Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	holy_a	keep_v	sabbath_n	2,405	5	9.4746	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16525	The holy exercise of fasting Described largely and plainly out of the word of God: with all the parts and causes, and seuerall kinds of the same: together with the most fit times, and conuenient seasons, when and how long it should be held: with the manifold fruite and commoditie that redoundeth to vs thereby: and the whole nature and order thereof. In certaine homilies or sermons, for the benefit of all those, that with care and conscience intend at any time publikely or priuately to put in practise the same. By Nicolas Bownde Doctor of diuinitie. Perused and allowed by publike authoritie.	Bownd, Nicholas, d. 1613.	1604 (1604)	STC 3438; ESTC S114771	132,330	360

might be persuaded that God requireth fasting of vs as well as of our forefathers ●ing is ●anded ell in ●ime of Gospell 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the Gentiles as well as of the Iewes vnder the Gospell as well as in the time of the Law we shall see that it hath warrant in such cases as these as well from the New Testament as from the Olde As when Christ was challenged for this ●5 33 That his Disciples did not fast though Iohn and his Disciples did often hee doth so defend them that he doth not wholly put it away from them as though they were not bound to it in the time of the Gospell but sheweth that as yet they were dispensed with because Christ Iesus the bridegroome was with them and so it was a time of ioy but the time should come when he should be taken from them great affliction should befall them then hee requireth fasting of them saying The dayes wil come Luk. 5.35 when the bridegrome shal be taken from them then shal they fast in those daies commanding them and all other euen vnder the Gospell in the time of great affliction to fast This time of the Pestilence is a time of great sorrow of great affliction therefore now by the Olde and New Testament wee are bound to it And so this may be sufficient to certifie the consciences of all that are not euill disposed That to serue God in fasting and prayer is a thing that he requireth of vs and so if there were no commandement from men to inioyne vs yet the authoritie of his Word in the Olde and New Testament and the practises of his seruants vpon the same ground should compell vs vnto it HOMIL II. The second Homilie sheweth what are the parts whereof this fasting consisteth and first which be outward belonging to the body and to what end they serue as to abstaine wholly for a time from all kinde of meat and drinke and sleepe and costly apparell and such like comfortes of the bodie and yet what libertie we haue then in all these in times of necessitie BEing thus persuaded of the necessitie of this holie exercise of fasting by good and sound reasons from the Olde and New Testament and that it is our duetie to obserue it and that the Lord requireth it at our hands it remaineth that I should further declare wherein this blessed ordinance of fasting consisteth and what are the parts and nature of it that we being willing to obey God in this dutie might not erre of ignorance 1. Cor. ● 30 and so not only obtaine nothing at his hand thereby but pul his heauy iudgement vpon vs for abusing it For as the Apostle sayeth of the abuse of the Sacrament of the Lords supper among the Corinthians For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe and so that which in it selfe rightly vsed was a means of health for soule and bodie was by their ignorance and abuse the cause of manie grieuous diseases mortalitie among them so it might come to passe that whereas by this meanes wee seeke to pacifie the wrath of God alreadie broken out against vs which also we shall do in time if it be rightly vsed for the neglect or abuse of it or both the Plague should not onely not stay but we should further prouoke the Lord to strike vs. ●sting con●teth of two ●rts This exercise therefore of fasting consisteth of two parts the one is outward the other inward the outward appertaineth to the body and is called a Bodily exercise as to abstaine from meat drinke sleepe and such like which of it selfe without the other is nothing worth though commanded of God the other is belonging to the soule and consisteth in the inward vertues and graces of the minde holpen forward by this bodily exercise and this simply and in it owne nature is profitable as hauing the promises of this life and of the life to come And of both these the Apostle writeth vnto Timothie Tim. 4.8 saying Exercise thy selfe vnto godlinesse for bodilie exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable vnto all things which hath the promise of the life present and of that that is to come Where he saith that godlinesse and the pure worship of God consisting in the inward graces of the minde as in humility faith repentance c. is profitable in it owne nature but fasting and all such exercises of the bodie and austeritie of life is so farre foorth profitable as they farther vs in these Therefore as the whole man consisteth of