the heart be answerable to the outward behauiour of the body that is that as by abstaining from the comforts of this life we chasten the body so by a godly sorrow and vnfained repentance we humble our soules for our sinnes And because true repentance includeth or implyeth amendment of life and an heartie practice of all good duties therfore it is to be vnderstood that with a true Fast there is necessarily required an holy life And the reason hereof is plaine because God doth not care for the opus operatum the bare worke done nor doth fasting please him because it is an abstinence from meat but because it is a signe of repentance and an help to true deuotion and an holy life To this purpose we finde God speaking to the Iewes (a) Zach. 7.5 When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seuenth moneth did ye at all fast vnto mee euen to mee As if he should say Ye did it not for my sake and I owe you no thankes for it nor doe I take it as a part of my seruice But why was it not done for Gods sake and to his seruice The reason is intimated in the words following (b) vers 9 10.11 12. The Lord said Execute true iudgement and shew mercy and compassion euery man to his brother and oppresse not the widdow c. But they refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder c. And to like purpose but more plainely in another place (c) Isa 58.4 Yee fast saith God for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednes Ye shall not fast as ye doe this day to make your voyce to be heard on high Is it such a Fast that I haue chosen Wilt thou call this a Fast and an acceptable day to the Lord Hee meaneth that they fasted as if they repented for their sinne and meant to serue God but they while they kept their Fast continued in their sinnes and that this was not a true Fast that God euer did require or would accept But if this bee not the true Fast what then is Why It followeth in the next words (d) vers 6 7. Is not this the Fast that I haue chosen to loose the hands of wickednes to vndoe the heauie burdens and to let the oppressed goe free that ye breake euery yoke Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poore that are cast out to thy house When thou seest the naked that thou couer him c The summe and intent of which words is that a true Fast such as God doth require and will requite is to be ioyned with the practice of good workes For the manner of speech is like to that of Saint Iames where he saith Iames 2.27 that pure religion and vndefiled is this to visit the fatherlesse and widdowes in their affliction and keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world Where hee meaneth not that religion which is a dutie toward GOD doth formally consist
said (a) Luk. 1.74 75. that being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies we might serue God without feare all the dayes of our life the name of dayes includeth the whole space till the end of the time mentioned because the seruice of God is such as may not be neglected either by night or day And so when it is said of Lazarus (b) Ioh. 11.39 that he had beene dead foure dayes the meaning is that he was dead all that while both by night and day because men that are dead by day doe not vse to liue by night and then dye the next day againe And so againe when it is said of Saul that hee was three dayes without sight the meaning is that hee was blinde for so many dayes and so many nights And the reason is the same because if a man be blind for so many dayes it cannot be conceiued that he had his sight in the night time In these such like cases the conditiō of the things is such that what is said of thē for the day must be taken for the night too And in such cases there is no neede to mention the nights But yet sometimes as when the speech is of such things which though they happen in the day yet are vsed to be intermitted in the night then the name of the dayes doth not include the night also As when it is said of Laban that he pursued after Iacob (c) Gen. 31.23 seuen dayes iourney the meaning is he followed so farre as a man may or doth vse to goe in the space of seuen dayes not counting the nights because men that trauell by day are supposed to take vp their lodging and rest in the night time And so if a man should hire an ordinary day-labourer to worke with him for two or three daies all men would vnderstand the bargaine to be made of working in the day and not in the night time but if a Mariner should bee hyred to labour in a ship by sea or a nurse to attend a sicke partie for the same number of dayes euery man would construe that both of day and night because such labours and paines as the mariner and nurse do take in such cases are to be continued aswell by night as by day Now when the speech is of such things as being done in the day may be intermitted or vse to be intermitted by night then the name of dayes doth not include or comprize the nights also And so it falleth out in this matter of fasting For when the Iewes were to fast for many dayes together their maner was to abstaine from meate all the day Chap. 1. p. 7 8. but at night to eate a sparing meale as I haue declared in another place already And hereupon the Learned doe obserue that