long haue florished Well what did Ioshua and the Elders of Israel here First they rent their cloaths To signifie the renting of their hearts So Ioel. 2. 13. Rent your hearts and not your garments And the ceremony of renting the clothes was not lightly to bee vsed but in case when Gods glory or name suffered as Num. 14. 6. Ioshua and Caleb rent their cloathes when their fellow spies had by their misreport discouraged the people causing them to distrust Gods lawes and promise The like case is here Secondly they fell to the earth on their faces importing a stupendious abjection full of zeale as vtterly regardlesse of their dignity or persons carelesse what became of them so transported were they with zeale for Gods glory and people Thirdly they put dust vpon their heads in signe of greatest humiliation as dead men on whom the earth or mould is cast for buriall Hereunto adde the other circumstances as of the time how long vntill the euentide the iust terme of a solemne fast as also of the place before the Arke of the Lord the type of Gods presence in his Sanctuary before the mercy seate the place of publicke worship together with their feruent inuocation and zealous prayer to God and so in some wee haue a full fast in all the intire and maine parts of it Loe then what a noble precedēt of true piety is here exhibited to Gods people And doth not our royall Ioshua the like what saith the proclamation Note the words well In this fast his Maiesty in his royall Person with his own family and royal household will giue an example to the rest of his people Yea that the pious and religious considerations namely of deliuerances past of disasters present and dangers imminent haue soe wrought in the Princely heart of the Kings most excellent Maiestie that he hath not onely had recourse to that great and Diuine Maiestie who is the King of Kings in his priuate deuotions to implore his mercy and fauour to himselfe and his people but according to the example of all good Kings in former ages in the times of common calamities which equally concerne both Prince and people to commaund a solemne a generall and a publicke fast c So run the words Which well obserued what hopefull fruites shall not such a fast produce when the first seedes thereof euen prayers and teares are begunne to be sowne by our Royall Ioshua And though in that his preceeding and priuate practise he seemeth to go alone yet for the more graue and religious forme of solemnizing thereof insteed of the Elders of Israel his most excellent Maiesty hath consulted with his reuerend Bishops Which our noble Ioshua and his reuerend Elders soe farre as they in this fast imitate Ioshua and the Elders of Israel so let our Israel imitate them Then doubt we not of a hopefull welfare to attend and succeed this fast wherein Ioshua with the Elders of Israel lead vs the way in sincerity of their heart in the precedencie of their pious examples And note one fare proofe fruit of our late generall fast vpon the 2d of August for the Country That very day the heauens began to restraine their vnkindly influence of excessiue vnseasonable famine-threatning wette the Lord clearing vp his cloudy countinance in the face of the christaline skye faire weather continuing from that day to bring vs in a joyfull most plentifull haruest to the regret of all ingratefull misers and regrating cornmongers but joy to all good hearts The very like change of weather fell vpon the very day of the last yeares fast which began with the Court and London fast Thus God is pleased to grace our fasts showing how much he is delighted with true humiliation Now by the example of Ioshua and the Elders of Israel here we are taught how to keepe a right and religious fast to the Lord. First as they rent their garments so we should our hearts with deepe contrition and godly sorrow for Gods dishonour displeasure and Israels discomfitures And if euer now cause there is to rent our hearts for Israels fearefull rents both in Church state These great schismes and rents are best cured and closed againe by this one of the heart If our hearts proue rocky smite we them with Moses rodde by the application of Moses Law that soe being rent and cleft a sunder there may issue out floods of liuing waters of repentance flowing from a liuely faith which may supple and close the clefts and chaps of our parched Israel Secondly as Ioshua's so our fast must be with exceeding humiliation of soule and spirit yea euen to the dust and that renouncing our selues as dead men in whom is noe helpe or hope being as it were buried vnder ground as Ioshua vnder the dust which he cast vpon his head We must goe out of our selues as the soule out of the body flying to God who onely canne free vs from our euils fealt or feared Thirdly our fast must be constant as Ioshua's vntill the eventide The day of our fast is a holy day to the Lord to be wholy spent in a religious abstinence as from our ordinary food so from any pleasure or profit of our owne The Lord reproues Israel for this saying Behold in the day of your fast you finde pleasure and exact all your labours We must forbeare all kind of food or repast till the euentide So did Nineueh by the Kings commandement Ion. 3. 