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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
end_n	lord_n	receive_v	supper_n	1,604	5	9.1492	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64466	A fast of Gods chusing plainly opened for the help of those poor in spirit, whose hearts are set to seek the Lord their God in New-England, in the solemn ordinance of a fast : wherein is shewed, 1, the nature of such a fast, 2, the testimony God will give thereunto of his gracious acceptance, 3, the special seasons wherein God will bear witness to such a fast, 4, some helps to faith that is shall be so, 5, why such a fast is so acceptable and succesfull, 6, how much this concerns Gods people in New-England : preached on a fast called by publick authority, on 26, 1[6]74 / by Thomas Thacher...	Thacher, Thomas, 1620-1678.; Mather, Increase, 1639-1723.	1678 (1678)	Wing T830; ESTC R9807	27,462	32

Souls never reach after spiritual Baptisme if there be the washing with water without the Laver of Regeneration and the renewing of the holy Ghost can you rest in that or will God take pleasure in it What is it for you to eat the Lords Supper and not to eat the Lord who is that Supper that is to receive Christ therein by Faith mind the Spirit with which and the end for which you wait upon God in holy Ordinances What is your prayer if it be not the prayer which God hath chosen it's but the expression or voyce of a lust that will not be accepted of God Jam. 4. 3. you ask and have not because you ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts there are many mock services whereby mock-Christians mock God in their profession This is a sad mistery but necessary to be known there is a form of godliness without power this is to make an Image to your selves and to feed upon husks and to deceive your own Souls with shadows which will profit nothing If you think to put off God with outside services such have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof 2 Tim. 3. 5. from such turn away 2. It concerns us to know how hard it is to awaken a secure sinner that is covered under a form of godliness take a profane person and the whole power of common Light and common principles of humanity will fall in with the conviction of his miserable lost condition tell a Drunkard that he shall drink in Hell for this his conscience tells him so when he is sober So an Adulterer his Conscience being awakened tells him he shall suffer Eternal Torment for his moments pleasure So a griging person his Conscience falls in with the Conviction but a man under a form of godliness without the power thereof hath a ready salve for every sore he stops his Ears with his Tongue and becomes as the deaf Adder hence saith God unto this people Is this the Fast that I have chosen and inculcates it again and again It is not the Fast that I have chosen c. and calls upon the Prophet ver 1. Cry aloud cry out in thy throat spare not lift up thy voyce like a Trumpet that thou mayst awaken them to the consideration of their sin 3. It concerns us to know that all our spiritual duties services must come to the trial God will not only call us to account for all our open wickedness gross acts of Transgression but will try every service we perform Is this the Fast that I have chosen sayes God was it such a prayer such a participation in this or that Ordinance Is this your Conference are these the holy meetings are these the Sabbaths thus God will ask you and God will accept none of your Services but they must pass through Gods tryal Therefore we have need to examine our own Services and our hearts in them you are in your Closets meditating but is this the meditation God hath chosen for Spirit for matter for manner you are crying and praying but is this the prayer that God hath chosen you are reproving counselling admonishing your Children or others but is it in the way that God hath chosen you are dealing with your Neighbour or brother for some Transgression but is it such an admonition as God hath chosen remember that all your actions must come under this question whether or no they are such as God hath chosen I chuse out their way for them sayes Job of the time when he was as King among them so if Christ be your King he shall chuse your way for you and you will chuse the things that please the Lord and will not take any contentment in that which doth not answer the Lords expectation 2. As it is of great concernment for our knowledge so it concerns us for our examination trial to try our wayes before the Lord our God if God will try our fastings prayers other services we had need to try examine our selves To judge our selves is the way to prevent Gods Judgements Briefly examine we our selves concerning this our present Fast is it a Fast which God hath chosen as to our preparation for it have you had solemn and serious thoughts concerning the way of Gods providence concerning your persons your Families your Relations c. have you considered your own Transgressions before God the great cause you have had of deep humiliation before God in respect of them The defect of this is a failing of Gods expectation in the beginning however you may obtain in the procedure have you been careful to abstain from natural necessary comforts refreshings further then necessity in respect of infirmity calls for and hath your abstinence proceeded from inward self-abhorrency because of your sins