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A17044
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Concerning publike-prayer, and the fasts of the Church Six sermons, or tractates. By Io. Br. B.D. Their severall contents are set downe in the next page.
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Browning, John, d. 1648.
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1636
(1636)
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STC 3919; ESTC S105933
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161,719
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248
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not eate 1 Sam. 1.7 8. 1 Sam. 1.7 David for his childe 2 Sam. 12.16 2 Sam. 12.16 Ahab for Naboths Vineyard 1 King 21.4 1 Kings 21.4 So a signe of mourning it is where griefe is caused already 2 And a meanes also to make us mourne as in the Israelites and Ninivites Fast in Samuels Davids Iehosaphats Esthers and Nehemiah's So it is a meanes and cause to helpe and further sorrow where it is not or is but yet newly begun Both I take it are the aimes of this fasting here 1 A signe of mourning For these dayes were dayes of captivity and thraldome Daniel and his fellowes in a strange land under a forraine Prince their owne countrey wasted and made desolate That famous City the figure of Heaven burnt and destroyed that glorious Temple the wonder of Nations the joy of the earth the type of our blessed Saviours body as our Saviours body at this time buried and laid in the dust No wonder then if Daniel and his fellowes mourned if they hanged up their harpes and cast downe their heads for How should they sing the Lords song in a strange land Psal 137.4 Whil'st they were captives their honours were but golden fetters their pleasures but as passengers delights which though they looke on yet they care not for In those dayes I Daniel was mourning 2 A meanes of mourning For these dayes put us in minde of a farther mourning Daniel in the Visions of the foregoing Chapter beheld not onely another worse and longer captivity but the miserable destruction 2 The time of it the finall desolation the hopeles dispersion and rejection of his whole Nation this could not lesse grieve him then it did Moses or Saint Paul Exod. 32. Rom. 9. it could not but make him wish himselfe accursed for them blotted out that they might bee written in 2 But againe to behold this in the cause in the bloud of the slaine Messias as the words of the Vision shew Chap. 9.26 Dan. 9.26 Matth. 27.25 to see the bloud of IESUS layd on them and on their children for ever to see them defiled with that bloud that must onely cleanse them To behold his and our SAVIOUR on the Crosse bleeding by them for whom He dyed to view the numberlesse number and infinite masse of the sinnes of all mankinde and his owne sins amongst them to helpe to crucifie to whip and scourge him this was the Vision of these days and seeing this he sorrowed lamented mourned and wept for it 3 But that 's not all it is not enough for him or us onely to sigh and lightly sorrow for him he must also by sorrow dye and suffer with him Who so wretched to stand by and behold another a just and innocent man to suffer death for him and not shed teares for his bloud yet this Daniel saw not onely another but the only just and holy of men that ever was yea even the Son of GOD bleeding at this very time within the compasse of these dayes A most sad heavy and dolefull spectacle This as he now saw so he now lamented and because hee could not mourne for it enough for who alasse can he both teacheth us and maketh himselfe mourne by fasting Surely any sorrow of the countenance saith the Preacher makes the heart farre better Eccles 7.3 S. Chrysost in c. 5. Mat. v. 4. Hom. 15. For as Saint Chrysostome rightly they that sorrow but for their wives their children their freinds c. shall find that whilst they sorrow they are not affected with the world their hearts runne not after covetousnesse they hanker not after money they care not for honour they passe not for pleasure no lustfull provocations stirre them no envy provokes them no injuries can move them so far are they from drunkennes gluttony and these excessive vices that they care not to eate or drinke even all that is in the World 2 Iohn 2.26 the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life have no power upon them because they give themselves wholly to sorrow And if it be thus in any sorrow if worldly sorrow be such a bridle to sin how