8. Fourthly the speciall place wherein to celebrate our fast is the place appointed for publike worship Ioshua's humiliation was before the Arke of the Lord. Our priuate houses haue their vse for priuate deuotions but in the time of publicke seruice in Gods house whereat we must if we may be present our priuate deuotions at home are of no other vse but to bring a curse in stead of a blessing while the publicke ministery is neglected or contemned And euer in the publike ordinance God doth more manifest his presence in the communication of his graces then in our priuate families yet by commending the publike I exclude not the prinate but euer the priuate must giue place to the publicke The day of our fast as also other the Lords Sabboths allowes some time to be spent in our priuate families for the duties of the day as those vacant howres both before betweene and after the publike seruice but the publicke worship must in no case bee incroched vpon by our priuate deuotions much lesse by our worldly affaires or affections at that wee must be no lesse instant in comming then constant in continuing So did Ioshua before the Lords Arke Yea in some places specially in the Country where their Churches are greater and their congregations lesser being also vpon a working day and in haruest time if they be accommodated for Preachers agreeing vpon it the fast may be wholy spent in the Church in the publike congregation Not that there is more
ISRAELS FAST OR A MEDITATION Vpon the Seuenth Chapter of Joshuah A faire Precedent for these Times By H. B. Rector of S. Mathews Fryday-Street Ioshua 7. 14. Vp sanctifie the People and say Sanctifie your selues against to morrow For thus saith the Lord God of Israel There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee O Israel Thou canst not stand before thine Enemies vntill ye take away the accursed thing from among you Printed at Rochel MDCXXVIII To our Royall Ioshua and loyall Elders of Israel now happily assembled in Parliament Grace Mercie Peace Vnitie Vnanimitie Wisdome Courage Zeale for Christ for Religion for the Republick for all ISRAEL MOst Noble Senate blessed be God the Authour and our Ioshua his blessed Instrument of this your happie assembling And what word Mordecai sent to Hester in that deplored estate of Gods people let me be bold to transferre to you in the like case Who knoweth whither you are come together for such a time as this The Mite which here I presume to offer into the rich Treasurie of your graue wisdomes is Israels Fast A poore Meditation conceiued formerly but brought forth in this Season I hope in a good howre which though it bee out of my penurie for want of better meanes of Expression yet springeth it from the superabundance of my Zeale and heartie well-wishing And this Fast being performed by Ioshua and the Elders of Israel vpon Israels discomfiture I knew not to whom more fitly to recommend it then to You our Royall Ioshua and Noble Elders of Israel now assembled in one intire Body representatiue of this goodly Church and State All this Fast was about the trespasse of one Achan But if our Israel haue many Achans in it the more need is there of Israels Fast. Yet not a Fast alone It is but the Preparatiue to the Purgatiue Potion as here nor as Iezebels Fast to deuoure Naboths Vineyard But Israels Fast to preserue Gods Vineyard by purging out the Troubler of Israel This troubler was Achan but vnknown to Ioshua the Elders till found out by Diuine Lâ—â—t And are the Troublers of our Israel so concealed as wee need Diuine Lotts to discouer them Yet if so God wants not his Diuines those of his Lott such as of whom the good King Iohoshaphat said to his people Belieue his Prophets so shall ye prosper I am the least and vnworthiest of all Gods Prophets And some must speake least the crying of the senselesse Stones should conuince vs of vnfaithfull cowardise Nor are we to looke after extraordinarie Commissions as the Prophets of Old vnlesse we had extraordinarie Inspirations The Word is neere vs. Out of this Word is my Message directed to you O Ioshua and Elders of Israel And this Word it is which must direct you at this time in the finding out of the Troublers of Israel Now Achan troubled Israel in two speciall respects First * In diuiding God from Israel Secondly * In diuiding Israel from themselues Thus all Diuiders are Troublers of Israel And to these two Heads may all the Achans Troublers of Israel bee reduced Now forasmuch as they are many and a mightie Confederacie our Ioshua and the Elders of Israel now assembled and fast ioyned together are onely all-together able to cope with them Nor shall it be any preiudice to your graue wisedomes to take a Precedent for your easier Processe in this maine Businesse out of Gods holy Word and from the King