the Iewes when they speake of many dayes Fast without mentioning the nights they vnderstand it commonly of fasting onely in the day time till euening and that when they meane that a Fast is continued for diuers dayes without eating any thing at night then for distinction sake and that their meaning may be plaine they adde the nights too as when Ester saith to the Iewes (a) Ester 4.16 Fast ye for me and neither eate nor drinke three dayes night or day And so in this place Saint Mathew saith that Christ fasted forty dayes and forty nights lest any man should conceiue that hee abstained all day for that space but did refresh himselfe in the euening II. The second question is Why our Lord made choyce of this number of fortie to determine his fasting by This question may admit two constructions and so receiue two answers accordingly For first it may be vnderstood of the precise number of fortie why iust so many dayes without missing either vnder or ouer Or secondly it may be meant of an extraordinary number of dayes and space of time that is why hee fasted so many dayes and nights as it exceedeth mans strength to endure without eating 1. If wee take it in the former sense then I thinke I may safely say as many of the Learned doe that our Lord did make choyce of this number of dayes that hee might therein conforme himselfe to the two great Prophets of the Old Testament Moses and Elias For Moses was the giuer of the Law and Elias was the restorer of the Law and both were in their kinde the most excellent Prophets that the old Church had and both of them for the confirmation of their calling and to gaine credit to their places did fast forty dayes and forty nights when they were to speake with God in the Mount as it is recorded of Moses Exod. 34.28 Deut. 9.9 and of Elias 1 King 19.8 a Quadragesima same ieiuniorum habet autoritatē in veteribus librie ex ieiunio Mosi Heliae et ex Euāgelio quia totidē diobus Dominus ieiunauit demonstrans Euangelium nō dissentire à Loge Prophetis In persona quippe Mosi Lex in persona Heliae Prophetae accipiuntur inter quos et in mōte gloriosus apparuit vt euidentius emineret quod de illo dicit Apostolus testimonium habens à Lege Prophetis August Epist 119. ad Ianuar. cap. 15. pag. 195. f. Now our Lord to shew that he was not inferior to either of these great Prophets and that they did consent and agree with him thought good to begin his Ministery as they did theirs with a miraculous Fast of forty dayes To which purpose wee likewise reade that when our Lord was transfigured in the Mount (a) Matt. 17.3 Luk. 9.30.31 Moses and Elias appeared vnto him and talked with him and spake of his death and passion And this did serue for a cleare confirmation of Christs calling and authority that these two speciall and principall Prophets did both concurre to beare witnesse of him and hereby it appeared that the Gospell had witnesse of the Law and the Prophets as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 3.21 But then the question may be further Why did Moses fast forty dayes and forty nights and that at two seuerall times when he was with God in the Mount And hereto I answere that many both ancient and moderne Writers especially those that be in the Church of Rome doe say that there was a mystery in this number and that that was the reason why both Moses and Elias and our Sauiour also did fast that space of time but eyther they say not what that mystery was or else they proue not what they say nay themselues cannot agree what to say For some interpret the mystery one way and some another as euery mans seuerall fancy doth leade him the relation of which sundry conceits would be more tedious than profitable But to the poynt it selfe for my part I haue onely two things to say 1. That though I will not peremptorily condemne their opinion who conceiue a mystery in the number b In
I reason thus The Iewes did lawfully obserue foure seuerall set daies euery yeere for daies of fasting And therefore it is not alwayes superstitious and sinfull to obserue set fasting dayes Some againe answere that these Fasts were appointed vpon occasion of their present calamities in Babylon and ceased at their deliuerance My reply is that I see no proofe that these Fasts did cease to be obserued after the Iewes were deliuered out of captiuity The contrary may seeme more probable because in the (a) Calendan Hebraeorum edito à Genebrardo praefixo CoÌ„ment in Psalmos Kalender of the Iewes wherein their Feasts and Fasts are noted these foure dayes remaine still as beeing in vse among the Iewes And b Haec sunt festa quatuor ista communissima quibus Iudaei tempore Prophetae Zachariae ieiunaruÌ„t adhuc annis singulis ordinariè summarieque ieiunant Buxd. Synagog Iudaic. cap. 25. Buxdorfius a man well acquainted with the manners and customes of the Iewes telleth vs that the Iewes to this day do keepe those fasting dayes which are there mentioned by the Prophet But say that they ceased vpon the peoples deliuerance yet it is not true that they were appointed vpon occasion of their present miseries in Babylon for other dayes might haue beene as fit for that purpose and perhaps more conuenient then these but as the learned obserue by occasion of