soule and bodie but the soule is most principall so doth this exercise of fasting consist of these two parts whereof this later appertaining to the soule is the cheefe And as in the sanctification of the Sabbath there are two things the one to rest from all bodily labour appertaining to the bodie the other to sanctifie that time of rest belonging chiefely to the soule which is the principall end of the other So in fasting there are these two things to be considered the one to absteine from all food which directly concerneth the body the other is the end why we vse that abstinence which is to further our soules in godlinesse which is the chiefest of all and giueth life to the other euen as the soule doth to the body Therefore though abstinence be necessarily required yet that is not all nay it is the least part of this holy exercise though the whole action haue the name of that as being most subiect to the outward sense so best knowen for it is called fasting as in keeping holy the Sabbath day to rest is the least part of our dutie therein yet the whole daie hath the name of that for it is called the Sabbath this is the daie of rest The first ●art belon●eth to the ●ody and ●onsisteth in ●he absti●ence from ●ll comfort ●f the same First then we are to consider what is the outward ceremonie in fasting and the bodily exercise and then what be the inward vertues to be adioined vnto it and to which end the other is vndertaken The former is an abstinence for a time wholly from all the commodities and pleasures of this life thereby to make vs fitter for the inward graces of the minde as to absteine from meat and drinke sleepe and such like that the bodie being thereby humbled and pulled downe the mind thereby might be humbled and cast downe also in it selfe before God So that this outward abstinence is therfore cōmanded that we might feele in our soules and in feeling outwardly might professe that we are vnwoorthie for our sinnes either of life or of any thing that belongeth to the vpholding of it and therefore we doe willingly for a time bereaue our selues of the vse of them So that vpon this and such like daies we ought to abstaine from al comforts of the body to these ends both that we might thereby the

would not hearken vnto our voice that is he would not giue ouer fasting though they earnestly intreated him So that whiles the childe laye sicke hee continued his fasting and prayer vnto the Lorde for the life of it for the space of diuers daies for it died not vntill the seuenth day after that it fell sicke Which godly fast of his doth shew that if any shal haue any af●liction vpon them and so the Lord giue them cause of sorrow and of humiliation more than others or which others haue not at all no not they which are of the same familie then they are for a time to put themselues apart as it were from the rest and in priuate fasting and prayer to seeke vnto the Lord for mercie more than others So did Ahab when Gods iudgement was denoūced against him as Dauid did heere So is it sayd also of Ahab King of Israel that when the Prophet Elijah had sharplie rebuked him for his sinnes denounced the curse of God against him and his whole familie for it 1. King 21.20 saying Thou hast solde thy selfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord therefore Beholde sayeth the Lord I will bring euill vpon thee and will take away thy posterity and wil cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall as well him that is shut vp as him that is left in Israel and so foorth as it followeth in that place vers 27. When Ahab heard those wordes hee rent his clothes and put on sackecloth vpon him and fasted and lay in sackecloth and went softly Thus because the wrath of the Lord appeared speciallie against him for his sinne though he proclamed no publike fast thorow his kingdome yet he saw that it was high time for himselfe at the least to practise it So ought all other men and women doe in the like case Therefore if any shall haue fallen into any grieuous sinne as these two Kings had whereby the Lord by the ministerie of his Word threateneth against them some notable punishment and their owne consciences tell them that they haue iustlie deserued it or some grieuous thing is alreadie befallen them then they must know it to be their bounden dutie to seeke to turne away the wrath of the Lord from thēselues and from their houses by priuate fasting and prayer and they must not onely acknowledge that the Lord requireth that they should humble themselues before him in fasting and so could be contented that there were some publicke fasts then whereunto they might resort and thinke themselues discharged because there bee none and so tarie vntill some by publike authoritie vpon some occasion be cōmanded but because it is their own case onely and none others they must see what God requireth of them alone Reasons to persuade men to priuate fasting And truly if all men would thus do they might preuent manie of Gods heauie iudgements which otherwise befall themselues and theirs but often times many sinnes are most grieuously committed and Gods holy law broken not