and People of Israel King Asa and his People being about a great Worke of Reformation for their better God-speed They enter into a Couenant to seeke the Lord God of their Fathers with all their Heart and with all their Soule That whosoeuer would not seeke the Lord God of Israel should be put to death whither small or great whither man or woman And they sware vnto the Lord with a loud voyce and with shouting and with Trumpets and with Cornets And all Iudah reioyced at the Oath for they had sworne with all their heart and sought him with their whole desire and he was found of them And the Lord gaue them rest round about This worthy example I onely name to your apprehensiue wisdomes praying from the bottome of my heart that you would put it in speedy execution as the ground-worke of whatsoeuer good wee may hope or expect by the meanes of this Noble Meeting Thus vpon such A solemne generall Couenant sealed by particular sacred Oath of each Member of the Three Estates in Parliament the King the Nobles and the House of Commons either no diuiding Achans will bee found lurking among you or if any they will the more easily be discouered and so discarded Then in Gods Name goe on and prosper Onely let Ioshua and Israels Elders goe inseparably together Let not the Achan-faction by their priuie whisperings diuide them by working disaffections For if Achans may but come between they will put both into extremities For as Dauid said to Ioab and Abishai Ye are too hard for me ye Sonnes of Zeruiah So the Achan-faction may proue too hard for our Dauid for our Ioshuah without the ioynt assistance of you the Elders of Israel Like the Guisian-faction in France who were too hard for King Henry the Third In such a case then it is necessarie that the Elders sticke close to Ioshua to free Israel out of Hucksters hands It is Solomons aduice who was the wisest King Take away the euill from the King and his Throne shall be established in righteousnesse And the Wicked there he compareth to the Dross which being taken from the Siluer there shall come forth a Vessell for the Finer This Drosse these Wicked are the Achans who so long as they are before the King it will be hard for his Throne to be established in righteousnesse Now to take them away I say the helpe of you the Elders is necessarily required And doth not the King call you The great Councell of Vs and of our Kingdom And your Councell was it euer more necessarie then now wherein the Troublers of Israel haue almost gotten the vpper hand Good God what powerfull Inchanters be these Achans that presume they can perswade the World they are Ioshuahs faster friends when they would most diuide him from the Elders of Israel To perswade they loue the Head when they seeke to pull it from the Body To perswade they are for the King when they seeke to strip him of his Subiects To perswade they are for the Sheepherd when against his Sheepe To perswade they honour the Father when they would set him against his louing Children and loyall Family What a Paradox is This Wherein did Hushai more approue himselfe the Kings Friend then by his prudent frustraiting of Achitophels traiterous Counsell and so reconciling and reuniting the reuolted Subiects to their true Soueraigne What needed posting and packing of Parliament-Elections if all they that falsely pretend as faithfull Seruice to the King as Hushai did
Christian Resolution and zeale in the casheering of these Troublers of Israel A third sort of Achans are Neutralizers but so as the Bias of their affections wheeles and swayes them round to Popery These are so much the more pernicious plagues to Israel in that vnder the seemely vale and masionlike habit of the Church of England they labour to bring in that old Babylonish strumpet hoodwinkt that we should all reacknowledge her for our Mother As may appeare in a certaine Booke of Priuate Deuotions so called published by Authority the maine scope thereof all along being to reduce vs all to one Church and that none other but forsooth the holy Catholike Church of Rome But the whole Mysterie of iniquitie folded vp therein would require a more particular vnfolding These Neutralizers or Popish Arminians or Arminian Papists or what ye will vnder the name of the Church of England dare vent any Arminian haeresie As in a Booke lately printed by Authority too there is this most blasphemous Arminian heresie that there is a goodnesse obiectiue in the Creature which in order of Nature is precedent to the Act or exercise of Gods will thus by necessary consequence making the Creature a God hauing a selfe-being independent but onely vpon Gods bare Prescience vpon which and not vpon that suprema causa causarum Gods will he hangeth the being and well being of all the Creatures And this sort and confederacy of Achans haue gotten such a high hand that no Booke may be set out if it be directly against Popery and Arminianisme nor against Popery in speciall but with some qualification or Ingredient such as this That the Church of