Extream grief takes away the appetite to eating and drinking All the self denying acts that are required in a Fast are to proceed from a deep affliction of heart otherwise it is but a shallow performance of no worth with God It is therefore called the afflicting of the soul and if it doe not come from Soul-affliction it will be very unprofitable unacceptable Again are we real are our hearts through with God in that solemn profession we make in such a day as this Are you indeed sensible of your sins whereby you have provoked the Lord Our particular sins the sins of our Familyes towns Churches and the sins of the Country Doe we sincerely look out to God in Jesus Christ for the Spirit of Repentance Is it his grace indeed that we look unto for help and succour and that in the very mediation of Christ Jesus through his death and blood-shed Where is that spiritual self-abhorrency that should act and carry an end these holy services Is there indeed a forgiving spirit When you come before God are not your hearts many of you full of wrath anger are you meekened like lambs before the Lamb of God in your holy offerings Doe you present your selves upon that Altar which is the Lamb Or do you fast for strife and debate longing to be at it again that you may manifest your displeasure when the time is over And is there in you a spirit of compassion and working of bowels toward the poor and needy whilst you are seeking mercy from God Do you oblige and ingage your hearts to return to God and to reform what is amiss in your persons Families Churches c. according to the object of your work where you may have influence to the utmost of your power The Lord help us solemnly to examine our selves for if it be not thus with us it 's not the Fast which God hath chosen and mind what your sin is 1. It 's like the worshipping of an Idol you have turned an holy Ordidinance into loathsome Idolatry as I may speak with holy reverence you have carried it towards God as if

for it hath refeference to Gods conduct of Israel thorow the wilderness God went before them in the pillar of Cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night and in time of danger the Angel removed and went behind them as at the Red Sea Exod. 14. 19 20. So that their Righteousness was the Lord in the Cloud They were a people full of all manner of iniquity perverssn●ss and Rebellion Ay but sayes God I have seen no iniquity in Jacob nor perverssness in Israel Jehovah went before them as a God pardoning iniquity transsgression and sin and so he proclaims his Name Exo● 34. and 7. he had never lead them through the wilderness but that as their Righteousness he went before them so when God accepts you graciously through the Righteousness of his Son Christ Jesus and so goes before you this is a benefit whereby he manifests his gracious acceptation and the phrase signifies three things 1. That he goes before you to seek a place of rest for you and so our Lord Jesus Christ is gone before us to Heaven for that end H●b 6 20 whether the Forerunner is for us entred even Jesus When you see that the Lord Jesus hath gone before you and hath born affliction for you though he was holy and righteous he hath born the curse and dyed for you and rose again and ascended into Heaven c. he is gone to prepare your rest Joh. 14. 2. I go to prepare a place for you 2. He goes before you in his word guiding you in the way wherein you ought to follow him that you also may attain to rest and thus he did to Israel in the wilderness when God sends forth his Light and his ●ruth to inform your understandings and bows your hearts to obedience according to that proportion of spiritual Light manifested then he goes before you as your Righteousness 3. When the Lord goes before you to secure the way unto you as the great Captain of your Salvation he leads you as he did Israel into Canaan Josh 5. 13 14 15 the Lord Jesus goes before you as the Captain of your Salvation This you shall obtain at the Lords hand when you Fast such a Fast as he hath chosen and he will tread your Enemies under your feet shortly the Devil and the world and what ever else And so for a common wealth in time of war if they fast sincerely he will go before them and make their way victorious and their end Triumphant Jehoshaphats Fast brought them to the Valley of Blessing 2 Chron. 20 6. 26. 4. He will also be your Rereward ve 8. that signifies the gathering Host that comes after the rest of the Army to gather up the weak and the feeble And those that are not able to secure themselves this is called the gathering Host as in the March of Israel through the wilderness there was the tribe of Dan they were the gathering host Numb 2. v. 25. to the 31. and this is that which David refers to Psal 27. 10. When my Father and my mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up When thy own heart shall fail and all succour from friends and thine expectations are cut off from creature helps then the Lord will gather you up you are fatherless or widows or the like that is in such or such a case of affliction or under temptations and you cannot resist them and the Devil sets upon you with mighty force and you cannot obtain help from any other in such a case when you fast the Fast that God hath chosen God himself will be your Rereward he will come between you and the enemy Exod. 14. 19. 20. Isa 59. 19. 