onely by some one in a familie but by diuers both gouernours children and seruants as adulterie fornication and other vncleannesse drunkennesse and gluttonie swearing and blaspheming the most holy name of God contempt of Gods word and sacraments besides all ruffianlinesse and prophannesse pride oppression and such like and they doe not seeke priuately to humble themselues before God for them when they breake out and are iustly by Gods Ministers reproued for them but rather they go on obstinately and stand in the defence of the same they do not I say after some extraordinarie maner of fasting and prayer seeke feruently vnto the Lord and so his iudgements breake out against them and some plague or other entreth into their houses which with their sinnes they haue defiled that as the Cananites were spued out of that fruitfull land for their wickednesse Leu. 18.28 so are they by sicknesse and death cast out of their goodly houses Which kinde of wickednes cōmitted closely in houses as it was the principall cause that this late plague first entred into them so in that respect some had iust cause to begin sooner and to continue longer their priuate fast then by publike authority all were inioyned vnto it For if Ahab who was an idolater a wicked man did then see that now he had cause to fast though other did not then we that are taught by the Word of God should much more discerne of the times and know when in respect of our priuate sinnes and calamities present The good that might redound to priuate families thereby or iustly to be feared we haue cause to fast and pray though other do not And if Ahab in thus doing did obtaine a release from this particular iudgement so farre foorth that it was put off and came not vpon his house in his dayes according to that that is said of him by the Lord himselfe vnto Eliiah Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me because he submitteth himselfe before me I will not bring that euill in his dayes but in his sonnes daies will I bring euill vpon his house Then wee much more vsing this holy ordinance in sinceritie and trueth might put far from vs and from all ours manie grieuous plagues which our sinnes haue deserued Therefore let vs bee perswaded that it is our bounden dutie sometimes not onely to giue our selues vnto priuate praier which shuld be ordinarie and continuall but euen to fasting and prayer And this is that which we reade of Dauid againe 2. Sam. 3.30 ●hen Abner was traiterously slaine by ●oab and Abishai his brother because not only for the losse of so woorthie a captaine but especially for that great sinne in murthering him Dauid fast●d priuatly for the death of Abner which might procure Gods wrath against himselfe and his whole Realme and that it might appeare that hee was free from his blood he not onely sorrowed greatly for his death and prouoked the rest of the people thereunto as it is sayd of him Rent your clothes and put on sackecloth and mourne before Abner and King Dauid himselfe followed the beere and when they had buried Abner in Hebron the King lift vp his voice and wept besides the sepulchre of Abner and all the people wept but also Dau●d the King did further humble himselfe by fasting that day because he saw more into the hand of God and was more touched with it for it is written of him That all the people came to cause Dauid to eat meat vers 35. while it was yet day but Dauid sware saying So God do to me and more also if I taste bread or ought else till the Sunne be downe so that it is written of him and of him alone that in this common cause of heauinesse hee not onely mourned with the rest but fasted also and praied vnto God which is to be vnderstood as a thing necessarily ioined vnto fasting though

but many other great punishments wherewith for want of it they haue beene iustly afflicted Yea we ought thus to haue done when wee haue wanted some great blessing of God or sought for some speciall thing at the hand of the Lord for our soules or bodies for our selues or for our children as in the matter of mariage or some other weighty thing that we haue had in hand which hath greatly concerned vs or them that we might be directed and blessed in the same as the children of the captiuitie did when they returned home towards Ierusalem Ezr. 8.21 for they proclaimed a fast and humbled themselues before God sught of him a right way for themselues and for their children and for all their substance and the Lord was intreated of them for he gaue thē good successe in their iourney and deliuered them from their enimies So we might doe it priuately that the Lord might blesse vs in the waightie affaires of ours keepe vs from all dangers that might otherwise befall vs. For though we obtaine many things daily at the mercifull hands of our heauenly father by our ordinarie prayers publike and priuate yet he hath made the largest promises of blessing vnto fasting and prayer and greatest things haue been obtained that way of all the seruaunts of God Math. 17.14 For as Christ sayd vnto his Disciples to whom a certaine man brought his sonne possessed with a deuill but they could not cast him out and