Rome though she haue many errours yet is a true Church And by this deuice they doe like Balaam mightily preuaile and that with great ones Scholars and others to draw vs to some friendly commerce and correspondence with that Whoore. And they are growne so much the more confident becaue they haue Authority in their hand either to approue or prohibit what Books they list Whereas if the way were open as formerly freely to print Bookes by Authority against Popery and her confederate Arminians their Neutralizing Achans as so many Owles would fly into their darke Cels as not able to behold the sunbeames of the Truth But we hope and pray that Ioshua and the Elders of Israel will take such order that instead of Popish and Arminian Bookes Orthodox bookes may be freely published by Authority And suffer mee to speake O noble Sages of Israel I am for God my King for Religion and my Country if you O Ioshua and the Elders of Israel purge not out these pestilent Acans or close clip their wings they must needs bring vtter confusion vpon this state ere it be long They daily creepe into high fauour in Court they preuaile mightily by their plausible insinuating intoxicating flattery They goe about as the Prophet Osee speakes to make the King glad with their lyes Their Theames and Theorems are that Kings are partakers of Gods owne Omnipotency though this be a diuine Attribute incommunicable to any Creature That iustice can be no Rule or Medium whereby to giue God or the King his right As if right were not grounded vpon iustice as the Rule of it Take away Iustice and where is Right Or as if the seruice which we performe to God were not bounded vpon Gods Lawes which are holy Iust and good Yea God neither commands nor accepts any other seruice at our hands but such as his Law prescribes And thus our seruice becomes iust and reasonable Yet with such like glosings they thinke that Principibus placuisse viris non vltima taus est Great Potentates thus to applaud They reckon it no little laud. Nor doe they blush not onely to preach these things to the face of the Court but dare also publish in Print this their shame to the open view of the world not without great dishonour both to God and the King Now the Lord Iesus deliuer our good and gracious Ioshua from these Achans that his sweet disposition may not be inchanted with their Syren-songs Herein the ioynt courage and zeale of you the Elders of Israel is required Take away these Achans from the King and his throne shall be established in righteousnesse Many other branches of the Achan-faction there are whom your wisdomes can more easily find out But the master-peece of your wisdome is to find out if any such Monster be to be found in Rerum natura where the maine Root and Head of all these branches and members lurketh That must be digged and stockt vp else if it be but pruned it will but sprout the thicker If they goe on thus Gods fearefull iudgements must needs fall heauy vpon this Land If we be luke-warme and haue no courage for the truth the Lord will spue vs out of his mouth But God forbid that base cowardise should suffer Gods Truth Religion King Crowne Kingdome Church euery mothers sonne of vs to be by a packe of traiterous Achans and so many worthies in Israel descended of the magnanimous bloud of the heroicke true-bred English to looke on with their thumbs vnder their girdles betraid into the pawes of the Beast cheated nosewiped euen to their face that the whole state as one man may take vp that saying in the Poet Prudens sciens viuus vidensque pereo And that I say by traiterous Achans For whosoeuer are traitors to Gods Truth and the Religion established whereon the Kings Throne is firmely established whether they be direct Traitors to the State I leaue to your wisedomes to iudge but this I dare boldly affirme Traitours they are by necessary consequence betraying vs into our enemies hands by making God our Enemy as too many disastrous instances haue proued and as Achans instance in this Booke will plainly show In the name of God therefore O ye noble worthies of Israel quit your selues like men God hath now put a precious opportunity into your hands The Lord strengthen you to lay fast hold vpon it and so to husband it that the issue may be to his glory to the preseruation of our royall Ioshua and you his loyall Counsel and of all the Israel of God Not to importune your wisedomes further vnlesse for pardon of my importunity wherein yet your noble propensity will not easily brooke to be importuned to pardon errors of zeale and true affection I will onely craue leaue for conclusion to apply S. Aug. prayer in the siege of Hippo. Noueritis me hoc tempore nostrae calamitatis Deum rogare ve aut hanc ciuitatem ab hostibus circundatam liberare dignetur aut si aliud ei videtur suos seruos ad praeferendam suam voluntatem fortes faciat aut certè vt me de hoc saculo ad se accipiat Which I English thus My prayer to God in this time of Israels calamity is that either it would please him to deliuer and free this