5. He will satisfie your souls in drought and make fat your bones and you shall be like a watered garden c. v. 11. A time of drought is a time of general want of rain and thereupon follows not only want of water as in Ahabs dayes but want of food also now in this time of drought God promises to satisfie your souls to make you as a watered garden that is whatsoever wants necessityes have been or may be feared to come upon a person or people yet when they fast the Fast which God hath chosen he will satisfie their souls in drought make● at their bones alluding to Gods dealing with Israel in the wild●rness in giving them water out of the Rock Manna from heaven which was not only food water for their bodyes but spiritual food and water for their souls so God will deal out a sufficient supply of all that good that is needfull for soul or body in this present life Psal 33. 19. To deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in Famine 6. He will make your soul as a watered garden and as a spring of water whose waters fail not As a watered Garden that is you shall be inclosed and secured from them that might spoil your roots or your fruits or that might make any sad and wofull impression upon your foundation in matte● 〈◊〉 civil policy or personal considerations and you shall not be barre●● unprofitable in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ A Fast which God hath chosen is the way to all fruitfulness in all precious fruits like to the garden inclosed Cant. 4. 12. And lest you should fear scarcity after this saves God They shall be as a living spring of water whose waters fa●l not Joh. 4. 14. the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into Everlasting Life you shall have springing supplies of outward and spiritual consolation as the matter may require and when I say consolation I intend the ground of it as well as the sense of it that is such supplies of grace seasonable knowledg of those supplies that you shall not but acknowledg in them Gods everlasting loving kindnes 7. There shall be a blessing to your posterity as well as to your selves ver 12 and there are three things in it 1. They shall build the old wasts this wilderness for ought I know hath lain waste from the beginning and there were never a Civilized people here before now fasting and prayer is the way to build the old wasts of Judah and Israel 2. Thou shalt raise up the Foundations of many gnnerations that is thou thy seed 3. Thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach the restorer of paths to dwell in many breaches are made in Churches and in common wealth and upon mens Souls many breaches upon the visible Church of God in the world who are they that shall repair such breaches those that observe such a Fast as God hath chosen and the restorer of paths to dwell in in the times of confusion those hurries that are amongst men about the matters of Religion people loose their paths and know not how to order their wayes before him to gracious acceptation you that

he had been one of the Idols of the Gentiles 2. You have taken the Name of God in vain this day in an extraordinary manner and so put an extraordinary dishonour upon God which is a most horrible profanation of the day which should be kept as a Sabbath to keep it only with outward observance without an heart spiritually disposed and graciously inclined will you call this an acceptable day to the Lord Lastly Consider what will be the wofull issue and evill consequence of it upon your selves except God give you repentance of your formality in your services instead of softening it will harden you Instead of mortifying sin it will quicken it instead of obtaining grace it will bring displeasure it will drive the Spirit of God from you and bring Satan near unto you and instead of the good you desire it will bring about the contrary evill you will be the worse for it not the better where was there greater wickedness effected then hath been done by Fasting Prayer See the horrible wickedness in the matter of Naboth 1 Kin. 21 was ever woman more hardned then Jezebel who like Ahab that sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord whom Jezebel stirred up 'T is the way to be sealed up under the Tomb-stone of an hard heart to celebrate a Fast with another Spirit manner and end then God hath chosen Woeful ill consequents come upon persons and Families upon this account commonly after a Fast or solemn Ordinance if not performed according to God men women and children are the worse in their practice Mal. 2. 13. and this have you done again covering the Altar with tears c. Insomuch that he regards not the offering any more or receiveth it with good will at your hand when men will fast and pray and cover Gods Altar with tears and yet hold fast their carnal corrupt and impenitent frame of heart they will be worse and worse in their places and Relations as there he speaks of the wife of youth against whom they had dealt treacherously c. And alas what outward miseries will it bring upon a Family 1 Cor. 1. 