they demanded of their Master why they could not doe it Many thing are not obtained without those prayers whereunto fasting is adioyned This kinde is not cast out but by prayer and fasting that is a most feruent kinde of prayer whereunto fasting is to be adioyned to quicken vs vp thereunto that it might be as it were a whetstone to sharpen our dull spirits and to set an edge upon our blunt hearts So that wee may easily perceiue that some things yea many things that we stand in need of are not obtained or euils remooued without this kinde of prayer whereunto fasting is adioyned For as some things are not to be had without a great price nor many sutes obtained of great men without long and earnest supplication so some things are not to bee receiued from God without those feruent prayers and supplications which can not be without fasting nor without that hūble prostrating of our selues which is wrought in vs by that meanes And thus we are taught that wee ought to haue vsed priuatelie this part of Gods seruice a great deale more than wee haue done whereby we might haue brought into our houses more blessings and have kept out more afflictions than now wee haue But indeed the ignorance of the most part is so lamentable By reason of their great ignorance many are vnfit for priuate fasts that if they shuld not onely haue thus done before but should now vpon the hearing of this doctrine heerafter determine for some good cause best knowen unto themselues to take this exercise vpon them they know not how to behaue themselues in it or to performe it in anie measure so as it might be acceptable vnto God and comfortable to themselues So that it would fall out with them as with those of whom our Sauiour Christ speaketh in the Gospell Luk. 5.36 that they should not only not be bettered thereby but made worse euen as if a piece of a new garment were put into an olde vesture then the new renteth it and the piece taken out of the new agreeth not with the olde or as if new wine were put into olde vessels the new wine would breake the vessels and it would run out and the vessels would perish By which parables he teacheth vs that fasting unfitly vsed of them that are not meet for it nor onely maketh them worse but vtterlie destroyeth them Therefore better were it for such not to vse it at all than by abusing it for want of skill further to prouoke Gods wrath against themselues in which respect hee excuseth his Disciples for not vsing this priuate fasting as yet ●ut in this ●ng and ●leere light ●f the G●spel ●gnorance ●xcuseth ●one though the Disciples of Iohn Baptist did But surely for vs this long time and plentifull preaching of the Gospel so many yeres might haue made all of vs fit enough for this holie excrcise so many as are of yeres of discretion and so this grosse ignorance and thereby wonderful vnfitnesse that is in men doth not excuse them as it did the Disciples who were but Nouices in his schoole for hee had beene then but a little with them Therefore wee see what God requireth of vs priuately as any occasion shall fall out namely that wee should serue him not onely in other holy dueties but in fasting and prayer and therfore that we ought all of vs so to profit by the publike ministerie of the Word while it is among vs that we may be fit for it when the Lord by his word or by his worke shall call vs vnto it But to draw towards an end it is further to bee obserued concerning these priuate fasts that we now intreat of that all sorts of men and women haue not power to appoint vnto themselues what time they wil for this purpose no though they euidently see that they haue iust cause to vse it For besides that the man and woman are so neerely vnited by the bond of mariage as by the couenant of God Prou. 2.17 Math. 19.5 1. Cor. 7.5 whereby it commeth to passe that they are no more two but one flesh as Christ sayth in the Gospell so that they can not separate themselues one from another no not for a time and to this end without continuall consent as wee haue seene a little before all they that are vnder the priuate gouernment of others None vnder gouernment can make choise of daies for priuate fasts without consent of their gouernors are at the disposition of their gouernours by the law and commaundement of God as sonnes and daughters men seruants and maid seruants scholars all labourers and hired men for the time and such like so that none of these can without the knowledge and free consent of those vnder whom they are make choise of what day in the weeke they wil to obserue their priuate fasts in For seeing the day of fast is to be kept holie and being of the nature of the Sabbath as hath beene prooued before in it they must wholly rest from all the works of their ordinarie calling from euening to euening and must spend that time in the worship of God they can not at their owne will and pleasure giue ouer these workes and so consequently not appoint vnto themselues a day of resting but must be contented heerein to be ordered by the discretion of those to whom they haue either by the bond of nature or by some couenant wholly addicted themselues and all their