vertue in the Church-wals or pewes or pillars then in our priuate houses or closets but the publicke Ordinance is the most perfect beauty of holinesse euer to bee preferred before priuate deuotions Fiftly a religious fast must euer bee joyned with earnest and feruent prayer to God either for remouing present euils or preuenting future or else in thanksgiuing for benefits receiued and enioyed Lastly all this must bee done in sincerity of heart as in the sight and presence of God all hypocriticall and Pharisaicall vayles remoued from vs. Thus Ioshua's humiliation with the Elders of Israel was before the Arke of the Lord in the presence of God Suffice it onely to name these things as briefe rules and directions for our fast Only insist we vpon two points as most requisite to our present purpose The first is that in our publicke fast God doth especially looke vpon the heart that it be single and sincere without hypocrisie Nothing is more abominable in the sight of God than an hypocriticall Fast which the more solemne the hypocrisie is the more insolently and audaciously impious as daring to play mock-holiday with God vpon the open stage Such was Iezebels fast a very packe of hypocrisie who to colour and cover her craft and cruell covetousnes to compasse Naboths vineyard shee proclaimes forsooth a solemne fast having her false witnes in a readines suborned to accuse innocent Naboth saying This man blasphemed God and the King Who would not imagine that this fast was rather to expiate Naboths imaginary blasphemy then to satiate Ahabs lust for his hereditary vineyard saving that it was not so easie a matter for Iezebel and Ahab by subtile hypocrisie to impose vpon no not their credulous simples The vaile of hypocrisie is not for every ones weare Iezebel and Ahab were palpably notoriously wicked which while they go about to hide vnder hypocrisie they do but dance in a net of too small a thread to hold such a sish as Naboths vineyard without the strong cordes of a womans lawlesse lust armed with Ahabs signet with the awfulnes whereof shee had taught the Elders Gouernors of Naboths City to bee at a becke and to serue at all turnes Farre vnlike our Ioshua Elders of Israel here in their Fast. But Ahabs kingdome was the revolted idolatrous house of Israel No marvaile if they were no lesse absurdly hypocriticall then grossely profane But let not Iudah sinne Yes Iudah also was become an hypocrite In the 58. of Esay The Lord bids the Prophet Cry aloud spare not lift vp thy voyce like a trumpet and shew my people their transgressions and the house of Iacob their sinnes What sinnes Hypocrisy stands in the forefront v. 2. Wherein specially did they play the hypocrites In their fasting so v. 3. Wherefore haue we fasted say they and thou seest not c. The Lord answers v 5. Is it such a fast that I haue chosen A day for a man to afflict his soule is it to bow down his head as a bulrush to spred sackcloath ashes vnder him Wilt thou call this a fast an acceptable day to the Lord Is not this the fast that I haue chosen to loose the bandes of wickednesse to vndoe the heavy burthens and to let the oppressed goe free and that yee breake the yoake c. A religious fast then is to loose the bands of vvickednesse but hypocrisie fastneth them the more by fasting How so For first of an hypocriticall fast comes no good God regards it not as the people complayned Yea sayth David if I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me And Psal. 17. 1. Heare the right O Lord attend vnto my cry giue eare vnto my prayer that goeth not out of fayned lips Implying that dissimulation with God hath no plea for acceptance Yea on the contrary as it hardens a man in evill so it hastens greater judgements especially in a solemne fast it turnes even our prayers into sinne and bringeth a curse in stead of a blessing as Iacob feared by having on his brothers garment and pretending to bee Esau. Though neuer any dissimulation sped so well as that of Iacobs And not without cause For the blessing belonged to him by a double right By Gods donation and designement and by purchase from Esau so that in truth and effect Iacob was Esau to wit the elder brother to whom the blessing of birth-right belonged This by the way But false hearted hypocrisie is euer disastrous and vnhappy And as no reformation can be expected of a solemne hypocrite but still greater obfirmation in evill So hee cannot hope of any good from God or if hee doe his hope shall perish as Iob faith But Ahabs humiliation and fasting though hypocriticall yet obtayned favour of God True But what favour He obtayned the reprivall of his punishment for the time but not the pardon of his sinne nor consequently exemption from judgment Gods temporall or temporary favour to an hypocrite sheweth how much he delighteth in a sincere heart But Ahab was paid home at last for all his hypocrisie and impiety For as hee had swallowed downe at a morsell Naboths vineyard whereof for all his humiliation and crowching hee