much more profitable is godly sorrow which is not onely an acceptable Sacrifice before GOD for sinne past but also a most available medicine and remedy against sinne to come For this voluntary sorrow is in stead of all burnt offering and sacrifice even Psal 51.17 Psal 51.17 The Sacrifices of God such is a contrite and humble spirit when preventing GOD wee rend it and breake it by sorrow even an holy selfe-revenge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Apostle calls it 2 Cor. 7.10 2 Cor. 7.10 Dolor appretiatus as the Schoolemen recounting what wee have done in our sinnes and valuing what wee have deserved in our punishment On the one side how many how great how haynous our sinnes are how base the motives how grievous the circumstances how dangerous to others how displeasing to GOD how deadly to our selves And if we cannot value them and their punishments as we should let us cast up our eyes with Daniel to CHRISTS Crosse and there behold the handwriting of the Law and our sinnes against us that most deserved yet most unsufferable curse and punishment due unto them GODS fierce rigour wrath and severity even executed in His owne Son upon them Let us mourning in our Prayers and humbling our selves make this the meditation of these dayes and if ever any sorrow worke repentance as sorrow must doe it 2 Cor. 7.10 this will this will make us also even us as it did Daniel at this time mourne for our sins In those dayes I Daniel was mourning c. And so having done with the Action and End of it we come to the manner and nature of this Fast I ate no pleasant bread neither came any c. 3 The manner of this Fast The very fast we have now in hand Objection There be two maine exceptions of our factious brethren against this Lenten and other fasts of the Church The one That they are Set the other That being set and certaine they are superstitiously say they placed in the choyce of some meates and drinkes Respons Concerning the former as we have spoken heretofore in another place so we both have and shall if GOD enable farther intreate upon this present occasion of Daniels fast The latter being the more immediate scope of the Text doth now more earnestly make us hasten to it Where we have two things to bee considered the one plainly implyed the other fully expressed both necessary to bee stood upon The first is That Daniel eating no pleasant bread nor flesh or wine did notwithstanding for natures necessity eate something else The second That his thus abstaining from flesh and wine with all other desireable meats was notwithstanding his eating other things a most true religious and perfect fast For the first I ate
not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God and let thy words be few Thirdly the Reason and Ground of all For God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth 1 Errrours in the defect of religious duties and devotion 1. Folly in not offering Psal 14.2 In the words before you heard of the offering of Fooles so an offering they have Yet there is a Foole that hath said in his heart There is no God Psal 14.2 Doubtlesse where no GOD no offering folly in the highest kinde Yet such are rather Mad-men than Fooles yea Beasts rather than Men yet Beasts the worst and wildest The Lions do seek their meat of God Psal 104.21 Psal 104.21 So they acknowledge GOD yea they serve him They continue this day according to thine Ordinance for all things serve thee Psal 119.91 Psal 119.91 Therefore they are nor Men nor Beasts but Devils nay The very Devils also beleeve and tremble Iam. 2.19 Iames 2.19 As S. Iohn sayd of Cerinthus so we of them They are the Devils first-borne worse than their Father Not Cain not Saul not Iudas so bad as they for Iudas was amongst the Apostles Saul among the Prophets Cain even among the Offerers yea the first of them Gen. 4.3 Gen. 4.3 It is a Rule in Reason Where the Principles are denied no arguing where the Foundation is rased no building where the fire and every spark of grace is quite put out no hope of any burnt offering Therefore my Text omits them only it speaketh and I with it of Offerers and follies in offering But here againe what Offering 2 False and undue sacrifice or offering Is it any Burnt Offering or Sacrifice for sin as of old amongst the Iewes The bloud of Buls and Goats No such matter those were but types of CHRIST and therefore untill CHRIST but to dreame any longer of these now is such a folly that the Iewes are not guilty off They doe not they dare not acknowledge them now they