some miserable accidents which befalling them but once did moue them to fast the same daies that those accidents happened for many yeeres after And if those Fasts did last no longer then the time of their captiuity because all that while they had iust cause to humble themselues in remembrance of these euils yet thus much will follow from thence that therefore vpon occasion of a sorrowfull accident which hath once befalne vs we may for euer after fast that set day so long as we haue cause to be humbled in remembrance of it And hence againe it will follow that therefore Good-Friday may euery yeere constantly be kept for a fasting day because it was occasioned by the death of Christ for our sinnes and we shall neuer want iust cause to bee humbled in remembrance hereof so long as the world lasteth because besides our old sinnes we doe euery yeere commit many moe new ones which helped to nayle our Sauiour to the Crosse The like might be said of some other the like dayes And therefore there is warrant in Scriptures for set and standing times of fasting II. My second proofe is from approued examples of Gods Church both in the time of the Law and in the time of the Gospell For in the time of the Law the Iewish Church kept their set dayes of abstinence as besides the Fasts now mentioned out of the Prophet may further appeare by the words of the Gospell For there it is said that the Disciples of Iohn and of the Pharises did fast often and more particularly of the Pharises that they fasted twise a weeke Now as (a) Caluin in Dan. 6.10 Caluin concludeth that Daniel had his set prefixed houres of praying because it is said that hee prayed three times a day So may I hence inferre that the Pharises kept set dayes of fasting because it is said of them that they fasted twise euery weeke And (b) ExaÌ„ part 4. de Tempore Ieiun nu 54. pa. 95.1 Kemnitius gathereth from the ninth of Saint Mathew that both the Pharises and the Disciples of Iohn had certa stata tempora ieiuniorum set and standing times for their Fasts Now that this practice of theirs is an approued example for vs appeareth first because our Lord when he reproueth their errours in their Fast yet findeth no fault with this And secondly because he excused his Disciples for not fasting as the Pharises and Iohns Disciples did from the vnseasonablenes of the time and promised that after-ward when the time was fitting they should then fast And this sheweth that our Lord was so farre from condemning the Pharises and Iohns Disciples that he excuseth his Disciples for not doing the like Againe in the time of the Gospell the Christian Church hath still had her standing and set dayes for fasting as the time of Lent euery yeere and the Friday euery weeke and some others as is so apparent that it cannot be denyed nor needs not to be proued And these set times haue beene commended by many holy and learned Fathers of the Church but were neuer disliked by any of them that euer I could finde And so in conclusion in the iudgement of Gods Church both before and since Christs appearing in the flesh which heerein was neuer blamed by Christ or his Apostles or the learned Fathers it is no sinne to keepe set dayes of fasting III. The third proofe is taken from reason grounded on the authority of Scriptures And my reasons in that kinde shall be these two 1. Nothing is sinfull but that which is forbidden by Gods Law for (a) 1 Ioh. 3.4 Sinne is the transgression of the Law as the Apostle defineth it But to keep set dayes of fasting is no where forbidden by any Lawe of God It followeth And therefore to keepe such dayes is no sinne Against this Argument nothing can be excepted vnlesse some Text of Gods Law can be shewed which condemneth or forbiddeth the obseruation of such standing times And for that purpose some obiect the place of Saint Paul (a) Gal. 4.10 Yee obserue dayes and moneths and times and yeeres I am afraid of you lest I haue bestowed on you labour in vaine But to this the reply is easie and may be borrowed out of Beza for he expounding a like place in Saint Paul One man esteemeth one day aboue another another esteemeth euery day alike the Apostle heere saith this learned man b Agit non do quouis dierum discrimine sed de eo demum quod in Lege Mosis pracipitur vt apparet ex eo quod scriptum eâ—â— Coloss 2.16 Beza in Rom. 14.6 doth not speake of euery difference of dayes but of that only which is prescribed in Moses his Law as is apparent by that which is written Coloss 2.16 Let no man iudge you in meate or in drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new moone or of the Sabbath dayes which are a shaddow of things to come c. And so I say The Apostle in the place alledged doth not speake of euery obseruing of dayes and times but such onely as was prescribed by Moses and is abolished by Christ And this exposition of this place is as directly prooued by that other to the Colossians as that whereof Beza speaketh The place then alledged doth not proue that standing times of fasting are forbidden by Gods Law Arg. 2. The keeping of set times for the doing of holy duties is a thing found to be profitable and vsefull in the life of a Christian because it may serue for the more constant performance