never made nor euer meant restitution while he disfigured his face in a counterfeit fast So at Raâ—oth Gilead the Lords arrow hit him home that in the same place where Naboth was slaine and that also in Ahabs disguised attire whereby he thought to haue frustated the trueth of Micaiah's prophecy Well might Ahab by hypocrisie commit the evill of sin vnseene of men but he could not thereby avoid the evill of punishment seene of God for all his disguising This may teach vs in our humiliation to looke well to our hearts how they stand affected The ancient Heathen vsed to looke into the Entrals of their Sacrifice whether they were sound or no. Caesar observing his sacrifice to vvant a heart tooke it for an ill presage as it proved That which they did in superstition let Christians haue in religious observation namely to looke well to their heart if sound and sincere else such a sacrifice bodes no good Wherefore is there a price in the fooles hand to buy wisdome and he wants a heart Prov. 17. 16. Now an ill affected heart in our Fast-sacrifice is either a wilfull ignorance of our sinne or if we know it stubborne impenitency hauing no thought or purpose much lesse desire and endeavous to reforme it This is a fast not for sinne nor from sinne but in sinne and vnto sin Ioshua's heart and the Elders of Israel was not so They were ignorant indeed of Achans sinne but not wilfully or willingly Besides if they had knowne it how ready would they haue beene to purge or to punish it as vve shall see afterwards Otherwise their sacrifice had vvanted a heart and so vvould haue proued or procured a greater plague vnto Israel But in their humiliation
they vvere no vvay guilty of Achans sinne nor as authours nor as accessories either by approving conniuing or patronizing of it They dealt sincerely The second and last speciall poynt considerable in Ioshua's act is that as Ioshua's so our fast should be holy to the Lord and for the Lord. When ye fasted ye fasted not to mee but to your selues Zach 7. 5. They sought themselues their owne wealth welfare No godamercy Should ye not heare c Esay 58. 3. That which Ioshua and the Elders of Israel sought was principally Gods glory which suffered in Israels discomfiture As v. 9. And what wilt thou doe vnto thy great name It was not their owne profit or priuate ends nor policy but piety that moued them to this humiliation Qui Dei solius gloriam quaerit acquirit suam Qui suam solius gloriam quaerit perdit Dei. Hee that seekes Gods glory onely procureth also his owne Hee that seeketh his owne glory alone looseth also Gods Now the right seeking of Gods glory in our Fast is to put the meanes in practise As to remoue the impediments generally all mens personall sinnes particularly state-sins as idolatry and heresie which directly strike at Gods glory and ruinate Israel as also oppression and bribery which ruinate kingdomes Withall to establish the true Religion with justice distributiue and correctiue so is Gods Israel so the Kings throne established Many may the causes be of Israels fast whereof Ioshua the Elders cannot be ignorant Yet if there were no more Achans sinne alone though concealed is cause enough But how shall Achan with his privy palliated sinne bee found out This is Gods part in the next words v. 10. From this verse to the 16 is contayned the Lords charge to Ioshua Get thee vp wherefore lyest thou thus vpon thy face Israel hath sinned c. It may seeme strange that God should bid Ioshua surcease his sorrowing alledging withall the cause Israels sinne If Israel hath sinned the rather haue Ioshua and the Elders cause to continue their fasting and prayer But wee are not to take this charge as a checke For the Lord did not interrupt Ioshua's devotion till the eventide the time of comfort after sorrow So that being at a full period And what wilt thou doe to thy great name the Lord takes the hinte and answeres Ioshua so as Ioshua might be partaker of that hee prayed for Otherwise Ioshua and the Elders might haue fasted and prayed long enough with small fruit if the Lords speech had not stept in Something else must be done besides a fast before it will go well with Israel But was not Ioshua's prayer and fasting aualeable Was hee not a holy and a vertuous Prince And doth not the effectuall feruent prayer of a righteous man auaile much Againe was not Ioshua a type of Iesus Christ And are not the prayers of Iesus effectuall Can God be angry with his people for whom Iesus prayeth This is Israels confidence euen ours that wee haue Iesus entred into the heauenly Canaan there taking possession there making intercession for vs. Can any thing then betide vs but good If our Iesus pray can wee his Israel perish God forbid Yet something is required on Israels part to be made partakers of Christs prayers to bring the blessing thereof downe vnto vs. Israel had the Oracles of God his Arke his speciall presence a noble Ioshua and Elders praying for them yet something was lacking on Israels part Ioshua Iesus may pray