well knew the commandement and the place for those Sacrifices his Temple only Deut. 12. Deut. 12.5.13 14 c. Therefore with the Temple downe went their bloudy Sacrifices even one thousand and six hundred yeeres since Now they have no other Sacrifices as I shewed the last time but the Sacrifice of Prayer Hos 14. Hos 14.1 2. Nay they plainly dispute against the other they argue for this alone R. Maimon R. Maimon More Nebochim part 3. cap. 32. the learnedst of the Iewes most christianly concludeth that these Sacrifices of prayer of Almes of Thanksgiving are Sacrificia primae intentionis Psal 140.2.50 the Sacrifices that are first intended by God first commanded to us and indeed so it is as in the Ps 40.6 so here Not any longer the bodies of slain Beasts or Oxen but thy mouth thy heart Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty c. God sheweth that both mouth and heart must be though neither rash both must be parts of this Sacrifice 3 Defect in the gestures of Prayer And they indeed as principall parts of this Sacrifice Other parts there are also and a prime folly it is of which we are guilty that we use them not namely Eyes lifted up to God in Heaven So David Psal 123. Psal 123.1 2 3. Behold even as the eyes of servants looke unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hands of her Mistresse so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy upon us The knees with the body cast downe to the earth whence and of which we are so the Apostle Ephes 3.14 Ephes 3.14 Therefore bend I my knees to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ The hands againe raised up as the Apostle also 1 Tim. 2.8 1 Tim. 2.8 Therefore I will that men pray every where lifting up pure hands without wrath Psal 121.1 or doubting As our Eyes cast up to the Hils from whence commeth our helpe to shew our love joy hope and helpe to bee there and thence onely and our knees cast downe to the earth a signe of that condition of dust earth and ashes to which sin hath brought us Gen. 3. Genesis 3. so our hands lifted up a signe that all we can doe is too little to give him thanks for that he hath done for us and that all which we doe our Sacrifice we desire should be accepted in the Bloud Passion and Merits of Iesus Christ. It is observeable which the first Christians observed that in the gesture of Hands lifted up the figure of the Crosse is evidently represented So they used this Ceremony even from the Apostles times Homo vel orans formâ crucis visitur S. Hieronymus in Marc. 15. Tom. 6. f. 87. Iust Martyr Apol. 2. saith S. Hirome and Iustin Martyr with others said the same three hundred yeers before his time They thought they had command for it that perchance of the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Max. Taurin Hom. 2. De passione cruce Domini s 608. I will and command that every where you pray lifting up pure hands c. Surely Maximus Taurinensis grounds it somewhere Ideo elevatis manibus orare praecipimur ut ipso quoque membrorum gestu passionem Domini fateamur So prayed Moses also say all the Ancient when with Lifted up hands hee prayed whil'st Ioshua or Iesus the Type of our IESVS Exod. 17.12 fought against Amalek Therefore also the Easterne Christians used the 140. Psalme in their Evening Prayer Psal 40.6 Vid. S Chrys in Psal 140. Et S. Aug Ser. 8. de sacrific Vespertin Vid. etiam Eucholog Graecorum Horolog every one there being taught to pray Vers 2. Let my prayer be directed as Incense and the lifting up of my hands be an Evening Sacrifice Namely that their and our Prayers may be accepted in that Sacrifice of Christ Iesus who in these last dayes as in the Evening of the World was sacrificed for the sin of the World And indeed both eyes and hands lifted up as also knees and bodies cast downe are but as the mouth to the heart outward Interpreters of the inward devotion of the soule Certaine it is whilest the Principall and Chiefe the Mouth and Heart are named even the lesser and inferiour are implied and wee here convinced of folly for not using them 4 Defect in vocall prayer in publike But what if the mouth it selfe be wanting This is a folly whereof it seemeth the Holy Spirit supposeth none would be guilty therefore as supposing the use that no man would omit it he gives a Precept only for the not abusing it And indeed this is a folly whereof we are mainly guilty condemned by the evidence of GODS Word by the testimony of ancient later and moderne Churches Publike prayers for of such only do we speak ought to be as