29 30. because in eating the Supper of the Lord they did not eat it therefore one was sick another weak and another fallen asleep so if in fasting you do not fast if in humbling your Souls you do not humble your Souls if in praying you pray not if you perform not such Services as God hath chosen it will bring sickness upon those that are well and weakness and death upon the sick It 's mercy when we are thus judged of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. latter end Again it concerns us to consider what evil Consequents will come upon a people in this case whence comes wars whence comes Famine whence plagues these and those Judgements upon a professing people because their worship is not worship their godliness their fasting and prayer is not such as God hath chosen there is not the life and power of godliness in what they offer up to God and this provokes God to deal dreadfully with them when lighter afflictions will not prevail This brought desolation to Jerusalem because they fasted to themselves and not to the Lord Zach. 7. 13 14. Therefore it is come to pass that as he cried and they would not hear so they cried and I would not hear saith the Lord of Hosts but I scattered them with a Whirlewind c. For they laid the pleasan Land desolate Again it concerns those of us that are true observers of such a Fast as God hath chosen it concerns them for their consolation as here in the dayes of the Prophet Isaiah when God was pleased to set so many precious hopes before them for themselves and their posterity what a comfort was it c. This is like to be your portion if God hath inclined your hearts to seek his Name 1. Object But you will say these promises are indeed very glorious but how can I take comfort in them since I find my self falling so exceeding short in the qualifications required thereto I Answer you must distinguish between ●alling short in degree and in the whole if there be in you no degree of these spiritual qualifications you must even wait upon God in pressing upon your hearts the dreadful consequents thereof but if there be any though the least degree I would not discourage you for when we speak of Evangelical duties we must understand the qualifications in a Gospel sense God looks at sincerity and accepts the uprightness of the heart though accompanied with much infirmity 2. Object Another may say I have laboured many a year and cannot find my prayers thus answered Answ We ought not to judge our selves by the Issues of Divine providence but by the operations of Gods Spirit in us if the work have been gracious in thy heart the Issue shall be glorious to thy Soul in the end and he that shall come will come and will not ●arry 3. Object But if these things be necessary to an acceptable Fast what benefit is there in a publick Fast wherein the most do fall short of what is required thereto Answ Whosoever falls short thou that dost keep this Fast that God hath chosen shalt have the blessing thereof Therefore look to thine own heart and thou shalt receive the Testimony of his gracious acceptation God knows how to save the good Figs when he destroys a whole Nation of bad he can find an Ark for a Noah and cull out eight persons from a whole world to shew them his Salvation Besides publick Fasts procure at least Reprieves God will wait to see the fruit of it and not put a full end to his patience till there is no hope of answering Humiliation by Reformation And lastly it concerns every one of us to look diligently to our own Souls when we have any such service to perform to the Lord our God that it be so done by us as God hath appointed and that we repent of what hath not been according to Gods mind and that we take care that what remains may make it a Fast after Gods own choice Q w●y is that possible Yes if now at last thy Soul truly repents of thy sin and be humbled and melts before God for thy carnality thy unpreparedness for the day and thy unspiritualness in the day And looking unto Christs Mediation for pardon and acceptation trusting in his gracious help you take up resolutions to return to God and to exercise mercy and loving kindness amongst men and to do Justice and Judgement and to walk righteously holily and humbly with thy God it may turn this very Fast into a time of joy and in Gods gracious acceptation may be esteemed such a Fast as God hath chosen I would propound a few things here to your consideration as the Issue of this your Fast and but propound them briefly 1 Look into your own hearts get alone and consider what it is that hath been amiss in hearts and lives for time past and set a narrow watch over your Souls for time to come that you may not provoke God and because you are weak and infirm intreat God to set a watch over you by his holy Spirit 2. Now take up a resolution to walk with God in your house in a perfect way that neither your selves nor your Relations may be the worse for your Fastings and that Judgment may not come upon you in your house because you have not glorified God in his house 3. Use your utmost interest for publick good for the free passage of Justice and Judgment Righteousness and Peace in the Common-wealth and Churches and though you have no power of your selves wrestle with God for it that it may be so 4. Take care that you hold fast the word of Gods patience in the time of your triall hold it fast in Faith and practice remember that word He that continues to the end shall be saved And again Let no man take away thy crown It is a day of tryal but look to it that you may be found upright in the day of tryal Lastly Be open hearted and open-handed to those that are in misery and affliction Blessed are the mercifull for they shall find Mercy Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us unto him be glory in the Church of Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Amen FINIS