for Israel yet Israel be in perill of perishing if Israel haue sinned But Israel hath sinned sayth the Lord to Ioshua Wherefore lyest thou thus vpon thy face get thee vp If Israel hath sinned Israel hath an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and hee is the Propitiation for all our sins What more is required yes something For if wee confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue us our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse If Israel confesse his sinne Without this not Ioshua's fasting and prayer will availe Indeed our Ioshua's prayer Christs prayer for Israel is an effectuall meanes to worke true faith and to produce repentance in a sincere confession of sinnes vnto saluation And therefore Ioshua's prayer is not spent in vaine but is a fore runner inducing and conducing to the confession and so to the purgation of Israels sin The point hence is that all Israels fasting prayer humiliation deuotion is to noe purpose to preuent plagues but rather to provoke and procure them if it be not attended with true repentance thorow reformation of Israels sin When you spread forth your hands saith the Lord I will hide mine eyes from you yea when yee make many praiers I will not heare Will not many prayers serue the turne No not a beadroule of Prayers Why your hands are full of blood In praier pure not bloody hands must be lift vp God waighs not praiers by their plurality but by their purity And this purity is not in a neate concatenation of Scripture phrases or formes of speech but in faith and affections of a pure heart In Ezechiels time Israel had set vp an idoll in their hearts Some Idol sinne or other Any beloued darling habituall sinne is an idoll set vp in the heart How much more the loue of idols and images themselues Well what of this The Lord there saith Though Noah Daniel and Iob were in the land as I liue saith the Lord they shall deliuer neither sonnes nor daughters Why The idoll was set vp in the heart What then doth the Lord require in Israels fast Surely Israels publicke and solemne fast requireth a publicke and solemne reformation of Israels sin Ioel. 2. 12. Turne ye vnto me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning c. Such was done in heathen Nineuchs fast The King caused to be proclaimed through Nineueh by the decree of the King and his nobles Let neither man nor beast heard nor flocke great nor small old nor young tast any thing but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily vnto God Yea let them turne euery one from his euill way and from the violence that is in their hands Is this the condition required in Israels fast O then what a terror and horror is it for Israel when in the solemne fast not onely some Achans priuie sinne is not lookt into to be purged and punished but open * crimson scarlet coloured sinnes goe disfigured for a day to no other end but that as Romes images at Easter after their mourning in blacke all the Lent they may spring out in a fuller vigour and luster vsing a fast as the rose doth the sable night to cause the fayrer glosse Yet here is comfort to the true Israel of God What if Achans sins be not expiated shall all Israel perish God forbid Shall not the judge of all the world do
right But if Israel be pertaker of Acans sinne Israel must perish with Achan True but Israel fasteth Israel prayeth so Ioshua so the Elders What if many in Israel play the hypocrites in their fast yet euery Noah Daniel and Iob fasting and praying with and for Israel shall be preserued Ioshua and the Elders of Israel fasting praying should haue beene preserued who euer else had perished though Achans sin had not beene purged so it had not beene through their default In Israels fast then let all true Israelites comfort themselues if first they be purged themselues by renewing their couenant with God and if they cry mightily to God for the purgatition of Achans sinne whatsoeur whosoeuer it is that troubleth Israel howsoeuer Achans sinne remaine vnpurged to the perill of Israel yet the labour of such shall not be in vaine in the Lord. In the day when the Lord makes vp his Iewels he will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him Then shall ye returne sayth the Lord and discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked betweene him that serueth God and him that serueth him not But what was Achans sin It is laid downe verse the 11. and layd to Israels charge as before Israel hath sinned and they haue transgressed my couenant which I commaunded them for they haue euen taken of the accursed thing and haue also stollen and dissembled also and they haue put it euen amongst their owne stuffe Soe Achans sinne was sacriledge theft dissimulation mingling the accursed thing with Israels stuffe This accursed thing was a Babylonish garment a wedge of gold of 50 shekels and 200 shekels of siluer It is called accursed in a threefold respect first because it was Babylonish and Chanaanitish stuffe abominable to Israel Secondly because the Lord had expressely forbidden Israel to make or meddle with it for their owne priuate vse Thirdly because medled withall against the commaundement and intermedled with Israels stuffe it caused Israel to be accursed and all they tooke in hand v. 12. For therefore sayth God the children of Israel could not stand before their enimies because they were accursed neither will I be with you any more except ye destroy the accursed frō among you Here then we might take occasion to speake of the sins of sacriledg such kind of sacred-profane theft of hypocrisie and dissimulation of mingling execrable things with Israels stuffe but it might proue tedious Onely for a touch by the way Israel may learne thus much that if the stealing of a Babylonish garment were soe hainous What had beene then the bringing in of idolatrous reliques with all Babylonish equipage and furniture to set vppe the Babilonian Religion in Israel in case also it had beene done not secretly as Achans Babylonish garment which might therefore haue seemed to excuse Israel but openly and in the sight of the Sunne like Zimri and Cosbi in the open tent If it were so hainous to steale priuily a wedge of gold and siluer of soe small value in comparison which though it were sacriledge yet the Tabernacle of the Lord was not as yet possessed of them what then had it beene euen with a high hand of sacriledge simony in euery corner high mountaine of Israel to robbe and cheate God of his portition and Patrimony the onely Leuiticall inheritance for his ministery to the great desolation of many thousand soules in Israel What if Israel herein had beene guilty How would they haue weighed such stollen sacred wedges in the ballance of the sanctuary What a snare would they haue found it to haue deuoured so much sanctified and after the vow so to haue inquired Againe if one Achans dissimulation were soe hainous how then had the condition of Israel beene if her fairest face and most beautifull body had beene couered ouer with hypocrisie as with a leprosie soe that from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foote there had beene no sound part In a word if it were imputed to Israel for such a haynous sin that Achan mingled the Babylonish garment with Israels stuffe then how had Israels case stood if Babylonish lees had beene by prodigious Achans mingled among Israels pure wine if Canaanitish heresies had beene not only put with but for and in stead of Israels most precious stuffe her purest doctrines If these had beene Israels sinnes no marvaile if they had caused Israels affaires to fare so ill no marvaile if they had caused Israels GOD to estrange himselfe from Israel and to take the Canaanites part against her no marvaile if they had caused Israel to be contemned of the Canaanite to whom she was wont to bee terrible and accounted invincible no marvaile if they had caused GOD not to goe out with Israels Armies to suffer his Truth to bee trampled on yea to threaten vtter desolation and dereliction as v. 12. Is Israels case no better Poore Israel what wilt thou doe Fast and pray It is high time indeed For Israel hath sinned But yet the Lord bids Ioshua and the Elders of Israel to rise vp from their prostrations because Israel had sinned Why so For as we haue shewed something else is required besides a Faste to purge Israels fault What is that The Lord sheweth v. 13. c. Vp sanctifie the people and say sanctifie your selues against to morrow for thus saith the Lord God of Israel There is an accursed thing in the middest of thee O Israel thou canst not stand before thine enemies vntill yee take away the accursed thing from among you In the morning therefore yee shall bee brought c. And it shall bee that hee that is taken with the accursed thing shall bee burnt with fire hee and all that hee hath because c. In these wordes of GOD to Ioshua is first set downe the cause of Israels discomfiture the accursed thing Secondly The ill condition of Israel vntill this cause bee remooued no standing for them before their Enemies These wee haue already handled Thirdly a direction to Ioshua for the finding out of the Delinquent and for his punishment Hee and his must all perish 4ly Israel must be sanctified to fit them for the execution This sanctification was partly externall ceremoniall in the body by washing their cloathes or abstinence from pleasures partly internall by faith and repentance signified by the externall The word also in the originall for to sanctifie signifying also to prepare So that the Israelites were now to prepare themselues in holinesse for the execution of a notable peece of Iustice wherein al the people was to haue a hand Before they were to inquire into and punish anothers sinnes they must first purge themselues of their owne sinnes As Christ saith in the Gospell concerning the adulterous woman to those that accused her He among you that is without sin cast the first stone at her So that they that are to cast a stone at Achan must first be sanctified